Editing Lucius Verus (section)

===== Strategic emergency in the East =====
[[File:Colossal head of Lucius Verus (mounted on a modern bust), from a villa belonging to Lucius Verus in Acqua Traversa near Rome, between AD 180 and 183 AD, Louvre Museum (23450299872).jpg|thumb|upright|Colossal head of Lucius Verus (mounted on a modern bust), from a villa belonging to him in [[Acqua Traversa]] near Rome, between 180 and 183 AD, [[Louvre Museum]], Paris]]
More news arrived: Attidius Cornelianus's army had been defeated in battle against the Parthians, and retreated in disarray.<ref>''HA Marcus'' 8.6; Birley, ''Marcus Aurelius'', 123.</ref> Reinforcements were dispatched for the Parthian frontier. [[Publius Julius Geminius Marcianus]], an African senator commanding [[Legio X Gemina|X Gemina]] at Vindobona (Vienna), left for Cappadocia with detachments from the Danubian legions.<ref>''Corpus Inscriptionum Latinarum'' [http://compute-in.ku-eichstaett.de:8888/pls/epigr/epieinzel_en?p_belegstelle=CIL+08,+07050&r_sortierung=Belegstelle 8.7050]{{dead link|date=December 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}–[http://compute-in.ku-eichstaett.de:8888/pls/epigr/epieinzel_en?p_belegstelle=CIL+08,+07051&r_sortierung=Belegstelle 51]{{dead link|date=December 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}; Birley, ''Marcus Aurelius'', 123.</ref> Three full legions were also sent east: [[Legio I Minervia|I Minervia]] from Bonn in Upper Germany,<ref>''Incriptiones Latinae Selectae'' [http://compute-in.ku-eichstaett.de:8888/pls/epigr/epieinzel_en?p_belegstelle=D+01097&r_sortierung=Belegstelle 1097]{{dead link|date=September 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}–[http://compute-in.ku-eichstaett.de:8888/pls/epigr/epieinzel_en?p_belegstelle=D+01098&r_sortierung=Belegstelle 98]{{dead link|date=September 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}; Birley, ''Marcus Aurelius'', 123.</ref> [[Legio II Adiutrix|II Adiutrix]] from Aquincum,<ref>''Incriptiones Latinae Selectae'' [http://compute-in.ku-eichstaett.de:8888/pls/epigr/epieinzel_en?p_belegstelle=D+01091&r_sortierung=Belegstelle 1091]{{dead link|date=December 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}; Birley, ''Marcus Aurelius'', 123.</ref> and [[Legio V Macedonica|V Macedonica]] from Troesmis.<ref>''Incriptiones Latinae Selectae'' [http://compute-in.ku-eichstaett.de:8888/pls/epigr/epieinzel_en?p_belegstelle=D+02311&r_sortierung=Belegstelle 2311]{{dead link|date=December 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}; Birley, ''Marcus Aurelius'', 123.</ref>

The northern frontiers were strategically weakened; frontier governors were told to avoid conflict wherever possible.<ref>''HA Marcus'' 12.13; Birley, ''Marcus Aurelius'', 123.</ref> Attidius Cornelianus himself was replaced by [[Marcus Annius Libo]], Marcus's first cousin. He was young—his first consulship was in 161, so he was probably in his early thirties<ref>''L'Année Épigraphique'' [http://compute-in.ku-eichstaett.de:8888/pls/epigr/epieinzel_en?p_belegstelle=AE+1972,+00657&r_sortierung=Belegstelle 1972.657]{{dead link|date=December 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}; Birley, ''Marcus Aurelius'', 125.</ref>—and, as a mere patrician, lacked military experience. Marcus had chosen a reliable man rather than a talented one.<ref>''HA Verus'' 9.2; Birley, ''Marcus Aurelius'', 125.</ref>

Marcus took a four-day public holiday at [[Alsium]], a resort town on the [[Etruria]]n coast. He was too anxious to relax. Writing to Fronto, he declared that he would not speak about his holiday.<ref>''De Feriis Alsiensibus'' 1 (= Haines 2.3); Birley, ''Marcus Aurelius'', 126.</ref> Fronto replied ironically: "What? Do I not know that you went to Alsium with the intention of devoting yourself to games, joking and complete leisure for four whole days?"<ref>''De Feriis Alsiensibus'' 3.1 (= Haines 2.5), qtd. and tr. Birley, ''Marcus Aurelius'', 126.</ref> He encouraged Marcus to rest, calling on the example of his predecessors (Pius had enjoyed exercise in the ''[[palaestra]]'', fishing, and comedy),<ref>''De Feriis Alsiensibus'' 3.4 (= Haines 2.9); Birley, ''Marcus Aurelius'', 126–127.</ref> going so far as to write up a fable about the gods' division of the day between morning and evening—Marcus had apparently been spending most of his evenings on judicial matters instead of at leisure.<ref>''De Feriis Alsiensibus'' 3.6–12 (= Haines 2.11–19); Birley, ''Marcus Aurelius'', 126–127.</ref> Marcus could not take Fronto's advice. "I have duties hanging over me that can hardly be begged off," he wrote back.<ref>''De Feriis Alsiensibus'' 4, tr. Haines 2.19; Birley, ''Marcus Aurelius'', 127.</ref> Marcus put on Fronto's voice to chastise himself: "'Much good has my advice done you', you will say." He had rested, and would rest often, but "—this devotion to duty. Who knows better than you how demanding it is?"<ref>''De Feriis Alsiensibus'' 4 (= Haines 2.19), qtd. and tr. Birley, ''Marcus Aurelius'', 127.</ref>

Fronto sent Marcus a selection of reading material, including Cicero's ''pro lege Manilia'', in which the orator had argued in favor of [[Pompey]] taking supreme command in the [[Third Mithridatic War|Mithridatic War]]. It was an apt reference (Pompey's war had taken him to Armenia), and may have had some impact on the decision to send Lucius to the eastern front.<ref>Birley, ''Marcus Aurelius'', 127.</ref> "You will find in it many chapters aptly suited to your present counsels, concerning the choice of army commanders, the interests of allies, the protection of provinces, the discipline of the soldiers, the qualifications required for commanders in the field and elsewhere [...]{{#tag:ref|The text breaks off here.<ref>''De bello Parthico'' 10 (= Haines 2.31).</ref>|group=notes}}"<ref>''De bello Parthico'' 10 (= Haines 2.31), qtd. and tr. Birley, ''Marcus Aurelius'', 127.</ref> To settle his unease over the course of the Parthian War, Fronto wrote Marcus a long and considered letter, full of historical references. In modern editions of Fronto's works, it is labeled ''De bello Parthico'' (''On the Parthian War''). There had been reverses in Rome's past, Fronto writes, at [[Battle of the Allia|Allia]], at [[Battle of the Caudine Forks|Caudium]], at [[Battle of Cannae|Cannae]], at [[Siege of Numantia|Numantia]], [[Siege of Cirta|Cirta]], and [[Battle of Carrhae|Carrhae]];<ref>''De bello Parthico'' 1 (= Haines 2.21).</ref> under Trajan, Hadrian, and Pius;<ref>''De bello Parthico'' 2 (= Haines 2.21–23); Birley, ''Marcus Aurelius'', 127.</ref> but, in the end, Romans had always prevailed over their enemies: "always and everywhere [Mars] has changed our troubles into successes and our terrors into triumphs".<ref>''De bello Parthico'' 1 (= Haines 2.21), qtd. and tr. Birley, ''Marcus Aurelius'', 127.</ref>