Constantine, not finding among the gods any type of his character, betook himself to the goddess of pleasure.  She, receiving him softly and embracing him, trimmed him up and adorned him, dressed him in a shining and many-coloured woman’s gown, and led him away to demoralization.  With her he found one of his sons, who loudly proclaimed to all, “Whosoever is a seducer, a murderer, or shameless, let him advance boldly, for by washing him with water I will immediately make him pure; and if he should be again guilty of such things, I will grant him to be pure on striking his breast, or beating his head."[29] At the end of this “fable,” the Emperors are called upon to speak in their defence.  Constantine being asked what object he had in view, replied “to amass great riches and spend them on myself and friends.”  Silenus burst into a fit of laughter, and retorted “You now wish to pass for a banker, but how can you forget your living like a cook, or a hair-dresser?” alluding to his luxurious feastings, and his wearing gold-flowered stuffs, and a diadem of jewels.

Gibbon calls this work on the Caesars one of the most agreeable and instructive productions of ancient wit.

Julian prided himself on his primitive and severe life, and made himself ridiculous by wearing a long unfashionable beard—­either in imitation of the Gauls, or of the ancient philosophers.  It is probable that he persisted in this habit to discountenance the effeminacy of the times.  He says that soon after he entered Constantinople, he had occasion to send for a barber.  An officer, magnificently dressed, presented himself.  “It is a barber,” said the prince, “that I want, and not a minister of finance.”  He questioned the man about his profits, and was informed that besides a large salary and some valuable perquisites, he enjoyed a daily allowance of twenty servants and as many horses!  Not only was Julian strongly opposed to luxury, but he was, as far as his light went, a religious man, and was strict in observing the feasts and festivals of the heathen deities.  All his antiquated peculiarities are brought strongly before us on the occasion of his visit to Antioch.  Strabo tells us that this was one of the largest cities in the world—­little inferior in extent to Alexandria and Seleucia.  It was noted for its gaieties, and seems now to have been the centre of fashion.  The new religion had been, at least nominally, adopted, and also the new costumes, as well as every kind of luxury and dissipation.  Chrysostom bears witness to the same effect.  The town was full of dancers, pipers, and players, camels “adorned like brides” stalked through the porticos, and fish and poultry had come to be considered as necessaries of life.  There were here many people of leisure and cultivation, fond of light and fanciful pursuits, and among others of forming verbal conceits.  Hence, we find that the disciples were first called Christians at Antioch, no doubt, derisively,[30] and in Julian’s time they had a cant saying that they had suffered nothing from the X or the K (Christ or Constantius).  A celebrated school of rhetoric was established here, and no doubt some of the effusions penned at this time, abounded with rich and epigrammatic humour.