report. Caracalla, of his own accord, pledged his word once more to keep
his oath, and then Alexander assured him that he knew no more than Caesar
who were the authors of the epigrams which he had picked up here and
there; and, though the satire they contained was venomous in some cases,
still he, the sovereign of the world, stood so high that he could laugh
them to scorn, as Socrates had laughed when Aristophanes placed him on
the stage.

Caesar declared that he scorned these flies, but that their buzzing
annoyed him.

Alexander rejoiced at this, and only expressed his regret that most of
the epigrams he had collected turned on the death of Caesar's brother
Geta. He knew now that it was rash to condemn a deed which--

Here Caesar interrupted him, for he could not long remain quiet, saying
sternly:

"The deed was needful, not for me, but for the empire, which is dearer to
me than father, mother, or a hundred brothers, and a thousand times
dearer than men's opinions. Let me hear in what form the witty natives
of this city express their disapproval."

This sounded so dignified and gracious that Alexander ventured to repeat
a distich which he had heard at the public baths, whither he had first
directed his steps. It did not, however, refer to the murder of Geta,
but to the mantle-like garment to which Caesar owed the nickname of
Caracalla. It ran thus:

"Why should my lord Caracalla affect a garment so ample?