body of soldiers in the Roman army, consisting of 300
horse and 4000 foot. Figuratively, an army, a military force, or a
great number.

* * * * *

CHAPTER XXIV.

SECTION I.

FROM COMMODUS TO THE TRANSFERRING OF THE SEAT OF EMPIRE UNDER
CONSTANTINE, FROM ROME TO CONSTANTINOPLE.--U.C. 933. A.D. 180.

O name of country, once how sacred deem'd!
O sad reverse of manners, once esteem'd!
While Rome her ancient majesty maintain'd,
And in his capitol while Jove imperial reign'd.--_Horace_.

1. The merits of Aurelius procured Commodus an easy accession to the
throne.[1] He was acknowledged emperor by the army, by the senate and
people, and afterwards by all the provinces.

2. But his whole reign was a tissue of wantonness and folly, cruelty
and injustice, rapacity and corruption. So strong a similitude was
there between his conduct and that of Domi'tian, that a reader might
imagine he was going over the history of the same reign. 3. He spent
the day in feasting, and the night in the most abominable
wickedness. He would sometimes go about the markets in a frolic, with
small wares, as a petty chapman; sometimes he affected to be a
horse-courser; at other times he drove his own chariot, in a slave's
habit. Those he promoted resembled himself, being the companions of
his pleasures, or the ministers of his cruelties.

4. If any person desired to be revenged on an enemy, by bargaining
with Com'modus for a sum of money, he was permitted to destroy him in
any manner he thought proper. He commanded a person to be cast to the
wild beasts for reading the life of Calig'ula in Sueto'nius. He
ordered another to be thrown into a burning furnace, for accidentally
overheating his bath. He would sometimes, when he was in a pleasant
humour, cut off men's noses, under pretence of shaving their beards;
and yet he was himself so jealous of all mankind, that he thought it
necessary to be his own barber.

5. At length, upon the feast of Janus, resolving to fence before the
people, as a common gladiator, three of his friends remonstrated with
him upon the indecency of such behaviour: these were Lae'tus, his
general; Elec'tus, his chamberlain; and Mar'cia, of whom he always
appeared excessively fond. 6. Their advice was attended with no other
effect than that of exciting him to resolve upon their destruction. 7.
It was his method, like that of Domi'tian, to set down the names of
all such as he i