VI DEALINGS WITH ALEXANDER 141
almost as ready to accept coins from no matter what tainted source they might come. "Money," as Vespasian had said, " has no smell," a sentiment with which most men were in entire agreement.
This is a very fair view of the state of politics about the month of June, in the year of our Lord 221. at which time the Dowager-Empress propounded her scheme ; an attempt, she said, to transfer the odium of Antonine's neglect in secular matters to other shoulders, and so to set the boy free to carry out his great policy for the advancement of religious unity throughout the world. Maesa certainly agreed with her grandson's point of view, or said she did, which came to the same thing. The work which he had proposed was great and important, and it had been neglected for the good of the state. Now, to neglect the great God angered him to whom the family owed their position. To neglect the affairs of state angered the people, and gave rise to disturbances ; of this Antonine had had recent examples. Surely it would be advisable to appoint a coadjutor in the affairs of state, and, for obvious reasons, one of his own family, some one who would naturally have no other desire than to serve Antonine ; there was a relative ready and willing. Why did he not adopt Alexianus ? Perhaps the boy was insignificant ! Well, so much the better ; but at any rate he might be used to advantage. All this was most plausible, and may have blinded the Emperor for the moment, but we can easily understand, from what we know of Antonine's nature, that even if he saw through
