But, in the streets, the insolence of the
Praetorians was unendurable and their unbridled license and arrogance
terrorized the entire population, especially the upper classes. Going
anywhere in broad daylight was dangerous, even going to the Baths of Titus
from the Esquiline was risky. Anyone like Falco was certain to feel safer
indoors. And the tense uncertainty of those twenty-four days made
everybody restless, feverish, fidgety and morose: civil war between
Severus and Pescennius Niger, lord of the East, was inevitable. How
Clodius Albinus, in control of Gaul, Spain and Britain, would act, was
problematical. We were all keyed-up, apprehensive and wretched.
Our suspense was shorter since it turned out that Severus had made up his
mind and begun to make his rapid and effective arrangements as soon as he
heard of the murder of Pertinax. Pertinax was murdered on the fifth day
before the Kalends of April and so swiftly travelled the imperial couriers
who were his friends and who arranged to set out at once and carry Severus
the news, that the first of them rode more than eight hundred miles in
eight days and reached him at Caruntum in Pannonia on the Nones of April.
Severus was cautious, kept secret what he had heard and moved seventy-two
miles nearer Rome to Sabaria in Pannonia, where, after the news was
confirmed beyond question, he harangued the soldiers and was by them
saluted Emperor on the Ides of April.
Pages:
795
796
797
798
799
800
801
802
803
804
805
806
807
808
809
810
811
812
813
814
815
816
817
818
819