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

190 The Roman Army
disgraceful and unbounded craving for money, while despising any
feelings of respect for their emperors. Since there was no one to take
any action against the soldiers who had cold-bloodedly murdered an
emperor, or to prevent the outrageous auction and sale of the imperial
power, this was a major reason for the disgraceful state of disobedience
that was to persist in the years to come. The soldiers’ steadily increasing
lust for money and contempt for their leaders had culminated in the
shedding of blood.
Herodian was probably writing in the first half of the third century AD, and
had held some public offices, though it is not clear if he was of senatorial or
equestrian rank. He is incorrect in asserting that this was the first time the
soldiers were bribed, since in a sense this had been true since the time of Augustus,
and of course Claudius had paid a huge donative to the praetorians. But he is
right to emphasize that to induce soldiers to break their military oath created a
bad example and made it more difficult to guard against military anarchy.
315 Petrus Patricius, Exc. Vat. 152 (excerpt from Dio’s history—
Loeb Dio, vol. 9, p. 470)
The False Antoninus (Elagabalus—AD 218–22) was despised and killed
by the soldiers. For when people, especially if armed, have got used to
despising their rulers, they place no limit on their power to do whatever
they like, but keep their weapons to use against the very person who
gave them this power.
316 Dio, 80. 2
Ulpian (praetorian prefect) corrected many of the wrongs perpetrated
by Sardanapalus (another name for Elagabalus), but after he had killed
Flavianus and Chrestus so that he could succeed to their position, he
himself was murdered not long afterwards by the praetorians, who
attacked him during the night, even though he fled to the palace and
took refuge with the emperor himself (Severus Alexander) and his
mother. Indeed, even while he was alive, there was a substantial
disturbance between the people and the praetorians which arose from
some small cause and which resulted in a battle between them lasting
three days with many dead on both sides. Since the soldiers were coming
off worse, they turned their attention to setting fire to buildings, and
for this reason the people, fearing that the entire city might be destroyed,
reluctantly came to an agreement with them. In addition to these
incidents, Epagathus, who was considered to be mainly responsible for
the murder of Ulpian, was sent to Egypt, to all appearances as governor