Seneca quotes two obsequious lines of verse, originally addressed by the poet Vergil to the emperor Augustus: He is a god who made this serenity for us, A god—such he will always be, to me. The quote suggests a continuing effort to cut a deal with the princeps, a deal Nero had already once refused. Seneca will go quietly into retirement and not defame the regime, in exchange for being left unharassed. If Nero will become an Augustus and provide safety, Seneca will become a Vergil and give praise.
