among other things: "I saw a certain baldheaded
senator taking a peep there." On hearing this we all became
terror-stricken, for neither had the man spoken nor Severus written any
one's name. In their state of panic even those who had never visited the
house of Apronianus, and not only the baldheaded but those whose foreheads
were indifferently bare grew afraid. No one felt easy save those who had
unusually thick hair. We all looked around at such men, and a whisper ran
about: "It's so-and-so. No, it's so-and-so." I will not conceal how I was
then affected, however absurd it may be. I felt with my hand to see
whether I had any hair on my head; and a number of others behaved in the
very same way. We were very careful to direct our gaze upon baldish
persons as if we could thereby divert our own danger upon them. This we
did until it was further read that the particular baldhead in question
wore a purple toga. When this statement came out, we turned our eyes upon
Baebius Marcellinus. He had been aedile at the time and was extremely
bald. So he stood up and coming forward said: "He will certainly be able
to point me out, if he has seen me." We commended this speech, the
informer was brought in while the senator stood by, and for a long time
was silent, looking about for the man to point out. Finally, following the
direction of an almost imperceptible nod that somebody gave, he said that
this was he.

[Sidenote:--9--] Thus was Marcellinus convicted of a baldhead's peeping,
[Footnote: The phrase [Greek: phalakrou parakupseos] has a humorous ring
to it, and I am inclined to believe, especially considering the situation,
that Dio had in his mind while writing this the familiar proverb [Greek:
honou parakupseos], a famous response given by a careless ass-driver,
whose animal being several rods in advance of its lagging master had stuck
its head into an open doorway and thereby scattered the nucleus of a
promising aviary. The fellow was haled to court to answer to a charge of
contributory negligence and when some bystander asked him for what misdeed
he had been brought to that place, he rejoined with a great air of injured
innocence: "For an ass's peeping!"] and bewailing his fate he was
conducted out of the senate-house. When he had passed through the Forum,
he refused to advance farther, but right where he was took leave of his
children, four in number, and uttered this most affecting speech: "There
is only one thing that I am