[Sidenote:—­14—­] Commodus, taking a respite from his lusts and sports, developed a taste for blood and proceeded to compass the death of distinguished men.  Among these was Julianus the prefect, whom he used to embrace and caress in public and saluted as “father.”  Another was Julius Alexander, who was executed for having brought down a lion by a lucky cast of his javelin while on horseback. [Footnote:  Boissevain suggests that the “Roman Hercules” perhaps feared that Alexander might diminish his glory.] This victim, on becoming aware of the presence of his assassins, murdered them by night and likewise put out of the way all his own enemies at Emesa, his native town.  After doing this he mounted a horse and started toward the barbarians; and he would have escaped, had he not carried a favorite along with him.  He was himself a most excellent horseman, but he would not think of abandoning the lad, who was tired out, and so when he was being overtaken he killed both the boy and himself.  Dionysius, too, the grain commissioner, met his death by the orders of Commodus.

Moreover, a pestilence, as great as any I know, took place, for it should be noted that two thousand persons several times died in Rome on a single day.  Many more, not merely in the capital but throughout almost the entire empire, perished by the hands of scoundrels, who smeared some deadly drugs on tiny needles, and, for pay, infected men with the poison by means of these instruments.  The same thing had happened before in the reign of Domitian. [Footnote:  See Book Sixty-seven, chapter 11.] But the death of these unfortunates was not regarded as of any importance.

[Sidenote:  A.D. 190 (a.u. 943)] [Sidenote:—­15—­] Still, the effect of Commodus upon the Romans was worse than that of all pestilences and all villanies.  One feature was that whatever honors they were wont to vote to his father out of pure regard they were compelled by fear and by strict injunction to assign also to the son.  He gave orders that Rome itself be called Commodiana, the legions “Commodian,” and the day on which this measure was voted “Commodiana.”  Upon himself he bestowed, in addition to very many other titles, that of Hercules.  Rome he termed “the Immortal,” “the Fortunate,” “the Universal Colony of the Earth” (for he wished it to seem a settlement of his own).  In his honor a gold statue was erected of a thousand pounds’ weight, together with a bull and a cow.  Finally, all the months were likewise called after him, so that they were enumerated as follows:  Amazonian, Invincible, Fortunate, Pious, Lucius, Aelius, Aurelius, Commodus, August, Herculean, Roman, Transcendent.  For he had assumed these different names at different times.  “Amazonian” and “Transcendent,” however, he applied exclusively to himself, to indicate that in absolutely every respect he unapproachably surpassed all mankind.  So extravagantly did the wretch rave.  And to the senate he would send a despatch couched in these terms:  “Caesar