[Sidenote:  A.D. 181(?)] [Sidenote:—­3—­] [Commodus also granted peace to an embassy from the Buri.  Previously he would not have it, though often asked, because they were strong and because it was not peace they wanted, but the securing of a respite for further preparations.  Now, however, since they were exhausted, he made terms with them and accepted hostages.  From the Buri he received back many captives and from the others [Footnote:  The MS. is here very possibly corrupt.] fifteen thousand, and he compelled the others [Footnote:  The MS. is here very possibly corrupt.] to take oath that they would never dwell in nor use as pasture forty stadia of their territory, nearest to Dacia.  The same (?) Sabinianus also reduced twelve thousand of the neighboring Dacians who had been driven out of their own country and were on the point of aiding the rest. [Footnote:  The MS. is here very possibly corrupt.] He promised these that some land in our Dacia should be given them.]

[Sidenote:—­4—­] Frequent plots were formed by various persons against Commodus [for he did many reprehensible deeds] and he murdered great numbers both of men and of women, some openly and some by secret poison,—­in a word, practically all those who had attained eminence during his father’s lifetime and his own.  Exceptions were Pompeianus and Pertinax and Victorinus:  these for some reason unknown to me he did not kill.  THIS AND WHAT FOLLOWS I STATE NOT ON THE AUTHORITY OF ANOTHER’S TRADITION, BUT FROM MY OWN OBSERVATION.  On coming to Rome he had a conference with the senate, at which he talked a great deal of nonsense, one thing that he said in praise of himself being that he had once on horseback saved the life of his father, who had fallen into a deep mire.  Of such a nature were his lofty pratings. [Sidenote:  A.D. 182 (a.u. 935)]As he was entering the hunting theatre, Claudius Pompeianus laid a snare for him.  He held up a sword in the narrow passage which served as an entrance and said:  “See, this is what the senate has sent you.”

This man had taken as his spouse the daughter of Lucilla, but had intimate relations both with the daughter herself and with the girl’s mother; in this way he had become friendly with Commodus, so that he was his companion at banquets and in the diversions of youth.  Lucilla, who was neither more respectable nor more continent than her brother Commodus, detested the girl’s husband, Pompeianus.  It was for this reason that she persuaded the aforementioned to undertake the attack upon Commodus, and she not only caused his destruction, but was herself detected and put out of the way.  Commodus killed also Crispina, because he was angry with her for some act of adultery.  Previous to their execution both women had keen banished to the island of Capreae.

There was a certain Marcia, mistress of Quadratus (one of the men murdered at this time) and Eclectus, his cubicularius:  the latter became also the cubicularius of Commodus, and the former, first, the emperor’s mistress and later the wife of Eclectus; and she beheld them also perish by violence.  The tradition is that she very much favored the Christians and did them many kindnesses, as she was enabled to do through possessing all influence with Commodus.