[Sidenote:--2--] The following signs of dominion had been observed in his
career. At his birth just before dawn rays not cast by any beam of
sunlight yet visible surrounded his form. And a certain astrologer from
this and from the motion of the stars at that time and their relation to
one another divined two things in regard to him,--that he would rule and
that he would murder his mother. Agrippina on hearing this became for the
moment so beside herself as actually to cry out: "Let him kill me, if only
he shall rule." Later she was destined to repent bitterly of her prayer.
Some people become so steeped in folly that if they expect to obtain some
blessing mingled with evil, they at once through their anxiety for the
advantage pay no heed to the detriment. When the time for the latter also
comes, they are cast down and would choose not to have secured even the
greatest good thing. Yet Domitius, the father of Nero, had a sufficient
previous intimation of his son's coming baseness and licentiousness, not
by any oracle but through the nature of his own and Agrippina's
characters. And he declared: "It is impossible for any good man to be born
from me and from her." As time went on, the finding of a serpent skin
around Nero's neck when he was but a boy caused the seers to say: "He
shall acquire great power from the aged man." Serpents are thought to
slough off their old age with their old skin, and so get power.

[Sidenote:--3--] Nero was seventeen years of age when he began to rule. He
first entered the camp, and, after reading to the soldiers all that Seneca
had written, he promised them as much as Claudius had been accustomed to
give. Before the senate he read such a considerable document,--this, too,
written by Seneca,--that it was voted the statements should be inscribed
on a silver tablet and should be read every time the new consuls took up
the duties of their office. Consequently those who heard him made
themselves ready to enjoy a good reign according to the letter of the