The Emperor, Complete

in the greate

esire to celebrate Hadrian's visit with unheard-of splendor. All that the citizens could command of inventive skill, of wealth, and of beauty was called forth to be displayed in the games and processions which were to fill up a number of days. The richest of the heathen citizens had undertaken the management of the pieces to be performed in the Theatre, of the mock fight on the lake, and of the sanguinary games in the Amphitheatre; and so great was the number of opulent persons that many m

eat town free to act as they would; but he had, more than once, to exert a decided opposition to their overdoing the thing; for though the Emperor might be able to e

ality, were the never-dormant hostility between the heathen and the Jewish sections of the inhabitants, and the proc

to the Caesareum to pay the Empress the visit which she expected of him daily. He was glad to have come to some conclusion, at any rate provisionally, wit

d to her cheeks and lips than three days ago, and because she was to receive a visit from the sculptors, Papias and Aristeas, she had had her hair arranged as it was worn in the statue of Venus Victrix, with whose attributes she had,

for all who see her make haste to fly; s

just been present when he entered the presence of the Empress, whom he found in a small room with no one but the chamberlain

th pitiful faces, which are not pleasant to look at. After all we must endure life. Still, the

was sitting, and began to express his regrets at their bad conditio

vine it, as I might say. There are five and thirty doors in my rooms! I had them counted-five and thirty! If th

ht be supplemente

in any life do not matter. Are the Alexandr

outvie each other every one is at war with his neighbor, and I still feel the effects of the odious wrangling which I have

a pinched smile, as if she had h

ias; I am accustomed to find that people would rather be any where than with me. Can I wonder then that my presence is not enough to enable a friend of my husband's to forget a

anxiety lest the architect and his assistants should be dis

s fought over the ord

e were suffering a pain in it. The prefect colored slightly, but he obeyed the desire of Caes

ocession, that the first b

eady," replied the lady, ya

e and every where else, where they are not controlled by the absolute will of a single individual, processions ar

hat they should be organ

l possible splendor, that I am troubling myself about them in person, even as to details; and to my g

nly served the state but

d to call

purple. Have you got over your ill temper Titianus? You must

m my time that she is not often likely to know what disturbs me. If I have forgotten to dissimulate my vexation

I endure. We poor women have nothing to expect from our husbands, but the stale leaving

e given me by the bad feeling of th

ns or whatever they are called! Do they dare to

ief, has offered to defray all the cost of th

eir money, tak

enses, which will amount to many millions of sesterces, and they wish

perfectl

ust to prohibit half the population of A

have thought it redounded to their glory to be called Africanus, Germanicus and D

order to break the fearfully obstinate resistance of that nation. The besieged had to be c

etically, or have these people

hey pay taxes as well as the rest of the Alexandrians; nay more, for there are many wealthy men among them who are honorably prominent in trade, in professions, learn

ecorated with several buildings, they refused to sacrifice to the statues of

. Aelia rose up on the very soil where their ruined Jerusalem had st

that to do

his statue in the Holy of Holies of their temple; and Petronius, the g

fate they deserve, let them b

nstitute nearly half of the citizens, that is to say seve

posing that mass were to revolt against us! No one ever told me of this danger. In

remities and they were superio

nd one revolt after

sacrifices of whic

a horribly shrill voice-but he looks like a man who will stan

will never attain his end by mere severity; and i

ady too many me

ugh good and u

ers of the gods and

habits of life and thought, and where all have adopted the Greek ton

e part in th

he Greek citizens

ngement of th

rtemion will be permitted to supply the wil

not avaricio

nished. The man must know the secret

many like him a

od nu

for if this led to the destruction of the ric

nd keep them alive, as

adrian shar

out d

y perhaps bring hi

judgment, and for the present I am in

s long preserve you in it!"