CHAP. IX. TO THE CITIZENS. 205 



31. 4s. yd. * Nerva, about the year ninety-six, 

 gave a donation to the distressed citizens, but 

 in land, which is valued at 484,375/., of our 

 money 2 . Adrian, twenty-one years later, on 

 his succeeding to the throne of Trajan, gave 

 a congiarium of double that of any former 

 emperor; and he asserted that he had given to 

 the people and soldiers the enormous sum of 

 3,229, 166/. to procure the nomination of Corn- 

 modus as his successor on the throne, all of 

 which had been lost by Commodus dying be- 

 fore Adrian 3 . Antoninus, who was nominated 

 emperor in 138, gave a still larger donation of 

 eight aurei, or 61. 9s. 2d. 9 to each person 4 ; but 

 in the subsequent part of his tranquil and be- 

 neficent reign seems to have had no necessity 

 for extraordinary donations to secure the con- 

 fidence and obedience of the people. Com- 

 modus, who succeeded to the throne in 179, 

 gave a donation of 725 denarii, or 237. 8s. C 2d. 5 ; 

 and Severus, who became emperor in 194, gave 

 such a congiarium as amounted to 1,614,583 6s. 

 in our money 6 . 



1 Sueton. in Nerone> cap. 10. 



2 Dio in Nerva. 



3 Spartian in Adriano. 



4 Dio in Antonino. 



5 Lampridius in Commodo. 



6 Dio in Severo. 



