ace, 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 p