ration only intermittently. They were consulted by all classes,
from the Emperor downwards.

There were many physicians in the reign of Nero, but none of great
eminence. Andromachus was physician to the Emperor, and had the title of
_archiater_, which means "chief of the physicians."

An account of the archiaters is of interest. The name was applied to
Christ by St. Jerome. There were two classes of archiaters in time, the
one class called _archiatri sancti palati_; the other, _archiatri
populares_. The former attended the Emperor, and were court physicians;
the latter attended the people. Although Nero appointed the first
archiater, the name is not commonly used in Latin until the time of
Constantine, and the division into two classes probably dates from about
that time. The _archiatri sancti palati_ were of high rank, and were the
judges of disputes between physicians. The Archiatri had many privileges
conferred upon them. They, and their wives and children, did not have to
pay taxes. They were not obliged to give lodgings to soldiers in the
provinces, and they could not be put in prison. These privileges applied
more especially to the higher class. When an _archiater sancti palati_
ceased attendance on the Emperor he took the title of ex-archiater. The
title _comes archiatorum_ means "count of the Archiatri," and gave rank
among the high nobility of the Empire.

The _archiatri populares_ attended the sick poor, and each city had
five, seven or ten, according to its size. Rome had fourteen of these
officers, besides one for the vestal virgins, and one for the gymnasia.
They were paid by the Government for attending the poor, but were not
restricted to this class of practice, and were well paid by their
prosperous patients. Their office was more lucrative but not so
honourable as that of the archiaters of the palace. The _archiatri
populares_ were elected by the people themselves.

Suetonius describes the treatment Nero underwent for the improvement of
his voice: "He would lie upon his back with a sheet of lead upon his
breast, clear his stomach and bowels by vomits and clysters, and forbear
the eating of fruits, or food prejudicial to his voice." He built, at
great expense, magnificent public baths supplied from the sea and from
hot springs, and was the first to build a public gymnasium in Rome.

There is reason to believe that in the time of Nero there was a class of
women poisoners. Nero employed one of these wo