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they plotted, having spread a rumor that Commodus had died from apoplexy in the gladiatorial school. And it seemed good to them to choose a certain old man to succeed to the rule, so that all might get a respite from the bitter and licentious tyranny. 2. Deliberating among themselves, they found no one so suitable as Pertinax, an Italian by birth, who had distinguished himself in many military actions, the only one of Marcus's friends left; to whom they came in the middle of the night, both they themselves and a few of the conspirators. Standing at the doors, they roused the guard. And he, having opened the door, and seeing the soldiers and the prefect, announced it to his master. He ordered them to come in, expecting to be beheaded on the spot. He greeted them as they entered, and urged that what had been ordered be done. "For this," he said, "I have always expected, being the only one of his father's friends left." And he often stretched out his neck from his cot. To this Laetus said: "Cease saying things unworthy of yourself and of your past life. For we have not come for your destruction, but for our own salvation and that of Rome; for the tyrant lies dead, having paid the fitting penalty, and suffering from us the very things he intended to do to us. And we have come to hand over the empire to you, who we know are preeminent in the senate by your life, greatness, dignity, age, gravity, and the affection of the people." 3. But Pertinax said: "Stop mocking an old man." "But indeed," said Eclectus, "read this document; you recognize the hand of Commodus." Pertinax, then, recognizing what was written, and being persuaded by men who were previously his friends, and having learned all that had been done, gave himself up to it. And taking with them as many of the rest as were present, they hastened to the camp. And they sent some men to proclaim that Commodus was dead, and that Pertinax was going to the camp as emperor. When the rumor spread, all the people, like possessed persons, ran about in a frenzy, shouting unseemly things, and whatever fear had previously restrained, this was said easily with the coming of security and liberty. When they arrived at the camp, both Laetus and Eclectus entered, leading Pertinax; and he was proclaimed emperor. 4. That while good order and happiness prevailed in life, with Pertinax reigning, only the bodyguards were vexed, chiefly by the memory of the tyranny that had existed for them before, and longing for plunder and violence, they plotted to get rid of Pertinax, and to seek someone who would again provide them with licentious power. Suddenly, therefore, with no one expecting it, but with all being quiet, they rushed to the palace, having drawn their swords. The servants in the palace, being thrown into confusion, did not wait, but each one, leaving the post he held, fled. A few, however, who reported the attack to Pertinax, advised him to flee, and to entrust himself to the help of the people and the senate. But he, not enduring this, and thinking these things unworthy of an emperor, came out of his chamber, expecting to persuade them and to stop their irrational anger, as they would respect the figure of the emperor and the man's philosophy. While the old man was still speaking and giving much advice, they fell upon him and killed him, having done a truly cruel deed; and fearing an attack from the people, they ran back to the camp, locked the gates, and went up on the wall, posting guards to defend against attackers. 5. When the news of the emperor's murder spread among the people, confusion and grief seized everyone, and they ran about like possessed persons, being able neither to find nor to defend themselves against the perpetrators. When a day or two had passed, the common people, each one fearing for himself, withdrew, while those of high rank fled to their estates farthest from the city, so that they might not suffer anything terrible from the coming rule by being present.

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ἐβουλεύοντο, φήμην ἐγκατασπείραντες, ὅτι ἐν τῷ μονομαχίῳ ἀποπληξίᾳ ὁ Κόμοδος ἐτελεύτησεν. Ἔδοξεν δὲ αὐτοῖς ἐπιλέξασθαι ἄνδρα πρεσβύτην τινὰ, τὸν διαδεξόμενον τὴν ἀρχὴν, ὅπως ἀπὸ τῆς πικρᾶς καὶ ἀκολάστου τυραννίδος πάντες ἀναπνεύσειεν. 2. Καθ' ἑαυτοὺς δὲ λογιζόμενοι, οὐδένα οὕτως ἐπιτήδειον εὕρισκον ὡς Περτίνακα, τὸ μὲν γένος Ἰταλιώτην, ἐν δὲ πολλαῖς πράξεσι στρατιωτικαῖς εὐδοκιμήσαντα, μόνον τῶν Μάρκου φίλων περιλειφθέντα· πρὸς ὃν τῆς νυκτὸς ἀκμαζούσης παραγίνονται, αὐτοί τε καί τινες ὀλίγοι τῶν συνωμοτῶν. Ἐπιστάντες δὲ ταῖς θύραις διεγείρουσι τὸν φύλακα. Ἀνοίξας δὲ ἐκεῖνος, καὶ θεασάμενος στρατιώτας καὶ τὸν ἔπαρχον, ἀγγέλλει τῷ δεσπότῃ. Ὁ δὲ ἥκειν αὐτοὺς κελεύει, προσδοκῶν παραχρῆμα ἀποτέμνεσθαι. Εἰσελθόντας δὲ αὐτοὺς ἠσπάσατο, καὶ τὸ κελευθὲν γίνεσθαι προέτρεπε. «Τοῦτο γὰρ, ἔφη, διὰ παντὸς ἐνενόουν, μόνος περιλειφθεὶς τῶν πατρῴων αὐτοῦ φίλων.» Προέτεινέ τε πολλάκις τὸν τράχηλον ἀπὸ τοῦ σκίμποδος. Πρὸς ταῦτα ὁ Λαῖτος· «Παῦσαι,» φησὶν «ἀνάξια σαυτοῦ καὶ τῶν προβεβιωμένων σοι λέγων. Οὐ γὰρ ἐπ' ὀλέθρῳ τῷ σῷ ἥκομεν, ἀλλ' ἐπὶ σωτηρίᾳ τῇ τε ἡμῶν αὐτῶν καὶ τῆς Ῥώμης· κεῖται μὲν γὰρ ὁ τύραννος, δίκην δοὺς τὴν προσήκουσαν, καὶ ἅπερ αὐτὸς ἡμᾶς δράσαι διενοεῖτο ταῦτα πρὸς ἡμῶν παθών. Ἡμεῖς δὲ ἥκομεν σοὶ τὴν βασιλείαν ἐγχειριοῦντες, ὃν ἴσμεν προὔχοντα ἐν τῇ συγκλήτῳ βουλῇ βίῳ, μεγέθει, ἀξιώματι, ἡλικίᾳ, σεμνότητι, πόθῳ τε τοῦ δήμου.» 3. Ὁ δὲ Περτίναξ· «Παύσασθε χλευάζοντες πρε σβύτην.» «Ἀλλὰ μὴν, ἔφη ὁ Ἔκλεκτος, ἀνάγνωθι τὸ γραμματεῖον· γνωρίζεις δὲ τὴν Κομόδου χεῖρα.» Ἐπιγνοὺς δὴ τὰ γεγραμμένα ὁ Περτίναξ, πεισθείς τε ἀνδράσι καὶ πρότερον αὐτοῦ φίλοις, πάντα πυθόμενος τὰ πεπραγμένα, ἐπιδίδωσιν ἑαυτόν. Καὶ συμπαραλαβόντες καὶ τῶν λοιπῶν ὅσοι παρῆσαν, ἐπὶ τὸ στρατόπεδον ἠπείγοντο. ∆ιαπέμπουσι δέ τινας τοὺς διαβοήσοντας, ὅτι Κόμοδος μὲν τέθνηκε, Περτίναξ δὲ ἐπὶ τὸ στρατόπεδον ἄπεισι βασιλεύς. ∆ιαδραμούσης δὲ τῆς φήμης, πᾶς ὁ δῆμος ἐνθουσιῶντι ἐοικὼς ἐξεβάκχευε καὶ διέτρεχε, βοῶν τε ἀπρεπῆ, καὶ ὅσα πρότερον ἐπεῖχεν ὁ φόβος, ταῦτα, προελθούσης ἀδείας καὶ ἐλευθερίας, ῥᾳδίως ἐλέγετο. Ἐπεὶ δὲ ἐγένοντο ἐν τῷ στρατοπέδῳ, ὅ τε Λαῖτος καὶ Ἔκλεκτος εἰσῆλθον ἄγοντες τὸν Περτίνακα· καὶ ἀναγορεύεται βασιλεύς. 4. Ὅτι εὐταξίας καὶ εὐμοιρίας κατεχούσης τὸν βίον, βασιλεύοντος Περτίνακος, μόνοι οἱ δορυφόροι ἀσχάλλοντες μνήμῃ μάλιστα τῆς προγεγενημένης αὐτοῖς τυραννίδος, ἁρπαγάς τε καὶ βίας ποθοῦντες, ἐβουλεύσαντο ἀποσκευάσασθαι τὸν Περτίνακα, ζητῆσαι δέ τινα τὸν πάλιν αὐτοῖς παρέξοντα ἀκόλαστον ἐξουσίαν. Αἰφνιδίως τοίνυν, οὐδενὸς προσδοκῶντος, ἀλλὰ πάντων ἡσυχαζόντων, προσπηδῶσι τοῖς βασιλείοις τὰ ξίφη σπασάμενοι. Οἱ δὲ ἐν τῇ βασιλείῳ ὑπηρεσίᾳ ταραχθέντες, οὐκ ἔμενον, ἀλλ' ἕκαστος ἣν εἶχε φρουρὰν καταλιπὼν ἔφυγεν. Ὀλίγοι δέ τινες ἀπαγγείλαντες τῷ Περτίνακι τὴν ἔφοδον, συνεβούλευον φυγεῖν, καὶ τῇ τοῦ δήμου καὶ τῇ τῆς συγκλήτου βοηθείᾳ ἑαυτὸν ἐπιδοῦναι. Ὁ δὲ οὐκ ἀνασχόμενος, βασιλείας οὐκ ἄξια ταῦτα νομίσας, ἐξῆλθε τοῦ δωματίου, προσδοκῶν πείθειν αὐτοὺς καὶ παύσειν τῆς ἀλόγου ὀργῆς, αἰδουμένους τὸ τοῦ βασιλέως σχῆμα καὶ τὴν τοῦ ἀνδρὸς φιλοσοφίαν. Ἔτι δὲ λαλοῦντος τοῦ πρεσβύτου καὶ πολλὰ παραινοῦντος, ἐπιπίπτουσί τε αὐτῷ καὶ φονεύουσι, δράσαντες ὄντως ὠμὸν ἔργον· καὶ δεδιότες τὴν ἔφοδον τὴν τοῦ δήμου, εἰς τὸ στρατόπεδον δρόμῳ ἀναχωρήσαντες καὶ τὰς πύλας ἀποκλείσαντες, ἐπὶ τοῦ τείχους ἀνῆλθον, φρουρὰς καταστήσαντες, ἀμυνούμενοι τοὺς ἐπιόντας. 5. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ διεφοίτησεν εἰς τὸν δῆμον ἡ τοῦ βασιλέως ἀναίρεσις, ταραχή τε καὶ πένθος πάντας κατεῖχε, διέθεόν τε ἐνθουσιῶσιν ἐοικότες, μηδὲ εὑρεῖν μηδὲ ἀμύνασθαι δυνάμενοι τοὺς δεδρακότας. Μιᾶς δέ που καὶ δευτέρας ἡμέρας διαδραμούσης, οἱ μὲν δημόται ἕκαστος καθ' ἑαυτὸν δεδιὼς ὑπανεχώρει, οἱ δὲ ἐν ἀξιώμασιν ὄντες ἐς τὰ πορρωτάτω τῆς πόλεως κτήματα ἀπεδίδρασκον, ὡς ἂν μή τι δεινὸν ἐκ τῆς ἐσομένης ἀρχῆς παρόντες πάθοιεν.