The Imperial Guard In Homer's The Odyssey

People immediately start yelling back insults, questioning such warning. Severus raises his hands for silence and continues.
“The Oracle has sent me to deliver her message to the Empire. The gods demand a cleansing of the Empire before it teeters over the cliff of ruin. A cleansing that will give strength to the Empire’s faithful, and destruction to the enemies of our great Empire,” he says, to the roaring crowds suddenly silenced.
Not one sounds echoes in the arena. It’s an eerie sound, a deathly silence. Only the distant nickers of war stallions carrying the Imperial Guard can be heard in a crowd of hundreds. There is a sudden movement, and I see one of the senators rushing towards Severus with a knife. The Imperial Guard is too quick. The man’s blood pours out on the arena floor, and his body is dragged away in only a few moments.
Severus washes off a few specks of blood from his face and continues. “These followers of this Unseen God, of the Jews and Christians bring a
“Know this, sons of Rome, this decree is given by our gods, and must be followed. Which of you has the stomach, but the strength to follow such a decree while not destroy this Empire?” He turns to the heirs and gestures for them to step up to the front of the stage. “You, Maxentius, nephew of Emperor Maximian, who would burn the flesh of man following orders? You Galerius, who would show the worth of a man’s years of loyal service as nothing for one mistake to be hung on the wall? But you, Constantine are the most dangerous of any of you. Your reasoning, your questioning mind, is better suited for a scholar than an emperor. One who questions the laws set down by the gods’ law should not lead others by it.” Turning to Emperor Maximian, he says, “Choose one of your blood to succeed brother.” Diocletian turns back, and faces Severus, “For this man, Severus is the only man I can see to fulfill the gods’ command for the