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Soothsayers told him to be on his guard that day, and they say that other portents of his destruction also occurred to him. When Antoninus, whom they also called Caracalla, as has been said, but also Taras, from a certain most hideous and bloodthirsty gladiator, was destroyed, Macrinus, on the fourth day, received the supreme power from the army, being by race a Moor from Sicily and of most obscure parents, wherefore, according to the custom of the Moors, one of his ears was pierced, but he was fair-minded and a most faithful guardian of the laws. who, having become prefect, administered the affairs of his office excellently, but having become emperor, he did not do all things well. For he appointed unworthy men to offices, which is the greatest part of imperial administration, and he employed a more luxurious and, moreover, arrogant lifestyle. But Julia, the mother of Antoninus, while staying in Antioch and learning of her son's death, was moved to kill herself, not on account of her son, but fearing for herself lest she become a private citizen. But since nothing around her was changed, but she even kept her retinue and bodyguards, she clung to life. Then when Macrinus heard that he was being reviled by her and 3.115 perceived that she was attempting to seize the imperial power, she was ordered to leave Antioch and depart wherever she wished. And so she then destroyed herself. When Artabanus was advancing against the Romans with great forces, Macrinus engaged him near Nisibis, was twice defeated, and was forced to purchase peace for a great sum of money. The war against Artabanus was thus quieted, but another civil war broke out for the Romans. For a certain Eutychianus of Caesarea, seeing the soldiers' hatred for Macrinus because he did not lavish gifts on them as Antoninus had, and being persuaded by oracles, undertook a revolt against Macrinus. So since Maesa, the sister of the empress Julia, had two daughters, Soaemias and Mamaea, and two male grandsons from them, Eutychianus took one of these, and pretending that he was an illegitimate son of Caracalla, brought him into the camp by night, and persuaded the soldiers, who were seeking a pretext for revolt, to rebel. And they, naming him Antoninus, immediately proclaimed him emperor, although he was a mere child. And taking him with them, they marched against Macrinus, who was staying in Antioch; and engaging him in a certain place far distant from Antioch, they were indeed defeated; but then Macrinus, seeing them rally again, turned to flight, and went away to Antioch as if he had been victorious, so that he might not be shut out of the city. And he sent his son to Artabanus. But when his defeat was announced, and many murders were taking place, he fled by night, having shaved his head and his beard, and having put on a grey garment, so that he might not be recognized; and with 3.116 a few men he arrived at Aegae in Cilicia, and having come through Cappadocia, Galatia, and Bithynia as far as Eribolus, the port lying opposite Nicomedia, he crossed over to Chalcedon. And sending to one of the procurators, he asked for money. Whence, being recognized, he was arrested by those who favored Pseudo-Antoninus, and was brought as far as Cappadocia. There, learning that his son had been captured, he threw himself from the chariot and broke his shoulder. And not long after he was also slain, having lived fifty-four years, and having ruled the Romans for one year and two months less three days, and was overthrown by a little boy. And it is said that this verse from the oracle was spoken to him: 'O old man, surely young warriors vex you greatly, and your strength is undone, and grievous old age comes upon you.' But Avitus, the Pseudo-Antoninus, the Assyrian and Sardanapalus, having come to Rome, did one deed of a good emperor. For though he had been insulted in many ways both in private and in public, in word and in deed, by those in Rome, after Macrinus had written to them concerning him, he punished no one. But in all other respects he was most shameful, most lawless, and most bloodthirsty. Eutychianus, therefore, commanded the bodyguards and with

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μάντεις δὲ ειπον αὐτῷ τὴν ἡμέραν ἐκείνην φυλάσσεσθαι, καὶ αλλα δέ φασι τοῦ ὀλέθρου αὐτῷ συμβῆναι τεκμήρια. Τοῦ δ' ̓Αντωνίνου διαφθαρέντος, ον καὶ Καράκαλλον ἐκάλουν, ὡς ειρηται, ἀλλὰ μέντοι καὶ Τάραντα ἐκ μονομάχου τινὸς εἰδεχθεστάτου καὶ μιαιφονωτάτου, ὁ Μακρῖνος μετὰ τετάρτην ἡμέραν τὴν ἡγεμονίαν εἰλήφει παρὰ τῆς στρατιᾶς, τὸ μὲν γένος Μαῦρος τυγχάνων ἐκ Σικελίας καὶ γονέων ἀσημοτάτων, οθεν κατὰ τὸ τῶν Μαύρων εθος τῶν ωτων τὸ ετερον διετέτρητο, ἐπιεικὴς δὲ καὶ τῶν νόμων φύλαξ πιστότατος. ος καὶ επαρχος γεγονὼς αριστα τὰ τῆς ἀρχῆς διῳκήσατο, αὐταρχήσας δὲ οὐ πάντα καλῶς επραξεν. ἀναξίους γὰρ ἐφίστα ταῖς ἀρχαῖς, ο τὸ μέγιστόν ἐστι μέρος τῆς βασιλικῆς διοικήσεως, καὶ τρυφερωτέρᾳ ἐχρήσατο βιοτῇ, ἀλλὰ μέντοι καὶ σοβαρότητι. ̓Ιουλία δὲ ἡ μήτηρ τοῦ ̓Αντωνίνου ἐν ̓Αντιοχείᾳ διάγουσα καὶ τὸν θάνατον τοῦ υἱοῦ μαθοῦσα ἑαυτὴν διαχρήσασθαι ωρμησεν, οὐ διὰ τὸν υἱόν, ἀλλὰ δεδοικυῖα περὶ ἑαυτῇ μὴ ἰδιωτεύσῃ. ἐπεὶ δὲ οὐδὲν ἠλλοίωτο τῶν περὶ αὐτήν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὴν θεραπείαν καὶ τοὺς δορυφόρους ειχεν, ἐφιλοψύχησεν. ειτα τοῦ Μακρίνου λοιδορεῖσθαι παρ' ἐκείνης ἀκούσαντος καὶ 3.115 τῇ αὐταρχίᾳ αἰσθομένου ἐπιχειρούσης, ἐκελεύσθη ἐκλελοιπέναι τὴν ̓Αντιόχειαν καὶ οπῃ βούλοιτο ἀπελθεῖν. ἡ δὲ τότε διέφθειρεν ἑαυτήν. Τοῦ δ' ̓Αρταβάνου δυνάμεσι μεγάλαις φερομένου κατὰ ̔Ρωμαίων, συμβαλὼν αὐτῷ περὶ τὴν Νίσιβιν ὁ Μακρῖνος δὶς ἡττήθη καὶ ἠναγκάσθη πολλῶν χρημάτων τὴν εἰρήνην ἐκπρίασθαι. ὁ μὲν ουν πρὸς ̓Αρτάβανον κατηύναστο πόλεμος, ἀνερράγη δὲ τοῖς ̔Ρωμαίοις ἐμφύλιος ετερος. Εὐτυχιανὸς γάρ τις τῶν Καισαρείων, τὴν τῶν στρατιωτῶν εἰς τὸν Μακρῖνον ἀπέχθειαν συνιδὼν οτι μὴ απλετα ὡς ὁ ̓Αντωνῖνος αὐτοῖς ἐχαρίζετο, καὶ ὑπὸ μαντείων ἀναπεισθείς, ἐπαναστάσει κατὰ τοῦ Μακρίνου ἐπικεχείρηκε. Μαίσης ουν τῆς ὁμαίμονος τῆς ̓Ιουλίας τῆς βασιλίδος θυγατέρας ἐχούσης δύο, Σοαιμίδα καὶ Μαμαίαν, καὶ δύο ἐγγόνους αρσενας ἐξ αὐτῶν, τὸν ενα τούτων λαβὼν ὁ Εὐτυχιανός, καὶ υἱὸν ειναι μοιχίδιον τοῦ Καρακάλλου πλασάμενος, εἰς τὸ στρατόπεδον ὑπὸ νύκτα εἰσήγαγε, καὶ τοὺς στρατιώτας λαβὴν ζητοῦντας ἐπαναστάσεως νεωτερίσαι ἀνέπεισεν. οι καὶ ̓Αντωνῖνον αὐτὸν ὀνομάσαντες αὐτοκράτορα αὐτίκα ἀνεῖπον, καίτοι παιδίον τυγχάνοντα. καὶ τοῦτον παραλαβόντες ἐπὶ τὸν Μακρῖνον ηλασαν ἐν ̓Αντιοχείᾳ διάγοντα· καὶ συμβαλόντες αὐτῷ εν τινι χωρίῳ πολὺ τῆς ̓Αντιοχείας διέχοντι, ἡττήθησαν μέν· ειτ' αυθις ἐπισυστάντας αὐτοὺς ὁ Μακρῖνος ἰδὼν εἰς φυγὴν ἐτράπη, καὶ ἀπῄει εἰς ̓Αντιόχειαν ὡς δῆθεν νενικηκώς, ινα μὴ ἀποκλεισθείη τῆς πόλεως. τὸν δὲ υἱὸν πρὸς τὸν ̓Αρτάβανον επεμψεν. ἀγγελθείσης δὲ τῆς ηττης αὐτοῦ, καὶ φόνων γινομένων πολλῶν, ἀπέδρα νυκτός, τὴν κεφαλὴν ξυράμενος καὶ τὸ γένειον, καὶ φαιὰν ἐσθῆτα λαβών, ὡς αν μὴ ἐπιγινώσκοιτο· καὶ μετ' 3.116 ὀλίγων εἰς Αἰγὰς τῆς Κιλικίας παραγενόμενος, καὶ διὰ Καππαδοκίας Γαλατίας τε καὶ Βιθυνίας ἐλθὼν μέχρις ̓Εριβώλου τοῦ ἐπινείου κατ' ἀντικρὺ κειμένου Νικομηδείας, διέπλευσεν εἰς Χαλκηδόνα. καὶ πρός τινα στείλας τῶν ἐπιτρόπων ἀργύριον ῃτησεν. οθεν γνωσθεὶς συνελήφθη παρὰ τῶν τὰ Ψευδαντωνίνου φρονούντων, καὶ ηχθη μέχρι Καππαδοκίας. ενθα μαθὼν ὡς ὁ υἱὸς αὐτοῦ ἑαλώκει, ἐκ τοῦ ὀχήματος ἑαυτὸν ερριψε καὶ τὸν ωμον συντέτριπτο. μετ' οὐ πολὺ δὲ καὶ ἐσφάγη, ζήσας μὲν ετη τέσσαρα καὶ πεντήκοντα, αὐταρχήσας δὲ ̔Ρωμαίων ενα ἐνιαυτὸν καὶ μῆνας δύο τριῶν δέοντας ἡμερῶν, καὶ καταλυθεὶς ὑπὸ παιδαρίου. λέγεται δὲ τοῦτο τὸ επος ἐν τῷ χρησμῷ ῥηθῆναι αὐτῷ ω γέρον, η μάλα δή σε νέοι τείρουσι μαχηταί, σὴ δὲ βίη λέλυται, χαλεπὸν δέ σε γῆρας ἱκάνει. Αβιτος δὲ ὁ Ψευδαντωνῖνος η ̓Ασσύριός τε καὶ Σαρδανάπαλος ἐς τὴν ̔Ρώμην ἐλθὼν εν τι χρηστοῦ αὐτοκράτορος εργον ἐποίησε. πολλὰ γὰρ καὶ ἰδίᾳ καὶ κοινῇ λόγῳ τε καὶ εργῳ ὑβρισθεὶς παρὰ τῶν ἐν τῇ ̔Ρώμῃ, τοῦ Μακρίνου περὶ αὐτοῦ αὐτοῖς ἐπιστείλαντος, οὐδένα ἐκόλασεν. ἐς ταλλα δὲ καὶ αἰσχρότατος καὶ παρανομώτατος καὶ μιαιφονώτατος ην. ὁ μὲν ουν Εὐτυχιανὸς τῶν τε δορυφόρων ηρξε καὶ μετὰ