ad. And Paternus, if he
had plotted against Commodus, as he was accused of doing, could easily
have murdered him while he himself still commanded the Pretorians; but he
had not done it.]

The emperor murdered likewise Condianus and Maximus Quintilius; for they
had a great reputation on account of education and military ability and
fraternal harmony and wealth. Their notable talents led to the suspicion
that, even if they were not planning any hostile movement, still they were
not pleased with the state of affairs. Thus, even as they had lived
together, so they died together, and one child as well. They had exhibited
the most striking example ever seen of affection for each other, and at no
time had they been divided, even in their political offices. They had
grown prosperous and exceedingly wealthy and were wont to govern together
and to assist each other in trying cases at law.

Sextus Condianus, son of Maximus, who surpassed the generality of men in
character and education, when be heard that sentence of death had been
passed upon him, too, drank hare's blood (he was at that time located in
Syria); and after this he mounted a horse and purposely fell from it.
Then, as he vomited the blood (which was supposed to be his own), he was
taken up in the expectation of his immediate demise and conveyed into a
dwelling. The man himself now disappeared from view, but a ram's body was
placed in a coffin, in his place and burned. Thereafter, by constantly
changing his appearance and clothing, he wandered about, now here, now
there. And when this story was reported (for it is impossible to conceal
for a long time so weighty a matter), there was hue and cry after him in
every place, bar none. Many were punished in his stead on account of their
resemblance, and many, too, who were alleged to have shared his
confidences or to have received and hidden him. Several, moreover, who had
perhaps never even seen him, were deprived of their property. But no one
knows whether he was really killed (though a great number of heads
purporting to be his were carried to Rome) or whether he made good his
escape.

Some other person, after the death of Commodus, dared to assert that
_he_ was Sextus and to undertake the recovery of his wealth and
dignities. And he played the part well while many persons asked him
numbers of questions: when, however, Pertinax enquired of him something
about Grecian affairs, with which the real Sextus had been well
ac