ent in visiting the
provinces of his wide empire; and, after he had passed through Thrace
and Asia Minor, Egypt had the misfortune to be honoured by a visit from
its emperor. The satirical Alexandrians, who in the midst of their own
follies and vices were always clever in lashing those of their rulers,
had latterly been turning their unseemly jokes against Caracalla. They
had laughed at his dressing like Achilles and Alexander the Great, while
in his person he was below the usual height; and they had not forgotten
his murder of his brother, and his talking of marrying his own mother.
Some of these dangerous witticisms had reached his ears at Rome, and
they were not forgotten. But Caracalla never showed his displeasure;
and, as he passed through Antioch, he gave out that he was going to
visit the city founded by Alexander the Great, and to consult the oracle
in the temple of Serapis.

The Alexandrians in their joy got ready the hecatombs for his
sacrifices; and the emperor entered their city through rows of torches
to the sound of soft music, while the air was sweetened with costly
scents, and the road scattered with flowers. After a few days he
sacrificed in the temple of Serapis, and then visited the tomb of
Alexander, where he took off his scarlet cloak, his rings, and his
girdle covered with precious stones, and dutifully laid them on the
sarcophagus of the hero. The Alexandrians were delighted with their
visitor; and crowds flocked into the city to witness the daily and
nightly shows, little aware of the unforgiving malice that was lurking
in his mind.

The emperor then issued a decree that all the youths of Alexandria of an
age to enter the army should meet him in a plain on the outside of the
city; they had already a Macedonian and a Spartan phalanx, and he was
going to make an Alexandrian phalanx. Accordingly the plain was filled
with thousands of young men, who were ranged in bodies according to
their height, their age, and their fitness for bearing arms, while their
friends and relations came in equal numbers to be witnesses of their
honour.

The emperor moved through their ranks, and was loudly greeted with their
cheers, while the army which encircled the whole plain was gradually
closing round the crowd and lessening the circle. When the ring was
formed, Caracalla withdrew with his guards and gave the looked-for
signal. The soldiers then lowered their spears and charged on the
unarmed crowd, of whom a par