[Ichthus, the Greek word for "fish."] "There, that is why fish has become the watchword of the Christians," answered Chilo, proudly.
A moment of silence followed.

But there was something so striking in the conclusions of the Greek that the two friends could not guard themselves from amazement.
"Vinicius, art thou not mistaken ?" asked Petronius.

"Did Lygia really draw a fish for thee ?" "By all the infernal gods, one might go mad!" cried the young man, with excitement.

"If she had drawn a bird for me, I should have said a bird." "Therefore she is a Christian," repeated Chilo.
"This signifies," said Petronius, "that Pomponia and Lygia poison wells, murder children caught on the street, and give themselves up to dissoluteness! Folly! Thou, Vinicius, wert at their house for a time, I was there a little while; but I know Pomponia and Aulus enough, I know even Lygia enough, to say monstrous and foolish! If a fish is the symbol of the Christians, which it is difficult really to deny, and if those women are Christians, then, by Proserpina! evidently Christians are not what we hold them to be." "Thou speakest like Socrates, lord," answered Chilo.

"Who has ever examined a Christian?
Who has learned their religion?
When I was travelling three years ago from Naples hither to Rome (oh, why did I not stay in Naples!), a man joined me, whose name was Glaucus, of whom people said that he was a Christian; but in spite of that I convinced myself that he was a good and virtuous man." "Was it not from that virtuous man that thou hast learned now what the fish means ?" "Unfortunately, lord, on the way, at an inn, some one thrust a knife into that honorable old man; and his wife and child were carried away by slave-dealers.