The Emperor — Volume 06 by Georg Ebers
page 35 of 56 (62%)
page 35 of 56 (62%)
![]() | ![]() |
|
looking keenly at the Emperor.
"Silenus,--a philosopher!" "Oh the two vociferous friends there go about even on other days naked and with ragged cloaks thrown over their lean shoulders. To-day they are feeding at the expense of rich Josephus." "Josephus! he must be a Jew and yet he is making a large hole in the ham." "There would be more swine in Cyrene if there were no Jews; they are Greeks like ourselves, and eat everything that is good." Hadrian went into the vacant room, lay down on a couch that stood by the wall, and urged the slaves who were busied in removing the dishes and vessels used by his predecessors, and which were swarming with flies. As soon as he was alone he listened to the conversation which was being carried on between Favorinus, Florus, and their Greek guests. He knew the two first very well, and not a word of what they were saying escaped his keen ear. Favorinus was praising the Alexandrians in a loud voice, but in flowing and elegantly-accented Greek. He was a native of Arelas--[Arles]--in Gaul, but no Hellene of them all could pour forth a purer flow of the language of Demosthenes than he. The self-reliant, keen, and vivacious natives of the African metropolis were far more to his taste than the Athenians; these dwelt only in, and for, the past; the Alexandrians rejoiced in the present. Here an independent spirit still survived, while on the shores of the Ilissus there were none but servile souls who |
|