Lucilla, the emperor's sister, and widow of Lucius Verus, impatient of the second rank, and jealous of the reigning empress, had armed the murderer against her brother's life.

She had not ventured to communicate the black design to her second husband, Claudius Pompeiarus, a senator of distinguished merit and unshaken loyalty; but among the crowd of her lovers (for she imitated the manners of Faustina) she found men of desperate fortunes and wild ambition, who were prepared to serve her more violent, as well as her tender passions.

The conspirators experienced the rigor of justice, and the abandoned princess was punished, first with exile, and afterwards with death.

[15] [Footnote 14: See Maffei degli Amphitheatri, p.

126.] [Footnote 15: Dion, l.lxxi.p.1205 Herodian, l.i.p.16 Hist.