The Roman Army, 31 BC–AD 337: A Sourcebook

The army in politics 187
my rule, and starting from you most of all to use my power to grant
benefits, as far as is right to make provision for my native city, I [have
made provision _ _ _] year, 1 Pharmuthi.
(Rear) To Apolinarios, councillor and ambassador (?)
Bowman argues that this fragmentary text is part of a letter written by Avidius
Cassius, who, as governor of Syria, raised a rebellion against Marcus Aurelius
in 175. The mention of Alexandria as his native city will then refer to the fact
that his father had been prefect of Egypt. Whoever is the author, it is significant
that he mentions his choice by the soldiers first, seemingly as the most important
and possibly the only justification for his rule (for this interpretation, see
Campbell 1984:375–6).
An emperor under threat from revolt had to rally his troops and allay their
fears and suspicions. One way to do this was to speak to the soldiers at hand in
a formal adlocutio, which according to literary re-creations followed a general
pattern: inform the troops of the situation; criticize the motives and character
of the rebels; depreciate opposing military forces; adopt the moral high ground
by representing the struggle to be on behalf of the whole Roman empire
(Campbell 1984:85–8).
311 Dio, 74. 11
When the news of Pertinax’s fate had been spread abroad, some people
ran to their houses, others to the soldiers’ barracks, all of them looking
out for their own safety. But Sulpicianus (father-in-law of Pertinax),
since he happened to have been sent by Pertinax to the praetorian
barracks to calm things down there, remained in it and intrigued for
his proclamation as emperor. Meanwhile Didius Julianus, a greedy
moneymaker and extravagant spendthrift, who was always eager for
political disorder and consequently had been exiled by Commodus to
his home community of Milan, hearing about the death of Pertinax,
hurried to the barracks, and standing at the gates of the wall, called
out bids to the soldiers for the right to rule over the Romans. There
then occurred a shameful incident that dishonoured Rome. For both
the city and all its empire were auctioned off just as if they were in a
market place or some auction-room. The dealers were men who had
murdered their own emperor, the buyers were Sulpicianus and Julianus,
who bid against each other, one from inside, the other from outside.
They went on gradually raising their bids to 20,000 sesterces per man.
Some soldiers would give the message to Julianus: ‘Sulpicianus is offering
so much. How much more are you going to add to this?’ And to
Sulpicianus some would say: ‘Julianus is bidding so much. What do
you promise in addition?’ Sulpicianus would have won since he was
inside and was also prefect of the city, and furthermore was the first to