36

we have previously described the pollutions from the history of Dio, concerning both the matricide and Sporus his beloved, and the rest. 91 Exc. De ins.: That in Iberia Gaius Julius Vindex revolts against Nero, and having taken on many of the fugitives of the senatorial council, he proclaims Galba emperor; who, having immediately armed his forces and prepared everything for the war, marches upon Rome. Nero, therefore, being not moderately disturbed by this, sends out Rufus Gallus as general of the war; who, not even enduring to come to blows with Galba, comes to an agreement and makes a treaty with Vindex; having chosen for himself to rule the Gauls, that Iberia belonged to Vindex, and to Galba all of Italy together, and whatever nations happen to be in obedience to the Roman rule. When these things were agreed upon by them, some of Rufus's soldiers plotted against Vindex, in ignorance of what had been discussed, but out of jealousy for his power. But Vindex, although being able to save himself easily, being indignant and lamenting that he was harmed by those of like mind, and that both, while doing the opposite to Nero, were destroying themselves, and furthermore despairing of human life, and having said something to the divine power, that having begun such a deed he did not complete it, he killed himself. Rufus, therefore, grieving terribly at such a misfortune, and having punished some of the soldiers, was rendered speechless. When these things were reported to Nero, he no longer held any hope in arms, but planned to do something else concerning himself. And while others were saying other things, he finally decided to kill the senators, and to burn down the city by night, and to sail to Alexandria, saying "that even if we fall from power, our little craft will at least feed us." But the members of the senate, having heard these things, conferred with the guards and the others who guarded the imperial court, and persuaded them to join them and to lay claim to the Roman dominion. And when these men also came to be of the opinion of the senators, they immediately killed the prefect of the camp, Scipulus, and they deserted the emperor's guard. But Nero, when he was abandoned also by his bodyguards, did not dare to kill himself, so that he might gain disgrace; but he attempted to flee, after his table had previously been struck by lightning; and having put on mean clothing, and having mounted a horse no better, he fled, with his head covered, to a certain estate of Phaon the Caesarean, with Epaphroditus and Sporus. And while it was still night, and as he was doing these things, a tremendous earthquake occurred in Rome. And having been recognized by some, he dismounted from his horse at once, and took refuge in a nearby reed-bed; in which he lay thrown for a long time, suspecting everyone passing by, and trembling at every voice, as if it were seeking him out, lamenting and bewailing the state in which he had previously been, and that he was now cast down in filth. Nero, then, was acting out a tragedy all by himself, and late at last, when no one saw him, he moved to a nearby cave, and being thirsty, he drank water. But the Roman senate, having declared him an enemy, voted for him to pay the penalty for the things he had done wrong during his reign in the following manner: it was ordered that he be led naked to the prison, with a forked stick placed on his neck, and after a severe torture of his body, to be thrown down from a certain rock. Nero, having perceived this beforehand, and fearing those coming for him, ordered those present to kill both himself and themselves. But when they did not obey, partly because they did not dare, and partly because they used his burial as a pretext, he, being terribly pained, groaned that he could do nothing. And after this, wishing to kill Sporus, he failed, as that man fled. Then he said: "I have neither friend nor enemy;" and having said this, he struck himself; but as he was dying a hard death, Epaphroditus finished him off. And so Nero, being born of the best

36

μιαρίας προεγράψαμεν ἐκ τῆς ἱστορίας ∆ίωνος, περί τε τῆς μητροκτονίας καὶ τοῦ Σπόρου τοῦ ἐρωμένου καὶ τῶν λοιπῶν. 91 Exc. De ins.: Ὅτι ἐν τῇ Ἰβηρίᾳ Γάϊος Ἰούλιος Οὐίνδιξ ἐπανίσταται τῷ Νέρωνι, πολλούς τε τῶν τῆς συγκλήτου βουλῆς φυγάδων προσλαβόμενος Γάλβαν ἀποδείκνυσι βασιλέα· ὃς τὰς δυνάμεις εὐθέως ἐξοπλίσας, καὶ πάντα τὰ πρὸς τὸν πόλεμον παρασκευασάμενος ἐπὶ τὴν Ῥώμην ἐλαύνει. Ὁ γοῦν Νέρων, οὐ μετρίως ἐπὶ τούτῳ ταραχθεὶς, στρατηγὸν τοῦ πολέμου Ῥοῦφον Γάλλον ἐκπέμπει· ὃς οὐδὲ ἐς χεῖρας ἐλθεῖν ἀνασχόμενος πρὸς τὸν Γάλβαν, ὁμολογεῖται καὶ σπένδεται πρὸς τὸν Οὐίνδικα· αὐτὸς μὲν τῶν Γαλλιῶν ἄρχειν ἐπιλεξάμενος, Οὐίνδικι δὲ τὴν Ἰβηρίαν προσήκειν, καὶ τῷ Γάλβᾳ πᾶσαν ὁμοῦ τὴν Ἰταλίαν, καὶ ὅσα τῇ Ῥωμαίωνἀρχῇ πρὸς ὑπακοὴν ἔθνη τυγχάνει. Τούτων αὐτοῖς διομολογηθέντων, τινὲς τῶν τοῦ Ῥούφου στρατιωτῶν ἐπιβουλεύουσι τῷ Οὐίνδικι, ἀγνοίᾳ μὲν τῶν ὁμιληθέντων, ζήλῳ δὲ τῆς πρὸς αὐτὸν δυναστείας. Ἀλλ' ὁ μὲν Οὐίνδιξ, καίτοι ῥᾳδίως δυνάμενος σωθῆναι, ἀγανακτήσας καὶ ὀλοφυράμενος, ὅτι ἐκ τῶν ὁμοφρονούντων ἐκακώθη, καὶ ὅτι τὰ ἐναντία τῷ Νέρωνι ἀμφότεροι πράττοντες ἑαυτοὺς ἀπώλλυσαν, καὶ προσέτι τοῦ ἀνθρωπείου βίου καταγνοὺς, καί τι πρὸς τὸ δαιμόνιον εἰπὼν, ὅτι τοιούτου πράγματος ἀρξάμενος οὐκ ἐπλήρωσεν, ἑαυτὸν προσκατειργάσατο. Ὁ γοῦν Ῥοῦφος δεινῶς ἐπὶ τῷ τοιούτῳ πάθει ὑπεραλγήσας, καί τινας τῶν στρατιωτῶν κολά σας ἐν ἀφασίᾳ κατέστη. Ταῦτα ὡς ἠγγέλθη τῷ Νέρωνι, οὐδεμίαν τοῦ λοιποῦ τῶν ὅπλων ἐλπίδα ἐποιήσατο, ἀλλ' ἐβουλεύσατο ἀμφ' αὑτὸν ἄλλο πρᾶξαι. Καὶ ἄλλων ἄλλα λεγόντων, τέλος ἔγνω τούς τε βουλευτὰς ἀποκτεῖναι, καὶ τὴν πόλιν καταπρῆσαι νύκτωρ, ἔς τε τὴν Ἀλεξάνδρειαν πλεῦσαι· εἰπὼν «ὅτι κἂν τῆς ἀρχῆς ἐκπέσωμεν, τό γε τέχνιον ἡμᾶς θρέψει.» Οἱ δὲ τῆς βουλῆς ἀκούσαντες ταῦτα, πρὸς τοὺς δορυφόρους καὶ τοὺς ἄλλους, οἳ τὴν βασίλειον φρουροῦσιν, αὐλὴν προσδιαλεχθέντες, πείθουσί τε αὐτοὺς ἅμα γενέσθαι, καὶ μεταποιήσασθαι τῆς Ῥωμαίων ἐπικρατείας. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ καὶ οὗτοι τῆς τῶν βουλευσάντων ἐγένοντο γνώμης, αὐτίκα μὲν τὸν τοῦ στρατοπέδου ἔπαρχον Σκίπουλον ἀναιροῦσιν· ἀφίστανται δὲ τῆς τοῦ βασιλέως φρουρᾶς. Ὁ δὲ Νέρων ὡς καὶ ὑπὸ τῶν σωματοφυλάκων κατελείφθη, ἀποκτεῖναι μὲν ἑαυτὸν οὐκ ἐτόλμησεν, ἵνα τὴν αἰσχύνην κερδάνῃ· φυγεῖν δὲ ἐπεχείρησε, πρότερον κεραυνωθείσης αὐτοῦ τῆς τραπέζης· ἐσθῆτά τε φαύλην ἐνδυσάμενος, καὶ ἐφ' ἵππον οὐδὲν βελτίονα ἀναβὰς, κατακεκαλυμμένος πρὸς χωρίον τι Φάωνος Καισαρείου μετὰ Ἐπαφροδίτου καὶ Σπόρου κατέφυγε. Νυκτὸς δὲ ἔτι οὔσης, καὶ αὐτοῦ ταῦτα πράσσοντος, σεισμὸς ἐξαίσιος ἐν τῇ Ῥώμῃ γέγονε. Καὶ αὐτὸν γνωρισθέντα ὑπό τινων ἀποβῆναι μὲν τοῦ ἵππου παραχρῆμα, ἔς τινα δὲ πλησίον καταφυγεῖν καλαμῶνα· ἐν ᾧ μέχρι πολλοῦ ἐρριμμένος, πάντα μὲν παριόντα ὑπετοπεῖτο, πᾶσαν δὲ φωνὴν, ὡς καὶ ἀναζητοῦσαν αὐτὸν, ὑπέτρεμε, θρηνῶν τε καὶ ὀλοφυρόμενος ἐν οἷς ἦν πρότερον, καὶ ὅτι ἐν κοπρίᾳ ἔρριπτο. Νέρων μὲν οὖν αὐτὸς παρ' ἑαυτῷ ἐτραγῴδει, καὶ ὀψέ ποτε, ἐπεὶ μηδεὶς αὐτὸν ἑώρα, μετῆλθεν εἰς τὸ πλησίον ἄντρον, καὶ διψήσας ἔπιεν ὕδωρ. Ἡ δὲ τῶν Ῥωμαίων βουλὴ πολέμιον αὐτὸν ἀνειποῦσα, δοῦναι δίκας τῶν κατὰ τὴν ἀρχὴν ἡμαρτημένων τοιόνδε τινὰ τρόπον ἐψηφίσατο· ἀχθῆναι μὲν γὰρ ἐς τὸ δεσμωτήριον γυμνὸν, κεραίας ἐπιβεβλημένης τῷ τραχήλῳ, προστάττεται, μετὰ δὲ σφοδρὸν αἰκισμὸν τοῦ σώματος ὠσθῆναι κατά τινος πέτρας. Ἃ δὴ προαισθόμενος ὁ Νέρων, τούς τε χωροῦντας ἐπ' αὐτὸν καταδείσας, προσέταξε τοῖς παροῦσι καὶ ἑαυτὸν καὶ ἑαυτοὺς ἀποκτεῖναι. Ἐπεὶ δέ γε οὐχ ὑπήκουσαν, τὸ μὲν ὅτι οὐκ ἐτόλμων, τὸ δὲ ὅτι τὴν ταφὴν αὐτοῦ προεφασίσαντο, δεινῶς ἀλγήσας ἐστέναξεν, ὅτι μηδὲν ἐδύνατο. Μετὰ δὲ τοῦτο τὸν Σπόρον βουληθεὶς ἀποκτεῖναι διήμαρτεν, ἀποφυγόντος ἐκείνου. Τότε ἔφη· «Ἐγὼ οὐδὲ φίλον οὐδὲ ἐχθρὸν ἔχω·» καὶ τοῦτο εἰπὼν, ἑαυτὸν ἐπάταξεν· δυσθανατοῦντα δὲ ὁ Ἐπαφρόδιτος προσκατειργάσατο. Καὶ ὁ μὲν Νέρων φὺς ἄριστα