Book 28
4.21
Some of these, though few in number, shrink from the name of gamblers, and therefore desire to be called rather tesserarii,Perhaps a word-play on the two meanings of tesserarii, players with dice and keepers of the watchword. According to Wagner, there was somewhat more skill called for with the tesserae, while with the aleae it was mainly luck. persons who differ from each other only as much as thieves do from brigands. But this must be admitted, that while all friendships at Rome are lukewarm, those alone which are formed at the gambling table, as if they were gained by glorious toil, have a bond of union and are united by complete firmness of exceeding affection; whence some members of these companies are found to be so harmonious that you would take them for the brothers Quintilius.Condianus and Maximus. They lived under the reign of Commodus, held office together, and were executed together by his order; cf. Dio, lxiii. 5, 3; Lamprid., Comm. 4, 9. And so you may see a man of low station, who is skilled in the secrets of dice-playing, walking abroad like Porcius CatoCato Uticensis is meant. after his unexpected and unlooked-for defeat for the praetorship, with a set expression of dignity and sorrow because at some great banquet or assemblage a former proconsul was given a higher place of honour.
