Partly from the energy of his own nature,
and partly from the neglect and remissness of the provincial magistrates,
the robber captain rose from less to more, until he had formed a little
army, equal to the task of assaulting fortified cities. In this stage of
his adventures, he encountered and defeated several of the imperial
officers commanding large detachments of troops; and at length grew of
consequence sufficient to draw upon himself the emperor's eye, and the
honor of his personal displeasure. In high wrath and disdain at the
insults offered to his eagles by this fugitive slave, Commodus fulminated
against him such an edict as left him no hope of much longer escaping with
impunity.
Public vengeance was now awakened; the imperial troops were marching from
every quarter upon the same centre; and the slave became sensible that in
a very short space of time he must be surrounded and destroyed. In this
desperate situation he took a desperate resolution: he assembled his
troops, laid before them his plan, concerted the various steps for
carrying it into effect, and then dismissed them as independent wanderers.
Pages:
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35