admitted
by all to have been noble and good, not oppressive to the Christians nor
severe to any of his other subjects; instead, he showed the Christians
great respect and added to the honor in which Hadrian had been wont to
hold them. For Eusebius, son of Pamphilus, cites in his Church History
[Footnote: IV, 9.] some letters of Hadrian in which the latter is shown to
threaten terrible vengeance upon those who harm in any way or accuse the
Christians, and to swear by Hercules that they shall receive punishment.

Antoninus is said also to have been of an enquiring turn of mind and not
to have held aloof from careful investigation of even small and
commonplace matters; for this those disposed to scoff called him
Cumminsplitter.

[Sidenote: A.D. 161 (a.u. 914)] Quadratus states that he died at an
advanced age, and that the happiest death befell him, like unto gentlest
slumber.

[Sidenote:(A.D. 177?)] [Sidenote:--4--] In the days of Antoninus also a
most frightful earthquake is said to have occurred in the region of
Bithynia and the Hellespont. Various cities were severely damaged or fell
without a building left standing, and in particular Cyzicus; and the
temple there that was the greatest and most beautiful of all temples was
thrown down. Its columns were four cubits in thickness and fifty cubits in
height, each of a single block of stone; and each of the other features of
the edifice was more to be wondered at than to be praised. Somewhere in
the interior of the country the peak of a mountain rose upwards and surges
of the sea are said to have gushed out, while the spray from pure,
transparent sea-water was driven to a great distance over the land.
[Footnote: Compare also Zonaras V, 12 (p. 80, II. 3-11 Dind).. It is not
certain whether this earthquake properly belongs to the reign of Pius or
that of Marcus. If to the former, it must have occurred between 150 and
155 B.C. See _Hermes_ XXVI, pages 444-446 (Boissevain: _Zonaras
Quelle fuer die Romische Kaisergeschichte von Nerva bis Severus
Alexander_) and XXXII, pages 497-508 (B. Keil: _Kyzikenisches_);
also _Byzantinische Zeitschrift_ I, page 30 ff. (article by de
Boor).]--So much is the account of Antoninus at present extant. He reigned
twenty-four years.

III. Of Dio [or rather of Eutropius, or John of Antioch]. Taken from the
Writings of Suidas.

This prince Antoninus was an excellent man and deserves to be compared
especially with Numa on account of the similari