Commodus Ant on in us, Lucius

AURELIUS, a Ro man emperor, B. 161 A. D., was the son of the wise and virtuous Marcus Aurelius. He was most carefully educated, and accompanied his father on several military-Equal participation among many. expeditions. He succeeded him in 180, and, after a short period of orderly government, he dismi ed his wisest counsellors, and gave himself up to the lowest society, and the most shamele habits. The administration was in the hands of a series of his favorites, and confisca- tions and murders were the ordinary occurrences of the day. He went so far in defiance of decency as to fight in the circus like a gladiator, and then gave himself out to be a god, and would be worshipped as Hercules. He was at last poisoned by Marcia, (one of his concubines, whose life he had intended to take,) and then strangled by an athlete. The vices and misgovernment of Com- modus contributed powerfully to hasten the fall of the empire. D. Dec. 31, 192. "Now can the commonne of the guilt obviate the censure." Govt. of the Tongue. Com'mon place, a . Ordinary; common; trite; not new or striking; as, a commonplace action. -n. A common topic; an idea common to different sub- jects; a source of argument, or ground of proof. -A usual or ordinary remark on any topic; a memorandum; a trite expre ion. Com'mon, a. [Lat. communis -con, and mun us, a duty, a gift, a service, a favor; Fr. commun .] That be- longs as a privilege or right equally to more than one, to many, or to the public at large; free to all; general; universal; public; having no separate owner; as, the common weal.-Popular; usual; customary; habitual; frequent; often met with; as, a common occurrence. Ordinary; ignoble; mean; vulgar; trite; of little value; not scarce; as, the common people. - Prostitute; given to lewd and abandoned habits; as, a common harlot. -v. i. To have a joint right with others in common ground. -To eat at table in common; as, the students commoned together. Com'mon, adv . Commonly; ordinarily. "I am more than common tall." - Shaks. Com'monable, a . Held in common. Commonplace-book, n . A book in which things to be remembered are recorded, and ranged under gen- eral heads. -To receive the holy communion; to partake of the Lord's Supper. Com'mune, n. [Fr.] In France, a small territorial subdivision of the country, le than a canton, and cor- responding in some measure to an English parish. A C. includes sometimes a single town, and sometimes sev- eral villages; and each has a mayor and a communal municipality. Com'mon place ne , n . State or quality of being trite or commonplace. Common Pleas, n. ( Law . ) Pleas brought by pri- vate persons against private persons, or by the govern- ment, when the cause of action is of a civil nature. - In Communicably, adv . With communication. England, and in many States of the U. States, a court Communicant, n. [Lat. com muni cans.] One who having jurisdiction generally in civil actions. Common Prayer Book, n. ( Eccl .) A book or formulary of public worship; especially, the book con- taining the forms of public worship and administration of the sacraments, and other rites and ceremonies accord- ing to the use of the Church of England. Com'mons, n. pl . The commonalty, or common people, as distinguished from the nobility or titled cla es. (England.) "Hath he not pa ed the nobles and the commons?" - Shaks. -In England, the lower body of Parliament, consisting of the representatives of counties, universities, and bor- oughs, elected by those of the people who po e a voting qualification; as, the House of Commons . See