The Best of the World's Classics, Restricted to prose. Volume II (of X) - Rome

Literature -- Collections

The next death added by Nero was that of Plautius Lateranus, consul
elect; and with such precipitation, that he would not allow him to
embrace his children, nor the usual brief interval to choose his mode
of death. He was dragged to the place allotted for the execution of
slaves, and there, by the hand of Statius the tribune, slaughtered. In
his death he maintained the most invincible silence, not charging his
executioner with participation in the design for which he suffered.
The destruction of Seneca followed, to the infinite joy of the prince;
not because he had ascertained that he was a party to the conspiracy,
but that he might assail him with the sword, since poison had failed:
for Natalis only had named him; and his disclosure amounted but to
this, "that he had been sent by Piso[114] to visit Seneca, then
indisposed, to complain that he was refused admittance; and to
represent, that it would be better if they maintained their friendship
by intercourse: that to this Seneca replied, that talking to each
other and frequent interviews were to the service of neither; but upon
the safety of Piso his own security rested." Granius Silvanus, tribune
of a pretorian cohort, was ordered to represent this to Seneca, and to
demand of him, "whether he admitted the words of Natalis, and his own
answers." Seneca had that very day, either from chance or design,
returned from Campania, and rested at a villa of his, four miles from
Rome: thither arrived the tribune toward evening, and beset the villa
with his men; and then, as he sat at table with Pauline his wife, and
two friends, delivered his orders from the emperor.

Seneca replied, "that Natalis had in truth been sent to him, and in
the name of Piso complained, that he was debarred from visiting him;
and that he had excused himself on the score of illness and his love
of retirement; but he had no motive to declare that he preferred the
safety of a private man to his own security; nor was his disposition
prone to flattery; as no man better knew than Nero, who had
experienced more frequent proofs of the freedom than the servility of
Seneca."

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

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History

The Best of the World's Classics, Restricted to prose. Volume II (of X) - Rome

Literature -- Collections

The next death added by Nero was that of Plautius Lateranus, consul
elect; and with such precipitation, that he would not allow him to
embrace his children, nor the usual brief interval to choose his mode
of death. He was dragged to the place allotted for the execution of
slaves, and there, by the hand of Statius the tribune, slaughtered. In
his death he maintained the most invincible silence, not charging his
executioner with participation in the design for which he suffered.
The destruction of Seneca followed, to the infinite joy of the prince;
not because he had ascertained that he was a party to the conspiracy,
but that he might assail him with the sword, since poison had failed:
for Natalis only had named him; and his disclosure amounted but to
this, "that he had been sent by Piso[114] to visit Seneca, then
indisposed, to complain that he was refused admittance; and to
represent, that it would be better if they maintained their friendship
by intercourse: that to this Seneca replied, that talking to each
other and frequent interviews were to the service of neither; but upon
the safety of Piso his own security rested." Granius Silvanus, tribune
of a pretorian cohort, was ordered to represent this to Seneca, and to
demand of him, "whether he admitted the words of Natalis, and his own
answers." Seneca had that very day, either from chance or design,
returned from Campania, and rested at a villa of his, four miles from
Rome: thither arrived the tribune toward evening, and beset the villa
with his men; and then, as he sat at table with Pauline his wife, and
two friends, delivered his orders from the emperor.

Seneca replied, "that Natalis had in truth been sent to him, and in
the name of Piso complained, that he was debarred from visiting him;
and that he had excused himself on the score of illness and his love
of retirement; but he had no motive to declare that he preferred the
safety of a private man to his own security; nor was his disposition
prone to flattery; as no man better knew than Nero, who had
experienced more frequent proofs of the freedom than the servility of
Seneca."

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

The Best of the World's Classics, Restricted to prose. Volume II (of X) - Rome

The Best of the World's Classics, Restricted to prose. Volume II (of X) - Rome

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