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It seems to me sufficient to take all those emperors who

succeeded to the empire from Marcus the philosopher down to

Maximinus; they were Marcus and his son Commodus, Pertinax,

Julian, Severus and his son Antoninus Caracalla, Macrinus,

Heliogabalus, Alexander, and Maximinus.

There is first to note that, whereas in other principalities the

ambition of the nobles and the insolence of the people only have

to be contended with, the Roman emperors had a third difficulty

in having to put up with the cruelty and avarice of their

soldiers, a matter so beset with difficulties that it was the

ruin of many; for it was a hard thing to give satisfaction both

to soldiers and people; because the people loved peace, and for

this reason they loved the unaspiring prince, whilst the soldiers

loved the warlike prince who was bold, cruel, and rapacious,

which qualities they were quite willing he should exercise upon

the people, so that they could get double pay and give vent to

their own greed and cruelty.