M. CORNELIUS FRONTO
king Parthamasirius.[1] For though by being the first to appeal to violence, he brought his fate upon himself in the outbreak that ensued, yet it would have been better for the good name of the Romans had a suppliant departed unharmed than been punished even justly; for in such deeds the reason of the act lies hid, the act itself is before the eyes, and it is far better to pass by an injury and have public opinion on your side than to avenge one and have it against you.
16. In either Parthian war a man of consular rank, in either case commanding an army, was put to the sword: Severianus[2] while Lucius had at the time not even left the city; Appius,[3] however, while Trajan was present in the East making more stringent the ferry dues for camels and horses on the Euphrates and Tigris, was slain by Arbaces[4] in rear of the Emperor.
17. This is also brought as a charge against both equally, that they sent for actors[5] from Rome into Syria. But assuredly as we see the tallest trees shaken the more violently by the winds, so envy attacks the greatest merits the more vindictively. For the rest, whether Trajan is to be accounted more illustrious in war or peace for my part I leave
- ↑ See Dio, lxviii. 17, Victor, xlviii. 10. But Pliny, Paneg. 16, defends Trajan.
- ↑ See Lucian, Pseudomant. 27, and Quom. Hist. Scrib. 21 and 25.
- ↑ Appius Maximus Santra (see Hauler, Wien. Stud. 38, 1916, p. 170). Fronto is blaming Trajan for attending to unimportant matters while his troops are attacked in the rear.
- ↑ According to Hauler's reading.
- ↑ See Capit. Vit. Veri, viii. §§ 10, 11, and for Trajan see Dio, lxviii. 24.
