The Tour

the monumental, marble, nine-storeyed Pharos into the Great Harbour; and Alexandria lay before the eyes of the delighted travellers, Lucius, Thrasyllus, Catullus, shining pink through diaphanou

le sails of the legate's triremes; with the little island of Antirrhodos, behind which pillars and yet more pillars outlined more and more clearly the white theatre; with the bight of the Posidium, where stood the Temple of Poseidon and the great Emporium, the great market of the merchant shippers, while a pier ran into the harbour

nd industry, to the Heptastadium, the promenade-jetty which stretched out to unite the city with the island of Pharos, whence the light-house took its na

ne bird against another; and, as soon as the quadrireme glided in, she was surrounded by a host of sloops, filled with traders, with yelling Arabs and Nubians. The Aphrodite heaved to; a pilot came on board; then

n beggars, Greek students, priests of Serapis and Isis, Roman soldiers; and all pointed at the ship and streamed in unison to gaze at her in wide-eyed and open-mouthed admiration. For, though

beside the silver figure of Aphrodite, a

those ibises walking about on the quay, quiet and tame, pecking here and there, upon my word as though they were at home! Do you see the ibises, Thrasyllus? I thought that they just stood and dreamed on one leg, beside the Nile, like poetic birds ... and, the moment I arrive

o show his papers, when two men came hurrying across the gangway, which was hedged in by a guard of sailors to prote

who was his steward. "I am glad to see you again an

able lodgings at Alexandria and he seemed very well pleased with what he had found, for he pointed joyfully to the dark-skinned Sab?an, who had kept be

n their own gardens, with spacious annexes, near the guest-house proper; and I am convinced that, when we have put in our own furniture, they will afford a fit residence for you and the honourable

Lucius. "We shall not be too hard to p

very cold water and taps with very hot water. They are suites which I let only to princely nobles like your lordship; and I have had the honour of lodg

Lucius, trying to jest. "Kardu

mach. "But there is something that I want to ask you, Master Ghizla, something that neither his lordship nor Master Vettius wil

His Highness the Satrap Baabab often gave very sumptuous banquets and would invite his excellency the

uch water," said

ling-wax and fragrant as the own lotus of our Lady Isis, blessed be her name! We have also the rose-colou

Uncle Catullus, smacking his lips

athletic frame developed by wrestling exercise; and his dark eyes, though now veiled with melancholy and longing, gleamed with a deep spark of intelligence. Immensely rich, the sole heir of various relatives who had died childless, he had joined for but a short time in the mad orgies of the young Romans of his own rank and had soon devoted himself to many branches of science, to astronomy in particular, philosophy, magic, the favourite passion of that period; he amused himself with modelling and sculpture; as a collector, he loved

ore now, my dear fellow. There are our litters wa

s, my lord, bearers whom I reserve excl

"I will see to it that the furniture and baggage are conveyed from the ships to

ndria, especially because here they were accustomed to move quicker, at a trot, than in Rome, where the pace was statelier and slower. Master Ghizla, therefore, who would not fail to charge the litters and

nd how is our good Thrasyllus to accompany us? For he knows the city already from the writings of Eratosthenes and Strabo;

led for Master Thrasyllus," sa

ading-rein, stood waiting behind the l

unger brother Caleb, he will go in front of the noble lords and act as a guide with whom they wil

mpleted, mischievously. "Two pleasant,

younger man, was vivacious and sparkling, with dark eyes, flashing teeth and a gay, smiling mouth. He wore wide striped trousers of many colours,

ghed when she felt the red heels of Caleb's sandals in her flanks. So the procession started: first three ebon-black outrunners, with whips which they cracked right and left to make room, to drive barking dogs away and to keep beggars at a distance; then Cal

elegantly along upon his steed; the litter-bearers followed at a short, steady quick-trot; even Thrasyllus' donkey, as sober as a philosopher, trotted blithely on; and behind trotted the guards, shaking their sticks and flourishing their long whips. They trotted along th

boys scattered and the ibises scattered with

us, isn't it comical to see so many ibises walking

he back of his dancing donkey, "the

for all that! And they are counted among the sacr

runners trotting behind circled, it is true, around the street-boys but ever spared the

raceful equestrian performance on his

here; and a great nobleman like yourself need but make his choice and any hetaira in Alexandria will fall at his feet! This is the Moon Gate, my lord! And this is the High Street: behind it lies the Rhacotis quarter, which is very interesting at

shouting and laughing voices and cracking whips, while in the streets and squares the hucksters also shouted and laughed and swore, while the street-b

Rome in every way," thoug

t gestures and shrill voices; there the noisy gaiety of squabbling vegetable-women and bawling vendors of water-melons; suddenly, in a rage, the women flung cabbages at the vendors' heads and the vendors sent melons trundling between the women's legs; the cabbages and melons rolled across the street and the crowd yelled with enjoyment, while distinguished but still trotting processions of notables in litters or on horseback made a way for themselves. The cabbages and melons rolled in front of the feet of Lucius' bearers; and Caleb, rising in his stirrups with flapping burnous and uplifted arms, hardly holding the reins in his fingers while the mare reared on her hind-legs, poured fo

lls of ochre. The bearers splashed through purple and trotted on with purple-black feet. A golden whirl of dust in the morning sun powdered over these motley c

sycamores, bringing a sudden blissful calm and coolness and silver-green shadows. And now Caleb pointed to the famous lake, Lake Mareotis: it lay spread out like a sea, but was divided by isthmuses into smaller inl

b, with a wink, "hetair? for people like your lo

ers: there were families of basket-makers; the children weaving baskets and hampers looked up and cried out for an obolus. White lotus and pink

place for one like your lordship to enjoy himself: at Rhacotis there are only the common women an

Sun, which made a wide breach in the city-walls, a v

the Avenue of Pillar

the street; there were golden patches of light and blue-purple islands of shadow. And there was always the golden glitter of dust, as of the finest sand whirling through the air. Here were the hair-dressers and barbers; here were the baths, here the tailors'-shops w

um?" asked Caleb, still parading h

at rush to see them. Uncle Catullus threw oboli among the street-boys, who rolled over one another, fighting. Beg

d in front of the travellers, mincing elegantly on the tips of his red riding-boots and holding the hem of

ur lordships know, the Academy of Alexand

ispered to his young master. "It

e surrounded by thousands of disciples from all countries. But both masters and pupils are as poor

h as Euclid, Erasistratus and Diophantus; then there were the poets Theocritus, Aratus, C

ate: they're no use for anything, these learned gentry; but they are certainly clever, my lords, they're all that: you won't find their equals for cleverness anywhere. And the books they collect! Their library is quite famous.... Look," continued Caleb, pointing, "it is ju

, from which lectures were delivered at frequent intervals. The travellers entered the cenaculum, the refectory, which was wide, lofty and v

their broth; they are not epicures, they are only just clever, you see. They have more in thei

y stalk, in his toga. He smiled and mumbled words which at first were incomprehensible. From the fol

o be satisfied with little," he

ned away with the movement of a l

al!" cried Uncle Ca

ad and fruit. Sometimes, too, dogs snuffled around; and the men of learning flung them their offal, over which the dogs choked greedily. Two ibises also

et-boys and cracking of whips at beggars, the procession started, while Caleb, for no reason, insi

te teeth, he bent to one side, low enough al

dship now like

procession trotted to the Soma, the burying-place of the Ptolemies, where it lay in the cool shade of sycamores and tamarisks. A long avenue of r

the Ptolemies," said Caleb. "They are princely nobles and no d

hable palace of Osiris, where our dead monarchs now sit enthroned around him, their heads circled with the pschent and their hands grasping the scarab sceptre. And great Isis

ranean vault, invisible, the mummies rested in their painted sarcophagi; standing lamps burned on their tripods, perfumes rose in a cloud from vases and dishes; and daintily-coloured glass vessels, filled with oil, honey and fruit, stood on low bronze tables, while amphor? of consecrated water awaited the hour of the resurrection, when the dead should rise and be baptized into

son of Osiris and Isis, the radiant redeemer of mankind, who descended out of pity on a sinful world, bestrode Typhon, the grinni

morning seemed strange after the perfumed, sickly-sweet atmosphere of the sultry underground sepulchres. The priest in charge st

r of Macedon," said t

n this thick crystal, in a green watery light, where the flame of the lamps was mirrored in the glass, a mummy lay visible. It was like the chrysalis of a gigantic moth. The face was stained brown with balsam and s

pillow. The scarlet lips seemed to grin in the crisp golden beard an

against him; Perdiccas had hardly set foot in Egypt when he perished at the hands of his own soldiery on an island which had been surrounded by Ptolemy's troops. With Perdiccas were the royal family: Alexander's pregnant widow Roxana and her young children. They were allowed to embark for Macedon, but the body of Alexander the

andaged, with its feet in a sheath of gold filagree and its beryl eyes staring with surprise. Was this chrysalis all t

laugh at the genuineness of Alexander's body, to which he had already conducted

red sun-god, Ammon-Ra, descended upon earth. He lived to be thirty-three in this terrestrial life. But this life is a dream and dea

d, in a dif

es the charge is only on

ord!" smiled Caleb, with

t on speaking, with the gold co

an he is asked to give earns the favour of Thoth, w

how that he understood and dropped ano

morning outside seemed strange, with silver-green shado

he said to Thrasyll

is drowned, perhaps, in the sea ... and we shall

have heard philosophical and religious truths and we have seen the mummy of Alexander! I've really received too many new impressions. My brains are soaked like an overfull sponge: they can contain no more this morning. That sated condition of the head makes my stomach feel empty, as empty as my pocket when your liberality has forgotten to line it for your old uncle. My dear Lucius, when travell

behind a hedge of tall cactuses; the door opened between two figures of Hermes. Here sat the janitor, or porter; and the travellers were struck by the fact that a winged head of Hermes, in marble, crowned the

Ghizla also, standing beside a statue of Hermes in the middle of his garden

ted, but Caleb sat his mare, bowed gracefully a

you whatsoever you please ... for your lordship's pleasure and gratification. Whithe

up in the stirrups, waved his burnous, uttered a

mules. A Babylonian carpet lay upon the floor; the travellers' own beds were ready; in the corners of Lucius' bedroom stood bronze and marble statues, for no important Roman with any pretension to taste travelled without carrying a few of his treasures with him; and perfumes burned before the statues. There were curtains hanging from rings; and garments lay ready, neatly folded and strewn with fragrant flo

, and all the latest conveniences," bragged Ghizla, "w

' couch: there was in fact a marb

Master Ghizla, "i

the little black slave; all his slaves, male and female, all the great household without which no distinguished Roman thought it possible to live, even-indeed especially-when travelling. And, amid the female slaves, stood the Greek slave from Cos, Cora, with two other harpists; and they drew long, descending cords from their strings, wh

ho had so often diverted him with a merry jest, to lie down, lay down himself and motioned Thrasyllus, his friend and tutor, to a stool by his side, for, though Thrasyllus shared his pupil's mea

young tunnies, surrounded by savoury eggs, stuffed olives and finely chopped coxcombs; next, a sucking-pig served on bread-fruit and cucumbers; lastly, a honey-tart, covered with a cream custard containing stoned dates and cinnamon. They had the celebrated Mareotis wine, thick a

t still suffered and craved, while Thrasyllus was moderate as always. Then a legitimate