rateful inhabitants declared that under him the Nile was more than
usually bountiful, and that its waters always rose to their just height.
But in the latter part of the reign the Egyptians smarted severely under
that cruel principle of a despotic monarchy that every prefect, every
sub-prefect, and even every deputy tax-gatherer, might be equally
despotic in his own department.

[Illustration: 058.jpg COIN OF COSSYRA]

On a coin of the thirteenth year of the reign of this ruler, we see a
ship with the word _emperor-bearer_, being that in which he then sailed
into Greece, or in which the Alexandrians thought that he would visit
their city. But if they had really hoped for his visit as a pleasure,
they must have thought it a danger escaped when they learned his
character; they must have been undeceived when the prefect Caecinna
Tuscus was punished with banishment for venturing to bathe in the bath
which was meant for the emperor's use if he had come on his projected
visit.

During the first century and a half of Roman sway in Egypt the school
of Alexandria was nearly silent. We have a few poems by Leonides of
Alexandria, one of which is addressed to the Empress Poppaea, as the wife
of Jupiter, on his presenting a celestial globe to her on her birthday.
Pamphila wrote a miscellaneous history of entertaining stories, and her
lively, simple style makes us very much regret its loss. Chaeremon, a
Stoic philosopher, had been, during the last reign, at the head of the
Alexandrian library, but he was removed to Rome as one of the tutors to
the young Nero.

[Illustration: 059.jpg COIN OF NERO]

He is ridiculed by Martial for writing in praise of death, when, from
age and poverty, he was less able to enjoy life. We still possess a
most curious though short account by him of the monastic habits of the
ancient Egyptians. He also wrote on hieroglyphics, and a small fragment
containing his opinion of the meanings of nineteen characters still
remains to us. But he is not always right; he thinks the characters were
used allegorically for thoughts, not for sounds; and fancies that the
priests used them to keep secret the real nature of the gods.

He was succeeded at the museum by his pupil Dionysius, who had the
charge of the library till the reign of Trajan. Dionysius was also
employed by the prefect as a secretary of state, or, in the language of
the day, secretary to the embassies, epistles, and answers. He was the
author of the