Vittorio Carvelli

The Story of Gracchus

LIBRI II CONTINUATIO
Continuation of the Second Book

Chapters 19-23

XIX: Crisis densat
Annus Quattuor Imperatorum, Pars III
19: The Crisis Deepens
The Year of the Four Emperors, part 3

So Marcus got his freedom, and his hair-cut!

In order to put an end to the rumors in the villa, Gracchus instructed his freedmen and senior slaves to ensure that everyone at the villa knew that Markos was now a free, Roman citizen, and should be referred to as Marcus Octavianus Gnaeus, and addressed as Iuvenis Dominus (Young Master or Young Lord).

Prior to the ceremony of Manumission there had been frantic efforts, orchestrated by Terentius, to provide the new Iuvenis Dominus with appropriate living quarters. He would now, obviously, require a private triclinium, study, cublicum and bathing facilities.

Terentius was relieved when it was all ready, just in time, but with the paint still wet.

After the convivium to celebrate Marcus' Manumission, a relieved Gracchus took his leave of the young lad, and Terentius showed Marcus to his new quarters.

"Iuvenis Dominus," Terentius began carefully, "the Dominus has arranged for you to have new quarters, in the wing next to his apartments. I must apologise, however. Unfortunately the paint is not quite dry in a few places, so please be careful."

Marcus realized that hings were going to be difficult for a while, but nowhere as difficult as things would be for many people in the outside world, away from the safety of the villa. Marcus was now left to reflect that it was only three years ago that Terentius had arrived in Brundisium, and bought a naked young boy in a slave market, and now he was calling that same slave-boy Iuvenis Dominus (young master). Marcus was suddenly snapped out of his reverie by the very words that he was musing on…

"Also, Iuvenis Dominus…" Terentius began.

Marcus interupted. "Please don't call me Iuvenis Dominus, I find it so embarrassing! Call me Marcus!"

"No, Iuvenis Dominus, I cannot do that. I have known the Dominus since I was younger than you, and I still call him Dominus, and now you are Iuvenis Dominus, and will one day be Dominus, and that is the way it must be. We must accept our fate, who we are, and how others must behave towards us," Terentius gently explained.

And there was that word, again, 'Fate'… Marcus thought.

"I see," said Marcus. "I understand, but I don't like it!"

"Well… perhaps you will like your new quarters," Terentius said with a smile, as he opened a huge pair of bronze double doors.

Marcus was amazed.

He had thought his original cubiculum was well furnished and well decorated, but his new rooms were so luxurious as to be beyond belief. The walls were sheathed in panels of veneered grey marble, Where there was no marble there were the most delicate wall-paintings, the floors were tiled in marble, and marble mosaics, and the ceilings were coffered, gold and white plaster.

Dominus discipulus
Student Master

If Marcus thought that 'freedom' would bring an easy life, then he was wrong. It would be luxurious, and he would have more money than he knew what to do with.

Fourteen year old, cheeky looking Adonios had been given to him as his 'body slave', who was also quite happy to be Marcus' 'bed-boy' when Marcus got lonely, or wanted a change from young Cleon.

He also had two rather intimidating looking slave-boys, (although 'boys' was not maybe the appropriate way to describe them, as they were even older than Petronius) who guarded the massive bronze doors that gave entrance to Marcus' luxurious rooms.

But Marcus' freedom was a strange freedom.

For one thing, he never left the villa alone. Gracchus had provided him with a carriage, and a litter, and the slaves to go with the transport. The carriage had a driver, and an boy-assistant, plus an young outrider on a horse.

He could, of course, go where he wanted, he was free, but the strange thing was that there was no time, he was busy all day, and well into the evening.

No more did he help Glykon at the entrance to the villa. Instead, after having an early morning meeting with Terentius, he rode to the Amphitheater in his own carriage, with his own driver, and outrider, to see his 'assistant', Petronius.

Usually he and Petronius would have their midday meal together, spending much of the time discussing the business of the arena. Then he would leave Petronius in Baiae, and return to the villa. There he would spend the early afternoon with one or other of his tutors.

The initial situation, as already indicated, was that in late 67 and early 68, Caius Julius Vindex, governor of Gallia Lugdunensis, rebelled against Nero's tax policy, with the purpose of substituting Servius Sulpicius Galba, governor of Hispania Tarraconensis, for Nero.

Later he would bathe, and go down to the gymnasion, where Servius would be waiting to give him a training session, often including sword practice, wrestling and usually ending with a swim whic also served as a afternoon bath, and followed by a massage.

The evening meal (which for Romans began early, anything between 3 and 5 pm) would now be taken with Gracchus, if he did not have any other business to attend to, in his private triclinium, which would then often be followed by a long discussion relating to various topics, from the current political situation to matters of philosophy, art or literature.

Multi conventi
Many Meetings

Once Marcus had been freed, given Roman Citizenship, and Gracchus' freedman Terentius had lodged the Will in Rome, detailing the adoption and inheritance, Gracchus felt it was reasonable to include Marcus in meetings with the various influential individuals who were coming to see him about the crisis in Rome.

Now Marcus Octavianus Gnaeus stood behind and to the right-hand side of Gracchus, as he sat at his marble topped table receiving his distinguished guests. Marcus was always introduced as Gracchus' nephew, and his presence at the various, highly confidential meetings was considered to be perfectly acceptable.

As a result of these many meetings, Marcus was able to obtain a remarkable insight into events at Rome.

Vindex's revolt in Gaul was unsuccessful. The legions stationed at the border to Germania marched to meet Vindex, and confront him as a 'traitor'. Led by Lucius Verginius Rufus, the Rhine Army defeated Vindex in battle, and Vindex comitted suicide.

Galba was then declared a 'public enemy' by the Senate in Rome.

It was then that matters transferred to Rome, and the Praetorian Praefectus, Gaius Nymphidius Sabinus began his machinations designed to enable him to achieve the Imperium under the guise of helping Galba.

Nymphidius' first step was to raise sufficient funds to sway the Praetorians in his favour, and to obtain these funds he went to Baiae to try to get a loan from Gracchus.

On the morning of Nymphidius' arrival, the villa seemed to be swarming with Praetorians. Nymphidius, perhaps quite wisely, was excessively nervous about his safety. He was not exactly a military looking figure, and too much good living seemed to have softened him.

As soon as the Prefectus arrived at the villa, he was ushered into Gracchus' study, where Gracchus and Marcus were waiting for him. Almost immediately Marcus took a dislike to the man, who seemed brash and lacking refinement.

Once he was seated, Nymphidius gave Marcus a strange look.

"And who is this fine young lad?" Nymphidius said to Gracchus, nodding towards Marcus.

"This is my nephew, Marcus Octavianus Gnaeus," Gracchus replied. "I was having him brought up in Athens, but now he's come to my villa, and we hope to make a real Roman of him."

"That's good!" Nymphidius replied, looking around the study, awkwardly.

"Ah!" Gracchus began, realizing his mistake, and calling for some wine.

"Perhaps you'd like some wine to refresh you after your long journey."

"That would not go amiss," Nymphidius replied, settling in his chair.

"So what brings you to Baiae?" Gracchus asked, innocently.

Nymphidius smiled.

"Well… I'm sure that you've noticed that we haven't go an Emperor," he answered, sarcastically.

Gracchus nodded, looking back at Marcus.

"And I'm Praetorian Prefect, so it's very much up to me to help in sorting things out." Nymphidius continued.

"That makes sense," Gracchus retorted, but in a non-committal manner.

Seeing that he was not getting anywhere, Nymphidius started on a different tack. "Are you acquainted with Lucius Livius Ocella Sulpicius Galba?"

"Yes, I have met him. He was born not far away, a little to the north, on the coast. Before he became Governor of Hispania Tarraconensis, he was semi-retired, and often came to Baiae, so we met on numerous social occasions."

"And do you know Calvia Crispinilla?" Nymphidius asked.

"I have heard of her. A very influential woman," Gracchus answered, looking very intrigued.

"So you might know that Galba has his eye on the Imperium," Nymphidius continued, revealing himself a little more openly.

"It would not surprise me," Gracchus answered, still being non-committal.

"So would you consider Lucius Livius Ocella Sulpicius Galba to be a suitable person to be the next Emperor?" Nymphidius asked, trying to get to the root of the matter.

Gracchus paused, and spread out his hands on the beautifully figured marble table in front to him.

"That I am not prepared to say. It has always been my policy not to make pubic political statements,"Gracchus stated calmly,

"Yes Gracchus, I know! You only make public statements about your beloved Augustus."

(how did he know about the munera ad Augustum? Marcus wondered, suddenly nervous, as this man seemed to have informers who had access to events in the villa).

The Praetorian Guard engaged in espionage, intimidation, arrests and killings to protect the interests of the Roman emperor. For clandestine operations, they employed a special wing of troops known as Speculatores. Formerly a reconnaissance corps under the Roman Republic, by the imperial era this unit had graduated to serving as couriers and intelligence operatives in the service of the Emperor. Speculatores would often disguise themselves as ordinary citizens at ludi, theatrical performances and protests, to monitor and arrest anyone who criticized the emperor. They also kept tabs on suspected enemies of the state, and in some cases they even secretly executed those judged to be an imminent threat to the emperor or his policies.

"But I don't want you to give a 'public statement'. I only want you to tell me!" Nymphidius was obviously getting annoyed at the way that Gracchus was not prepared to discuss this matter with him directly.

"Alright!" Gracchus replied in a resigned manner. "Personally, I think that he is rather old to become Emperor, and so we will probably be going through this whole difficult business again quite soon. But as for his character and ability, I think that he is probably quite adequate for the task in hand. But that is just between you, me and the boy!" Gracchus leaned back in his chair, trying to assess Nymphidius' response.

NOTE: Tacitus says 'all pronounced him (Galba) worthy of the empire, until he became Emperor' ("omnium consensū cāpax imperiī nisi imperasset").

"That's good!" Nymphidius replied. "And now to the important matter. To get the Praetorians to accept Galba they need to receive a 'donative' [a payment, really a bribe]. Do you have a cerae [wax writing tablet]?"

Gracchus called for Quintus.

Quintus nervously came into the study.

"Give his excellency the Prefectus your cerae, and two styli and then go!" Gracchus ordered.

Quintus did as he was told and, with great relief, got out of the room.

Nymphidius, quite aware of what Gracchus was doing, leaned forward and gave Gracchus one of the bronze styli.

"This is the 'donative' that would probably satisfy the Praetorians," Nymphidius said, as he inscribed the letters (remember, the Romans use letters not figures to indicate amounts).

He then snapped the cerae closed, and handed it back to Gracchus. Marcus innocently looked up at the richly coffered ceiling, as Gracchus opened the cerae and considered what Nymphidius had written.

Nymphidius smiled in an avuncular, but 'creepy', manner at Marcus, pleased to see that he was keeping to the 'game'.

Gracchus picked up the bronze stylus that was now lying on the marble table and made his own marks on the wax. Again there was a snap of wood on wood, and Gracchus handed back the closed cerae.

Nymphidius frowned and Gracchus explained…

"Prefectus, my funds are limited. Many are asking for loans, as they have very little income, as a result of the current crisis, and its effects on trade, many have large debts, and creditors who are as frightened as they are, demanding payment. We must all help each other. I will help as much as I can, as I think the establishment of political stability will help us all. But as I say, even I have limited funds in this time of difficulty."

Nymphidius listened to Gracchus carefully, nodding as he realised the financial difficulties that the crisis was causing, although he imagined that gracchus had more money than he was admitting to.

"Alright," he said, a tone of resignation in his voice. And wrote again on the cerae, snapping it closed, and handing it again to Gracchus.

Gracchus opened the cerae.

"Yes, I think we can manage that," Gracchus said, benignly.

"May I call my freedman to make arrangements?" Gracchus asked, unsure as to how secret this whole matter should be.

"Can he be trusted?" Nymphidius asked.

"Completely," Gracchus replied, and not waiting for Nymphidius' response, he called for Terentius.

Terentius entered the study, and he and Gracchus walked over to one side of the large room, deep in discussion.

Gracchus then turned to Nymphidius. "If you could stay overnight, I could have the sum ready, in gold, for you by the afternoon. Meanwhile, we could dine tonight, and young Marcus here could organise a little 'sport' for you to watch, privately, at my amphitheatre tomorrow morning."

Nymphidius thought for a moment, and then smiled. "Yes, Gracchus. That is very generous of you."

Nymphidius in ludis, Pars I
Nymphidius at the Games, part 1

Marcus decided, during the cena in Gracchus' private triclinium, that Nymphidius was a real bore!

In Roman culture, cena was the main meal of the day. In earlier times, it was held midday, but later began to be held in evenings. It was a focal point of social life, along with the public baths, the frequenting of which often preceded the meal. Seating during dinner was arranged in the triclinium, three couches for reclining arranged as three sides of a square, with a small table for food in the middle of all these. The cena normally consisted of three parts. The 'appetizer' course often included eggs, olives, and honeyed wine. The second, 'main course' often included a main meat dish, like roasted pig. The third and final course included 'desserts' such as fruits or nuts. Only the very wealthy like Gracchus would consume exotic dishes.

Early the following morning Marcus was served his breakfast, in his private triclinium, by sixteen year old Cleon, his general 'dogs-body'.

Gracchus had given Marcus Adonios and Cleon, as it seemed to him pointless for Marcus to start buying slaves, unless he found a boy that particularly appealed to him as, according to the oracle, sometime in the not too distant future Marcus would inherit all of Gracchus slaves, not only in the villa at Baiae, but also the slaves in all of Gracchus' other properties, both in Italy and abroad.

Marcus, trailed by Cleon, then went to see Terentius, as was his custom. Terentius took Marcus by the arm, guiding him to a private corner, and spoke softly to him.

"I could see yesterday, when I was arranging the loan in gold for Nymphidius, that you were worried about all that money being lost. I knew that you would be concerned, as that gold is part of your inheritance. But please do not be concerned. I feel that, like the Prefectus Nymphidius, you have little understanding of the wealth of the Dominus. Of course he had to plead poverty to Nymphidius, otherwise the Prefectus may well have had him eliminated, and taken all his wealth."

Marcus looked shocked.

Terentius continued quietly," You must, Iuvenis Dominus, always learn from the Dominus. Do not flaunt your wealth, and never let people know your true worth. That way you may live a long and untroubled life. The money that Nymphidius will get is but a drop in the ocean, compared to the wealth that, if the God Apollo wills it, you shall inherit."

Marcus was obviously moved. "Thank you Terentius. I don't know what I should do without you."

"Don't thank me, Iuvenis Dominus, thank our Master, Gracchus," Terentius replied, loyal as always.

Marcus then went over for a short chat with Glykon, while Cleon summoned Marcus' carriage and outrider.

Meanwhile, Gracchus had been holding secret discussions with the Praetorian Tribunes who had accompanied Prefectus Nymphidius to Baiae. While Gracchus had managed to come to an agreement with the Tribunes that he would make the 'dōnātiō' that Nymphidius was asking for, on the understanding that Galba, and not Nymphidius obtained the Imperium.

The suggestion was very much in keeping with the Tribune's own feelings, as respect for Nymphidius was fast evaporating, and the Tribunes were eager to avoid any difficulties with regard to the 'dōnātiō'.

Totally unaware of Gracchus' 'double dealing', Nymphidius was gorging himself on a rather excessive breakfast in Gracchus' private triclinium, not bothering to inquire where Gracchus was, as he was too busy eating.

Marcus, on the other hand was encouraging his driver 'not to spare the horses', as he was eager to get to the amphitheater in order to arrange with Petronius some fights in the arena, which were intended to keep Nymphidius distracted for the rest of the morning, while Terentius was preparing the gold for transportation to Rome.

After the evening meal, the previous night, Nymphidius, tired after his journey from Rome, had retired early, with a cute young 'bed-boy', provided by Gracchus.

Gracchus had then told Marcus some details about this less than endearing character.

Nymphidius Sabinus, it seems, was the son of an imperial freedwoman, Nymphidia (daughter of Gaius Julius Callistus), and it was generally believed that his father was a gladiator named Martianus, although Nymphidius subsequently claimed he was the illegitimate son of the former Roman Emperor Caligula, which Gracchus thought was unlikely..

As to the man's early life, Gracchus knew very little, but recently he had become a colleague of Praetorian prefect Tigellinus in the Praetorian Guard after the latter's previous partner Faenius Rufus was put to death.

Nymphidius had an obsession with young boys, and although there was nothing reprehensible as such in that, his tastes were directed at boys known as Cinaedus, boys who were effeminate, which was not considered permissible, particularly for an individual in Nymphidius' position.

And to make matters worse, since the death of Nero, Nymphidius had taken up with Sporus, Nero's young boy, whom Nero had castrated and 'married', and Nymphidius had reportedly also 'married' the young lad.

However, Gracchus' main concern was to keep Nymphidius amused and unsuspecting for the morning, until he could return to Rome, where Gracchus was expecting the Prefectus to come to an unpleasant end, if the Praetorian Tribunes kept their word.

To this end, Gracchus advised Marcus to arrange a few fights for Nymphidius to watch. Fights that would feature the youngest 'boy-gladiators' at the Ludus Gracchii (the gladitorial school attached to Gracchus' Amphitheater).

The gladiatorial school had a very small arena (sanded area), similar to that of Gracchus' main Amphitheater. The arenas in the training school was surrounded by some raised seating, and people in Baiae, for a very small fee, were allowed to watch the training when there were no Ludi being staged at the the Amphitheater. The small arena was the centre of the school complex. At the rear of the seating area was a portico that opened onto the gladiator's cubicula. The gladiator's cubicula were three storeys high. There was also accommodation for the slaves and staff who worked in the Ludus and also rooms where the training equipment was kept, baths, a mess hall and kitchens. Petronius had his own, quite lavish quarters at the Ludus.

Gracchus, knowing that Nymphidius was not only lascivious, when it came to boys, but also sadistic, advised Marcus to ensure that the fights culminated in the rape, mutilation and death of the defeated fighters, as that was what Nymphidius would be demanding.

As Gracchus made clear, it was essential that Nymphidius was distracted throughout the morning, then given plenty of food and wine, and allowed to sleep his way back to Rome in his comfortable carriage.

Once in Rome, hopefully the Praetorians would know what to do with their 'upstart Caesar'.

In Amphitheatro
At the Amphitheater

The horses of Marcus' carriage galloped up the the main entrance of the Amphitheatrum Gracchii, in Baiae, in a cloud of dust, as Marcus' young outrider slid off his mount to open the carriage door for his master.

Marcus was obviously in a hurry.

Arena slaves ran up, bowing and opening doors, as Marcus strode through the corridors to Petronius' office.

"Good morning, Iuvenis Dominus!" Petronius said, flashing one of his irresistible smiles.

"Cut the fancy titles!" Marcus snapped, made aggressive by his anxiety regarding the visit of the undoubtedly dangerous Praefectus Praetorio.

"We need to stage some fights, and soon, this morning! Orders from Gracchus!"

"Of course, Dominus!" Petronius replied, deferentially.

Marcus then paused, suddenly realizing how rude he'd been to the youth who was probably his best friend.

"I'm sorry, Petronius!" Marcus said, aware that it may well be to late for an apology. "I'm just so worried about his guy Nymphidius," Marcus muttered. "He's just so dangerous, and so stupid and creepy!" Marcus went on, as Petronius called for slaves.

"We need at least six boys, good looking, but boys we can spare, and they must be 'hard-core' 'well-hung' lads, as we need the winners to fuck the losers before finishing them off," Marcus paused, giving Petronius time to think.

Marcus was not usually so blunt and crude in his language, he was, after all, a superbly well educated patrician (thanks to Gracchus), but, as often happens to individuals, fear had brought out a crudeness and directness in his character.

"Now Petronius… this Nymphidius likes pretty boys, and likes to watch them fucking, and then get their 'privates' cut off. This is what Gracchus has told me. Now for reasons that Gracchus want kept secret, Nymphidius must be distracted, for the rest of the morning, by the best 'boy-show' he's ever seen. After that he'll have coena (a main meal), but early, with Gracchus, and then he'll go back to Rome, and hopefully we won't be bothered by him ever again."

That final phrase of Marcus made Petronius look startled and nervous, he knew what it probably meant.

"I understand!" Petronius replied.

"I'll get the boys wearing something really sexy, and then we can give them a good talking to, along with the arena-slaves who will be on duty, and explain what's expected of them," and with that Petronius went off to select the boys who would be appearing in the arena, and instructed other slaves to dress the lads appropriately; not that the boys would be wearing much.

Meanwhile, Marcus called Cleon, who had been relegated to waiting in the corridor, forbidden to be party to the discussions taking place between Marcus and Petronius.

"Bring me some wine, please, Cleon!" Marcus said.

Despite his now exalted position, he made it a rule to always try to be polite and respectful to those who were now his slaves.

"And after you bring me the wine, go to the Editors' Box and make sure it's clean and tidy!" he called after Cleon, as the boy was trotting out of the door.

After about fifteen minutes (not that the Romans had minutes!), Petronius returned.

"Everything's ready, Marcus!" he said, gently, trying to calm down his young master.

"Good! let's go down and see these boys!" Marcus said briskly, leaving Petronius' office, with Petronius following, and descending to the ground floor.

From there, Marcus and Petronius went out onto the sand, where six boys had been assembled. They were all wearing various combinations of cross-belts, wrist guards and other leather accoutrements, but noticeably three of the boys were not wearing loincloths. One was wearing a small pouch, made of leather straps and silver studs, which hid practically nothing. The other two each wore a silver cage around their cock which, unlike the 'cock-cage' which Marcus had worn when he was first at the villa, was not intended to prevent an erection, but rather was intended to enhance an erection.

"Well… if that doesn't hold Nymphidius' attention," Marcus said quietly to Petronius, pointing to one of the boys wearing a 'cock-cage', and displaying a truly massive erection for a boy so young, "then I don't know what will!".

Petronius grinned and nodded.

"Right, lads!" Marcus said loudly. " Because of your fighting skills you have been selected to fight before our Dominus, and one of the highest officers in the Roman Army. You are to fight to the death! No quarter is to be given! And let me be blunt, you will be expected to fuck your opponent if he surrenders, or can't fight on! Having fucked him, you will also be expected to emasculate your opponent! In case you don't know what that means, let me spell it out to you. You will be expected to cut off his cock and his balls! And then you will be required to finish him off! I hope that I make myself clear! Any boy who falters, or fails to perform will be dealt with by the arena-slaves! So I expect a good show! You are dismissed!"

And with that the boys were led away, to await their turn in the arena.

"That was a good speech, Marcus!" Petronius said, out of hearing of any of the other slaves. "I think you're going to make an excellent Dominus!"

"Thank you, Petronius. And I think you make an excellent friend!"

Petronius smiled and sighed, he longed for Marcus, but he did not know if the feeling was mutual, despite what Gracchus had said to him.

The boys would be, in order of appearance Adamas against Terrenus, Ferrum against Validas and Petram against Virga.

Roman gladiators, as has been stated before, almost always had 'stage-names', or should we say 'arena-names', which usually gave some indication of their supposed character, abilities or attributes. This six were no exception.

• Adamas comes from the word for diamond, and has connotations of 'hardness', both in fighting ability and erectile functioning.
• Terrenus is from the Latin for earth, therefore it means 'earthy' which can be seen in terms of bawdiness, lewdness or obscenity.
• Ferrum refers to steel, the metal of which the gladius was made and, as has been pointed out before, gladius was a slang term for penis.
• Validas has connections with the word 'lust', which is self explanatory.
• Petram refers to rock, and therefore to a strong object, but also 'rock hard', like the fully erect penis.
• Virga refers to a staff or rod, and therefore is associated with the erect penis.

So all the 'arena names' had suitable sexual significance. Also, all the names were Latin, but not because the boys were Roman, but because they had been re-named, on being purchased, with Latin names which would be comprehensible to the audience in the amphitheater. What the boys' original names had been nobody knew or cared, and often the boys themselves forgot their original names.

Nymphidius in lvdis, pars II
Nymphidius at the Games, Part 2

Suddenly there was a shout coming from the main entrance to the Amphitheater. "Petronius! The Dominus has arrived!" one of the door-keepers was shouting.

Quickly Petronius and Marcus made their way to the entrance in time to see Gracchus and Nymphidius stepping out of Gracchus' large, luxurious carriage. Unfortunately Nymphidius had insisted on wearing his armour, and so was noticed by a number of passers by. This was exactly what Gracchus didn't want, but hopefully the Prefectus would not be recognised.

Marcus was quick to greet Gracchus, who was obviously pleased to see him.

Petronius ushered Nymphidius through the prothyrum, and took him on into a special area reserved for the reception of distinguished guests. There Petronius called for slaves to offer Nymphidius wine and some delicacies. Fortunately Nymphidius was well distracted, as he seemed to have taken a considerable, and instant liking to Petronius. This gave Gracchus a chance to check with Marcus that the 'entertainment' had been organised and was ready, and also gave Gracchus a chance to have a further word with the two Praetorian Tribuni, who had accompanied Gracchus' carriage on horseback, along with Gracchus' own body-guards, who were also on horseback.

Then Gracchus and his bodyguards, Marcus and the Praetorianorum Tribuni, and Petronius and Nymphidius all made their way to the Editor's Box.

And where was little Cleon?

Well he had managed to get a front row place in the empty seating of the amphitheater.

***

WARNING:
the following paragraphs are focused on gory gladiator fights and deaths
If you don't like that, go directly to the happenings in the villa

***

Adamas et Terrenus
Adamas and Terrenus

Once everyone was settled, Petronius gave the word for the first two boys to be brought it. As this was a private performance, with no members of the public present, and arranged at short notice there was no pompa, there was just a short procession of arena-slaves, all kitted out in black leather braccae, crossbelts and gloves, with some of them armed with a pilum and some with a gladius, and others carrying no weapons except for thick cord. The senior arena-slave carried a flagrum (the flagrum or flagellum was a short whip made of two or three leather (ox-hide) thongs or ropes connected to a handle. The leather thongs were knotted with a number of small pieces of metal, usually zinc and iron, attached at various intervals.) These arena-slaves were followed by the first two fighters, technically gladiators, as they were to fight each with a gladius.

Gladius was one Latin word for sword, and is used to represent the primary sword of Roman foot soldiers. Early Roman swords were similar to those used by the Greeks. From the 3rd century BC, the Romans adopted swords similar to those used by the Celtiberians and others, during the early part of the conquest of Hispania. This sword was known as the 'gladius hispaniensis', or 'Hispanic Sword'. Gladii were two-edged for cutting and had a tapered point for stabbing during thrusting. A solid grip was provided by a knobbed hilt added on, possibly with ridges for the fingers. Blade strength was achieved by welding together strips, in which case the sword had a channel down the center, or by fashioning a single piece of high-carbon steel, rhomboidal in cross-section.

Adamas was young, dark haired, quite muscular, and wearing the usual style of leather and silver studded harness worn by Gracchus' fighters, which included wrist guards, a leather belt with Gracchus' Medusa head as a buckle and a blue loincloth.

Terrenus was a well muscled, young blond boy, who was wearing substantially less. He had on the same leather gear, but no loincloth. Instead he had a thin leather waist thong, with a strap passing between his buttocks. The strap supported a silver ring at the front, and through the ring poked his scrotum and penis. The large steel ring at the root of his genitals had a leather strap attached to it, on which were mounted four smaller, silver rings, through which his (erect) penis passed. Terrenus had no pubic hair, possibly because he was quite young, but also because it was the custom for many of Gracchus' gladiators, wrestlers and boxers to have their body hair depilated (removed by shaving or plucking).

When Nymphidius saw this unusual outfit (designed by Petronius, incidentally), he was very taken with it, and started making animated comments to Gracchus about the boy and his 'costume'. Now the problem with this entertainment was that there was no audience, except for the few individuals in the Editor's Box, and one of the main attractions of a Ludi was the atmosphere generated by the audience, with its cheering, applause, and sometimes rather ribald comments, although with Gracchus' high class clientele, such comments were at a minimum.

On coming to a position close the the Editor's Box, each of the supervising arena-slaves marked a lines on the sand with his pilum (spear), to indicate where each boy would stand, and then Marcus stood up in the Editor's Box, and dropped a white handkerchief to indicate to the boys that they should start fighting.

Like so many ideas propagated about gladiators and the arena, the famous phrase, 'Ave, Imperator, morituri te salutant!' (or in this case it could have been 'Ave, Prefectus, morituri te salutant!'), was not shouted out by gladiators before they fought. It is yet another myth. The Latin phrase is quoted in Suetonius, De Vita Caesarum ('The Life of the Caesars'), when it was reportedly used during a Naumachia, in AD 52, on Lake Fucinus, by naumachiarii, who were captives and criminals fated to die fighting during mock naval encounters (not a gladiatorial contest in an arena), in the presence of the Emperor Claudius. No other reference to the phrase, in Roman literature, or on any Roman inscription, has ever been made regarding the phrase.

Considering the above, Adamas and Terrenus just got on with the fight, or not, as they began very hesitantly. With no cheering or applause, the only sound that could be heard, initially was the shuffling of the boy's bare feet on the sand as they energetically sparred.

Note: current research indicates that gladiators fought bare-foot, and not in sandals, as sandals would not give sufficient grip on the arena sand.

Adamas, like those in the Editor's Box, was unable to take his eyes off Terrenus' huge cock, standing vertically, caught by the four silver rings. Equally, because Terrenus' thick penis was standing vertically, his plump, hairless scrotum was clearly visible, wobbling with every move he made. Eventually however, Adamas realized that he needed to concentrate on the fight, rather than his opponent's very substantial 'equipment', and soon there was the clang of steel, as the swords clashed.

Nymphidius was quite obviously enjoying the sword-play, and ogling the two, nearly naked, boys, particularly Terrenus'.

Terrenus, however, was not enjoying the fight at all, being acutely aware that everyone was more interested in his exposed genitals than in his swordsmanship.

Nymphidius, continuing to sup the wine that Petronius had provided for him, started to get very enthusiastic, and started clapping. It was an eerie sound that echoed round the empty amphitheatre. Hearing it, Terrenus very foolishly looked up, and that was young Adamas' chance. Lunging forward, he took a risky swipe with his razor-sharp gladius at Terrenus' neck, as the boy looked towards the Editor's Box. The gladius sliced through Terrenus' neck, and the poor boy's head flew off, landing behind him, on the sand, and foolish Terrenus didn't even see it coming.

Many of the onlookers in the Editor's box gasped, as the headless boy, spunk squirting up from his hugely engorged cock, dropped his gladius, stood for a moment, with his arms fitfully waving about, seeming to try to staunch the gush of blood erupting from his neck. Seconds later the decapitated boy dropped heavily to his knees, piss spraying from his still upright and obscenely stiff cock, while he noisily voided his bowels onto the sand. Terrenus' corpse then fell forwards, its chest hitting the sand with a loud thump. For a few moments the boy continued to fart and jerk spasmodically, and then lay still.

Meanwhile, Adamas was waving his bloody gladius high above his head, and hopping from one foot to the other, obviously ecstatic that he had survived the fight. Instantly, the junior arena-slaves moved in with buckets of sand and shovels and rakes, while two arena-slaves tied stout ropes round Terrenus' ankles, prior to dragging him from the arena.

Meanwhile, Nymphidius was far from ecstatic about what had happened. He turned to Petronius, who he correctly took to be the organiser of the fights.

"I though you said that the winner would fuck the losing boy before finishing him off! It was a good kill, but the whole thing was over in the blink of an eye. I like the loser to have a lengthy, humiliating death, and not a quick chop!", he took a swig of wine, waiting for Petronius' response.

"Don't worry, your Excellency, that was unexpected, and the boys were told what to do, but Adamas ignored the instructions. The boy Adamas, the winner, will be punished now, before the second fight, and I think that you will be quite satisfied with the result," Petronius said, trying to placate the obviously annoyed, and slightly 'tipsy' Tribune.

"Excuse me, sir, and I will make the appropriate arangements," Petronius said, as he left the box, and went down to the arena via the service stairs.

Meanwhile, the arena-slaves were hard at work shovelling up the shit, piss and blood that Terrenus had left on the sand, while two slaves dragged Terrenus' headless corpse out of the arena. Petronius had no other choice but to accede to Nymphidius' demands. He quickly told the senior arena-slave to select the 'roughest' of the boys who were due to fight. The boy in question would then rape Adamas, emasculate the boy, and decapitate him.

Once that had been arranged, Petronius got some of the other arena slaves, who were not involved in the clean 'up', or the removal of Terrenus' corpse, to disarm Adamas, remove his cross belts, and strip him of his loincloth. Petronius then went over to the shocked young lad, who was by then stark naked, to tell him was was happening.

"I'm sorry, Adamas, but his Excellency is not pleased with the way you decapitated Terrenus without fucking him. Now, unfortunately for you, you will have to be fucked, in place of Terrenus! So just get on with it! If you try to resist too much, it will be so much the worse for you! So get on your hands and knees, and get ready." Petronius deliberately omitted to tell the boy he was to be emasculated and killed. That was for a little later.

A male prostitute or 'entertainer' (including gladiators, wrestlers and boxers) was infamis, and excluded from the legal protections extended to citizens in 'good standing'. As a matter of law, therefore, a slave (like Adamas) could not be raped; he was considered property, and not legally a person. The slave's owner, however, could prosecute the rapist for 'property damage'. The threat of one male subjecting another to anal or oral rape (irrumatio) is a theme of invective poetry, most notably in Catullus's notorious Carmen XVI (see below), and was a form of masculine braggadocio (boastful, arrogant behaviour). The rape of an male ingenuus, however, was a serious capital offence, with a punishment of castration and death. (Ingenuus was a Roman term signifying a personal status, a free citizen, Marcus would not be classed as 'ingenuus' until he legally inherited from Gracchus).

'Pedicabo ego vos et irrumabo', (I will sodomize you and face-fuck you) is the first line, sometimes used as a title, of Carmen XVI in the collected poems of Gaius Valerius Catullus (ca. 84 BC – ca. 54 BC). The poem was considered so explicit that a full English translation was not published until the late twentieth century. The first line has been called "one of the filthiest expressions ever written in Latin, or in any other language, for that matter."

Ferrum was the boy that the senior arena-slave had chosen to 'do the deed', and he came across the sand with a broad grin on his face, untying his loincloth as he came, and dropping it carelessly on the sand. He already had a very strong erection, and his stiff penis jerked suggestively as he walked. Adamas, who had obediently got onto his hands and knees in front of the Editor's Box, terrified at what was obviously going to happen, watched Ferrum, muscular, and highly excited, approaching.

"Stick your arse up, 'cause I'm gonna fuck you! " Ferrum grunted, as he settled himself behind kneeling Adamas. Ferrum then spat on his hand, grabbed hold of his stiff prick, and guided towards Adamas' arse-hole. He then lunged forward.

"SHIT…!" Adamas cried out, in response, as he felt Ferrum's massive, stiff penis penetrate him, his cry echoing round the empty amphitheater. Once he had fully penetrated the boy, Ferrum started thrusting, slowly at first, and then with increasing speed. Ferrum was very 'well-hung', and Adamas squirmed on the sand as he was painfully fucked. To stop the boy from crawling away, Ferrum grabbed Adamas by his hair, pulling the lad's head back.

Nymphidius, by then, had calmed down, and was obviously enjoying himself watching the two slim young lads jerking about on the sand. Gracchus looked on, impassively, just waiting for the time when he could bid his 'guest' a final farewell. Marcus did not really like what was happening in the arena, but in a strange way it fascinated him, and he did find it oddly arousing. Petronius watch carefully, hoping there would be no more problems during the morning's 'entertainment'.

Each echoing grunt from Ferrum, as he drove his hard swollen penis into Adamas' anus, was countered by a pained grunt for poor Adamas. Slowly the pace quickened.

"I'm fuckin' cummin'!… I've fucked the cunt!" Ferrum moaned loudly, pulling his penis out of Adamas' gaping anus and squirting his thick, copious semen over the writhing lad's sweaty back. Moments later, Adamas groaned and splattered the sand below him with gobs of his own creamy 'seed'.

Once he had finished 'cumming', Ferrum stood up, as an arena-slave handed him his loincloth, while Adamas flopped down onto the sand, landing in his own spunk, panting and moaning. Two arena-slaves then pulled Adamas to his knees, and the senior arena-slave handed Ferrum a small, curved knife.

"No! Please!… Don't cut me!…," Adamas groaned. looking intently at the knife that Ferrum was holding, while the two arena slaves held Adamas' arms tightly.

At this point Nymphidius started to take a really intense interest in the proceedings. Gracchus, however, simply looked resigned. He had accepted that he was to loose three young fighters, but now it seemed that he was to loose maybe four, and the morning's entertainment was becoming somewhat difficult. It was not, of course, a question of money, but rather of the inconvenience of acquiring another four slaves, in addition to replacing the three sacrificed at the munera, plus Atticus.

Up to this point Adamas was unsure as to just what was to be cut, but he probably thought it would be his throat, and therefore a quick death for him, as he pumped out his blood over the arena sand. When Ferrum reached down and grabbed Adamas, plump, smooth scrotum, the helpless boy's blood ran cold. "No!… Not my balls!… Not my bollocks!…… NO!…" the naked lad cried out, struggling to free himself from the grip of the two arena-slaves.

Not content just to quickly castrate the boy, Ferrum pulled and twisted the well-filled ball-sack.

"Fuck you!… No!…" Adamas groaned as, in response, his big penis swelled and stiffened in a final hard-on. Then, as Ferrum pulled the knife up from the root of Adamas' penis, through the twisted, stretched scrotum, taking both of the boy's testicles, Adamas squirted his last load of semen.

"Oh fuck! NO!" Adamas squealed pathetically,as he ejaculated, his 'seed', which landed in huge gobs on the sand.

Meanwile Ferrum handed the severed scrotum, containing Adamas' testicles to an arena slave who placed the bloody trophy in a small silver bowl he was carrying. Ferrum then bent down again, and grabbed Adamas' stiff, jerking penis.

"No!… Not my cock as well!…," Adamas moaned, unable to believe what was happening. Ferrum then, slowly and viciously sliced the sobbing boy's stiff penis off at the root.

"Cunt!… I'm fucked!…" Adamas squealed, as he squirted blood and urine over the sand from the tiny stump that was all that was left of his genitals. The now soft penis joined the boy's testicles in the silver bowl.

"I'm not finished with you yet, boy!" Ferrum said gruffly to young Adamas, who was now hanging limply from the grasp of the two arena-slaves, as his legs has become paralysed.

"No!… Please!… Just finish me!…" Adamas pleaded.

"Not yet, boy!" Ferrum replied, as he pushed his knife a short way into Adamas' taught lower belly, just above the lad's pubic bone. The naked, emasculated boy grunted, and farted. Ferrum then pulled the knife upwards, its curve perfectly made for the task, until it hit the boy's sternum.

"Fuck!… My belly!…" Adamas screamed.

Ferrum followed this with a further cut, horizontally, just below the naked boy's navel. The boy's guts then slowly flopped out from his mutilated belly, landing with a series of vulgar plops on the sand between his knees. The stench was appalling.

"Oh fuck!…"Adamas moaned, "You cunt!" unable to believe what he was seeing (and smelling), and more to the point, what he was feeling.

Ferrum then took Adamas' severed balls from the silver bowl, and stuffed them in the boy's mouth. By now Adamas was staring wildly, and almost certainly wishing he was dead. Ferrum then followed this up by taking Adamas' penis from the silver bowl, and shoving it, 'root first', into the boy's already full mouth, so that his cheeks bulged, and the cock-head of Adamas' prick poked out from between his lips.

"That's it boy!…You're done!…" Ferrum said, grinning, and standing back to look at his handy-work.

Adamas, held up by the two arena-slaves, grunted repeatedly, looking up at the Editor's Box, hoping they would give a sign for him to be finished-off, and then looked down at the contents of his belly, lying in bloody, stinking, steaming coils on the sand between his knees. He could not plead to those in the Editor's Box, the arena slaves, or Ferrum to 'finish' him, as his mouth was stuffed full with his severed genitals, and he could only grunt, and plead with his eyes.

Ferrum then looked up to the Editor's' Box for some sign of approval. Predictably, Nymphidius started clapping, but not for long, as no one else joined in. Ferrum then went up behind Adamas' and, using the same curved knife a before, slit the naked boy's throat. The arena-slaves then let go of the gurgling, mutilated lad, and Adamas fell forwards, into the mess of his own guts on the sand, and jerked spasmodically for a few moments, and then lay still.

And then the arena-slave had a real job to get the sand tidied up for the next fight, and while they did that, incense was burned in the two ornamental vases, either side of the Editor's Box to rid the arena of the smell of death and guts that had developed as a result of the killing of the two boys. As Adamas' guts were cut free from his corpses, and shovelled up, new sand was spread, and the naked boy's severed head was placed on his empty belly cavity. With ropes tied round Adamas' ankles, the mutilated, sexless and headless corpse was dragged out of the arena.

Aberratio
A Diversion

Well, unfortunately, we will miss most of the second fight, as we have to get back to the villa, to see what is happening there. But we will probably be back for the end of the fight, and it will also be likely that we will witness the final fight.

Gracchus had left instructions for Terentius to organise the preparation of the gold shipment to be taken to Rome. Now the figure for the donatio (bribe) that Gracchus had agreed with the Praetorian Tribunes was substantially less that that which Nymphidius thought he was going to get. The Tribunes were more than happy with their 'arrangement' with Gracchus, thinking that the demand that Nymphidius had made was outrageously excessive. They felt that if it became known that they had received the amount that Nymphidius had suggested they would be dishonoured by being excessively intemperate, and the reputation of the Praetorians would be slurred. More significantly, they considered that the sum that Nymphidius was expecting would include a substantial 'rake-off' for Nymphidius himself.

In reality, of course, the gold ingots in the cart were simply a bribe, given by Gracchus, to ensure that Nymphidius did not become the next Emperor, and this was the first time that anyone close to Gracchus was aware of him becoming in any way involved in politics. The times, however, were desperate and an appalling civil war loomed.

So it was necessary to have the sum that the Tribunes had agreed with Gracchus loaded onto a large, four wheeled cart, which would look, at first glance to be substantially more than it actually was. This, Terentius was endeavouring to arrange, and it was to this end that Nymphidius was being kept well away from the villa, where the gold shipment would eventually be prepared, and wined and dined at the amphitheatre while he ogled young gladiators.

As Gracchus had said to Marcus, you should always discover a man's weakness if you wished to stay on top of any situation.

The gold itself, of course, was not kept at the villa, and Terentius had to take a circuitous route through the local countryside to an innocent looking farm, just outside Herculaneum. This was yet another of Gracchus' properties, one that Marcus didn't know of, where, deep in a hidden, stone lined underground vault, Gracchus kept just some of his wealth, including ingots of precious metals (gold and silver).

Using a small number of highly trusted slaves, some of these ingots were packed into wooden, iron bound chests. The lower chests were left partially unfilled, while the chests on top, that may be easily inspected, were fully loaded. The iron bindings protected the partially filled chests from the weight of the fully loaded chests above. The chests were then loaded onto the cart that Terentius had brought from the villa.

Now hopefully, Nymphidius, on his return from the amphitheater, would take a cursory look at the large, heavily laden cart, climb into his carriage, and return to Rome, where his tribunes were 'cooking up' an excuse to be permanently rid of him. Back at the amphitheater, Gracchus was waiting nervously for a messenger from the villa to tell him that everything was ready.

Revertere ad Harenam
Back to the Arena

Coming back to Gracchus' arena, everything seemed to be going well. Nymphidius was enjoying himself, and seemed to have forgotten all about his gold.

Petronius not only kept Nymphidius supplied with plenty of wine, but also ensured that the entertainment went well.

Ferrum was also having a very good morning. He had managed to beat Validas, who sued for mercy when it was clear that he was outclassed by his opponent. He obviously, although foolishly, thought it might be safer to plead for mercy, and a dismissal from the arena, rather than fight on, and find his detached head bouncing about on the sand, as happened with Terrenus.

Obviously, with Nymphidius watching, no mercy was shown, and Ferrum got his second fuck of the morning. While Validas, stark naked after being fucked, was recovering from the vicious rape, the arena-slaves got hold of him, and Ferrum, now wearing his loincloth, made short work of the poor lad's 'privates'. Squealing pathetically, as blood and piss gushed from his crotch-stump, the now mutilated, sexless fighter was pushed face down onto the sand, and Ferrum rammed his gladius through the boys' back, pinning him to the floor of the arena. Validas squirmed briefly, and then Ferrum pulled up the boy's head by his hair, and slit his throat with a knife. Blood gushed from Validas' neck, and steaming excrement dribbled from between Validas' legs as his bowels emptied. After threshing about in his own blood and shit on the sand for a few seconds, with the gladius still impaling him through his back, the naked young fighter was dead.

Ferum then saluted the Editor's Box, and left the arena. He had survived, as he was not expected to fight again that day.

Petram et Virga
Petram and Virga

By the time the third contest was ready to start Gracchus was getting worried, as the courier he was expecting, with the news that the gold for Nymphidius was ready, had not yet arrived. Nymphidius, however, seemed quite happy, now, with the morning's entertainment, and Petram and Virga were striding out onto the sand, looking quite confident, regardless of the mayhem that had already been enacted in the arena.

With the burners by then filling the air with perfumed smoke, the stench of the previous killing was hardly noticeable as the senior arena slave drew two lines in the sand, which indicated the starting positions for the two boys. Both of the lads showed considerable skill during the fight, unlike the other boys, and Petronius was pleased with the quality of the fighting.

Halfway through the contest, Gracchus courier quietly entered the Editor's Box, and gave Gracchus a softly spoken verbal message, Nymphidius didn't even notice, as his interest was focused on Virga, who was wearing a silver 'penis cage', identical to the one that the ill fated Terrenus had been wearing.

So, as Nymphidius was distracted, Gracchus had a quick word with Marcus, who by that time was getting somewhat bored with the proceedings down in the arena, despite the rather skillful exhibition of swordplay that Virga an Petram were giving.

***

WARNING:
the following section is again about gory gladiator fights and deaths
If you don't like that, go directly to the conclusions

***

Virga, of course was well named, (Virga means rod), as throughout the fight his stiff, erect penis was on display, held in position by the silver rings attached to the leather harness he was wearing round his loins. Petram, however, finally managed to get the better of Virga, and thrust his short gladius deep into Virga's belly, just above the 'horny' lad's navel.

"Fuck!…" Virga grunted, dropping his own gladius, as he simply stood opposite Petram, looking down at the twitching blade lodged deeply in his guts.

Nymphidius, now past caring whether any of his fellow spectators in the Box were interested in the fights, or not, applauded in the oddly silent Amphitheater. The arena-slaves immediately dealt with Virga, pulling the gladius from out of the seemingly mesmerised lad's belly. As the gladius came out, blood spurted, and the boy groaned "Shit!…" The slaves then stripped the helpless lad of his leather harness. It was obvious from the prominent bulge in Petram's skimpy loincloth that he was very 'hard'.

"No!… Please!… Don't fuck me!…" Virga pleaded, despite the fact that his hefty penis was already very 'aroused'.

As the arena-slaves bent Virga over to be fucked, Petram went over to the moaning boy and thrust his thick, stiff penis into the now naked and bleeding young fighter.

"Cunt!…" Virga grunted, as Petram's thick cock impaled his twitching, anus. Petram started excitedly thrusting, and there was a great deal of grunting from the two boys, as Petram fucked Virga viciously, while the Virga was prevented from toppling over by the arena-slaves.

"Fuck!… Fuck!… I'm cumming!…" Virga, who had been erect and excited throughout the fight, groaned loudly, as he squirted his (final) 'load', splattering his thick, creamy seed over the sand. Obviously, with a deep abdominal wound, this was the unfortunate lad's last orgasm. Moments later Petram groaned, and rammed his penis deep into Virga.

"Shit!… Virga grunted as he felt Petram's hot penis forced itself deeply into him, as it squirted seed right into the squirming, naked Virga's penetrated guts.

The arena-slave then released Virga, who sank to his knees, still 'hard' and dribbling spunk, while Petram covered his nakedness with his loincloth, in preparation for 'finishing' his opponent. Before Virga knew what was happening, Petram then grabbed hold of Virga's well filled scotum and still stiff, twitching penis.

"No!… Not my balls!…" Virga screamed, as Petram sliced off not just the boy's testicles, but his complete the genitals, balls and jerking cock, with one, deft cut.

"Oh!… Fuck!…" Virga squealed and grabbed at his mutilated, bleeding groin.

Having been given Virga's gladius by one of the arena-slaves, Petram then unceremoniously thrust the tip of the gladius between Virga's clavicle and collarbone, forcing the blade down into his trembling, naked opponent's heart. Instantly Virga, completely emasculated and naked, gurgled, as blood gushed from his nose and mouth, and his bowels emptied noisily onto the sand, and urine sprayed from his pathetic little stump that was all that was left of his penis.

Petram pulled the blade out of the dying boy, and Virga spluttered "Cunt!…" and collapsed forward onto his face, dead. Victorious young Petram then raised his bloody gladius to the small audience in the Editor' box.

The arena slaves then rushed to tidy up the mess, tying ropes round the ankles of dead, sexless Virga, in order to drag the corpse from the arena.

Meanwhile, in the editor's Box, Nymphidius was congratulating Petronius on a 'fine show', and assuring Gracchus that he had an excellent slave in the person of Petronius. Marcus, glad that Nymphidius was no longer paying him any attention, stayed in the background, although he was concerned that the Praetorian Prefect was so taken with Petronius. The group then made there way to the prothyrum, where Nymphidius insisted on meeting and talking to Petram and Ferrum, the two survivors of morning's 'entertainment'.

It was obvious that Nymphidius 'fancied' young Petram (Ferrum was obviously a bit too much like 'rough trade' for Nymphidius). Surprisingly, Nymphidius asked if he could 'borrow' Petram, and take him back to Rome for a few weeks, (Nymphidius, obviously anticipating his 'imperial' status, now felt that he could make demands which would normally be quite unacceptable). Gracchus had no option but to accede to Nymphidius request. Petram looked pleased, but he obviously had no awareness of Nymphidius' odious reputation.

Leaving the Amphitheater, the various members of the group took to their carriages, while the Praetorian Tribunes mounted up. Petronius was relieved that he was able to return in Marcus' carriage, having finally escaped from Nymphidius.

Conclusiones
Conclusions

Back at the Villa, Nymphidius made effusive apologies, but explained to Gracchus that he was urgently needed in Rome. The Prefect simply glanced at the apparently heavily laden cart, and then climbed into his carriage with his arm around young Petram (who was still only wearing a loincloth).

Before the group set off for Rome, Gracchus had a word with the senior Praetorian Tribune.

"I would be grateful if you could see that nothing untoward happens to the young slave-boy, Petram. I will send a freedman to collect him after you have rid yourselves of Nymphidius."

"Of course, sir." the Tribune replied, giving Gracchus a friendly smile.

and the story continues - Rome has a new Emperor

XX: Novus Imperator
Annus Quattuor Imperatorum, Pars IV
20: The New Emperor
The Year of the Four Emperors, part 4

Post Ludos
After the Ludi

The afternoon, after the ludi for Nymphidius, Marcus and Gracchus shared a meal in Gracchus' private triclinium.

"I hope, my boy, that this little incident has taught you how nerve-wracking it can be to get involved in politics," Gracchus said, between bites.

"Nerve-wracking, and I think very dangerous. I was very worried about Nymphidius and Petronius, but in the end Nymphidius was more keen on Petram. And what do you think will happen to young Petram?" Marcus asked, obviously concerned.

"I think that Petram will be allright," Gracchus replied.

"As soon as I hear that things have settled down in Rome, I will send Terentius and one of the arena-slaves to collect him from the Castra Praetoria. I arranged for the senior Praetorian Tribune to look after him, until they had sorted out Nymphidius," Gracchus concluded, reassuringly.

"So what's going to happen to Nymphidius?" Marcus asked, obviously not aware of the deal that Gracchus had made with the Praetorians.

"Well… I don't think that you will be seeing Nymphidius again!" Gracchus replied, with a wicked twinkle in his eye.

"You mean the're going to kill him?" Marcus asked.

"Probably," Gracchus replied in an unconvincingly noncommittal manner.

"And who will be the new Emperor?" Marcus asked.

"Almost certainly Galba, but for how long, who can say?"

Galba Sumit Purpureum
Galba Adopts the Purple

The Praetorians kept their word to Gracchus, and assassinated Nymphidius, welcoming Galba as the new Emperor.

However, things started badly for Galba. As he approached Rome he was met by troops who brought petitions to him. Galba's response was to have many of them killed.

Galba's primary concern during his reign was restoring the state finances, which had been ruined by the extravagances of Nero, and to this end he undertook a number of measures, which subsequently proved to be very unpopular.

The most dangerous decision that he made, however, was to refuse to pay the Praetorians the reward that he had promised them.

Galba scorned the notion that soldiers should be 'bribed' for their loyalty (so why had he promised them money in the first instance?).

He was notoriously cruel throughout the Empire, and according to the historian Suetonius, Galba levied massive taxes against areas that were slow to receive him as Emperor.

Mors Nymphidii et Novus Imperator
Death of Nymphidius and the New Emperor

Gracchus, however, was simply relieved that the threat of civil war now seemed to have receded. He still had faith in Apollo's oracle, but the problem was that there was no time scale to the prophecy. The prophecy stated that there would be four claimants to the Imperium. The question was left open, however, as to whether Nymphidius could be counted as one of the four. Nymphidius after all, had not actually 'taken the purple'.

Galba, on the other hand, had.

So Galba was probably the first of the four, which would mean that there were three more to come, the last of whom would be the 'saviour from the east'.

Regardless, in order to stay on the right side of the new, elderly, and apparently 'ruthless' emperor, Gracchus asked Marcus to arrange for a public Ludi, in celebration of the accession of the Novus Imperator, the New Emperor.

So Marcus got together with Petronius to produce a spectacular Ludi.

It was unusual in that this was to be a 'public' Ludi, and normally Gracchus charged for attendance at his private amphitheater.

This Ludi, however, was to be open to all the citizens (but only the citizens) of Baiae who wished to attend.

The amphitheatre had been closed for some time for renovation, and the Ludi for Nymphidius had been the first time the new, renovated features had been tested. Due to the closure, there was also a 'backlog' with regard to public executions, which would therefore feature strongly in the celebratory Ludi. This was no bad thing, as tortures and executions were particularly popular, especially with the 'plebs', who would undoubtedly make up a considerable part of the audience.

(In the normal run of things, most 'plebs' could not afford to go to Gracchus' private Ludi, and had to make the journey to the older, and smaller, public arena at Cumae).

The first task was to get some new boys who could be quickly 'trained up' to fight in the arena.

Gracchus sent Terentius, along with the senior arena-slave, not to Brundisium, but to Ostia which was closer, to find some suitable lads.

Ostia may have been Rome's first colonia. According to the legend Ancus Marcius, the semi-legendary fourth king of Rome, first destroyed Ficana, an ancient town that was only 17 km [10½ miles] from Rome and had a small harbour on the Tiber, and then proceeded with establishing the new colony 10 km [6 miles] further west and closer to the sea coast. During Julius Caesar's time one of his improvements to the city was the establishment of better supervision of the supply of grain to Rome. The town was further developed during the first century AD under the influence of Tiberius, who ordered the building of the town's first Forum. The town was also soon enriched by the construction of a new harbor on the northern mouths of the Tiber. The new harbor, not surprisingly called Portus, from the Latin for 'harbor', was excavated from the ground at the orders of the emperor Claudius. Most slaves coming into Rome arrived at Ostia, and could be bought more cheaply in the port than in Rome itself.

Having bought some new slaves, Terentius, armed with a sealed letter from Gracchus, went to Rome, to the 'Castra Praetoria', to see if he could find, and arrange for the release of the slave-boy Petram.

The barracks of the 'Castra Praetoria' were built in 23 AD by Lucius Aelius Sejanus, the Praetorian Prefect serving under the emperor Tiberius, in an effort to consolidate the several divisions of the guards. The barracks were erected just outside the city of Rome and surrounded by solid masonry walls, measuring a total of 440 by 380 metres [1440 x 1250 feet]. Three of the four sides of the walls were later incorporated in the Aurelian Walls.

Much to Terentius' surprise, young Petram was alive and well, although rather 'chastened' by his recent experiences at the hands of Nymphidius. The boy was overjoyed to see familiar faces, and the Praetorians were only too happy to return the lad to their recent benefactor, Gracchus.

With both his missions accomplished, Terentius then returned to Baiae, and Marcus and Petronius were able to start work on the proposed, forthcoming public Ludi.

In addition, Terentius brought news of the death of Nymphidius at the hands of the Praetorian Tribunes (which was far more important than the return of Petram).

Gracchus considered it money well spent, although he was beginning to have his doubts about Galba.

(as has already been noted: Tacitus says 'all pronounced him worthy of the empire, until he became emperor' ('omnium consensū cāpax imperiī nisi imperasse').

Unlike everyone else, however, (except for Novius, Terentius and Marcus) Gracchus, with the aid of Apollo's oracle, knew that Galba would not last long.

What is interesting, in the light of Gracchus' reliance on the Cumean oracle, is the fact that someone else, (we shall discover who a little later), was being encouraged by astrologers (another kind of oracle) to overthrow Galba.

Greek influence played a crucial role in the transmission of astrological theory to Rome. Its initial influence was upon the lower orders of society. Among Romans, Babylonia, or Chaldea, became so identified with astrology that 'Chaldean wisdom' came to be a common synonym for divination using planets and stars.

The first definite reference to astrology comes from the work of the orator Cato, who in 160 BC composed a treatise warning farm overseers against consulting with Chaldeans. The Roman poet Juvenal, in his satirical attack on the habits of Roman women, also complains about the pervasive influence of Chaldeans, despite their lowly social status, saying "Still more trusted are the Chaldaeans; every word uttered by the astrologer they will believe has come from Hammon's fountain,… nowadays no astrologer has credit unless he has been imprisoned in some distant camp, with chains clanking on either arm". One of the first astrologers to bring Hermetic astrology to Rome was Thrasyllus, who acted as the astrologer for the emperor Tiberius. Tiberius was the first emperor reported to have had a court astrologer, although his predecessor Augustus had also used astrology to help legitimise his Imperial rights. Even though some use of astrology by the emperors appears to have happened, there was also a prohibition on astrology to a certain extent as well. In the 1st century Publius Rufus Anteius was accused of the crime of funding the banished astrologer Pammenes, and requesting his own horoscope and that of then emperor Nero. For this crime, Nero forced Anteius to commit suicide. At this time, astrology was likely to result in charges of magic and treason

But to return to the matter of Nymphidius, Marcus, of course, was pleased when Gracchus told him the news about Nymphidius, and Petronius was understandably relieved that he would not be meeting that odious character again.

Iuvenis Dominus Marcus
Marcus, the Iuvenis Dominus

For Marcus, who just had his seventeenth birthday (unknown to him!), life was now very different, and it was only when things started to settle down, after the visit of Nymphidius, that Marcus began to get used to that fact that he was free, and was, in fact now the 'young master' of the villa, the amphitheater, and all of Gracchus' other possessions.

Because of this, his relationship with Gracchus changed dramatically. He no longer feared Gracchus, as he had done when he first came to the villa, but he still respected him deeply, and was now developing a true affection for the man who had taken the place of his father.

Marcus' father had been distant and strict. Gracchus was still strict, but far from distant, taking an interest in everything that Marcus did, and in particular in his studies with his tutors.

In addition, Gracchus had almost completely relinquished control of the amphitheater, trusting Marcus, with the expert help of Petronius, to manage all the Ludi. The only condition that Gracchus made about the arena was that Petronius would not appear in the arena (as he had done on some previous occasions), but would rather only take a supervisory role, helping and advising Marcus.

Praeparationes ad Ludos pro Galba
Preparations for the Ludi for Galba

And so the preparation for the celebration Ludi went ahead.

Marcus and Petronius' first task was to inspect the replacement slaves that Terentius had bought. The boys were lined up in the training arena, clad in regulation blue loincloths. Terentius, who had no particular inclination for boys, knew however his master's taste, and had been prepared to spend a little over the odds for attractive, reasonably well muscled lads.

As the fighters in Gracchus' arena rarely wore gladiator style helmets (gladiator helmets normally completely covered the face, leaving only eyeholes for vision, which Gracchus rightly maintained slowed down fighters, because they had very limited vision, and were heavy) Terentius had been careful to ensure that these new slaves were not only attractive in bodily proportion, but were also bright eyed, and handsome, with attractive features and winning smiles.

Handsome fighters that, Gracchus knew, was the way to attract an audience, and keep it, and now Marcus was learning the same lesson.

Unfortunately, for the new boys, unless they were very 'quick learners', their first ludi in Gracchus' arena would probably be their last, as they had very little time to be 'trained up'.

Petronius would undoubtedly do his best to get them prepared, but they would need plenty of natural ability if they were to survive a fight with lads who had been training for many months (in some cases even years), and who had the experience of numerous previous fights to help them.

Marcus and Petronius had discussed the possibility of a mythological presentation, but as they considered the various myths legends, and set pieces from Greek or Roman literature, they came to the conclusion that, with regard to Galba's unconventional methods of achieving the Imperium, they could all be misinterpreted.

They decided, therefore to keep to wrestling, boxing, gladiators and some executions, but they did risk one mythological tablaux, which Petronius had been 'itching' to try out for months, and one simple tableaux featuring 'Germania' which was the only military involvement that Galba ever seemed to have had.

The long planned story of Achilles, from the Iliad, (for which they were still seeking Gracchus' financial approval) they decided to leave until things in Rome settled down.

The date set for the Celebratory Public Games (Ludi pro Galba) was therefore 31st August, (August being Gracchus favorite month, being named after Octavian Augustus), giving them just over a month to get everything ready.

Fortunately the Amphitheatre had been recently renovated, so little maintenance work needed to be done, and most of the preparation involved the planning of the pompa, rehearsals for a boy's choir to sing a celebratory ode (composed by Lucius, Marcus' Latin tutor), and the training of the newly bought boy-gladiators, which Terentius had recently acquired from Ostia.

Ludi pro Galba
The ludi for Galba

The weather on the day of the ludi was fine.

It should be noted that in general, during the period of ouir story the weather in Italy was somewhat warmer that dueing the present day, and the years 68-90 were particularly dry.

The Pompa, which had been well planned (see above), went off well, but during the singing of Lucius' 'Celebratory Ode' there was much ribald comment, as Galba's reputation, in both financial matters, (Galba never went out, even for recreation, without taking a million sesterces in gold with him in a second carriage), and sexual matters, (his liking for mature men as sexual partners, rather than boys, was seen as particularly bizzarre and reprehensible), had already become common knowledge among the 'plebs'.

Spectaculum, Pars Prima
First part, The Tableau

After the pompa, the Games opened with tableaux.

In the arena, 'tableaux' were not static representations, but rather short, often violent and/or sexually explicit scenes acted out, and representing some mythological, legendary or historical event.

The only 'tableau' that Gracchus could suggest to Marcus and Petronius, that would not be open to misrepresentation, was some sort of reference to Galba's activities in 'Germania'.

Galba became Praetor in 20, and consul in 33; he earned a reputation in the provinces of Gaul, Germania, and Hispania for his military capability, strictness and impartiality. And that is about the only good thing that one can say about the new Emperor Galba.

Fortunately, Terentius, when in Ostia, had bought a handsome little slave-boy with a somewhat Germanic look. This lad was used to represent 'Germania', and one of Gracchus' most muscular, but not particularly 'bright' 'worker-slaves' was dragooned into representing Gracchus' Legionaries in 'Germania', wearing Servius' centurion's helmet (borrowed for the occasion), and some silvered arm guards. The big muscular slave was otherwise naked.

The Germanic looking boy, also naked, was suitably chained up in the arena, between two somewhat 'phallic' looking, short stone pillars, set firmly into the new, renovated wooden floor of the arena.

The action of the tableau consisted of the slave, who was representing the Roman legions, first of all forcing his very large, erect penis into the chained boy's mouth.

Irrumatio, mouth-fucking, is Latin for the act of thrusting of the penis into the mouth or throat. In the Roman sexual vocabulary, irrumatio is strictly a form of os impurum, 'oral rape', in which a man forces his penis into someone else's mouth, almost always that of another man or boy. Latin erotic terminology actually distinguishes two acts. First, fellatio, in which the man's penis is orally excited by the fellator. Second, irrumatio, in which the man (the irrumator) engages in motions by moving his hips and body in a rhythm of his own choice

The muscular slave then took the slave-boy, who was kneeling between the two pillars, from behind, and subjected him to anal rape. Having fucked the boy roughly, with the lad acting suitably distressed at apparently being forcibly raped, and the boy becoming nicely aroused, and erect, as his rectum got stuffed full of the older slave's huge penis, the muscular slave was then required to kill the 'horny' boy, by slitting his throat.

Petronius, however, wanted to use the boy (who had been an expensive purchase) on some future occasion, and so the lad was grasped by the neck, by the muscular slave (who was secreting a bladder of pig's blood in that same hand), while he made a show of dragging the blunted blade across the struggling slave-boy's neck.

The bladder was squeezed, and 'fresh' pigs' blood gushed, the boy collapsed, grunting and writhing, and the muscular slave rose, waving his blade in triumph.

The simulated death went off perfectly, and the supposedly dead, but still erect, 'Germanic' slave-boy was dragged naked from the arena, to live, and probably die, another day.

It was not a practice that Petronius really agreed with, but it happened often, in many arenas (and even in Rome), when slave supplies were restricted, or a particular slave was required at a later date for some other purpose.

Although the connection between the 'tableaux' and the supposedly military exploits of the new Emperor Galba, (such as they were), was lost on most of the spectators, the horny, naked slave-boy was popular, and his brutal double rape, and subsequent apparent 'killing', was seen as a suitable introduction to the Games.

Pancratium, Pars Secunda
Part two, Wrestling

Some wrestling then followed the 'tableaux'.

The 'plebs' were always keen on the naked, Greek style wrestling, called the Pancratium, where no holds were barred (Marcus could never understand why these fights required a referendarius (referee) considering the only forbidden move was 'eye-gouging'.

Παγκράτιον (Pankration) was a sporting event introduced into the Greek Olympic Games in 648 BC and was an empty-hand combat sport with scarcely any rules. The athletes used boxing and wrestling techniques, but also others, such as kicking and holds, locks and chokes on the ground. The term comes from the Greek παγκράτιον paŋkrátion, literally meaning 'all of power' from πᾶν (pan-) 'all' and κράτος (kratos) 'strength, might, power'. By the Imperial Period (at the time of our story), the Romans had adopted the Greek combat sport (spelled in Latin as Pancratium) into their Games. Pankration itself was an event in the Olympic Games for some 1,000 years.

Not surprisingly, most fights ended with low blows aimed at the testicles, and many of the fights ended with the death of the losing fighter, who was often strangled while being raped.

Supplicium
Punishment

Supplicium was somewhat of a 'euphemism', as it could mean 'punishment', but was also a term used for 'execution'. Any punishment that occurred in the arena, however, inevitably led to execution. So, there then followed a long series of executions, mostly with the victim being tortured before being killed. These individuals were known as noxii, and were sent to the amphitheater under an agreement between Gracchus and the local magistracy. Surprisingly, Gracchus was actually paid to perform these executions, and they always proved very popular. It was usually stipulated that the condemned criminal should undergo execution within a set period of time, usually being one or two months.

In the 'Ludus Gracchii' there were cell blocks, and the condemned prisoners were usually kept confined on a minimal diet.

It was usually stipulated that the condemned criminal should undergo execution within a set period of time, usually being one or two months.

It was also possible for these criminals to appear in the arena prior to the last date stipulated for their execution, either to be executed early, or undergo a session of torture in the arena. Of course, if the individual died as a result of torture then that was seen as the completion of the sentence of execution.

Normally, the magistrates did not stipulate the manner of execution, and so various methods were used, including combinations of crucifixion, impaling, disembowelling, castration and emasculation, decapitation (rare), burning, drowning and crushing.

(Note: Roman citizens could not be publicly executed)

Gracchus did not keep animals for show, or to use in executions or hunts, in the arena (except on rare occasions, as you will see a little later), and so damnatio ad bestias was not an aspect of the Games that he gave.

Castration, or more commonly emasculation (removal not only if the scrotum and testicles, but also the penis), was a common punishment for slave condemned for sexual crimes. These punishments were particularly popular with the 'plebs'. Of course, castration and emasculation were not immediately fatal, although eventually the victim would bleed to death. Such a punishment was usually part of a crucifixion or an impaling (crucifixion and impaling often being combined).

***

WARNING:
the following tableau is focused on gory gladiator fights and executions
If you don't like that, continue here

***

Spectaculum, Pars Tertia
Third part, The Tableau

The second tableau was a mythological subject that Petronius had been eacher to stage. Hopefully it would not be open to misinterpretation.

At least the 'plebs' would be unlikely to read anything into it that could be seen as critical of Galba. Hopefully the more intelligent members of the audience might see a reference to the leading figure being Nero, and the tormentor of that figure representing Rome, in other words, Rome punishing Nero for his misguided ways.

The actual theme of the tableau was Prometheus. In the Greek version of the legend (and there were many), Prometheus was supposed to have stolen fire from the Gods to give to mankind (read here Nero giving the Roman people the arts of Greece). Zeus (read here Jupiter) then decided to punish Prometheus. Prometheus (read here Nero) was chained to a mountain peak in the Caucasus, and an eagle, (representing Zeus, read Jupiter, Rome) came and devoured Prometheus' liver each day,although the liver regrew every night.

This torture, therefore, went on endlessly.

This type of complex and obtuse allegory (although having gone very much out of fashion in the 20th and 21st centuries) was well understood in the world of the Greeks and Romans. As a literary device, an allegory is a metaphor whose vehicle may be a character, place or event, representing real-world issues and occurrences. An allegory (in the sense of the practice and use of allegorical devices and works) has occurred widely throughout history in all forms of art, and public discourse, largely because it can readily illustrate or convey complex ideas and concepts in ways that are comprehensible or striking to its viewers, readers, or listeners. Allegory is typically used as a method to convey semi-hidden, or hidden meanings through symbolic figures, actions, imagery, and/or events, which together create a moral, spiritual, or political meaning. Many of the presentations in the Roman arena were of an allegorical nature - and the Ludi, as has been stated before, were not just displays of mindless, vicious killing and sadistic entertainment, but were events of an educative, political and religious nature.

So Petronius had an artificial mountain peak built, (just a 'rock' really), with concealed wheels, so that it could be easily maneuvered into the arena. A small painted backcloth, representing the sky was placed behind the 'rock' (obscuring some of the action, but only for those in the stands reserved for the 'plebs'.

A young slave, who already his belly slit open, but only very slightly disembowelled, with just a little of his guts pulled out, was then chained to the 'rock'.

Then one of Gracchus' eagles (Gracchus kept a magnificent, huge, gilded bronze aviary in the grounds of the villa, containing a collection of eagles, which were Augusts' favorite creature), was deftly attached to the 'rock', next to the chained, naked boy.

The eagle used at the beginning of the tableau had been deprived of food for some time, and being ravenous, quickly started making a meal of the screaming young 'Prometheus'.

The audience were surprisingly quiet as they watched the bizarre scene, possibly worried about frightening the huge bird away, not realizing that it was securely tethered, just a securely as the unfortunate boy.

To begin with, the hungry bird started pulling the naked boy's guts out of the slip in his belly.

"Shit!… My fuckin' guts!…," the naked boy screamed, much to the amusement of the 'plebs'.

Having gobbled down some of the young lad's guts, the inquisitive bird started pecking at the naked boy's penis and testicles.

Almost immediately the lad, who had managed eventually to control his screams, started groaning pathetically as his penis got stiff and hard, as a result of the attention the bird was giving to his genitals

Soon, however, groans were interspersed by grunts, and loud cries of "Fuck! Oh fuck!… My balls!" when the brainless bird pecked hard at the squirming boy's hefty, bulging testicles.

Eventually the bird was satiated, and in the brief pause, 'Prometheus' unable to control his full bladder any longer, spraying urine over the rock, as blood trickled out of the now gaping wound in his belly.

At this point the foolish boy thought it was all over, and he would be quickly dispatched by having his throat cut.

He was wrong, however.

He was relieved to see an arena slave, wearing a thick leather gauntlet come to retrieve the bird, but horrified to see a second arena slave, carrying and equally large bird into the arena.

"No!… Please!… No more!…, he cried out to the Editor's Box, where Gracchus, Marcus and Petronius were watching him.

They, however, were very pleased at the result of this unusual tableau, and Petronius was particularly gratified to see that all his work and planning was producing the intended result.

The second bird was attached to the rock, in the same position as the previous bird. With the condemned boy's genitals now covered in blood, the eagle saw the twitching, jerking object as an 'tasty morsel', and began attacking first the boy's stiff penis, which the bird quickly pecked off and swallowed. The bird then went for the terrified lad's hefty scrotum.

"Shit!… My bollocks!…," the writhing boy squealed.

"Help! It's eating my fuckin' bollocks!…," and the 'plebs, of course, were loving every minute of the boy's torture.

It took very little time for the huge, hungry bird to gobble up the writhing, naked boy's testicles, leaving him a helpless eunuch. Having completely emasculated the naked slave, the bird was then removed. The arena slaves then examined the mutilated, groaning boy, and seeing he was still alive, they erected an iron gibbet in the arena. The naked, disembowelled and emasculated boy, was then unchained from the 'rock', and then hung by his feet and wrists, and impaled through his anus on a projecting iron spike.

"Shit! My fuckin' arsehole!" the pathetic lad squealed, as the arena slaves repeatedly swung him so that he was effectively raped by the iron spike. He was being killed very slowly and the poor lad knew it. He was then left to squirm and moan, until he died from loss of blood.

Quarta Pars
The Fourth Part

The Ludi to celebrate Galba 'taking the purple' ended with the ever popular gladiatorial contests. At the end of those contests, the audience, as one, rose to acclaim Gracchus for the magnificent ludi.

Gracchus, however, in a remarkable gesture, pushed young Marcus forward, and raise the startled boy's hand, indicating that he was the 'hero of the hour'. Few in the audience had ever seen Marcus before, but rumours were soon rife, in Baiae, Cumae, Neapolis, Pompeii and Herculaneum, that Gracchus had an 'heir', and that great time lay ahead for the House of Gracchus.

Tribulationes cum Praetorianos
Trouble with the Praetorians

After the successful Ludi pro Galba, all seemed to be going well, and then one morning, in January 69 AD, just before Marcus was about to set out for the amphitheater, a young slave-boy, who was then helping Glykon at the main entrance, rushed up to the door-keepers outside Marcus' new apartments, demanding to speak to the Iuvenis Dominus.

The boy, having stated he was sent by Glykon, and having been searched for concealed weapons, was allowed to enter Marcus' atrium.

"Iuvenis Dominus, lykon told me to see you, as there are men in armour at the main entrance wishing to see the Dominus, but he's still sleeping. Gylon didn't know what to do, and sent me to ask you if they should be allowed to enter the villa," the boy said breathlessly, and obviously alarmed.

"Thank you! I will come now!" Marcus answered, trying to look, and sound calm.

Marcus hurried down to the main entrance, the the panting slave-boy, and young Cleon following him.

On arrival at the hallway, Marcus found three Praetorian tribunes, looking dusty from their long ride from Rome, standing in the imposing prothyrum (entrance-hall) of the villa. Glykon rushed up to Marcus, looking pale and frightened.

"Thank the gods you've come. These 'people' are demanding to see Gracchus, and I was too frightened to disturb him, and Terentius is not here, so I sent for you!" Glykon gabbled.

"No problem!" Marcus replied, trying to calm Glykon.

"Gentlemen! Welcome!" Marcus said, turning to the uniformed men.

"I am Marcus Octavianus Gnaeus, nephew and heir of the Dominus Gracchus. How can I help you?".

"Good morning, Iuvenis Dominus!" the leading Praetorian replied. "We would like to speak to the Dominus, urgently, if that is possible. There are important matters of state to discuss."

"Enough!" Marcus replied, imperiously. "This is not a private place. Glykon, get your boy clear the small atrium, and take our honoured guests there, while I speak to the Dominus."

The senior Tribune, obviously impressed with Marcus' authority, thanked Marcus, and then he and his two companions followed Glykon to one of the small atria, leading off from the prothyrum.

Marcus then hurried to Gracchus' apartments.

"Good morning, Dominus!" Marcus began, respectfully. "We have some visitors from Rome asking for an interview. They are Praetorians," Marcus added, ominously.

"So, Marcus, I was expecting this!" Gracchus replied, rising from his couch, where he had been dozing, and straightening his toga. "When you bring them to me, stay with me, but say nothing. We now have a dangerous situation. My information is that Galba is unpopular, to say the least, in Rome, and this might be the beginning of a move to oust him, so we must tread carefully."

"I understand Dominus, at least I think I do," Marcus replied, wondering how they could be back in a similar situation to the one they had just left after the death of Nero.

"Now go and bring these Tribunes to me, and we will listen to their requests," Gracchus said, making his way to his study.

Once in the study, Gracchus seated himself at his ornate marble topped table, with Marcus standing to his side.

The Praetorians entered the study.

"Be seated, gentlemen!" Gracchus said, and slaves brought chairs for the three officers.

Then, with the flick of his hand, Gracchus dismissed the slaves. Wishing to take the upper hand, Gracchus then began the interview.

"I would have wished that you had given me some warning of your visit. Then you could have been appropriately greeted."

"Yes, Domine, but our visit is most confidential and we had little time to forewarn you," the senior tribune tried to explain, somewhat taken aback by Gracchus' brusque manner.

"So…," Gracchus paused, "How are things in Rome?"

"Well that is what we came to discuss with you," the senior Tribune replied. "We represent a certain person… well party, in Rome that feels that, maybe… our new emperor, is not perhaps, entirely… suited to his new office," the Tribune stumbled and stuttered to find the right words.

"And this person," Gracchus continued, "much younger than Galba, 'taken' with the boy Sporus, and much influenced by Chaldaeans, imagines that he could wield the Imperium more effectively than the present incumbent, and I right?"

"You seem, Domine, very well informed," the Tribune said, taken aback by Gracchus' obvious knowledge of the situation in Rome, and the ambitions of one individual in particular.

Marcus, however, didn't have a clue as to what Gracchus was talking about. While he and Gracchus had become very close, since Marcus had become free, and his adoption had been announced, Gracchus, in order to protect Marcus, had not revealed all that his contacts had told him about the political situation in Rome.

"And I suppose this 'person' is financially embarrassed, and needs some monetary assistance in order to gain support for his intended rise to power," Gracchus continued, somewhat sarcastically.

"Domine, you seem to understand the situation very well," the Tribune replied, smiling weakly.

"Well… I have already given Nymphidius money for the Praetorians, and now, it seems, you wish me to give further money, yet again, after only a few months, and will this new individual last any longer that the previous holder of this supposedly 'sacred' office?" Gracchus asked with resignation.

"Domine, we cannot say how permanent this new 'arrangement' will be, but in terms of finance it will be moderate. The 'individual' we represent has practically no assets, but has excellent 'prospects'. More to the point, he does not need funds for all the Praetorian guard. He needs only funds to encourage twenty or so individuals to support him, a small sum for one as wealthy as you," the senior Tribune replied, looking hopefully, from side to side, at his companions.

"Well… let's talk business." Gracchus said, rising from his chair. "This individual, I would imagine, is Marcus Salvius Otho. My close friend, Novius, informs me that he of an ancient and noble Etruscan family, descended from the princes of Etruria. I have also been told that this person was originally a friend of Nero, but fell out with the Emperor, and took up with Galba. Now, because he has subsequently been overlooked by Galba, he has thoughts about taking the Imperium for himself. Am I not right?…" Gracchus asked, sitting down once again.

Marcus Salvius Otho was one of the most reckless and extravagant of the young patricians who surrounded Nero. This friendship came to an end in 58 AD because of his wife, Poppaea Sabina. Otho introduced his wife to Nero upon Poppaea's insistence, who then began an affair that would eventually lead to her premature death. After securely establishing this position as his mistress, she divorced Otho, and had the Emperor send him away as governor to the remote province of Lusitania. Otho remained in Lusitania for the next ten years, administering the province with a moderation unusual at the time. When in 68 AD his neighbor, Galba, the governor of Hispania Tarraconensis, rose in revolt against Nero, Otho accompanied him to Rome. Resentment at the treatment he had received from Nero may have impelled him to this course. Otho then, encouraged by the predictions of astrologers, aspired to succeed Galba. He came to a secret agreement with Galba's favourite, Titus Vinius, agreeing to marry Vinius' daughter in exchange for his support, however, in January 69 AD, his hopes were dashed by Galba's formal adoption of Lucius Calpurnius Piso Licinianus, whom Galba had previously named a recipient in his will.

"You are right, Domine, and seem to know more about this 'person' than even we know," the senior Tribune replied.

"It also seems now that the people in Rome are looking nostalgically back at their erstwhile Emperor Nero, and see in Nero's one-time companion, Otho, novus Nero (a new Nero)," Gracchus continued.

"The people are so fickle!" Gracchus reflected, looking towards Marcus.

"Well I think I can arrange a loan for your 'principal', but a loan, mind you, to be repaid immediately on his accession to Imperium."

"Of course, Domine, and you and your young heir will be well rewarded, I can assure you," the senior Tribune replied, gratefully.

Gracchus called for Terentius.

"My freedman Terentius will make all the necessary arrangements, but you will need to wait a short while, as he is out of the villa for a few moments," Gracchus told the senior Tribune. "Now I must leave you, gentlemen, as I have many other appointments, however, I will be coming to Rome soon, and I hope to see the money well spent. Meanwhile my slaves will provide refreshments in the small atrium… And give my regards to your master, Marcus Salvius Otho."

"Thank you, Domine! We look forward to your visit, and may I thank you, on behalf of our master, for your invaluable help," the Senior Tribune concluded, ingratiatingly.

"Marcus Octavianus, when they are finished with Terentius, see them out, and here's my ring to use, to seal the documents," Gracchus said, dismissively.

And that, significantly, was the first time that Gracchus allowed Marcus to use his 'seal ring'.

And so, effectively, Marcus, by impressing the seal of the 'House of Gracchus' on documents relating to the loan to Otho, was responsible, eventually, for creating a Roman Emperor and unknowingly creating a problem that would lead to the death not only of Galba, but also of many others, with far reaching ramifications…

'and the story continues, Gracchus now gets two new Emperors for the price of one, and Marcus receives a present…

XXI: Duo pro Pretio Unius
Annus Quattuor Imperatorum, Pars V
21: Two for the Price of One
The Year of the Four Emperors, part 5

Gracchus loquit de Galba
Gracchus Speaks of Galba

Late in the afternoon, after the Praetorians had left, and Marcus had seen to his studies, and trained with Servius and bathed, Gracchus invited Marcus to his apartments for a meal and a talk.

"Well, Marcus… I think you may be a little confused about what's going on," Gracchus began, smiling.

"I am, Dominus. I am not familiar with all this politics, despite my history studies with old Lucius," Marcus continued, holding up his gold cup for some more wine, which was instantly filled by one of the slave-boys waiting in attendance.

"Well, when the slaves have left us," Gracchus continued, waving the two slave-boys away, "I will explain."

Ensuring that wine and food were all to hand for Gracchus and Marcus, the two young slave-boys quietly left the triclinium.

"As I suspected, and I think you also knew, Galba was not to last long," Gracchus began, looking carefully to ensure that they were now quite alone.

"Yes, Dominus," Marcus interrupted, "but he is still Emperor!"

"But not for long!" Gracchus said, his eyes looking distinctly mischievous. "You saw to that, when you sealed the documents that Terentius had prepared!"

"Me?" Marcus responded, looking distinctly nervous.

"It was the seal that ratified the document, releasing the money to the Tribunes, and now, using that money, I am pretty sure that they will pay some of the Praetorian to 'get rid' of old Galba. And you impressed the seal on Terentius' document, so you made the new Emperor."

"Well I wish you had told me that when you gave me the ring," Marcus replied, just a little petulantly.

"You're not angry with me, boy?" Gracchus asked, obviously concerned.

"No, Dominus. It's just that it's hard to get used to being…" Marcus struggled to find the words "… well, a master and not a slave."

"I understand," Gracchus replied warmly.

"So who is this Otho?" Marcus asked.

"In my view…," Gracchus said, lying back on his couch, and taking a draught of wine. "In my view he's a rather disreputable character."

He was a close friend of Nero, until they fell out about this girl, And that of course brings us to Sporus. Now I have never seen Sporus, but I'm told that he strongly resembles Poppaea, which means that either Sporus is a very effeminate boy, or…," and here Gracchus stopped and smiled, "that Poppaea was a very 'masculine' looking girl, but, she was reputed to be a great beauty, so it's all very odd."

Marcus looked puzzled.

"More to the point, Nymphidius was very taken with Sporus, even 'married' him, or should it be 'her', or 'it', so I'm told. Galba fancies Sporus somewhat, although Galba's taste is for older men, Galba is very strange. And now Otho is after Sporus," Gracchus continued, warming to the subject.

"But there's more to this than meets the eye," Gracchus said mysteriously. "It has been suggested to me, that Sporus looked so much like Poppaea because they were actually related, and that Poppaea was possibly related to the Julio-Claudians, and that may be why everyone who seeks the Imperium, also seeks young Sporus, as, perhaps, a link to legitimacy?".

"I'm afraid you've lost me there," Marcus said, shaking his head.

Poppaea Sabina (AD 30 – AD 65), known as Poppaea Sabina the Younger (to differentiate her from her mother) and, after AD 63, as Poppaea Augusta Sabina, was a Roman Empress as the second wife of the Emperor Nero. She had also been wife to the future Emperor Otho. She is described as a beautiful woman who used intrigues to become empress. Poppaea Sabina the Younger was born in Pompeii in AD 30. Poppaea's first marriage was to Rufrius Crispinus, a man of equestrian rank. They married in 44, when Poppaea was 14 years old. He was the leader of the Praetorian Guard during the first ten years of the reign of the Emperor Claudius.

Poppaea married Otho to get close to Nero and then, in turn, became Nero's favorite mistress. Poppaea was the reason that Nero murdered his mother. Poppaea induced Nero to murder Agrippina in 59 so that she could marry him. She bore Nero one daughter, Claudia Augusta, born on 21 January 63, who died at only four months of age. At the birth of Claudia, Nero honored mother and child with the title of Augusta. While she was awaiting the birth of her second child in the summer of 65, she quarreled fiercely with Nero over his spending too much time at the races.

In a fit of rage, Nero kicked her in the abdomen, so causing her death. When Poppaea died in 65, Nero went into deep mourning. Her body was not cremated, it was stuffed with spices, embalmed, and put in the Mausoleum of Augustus. She was given a state funeral. Nero praised her during the funeral eulogy and gave her divine honors. It is said that Nero burned a year's worth of Arabia's incense production at her funeral.

After that in 67, Nero ordered a young slave-boy, Sporus, to be castrated and then married him. Sporus bore an uncanny resemblance to Sabina, and Nero even called him by his dead wife's name

Marcus was still puzzled. He didn't really understand what all the business about Poppaea and Sporus was really about. He had heard about Poppaea vaguely, as the Empress, only in Athens, when he had listened in on some of his father's conversations. As for Sporus, he found it quite impossible to understand how a normal man would want to fuck a boy with no balls, a boy who was not really a boy, so perhaps Gracchus was right, he usually was, and this whole 'Sporus business' was really about politics, and not about fucking at all, although Nero, from what Marcus had heard, was probably weird enough to have really loved Sporus in some strange way.

"So, Dominus," Marcus began. "Do you think that Otho will make a good Emperor, or a least a better one than Galba or Nero?"

"It's difficult to know, Marcus," Gracchus replied. "The plebs, now at least, think that Nero was a good Emperor, and some of them even think that he is not dead, but has just gone into hiding, and will return when things settle down, or the people grow tired of the present unrest. But really, it would be difficult for an Emperor to rule as badly as Nero ruled. As for Galba, my sources tell me that he is under the influence of his favourites. Apparently the 'plebs' call these favourites 'The Three Pedagogues', and I think that this is because he is too old, or maybe too lazy, to take real control. One, Titus Vinius, Galba has made consul, another, Cornelius Laco, is now the Praetorian Prefect, and the third is a freedman, Icelus Marcianus. If, as I expect, Galba will soon be removed by some of the Praetorians, then I don't think these three will survive," Gracchus said, with a conspiratorial smile.

"And what about Otho?" Marcus persisted.

"The oracle said that there would be four. If Galba was the first, then Otho will be the second, and there will be two more before things settle down. The question that worries me is, if Galba has lasted such a short time, will the other two only have short reigns, because the prophecy implies that when the fourth arrives, then I will lose you, and I couldn't bear that!" Marcus looked to Gracchus with real fear in his eyes.

"Now listen, Marcus!" Gracchus said, rising to his feet, and putting a hand on Marcus' shoulder. "You will manage without me, and you will thrive, and do well. None of us have forever, and we must all make room for those who are to come after us. If I die in six months, or a year, or many years, as long as I know that you will be here, to bear my name, as a true Roman, then I will be satisfied. So let's have no more of this.!" Gracchus said, unable, however, to look Marcus in the eye.

"Yes, Dominus!" Marcus replied, obediently, but still upset.

Donum pro Marco
A Present for Marcus

"And now I have small a gift for you," Gracchus said, picking up an object wrapped in dark red silk, that was lying beneath his couch.

"There is no need, sir! Already you have given me so much!" Marcus stammered, as Gracchus, slightly embarrassed, thrust the object into Marcus' hand.

It was heavy, and Marcus could feel the coldness through the thin silk brocade. Carefully he opened the bundle, while Gracchus watched him intently.

The reason why the bundle was so heavy was because it contained a large pugio (knife).

But not just any knife. To Marcus it was the most beautiful knife that he had ever seen in his life. The opulent scabbard and handle were encrusted with elaborate gold decorations. The blade, of the finest steel, was elaborately figured, and there was the letter 'M', for Marcus, inscribed at the top of the blade, in a gold inlay.

"It's beautiful, Dominus. But why a pugio?" Marcus asked, feeling a little nervous that Gracchus had felt that he should have, what was obviously a weapon.

"Things are getting dangerous, Marcus, and you are growing up, and it seems appropriate that, as a young Roman, you should have such an object. You never know, after all, you may, sometime in the future, need to defend yourself."

And it was then that Marcus realised that, what had seemed, for so long, to be just a 'game', was now becoming serious.

Of course he had seen apparently serious things happen.

The slave-boy being crucified and impaled, on the first day he arrived at the villa, boys being killed at the munera, Atticus being killed, the deaths of the young gladiators during the games for Nymphidius, and the killings during the Ludi pro Galba, but although the deaths were real, they had all seemed to be part of the 'Games'.

'Games' that were unreal, in that they didn't actually affect Marcus.

Now he thought back to when he had pressed the gold seal-ring into the soft, warm wax on the document granting the Praetorians the gold they needed to depose Galba, and he realised that he was not now part of a 'game'.

Undoubtedly Galba would die, very soon, and he would, in part, be responsible and, if certain people knew of his complicity then, young though he was, he could be in danger.

So Gracchus was right to give him this gift, a gift that might, some time in the future, save his life.

"I hope you like it, my boy!" Gracchus said, rather stiffly. "Now I have an important instruction for you. I don't very often insist on things, but this is something that you must do. Not for me, but for yourself. Tomorrow afternoon, when you go to see Servius, take the Pugio with you, and show it to Servius. Tell him that he must teach you how to use it properly, how to kill an man, quickly and silently. Do you understand?" Gracchus said intently.

"Yes, Dominus!" Marcus replied.

And for the first time in a very long time Marcus thought of his mother, and what she would t hink about her 'little boy' being taught how to kill someone with a dagger.

The pugio (Plural: pugiones) was a dagger used as a sidearm. Attempts to identify it as a utility knife are misguided as the form of the pugio is not suited to this purpose. Officials of the empire took to wearing ornate daggers in the performance of their offices, (like the dagger that Gracchus had given to Marcus, but rarely as fine), and some would wear concealed daggers as a defense against contingencies. The dagger was a common weapon of assassination and suicide; for example, the conspirators who stabbed Julius Caesar used pugiones.

In Villam
In the Villa

The year was passing quite quickly, with September moving into October, and the cooler weather.

For a short period, during every training session, Servius got Marcus to train with his pugio. To begin with Marcus was loathe to use the beautiful, ornate weapon, and instead he wanted to use an ordinary, everyday knife, but Servius, wisely, insisted that Marcus must become completely familiar with the magnificent dagger's weight and size, so that using it became second nature to the boy.

There were accidents, as Servius insisted on realistic knife fights, and after a while neither Marcus, Gracchus or anybody else noticed the odd cuts and grazes that Marcus picked up during his daily workouts.

Marcus was by now, thanks to Servius, remarkably fit, and was growing in strength, but also, slightly in height, although it was likely that he would never be really tall.

Marcus and Servius met every day, for the new self defence lessons, for lessons in swordsmanship, and for general physical training, including swimming, now mainly in the pool, as the sea was getting cooler.

Marcus' erotic feeling for Servius, like the sea, had cooled significantly, and this was partly due to Servius being less encouraging to the boy since Gracchus had made it obviously clear to him that the physical relationship that Servius had with Marcus was by no means a secret.

Servius knew that if he were to take up the offer that Gracchus had suggested to him, and become Marcus' Tribune, his relationship with the new Dominus would have to be beyond reproach.

This new situation, however, was not a problem.

The post of Tribune still lay open to Servius, and Marcus still relied in many ways on the young man, and considered him a true and trustworthy friend.

In addition, there was, of course, a new 'romantic' interest in Marcus' life, and that was Petronius, but Marcus had been loath to pursue that interest while almost everything, even the politics of the Empire, seemed so uncertain.

Marcus, however, still saw Petronius on a daily basis, during the mornings at the Amphitheater.

Finis Galbae
The End of Galba

Since the Games to 'celebrate' the accession of Galba the Amphitheatre had developed a routine of displays, occurring about every twelve days. This infrequency was because, although the weather always seemed mild and inviting in Baiae, in the Autumn and winter there were always fewer visitors.

Gracchus, of course, was in constant contact with events in Rome, through his 'clients', who in many cases acted as his 'spies'. Reports regularly arrived at the villa, and in most cases Gracchus would invite Marcus and Terentius to his study to discuss these new developments. It seemed clear from these reports that Galbas' popularity was in steep decline, and not only with the 'plebs'.

In Latin the word plebs is a singular collective noun, and its genitive is plebis. The plebs was the general body of free Roman citizens who were not patricians, as determined by the census. From the 4th century BC or earlier, known as commoners or part of lower social status. Literary references to the plebs, (as used here) however, usually mean the ordinary citizens of Rome as a whole, as distinguished from the elite, a sense retained by 'plebeian' in English. In the very earliest days of Rome, plebeians were any tribe without advisers to the King. In time, the word, which is related to the Greek word for crowd, plethos, came to mean the 'common people'.

The Senate, the Praetorians (as Gracchus already knew), and the Legions outside Rome were all concerned about the policies of the aged Emperor.

One of these reports made the telling observation, 'His power and prestige were far greater while he was assuming control of the Empire than afterwards: and though often affording ample proof of his capacity to rule, he won less praise for his good acts, than blame for his mistakes.'

The most virulent hatred for Galba, however was to be found in the Army. Though a larger bonus than usual had been promised soldiers who had pledged their swords to Galba before his arrival in the City, he would not honour this commitment, but announced, foolishly: 'It is my custom to levy troops, not to buy them.'

This remark infuriated the troops everywhere; and he earned the Praetorian' particular resentment by his dismissal of a number of them suspected of having been in Nymphidius' pay.

The most complaints, however, seemed to come from the Legions in Magna Germania.

Matters continued to simmer, and then Galba, towards the end of the year, thinking that he was being criticized for his childlessness rather than his senility, singled out from a group of his courtiers a handsome young man, Piso Frugi Lucianus, to whom he had already shown great favour, and appointed him perpetual heir to his name and property.

Galba took to calling this young man 'my son', and legally adopted him.

Interestingly, despite the fact that Marcus had been legally adopted by Gracchus, Gracchus never formally referred to Marcus as 'my son', but only referred to him as 'my heir'.

It was now January of the year that we now know as 69 AD, and it was about halfway through the month that a courier arrived at the Villa Aurea, bearing a scroll impressed with the seal of the Praetorian Prefect Proculus, not the seal of the Prefect Cornelius Laco.

The slave-boy who had taken the scroll up to Gracchus' study on the first floor, was curtly told to get out, and speak to no-one about the scroll, by a very worried looking Gracchus.

Gracchus then called to one of his bodyguards, telling him to summon Marcus, Terentius and Centurion Servius to his study immediately.

Novus Imperator
A New Emperor

The scroll contained the following information:

On January 15th. apparently, Otho went with Galba to sacrifice at the Augustan Temple of Apollo in Rome, only to slip away from the imperial entourage, and be taken by 23 soldiers (who had been paid as a result of that document that Marcus had sealed and handed to the Praetorian Tribune) to the Praetorian Camp, where he (Otho) was welcomed and greeted warmly.

And one might ask, was the fact that Galba was sacrificing, impiously, at the Augustan Temple of Apollo significant, considering that the prophecy to Gracchus had come from the God Apollo at Cumae, through the Sibyl?

Following this, Otho rallied the Praetorian Guard with little difficulty, and had Galba killed as he went through the Forum.

Apparently Galba and young Piso were slaughtered, along with any associates he had that were loyal to him.

The letter from the Tribune, now the new Prefect, concluded, after giving Gracchus and Marcus fulsome thanks for their assistance and advice, by stating that Otho had now claimed the Imperium, and had ascended the Imperial throne.

History tells us that Otho was escorted to the Praetorian headquarters, where, after a few moments of surprise and indecision, he was saluted as Imperator. With an imposing force he then returned to the Roman Forum, and at the foot of the Capitoline Hill encountered Galba, who, alarmed by rather vague rumors of treachery, was making his way through a dense crowd of wandering citizens towards the barracks of the guard. Significantly, the cohort of Praetorian Guards that was on duty at the Palatine, and which had accompanied the Emperor, instantly deserted him. Galba, his newly adopted son Piso and others were brutally murdered by the Praetorians. The brief struggle over, Otho returned in triumph to the camp, and on the same day was duly invested by the Roman Senate with the name of 'Augustus', granted the Tribunician power and the other dignities belonging to the Principate.

Gracchus grimly read the letter to Marcus, Terentius and Servius.

"Now we must be very careful!" Gracchus said seriously. "I remember when Terentius and I first discussed the oracle, I said that we should not get involved in the upheavals to come. Unavoidably, that is exactly what we have done, and we are now in a very dangerous position. For myself, it matters little, but for you, younger men, with useful lives before you, things could be difficult. Firstly, Servius, if you are in agreement, I want you to become Tribune over all my military assets, such as they are, both here, in the Villa, in Italia, and in the provinces. Terentius has already prepared the papers, with details of remuneration and grants of land that we spoke about earlier, and I will write to Marcellus requesting your immediate release from the Legion. I think that it will be much safer for you to be out of the military, in these uncertain times, and both myself, and later, and more importantly, Marcus need you. What do you say?".

Gracchus looked up at young Servius.

"Of course, Dominus! It would be an honour to serve you!" Servius replied, formally.

Gracchus continued. "Terentius, it is your task to expedite matters with regard to Servius."

"Yes, Dominus!" Terentius replied.

"And also, I want you to burn all possibly incriminating documents regarding matters in Rome. If you have any doubts, come and see me!" Gracchus ordered.

"Yes, Dominus. Immediately!" Terentius replied, obedient and reliable as ever.

"And Marcus, when you are not with Petronius, you must be with Servius, even if you are with me. Is that clear? I want someone who can handle a sword always by your side, in the immediate future!" Gracchus said, sternly and emphatically

"Of course, Dominus!" Marcus replied, somewhat nervously.

Then they were all dismissed.

Then Gracchus, following the strict rule of precedence and status, next called for Petronius.

Marcus and Servius were Roman citizens, Terentius was a freedman, but Petronius, being a slave would, in a matter of this importance, be seen by Gracchus separately.

Petronius eventually arrived after about twenty minutes, (having come from the amphitheater). Realising that something was wrong, Petronius greeted his master seriously and respectfully, without his usual delightful smile. Gracchus then made a summary of the letter.

Petronius shook his head in disbelief, but thought it wisest to make no comment.

Gracchus then got the main point. "I think that it would be unwise, just at the present, to make any plans for any celebratory munera, after all, I have certain doubts as to just how long this new Emperor will last, considering the manner in which he came to the Imperium," Gracchus explained to Petronius, carefully.

"Also, I need you to take special care of Marcus," Petronius looked puzzled.

Gracchus continued, "Marcus, as well as myself, have become unavoidably involved in these unfortunate events in Rome. Certain individuals, if they knew of this, might decide to take some action against Marcus. You are an expert in armed combat, and are also, if you don't mind me saying, very fond of Marcus. You are therefore ideally qualified to look after him, for me. In addition, as you must surely realise, Marcus has enough money now to buy his own slaves. There is little point, however, as in the future he will inherit all my slaves, including you. In the present circumstances, though, I would like Marcus to have you as his own slave. I could force this change on you, as you are my slave, but I am asking you if you are prepared to become Marcus' slave, legally, and in that case I would have no jurisdiction over you?"

Petronius looked troubled. "Have I done something to displease you, Dominus?" he asked plaintively.

"By no means!" Gracchus replied. "You are undoubtedly the best slave that I own. But we have come to a time when Marcus needs you more than I do."

"If that is what you want, Dominus, then I am only here to serve you!" Petronius replied.

Petronius then took a deep breath, and smiled.

"I would gladly have Marcus as my master," he said, carefully.

"I am pleased!" Gracchus gently said, also smiling, "And I will get Terentius to have the documents prepared immediately.

Skip the background story on Otho

Marcus Salvius Otho Caesar Augustus

Suetonius, in 'De Vita Caesarium' (The Lives of the Caesars), comments on Otho's appearance and personal hygiene.

He is said to have been of moderate height, splay-footed and bandy-legged, but almost feminine in his care of his person (very much like Nero). He had the hair of his body plucked out, and because of the thinness of his locks wore a wig so carefully fashioned and fitted to his head, that no one suspected it. Moreover, they say that he used to shave every day and smear his face with moist bread, beginning the practice with the appearance of the first down, so as never to have a beard

Juvenal, in a passage in the 'Satire II' dealing with homosexuality, specifically mentions Otho as being vain, looking at himself in the mirror prior to going into battle, and "plastering his face with dough" in order to 'look good'.

Otho (oʊθoʊ, Latin: Marcus Salvius Otho Caesar Augustus, 28 April 32 – 16 April 69) was Roman Emperor for three months, from 15 January to 16 April 69. He was the second emperor of the Year of the Four Emperors. Otho had owed his own success to the resentment felt by the Praetorian Guards, and the anger of the rest of the army at Galba's refusal to pay the promised gold to the Legions who supported his accession to the throne. The population of the city was also unhappy with Galba and cherished (?) the memory of Nero. Otho, (who had initialy been a close friend of Nero), showed that he was not unmindful of these facts. He accepted the cognomen of 'Nero' (!) (cognomen, an extra personal name given to a Roman citizen, functioning rather like a nickname and often passed down from father to son), conferred upon him by the shouts of the populace, whom his comparative youth (?), and the effeminacy of his appearance reminded of their lost favourite. Nero's statues were again set up, his freedmen and household officers reinstalled (including the young castrated boy Sporus [see above] whom Nero had taken in marriage and Otho would also live intimately with, and the intended completion of the Golden House * was announced. At the same time the fears of the more sober and respectable citizens were allayed by Otho's liberal professions of his intention to govern equitably, and by his judicious clemency towards Marius Celsus, consul-designate, a devoted adherent of Galba. Otho soon realized that it was much easier to overthrow an Emperor than rule as one: according to Suetonius, Otho once remarked that "Playing the Long Pipes is hardly my trade" (i.e. undertaking something beyond one's ability to do so).

* The Domus Aurea (Latin, 'Golden House') (the name probably 'filched' from Gracchus' well known Villa in Baiae ), was a large landscaped portico villa built by the Emperor Nero in the heart of ancient Rome, after the great fire in 64 AD had cleared away the aristocratic dwellings on the slopes of the Palatine Hill. Built of brick and concrete in the few years between the fire and Nero's suicide in 68, the extensive gold leaf that gave the villa its name was not the only extravagant element of its decor: stuccoed ceilings were faced with semi-precious stones and ivory veneers, while the walls were frescoed, coordinating the decoration into different themes in each major group of rooms. Nero also used the same architect, Severus, as Gracchus. In later years the site was occupied by the 'Amphitheatrum Flavium' (later known as the 'Colosseum'.

Servus Novus pro Marco
A New Slave for Marcus

That evening Marcus and Petronius were invited to Gracchus' study. There, Marcus was handed the document (lovingly prepared by Quintus), bearing Gracchus' heavy seal, while Gracchus kept a copy for his own archive.

It was the deed transferring ownership of Petronius from Gracchus to Marcus.

Petronius then kissed Marcus hand as a sign of his submission and fealty (from the Latin fidelitas, faithfulness).

Petronius was also told that special quarters were to be made available, connected to Marcus' apartments, but that Petronius would also keep his quarters in the Amphitheater. In addition, while the unstable situation in Rome persisted, Petronius would be expected to sleep in quarters next to Marcus' cubiculum and, while he was in Marcus' apartments, he was to be allowed to be carry a gladius or a pugio.

So now 17-year-old Marcus had three personal slaves, 16-year-old Cleon, 14-year-old Adonios, and 20-year-old Petronius.

Roma
Rome

You may want to skip this paragraph telling about the reign of Otho, which lasted only three months.

Back in Rome, problems were mounting for the 'New Nero'.

Any further development of Otho's policy was checked once Otho had read through Galba's private correspondence, and realized the extent of the revolution in Germany, where several legions had declared for Vitellius, the commander of the legions on the lower Rhine River, and were already advancing upon Italy.

Vitellius was the son of Lucius Vitellius Veteris and his wife Sextilia, and had one brother, Lucius Vitellius the Younger. Suetonius recorded two different accounts of the origins of the Vitellia (gens), one making them descendants of past rulers of Latium, the other describing their origins as lowly. Suetonius makes the sensible remark that both accounts might have been made by either flatterers or enemies of Vitellius, except that both were in circulation before Vitellius became emperor. Suetonius also recorded that when Vitellius was born his horoscope so horrified his parents that his father tried to prevent Aulus from becoming a consul. He married firstly before the year 40 a woman named Petronia, daughter of Publius Petronius or Gaius Petronius Pontius Nigrinus. He married secondly, around the year 50, a woman named Galeria Fundana, perhaps the granddaughter of Gaius Galerius, Prefect of Egypt in 23. They had two children, a son called Aulus Vitellius Germanicus or Novis, the Younger, and a daughter, Vitellia, who married the Legatus Decimus Valerius Asiaticus. He was Consul in 48, and assumed Proconsul of Africa in either 60 or 61, in which capacity he is said to have acquitted himself with credit. At the end of 68, Galba selected him to command the army of Germania Inferior, and here Vitellius made himself popular with his subalterns and with the soldiers by outrageous prodigality and excessive good nature, which soon proved fatal to order and discipline.

After a vain attempt to conciliate Vitellius by the offer of a share in the Empire, Otho, with unexpected vigor, prepared for war.

From the much more remote provinces, which had acquiesced in his accession, little help was to be expected; but the legions of Dalmatia, Pannonia and Moesia were to support him, the Praetorian cohorts were in themselves a formidable force, and an efficient fleet gave him the mastery of the Italian seas. The fleet was at once dispatched to secure Liguria, and on 14 March Otho, unwisely undismayed by omens and prophecies, started northwards at the head of his troops in the hopes of preventing the entry of Vitellius' troops into Italy. But for this he was too late, and all that could be done was to throw troops into Placentia, and hold the line of the Po. Otho's advanced guard successfully defended Placentia against Aulus Caecina Alienus, and compelled that general to fall back on Cremona. But the arrival of Fabius Valens altered the aspect of affairs. Vitellius' commanders now resolved to bring on a decisive battle, the 'Battle of Bedriacum', and their plans were assisted by the divided and irresolute counsels which prevailed in Otho's camp. The more experienced officers urged the importance of avoiding a battle, until at least the legions from Dalmatia had arrived. But the rashness of the Emperor's brother Titianus, and of Proculus, Prefect of the Praetorian Guards (the tribune who arranged the loan from Gracchus), added to Otho's feverish impatience, overruled all opposition, and an immediate advance was decided upon. Otho himself remained behind with a considerable reserve force at Brixellum, on the southern bank of the Po. When this decision was taken, Otho's army had already crossed the Po and were encamped at Bedriacum (or Betriacum), a small village on the Via Postumia, and on the route by which the legions from Dalmatia would naturally arrive.

Leaving a strong detachment to hold the camp at Bedriacum, the Otho's forces advanced along the Via Postumia in the direction of Cremona. At a short distance from Cremona they unexpectedly encountered the Vitellius' troops. The Legions of Otho, though taken at a disadvantage, fought desperately, but were finally forced to fall back in disorder upon their camp at Bedriacum. There on the next day the victorious forces of Vitellius followed them, but only to come to terms at once with their disheartened enemy, and to be welcomed into the camp as friends.

More unexpected still was the effect produced at Brixellum by the news of the battle.

Otho was still in command of a formidable force: the Dalmatian Legions had already reached Aquileia, and the spirit of his men and their officers was unbroken. Otho, however, was resolved to accept the verdict of the battle that his own impatience had hastened. In a dignified speech he bade farewell to those about him, declaring: "It is far more just to perish one for all, than many for one," and then retiring to rest soundly for some hours.

Early in the morning he stabbed himself in the heart with a dagger, which he had concealed under his pillow, and died as his attendants entered the tent.

Otho's ashes were placed within a modest monument. He had reigned only three months. His funeral was celebrated at once, as he had wished. A plain tomb was erected in his honour at Brixellum, with the simple inscription 'DIIS MANIBVS MARCI OTHONIS'. He had reigned only three months. His funeral was celebrated at once, as he had wished. It has been thought that Otho's suicide was committed in order to steer his country from the path of civil war.

Just as he had come to power, many Romans learned to respect Otho in his death. Few could believe that a renowned former companion of Nero had chosen such an honourable end. Tacitus wrote that some of the soldiers committed suicide beside his funeral pyre "because they loved their emperor and wished to share his glory."

Writing during the reign of the Emperor Domitian (AD 81-96), the Roman poet Martial expressed his admiration for Otho's choice to spare the Empire from civil war through sacrificing himself:

'Soft Otho had perhaps still a chance of winning,
He renounced fighting that would have cost much blood,
And with sure hand pierced right through his breast.
By all means let Cato in his life be greater than Julius Caesar himself;
In his death was he greater than Otho?

***

And so Gracchus got his 'Two Emperors for the price of one'.

He and Marcus has, almost unintentionally paid for the (probably justified) death of Galba, but that had simply led to the death of Otho, and Otho died by his own hand, and Gracchus paid nothing to help Vitellius, who from the beginning, had the support of his Legions.

'and the story continues, Vitellius becomes Emperor, and Gracchus promises take Marcus to Rome

XXII: Imperator Alius
Annus Quattuor Imperatorum, Pars VI
22: Another Emperor
The Year of the Four Emperors, part 6

Skip the background story on Vitellius

Vitellius was the son of Lucius Vitellius Veteris and his wife Sextilia, and had one brother, Lucius Vitellius the Younger. Young Vitellius spent his early youth in Capri, close to Baiae, in the company of Tiberius's homosexual slave-boys, and it is said that he got his father a big promotion by being sexually 'accommodating' towards Tiberius.

Through flattery, cunning and manipulation, Vitellius managed to work his way up the 'Imperial ladder', and held a variety of positions in public office.

He married firstly before the year 40 a woman named Petronia, daughter of Publius Petronius or Gaius Petronius Pontius Nigrinus, by whom he had a son Aulus Vitellius Petronianus. Vitellius married secondly, around the year 50, a woman named Galeria Fundana, perhaps the granddaughter of Gaius Galerius, Prefect of Egypt in 23. They had two children, a son called Aulus Vitellius Germanicus or Novis, the Younger, and a daughter, Vitellia, who married the Legatus Decimus Valerius Asiaticus.

Suetonius describes his physical description: "He was in fact abnormally tall, with a face usually flushed from hard drinking, a huge belly, and one thigh crippled from being struck once time by a four-horse chariot, when he was in attendance on Gaius as he was driving…"

Vitellius was Consul in 48, and assumed Proconsul of Africa in either 60 or 61, in which capacity he is said to have acquitted himself with credit. At the end of 68, Galba selected him to command the army of Germania Inferior, and here Vitellius made himself popular with his Tribunes, and with the Legionaries by outrageous prodigality and excessive good nature, which soon, and not surprisingly, proved fatal to order and discipline.

Vitellius Imperator
Emperor Vitellius

He owed his elevation to the Imperium to Caecina and Fabius Valens, commanders of two legions on the Rhine.

Fabius Valens of Anagnia (d. 69) was a Roman commander favoured by Nero. In 69 he was commander of Legio I Germanica based in Germania Inferior. When the troops refused to endorse the new emperor Galba after Nero's death, he had them proclaim Vitellius, the governor of Germania Inferior, as emperor.

The forces supporting Vitellius were divided into two armies for the march on Rome, one of them commanded by Valens. Valens' troops took a route through Gaul, probably to recruit additional soldiers, before eventually joining with the other Vitellian army, led by Caecina, at Cremona. By then Galba had been killed and Otho had been proclaimed emperor at Rome. Otho's forces met the combined armies of Vitellius at the first Battle of Bedriacum. Valens and Caecina won a decisive victory, and Otho committed suicide when he heard the news of his army's defeat. Vitellius was able to make a triumphant entry into Rome. One anecdote says that he appeared on the music-stage hall at Nero's coming of age celebrations, not at the command of Nero but voluntarily. At the time this was frowned upon, and many people thought that he was merely a 'man of fashion', which, like most of Nero's associates, he was..

Through these two men a military revolution was speedily accomplished; they refused to renew their vows of allegiance to Emperor Galba on 1 January 69, and early in 69 Vitellius was proclaimed emperor at Colonia (Cologne).

In 50 AD, the Romans founded Colonia on the Rhine, and the city became the provincial capital of Germania Inferior in 85 AD. The city was named "Colonia Claudia Ara Agrippinensium" in 50 AD.

More accurately, he was proclaimed Emperor of the armies of Germania Inferior and Superior. The armies of Gaul, Brittania and Raetia sided with them shortly afterwards. By the time that they marched on Rome, however, it was Otho (!), and not Galba, who they had to confront. The confrontation with Otho has already been described in some detail in the previous chapter XXI.

In fact, Vitellius was never acknowledged as Emperor by the entire Roman world, though at Rome the Senate accepted him, and decreed to him the usual Imperial honours with the title Aulus Vitellius Germanicus Augustus.

Vitellius advanced into Italy at the head of a licentious and rough soldiery, and Rome became the scene of riot and massacre, gladiatorial shows and extravagant feasting.

To reward his victorious legionaries, Vitellius unwisely disbanded the existing Praetorian Guard and installed his own men instead.

Vitellii Imperium
The Imperium of Vitellius

Suetonius, whose father had fought for Otho at Bedriacum, gives an unfavourable account of Vitellius' brief administration: he describes him as unambitious, and notes that Vitellius showed indications of a desire to govern wisely, but that Valens and Caecina encouraged him in a course of vicious excesses, which threw his better qualities into the background.

Vitellius is described as lazy and self-indulgent, fond of eating and drinking, and an obese glutton, eating banquets four times a day, and feasting on rare foods he would send the Roman navy to procure. For these banquets, he had himself invited over to a different noble's house for each one.

He is even reported to have starved his own mother to death, to fulfill a prophecy that he would rule longer if his mother died first; alternatively there is a report that his mother asked for poison to commit suicide, a request he granted.

Other writers, namely Tacitus and Cassius Dio, disagree with some of Suetonius' assertions, even though their own accounts of Vitellius are scarcely positive ones.

Vitellius made two important contributions to Roman government which outlasted him.

Tacitus describes them both in his Histories:

Vitellius ended the practice of Centurions selling furloughs and exemptions of duty to their men, a change Tacitus describes as being adopted by 'all good emperors'. He also expanded the offices of the Imperial Administration beyond the imperial pool of Freedmen, allowing those of the Equites (Knights) to take up positions in the Imperial Civil Service.

Vitellius also banned astrologers from Rome and Italy on 1 October, 69, an obvious response to the encouragements that Otho had received from Chaldeans.

Following in Otho's footsteps, Vitellius took up with young Sporus, the boy who Nero had castrated and then 'married' (an action which to a great extent turned Gracchus against Nero). Subsequently, Vitellius planned for Sporus to play the title role of the 'Rape of Persephone' (the same theme of the finger-ring Sporus gave to Nero at the Calendas), for the viewing enjoyment of the crowds during one of the Ludi he was planning to stage in Rome.

The calends (Latin: kalendae) was the first day of every month in the Roman calendar. The Romans called the first day of every month the 'calends', signifying the start of a new lunar phase. On this day, the pontiffs (priests) would announce the number of days until the next month at the Curia Calabra; in addition, debtors had to pay off their debts on this day. These debts were inscribed in the kalendaria, effectively an accounting book. The calends was a feature of the Roman calendar, but it was not included in the Greek calendar. Consequently, to postpone something ad Kalendas Graecas ('until the Greek calends') was a colloquial expression for postponing something forever.

Sporus, on being informed that he would appear naked, and be raped in public, then committed suicide. He was almost certainly under 20 years old at the time of his death.

The story of the abduction of Persephone by Hades, against her will, is traditionally referred to as the 'Rape of Persephone'. It is mentioned briefly in Hesiod's 'Theogony', and told in considerable detail in the Homeric 'Hymn to Demeter'. Zeus, it is said, permitted Hades, who was in love with the beautiful Persephone, to carry her off as her mother Demeter was not likely to allow her daughter to go down to Hades. Persephone was gathering flowers with the Oceanids along with Artemis and Athena, the Homeric Hymn says, in a field when Hades came to abduct her, bursting through a cleft in the earth.

Vitellius, in staging this myth as part of a ludi (games), to be held in Rome, was simply continuing the tradition long followed during ludi (games), already referred to in previous chapters.

The obvious example in our story is where Petronius and Marcus stage 'tableaux' representing certain historical/mythological subjects. The difference with Vitellius was that, for reasons of his own, he wished to humiliate Sporus, who had been given (at least at one stage, when was married to Nero), the status of Roman 'Empress', whereas in the case of the presentations staged at the 'Amphitheater Gracchii', and most other such presentations in other amphitheaters, the participants were either slaves, or noxii, individuals condemned to die in the arena by local magistrates.

To make the proposed event even more shocking and blasphemous, the myth of the Abduction of Persephone was a central aspect of the Greek 'Eleusinian Mysteries' (which even the debauched, immoral Nero respected).

Ἐλευσίνια Μυστήρια, Eleusinian Mysteries, were initiations held every year for the cult of Demeter and Persephone, based at Eleusis in Greece. They are the "most famous of the secret religious rites of ancient Greece". It is thought that their basis was an old agrarian cult which probably goes back to the Mycenean period (c. 1600 – 1100 BC), and it is believed that the cult of Demeter was established in 1500 BC. The mysteries represented the myth of the abduction of Persephone from her mother Demeter by the king of the underworld Hades, in a cycle with three phases, the 'descent' (loss), the 'search' and the 'ascent', with the main theme the 'ascent' of Persephone, and the reunion with her mother. It was a major festival during the Hellenic era, and later spread to Rome. The name of the town, Eleusís, seems to be Pre-Greek and it is probably a counterpart with Elysium. The rites, ceremonies, and beliefs were kept secret, and consistently preserved from antiquity. The initiated believed that they would have a reward in the afterlife

Those who were 'superstitious', or religiously inclined, would suggest that this proposed event, to be staged by Vitellius, was sufficiently blasphemous as to be directly related to the new Emperor's eventual fate. From these considerations it is possible to see that Sporus was probably more than simply concerned with his own physical and sexual humiliation, but rather that he was not prepared to be involved in such a irreligious event.

In Villam
At the Villa

In July 69, back in sleepy Baiae, where, despite all the problems besetting the Empire, the 'summer season', was well under way, and Gracchus continued to receive regular reports from Rome. It was clear to him that Vitellius would not last long as Emperor.

At the end of the reign of Nero, Roman Legions had been quelling a Jewish rebellion (yes, yet another one) in Palestine. Despite all the problems in Germania and Gaul, while rival claimants to the Imperium had fought, Roman arms had been successful in the East.

Gracchus, while having informants in the North (Germania and Gaul), and Rome, also had his 'clients' (and many of his lucrative investments) in the Eastern provinces and especially Egypt, and these clients were able to inform him that the Legions in the Eastern provinces had declared, as Emperor, their commander, Titus Flavius Vespasianus, despite the fact that Vitellius was still, (only just), Emperor in Rome.

At the villa, too, there were changes in the offing.

Gracchus needed some new, very high profile slaves, as there were no suitable candidates at the villa, or in Gracchus' other establishments, suitable for promotion. He needed someone to act a deputy to Servius, as Servius was now Tribune responsible for security. In addition, as Petronius was legally responsible to Marcus, (although still managing, to a large extent, the Amphitheater), there needed to be a new 'assistant manager' of the Amphitheater, directly responsible to Gracchus, but also subject to Petronius and Marcus.

As usual, Terentius was given the task of filling these situations, but he was required to do with some alacrity. So yet again there was one of those meetings. In this case, a meeting between a somewhat weary Gracchus, and a definitely worried, and overworked Terentius.

"You look worried, Terentius?" Gracchus queried, as his senior freedman approached.

"And well I might be. One Emperor after another, Dominus, and all theses changes in the villa, and that's to say nothing of all the problems to our commercial operations caused by all this turmoil in the government," Terentius explained, handing Gracchus a sheaf of parchments for him to sign.

Gracchus slowly started signing, while a slave-boy stood beside him with a small silver ladle of hot wax, so that Gracchus could seal the documents.

"Alright, boy… go!" Gracchus ordered, as soon as the last document was signed.

The slave-boy bowed, and instantly left.

Gracchus and Terentius were now alone.

"There is much to be done," Gracchus began.

"I need, in the very near future, to go to Rome. I will take Marcus, of course, Servius, as my Tribune, Petronius, as personal bodyguard to Marcus, and Adonios and Cleon as Marcus' personal slaves. I will take Ariston as my valet. You will already be in Rome, and will open up the Villa Gracchii, and also the Villa Pastorali in Tibur. I want a complete refurbishment, for Marcus, and the purchase of the necessary household slaves."

"And when is this visit going to happen?" Terentius asked.

"That's the problem, my friend!" Gracchus replied.

"I want to be in Rome when Vespasianus arrives, so you need to have everything ready well in advance, as I do not know how swiftly things are progressing on the political front. Now, Terentius, I have a special and rather difficult task for you," Gracchus continued, sitting heavily at his marble topped table.

"We need replacements for Servius and Petronius. Not just any old slaves, but young men with proven experience and skill. While you are in Rome, preparing for the visit, I want you to look up old contacts, and find me a young slave to manage the amphitheater, under the direction of Petronius, of course, and also a young man to be a coach for Marcus to assist Servius, who will now be busy with security. Acquire these slaves, but on the basis that they may be returned to their original masters if they do not prove suitable, but keep them in Rome, at the Villa Gracchii, where I will interview them on my eventual arrival. And remember, these slaves are for Marcus, so price is immaterial."

"Yes Dominus!" Terentius responded. "It will all be attended to."

He bowed and left Gracchus' study.

De Vespasiano, Imperio, Marco et Roma
Vespasianus, the Imperium, Marcus and Rome

'The empire, which for a long time had been unsettled and, as it were, drifting, through the usurpation and violent deaths of three emperors, was at last taken in hand and given stability by the Flavian family.'

Seutonius: from De vita Caesarum

De vita Caesarum ('About the Life of the Caesars'), commonly known as 'The Twelve Caesars', is a set of twelve biographies of Julius Caesar and the first 11 emperors of the Roman Empire written by Gaius Suetonius Tranquillus. The work, written in AD 121 during the reign of the emperor Hadrian, was the most popular work of Suetonius, at that time Hadrian's personal secretary, and is the largest among his surviving writings.

Interludi - Cum Graccho Prandium
Interlude, Dinner with Gracchus

Gracchus had a beautiful triclinium at the villa, with a portico looking out over an enclosed garden.

Roman gardens (Latin: hortus) and ornamental horticulture was highly developed in Roman civilization. The garden was a place of peace and tranquility, a refuge from urban life, and a place filled with religious and symbolic meanings. Gardens were usually built in various structures:

• Townhouse (Domus), This free-standing structure is usually one story, containing multiple rooms for everyday activities, an atrium toward the front of the house to collect rainwater and illuminate the area surrounding it. Toward the back of the house a hortus or peristylium(an open courtyard) is found.
• Rustic Villa (Villa Rustica), A large farmhouse used when the landowner would come to visit.
• Urban Villa (Villa Urbana), These villas are where Roman citizens would go on holiday excursion or they would stop and rest when traveling late through the night.
• Suburban Villa (Villa Suburbana), A Roman take on the country home, used specifically for recreational use.
• Palace Villa, Such as Gracchus' Villas in Baiae and Tibur, reserved for the very wealthy. Very large and extravagant.
• Peristyle Garden, Gracchus' Villa

Peristyle is a Greek word, when broken down 'Peri' means around and 'style' means column. So it is a type of open courtyard connected to the home, that is surrounded by walls of columns supporting a portico. The Hortus or xystus often overlooked a lower garden, or ambulation. The ambulation consisted of a variety of flowers, trees, and other foliage and served as an ideal milieu for a leisurely stroll after a meal, some mild conversation, or other Roman recreation activities. The gestation was a shaded avenue where the master of a home could ride horseback or be carried by his slaves. It generally encircled the ambulation, or was constructed as a separate oval shaped space. Paths or walkways were often constructed for easy routes around the garden. These were made with loose stone, gravel, sand or packed earth. Gardens featured many ornamental styles, from sculpture to frescoes to sundials. These depict nature scenes or were put in place as a shrine (aediculae) to the gods.

As it was now Summer, Gracchus liked to eat in the evenings, while viewing his private garden, and often invited Marcus to join him.

Once the slaves had laid out the food, Gracchus dismissed them.

Unlike many patricians, Gracchus did not imagine that his slaves were mindless 'manikins', who could be allowed to witness the most intimate acts or the most intimate conversations.

Some patricians were quite content, while they copulated, to have their slaves remain in attendance, or equally have slaves in a room where a highly confidential conversation was taking place, and this had been the cause of the downfall of many who were careless with regard to what a slave may know or witness.

Slaves were able to give evidence against their master in legal trials, but only on condition that such evidence had been provided as a result of torture.

"Tell me, Marcus," Gracchus began, relaxing as he laid back on his couch.

"How do you like having Petronius as your slave?".

"He is an excellent slave, and probably the best gift that you have given to me, Dominus," Marcus replied, rather formally.

"And what about at the amphitheater? Are you still working well together on the summer events.?"

"I think, Dominus, things are going well. Attendances are up, but there are just two problems…"

"Yes… Go on!" Gracchus said, encouragingly.

"Well… We would both like you to attend the Games more often, we need your comments and advice regarding what we are doing. And also, but please don't be annoyed by this, we would like to go ahead with the tableau about Achilles and Patroclus," Marcus added.

"Well… as for coming to the amphitheater, I will do my best. As for the other matter… I can see no reason why you should not present this tableau in a few weeks, now that things in Rome seem to be calming down," Gracchus replied.

"And that brings me to what I wanted to talk to you about, this evening. Things are calming down, because the Legions in the East and Egypt, have given their support to Vespianus. So let me tell you something about this Vespasian…" and Graccus settled himself, obviously intending to launch on a long explanation.

"Now, Vespasian comes from the Sabine country, and was born five years before the death of the Divine Augustus. As a young man he served in Thrace as tribune. In the reign of Claudius he was sent in command of a legion to Germany, through the influence of that rather odious freedman, Narcissus. Later, he governed Provincia Africa Proconsularis.

"Interestingly, on Nero's tour through Greece, he offended the Emperor by either going out often while Nero was singing, or falling asleep, if he remained. As a result, he was banished, not only from the intimate circle of the emperor, but even with his public receptions, and so he withdrew to a little 'out-of-the-way town', until a province and an army were offered him.

"While Otho and Vitellius were fighting for the Imperium, after the death of Nero and Galba, Vespasian, who was putting down a revolt by the Jews in Judea, began to look to gaining the Imperium."

According to Suetonius, a prophecy ubiquitous in the Eastern provinces claimed that from Judaea would come the future ruler of the world, Apollo's Sibylline oracle, given to Gracchus, the Soter ab Oriente (Saviour from the East). Vespasian eventually believed that this prophecy applied to him, and found a number of omens, oracles, and portents that reinforced this belief. While Vespasian was at Caesarea, he was proclaimed emperor (1 July 69), first by the army in Egypt under Tiberius Julius Alexander, and then by his troops in Judaea (3 July according to Tacitus).

"So, Marcus, according to the information being sent to me, it looks like Titus Flavius Vespasianus is to be the new Emperor, the fourth Emperor in one year!" Gracchus lay bak, looking very self satisfied.

"And will he make a good Emperor?" Marcus asked, fascinated to hear all this about a man of whom, before, had had no knowledge.

"That…," Gracchus replied, pausing, significantly, "is difficult to say."

"So have you met him?" Marcus persisted.

"Yes… Only once, when he was in disfavour with Nero, whom he never really liked, or respected, for that matter."

"And…?" Marcus prompted.

"Reliable, even dull, maybe, but unfortunately too superstitious. So now he believes all these prophecies, about a 'Ruler from the East', but, of course, we have the true prophecy, from the lips of the Sybil herself, the words of Apollo, the guardian deity of the Divine Augustus, and your guardian deity also, young Marcus."

Gracchus raised himself up on his gold brocade cushions, and looked at Marcus intently.

"I believe that he is the 'sōtēr from the East', of whom the Sibyl spoke, and that he will become Emperor, and create a new beginning (novum initium) for Rome. And you, my boy, must become part of that beginning."

Gracchus then looked away, reflectively.

"I think that you do not really understand your position, young Marcus. Throughout the reigns of the 'bad Emperors', (Claudius excluded), I have hidden myself away here in Baiae, in my little villa." (Marcus' eyes widened when Gracchus referred to the immense villa as 'little').

"As the years passed, I built on my already significant wealth, which was left to me by my father. Unlike many of my contemporaries, I survived, the Emperors ignored me, and I, on many occasions, was able to acquire some of the wealth, and the markets and interests left by those who had succumbed to the acquisitiveness of the various Julio-Claudians. And so I became very, very rich. I did not seek power, or influence, only wealth, although I was made a magistrate, and later a senator.

"So Marcus, as my heir, you are going to be immensely rich! When you inherit, you will be one of the richest men in the Empire. Everyone will want to know you, and have you as their 'patron'. And, in addition, you will inherit a huge number of 'clients', all sworn to your service."

Gracchus then rose from his couch, obviously to impress on Marcus the importance of what he was saying.

"It is for this reason that I will take you to Rome, when Vespasian reaches the city, and introduce you to him and, if possible, to his son and heir, Titus."

Now Marcus hasn't a clue who Titus is, apart from a son of Vespasian, so here's some information for you:

If you know everything about Titus, continue here.

Titus Flavius Sabinus Vespasianus was born in Rome, probably on 30 December 39 AD, as the eldest son of Titus Flavius Vespasianus, commonly known as Vespasian, and Domitilla the Elder. He had one younger sister, Domitilla the Younger (born 45), and one younger brother, also named Titus Flavius Domitianus (born 51), but commonly referred to as Domitian.

Decades of civil war during the 1st century BC had contributed greatly to the demise of the old aristocracy of Rome, which was gradually replaced in prominence by a new provincial nobility during the early part of the 1st century. One such family was the 'gens Flavia', (the Flavians), which rose from relative obscurity to prominence in just four generations, acquiring wealth and status under the Emperors of the Julio-Claudian dynasty.

The political career of Vespasian included the offices of quaestor, aedile and praetor, and culminated with a consulship in 51, the year Domitian was born. As a military commander, he gained early renown by participating in the Roman invasion of Britain in 43. What little is known of Titus's early life has been handed down to us by Suetonius, who records that he was brought up at the imperial court in the company of Britannicus, the son of emperor Claudius, who would be murdered by Nero in 55. Further details on his education are scarce, but it seems he showed early promise in the military arts and was a skilled poet and orator both in Greek and Latin.

Vespasian sent Titus to greet the new princeps, Galba. Before reaching Italy, Titus learnt that Galba had been murdered, and replaced by Otho, and that Vitellius and his armies in Germania were preparing to march on the capital, intent on overthrowing Otho. Not wanting to risk being taken hostage by one side or the other, he abandoned the journey to Rome and rejoined his father in Judaea. Meanwhile, Otho was defeated in the First Battle of Bedriacum and committed suicide, as you should already know..

At this point, everything seemed to slow down. While Vespasian had been declared Emperor in Egypt tn July 69, he remained in Egypt, ostensibly to secure the grain supply for Rome.

However, for reasons better known to himself, he lingered in Egypt, and while there, he visited the Temple of Serapis, where reportedly he experienced a vision and, as the 'New Serapis', healed two men.

Tiberius Julius Alexander, who had led the province of Egypt in proclaiming Vespasian Emperor on 1 July 69 CE, prepared a lavish 'adventus' reception for Vespasian in Alexandria. Vespasian was received in the city as the 'New Serapis'. Two Alexandrians, one blind, the other lame, approached the emperor at the tribunal seeking healing at Serapis' command. Vespasian at first rebuffed them, but they persisted, so the emperor, with the encouragement of those around him, made the attempt.

Attached to Suetonius' and Tacitus' accounts of these healings is a second 'wonder'.

Vespasian spent time alone in the sanctuary of Serapis, and there saw in a vision a man named Basilides,who, being detained by illness, was supposedly miles away. Basilides conferred upon Vespasian certain objects, loaves, crowns, and boughs, that were associated with Ptolemaic royalty. The experience appears to have been a kind of miraculous 'coronation ceremony'.

All of this, of course, confirms Gracchus' remark to Marcus, that Vespasian was 'over superstitious'.

Σέραπις, Sarapis is a Graeco-Egyptian god. The cult of Serapis was introduced during the 3rd century BC on the orders of Ptolemy I, Soter, of Egypt as a means to unify the Greeks and Egyptians in his realm. The god was depicted as Greek in appearance, but with Egyptian trappings, and combined iconography from a great many cults, signifying both abundance and resurrection. A Serapeum (Greek Serapeion) was any temple or religious precinct devoted to Serapis. The cult of Serapis was spread as a matter of deliberate policy by the Ptolemaic kings, who also built an immense serapeum in Alexandria.

Vespasian's motivation for participating in the cult of Serapis at the time will have been, at least in part, to continue receiving support from the gods and priesthoods of the East. It was anticipated that these gods and their priests would throw their lot in with Vespasian, and even produce some signs predicting his victory. At the same time, it is doubtful that the approval of Serapis in Alexandria would have had much immediate impact on the political situation in Rome, a fact that raises questions about the nature and extent of the wonders' reportage in the direct aftermath of their occurrence.

Suetonius' statement that the healings imparted to the Emperor an 'auctoritas et quasi maiestas quaedam' (authority and a certain majesty) that he had previously lacked must thus be carefully interpreted. Indeed, it is unlikely that the emperor's healing of provincial commoners by personal touch in the manner of a magician or holy man, persons of dubious reputation in Rome, would have inspired other Romans, particularly the elite, such as Gracchus, to attribute greater 'auctoritas and maiestas' to him.

The explicitly Hellenistic elements of the accounts of Vespasian's stay in Alexandria point to the development of a Philhellenic 'Vespasian myth', that stressed echoes of Alexander the Great's exploits which would undoubtedly appeal to patricians like Gracchus.

The impact of such a tradition on Roman accounts is obviously apparent. In Tacitus, the desire (cupido) that spurs Vespasian to visit the sanctuary of Serapis alludes to Alexander's famous pothos ('a yearning always to do something new and extraordinary'), and the visit itself parallels Alexander's visit to the oracle of Ammon at Siwa), where the young conqueror is identified as the son of 'Zeus Ammon', another 'Egypto-Hellenic' god.

***

Hot, dusty, and very superstitious Egypt is, of course, a long way from the cool, calm peristyle gardens of Gracchus' 'little villa', as he described it to young Marcus

While Gracchus and Marcus walked and talked, under the watchful eye of the ever faithful Petronius, Marcus knew nothing (yet), of the 'weirdness' of what was happening in Alexandria.

"So now, Marcus," Gracchus said, as they softly crunched their way along the gravel paths, with the fountains splashing and the birds twittering, "we have a new Emperor, maybe a bit odd, but a fine soldier, and a steady hand for the Empire, so you and Petronius had better start planning for Ludi pro honore Vespasiani" (and that will be the subject of the next Chapter).

Subsequently, however, it was not until December of 69 that the Senate, in Rome, declared Vespasian Emperor.

'and the story continues, Vespasian, the new Emperor returns to Rome, and Marcus and Petronius, on behalf of Gracchus, stage the Ludi pro honore Vespasiani'

XXIII: Ludi pro Honore Vespasiani
Annus Quattuor Imperatorum, Ultima Pars
23: Games in Honor of Vespasian
The Year of the Four Emperors, last part

Then everything, for both Rome, and for Marcus, Gracchus and the villa, seemed to come to a standstill. Vespasian lingered in Alexandria, a latter day, and rather corpulent and elderly 'Alexander'. There were still problems in Judea, and Vespasian wisely left his very competent son, Titus (see previous Chapter) to sort things out.

Skip the background events and continue the story here.

The Roman province of Iūdaea (Judea, Greek: Ἰουδαία), incorporated the regions of Judea, Samaria and Idumea, and extended over parts of the former regions of the Hasmonean and Herodian kingdoms of Israel. It was named after Herod Archelaus's Tetrarchy of Judea, but the Roman province encompassed a much larger territory. The name 'Judea' was derived from the Kingdom of Judah of the 6th century BC. Judaea was the stage of three major rebellions against Roman rule. The rebellion that concerns us is 66-70 CE, first rebellion, ending in the siege of Jerusalem and the destruction of Herod's Temple. Before the war Judaea was a Roman province of the third category, that is, under the administration of a procurator of equestrian rank and under the overall control of the governor of Syria. After the war it became an independent Roman province with the official name of Iūdaea, and under the administration of a governor of praetorian rank.

Titus, having been given control of the Legions in Iūdaea by his father, moved to besiege the center of rebel resistance in Jerusalem in early 70. The first two walls of Jerusalem were breached within three weeks, but a stubborn rebel standoff prevented the Roman Army from breaking the third, and thickest wall. Following a brutal seven-month siege, during which Zealot infighting resulted in burning of the entire food supplies of the city (?), the Titus finally succeeded in breaching the defenses of the weakened Jewish forces in the summer of 70. All three walls of Jerusalem were eventually destroyed as well as Herod's Temple and the citadels

The Second Temple was an important Jewish Holy Temple (בֵּית־הַמִּקְדָּשׁ הַשֵּׁנִי‎‎,) which stood on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem during the Second Temple period, between 516 BCE and 70 CE. Reconstruction of the temple under Herod began with a massive expansion of the Temple Mount. Religious worship and temple rituals continued during the construction process. When the Roman emperor Caligula planned to place his own statue inside the temple, Herod's grandson Agrippa I was able to intervene and convince him against this. Ironically, the Temple complex was only a few years completed when Titus destroyed the Temple in 70 CE.

The city was then put to the torch, with most survivors taken into slavery, making a glut in the market, much to the annoyance of Gracchus, who dealt widely in the slave trade.

Following the fall of Jerusalem, Titus left for Rome, leaving Legion X 'Fretensis' to defeat the remaining Jewish strongholds, finalizing the Roman campaign in Masada, previously the site of one of Herod's' palaces, in 73-74.

Legio X Fretensis ('Tenth legion of the Strait') was a legion of the Imperial Roman army. It was founded by Augustus Caesar in 41/40 BC to fight during the period of civil war that started the dissolution of the Roman Republic.

Not surprisingly, Vespasian and Titus became very wealthy as a result of their activities in Iūdaea, mainly from the selling of slaves (which was one of the privliges of a conquering Roman general), despite the fact that the market had become very depressed.

One of the main results of the successful conclusion of the action in Iūdaea was that Vespasian became so wealthy, and obtained so much support from his Legions, that his position was unassailable, and the future of the 'Flavian gens', as holders of the Imperium, was secure for some considerable time, hence, the Flavian Dynasty.

The Arch of Titus, located in Rome and built to commemorate Titus's victory in Judea, depicts a Roman victory procession with soldiers carrying spoils from the Temple, including the Menorah; which were used to fund the subsequent construction of the 'Flavian Amphitheater' (Colosseum).

Res in Villam
Events at the Villa

Marcus had been disturbed by the last conversation that he had in the tranquil garden of the villa with Gracchus. So far, he had not really thought of what inheriting from Gracchus would entail.

Initially he had not taken the prophecy of the Sybil very seriously, but then, as events had unfolded in Rome, and elsewhere, he began to see that the prophecy appeared to be very accurate, possibly a true glimpse into the future.

If that was so, then it may mean that he was to lose Gracchus in the quite near future, and that deeply unsettled him. And the inheritance was no fantasy, the Will had been lodged formally, by Terentius, at the Sacred College of the Vestals, in Rome. Terentius has sworn to him that it was all legal, and that, eventually he, Terentius, would be Marcus' senior freedman.

As Terentius had explained it, the moment that Gracchus died, the seal ring of the Gracchi would be removed from finger of the deceased Dominus, and placed on Marcus' finger, and he would, from henceforth, be Dominus, master and lord of all that had belonged to Gracchus.

What had unnerved Marcus, however, was Gracchus description of the sheer enormity of the inheritance awaiting him. Strange as it may seem, Marcus did not want to be that rich. Wealthy, yes. Comfortable, yes. But the wealth that Gracchus had described was very unnerving.

And Marcus did not think for a moment that Gracchus was exaggerating, after all, what was all the business about dealing with Praetorian Prefects, and loading up wagons with piles of gold ingots? Gracchus was a man to whom the richest, and the most powerful men in the Empire came when they needed help, and Gracchus, it seemed, secretly and quietly, made and removed the Emperors of the greatest Empire the world had ever seen!

In Athens, four years ago, Marcus had been a reasonably happy, if somewhat rebellious teenager.

Then disaster had struck, he had lost his family, and been sold into slavery.

But the slavery at the villa, was 'strange'. He was definitely not free, but equally he was not worked hard, and he lived well, far better than most, even those who were 'free'. If that had gone on, he probably would have had little of which to complain. Then he was freed, and he was happy, as he had beautiful apartments, fine clothes, handsome and loyal slaves, and was never short of money, thanks to Gracchus. He had Servius and Petronius as his own slaves, and also cute boys to keep him company when he was lonely at night.

For Marcus, eighteen years old and rapidly growing into a young man, that was more than enough, and more than he had ever hoped for. And then there was always Gracchus to guide him.

However, Marcus, with these thoughts occupying him, was somewhat restless… It had been suggested that he would be going to Rome, a place that he had never seen (despite being a Roman, as it was the city of his natural parents).

Now because Vespasian was still in Egypt, his visit to Rome seemed to be postponed indefinitely. That was all very well, but while Gracchus seemed to be keen on Marcus meeting Vespasian, Marcus had no real desire to meet the man, (even if he was the Emperor), or to be involved in politics in any way.

In one year he had seen so much murder and mayhem, in connection with political maneuvering, that he wa becoming like Gracchus, content to hide away in the 'little villa' at Baiae.

However, looking to the immediate future, as Vespasian had been declared Emperor in December, Marcus thought it would be reasonable to stage the 'Games in Honor of Vespasian' in January of 70, and Gracchus had agreed.

As for providing slaves to appear in the Games, it would have been relatively inexpensive to acquire a number of Jewish slaves, imported from Iūdaea. Jewish slaves were very cheap, as a result of Vespasian and Titus' campaigns in the province. The problem, however, was that Jews were circumcised and, as they would be probably naked, at some stage during their appearance during the Games, such a 'mutilation' would be considered unacceptable to the audience, and would make the proceedings farcical, rather than dignified, as befitted a ludi in honour of a new Emperor.

In the Roman Empire, circumcision was regarded as a barbaric and disgusting custom. The consul Titus Flavius Clemens was condemned to death by the Roman Senate in 95 for circumcising himself and converting to Judaism. The emperor Hadrian (117-138) forbade circumcision. [while these examples occur after the period of this story, they indicate the general Roman attitude towards circumcision].

As for a tableau, Marcus had decided on 'Theseus and the Minotaur', thereby casting the ugly and monstrous, half bull and half man, as representing the Jewish insurrectionists, and the handsome, heroic Theseus as representing Titus, who had cleansed Iūdaea, and sacked the Jewish Temple.

It would be a good opportunity to stage a decapitation, Petronius thought.

On the other hand, the tableau about Achilles and Patroclus, Marcus decided, should wait to a more relaxed, and less formal occasion, maybe in the Spring.

Θησεύς (Theseus) was the king of Athens and was the son of Aethra by two fathers: Aegeus and Poseidon. Pasiphaë, wife of King Minos of Crete, had several children before the Minotaur, which resulted from her copulation with a bull sent by Poseidon. King Minos had waged war with the Athenians and was successful. He then demanded that, at nine-year intervals, seven Athenian boys and seven Athenian girls were to be sent to Crete to be devoured by the Minotaur, a half-man, half-bull monster that lived in the Labyrinth created by Daedalus. On the third occasion, Theseus volunteered to slay the monster to stop this horror. On his arrival in Crete, Ariadne, King Minos' daughter, fell in love with Theseus and, on the advice of Daedalus, gave him a ball of thread (a clew), so he could find his way out of the Labyrinth. Theseus overpowered the Minotaur with his strength and stabbed the beast in the throat with his sword. After decapitating the beast, Theseus used the string to escape the Labyrinth and managed to escape with all of the young Athenians and Ariadne as well as her younger sister Phaedra.

On the other hand, the tableau about Achilles and Patroclus, Marcus decided, should wait to a more relaxed, and less formal occasion, maybe in the Spring.

And so preparations began for the next 'public Ludi'.

The previous public Ludi pro Galba had gone off reasonably well, although the plebs were, even then, not very impressed with the idea of having 'mean, elderly and somewhat perverted' Galba as their Emperor. The main attraction of those Ludi had been the tableau of 'Prometheus', and the idea of having a slave disembowelled and emasculated by a very large, and very hungry eagle had gone down very well with both the crowd, and it seems, the eagle (although two were needed to finish the job). The fact that the unfortunate 'Prometheus' even survived the emasculation and disembowelling, and had to be 'finished off' by being hung, and anally impaled was an added bonus for the spectators.

As usual the Pankration wrestling (the Roman form, Pancratium, was, like the Greek, performed naked, but unlike the Greek, also involved a lot of genital torture, and violent male sex), also proved to be very popular.

The punishments and executions were, as always, a success.

So for the new Ludi, Ludi pro Honore Vespasiani, preparations were begun.

Gracchus, of course, had to commission an ode from Lucius, Marcus' Latin tutor, in praise of Vespasian, and told him to include a subtle compliment to Vespasian's son, Titus. Lucian, of course, was very relieved.

Making an heroic ode, dedicated to the deeds and character of Galba, had been next to impossible for Lucius. Vespasian, however, already had a certain divine 'aura' (see above, Vespasian's' supposed 'brushes with the gods' in Alexandria), and Gracchus was able to provide Lucius with the details.

However, Gracchus insisted on Lucius being subtle with his references Serapis, Egyptian or Ptolemaic religion was not taken very seriously by most Romans, be they plebs or patricians.

They had too many memories of Mark Antony as the 'νέο Διόνυσος θεός' (New God Dionysus) and Cleopatra (Κλεοπάτρα Φιλοπάτωρas, Cleopatra VII Philopator) as the goddess Isis, (Anthony and Cleopatra had unsuccessfully opposed the Divine Octavian Augustus in the past, both eventually committing suicide). But more about the goddess Isis, later in the story…

So Lucius had the choir trained, and Servius, now a member of the team (as Tribune) was responsible for the 'pompa', which hopefully, considering his background as a Centurion, would be organized with 'military precision'.

Meanwhile, Marcus, wanting to impress Gracchus, had employed some Greek artists from Neapolis to design some decorations for the Amphitheater, and had also commissioned a Porphyry and Parian marble bust of Vespasian, all at his own expense.

Porphyry is a heavily grained marble, the finest being purple (imperial purple) in color, and coming from southern Egypt. Imperial Red Porphyry was first discovered in Egypt in the year 18 CE by the Roman legionnaire, Caius Cominius Leugas. Porphyries are reasonably common, Imperial Red Porphyry, is rare, valuable and has historic significance. The stone came from the quarry of Mons Porpyritis (Egypt), the only source of Imperial Red Porphyry in the world. Stones were carried by oxcart along what was known as The Porphyry Road to the Nile River and then shipped to Rome. Romans valued the stone for carvings. They even used it in the statues and inlaid panels of the Pantheon. Parian marble is a fine-grained semi translucent pure-white, and entirely flawless marble, quarried on the Greek island of Paros in the Aegean. Both are ridiculously expensive, then and now.

The decorations for the Amphitheater, while suitable for the Games for Vespasian, were also intended by Marcus to be permanent, with heavy stone swags, carved and gilded, his first mark on the estates of the Gracchi.

There were also eagles and plaques, in gilded and painted bronze, as part of the decorations, but these, being specifically Imperial insignia, would be removed (and stored) after the ludi. A large gilded bronze Imperial Eagle was also mounted in front of the balcony of the Editor's Box, but this too would be removed (and stored) after the ludi. In addition the back of the Editor's Box was hung with a curtain of Imperial purple, as was the doorway, in the centre of which stood the Parian marble plinth supporting the bust of Vespasian.

After a few weeks the work, rushed, but perfect, was finished, and Marcus proudly invited Gracchus to view the refurbished arena.

Gracchus entered the amphitheater, and strode into the center of the arena, to view the work.

There was a long, tenses silence, and then he turned to Marcus, smiling.

"Excellent work! And very tasteful, opulent and imperial, but not gaudy!"

Marcus was deeply relieved.

While working on the renovations and decorations, Marcus had become fascinated by the depth of color and hardness of the imperial porphyry, and was eager to use more of the costly stone as a permanent feature of the amphitheater.

He wanted the 'Amphitheatro Gracchi' to be, if not the largest, (Titus would soon build a ridiculously large amphitheater, now known as the Colosseum), but the most tasteful and magnificent in Italia.

"I was wondering, sir, if we could not add some more features in porphyry, as it is such a beautiful stone?" Marcus asked, hopefully.

"Such as?" Gracchus queried.

"I thought the grey marble panels on the podium look a bit dull… but I don't think I have enough to pay for them to be transported from Egypt, or carved, the carving is very expensive, as the stone is so hard?"

Significantly, this was the first thing that Marcus had ever asked for, since he had known Gracchus, and it was not something for himself.

Gracchus looked carefully at the podium.

"Perhaps you're right!" he mused, thoughtfully stroking his chin. "And perhaps some new perfume burners either side of the Editor's Box. I think your artisans in Neapolis could probably produce some good designs, otherwise we could order from Rome. I'll speak to Terentius, today."

Then Gracchus turned to both Marcus and Petronius. "Well done, boys! Keep working, as there is not much time!" and with that he strode out of the arena, returning to the villa in his carriage.

***

The porphyry was not imported from Egypt, that would have taken far too long. Terentius had found a supplier with stocks of Egyptian imperial porphyry in Rome, which had been cut to size for the podium panels. In addition Terentius had contacted one of Gracchus 'clients' in the decorative arts business, who had been able to sell him (at a good price, of course) two magnificent porphyry and gilded bronze perfume burners, and six porphyry obelisks, mounted on white marble plinths, with porphyry panels set in gilded bronze.

Marcus was thrilled, as artisans from Neapolis installed all the precious marble and bronze.

When Gracchus finally viewed the completed work he was more than satisfied, and secretly very pleased to see that Marcus was taking so much interest in caring for his beloved amphitheater.

Soon the day of the Games drew near.

The sand in the arena was removed, and fresh sand was brought up from the beach at Baiae (the beach, which Gracchus owned, like much of Baiae). The sand was then sived and cleaned, and then spread over the newly renovated wooden floor.

The marble seating for the audience was washed down, the newly installed gilding was polished, and the porphyry brought to a gleaming shine with a light application of the finest olive oil.

There was one addition, however, that Gracchus wanted to make, even though time was short. The doors leading into the arena which led to the various rooms situated beneath the seating area needed to be renewed, as they were the doors that had been originally installed in the arena when it was built, many years before. One of those doors was used when the 'pompa' entered the arena, and another of the doors was used to remove the dead and dying from the arena.

There was no time to order the doors from Rome, so they were made in Neapolis. Like much of the arena fittings, they were made of gilded bronze, heavy and substantial.

The doors used for the 'pompa' (Porta Sanivivaria) really needed to be enlarged, but that would require major building work, so that work was postponed to the Spring.

The other main door, the Porta Libitina (Door of Death) would be of the same design, but surmounted with a key-stone, decorated with a sculpture of a Gorgon's head surrounded by a gilded wreath.

The Porta Libitina led through a long corridor to the Spoliarium.

The Spoliarium is an area in the Ludus Gracchii, (the gladiator school and accomodation near the Amphitheater), where the dead bodies of those killed in the arena are taken and laid out on marble slabs to have their bodies stripped and washed, prior to their disposal. If the corpse was wearing armour, or undamaged clothing, these valuable items were returned to to the Armamentarium (the store of weapons and equipment in the Ludus Gracchii). In addition, students of medicine, specifically anatomy, were able to visit the Spoliarium to purchase dead bodies as a way of furthering their studies. Depending on their status, some corpses would be then prepared for a modest funeral, (normally cremation, such as occurred for Durus, Valentius and Ferox, but normally not quite so lavish), while low status individuals or noxii (condemned criminals) would be disposed of by having their naked corpse weighted with stones, and thrown into the sea. Slaves working in the Spoliarium were permitted to collect blood and sweat from dead fighters, which they could sell as an aphrodisiac. Pliny reports that medical authorities believed that fresh gladiator's blood was a cure for epilepsy. The pickled genitals of dead gladiators were also sold as talismans.

Once all the renovations, and the new decorations had been installed, Marcus and Petronius had the task of preparing a program, and selecting the various individuals who would take part in the Ludi.

Meanwhile, a palanquin had to be designed to be used to bring the bust of Vespasian into the arena. Once again, there was no time to have one designed and manufactured in Rome, but as the workers in Neapolis had produced such magnificent items for the amphitheater already, that Gracchus was quite willing to trust them with this task. The palanquin had to be light enough to be carried by six strong slaves, while also taking the weight of the marble bust (which was mounted on a wooden plinth, painted to imitate white marble).

A palanquin is a covered litter, carried on poles, on the shoulders of multiple bearers.

It is usually used to convey individuals, but is also used to move statues and other sacred objects, particularly in religious processions. Statues of the Gods and Emperors were carried round the arena on palanquins during the 'pompa' before the start of the 'Games'.

In addition, however, Gracchus had insisted on two plaster copies of the statue of Apollo (for which Petronius had modelled) to be mounted on the palanquin. Presumably this was Gracchus' public recognition of his gratitude for the Cumean Oracle from Apollo.

While the palanquin looked substantial, and very heavy, the columns (painted black to imitate marble and decorated with gold leaf) were in fact hollow, and made of light wood, as was the canopy, which was surmounted by a gilded, plaster eagle.

Regardless, it was still a heavy and unwieldy item, and Tribune Servius, who was responsible for the 'pompa', needed some time to train the slaves to manage it safely and efficiently. And so, before the Games, there were a number of 'full-dress' rehearsals of the 'pompa' in an empty amphitheater, carefully observed by Gracchus, Marcus and Petronius.

Once the 'pompa' had been successfully organised, and Lucius had written the Ode to Vespasian, the next step was to design any costumes (such as they were) for the tableau. For the Prometheus tableau, in the previous Ludi, for Galba, the only costume had been some wrist manacles and chains, as the slave involved was completely naked, from start to finish. For Theseus and the Minotaur, Theseus would only require a loincloth, greaves, wrist guards and a Greek style helmet, and possibly a 'Hoplite' shield, all easily available from the Armamentarium. For the Minotaur, Petronius had designed a minimal fur loincloth, but the real problem was the head.

In order to solve the problem, a bull, had to be sacrificed, and then the remains of bull's carcass (including the head) was sent to Neapolis, where a butcher was employed to carefully skin the bull, and then Marcus' favourite artisans made a stiffened leather frame, carefully moulded, with a carved and painted wood muzzle take the skin and horns from the bull's head.

One of the Pankration wrestlers, who had not been performing well recently, was chosen for the odious task of taking the part of the Minotaur, (obviously he would not survive the tableau), and the 'bull's head had to be made to be a perfect fit for the wrestler's head.

As the Minotaur, according to the legend, was decapitated after being defeated by Theseus, the bull's head had to be a tight fit, so that the wrestler's head would remain in place, even after he was decapitated. A fitting was arranged, and Petronius did a lot of pulling and tugging, just to make sure that the illusion was perfect when the unfortunate wrestler was finally decapitated.

The most unnerving part of the very minimal 'costume', for Marcus at least, was the fact that the young wrestler's eyes could be clearly seen, and appeared to be a real, but somewhat haunting aspect of the Minotaur's appearance.

Whereas all wrestlers at the Ludus were require to have their bodies completely shaved, the wrestler chosen to play the part of the Minotaur was required to let his pubic hair grow, so that it would merge with the thong he was to wear, which was made of bull's fur.

The morning after the costume fittings, when the various groups were mustered in the Ludus Gracchi, one of the men was missing. It was Arrachion, the pancratium wrestler, who had been fitted the previous day with the Minotaur's costume. Petronius quickly sent some slaves up to Arrachion's cubiculum. They found the big wrestler, lying naked beside his bed, on the floor, with a knife in his throat, and surrounded by a pool of blood.

When this was reported to Petronius, he immediately had Marcus informed.

At the time, Marcus was in the Arena, inspecting some of the fighters who were preparing for the forthcoming games. He quickly left the arena, passing down one of the tunnels serviced by one of the new bronze doors.

Petronius turned to him, looking quite dismayed. "Our Minotaur is dead, Arrachion!" he said, bleakly.

"And?" Marcus questioned, obviously annoyed.

"I think it must have been suicide, after he was told about the decapitation," Petronius went on.

"And how?" Marcus asked tersely.

"A knife to the throat, self inflicted by the look of it."

"And how did he get a knife in his cubiculum?" Marcus asked, getting even more annoyed.

"I don't know, Dominus!" Petronius answered, becoming very nervous, as he realised that Marcus was now his real master, and was very angry.

"Well, find out!" Marcus said coldly.

He turned away, with tears welling up in his eyes, realizing that he had spoken so sharply to his good friend, but the stress of mounting the Games was simply too much for him at that moment, and the loss of an important attraction was difficult for him to deal with.

Petronius, however, was not intending to hold a grudge, and had learned a lesson that Marcus was his master, and that he should not rely on the boy's undoubted affection for him to interfere with their professional relationship.

How Arrachion got hold of the knife was never discovered, and the reason for his suicide was successfully withheld from the other slaves who would be appearing in the arena.

Petronius, though, thoroughly tightened up the security in the Ludus, to prevent a reoccurrence of such an incident, and Marcus noticed with satisfaction that his friend, and closest assistant, was doing all he could to follow, in every way, Marcus' wishes with regard to the running of the Amphitheater.

And so the work went on.

A new condemned slave was selected to play the part of the Minataur, but Petronius wisely ommitted to tell him the final part of the myth, hopefully avoiding the debacle of the previous contender.

Ludi pro honore Vespasiani
Games in Honour of Vespasianus

The day of the ludi finally arrived. The weather was quite cool, but the sky was cloudless and the sun shone brightly. Marcus and Gracchus travelled by coach, accompanied by Servius acting as outrider, and three slave-boys, Cleon and Adonios and Ariston.

As was expected, Petronius was at the entrance to the Amphitheater to greet them, while an admiring crowd of citizens looked on. As the times were still dangerous, with various groups seeking revenge for the deaths of the contenders to the imperium that they had supported, both Marcus and Servius, being in public, were armed, and wearing armour (armour made to order in Rome, and generously provided by Gracchus).

"Welcome, Domini!" Petronius said, flashing one of his famous smiles.

(No, Domini is not a spelling mistake, it is the plural of Dominus as Petronius was greeting both Gracchus and Marcus as master, hence Masters, or Lords).

"I hope you have a good show for us!" Gracchus said, grinning appreciatively at his ex-slave.

(remember that Petronius is now the slave of Marcus, and Marcus had provided a new outfit for Petronius as Harenae Dominus, Master of the Arena, designed and made in Neapolis by Greek craftsmen).

They were then escorted to the prothyrum by Petronius, where they were served refreshing drinks and fruit by the amphitheater slave-boys.

"So what sort of program have you and young Marcus arranged for today?" Gracchus enquired as he sampled some succulent Italian grapes.

"Well… Servius has arranged a magnificent pompa, and Lucius has actually managed to write a truthful ode to the new emperor (Gracchus smiled), and we begin with some Greek style wrestling, the we have the tableau of Theseus and the Minotaur, and later we have created some rather interesting executions," Petronius proudly explained.

The Amphitheater was already half full, and Marcus was eager to go up to the Editor's Box to view the arena, and the many decorative features that he had the arena workers install.

Suddenly there was a shattering fanfare.

"Ah! Domini, the trumpeters are sounding the fanfare to start the pompa. We must take our places in the Editor's Box!" Petronius explained, dismissing the slave-boys, and guiding his 'guests' down the marble lined corridor to their place of honour.

As Gracchus and Marcus entered the Editor's Box (which the four trumpeters had fortunately left, to take their part in the pompa) the audience applauded. At the same time the magnificent Porphyry and gilt bronze perfume burners were lit, wafting rose-scented incense into the air.

Many in the audiences wondered who the handsome, fair-haired boy was, who was accompanying Gracchus, and there was a murmur of animated conversation.

Gracchus respectfully stood back along with Tribune Servius, allowing Marus to take centre stage.

Marcus was wearing his new lorica musculata (heroic cuirass), silvered steel, with gilt bronze decoration, in the style of a Legatus (Roman General), and many in the audience thought he was a representative of Vespasian, from Rome.

Petronius, of course, had to take a forward position, as the arena slaves and officials looked to him for signals regarding the running of the games. Cleon and Adonios (Ariston was left to look after the carriage) felt somewhat ridiculous in their new, flowing, Greek style white tunics). Nearby in the audience was Novius, and also a priest of Apollo, both eager to see the aurea puer ad mare take his rightful place in public.

The pompa then commenced, and was followed by a choral ode by Lucius, and an appropriate sacrifice performed by the priests of Apollo, from Cumae.

Pancratium
Wrestling

Skip the executions and continue the story here.

The Games proper then started with a gentle introduction provided by some Greek boy wrestlers. Petronius had wanted a slow introduction to the more violent and explicit events in the Games (for dramatic effect), and so the boy wrestlers were only to fight to a submission and not to 'finish-off' their opponent, and although the boys, being adolescents, were obviously very 'horny' while they were wrestling, they were instructed not to fuck, that would feature later.

After a few bouts the second part of the Ludi featured Pankration Wrestlers, who always fought completely naked.

The first fight was between an experienced Pankration wrestler, Callicrates, Callicrates, and a younger wrestler Adrastus (which translates as courageous, Pankration wrestlers were almost always given Greek names, even if they weren't Greek.). Hopefully the lad was courageous, as he would need all his courage in order to face his relatively brief time in the arena before he met his humiliating death. Adrastus was a noxius, a runaway slave condemned to be killed in the arena. The outcome, of course, was inevitable, and Petronius had already told the slightly older fighter to rape and kill the boy.

However, Callicrates was required to allow Adrastus to 'look' reasonably competent, as the audience should not realise that it was a 'rigged' fight. At first the audience seemed to be susceptible to the boy's good looks and slim, but quite muscular figure, but slowly Callicrates turned the fight against the boy.

Once Adrastus had been disabled with a knee to his groin, the more experienced wrestler, in accordance with Petronius' instructions, simply rammed his huge stiff penis into the squealing prone lad's anus, and brutally penetrated him. As he noisily raped the youth, who was lying face down in the sand, he grabbed the boy's thick dark hair, and pulled the young moaning lad's head back.

As the inevitable 'climax' came, and Callicrates started to squirt his thick, hot seed into his helpless opponent, he pulled the lad's head right back, and there was a loud crunch as Adrastus' neck broke. Not dying instantly, the naked, Adrastus rolled over onto his back, grunting "Shit!", convulsing violently, and revealing his huge, stiff jerking penis, which was spewing out his own 'seed'.

And so the defeated, raped boy lay on the sand, his neck broken, and his head lying at an impossible angle, staring up in disbelief at the applauding audience. Moments later the naked boy noisily emptied his bowels onto the sand, and sprayed the contents of his bladder over his chest and belly.

Meanwhile, victorious Callicrates rose to his feet, still prominently 'erect', and dribbling his semen over the sand, accepted the plaudits of the audience. As he did so, Adrastus, who knew he was dying, grunted "Fuck!" and began to convulse. Finally Adrastus' naked body shuddered, and then he lay still, as Callicrates stood respectfully by his dead opponent, and bowed to the guests in the editors box.

With this first killing of the day in the arena, the Games were well under way.

There were two more Pankration fights to follow, each leaving two more naked young noxii raped and dead, one with both eyes gouged out, (strictly against the rules) and a broken neck, and the other with horribly crushed testicles and a broken back.

The fights were not particularly noteworthy, as regards technique, as the 'runaways' had no experience as wrestlers, but the sight of the blinded lad trying to crawl away from his opponent, whom he couldn't even see, and the spectacular back-breaker suffered by the practically castrated other boy well satisfied the audience.

This was a way of providing what appeared to be some 'good sport', but it was not used by Petronius too often, as it did not drive home the message that criminal slaves would be punished without mercy.

(Only the really observant would notice that the victorious wrestlers wore Gracchus' silver slave collars, while the defeated slave-boys (who were killed) wore no collars, a sign that they were condemned slaves.)

The next fight was between a well matched pair of experienced wrestlers. Both these wrestlers were trained slaves from Gracchus' Ludus, wearing the distinctive silver slave collars, but nothing else. The wrestlers were well muscled but lithe and supple, and pleased the audience with their athletic throws, and unusual holds. The younger of the two combatants was called Spiridion ('little spirited one') and the slightly older wrestler was called Philomenes (strong love).

It was soon clear that Philomenes was the better wrestler, and was able to use some very effective holds, without recourse to 'low blows' or grabbing his opponent's testicles. Spiridion eventually found himself in a very powerful 'sleeper hold', and despite his efforts to escape he soon found himself drifting off into unconsciousness.

Philomenes, remembering Petronius instructions, did not simply maintain the hold until unconsciousness was overtake by death. Instead he released his groggy opponent, and set up practically helpless Spiridion on the sand on his hands and knees, 'dog fashion', in and ideal position to be sexually penetrated from the rear. Spiridion had a truly massive erection, which was a common 'side effect' of a 'sleeper hold', but was in no position to use his exceptionally rigid 'tool'. "Fuck!" was all that bewildered Spiridion could utter as he felt Philomenes' huge 'tool' penetrate his anus.

Philomenes was highly excited and highly sexed, and viciously raped Spiridion, quickly reaching an explosive orgasm, and probably in order to make a good impression with Petronius, he withdrew his penis moments before the inevitable and sprayed his 'seed' over Spiridion's buttocks and back. At the same time, Spiridion, not really knowing what was happening, simply responded by squirting his own 'seed' over the sand in front of himself. Then, before Spiridion could recover from his orgasm, Philomenes went back to his original sleeper hold.

Spiridion knew what was going to happen, but as he was already weakened, there was nothing that he could do as he slowly drifted off into unconsciousness. After a few moments Spiridion voided his bowels onto the sand, and urinated copiously. Philomenes then release his dead opponent, and Spiridion flopped into a disorganized heap on top of the fouled sand.

Philomenes then stood up and bowed to the guests in the Editor's Box, and Petronius respoded by tossing a small purse of coins to the victorious wrestler.

Supplicii
Punishments

There then followed a long series of executions, mostly with the victim being tortured before being killed. Once the executions were underway, Gracchus was always interested to discover from Petronius details of the crimes that had been committed by the slave being executed, and Petronius, prior to the Games always made inquiries regarding the quaestiones perpetuae, the criminal case, so that he could give Gracchus the details.

Gracchus was interested in the iron frames being used for the executions. Petronius explained that they were an idea of Marcus, to give the audience a better view of the executions, as the thin frames did not obscure any part of bodies of those being executed. It was also easier to attach ropes and chains to the frames as metal loops for fastening were placed in various points on the frames.

The frames were also designed to be linked together when required, a kind of prefabrication (the Romans were very adept at prefabrication, even producing large, prefabricated wooden forts, for the army, which could be erected in less than a day.

Gracchus was very impressed.

Both naked boys had tight cords tied round their genitals, with heavy iron weights attached.

"Please! No!…" the fair haired boy screamed, while his partner in crime struggled pathetically.

"Fuck! I'm gonna cum!" the dark haired boy then moaned, convulsing on the iron frame as he squirted huge gobs of creamy 'seed' from his appallingly erect penis.

"I'm cumming too!" the fair haired boy then grunted, on seeing his friend's forceful orgasm.

While this was going on, Petronius explained, as decorously as he could, that the boys were runaway slaves from Herculaneum (now known as Ercolano), who had taken the opportunity to kidnap a freeborn young girl from her home, and take her to a deserted beach.

"There, Dominus, they had sexual relations with her, raping her both ends, mouth and, may I say without offending you, anus, taking it in turns to perform both acts simultaneously. They then left the girl for dead. Her kinsmen found her, and from her description, the two boys were quickly found, and sentenced to death in the arena."

Petronius, blushing and stammering, was obviously embarrased to be talking about a girl in such a way.

"And the girl?" Gracchus asked, looking concerned. "Did she survive?"

"Yes," Petronius replied, "but it will now be difficult to find a husband for her, as this crime is now common knowledge."

"And the boys now, they are to be emasculated?"

"Yes Dominus, and very slowly!"

"Good!" Gracchus replied fiercely. "And then I want them completely disembowelled, also very slowly!"

And that is what happened to the unlucky lads. First the arena slaves cut off the penis of each boy. Each boy's' penis was unnaturally erect, because of the ropes tightly binding the penis-root, and when they were severed there was a gush of blood, which sprayed over each boys' belly, and onto the sand. Both boys begged not to have their balls cut off, (rather pointless, as neither boy had a penis), but once each boys' cock-root had stopped forcefully spraying blood, each boys' swollen ball-sack was sliced open, the testicles removed and cut away, and then the empty sack was cut away, leaving both boys completely sexless. The dark-haired boy had a pubic bush, and that was burned off.

By that stage each squealing boy was urinating from the bloody stump that was all that was left of his penis, and uncontrollably defecating.

The emasculated boys were then slit open from he pubic bone up to sternum, and their guts were allowed to slide and flop out onto the sand. A little later, after writhing and screaming obscenely, both boys lost consciousness, through loss of blood, and shortly afterwards were dead.

The individuals who were tortured and executed were known as noxii, and were sent to the amphitheater under a legal agreement between Gracchus and the local magistracy. Surprisingly, Gracchus was actually paid to perform these executions, and they always proved very popular.

Castration, or more commonly emasculation (removal not only of the scrotum and testicles, but also the penis), was a common punishment for slaves condemned for sexual crimes. These punishments were particularly popular with the 'plebs'.

Of course, castration and emasculation were not immediately fatal, although eventually the victim would bleed to death, unless the wound was cauterised, often achieved by using a red-hot castration knife. Such a punishment was usually part of a crucifixion or an impaling (crucifixion and impaling often being combined).

It is noticeable that most condemned slave who were executed were found guilty of two specific types of crime. The first was running away from their master, in an almost always useless bid to live as a free individual, and this warranted crucifixion. The second was some type of sexual crime, usually some form of rape on a freeborn individual, male of female.

Slaves were clothed, fed and housed (sometimes very well, better than the average plebeian, like Marcus before he was freed), so there was little incentive to steal, although petty pilfering was always a problem.

Slaves, however, were not free to have sexual relations with freeborn individuals, unless ordered to do so, and usually this meant, in the case of male slave, playing the passive role to their master or male members of the family (such as sons). For most male slaves sexual relations with other female slaves was not permitted, although senior male slaves quite often treated the younger male slaves in the same way as the master. The result was that young male slaves were highly sexually frustrated, and forced always to play the passive 'female' role. It is not surprising, therefore that quite often they were unable to control themselves in certain situations, and sexual offences occurred. Because of the frequency of such events, and the difficulty of controlling young, highly sexed male slaves, the punishments for such crimes were particularly severe, humiliating, and very public.

One solution to the problem would have been to have young male slaves castrated, but castration of slaves, at the time of this story was, surprisingly, against Roman law.

Gracchus was also intrigued by a naked boy, with a large wooden stake inserted deep in his anus, and his severed genitals held on a hook protruding from the frame to which he was attached.

"Please! Help! They've fuckin' castrated me!…, Cut off my fuckin' balls an' cock, an' fucked me!" the squirming slave groaned, to no one in particular.

What piqued Gracchus' interest was the fact that the boy was hung upside down.

"This slave-boy raped his master's son, so emasculation and impaling are considered appropriate," Petronius explained.

"The position that he is in is extremely painful, as it puts great pressure on his spine. Later we can break his back, and 'finish him', by either putting weights on his back, or simply stamping on his back. He can also be tortured further by fucking him, if you will excuse the expression, Dominus, with the stake and, of course, since his genitals were cut off he has been losing a lot of blood, so he will not last long…," Petronius carefully explained.

"That's good!" Gracchus commented. "We can't have slaves abusing free-born boys."

To bring the execution to a reasonably swift end, so that other events could take place in the arena, the condemned slave would usually be disembowelled, and/or have his throat cut.

Marcus, on Petronius;' advice, wanting to make this part of the proceeding look a little more 'sophisticated' had 'done away' with crude wooden crosses and stakes, and instead had started to use iron frames (made by Vulcan, see Chapter III), and decorated with bronze gilt finials.

These frames not only looked better, but were more suitable for the complex 'bondage' that Petronius now favoured for the tortures and executions, and in addition gave the audience a better view of the slave being tortured and executed.

Modern commentators often puzzle over why a cultured and sophisticated society, such as that of ancient Rome, would apparently relish such seemingly cruel and barbarous public tortures and executions. There are (as has already been alluded to, three basic reasons which may go to help explain the phenomena of the Ludi Romani (Roman Games).

The first reason is a religious reason, as the Games originated as sacrifices to the Gods and the spirits of the dead munera. In ancient Roman religion, the 'Manes' or 'Di Manes' are chthonic deities thought to represent souls of deceased loved ones. They were associated with the 'Lares', 'Lemures', 'Genii', and 'Di Penates' as deities (di) that pertained to domestic, local, and personal cult. They belonged broadly to the category of 'di inferi', "those who dwell below," the undifferentiated collective of divine dead. Apuleius states that the souls of men become 'Lares' if they are good, 'Lemures' or 'Larvae' if they are bad, and 'Manes' if it is uncertain whether they deserve well or ill. These deities are invoked with blood sacrifices and divine honors. The blood sacrifices eventually evolved into the bloody deaths in the arena.

The second reason was a legal reason, and therefore determined by the Roman state.

Slaves were considered 'property' under Roman law and had no legal 'personhood'. Unlike freborn Roman citizens, they could be subjected to corporal punishment, sexual exploitation (prostitutes were often slaves), torture, and summary execution. Crucifixion was the capital punishment meted out specifically to slaves, traitors, and bandits. Marcus Crassus concluded his victory over Spartacus in the 'Third Servile War' by crucifying 6,000 of the slave rebels along the Appian Way. The 'Servile Wars' brings us to another reason for the treatment of slaves in the arena. The Romans, after experiencing three massive slave revolts, known as the 'Servile Wars', were always afraid of the huge numbers of slave in their midsts, and felt it necessary to display their dominance by demonstrating their power over the slave population. The third reason, related to the second, was the fact that Roman society had no law enforcement agencies, (no police as we would understand the term), and so it was essential to demonstrate publicly that offenders, if apprehended, would be dealt with with the utmost vigour and severity.

For more information regarding this important topic go to Chapter XVI Marcus et Gladiatores

Oddly (to us), neither Gracchus, Marcus or Petronius were cruel or sadistic individuals. They (like the subsequent Christians) saw nothing wrong or immoral in the institution of slavery, or what we would consider to be the cruelty involved, and for that reason the traditions of the arena endured for many hundreds of years.

Such traditions were subsumed under the concept of mos maiorum, 'ancestral custom', and were the foundation of Roman morality, so, rather than being thought of as immoral, the activities in the arena, and therefore Gracchus, Marcus and Petronius' involvement in organising them, was considered to be highly moral, laudable and correct.

***

The very successful ludi continued with the Tablaux of Theseus and the Minotaur (and allegory of Titus and the Jewish revolt), and a series of gladiatorial combats.

'and the story continues – Marcus becomes a man – (coming of age) – the shadow of death and torture hovers over the villa -

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