. History of Nero . s, and their furiousexclamations and outcries. At one time peep-ing stealthily out, he saw a group of soldiersJmrrying along with a bleeding head on thepoint of a pike. It was the head of a promi-nent citizen of Rome whom the guards hadintercepted and killed, supposing him to beone of the conspirators. This spectacle greatlyincreased Claudiuss terror. He was whollyin the dark in respect to the motives and thedesigns of the men who had thus revoltedagainst his nephew, and it was of course im-possible for him to know how lie himself 64 Nero. [ 41. lie is discovered by a s
. History of Nero . s, and their furiousexclamations and outcries. At one time peep-ing stealthily out, he saw a group of soldiersJmrrying along with a bleeding head on thepoint of a pike. It was the head of a promi-nent citizen of Rome whom the guards hadintercepted and killed, supposing him to beone of the conspirators. This spectacle greatlyincreased Claudiuss terror. He was whollyin the dark in respect to the motives and thedesigns of the men who had thus revoltedagainst his nephew, and it was of course im-possible for him to know how lie himself 64 Nero. [ 41. lie is discovered by a soldier. would be regarded by either party. He didnot dare, therefore, to surrender himself toeither, but remained in his concealment, suf-fering great anxiety, and utterly unable to de-cide what to do. At length, while he was in this situation ofuncertainty and terror, a common soldier ofthe guards, named Epirius, who happened topass that way, accidentally saw his feet be-neath the hangings, and immediately, pulling. \&i:aWS SARRVTl Discovery of Claudius. i\.D. 41.] Accession of Claudius. 6c Claudius proclaimed emperor. His surprise. tlie hangings aside, dragged him out to view,Claudius su23posed now, of course, that hishour was come. He fell on his knees in an•igony of terror, and begged the soldier tospare his life. The soldier, when he foundthat his prisoner was Claudius, the uncle of(.aligula, raised him from the ground and sa-luted him emperor. As Caligula left no son,Epirius considered Claudius as his nearestrelative, and-^onsequently as the heir. Epir-ius immediately summoned others of theguard to the place, saying that he had foundthe new emperor, and calling upon them toassist in conveying him to the camp. Thesoldiers thus summoned procured a chair, andhaving placed the astonished Claudius in it,they raised the chair upon their shoulders, andbegan to convey it away. As they bore himthus along the streets, the people who sawthem supposed that they were taking him toex
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1880, booksubjectemperors, bookyear188
