behavior he voluntarily sent to Rome his son-in-law Annius, who served as his lieutenant; this was done professedly that Annius might escort Tiridates back, but in fact this relative stood in the position of a hostage to Nero.  The latter was so firmly persuaded that his general would not revolt that Corbulo obtained his son-in-law as lieutenant [Footnote:  Reading [Greek:  hyparchon] (Boissevain) for [Greek:  hypaton].] before he had been praetor.]

[Sidenote:  A.D. 65 (a.u. 818)] [Sidenote:—­24—­] Seneca, however, and Rufus the prefect and some other prominent men formed a plot against Nero.  They could no longer endure his ignoble behavior, his licentiousness, and his cruelty.  They desired at one and the same time to be rid of these evils and to give Nero his release from them.  Indeed, Sulpicius Asper, a centurion, and Subrius Flavius, a military tribune, both belonging to the body-guards, admitted this to him point blank.  Asper, when interrogated by the emperor as to the reason for his attempt, replied:  “I could help you in no other way.”  And the response of Flavins was:  “I both loved you and hated you above all men.  I loved you, hoping that you would prove a good emperor:  I have hated you because you do so-and-so.  I can not be slave to charioteer or lyre-player.”—­Information was lodged and these men were punished, besides many others indirectly associated with them.  Everything in the nature of a complaint that could be entertained against any one for excessive joy or grief, for words or gestures, was brought forward and was believed.  Not one of these complaints, even if fictitious, could be refused credence in view of Nero’s actual deeds.  Hence conscienceless friends and house servants of some men flourished greatly.  Persons guarded against strangers and foes,—­for of these they were suspicious,—­but were bound to expose themselves whether they would or no to their associates.

[Sidenote:—­25—­] It would be no small task to record details about most of those that perished, but the fate of Seneca needs a few words by itself.  It was his wish to end the life of his wife Paulina at the same time with his own, for he declared that he had taught her to despise death and that she desired to leave the world in company with him.  So he opened her veins as well as his own.  As he failed, however, to yield readily to death, his end was hastened by the soldiers; and his dying so speedily enabled Paulina to survive.  He did not lay hands upon himself, however, until he had revised the book which he had composed and had deposited with various persons certain other valued possessions which he feared might come into Nero’s hands and be destroyed.  Thus was Seneca forced to part with life in spite of the fact that he had on the pretext of illness abandoned the society of the emperor and had bestowed upon him his entire property, supposedly to help defray the expense of necessary building operations.  His brothers, too, perished after him.