第18章
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  Uponthedeathofhisfather,Commodusfoundhimselfembarrassedwiththecommandofagreatarmy,andtheconductofadifficultwaragainsttheQuadiandMarcomanni。^9TheservileandprofligateyouthswhomMarcushadbanished,soonregainedtheirstationandinfluenceaboutthenewemperor。TheyexaggeratedthehardshipsanddangersofacampaigninthewildcountriesbeyondtheDanube;andtheyassuredtheindolentprincethattheterrorofhisname,andthearmsofhislieutenants,wouldbesufficienttocompletetheconquestofthedismayedbarbarians,ortoimposesuchconditionsasweremoreadvantageousthananyconquest。Byadexterousapplicationtohissensualappetites,theycomparedthetranquillity,thesplendor,therefinedpleasuresofRome,withthetumultofaPannoniancamp,whichaffordedneitherleisurenormaterialsforluxury。^10Commoduslistenedtothepleasingadvice;butwhilsthehesitatedbetweenhisowninclinationandtheawewhichhestillretainedforhisfather\'scounsellors,thesummerinsensiblyelapsed,andhistriumphalentryintothecapitalwasdeferredtilltheautumn。Hisgracefulperson,^11popularaddress,andimaginedvirtues,attractedthepublicfavor;thehonorablepeacewhichhehadrecentlygrantedtothebarbarians,diffusedauniversaljoy;^12hisimpatiencetorevisitRomewasfondlyascribedtotheloveofhiscountry;andhisdissolutecourseofamusementswasfaintlycondemnedinaprinceofnineteenyearsofage。

  [Footnote9:AccordingtoTertullian,Apolog。c。25,hediedatSirmium。ButthesituationofVindobona,orVienna,whereboththeVictorsplacehisdeath,isbetteradaptedtotheoperationsofthewaragainsttheMarcomanniandQuadi。]

  [Footnote10:Herodian,l。i。p。12。]

  [Footnote11:Herodian,l。i。p。16。]

  [Footnote12:ThisuniversaljoyiswelldescribedfromthemedalsaswellashistoriansbyMr。Wotton,Hist。ofRome,p。

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