had vanquished all forces under arms he poured out upon the unarmed all the wrath he had nourished against them during the previous period.  He terrified us most of all by declaring himself the son of Marcus and brother of Commodus; and to Commodus, whom but recently he was wont to abuse, he gave heroic honors. [Sidenote:—­8—­] While reading before the senate a speech in which he praised the severity and cruelty of Sulla and Marius and Augustus as rather the safer course, and deprecated the clemency of Pompey and Caesar because it had proved their ruin, he introduced a defence of Commodus, and inveighed against the senate for dishonoring him unjustly though the majority of their own body lived even worse lives.  “For if”, said he, “this is abominable, that he with his own hands should have killed beasts, yet at Ostia yesterday or the day before one of your number, an old man that had been consul, indulged publicly in play with a prostitute who imitated a leopard.  ‘He fought as a gladiator,’ do you say?  By Jupiter, does none of you fight as gladiator?  If not, how is it and for what purpose that some persons have bought his shields and the famous golden helmets?” At the conclusion of this reading he released thirty-five prisoners charged with having taken Albinus’s side and behaved toward them as if they had incurred no charge at all.  They were among the foremost members of the senate.  He condemned to death twenty-nine men, as one of whom was reckoned Sulpicianus, the father-in-law of Pertinax.

All pretended to sympathize with Severus but were confuted as often as a sudden piece of news arrived, not being able to conceal the sentiments hidden in their hearts.  When off their guard they started at reports which happened to assail their ears without warning.  In such ways, as well as through facial expression and habits of behavior, the feelings of every one of them became manifest.  Some also by an excess of affectation only betrayed their attitude the more.

[Sidenote:  LXXIV, 9, 5] Severus endeavored in the case of those who were receiving vengeance at his hands [Lacuna] [Footnote:  Some words appear to have fallen out at this point (so Dindorf).] to employ Erucius Clarus [Footnote:  C.  Iulius Erucius Clarus Vibianus.] as informer against them, that he might both put the man in an unpleasant position and be thought to have more fully justified conviction in view of his witness’s family and reputation.  He promised Clarus to grant him safety and immunity.  But when the latter chose rather to die than to make any such revelations, he turned to Julianus and persuaded him to play the part.  For this willingness he released him in so far as not to kill nor disenfranchise him; but he carefully verified all his statements by tortures and regarded as of no value his existing reputation.

[Sidenote:  LXXV, 5] [In Britain at this period, because the Caledonians did not abide by their promises but made preparations to aid the Maeatians, and because Severus at the time was attending to the war abroad, Lupus was compelled to purchase peace for the Maeatians at a high figure, and recovered some few captives.]