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to be condemned to death by a vote.” And finally he said that “If I do not obtain this, I will carry myself off to death” and he did not rouse Marcus, nor did he persuade him to depart from his usual ways of thinking—not the injustice and impiety of what had been dared, not the faithlessness of those who had dared it, not the fear of similar things in the future.

119 COMMODUS.

Ibid.: That for a certain time Commodus did everything using his father’s friends as counselors. But when he appointed Perennius prefect of the armies, a man who was Italian by birth but wicked in character, he himself devoted his time to luxury and drinking parties, while this man, having clothed himself with the power of the whole empire, began first to slander his father’s friends, and bringing all who were wealthy under suspicion, he terrified the young man, so that by destroying them he might furnish himself with a pretext for seizing their property. For a certain time, then, the memory of his father and respect for his friends restrained the young man; but as if some malevolent fortune were overturning his orderly rule, something of this sort happened. Lucilla was Commodus’s eldest sister; she had previously been married to the emperor Lucius Verus, whom Marcus had made partner of the empire. When it happened, then, that Lucius died, while the symbols of imperial rank remained with Lucilla, her father gave her in marriage to Pompeianus; but Commodus also preserved the honors for his sister. But when he himself married Crispina, and it became necessary for precedence to be given to the reigning emperor’s wife, Lucilla, bearing this with difficulty, did not dare to speak to her husband, but suggested to a certain Quadratus, with whom she was also having an affair, that he assassinate Commodus; he entrusted the deadly deed to Quintianus, a very bold and murderous young man. Who, taking a dagger and waiting in the entrance to the theater (which is a dark one), rushed at Commodus. But as he missed the blow, he was seized by the bodyguards and confessed everything. And he himself immediately paid the penalty for his folly; but Commodus from that time on considered everyone a common enemy. And it also became for Perennius the pretext which he was seeking; for Commodus put his sister to death, and unsparingly did away with all those who were in the conspiracy and those who were slandered at random, especially his father’s and his own necessary friends. 2. As Perennius was arranging this, and having placed himself (for) in a position of power, he plotted against the empire, wishing both to destroy Commodus and to divide the imperial rule among his own sons. But the plot became known in a strange way, by a certain philosopher shouting with a loud voice in the theater; and he, having received from Perennius the penalty for his frankness, was handed over to the fire; but Commodus both suspected Perennius and remembered what had been said. After a short time had passed, some soldiers from the Illyrian provinces, unknown to Perennius’ son, brought coins stamped with his image; having seen these, and being persuaded by the things that had often been told to him, Commodus sent men by night, cut off the head of Perennius, and sent it with all speed to his son (who was prefect of the army in Illyria), who was still ignorant of the events in Rome, and he orders him through (and) a friendly letter to come to Rome, on the grounds that his father also wished it and that he was to receive the consular office. And he, when the messengers said these things, though distressed that he had left the business of the usurpation unfinished, yet confident in his father’s power, made the journey. But when he was in Italy, those who had been ordered to do this killed him. Such an end, then, befell them. 3. But he

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ψήφῳ θανατωθῆναι.» Καὶ τέλος ἔφη, ὅτι «Ἂν μὴ τούτου τύχω, ἀποίσομαι πρὸς τὸν θάνατον» καὶ οὐκ ἐπῆρε τὸν Μάρκον, οὐδὲ προσηγάγετο ἐκβῆναι τῶν συνήθων λογισμῶν οὐ τὸ ἄδικον καὶ ἀνόσιον τῶν τετολμημένων, οὐχ ἡ ἀπιστία τῶν τολμησάντων οὐ τὸ ὑπὲρ ὁμοίων ἐς αὖθις δέος.

119 ΚΟΜΜΟ∆ΟΣ.

Ibid.: Ὅτι μέχρι μέν τινος ὁ Κόμοδος πάντα ἔπραττε τοῖς πατρικοῖς φίλοις

συμβούλοις χρώμενος. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ Περέννιον ἔπαρχον τῶν στρατοπέδων κατέστησεν, ἄνδρα τὸ μὲν γένος Ἰταλιώτην, πονηρὸν δὲ τὸ ἦθος, αὐτὸς μὲν τρυφαῖς καὶ συμποσίοις ἐσχόλαζεν, οὗτος δὲ πάσης τῆς ἀρχῆς τὴν ἐξουσίαν ἐνδυσάμενος, τούς τε πατρῴους φίλους πρώτους διαβάλλειν ἤρξατο, καὶ ὅσοι πλούσιοι ἦσαν, τούτους εἰς ὑποψίαν ἄγων, τὸ μειράκιον ἐξεφόβει, ὡς ἂν αὐτοὺς διαχρησάμενος ἀφορμὴν αὑτῷ παράσχοι ἁρπάζειν τὰ ἐκείνων. Μέχρι μὲν οὖν τινὸς ἐπεῖχε τὸν νέον ἡ τοῦ πατρὸς μνήμη καὶ ἡ τῶν φίλων αἰδώς· ἀλλ' ὥσπερ τινὸς βασκάνου τύχης ἀνατρεπούσης αὐτοῦ τὴν κοσμίαν ἀρχὴν, συνέβη τι τοιοῦτον. Λουκίλλα ἦν τῷ Κομόδῳ πρεσβυτάτη ἀδελφή· αὕτη πρότερον Λουκίῳ Βήρῳ αὐτοκράτορι συνῴκει, ὃν κοινωνὸν τῆς βασιλείας Μάρκος ἐποιήσατο. Ἐπειδὴ οὖν συνέβη τὸν Λούκιον τελευτῆσαι, μενόντων τῇ Λουκίλλῃ τῶν τῆς βασιλείας συμβόλων, Πομπηϊανῷ ὁ πατὴρ ἐξέδοτο αὐτήν· ἀλλὰ καὶ ὁ Κόμοδος ἐφύλαττε τὰς τιμὰς τῇ ἀδελφῇ. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ ἠγάγετο αὐτὸς Κρισπίναν, ἀνάγκη τε ἐγένετο τὴν προεδρίαν ἀπονέμεσθαι τῇ τοῦ βασιλεύοντος γυναικὶ, δυσφόρως τοῦτο φέρουσα ἡ Λουκίλλα, τῷ μὲν ἀνδρὶ οὐκ ἐθάρρησεν εἰπεῖν, Κοδράτῳ δέ τινι, εἰς ὃν καὶ διεβάλλετο, ὑπέθετο τὸν Κόμοδον ἀνελεῖν· ὁ δὲ Κυιντιανῷ νεανίᾳ θρασυτάτῳ τε καὶ φονικωτάτῳ τὴν ὀλεθρίαν ἐπέτρεψε πρᾶξιν. Ὅστις λαβὼν ἐγχειρίδιον, καὶ ὑποστὰς ἐν τῇ τοῦ θεάτρου εἰσόδῳ (ἔστι δὲ αὕτη ζοφώδης), ὥρμησε κατὰ τοῦ Κομόδου. Ὡς δὲ διήμαρτε τῆς πληγῆς, κρατηθεὶς ὑπὸ τῶν σωματοφυλάκων, ἅπαντα διήλεγξε. Καὶ αὐτὸς μὲν παραχρῆμα δίκην ἀνοίας ὑπέσχεν· ὁ δὲ Κόμοδος ἔκτοτε κοινοὺς ἐχθροὺς ἅπαντας ἐλογίζετο. Ὑπῆρξε δὲ καὶ τῷ Περεννίῳ πρόφασις, ἣν ἐζήτει· τήν τε γὰρ ἀδελφὴν ὁ Κόμοδος διεχρήσατο, καὶ πάντας ἀφειδῶς τούς τε ὄντας ἐν τῇ συνωμοσίᾳ καὶ τοὺς ὡς ἔτυχε διαβαλλομένους ἀπεσκευάζετο, μάλιστα τοὺς πατρῴους καὶ ἀναγκαίους φίλους. 2. Τοῦτο τοῦ Περεννίου κατασκευάζοντος ποιησάμενός τε (γὰρ) ἑαυτὸν ὑπὸ ἐξουσίαν, ἐπιβούλευε τῇ ἀρχῇ, τόν τε Κόμοδον κατεργάσασθαι βουλόμενος, καὶ τοῖς ἑαυτοῦ παισὶ τὴν βασιλείαν διανεῖμαι. Ἐγνώσθη δὲ ἡ ἐπιβουλὴ παραδόξως ὑπὸ φιλοσόφου τινὸς ἐν τῷ θεάτρῳ μεγάλῃ τῇ φωνῇ ἀνακράζοντος· καὶ ὁ μὲν ὑπὸ τοῦ Περεννίου δίκας τῆς παρρησίας λαβὼν, πυρὶ παρεδόθη· ὁ δὲ Κόμοδος ὑπετόπει τε τὸν Περέννιον, καὶ ἐμέμνητο τῶν λεχθέντων. Ὀλίγου δὲ χρόνου διελθόντος, στρατιῶταί τινες τῶν Ἰλλυριῶν, λαθόντες τὸν Περεννίου παῖδα, νομίσματα ἐκόμισαν ἐκτετυπωμένα τὴν ἐκείνου εἰκόνα· ἅπερ ἑωρακὼς, ὁ Κόμοδος, πεισθεὶς δὲ τοῖς λεχθεῖσιν αὐτῷ πολλάκις, πέμψας διὰ νυκτὸς, ἀποτέμνει τὴν κεφαλὴν τοῦ Περεννίου, καὶ τὴν ταχίστην ἐκπέμπει πρὸς τὸν αὐτοῦ παῖδα (ὃς ἦν ἔπαρχος τοῦ ἐν Ἰλλυριοῖς στρατοπέδου) τὰ ἐπὶ τῆς Ῥώμης ἔτι ἀγνοοῦντα, κελεύει τε αὐτὸν διά (τε) φιλικῶν γραμμάτων ἥκειν ἐν τῇ Ῥώμῃ, ὡς καὶ τοῦ πατρὸς αὐτοῦ βουλομένου, καὶ τὴν ὕπατον ἀρχὴν αὐτοῦ ληψομένου. Ὁ δὲ, τῶν ἀγγέλων εἰπόντων ταῦτα, ἀσχάλλων μὲν ὅτι ἀτελῆ κατέλιπε τὰ τῆς τυραννίδος, θαρρῶν δὲ τῇ τοῦ πατρὸς δυνάμει, ποιεῖται τὴν ὁδοιπορίαν. Γενόμενον δὲ αὐτὸν κατὰ τὴν Ἰταλίαν, οἷς τοῦτο ἐντέταλτο, διεχρήσαντο. Τοιοῦτον μὲν δὴ τέλος ἐκείνους κατέλαβεν. 3. Ὁ δὲ