[Sidenote:—­20—­] [Antoninus surely maligned himself in asserting that he had overcome by slyness the audacity, rapacity and faithlessness of the Celtae, against which arms were of no avail.  The same man commended Fabricius Luscinus because he had refused to let Pyrrhus be treacherously murdered by his friend.—­He took pride in having put enmity between the Vandili and Marcomani, who were friends, and in having executed Gaiobomarus, the accused king of the Quadi.  And since one of the latter’s associates, under accusation at the same time with him, hanged himself before execution, Antoninus delivered his corpse to the barbarians to be wounded, that the man might be regarded as having been killed in pursuance of a sentence instead of dying voluntarily (which was deemed a creditable act among them).

He killed Caecilius AEmilianus, governor of Baetica, on suspicion that he had asked an oracular reply from Hercules at Gades.]

[Sidenote:—­19—­] Before leaving Nicomedea the emperor held a gladiatorial contest there in honor of his birthday, for not even on that day did he refrain from slaughter.  Here it is said that a combatant, being defeated, begged for his life, whereupon Antoninus said:  “Go and ask your adversary.  I am not empowered to spare you.”

[Sidenote:  A.D. 216 (a.u. 969)] And so the wretch, who would probably have been allowed by his antagonist to go, if the above words had not been spoken, lost his life.  The victor did not dare release him for fear of appearing more humane than the emperor.

[Sidenote:—­20—­] For all that, while so engaged and steeped in the luxury of Antioch even to the point of keeping his chin wholly bare, he gave utterance to laments, as if he were in the midst of great toils and dangers.  And he reproved the senate, saying for one thing that they were slothful, did not understand readily, and did not give their votes separately.  Finally he wrote:  “I know that my behavior doesn’t please you.  But the reason for my having arms and soldiers alike is to enable me to disregard anything that is said about me.”

[Sidenote:—­21—­] When the Parthian monarch in fear surrendered both Tiridates and Antiochus, he disbanded the expedition at once.  But he despatched Theocritus with an army into Armenian territory and suffered defeat amounting to a severe reverse at the hands of the inhabitants.  Theocritus was of servile origin and had been brought up in the orchestra; [he was the man who had taught Antoninus dancing and had been a favorite of Saoterus, and through the influence thus acquired he had been introduced to the theatre at Rome.  But, as he was disliked there, he was driven out of Rome and went to Lugdunum, where he delighted the people, who were rather provincial.  And, from a slave and dancer, he came to be an army leader and prefect.] He advanced to such power in the household of Antoninus that both the prefects were as nothing compared to him.  Likewise Epagathus, himself