ver shall be the consequence of the attempt; nor, let
them be ever so great, will I put them off any longer: for, to a wise
and courageous man, what can be more miserable than that, while I am
alive, any one else should kill Caius, and deprive me of the honor of so
virtuous an action?"

13. When Cherea had spoken thus, he zealously set about the work, and
inspired courage into the rest to go on with it, and they were all eager
to fall to it without further delay. So he was at the palace in the
morning, with his equestrian sword girt on him; for it was the custom
that the tribunes should ask for the watchword with their swords on,
and this was the day on which Cherea was, by custom, to receive the
watchword; and the multitude were already come to the palace, to be
soon enough for seeing the shows, and that in great crowds, and one
tumultuously crushing another, while Caius was delighted with this
eagerness of the multitude; for which reason there was no order observed
in the seating men, nor was any peculiar place appointed for the
senators, or for the equestrian order; but they sat at random, men and
women together, and free-men were mixed with the slaves. So Caius came
out in a solemn manner, and offered sacrifice to Augustus Caesar, in
whose honor indeed these shows were celebrated. Now it happened, upon
the fall of a certain priest, that the garment of Asprenas, a senator,
was filled with blood, which made Caius laugh, although this was an
evident omen to Asprenas, for he was slain at the same time with Caius.
It is also related that Caius was that day, contrary to his usual
custom, so very affable and good-natured in his conversation, that
every one of those that were present were astonished at it. After the
sacrifice was over, Caius betook himself to see the shows, and sat down
for that purpose, as did also the principal of his friends sit near him.
Now the parts of the theater were so fastened together, as it used to be
every year, in the manner following: It had two doors, the one door
led to the open air, the other was for going into, or going out of, the
cloisters, that those within the theater might not be thereby disturbed;
but out of one gallery there went an inward passage, parted into
partitions also, which led into another gallery, to give room to the
combatants and to the musicians to go out as occasion served. When the
multitude were set down, and Cherea, with the other tribunes, were set
down also, and