In  the  journals  of  the  senate  I  find  an  entry,  by  which
it  appears,  that  Cerealis  Anicius,  consul  elect,  moved  in  his
place,  that  a  temple  should  be  raised,  at  the  public  expense,
to  the  deified  Nero,  who,  in  his  opinion,  had  risen  above
the  condition  of  human  nature,  and  was,  therefore,  entitled
to  religious  worship.  This  motion  was  afterwards  understood
to  portend  nothing  less  than  the  death  of  Nero;  since  it
was  a  settled  rule,  that  divine  honours  should  never  be  paid
to  the  emperor,  till  he  ceased  to  be  mortal.1

1  Augustus  was  deified  by  the  poets,  and  in  the  provinces;    but  no  altars
were  erected  to  him  at  Rome  during  his  life.
BOOK    XVI

CONTENTS

I.  Nero  is  amused  with  hopes  of  finding  great  stores  of  hidden  treasure  in
Africa — One  Cesellius  Bassus,  deluded  by  his  dreams,  communicated
the  secret,  and  thence  tlu  wild  prodigality  of  the  prince. — IV.  The
quinquennial  games — Nero  contends  for  the  victory  in  song  and  elo-
quence— He  mounts  the  public  stage —  Vespasian  (afterwards  emperor)  in
danger  from  Nero's  spies  stationed  in  the  playhouse.  — VI.  The  death  of
Poppaa  ;  her  funeral:  Nero  delivers  her  pa?iegyric. — VII.  C.  Cassius
and  L.  Silanus  sent  into  exile — Lepida  left  to  the  judgment  of  the
prince. — X.  L.  Fetus,  Sextia,  and  Pollutia  put  to  death. — XII.  The
months  of  May  and  June  called  by  the  names  of  Claudius  and  Ger-
manicus. — XIII.  An  uncommon  tempest  in  Campania,  and  epidemic
disorders  at  Rome. — XIV.  Anteius  and  Ostorius  compelled  to  put  an
end  to  their  lives. — XVII.  Annceus  Mela  (the  father  of  Lucan  the  poet),
and  Cerealis  Anicius,  Rufius  Crispinus,  and  Petronius,  ordered  to  die.
