It was now that he celebrated a corresponding number of “Preservation Sacrifices,” as he called them, and dedicated the forum for the sale of dainties, called Macellum. [Sidenote:—­19—­] Somewhat later he instituted a different kind of feast (called Juvenalia, a word that showed it belonged in some way to “youth").  The occasion was the shaving of his beard for the first time.  The hairs he cast into a small golden globe and offered to Jupiter Capitolinus.  To furnish amusement members of the noblest families as well as others did not fail to give exhibitions.  For instance, Aelia Catella danced:  he was first of all a man prominent for family and wealth and also advanced in years,—­he was eighty years of age.  Others who on account of old age or disease could not do anything on their own account sang as chorus.  All devoted themselves to practicing as much as and by whatever way they were able.  Regularly appointed “schools” were frequented by the most distinguished men, women, girls, lads, old women, old men.  In case any one was unable to appear in any other fashion, he would enter the choruses.  And whereas some of them out of shame had put on masks to avoid being recognized, Nero at the request of the populace had them taken off and showed these people to those by whom they had once been ruled.  Now most of all it was that these amateur performers and others deemed the dead happy; for many of the foremost men this year had been slain.  Some of them, charged with conspiracy against Nero, were surrounded by the soldiers and stoned to death.

[Sidenote:—­20—­] And, as there needed to be a fitting climax to these deeds, Nero himself appeared as an actor and Gallio [Footnote:  L.  Iunius Gallio.] proclaimed him by name.  There stood Caesar on the stage wearing the garb of a singing zither-player.  Spoke the emperor:  “My lords, of your kindness give me ear.”  Then did the Augustus sing to the zither a thing called “Attis or the Bacchantes,” [Footnote:  The title of one of Nero’s poems.] whilst many soldiers stood by and all the people that the seats would hold sat watching.  Yet had he (according to the tradition) but a slight voice and an indistinct, so that he moved all present to laughter and tears at once.  Beside him stood Burrus and Seneca like teachers prompting a pupil:  they would wave their hands and togas at every utterance and draw others on to do the same.  Indeed, Nero had ready a peculiar corps of about five thousand soldiers, called Augustans; these would begin the applause, and all the rest, however loath, were obliged to shout aloud with them,—­except Thrasea.  He would never stoop to such conduct.  But the rest, and especially the prominent men, gathered with alacrity even when in grief and joined as if glad in all the shouts of the Augustans.  One could hear them saying:  “Excellent Caesar!  Apollo!  Augustus!  One like unto the Pythian!  By thine own self, O Caesar, no one can surpass thee!” After this performance he entertained the people at a feast on boats on the site of the naval battle given by Augustus:  thence at midnight he sailed through a canal into the Tiber.