Vulgar words in Dio's Rome, Volume 5, Books 61-76 (A.D. 54-211) - An Historical Narrative Originally Composed in Greek During - The Reigns of Septimius Severus, Geta and Caracalla, Macrinus, - Elagabalus and Alexander Severus: and Now Presented in English - Form By Herbert Baldwin Foster (Page 1)
This book at a glance
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~ ~ ~ Sentence 3,609 ~ ~ ~
He found that some filthy clowns and buffoons, disgusting in appearance, with still more disgusting names and habits, had been made extremely wealthy by Commodus on account of their wantonness and licentiousness; accordingly, he made public their titles and the amounts they had acquired.
~ ~ ~ Sentence 4,255 ~ ~ ~
Again, of the Leucrocotta: "A most destructive beast about the size of an ass, with legs of a deer, the neck, tail and breast of a lion, a badger's head, cloven hoof, mouth slit to the ears, and, in place of teeth, a solid line of bone."
~ ~ ~ Sentence 4,350 ~ ~ ~
[Sidenote:--9--] Thus was Marcellinus convicted of a baldhead's peeping, [Footnote: The phrase [Greek: phalakrou parakupseos] has a humorous ring to it, and I am inclined to believe, especially considering the situation, that Dio had in his mind while writing this the familiar proverb [Greek: honou parakupseos], a famous response given by a careless ass-driver, whose animal being several rods in advance of its lagging master had stuck its head into an open doorway and thereby scattered the nucleus of a promising aviary.
~ ~ ~ Sentence 4,351 ~ ~ ~
The fellow was haled to court to answer to a charge of contributory negligence and when some bystander asked him for what misdeed he had been brought to that place, he rejoined with a great air of injured innocence: "For an ass's peeping!"]