Up till this time the boy has worn a toga with a purple edge, and also the gold amulet-case round his neck.  The time has, however, come for him to be regarded as a man—­not indeed free of his father’s authority, but free to walk about without a bear-leader, to marry, if his father so desires, or to decide upon a career.  Accordingly, on the 17th of March by preference, he will put away the outward insignia of boyhood, dedicate his amulet to the household gods, and will don the all-white toga of a man.  The relatives, friends, and clients will gather at the house, and, after offering their congratulations, will escort the youth to the Capitol, and thence down to the Forum, where his appearance in this manner will be accompanied by introductions and a recognition on all sides that he is now “of age.”  At the Record Office the name of “Publius Silius Bassus, son of Quintus,” is recorded with due fulness of description, and he ranks henceforth as one of the citizens of Rome.

After this little ceremony of coming of age, a number of the young men apparently did nothing.  The sons of poorer parents have long ago gone to their work in their various trades.  Those of the more well-to-do may—­and, if they are afterwards to seek public office, they must—­now undertake military service amid the conditions which are to be described in the next chapter.  Others, being of a more studious turn, will proceed to complete their education by going abroad to one or other of the great seats of philosophic study which corresponded to our universities.  Philosophy meant to the Roman a guide to the direction of life.  Roman religion, upon which we shall hereafter dwell in some detail, consisted of a number of forms and ceremonies, or acts of recognition paid to the deities; it embodied certain traditional principles of duty to family and state; but otherwise it exercised very little influence on the conduct of life.  So far as such guidance was supplied at all, it was by moral philosophy, the treatment of which, as it was understood at this date, is bound up with that of religion and must wait till we reach that subject.  It is true that there were professional teachers of philosophy at Rome itself, but the metropolis was not their chief resort, any more than, until recently, London would have been recognised as a seat of university learning of the front rank.  It is also true that many great houses maintained a domestic philosopher, who not only helped in moulding the tone of the master of the house and afforded him intellectual company, but might act as private philosophic tutor to his son.  But for the most part this highest instruction was rather to be sought in cities specially noted for their assemblage of professors and lecturers.  Chief among these figured Athens, Rhodes, Tarsus, Antioch, Alexandria, and Marseilles.  At Naples also might be found a large number of men of learning, but they were chiefly persons who had retired from professional life, and