ius ▁D io ▁is ▁believed ▁to ▁be ▁a ▁free ▁composition , ▁which ▁followed ▁only ▁the ▁outline ▁of ▁A ure lius ' ▁actual ▁speech . ▁In ▁the ▁record , ▁A ure lius ▁l aments ▁the ▁bet ray al ▁of ▁a ▁dear ▁friend , ▁and ▁says ▁that ▁if ▁the ▁danger ▁had ▁been ▁to ▁him ▁alone , ▁he ▁would ▁be ▁willing ▁to ▁" set ▁the ▁issue " ▁between ▁himself ▁and ▁Cass ius , ▁before ▁the ▁Senate ▁and ▁the ▁Army , ▁and ▁would ▁have ▁yield ed ▁the ▁emp ire ▁to ▁Cass ius , ▁if ▁the ▁sen ate ▁and ▁army ▁considered ▁him ▁the ▁better ▁leader . ▁He ▁was ▁also ▁recorded ▁as ▁saying ▁that ▁he ▁hoped ▁that ▁Cass ius ▁would ▁not ▁be ▁killed ▁or ▁commit ▁suic ide , ▁so ▁that ▁he ▁could ▁show ▁mer cy . ▁The ▁Historia ▁August a , ▁a ▁work ▁both ▁tre as ured ▁by ▁histor ians ▁and ▁not orious ▁for ▁its ▁false hood s , ▁records ▁that ▁A ure lius ▁formed ▁a ▁peace ▁commission ▁among ▁his ▁advis ors . ▁ ▁Cass ius ▁started ▁the ▁re bell ion ▁in ▁a ▁good ▁position . ▁He ▁received ▁large ▁support ▁from ▁the ▁Eastern ▁provinces , ▁especially ▁his ▁hom eland ▁of ▁Sy ria , ▁due ▁to ▁a ▁combination ▁of ▁his ▁distant ▁royal ▁descent , ▁his ▁vict ories ▁in ▁the ▁Par th ian ▁War ▁and ▁the ▁Bu col ic ▁War . ▁He ▁received ▁support ▁from ▁the ▁provinces ▁of ▁Egypt , ▁Sy ria , ▁Sy ria ▁Pala est ina ▁and ▁Arab ia ▁Pet ra ea , ▁giving ▁him ▁a ▁potential ▁strength ▁of