Furius Albinus says that after the flight at Mutina, on some lady asking
what Antony was doing, one of his friends replied, "What the dogs do in
Egypt--drink and run!" "It is well known," he adds, "that there the dogs
run while they drink, for fear of the crocodiles."

Avenienus says that the sister of Faustus, the son of Sylla, had two
lovers--one of them, Fulvius, the son of a fuller; the other Pomponius,
nick-named Spot. "I wonder," he said, "that my sister should have a
spot, when she has a fuller."

The remaining guests speak more at length, and their discourses occupy a
considerable portion of the book.

The example set by Martial gradually led to a considerable development
of epigrammatic literature. A humorous epigram survives, written by
Trajan on a man with a large nose:

"By placing your nose and gaping mouth opposite the sun
You will tell wayfarers the hour."

Justinian in the sixth century is supposed to have assisted Paul the
Silentiary--a sort of master of the ceremonies--in his compositions; but
it may be hoped that the Emperor was not an accomplice in producing the
impurities with which they are disfigured. Here and there, however, a
few sweet flowers are found in his poisonous garland. We may hope that
he often received such a cool welcome as that he commemorates in his
"Drenched Lover."

Hierocles and Philagrius are supposed to have lived in the fifth
century, but the jests and stories which bear their names seem to be
much later. They are based upon violations of the primary laws of nature
and mind, but have not the subtlety of the syllogistic quibbles, which
were the work of learned grammarians or the logicians of a better
period. Being little more than Bulls, they excite scarcely any emotion
and no laughter, although evincing a certain cleverness. The hero is
generally a "Scholastic," who is represented as a sort of fool. A friend
of Scholasticus going abroad asks him to buy him some books.
Scholasticus forgets all about it, and when he meets his friend on his
return, says, "By the way, I never received that letter you wrote about
the books." A man meeting Scholasticus says, "The slave you sold me
died." "Did he? By the gods," replied the other, "he never played me
that trick." Scholasticus meeting a friend exclaims, "Why, I heard you
were dead!" The other replies, "Well, I tell you that I'm alive." "Yes,"
persists Scholasticus, "but the man who told me so was more veracious
than you!