This eBook was produced by David Widger <widger@cecomet.net>
[NOTE: There is a short list of bookmarks, or pointers, at the end of thefile for those who may wish to sample the author's ideas before making anentire meal of them. D.W.]
THE EMPEROR, Part 2.
By Georg Ebers
The entertainment which Verus was giving on the eve of his birthdayseemed to be far from drawing to an end, even at the beginning of thethird hour of the morning. Besides the illustrious and learned Romanswho had accompanied the Emperor to Alexandria, the most famous anddistinguished Alexandrians had also been invited by the praetor. Thesplendid banquet had long been ended, but jar after jar of mixed wine wasstill being filled and emptied. Verus himself had been unanimouslychosen as the king and leader of the feast. Crowned with a rich garland,he reclined on a couch strewn with rose-leaves, an invention of his own,and formed of four cushions piled one on another. A curtain oftransparent gauze screened him from flies and gnats, and a tightly-wovenmat of lilies and other flowers covered his feet and exhaled sweet odorsfor him and for the pretty singer who sat by his side.
Pretty boys dressed as little cupids watched every sign of the 'sham
Eros.'
How indolently he lay on the deep, soft cushions! And yet his eyes wereevery where, and though he had not failed to give due consideration tothe preparations for his feast, he devoted all the powers of his mind tothe present management of it. As at the entertainments which Hadrian wasaccustomed to give in Rome, first of all short selections from new essaysor poems were recited by their authors, then a gay comedy was performed;then Glycera, the most famous singer in the city, had sung a dithyramb toher harp, in a voice as sweet as a bell, and Alexander, a skilledperformer on the trigonon, had executed a piece. Finally a troop offemale dancers had rushed into the room and swayed and balancedthemselves to the music of the double-flute and tambourine.
Each fresh amusement had been more loudly applauded than the last. Withevery jar of wine a new torrent of merriment went up through the openingin the roof, by which the scent of the flowers and of the perfume burnton beautiful little altars found an exit into the open air. The wineoffered in libations to the gods already lay in broad pools upon the hardpavement of the hall, the music and singing were drowned in shouts thefeast had become an orgy.
Verus was inciting the more quiet or slothful of his guests to a freerenjoyment and encouraging the noisiest in their extravagant recklessnessto still more unbridled license. At the same time he bowed to each onewho drank to his health, entertained the singer who sat by his side,flung a sparkling jest into one and another silent group, and proved tothe learned men who reclined on their couches near to his that wheneverit was possible he took an interest in their discussions. Alexandria,the focus of all the learning of the East and the West, had seen otherfestivals than this riotous banquet. Indeed, even here a vein of graveand wise discourse flavored the meal of the circle that belonged to theMuseum; but the senseless revelry of Rome had found its way into thehouses of the rich, and even the noblest achievements of the human mindhad been made, unawares, subservient to mere enjoyment. A man was aphilosopher only that he might be prompt to discuss and always ready totake his share in the talk; and at a banquet a well-told anecdote wasmore heartily welcome than some profound ide