an appearance, and partly for this very reason, since it did not seem to us to be safe to hide at home, for fear that act in itself might arouse suspicion.  So when bath [Footnote:  Reading [Greek:  leloumenoi] (Reiske) for the MS. [Greek:  dedoulomenoi].] and dinner were both over, we pushed our way through the soldiers, entered the senate-house, and heard the potentate deliver a characteristic speech, in the course of which he said:  “I see that you need a ruler, and I myself am better fitted than any one else to direct you.  And I should mention all the advantages I can offer, if you did not know them perfectly and had not already had experience with me.  Consequently, I felt no need of being attended by many soldiers, but have come to you alone, that you may ratify what has been given me by them.”  “I am here alone” is what he said, when he had surrounded the entire exterior of the senate-house with heavily armed men and had a number of soldiers in the senate-house itself.  Moreover, he mentioned our being aware what kind of person he was, and made us both hate and fear him.

[Sidenote:—­13—­] In this way he got his imperial power confirmed also by decrees of the senate and returned to the palace.  Finding the dinner that had been prepared for Pertinax he made great fun of it, and sending out to every place from which by any means whatever something expensive could be procured at that time of day he satisfied his hunger (the corpse was still lying in the building) and then proceeded to amuse himself by dicing.  Among his companions was Pylades the dancer.  The next day we went up to visit him, feigning in looks and behavior much that we did not feel, so as not to let our grief be detected.  The populace, however, openly frowned upon the affair, spoke its mind as much at it pleased, and was ready to do what it could.  Finally, when he came to the senate-house and was about to sacrifice to Janus before the entrance, all bawled out as if by preconcerted arrangement, terming him empire-plunderer and parricide.  He affected not to be angry and promised them some money, whereupon they grew indignant at the implication that they could be bribed and all cried out together:  “We don’t want it, we won’t take it!” The surrounding buildings echoed back the shout in a way to make one shudder.  When Julianus had heard their response, he could endure it no longer, but ordered that those who stood nearest should be slain.  That excited the populace a great deal more, and it did not cease expressing its longing for Pertinax or its abuse of Julianus, its invocations of the gods or its curses upon the soldiers.  Though many were wounded and killed in many parts of the city, they continued to resist and finally seized weapons and made a rush into the hippodrome.  There they spent the night and the ensuing day without food or drink, calling upon the remainder of the soldiery (especially Pescennius Niger and his followers in Syria) with prayers for assistance.  Later, feeling the effects of their outcries and fasting and loss of sleep, they separated and kept quiet, awaiting the hoped for deliverance from abroad.