"I did not know I had so
beautiful a mother."

To the Pretorians he gave money evidently to secure their prayers for many
such occurrences, and he sent to the senate a message in which he
enumerated the offences of which he knew she was guilty, stating also that
she had plotted against him and on being detected had committed suicide.
Yet for all this calm explanation to the governing body he was frequently
subject to agitation at night, so that he would even leap suddenly from
his bed. And by day terror seized him at the sound of trumpets that seemed
to blare forth some horrid din of war from the spot where lay Agrippina's
bones. Therefore he went elsewhere. And when in his new abode he had again
the same experience, he distractedly transferred his residence to some
other place.

Nero, not having a word of truth from any one and seeing that all approved
what he had been doing, thought that either his actions had escaped notice
or that he had conducted himself correctly. Hence he became much worse
also in other respects. He came to think that all that it was in his power
to do was right and gave heed to those whose speech was prompted by fear
or flattery as if they told absolute truth. For a time he was subject to
fears and questionings, but, after the ambassadors had made him a number
of pleasing speeches, he regained courage.

[Sidenote:--15--] The population of Rome, on hearing the report, though
horrified were nevertheless joyful, because they thought that now he would
surely come to ruin. Nearly all of the senators pretended to rejoice at
what had taken place, participated in Nero's pleasure, and voted many
measures of which they thought he would be glad. Publius Thrasea Paetus
had also come to the senate-house and listened to the letter. When,
however, the reading was done, he at once rose without making any comment
and went out. Thus what he would have said he could not, and what he could
have said he would not. He behaved in the same way under all other
conditions. For he used to say: "If it were a matter of Nero's putting
only me to death, I could easily pardon the rest who load him with
flatteries. But since among those even who praise him so excessively he
has gotten rid of some and will yet destroy others, why should one stoop
to indecent behavior and perish like a slave, when like a freeman one may
pay the debt to nature? There shall be talk of me hereafter, but of these
men not a word save for the single