I did my best , and one night a villa in the suburbs caught fire , and I had my handful out and at work before any of the other troops . I noticed a quiet-looking man on the lawn , leaning on a stick . He watched us passing buckets from the pond , and at last he said to me : `` Who are you ? '' ' `` A probationer , waiting for a command , '' I answered . I did n't know who he was from Deucalion ! ' `` Born in Britain ? '' he said . ' `` Yes , if you were born in Spain , '' I said , for he neighed his words like an Iberian mule . ' `` And what might you call yourself when you are at home ? '' he said , laughing . ' `` That depends , '' I answered ; `` sometimes one thing and sometimes another . But now I 'm busy . '' ` He said no more till we had saved the family gods -LRB- they were respectable householders -RRB- , and then he grunted across the laurels : `` Listen , young sometimes-one-thing-and-sometimes-another . In future call yourself Centurion of the Seventh Cohort of the Thirtieth , the Ulpia Victrix . That will help me to remember you . Your Father and a few other people call me Maximus . '' ` He tossed me the polished stick he was leaning on , and went away . You might have knocked me down with it ! ' ` Who was he ? ' said Dan .
` XXXXX himself , our great General !
Cohort Dan Father Iberian Maximus Spain Thirtieth Victrix night probationer