![]() Petronius, after some time, raised to his nostrils in silence his palm odorous with verbena, and seemed to be meditating on something. Gigantic Africans bore the litter and moved on, preceded by slaves called pedisequii. ![]() Petronius’s “insula” lay on the southern slope of the Palatine, near the so-called Carinse their nearest way, therefore, was below the Forum but since Petronius wished to step in on the way to see the jeweller Idomeneus, he gave the direction to carry them along the Vicus Apollinis and the Forum in the direction of the Vicus Sceleratus, on the corner of which were many tabernae of every kind. The litter was waiting long since hence they took their places, and Petronius gave command to bear them to the Vicus Patricius, to the house of Aulus. ![]() “Thou wilt not believe,” said he, “how it enlivens and freshens one. In half an hour he came out, and, having given command to bring verbena, he inhaled the perfume and rubbed his hands and temples with it. Petronius withdrew then to the cubiculum, but did not sleep long. Vinicius recognized the justice of these words and the two men began to walk, speaking in a careless manner of what was to be heard on the Palatine and in the city, and philosophizing a little upon life. At the same time it is pleasant to hear the noise of the fountain in the atrium, and, after the obligatory thousand steps, to doze in the red light which filters in through the purple half-drawn velarium.” In autumn it is still hot, and people arc glad to sleep after eating. The afternoon hours are most proper, - not earlier, however, than that one when the sun passes to the side of Jove’s temple on the Capitol and begins to look slantwise on the Forum. “There are, it is true,” said he, “people who begin to visit their acquaintances about sunrise, thinking that custom an old Roman one, but I look on this as barbarous. According to him, it was too early for visits yet. Avrza a refreshment, which was called the morning meal and to which the two friends sat down at an hour when common mortals were abeady long past their midday prandium, Petronius proposed a light doze.
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