History of Nero Author:Jacob Abbott Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: Plots against Caligula. Cussius Chicrea. CnAPTEE II. The Assassination Of Caligula. THE emperor Caligula came to his death in the following manner: Of ... more »course his wanton and remorseless tyranny often awakened very deep feelings of resentment, and very earnest desires for revenge in the hearts of those who suffered by it; but yet so absolute and terrible was his power, that none dared to murmur or complain. The resentment, however, which the cruelty of the emperor awakened, burned the more fiercely for being thus restrained and suppressed, and many covert threats were made, and many secret plots were formed, from time to time, against the tyrant's life. Among others who cherished such designs, there was a man named Cassius Chserea, an officer of the army, who, though not of high rank, was nevertheless a man of considerable distinction. He was a captain, or, as it waa' styled in those days, a centurion. His command, therefore, was small, but it was in the Choerea's bravery. His legion mutinies. praetorian cohort, as it was called, a sort of body-guard of the commander-in-ctief, and consequently a very honorable corps. Chserea was thus a man of considerable distinction on account of the post which he occupied, and his duties, as captain in the life guards, brought him very frequently into communication with the emperor. He was a man of great personal bravery, too, and was on this account held in high consideration by the army. He had performed an exploit at one time, some years before, in Germany, which had gained him great fame. It was at the time of the death of Augustus, the first emperor. Some of the German legions, and among them one in which Chserea was serving, had seized upon the occasion to revolt They alledged many and grievous acts of oppression as the gr...« less