Nero, had a sufficient
previous intimation of his son's coming baseness and licentiousness, not
by any oracle but through the nature of his own and Agrippina's
characters. And he declared: "It is impossible for any good man to be born
from me and from her." As time went on, the finding of a serpent skin
around Nero's neck when he was but a boy caused the seers to say: "He
shall acquire great power from the aged man." Serpents are thought to
slough off their old age with their old skin, and so get power.

[Sidenote:--3--] Nero was seventeen years of age when he began to rule. He
first entered the camp, and, after reading to the soldiers all that Seneca
had written, he promised them as much as Claudius had been accustomed to
give. Before the senate he read such a considerable document,--this, too,
written by Seneca,--that it was voted the statements should be inscribed
on a silver tablet and should be read every time the new consuls took up
the duties of their office. Consequently those who heard him made
themselves ready to enjoy a good reign according to the letter of the
compilation. At first Agrippina [in company with Pallas, a vulgar and
tiresome man,] managed all affairs pertaining to the empire, and she and
her son went about together, often reclining in the same litter; usually,
however, she would be carried and he would follow alongside. It was she
who transacted business with embassies and sent letters to peoples and
governors and kings. When this had gone on for a considerable time, it
aroused the displeasure of Seneca and Burrus, who were both the most
sensible and the most influential of the advisers of Nero. The one was his
teacher and the other was prefect of the Pretorians. They took the
following occasion to stop this method of procedure. An embassy of
Armenians had arrived and Agrippina wished to ascend the platform from
which Nero was talking with them. The two men, seeing her approach,
persuaded the young man to go down before she could reach there and meet
his mother, pretending some form of greeting. After that was done they did
not return again, making some excuse to prevent the foreigners from seeing
the flaw in the empire. Subsequently they labored to keep any public
business from being again committed to her hands.

[Sidenote:--4--] When they had accomplished this, they themselves took
charge of the entire empire and gave it the very best and fairest
management that they could. Nero was not in ge