re, the entire gathering, were
amazed to see among the men four women, and Agathemer and I were doubly
amazed to recognize one as Marcia. Agathemer, who knew the former slaves
and present freedwomen of the Palace far better than I, whispered that the
others were the sister and wife of Perennis and the wife of Cleander, like
him a former slave and pampered freedman, and for long his rival.

The platform, of course, was lined and partly filled with aides, lictors,
equerries, pages, and other Imperial satellites before the Emperor rode
up, dismounted and appeared among his retinue. He strode springily to the
front and seated himself on the crimson cushion of the ivory curule seat
which a lictor placed for him. Marcia, to my tenfold amazement, then
seated herself on a not dissimilar maple folding-seat, spread for her by a
page. She was placed at the very front of the platform, next him on his
right. Next her was Cleander's wife, also, to my still greater amazement,
similarly seated, as were the two almost as ornately clad ladies with
Perennis, who sat on his left, he standing to the left of the Emperor, who
was set only a short yard in advance of the row of officials and intimates
who lined the front of the platform.

Until all who had a right to places on the platform had mounted it and
each had stationed himself in his proper position, the Emperor sat quietly
regarding the mob of men facing him, eyeing us keenly and steadily. An
equerry leaned over and whispered to him and he stood up. I could feel the
men thrill, even more positively than they had thrilled when he appeared
from among his retinue. I conjectured, instantly, that he had felt, if not
an actual dread of the mutineers, at least a doubt as to his ability to
quell them and a need for all possible adventitious aids. Thus I explained
to myself his having donned, that morning, trappings such as his father
had worn on frontier campaigns, apparently with the purpose of eliciting
the sympathies of the men.

He now wore a gilded helmet, elaborately chased, and its crest a carved
Chimaera spouting golden flames, which golden spout of flames, with the
Chimaera's wings, formed the support from which waved his crimson plume,
all of brilliantly dyed ostrich feathers. His corselet was similarly
gilded or, perhaps, like the helmet, even of pure gold hammered and
chased, adorned with depictions of the battles of the gods and giants
above, and below with Trajan's victories ove