Great heavens, what a sight!  What a miracle!  What a transformation in my whole destiny!  I had already begun to look upon myself as a vassal of Proserpine, a bondsman of Hades, and now I could only gasp in impotent amazement at the suddenness of the change; words fail me to express fittingly the astounding metamorphosis.  For the bodies of my butchered victims were nothing more nor less than three inflated bladders, whose sides still bore the scars of numerous punctures, which, as I recalled my battle of the previous night, were situated at the very points where I had inflicted gaping wounds upon my adversaries.  Hereupon the hilarity, which up to this point had been fairly held in check, swept through the crowd like a conflagration.  Some gave themselves up helplessly to an unrestrained extravagance of merriment; others did their best to control themselves, holding their aching sides with both hands.  And having all laughed until they could laugh no more, they passed out of the theater, their backward glances still centered upon me.

From the moment that I had drawn down that funeral pall I stood fixed as if frozen into stone, as powerless to move as anyone of the theater’s statues or columns.  Nor did I come out of my stupor until Milo, my host, himself approached and clapping me on the shoulder, drew me away with gentle violence, my tears now flowing freely and sobs choking my voice.  He led me back to the house by a roundabout way through the least frequented streets, doing his best meanwhile to soothe my nerves and heal my wounded feelings.  But nothing he could say availed to lessen my bitter indignation at having been made so undeservedly ridiculous.  But all at once the magistrates themselves, still wearing their insignia of office, arrived at the house and made personal amends in the following words: 

“We are well aware, Master Lucius, both of your own high merit and that of your family, for the renown of your name extends throughout the land.  Accordingly, you must understand that the treatment which you so keenly resent was in no sense intended as an insult.  Therefore, banish your present gloomy mood and dismiss all anger from your mind.  For the festival, which we solemnly celebrate with each returning year in honor of the God of Laughter, must always depend upon novelty for its success.  And so our god, who owes you so great a debt to-day, decrees that his favoring presence shall follow you wherever you go, and that your cheerful countenance shall everywhere be a signal for hilarity.  The whole city, out of gratitude, bestows upon you exceptional honors, enrolling your name as one of its patrons, and decreeing that your likeness in bronze shall be erected as a perpetual memorial of to-day.”

PLINY, THE YOUNGER

Letter to Sura