The centurion had just said farewell to the last of his cohort, when the prefect, with the legate Quintus Flavius Nobilior, who commanded the legion, and several other higher officers, appeared among them.  Macrinus greeted them briefly, and, instead of having the tuba blown as usual and letting them fall into their ranks, he told them to gather close round him, the centurions in front.  He then disclosed to them the emperor’s secret orders.  Caesar, he began, had long exercised patience and mercy, but the insolence and malice of the Alexandrians knew no bounds; therefore, in virtue of his power over life and death, he had pronounced judgment upon them.  To them as being nearest to his person he handed over the most remunerative part of the work of punishment.  Whomsoever they found on the Kanopic way, the greatest and richest thoroughfare of the city, they were to cut down as they would the rebellious inhabitants of a conquered town.  Only the women and children and the slaves were to be spared.  If for this task, a hideous one at best, they chose to pay themselves out of the treasures of the citizens, nobody would blame them.

A loud cheer followed these orders, and many an eye gleamed brighter.  Even the coolest among them seemed to see a broad, deep pool of blood into which he need only dip his hand and bring out something worth the catching.  And the fish that were to be had there were not miserable carp, but heavy gold and silver vessels, and coins and magnificent ornaments.  Macrinus then proceeded to inform the higher and lower officers of the course of action he had agreed upon with the emperor and Zminis.  Seven trumpet-blasts from the terrace of the Serapeum would give the signal for the attack to begin.  Then they were to advance, maniple on maniple; but they were not required to keep their ranks—­each man had his own work to do.  The legion was to assemble again at sunset at the Gate of the Sun, at the eastern end of the road, after having swept it from end to end.

By order of the emperor, each man, however, must be particularly careful whom he cut down in any hiding-place, for Caesar wished to give the following Alexandrians—­who had sinned most flagrantly against him—­the benefit of a trial, and they must therefore be taken alive.  He then named the gem-cutter Heron, his son Alexander, and his daughter Melissa, the Alexandrian senator Polybius, his son Diodoros, and the wife of Seleukus.

He described them as well as he was able.  For each one Caesar promised a reward of three thousand drachmas, and for Heron’s daughter twice as much, but only on condition of their being delivered up unhurt.  It would therefore be to their own advantage to keep their eyes open in the houses, and to be cautious.  Whoever should take the daughter of the gem-cutter—­and he described Melissa once more—­would render a special service to Caesar and might reckon on promotion.