these different names at different times. "Amazonian" and
"Transcendent," however, he applied exclusively to himself, to indicate
that in absolutely every respect he unapproachably surpassed all mankind.
So extravagantly did the wretch rave. And to the senate he would send a
despatch couched in these terms: "Caesar Imperator, Lucius Aelius Aurelius
Commodus, Augustus, Pius, Beatus, Sarmaticus, Germanicus, Maximus,
Britannicus, Peacemaker of the World, Invincible, Roman Hercules, High
Priest, Holder of Tribunician Authority for the eighteenth term, Imperator
for the eighth time, Consul for the seventh time, Father of the
Fatherland, to consuls, praetors, tribunes and the Commodian Fortunate
Senate, Greeting." Great numbers of statues were erected displaying him in
the garb of Hercules. And it was voted that his age should be called the
"Golden Age" and that entries to correspond with this should in every case
be made in the records.

[Sidenote:--16--] Now this Golden One, this Hercules, this God (such was
another designation of his) one day in the afternoon rode suddenly from
the suburbs with haste into Rome and conducted thirty horse-races in two
hours. These proceedings had much to do with his running short of money.
He was also fond of bestowing gifts and frequently presented the populace
with one hundred and forty denarii apiece. But most of his expenditures
were for the objects that I have mentioned. [So it was that neither his
general income nor what was provided by Cleander (though incalculable in
amount) sufficed him, and he was compelled to bring charges against both
women and men,--charges not serious enough for capital punishment but
prolific in threats and terror.] Some of these persons he murdered, to
others he sold preservation in return for their property [and got
something from them by constraint under the pretence that it was a
voluntary offering]. And finally on his birthday he ordered us, our wives,
and our children each to contribute two aurei [a year as] a kind of
first-fruits, and the senators in all the other cities five denarii per
head. [Of this, too, he saved not the smallest part, but spent it all
disgracefully on beasts and gladiators.]

[Sidenote: A.D. 192 (a.u. 945)] [Sidenote:--17--] In public he nowhere
drove chariots except sometimes on a moonless night. He became very
desirous to play the character also in public, but, being ashamed to be
seen doing this, he kept it up constantly at hom