Seneca - College of Stoic Philosophers

70 SENECAHer subsequent submission merely emboldenedhim to dismiss her minion Pallas from all hisoffices, and openly to bring her power to an end.On this Agrippina, flinging prudence to thewinds, gave a free rein to the ungovernabletemper which she had inherited from her mother.Britannicus, she exclaimed, was now of an ageto succeed to that inheritance which her owninjustice had transferred to a usurper. Since somany crimes had been committed in vain shewould confess them all, and, since by the mercyof the gods Britannicus still lived, make reparation.She would go to the camp accompanied byBritannicus and present herself to the soldiers—bidding them choose between the pedant Seneca,who with the low-born cripple Burrhus had theaudacity to aspire to govern the world, and thedaughter of Germanicus.^ She was to find, however,that an emperor was easier to make than tounmake.To the unfortunate Britannicus her supportproved even more disastrous than her hostility.Nero's latent jealousy and suspicion had alreadybeen roused to activity by an incident which hadoccurred during the Saturnalia of the precedingDecember. There was a game played by Romanboys consisting in the choice of a ' king ' by lot,whose commands, whatever they might be, therest were obliged one by one to obey. On thisoccasion the lot fell on Nero, and to exposeBritannicus to ridicule he ordered him to standin the middle and sing a song. The boy obeyed ;*Tac. Ann. xiii. 14.