DIO'S ROMAN HISTORY 71 The emperor Marcus takes Verus as an associate: he gives him charge of the Parthian war (chapters 1, 2).

If the action lie at all, it must be at the instance of the pursuer himself, as the verus dominus of the Scaraboeus, for being calumniated through the convicium directed primarily against the animal standing in that relation to him.

The very first public act of the new Emperor was one of splendid generosity, namely, the admission of his adoptive brother Lucius Verus into the fullest participation of imperial honours, the Tribunitian and proconsular powers, and the titles Caesar and Augustus.

And though Hadrian urged Antoninus to adopt them both, he preferred Verus on account of his kinship and his age and because he already exhibited an extremely strong cast of mind.

The admission of Lucius Verus to a share of the empire was due to the innate modesty of Marcus.