14
Plautianus, who enjoyed the special favor of Severus
and had the authority of prefect, besides possessing
the fullest and greatest influence on earth,
had put to death many men of renown and his own
peers
[Lacuna]
[After killing Aemilius Saturninus
he took away all the most important prerogatives belonging
to the minor officers of the Pretorians, his
subordinates, in order that none of them might be
so elated by his position of eminence as to lie in wait
for the captaincy of the body-guards. Already it was
his wish to be not simply the only but a perpetual prefect.]
He wanted everything, asked everything from
everybody, and got everything. He left no province
and no city unplundered, but sacked and gathered
everything from all sides. All sent a great deal more
to him than they did to Severus. Finally he sent centurions
and stole tiger-striped horses sacred
[
]
to the
Sun God from the island in the Red Sea. This mere
statement, I think, must instantly make plain all his
officiousness and greediness. Yet, on second thought,
I will add one thing more. At home he castrated one
hundred nobly born Roman citizens, though none of
us knew of it until after he was dead. From this fact
one may comprehend the extent alike of his lawlessness
and of his authority. He castrated not merely
boys or youths, but grown men, some of whom had
wives; his object was that Plautilla his daughter
(whom Antoninus afterward married) should be
waited upon entirely by eunuchs
[and also have them
to give her instruction in music and other branches of
art. So we beheld the same persons eunuchs and men,
fathers and impotent, gelded and bearded. In view
of this one might not improperly declare that Plautianus
had power beyond all men, over even the emperors
themselves. For one thing, his portrait statues
were not only far more numerous but also larger than
theirs, and this not simply in outside cities but in
Rome itself, and they were at this time reared not
merely by individuals but by no less a body than the
senate itself. All the soldiers and the senators took
oaths by his Fortune and all publicly offered prayer
for his preservation.
15
The person principally responsible for this state of
affairs was Severus himself. He yielded to Plautianus
in all matters to such a degree that the latter occupied
the position of emperor and he himself that of prefect.
In short, the man knew absolutely everything that Severus
said and did, but not a person was acquainted
with any of Plautianus's secrets. The emperor made
advances to his daughter on behalf of his own son,
passing by many other maidens of high rank. He appointed
him consul and virtually showed an anxiety to
have him for successor in the imperial office. Indeed,
once he did say in a letter: "I love the man so much
that I pray to die before he does."]
[Lacuna]
so that
[Lacuna]
some one actually dared to write
to him as to a fourth Caesar.
Though many decrees in his honor were passed by the senate he
accepted only a few of them, saying to the senators: "It is through
your hearts that you show your love for me, not through your decrees."
At temporary stopping-places he endured seeing
him located in superior quarters and enjoying better
and more abundant food than he. Hence in Nicaea
(my native country) when he once wanted a hammer-fish,
large specimens of which are found in the lake,
he sent to Plautianus to get it. So if he thought at all
of doing aught to diminish this minister's leadership,
yet the opposite party, which contained far greater
and more brilliant members, saw to it that any such
plan was frustrated. On one occasion Severus went
to visit him, when he had fallen sick at Tyana, and the
soldiers attached to Plautianus would not allow the
visitor's escort to enter with him. Moreover, the person
who arranged cases to be pled before Severus was
once ordered by the latter in a moment of leisure to
bring forward some case or other, whereupon the fellow
refused, saying: "I can not do this, unless Plautianus
bid me." So greatly did Plautianus have the
mastery in every way over the emperor that he
[frequently
treated]
Julia Augusta
[in an outrageous
way,--for he detested her cordially,--and]
was always
abusing
[her violently]
to Severus, and conducted
investigations against her as well as tortures
of noble women. For this reason she began to study
philosophy and passed her days in the company of
learned men.--As for Plautianus, he proved himself
the most licentious of men, for he would go to banquets
and vomit meantime, inasmuch as the mass of
foods and wine that he swallowed made it impossible
for him to digest anything. And whereas he made use
of lads and girls in perfectly notorious fashion, he
would not permit his own wife to see or be seen by any
person whomsoever, not even by Severus or Julia
[to
say nothing of others]
.
16
At this period there took place also a gymnastic
[
]
contest, at which so great a multitude assembled under
compulsion that we wondered how the race-course
could hold them all. And in this contest Alamanni
[
]
women fought most ferociously, with the result that
jokes were made about other ladies, who were very
distinguished. Therefore, from this time on every
woman, no matter what her origin, was prohibited
from fighting in the arena.
On one occasion a good many images of Plautianus
were made (what happened is worth relating) and
Severus, being displeased at their number, melted
down some of them. As a consequence a rumor penetrated
the cities to the effect that the prefect had been
overthrown and had perished. So some of them demolished
his images,--an act for which they were
afterward punished. Among these was the governor
of Sardinia, Racius Constans, a very famous man,
whom I have mentioned, however, for a particular
reason. The orator who accused Constans had made
this statement in addition to others: "Sooner may
the sky collapse than Plautianus suffer any harm at the
hands of Severus, and with greater cause might any
one believe even that report, were any story of the
sort circulated." Now, though the orator made this
declaration, and though moreover Severus himself
volubly affirmed it to us, who were helping him try the
case, and stated "it is impossible for Plautianus to
come to any harm at my hands," still, this very Plautianus
did not live the year out, but was slain and all
his images destroyed.--Previous to this a vast sea-monster
had come ashore in the harbor named for
Augustus, and had been captured. A representation
of him, taken into the hunting-theatre, admitted fifty
bears in its interior. Again, for many days a comet
star had been seen in Rome and was said to portend
nothing favorable.
DURATION OF TIME
L. Septimius Severus Aug. (III), M. Aur. Antoninus Aug.
(A.D. 202 = a.u. 955 = Tenth of Severus, from the Calends of June).
P. Septimius Geta, Fulvius Plautianus (II).
(A.D. 203 = a.u. 956 = Eleventh of Severus).
L. Fabius Septimius Cilo (II), L. Flavius Libo.
(A.D. 204 = a.u. 957 = Twelfth of Severus).
M. Aur. Antoninus Aug. (II), P. Septimius Geta Caesar.
(A.D. 205 = a.u. 958 = Thirteenth of Severus).
Nummius Albinus, Fulv. Aemilianus.
(A.D. 206 = a.u. 959 = Fourteenth of Severus).
Aper, Maximus.
(A.D. 207 = a.u. 960 = Fifteenth of Severus).
M. Aur. Antoninus Aug. (III), P. Septim. Geta Caesar (II).
(A.D. 208 = a.u. 961 = Sixteenth of Severus).
Civica Pompeianus, Lollianus Avitus.
(A.D. 209 = a.u. 962 = Seventeenth of Severus).
M. Acilius Faustinus, Triarius Rufinus.
(A.D. 210 = a.u. 963 = Eighteenth of Severus).
Q. Epid. Ruf. Lollianus Gentianus, Pomponius Bassus.
(A.D. 211 = a.u. 964 = Nineteenth of Severus, to Feb. 4th).
(A.D. 202 = a.u. 955 = Tenth of Severus, from the Calends of June).
P. Septimius Geta, Fulvius Plautianus (II).
(A.D. 203 = a.u. 956 = Eleventh of Severus).
L. Fabius Septimius Cilo (II), L. Flavius Libo.
(A.D. 204 = a.u. 957 = Twelfth of Severus).
M. Aur. Antoninus Aug. (II), P. Septimius Geta Caesar.
(A.D. 205 = a.u. 958 = Thirteenth of Severus).
Nummius Albinus, Fulv. Aemilianus.
(A.D. 206 = a.u. 959 = Fourteenth of Severus).
Aper, Maximus.
(A.D. 207 = a.u. 960 = Fifteenth of Severus).
M. Aur. Antoninus Aug. (III), P. Septim. Geta Caesar (II).
(A.D. 208 = a.u. 961 = Sixteenth of Severus).
Civica Pompeianus, Lollianus Avitus.
(A.D. 209 = a.u. 962 = Seventeenth of Severus).
M. Acilius Faustinus, Triarius Rufinus.
(A.D. 210 = a.u. 963 = Eighteenth of Severus).
Q. Epid. Ruf. Lollianus Gentianus, Pomponius Bassus.
(A.D. 211 = a.u. 964 = Nineteenth of Severus, to Feb. 4th).
A.D. 202 (a.u. 955)
1
Severus to celebrate the first decade of his reign presented
to the entire populace accustomed to receive
dole and to the soldiers of the pretorian guard gold
pieces equal in number to the years of his sovereignty.
He took the greatest delight in this achievement, and, as
a matter of fact, no one had ever before given so much
to whole masses of people. Upon this gift five hundred
myriads of denarii were expended. Another event was
the marriage between Antoninus, son of Severus, and
Plautilla, the daughter of Plautianus. The latter gave
as much for his daughter's dowry as would have sufficed
for fifty women of royal rank. We saw the gifts
as they were being carried through the Forum into the
palace. We were banqueted, likewise, in the meantime,
partly in royal and partly in barbarian fashion on
whatever is regularly eaten cooked or raw, and we
received other animal food also alive. At this time,
too, there occurred all sorts of spectacles in honor of
Severus's return, the completion of his first decade,
and his victories. At these spectacles sixty wild boars
of Plautianus upon a given signal began a combat with
one another, and there were slain (besides many other
beasts) an elephant and a crocotta.
[
]
The last named
animal is of Indian origin, and was then for the first
time, so far as I am aware, introduced into Rome. It
has the skin of lion and tiger mingled and the appearance
of those animals, as also of the wolf and fox, curiously
blended. The entire cage in the theatre had
been so constructed as to resemble a boat in form, so
that it would both receive and discharge four hundred
beasts at once,
[
]
and then, as it suddenly fell apart,
there came rushing up bears, lionesses, panthers, lions,
ostriches, wild asses, bisons (this is a kind of cattle of
foreign species and appearance),--the result being
that altogether seven hundred wild and tame beasts
at once were seen running about and were slaughtered.
For, to correspond with the duration of the festival,
seven days, the number of animals was also seven
times one hundred.
2
On Mount Vesuvius a great gush of fire burst out
and there were bellowings mighty enough to be heard in
Capua, where I live whenever I am in Italy. This place
I have selected for various reasons, chief of which is
its quiet, that enables me to get leisure from city affairs
and to write on this compilation. As a result of the
Vesuvian phenomena it was believed that there would
be a change in the political status of Plautianus. In
very truth Plautianus had grown great and more than
great, so that even the populace at the hippodrome exclaimed:
"Why do you tremble? Why are you pale?
You possess more than the three." They did not say
this to his face, of course, but differently. And by
"three" they indicated Severus and his sons, Antoninus
and Geta. Plautianus's pallor and his trembling
were in fact due to the life that he lived, the hopes that
he hoped, and the fears that he feared. Still, for a time
most of this eluded Severus's individual notice, or else
he knew it but pretended the opposite. When, however,
his brother Geta on his deathbed revealed to him
the whole attitude of Plautianus,--for Geta hated the
prefect and now no longer feared him,--the emperor
set up a bronze statue of his brother in the Forum and
no longer held his minister in equal honor; indeed, the
latter was stripped of most of his power. Hence
A.D. 203 (a.u. 956)
Plautianus became violently enraged, and whereas he
had formerly hated Antoninus for slighting his daughter,
he was now especially indignant, feeling that his
son-in-law was responsible for his present disgrace,
and began to behave more harshly toward him.
3
For
these reasons Antoninus became both disgusted with
his wife (who was a most shameless creature), and
offended at her father himself, because the latter kept
meddling in all his undertakings and rebuking him for
everything that he did. Conceiving a desire to be rid
of the man in some way or other he accordingly had
Euodus, his nurse, persuade a certain centurion,
Saturninus, and two others of similar rank to bring
him word that Plautianus had ordered some ten centurions,
to whose number they also belonged, to kill
both Severus and Antoninus; and they read a certain
writing which they pretended to have received bearing
upon this very matter. This was done as a surprise at
the observances held in the palace in honor of the
heroes, at a time when the spectacle had ceased and
dinner was about to be served. That fact was largely
instrumental in showing the story to be a fabrication.
Plautianus would never have dared to impose such a
bidding upon ten centurions at once, certainly not in
Rome, certainly not in the palace, nor on that day, nor
at that hour; much less would he have written it.
Nevertheless, Severus believed the information trustworthy
because he had the night before seen in a dream
Albinus alive and plotting against him.
4
In haste,
therefore, he summoned Plautianus, as if upon some
other business. The latter hurried so (or rather,
Heaven so indicated to him approaching disaster) that
the mules that were carrying him fell in the palace
yard. And when he sought to enter, the porters in
charge of the bolts admitted him alone inside and
would permit no one to enter with him, just as he himself
had done in the case of Severus at Tyana. He
grew a little suspicious at this and became terrified;
as he had, however, no pretext for withdrawing, he
went in. Severus conversed with him very mildly:
"Why have you seen fit to do this! For what reason
have you wished to kill us?" He gave him opportunity
to speak and prepared to listen to his defence.
In the midst of the accused's denial and surprise at
what was said, Antoninus rushed up, took away his
sword, and struck him with his fist. He was ready to
put an end to Plautianus with his own hand after the
latter said: "You wanted to get the start of me in any
killing!" Being prevented, however, by his father,
Antoninus ordered one of his attendants to slay
Plautianus. Somebody plucked out a few hairs from
his chin and carried them to Julia and Plautilla (who
were together) before they had heard a word of the
affair, and said: "Behold your Plautianus!" This
speech aroused grief in one and joy in the other.
Thus the man who had possessed the greatest influence
of all my contemporaries, so that everybody both
feared and trembled before him more than before the
very emperors,
[
]
the man who had hung poised upon
greater hopes than they, was slain by his son-in-law
and thrown from the top of the palace into some street.
Later, at the order of Severus, he was taken up and
buried.
5
Severus next called a meeting of the senate in the
senate-house. He uttered no accusation against
Plautianus, but himself deplored the weakness of
human nature, which was not able to endure excessive
honors, and blamed himself that he had so honored and
loved the man. Those, however, who had informed him
of the victim's plot he bade tell us everything; but first
he expelled from the senate-chamber some whose presence
was not necessary, and by revealing nothing to
them intimated that he did not altogether trust them.
Many were brought into danger by the Plautianus
episode and some actually lost their lives. But Coeranus
was accustomed to declare (what most people are
given to pretending with reference to the fortunate)
that he was his associate. As often as these friends of
the prefect were wont to be called in before the others
desiring to greet the great man, it was his custom to
accompany them as far as the bars. So he did not
share his secrets, but remained in the space midway,
giving Plautianus the impression that he was outside
and those outside the idea that he was within. This
caused him to be the object of greater suspicion,--a
feeling which was strengthened by the fact that Plautianus
once in a dream saw fishes issue from the Tiber
and fall at his feet, whereupon he declared that Coeranus
should rule the land and water. This man, after
being confined to an island for seven years, was later
recalled, was the first Egyptian to be enrolled in the
senate, and became consul, like Pompey, without holding
any previous office. Caecilius Agricola, however,
numbered among the deceased's foremost flatterers and
second to no man on earth in rascality and licentiousness,
was sentenced to death. He went home, and after
drinking his fill of chilled wine, shattered the cup which
had cost him five myriads, and cutting his veins fell dead
upon the fragments.
6
As for Saturninus and Euodus,
they were honored at the time but were later executed
by Antoninus. While we were engaged in voting eulogies
to Euodus, Severus restrained us by saying: "It
is disgraceful that in one of your decrees there should
be inscribed such a statement respecting a man that is
a Caesarian." It was not the only instance of such an attitude,
but he also refused to allow all the other imperial
freedmen either to be insolent or to swagger; for
this he was commended. The senate once, while chanting
his praises, uttered without reserve no less a sentiment
than this: "All do all things well since you rule
well!"
Plautilla and Plautius, the children of Plautianus,
were temporarily allowed to live, being banished to
Lipara; but in the reign of Antoninus they were destroyed,
though they had been existing in great fear
and wretchedness and though their life was not even
blessed by a goodly store of necessities.
7
The sons of Severus, Antoninus and Greta, felt as if
they had got rid of a pedagogue in Plautianus, and
their conduct was from this time on irresponsible.
They outraged women and abused boys, they embezzled
moneys and made friends of the gladiators and charioteers,
emulating each other in the similarity of their
deeds and full of strife in their respective rivalries.
If one attached himself to any cause, the other would
be sure to choose the opposite side. Finally, they were
pitted against each other in some kind of exercise with
teams of ponies and drove with such fierce opposition
that Antoninus fell out of the two-wheeled car and
broke his leg.
[During his son's sickness that followed
this accident Severus neglected not one of his
duties, but held court and managed all affairs pertaining
to his office. For this he was praised. But
he was blamed for murdering Plautianus Quintillus.
[
]
He executed also many of the senators, some of whom
had been accused before him, and made their defence
and had been convicted. But Quintillus,]
a man of
noblest birth, for a long term of years counted among
the foremost members of the senate, standing at the
gates of old age, one who lived in the country, interfered
in no one's business and did naught amiss, nevertheless
became the prey of sycophants and was put out
of the way. As he was near death he called for his
funeral garments, which he had long since kept in readiness.
On seeing that they had fallen to pieces through
lapse of time, he said: "Why did we delay this!"
And as he perfumed the place with burning incense,
he remarked: "I offer the same prayer as Servianus
offered over Hadrian."
[
]
--Besides his death there were
also gladiatorial contests, in which among other features
ten tigers were slaughtered at once.
8
After this came the
dénouement
of the Apronianus
affair,--a startling story even in the hearing. He incurred
censure because his nurse is said to have seen
once in a vision that he should enjoy sovereignty, and
because he was believed to employ some magic to this
end. He was condemned while absent in his governorship
of Asia. When the evidence taken in his case was
read to us, there was found written there this statement,--that
one person in charge of the investigation
had enquired who had told the dream and who had
heard it, and that the man interrogated had said among
other things: "I saw a certain baldheaded senator
taking a peep there." On hearing this we all became
terror-stricken, for neither had the man spoken nor
Severus written any one's name. In their state of
panic even those who had never visited the house of
Apronianus, and not only the baldheaded but those
whose foreheads were indifferently bare grew afraid.
No one felt easy save those who had unusually thick
hair. We all looked around at such men, and a whisper
ran about: "It's so-and-so. No, it's so-and-so." I
will not conceal how I was then affected, however
absurd it may be. I felt with my hand to see whether
I had any hair on my head; and a number of others
behaved in the very same way. We were very careful
to direct our gaze upon baldish persons as if we could
thereby divert our own danger upon them. This we
did until it was further read that the particular baldhead
in question wore a purple toga. When this statement
came out, we turned our eyes upon Baebius Marcellinus.
He had been aedile at the time and was
extremely bald. So he stood up and coming forward
said: "He will certainly be able to point me out, if he
has seen me." We commended this speech, the informer
was brought in while the senator stood by, and
for a long time was silent, looking about for the man
to point out. Finally, following the direction of an
almost imperceptible nod that somebody gave, he said
that this was he.
9
Thus was Marcellinus convicted of a baldhead's
peeping,
[
]
and bewailing his fate he was conducted out
of the senate-house. When he had passed through the
Forum, he refused to advance farther, but right where
he was took leave of his children, four in number, and
uttered this most affecting speech: "There is only
one thing that I am sorry for, children; it is that I must
leave you behind alive." Then he had his head cut off
before Severus learned even that he had been condemned.
Just vengeance, however, befell Pollenius Sebennus,
who had preferred the charge that caused his death.
He was delivered by Sabinus to the Norici, for whom
he had shown scant consideration during his governorship
of them, and went through a most disgraceful
experience. We saw him stretched on the ground,
pleading piteously, and had he not obtained mercy,
thanks to his uncle Auspex,
[
]
he would have perished
pitiably. This Auspex was the cleverest imaginable
man for jokes and chit-chat, for despising all mankind,
gratifying his friends, and making reprisals upon his
enemy. Many bitter and witty epigrams of his spoken
to various people are reported, and many to Severus
himself. Here is one of the latter. When the emperor
was enrolled in the family of Marcus, Auspex said:
"I congratulate you, Caesar, upon having found a
father." This implied that up to this time his obscure
origin had made him as good as fatherless.
A.D. 206-7(?)
10
It was at this period that one Bulla, an Italian, established
a robber band of about six hundred men and for
two years continued to plunder Italy under the very
noses of the emperors and of so great bodies of soldiers.
Pursuit was instituted by numerous persons, and Severus
emulously followed his trail, but the fellow was
never really seen when seen, never found when found,
never apprehended when caught. This was due to
his great bribes and his cleverness. He got wind of
everybody that was setting out from Rome and everybody
that was putting into port at Brundusium, learning
who and how many they were, and what and how
much they had with them. His general method was to
take a part of what they had and then let them go at
once. Artisans, however, he detained for a time and
after making use of their skill dismissed them with
something extra as a present. Once two of his robbers
had been captured and were to be given to beasts,
whereupon the chief paid a visit to the keeper of the
prison, pretending that he was the governor of his
native place (?) and needed some such men, and in this
way he secured and saved them. Again, he approached
the centurion who was charged with abolishing brigandage
and in disguise accused his own self; he further
promised, if the centurion would accompany him, to
deliver the robber to him. So, pretending that he was
leading him to Felix (this was another name of the
chief), he brought him to a hill-encompassed spot, suitable
for ambuscade, and easily seized him. Later he
assumed the garb of a magistrate, ascended the tribunal,
and having called the centurion caused his head
to be shaved, and said: "Take this message to your
masters: 'Feed your slaves, if you want to make an
end of brigandage.'" Bulla had, indeed, a very great
number of Caesarians, some who had been poorly paid
and some who had gone absolutely without pay.
Severus, informed of these events one at a time, was
moved to anger to think that while having other men
win victory in warfare in Britain, he himself in Italy
had proved no match for a robber. At last he despatched
a tribune from his body-guard with many
horsemen and threatened him with terrible punishments
if he should not bring the culprit alive. Then this commander
ascertained that the chief was maintaining relations
of intimacy with the wife of another, and
through the agency of her husband persuaded her on
promise of immunity to cooperate with them. As a
result the elusive leader was arrested while asleep in a
cave. Papinianus the prefect asked him: "For what
reason did you become a robber?" The other rejoined:
"For what reason are you a prefect?" And
thereafter by solemn proclamation he was given to
beasts. His robber band broke up, for the entire
strength of the six hundred lay in him.
A.D. 208 (a.u. 961)
11
Severus, seeing that his children were departing
from their accustomed modes of life and that his legions
were becoming enervated by idleness, set out on
a campaign against Britain, though he knew that he
should not return. He knew this chiefly from the stars
under which he had been born, for he had them painted
upon the ceilings of the two halls in the palace where
he was wont to hold court. Thus they were visible to
all, save the portion which "regarded-the-hour" when
he first saw the light (i.e., his horo-scope). This he
had not engraved in the same way in both the rooms.--He
knew it also by the report of the seers. And a
thunderbolt struck a statue of his standing near the
gates through which he intended to march out and looking
off along the road leading to his destination, and it
had erased three letters from his name. For this
reason,
[
]
as the seers indicated, he did not come back
again but departed from life two years after this. He
took with him very great sums of money.
12
There are two principal races of the Britons,--the
Caledonians and the Maeatians. The titles of the rest
have all been reduced to these two. The Maeatians live
near the cross wall which cuts the island in two, and
the Caledonians are behind them. Both inhabit wild
and waterless mountains, desolate and swampy plains,
holding no walls, nor cities, nor tilled fields, but living
by pasturage and hunting and a few fruit trees. The
fish, which are inexhaustible and past computing for
multitude, they do not taste. They dwell coatless and
shoeless in tents, possess their women in common, and
rear all the offspring as a community. Their form of
government is mostly democratic and they are very
fond of plundering.
Consequently they choose their boldest spirits as leaders.
They go into battle on chariots with small, swift
horses. There are also infantry, very quick at running
and very firm in standing their ground. Their weapons
are shield and short spear, with a bronze apple attached
to the end of the ground-spike, so that when
the instrument is shaken it may clash and inspire the
enemy with terror. They also have daggers. They can
endure hunger and cold and any kind of wretchedness.
They plunge into the swamps and exist there for many
days with only their heads above water, and in the
forests they support themselves upon bark and roots
and in all
[
]
cases they have ready a kind of food of which
a piece the size of a bean when eaten prevents them
from being either hungry or thirsty. Of such a nature
is the island of Britain, and such are the inhabitants
that the enemy's country has. For it is an island, and
the fact (as I have stated)
[
]
was clearly proved at this
time. The length of it is seven thousand one hundred
and thirty-two stades. Its greatest breadth is two
thousand three hundred and ten, and its least is three
hundred.
13
Of all this we hold a little less than a half.
So Severus, desiring to subjugate the whole of it, invaded
Caledonia. While traversing the territory he
had untold trouble in cutting down the forests, reducing
the levels of heights, filling up the swamps, and bridging
the rivers. He fought no battle and beheld no adversary
in battle array. The enemy purposely put
sheep and cattle in front of them for the soldiers to
seize, in order that the latter might be deceived for a
longer time and wear themselves out. The Romans received
great damage from the streams and were made
objects of attack when they were scattered. Afterward,
being unable to walk, they were slain by their
own friends to avoid capture, so that nearly as many
as fifty thousand died.
But the emperor did not desist till he had approached
the extremity of the island. Here he observed very
accurately to how slight a degree the sun declined below
the horizon
[
]
and the length of days and nights both
summer and winter. Thus having been conveyed
through practically the whole of the hostile region,--for
he was really conveyed in a covered chair most of
the way on account of his weakness,--he returned to
A.D. 210 (a.u. 963)
friendly territory, first forcing the Britons to come to
terms on condition that he should abandon a good part
of their territory.
14
Antoninus also disturbed him and involved him in
vain worry by his intemperate life, by his evident intention
to murder his brother if the chance should present
itself, and finally by plotting against his own
father. Once he leaped suddenly out of his quarters,
shouting and bawling and feigning to have been
wronged by Castor. This man was the best of the
Caesarians attending upon Severus, had been trusted
with his opinions, and had been assigned the duties of
chamberlain. Certain soldiers with whom previous arrangements
had been made hereupon gathered and
joined the outcry; but they were checked in short order,
as Severus himself appeared on the scene and punished
the more unruly among them.
On another occasion both were riding to meet the
Caledonians for the purpose of receiving them and
holding a conference about a truce, and Antoninus undertook
to kill his father outright with his own hand.
They were going along on their horses, for Severus, although
his feet were rather shrunken
[
]
by an ailment,
nevertheless was on horseback himself and the rest of
the army was following: the enemy's force, too, was
likewise a spectator. At this juncture, in the midst of
the silence and order, Antoninus reined up his horse
and drew his sword, apparently intending to strike his
father in the back. Seeing this, the other horsemen in
the detachment raised a cry of alarm, which scared the
son, so that he did nothing further. Severus turned at
their shout and saw the sword; however, he uttered not
a syllable but ascended the tribunal, finished what he
had to do, and returned to the general's tent. Then he
called his son and Papinianus and Castor, ordered a
sword to be placed within easy reach, and upbraided the
youth for having dared to do such a thing at all and
especially for having been on the point of committing
so great a crime in the presence of all the allies and the
enemy. Finally he said: "Now if you desire to slay
me and have done, put an end to me here. You are
strong: I am an old man and prostrate. If you have
no objection to this, but shrink from becoming my actual
murderer, there stands by your side Papinianus
the prefect, whom you may order to put me out of the
way. He will certainly do anything that you command,
since you are emperor." Though he spoke in this
fashion, he still did the plotter no harm, in spite of the
fact that he had often blamed Marcus for not ending
the life of Commodus and that he had himself often
threatened his son with this treatment. Such words,
however, were invariably spoken in a fit of anger: on
this occasion he allowed his love of offspring to get the
better of his love of country; yet in doing so he simply
betrayed his other child, for he well knew what would
happen.
15
Upon another revolt of the inhabitants of the island
he summoned the soldiers and bade them invade the
rebels' country, killing whomsoever they should encounter.
He added these verses:
"Let none escape utter destruction
At our hands. Yea, whatso is found in the womb of the mother,
Child unborn though it be, let it not escape utter destruction!"
[157]
When this had been done and the Caledonians as well
as the Maeatians revolted, he proceeded with preparations
to make war upon them in person. While he was
thus engaged his sickness carried him off on the fourth
of February.
A.D. 211 (a.u. 964)
Antoninus, it is said, contributed something
to the result. Before he closed his eyes he is reputed
to have spoken these words to his children (I shall
use the exact phraseology without embellishment):
"Be harmonious, enrich the soldiers, scorn everybody
else." After this his body arrayed in military garb
was placed upon a pyre, and as a mark of honor the
soldiers and his children ran about it. Those present
who had any military gifts threw them upon it and the
sons applied the fire. Later his bones were put in a jar
of purple stone, conveyed to Rome, and deposited in the
tomb of the Antonines. It is said that Severus sent
for the jar a little before his death and after feeling it
over remarked: "Thou shalt hold a man that the
world could not hold."