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having celebrated spectacles, and having constructed a very great temple, each time he went forth he sacrificed hecatombs, and danced around the altars to the sounds of all kinds of instruments. And the whole senate and the equestrian order stood around in the formation of a theater. Nevertheless, although always seeming to be dancing and performing sacred rites, he killed very many of the notable men, who had been slandered to him as mocking his way of life. This same man, having constructed a very great temple in the suburb, and having placed his gods on a golden chariot with six white horses, drove the chariot himself, and all the Romans processed before him with all kinds of torches and flowers. And when they were established in the temple, Antoninus, having ascended a tower, threw to the crowds gold and silver cups, and all kinds of clothing and linens, and all tame animals except for pigs; and many were even killed in the scrambles. And he himself was often seen dancing, driving a chariot, and he went forth with his eyes painted and his cheeks rouged, abusing his naturally handsome face with unseemly cosmetics. Maesa, seeing these things, and suspecting that the soldiers were displeased, persuaded him to adopt a son. 138 Ibid.: That Mamaea kept her son Alexander away from shameful deeds and those unbecoming to emperors, and secretly sent for teachers of every discipline, and accustomed him to wrestling-schools and the gymnasia of men. At which Antoninus was distressed and changed his mind, and drove away the teachers. And he ran to such an excess as to transfer all those from the stage and the public theaters to the greatest offices, and to appoint some dancer as prefect of the camps, and he put a charioteer in charge of the body of knights. And to his own slaves and freedmen he entrusted the governments of the greatest provinces. With all things formerly considered venerable thus being turned into insolence and drunken frenzy, all other men and especially the soldiers were vexed. And they loathed seeing him, with his face beautified, and unmanly adorned with golden necklaces and soft clothes. Therefore, they had minds more inclined towards Alexander. 139Exc. De ins.: That the soldiers, seeing the young man beautified and unmanly adorned, had minds more inclined toward Mamaea's Alexander, and better hopes; and they guarded him in every way, seeing him being plotted against by Antoninus. And his mother did not allow the boy to partake of any food or drink of those sent by that man. And the boy used cooks and wine-pourers, not the imperial ones, but his mother's. She also secretly gave money to the soldiers. Antoninus, having learned these things, plotted in every way against Alexander and his mother; but their common grandmother thwarted the plots. And when his plots did not succeed, he wished to strip the boy of the honor of Caesar; and neither in the acclamations nor in the processions was Alexander honored; but the soldiers sought him, and were angry, not even sending the customary guard to Antoninus. 2. But Antoninus, being in great fear, took Alexander and went down to the camp. And they, having opened the gates, received them, praising Alexander extravagantly. At which Antoninus became angry, and ordered certain men to be given up for punishment. But they, being further agitated, and wanting to get rid of Antoninus anyway, a misbehaving emperor, then indeed also thinking it necessary to defend those who were being arrested, considering the moment opportune and the pretext just, killed both Antoninus himself and his mother Soaemis (for she was present), and all those around him, as many as were caught inside, who seemed to be servants and collaborators in his wrongdoings. And they handed over the bodies of both Antoninus and his mother to be dragged and abused by anyone who wished; which for a long time through

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ἐπιτελέσας θέας, νεών τε μέγιστον κατασκευάσας, ἑκάστοτε προϊὼν ἑκατόμβας ἔθυε, καὶ περὶ τοὺς βωμοὺς ἐχόρευεν ὑπὸ παντοδαποῖς ἤχοις ὀργάνων. Περιειστήκει δὲ πᾶσα ἡ σύγκλητος καὶ τὸ ἱππικὸν τάγμα ἐν θεάτρου σχήματι. Ὅμως δὲ, καίτοι χορεύειν ἀεὶ καὶ ἱερουργεῖν δοκῶν, πλείστους ἀπέκτεινε τῶν ἐνδόξων, διαβληθέντας αὐτῷ ὡς σκώπτοντας αὐτοῦ τὸν βίον. Ὁ αὐτὸς νεὼν μέγιστον ἐν τῷ προαστείῳ κατασκευάσας τούς τε θεοὺς αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ ἅρματι χρυσῷ καὶ λευκοῖς ἑξαζύγοις ἵπποις ἀναβιβάσας, αὐτός τε ἡνιόχει, καὶ πάντες οἱ Ῥωμαῖοι μετὰ παντοδαπῆς δᾳδουχίας καὶ ἀνθέων προεπόμπευον. Ὡς δὲ ἐν τῷ ναῷ ἱδρύσθησαν, ἀναβὰς ὁ Ἀντωνῖνος ἐπὶ πύργον ἐρρίπτει τοῖς ὄχλοις ἐκπώματα χρυσᾶ καὶ ἀργυρᾶ ἐσθῆτάς τε καὶ ὀθόνας παντοδαπὰς, ζῶά τε πάντα ὅσα ἥμερα, πλὴν χοίρων· πολλοὶ δὲ καὶ ἐν ταῖς ἁρπαγαῖς διεφθείροντο. Αὐτὸς δὲ ἑωρᾶτο πολλάκις ὀρχούμενος, ἡνιοχῶν, προῄει τε ὑπογραφόμενος τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς καὶ τὰς παρειὰς ἐρυθαίνων, φύσει τε πρόσωπον ὡραῖον ὑβρίζων βαφαῖς ἀσχήμοσιν. Ὁρῶσα δὲ ταῦτα ἡ Μαισὰ, ὑποπτεύουσά τε τοὺς στρατιώτας ἀπαρέσκεσθαι, πείθει αὐτὸν θέσθαι υἱόν. 138 Ibid.: Ὅτι ἡ Μαμαία τὸν υἱὸν αὐτῆς Ἀλέξανδρον ἀπῆγε μὲν τῶν αἰσχρῶν καὶ ἀπρεπῶν τοῖς βασιλεῦσιν ἔργων, διδασκάλους τε πάσης παιδείας λάθρα μετεπέμπετο, παλαίστραις τε καὶ τοῖς ἀνδρῶν γυμνασίοις εἴθιζεν. Ἐφ' οἷς Ἀντωνῖνος ἤσχαλλε καὶ μετεγίγνωσκε, τούς τε διδασκάλους ἀπεσόβει. Ἐς τοσοῦτον δὲ ἐξώκειλεν, ὡς ἂν πάντας τοὺς ἀπὸ τῆς σκηνῆς καὶ τῶν δημοσίων θεάτρων μεταγαγεῖν ἐπὶ τὰς μεγίστας ἀρχὰς, καὶ τοῖς μὲν στρατοπέδοις ἔπαρχον ἐπιστῆσαι ὀρχηστήν τινα γεγονότα, τῆς τε τῶν ἱππέων ὑποστάσεως προέστησεν ἡνίοχον. Τοῖς τε δούλοις αὐτοῦ καὶ ἀπελευθέροις τὰς τῶν μεγίστων ἐθνῶν ἐξουσίας ἐνεχείριζε. Πάντων δὲ οὕτως τῶν πάλαι δοκούντων σεμνῶν ἐς ὕβριν καὶ παροινίαν ἐκβεβακχευμένων, οἵ τε ἄλλοι πάντες ἄνθρωποι καὶ μάλιστα οἱ στρατιῶται ἤχθοντο. Ἐμυσάττοντο δὲ αὐτὸν ὁρῶντες τὸ μὲν πρόσωπον καλλωπιζόμενον, περιδεραίοις τε χρυσοῖς καὶ ἐσθῆσιν ἁπαλαῖς ἀνάνδρως κοσμούμενον. Ἐπιρρεπεστέρας τοίνυν τὰς γνώμας πρὸς τὸν Ἀλέξανδρον εἶχον. 139Exc. De ins.: Ὅτι οἱ στρατιῶται ὁρῶντες τὸν νέον καλλωπιζόμενον καὶ ἀνάνδρως κοσμούμενον, ἐπιρρεπεστέρας τὰς γνώμας πρὸς τὸν τῆς Μαμαίας Ἀλέξανδρον εἶχον, καὶ ἐλπίδας κρείττους· ἐφρούρουν τε αὐτὸν παντοίως ὁρῶντες ἐπιβουλευόμενον ὑπὸ τοῦ Ἀντωνίνου. Ἥ τε μήτηρ αὐτοῦ οὔτε ποτὸν οὔτε ἐδώδιμόν τι εἴα τὸν παῖδα προσφέρεσθαι τῶν ὑπ' ἐκείνου πεμπομένων. Ὀψοποιοῖς τε καὶ οἰνοχόοις ὁ παῖς ἐχρῆτο, οὐ τοῖς βασιλικοῖς, ἀλλὰ τοῖς τῆς μητρός. Ἐδίδου καὶ χρήματα λαθραίως τοῖς στρατιώταις. Ταῦτα μαθὼν Ἀντωνῖνος παντὶ τρόπῳ ἐπεβούλευε τῷ Ἀλεξάνδρῳ καὶ τῇ μητρὶ αὐτοῦ· ἀλλὰ τὰς ἐπιβουλὰς διεκώλυεν ἡ κοινὴ μάμμη. Ὡς δὲ τὰ τῆς ἐπιβουλῆς αὐτῷ οὐ προὐχώρει, παραλῦσαι τῆς τοῦ Καίσαρος τιμῆς ἠθέλησε τὸν παῖδα· καὶ οὔτε ἐν ταῖς προσαγορεύσεσιν οὔτε ἐν ταῖς προόδοις Ἀλέξανδρος ἐτιμᾶτο· οἱ δὲ στρατιῶται ἐπεζήτουν τε αὐτὸν, καὶ ἠγανάκτουν, μηδὲ τὴν συνήθη φρουρὰν τῷ Ἀντωνίνῳ πέμποντες. 2. Ὁ δὲ Ἀντωνῖνος, ἐν δέει πολλῷ γενόμενος, πα ραλαβὼν τὸν Ἀλέξανδρον κατῆλθεν εἰς τὸ στρατόπεδον. Οἱ δὲ ἀνοίξαντες τὰς πύλας, ἐδέξαντο αὐτοὺς, ὑπερφυῶς τὸν Ἀλέξανδρον εὐφημοῦντες. Ἐφ' οἷς ὁ Ἀντωνῖνοςἀγανακτήσας, ἐκέλευσέ τινας πρὸς τιμωρίαν ἐκδοθῆναι. Ἐκεῖνοι δὲ μᾶλλον ταραχθέντες, ἄλλως τε καὶ τὸν Ἀντωνῖνον ἀποσκευάσασθαι θέλοντες, ἀσχημονοῦντα βασιλέα, τότε δὴ καὶ τοῖς συλλαμβανομένοις ἐπαμύνειν δεῖν ἡγούμενοι, καιρὸν εὔκαιρον καὶ πρόφασιν δικαίαν νομίζοντες, τὸν μὲν Ἀντωνῖνον αὐτόν τε καὶ τὴν μητέρα Σοαιμίδα (παρῆν γάρ) ἀναιροῦσι, τούς τε περὶ αὐτὸν πάντας, ὅσοι ἔνδον κατελήφθησαν, ὑπηρέται τε καὶ συνεργοὶ ἐδόκουν εἶναι τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων. Τὰ δὲ σώματα τοῦ τε Ἀντωνίνου καὶ τῆς μητρὸς παρέδοσαν σύρειν τε καὶ ὑβρίζειν τοῖς βουλομένοις· ἅπερ ἐπὶ πολὺ διὰ