DURATION OF TIME
Camerinus, Niger.
(A.D. 138 = a.u. 891 = First of Antoninus, from July 10th).
Antoninus Pius Aug. (II), Bruttius Praesens.
(A.D. 139 = a.u. 892 = Second of Antoninus).
Antoninus Pius Aug. (III), Aurelius Caesar (II).
(A.D. 140 = a.u. 893 = Third of Antoninus).
M. Peducaeus Sylloga Priscinus, T. Hoenius Severus.
(A.D. 141 = a.u. 894 = Fourth of Antoninus).
L. Cuspius Rufinus, L. Statius Quadratus.
(A.D. 142 = a.u. 895 = Fifth of Antoninus).
C. Bellicius Torquatus, Tib. Claudius Atticus Herodes.
(A.D. 143 = a.u. 896 = Sixth of Antoninus).
Avitus, Maximus.
(A.D. 144 = a.u. 897 = Seventh of Antoninus).
Antoninus Pius Aug. (IV), M. Aurelius Caesar (II).
(A.D. 145 = a.u. 898 = Eighth of Antoninus).
Sex. Erucius Clarus (II), Cn. Claudius Severus.
(A.D. 146 = a.u. 899 = Ninth of Antoninus).
Largus, Messalinus.
(A.D. 147 = a.u. 900 = Tenth of Antoninus).
L. Torquatus (III), C. Iulianus Vetus.
(A.D. 148 = a.u. 901 = Eleventh of Antoninus).
Sergius Scipio Orfitus, Q. Nonius Priscus.
(A.D. 149 = a.u. 902 = Twelfth of Antoninus).
Gallicanus, Vetus.
(A.D. 150 = a.u. 903 = Thirteenth of Antoninus).
Quintilius Condianus, Quintilius Maximus.
(A.D. 151 = a.u. 904 = Fourteenth of Antoninus).
M. Acilius Glabrio, M. Valerius Homullus.
(A.D. 152 = a.u. 905 = Fifteenth of Antoninus).
C. Bruttius Praesens, A. Iunius Rufinus.
(A.D. 153 = a.u. 906 = Sixteenth of Antoninus).
L. Ael. Aurelius Commodus, T. Sextius Lateranus.
(A.D. 154 = a.u. 907 = Seventeenth of Antoninus).
C. Iulius Severus, M. Rufinius Sabinianus.
(A.D. 155 = a.u. 908 = Eighteenth of Antoninus).
M. Ceionius Silvanus, C. Serius Augurinus.
(A.D. 158 = a.u. 909 = Nineteenth of Antoninus).
Barbaras, Regulus.
(A.D. 157 = a.u. 910 = Twentieth of Antoninus).
Tertullus, Sacerdos.
(A.D. 158 = a.u. 911 = Twenty-first of Antoninus).
Plautius Quintilius, Statius Priscus.
(A.D. 159 = a.u. 912 = Twenty-second of Antoninus).
T. Clodius Vibius Varus, App. Annius Atilius Bradua.
(A.D. 160 = a.u. 913 = Twenty-third of Antoninus).
M. Ael. Aurelius Verus Caesar (III), I. Ael. Aurelius Commodus (II).
(A.D. 161 = a.u. 914 = Twenty-fourth of Antoninus, to March 7th).
I. From Dio:
A.D. 138 (a.u. 891)
1
It should be noted that information about Antoninus Pius is not found in the copies of Dio, probably because the books have met with some accident, so that the history of his reign is almost wholly unknown, save that when Lucius Commodus, whom Hadrian had adopted, died before Hadrian, Antoninus was also adopted by him and became emperor, and that when the senate demurred to giving heroic honors to Hadrian after his demise on account of certain murders of eminent men, Antoninus addressed many words to them with tears and laments, and finally said: "I will not govern you either, if he has become base and inimical and a national foe in your eyes. For you will of course be annulling all his acts, of which my adoption was one." On hearing this the senate both through respect for the man and through a certain fear of the soldiers bestowed the honors upon Hadrian.
2
Only this in regard to Antoninus is preserved in Dio. Yes, one thing more--that the senate gave him the titles both of Augustus and of Pius for some such reason as the following. When in the beginning of his imperial reign many men were accused and some of them had been interceded for by name, he nevertheless punished no one, saying: "I must not begin my career of supervision with such deeds."
LXIX, 15, 3
[When Pharasmanes the Iberian came to Rome with his wife, he increased his domain, allowed him to offer sacrifice on the Capitoline, set up a statue of him on horseback in the temple of Bellona, and viewed an exercise in arms of the chieftain, his son, and the other prominent Iberians.]
A.D. 139 (a.u. 892)
We do not find preserved, either, the first part of the account of Marcus Verus, who ruled after Antoninus and all that the latter himself did in the case of Lucius, son of Commodus, whom Marcus made his son-in-law, and all that Lucius accomplished when sent by his father to the war against Vologaesus. I shall speak briefly about these matters, gathering my material from other books, and then I shall go back to the continuation of Dio's narrative.
II. From Xiphilinus:
3
A.D. 153 (a.u. 906)
Antoninus is 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 [
] 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.
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.
A.D. 177(?)
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. [
] --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.
5
This prince Antoninus was an excellent man and deserves to be compared especially with Numa on account of the similarity of his reign to that king's, just as Trajan was seen to resemble Romulus. The private life that Antoninus lived was thoroughly excellent and honorable, and in his position as ruler he seemed to be even more excellent and more prudent. To no one was he harsh or oppressive, but he was gracious and gentle toward all.
6
In warfare he sought glory rather from an impulse of duty than from one of gain, and was determined to preserve the borders of the empire intact rather than to extend them to greater distances. In the matter of men he appointed to the administration of public affairs, so far as possible, those who were particularly scrupulous about right conduct, and he rewarded good officials with the honors that were in his power to grant, whereas he banished the worthless (though without any harshness) from the conduct of public affairs.
7
He was admired not alone by those of his own race, but even by foreigners, as was shown by some of the neighboring barbarians laying down their arms and permitting the prince to decide their quarrels by his vote. And whereas he had in the course of his life as a private citizen amassed a vast amount of money, when he entered upon office he expended his own abundance upon gifts for the soldiers and for his friends. To the public treasury he left a great deal of property of all kinds.
DIO'S ROMAN HISTORY
71
The emperor Marcus takes Verus as an associate: he gives him charge of the Parthian war (chapters 1, 2 ).
Wars with the Iazyges, Marcomani, and Germans (chapters 3 and 5 ).
About the war in Egypt with the Bucoli (chapter 4 ).
Marcus's tirelessness in hearing cases at law (chapter 6 ).
The Iazyges conquered (chapter 7 ).
The Quadi are vanquished by rain sent from Heaven in answer to Roman prayers (chapters 8 and 10 ).
About the Thunderbolt Legion from Melitene (chapter 9 ).
How envoys came to the emperor from a number of barbarians,--the Quadi, Astingi, Iazyges, Marcomani, Naristi (chapters 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21 ).
Revolt of Cassius and of Syria (chapters 22, 23, 24, 25, 26 ).
How Cassius was killed, together with his son (chapter 27 ).
Kindness of Marcus toward the adherents of Cassius: death of Faustina and honors accorded her (chapters 28, 29, 30, 31 ).
The return of Marcus and his generosity (chapter 32 ).
With his son Commodus he subjugates the Scythians: he himself meets death (chapter 33 ).
Eulogy of Marcus (chapters 34, 35 ).
