All the shouts that they had been accustomed to raise with a kind of rhythmic swing to pay court to Commodus in the theatres they now chanted metamorphosed into the most ridiculous nonsense.  Since they had got rid of one ruler, and as yet had nothing to fear from his successor, they made the most of their freedom in the intervening time and secured a reputation for frankness by their fearlessness.  They were not satisfied merely to be relieved of further terror, but desired to show their courage by wanton insolence.

[Sidenote:—­3—­] Pertinax was a Ligurian from Alba Pompeia; his father was not of noble birth and he himself had just enough literary training for ordinary needs.  Under these conditions he had become an associate of Claudius Pompeianus, through whose influence he had become a commander in the cavalry, and had reached such a height that he now came to be emperor over his former friend.  And I at that time, during the reign of Pertinax, saw Pompeianus for the first and last occasion.  He was wont to live mostly in the country on account of Commodus [and very seldom came down to the city], making his age and a disease of the eyes his excuse [and he had never before, when I was present, entered the senate].  Moreover, after Pertinax he was always ill. [During his reign he saw and was well [Footnote:  Reading [Greek:  erroto] (Dindorf).] and advised.] Pertinax honored him mightily in every way and in the senate made him take the seat beside him. [The same privilege he accorded also to Acilius Glabrio.  This man, too, at that period both heard and saw.  It was to these, then, that he granted such surpassing honor.] Toward us also he behaved in a very sociable way.  He was easy of access, listened readily to any one’s request, and cordially answered as he thought right.  Again, he gave us banquets marked by moderation.  Whenever he failed to invite us, he would send to various persons various foods, even the least costly.  For this the wealthy and vainglorious made great sport of him, but the rest of us, who valued excellence above debauchery, approved his course.

[Public opinion regarding Pertinax was so different from that in the case of Commodus that those who heard what had happened, suspecting that this story had been spread by Commodus to test them, in several instances (governors of provinces being particularly involved) imprisoned the men who brought the news.  It was not that they did not wish it to be true, but they were more afraid of seeming to have helped destroy Commodus than of not attaching themselves to Pertinax.  For under the latter one who even committed an error of this kind might still breathe freely, but under the former not even a faultless person could feel safe.]