that Claudius Pompeianus the elder never appeared,
but sent his sons, remaining away himself. He chose rather to be put to
death for this than to behold the child of Marcus as emperor conducting
himself so.--Besides all the rest that we did, we shouted whatever we were
bidden and this sentence continuously: "Thou art lord, and thou art
foremost, of all most fortunate: thou dost conquer, thou shalt conquer;
from everlasting, Amazonian, thou dost conquer!"

Of the rest of the people many did not even enter the theatre and some
managed to steal out quietly, for they were partly ashamed of what was
being done and partly afraid. A story was current that he would like to
shoot a few of them as Hercules had the Stymphalian birds. This story was
believed, too, because once he had gathered all the men in the city who by
disease or some other calamity had lost their feet, had fastened some
dragon's extremities about their knees, and after giving them sponges to
throw instead of stones had killed them with blows of a club, on the
pretence that they were giants.

[Sidenote:--21--] This fear was shared by all, both us and the rest. Here
is another way in which he menaced us senators,--an act which he certainly
expected would be the death of us. He had killed an ostrich, and cutting
off its head he came toward where we were sitting. In his left hand he
held the spoils and in the right stretched aloft his bloody sword. He
spoke not a word, but with a grin wagged his head to and fro, intimating
that he would subject us to this same treatment. And many on the spot
would have perished by the sword for laughing at him (for it was laughter
and not grief that overcame us), had I not myself chewed a laurel leaf,
which I got from my garland, and brought the rest who were sitting near me
to munch similar sprigs, so that in the constant motion of our jaws we
might conceal the fact that we were laughing. After this occurrence he
raised our spirits, since before fighting again as a gladiator he bade us
enter the theatre in the equestrian garb and with woolen cloaks. (This was
something we never do when going into the theatre unless some emperor has
passed away). And on the last day his helmet was carried out by the gates
through which the dead are taken out. That made us all without exception
think that he was surely about to meet his end in some way.

[Sidenote:--22--] And he did die (or rather was despatched) before a great
while. Laetus and