155

OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE.

the only one which delighted his ear. It was c 1*ap.

inscribed on his colossal statues, and repeated —.

in the redoubled acclamations 1 of the mournfuland applauding senate. 3 Claudius Pompeianus,the virtuous husband of Lucilla, was the onlysenator who asserted the honour of his rank.

Asa father, he permitted his sons to consulttheir safety by attending the amphitheatre. Asa Roman, he declared, that his own life was inthe emperor’s hands, but that he would neverbehold the son of Marcus prostituting his per-son and dignity. Notwithstanding his manlyresolution, Pompeianus escaped the resentmentof the tyrant, and with his honour, had the goodfortune to preserve his life.*

Commodus had now attained the summit ofvice and infamy. Amidst the acclamations ofa flattering court, he was unable to disguise,from himself, that he had deserved the con-tempt and hatred of every man of sense andvirtue in his empire. His ferocious spirit wasirritated by the consciousness of that hatred, bythe envy of every kind of merit, by the just ap-prehension of danger, and by the habit ofslaughter, which he contracted in his daily

' They were obliged to repeat six hundred and twenty-six times,

Ptmlus, first of the secutors, &c.

“ Dion, 1. lxxii, p. 1221. He speaks of his own baseness anddanger.

* He mixed, however, some prudence with his courage, and passedthe greatest part of his time iu a country retirement; alleging hisadvanced age, and the weakness of his eyes. “ I never saw him in“ the senate,” says Dion, “ except during the short reign of Perti-“ nax.” All his infirmities had suddenly left him, and they returnedas suddenly upon the murder of that excellent prince. Dion, 1. lxxiii,p. 1227.