ay, he still kept putting it off and shrinking from the deed until the
man grew very bold, and one day approaching Perennis said: "I hear that
you wish to kill me. Why then do you delay? Why do you put it off, when
you might do it this very day?" [But not even this caused him to suffer
any harm at the hands of any one else; it was a self-sought death that he
suffered, and the fact seems strange, inasmuch as he had been honored
among the foremost men by Marcus and in mental excellence and forensic
eloquence stood second to none of his contemporaries. Indeed, by
mentioning two incidents in his history I shall reveal his whole
character.]

Once, when he was governor of Germany, he at first attempted by private
persuasion indoors to induce his lieutenant not to accept bribes. As the
latter would not listen to him, he mounted the tribunal and [after bidding
the herald proclaim him] took oath that he had never received bribes and
never would receive any. Next he bade his under-officer also take oath;
and when this person refused to perjure himself, he ordered him to be
dismissed from office. [And later as commandant of Africa he had an
associate of similar character to the man just mentioned. He did not, to
be sure, treat him in the same way, but put him aboard a boat and sent him
back to Rome.] This is the kind of man Victorinus was.

[Sidenote:--12--] As for Cleander, who after Perennis possessed greatest
influence, he had been sold along with his fellow-slaves and had been
brought to Rome along with them for the purpose of carrying burdens. As
time went on he attained such prominence that he slept before the chamber
of Commodus, married the emperor's concubine Damostratia, and put to death
Saoterus of Nicomedea (who had held the position before him) besides many
others. Yet this victim had possessed very great influence, so that the
Nicomedeans obtained from the senate the right of holding a series of
games and of building a temple to Commodus. At any rate, Cleander, raised
to greatness by the power of Fortune, granted and sold senatorships.
praetorships, procuratorships, leaderships,--in a word everything. Some by
expending all that they possessed had finally become senators. It came to
be said of Julius Solon (an exceedingly obscure man) that he had been
deprived of his property and banished to the senate. [Sidenote: A.D. 189
(a.u. 942)] Not only did Cleander do this, but he appointed twenty-five
consuls for one year,--s