Herodian
καὶ πεῖραν τῆς γνώμης τῶν στρατιωτῶν λαβεῖν· πείσειν δὲ αὐτοὺς ὁ Λαῖτος ὑπισχνεῖτο,1 ἐπείπερ αὐτῷ ἐπάρχῳ ὄντι μετρίαν ἀπένεμον αἰδῶ. 2συμπαραλαβόντες οὖν καὶ τῶν λοιπῶν ὅσοι παρῆσαν, ἐπὶ τὸ στρατόπεδον ἠπείγοντο. ἤδη δὲ καὶ τὸ πλεῖστον τῆς νυκτὸς προκεχωρήκει καὶ τῆς ἑορτῆς ἐνεστώσης πρὸ ἡμέρας πάντα ἐπράττετο. διαπέμπουσι δή τινας τῶν πιστῶν τοὺς διαβοήσοντας ὅτι ὁ Κόμοδος μὲν τέθνηκε, Περτίναξ δὲ ἐπὶ2 3τὸ στρατόπεδον βασιλεύσων3 ἄπεισι. διαδραμούσης δὲ τῆς φήμης πᾶς ὁ δῆμος ἐνθουσιῶντι ἐοικὼς ἐξεβακχεύετο διέθεόν τε, καὶ τοῖς οἰκείοις ἕκαστος χαίρων ἀπήγγελλε4 καὶ μάλιστα5 τοῖς ἐπ᾿ ἀξιώσεως ἢ πλουσίοις· ἐκείνοις γὰρ καὶ6 ἐπιβουλεύοντα ᾔδεσαν τὸν Κόμοδον. ἔθεόν τε περί τε τὰ ἱερὰ καὶ βωμούς, χάριτας θεοῖς 4ὁμολογοῦντες. ἐβόων δὲ διάφορα, οἳ μὲν κεῖσθαι τὸν τύραννον λέγοντες, οἳ δὲ τὸν μονομάχον, ἄλλοι δὲ ἀπρεπέστερα βλασφημοῦντες. καὶ ὅσα πρότερον
Book II. 2
go to the praetorian camp and test the feelings of the soldiers. Laetus undertook to bring them over, since they had a certain amount of respect for him as prefect. So they collected together anybody else 2who was there and began to hurry off to the camp. By this time, too, the night was nearly over and, with the day of the festival approaching,1 there was activity everywhere before dawn. In fact they dispatched some loyal supporters to spread the word that Commodus was dead and Pertinax on his way to the praetorian camp to become emperor. As the 3word quickly spread the people went practically mad with excitement. Everyone rushed to and fro paying their visits to their patrons2 and telling them the news, especially if they were people of importance or wealth, since they were the ones whom it was known Commodus was also making plans to destroy. People danced at the temples and altars3 in acknowledgement of their gratitude to the gods. Shouts 4of all kinds were heard, such as that the tyrant was dead, or that the gladiator had been killed, as well as other more profane and abusive cries.4 No longer
- 1The festival ensured that many people would be moving very early in the day. The senate met at dawn; Victor, Caes. 17.10.
- 2This I understand to be the equivalent of some such phrase as domesticos salutare; H. is describing the pre-dawn call of the clientes for the salutatio. The importance of organizing popular pressure and support is discussed by Whittaker, Hist. 13 (1964) 365.
- 4why there are as many differences as similarities. It is, however, noteworthy that the passages which most correspond to Dio are in Book 1 and early in Book 2, Cassola, RAAN 32 (1957) 169. Like the speeches this evidence suggests that H. was in process of touching up his work; which would also account For the acclamations of the senate, see 2.3.11n. H.’s language here is very similar to that of Dio (Xiph.) 73.2.3–4, but Dio puts the occasion after P. had addressed the senate at dawn. The extent to which H. corresponds with Dio and therefore uses Dio is analysed by Baaz, de Herod, fontibus 27 (for this passage); but Baaz’ conclusions that H. and Dio are drawing upon a prototype is a desperate answer to explain for the fact that he has run together the events of before and after the meeting of the senate.
- 3Perhaps should be translated, “they ran to the temples,” etc., but cf. 5.5.9 where a similar phrase is used of an organized ceremony at the temple.