a long and extensive digression from the affairs
of the city, being constrained by the abundance of events which took
place abroad; and now I will return to give a cursory sketch of them,
beginning with the tranquil and moderate exercise of the prefect's
authority by Olybrius, who never forgot the rights of humanity, but was
continually anxious and careful that no word or deed of his should ever
be harsh or cruel. He was a merciless punisher of calumnies; he
restrained the exactions of the treasury wherever he could; he was a
careful discriminator of right and wrong; an equitable judge, and very
gentle towards those placed under his authority.

2. But all these good qualities were clouded by one vice which, though
not injurious to the commonwealth, was very discreditable to a judge of
high rank; namely, that his private life was one of great luxury,
devoted to theatrical exhibitions, and to amours, though not such as
were either infamous or incestuous.

3. After him Ampelius succeeded to the government of the city; he also
was a man addicted to pleasure, a native of Antioch, and one who from
having been master of the offices was twice promoted to a proconsulship,
and sometime afterwards to that supreme rank, the prefecture. In other
respects he was a cheerful man, and one admirably suited to win the
favour of the people; though sometimes over-severe, without being as
firm in his purposes as might have been wished. Had he been, he would
have corrected, though perhaps not effectually, the gluttonous and
debauched habits which prevailed; but, as it was, by his laxity of
conduct, he lost a glory which otherwise might have been enduring.

4. For he had determined that no wine-shop should be opened before the
fourth hour of the day; and that none of the common people, before a
certain fixed hour, should either warm water or expose dressed meat for
sale; and that no one of respectable rank should be seen eating in
public.

5. Since these unseemly practices, and others still worse, owing to long
neglect and connivance, had grown so frequent that even Epimenides of
Crete, if, according to the fabulous story, he could have risen from the
dead and returned to our times, would have been unable by himself to
purify Rome; such deep stains of incurable vices overwhelmed it.

6. And in the first place we will speak of the faults of the nobles, as
we have already repeatedly done as far as our space permitted; and then
we will proce