were left
sixty-seven thousand five hundred myriads. It is the surprising Caesarians
who have been responsible for this deficiency of funds." Pertinax told a
lie when he said that he had bestowed upon the soldiers an equal amount
with Lucius and Marcus; for the one had given them about five thousand and
the other about three thousand denarii apiece. The soldiers and the
Caesarians, who were present in the senate in great numbers, became
mightily indignant and muttered dangerously. But as we were about to
condemn Falco [and were already declaring him an enemy] Pertinax rose and
cried out: "Heaven forbid that any senator, while I am ruler, be put to
death even for a just cause!" [And in this way Falco's life was saved, and
thenceforth he lived in the country, preserving a cautious and respectful
demeanor.]

[Sidenote:--9--] But Laetus, using Falco as a starting point, destroyed
many of the soldiers on the pretence that the emperor ordered it. The
rest, when they became aware of it, were afraid that they should perish,
too, and raised a tumult. Two hundred bolder than their mates invaded the
palace with drawn swords. Pertinax had no warning of their approach until
they had got upstairs. Then his wife rushed in and informed him what had
happened. On learning this he behaved in a way which one may call noble or
senseless or however one pleases. For, whereas he might probably have
killed his assailants (since he had the night-guard and the cavalry by to
protect him and there were also many other people in the palace at the
time), or might at any rate have concealed himself and made his escape to
some place or other, and might have closed the doors of the palace and the
other intervening doors, he, nevertheless, adopted neither alternative.
Instead, hoping to awe them by his presence and thus gain a hearing and
persuade them to their duty, he confronted the approaching band, which was
already indoors. No one of their fellow soldiers had barred the way, and
the porters and other Caesarians so far from making any door fast had
opened absolutely all the entrances. The soldiers, seeing him, at first
were [Sidenote:--10--] abashed, save one, and rested their eyes on the
floor and began thrusting their swords back into their scabbards. But the
one exception leaped forward, exclaiming: "This sword the soldiers have
sent you," and forthwith made a dash at him, striking him a blow. Then his
comrades did not restrain themselves and fell