only than other boys, but than
the people that surrounded me.

"When the funeral procession began, my mother wished me to go with her
into the arcade where seats had been placed for the ladies to view, but I
refused to follow her. My father became angry. But when he heard me
declare that I was a man and the future Emperor, that I would rather see
nothing than show myself to the people among the women, he smiled. He
ordered Cilo, who was then the prefect of Rome, to lead me to the seats
of the past consuls and the old senators. I was delighted at this; but
when he allowed my younger brother Geta to follow me, my pleasure was
entirely spoiled."

"And you were then five years old?" asked Melissa, astonished.

"That surprises you!" smiled Caracalla. "But I had already traveled
through half the empire, and had experienced more than other boys of
twice my age. I was, at any rate, still child enough to forget everything
else in the brilliant spectacle that unfolded before my eyes. I remember
to this day the colored wax statue which represented Pertinax so exactly
that it might have been himself risen from the grave. And the procession!
It seemed to have no end; one new thing followed another. All walked past
in mourning robes, even the choir of singing boys and men. Cilo explained
to me who had made the statues of the Romans who had served their
country, who the artists and scholars were, whose statues and busts were
carried by. Then came bronze groups of the people of every nation in the
empire, in their costumes. Cilo told me what they were called, and where
they lived; he then added that one day they would all belong to me; that
I must learn the art of fighting, in case they resisted me, and should
require suppressing. Also, when they carried the flags of the guilds
past, when the horse and foot soldiers, the race-horses from the circus
and several other things came by, he continued to explain them. I only
remember it now because it made me so happy. The old man spoke to me
alone; he regarded me alone as the future sovereign. He left Geta to eat
the sweets which his aunts had given him, and when I too wanted some my
brother refused to let me have any. Then Cilo stroked my hair, and said:
'leave him his toys. When you are a man you shall have the whole Roman
Empire for your own, and all the nations I told you of.' Geta meanwhile
had thought better of it, and pushed some of the sweetmeats toward me. I
would not have them, a