At mid-day the emperor was accustomed
to bathe, and at the same time to take refreshments. On this occasion,
Marcia, agreeably to her custom, presented him with a goblet of wine,
medicated with poison. Of this wine, having just returned from the
fatigues of the chase, Commodus drank freely, and almost immediately fell
into heavy slumbers; from which, however, he was soon aroused by deadly
sickness. That was a case which the conspirators had not taken into their
calculations; and they now began to fear that the violent vomiting which
succeeded might throw off the poison. There was no time to be lost; and
the barbarous Marcia, who had so often slept in the arms of the young
emperor, was the person to propose that he should now be strangled. A
young gladiator, named Narcissus, was therefore introduced into the room;
what passed is not known circumstantially; but, as the emperor was young
and athletic, though off his guard at the moment, and under the
disadvantage of sickness, and as he had himself been regularly trained in
the gladiatorial discipline, there can be little doubt that the vile
assassin would meet with a desperate resistance.
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