Read the _History_ of Cassianus Coccianus (or Coccius) Dio,[300] in
eighty books. He begins with the arrival of Aeneas in Italy from
Troy, the foundation of Alba and Rome, and goes down without a break
to the murder of Antoninus named Elagabalus, who was also called
Tiberinus, Sardanapalus, Pseudantoninus, and Assyrius on account of
his vices. He also says something about the reign of Alexander who,
after the death of Antoninus, who had adopted him as his colleague in
the empire, escaped the danger that threatened him and succeeded to
the throne. The writer tells us that this Alexander was consul for
the second time together with himself, and that the emperor, desirous
of honouring his colleague, himself defrayed the necessary expenses
in connexion with his office. The author was appointed governor of
Pergamum and Smyrna by Macrinus, and was afterwards commander of
the forces in Africa. Soon afterwards he was governor of Pannonia.
Elected consul for the second time, he was allowed to return home
owing to bad feet, to spend the rest of his life in Bithynia, as his
“genius” had predicted, “beyond the reach of slaughter, bloodshed,
and tumult.”[301]
He was born at Nicaea in Bithynia, which in one part is surrounded
by the lake called Ascania. His style is grandiose and bombastic,
reflecting the consciousness of mighty events. His language is
full of antiquated constructions, and of words in keeping with
the importance of the events described. His periods are full of
protracted parentheses and ill-timed[302] inversions. The rhythm
and the abrupt interruptions, being carefully employed, owing to
the general clearness, escape the notice of the casual reader. The
speeches, after the style of those in Thucydides, but clearer, are
excellent. In almost everything else also Thucydides is his model.