Seneca - College of Stoic Philosophers

158 SENECAScevinus, being separately examined and givinginconsistent accounts of their conversation, wereflung into irons and, succumbing to the threatof torture, made both of them a full confession,each doubtless under the impression that theother had first confessed. Natalis was the firstto name Piso, and then with the view, accordingto Tacitus, of giving pleasure to Nero, he relatedthat he had visited Seneca on Piso's behalf tocomplain of the cessation of their intercourse.Seneca, he said, had excused himself on theground that frequent conversations and meetingswould conduce to the interests of neither,but had added that his own welfare depended onPiso's safety. Lucan and others were incriminatedby Scevinus. Lucan, after long denials,was led to confess by a promise of pardon, butadmirers of his poetry may hope that the reportthat, in order to conciliate the sympathy of amatricide emperor, he had the unspeakable basenessto accuse his mother, Atilia, of complicity wasan invention of his enemies.Nero now bethought himself of Epicharis,who had been detained in custody on the informationof Proculus. Tigellinus caused this womanto be questioned under torture ;but the mostexquisite inventions of his exasperated crueltycould not wring from her a single name, andwhile on the second day, unable to walk, shewas being supported to the torture-chamber,she contrived by strangling herself to thwart thefurther efforts of her persecutors. Her constancywas in striking contrast to the weakness of herdistinguished confederates, whose courage had