Seneca - College of Stoic Philosophers

THE TRAGEDY OF BAIAE 91villa, and to give oxit that she had destroyedherself on hearing that her plot to take herson's life had failed. Nero eagerly agreed to thisproposal, and the deed was done.Matricide, even in the Rome of the first century,was thought an enormous crime ;and Nerodreaded the effect of the news on public opinion.Had his first contrivance proved successful andthe death of Agrippina seemed the result of anaccident at sea, it had been his intention to expresssorrow for her loss and to honour her memory inthe customary manner with altars and temples.As it was he knew not what to expect, and wasappalled by a sense of the magnitude of a crimewhich, had itpassed unsuspected by others, wouldhave probably given his seared conscience nouneasiness. But the next morning he was encouragedby the flattery of the military officers,who came at the suggestion of Burrhus, to congratulatehim on his escape from the dagger ofAgrippina's emissary. The neighbouring townsof Campania followed suit by sending delegatesto felicitate the emperor and by offering sacrificesof thanksgiving in their temples. Nero himselfaffected, out of grief for his mother's loss, almostto regret his own escape but he could no;longerendure the sight of Baiae and came to Naples, fromwhich place he sent a letter to the Senate composedfor him by Seneca. In this letter, after relatinghow one of Agrippina's confidential freedmenhad been surprised in his presence armed with adagger, and how the empress on the miscarriageof her attempt against his life had taken her own,