The annales of Cornelius Tacitus. The description of Germanie

XVI. Nero putteth away Octauia and marrieth Poppaea: and her complaints against Octauia: and her death.

HAuing thus receiued a decree of Senate, and perceiuing that all his vngraci∣ous actes were taken for worthie exploites, he putteth away Octauia, saying she was barren, and marrieth Poppaea. She, long a concubine, and hauing power ouer him as an adulterer, then as her husband, procureth one of Octauiaes seruitors to accuse her that she was in loue with one Eucerus a bondman, a minstrell, borne at Alexandria. Thereupon many bondwomen were tortured, some of them ouercome by extremitie of torment, yeelded to falshood; and many stood stoutly in defence of their mistres innocencie. Amongst whom, one of them, Tigellinus ear∣nestly vrging hir, answered, that Octauiaes secret parts were chaster then his mouth: yet at the first she was put from him vnder colour of a lawfull diuorse, and Burrhus house and Plautus possessions assigned her, both presages of ill luck. Then she was driuen into Campania, with a gard of souldiers; whereof grew many complaints and lamentations, and those not in secret among the people, as hauing small wise∣dome, and little to lose, so subiect to fewer dangers: by reason whereof, though no whit sory of that he had done, Nero recalleth his wife Octauia, and the people very ioyfully went vp to the Capitoll, and worshipped and thanked the gods, threw downe Poppaeas images, and bare Octauiaes on their shoulders, strawed flomes on them, and placed them in the Forum and Temples, praysed and honored the Prince for taking her againe. And now they had filled the pallace with multitudes and cries, when as companies of souldiers sent, with blowes and threates, thrustand scat∣tered them some one way, some another; and changed all that the people had done

by sedition, and restored Poppaeas images to their places againe. Who alwayes fell and cruell with hatred towards Octauia; and then with feare, least a more forcible violēce of the people should fall vpō her; or Nero be changed, seeing how the people were affected, casting herselfe at his knees, sayd: That she stoode not now on those termes that she might reason of her marriage, (although she esteemed it more then her safty) but that she was brought into dāger of her life by Octauias cliēts & slaues, which shadowing themselues vnder the name of the people, durst venter that in peace, which could hardly haue hapned in warre. Those armes were taken against the Prince: there wanted only a Captaine, which in a tumult would easily be found. Octauia might now leaue Campania, and go to the citie, seeing that at a beck in her absence such tumults were raised. What fault had she committed? whom had she offended? Whether is it because she was likely to bring forth a true and lawfull progenie to the house of the Caesars? would the people of Rome there should be ra∣ther brought into the imperiall highnes the issue of a minstrell of Aegypt? To be short, if that be conuenient for the state, he should rather willingly then constrai∣nedly call his mistres, or looke to his safetie with iust reuenge. The first tumults are appeased by easie meanes: but if they did despaire of hauing Octauia for Neroes wife, they would prouide her a husband. This doubtfull speech appliable to feare and anger, did both terrifie Nero, and incense him. But the suspition of the slaue was of small credit, and the torture of the bondwomen had made the matter cleere: therefore it was thought conuenient, to haue the confession of some one, which might be charged with some practise against the state. Anicetus the executioner of his mothers death seemed to be a fit instrument for the purpose, as I haue al∣ready sayd, Captaine of the nauie at Misenum, in some small fauour after the vil∣lanie committed, but anon after most odious, because the ministers of great villa∣nies are looked on as vpbraiders of the same. Caesar then causing him to be sent for, putteth him in mind of the former seruice, and telleth him that he only had been the safegard of his estate against his mothers treason, and that there was now an oppor∣tunitie of no lesse fauor, if he could rid him of his wife, which greatly disliked him. Neither should he neede hand or weapon, but only confesse he had committed a∣dultery with Octauia: and promiseth him great rewards, though for the present the world should not know them, and pleasant dwellings; or if he should denie it, threatned him death. He like a blockhead as he was, his first villanie making an easie way to this, inuenteth more then was commanded, and confesseth it vnto such of the Emperors friends, whose counsell as it were he had vsed in the plot. Then he was banished into Sardinia, where he indured no poore exile, and died naturally. But Nero accused her that she had corrupted the captaine of the gallies, in hope of winning him to her deuotion: and forgetting that not long before he had accused her of barrennes, publisheth by edict, that to hide her licentious life, she had de∣stroyed the children she had had by others then by him, and that thereof he was as∣sured, and therefore banished Octauia to the Iland Pandateria. No banished wo∣man did euer moue the beholders to greater pitie then she. Some did yet remember Agrippina exiled by Tiberius; and Iulia banished by Claudius was fresher in me∣morie: but both besides the strength of age, had tasted of some pleasure, and com∣forted their present cruell hap with the remembrance of a better estate. Vnto this woman, her first day of marriage was in stead of a graue, being brought into a house in which she could finde nothing but what was dolefull and lamentable: her father poisoned, and her brother anon after. Then the maid greater then the mistres, and Poppaea married for no other end, but to ruine her; and last of all a crime obiected

more grieuous then any death. But this yong princesse of the age of twentie yeeres, being betweene the Centurions and souldiers as it were alreadie depriued of life, with the presage of so many miseries, yet could not yeeld to death. A few daies after she was commanded to be put to death, although she protested she was no wife, but a widow only, and a sister of the Emperours, calling to Germanicus ghost to aid her, and Agrippinaes likewise, in whose lifetime she should indeede haue indured an vnhappie marriage, but without danger of death. Notwithstanding she was shut vp in prison, and all the vaines of her bodie opened; but because the bloud stopped with feare issued forth slowly, she was killed with the vapor of a very hot bath. And a deadlier crueltie also added, that Poppaea saw her head cut off, and brought to the city; for all which it was decreed, that gifts should be offered in the temples. Which we haue vttered, that who soeuer shall either by vs, or other writers, vnderstand the euents of those times, may be assured, that as oft as the Prince commaunded either banishment, or murder, so oft thanks were giuen to the gods; and those things which in times past were marks of prosperitie, were then badges of publick calami∣tie. Yet neuertheles we will not hold our toong if any decree of Senat hath beene ordained, new and strange by flattery, or by base and abiect sufferance. The same yeere, it was thought he empoisoned his chiefest freed men, Doryphorus as being a∣gainst Poppaeas marriage, and Pallas because he kept from him infinite wealth by liuing too long. Romanus by secret informations accused Seneca as a confederate of Pisoes: but he was touched more neere the quick by Seneca for the same fault, which droue Piso into a feare, and that commencement of great, but vnprosperous trea∣sons against Nero.