about midnight
Therefore he halted , in the neighborhood of Aqua Albana , and , summoning to his tent the tragedian Aliturus , decided with his aid on posture , look , and expression ; learned fitting gestures , disputing with the actor stubbornly whether at the words `` O sacred city , which seemed more enduring than Ida , '' he was to raise both hands , or , holding in one the forminga , drop it by his side and raise only the other . This question seemed to him then more important than all others . Starting at last about nightfall , he took counsel of Petronius also whether to the lines describing the catastrophe he might add a few magnificent blasphemies against the gods , and whether , considered from the standpoint of art , they would not have rushed spontaneously from the mouth of a man in such a position , a man who was losing his birthplace . At length he approached the walls about midnight with his numerous court , composed of whole detachments of nobles , senators , knights , freedmen , slaves , women , and children . Sixteen thousand pretorians , arranged in line of battle along the road , guarded the peace and safety of his entrance , and held the excited populace at a proper distance . The people cursed , shouted , and hissed on seeing the retinue , but dared not attack it . In many places , however , applause was given by the rabble , which , owning nothing , had lost nothing in the fire , and which hoped for a more bountiful distribution than usual of wheat , olives , clothing , and money .