A complete dictionary of the Greek and Roman antiquities explaining the obscure places in classic authors and ancient historians relating to the religion, mythology, history, geography and chronology of the ancient Greeks and Romans, their ... rites and customs, laws, polity, arts and engines of war : also an account of their navigations, arts and sciences and the inventors of them : with the lives and opinions of their philosophers / compiled originally in French ... by Monsieur Danet ; made English, with the addition of very useful mapps.

NERO,

the 6th Emperor of Rome, was the Son of Domitius Aeneobarbus and Agrippina and adopted by the Emperor Claudius his Predecessor, to the Empire: The Medals which we have of him shew his natural Inclinations by the Features of his Face: For his Eyes were small and beetle∣browed, his Throat and Chin met together, his Neck was thick, his Belly big and Legs small: Take him altogether, he perfectly resembled a Hog, which he did not illy imitate in his sordid Pleasures; his Chin was a little turn'd up, which was a Sign of Cruelty; his Hair light and Legs small, as Suetonius observes, and his Face rather Fair than Majestick, which made him easily to be adjudged an effeminate Person: So that if in the Beginning of his Reign he shewed much Moderation and Clemency, even so far as to say he wished he could not write, that he might not sign the Sentence of a Criminal which was brought to him, it was no more than an affected Modesty, which Policy and the Respect that he bore unto his Preceptors, inspired him with. Seneca in his Satyr against Claudius, with a sort of Flattery unbecoming a Philosopher, brings in Apollo speaking of Nero, as being like unto him∣self both in Beauty and Majesty:

Ille mihi fimilis vultu, fimilisque decore, Nec cantu, nec voce minor, &c.

And this doubtless is the Reason why Nero is of∣ten seen represented like unto Apollo: To speak the Truth, he had no bad Face, but he could not pass for a very handsome Person, since his Eyes were too small, his Neck very thick, and his Legs so slender and disproportionate to his Height. Indeed, at the time when Seneca writ, he was handsomer than afterwards, seeing he was yet but young, and not so gross and fat as afterwards, and this may be observed by the Me∣dals which were cast, while he was yet but Caesar.

* We have a Dialogue in Lucian, which speaks of Nero's undertaking to cut thro' the Isthmus of Corinth, which I shall recite intire in this place, because it contains some Particulars of the said Prince his Life.

Menecrates.

Did not this Design seem to have somewhat in it of the Air of Greece, which this Prince affects so much?

Musonius.

It would doubtless have spared Merchants and Sailors much Trouble, and par∣ticularly Pilots, which are a long time sail∣ing round Peloponesus, and would have very much conduced to the Defence and Profit of Greece, which would have had a better Inter∣course with it self in the several Parts of it hereby.

Menecr.

Thou will oblige us to give a Relati∣on of what passed upon this Occasion, seeing thou were present.

Muson.

This I will very willingly do: The Love of Musick, and an Opinion which Nero had that the Muses could not sing better than himself, carried him into Greece, that he might be crowned at the Olympick Games; for as to the Pythian Games, he thought he had a greater Share therein than Apollo himself; and I do not know but that he might believe the said God would neither dare to sing nor play upon the Harp after him. This Design therefore had not been premeditated long, but when he found himself upon the Place, and saw the little Di∣stance there was from one Sea to the other, the same being about Three Quarters of a League, he was taken with a Desire to render himself famous by this Undertaking, according to the Example of other great Princes, who had un∣dertaken the like Designs. For Agamemnon (as 'tis said) separated the Island of Negropont from Baeotia. Darius made a Bridge over the Bospho∣rus, and Xerxes would have cut thro' Mount Athos. Besides, he was mightily pleased to hear himself praised, for Tyrants are never so cruel nor blind, but they desire to do something for the Benefit of the Publick, or their own Glo∣ry; wherefore, after he had sung the Praises of Neptune and Amphitrite upon the Theatre of Corinth, with another little Poem in Honour of Leucothea and Melicertus, he went on with a Golden How, which was presented him, and with Songs and publick Acclamations advanced towards the Place, where the Canal was to be made, and there began to dig a little; after which recommending the Business to those who had the Charge thereof, he returned into the City, believing that he had by this Action out-done the Labours of Hercules. The Work was divided so, that his Army should be imploy'd in that part which was eanest, and that was to dig a Canal in the Plain, while the Malefactors, which were taken out of the Prison, should do the rest. After they had worked for Twelve Days, there was a Rumour spread up and down Corinth, that the Mathematicians should say, that one of the Seas was much higher than the other, and that if they continued to go on, the Isle of Egina would be drowned: But besides that these Rumours were false in themselves, they never had been able to divert the Resolution of a Prince, who affected to do great Things, if all the Mathematicians in the World had assured him of the Truth thereof; for he would never have

abandoned the Undertaking, had he not recei∣ved the News of Vindex his Revolting, and that all Things were in Confusion at Rome.

Menecr.

Tell us now what it was that incli∣ned him to have such a passionate Love unto Musick, and whether he had so good a Voice as some have reported; for others have affirmed the Contrary.

Muson.

His Voice was in reality neither to be admired nor laughed at, because it was neither very good nor very bad. It was a kind of a ri∣sing Voice that he does not manage ill, and such as agrees very well with his Harp, as well as his Gesture and Countenance; besides which, he understood the Way of the Theatre exactly well, and better than became a Prince. But when he pretended to rival the Masters of the Art, he made a Fool of himself; whatever Danger might ensue: For he was too full of Action, and stood a Tip-toes; besides, he coloured in the Face thro' an over Eagerness, and a Desire to perform well, tho' he naturally had a very ruddy Coun∣tenance; and as he had no extraordinary Voice, nor good Breath, they fail'd him often at a Pinch.

Menecr.

But how do they do to enter the Lists with him?

Muson.

He put a Player to death at the Isth∣mian Games, who had the Boldness to dispute the Prize with him; for it is no less Danger to excel him, than 'tis to laugh at his Voice.

Menecr.

How was that, we know nothing of it?

Muson.

This was done at the Games of all Greece, and was thus: Tho' it were not an usual thing to represent the Diversions of the Theatre at these Games, no more than to sing at the Olympick Games, yet he was minded to carry away the Honour of his Tragedy; amongst those who came to contend with him for the Prize, there was a very famous Actor from Epirus, who in∣sisted upon having 10 Talents for yielding the Ho∣nour unto him; this made him swell with Anger, besides, the Actor had already told in private, what it was that hindred Nero to grant him what he asked. But as he saw him acting his Part with great Applause, he caused one of his Ser∣vants to tell him, that he ought to yield that Honour to his Prince; and because he would not, but persisted inflexible, and doubled his Efforts, which were attended with the loud Acclamati∣ons of the People; he ordered his Actors to go upon the Stage (as if that were part of the same Act) who when they had push'd him against a Pil∣lar, but his Throat with thin pieces of Ivory, which they had in their Hands, that were as sharp as Razors.

Menecr.

And did he after this Action get the Applause of Greece, and win the Victory?

Muson.

This passed for a Jest, in a Man that had killed his own Mother.

Menecr.

Indeed, 'tis not strange he should go about to make an Actor hold his Tongue, when he had endeavoured to stop Apollo's Mouth, by hindring his Priestess to deliver any more O∣racles, because she had placed him in the Num∣ber of Par••icides, tho' she had still spared him; for Oresles and Alcmaenon, with whom she com∣pared him, had killed their Mother in Revenge for their Father, which had some Shadow of Glory in it; but Nero's Crime was without Pre∣tence.

When the Provinces had revolted against him, and that he found he was hated by every Body for his Cruelty and enormous Debaucheries, he killed himself, that he might avoid the Punish∣ments his Crimes deserved.