tronius
Secundus: at least, this is the tradition. Domitia was ever an object of
the imperial hatred and consequently stood in terror of her life; the rest
no longer loved their sovereign, some of them because complaints had been
lodged against them and others because they were expecting them to be
lodged. For my part, I have heard also the following account,--that
Domitian, having become suspicious of all these persons, conceived a
desire to kill them, and wrote their names on a two-leaved tablet of
linden wood, and put it under his pillow on the couch where he was wont to
repose; and one of the naked prattling [Footnote: Compare Book
Forty-eight, chapter 44.] boys, while the emperor was asleep in the
daytime, filched it away and kept it without knowing what it contained.
Domitia then chanced upon it and reading what was written gave information
of the matter to those involved. As a result, they changed their plans
somewhat and hastened the plot; yet they did not proceed to action until
they had determined who was to succeed to the office. Having conversed
with various persons, when they found that no one would accept it
(everybody was afraid of them, thinking that they were simply testing
people's loyalty) they betook themselves to Nerva. He was of most noble
birth and most suitable character and had, besides, encountered danger
through being slandered by astrologers [who declared that he should be
sovereign.] Thus they the more easily persuaded him to be the next to
receive the power. In truth, Domitian, who conducted an investigation of
the days and the hours when the foremost men had been born, had
consequently ere this despatched not a few even of those who entertained
no hopes of gaining any power. [Footnote: As the MS tradition of this
sentence is corrupt, the emendations of Polak have been adopted.] And he
would have slain Nerva, had not one of the astrologers who favored the
latter declared that he would die within a few days. [Believing that this
would really prove true, he did not desire to be guilty of this additional
murder, inasmuch as Nerva in any event was to meet death so very soon.]

[Sidenote:--16--] Since no occurrence of such magnitude is without
previous indications, various unfavorable tokens appeared in his case,
too. In a vision he himself beheld Rusticus approaching him with a sword;
and he thought that Minerva, whose statue he kept in his bedchamber, had
thrown away her weapons and, mounted up