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LIFE OF Cthe daughter of Antoninus Pius ; a lady equally diftinguifhed by her beauty .■and, what we chriltians call, gallantries; bur what the more rigid Roman hil-torians named adulteries. The fond-11 el's which her foil Commodus Ihewed for the languinarv fports of the amphitheatre, is by fome fanciful writers afcribed to her having fucked the blood from the, wounds of a favourite gladiator : and others impute it to a more intimate commerce with one of thofe . athletic champions. tf’The good emperor, however, ef-teemed his emprefs Fauftina amonglt thofe peculiar bleflings which lie had received from heaven t and fpeaks of her as an obedient, afteionate and chafte wife. And perhaps, though a lady, who had literally the whole world at her command, Ihould have indulged herfelf in a little variety, die might be, in other refpe£ts, what the pliilofopher eftcemed her. She attended her huf-band in one of his moll hazardous expeditions, in which die died of the gout. They both concurred in the virou-ous education of their fon Commodus; and, if a youth of fifteen was more attentive to the leures of a fencing-maf-ter or of a gay libertine, than to thofe of a grave philofopher, it is no uncommon cafe. The misfortune was, that file young prince came to the Imperial throne at the too early age of nineteenj when his paflions were ftrong, and rea-fon had not yet taken the helm. And, being furrounded by profligare alfo-ciates, gladiators, parafites, and buffoons j wc can no more wonder at his debaucheries, luxury, and extravagance ; and the confequent opprelfions of his people, and his cruelties j nor even at his folly in afluming the club and lion's fkin, and emulating the fame of Hercules j than we can at the excelTcs of many young men in modern times, who affefl the drefs of coachmen ! grooms, and jockeys! and are ambitious in rivalling them in riding races j and of imitating the favage accomplifli-inents of an Humphreys or a Mendoza.* * H * . *“ Marcus being now advanced in years ; and worn our, not only with age, but with cares and toils; while he was yet detained amongll the Panno-nians, was feized with a dangerous dif-OMMODUS. 403cafe; and being fenfible that there were no hopes of his recovery, and leeing .his fon jull arrived on the verge of manhood, he was apprchenfive, that being now in the vigour of youth, and pofieHing, by the lofs of a father, a free and un re ft rained liberty to purfue his own inclinations, he miglfr throw off the reins of dilcipline, and the purfuit of reputable ftudies, and give himfeif up to luxury and intemperance: for the minds of youth make but too eafy a tranfition from the feverity of dilcipline to a life of pleafure and fenfual indulgence.“ Theoldemperorbeingwell verfed in the hiltory and knowledge of mankind, was greatly alarmed at the recollcion of feveral princes, who had arrived at fovereigh power in their early youth ; luch as Dionyfius, the tyrant of Sicily, tor inftance; who, from his exceflive luxury, was continually in quell of foine new indulgence at an enormous cxpence. Such alio were the injuries and oppreflions exercifed on their fuh-jecls, by the fucceffors of Alexander, which brought 4o great a difgrace on his government. For Ptolemy proceeded to fo fcandalous an excefs, as to indulge a paftion for his own filler; contrary to the laws and cuftoms of the Greeks and Macedonians.“ He was a little alarmed with ap-prehenfions of the neighbouring Germans ; whom he had not yet entirely fubdued ; but part of them he had received into alliance; and part he kept in awe by the terror of his arms: there were fome of them alfo who had retreated at prelent, through fear of,the prefence of fo great an emperor, but who, he fufpeSled, from a contempt of his youthful fucceffor, would again take arms and renew their incursions: he therefore called together his relations and friends, and placing his fon C0111-modus in the milt;|ft of them, made a long fpeech fuitable to the occafion. But while he was fpeaking, he was fud-denly feized with a fainting fit; became filent; and through want of ftrength fell back on the couch; when all that were prefcnt, were lo much affcfled, that fome of them burft foith into loud lamentations. He however, having furvived one night and a day, dcceafedj leaving to his cotemporarics a mourn-3 f% m
Newspaper Details
Historical Magazine
London, Middlesex, GB
Thu, Jan 01, 1789
Page 484
Full Page
Clipped by
David L.
WI, USA 15 Jun 2017
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