t, is expected at an early date. Although they display
fiery dogmatic zeal, the poems cannot be considered quite orthodox. To
the classical scholar the metre alone is of interest. Although they are
professedly written in hexameters, the rules of quantity are sacrificed
to accent. The first four lines of the _Instructiones_ may be quoted by
way of illustration:

"Praefatio nostra viam erranti demonstrat,
Respectumque bonum, cum venerit saeculi meta,
Aeternum fieri, quod discredunt inscia corda:
Ego similiter erravi tempore multo."

These _versus politici_ (as they are called) show that the change was
already passing over Latin which resulted in the formation of the
Romance languages. The use of cases and genders, the construction of
verbs and prepositions, and the verbal forms exhibit striking
irregularities. The author, however, shows an acquaintance with Latin
poets--Horace, Virgil, Lucretius.

The best edition of the text is by B. Dombart (Vienna, 1887), and a
good account of the poems will be found in M. Manitius, _Geschichte
der christlich-lateinischen Poesie_ (1891), with bibliography, to
which may be added G. Boissier, "Commodien," in the _Melanges Renier_
(1887); H. Brewer, _Kommodian von Gaza_ (Paderborn, 1906); L. Vernier,
"La Versification latine populaire en Afrique," in _Revue de
philologie_, xv. (1891); and C. E. Freppel, _Commodien, Arnobe,
Lactance_ (1893). Teuffel-Schwabe, _Hist. of Roman Literature_ (Eng.
trans., 384), should also be consulted.

COMMODORE (a form of "commander"; in the 17th century the term
"commandore" is used), a temporary rank in the British navy for an
officer in command of a squadron. There are two kinds, one with and the
other without a captain below him in his ship, the first holding the
temporary rank, pay, &c., of a rear-admiral, the other that of captain.
It is also given as a courtesy title to the senior officer of a squadron
of more than three vessels. In the United States navy "commodore" was a
courtesy title given to captains who had been in command of a squadron.
In 1862 it was made a commissioned rank, but was abolished in 1899. The
name is given to the president of a yacht club, as of the Royal Yacht
Squadron, and to the senior captain of a fleet of merchant vessels.

COMMODUS, LUCIUS AELIUS AURELIUS (161-192), also called Marcus
Antoninus, emperor of Rome, son of Marcus Aurelius and Faustina, was
born at Lanuvium on the 31