[Sidenote:—­14—­] The Byzantines straightway, though against their will, surrendered their city.  The Romans executed all the soldiers and magistrates except the pugilist who had greatly aided the Byzantines and injured the Romans.  He perished also, for in order to make the soldiers angry enough to destroy him he immediately hit one with his fist and with a leap gave another a violent kick.

Severus was so pleased at the capture of Byzantium that to his soldiers in Mesopotamia (where he was at this time) he said unreservedly:  “We have taken Byzantium, too!” He deprived the city of its independence and of its civil rank, and made it tributary, confiscating the property of the citizens.  He granted the town and its territory to the Perinthians, and the latter, treating it after the manner of a village, committed innumerable outrages.  So far he seemed in a way to be justified in what he did.  His demolition of the walls of the city grieved the inhabitants no more than did the loss of that reputation which the appearance of the walls had caused them to enjoy; and incidentally he had abolished a strong Roman outpost and base of operations against the barbarians from the Pontus and Asia.  I was one that viewed the walls after they had fallen, and a person would have judged that they had been taken by some other people than the Romans.  I had also seen them standing and had heard them “speak.”  There were seven towers extending from the Thracian gates to the sea.  If a man approached any of these but the first, it was silent; but if he shouted a few words at that one or threw a stone at it, it not only echoed and spoke itself but caused the second to do the same thing.  In this way the sound passed through them all alike, and they did not interrupt one another, but all in their proper turn, one receiving the impulse from the one before it, took up the echo and the voice and sent it on.

DIO’S ROMAN HISTORY 76

Severus’s war against the Osrhoeni, Adiabeni, and Arabians (chapters 1-3).

Severus’s war against Albinus Caesar (chapters 4, 5).

How Albinus was vanquished by Severus and perished (chapters 6, 7).

The arrogance of Severus after his victory (chapters 7, 8).

Severus’s Parthian expedition (chapter 9).

How he besieged the Atreni, but found his endeavors fruitless (chapters 10-12).

How he started for Egypt:  and about the source of the Nile (chapter 13).

About the power and tyrannous conduct of Plautianus (chapters 14-16).

DURATION OF TIME.

Scapula Tertullus, Tineius Clemens, (A.D. 195 = a.u. 948 = Third of
Severus, from the Calends of June).

C. Domitius Dexter (II), L. Valerius Messala Priscus. (A.D. 196 = a.u. 949 = Fourth of Severus).

Ap.  Claudius Lateranus, Rufinus. (A.D. 197 = a.u. 950 = Fifth of Severus).