midnight
He pressed her hand to his lips ; she signed to him to follow her and led the way to her father 's couch . Porphyrius was sitting up , supported in the physician 's arms ; his eyes were open , and as they entered he greeted them with a faint smile . The spacious Hippodrome was filled with some thousands of spectators . At first many rows of seats had been left vacant , though usually on the eve of the great races , the people would set out soon after midnight and every place would be filled long before the games began ; indeed the upper tiers of the tribune , which were built of wood and were free to all comers , with standing-room behind , were commonly so crowded early in the morning that the crush ended in a free fight . On this occasion , the storm of the previous night , the anxiety caused by the conflict round the Serapeum , and the prevalent panic as to the approaching end of the world , kept great numbers away from their favorite diversion ; but when the sky recovered its radiant blue , and when it became known that the statue of Serapis had escaped uninjured in the siege of his sanctuary -- when Cynegius , the Imperial legate , and Evagrius , the city-prefect , had entered the theatre with much pomp , followed by several senators and ladies and gentlemen of rank-Christians , Heathen , and Jews -- the most timid took courage ; the games had been postponed for an hour , and before the first team was led into the arched shed whence the chariots started , the seats , though less densely packed than usual , were amply filled . The number of chariots entered for competition was by no means smaller than on former occasions , for the heathen had strained every nerve to show their fellow-citizens of different creeds , and especially Caesar 's representative , that , in spite of persecution and in defiance of Imperial edicts , they were still a power worthy of consideration . The Christians , on their part , did their utmost to outdo the idolaters on the same ground where , not long since , they had held quite the second place .