23.  Ve’rus, however, proceeded no farther than An’tioch, and there gave an indulgence to every appetite, rioting in excesses unknown even to the voluptuous Greeks; leaving all the glory of the field to his lieutenants, who were sent to repress the enemy. 24.  These, however, fought with great success; for in the four years that the war lasted, the Romans entered far into the Parthian country, and entirely subdued it; but upon their return their army was wasted to less than half its original number by pestilence and famine. 25.  This, however, was no impediment to the vanity of Ve’rus, who resolved to enjoy the honours of a triumph, so hardly earned by others.  Having appointed a king over the Arme’nians, and finding the Parthians entirely subdued, he assumed the titles of Arme’nius and Parthi’cus; and on his return to Rome, he partook of a triumph with Aure’lius, which was solemnized with great pomp and splendour.

26.  While Ve’rus was engaged in this expedition, Aure’lius was sedulously intent upon distributing justice and happiness to his subjects at home.  He first applied himself to the regulation of public affairs, and to the correcting of such faults as he found in the laws and policy of the state. 27.  In this endeavour he showed a singular respect for the senate, often permitting them to determine without appeal; so that the commonwealth seemed in a manner once more revived under his equitable administration. 28.  Besides, such was his application to business, that he often employed ten days together on the same subject, maturely considering it on all sides, and seldom departing from the senate-house till the assembly was dismissed by the consul. 29.  But he was daily mortified with accounts of the enormities of his colleague; being repeatedly assured of his vanity and extravagance. 30.  However, feigning himself ignorant of these excesses, he judged marriage to be the best method of reclaiming him; and, therefore, sent him his daughter Lucil’la, a woman of great beauty, whom Ve’rus married at Antioch. 31.  But even this was found ineffectual, for Lucil’la proved of a disposition very unlike her father; and, instead of correcting her husband’s extravagances only contributed to inflame them. 32.  Aure’lius still hoped that, upon the return of Ve’rus to Rome, his presence would keep him in awe, and that happiness would at length be restored to the state.  In this he was also disappointed.  His return seemed fatal to the empire; for his army carried back the plague from Par’thia, and disseminated the infection into the provinces through which it passed.