e Norican legionaries carrying the surrendered
standards of the disbanded Praetorian Guard; not held aloft, but trailed,
half inverted.

Then, amid roars of cheers, came Severus himself, habited not in his
general's regalia, but in the gorgeous Imperial robes, as if already in
the Palace and about to give a public levee. Though thus clad as in time
of peace and walking all the way on foot, he was hedged about by his
faithful six hundred, every man stepping alertly, helmet-plumes waving,
helmets glittering, shields gleaming, spear-points asparkle, kilt-straps
flapping, scabbards clanking, a grim advertisement of irresistible power.

After this guard walked our entire Senate, and, as the Emperor and Senate
acknowledged the acclamations of the onlookers, passing amid thunders of
cheering, behind we saw a long serpent ribbon of Illyrian legionaries,
every man fully armed and armored as for instant battle, their even tramp
sounding grim and monotonous when the cheerers paused for breath, their
resistless might manifest. Indubitably Rome belonged to Severus, he was
our master.

Falco, hopeful, yet awed, said little. Once inside his housewalls he fled
to his beloved gems and solaced himself with them till it was time for his
bath, which he took in his private bathrooms. He and I dined alone and
talked chiefly of our hopes of the new Emperor. Falco particularly
remarked his appearance of hard commonsense, ruthless decision and flinty
resolve.

Next day, soon after dawn, we heard many rumors of disorders by the
Illyrian troops, of their having used temples for barracks that night, of
cook-shops forced to feed them without payment, of shops plundered and
pedestrians robbed. Naturally the entire household kept indoors, except
such slaves as went out for fresh vegetables, fruits and fish. I solaced
myself by reading the Tragedies of Ennius. I read parts of his Hector,
Achilles, Neoptolemus, Ajax and Andromache, with much emotion, and
especially the Bellerophon, forgetting everything else. Then I slept until
late in the afternoon.

Waking I bathed unhurriedly and then went to call Falco, who liked to
bathe at the last possible moment before dinner. I walked round the rear
gallery of the peristyle, sure of finding him among his jewels. The door
of the middle room was not shut, and barely ajar. Against the sill of the
door, on the brown and white mosaic pavement of the gallery, a glint of
color caught my eye. I stooped and picked