page_title: Lucius Verus
section_title: Antioch 162?–65
hierarchical_section_title: Lucius Verus / Emperor / War with Parthia 161–66 / Antioch 162?–65
caption_attribution_description: Antioch in Syria from the North West engraving by William Miller after H Warren from a sketch by Capt. Byam Martin R.N. published in The Imperial Bible Dictionary - Historical, Biographical, Geographical and Doctrinal - Illustrated by numerous engravings - Including the natural history, antiquities, manners, customs, and religious rites and ceremonies mentioned in the scriptures, and an account of the several books of the old and new Testaments. Patrick Fairbairn. London: Blackie and Son, Paternoster Row 1866
context_page_description: Lucius Verus was Roman co-emperor with Marcus Aurelius, from 161 until his death. In practice, he was the junior partner of the great Marcus Aurelius.
context_section_description: Lucius spent most of the campaign in Antioch, though he wintered at Laodicea and summered at Daphne, a resort just outside Antioch. He took up a mistress named Panthea, from Smyrna. The biographer calls her a "low-born girl-friend",ᵖ¹²⁹ but she is probably closer to an account of Lucian: "a woman of perfect beauty", more beautiful than any of Phidias and Praxiteles' statues. Polite, caring, humble, she sang to the lyre perfectly and spoke clear Ionic Greek, spiced with Attic wit.ᵖ¹²⁹
  Lucius faced quite a task.ᵖ¹⁶² The Syrian army had turned soft during the east's long peace. They spent more time at the city's open-air cafés than in their quarters. Under Lucius, training was stepped up. Pontius Laelianus ordered that their saddles be stripped of their padding. Gambling and drinking were sternly policed. Fronto wrote that Lucius was on foot at the head of his army as often as on horseback. He personally inspected soldiers in the field and at camp, including the sick bay.ᵖ¹²⁹
  In the middle of the war, perhaps in autumn 163 or early 164, Lucius made a trip to Ephesus to be married to Marcus' daughter Lucilla.ᵖ¹⁶³ Lucilla's thirteenth birthday was in March 163; whatever the date of her marriage, she was not yet fifteen. Marcus had moved up the date: perhaps stories of Panthea had disturbed him. Lucilla was accompanied by her mother Faustina and M. Vettulenus Civica Barbarus, the half-brother of Lucius' father. Marcus may have planned to accompany them all the way to Smyrna (the biographer says he told the senate he would); this did not happen. Marcus only accompanied the group as far as Brundisium, where they boarded a ship for the east. Marcus returned to Rome immediately thereafter, and sent out special instructions to his proconsuls not to give the group any official reception. Lucilla would bear three of Lucius' children in the coming years. Lucilla became Lucilla Augusta.ᵖ¹⁶³
caption: Antioch from the southwest (engraving by William Miller after a drawing by H. Warren from a sketch by Captain Byam Martin, R.N., 1866)
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