festival was over, the charioteer was accused of some disgraceful crime,
and being found guilty, was thrown into prison by Botheric. In a body
the populace surged up to the house of the Governor and demanded his
release. But Botheric was not the man to be turned from what he knew to
be right by an excited crowd. He absolutely refused to give way, and
told them that the man had deserved the punishment he had given him, and
more too. Then the passion of the mob broke loose. They attacked the
Governor's house and the houses of all who were in authority. The
soldiers who were ordered out were too few to cope with their violence.
In the struggle Botheric was killed, and many of his friends also, and
their bodies subjected to every kind of insult that madness could
suggest.

* * * * *

Theodosius was in Milan when the news reached him, and after a few
moments of stony horror he was seized with such terrific passion that it
almost seemed as if he would die of rage. At last he spoke; to those who
stood around the voice sounded as the voice of a stranger.

'The crime was committed by the whole town,' he said, 'and the whole
town shall suffer.' Then, and without giving himself time to change his
mind, he sat down and wrote the order for a massacre to one of the few
magistrates left alive.

His words were probably reported to Ambrose, and no doubt the bishop
tried his best to calm the wrath of the emperor. But Theodosius was in
no mood to be reasoned with. He declined to see his friend, and left
Milan, shutting himself up in silence till the terrible tale of
vengeance was told.

In obedience to his instructions, games, and especially chariot races,
were announced to take place in the circus. We do not know if the mob
had broken open the prison and released the charioteer in whose honour
so much blood had been shed; but if so we may be sure that he was
present, and was hailed with shouts of welcome. The circus was crowded
from end to end--not a single seat was vacant. The eyes of the
spectators were fixed on the line of chariots drawn up at the
starting-point, and drivers and lookers-on awaited breathlessly the
signal. In their absorption they never noticed that soldiers had drawn
silently up and had surrounded them. A moment later, and a signal was
indeed given, but it was the signal for one of the bloodiest massacres
that ever shocked the ancient world. Probably the authorities who
carried out