sed to
embrace and caress in public and saluted as "father." Another was Julius
Alexander, who was executed for having brought down a lion by a lucky cast
of his javelin while on horseback. [Footnote: Boissevain suggests that the
"Roman Hercules" perhaps feared that Alexander might diminish his glory.]
This victim, on becoming aware of the presence of his assassins, murdered
them by night and likewise put out of the way all his own enemies at
Emesa, his native town. After doing this he mounted a horse and started
toward the barbarians; and he would have escaped, had he not carried a
favorite along with him. He was himself a most excellent horseman, but he
would not think of abandoning the lad, who was tired out, and so when he
was being overtaken he killed both the boy and himself. Dionysius, too,
the grain commissioner, met his death by the orders of Commodus.

Moreover, a pestilence, as great as any I know, took place, for it should
be noted that two thousand persons several times died in Rome on a single
day. Many more, not merely in the capital but throughout almost the entire
empire, perished by the hands of scoundrels, who smeared some deadly drugs
on tiny needles, and, for pay, infected men with the poison by means of
these instruments. The same thing had happened before in the reign of
Domitian. [Footnote: See Book Sixty-seven, chapter 11.] But the death of
these unfortunates was not regarded as of any importance.

[Sidenote: A.D. 190 (a.u. 943)] [Sidenote:--15--] Still, the effect of
Commodus upon the Romans was worse than that of all pestilences and all
villanies. One feature was that whatever honors they were wont to vote to
his father out of pure regard they were compelled by fear and by strict
injunction to assign also to the son. He gave orders that Rome itself be
called Commodiana, the legions "Commodian," and the day on which this
measure was voted "Commodiana." Upon himself he bestowed, in addition to
very many other titles, that of Hercules. Rome he termed "the Immortal,"
"the Fortunate," "the Universal Colony of the Earth" (for he wished it to
seem a settlement of his own). In his honor a gold statue was erected of a
thousand pounds' weight, together with a bull and a cow. Finally, all the
months were likewise called after him, so that they were enumerated as
follows: Amazonian, Invincible, Fortunate, Pious, Lucius, Aelius,
Aurelius, Commodus, August, Herculean, Roman, Transcendent. For he had
assumed