L. Septimius Severus Aug. (III), M. Aur. Antoninus Aug. (A.D. 202 = a.u.
955 = Tenth of Severus, from the Calends of June).
P. Septimius Geta, Fulvius Plautianus (II). (A.D. 203 = a.u. 956 =
Eleventh of Severus).
L. Fabius Septimius Cilo (II), L. Flavius Libo. (A.D. 204 = a.u. 957 =
Twelfth of Severus).
M. Aur. Antoninus Aug. (II), P. Septimius Geta Caesar. (A.D. 205 = a.u.
958 = Thirteenth of Severus).
Nummius Albinus, Fulv. Aemilianus. (A.D. 206 = a.u. 959 = Fourteenth of
Severus).
Aper, Maximus. (A.D. 207 = a.u. 960 = Fifteenth of Severus).
M. Aur. Antoninus Aug. (III), P. Septim. Geta Caesar (II). (A.D. 208 =
a.u. 961 = Sixteenth of Severus).
Civica Pompeianus, Lollianus Avitus. (A.D. 209 = a.u. 962 = Seventeenth of
Severus).
M. Acilius Faustinus, Triarius Rufinus. (A.D. 210 = a.u. 963 = Eighteenth
of Severus).
Q. Epid. Ruf. Lollianus Gentianus, Pomponius Bassus. (A.D. 211 = a.u. 964
= Nineteenth of Severus, to Feb. 4th).
[Sidenote: A.D. 202 (a.u. 955)] [Sidenote:--1--] Severus to celebrate the
first decade of his reign presented to the entire populace accustomed to
receive dole and to the soldiers of the pretorian guard gold pieces equal
in number to the years of his sovereignty. He took the greatest delight in
this achievement, and, as a matter of fact, no one had ever before given
so much to whole masses of people. Upon this gift five hundred myriads of
denarii were expended. Another event was the marriage between Antoninus,
son of Severus, and Plautilla, the daughter of Plautianus. The latter gave
as much for his daughter's dowry as would have sufficed for fifty women of
royal rank. We saw the gifts as they were being carried through the Forum
into the palace. We were banqueted, likewise, in the meantime, partly in
royal and partly in barbarian fashion on whatever is regularly eaten
cooked or raw, and we received other animal food also alive. At this time,
too, there occurred all sorts of spectacles in honor of Severus's return,
the completion of his first decade, and his victories. At these spectacles
sixty wild boars of Plautianus upon a given signal began a combat with one
another, and there were slain (besides many other beasts) an elephant and
a crocotta. [Footnote: Hesychius says of this beast merely that it is a
quadruped of Aethiopia. Strabo calls it a cross between wolf and dog.
Pliny (Natural History, VIII, 21 (30)) gives the following description:
"Crocottas are apparently the offspring of dog and wolf; they crush all
their food with their teeth and forthwith gulp it down to be assimilated
by the belly."
Again, of the Leucrocotta:
"A most destructive beast about the size of an ass, with legs of a deer,
the neck, tail and breast of a lion, a badger's head, cloven hoof, mouth
slit to the ears, and, in place of teeth, a solid line of bone."
Also, in VIII, 30 (45), he says:
"The lioness of Ethiopia by copulation with a hyaena brings forth the
crocotta."
Capitolinus (Life of Antoninus Pius, 10, 9) remarks that the first
Antoninus had exhibited the animal in Rome. Further, see Aelian, VII, 22.]
The last named animal is of Indian origin, and was then for the first
time, so far as I am aware, introduced into Rome. It has the skin of lion
and tiger mingled and the appearance of those animals, as also of the wolf
and fox, curiously blended. The entire cage in the theatre had been so
constructed as to resemble a boat in form, so that it would both receive
and discharge four hundred beasts at once, [Footnote: These cages were
often made in various odd shapes and opened automatically. Compare the
closing sentences of the preceding book.] and then, as it suddenly fell
apart, there came rushing up bears, lionesses, panthers, lions, ostriches,
wild asses, bisons (this is a kind of cattle of foreign species and
appearance),--the result being that altogether seven hundred wild and tame
beasts at once were seen running about and were slaughtered. For, to
correspond with the duration of the festival, seven days, the number of
animals was also seven times one hundred.
[Sidenote:--2--] On Mount Vesuvius a great gush of fire burst out and
there were bellowings mighty enough to be heard in Capua, where I live
whenever I am in Italy. This place I have selected for various reasons,
chief of which is its quiet, that enables me to get leisure from city
affairs and to write on this compilation. As a result of the Vesuvian
phenomena it was believed that there would be a change in the political
status of Plautianus. In very truth Plautianus had grown great and more
than great, so that even the populace at the hippodrome exclaimed: "Why do
you tremble? Why are you pale? You possess more than the three." They did
not say this to his face, of course, but differently. And by "three" they
indicated Severus and his sons, Antoninus and Geta. Plautianus's pallor
and his trembling were in fact due to the life that he lived, the hopes
that he hoped, and the fears that he feared. Still, for a time most of
this eluded Severus's individual notice, or else he knew it but pretended
the opposite. When, however, his brother Geta on his deathbed revealed to
him the whole attitude of Plautianus,--for Geta hated the prefect and now
no longer feared him,--the emperor set up a bronze statue of his brother
in the Forum and no longer held his minister in equal honor; indeed, the
latter was stripped of most of his power. Hence [Sidenote: A.D. 203 (a.u.
956)] Plautianus became violently enraged, and whereas he had formerly
hated Antoninus for slighting his daughter, he was now especially
indignant, feeling that his son-in-law was responsible for his present
disgrace, and began to behave more harshly toward him. [Sidenote:--3--]
For these reasons Antoninus became both disgusted with his wife (who was a
most shameless creature), and offended at her father himself, because the
latter kept meddling in all his undertakings and rebuking him for
everything that he did. Conceiving a desire to be rid of the man in some
way or other he accordingly had Euodus, his nurse, persuade a certain
centurion, Saturninus, and two others of similar rank to bring him word
that Plautianus had ordered some ten centurions, to whose number they also
belonged, to kill both Severus and Antoninus; and they read a certain
writing which they pretended to have received bearing upon this very
matter. This was done as a surprise at the observances held in the palace
in honor of the heroes, at a time when the spectacle had ceased and dinner
was about to be served. That fact was largely instrumental in showing the
story to be a fabrication. Plautianus would never have dared to impose
such a bidding upon ten centurions at once, certainly not in Rome,
certainly not in the palace, nor on that day, nor at that hour; much less
would he have written it. Nevertheless, Severus believed the information
trustworthy because he had the night before seen in a dream Albinus alive
and plotting against him. [Sidenote:--4--] In haste, therefore, he
summoned Plautianus, as if upon some other business. The latter hurried so
(or rather, Heaven so indicated to him approaching disaster) that the
mules that were carrying him fell in the palace yard. And when he sought
to enter, the porters in charge of the bolts admitted him alone inside and
would permit no one to enter with him, just as he himself had done in the
case of Severus at Tyana. He grew a little suspicious at this and became
terrified; as he had, however, no pretext for withdrawing, he went in.
Severus conversed with him very mildly: "Why have you seen fit to do this!
For what reason have you wished to kill us?" He gave him opportunity to
speak and prepared to listen to his defence.
In the midst of the accused's denial and surprise at what was said,
Antoninus rushed up, took away his sword, and struck him with his fist. He
was ready to put an end to Plautianus with his own hand after the latter
said: "You wanted to get the start of me in any killing!" Being prevented,
however, by his father, Antoninus ordered one of his attendants to slay
Plautianus. Somebody plucked out a few hairs from his chin and carried
them to Julia and Plautilla (who were together) before they had heard a
word of the affair, and said: "Behold your Plautianus!" This speech
aroused grief in one and joy in the other.
Thus the man who had possessed the greatest influence of all my
contemporaries, so that everybody both feared and trembled before him more
than before the very emperors, [Footnote: Reading [Greek: autokratoron]
(emendation of H. Stephanus).] the man who had hung poised upon greater
hopes than they, was slain by his son-in-law and thrown from the top of
the palace into some street. Later, at the order of Severus, he was taken
up and buried.
[Sidenote:--5--] Severus next called a meeting of the senate in the
senate-house. He uttered no accusation against Plautianus, but himself
deplored the weakness of human nature, which was not able to endure
excessive honors, and blamed himself that he had so honored and loved the
man. Those, however, who had informed him of the victim's plot he bade
tell us everything; but first he expelled from the senate-chamber some
whose presence was not necessary, and by revealing nothing to them
intimated that he did not altogether trust them.
Many were brought into danger by the Plautianus episode and some actually
lost their lives. But Coeranus was accustomed to declare (what most people
are given to pretending with reference to the fortunate) that he was his
associate. As often as these friends of the prefect were wont to be called
in before the others desiring to greet the great man, it was his custom to
accompany them as far as the bars. So he did not share his secrets, but
remained in the space midway, giving Plautianus the impression that he was
outside and those outside the idea that he was within. This caused him to
be the object of greater suspicion,--a feeling which was strengthened by
the fact that Plautianus once in a dream saw fishes issue from the Tiber
and fall at his feet, whereupon he declared that Coeranus should rule the
land and water. This man, after being confined to an island for seven
years, was later recalled, was the first Egyptian to be enrolled in the
senate, and became consul, like Pompey, without holding any previous
office. Caecilius Agricola, however, numbered among the deceased's
foremost flatterers and second to no man on earth in rascality and
licentiousness, was sentenced to death. He went home, and after drinking
his fill of chilled wine, shattered the cup which had cost him five
myriads, and cutting his veins fell dead upon the fragments.
[Sidenote:--6--] As for Saturninus and Euodus, they were honored at the
time but were later executed by Antoninus. While we were engaged in voting
eulogies to Euodus, Severus restrained us by saying: "It is disgraceful
that in one of your decrees there should be inscribed such a statement
respecting a man that is a Caesarian." It was not the only instance of
such an attitude, but he also refused to allow all the other imperial
freedmen either to be insolent or to swagger; for this he was commended.
The senate once, while chanting his praises, uttered without reserve no
less a sentiment than this: "All do all things well since you rule well!"
Plautilla and Plautius, the children of Plautianus, were temporarily
allowed to live, being banished to Lipara; but in the reign of Antoninus
they were destroyed, though they had been existing in great fear and
wretchedness and though their life was not even blessed by a goodly store
of necessities.
[Sidenote:--7--] The sons of Severus, Antoninus and Greta, felt as if they
had got rid of a pedagogue in Plautianus, and their conduct was from this
time on irresponsible. They outraged women and abused boys, they embezzled
moneys and made friends of the gladiators and charioteers, emulating each
other in the similarity of their deeds and full of strife in their
respective rivalries. If one attached himself to any cause, the other
would be sure to choose the opposite side. Finally, they were pitted
against each other in some kind of exercise with teams of ponies and drove
with such fierce opposition that Antoninus fell out of the two-wheeled car
and broke his leg. [During his son's sickness that followed this accident
Severus neglected not one of his duties, but held court and managed all
affairs pertaining to his office. For this he was praised. But he was
blamed for murdering Plautianus Quintillus. [Footnote: This person's name
is properly _M. Plautius Quintillus_.] He executed also many of the
senators, some of whom had been accused before him, and made their defence
and had been convicted. But Quintillus,] a man of noblest birth, for a
long term of years counted among the foremost members of the senate,
standing at the gates of old age, one who lived in the country, interfered
in no one's business and did naught amiss, nevertheless became the prey of
sycophants and was put out of the way. As he was near death he called for
his funeral garments, which he had long since kept in readiness. On seeing
that they had fallen to pieces through lapse of time, he said: "Why did we
delay this!" And as he perfumed the place with burning incense, he
remarked: "I offer the same prayer as Servianus offered over Hadrian."
[Footnote: Compare Book Sixty-nine, chapter 17.]--Besides his death there
were also gladiatorial contests, in which among other features ten tigers
were slaughtered at once.
[Sidenote:--8--] After this came the _dénouement_ of the Apronianus
affair,--a startling story even in the hearing. He incurred censure
because his nurse is said to have seen once in a vision that he should
enjoy sovereignty, and because he was believed to employ some magic to
this end. He was condemned while absent in his governorship of Asia. When
the evidence taken in his case was read to us, there was found written
there this statement,--that one person in charge of the investigation had
enquired who had told the dream and who had heard it, and that the man
interrogated had said among other things: "I saw a certain baldheaded
senator taking a peep there." On hearing this we all became
terror-stricken, for neither had the man spoken nor Severus written any
one's name. In their state of panic even those who had never visited the
house of Apronianus, and not only the baldheaded but those whose foreheads
were indifferently bare grew afraid. No one felt easy save those who had
unusually thick hair. We all looked around at such men, and a whisper ran
about: "It's so-and-so. No, it's so-and-so." I will not conceal how I was
then affected, however absurd it may be. I felt with my hand to see
whether I had any hair on my head; and a number of others behaved in the
very same way. We were very careful to direct our gaze upon baldish
persons as if we could thereby divert our own danger upon them. This we
did until it was further read that the particular baldhead in question
wore a purple toga. When this statement came out, we turned our eyes upon
Baebius Marcellinus. He had been aedile at the time and was extremely
bald. So he stood up and coming forward said: "He will certainly be able
to point me out, if he has seen me." We commended this speech, the
informer was brought in while the senator stood by, and for a long time
was silent, looking about for the man to point out. Finally, following the
direction of an almost imperceptible nod that somebody gave, he said that
this was he.
[Sidenote:--9--] Thus was Marcellinus convicted of a baldhead's peeping,
[Footnote: The phrase [Greek: phalakrou parakupseos] has a humorous ring
to it, and I am inclined to believe, especially considering the situation,
that Dio had in his mind while writing this the familiar proverb [Greek:
honou parakupseos], a famous response given by a careless ass-driver,
whose animal being several rods in advance of its lagging master had stuck
its head into an open doorway and thereby scattered the nucleus of a
promising aviary. The fellow was haled to court to answer to a charge of
contributory negligence and when some bystander asked him for what misdeed
he had been brought to that place, he rejoined with a great air of injured
innocence: "For an ass's peeping!"] and bewailing his fate he was
conducted out of the senate-house. When he had passed through the Forum,
he refused to advance farther, but right where he was took leave of his
children, four in number, and uttered this most affecting speech: "There
is only one thing that I am sorry for, children; it is that I must leave
you behind alive." Then he had his head cut off before Severus learned
even that he had been condemned.
Just vengeance, however, befell Pollenius Sebennus, who had preferred the
charge that caused his death. He was delivered by Sabinus to the Norici,
for whom he had shown scant consideration during his governorship of them,
and went through a most disgraceful experience. We saw him stretched on
the ground, pleading piteously, and had he not obtained mercy, thanks to
his uncle Auspex, [Footnote: _A. Pollenius Auspex_.] he would have
perished pitiably. This Auspex was the cleverest imaginable man for jokes
and chit-chat, for despising all mankind, gratifying his friends, and
making reprisals upon his enemy. Many bitter and witty epigrams of his
spoken to various people are reported, and many to Severus himself. Here
is one of the latter. When the emperor was enrolled in the family of
Marcus, Auspex said: "I congratulate you, Caesar, upon having found a
father." This implied that up to this time his obscure origin had made him
as good as fatherless.
[Sidenote: A.D. 206-7(?)] [Sidenote:--10--] It was at this period that one
Bulla, an Italian, established a robber band of about six hundred men and
for two years continued to plunder Italy under the very noses of the
emperors and of so great bodies of soldiers. Pursuit was instituted by
numerous persons, and Severus emulously followed his trail, but the fellow
was never really seen when seen, never found when found, never apprehended
when caught. This was due to his great bribes and his cleverness. He got
wind of everybody that was setting out from Rome and everybody that was
putting into port at Brundusium, learning who and how many they were, and
what and how much they had with them. His general method was to take a
part of what they had and then let them go at once. Artisans, however, he
detained for a time and after making use of their skill dismissed them
with something extra as a present. Once two of his robbers had been
captured and were to be given to beasts, whereupon the chief paid a visit
to the keeper of the prison, pretending that he was the governor of his
native place (?) and needed some such men, and in this way he secured and
saved them. Again, he approached the centurion who was charged with
abolishing brigandage and in disguise accused his own self; he further
promised, if the centurion would accompany him, to deliver the robber to
him. So, pretending that he was leading him to Felix (this was another
name of the chief), he brought him to a hill-encompassed spot, suitable
for ambuscade, and easily seized him. Later he assumed the garb of a
magistrate, ascended the tribunal, and having called the centurion caused
his head to be shaved, and said: "Take this message to your masters: 'Feed
your slaves, if you want to make an end of brigandage.'" Bulla had,
indeed, a very great number of Caesarians, some who had been poorly paid
and some who had gone absolutely without pay.
Severus, informed of these events one at a time, was moved to anger to
think that while having other men win victory in warfare in Britain, he
himself in Italy had proved no match for a robber. At last he despatched a
tribune from his body-guard with many horsemen and threatened him with
terrible punishments if he should not bring the culprit alive. Then this
commander ascertained that the chief was maintaining relations of intimacy
with the wife of another, and through the agency of her husband persuaded
her on promise of immunity to cooperate with them. As a result the elusive
leader was arrested while asleep in a cave. Papinianus the prefect asked
him: "For what reason did you become a robber?" The other rejoined: "For
what reason are you a prefect?" And thereafter by solemn proclamation he
was given to beasts. His robber band broke up, for the entire strength of
the six hundred lay in him.
[Sidenote: A.D. 208 (a.u. 961)] [Sidenote:--11--] Severus, seeing that his
children were departing from their accustomed modes of life and that his
legions were becoming enervated by idleness, set out on a campaign against
Britain, though he knew that he should not return. He knew this chiefly
from the stars under which he had been born, for he had them painted upon
the ceilings of the two halls in the palace where he was wont to hold
court. Thus they were visible to all, save the portion which
"regarded-the-hour" when he first saw the light (i.e., his horo-scope).
This he had not engraved in the same way in both the rooms.--He knew it
also by the report of the seers. And a thunderbolt struck a statue of his
standing near the gates through which he intended to march out and looking
off along the road leading to his destination, and it had erased three
letters from his name. For this reason, [Footnote: The significance of
this happening is explained as follows. Taking the Greek form of Severus,
namely [Greek: SEBAEROS] and erasing the first three letters you have left
[Greek: AEROS]= [Greek: AEROS]=heros, "hero." When a thunderbolt
substitutes the word "hero" for the emperor's name, the supposition
naturally arises that the ruler will soon be numbered among the heroes,
that is, that he will cease to exist as a mortal man.] as the seers
indicated, he did not come back again but departed from life two years
after this. He took with him very great sums of money.
[Sidenote:--12--] There are two principal races of the Britons,--the
Caledonians and the Maeatians. The titles of the rest have all been
reduced to these two. The Maeatians live near the cross wall which cuts
the island in two, and the Caledonians are behind them. Both inhabit wild
and waterless mountains, desolate and swampy plains, holding no walls, nor
cities, nor tilled fields, but living by pasturage and hunting and a few
fruit trees. The fish, which are inexhaustible and past computing for
multitude, they do not taste. They dwell coatless and shoeless in tents,
possess their women in common, and rear all the offspring as a community.
Their form of government is mostly democratic and they are very fond of
plundering.
Consequently they choose their boldest spirits as leaders. They go into
battle on chariots with small, swift horses. There are also infantry, very
quick at running and very firm in standing their ground. Their weapons are
shield and short spear, with a bronze apple attached to the end of the
ground-spike, so that when the instrument is shaken it may clash and
inspire the enemy with terror. They also have daggers. They can endure
hunger and cold and any kind of wretchedness. They plunge into the swamps
and exist there for many days with only their heads above water, and in
the forests they support themselves upon bark and roots and in all
[Footnote: The reading is a little doubtful. Possibly "in such cases" (
[Greek: para tauta]). (Boissevain).] cases they have ready a kind of food
of which a piece the size of a bean when eaten prevents them from being
either hungry or thirsty. Of such a nature is the island of Britain, and
such are the inhabitants that the enemy's country has. For it is an
island, and the fact (as I have stated) [Footnote: Compare Book
Thirty-nine, chapter 50, which, in turn, refers to Book Sixty-six, chapter
20.] was clearly proved at this time. The length of it is seven thousand
one hundred and thirty-two stades. Its greatest breadth is two thousand
three hundred and ten, and its least is three hundred. [Sidenote:--13--]
Of all this we hold a little less than a half. So Severus, desiring to
subjugate the whole of it, invaded Caledonia. While traversing the
territory he had untold trouble in cutting down the forests, reducing the
levels of heights, filling up the swamps, and bridging the rivers. He
fought no battle and beheld no adversary in battle array. The enemy
purposely put sheep and cattle in front of them for the soldiers to seize,
in order that the latter might be deceived for a longer time and wear
themselves out. The Romans received great damage from the streams and were
made objects of attack when they were scattered. Afterward, being unable
to walk, they were slain by their own friends to avoid capture, so that
nearly as many as fifty thousand died.
But the emperor did not desist till he had approached the extremity of the
island. Here he observed very accurately to how slight a degree the sun
declined below the horizon [Footnote: Compare Tacitus, _Agricola_,
chapter 12 (two sentences, Dierum [Lacuna] affirmant).] and the length of
days and nights both summer and winter. Thus having been conveyed through
practically the whole of the hostile region,--for he was really conveyed
in a covered chair most of the way on account of his weakness,--he
returned to [Sidenote: A.D. 210 (a.u. 963)] friendly territory, first
forcing the Britons to come to terms on condition that he should abandon a
good part of their territory.
[Sidenote:--14--] Antoninus also disturbed him and involved him in vain
worry by his intemperate life, by his evident intention to murder his
brother if the chance should present itself, and finally by plotting
against his own father. Once he leaped suddenly out of his quarters,
shouting and bawling and feigning to have been wronged by Castor. This man
was the best of the Caesarians attending upon Severus, had been trusted
with his opinions, and had been assigned the duties of chamberlain.
Certain soldiers with whom previous arrangements had been made hereupon
gathered and joined the outcry; but they were checked in short order, as
Severus himself appeared on the scene and punished the more unruly among
them.
On another occasion both were riding to meet the Caledonians for the
purpose of receiving them and holding a conference about a truce, and
Antoninus undertook to kill his father outright with his own hand. They
were going along on their horses, for Severus, although his feet were
rather shrunken [Footnote: Reading [Greek: hypotetaekos] (suggestion of
Boissevain, who does not regard Naber's emendation, Mnemosyne, XVI, p.
113, as feasible).] by an ailment, nevertheless was on horseback himself
and the rest of the army was following: the enemy's force, too, was
likewise a spectator. At this juncture, in the midst of the silence and
order, Antoninus reined up his horse and drew his sword, apparently
intending to strike his father in the back. Seeing this, the other
horsemen in the detachment raised a cry of alarm, which scared the son, so
that he did nothing further. Severus turned at their shout and saw the
sword; however, he uttered not a syllable but ascended the tribunal,
finished what he had to do, and returned to the general's tent. Then he
called his son and Papinianus and Castor, ordered a sword to be placed
within easy reach, and upbraided the youth for having dared to do such a
thing at all and especially for having been on the point of committing so
great a crime in the presence of all the allies and the enemy. Finally he
said: "Now if you desire to slay me and have done, put an end to me here.
You are strong: I am an old man and prostrate. If you have no objection to
this, but shrink from becoming my actual murderer, there stands by your
side Papinianus the prefect, whom you may order to put me out of the way.
He will certainly do anything that you command, since you are emperor."
Though he spoke in this fashion, he still did the plotter no harm, in
spite of the fact that he had often blamed Marcus for not ending the life
of Commodus and that he had himself often threatened his son with this
treatment. Such words, however, were invariably spoken in a fit of anger:
on this occasion he allowed his love of offspring to get the better of his
love of country; yet in doing so he simply betrayed his other child, for
he well knew what would happen.
[Sidenote:--15--] Upon another revolt of the inhabitants of the island he
summoned the soldiers and bade them invade the rebels' country, killing
whomsoever they should encounter. He added these verses:
"Let none escape utter destruction At our hands. Yea, whatso is found in
the womb of the mother, Child unborn though it be, let it not escape
utter destruction!" [Footnote: Homer's Iliad, VI, verse 57, with a
slight change at the end.]
When this had been done and the Caledonians as well as the Maeatians
revolted, he proceeded with preparations to make war upon them in person.
While he was thus engaged his sickness carried him off on the fourth of
February. [Sidenote: A.D. 211 (a.u. 964)] Antoninus, it is said,
contributed something to the result. Before he closed his eyes he is
reputed to have spoken these words to his children (I shall use the exact
phraseology without embellishment): "Be harmonious, enrich the soldiers,
scorn everybody else." After this his body arrayed in military garb was
placed upon a pyre, and as a mark of honor the soldiers and his children
ran about it. Those present who had any military gifts threw them upon it
and the sons applied the fire. Later his bones were put in a jar of purple
stone, conveyed to Rome, and deposited in the tomb of the Antonines. It is
said that Severus sent for the jar a little before his death and after
feeling it over remarked: "Thou shalt hold a man that the world could not
hold."
[Sidenote:--16--] He was slow-moulded but strong, though he eventually
grew very weak from gout: mentally he was very keen and very firm. He
wished for more education than he got and for this reason he was sagacious
rather than a good talker. Toward friends not forgetful, to enemies most
oppressive, he was capable of everything that he desired to accomplish but
careless of everything said about him. Hence he gathered money from every
source (save that he killed no one to get it) [and met all necessary
expenditures quite ungrudgingly. He restored very many of the ancient
buildings and inscribed upon them his own name to signify that he had
repaired them so as to be new structures, and from his private funds. Also
he spent a great deal uselessly upon renovating and repairing other
places], erecting, for instance, to Bacchus and Hercules a temple of huge
size. Yet, though his expenses were enormous, he left behind not merely a
few myriad denarii, easily reckoned, but a great many. Again, he rebuked
such persons as were not chaste, even going to the extent of enacting
certain laws in regard to adultery, with the result that there were any
number of prosecutions for that offence. When consul I once found three
thousand entered on the docket. But inasmuch as very few persons appeared
to conduct their cases, he too ceased to trouble his head about it.
Apropos of this, a quite witty remark is reported of the wife of
Argentocoxus, a Caledonian, to Julia Augusta, when the latter after the
treaty was joking her about the free intercourse of her sex in Britain
with men. Thereupon the foreigner asserted: "We fulfill the necessities of
nature in a much better way than you Roman women. We have dealings openly
with the best men, whereas you let yourselves be debauched in secret by
the vilest." This is what the British woman said.
[Sidenote:--17--] The following is the style of life that Severus led in
time of peace. He was sure to be doing something before dawn, while it was
still night, and after this he would go to walk, telling and hearing of
the interests of the empire. Then he held court, and separately (unless
there were some great festival); and indeed, he did this very well. Those
on trial were allowed plenty of water [Footnote: The water-clock again.
Compare Book Seventy-one, chapter 6.] and he granted us, his coadjutors,
full liberty to speak.--He continued to preside till noonday. After that
he went riding as much as he could. Next he took some kind of exercise and
a bath. He then consumed a not meagre lunch, either by himself or with his
children. Next, as a rule, he enjoyed a nap. Later he rose, attended to
his remaining duties of administration, and while walking about occupied
himself with discussions of both Greek and Latin lore. Then, toward
evening, he would bathe again and dine with his attendants. Very seldom
did he have any outsider to dinner and only on days when it was quite
unavoidable did he arrange expensive banquets.--He lived sixty-five years,
nine months, and twenty-five days, for he was born on the eleventh of
April. Of this he had ruled seventeen years, eight months and three days.
In fine, he showed himself so active that even expiring he gasped: "Come,
give it to us, if we have anything to do!"