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exitium I "Ruin I"
Domitia, having said this, Myropnous, who was accompanying his master, hurried to the
door. He looked out cautiously. Look! The whole street was filled with praetorian soldiers. Neither the sedan-chair, not
the doctor, nor the slaves were seen anywhere.
Myropnous, returning to the atrium, exclaimed "Its all over with us!
The praetorians are approaching! Soon they will enter here!"
Having found this out, he said, "Dont despair.
I have an idea. Myropnous, you must go to the door. Prevent the soldiers from entering. If they catch Domitia or me in
this place, they certainly will kill us. They tried to slip out through the back gate."
So Myropnous hurried to
close the door. Returning to the dining room, he began to hastily drag couches and tables into the entrance-way. He also
placed in a pile a chair from the atrium and beds from the bedrooms. Soon a huge pyre was built in the entrance-way.
The
praetorian soldiers, when they caught sight of the closed door, hesitating they stopped. But the tribune, not wanting Paris
or Domitia to escape, ordered the door to be broken down. At once the door was being struck with axes. When Myropnous heard
the noise hitting, he lit the pyre. He carried a jar of oil from the kitchen to increase the flames. Then, with the pyre
ablaze, he hurried to follow his friends.
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