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