Tiberius
Nero, a promising young nobleman, had recently married a very splendid
beauty. Unfortunately for him, at the marriage of Octavia (sister to
Augustus) with Mark Anthony, he allowed his young wife, then about
eighteen, to attend upon the bride. Augustus was deeply and suddenly
fascinated by her charms, and without further scruple sent a message to
Nero--intimating that he was in love with his wife, and would thank him to
resign her. The other, thinking it vain, in those days of lawless
proscription, to contest a point of this nature with one who commanded
twelve legions, obeyed the requisition. Upon some motive, now unknown, he
was persuaded even to degrade himself farther; for he actually officiated
at the marriage in character of father, and gave away the young beauty to
his rival, although at that time six months advanced in pregnancy by
himself. These humiliating concessions were extorted from him, and yielded
(probably at the instigation of friends) in order to save his life. In the
sequel they had the very opposite result; for he died soon after, and it
is reasonably supposed of grief and mortification.
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