第154页 / 共310页

From these causes it arose that Marcus, Pertinax, and Alexander,

being all men of modest life, lovers of justice, enemies to

cruelty, humane, and benignant, came to a sad end except Marcus;

he alone lived and died honoured, because he had succeeded to the

throne by hereditary title, and owed nothing either to the

soldiers or the people; and afterwards, being possessed of many

virtues which made him respected, he always kept both orders in

their places whilst he lived, and was neither hated nor despised.