inquired about the weather, and expresses his satisfaction when he heard that the sun had risen with
burnings rays, but was now veiled in threatening clouds. his first visit led him to the court of sacrifice.
the offerings had fallen out most favourably, and he rejoiced at the fresh and healthy appearance of the
bullocks hearts and lives which the augurs showed him. in the stomach of one of the oxen they had
found a flint arrow head, and on showing it to caracalla, he laughed , and observed to the high priest
timotheus: a shaft from eross quiver a hint from the god to offer him a sacrifice on this happy day.
after his bath he caused himself to be arrayed with peculiar care, and then gave orders for the
admittance, first, of the perfect of the praetorians, and then of melissa, for whom a mass of gorgeous
flowers stood ready. but macrinus was not to be found, although caesar had commanded him yesterday
to give in his report before doing anything else. he had twice come to the antechamber, but had gone
away again shortly before, and had not yet returned. determined to let nothing damp his spirits, caesar
merely shrugged his shoulders, and gave orders to admit the maiden, and should they have
accompanied her her father and brother. but neither melissa nor the men had appeared as yet, though
caracalla distinctly remembered having commanded all three to visit him after the bath, which he had
taken several hours later than usual. vexed, and yet endeavoring to keep his temper, he went to the
window. the sky was overcast, and a sharp wind from the sea drove the first rain drops in his face. in
the wide square at his feet a spectacle presented istself which would have delighted him at another time,
when in better spirits. the younger men of the city as many as were of greek extraction were trooping
in. they were divided into companies, according to the wrestling schools or the circus and other societies
to which they belonged. the youths marched apart from the married men, and one could see that they
came gladly, and hoped for much enjoyment from the events of the day. some of the others looked less
delighted. they were unaccustomed to obey the orders of a despot, and many were ill pleased to lose a
whole day from their work or business. but no one was permitted to absent himself; for,when the chief
citizens had invited the emperor to visit their wrestling schools, he replied that he preferred to inspect
the entire male youths of alexandria in the stadium. this was situated close by his residence in the
serapeum, and in this great space a spectacle would be afforded to him at one glance, which he could
otherwise only enjoy by journeying laboriously from one gymnasium to another. he loved the strong
effects produced by great masses; and being on the race course, the wrestlers and boxers, the runners
and discus throwers, could give proof of their strength, dexterity, and endurance. it occured to him
at the moment that among these youths and men there might be some of the descendants of the warriors
who, under the command of the great alexander, had conquered the world. here, then, was an
opportunity of gathering round him rejuvenated and, so to speak, born anew those troops who, under
the guidance of the man whose mission on earth he was destined to accomplish, had won such deathless
victories. that was a pleasure he had every right to permit himself, and he wished to show to melissa
the re created military forces of him to whom, in a former existence, as roxana, she had been so dear.
quick as ever to suit the dead to the word, he at once ordered the head citizens to assemble the youth
of alexandria on the morning of the day in question, and to form them into a macedonian phalanx. he
wished to inspect them in the stadium, and they were now marching thither. he had ordered helmets,
shileds, and lances to be made after well known macedonian patterns and to be distributed to the new
hellenic legion. later on they might be intrusted with the guarding of the city, should there be a
parthian war; and he required the attendance of the alexandrian garrison. the inspection of this greek
regiment would be certain to give pleasure to melissa. he expected,too,to see alexander among them.
when once his beloved shared the purple with him, he could raise her brother to the command of this
chosen phalanx. troop after troop streamed on to the course, and he thought he had seldom seen
anything finer than these slender youths, marching along with elastic step, and garlands in their
black, brown, or golden locks. when the young noblemen who belonged to the school of timagetes filed
past him, he took such delight in the beauty of their heads, the wonderful symmetry of their limbs
