Herodian: History of the Empire, Volume II: Books 5-8

171 Pages·1970·4.59 MB·English, Greek

by  C. R. Whittaker

THE LOEB CLASSICAL LIDRARY
:I'OUNDBD BY .U.KBS LOBB, LL,D,
EDITED BY
E. H. WARMINGTON, M.A., F.B.msT.soo.
FORMER EDITORS
t T. E. PAGE, O.H., LITT.D. t E. CAPPS, l'H.D., LL.D.
t
W. H. D. ROUSE, LITT.D. L. A. POST, L.H.D.
HERODIAN
11
Boox:s V-VIII
455
HERODIAN
IN TWO VOLUMES
11
BOOKS V-VIII
WITH AN ENGLISH TRANSLATION BY
C. R. WHITTAKER
UNIVERSITY OF ALBERTA
LONDON
WILLIAM HEINEMANN LTD
CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS
HARV ARD UNIVERSITY PRESS
MOMLXX
© The President and Fellows of Harvard College 1970
American ISBN 0-674-99501-5 CONTENTS
British ISBN 0 434 99455 3
PAGE
llOOK V 1
BOOK VI 77
BOOK VII 147
BOOK VIII • 249
INDEX 313
Printed in Great Britain
V
HERODIAN
VOL. II. B
THE FIFTH BOOK OF
HPQ~IANOY
META MAPKON HERODIAN'S HISTORY OF THE
TH~ BA~IAEIA~
TO EMPIRE FROM THE TIME OF
I~ PIA~
BIBAION IIEMriTON MARCUS AURELIUS
o
1. "01rws fi-EV 8~ 'AvTwv'ivos ~pg€ TE Ka~ 1. In the preceding book Antoninus' rule and death
have been described [and before this, the intrigue
ETEAEVTY)GE, 8E8~AWTUL EV T0 7Tpo TOVTOV avyypafk
and succession].1 On arrival at Antioch,2 Macrinus
fi-UTL [ ij TE 1rpo TOVTov Jm{JovA.~ Ka~ 8ta8ox~]. 1 sent off a letter to the senate and Roman people with
o
YEVOfkEVOS 8 € Jv Tfj 'AvnoxE{q. MaKp'ivos JmaT€,\ the following message. '' You know what my disposi- 2
A.a Tl{> TE 8~fl-!p 'Pwfl-a{wv Ka~ Tfj avyKA~T!p, tion in life has been from the beginning, and how my
2 1~\IE YWV TOLUICO:, E. «>EV EL>O<;O,1G L fi-EI V V•fl-~LV TOV~ TE {JW' V character has inclined to what is morally good. 3 You
are aware of the mildness of my previous admini
fi-OV T~V Jg apxfjs 7Tpoa{pww TOV TE TP07TOV TO strative work, which is not too much different from
1rpos XPYJaTOTYJTa JmppE7TES, Ka~ To 1rpaov Tfjs the office and powers of an emperor (on the occa
O<;, WLKY) () ELIG Y)S" 7TpOI TEpOV 7TpU1<(::,E WS", OV> 7TO\I \VI TL E><(:: ,OV- sions when the emperor himself relies upon the
fJ
GW1 S" KULI O"' VVUI fkEWS" UaLI\~L KY)~S " U>7 TOO<;, EOVIG Y)S", 0" 7TOV 78.17.1. News of this senatorial honour must have reached
YE Ka~ mhos o {JaatA.ds To'is Jmfpxovat Twv h~Ia. da bboeeunt efoarrclye dJ utnoe a, nbtuicti pbayt eth tihs eti mseen,a Dtei,o D seioe m7s8 .t1o9 .i1m. plyT,h Mus.
the date for M. at Zeugma was about late May. If the news
1 del Wolf travelled by land, the letters would have taken a month longer
each way; this is rather more consistent with Dio's report of a
1 Accepting Wolf's deletion, which seems correct in removing circus demonstration when news of Diadumenianus was known
a clumsy phrase; but see 3.l.1n for recapitulations at the be in Rome, since it was on Diadumenianus' natalia, 14th Septem
ginning of new books. ber; but the news of l\L's succession was known in Rome at
2 The date of l\L's return to Antioch can be fixed by his the ludi Martiales, 14th May, Dio 78.18.3.
presence at Zeugma (if one assumes he was returning). Diadu 3 The opening sententia is typical of a Thucydidean speech;
menianus was acclaimed as Caesar by the army at Zeugma, Thuc. 1.68.3, 2.36.4, 4.59.2. The speeches were inevitably
Dio 78.19.1, 78.40.1. The senate had also declared him Caesar the place where the rhetoric of H. was on show; cf. Stein,
after the receipt of M.'s first letter; i.e. about early May, Dio Dexip. et Herod. 142 ff.
2 3
HERODIAN BOOK V. r. 2-4
arparoTT€8wv 7TE7TLarEVra~, 7TEp~rrov vo{LLCw fLaK prefects of his troops). So I do not need to make a
pY)yopc:'iv. 'tare: y6p fLE Kal ols EKE'ivos E7Tparnv long oration. As you know I did not like all that
Antoninus did and I took risks for you on many oc
OVK apWKOfLEVOV, Ka~ 7TpOKLv8vvdaavra VfLWV EV
casions when he was treating you without mercy,
ols TToAAd.K~S" ra'is rvxovaa~s 8~af3oAa'is marc:vwv because he believed any slanders that he heard. He 3
3 arpEL8ws VfLLV 7Tpoac:rp€pc:ro. Kaf.LE fLEV KaKWS" slandered me too and publicly jibed at my modera
Y>)yoIp EVE, Ka~\ ~OY )fLOU~II f 7TOI\I\I1\a K~S TO\ fLEI Tp~oI v fLOV Ka~\ tion and generosity towards his subjects, accusing
me of idleness and feebleness of character. He
7rpos TOVS apxofLEVOVS r?~A.6.v8pw7TOV 8wf36.A.A.wv
took pleasure in flatterers, and approved as his loyal
Kd 8waKJmrwv E<; pq-BvfLLav Kal rpo7TWV xavvo-
friends and supporters those who spurred him on to
TY)Ta' KOI' \aKEIW ~S O~ E\ xa~I pwv, Ka~\ TOV\ S H)S W) fLOI TY)Ta cruelty by pandering to his hot temper and stirring
7Tapogvvovras Tlp TE evfLfP TO €v86a~fLOV aVTOV up his anger with slanderous charges.l But I have
o"w~Io vras TYI) V TE o>py\Y)v~ o{w3 o1\1a~~s >Ey1np ovras Ev>I vovs from the start favoured leniency and moderation.
Ka~' 7TWTOV' S E·O~O K~{I Lacr, € '..11-'1~\1 \0VS. E' f.LO~' O~'E E'<s: a,p xY~J > Take the Parthian war; this was a very important 4
4 ro\ TTep ,a..... ov J<a~\ fLEI Tpwv 7rpoa'f,.'J..~ I\ IEI S. ro\ v yov""'v 7rpo\ s wwea r haanvde cbrirtoicuagl hfto ri tt hteo eannti ree nRdo mina ntw eom pwiraey.s ; Bbuyt
IT ap VaLIO VS 7T011\1 EfLOV, fLEI YWTOI V TE O>I VTa Ka~\ E'..'/l_' ' ~1' fighting bravely without giving way in the slightest
TTaaa 'PwfLaLwv a€ 6.AEVEV apX?J, KaTEAvaafLEV Ka~ and by signing a treaty 2 with the great king which
EV ol<; dv8pELWS 7Taparagd.fLEVO~ ov8€v Tt ~TT~fLEea, makes him into a faithful ally instead of a bitter
Ka~ v€ oTs aTTELaaVTES fLETa 7TOAA~s 8vv6.fLEWS enemy, after he had come against us with a large
force. As long as I hold power, everyone shall live
€A.86vra {L€yav f3aa~Ma TTwrov rp{Aov dvr' €x8pov
free from fear and bloodshed, and this shall be a rule
O~ VUfLIa xov €) 7TO~YI )UafLEV. E) fLOV,... 0~\€ KpaTOVV,..., TOS" E) V
a)<o:;:-nqI - rE 1 Ka~\ a' va~}.LWT~\ TTaI VTES f3 ~wI aovra~, a' p~- 2 On the terms of the treaty, see 4.15.5n; Dio 78.26.3,
aroKpar{a TE fLCiAAov ~ f3amAE{a VOfLWB~aETa~. 78.27.1 and 4. Artabanus accepted a good deal less than his
original demand; the establishment of Tiridates on the
Armenian throne, a Parthian nominee crowned by Rome, was
1 f-'EV Ogl in the best Augustan tradition; but Tiridates had been the
choice of Vologaescs, though in Roman custody for the last
1 Some of the more notorious informers under Caracalla are three years. The terms are far from a victory for the Parthians
noted by Dio 78.21; Ti. Manilius Fuscus (Alba 34 7), Julianus or Artabanus, indicating that the battle had not been as dis
(unknown, PJR2 J 102). Sulpicius Arrienus (Alba 490) and C.'s astrous to M. as Dio suggests, but more as H. describes it.
favourite, L. Lucilius Priscillianus (Alba 337, Oliver AJA 50 H.'s account tends to be confirmed by the Syriac source,
(1946) 247-50); but M. refused to reveal to the senate most Msiha Zkha (quoted in Debevoise, Polit. Hist. of Parthia 267n,
of the evidence about informers. l\Iingana, Sources syriaques I 04).
4 5
HERODIAN BOOK V. I. s-6
5 f'TJO<:E;1 TtS' a>7 Ta/s: ~OVI TW T"} TVIX TJS' 7TTa~~a }-'a VOJ-'~J<-1, ETW, of the aristocracy rather than a tyranny.1 No one 5
O" Tt O<:;T \J O" VTa }-' € E' K TT~JS ' ~t 7T7Ta1<O:;O S' Ta1s1E: WS' €' 7T~\ TOV~T O should think I am unworthy or consider it a mistake
of fortune that I have risen from the equestrian
TJ/} yaye. 1 n8 I ya\ p oJ/',I/'..E /\\ OS' ev' yeve~aI S', n ' }-'T\} XPTJO'TO\ S' order to this position.2 What is the good of noble
Ka~\ '.J1_ '~\ 1\Ia V pw7TOS' avvo~Kn~ TP0I7 TOS'; Ta\ f'E\V ya\ p birth, if integrity and human behaviour do not go
rijS' TVXTJS' Swpa Kai avagto~S' 7T€p~7Tl7TTn, ~ S € rijS' with it? The gifts of good fortune are showered
',I/',V XTJ~S ' a>p ETTJ\ ><:;I Et KaI aTt.p o<:; olls;a v 18T }O'W. even on those who do not deserve them, but the
w~av 7TEp~n
goodness of a man's heart confers upon each per
evyeve~a S € Kai 7TAOVTOS' Kai oaa TO~aiJTa f'aKaplCe
son his own individual reputation.3 Nobility and
Ta~ }-'EV, OVK E7Tatv€tTa~ S,€ WS' 7Tap' aMov So8eVTa' wealth and such like are considered lucky, but they
6 emelKeta S € Kai XPYJaT6TTJS' a}-'a TcfJ 8av}-'aCw8a~ are not qualities one praises, because they are in
Ka~\ TW""" V E' 7TaI wwv TT\} V a, va',l/.'. opa\ v E' S' av' ToI v -nva EJ/ XH herited from someone else. But fairness and hon- 6
esty, while being admirable qualities, also attract
Tov KaTop8oiJVTa. Tl yovv V}-'fis b'JVTjaEv ~ Koi-'6Sov
'A praise for the person who successfully practises
ev, yeI vna T"} VTWv~Iv ov TtJ 7TaTpcIp a o<:; ~ao<:;O XTJI ; o~t }-'E\ V them. For instance, what benefit to you were
ya\ p Wf10 '7Tp€ O>I'.JJ_'I\ \T}f'a \ I Et>i\\T }'.fJ'_O I TES' a>7 TO- Commodus' noble birth or Antoninus' succession to
KI\YjpOVOfL~aS'
xpwvTa~I TE Ka~' e' vv,a. ,pI~J-~,ovaw W' S' a" vw 8e v w><~:;c1 p his father's rule? Some get possession of the empire as
though it were an inheritance they were owed; then
KTT1J f-taTt' 0~t 0<:€ ;\ 7Tap > Vt }-'W~ V 1\ \a,Q.,olV TES' xapI ~TOSI ' T€ they misuse and make a mockery of it like a private
family heirloom. But others who receive the
power from you are always indebted to your
1 Aristocracy in contrast to tyranny is simply another aspect equestrian emperors are very relevant if II. was writing during
of the theme of the ideal kingship of popular Stoic doctrine; the time of Philip; see Introduction, p.xvii.
under the enlightened despotism of the princeps, the senate and a Cf. Sal!. Cat. 8 on the vetus doctrina of the capriciousness of
the amici hold an honourable position, contributing their fortune and the counter·t heme of virtus; the contrast between
advice and authority to the imperial decisions; this was t•irtus and nobilitas is dominant in the historical writings of
respublica contrasted with regnum; cf. 2.3.10 (Pertinax), Sallust and Tacitus; cf. Earl, Polit. Thought of Sallust 32-5,
2.14.3 (Severus), 6.1.2 (Alexander); a theme of obvious ad Roberts, G & R 6 (1936) 9-17. In the period after Nerva,
vantages to the new man and especially to the lowly born which made a virtue out of the necessity of succession by
equestrian emperor; cf. Tac. A. 2.35.2, H. 4.9, Dio 52.32.1, adoption, the practice was made philosophically respectable
Pliny, Paneg. 66 (commune imperium); emphasized by by hackneyed arguments ofthe kind used by H. here; cf. Tac.
sophists, Dio of Prusa, w£pl {3aa. 1.32. Ps. Aristides Or. 35 H. 1.16.2 (the danger of succession by birth, nam generari et
(Keil) 5; contrasted with Commodus, 1.5.5. nasci a principibus fortuitum). But the philosopher-emperor
B Anticipating the senatorial opposition that is illustrated ~I. Aurelius chose his own son, as did every earlier emperor
by Dio'lil class-conscious remarks, 78.11.1-4. Remarks about (except Claudius) who had a son.
6 7
BOOK V. 6-8
HERODIAN 1.
favour and try to repay you for the benefits they
aloLov ela~ xpewaTat Ka~ nEtpwvTat a~-teb/Jaaeat
received. Nobility of birth in the case of patrician 7
7 TOVS evepyeaLatc; npoetA1)cp6Tac;. Kd TWV ft~V emperors degenerates into haughtiness, because
EV' Tl'aTpto~WA V 1R'- 'aUti'\ EIW V TO' EV' YEVE' S E' S V' Tl'EPO,/'t,'tIa V they have a contempt for their subjects and think
them vastly inferior to themselves. But those who
E' K71'tI 71'TEt KaTa't.'.p/.. OVT)I UEt TWA V V' 71'1)KOI WV 1 W' S 71'01,\V, reach the power from moderate means treat it care
eAaTT6vwv· ot o~ EK ftETpLwv npagewv en~ TOVTo fully as a reward for their labour, and continue to
respect and honour, as they used to, those who were
.€\()6vTES nepdnovatv aVTO 2 wc; KafLaTcp K77J()Ev'
once more powerful than themselves. It is my in- 8
alow TE Ka~ Ttft~V U71'0VEftOVUtv, ~V elweeaav, TOZc; tention to do nothing without your approval. I
8 71'0T~ KpELTTOUtV. EJJ-0~ 0~ UK071'0S J-t1JOEV Tt npaT- shall make you my partners and advisers in the ad
ministration of the state. You shall live in secur
TEtV aJ1V EV 7T,.J. S Vt fLETEI pac; YVWI fLT)S, KOWWVOVI S TE Kat\ ity and freedom,! the rights which you lost under
UVfLIR'-'O V1I\\O VS E" XHV TTA) S TWA V 77pay(.LaI TWV O~ tOtKTI) UEWS. the nobly born emperors but which Marcus first and
then Pertinax, both of them men who were born
V' fLEAt S O~'E E' V 3 a'o~E tIq . Ka't E,I,\ EV () EptIq . 1R'- 'tWI UEU ()E , W..V of common cloth before they came to power, tried
a'.'Jt'.T. /PEI ()T )TE fLE' V V' 'T/0' TWAV EV' Tl'aTpt"o'Aw V 1R'- 'aati\\1EW V, a' no- to restore to you.2 It is better to be the distin
guished founder of a line and leave this to one's de
OoiJvat o~ VfLZv enEtpae7Jaav np6Tepov 4 J-t~V MapKoc;
scendants than to inherit a glorious past from one's
vaTepov o~ IIepTLvag, Jg lotwnKiiw anapyavwv ancestors and disgrace it by corrupt behaviour."
E' 71'' t TOVA TO E''l(\ ) OI VTES. YEIV OVS ya' p E" VO"'O ~{; O V a' px1J' V
Later, however, M. was unable or unwilling to save him, and
aim~v napaaxeZv Ka~ Tip vUTepcp yevEt UfLEtvov ~ thereby roused senatorial hostility; Dio 78.19.1. Note the
stress on aequitas Aug(usti) and 8tKaLOaVV1J on coins of M.;
KAEoc; npoyovtKov napa.\a~-tf3avovTa Tp6nov cpav.\6- Yogt, Alex. Munzen 1.173 ff.
T'l}Tt KaTawxvA vat. , ~ M. Aurelius was hardly a new man, but he was an adopted
heir (see above for the importance of this). SHA, Macr.
1 1roi\i\wv A 11.2, says M. wished to bear the names ofSeverus and Pertinal':,
2 omO but only Severus appears, and his son is named Antoninus;
s omVp.lvfor8levA thus a greater stress on the continuity with the Severans than
with Pertinax and M. Aurelius; SHA, Macr. 5.6-7, 12.1,
4 1TpWTOV
Petrikovits, RE (Opellius 2) 552. This was partly necessitated
by the popularity of Caracalla among the soldiers, who
1 Severus also stressed the theme; cf. 2.14.3. M. was able demanded another Antoninus; Dio 78.19.2; also the reason
to save a certain consular, Aurelianus, from execution by the
why there was no damnatio memoriae ofCaracalla; Dio 78.9.2,
soldiers on the plea that it was "not right to kill a senator,"
78.17.2-3, SHA, Macr. 5.9.
Dio 78.12.2 (very fragmentary, cf. Boissevain 3. 414--15).
9
8
HERODIAN BOOK V. 2. 1-3
2. avayvwa8eLf1TJS 3e 7fjS 70taV'T'Y}S Jma7oAfjs, 2. After the reading of this letter,1 the senate
f3 acclaimed him emperor and voted him all the
EV',/'t.'.'Y Jfl-H"' 7€ aV' 70\ V 'YrJ avIy Kil'\Y J70S Kat\ 7a\ S a€ aafl-WI VS
honours of an Augustus.2 It was not Macrinus'
Ttfl-US 7T!taas tflTJcplC7€ at. ovx OV7WS 3 € dJcppaw€ accession that pleased them all, so much as their
TTaVTas ?j MaKplvov 3ta3ox~. ws V7T€p~3ov7o 7€ universal exultation and celebration at the fall of
Antoninus. The feeling of everyone, but particularly
Kat 7TaV3'YJf1-t€ ewp7aCov 7€ Tt 7fj 'Av7wvlvov aTTaA
of those of high distinction and office, was that a
Aayfj. eKaa7os 7€ ~E7o, f1-UAta7a nvv v€ &.gtwan sword which was hanging over their heads had been
nvt ~ 1rpag€t Ka8w7w7wv, gtcpos aTToaw€'ia8at I removed. Informers and slaves who had de- 2
nounced their masters were crucified. Rome itself
2 70t""S' av' x€aI W 7€'tT atWpOVflI- V€ OV. avKO',f/.'.a I V7aL 7€ 'Y-.J\ and nearly the whole of the Roman empire was
3ovAot, oaot 2 3w7T07aS Ka7~YY€Aov, 3 avwKOAO purged of criminals; some were punished, some
TTla8'YJaav· .;; 7€ 'Pwfl-alwv 7TOAts Kat ax€3ov TTaaa were exiled and, if some actually escaped, they were
careful not to advertise themselves. Men lived in
?,j eVT TO 'Pw11-alovs olKOVfl-EVe'YJ Ka8ap8€'iaa TTOV'YeJp wv security and the semblance of freedom for that
av pWI 7'T WV, 7W~ V fl-V€,\ KOe' tla a V€I 7WV 71/W3~ V 0~,€ €'t~ Wa V€II - single year while Macrinus was emperor. But he 3
7WV, L€ o~€I TLVS€ Kat 1€>l1a\ ov, u~ t > €VI>Ia\ e€ta v 'Y< Javxar. ,ov- status and priesthoods were almost automatic; SHA, Macr.
7WV, 4 V€> a>o ~~ :t1q . 7TO\il\ii'[ J~ Kat\ L€ K>O V1 t €1>l\€V €ptaIS €/>"QtW I aav 7.1,s O DIiLo V7I8.. 1139.814-,22 0s0a9y s5 -t8h.e D siesncautses evdo bteyd S Mal.a moran a(mneentx~t! n' octoen) .
K€' W€ OI V 70V~ €7" 0VS OV.. fl-OI VOV 0' M aKpW~ OS €/'"Ra atll1€V\ a€. sularia as soon as he acceded, raising him from equestrian to
senatorial status.(cf. 4.12.ln); M. properly declined to count
3 70aOV70V 3e iff1-ap7V€ oaov fl-~ 3tEAVaV€ €v8€ws 7a this as a true consulship in his titles (i.e. cos. II does not
appear at first), and in theory in 218 his consulship w!th
1 a7T07TWEialla£ Oa 2 oaa cp om A Adventus counted as his first. But coins of 218 appear With
8 KaT~yy<Mov Ai 4 ~avxaCoVTES .qaav-A cos. II, BMO V. 503-4, indicating a ch_ange in resolv~. Coins
are in a series, with trib. pot. alone, tnb. pot. cos., tnb. pot. II
cos., trib. pot. II cos. II, which might simply mean a change
1 H. has confused two letters; the first sent on M. 's accession of trib. pot. on lOth December (like M. Aurel!us) and normal
in April 217 (news of which was in Rome by the middle of
assumption of cos. II on 1st January. But It could confirm
May, 5.1.ln), in which M. committed the indiscretion of claim
Dio, if M. renewed his trib. pot. on 1st January; it is possible
ing imperial titles not yet voted to him; Dio 78.16.2, 78.17.1.
The second was in 218 after the peace with Artabanus, claiming that in face of growing senatorial unpopula!ity, .M. dis~arded
constitutional scruples and attempted to raise his prestige by
a Parthian victory; Dio 78.27 .3. The titles of M. (according cos. II and a Parthian victory; the victoria coins appear in
twoe lDl iaos) twheer en aimmpee Sraetvoerr uCsa;e shaer pdoiuess fneolitx mAeungtuiosntu str ipbr.o cpoost.. aosr 218; a single inscription shows M. with cos. II and Parthic~s
Maximus, but, since it is on a milestone in Mauretama
pontifex maximus (SHA, Macr. 7.2); coins do not show pius
Caesariensis, this may be only local enthusiasm; Salama, REA
andfelix but inscriptions do (ILS Ill (index) 291); patrician
66 (1964) 334-52.
10 II
HERODIAN
BOOK V. 2. 3-4
cnpa707I To€ a~ Kat\ K€f aaI TOVS €S' Ta\ a€t VTWV- a' 7T€7I T€P,'f'.€V/., was wrong in not disbanding his army at once 1 and
av-r6s 7'€ €s -rTJv 'Pwp.YJV 7TO(}ofJaav 7€ Tdx(JYJ, TOV posting every man home, and in not making for Rome
O"'YIJ P,OV K€t aaI T07' € Kai\\ OV~V TOS p.y€ al1\a\ tS /R" Oa~tS , V€, o"€' ' himself where he Wll-S wanted and the people were
'T'[~J 'AV TtOXHI if o"'t eIT ptiR" € yeI vewI v 7'€f 3 a' aKw~ v, iR" ao"' tlcr, wv cHoen tsihnouualldly n coatl lhianvge f owra hstiemd ihni sn toiimsye dine mAonntisotrcaht icounlsti. 2
7'€ 7T\/1\€0V TOV~ ..0-€01V TOS Y>J pep.atIW S, pao"'vIT aTaI 7'€ Kat\
vating his beard 3 and walking about the place more
p.6AtS To'is 7Tpoawvatv a7ToKptv6p.evos WS p.YJ8'
than necessary at a slow pace and speaking to
a>K ovIe(a) a t 7TO\I\\I1\a KtS o"t'a' -ro\ Ka () Hp.eI vov TY~J S '..fJ'.W VY~J S. people at audiences very slowly and laboriously so
4 €C~.\ov 8 € TavTa ws 8~ MapKov m€ TYJ8evp.aTa, Tov that frequently he could not even be heard because
0"€' ' I\\ Ot7TO' V /Q"tOl V . OV' K E' p.tP,YIJ UaTO, €7' T€Ot"o'I0"V' 0"€' ' €Kt aUI 707'€ of his low voice. These were supposedly imitations 4
e>s TO\ a'{ 3 poo"'tIa tTov, o>p xYJaTw~ v 7'€ ()eIa ts Kat\ TTaI UYJs of Marcus' characteristics,4 but the resemblance did
not extend to the rest of his life. He indulged re
P,OVUYJS Ktv~aews 7'€ evpv(}p.ov 1 {;7ToKptTa'is axo.\a gularly in a life of luxury by wasting his time on
Cwv, rijs Te Twv TTpayp.aTwv 8totK~aews dp.eAws mime shows 5 and performers of all the arts and
exwv. 7TpoiJt€ 7'€ 7T6p7Tats Ka~ CwaTfjpt xpvacp 7'€ 2 rhythmic dancing. Meanwhile he neglected govern
TToAAcp Ka~ ,\{(Jots np.Cots 7TE7TOtKtAp.€vos, 3 Tfjs ment business. He used to go out wearing brooches
and a belt and all decked out in gold and precious
1 .,l,(Jtlf'ov a Ktv. "" Elip. del Lange
2 Nauck om rf>i Ka! XP· A s Cf. 5.4.7 for M.'s beard; coins show the beard dressed in
8 1T1€TO£K£Af'£Vo£S KEKO(Jf'T}f'iVOS j cf. 5.3,4 the archaic fashion (barba pramissa), confirming H.'s suggestion
of an imitation of M. Aurelius; BMO V. ccxiii ("too unflatter
1 Cf. 4.15.9n for an explanation of why M. did not return to ing to be regarded as an idealized portrait "). Beards as a
Rome at once and disband his army. fashionable claim to wisdom caused Lucian to remark that
8 Cf. 5.5.1n; support for M. at the ludi Martiales of 14th " if cultivating one's beard is acquiring wisdom, a goat with a
May, but against M. at the natalia of Diadumenianus of 14th good beard is a fine Plato," Epigr. 45.
September. No doubt much of this swing in feeling was due • Cf. 5.l.8n. M.'s dilemma was to court the favour of the
to the organization by outraged senators; cf. Dio 78.15.1 ff., soldiers by stressing his continuity with Caracalla, but to re
78.18.4 (for Dio's feelings); SHA, Macr. 2.4, 4.1 ff. But there tain the loyalty of the senators who hated Caracalla by repeal
is no need to suppose that all senators thought in the same way ing many of the burdensome taxes of C. In the event he
as Dio, as Dio himself admits; 78.13.1, 78.15.2; senators who pleased no one.
benefited from M. would have been his supporters; e.g. the 6 Dancing was part of the mime shows. Assessments of
elder and younger Pomponius Bassus, since the latter had been M.'s character vary widely; luxurious living (Dio 78.15.3,
restored from exile (Alba 421, 422; from the heart of the old SHA, Macr. 13.4), cruelty (SHA, Macr. 12.1 ff., Elag. 2.3)
Antonine families through the wife of the elder Bassus, Annia austerity and old-fashioned severity (SHA, Macr. 11.1, Victor,
Faustina; cf. Magie, R. Rule in Asia Minor 1326, 1573, for the Oaes. 22.3). Dio 78.40.3-41.4 is not unfair but is the view of
estate of the Ormelais); Q. Anicius Faustus (Alba 27); an outraged senator. H. is too concerned to find a moral cause
Domitius Florus (Alba 204); a certain Flaccus (Albo 219). of failure.
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