Most of all I diagnosed him as economical of himself, of his
men and of his possessions, especially of cash; as swayed by self-interest
alone, as flinty-hearted; yet as capable of kindliness when it did not
interfere with his plans and was not too expensive.
I waited in silence for him to speak. He said:
"I am a very busy man, even far too busy. Commodus left the treasury empty
and every department of the government inefficient. Pertinax refilled the
treasury, but his attempts at reorganization merely disorganized
everything and prepared for the general confusion which came about under
Julianus. With insufficient funds I must fill the Treasury, reorganize the
whole governmental machinery, get it to working dependably and smoothly,
and at the same time prepare for a civil war which I hope to win, but of
which I can foretell the outcome no better than could the Divine Julius be
sure of the outcome of his when he crossed the Rubicon. Amid all these
cares and occupations I must keep fit and must do all I can to win the
confidence and respect of all classes by rectifying, as far as I may, the
consequences of the inattention of my predecessors and of the knavery and
venality of their subordinates. And I must hurry off to deal with
Pescennius Niger, who is no mean antagonist.
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