Darkness and Dawn; Or, Scenes in the Days of Nero. An Historic Tale

by F. W. Farrar

  CHAPTER XXV

  _LOCUSTA._

  ‘Circe inter vernas nota Neronis.’--TURNUS, _Fr._

  Nero had been angered beyond measure by the failure of both hisattempts upon the life of his brother, but he had also been a littleterrified. A feeling of the eternal sanctity of the moral law hadscarcely ever found a place in his slight and frivolous mind; but hewas by no means free from superstition. He did not believe seriouslyin the gods; but he believed more or less in omens, and for a time hewavered in the dreadful purpose of committing his earliestunpardonable crime.

  But he could not waver long. Britannicus was rapidly approachinghis fifteenth year. It was evident that he was also developing newpowers. He was already nearly as tall as Nero, and while Nero’searly beauty was beginning to fade the face of Britannicus becameconstantly nobler. All this Nero observed with deepening rancour,and to this was added a secret terror. He began to fear lest thePrætorians should find out their mistake in rejecting this princelyboy for one who, in spite of his small accomplishments, was so farhis inferior. He never visited Agrippina without noticing that insome way she regarded Britannicus, if not as the mainstay of herhopes, at least as the ultimate resource of her vengeance and despair.

  But it was Sophonius Tigellinus who had the chief hand in goadingNero to the final consummation of his guilt. The Emperor was not bynature sanguinary; his cruelty was only developed amid the rankgrowth of his other vices.

  He was planning with Tigellinus a banquet of unusual splendour whichwas to be held at the Feralia--the Roman All Souls’ Day, a festivalin honour of the dead--on February 7.

  ‘You will have to give another banquet, Cæsar,’ said Tigellinus, ‘onthe Ides (February 13).’

  ‘Why?’

  ‘Because that day is the fifteenth birthday of Britannicus; and Ipresume that then you will let him assume the manly toga.’

  ‘You are always dragging in the name of Britannicus,’ said Nero. ‘Ihate it, and I hate him.’

  ‘On the contrary,’ said the Prætorian; ‘I should say that you lovehim very much. Who can tell how soon he may be your successor?’

  ‘My successor?’ answered Nero, scowling. ‘What do you mean?’

  ‘I meant no offence, Cæsar,’ said Tigellinus; ‘forgive thefaithfulness of a friend and an honest soldier who loves you. Doyou not see what a fine young fellow Britannicus is growing? Octaviabrings you no children. He must in any case succeed you.’

  Nero paced the room, as he always did when he felt agitated; and,after leaving his remarks to work, Tigellinus added--

  ‘Besides it is not easy to divine the plans of the Augusta, with whomat present you are on such bad terms?’

  Nero strode up and down with still more passion, and Tigellinuscontinued at intervals to heap fuel on the flames of his fury.

  ‘You heard the murmurs of applause which greeted his insolent songthe other night?’

  Nero nodded.

  ‘Do you think that the Prætorians are absolutely loyal to you? Ihave heard them talking about Britannicus among themselves. Pudens,I know, is a favourite officer of theirs, and he adores Britannicus.Supposing it came to civil war, do you think that you would be quitesure to win?’

  Nero still said nothing.

  ‘Why not put an end to the difficulty? Rome is sick at the thoughtof another civil war. Every one would be glad if you put yourbrother out of the way. And really, why should you hesitate? Youhave attempted it twice already, only you have been unlucky.’

  By this time the subtle tempter had worked the Emperor into a frenzyof wrath and fear. The crime had long been assuming shape in hismind, and in point of fact he had already incurred its guilt.

  ‘It shall be done on the Ides,’ he said. ‘Send Julius Pollio to me.’

  Tigellinus struck while the iron was hot, and the tribune was inattendance before Nero’s rage had had time to cool.

  ‘Bring Locusta here at once,’ he said.

  The tribune executed the command, and Locusta’s green eye gleamedeven more balefully than was its wont when the tribune ushered herinto the Emperor’s chamber.

  But Nero received them both with a burst of petulant anger.

  ‘You have failed me!’ he exclaimed. ‘You are traitors, both of you.While you are taking measures to shield yourselves you leave meobnoxious to the worst perils. I told you to provide me with a surepoison.’

  ‘We were but anxious to avert suspicion, Emperor,’ said Locusta, inthe soft tones which involuntarily reminded the hearer of a serpent’shiss. ‘You know there is a Julian law against murder and poisoning.’

  The anger of Nero showed itself in mean, ignoble ways, and, like abad boy in a passion, he was not ashamed to strike Locusta in theface.

  ‘Don’t talk of the Julian law to me, woman,’ he said; ‘as if Iwas afraid of the laws! Make me a poison which shall work like adagger-stab, or you shall be ordered off for execution to-morrow onthe old charges.’

  Locusta shrank from his blow, and for one instant glared at him asthough she would have liked to poison _him_. But she knew his power,and felt sure of his rewards; so she merely said--

  ‘Britannicus is such a strong, healthy boy, that the task is lesseasy. But Cæsar shall have his wish. I have a poison here which willdo the work.’

  ‘Try it, then, on some animal,’ he said.

  ‘I dare say the tribune could procure me a kid,’ said Locusta.

  A slave was despatched to find a kid, and when the bounding, playfulcreature was brought Locusta dropped some of the poison on a piece ofbread dipped in milk.

  The kid ate the bread and milk, and frisked no more but lay down andcurled up its limbs, which quivered with convulsive twitchings.

  ‘Leave the poison to work,’ she said, ‘and if Cæsar will summon me anhour hence the kid will be dead.’

  An hour later she was summoned. The kid lay on the ground, feeble andwith glazing eyes; but it was not dead, and Nero was in the worst ofhumours. He pointed to the little creature and said--

  ‘Woman, you are trifling with me! Add henbane, or hemlock, or anyother infernal thing you like, to your accursed poison. It must bemade stronger.’

  Locusta dropped other ingredients into the phial, and another animalwas sent for. The slave brought a little pig. Some of the poison wassprinkled on a leaf of lettuce. The creature ate it, and in a fewmoments died in spasms.

  ‘That will do,’ said Nero, flinging to the woman a purse of gold. ‘Ifall goes as I desire, you shall have ample recompense. But breatheone syllable about this matter, and you shall die under the scourge.’

  She went, leaving the phial in his hands. He struck a silver bell,and ordered Tigellinus to be summoned.

  ‘I have decided,’ he said to the Prætorian. ‘Britannicus shall die.’

  ‘You will deserve the title of “father of your country,” which youso modestly rejected,’ said Tigellinus. ‘Augustus received that titleon the Nones of February, more than eighty years ago; doubtless theSenate will confer it upon you soon after the Ides.’

  ‘But how is the deed to be done?’ asked Nero gloomily. ‘I shrink fromthe business even if it be necessary.’

  ‘What are you afraid of, Cæsar?’

  ‘The voice of the people. It can shake the throne of the greatest.’

  ‘How will the people know anything about it?’

  ‘Britannicus has a _prægustator_, just as I and Agrippina have.If that wretch is poisoned too, every one will know what has takenplace.’

  ‘His _prægustator_ is--?’

  ‘A freedman named Syneros.’

  ‘In your pay, of course?’

  Nero nodded.

  ‘And you can trust him?’

  Nero nodded again.

  ‘Then leave the rest to me,’ said Tigellinus, ‘and do not troubleyourself any further in the matter. If I have your orders, regard thedeed as done.’

  ‘I give no orders,’ said Nero; ‘but here is Locusta’s poison.’

  * *
* * *

  Glad of her success in having twice saved the life of Britannicus,Acte was more than ever determined to be a watchful guardian overhim. She was feverishly anxious to ascertain every plot formedagainst him, and had gone so far as to take a step of extreme peril.She had heard that, in the reign of Tiberius, when evidence had beenwanted against the Consular Sabinus, three persons of no less rankthan senator had concealed themselves in the roof, and looked downthrough Judas-holes, to report his conversation. Might she not usefor good the devices which had been perverted to such deadly ends? Atany rate she would try. She ascertained from Tigellinus that Nero hadbeen amusing himself by trying the efficacy of certain poisons, andhe mentioned this in answer to Acte’s inquiries as to the reason whyhis slaves had carried a dead kid out of Nero’s room.

  But Acte learnt more by her other devices. The rooms which sheoccupied happened to adjoin the apartment assigned to Tigellinus;and by pretending a desire for some small repairs she had orderedthe marble panelling of her room to be removed in one corner, anda cupboard to be constructed behind it. A person concealed in thisrecess could, by the aid of a few holes perforated in the walls,hear what was going on in the room of Tigellinus. Then she sent toOnesimus the coin on which was the head of Britannicus, and when hecame to her room she concealed him in the recess, and he overheardenough to make him suspect that Britannicus was to be poisoned a weeklater.

  The information was vague, and to act upon it was perilous; but Actetold Onesimus to inform Titus, and then to use their combined wit todefeat, at all costs, the wicked plan.

  And this Onesimus meant to do, and might have done but for his ownmisconduct.

  He was weak in character, and if he had gone astray in the safeobscurity of the house of Pudens he was liable to far worsetemptations in the _familia_ of the Palace. All his old companionscringed to the handsome slave of Octavia, who might rise, as othershad done, to be an all-powerful freedman. With his youth, hisquickness, his good looks, who could tell whether he might not evenbecome a favourite of Cæsar himself, and have untold influence andpower? Onesimus found himself the centre of flattering attention inthe slave world both of the Palace and the city. He began to thinkhimself a person of importance. Was he not under the immediatepatronage of Acte, and, in order to avoid scandal, had it noteven been necessary to make it known that he was her kinsman andfoster-brother, brought up under the same roof?

  Onesimus was too unstable to withstand the combined temptations bywhich he was surrounded. The image of Junia might have acted as anamulet, but he scarcely ever got an opportunity of seeing her, forNereus looked upon him with anything but favour. He kept aloof fromChristians, for he never heard them mentioned except with contemptand hatred, and he liked the atmosphere of compliment and pleasure.Slaves naturally imitate the vices of their masters, and the wickedworld of the aristocracy was reflected in darker colours in thewicked world of servile myriads. Flinging all that he had learnt ofmorals to the winds, betting, gambling, frequenting the lewdest showsof the theatre and the most sanguinary spectacles of the games, andforever haunting the cook-shops, the taverns, and the =_Subura_=, hespent his almost unlimited leisure in that vicious idleness abovewhich only the best slaves had strength to rise.

  And so it happened that at the time when he ought to have been moston the alert he got entangled in a low dispute at a drinking bout,and returned to the Palace not only wounded and smeared with blood,but also in a state of shameful intoxication. In this guise Nero hadseen him, and, without even knowing his name, or anything about him,had furiously ordered him to be taken to his steward, Callicles,for severe punishment. He had again been scourged, put into fetters,thrust into a prison, and fed on bread and water. This disgracewas concealed from Acte, and while she was relying upon his quickintelligence to convey a warning to Britannicus, and to devise meansof frustrating the plot of Tigellinus, Onesimus lay sick, and shamed,and fettered in a prison among the lowest of offending slaves.