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Vittorio Carvelli
The Story of Gracchus
LIBER III
The Third Book
Chapters 24-28
XXIV. Umbrae Mortis in Villam
24. Shadows o1f Death in the Villa
Finis Ludorem pro Honore Vespasiani
The End of the Games in Honour of Vespasianus
The Ludi came to an end with a flourish of trumpets (tubis), and the audience rose as one to give a standing ovation.
The most important musical instrument in the Roman Military was the tuba (not to be confused with the modern instrument of the same name) or straight trumpet. The tuba/trumpet was usually made from copper or iron, and was a conical bore straight tube about 120-140 cm [4-5 ft] in length and came in three pieces with a mouthpiece. The tuba/trumpet was used at sacrifices, processions, triumphal processions and funerals. The use of tubis (trumpets) in Gracchus' arena was the result of Servius taking over the organisation of the 'pompa'.
How many of the audience realised that the magnificence and opulence of these Ludi was down to Marcus, or equally that the organisation and smooth running, and staging of events was down to his Harenae Dominus (Master of the Arena), Petronius is debateable.
As far as the audience were concerned Gracchus had enabled the town of Baiae to mark the accession of the new Emperor, Vespasian, with appropriate celebration and ceremony; thus maintaining the dignity and reputation of the town.
Having left the editor's box, the group consisting of Marcus, Gracchus, Servius, and the two slave-boys made their way to the prothyrum, where more refreshments were made available. Cleon and Adonios stood respectfully to one side, the refreshments were obviously not for them.
Meanwhile, Marcus, Gracchus and Servius stood together discussing various aspects of the Ludi while they waited for Petronius (who would be returning with them to the villa), to finish giving instructions for the 'clean-up' which always followed the end of the Ludi.
Soon a very satisfied looking Petronius returned to the prothyrum.
"I hope, Dominus, that you were pleased with the work of the arena-slaves," Petronius said respectfully to Gracchus.
"Very much!"Gracchus replied, smiling, "But even more, I was pleased with all that you have done to make this a truly magnificent Ludi – you, and of course, young Marcus!" Gracchus continued, putting his hand gently on Petronius' shoulder.
Petronius blushed, and bowed his head.
"Without Marcus…" Petronius stammered, "It would have been impossible," Petronius muttered.
Marcus shook his head, finding it difficult to accept the compliment.
"Well both of you did a magnificent job, so let's go home. It's been a long day," Gracchus concluded.
Convivium Celebratum In Aetatem Veniendi Marci
The Banquet to Celebrate Marcus' Coming of Age
The group all returned to Gracchus' carriage, with Servius and Petronius 'mounting up', to serve as 'outriders' for the short journey to the villa. When they reached the villa, the whole place seemed ablaze with light, with carriages and litters parked by the main entrance. Much to Marcus' surprise, it appeared that a party (convivium) was taking place.
Secretly, Gracchus had arranged for a small convivium to be held, not only to celebrate the successful Ludi, but also to celebrate Marcus' 'coming of age'.
Marcus' 'coming of age' was important, as he needed to be officially an adult male citizen to inherit from Gracchus, as there was no male relative to act as his 'guardian'.
The 'coming of age' ritual for the young Roman male involved shaving his beard (however, Marcus was not shaving yet) and taking off his 'bulla', an amulet worn to mark and protect underage youth, which he then dedicated to his household gods, the Lares. Larēs (archaic Lases, singular Lar), were guardian deities in ancient Roman religion. Their origin is uncertain; they may have been hero-ancestors, guardians of the hearth, fields, boundaries or fruitfulness, or an amalgamation of these. They originate in the Etruscan religion.
 A Bulla, is an amulet worn like a locket, was given to male children in Ancient Rome nine days after birth. A bulla was worn around the neck as a locket to protect against evil spirits and forces. A bulla was made of differing substances depending upon the wealth of the family. Before the age of manhood, Roman boys wore a bulla, a neckchain and round pouch containing protective amulets (usually phallic symbols), and the bulla of an upper-class boy would be made of gold. Other materials included leather and cloth. A boy would wear a bulla until he became a Roman adult. His bulla was carefully saved, and on some important occasions, like his becoming a general and commanding a parade, the bulla was taken out. He would wear the bulla during the ceremony to safeguard against evil forces like the jealousy of others.
The young man, at the ceremony of his 'coming of age', assumed the plain white toga virilis ('toga of manhood'). Traditionally, the ceremony was held on the Liberalia, the festival in honor of the god Liber, who embodied both political and sexual liberty, but other dates could be chosen for individual reasons.
The convivium was not grand, like the munera for Augustus, and there were no entertainments. The day had already been very full with the Ludi for Vespasian. It was simply an opportunity for for many of the individuals directly involved with Marcus to congratulate him on his 'coming of age'.
As a special gift, Gracchus had a bust sculpted in marble of Marcus, and this took pride of place on the dais.
There Gracchus and Marcus 'sat in state' (with Marcus looking most uncomfortable in his new and very bulky plain white toga virilis, which Gracchus had draped ceremoniously, and not very skillfully on the boy, now become a man).
The toga, a distinctive garment of Ancient Rome, was a cloth of 6 metres [20 feet] in length which was wrapped around the body and was generally worn over a tunic. The toga was made of wool, and the tunic under it often was made of linen. The toga was worn almost exclusively by Roman men, whereas women were expected to wear the stola.
At the same time, Gracchus removed Marcus' bulla (which had in fact been given to him by his natural father, Gaius Agrippa Aelius), and was actually 'proof', if it was still needed, that Marcus was 'freeborn'.
Gracchus gave the bulla to Terentius for safe keeping.
A number of Gracchus' clients, including the priests of Apollo, some military Tribunes, and of course Novius, came first to offer congratulations.
Then many of the freedmen and senior slaves approached the 'domini' to offer congratulations, before the meal itself began.
Sors Sternit Marcum
Fate Strikes at Marcus
Fortuna (Latin: Fortūna, equivalent to the Greek goddess Tyche) was the personification of luck and fate in Roman religion. She might bring good or bad luck: and came to represent life's capriciousness. She was the goddess of Fate: as Atrox Fortuna, she claimed the young lives of the princeps Augustus' grandsons Gaius and Lucius, prospective heirs to the Empire. The two earliest temples mentioned in Roman Calendars were outside the city, on the right bank of the Tiber (in Italian Trastevere). The first temple dedicated to Fortuna was attributed to the Etruscan Servius Tullius, while the second is known to have been built in 293 BC as the fulfilment of a Roman promise made during later Etruscan wars. Fortuna's identity as personification of chance events was closely tied to virtus (strength of character). Sallust uses the infamous Catiline as illustration, "Truly, when in the place of work, idleness, in place of the spirit of measure and equity, caprice and pride invade, fortune is changed just as with morality". During the early Empire (the time of this story), an amulet from the 'House of Menander', in Pompeii (close to Baiae), links her to the Egyptian goddess Isis, as 'Isis-Fortuna'. Her father was said to be Jupiter and like him, she could also be bountiful (Copia).
Later after much talk, wine and food, and good company, Gracchus and Marcus rose from their seats on the dais. Immediately all the guests rose, and Gracchus and Marcus, accompanied by Terentius, Servius and Petronius, and the two slave-boys, Adonios and Ariston, processed, accompanied by other slave-boys carrying torches, and all the guests, to the main entrance of the villa. There the guests, in a group, began to say their 'goodbyes', and final congratulations.
Suddenly there was a commotion in the middle of the crowd. A loud cry, and Marcus slowly fell to the marble floor, blood staining his pristine, white toga.
Guests starting shouting, and Servius caught hold of a slave-boy, while Petronius grabbed the bloody knife the boy was holding. The boy instantly released the weapon, which fell to the floor with a heavy clang.
Gracchus instantly bent down over young Marcus.
"You stupid boy! What have you done to my son?" he cried out, in anguish, looking up at the young slave. (and for the first time, Gracchus, in public, called Marcus 'my son').
"Why?" Gracchus moaned.
Meanwhile, Terentius called for Agathon to come to the prothyrum, with a couple of his assistants (you last met Agathon, Gracchus' personal Greek physician, in Chapter V).
By then the slave-boy had been identified in the flickering light of the torches.
It was Glykon!
"Why?" Gracchus shouted at the trembling boy, who was now firmly held by Servius.
"He has everything and he's just a slave, like me! It's not fair!" Glykon sobbed.
"Never ever say that again, boy!" Gracchus stormed.
The guests, riveted to the spot by the apalling drama, were shocked at the sheer violence of Gracchus' words.
Gracchus calmed himself, as Petronius put his hand on his master's shoulder.
"Marcus is as free-born as I am and anyone who says otherwise will pay dearly for such a lie with his life, as you will, Glykon!" Gracchus announced, carefully controlling his anger and despair.
Marcus groaned, it was the first sign that he had survived the attack.
"Lie still, Marcus," Petronius said, kneeling and brushing the boy's hair out of his eyes.
"Yes, it's going to be alright. Agathon is coming… and he will put everything right," Gracchus said, going down on his knees, beside Marcus.
Terentius now started to guide the guests to the huge bronze doors, assuring them that Marcus was not badly hurt. He said this just to calm them, and encourage them to leave. Agathon then appeared, with two assistants, and started working on Marcus. Petronius then got to his feet, and went over to where Servius was standing. By then two villa slave-guards were holding Glykon.
Petronius then showed Servius the knife that he had wrestled from Glykon's hand.
"You see the knife?" Petronius asked Servius.
"Yes, it belongs to Marcus. It was a gift to him from Gracchus," Servius replied, puzzled.
"So how did Glykon have it?" Petronius asked.
"Marcus was not wearing it tonight, and so it would be in his private apartments and only myself, and Cleon and Adonios are allowed in those apartments," Petronius explained.
Petronius then quickly looked around.
"And where is Cleon?" he asked, knowingly.
"He was not at the convivium, so where?" (Marcus first met Cleon in Chapter VI)
While this conversation was taking place, Agathon had arranged for his assistants to carefully take the stricken boy to Marcus' private apartments. Gracchus and Novius, (Gracchus' long time friend and adviser) followed.
Meanwhile, Servius sprang into action.
"Terentius, this is an emergency… call as many of the villa slave-guards as you can find, and instigate a thorough search for the boy Cleon."
He then turned to the villa slave-guards holding Glykon. "Take this boy (referring to Glykon) to the punishment area.
Strip him, and chain him up.
You do not need to be gentle with him!"
The guards grinned, and dragged off the sobbing Glykon.
(for information about the punishment area next to Vulcan' workshop see Chapter III)
In Conclavia Marci
In Marcus' Apartments
Gracchus and Novius made their way to Marcus' private apartments. Marcus had been put to bed by Agathon's assistants, while the Greek doctor hovered over the stricken boy. Gracchus immediately approached his private physician.
"How is he?" Gracchus asked impatiently in Greek. "Will he survive?"
The Greek physician looked at the Dominus, quizzically.
"The bleeding is under control. Whoever attacked him was a very incompetent assassin. The knife was not thrust in far enough to do any real damage. As long as there is no infection and the wound seems clean, then the boy should recover."
"Thank the Gods!" Gracchus sighed.
"But there is something amiss, Dominus," Agathon continued. "Young Marcus is a strong, fit boy, but… he seems to have entered a 'κῶμα' (coma). I cannot account for this. Do you know why this should be so?"
"I'm not sure what you mean," Gracchus replied, looking puzzled and concerned.
"It is not natural, with such a wound, and I fear this may be more than just a physical problem," Agathon explained.
"It seems that the boy was not wearing his bulla," Agathon explained. (see above for the significance of the bulla) "So he did not have the protection of the amulet and neither the protection of the amulet (Jupiter's Eagle) on his slave collar (which he had worn previously). If someone had laid a some kind of a curse on this night, or on the dagger, then this might account for the 'κῶμα'. As for the unnaturally deep 'sleep', I cannot say how long it will last and I am unsure how to treat it. It seems to be beyond my skill. The answer may lie in a κατάδεσμος (tabella defixionis, curse tablet), if one can be found."
 A 'curse tablet' or binding spell is a type of curse found throughout the Greco-Roman world, in which someone would ask the gods, spirits, or the deceased to perform an action on a person or object, or otherwise compel the subject of the curse. Texts were typically scratched on thin sheets of lead, then often rolled, folded, or pierced with nails. These bound tablets were then usually placed beneath the ground: either buried in graves or tombs, thrown into wells or pools, sequestered in underground sanctuaries, or nailed to the walls of temples.
Gracchus looked appalled and, leaving Agathon, went over to Novius, and sat down heavily on the couch, beside his old friend.
"Did you hear that?" Gracchus asked Novius.
Novius nodded.
"Magic… curses… unnatural sleep!… What is going on, Novius?"
"And a good and loyal slave-boy, who suddenly turns into an assassin!" Novius added.
"And what about young Cleon? It seems that he has disappeared."
Most Romans lived in constant fear of supernatural powers and forces that they believed in but did not understand. This made them pay magicians frequent visits in order to buy amulets as protection against spells, against the evil eye, against the power of spirits and demons, and against evil fortuna in general.
At that moment Petronius came into the atrium, with Adonios. The boy has obviously been crying, and Petronius had his hand on the boy's shoulder. Adonios ran over to Gracchus and went down on his knees.
"Dominus, I swear I knew nothing about this. Spare me, please!" the almost hysterical boy blurted out.
"I know, Adonios. No harm will come to you, I promise." Gracchus said quietly, trying to calm the young lad.
"But Dominus… how is my master? Will he live?" Adonios asked, still tearful.
"That no one knows. But now I have a task for you, my young friend. Go and sit with your master, and if he stirs, or speaks, go straight to Petronius and tell him, and he will tell me."
Adonios brightened a little and went over and sat beside Marcus' bed.
Gracchus then turned to Novius. "And what is your view about all of this?" he asked.
 "It is a strange situation," Novius replied. "I think that Agathon may be right in what he says. From my knowledge of Etruscan magic, I think it was important for those involved in this deed to have Marcus's pugio (dagger) and to impart to it some evil power. I would suggest that Cleon obtained it for Glykon from Marcus' apartments and that is why Cleon has gone missing. Such a weapon need not do any real damage, which is why Agathon said that Glykon was an incompetent assassin. But in a way he wasn't! All he needed to do was to touch Marcus with the dagger in order to impart it's evil influence. The wound itself is neither here nor there. A little loss of blood for a young man is nothing. But this 'κῶμα' is a work of powerful magic."
"So what do you suggest that we do?" Gracchus asked, looking quite overwhelmed.
"First you must go to the Temple of Apollo, at Cumae, and make sacrifices to the god for Marcus' recovery. Then we can talk to the priests and ask their advice about Marcus' condition. And perhaps…,"and here Novius paused, "we could ask the advice of the Sybil. In a more practical way, we need to know who is behind this and it is the two slave-boys who hold the key to that."
"Good!" Gracchus replied, at last having something tangible to do.
He called Petronius, (who had been watching over Adonios and Marcus), to him.
"What has happened about the two slave-boys?" Gracchus asked.
"Well, at this very moment, Dominus, Servius is overseeing the torture of Glykon. He's a weak boy, and we should have some answers very soon. Terentius has gone out with some riders to try to track down Cleon, as he does not seem to be in the villa," Petronius reported.
"Good! Well keep me informed!" Gracchus replied, his mood seeming to improve as he was able once again to take command.
In Ludo
At the Amphitheater
Glykon had been bundled into a waiting wagon by two tall, muscular villa guards. Very soon they arrived at the Amphitheater, and a very frightened Glykon was taken to the Spoliarium in the Ludus Gracchii. The room Glykon was taken to had stone walls and a stone floor, and was cold and intimidating.
"Right son!… Strip off!" the senior guard growled.
Glykon took off his tunic and his sandals, and waited meekly, wearing just his tiny white loincloth. "Take off everything!" the guard shouted.
"We can't fuck you if you're wearing a loincloth, now can we?" the guard continued, sarcastically.
Hesitantly Glykon took off his loincloth, and arranged it in a neat bundle with his tunic and sandals.
The senior guard turned to his assistant. "We're gonna have fun with this one!" he said, leering, as he stepped forward and pulled on Glykon's flaccid cock.
"He's a well hung little fucker," the other guard replied.
"Right!…" the senior guard said, gruffly. "You go first!"
The second guard pulled out his already stiff cock, and approached Glykon.
"No please!… Don't fuck me!… I'll tell you whatever you want!" Glykon pleaded.
"Yes!… a pack of lies, probably," the senior guard interjected. "But this is not part of the torture, son. This is just us having a bit of fun before the Tribune arrives."
As he was saying this, the guard with the stiff cock grabbed hold of Glykon and bent him over.
"No!… not up my fuckin' arse!…," Glykon moaned, as the guard's huge knob forced its way into Glykon's tight little hole.
"Shit!… you're too fuckin' big!" Glykon moaned, as the guard's thick, heavily veined shaft disappeared inside him.
"Thanks for the compliment!" the grinning guard grunted, as he started violently thrusting.
In Conclavia Marci
In Marcus' Apartments
Novius then took Gracchus into the adjoining atrium, well away from Petronius and Adonios.
"Now Gnaeus, we must be very careful here. This is not the work of a couple of jealous slave-boys. In my view they have been used. I feel that it is likely that they have been paid and Servius needs to find out where the money is. But I think that this has been organised by someone in Rome. Someone very powerful, who does not want Marcus to become Dominus and then maybe have further political ambitions, as he gets older. I think that we have been too open about what is happening here, and we need to be much more circumspect," Novius said quietly and confidentially.
"I agree." Gracchus replied.
"Your advice is always excellent."
"But in this case maybe it comes too late," Novius concluded.
"Personally, I think that this attempt on Marcus' life is connected with the death of Galba, after all, Marcus was quite closely involved in the deal with the Praetorians," Gracchus said,
"And I think that this might have something to do with Petram, the young fighter that Nymphidius took back to Rome, and was subsequently rescued by Terentius.
Gracchus paused, and called over Petronius. "Petronius, we think that Petram might be involved in this matter. Send some villa slave-guards over to the amphitheater, and have Petram taken to where Servius is questioning Glykon and get information from Petram, by any methods! And then come back here, and tell me how the interrogations are going."
"At once, Dominus,!" Petronius replied, and immediately left the room.
As Petronius left, Terentius came into the room, breathing heavily after a hard ride.
"Well, Terentius?" Gracchus asked.
"We found him, and now he's dead," Terentius said flatly.
"He was on the road to Neapolis, with a pouch full of gold coins, here they are, Dominus."
Terentius handed Gracchus the bulging leather pouch.
"There's a lot of money here," Gracchus said, knowingly hefting the heavy pouch.
"How did he come by it?" Gracchus asked, intrigued.
"Glykon gave it to him, in return for Marcus' pugio."
"And how come he's dead?".
"I hope that you don't not think that I did wrong," Terentius said, nervously, "but in the circumstances, after getting all the information from him that we needed, and considering he was in such a bad way after, may I say, being persuaded to talk, I thought it was best to 'finish' him as he was no further use to us."
In the process of interrogating Cleon, Terentius (at a later date) revealed to Gracchus that the boy had, been repeatedly raped, and then, piece by piece had been emasculated, and impaled before he finally gave the required information. Having lost so much blood, and having been hopelessly mutilated, Terentius had ordered the senior villa guard to kill Cleon by cutting the boy's throat.
"No, Terentius, you did right. He deserved nothing better," Gracchus sighed.
"So here is his silver slave collar. We don't want anyone who finds him knowing about his master."
"And where is the body?" Gracchus asked.
"Deep in the woods, between here and Neapolis." Terentius replied.
Still intrigued by this turn events, Gracchus continued to question Terentius.
"Before he died, did Cleon say how Glykon came by the money?"
"Yes, Dominus. He said that two patricians came to the villa very late one night, and asked if he could get for them a pugio or gladius belonging to the young master and he offered him a great deal of money. Glykon knew that he couldn't get the weapon himself, but realized that if he used some of the money to give to Cleon, who had access to Marcus' private apartments, he could get the pugio that Marcus regularly wore. Glycon guessed that the patricians wanted Marcus killed and, by then he so hated Marcus that he was happy to help them, particularly as he would have enough money to make good his escape, and be free."
Gracchus interrupted.
"But why did Cleon get involved, apart from the money? I thought that Cleon and Marcus were lovers. That's why I gave Cleon to Marcus as his slave."
Terentius nodded. "They were, to begin with," Terentius lowered his voice, "but then Marcus became infatuated with Petronius, although I don't think they are actually lovers – yet. So Cleon felt that Marcus was simply using him for sex, which I think he was, if you will excuse me saying so, Dominus, and took a strong dislike to his master."
"Well in that case Cleon is a fool," Gracchus replied. "Slaves should know that they are expected to provide sex for their master, and are stupid if they think that means that they and their master are 'lovers'."
"I agree, Dominus, but Cleon was a young, infatuated and spurned boy, who was offered a huge sum of money to betray his master, it is only to be expected that he would take the money and now he has paid the price, and is dead," Terentius replied.
"Well, we'll see what Servius has to report tomorrow. I have given instructions for him not to kill Glykon, I want that boy to die in the arena, after we get all the information we can from him," Gracchus said, turning to Novius.
"So, my friend, will you be willing to come with me to Cumae tomorrow. We'll take Petronius and Servius with us, so it should be quite safe."
"Of course, Gnaeus, that would be good!" Novius replied.
Gracchus rose from his couch. "Well gentlemen, that is enough for one very difficult night. I won't say sleep well."
Gracchus then went into Marcus' bedroom, tousled young Adonios' hair, and took a fond look at Marcus, who seemed to be sleeping peacefully.
Agathon was by Marcus' bed.
"I will remain here for the night, Dominus, so you need not worry," Agathon said, calmly.
"But I am worried." Gracchus replied, "But I appreciate what you're doing."
Gracchus turned and left, along with Novius and Terentius. On their way out, they met Petronius who had returned from the Amphitheater, where Glykon and Petram were being tortured and questioned.
"Later!" Gracchus said to Petronius.
"Tell me later, Petronius. I am just too tired for anymore discussion. Come and see me in the morning."
"Of course, Dominus," Petronius replied.
Petronius then remained in Marcus' apartments, apparently to keep Adonios company, but in reality to guard his 'sleeping' master, Marcus.
And so the night, which should have been an occasion of celebration, ended sadly and quietly.
'and the story continues – Marcus becomes a man (coming of age) the shadow of death and torture hovers over the villa
XXV. Reditus ad Cumas
25. Return to Cuma
It had been a busy and exhausting night for Servius. He had got most of the information from Glykon that would be of any use, and he had left the boy, still tied up, for the guards to 'play with', on the understanding that the boy was not to be seriously hurt, or killed, as Gracchus had told him that Glykon was, at a later date, to be killed in the arena.
Meanwhile, Gracchus had returned to his apartment. Unable to sleep, he was wracked with guilt at the thought that he had brought Marcus and Cleon together (see Chapter III) and that, if he had not, then Marcus might not now be in some strange coma, and Cleon would not be mutilated and dead in the woods.
It was quite impossible for him to sleep, and do he tried to read - but he could not concentrate.
He then left his apartment, accompanied by his two bodyguards, and walked in the moonlit garden, finally resting, and dozing on one of the marble seats.
Eventually morning came. One of his bodyguards gently woke Gracchus up, and the tired and despairing Dominus returned to his study.
Although it was very early, Terentius gently tapped on the door of Gracchus' study (the door keepers would normally open it for him, but they were very nervous to disturb Gracchus after the previous night's events).
"Come in, Terentius!" Gracchus called, guessing who would come to him so early.
"Good morning, Dominus, not that it is very good!" Terentius said, carefully.
"I agree Terentius. Now we have a lot of work to do. Things cannot stop, just because Marcus is 'unwell', and we have had two 'bad apples' among the slaves," Gracchus continued, trying to make the best of an apalling situation.
"There is a shipment of marble and bronze statues coming in from Piraeus and, now that the slave market is back to normal, you must get a new batch of best quality slaves from Brundisium. While you are doing that, I will go with Novius and Petronius to Cumae, and I will tell you what happens when you get back."
"Of course, Dominus. I will try to return as quickly as possible."
As Terentius' carriage, accompanied by a number of wagons, left for Brundisium, Servius and Petronius rode in from the Amphitheater, where Glykon and Petram were being held.
After leaving their horses with grooms, they both entered the villa (where Glykon, for once, was not there to greet them, instead there was a new slave-boy, who didn't even know who they were, but also a villa guard, with drawn gladius, who instantly recognized and saluted Tribune Servius). They then entered the main atrium, sat down and waited for a slave to bring them refreshments.
"Well, I never thought I would be torturing slave-boys when I agreed to be Gracchus' Tribune," Servius said, taking a gulp of cool wine.
"No, it's a bad business this, and I'm wondering where it will end," Petronius replied.
"So, I'll go up and see how Marcus is, and get out of theses stinking clothes. That'll give you a chance to report to the Dominus, and then I had better see him."
"That's good! See you later!" Servius said, as he handed his wine goblet to the waiting slave-boy, and made his way up the marble stairs to Gracchus' apartments.
Petronius entered Marcus' private apartments. He quietly went to his cubiculum, washed in the marble basin, and changed his clothes. He then went into Marcus' bedroom. Adonios was draped over the bed, fast asleep, obviously unable to leave his master, and Agathon was dozing in a chair nearby. Marcus was lying in the bed, apparently peacefully asleep. Petronius decided not to disturb anybody.
Marcus was still alive, if seemingly 'dead' to the world, and young Adonios was at last getting some rest after his terrifying night.
Petronius, saddened by what he had seen, but at least hopeful as Marcus was still alive, then walked on to the private apartments of Gracchus.
While Petronius had been visiting Marcus apartments, Servius had reported to Gracchus.
"I think, young man, it has been a tiring, and difficult night for you," Gracchus began.
"I think not as tiring and difficult a night as it has been for you, Dominus," Servius replied. "I would now like to offer my resignation. It is my duty to guard the safety of you, your family and the villa. I failed, last night in that duty," Servius said stiffly, standing to attention.
Gracchus smiled. "My dear boy… nobody could have foreseen what happened. It was not your fault in any way, and your response has been superb. And now I need you,, more than ever. So I refuse your resignation and let's hear no more of such nonsense!" Gracchus said, gently, as he leaned back in his chair.
Servius relaxed a little. "Thank you, Dominus!"
"So what have you learned from Glykon?" Gracchus asked, changing the subject.
"Well, he eventually told us about two patricians, who came late one night, a few weeks ago, and offered him money for a weapon belonging to Marcus. It was such a large sum, that Glykon, who was deeply jealous of Marcus (they had both worked together as door slaves), saw no reason not to take it. The problem was that he had no access to Marcus' apartments but, by paying his friend Cleon, he was able to obtain the pugio, and the patricians returned, and only kept the weapon for one day. Cleon, cleverly, placed the pugio in a conspicuous place in the Amphitheater, so that Marcus would find it, and presume that he had absentmindedly left it there the previous day. That same day, the patricians returned and, promising Glykon his freedom and their protection, and even more money, persuaded the boy to attack Marcus with the pugio, which they explained had been given an evil power to put Marcus into a permanent sleep. And in the confusion at the end of the convivium Glykon stabbed Marcus – ineptly – and because he thought there would be someone at the convivium who would protect him, he made no effort to escape, unlike Cleon."
At the end of Servius' report Gracchus, rose from his chair.
"What a stupid and evil little boy!" he muttered coldly. "At least Cleon had the good sense to try to run away, not that he go very far," Gracchus added.
"And what became of Cleon, Dominus?" Servius asked. "I haven't had time to speak to Terentius," Servius then added.
"Oh, Terentius and his riders caught Cleon on the road to Neapolis. He tried to buy them off with the money that Glykon gave him, but Terentius simply took it off him, and later gave it to me. They then took him into the woods, stripped him, raped him a few times, and tied him between two trees. When he refused to talk they emasculated him and that quickly loosened his tongue. They then impaled him, hacked off his slave collar, so he could not be identified as one of our slaves, and left him to bleed to death. As you can see Terentius is a man not to be trifled with, that's why he is my senior freedman. You could, perhaps, learn some things from him."
Sitting once again, Gracchus looked up and smiled knowingly at Servius.
"Thank you Servius!" Gracchus then said, politely dismissing his Tribune.
When Servius left, he found Petronius in the vestibulum (ante-room), waiting to make his report.
"Good luck!" a red faced Servius mumbled as he hurried past his associate.
Petronius noticed how nervous Servius looked. He knocked and entered.
"Good Petronius!" Gracchus said, briskly, "I've been wanting to see you."
"Yes, Dominus," Petronius said formally.
"I have heard from Terentius about young Cleon, and Servius has just given me a lot of information that he garnered from Glykon. So what about Petram?" Gracchus asked, with a quizzical look.
"Well, as you know, Petram was taken to Rome by Nymphidius (see Chapter XIX). There he 'serviced' Nymphidius, until Nymphidius' own Praetorians killed Nymphidius. After that he became the 'pet' of the Praetorians, and spent most of his time in the Castra Praetoria. According to him, and he was very thoroughly tortured by myself and Servius, he never met Galba, but he did become the favourite of a number of senators. It seems he did a lot of 'blabbing', I mean loose talking, Dominus, about you, Marcus and the Villa, mainly 'villa gossip', but most of it very dangerous, particularly what he said about Nymphidius and you and Marcus. The boy was trying to 'get on the right side' of those whom he took to be in authority, as he felt that was the best way for him to stay safe. He didn't realize that Terentius was coming to 'rescue him'. I think that he is the cause of the patricians bribing Glykon, but that is just my uninformed view."
"And I think that you may be right, Petronius," Gracchus said, smiling.
"Very good!" Gracchus said, slapping the palm of his hand on his marble topped table.
"Thank you, Dominus!" Petronius said, bashfully.
"Now today, when the sun gets a bit higher, (remember the Romans don't have reliable clocks) I want you to come with myself, Novius and Servius to Cumae," Gracchus continued.
"Novius believes that we need to make sacrifices, seek the guidance of the priests of Apollo, and maybe, if it can be arranged, ask for help from the Sybil." (see Chapter XII). Will you tell Servius about this, as I want the two of you to be 'outriders' to the carriage?"
"Of course, Dominus. Everything shall be arranged as you have ordered. Is that all?" Petronius asked, flashing one of his endearing smiles.
"Yes!" Gracchus answered.
"That's good, Petronius. You have reminded me to cheer up and I think that I will go now and see how Marcus is getting along."
Gracchus' turned to Petronius at the doors to his study. "When you are all ready come to me, I will be in Marcus' apartments."
"Of course, Dominus," Petronius answered. "And give him my best wishes."
"Better than that, I will give him your love," Gracchus said, with a twinkle in his eye, as he left.
Petronius blushed heavily.
Gracchus had already told the slaves and the guards at the main entrance that no one was to be admitted to the villa apart from Novius.
Gracchus spent much of the morning sitting beside Marcus' bed, while young Adonios busied himself, and tried to distract himself, by tidying up the apartment. Agathon, the Greek physician, was also trying to look busy by obviously searching through various scrolls that his assistants brought him, in a vain attempt to come to some understanding of what ailed Marcus.
Agathon spoke first. "This is a strange condition, Dominus. Most patients, when they enter into a 'κῶμα' (Gracchus and Agathon always spoke to each other in Greek), lose the ability to swallow. As a result they usually die quite quickly from αφυδάτωση 'siccitatibus' (dehydration, Agathon translated the word into Latin, as it was an unusual Greek word) from lack of water. Now, in Marcus' case this has not happened. Today, Adonios has been sitting Marcus up in bed, and 'spoon feeding' him with lenticulae elit (lentil soup), however Marcus, even when sitting up seems to be 'asleep'. But this is a good step forward, as he can be fed and given liquid, and kept hydrated. But I simply do not understand it!" Agathon concluded, despairingly.
"Some say that the Divine Augustus suffered from periods when he was unable to move or speak, almost as if he was unconscious, or asleep, and that this happened often, when he was a young man, in very stressful situations (this is a fact). I wonder if this is in anyway similar? After all he is Marcus Octavianus Gnaeus," Gracchus mused.
"It is possible." Agathon replied, warily.
At that moment there was a knock on the door.
"Enter!" Gracchus called.
"Dominus, excuse me for interrupting you, but Novius, Tribune Servius and Arena Master Petronius are here to see you," the villa guard explained nervously.
"Show them in!" Gracchus said, visibly brightening.
"Good to see you again, Novius!" Gracchus exclaimed.
"We are now going to take your advice, Novius, and go the Cumae! Is everything ready, Tribune?" Gracchus asked, enthusiastically.
"Yes, Dominus!" Servius replied, smartly, and opened the door.
The party then left Agathon and Adonios, and the 'sleeping' Marcus.
"I leave Marcus in your hands, Adonios!" Gracchus said, as a parting remark to the boy who, it seemed, had turned out (apart from Petronius), to be the most loyal of Marcus' slaves.
Reditus ad Cumas
Return to Cumae
As you can see from the map, the journey from Gracchus' villa at Baiae to Cumae is short and easy (just follow the purple, not 'yellow brick', road) and being a Roman road, it was fairly straight and flat.
The day was fine, and Novius was obviously enjoying a ride out in the country. Servius and Petronius on horseback, however, were feeling the strain of earlier rides, and all the effort of the previous night.
However, it did not take long to reach the Temple.
The town itself was small and run-down. Visitors simply went to the Temple and the Oracle, and rarely patronised the businesses in the town. Gracchus, however, decided to have a meal at a local thermopolium (eating establishment), Gracchus enjoyed 'slumming it' occasionally. Novius was not so much impressed, but both Servius and Petronius had not eaten that morning, and were grateful for some freshly cooked, hot food, and some wine. However, both Servius and Petronius, after the events and revelations of the previous night, were nervous about Gracchus sitting openly in a public place, and kept a watchful eye on the other customers, and passers by.
"So, Gnaeus, what do we do now?" Novius asked, (both Servius and Petronius looked surprised, he had never heard anyone address the Dominus by his first name).
"We enjoy our meal!" Gracchus replied, grinning. "Early this morning I had a courier take a letter, and some money, to the temple, instructing the priests to purchase the appropriate animals to sacrifice, and informing them that we would be coming later in the day. So, hopefully they will be ready and all prepared for us when we arrive at the temple. So relax, enjoy the sunshine and your food."
Petronius was very much relieved to see that Gracchus was much calmer now, after the previous night's awful events, but he suspected that Gracchus was, to some degree putting a 'brave face' on a difficult situation.
Undoubtedly it was good for them all to get away from the villa for a while, and the beautiful scenery around Cumae had a calming and relaxing effect.
"The last time that I was here, Novius, I came with Marcus." Gracchus said, sadly. "At the time, he seemed so young… And you know what the result was of that visit, Novius."
Novius nodded.
"But you lads," Gracchus continued, "don't know exactly what the oracle told us, although Novius, Terentius and myself, and also Marcus, of course, have been struggling with that mysterious prophecy ever since."
Petronius and Servius both looked puzzled.
"Let's hope that if the Sybil grants us another message from the God, that it will be clearer," Gracchus sighed.
"So let's finish up here, and go to the temple," Gracchus said, rising from his seat.
Petronius immediately got up and went over and paid the owner of the thermopolium, (Petronius always had a daily allowance from Gracchus to pay for any incidental expenses). With a lot of 'bowing and scraping' the rather overawed owner escorted his obviously very important and influential customers from the premises (both Petronius and Servius were wearing body armour, and Gracchus was wearing a senator's toga). Petronius and Servius 'tipped' the thermopolium slaves who had been holding their horses, and mounted up, while the owner helped Novius and Gracchus into their carriage.
Templum Apollinis
The Temple of Apollo
Apollo was the patron god of Octavian Augustus, and the Sibyl was the prophetess of Apollo. Virgil's 'Aeneid', which refers specifically to Apollo, Cumae and the Sibyl, is written partly in praise of Octavian Augustus. After 36BC, Augustus refurbished the temple of Apollo at Cumae, and also the cave of the Sibyl.
Then to Apollo, a temple of solid marble shall I found,
and holy days, in the name of Phoebus*.
For you, too, there awaits a great shrine in our kingdom,
and here I shall place your oracle, and the riddling prophecies spoken to my people,
and to your service, O gracious one, I shall dedicate chosen priests.
Only do not consign your words to leaves,
to be confused and mocked by every wind that blows,
Sing them in your own voice, I beg of you.'
Virgil – 'Aeneid'
It was only a few minutes drive to the temple, and the priests were gathered at the steps waiting for Gracchus' arrival. While Petronius and Servius waited outside, with their horses, Gracchus and Novius went into the Temple to view the 'cult statue' of Apollo (modeled on Petronius, see Chapter XIII), that Gracchus had recently given to the temple.
A cella (from Latin for small chamber) or naos (from the Greek ναός, 'temple') is the inner chamber of a temple in classical architecture. In Roman temples the cella is a room at the centre of the building, usually containing a cult image or statue representing the particular deity venerated in the temple. In addition the cella may contain a table or plinth to receive votive offerings such as votive statues, precious and semi-precious stones, helmets, spear and arrow heads, swords, and war trophies.
Novius was suitably impressed as Gracchus showed him the likeness of Petronius (in a suitably enlarged version in the depth of the Temple cella. The two old friends then returned to the front of the temple for the sacrifices.
Sacrifices, in the Roman religion, were usually made in the open air, in front of a temple. Petronius and Servius watched from a distance as the sacrifice took place. The most important part, of course, was the reading of the auspices, where the sacrificed animals were cut open and the internal organs examined.
 The auspices were good, and the priests were more than happy to discuss matters with Gracchus and Novius, while they prepared for a visit by their honoured and 'auspicious' guests to the Sybil.
Not surprisingly, the priests had little or no advice to offer regarding Marcus' strange condition, but they felt confident that, as the God had already favoured Gracchus with one prophecy, there was a good chance that he would 'graciously' bestow another prophecy on his obviously generous 'devotee'.
The priests then accompanied Gracchus and Novius to the Sybil's cave, and Gracchus beckoned Petronius and Servius to follow them. Petronius came, but Servius, who was sceptical (and maybe somewhat nervous) of such supernatural and mystical matters, elected to stay behind with the carriage, and look after the horses.
Sibyllae Antrum
The Cave of the Sybil
 Petronius had no choice but to follow and protect Gracchus, but he too was quite nervous as he entered the strange, dimly lit, dank and echoing grotto of the Sibyl.
Gracchus and Novius guided by one of the priests soon walked on ahead, and Petronius, unknowingly, found himself sitting on the very same stone bench where Marcus had sat when he accompanied Gracchus and Terentius to the Sybil's Cave. And just as Marcus had done, Petronius could hear a voice, a woman's voice, muttering and moaning, as if troubled by dreams.
The voice echoed strangely, and Petronius was unable to distinguish any words, in either Greek or Latin.
A spacious cave, within its far most part, was hew'd and fashion'd by laborious art Thro' the hill's hollow sides: before the place, a hundred doors a hundred entries grace; As many voices issue, and the sound of Sybil's words as many times rebound.
Virgil – 'Aeneid'
This, in fact, was the answer to Gracchus' question, but it would need the priests to interpret it. It would then be written out on vellum, and given to Gracchus.
The muttering and moaning seemed to go on endlessly and then there was silence. Petronius got up and started walking round the labyrinthine caves, in an attempt to locate Gracchus and Novius. Petronius lost all track of time, but finally he found Gracchus and Novius with another priest and the three men were poring over a small scroll. As soon as they became aware of Petronius approaching them, Gracchus took the scroll, and concealed it in the voluminous folds of his toga.
"Ah!… There you are!" Gracchus exclaimed, obviously trying to be casual. "There is much to do and we need to see how Marcus is getting along, so let's get back to the villa!" Gracchus said briskly, taking his leave of the priest.
Then, taking Novius by the arm, Gracchus hurried to the entrance to the cave. Petronius was puzzled, why was Gracchus in such a hurry? he pondered.
They quickly got into the carriage, and Servius and Petronius mounted up. Before they set off Servius maneuvered his horse next to Petronius.
"Well, did they get an answer from the Sybil?" Servius asked.
"Oh yes!" Petronius replied, grinning, "And Gracchus is now in a real hurry to read it, and talk to Novius about it."
And Petronius was quite right.
And so the carriage set off for the villa, with Petronius and Servius riding either side.
Secundum Oraculum
The Second Oracle
An this is what the scroll contained, written in a strange form of Latin, which Novius had previously explained was badly translated from the original Oscan, although why Apollo should prophesy in Oscan, Novius could not explain.
'Civitatis magnae septem montes sunt
Primum est ubi telum haeream
per vestigia nymphae
Tollere rettu – tangere puer
et bene habebunt
An nova aureus puer ascendat
cum seniorem fratrem eius dextram
aurea puer ad sinistra
Semper – usque ad consummationem saeculi
Aurarius nomen puero
Gracchus – Deus veniet cito'
Oscan is an ancient Indo-European language of southern Italy. The language is also the namesake of the language group to which it belonged. As a member of the Italic languages, Oscan is therefore a sister language to Latin and Umbrian. Oscan was spoken by a number of tribes, including the Samnites, the Aurunci (Ausones), and the Sidicini. The latter two tribes were often grouped under the name 'Osci'. The language was spoken from approximately 500 BC to AD 100. Oscan had much in common with Latin, though there are also many striking differences, and many common word-groups in Latin were absent or represented by entirely different forms.
"So, Novius… what does it mean?" Gracchus asked, scrutinising the parchment.
"Well, the 'seven hills' of the 'great city' must obviously refer to Rome." Novius began.
"Yes, I can see that," Gracchus agreed.
"The next line tells us that Marcus' pugio had a spell put on it on the first hill, and there we have a problem."
"Which is the first of the seven hills of Rome?" Novius continued, looking very puzzled.
Gracchus, of course, knew Rome well, as he had a large town villa on the Esquiline Hill, even more sumptuous than his villa at Baiae,.
"As you say the problem, of course, is, which is the first? It all depends on from which direction you are looking at them," Gracchus said, obviously frustrated.
"Yes Gnaeus, but you are thinking about the hills in space, but what about in time?" Novius answered.
"There, my dear Novius, you have lost me!" Gracchus replied, even more frustrated.
"Well, which was the first to be settled or perhaps the first in importance. Think back to Romulus and Remus and the beginnings of Rome."
"I see!" Gracchus replied, fascinated by his old friend's agile mind.
"That would be the Palatine!"
 The Seven Hills of Rome are:
- Aventine Hill (Latin, Aventinus; Italian, Aventino)
- Caelian Hill (Cælius, Celio)
- Capitoline Hill (Capitolinus, Campidoglio)
- Esquiline Hill (Esquilinus, Esquilino)
- Palatine Hill (Palatinus, Palatino)
- Quirinal Hill (Quirinalis, Quirinale)
- Viminal Hill (Viminalis, Viminale)
The Vatican Hill (Latin Collis Vaticanus) lying northwest of the Tiber, the Pincian Hill (Latin Mons Pincius), lying to the north, and the Janiculum Hill (Latin Ianiculum), lying to the west, are not counted among the traditional Seven Hills.
Tradition holds that Romulus founded the original city on the Palatine Hill, and that the seven hills were first occupied by small settlements that were not grouped nor recognized as a city called Rome. The seven hills' denizens began to participate in a series of religious games, which began to bond the groups. The city of Rome, thus, came into being as these separate settlements acted as a group, draining the marshy valleys between them and turning them into markets (fora in Latin). Later, in the early 4th century BC, the Servian Walls were constructed to protect the seven hills.
"So, we need to go to Rome and find someone living, or working on the Palatine who could cast a powerful spell on a pugio." Gracchus said, imagining he had already solved the puzzle.
"Yes, but there's more to the prophecy than that, and we are coming to the Villa, so you go and see Marcus, and I, if I may, will go to your study, and look at this scroll more carefully," Novius said.
In Villam
At the Villa
The carriage pulled up, and Gracchus quickly got out, and went round to where the horses of Servius and Petronius were standing, panting and chomping at the bits. Holding Servius horse by the reins he quickly, and confidentially spoke to his Tribune.
"I have some information! Question Glykon and Petram, particularly Petram, about Rome and the Palatine Hill. Get some information out of them. I don't care how you do it, except that I don't want them killed or castrated. Is that clear?"
"Of course, Dominus!" Servius replied, and he and Petronius rode off to the Amphitheater where the two slaves were being held.
When Gracchus arrived in Marcus' apartments Marcus was still apparently 'asleep'.
"Any change?" Gracchus asked Agathon, but with little hope in his voice.
"No!" Agathon replied. "He 'sleeps', and Adonios feeds him soup, and that is all. Did you get any help at Cumae?"
"Maybe," Gracchus replied, "But Novius needs time to work out the meaning of the prophecy."
"Well, I'm just a physician and I have no knowledge of the will of the Gods, but I would be interested to know what you eventually find out," Agathon said, returning to his scrolls.
Gracchus, seeing that there was nothing for him to do in Marcus' room, quietly left,and made his way to his study. There Novius was carefully studying the scroll.
Novius looked up. "How is the boy?" he asked.
"No change," Gracchus said flatly.
"Well, the way I see it the prophecy says, the weapon was enchanted by a follower of the 'Nymph'. That I take to be a follower or supporter of Nymphidius. It goes on to say, very simply 'To remove the spell, touch the boy and all will be well'. Presumably if the spell is removed from the pugio, then touching Marcus with it will take away the enchantment."
"Yes, but first we must find out who cast the spell, and then make them remove it from the wretched weapon." Gracchus replied.
"So use your many clients in Rome to find out about the supporters of Nymphidius, and any dealing they might have had with a practitioner of magic. It can be done!" Novius said, emphatically.
"Yes, you're right," Gracchus replied, sounding weak and tired. "But the prophecy is in two parts. The second part appears to assume that Marcus recovers, which is good news," Novius said excitedly.
"Yes, that sounds excellent," Gracchus agreed.
"So what does it say?" Gracchus asked, his interest piqued.
"And a new golden boy is to come, with an older brother at his right hand. The 'golden boy' shall be at his left hand – Always, 'until the end of time'."
"Strange!" Gracchus said, rubbing his chin. "Whose left hand, and whose right hand?"
"I take it to be Marcus' right hand – and the older brother to be Petronius – as Marcus has no real older brother, but Marcus looks to Petronius like an older brother, and Petronius treats Marcus like a little brother who needs protecting," Novius explained.
"Interesting, and possible," Gracchus mused. "But who is this 'nova aureus puer' ('new golden boy')?" Gracchus asked, somewhat agitated. "This all started with 'aurea puer ad mare' (the 'golden boy from the sea'). Now I don't want you to misunderstand me, I love Marcus deeply, but my whole life has been turned upside down ever since he appeared here at the villa. So can I cope with another 'aureus puer', another 'golden boy'?"
"Well that's the first time I have ever heard you say that you love Marcus, and perhaps it's about time that you told him yourself!" Novius said forcefully.
There was a prolonged silence in the study as Gracchus considered carefully what Novius had said.
"Yes." Gracchus answered softly. "You are right, and I have been a fool."
"I'm sorry Gnaeus, but it had to be said," Novius explained, putting a hand on Gracchus' shoulder.
"I don't know who the 'nova aureus puer' is, but it seems that he will be a good friend to Marcus, unlike Cleon. Perhaps Terentius will bring him from Brundisium. Who knows."
"Perhaps," Gracchus said with resignation.
"And his name is to be 'Aurarius'," Novius concluded.
"Well why not? He is supposed to be a 'golden boy'," Gracchus said with a smile on his lips.
"The very last sentence of the prophecy is addressed to you, my friend. It is, I think, a timely reminder. Gracchus – Deus veniet cito – 'Gracchus, the God will come soon!'," Novius said, gently.
"Yes I know. My time is running out."
Praecantatio
Sorcery
The next day, with little change in Marcus' condition, Gracchus was busy with Quintus, sending out innumerable letters to his clients in Rome, requiring them to make detailed inquiries about the various supporters of Nymphidius. In addition they were to make investigations into any practitioners of the magical arts who might operate from the Palatine.
In the early days of the Roman Empire, the word 'magic' carried negative connotations. From ancient Roman law, we can tell that magic rituals often involved brutal and violent practices. These laws portray magic as something to be restricted. The Roman emperors tried to suppress the 'other' sciences, such as magic practices and astrology, because these allegedly attempted to undermine the imperial claim to be the sole authority and interpreter of history. The emperors felt it necessary to squash any cultural or religious force that would dilute or corrode any power or influence they had over their people and other surrounding cultures, and the penalty for what appeared to be successful magical practice was execution. As the Roman empire grew and ritualistic practices became common place in temples, magic and superstition became more commonplace in the culture. Many spells and incantations of ancient Rome were intended to leave the victims powerless, not to harm them (as in the case of Marcus). There are believed to be approximately 1,600 written curses still surviving from Roman times. While the majority are Greek, some Roman accounts of curses have been found. Most curses seek to 'bind' their victims. They are often inscribed on lead, which is then rolled or folded and nailed, in additional symbolic acts of twisting and restraint. These actions were said to be carried out by spirits of the underworld and were most commonly concerning issues of choral or athletic competition; trade; love and sex; and prayers for justice.
Then, after the letters had been sent, all Gracchus could do was wait, wait for some improvement in Marcus' condition, wait for information to come to him from Rome, and wait for Terentius to return from Brundisium.
In Brundisio
In Brindisi
Meanwhile, Terentius had been busy in Brundisium.
He had gone to see his old friend Arion (the slave dealer form whom he had bought Marcus some considerable time before see Chapter II), as Gracchus had instructed him to get some good quality slaves, and Arion could be relied upon to provide the best. Before the auction began Arion allowed Terentius to pre-view some of the slaves on offer, and to possibly make a 'special' pre-auction deal, as Arion knew that Terentius would pay the best prices.
One boy of about twelve years old, in particular, caught Terentius' eye.
Now Terentius was a man of the world and was a realist.
He was, by this time, very fond of Marcus.
Coming back to Arion's establishment had woken in him fond memories of the night that he had first met young Marcus.
However, he knew that there was always a chance that Marcus would never recover.
The boy who had caught his eye, in Terentius' view, could well be seen as a replacement in such a case and the boy might be able to soften the blow that Gracchus would obviously suffer, if he lost Marcus or if, when Marcus recovered, he was no longer the boy that he had been.
The boy was not only attractive, and well built, though slim, but was also reasonably spoken (in Greek, but with a strong country accent, it reminded him of Petronius, when he first came to the villa as a boy).
The boy was, in many ways , however, 'nothing special'.
He could not read or write, and spoke very little Latin; but he had an ethereal beauty about him, and a strangely familiar smile (and most slave-boys don't smile very often).
To Terentius it almost seemed like a re-run of his previous meeting with Markos, and a re-run of meeting someone else, many years before.
There was no 'background story' to this boy, according to Arion, however, which was probably a good thing.
He was just a 'Greek slave-boy', who had come in with a batch of slaves, nameless, and unnoticeable until he was cleaned up, oiled and given a nice Roman haircut.
Then he stood out. Strangely, he had no name and simply answered to the name 'Αγόρι' ('agori', boy).
Terentius was unsure, however.
There was enough trouble at the villa without bringing in a new slave, who might trigger feelings of attraction and jealousy in some of the other slaves.
After all, Cleon had been a pretty blond slave-boy, and because of his jealousy Marcus had ended up in a 'coma', and Cleon himself was now dead.
In the end, however, Terentius decided to buy the boy. At least it might cheer up Gracchus, and if there were problems, he could always sell the lad on, or send him to one of Gracchus' villas in Rome or in Greece.
Iter ad Villam
The Journey to the Villa
Having paid for the 'boy', (in gold), and another ten slaves, Terentius had them loaded onto one of his wagons, but took the 'boy' with him in his carriage. Of course, one of the problems with buying a slave was that they usually didn't come with any clothes, so the 'boy' was sitting quite happily, stark naked, opposite Terentius. As the journey started, Terentius felt obliged to make some conversation.
"Tell me… 'Boy'… how come you are called 'Boy'?" Terentius asked, hoping to find out something about the boy's origins.
"Well, I was sold by my parents 'cause they had no money, when I was very little, to this rich old man. At first I just worked around his villa, cleaning and carrying, and doing odd jobs; and it was always 'Boy' do this, or 'Boy' do that, or 'Boy' come here, so gradually I forgot my original name, and just became 'Boy'. When I got a bit older, the old man wanted me as his 'bed-boy', but by then he was too old to fuck me, so he just liked to watch me 'jerk-off', which was alright. But I didn't like him 'pawing' me in bed. Eventually he got ill, and died. His brother, needing money 'cause the old guy had got into a lot of debt, sold me, and I ended up with this Arion and then you came along and bought me. So will you want to fuck me, dominus?"
Terentius thought that the boy seemed incredibly open, if little vulgar, an obviously did not understand what was happening.
"Look, 'Boy'… I'm not your dominus. I am a freedman. My name is Terentius, and you should always call me 'domine'. And no, I'm not going to fuck you, and don't go around asking people that question, it could get you into a lot of trouble. The Dominus who bought you is very rich, and very strict, and you should be very careful what you say to him, the less the better."
"So you're not my dominus?" the boy said slowly, taking in the implications.
"No, and it's just as well, because I think that you may be 'trouble'," Terentius said, forgetting himself for the moment.
The 'boy' looked shocked. "I'm sorry, domine. I didn't mean to say anything out of turn. It just that I don't really know what's going on. I've only ever had one master and now he's dead and everything's changed."
The 'boy' looked on the verge of tears, and Terentius regretted being quite so harsh.
"That's alright," he said, reassuringly, and patted the 'boy' on the knee.
Pervenientes ad Villam
Arrival at the Villa
It was early morning, and the carriage had arrived. As if to answer 'Boy's' unsaid question, Terentius announced, rather formally, "This is Baiae."
Now 'Boy' had never heard of Baiae, and in fact, until recently, he had never been to Italia, so Terentius statement had little meaning for him.
 The carriage drew up in from of the entrance to a huge, magnificent villa. Terentius got out of the carriage first, went up the the impressive bronze double doors, and using one of the large bronze rings, knocked. The sound of bronze on bronze echoed with dull reverberations, a sound as if coming from lofty halls and long marble corridors, which, of course, it was.
Meanwhile, 'Boy', apparently unconcerned that he was still naked, got out or the carriage, all the while looking entranced at the dazzling marble facade of the huge Villa.
Slowly the door opened, but there was no young, smiling Glykon to greet Terentius, only a rather sullen looking villa guard. Glykon, of course, was still undergoing appalling torture in the Ludus, as Servius attempted to get every drop of information from the unfortunate lad.
Terentius dropped 'Boy' off at one of the smaller atria, setting him on a couch, and then called for a slave-boy.
"Get me Nerva! and some wine!" Terennius ordered.
The slave-boy hurried off and, after some minutes, Nerva appeared (you previously met Nerva in Chapter III).
The slave-boy handed Terentius a goblet of wine, and then stood waiting for further orders.
"How's Marcus?" Terentius asked Nerva, quietly and confidentially.
"No change, apparently, I'm sad to say." Nerva replied.
"This boy," Terentius began, pointing at 'Boy'," is new to the villa, so I'd like you to wait near by, until the Dominus has had time to speak to him, and then I will bring him back, with orders from the Dominus about how you are to settle him in."
"Of course, sir. I'll be waiting," Nerval dutifully replied.
Terentius then told the waiting slave-boy to inform Gracchus that he was intending to come up to Gracchus' study. Terentius then turned to 'Boy'.
"Come with me boy!" he said, quite sternly.
"And be careful when you speak to this man, as he is your real master."
Together they mounted the marble steps, and walked through, what seemed to 'Boy' to be interminable marble lined corridors, eventually arriving at the imposing bronze, guarded doors leading to Gracchus' study. Since the attack on Marcus the secuity in the Villa had been noticeably 'tightened', and now Gracchus study was guarded by fully armed slaves, wearing helmets, greaves, and each armed with a gladius.
'Boy' was suitably intimidated when he saw them.
"Wait here!" Terentius ordered.
Silently the doors opened, and Terentius disappeared into the study. 'Boy' was left outside, with the two villa guards eying him warily. The doors then opened again, and Terentius ushered in 'Boy'. 'Boy' stood uneasily on the threshold of the study, as the bronze doors closed behind him with a thump.
"And so, what have we here?" Gracchus questioned rhetorically.
"I'm 'Boy'!" 'Boy' replied, foolishly.
Gracchus rose from his seat, looking rather menacing. "You do not speak, boy, unless you are spoken to! I was not speaking to you but to Terentius! and speaking rhetorically, so I did not need an answer."
"Yes, domine!" 'Boy' replied, taken aback.
"And never call me 'domine', always 'Dominus'!" Gracchus said, obviously getting quite annoyed.
"I'm sorry if I did the wrong thing, Dominus, buying this lad, but I thought it might cheer you up," Terentius explained.
"I appreciate that, Terentius, but really, I have too many good-looking young slave-boys on my hands, two being tortured by Servius, one left in the woods by you (and quite rightly, may I add,) and one permanently asleep!" Gracchus aid wearily.
"Yes Dominus, I should have thought," Terentius replied.
'Boy', unable to work out what the two men were talking about, (it didn't help that his Latin was poor) simply folded his arms, and looked at them both as if they were crazy.
Gracchus looked over at the puzzled young lad and smiled.
"But while you were away, I was able to get a new prophecy from the Sibyl," Gracchus said excitedly. "It not only leads away to solving the problem with Marcus but, and this is very strange, mentions this lad. Look here!" and Gracchus unrolled the scroll for Terentius to read.
"So, my servant of Apollo, you bring me the 'nova aureus puer'. An so we have a name for him, after all, we can't call him 'Boy'. His name is to be 'Aurarius' as the prophecy says, semper – usque ad consummationem saeculi."
Gracchus paused, taking a long look at he newly named Aurarius, "Alright, take Aurarius to Nerva, and tell Nerva to give him Marcus' old cubiculum. I want a silver collar on him and I will see him in my study, clean and tidy, tomorrow morning!"
"Thank you Dominus!" Terentius replied, and nudged Aurarius in the ribs.
"Thank you, Dominus!" Aurarius finally 'parrotted', realizing what was expected of him.
"I must speak to Novius abut this one, I am not sure about him," Gracchus mused to himself.
Terentius took Aurarius back to the small atrium, where Nerva was waiting for him. After Terentius had spoken to Nerva, relaying Gracchus' instructions, Nerva took Aurarius up some stairs to a corridor, lined with a number of doors. The door they stopped at had a bronze plaque inscribed 'MARKOS'.
 "Don't worry about the name, that was for the previous slave who used this room. A new plaque will be made for you." Nerva said.
Nerva opened the door.
"This will be your cubiculum. Remember always that you may not invite anyone else into your room. Terentius, or myself, may enter to inspect the room, and of course my lord may enter any room in the villa, invited or not. Here you will keep your clothing in the chest, and any other items provided for your work, and here you may sleep. You may not bring food or drink into this room. Do you understand what you have been told?"
"Yes sir," Aurarius replied respectfully, rather surprised by the spaciousness of the room, and the fine quality of the furnishings. In the villa of the old man he just had a dirty little room with an old mattress on the filthy floor.
"So now, I will take you to the bath," Nerva said, wearily.
They returned down the staircase and turned into another corridor, and through a door. The bath, even the bath for the high ranking slaves, in the Villa Aurea was as palatial as the rest of the building, and Aurarius wondered what the bath used by the owner of the villa would be like. So Aurarius relaxed in the bath, and after about half an hour Nerva returned and took him to another room, where a young slave gave him a massage. Then Aurarius was taken down a narrow passage-way. Unlike the other passages and corridors, this passage-way was not sheathed in marble veneers or decorated, but instead it was just plastered. Coming up the passage-way was the smell of smoke, and as they came to the end of the passage they came out onto what appeared to be a metal working shop. There were swords, spears and pieces of armour lent against, and hanging from the walls. There was a fire, with bellows for heating metal, and an anvil, and a big muscular slave, stripped to the waist, and bearded, who Aurarius later discovered was called Vulcan (you have met Vulcan before in Chapter III).
Vulcan fixed a heavy silver slave-collar round Aurarius' neck.
"If my lord ever deigns to free you, then Vulcan, or if Vulcan is no longer here, then his apprentice, will remove it safely, and it will be a gift to you. Remember, Aurarius, the villa is well guarded, so it would be foolish ever to try to leave without the permission of my lord or Terentius. Recently a slave-boy called Cleon ran away. He was found in the woods, between here and Neapolis, and tortured and killed by the guards of the Dominus, so be warned. Tomorrow a slave will take you from your room to speak to the Dominus, and he shall decide what work you should do. Now go to your room and wait for someone to bring you a meal."
And so Aurarius spent his first afternoon and evening, alone, in the comparative luxury of his cubiculum.
'and the story continues – Aurarius has an interview with Gracchus and then joins Adonios in looking after Marcus.
Gracchus has serious discussions with Terentius, Servius, Petronius and Adonios – and Novius takes a hand in interrogating Glykon and Petram – and reveals an unknown aspect of his character.
The scene then changes to Rome…
XXVI. Multi Conventus
26. Many Meetings
Gracchus et Aurarius
Gracchus and Aurarius
Aurarius was having this amazing dream about visiting Rome, when he was suddenly woken up by a loud banging on his door. He jumped out of bed, and opened the door. To his disappointment it was Nerva.
"Get dressed boy! The Dominus wishes to see you!" Nerva barked.
"My name's not 'Boy' – it's Aurarius!" Aurarius said angrily, as he pulled on a loincloth and a tunic.
"Well, as a slave you'd better get used to being called 'boy'!" Nerva said, concerned to have the last word. However, he struggled to reply politely, as he only too well remembered the previous occupier of the room, who was now the 'Young Master'.
Aurarius and Nerva padded down the silent corridors until they came to the imposing doors of Gracchus' study. There Nerva left Aurarius – and went back to his business elsewhere – as he had no business speaking to the Dominus. The slave-guards opened the doors, and Aurarius quietly entered Gracchus' study. Gracchus was deeply immersed in some letters and scrolls, and did not even seem to notice Aurarius come in. Aurarius coughed, hoping to get Gracchus attention.
Gracchus looked up.
"You have a cold, young man?" Gracchus questioned, sarcastically.
"No, Dominus. I was just clearing my throat," Aurarius replied nervously.
"And how do you like your accomodation?" Gracchus asked.
"Er… you mean my room," Aurarius said, not used to Gracchus' sophisticate vocabulary ('sophisticated' to Aurarius, that is).
Gracchus nodded, not even looking up from the scroll that he was reading.
"It's amazing!" Aurarius replied, rather too enthusiastically.
"That's good, but don't settle in too much. I might well move you soon."
"But Dominus, I'm quite happy where I am," Aurarius pleaded, fearful that he might be transferred to some dingy basement, or cold attic.
There was a pause – long enough to make Aurarius uncomfortable.
"Let me try to explain some things to you," Gracchus said, thinking that it would be a good thing to let the boy know a little of how things stood at the villa. "Some of what I am about to say you might find difficult to understand or believe, but do your best," Gracchus began, gently.
"I will try, Dominus," Aurarius replied wondering what might come next.
From the previous night he had already concluded that the people in this villa were a bit crazy – but at least, so far, they seemed harmless.
"I have recently consulted the oracle of Apollo at Cumae," Gracchus began. "Have you ever heard about the Sybil of Cumea?"
"No Dominus," Aurarius replied, looking thoroughly confused.
"Have you ever heard of the God Apollo?" Gracchus continued, getting somewhat exasperated.
"Yes of course, Dominus, I'm not stupid,"Aurarius replied, forgetting himself for a moment.
"I certainly hope not – for your sake!" Gracchus retorted, somewhat menacingly.
"Well – the God prophesied that a 'nova aureus puer' would come to the villa." Gracchus paused, seeing the look of complete incomprehension on the young lad's face. "I'm sorry, I forgot that your Latin is not very good – 'νέο χρυσό αγόρι'."
Aurarius' expression brightened. "That's me!" he said, grinning, "like my hair!"
"Well possibly," Gracchus said cautiously, continuing in Greek.
Gracchus could see that dealing with this boy was going to be difficult. The boy's enthusiasm, and naivete were extremely attractive – but if he was unable to be sufficiently circumspect he could be dangerous in certain situations. Unfortunately the boy had a smile like Petronius, – which was totally disarming.
At that moment there was a quiet tap on the door.
"Come!" Gracchus called.
A villa slave poked his head round the door. "Excuse me, Dominus, Novius has come to see you," the tall, muscular slave-boy said defferentially.
"Well – show him in!" Gracchus replied, obviously pleased.
"Be very respectful to this gentleman," Gracchus said turning to Aurarius, "He's a very old friend of mine, and very wise and knowledgeable," Gracchus said quietly, as an aside to Aurarius in the hope that the young lad would not blurt out anything inappropriate.
Novius entered Gracchus' study, and immediately looked at Aurarius.
"So, you've got your 'nova aureus puer' – and very nice too," Novius said, approvingly.
"Yes, said Gracchus." smiling, "but he's very rough round the edges."
"What was the God thinking, – landing me with a boy like this?" Gracchus muttered under his breath – to Novius.
"If you want to talk to him – do it in Greek – his Latin is not so good," Gracchus told Novius.
"My Latin's quite good!" Aurarius retorted. "It's just when you use big, funny words I don't understand."
"Aurarius!" Gracchus raised his voice. "I've told you before – don't speak unless you are spoken to!"
"I'm sorry, Dominus – I forgot," the chastened lad replied.
"I see what you mean about 'rough round the edges' – but it's quite engaging," Novius commented, smiling.
"Alright, Aurarius, we'll talk in Greek," Novius said, trying to placate the boy.
"So – where do you come from, Aurarius?" Novius asked.
"Greece, sir," Aurarius replied, trying to be very polite. "A village near Athens, sir – but I was too young to remember much, sir," Aurarius continued.
"Terentius, though got a little information from our friend Arion," Gracchus interjected.
"It seems that he was sold into slavery as a child, to pay for his family's debts, and spent the rest of his childhood and youth as a puer delicatus to an elderly man. On his master's death, he was sold by the man's brother to help cover his dead master's debts. He had been so badly cared for, that his true worth was not apparent, and it was only when Arion cleaned him up and fed him up, that it became clear to Arion that he was a valuable piece of property. Arion showed him to Terentius, knowing that Terentius would give a good price for the lad and he was very expensive, but then look at him! But, and here's the problem, his training has been non-existent. He speaks 'Street-Greek', very little Latin, and his knowledge is limited to the run down little villa where he served a decrepit master, so we have a lot of work to do."
Novius listened carefully.
"And tell me Aurarius – how old are you!"
"Don't know, sir," Aurarius replied.
"And what was your original name?"
"Don't know, sir," Aurarius replied again, trying not to appear to be being 'difficult'.
Aurarius' lack of knowledge about himself was not unusual. In an age when there were no 'birth certificates' of personal records (also no cameras, and in an age when a large proportion of the population could not read or write), many people had little personal information. Also, the trauma of slavery wiped clean the memories of many individuals – and it became easier for them to ignore whatever past they might have had, and simply live in a 'present', that was completely controlled by their masters. It should be remembered, at this point, that in Roman law a slave was property, and not a person.
"So what are you going to do with him, Dominus?" (Novius was careful not to address Gracchus by his first name in front of the boy).
"Well, according to the prophecy – if we are reading it right – he is supposed to help and support Marcus, but how he can do this, as an ignorant 'street boy', I do not know.
But regardless, I think that I will move him into Marcus' private apartments; but I will have to explain things a little more to him before that.
While I do that, could you ask one of the slaves outside to get Terentius for me?"
"Of course, Dominus," and Novius left the study.
"Now listen to me carefully, Aurarius. I have a son, Marcus, who is very sick, and your first task is to help another slave, Adonios to look after Marcus. While you are doing this you must obey Adonios in all things. If there are any problems you must immediately speak to Terentius, the freedman who bought you in Brundisium. You will have a cubiculum in Marcus' apartments. Is that all clear?" Gracchus concluded, looking at Aurarius sharply.
"Yes, Dominus, that is very clear," Aurarius replied.
"Good, now wait here until Terentius arrives."
Moments later Terentius did arrive.
"Salve, Terentius!" Gracchus said cheerfully. "I have been speaking to young Aurarius here, and I think that he understands the situation. I want him to be moved to Marcus' private apartments – where he shall have his own cubiculum – and he shall be under the authority of Adonios – for the moment. Speak to him regarding his 'involvement' with other individuals in the villa – I don't want any problems like we had with Cleon. Then have Novius settled in the small atrium, with food and drink, and tell him – with my apologies – that we will talk soon – after I have attended to some business – and then get me Servius and Petronius."
"Of course, Dominus!" Terentius replied, pushing Aurarius out of the door, and leaving Gracchus alone, with his correspondence and scrolls.
As Terentius led Aurarius to Marcus' apartments he spoke to him quietly and confidentially. "Now Aurarius, you must understand that as you are a very attractive young man, some people here at the villa might approach you wanting sexual favours. You must understand that you are the property of Gracchus, and no person may use you in any way without the Dominus' consent. If you are found to go against this rule you may be flogged, or worse. Remember that the Dominus owns an arena and a Ludus, and you could be consigned there to suffer a very cruel fate. So do not be tempted, either by kind words, gifts or gold. Always remember, your body belongs to the Dominus, and to no one else."
Terentius paused, waiting for an answer.
"I understand, domine," Aurarius replied. "You need not worry about me," the boy said, reassuringly in an amusingly adult manner.
Terentius smiled and nodded.
Gracchus et Servius
Gracchus and Servius
Meanwhile, back in Gracchus' study Servius had arrived.
"How are things going with Glykon and Petram?" Gracchus asked, as Servius walked into the study.
"I'm sorry to say we are not getting any further forward. They just keep saying the same things, and we dare not increase the torture, otherwise we will permanently mutilate them."
"Well – we will have to try and find another way. But that is not really what I wanted to speak to you about… We have a new slave-boy, a lad called Aurarius. Despite his faults – and there are many, as you will find out – I need to keep him, for reasons connected to our recent trip to Cumae, but I can't go into details."
"I understand…,"Servius replied, obediently.
"Well, I don't think that you do, but no matter," Gracchus replied. "The important fact is that the boy is very attractive. Now I respect you greatly, Servius, but I remember what happened with you and Marcus, so I am warning you, leave him alone, at least in that way. But when all this has calmed down, I would like you to organise some exercise for him, to build a bit of muscle, because he's very … how should I put it?… well 'skinny'. I also want him trained in self-defence, and the use of weapons. Can you do that for me?" Gracchus asked.
"Of course, Dominus. And I will remember your warning… so please don't worry," Servius concluded, hoping to put Gracchus mind at rest.
He knew that Gracchus had enough problems at the time, and he had no intention, however attractive or willing the new boy was, to give his master any more cause for concern. After all there were plenty of high class boys in the brothels in Baiae, and with the money that Gracchus paid him, he had no need to cause any problems with his master's slave-boys.
So Servius found himself dismissed and wondering about the new slave-boy – Aurarius.
Gracchus et Petronius
Gracchus and Petronius
As Servius left, Petronius arrived.
"Good to see you, Petronius!" Gracchus said, resuming his seat after dismissing Servius.
"I'm glad to see that you're looking well, Dominus, and seem more cheerful," Petronius said, smiling disarmingly.
"Could you tell me… how is Marcus?" Petronius asked, looking far more serious.
"No change… I'm afraid," Gracchus replied quietly. "I asked to see you because there is a matter that I need to talk to you about. Before I begin, I need to say that I do not want you to be offended in any way by what I say, but considering recent events I think that it needs to be said."
"I see," Petronius replied, now looking very serious. "I am sure, however, that you could not say anything that might offend me and if it is a criticism for something that I have done wrong, then I am sure that I deserve your criticism," Petronius added.
"No, my boy, you have done nothing wrong. It's about this new slave-boy, Aurarius. He's inexperienced, a country lad, like you were, when you first came here, and he often says things which … well… are unwise and open to misinterpretation. Also he does not – yet – understand the situation here. In addition he is very good looking, and I do not want you to become attracted to him, and spark off any jealousy among the other slaves," Gracchus sat back, and rubbed his chin, obviously finding it difficult to explain things to Petronius.
"At the moment he is helping Adonios to look after Marcus and he will have a cubiculum next to Adonios in Marcus' apartments. I need you to keep an eye on the boy, and ensure that everything goes smoothly. Perhaps if we had done this with Cleon, he would still be alive," Gracchus continued, looking incredibly sad when he mentioned Cleon.
"I understand," Petronius said gently. "May I ask, what might be an impertinent question?" Petronius then asked.
"Of course, my boy," Gracchus replied, looking very interested.
"Why have this boy, if it seems that he might be a problem?"
"Well…," Gracchus sighed. "It's that dammed oracle, again! When you came with Novius and I to Cumae, the oracle said there would be a 'golden boy', to be called, appropriately enough, Aurarius; and this boy has golden hair. He would become a helper for Marcus, and you, my boy, would be Marcus' leading guide."
"Me!" Petronius looked startled. "What would the God want with me?" Petronius said, with a big grin on his face.
"Probably more than you could imagine!" Gracchus replied, but Petronius, strangely, shook his head.
Gracchus ignored the odd gesture, presuming that Petronius had misunderstood him. "The important thing that comes from this is that implies that Marcus will recover."
"Well of course!" Petronius quickly interjected.
"Oh!… Well I wish I could be so sure…
But now you, my dear friend, must say nothing of this to anyone. Only Novius and Terentius know about this. Now I think that you had better go and meet this aureus puer and be careful with him! And go to the small atrium, on your way, and send Novius to me."
"Yes, Dominus," and Petronius left perturbed and wondering.
Novius Offert Mirabilem Solutionem
Novius Offers a Strange Solution
Gracchus returned to his documents, and some moments later the doors of his study swung open, and Novius entered.
"So, Novius, have you eaten well?" Gracchus asked, as his old friend took a seat close to Gracchus' marble topped table.
"Very well, thank you, Gnaeus. And are you finished with your business?"
"Yes, indeed," Gracchus replied, "And I am sorry to have kept you waiting."
"No problem," Novius answered. "And how are you getting on with the interrogations of the two miscreant slave-boys," Novius asked.
"Servius is getting nowhere. He can't torture them any further, as I want them for the arena – in one piece – and they are not providing us with any leads," Gracchus replied, despondently.
"Well there is another way, a sly way. A way which can use the same powers that were the source of all this trouble." Novius paused, weighing up if he should go further. "I mean… enchantment."
"What are you getting at?" Gracchus asked, intrigued.
"When I was a young man," Novious began, settling in his chair, "I studied with some of the last remaining Etruscan priests and they initiated me into the 'Greater Mysteries'. To do this they used an 'enchantment' which called on the God Hypnos, the son of Nyx and the brother of Thanatos. This enchantment was able to take an enlightened man out of his 'normal' mind, and enabled him to communicate with the 'powers', somewhat as the Sybil does, when she communicates with the God Apollo."
"Go on," Gracchus said slowly, even more intrigued by what his old friend was telling him.
"If this invocation is made with an 'ordinary' mind, however, then the person's mind is laid open, and all their innermost secrets can be drawn out of them. Perhaps this technique can be used with these two boys. After all, their minds are weak, and it would be a simple matter to extract the truth from them, with little or no harm coming to them," Novius continued.
Now Gracchus had known Novius since they were boys, and he kne tha Novius had studied augury in Rome, at the college that the Emperor Claudius had set up.
As they had grown older, one of their main shared inteests had been Greek, Etruscan and Roman mythology and religion; but Gracchus had no idea that Gracchus had a working and practical knowledge of Etruscan 'magic'.
For Gracchus such things had been simply a matter of academic interest, but now he realized that Novius had a more direct interest in such matters.
"And you could do this?" Gracchus asked, incredulously.
"I think so, but first I will have to prepare some κυκεών (kykeon), which will take a day, so we can try this tomorrow evening, if you agree, Gnaeus, night is always best for such an invocation. Hypnos is a God of the night."
The barley used in kykeon (from κυκάω, 'to stir, to mix'), is parasitized by ergot, and the psychoactive properties of that fungus trigger an experience of depersonalisation which intensifies the hypnotic trance associated with it. The use of hypnotic states originated in ancient Egypt, and the knowledge was passed on to the Greeks, and by them to the Etruscans. Such states were exemplified in the ancient practice of oracles, individuals employed by temples to divine the future. Like 'Sleep Temples' in Egypt and Greece, individual expectation and 'overload' were essential ingredients for both the oracle and the subject.
These were accomplished through preparatory processes including the drinking of herbal mixtures (kykeon).
The result of this process was a heightened suggestibility in the mind of the subject, creating a receptive environment for a profound emotional experience.
In the Greek Mythology, Hypnos is the son of Nyx ('The Night') and Erebus ('The Darkness'). His brother is Thanatos ('Death'). Both siblings live in the underworld (Hades) or in Erebus, another valley of the Greek underworld. According to rumors, Hypnos lives in a big cave, which the river Lethe ('Forgetfulness') comes from and where night and day meet. His bed is made of ebony, on the entrance of the cave grow a number of poppies and other hypnotic plants. No light and no sound would ever enter his grotto, so that he may not be awakened by the creaking of hinges. According to Homer, he lives on the island Lemnos, which later on has been claimed to be his very own dream-island. His children Morpheus ('Shape'), Phobetor ('Fear') and Phantasos ('Imagination, Phantasy') are the gods of the dream. He is said to be a calm and gentle God, as he helps humans in need and due to their sleep, owns half of their lives.
Relationes de Roma
Reports from Rome
Now Gracchus has always been fascinated by mythology, and Greek, Roman and Etruscan religion, but he had only a faint recollection of the use of 'κυκεών' in the 'Greater Mysteries', performed near the town of Eleusis, which, by a strange coincidence, was where Aurarius (νέο χρυσό αγόρι') was born.
"I think that this may be a way forward!" Gracchus said, hopefully. "You go and prepare your potion, and I will have the two miscreants here, and ready for you at sunset tomorrow," Gracchus said, rising from his seat.
"I will do that, Gnaeus, but remember, I cannot promise anything, it all depends on the two boys," Novius warned, as he left Gracchus' study.
For the rest of the day Gracchus, after visiting Marcus' apartments, perused the many letters and reports that had been coming in from Rome, with Terentius at his side. There was much information about the Palatine, practitioners of the magical arts in Rome (most of them obvious charlatans), and some of the remaining associates of Nymphidius and Galba. Both Nymphidius and Galba were now deceased, of course, but that only meant that those who had been close to them were eager for some sort of revenge, or recompense. One name, however, Marcus Sabinus, a prominent Senator, repeatedly appeared in the reports. Gracchus had been told by Novius to make a detailed list of the questions that he wanted to put to the two miscreant boys and as Terentius compiled the list, the name of Sabinus was included.
Nox cum Quaestionibus
A Night of Questions
As the sky darkened, Gracchus told Servius to bring the two boy who were to be questioned from the Ludus to the Villa. Once in the villa, the boys were taken to the communal slave baths, and cleaned up. Clad only in loincloths, and shackled, the two boys were then taken, under guard, to one of the small atria, and made to wait until Gracchus and Novius were ready to see them. Each boy was in a separate atrium, so they would not know what was happening to their colleague, and would not be able to communicate.
Novius arrived, just as the sun was setting, and the sky was clouding over, threatening an evening storm. He had brought with him a stoppered bottle, containing the essential κυκεών – kykeon, and also a scroll, on which was inscribed the appropriate invocation – in Oscan – to the God Hypnos, and an ancient pendant – which he would later use to induce in his subjects a suitably deep trance.
"So – Gnaeus, if you could get your slaves to give the first boy, say Petram, a goblet of this kykeon, and then we can wait for a bit for it to take effect," Novius said.
While they waited, Novius lit a small incense burner, and prepared a chair for Petram to use. The sky had darkened considerably, and as if to set the scene perfectly, there was an ominous roll of distant thunder.
"I think that the slave can bring Petram in now," Novius said softly.
Novius Quaerit Petram
Novius Questions Petram
Moments later Petram came into the study. He seemed a little unsteady on his feet, and was smiling blandly. Gracchus was standing in a corner of the study, barely visible in the shadows.
"Who are you?" Petram asked, his speech very slightly slurred.
"My name is Novius, and I am here to ask you some questions," Novius replied.
Petram instantly looked afraid, presumably expecting further torture.
"There is no need to be concerned. Nobody is going to hurt you. We can just have a nice little chat, so sit down here (Novius indicated the chair that had been prepared), and relax."
"Truly, sir?" Petram questioned, sitting down and looking round the room. Presumably he had not noticed Gracchus.
"Truly," Novius answered. "And I have something here – rather special – that I would like you to look at."
 Novius picked up the gold pendant from Gracchus' desk. The glint of gold instantly caught Petram's eye.
"It's very old, from the time when Rome was founded. Very…very… very old," and as Novus said this, he began to swing the pendant in front of Petram's eyes. "Very… very…very old," and each time he said 'very' he swung the pendant.
Gracchus watched, fascinated, but was careful not to look directly at the pendant, as he was well aware of what Novius was doing.
Then, appropriately, as Petram's eyelids fluttered, there was another rumble of thunder. In a matter of moments Petram's eyes had glazed over and, it seemed, he was seeing nothing. Novius then read in Oscan the short invocation from the scroll. By then Petram's chin had dropped down, and his mouth was open, and his eyes had slowly closed, although the lids still trembled.
"That's good, Petram. You've had a hard time, so just take it easy," Novius said very quietly, as a single tear rolled down the boy's cheek.
"Where are you now, Petram?" Novius asked.
"I don't know," Petram replied, sleepily.
"I want you to go back to Rome, where you are with Nymphidius," Novius suggested.
"I don't like him…he wants to fuck me… every day!" Petram said, with a hint of anger and disgust in his voice.
"And where do you spend your time, in Rome?" Novius asked.
"In a villa, I was told it was on the Palatine Hill. Nymphidius had another boy, well not a boy but a eunuch named Sporus."
"So what happened, go on…," Novius asked, encouragingly, as Gracchus nodded.
"One day a new Praetorian Prefect arrived, and told me that a new place had been found for me to stay. As for the eunuch boy, Sporus, I never saw him again and I never saw Nymphidius again, which was just as well. A room was found for me in the Castra Praetoria, and I spent a lot of time with the Praetorian Tribunes. They often took me to grand villas in Rome, and introduced me to various patricians, as a 'boy-gladiator' and I was quite popular."
"And did anyone take a particular interest in you, after Nymphidius?" Novius asked, guessing, but not saying who that might be.
"Yes, there was a senator called Marcus Sabinus and he was always asking questions about my master in Baiae, and the Villa. There was not much, apart from 'villa gossip' that I could tell him, as I knew little about Gracchus."
"So what did you tell him?" Novius asked.
"I told him that my master was very rich, had lots of dealings with Nymphidius, and also some Praetorian Tribunes, which is how I came to Rome, and has a favorite slave, a boy that he freed and adopted called Markos."
"And was he interested in this?" Novius continued to question.
"Yes, he was very interested and often spoke to me about it, whenever I went to his villa."
"That is interesting," Novius said, in a 'matter of fact' tone. "Now, when I click my fingers you will forget everything that has happened since you sat down in that chair. Is that clear?" Novius said forcefully.
"Yes, sir," Petram answered mechanically.
Novius then clicked his fingers, and Petram opened his eyes and looked around, a little confused.
"So what are we going to talk about?" Petram asked.
"Oh, nothing in particular!" Novius answered, casually, and smiling.
"You may go now!"
Petram, looking confused, got up, and left the study to where a guard was waiting for him in the corridor.
"Well Novius, well done!" Gracchus said, barely able to conceal a grin.
"It worked!" he added.
"Yes it often does, especially with the weak minded," Novius replied.
"And he will remember nothing of what happened?" Gracchus asked, incredulously.
"Nothing! Ever!" Novius confirmed.
"So he won't know that I know," Gracchus asked.
"Not in the slightest. For him it is all still a secret," Novius said.
"You're a marvel!" Gracchus said, obviously impressed.
"So we are getting there and I think that we have probably got our man," Gracchus said excitedly.
"Possibly…" Novius said, carefully, "But I think we can give the other boy some kykeon now. And remind me…what's his name?"
"This one's called Glykon," Gracchus replied.
"Now his situation is different to that of Petram," Gracchus continued. "As you have seen, Petram was involved in all of this only accidentally. Nymphidius saw him fight and kill another boy in the arena and took a liking to him and I, foolishly, let Nymphidius take Petram to Rome. Glykon, on the other hand, worked with Marcus (or Markos, as he was then called, because he was still a slave), as a door-keeper. Glykon's problem is that he seems to be insanely jealous of Marcus, and this has probably encouraged him to get involved in this strange plot. So it might be wise to keep that in mind when you question him."
"I will," Novius replied.
Novius Quaerit Glykonem
Novius Questions Glykon
At this point the doors to Gracchus' study opened and a guard escorted Glykon into the room.
"Come in, Glykon!" Novius said in a welcoming tone.
"Sit down here.!"
Gracchus, so far unnoticed by his slave, backed off into the shadows.
Glykon took a seat, looking somewhat bemused.
"There's nothing to worry about. All I want to do is to ask you a few questions. Nothing difficult," Novius continued in an affable manner.
Glykon looked both apprehensive and puzzled. Over the last few days he had been asked many questions, and suffered a great deal of pain at the hands of Servius and his guards. Now he was facing someone who seemed to be a friendly old man. In addition, Glykon had no idea where he was and equally the Ludus had been completely foreign to him, as he had never been there before, although it was very close to Gracchus' villa. Neither Glykon or Petram, like most of the slaves in the villa, had ever been inside Gracchus' study.
"Now, before we begin, I have something very unusual that I would like to show you," Novius began.
Gracchus, unseen by Glykon, smiled.
Novius then picked up the gold Etruscan pendant from Gracchus' desk. Glykon looked at it, puzzled.
"It's very old, from the time when Rome was founded. Very…very… very old," and as Novus said this, he began to swing the pendant in front of Glykon's eyes. "Very… very…very old," and each time he said 'very' Novius swung the pendant.
Glykon blinked, apparently trying to stay 'awake', and then his eyelids began to flutter, and his eyes slowly closed. Novius then read, in Oscan, the short invocation to Hypnos from the scroll.
"That's good, Glykon. So rest."
Glykon's body visibly relaxed.
"Now, Glykon… where are you?" Novius asked, gently.
"I don't know," Glykon replied, sleepily.
"I want you now to go back to the first time that you met the slave called Markos," Novius suggested.
"Yes," Glykon said, with practically no emotion in his voice.
"Tell me about it?" Novius said encouragingly.
"Terentius came to the main entrance with this handsome, golden haired slave-boy, a new slave-boy he had just bought. (see Chapter III). I liked Terentius, as he was very friendly to me, even if he was important and this new boy he had bought was very attractive," Glykon continued, with a faint touch of lecherousness in his voice.
"So what happened next," Novius asked.
"Some time later Nerva brought the new boy back to the main entrance where Terentius was telling me about his time in Brundisium. I was then told by Terentius that Markos, the new slave-boy, was to help me at the main entrance as an assistant 'door-keeper. I also helped Markos to get his meals, and find his way to the baths, and back to his cubiculum."
"So you helped him, and became good friends?" Novius asked.
"Yes, but there was something strange about this boy," Glykon said, sounding a little upset. "Well not about the boy, but about the way he was being treated."
"Strange? In what way?" Novius asked.
"Well, I shared a dormitory with six other slave-boys, but Markos had his own cubiculum in one of the 'guest wings' of the villa, and I later found out, from my friend Cleon, that it was beautifully furnished and decorated, even with wall-paintings! But that was not all!… Some time later I was told that Markos had lessons in Greek and Latin from tutors in the villa, and he also had a young centurion from one of the Legions giving him physical training, and teaching him how to use weapons!" Glykon continued, getting more excited.
"But the thing that upset me most was that Terentius had told my friend Cleon to go the this new slave's room every other day, in the evening, so that the new boy could have a fuck. So my mate, Cleon, became this new slave's 'bed-boy', but they were both slaves!… It just wasn't fair!" (it was not clear from what Glykon said if he knew that Cleon was now dead).
"So you were angry and annoyed, and perhaps even jealous?" Novius suggested.
"Fuck…yes!" Glykon said, angrily.
"That's alright," Novius said quietly.
"Now just calm down." Novius was concerned that if Glykon became too emotional, and angry, he might break out of the 'enchantment'.
"So what happened next?" Novius said, quietly.
"There was then a convivium, the first for a very long time – and this young Markos appeared next to the Dominus as his cup-bearer! (see Chapter IX). Of course, I was just stuck at the main entrance – ignored!" Glykon continued.
"And then Markos met Petronius, during the munera ad Augustum (see Chapter X). Now all the younger slave-boys look up to Petronius, 'cause he's so handsome, and he fought in the munera, and spends most of his time in the Amphitheatre – but somehow Markos got Petronius as his special friend. Then Markos stopped helping me at the villa entrance, and started going with Petronius to the Amphitheater every morning (see Chapter XVII)."
"So Markos didn't help you anymore?" Novius said, reflectively.
"No, – and then he started dressing like a 'master', instead of a slave, with no slave collar, and finally I was told that Gracchus had given him his freedom, and named him Marcus – and even adopted him – and why?"(see Chapter XVII), Glykon continued, getting agitated, once again.
"I understand," Novius said quietly. "So now, let us go forward in time to when you had a visit from some people from Rome," Novius suggested.
"It was very late at night… raining…and these two men came to the main entrance. At that time ther were no guards at the doors – just me. They didn't ask to see the Dominus – but said they wanted to talk to me – if my name was Glykon. I was happy to talk to them, as by then, no one was talking to me – not Terentius or Markos – and only occasionally Cleon."
"And what did these men look like?" Novius asked, realizing that they had now come to the important part of the story.
"Each was wearing what looked like a sagum or possibly a paludamentum, so I took them to be either officers – maybe tribunes, or rich patricians. They were quite young, about twenty or thirty at the most, and spoke well," Glykon explained slowly.
"And what did they speak about?" Novius asked, realizing that the questioning was beginning to tire the boy.
"They wanted to know about Marcus – and said that he had cheated some important people in Rome – who were looking for revenge, and did I want to help them. They explained that I would be well rewarded, and if I would injure the boy, they would take me to Rome, and give me my freedom. First, though, I had to get Marcus' knife – it seems that it was important that he was stabbed with his own knife. I told them that I had a friend who was close to Marcus, who could get the knife for me, but I would have to pay him – that way I thought I could get some more money. And they gave me a sheet of lead, that had been folded many times – wrapped in black cloth. (a Tabella Defixionis – see Chapter XXIV), but obviously Glykon did not know what it was). They told me to wrap the knife and lead in the cloth for a day and a night – and then the knife would be ready to use – odd?. So I did that – just before the Ludi for Vespasian. I had no trouble getting the knife from Cleon, as he was keen to have the money," Glykon explained breathlessly, as if relieved to get the whole story out into the open.
"But you knew that you would get caught, so why did you attack Marcus."
"Well, by then I hated Marcus, so even if I was caught I would not care, but also I thought that maybe these powerful people would rescue me and give me my freedom."
"And where is the sheet of lead now?" Novius asked, pertinently.
"It's under the mattress on my bed in the dormitory. I don't know what it was for; it was all folded up, with some marks on it," Glykon replied.
At that revelation Gracchus looked startled.
"That is all very interesting," Novius said. "Now, when I click my fingers you will forget everything that has happened since you sat down in that chair. Is that clear?" Novius said firmly.
"Yes, Domine," Glykon answered mechanically.
Novius then clicked his fingers, and Glykon opened his eyes and looked around, obviously dazed and tired.
"I'm confused, what were you going to ask me, Domine?" Glykon asked.
"Oh – nothing really!" Novius answered, casually.
"You may go now!"
Glykon, looked very confused, got up, and left the study to where a guard was waiting for him in the corridor.
"Tell Tribune Servius to see me immediately and keep the two boys separated, and don't allow them to speak to one another!" Gracchus instructed the departing guard.
"Yes, Dominus!" the guard replied, briskly.
Gracchus turned to Novius, "So now things are becoming clearer, but we need to see the Tabella Defixionis, and why Servius did not search the boys' possessions and dormitory.
I just cannot understand why he did not perform a proper search."
"Yes, but you must remember that he had no idea that such a thing existed." Novius said, trying to justify and protect Servius.
Tabella Defixionis, – Greek: κατάδεσμος katadesmos – curse tablet or binding spell – is a type of curse found throughout the Greco-Roman world, in which someone would ask the gods, place spirits, or the deceased to perform an action on a person or object, or otherwise compel the subject of the curse. Such texts are typically scratched on very thin sheets of lead in tiny letters, then often rolled, folded, or pierced with nails. These bound tablets were then usually placed beneath the ground: either buried in graves or tombs, thrown into wells or pools, sequestered in underground sanctuaries, or nailed to the walls of temples. Tablets were also used for love spells and, when used in this manner they were placed inside the home of the desired target. They are sometimes discovered along with small dolls or figurines, which may also be pierced by nails. The figurines resembled the target, and often had both their feet and hands bound. Curse tablets also included hair, pieces of clothing or objects – in this case a pugio (dagger). Such tablets almost always include the name of the person making the spell, and the name of the person to whom the spell is directed. The texts on curse tablets are typically addressed to infernal or liminal gods such as Pluto, Charon, Hecate, and Persephone, sometimes via the mediation of a dead person (in this case Nymphidius). Some texts do not invoke the gods, however, but merely list the targets of the curse, the crimes or conditions upon which the curse is valid, and/or the intended ill to befall them. Some tablets are inscribed with nothing more than the names of the targets, leading to the supposition that an oral spell may have accompanied the manufacture of the curse. Spells were usually written in Greek, Latin, Etruscan or Oscan – but also often contained inscriptions in an unknown and untranslatable 'Demonic Language'.
"Would you mind stepping out of the study for a few moments, Novius, as I wish to have a few private words with Tribune Servius?" Gracchus asked.
"Of course not, Gnaeus – but do not be too harsh on the boy," Novius said, as he left.
While Gracchus was waiting for Servius to arrive, he ordered one of the slave-guards to search the boy's dormitory where Glykon slept, – particularly under the mattresses. Some time later, the guard returned with an object wrapped in black cloth.
"We found this under the mattress of the bed belonging to the boy called Glykon," the guard said smartly.
Gracchus nodded.
The guard then placed the obviously heavy object on Gracchus' marble topped table. Gracchus carefully removed the black cloth revealing what appeared to be a metal scroll. Gracchus did nothing to the object, preferring to wait, and let Novius undertake to difficult task of unrolling it.
A short while later Servius arrived looking nervous.
"So… Tribune Servius. You never thought of searching to boy's dormitory, and looking under his mattress?" Gracchus said, accusingly.
"No, Dominus," Servius said sheepishly, looking down at the marble floor.
"Well… we've found this – a lead Tabella Defixionis!
"Do you know what that is!"
"Yes, Dominus," Servius replied, weakly.
"It's the curse tablet which was wrapped round the pugio!" Gracchus continued. "Now… If you want to put yourself right with me, you will go to Rome – after Novius and I have translated this damned thing – and visit Marcus Sabinus, and force him to tell you who made the Tabella Defixionis – and when you have got that information you and Petronius will arrange for this foolish Senator to be killed – quietly, secretly and without any fuss. I that understood?"
"Yes, Dominus," Servius replied, obediently.
"Go now, and tell Novius to come and see me!" Gracchus said, obviously still very angry.
Moments late Novius came into the study.
"Ah, now this is what we want!" he said, approvingly, and taking the black bundle in his hand.
"Now all we need to do is unroll it, and see what it says," Novius continued, removing the black cloth. "So… fortunately it has not been folded too tightly, or for long – so it should be easy to unroll and read, as long as it is in a decipherable language."
As he said this Novius carefully unrolled the lead scroll.
"There!" Navius said, with an air of satisfaction – "And it looks like Latin – and is quite legible."
"And what does it say?" Gracchus asked.
Well, it's quite simple, and very much as I expected:
'Nymphidii in nomine et virtute spiritus infernales numina obligamus nos et M. Octavius Gracchum sempiternum dabo potestatem hanc pugio – Marcus Octavius Gracchus tactu impertire huic ligare carmine dicto – ut non videant oculi tui, et aures audire, loqui verba labiorum suorum et non commouit – Morpheus regnum habitationem. – Quod est perpetua una dormienda ultionem ut Nymphidii nostro'."
Novius slowly read out the Latin invocation.
'In the name of Nymphidius – and with the power of the infernal deities – we bind the spirit of Marcus Octavian Gracchus to an eternal sleep – and we give to this pugio the power – by a touch – to impart to the said Marcus Octavian Gracchus this binding spell – that his eyes shall not see – his ears shall not hear – his lips shall speak no words – and he shall not move as – he dwells in the realm of Morpheus – as revenge for the eternal sleep that has come to our friend Nymphidius.'
"But this has not been made by some backstreet purveyor of magic trinkets and spells.
The quality of this Tabella Defixionis – and its precise wording, indicates that whoever made it was skilled in the arts – a master, or more likely a mistress, of the dark arts – and it has already been suggested that this originated from somewhere on the Palatine," Novius said as he admiringly examined the lead scroll.
"So how do we 'undo' this spell?" Gracchus asked, impatiently.
"Well… we could simply get your Vulcan to melt the lead. My understanding of such things is that if the words 'disappear' then the spell would disappear. Unfortunately, though, that might not be the end of the matter. The pugio was 'charged' with the 'spell' when the lead scroll was wrapped round it – so the way that I see it is that the pugio would still be lethal for Marcus – but, hopefully, only for Marcus – even if the scroll no longer existed. Marcus would recover from the enchantment when the scroll was melted, but he could be struck down again if he ever came in contact with the pugio on another occassion."
"So why not dispose of the pugio?" Gracchus asked.
"Yes – but it must be truly disposed of, so that Marcus could never ever come into contact with it again."
"So what about Οὐεσούιος – Vesævus? Just throw it into a fissure," Gracchus suggested.
Mount Vesuvius is a stratovolcano in the Gulf of Neapolis. It is one of several volcanoes which form the Campanian volcanic arc. Vesuvius consists of a large cone partially encircled by the steep rim of a summit caldera caused by the collapse of an earlier and originally much higher structure. Mount Vesuvius is best known for its eruption in AD 79 (the year in our story is now 70 AD) that led to the burying and destruction of the Roman cities of Pompeii, Herculaneum, and several other settlements.
That eruption ejected a cloud of stones, ash, and fumes to a height of 33 km [20.5 mi], spewing molten rock and pulverized pumice at the rate of 1.5 million tons per second. Vesuvius has a long historic and literary tradition. It was considered a divinity of the Genius type at the time of the eruption of 79 AD. At the time of our story Vesuviu did not have a large crater, but rather had numerous fissures from which vapours and occasional flame erupted – killing the odd, unwary sheep or goat.
"That is perfect!" Novius replied.
"So when shall we dispose of the Tabella Defixionis?" Gracchus eagerly asked.
"Maybe tomorrow night, if 'Vulcan' is available (Vulcan is the Villa metal worker and smith). Firstly I need time to consult some scrolls, for a suitable invocation to Morpheus and the infernal deities – and for such gods it is always best to approach them in the darkness of the night. You should also acquire a couple of black dogs to be sacrificed, and have some slaves dig a shallow trench in one of the peristyle gardens, to receive the blood from the sacrifices," Novius explained.
"Of course, I can have all that arranged." Gracchus replied eagerly.
"And if Marcus shows signs of recovery, then the following day the pugio can be taken to Οὐεσούιος – Vesævus – and cast away. Do not touch the pugio yourself, as you and Marcus bear two names in common. I think that maybe this young man Petronius, who is close to young Marcus, could well be trusted to bring a fitting end to this unfortunate episode. You must, after all, remember that the pugio is extremely valuable – being of the finest workmanship and costly materials – and many would be loath to destroy it, but rather keep it, and maybe sell it – but it contains a profound danger within itself, and must be destroyed. And I think that we can trust Petronius, out of love for Marcus – to do that," Novius explained.
"You are right!" Gracchus agreed.
Removens Maledictum
The Unbinding of the Curse
Gracchus was waiting impatiently for darkness to fall. Unlike the storm of the previous evening, the night promised to be cloudless and fine. Only three other people knew of what was planned for the night, and they were Novius, Terentius and Petronius.
Petronius had left early in the morning for Neapolis, with the difficult task of purchasing the dogs for the sacrifice. They were to be pure black (with not a hair of any other color on them) male, and in perfect condition. Terentius organised the digging of the trench in one of the villa's enclosed gardens, and presumably Novius was at his own, modest villa, consulting his various documents and scrolls. Vulcan, the old blacksmith and armourer, had been instructed to keep a good heat going in his furnace.
Meanwhile Marcus had shown no change and was 'sleeping', apparently peacefully, in his apartments.
The lead Tabella Defixionis lay on Gracchus' marble topped table, still covered in its black cloth. The apparently cursed pugio had been placed, the previous evening, by Novius, in a secure chest in Gracchus' study, under a stout lock.
Petram and Glykon were each in solitary confinement in the Ludus, neither boy being aware of the events that were now unfolding as a result of the information that they had given to Gracchus the previous night. In fact both boys were puzzled that they had no memory of the previous night.
As Gracchus pondered the recent events, he comforted himself with the thought that, all being well, it should now be just a matter of time – and then, perhaps all would be well once again.
That afternoon Petronius returned with two dogs, which were immediately consigned to the ground floor slave quarters to await their unpleasant fate.
As the sky darkened, Novius arrived, clutching his valuable and ancient documents. Together, Gracchus and Novius went to inspect the trench that had been dug that morning by slaves in one of the peristyle gardens.
Gracchus then visited Vulcan, who was told that he would be required to melt a lead scroll in his furnace later that evening. He appeared a little puzzled, but he knew that it was not his place to question anything that the Dominus wanted done.
Then, as the light faded, Petronius organized the slaves that would be required for the sacrifice. Two boys were to lead the dogs to the trench, two more boys were to bring amphoras of wine, and one boy was to carry the Tabella Defixionis, wrapped in its black cloth.
When all was ready the various individuals involved assemble on the finely manicured turf.
The di inferi or dii inferi ('the gods below') were a shadowy collective of ancient Roman deities associated with death and the underworld. The epithet inferi is also given to the mysterious Manes, a collective of ancestral spirits. The most likely origin of the word Manes is from 'manus' or 'manis' (more often in Latin as its antonym immanis), meaning 'good' or 'kindly', which was a euphemistic way to speak of the inferi so as to avert their potential to harm or cause fear. Offerings are made to di inferi by means of foci (a pit). The infernal gods receive burnt offerings (holocausts), in which the sacrificial victims are burnt to ash, because the living are prohibited from sharing a meal with the dead. The animals offered are considered to be inedible, such as horses and dogs. Secret ritual practices characterized as 'magic' were often holocausts directed at underworld gods, and dogs were a not uncommon offering, especially to Hecate. 'Di inferi' were often invoked in 'binding spells' (defixiones), which offer personal enemies to them. The infernal gods were also the recipients on the rare occasions when human sacrifice was carried out in Rome.
The ritual was quite simple. The slave-boys brought the dogs on chains to the trench, where Petronius cut the throat of each animal, allowing the blood to flow into the trench. While this was happening, Novius recited an invocation, asking the 'dii inferi' to grant that the binding spell, contained on the lead 'Tabella Defixionis', be lifted in return for the blood of the sacrifice. Strangely, as the blood of the dogs flowed into the trench, the earth seemed to tremble slightly, which Novius took as a good sign that the gods below were content with the sacrifice.
Earth tremors were not unusual in the area around Neapolis, Baiae, Herculaneum and Pompeii.
In 62 AD an earthquake occurred on 5 February, and the towns of Pompeii and Herculaneum were severely damaged. The earthquake was undoubtedly a precursor to the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD that destroyed the same two towns. From 62 AD onwards there were regular tremors, which built in ferocity, until the 79 AD eruption.
Slave-boys then poured libations of wine, and the carcases of the dogs were burned.
The party then processed to Vulcan's workshop (the same workshop where Marcus had been fitted with a 'slave collar' the day that he arrived at the villa), where the still wrapped 'Tabella Defixionis' was cast into Vulcan's flaming forge and destroyed.
At this point Gracchus was exceedingly nervous.
He knew that the next step was to go to Marcus' apartments to see if the ritual had any effect. If Marcus was still in his strange 'coma', then Gracchus would be at a loss as to what to do.
Petronius dismissed the slave-boys, and then Gracchus, Novius and Petronius mounted the stairs to the corridor that led to Marcus' apartments. As Gracchus opened the door, Adonios bounded up, and flung his arms round Gracchus' neck.
"He's awake!" Adonios cried, in obvious, and apparently uncontrolled excitement.
Gracchus was taken aback. The boy's enthusiasm had quite overwhelmed him.
"I'm sorry, Dominus," Adonios said, remembering his place, "But it's wonderful!"
"Yes it is, of course!" Gracchus replied, ruffling the excited lad's golden hair, as he made his way to where Marcus was sitting up in his bed.
"And how are you, my boy?" Gracchus said, warmly but hesitantly.
"Very, very hungry, sir!" Marcus replied, grinning.
"Get the boy some food!" Gracchus said loudly, smiling broadly, and turning to Adonios, and the boy ran off to the kitchens.
'and the story continues – In Rome they sample the attractions of a Roman Brothel, go sightseeing, and collect Marcus' new Pugio – they also arrange for a double killing – while Servius falls for 'forbidden fruit' – one of Gracchus' slave-boys
XXVII. De Roma et Vesuvio
27. Rome and Vesuvius
Puer Somniorum Suorum
The Boy of his Dreams
As soon as Adonios had run off to the kitchens, Gracchus realized that the sensible thing to do was to summon his physician Agathon in order to check Marcus' condition.
Meanwhile Novius had gone to Marcus' bedside, along with Petronius.
"So how long have I been asleep?" Marcus asked, quizzically and still somewhat confused.
"Days…" Novius said trying, to some extent, to avoid the issue.
"What was the last thing that you can remember?" Petronius asked.
Novius tutted, indicating that he maybe thought that such a line of questioning was unwise at that point.
"The last thing…," Marcus said slowly, seeming to struggle to recollect things, "was leaving the banquet, and then Glykon coming towards me with something in his hand… maybe a present… And I remember having a very strange, and long dream. I dreamed that I was walking among the trees on Παρνασσός … and met the nine daughters of Zeus … the nine Μοῦσαι … and shining Apollon Mousagetēs … who looked just like the statue of Petronius … but shining brightly … and such beautiful music, and singing!"
Παρνασσός – Mount Parnassus is named after Parnassos, the son of the nymph Kleodora and the man Kleopompus. A city, of which Parnassos was leader, was flooded by torrential rains. The citizens ran from the flood, following wolves' howling, up the mountain slope. There the survivors built another city, and called it Lykoreia, which in Greek means "the howling of the wolves."
While Orpheus was living with his mother and his eight beautiful aunts on Parnassus, he met Apollo who was courting the laughing muse Thalia. Apollo became fond of Orpheus, and gave him a little golden lyre, and taught him to play it. Orpheus's mother taught him to make verses for singing. As the Oracle of Delphi was sacred to the god Apollo, so did the mountain itself become associated with Apollo. According to tradition, Parnassus was the site of the fountain Castalia and the home of the Muses. As the home of the Muses, Parnassus became known as the home of poetry, music, and learning. According to Hesiod there were nine Muses: Calliope (epic poetry), Clio (history), Euterpe (flutes and lyric poetry), Thalia (comedy and pastoral poetry), Melpomene (tragedy), Terpsichore (dance), Erato (love poetry), Polyhymnia (sacred poetry), Urania (astronomy).
"So Petronius…playing the God in Marcus' dreams…!" Gracchus commented wryly, as he entered the room with Agathon and overheard Marcus' final remarks.
"It was just because of the statue…!" Petronius stammered, blushing and moving away from Marcus' bed.
"Of course!" Gracchus replied, playfully.
"So… my learned physician, what do you think of the boy now?" Gracchus asked, obviously proud of Marcus' rapid recovery.
"It's amazing!" Agathon replied in Greek, "And quite beyond my understanding and I think that in future I will send my difficult patients to Novius," Agathon concluded, half seriously and half in jest.
"It was none of my doing," Novius said quietly.
"It was the work of the Gods and most particularly the God who favors our young Marcus, I mean, of course the God Apollo."
At that remark, the room fell silent, as all those present considered the obvious truth of Novius' words.
"And I will dedicate the next Ludi we hold to the God, as a thanksgiving for the favors he has shown Marcus and the House of Gracchus!" Gracchus said; his voice trembling with emotion.
At this point Servius came into the room, and was surprised to see Marcus sitting up in bed, eating some grapes, cheese and bread, and chatting to Adonios and Aurarius.
Conventum cum Graccho
A Meeting with Gracchus
"Now, Servius and Petronius… come with me to my study. We have some important business to deal with."
"I think that Marcus looks surprisingly good, don't you? Gracchus remarked, cheerily, as they made their way down the corridor.
"Yes Dominus, but he's lost a lot of weight. But then Adonios could only get him to take soup."
"Yes, and he needs a haircut," Gracchus added. He he always had a problem with boys with long hair.
They arrived in Gracchus' study, and Gracchus immediately called for Terentius.
"Now, there are two tasks for you two. First, I want you to take Marcus' pugio to Vesuvius, and dispose of it down some smoking fissure. According to Novius, it is essential that it is completely destroyed."
"But it's worth a fortune!" Servius exclaimed.
"No matter," Gracchus said, "Terentius, when he gets here, will give you enough gold to purchase a replacement – and even better."
Servius and Petronius looked at one another with an expression of disbelief.
 "Terentius had found an armourer who makes the finest weapons and armour in the Empire. He even makes items for Vespasian and Titus, so why should he not make weapons for us? I have here a sketch of the weapon, from a Greek artist in Neapolis, a copy of which Terentius sent to our craftsman in Rome. When you go to collect it, and pay for it, look to see that it is true to the design drawn here."
"Yes, Dominus," Servius said, looking admiringly at the carefully worked sketch.
"You will see that the haft and the scabbard both bear the emblem of the House of Gracchus, and the blade bears Marcus' name. The pugio is, in itself, a potent amulet, as the pommel is in the form of the head of Jupiter's eagle, there will be no problems with his pugio!" Gracchus explained.
(You may remember that Gracchus had an obsession with eagles, and kept a caged group of the birds in a huge gilded bronze aviary in the grounds of the villa. Petronius used two of the largest birds to disembowel and emasculate a condemned slave acting out the myth of Prometheus, during the Games for Galba)
When Terentius arrived he was carrying some finely worked, and apparently very heavy leather saddle-bags.
"For this trip, boys," Terentius said, placing the bags, with a thump, on Gracchus' marble topped, table, "You'll be needing a lot of gold. There is gold enough for the pugio, but most of it will be to pay off some of Gracchus' clients."
Terentius then handed Servius a small scroll. "This is a list of individuals who owe our Dominus considerable favours. These men will rid us of Marcus Sabinus, but it is essential that you are not directly involved, nothing must lead back to the Dominus. Memorize the names on this scroll, and then burn it."
Servius took the scroll and tucked it in his tunic.
"Your job, Petronius, is to rid us of this accursed pugio," Terentius said, turning his attention to Petronius. Leave Servius in Pompeii, and go high, to near the summit of Οὐεσούιος (Vesævus). Find a smoking fissure in the rocks that leads to the fiery heart of the mountain, and drop the pugio, and the sheath into it. Resist the temptation to either keep the blade or the sheath, both are equally dangerous."
"Don't concern yourself, sir. I will do this," Petronius answered firmly.
"You will then go with Servius to Rome. Do not wear armour, or any clothing that would make you stand out from the crowd, just simple tunics – like fashionable young men. When you arrive in Rome, dawdle a little, visit a wine shop or two, or go to a good class brothel and have a nice girl or boy according to your taste. Then, in the evening, when you are sure that no one is following you, go to the Esquiline Hill, where you will have no trouble finding the 'Domus Gracchi' – it's the largest.
The Esquiline Hill includes three prominent spurs, which are sometimes called 'hills' as well Cispian (Cispius), northern spur, Oppian (Oppius), southern spur, Fagutal (Fagutalis), western spur rising above a valley. The Esquiline is, at the time of our story, a fashionable residential district. According to Livy, the settlement on the Esquiline was expanded during the reign of Servius Tullius, Rome's sixth king, in the 6th century BC. The king also moved his residence to the Hill, in order to increase its respectability. The political advisor and art patron Maecenas (70 BC-8 BC) sited his famous gardens, the first gardens in the Hellenistic-Persian garden style in Rome, on the Esquiline Hill, atop the Servian Wall and its adjoining necropolis, near the gardens of Lamia. It contained terraces, libraries and other aspects of Roman culture.In 1781, the first known copy of the marble statue of a Discus thrower, the so-called Discobolus of Myron, was discovered on the Roman property of the Massimo family, the Villa Palombara, on the Esquiline Hill. The famous Esquiline Treasure, now in the British Museum, was found on the Esquiline Hill.
"There at the Villa Gracchi you will find Μενελαος, the 'maior domūs'. You will like him, Petronius, he's young, well a little younger than me, and a Greek freedman. He will make all the contacts that you need, and will look after you, like young princes. Menelaus knows all our business. As with me, the Dominus keeps very little from him, so you may be open with regards to all your needs. Do you have any questions boys?" Terentius concluded.
Servius and Petronius looked at one another, amazed.
"How could we?" Petronius replied.
"I think that you have said all there is to say," Servius agreed.
"As you can see, gentlemen, with Terentius I do not even have to think!" Gracchus added, with a twinkle in his eye.
"And Dominus…" Terentius interrupted. "May I have permission to go and see Marcus, as I am told that he is now recovering?"
"Of course, my friend, but don't linger too long, as, like always, I have business with you later," Gracchus replied.
What we should be reminded of here is that, although Terentius takes a casual tone with Servius and Petronius, the highly stratified form of Roman society should, to some degree, be taken into account. During this meeting there are only two freeborn Roman citizens in Gracchus' Study, that is Tribune Servius, and Gracchus. However, socially they are far apart, as Gracchus is a patrician, a senator, and therefore 'Dominus'. Also Terentius is a Freedman (although senior Freedman), having been originally a slave, freed by Gracchus, but still a 'client' of Gracchus, bound to Gracchus by numerous obligations. Petronius is a slave, but oddly not a slave of any of the other individuals in the room, as he is Marcus' senior slave, with the title Harenae Dominus ('Master of the Arena'), which puts him in authority over almost all the other slaves in the villa, and in particular in the Ludus.
Omnes viae Romam ducunt
All Roads Lead to Rome
Taking their heavy saddle bags, and Gracchus' best wishes, Servius and Petronius left the villa in Baiae, and began their journey to Pompeii.
Praeparationes ad Gratiarum Ludos
Preparations for the Games of Thanksgiving
Meanwhile, in Gracchus' study, Terentius had returned from his all too brief visit to Marcus. Gracchus was showing Terentius some drawings that had been made by Gracchus' architect, Severus. Severus had previously been architect to the Emperor Nero, but with Nero's suicide he had needed to find a new patron. He had previously worked for Gracchus on the Villa in Baiae, and also on the Villa Gracchi in Rome. At the time of the renovation and redecoration of the Amphitheater for the Ludi for Vespasian Gracchus had asked him to produce drawings for a new Porta Sanivivaria (Gate of Life) to be renamed Porta Pompam (Gate of the Parades) in the Hellenic style
Two new enlarged gilded bronze statues of Mercury were envisaged, flanking the gateway, sculptures that had already been commissioned from the Greek sculptor Zenodorus, (the original statues were to be moved from the amphitheater to a newly designed entrance to the villa).
The Porta Pompam was to take the form of a Greek 'Προπύλαια' (propylaeum), which is the union of the prefix προ– pro–, 'before, in front of' plus the plural of πύλη pyle, 'gate', meaning literally "that which is before the gates" but the word had come to mean simply 'gate building'.
The gateway was to be built of white Pentelic marble, topped with a gilded bronze eagle grasping thunderbolts (taken from the previous gate).
The inscription on the propylaeum, in gilded bronze letters, was now to read since Marcus' recovery: 'MARCVS OCTAVIVS GRACCHVS APOLLINIS DEDICATA EST' (Marcus Octavian Gracchus dedicated to Apollo').
The bronze gates themselves were designed to match the other new gates installed for the Ludi for Vespasian, but much taller, and gilded on both sides.
"This I want constructed in time for the 'Games of Thanksgiving' (Gratiarum Ludi) for the recovery of Marcus," Gracchus told Terentius, as they viewed Severus' magnificent drawings.
"I trust you to go to Neapolis and find a contractor to produce the work to the highest standard, on time!"
"And when do you wish the Gratiarum Ludi to take place?" Terentius asked, hoping that Gracchus would give him a realistic date.
"A couple of months from now," Gracchus replied
"That will be difficult,"Terentius said, trying to be deferential.
"I don't care!" Gracchus replied, techily.
"Drown the contractor in gold if need be, but get it done!"
De Pompeiis et Vesuvius Monte
Pompeii and Mount Vesuvius
Terentius then set out for Neapolis, with the difficult and unenviable task of finding a building contractor to take on the almost impossible, but highly lucrative task of building Gracchus' magnificent new Propylaeum. Slightly further up the same road, (see map) Servius and Petronius were riding lazily towards Pompeii. In order to reach Pompeii they would need to pass through Neapolis (the 'New City' in Greek), and so they planned to have a long, pleasant lunch in the beautiful sea-side town.
After their lunch they travelled on to Herculaneum, and from there to Pompeii.
It is important here to remember that no one, at the time of our story, envisioned an eruption of Vesuvius that would bury the two towns of Herculaneum and Pompeii, killing almost all the inhabitants. The only problem that Pompeii had experienced was an earthquake, some years earlier – (see below).
While Servius found accomodation in Pompeii (with yet another of Gracchus' 'clients'), Petronius hired a rather scruffy looking donkey, and an equally scruffy looking young guide to take him up to the summit of the (apparently dormant) volcano.
Pompeii, at this time was a rather 'untidy' place, with many of its building still badly in need of repair. Some years earlier (in what we now refer to as 62 AD), the area had been hit by a substantial earthquake.
The Latin philosopher and dramatist Seneca the Younger wrote a description of the event: 'This tremor was on 5 February, in the consulship of Regulus and Verginius, and it inflicted great devastation on Campania…Sheep died and statues split. Some people have lost their minds and wander about in their madness.' (Sixth book of his Naturales Quaestiones entitled 'De Terrae Motu' - Concerning Earthquakes)
Pompeii at the time had a population of 20,000, and was a compact city built in a fashion that could not withstand earthquakes. The construction; beam, brick and block; much of it built on foundations that were ancient, crumbled readily, leading to severe damage to the city. Seneca reported that while Pompeii was severely damaged, Herculaneum had far less damage, while Neapolis was barely touched. On the same day, February 5, a tidal wave hit Ostia, the port of Rome. As fate would have it, there were 300 grain ships in the harbor waiting to unload. These ships arrived from Alexandria and Carthage once a year and had the vital grain supplies for Rome for the whole year. All of them were engulfed by the 'tsunami', swamped, and the cargoes lost. This created rioting in Rome, for the people feared they would starve. The Emperor Nero had to quell the crowds by opening the storehouses of grain and rationing it. Meanwhile back at Pompeii, the earthquake affected the demographics of the city. The rich patricians decided to move elsewhere, and a new class of merchants and traders took their place and rebuilt the city. The process of repair was slow and extensive. It involved projects such as the embellishment of the Forum, the rebuilding of the Temple of Isis, and repairing the city's water supply. Nero's influence was felt because his second wife, Poppaea Sabina (who was later replaced by the young eunuch Sporus) was Pompeian and as such, money and power were funneled to Pompeii to rebuild the city and the social structure.
So… not the most salubrious town to visit – but Servius found a pleasant hostelry, with clean, spacious rooms, and a host who, being a 'client' of Gracchus, was only to willing to 'bow and scrape' for the two young Domini (lords).
For Petronius, however, things weren't going so well, as a very reluctant donkey made hard work of the ascent. The mountain was covered with gardens and vineyards, except at the top, where the donkey was causing trouble, which was craggy – (the wine from the Vesuvian vineyards was considered to be exceptional – probably because of the high mineral content of the soil). This craggy area was dangerous for sheep and goats, and even people, who could be overcome by the sulphurous and poisonous emissions from the many small vents near the summit. Eventually, the donkey, and its inept young handler refused to go any further, and Petronius was left to climb the last part alone – which was just as well, as he didn't want his young guide to see what he was about to deposit into one of the vents.
Finally, Petronius found a likely looking, smoking vent that seemed suitable.
Seeing the young Pompeian lad distractedly looking at the magnificent landscape below, Petronius took the pugio, wrapped in it's black cloth (and still in it's scabbard), and dropped it down the vent. There was a clatter, and the Pompeian lad looked over.
"Just a stone!" Petronius said, disarmingly.
But – at that moment, as if to make him seem a liar, the ground shook, as it had when the sacrifice had been made at the villa.
Just a coincidence? – Petronius thought – but there had been too many coincidences, and too much strangeness surrounding this whole matter – and Petronius was pleased that the whole thing now seemed to have come to a satisfactory conclusion.
All that was left now was the bloody business of disposing of the instigator of the plot, (along with the two young accomplices, now languishing in the Ludus at the villa), and then all the related events of the 'Year of the Four Emperors' could be put into the past, like a bad dream.
The trip back down to the town was only a little better that the journey up. The donkey was still obstinate, and Petronius ended up walking most of the way, rather than riding. Back at the hostelry, Petronius paid off the young Pompeian lad, giving him more than he probably deserved.
"You want to take me to your room and fuck, sir?" the teenage donkey boy asked, hoping to get a little more money from what he took to be a wealthy, handsome and somewhat eccentric tourist.
"Thanks, son – but maybe some other time!" Petronius replied, feeling too hot and too sweaty to do anything.
"So how did it go?" Servius asked, as Petronius came into his room.
"It was hot and sweaty – and I got the laziest fuckin' donkey in Pompeii – but I got rid of that damned pugio! But something odd happened. When I dropped the pugio into the vent, there was an earth tremor, just like when we made the sacrifice at the villa."
Servius looked surprised, and a little spooked. "Yes, I felt it as well… Coincidence?" Servius asked, trying to put his mind at rest.
"I certainly hope so," Petronius replied. "But they've been having these tremors ever since the big earthquake nearly flattened this place about eight years ago," he continued.
"Pity it didn't completely flatten it – it is a bit of a dump!" Servius answered.
"Well, it's too late now to travel on to Rome, and these rooms are quite comfortable, so what shall we do for tonight," Petronius asked.
"Me… I'm going to have some fun, and look for a nice boy!" Servius said, brightly.
"Well, there's one downstairs with a donkey who's keen on having a fuck – for some cash," Petronius said, grinning. "But he's a bit smelly and sweaty," Petronius concluded.
"No thanks! I think that I'll go to the baths, and see if I can find some nice lad there," Servius replied.
Conventus in Balneis
A Meeting at the Baths
And that's exactly what Servius did – and meanwhile, Petronius took a short nap.
Bathing played a major part in ancient Roman culture and society. Bathing was one of the most common daily activities in Roman culture, and was practiced across a wide variety of social classes. Though many contemporary cultures see bathing as a very private activity conducted in the home, bathing in Rome was a communal activity. While the extremely wealthy, like Gracchus, could afford bathing facilities in their villas, most people bathed in the communal baths – 'thermae'. In some ways, these resembled modern-day spas. The Romans raised bathing to a high art as they socialized in these communal baths. Courtship was conducted – (like Servius looking for a suitable boy), as well as sealing business deals. Small bathhouses, called 'balneum' (plural balnea), might be privately owned, but they were public in the sense that they were open to the populace for a fee. Larger baths called thermae were owned by the state, and often covered several city blocks. Fees for both types of baths were quite reasonable, within the budget of most free Roman males.
At the balneum ('private baths', see above) Servius got talking to a slim, and very attractive boy. Servius was well aware that one had to be careful about having sex with with boys or girls. In the case of boys, other men's slaves, and the sons of Roman citizens who still wore a bulla (had not come of age) were strictly off limits.
The boy that Servius had found was obviously not a slave (no slave collar), and was wearing a gold seal ring, and was not wearing a boy's bulla, and was quite old enough have come of age. So, it seemed that it would be quite safe to have sex with him.
He was just a young man who liked having sex and the fact that Servius had been a Centurion, which Servius had told him in their brief, and rather hesitant conversation, made the boy even more keen to have an encounter.
Servius had certainly 'hit lucky', and decided to take the young man back to the hostelry. There, Servius paid for the boy to have a room for the night. The host (the owner of the hostelry) was obviously quite aware of what was going on, but having been paid well, for a third room, had absolutely no objections.
Servius and the boy chatted, mainly about Servius' military exploits, such as they were. Servius, however, was very careful not to speak about Gracchus or his present work, or the reason for his visit to Pompeii, other to explain that he was on a visit to Rome with a friend to buy some expensive weapons.
The boy, who was called Rufus, seemed quite content with this explanation.
Servius then checked Petronius' room, but he was not there, and when he and Rufus then went downstairs for a meal the host told them that Petronius had gone to the balneum, undoubtedly to wash off the sweat and grime from his ascent of Vesuvius.
Servius doubted that Petronius would be bringing back a boy, as he was pretty sure that Petronius was 'saving himself' for his 'true love', Marcus – although Servius privately thought that Petronius would be waiting a very long time.
Rufus was all that Servius had been hoping for, and for Servius, that night in Pompeii was certainly a night to remember. It was another case of the 'ground moving' – but this time nothing to do with Vesuvius, but rather another kind of 'eruption'.
Roma – Imperium Civitas
Rome the Imperial City
The next morning it was breakfast, and then the boys had to saddle up for the trip to Rome.
Servius kissed his Rufus goodbye – and promised to come back, and see him again, (highly unlikely), while Petronius watched cynically, believing that only he knew what 'true love' was.
The boys were lucky, as the weather was fine.
The Road now led back to Neapolis, and from there, on to Capua.
The name of Capua comes from the Etruscan Capeva. The meaning is 'City of Marshes'. Its foundation is attributed by Cato the Elder to the Etruscans, and the date given as about 260 years before it was 'taken' by Rome. About 424 BC it was captured by the Samnites and in 343 BC besought Roman help against its conquerors. Capua entered into alliance with Rome for protection against the Samnite mountain tribes, along with its dependent communities Casilinum, Calatia, Atella, so that the greater part of Campania fell under Roman supremacy. The citizens of Capua received the civitas sine suffragio (citizenship without the vote).
In 312 BC, Capua was connected with Rome by the construction of the 'Via Appia', the most important of the military highways of Italy and the road which Servius and Petronius took on their journey to Rome. The gate by which it left the Servian walls of Rome bore the name 'Porta Capena'; perhaps the only case in which a gate in this line of fortifications bears the name of the place to which it led. The luxury of Capua was proverbial; and Campania is especially spoken of as the home of gladiatorial combats. From the gladiatorial schools of Campania came Spartacus and his followers in 73 BC. (of course Servius and Petronius are not going to 'bump into' the foul mouthed Quintus Lentulus Batiatus, as he and 'Spartacus?' have all been dead for around 150 years). In the war of 69 (the year before Servius and Petronius' journey, and part of the Year of the Four Emperors), Capua took the side of Vitellius (not very clever). The amphitheatre at Capua (not the one in the TV series – which is a complete fantasy), was built in the time of Octavian Augustus, and at the time of our story is badly in need of repair, and although large, is no match for Gracchus' magnificently refurbished amphitheater.
So, not stopping at rather decadent and politically naive Capua, Servius and Petronius ride on to Rome.
Adventus ad Romam
Arrival in Rome
On arriving in busy, bustling and noisy Rome, Servius and Petronius made for the quieter and more refined area of the Esquiline. Taking Terentius' advice, the boys first went to a hostlestry (taberna).
In Rome, at the time of our story, there were no hotels, as we know them. The Thermopolium – which we have already come across in this story, – was an establishment where hot food could be obtained, but larger versions of such establishments also had rooms available for travellers – and on many occasions provided the services of prostitutes. Equally tabernae (taverns) provided drink, often accompanied with food, and once again prostitutes, as well as accomodation for guests and horses.
Having chosen a good quality taberna, the boys refreshed themselves with wine, and a light snack. As it was only early afternoon, they decided to use the local balneum (see above) to remove the dust of the journey. They chose a high class balneum, rather than the public baths, as the public baths were noisy, often crowded, and not as clean as one might expect.
Having been fed and bathed, and having ensured that the horses were well cared for, they then took Terentius further advice, which was to visit a brothel.
In Lupanari
In the Brothel
For young Roman men of good standing, this was quite normal and acceptable, and had none of the later 'immoral' connotations which developed as a result of the baleful influence of Christianity.
The host at the taberna suggested a likely and 'refined' establishment, that he assured the boys was of the highest standard,
Having been given plenty of cash by Terentius, Servius and Petronius made for the brothel recommended to them by the taberna host. It was easy to find, as the entrance was surmounted by a beautifully carved phallus.
Prostitution was neither illegal nor stigmatized in ancient Rome. Brothels employed mainly girls, but most brothels used Aquarii ('water-boys') who were young boy slaves (very handsome and cute in the best establishments) who served wine and other refreshments, in addition to carrying water for washing. Such boys were usually available for sex. High class brothels would also provide a varied selection of partners, including very young girls, mature girls, very young boys, teenage boys, well muscled boys in late teens and early twenties, and occasionally eunuchs. Such brothels would also offer the 'well-heeled' clients combinations of partners.
However, when they arrived at the brothel, the burly portae custos (looking very much like an ex-gladiator or wrestler – gone to fat), thinking them to be 'out of town yokels', would not grant them entry. Once Servius showed his heavy money pouch, stuffed with gold coins, the portae custos quickly changed his tune, invited them in, with much bowing and scraping, and called for the leno – the brothel keeper, although he would undoubtedly have disliked such an appellation – preferring the title transactor.
Having already been told that the two 'young gentlemen' were iuvenes domini (young masters), the leno became excruciatingly smarmy, and handed over his two new clients to a middle aged lady, who was the Villicus of the establishment.
The title villicus, usually a mature woman in a brothel, referred to the person who could give all the information required with regard to the services available, including the prices. In the lower class establishments she would usually haggle fiercely to get the best price for any particular girl, but in high class brothels she was employed to gently encourage the clients to avail themselves of the highest priced services.
"So, young masters, what is your preference… girls or boys!" the rather pleasantly plump lady asked.
"Well, on this occasion, we would prefer boys, if you have any," Petronius replied, obviously quite embarrased by the blunt approach of the Villicus.
"No problem young sirs. Just come this way," the villicus said smoothly – but with a slight 'country accent', guiding them into a spacious chamber, decorated with marble panels and tiles, in the latest (Neronian) style. The villicus quickly despatched a very pretty slave-girl.
"I will show my four best boys – and if these don't appeal, which I think will be highly unlikely, we have some more lads, who may take your fancy – but this first four are highly recommended by my most discerning clients."
Moments later four boys entered the chamber. It was obvious that his was a high class brothel, as the boys would not have seemed out of place at Gracchus' villa. They were all teenage, with two of the boys in their early teens. One, probably the eldest, was very well endowed, but completely shaved. The two younger boys, both very slim and smooth, presumably anticipating being chosen, were already excited, with very strong erections. They stood alongside the villicus, looking boldly at Servius and Petronius, as if daring them to choose.
Servius and Petronius looked at one another, quizzically.
"We'll take all four!" Servius said, with only a hint of hesitation.
"That will be expensive," the villicus said softly, being careful not to lose a good deal, but I am sure that we can come to a reasonable agreement.
"We have a bathing facility here, also. Perhaps you and the boys would like to use it. Many of our clients like to get to know our boys and girls in the relaxing atmosphere of the pool. It will, of course, cost just a little more."
"That sounds good!" Servius said, and went over to the villicus to quietly negotiate a good price.
Meanwhile, Petronius went over to the boys, who were smiling in eager anticipation – most of their clients were rich, but old and ugly – but the boys were pleased that these two clients were young and handsome – and it seemed rich.
Petronius loudly introduced himself and Servius.
"My name is Phaedrus, and my friend there, talking to your villicus, is Achaeus. We have come from Pompeii, and this is our first visit to Rome."
While Servus paid the villicus, the boys gathered round, and led 'Phaedrus', and a rather bemused 'Achaeus' down some marble steps, and along a corridor to a small, but very elegant marble lined pool.
"So you're Greek?" one of the older boys asked.
"Well, I am," Petronius replied, realizing the mistake he had made, "but 'Achaeus' there is a true Roman – but for some reason his father gave him a Greek praenomen."
All to the good, Servius thought, Greek names would help to put any suspicious people off the scent.
In next to no time the naked young boys had got 'Achaeus' and 'Phaedrus' seated on an ornately carved marble bench, and were deftly, and carefully removing their clothing, right down to their skimpy loincloths.
And the brothel boys were far from disappointed.
Many of their older clients required a great deal of 'encouragement' or 'stimulation' to get them into a condition where they could even begin to enjoy the pleasures that they were being offered. In the case of 'Achaeus' and 'Phaedrus' they were both magnificently ready and 'hard'.
"I see the god Priapus favours our domini!" the eldest lad said, half joking, as he grasped 'Achaeus' incredibly stiff 'tool'.
In Greek mythology Πρίαπος, – Priapos (Latin – Priapus) was a rustic fertility god, protector of livestock, fruit plants, gardens and male genitalia. Priapus is marked by his oversized, permanent erection. He became a popular figure in Roman erotic art and Latin literature, and is the subject of the often humorously obscene collection of verse called the Priapeia. Priapus was described as the son of Aphrodite by Dionysus. The emblem of his lustful nature was his permanent erection and his large penis. In later antiquity, his worship was in reality a cult of sophisticated pornography. Priapus forms a central theme in the 'Satyricon'.
Servius and Petronius ('Achaeus' and 'Phaedrus'), spent longer than they had really intended in the the company of the delightful boys, and they managed to fuck each of the boys in turn, interspersed with mock wrestling and lots of playful splashing.
They undoubtedly benefited from a much needed relaxing release after all the tension and drama in the villa, and after they had dressed, said goodbye to the boys, and given each lad a substantial 'tip', and promised to return in the next few days (?), they made their way out into the busy street by a discreet side door.
By then it was time to find the Villa Gracchi.
Domus Gracchi
The House of Gracchus
They were already on the lower slopes of the Esquiline, and they asked an old, innocent looking plebeian the way to the Domus Gracchi. And, of course, finding the Domus Gracchi was not really difficult, as it was simply the largest, and most opulent building on the Esquiline.
The Villa, built early in the reign of Nero, by Gracchus favourite architect, Severus was basically an adaption of a Roman podium style temple facade, with an octastyle Pyknostyle dipteral design of Augustan Corinthian columns, and a pediment containing sculptures copied from the Temple of Ἀφαία, equated with the Roman goddess Minerva, Etruscan: Menrva) who was the Roman goddess of wisdom, and sponsor of arts, and trade, and therefore very appropriate to Gracchus.
The temple style facade, of pentelic white marble, led to the main halls, and two wings contained other smaller (as if anything was small in the Domus Gracchi) rooms, including guest accomodation.
The rear of the domus overlooked a valley, and much of the city, with magnificent views from various balconies, walkways and terraces.
Servius and Petronius, although familiar with Gracchus' large and opulent villa at Baiae, were quite astounded at the size and magnificence of the Domus Gracchi and what struck Petronius as odd was that Gracchus only very rarely stayed at this remarkable villa. It also crossed his mind that, all things being equal, some time in the future, Marcus would inherit this huge property, along with all of Gracchus' other properties and possessions.
"Well, let's see if we can find this freedman Menelaus," Servius said, wearily, as the started to climb the vast stairs leading to the towering bronze doors of the main entrance of the domus.
There was a guard at the door, who knocked on their behalf. Almost immediately one of the huge doors opened a fraction, and an attractive young slave-boy peeked out.
"Servius and Petronius?" he questioned.
"Yes, how did you know?" Servius answered, surprised.
"You are expected," the boy replied.
"Come with me, and wait in the atrium, while I fetch Menelaus."
Servius and Petronius entered the huge, cool entrance hall, and were then taken to a somewhat smaller atrium. Petronius was surprised to find a marble and gilt bronze statue of himself, as the God Apollo, in a magnificent shrine, very similar to the shrine in the villa at Baiae.
"Well, you certainly get around!" Servius said, grinning as he eyed the statue.
As soon as they settled down on a couch, slave-boys hurried up with snacks and wine. What was odd was that the domus seemed to be as well served by slaves, and as much in use as the villa in Baiae, and yet Gracchus was hardly ever in residence. After some minutes a well dressed man, seemingly in his early thirties, arrived.
"My name is Menelaus – and you must be Tribune Servius," he said turning to Servius, "And you are obviously Petronius, Harenae Dominus to the Iuvenis Dominus, Marcus," he continued, smiling at Petronius.
"I can see your obvious likeness in the statue of Apollo that the Dominus recently had installed here. I have prepared suites for you, as the Dominus requested. Do you wish to retire now, before we have any discussions?" Menelaus asked.
"Well firstly, can you have some slaves pick up our horses that we left at the taberna – I presume that you obviously have stabling for them here?"
"Of course, that is no problem," Menelaus replied, casually.
Menelaus then called a slave-boy. "Take these guests to the suites that were prepared this morning, and ensure that they are comfortable, and well looked after." he instructed the young slave.
So Servius and Petronius were taken to their beautifully appointed suites, both of which had interconnecting balconies overlooking the city.
A couple of hours later, in the early evening, they were invited down to take a meal with Menelaus. Rather in the manner of Gracchus, Menelaus was careful to dismiss all the slaves before engaging in any serious conversation.
"So tell me, Petronius, how is the Iuvenis Dominus, Marcus?" Menelaus inquired.
"So far, I am pleased to say, he seems to be very much his former self," Petronius answered, carefully.
"Of course, I have not yet met the young man, but Gracchus has kept me informed about him, and I was most concerned when I learned that an attempt had been made upon his life, and he had suffered a mysterious injury.".
Parans Caedem
Planning a Killing
Menelaus seemed remarkably well informed about recent events.
"My position is that I rank directly below my esteemed colleague, Terentius, and in addition to taking care of the Domus Gracchi, and my master's villa at Tibur, I am also responsible, on behalf of the Dominus, for all legal, commercial and financial matters pertaining to the capital, and that is why I am involved in the matter relating to Marcus Sabinus," Menelaus continued.
"I see," said Servius, pleased that they had come quite quickly to the real matter in question.
Menelaus continued, "The most important thing to remember is that the Dominus must not in any way be directly connected with what happens to this Sabinus. People, of course, will see his disappearance as a possible consequence of his actions against the House of Gracchus – and that is all to the good – as it should dissuade anyone one else from following his example. And I am quite aware that you two young gentlemen would be quite capable of eliminating this individual – but we must deal with this matter carefully and discretely."
Menelaus then re-filled the gold wine goblets of the two boys.
"Now we have, at the villa at Tibur, a Magister Equorum (a senior slave responsible for the horses and carriages at the domus), who has many contacts with horse dealers, slave traders, and other unsavory characters, and is completely trusted by the Dominus. He could undoubtedly arrange for a person, among his 'business' associates, to find a 'cut-throat' to do the deed. It will then be my task to find a 'client' of Gracchus, who is owing the Dominus a serious favour, to then dispose of this 'cut throat'. With sufficient links broken hopefully any proof that we have any connection with the events will disappear and the two weighted and mutilated bodies will disappear into the Cloaca Maxima," Menelaus concluded.
The Cloaca Maxima is one of the world's earliest sewage systems. Constructed in Ancient Rome in order to drain local marshes and remove the waste of one of the world's most populous cities, it carried effluent to the River Tiber, which ran beside the city. There were many branches off of the main sewer, but all seem to be 'official' drains that would have served public toilets, bath-houses and other public buildings. Private residences in Rome, even of the rich, would have relied on some sort of cesspit arrangement for sewage.
"And where do we fit into this ingenious plan?" Servius asked.
"Your task, gentlemen, as the Dominus has arranged it, is to provide the money, for the Magister Equorum to give to his associate, to give to the cut-throat. Money that I hope you have brought in the heavy saddlebags that you have deposited in your suites," Menelaus said, with a distinct smile on his face.
"The 'client', of course, will not need to be paid; he will only be fulfilling an obligation. And most of the money, if all goes well, shall be returned. After all, what can a dead 'cut-throat' spend money on?" Menelaus asked, grinning.
"Meanwhile, you can see the sights and there is a very good, high class brothel nearby that you can use. And if you wish to bring any partners back from there to your suites… you are more that welcome… and I also believe that you are to collect a pugio for the Iuvenis Dominus from one of Gracchus' 'clients' – a 'client' who is well known to me," Menelaus suggested.
"Is there anything that you don't know about?" Petronius asked, a little perturbed.
"Very little," Menelaus replied, "But don't be worried, I am expected by the Dominus to be well informed about everything in this bustling, noisy city – and fortunately I am not only a colleague of you two fine young men, but I hope I shall also be also a good friend."
Romæ Explorare
Exploring Rome
The next morning Servius and Petronius awoke early, not particularly because they wanted to, but because Rome was a much noisier place than sleepy, and rather exclusive Baiae.
Notice that they didn't bathe in the magnificent pool in the Domus. Oddly the Romans were not very keen on bathing or washing in the morning; that almost always came later in the day.
They breakfasted with Menelaus, who, in the absence of Gracchus, acted very much as the Dominus. During breakfast, Menelaus suggested various places of interest that they might like to visit. In addition, he also introduced them to a slave-boy of about 12 years old, Δημήτριος (Demetrios), who would act as their guide. This boy would also take them to the workshop of one of Gracchus' clients, where the new pugio should be waiting for them. And while they quite visibly sauntered around the centre of Rome, the preparations would be being made for the double killing which they had discussed the previous evening.
And so the set off, in a small carriage, provided by Menelaus, with Demetrios as outrider, guiding the coachman, and with Servius discreetly carrying one of the saddlebags containing some of the cash that they had been given by Terentius for the pugio, and their first stop was the Forum Romanum.
The Forum Romanum is a rectangular forum (plaza) at the center of the city of Rome. Citizens of the city referred to this space, originally a marketplace, as the Forum Magnum, or simply the Forum. It was the center of Roman public life: the site of triumphal processions and elections; the venue for public speeches, criminal trials, and gladiatorial matches; and the nucleus of commercial affairs. Here statues and monuments commemorated the city's great men. The teeming heart of ancient Rome, it has been called the most celebrated meeting place in the world, and in all history, and is located in the small valley between the Palatine and Capitoline Hills.
Their next stop, just a short walk away, was the 'Temple of the Divine Augustus'.
The Temple of Divus Augustus was a major temple, originally built to commemorate the deified first Roman emperor, Augustus. It was built between the Palatine and Capitoline Hills, behind the Basilica Julia, on the site of the house that Augustus had inhabited before he entered public life in the mid-1st century BC. The temple was originally built to an Ionic hexastyle design.
Because of Gracchus' obsession with Octavian Augustus, this was an essential stop, and also brought to Petronius' mind the Munera ad Augustum, which now seemed to be an event from the distant past. And, of course, Gracchus would undoubtedly want to hear about Servius' and Petronius' impressions of the temple on their return to Baiae.
The next important temple that they visited, a short ride away from the 'Temple of the Divine Augustus', was the 'Aedes Iovis Optimi Maximi Capitolini' – The Capitoline Temple of Jupiter Optimus Maximus. This was Rome's greatest and most important Temple.
The Temple of Jupiter Optimus Maximus was located on the Capitoline Hill. It was surrounded by the Area Capitolina, a precinct where certain assemblies met, and numerous shrines, altars, statues, and victory trophies were displayed. Unfortunately, when Servius and Petram visited the Temple it was in the process of being rebuilt on the orders of Vespasian having been severely damaged during the violence in Rome during the 'Year of the Four Emperors', however there were still many shrines and statues and, of course, magnificent views over the city. Of course, even if the Temple had been completely refurbished, it would not have been possible for Servius and Petronius to approach the magnificent and huge statue of Jupiter (known to the Romans as 'Jove').
The one important building that you would have thought that Petronius was particularly interested in visiting was the great amphitheater in Rome (known to us as the Colosseum, but known to the Romans as the Amphitheatrum Flavium, Flavian Amphitheatre).
The reason that he did not visit it was because it hadn't been built at the time of his visit.
Construction began under the emperor Vespasian in AD 72, and was completed in AD 80 under his successor, and heir Titus (who, we may tell you, without giving too much of the plot away, we will be meeting later).
It should be noted that very many modern stories, and particularly films (Quo Vadis, Demetrius and the Gladiators etc), feature a huge amphitheater modeled on the Amphitheatrum Flaviumm probably because most people immediately imagine all gladiatorial contests to take place in such buildings. The largest amphitheater at the time of our story, however, was the amphitheater (Spectacula) at Pompeii, very accurately reconstructed for the 2014 film Pompeii. Gracchus' amphitheater was considerably smaller, but as it was privately owned and operated for a profit, it was far more opulent. In 59 AD, a deadly brawl occurred between Pompeians and residents of Nuceria during Games in the amphitheatre, resulting in a 10-year ban on such events until 69 AD. This explains why Gracchus was so keen on improving the facilities at his Amphitheater in Baiae at the time of Servius' and Petronius' visit to Rome (70 AD), however, ten years later the Amphitheater in Pompeii was completely destroyed in the 79 AD eruption of Vesuvius.
At this point Servius and Petronius decided that enough was enough, and asked Demetrios to take them to a good thermopolium where they could get a nice midday meal, and some fine wine. Demetrios guided the coachman to a suitable establishment, leaving the coachman to take the horses to a nearby taberna, for his own lunch, and for water and a 'rub-down' for the horses. Servius, Petronius and Demetrios then went to the pleasant thermopolium for a good lunch and a talk.
Menelaus had told Petronius and Servius that, unusually, Demetrius had actually been bought personally by Gracchus, about three years previously, on a visit to Athens (which later proved to be not true). Gracchus usually left the buying of slaves to Terentius (at Neapolis or Brundisium) or to Menelaus (at Ostia).
Demetrios, Menelaus maintained, was originally from Corinth (also not true), and was another one of those 'educated' Greek slaves, speaking both Greek and Latin.
In many ways Demetrios seemed to Petronius to be a precursor of Marcus; attractive, educated, bilingual and blonde, but for some odd reason Gracchus had kept him in Rome and that should have aroused Petronius' suspicions.
It was obvious to Petronius that Servius 'took a shine' to the slim, well spoken blonde lad, which worried Petronius as, although Demetrios did not live at the Villa in Baiae, he was obviously a favourite of Gracchus.
"Domini, now that you have come to the end of your meal, would you like to go to the workshop of Timotheus to collect the pugio for the iuvenis dominus, Marcus?" Demetrios asked.
"That's a good idea, Demetrius!" Servius replied, cheerily, (using the Latin version of the boy's name) and patting the lad on the back in an avuncular fashion.
Demetrios rode on ahead, to warn Timotheus that his masters were coming, while the coachman struggled to drive the carriage through the crowded streets.
Periculosa Admissio
A Dangerous Admission
"That Demetrios is a fine looking boy!" Servius said to Petronius, trying to sound casual.
"Yes, and smart!" Petronius agreed.
"I think… when we get back to the Domus, I will invite him up to my suite after our meal," Servius continued carefully.
"And to what purpose?" Petronius asked, innocently.
"Well…to fuck him of course!" Servius replied, with a grin.
"Are you crazy?" Petronius blurted out, amazed. "He's Gracchus' boy! One of his favourites! Just because he's not in Baiae doesn't mean that Gracchus won't find out!" Petronius continued.
"And if he does. What might he do? I fucked Marcus a number of times, on the beach near the villa, when he was a slave. Gracchus knew. Told me he knew. Did nothing, and made me his tribune!" Servius unwisely boasted.
Petronius looked out of the carriage, not wanting Servius to see the look of vicious cold anger on his face.
"Let's hear no more about this," Petronius said, needing time to absorb what he had been told. "Anyway, I've got no personal slaves, like a 'bed-boy', and I think that Gracchus might sell me or even give me Demetrios, if I ask him nicely enough."
The remainder of the carriage drive passed in silence.
Donum
A Gift
After battling his way through the crowds and the traffic, the coachman stopped outside a very ordinary looking shop, in a very ordinary looking street. Demetrios, who had dismounted, handed the reigns of his horse to the coachman, and opened the carriage door for Servius and Petronius.
"This is the shop of Timotheus!" Demetrius announced, grandly.
They entered, to be greeted by a middle aged Greek shopkeeper.
"These are the guests of our Dominus Gracchus. They have come to collect the pugio that was ordered by Terentius for the son of the Dominus," Demetrios explained to Timotheus.
"One moment, gentlemen!" Timotheus said politely, and disappeared into the back of the shop.
He returned, moments later, with a beautiful ebony box. He placed it on the counter and took out a glittering pugio.
"I think that this is what Terentius ordered?" he said quizzically.
Servius and Petronius gasped, and Servius unrolled the small scroll, containing the design of the artist from Neapolis.
"It's perfect!" Servius declared, as he compared the design to the finished work.
Timotheus then placed the pugio in the ebony box, which he now left open, alongside the equally beautiful scabbard.
"It is magnificent!" Petronius said, picking up the scabbard.
"And how much did the Dominus agree to pay for this pugio?" Servius asked, suddenly becoming more businesslike.
 "There is no payment due, sir. This pugio is a gift from a number of 'clients' of the Dominus, here in Rome, to commemorate the recovery of his adopted son, Marcus, and is offered, humbly, to the Dominus, with our best wishes.
"Also, gentlemen," Timotheus continued, "the Dominus ordered two items of body armour, which you may take now, if you wish, however, I am afraid that, as these are normal items of trade, some payment will have to be made."
"Well, let us see them," Servius demanded, seeming a little put out at having to buy something that he had not been told about before.
Then a young assistant of Timotheus brought into the shop two superb examples of 'cuirasse esthétique'
In classical antiquity, the cuirasse esthétique or heroic cuirass is a type of body armor cast to fit the wearer's torso, and designed to mimic an idealized human physique. It first appears in late Archaic Greece. It is commonly depicted in Greek and Roman art, where it is worn by generals, emperors, and deities during periods when soldiers used other types. In Roman sculpture, the 'muscle cuirass' is often highly ornamented with mythological scenes. The anatomy of muscle cuirasses intended for use might be either realistic, or reduced to an abstract design; the fantastically illustrated cuirasses worn by gods and emperors in Roman statues usually incorporate realistic nipples and navel within the scene depicted.
The question that exercised Servius' mind was 'for whom had these two fine items of armour been made?' Only two people at the villa wore armour, himself as Gracchus' Tribune and Marcus as Gracchus' heir. Or perhaps they had been made to be gifts to some exalted personage known to Gracchus.
Regardless, he told Demetrios to load the pieces into the carriage and wait for him. Respectfully, Timotheus handed a small piece of parchment to Servius.
"This was the agreed price made between myself and Terentius on behalf of dominus Gracchus," he said quietly.
"This is a very great sum!" Servius said, raising his eyebrows.
"They are of the very finest materials and workmanship," Timotheus replied, "equal to the armor that we make for our beloved Emperor Vespasian, and his son, the noble Titus."
As there was no answer to that statement, and Servius, rather reluctantly paid the required amount.
Bene factum
A Deed Well Done?
On their return to the Domus Gracchi Petronius went up to his suite to think things out.
Some thoughts… 'If it was true that Servius had sex with Marcus, when he was the slave-boy Markos, then that was strictly against Gracchus' orders. While it was permitted for an adult Roman citizen to have sex with a slave, it was only acceptable if the owner of the slave had given permission and Gracchus had not given permission, (in Roman Law a slave was 'property', and it was not permissible for any person [free or slave] to use another's free person's' property without permission). So how was it that Servius subsequently was given the high position of Tribune to Gracchus with a small villa in Baiae, and a large salary.
And then there was the matter of Servius' failure to protect Marcus at his 'Coming of Age' Convivium, and the fact that he was unable, or unwilling to prevent Cleon escaping from the Villa, and the fact that he never had Glykon's dormitory searched plus his inability to get much information from Petram and Glykon. The oddest thing about all of this was that Servius now felt that Gracchus should either give, or sell him Demetrius, and was planning to use the boy for sex, while he was in Rome, in the same way that he had used Markos.'
Petronius was uncertain as to what to do.
Should he discuss his thoughts with Marcus or even Gracchus, or would it be better to leave those directly involved to work things out themselves.
Later, that night, Petronius couldn't sleep…
Before retiring, however, Servius and Petronius had an evening meal with Menelaus in one of the smaller triclinia. Towards the end of the meal a slave-boy entered the triclinium, carrying a very small box and a purse, which he gave to Menelaus.
"This, gentlemen, marks the end of your task!" Menelaus said, curtly dismissing the slave-boy.
He gave the box to Servius. Servius opened the box, to see the glitter of gold.
"The seal ring of Marcus Sabinus!" Menelaus announced, grandly, "cut from the man's finger earlier this evening."
"Please give it to Dominus Gracchus, along with this!" and Menelaus handed Servius the purse, heavy with gold coins.
"Many thanks!" Servius said taking the box and the purse.
"My Master will be well pleased!" Servius added.
"I think that it will be Petronius' master who will be well pleased!" Menelaus said, carefully, very well aware of which way the wind was blowing.
Servius scowled, and there was an awkward, cold silence in the room.
"And the body of Sabinus, and his assassin?" Petronius asked, breaking the silence.
"In the Cloaca Maxima, weighted with lead, cut up and unrecognizable, and probably by now in the Tiber," Menelaus replied, smiling grimly.
Petronius nodded, but to Petronius it all seemed a little to simple and easy and he knew why…
How he knew is another matter.
At that point, sensing the difficult atmosphere in the room, Petronius decided to retire to his suite.
"I am sorry, Menelaus but I must now retire. Please do not be offended, it was a fine meal…and I am also grateful for the news that you gave us about our main task, but tomorrow there will be a lot of travelling, and I want to wake up fresh and rested."
"Of course," Menelaus replied. "I have enjoyed your esteemed company."
With that, Petronius left the triclinium.
"Now that Petronius has left us, I have a matter that I would like to discuss with you," Servius began.
"Go on," Menelaus replied, seemingly intrigued.
"The young slave-boy, Demetrios, who accompanied us today interests me. At present I only have a few household slaves to clean, wash and cook for me, but I need a young man as a personal slave… I'm sure you understand," Servius continued in a rather embarrased tone.
"I see," Menelaus replied,waiting for the inevitable.
"So, I thought that I might be able to take him with me, back to the villa at Baiae, so that I could ask the Dominus, Gracchus, to sell me the lad," Servius said.
Menelaus sucked in his breath, with his eyes looking up to the ceiling.
"Knowing that he is one of the slaves of the Dominus, from an excellent establishment, and well trained, I thought he would be ideal as a personal slave and as I am Tribune to the Dominus I thought that I could, perhaps, make a reasonable deal with the Dominus," Servius prattled on, doing little to help his position.
"Tribune Servius," Menelaus said quite seriously, "I could not give permission for this proposal. The slaves at the Domus can only be transferred from here to the Villa in Tibur, as I have complete authority over both villas and also the slave's activities in the city and environs of Rome. As for 'making a deal', as you put it, with the Dominus, that is out of the question. Any matters about the selling and purchase of slaves are dealt with by the freedman Terentius, who is my superior. Terentius, in turn, has to receive his instructions from the Dominus. As for this boy, Demetrius, put him out of your mind. Although he is not, at the moment in Baiae, the boy is a particular favourite of the Dominus and is definitely not for sale to anyone, at any price, not even Vespasian, should he show an interest."
"I see," Servius said hesitantly and unsure as to how to pursue the matter.
"And is there any reason why the Dominus favours this boy so much?" Servius rather foolishly asked.
"That I cannot say!" Menelaus replied angrily.
"And that is the end of the matter!" he concluded.
"Then I shall bid you a very good night," Servius replied, taken aback and confused by Menelaus' attitude.
Meanwhile, in Petronius' suite, the Harenae Dominus to the Iuvenis Dominus, was working on scrolls, making plans for the Games to celebrate Marcus' recovery, which he would present to the Iuvenis Dominus as soon as he returned to the villa in Baiae.
The two suites, as mentioned before, were linked by open porticoed terraces, and Petronius was frequently disturbed by the sounds of very vigorous sexual activity coming from Servius' suite.
He could distinguish the voices of both Servius and young Demetrios, and was appalled that Servius could be so foolish as to make his activities to easily overheard, particularly as Menelaus had made it clear that he had eyes and ears everywhere in Rome, Tibur and also Baiae.
Petronius knew that trouble was brewing, possibly as serious as the 'trouble' that has surrounded Marcus' 'coming of age' convivium, but what could he do? He knew where his duty lay, however, to ensure the safety and good name of his young master, Marcus!
'and the story continues – Servius and Petronius return from Rome (via Capua). – Terentius confronts Servius over the presence of Demetrius – (and who is Demetrius?), and investigates the expenses that Servius presents for the visit to Rome.
At the Villa the further renovation to the Amphitheater is almost complete, and Petronius and Marcus work on planning the new Games.
Letters from Rome 'set the cat among the pigeons', and matters take a dark and a brutal turn.
Eventually, Marcus is given the bloodstained new pugio, along with the seal ring of the House of Gracchus by Terentius.
XXVIII. De Libidine, Morte et Apolline
28. Lust, Death and Apollo
Romae Vale
Goodbye to Rome
It was 'the morning after the night before' – at least for Servius.
He and Petronius said their rather formal farewells to Menelaus, who looked far from pleased with his departing guests, or was that just Servius' guilty conscience.
Their horses were waiting at the main entrance, along with a pack-horse that Menelaus had provided, loaded by the slaves of the Domus with the armour for Gracchus, Marcus' pugio, in its carefully packed ebony box, and numerous clothes and sleeping rolls. Demetrius was not there to see them off, which surprised Petronius, after what he had heard happening the night before. And then it was a long ride, beginning at the Forum Romanum, and passing through the Porta Capena, and then out onto the open road to Capua. There was a problem, however. As they reached the Forum Romanum they met Demetrios.
"Good morning, Demetrius!" Servius cried out cheerily. "Get up on the packhorse!"
"What! You must be crazy!" Petronius shouted to Servius.
"You can't bring him with us!"
"It's no problem," Servius replied, deceitfully, "When you left us, last night, I asked Menelaus if we could take him with us back to the villa at Baiae and he said it was no problem." Servius lied, brazenly.
Petronius looked at Servius, disbelieving.
"Well, let's make it clear, his coming with us has nothing to do with me," Petronius said.
They travelled on to Capua in almost complete silence. Arriving in Capua they stayed the night at a high class taberna. Petronius had his own room, while Servius shared a room with Demetrios, which seemed to surprise the inn-keeper. For their time in Capua Petronius kept to himself, wondering all the time what would happen when they reached Baiae.
The following day they resumed their journey.
Perveniens in Baias
Arrival in Baiae
They arrived at the villa in Baiae in the early evening. They arrived quietly at the villa, and all was well until Terentius came to greet them in the main atrium.
"What is this boy doing here?" Terentius questioned incredulously.
"I brought him here because I wanted to buy him from the Dominus," Servius said, as if it was the most natural thing in the world.
"What have you done?" Terentius asked, almost rhetorically.
Terentius turned to one of the atrium slaves. "Send for Nerva! Instantly!" Terentius ordered, obviously very angry.
Petronius was puzzled by Terentius' extreme reaction to the presence of Demetrios in the villa.
"You're a fool, Servius, bringing that boy into the villa," Terentius raged, as a very worried Nerva came into the atrium.
"You know what to do, Nerva. Take him to his room!" Terentius ordered.
"He has a room here?" Petronius asked incredulously.
"Yes, of course! And what is your part in this nonsense, young Petronius?" Terentius asked, being unusually rude to the 'Master of the Arena'.
"I had no part in this, Terentius!" Petronius answered sharply. "And now may I go and see my own master, the Iuvenis Dominus, Marcus?" Petronius asked, pointedly indicating that he was not a slave of Gracchus.
"Yes, of course. And come and speak to me later, when the Iuvenis Dominus gives you leave," Terentius replied, more calmly, obviously trying to placate Petronius.
"As for you, Servius, on no account are you to meet with, or speak to the slave Demetrios until you have been interviewed by the Dominus! I that understood?" Terentius ordered.
"Yes, but I don't understand what the problem is," Servius pleaded.
"Explaining the problem is up to the Dominus, and you must wait until he has time to speak to you," Terentius replied, obviously wearying of the whole matter.
Cupida Reconciliatio
Fond Reunion
Petronius left the large atrium, puzzled and hurt. If there was a problem between Terentius and Servius he couldn't see why he should be involved. So he mounted the marble stairs, and made his way up to the Marcus' private apartments. The door-keepers greeted him and, relieved to see his return, immediately opened the large bronze doors leading into Marcus' atrium. Petronius was instantly greeted by young Adonios, looking even more handsome than usual.
"Greetings Petronius! My Dominus will be so glad to see you and I too am so happy to have you back in the villa once more!" Adonios said enthusiastically.
"Thank you Adonios!" Petronius replied. "And where is the Iuvenis Dominus?" Petronius asked.
Marcus is at the Amphitheater," Adonios replied. "Every day, while you have been away, he has been there, supervising the building work and exercising the gladiators and wrestlers. He wants everything to be right for your return," Adonios continued.
"Well, we'd better go and see him!" Petronius suggested.
Petronius called for slaves to make ready two horses, and then Petronius and Adonios gallopped off to the town of Baiae, and the Amphitheater.
When Petronius arrived the amphitheater looked like a building site, with work underway on the new Propylaeum for the pompa and, quite unexpectedly an enlargement of the Pulvinar (what had previously been known as the Editor's Box, but had now been upgraded).
And there, in the centre of the arena stood Marcus (the Iuvenis Dominus), looking oddly taller, but perhaps that was because he was thinner (having lost a lot of weight while he was unwell), and far more the young man (after all, he had 'come of age' and was 18 years old), rather than the boy.
And beside him was twelve year old Aurarius (the new golden boy), now his good young friend, and constant companion in the arena.
And before them was a row of young gladiators, stripped down to loincloths, and carrying practice swords and shields, and about to start training.
Many ludi (Gladiator training Schools) used wooden practice swords, but at the Ludus Gracchi the 'practice' swords and shields were of metal and of equal weight and balance to the equipment used in actual combat. The only difference was that the 'practice' swords were blunted, both along the blade, and at the tip. Gracchus had always insisted on this as, regardless of the fact that a metal 'practice' sword could inflict quite serious injuries, it was essential that the fighters developed a feel and a technique commensurable to the actual weapon they would handle and fight with in real combat.
As soon as the gladiators saw Petronius stride across the sand, they all bowed in deference to the Dominus Harenae, and Petronius raised his right hand in recognition. He then went over to Marcus, went down on one knee, and and kissed the seal ring (not yet the seal ring of the house of Gracchus, which only Gracchus wore) on Marcus' right hand.
All the gladiators, in recognition, struck their shields with their swords (as a form of applause), the noise instantly attracting the attention of the slaves working on the building projects in the arena.
Petronius then went over and shook hands with Aurarius, greeting him warmly.
"I see that you have taken over my work!" Petronius said to Marcus, with a cheeky grin. "Perhaps I am no longer needed here, and you should sell me," he concluded, in mock sorrow.
"When you are no longer needed," Marcus said, now strangely serious, "The Gods will fall from their thrones on Olympus, and the sun will no longer rise."
"Yes, well, I was only joking," Petronius said, obviously highly embarrassed.
"Well I wasn't," Marcus replied, as he gave the order for the gladiators to start their training routines.
The boy has undoubtedly changed, possibly as a result of his illness, and that strange dream, Petronius thought.
"So… how was Rome?" Marcus asked casually, apparently back to normal.
"Noisy and very crowded, but the buildings are beautiful," Petronius replied.
"Did you know that I was born there? But I was so young when I left, that I have no memories of it."
"I didn't know that, but we must soon go there, together," Petronius replied.
And he wished they could go very soon, for he had dark foreboding about what might happen at the villa in the near future. So Petronius and Adonios (who, unlike most boys, was not very interested in gladiators), stayed and idly watched the trainees going through their paces.
"Well, Iuvenis Dominus, I must leave you, and go to speak to Terentius," Petronius said
Officially Terentius was the Lanista of the Ludus Gracchi, although this was only one of his many functions. Such a position was normally only open to freedmen, as it of a low social standing. However, 'low social standing' in this case means a person who is not a patrician, aristocrat or noble. For this reason neither Gracchus nor Marcus were considered to be Lanistae, (they would have been insulted if they had been called one) although when he inherited, Marcus would be the owner of all the slaves in the Ludus, gladiators, wrestlers and boxers, and all ancillary staff. Dominus Harenae was a special title, (held by Petronius), similar to Doctor, but of far higher social standing, although still restricted to a slave. This role was not restricted to training gladiators (as a Doctor was), but included the planning and organising of Games, and the control of all arena slaves in conjunction with the Dominus, or in this case, the Iuvenis Dominus, Marcus.
Narratio Longa
A Long Story
Petronius left Adonios with Marcus and Aurarius, mounted up, and galloped off to the villa. On arriving at the villa, Petronius handed his horse to a servus equorum (a slave who specialised in looking after the horses), and went straight to Terentius' study.
"Thank you for coming to see me, Petronius!" Terentius began, trying to be polite and friendly.
"I think that I may have upset you earlier today, but I was very 'taken aback' when I saw the boy Demetrios with you and Servius," Terentius explained.
"Well, may I say first that Demetrios was not with me, he was with Servius, and I have nothing to do with the boy being here!" Petronius said forcefully. "But what interests me is how you know Demetrios, as I have never seen him in the villa. Or perhaps you met him in Rome? But that doesn't explain how he comes to have his own room here," Petronius continued, trying to force Terentius to give some believable explanation.
"Now you begin to ask questions that I find very hard to answer," Terentius said weakly.
"Yes, I know the boy, have known him even before you became a slave of the Dominus," Terentius began. "Demetrios has spent most of his young life in Rome, in the Domus Gracchi, and at Tibur. However, he has a room here in Baiae, a room at the villa at Tibur, and a room in the Domus Gracchi in Rome," Terentius explained.
"And why does a simple slave have a room in all theses places?" Petronius asked, unable to understand what Terentius was telling him.
"That is a long and difficult story," Terentius said, looking truly weary.
"It is difficult for me to explain as you are now a slave of the Iuvenis Dominus, and owe him your loyalty and strictly speaking you owe no loyalty to the Dominus. We have now two households, with two masters. Of course by Ius Civile (Roman Law) all in this house come under the rule and authority of the Dominus, what I am talking about is loyalty, which is not covered by law. I am loyal to the Dominus, but also to his heir, Marcus, your loyalty now, I think, is divided," Terentius spoke slowly and carefully.
"That is not so, Terentius! My loyalty is always with the Dominus before all others, even Marcus, the Dominus is like a father to me, but second to the Dominus come my master, Marcus." Petronius answered firmly.
"That is strange!" Terentius said, with a faraway look in his eye, "because so many of these matters are about fathers and sons."
There was a sudden coldness in the pit of Petronius' stomach.
"I think that you are going to tell me something that I do not want to know," Petronius said, shaking his head.
"Yes, and I think that you may have guessed it," Terentius replied.
"To explain the matter I must first go back many, many years," Terentius began, settling back in his chair.
"As you well know, the Dominus was married to a most beautiful woman. Everyone who met her fell in love with the Domina. They were very happy, but there was one problem. She could not give him any children. They travelled the Empire seeking the help of physicians, and even those who dealt in the arts of magic, but to no avail. Slowly a wall came between them, because the Dominus dearly wanted a son. In the end they wouldn't even speak to one another, and the Domina retreated to the villa at Tibur. Dominus was till quite a young man, and there were, at that time, many beautiful young slave-girls at the villa here at Baiae, and the house in Rome, unlike now where all the slaves are boys or young men. One particular girl took the fancy of our Dominus, probably because she strongly resembled the Domina. Eventually she became pregnant by Dominus, and gave birth to a baby boy in the Domus Gracchi, in Rome."
"And that was Demetrios," Petronius interjected.
"Of course," Terentius agreed.
"But Demetrios, by law, was born into slavery. And the Dominus couldn't give the boy his freedom without admitting his connection to the boy, as he hadn't bought, or been given the lad. In addition, the Dominus had his reputation to consider, and foolishly hid the boy away, as yet another slave. Above all he couldn't let the Domina know, as she would probably ruin his reputation in revenge because of his infidelity – infidelity with a slave-girl! He considered having the boy killed, which he couldn't do, as the boy was the son which he had so desperately longed for. Equally he could have had the boy adopted by some good family, but he couldn't bear the thought of his son looking to another as his father. When the boy was about ten, the slave girl, who was his mother died, so the boy only had the Dominus to care for him, but Gracchus was unable to do even that, and Menelaus was given the task of caring for the boy. When the Domina died, quite recently, as you probably know, it may have been easier for Gracchus to accept his son, but by then he had become involved with Marcus. He was able to adopt Marcus, give him his freedom and make him his heir, because he had legally bought Marcus as a slave. There was no dishonor in that. But he was left with the problem of having an illegitimate son, who was born into slavery, whom he could not adopt, as he was already the father, a son to whom he was unable to admit."
"And so he simply left him in the Domus Gracchi in Rome, hoping that no one would ever find out about the boy," Petronius interjected once again.
"Yes," Terentius agreed, dejectedly.
"And now Servius has become infatuated with the boy and may even know the boy's secret," Terentius added. "But how did Servius come to meet Demetrios?" Terentius asked, obviously puzzled.
"Well, Menelaus selected him to be our guide round Rome and we thought that he was just any other slave," Petronius replied.
"Madness! What was Menelaus thinking of?" Terentius said, shaking his head in disbelief. "But Petronius, you must please swear, for the sake of the boy, not to tell anyone about this, particularly Marcus. I have told you this because it has weighed so heavily on me for so many years, that I desperately needed to tell someone," Terentius said with obvious passion.
"Of course, I understand. The lives of a number of people hang by a thread because of what you have said," Petronius replied.
Cogitationes Arcanae
Strange Thoughts
Petronius was still struggling to take in what he had been told.
"And does the boy, this Demetrios, know who his father is?" Petronius asked pertinently.
"I don't really know," Terentius answered, slowly.
"But surely he must have his suspicions. The way he has been treated over the years. And perhaps his mother told him," Petronius continued, obviously exasperated.
"Who knows?" Terentius replied.
"And you have never discussed things with him?" Petronius went on, desperately trying to make sense of the situation.
"To be honest, I avoid the boy as much as possible," Terentius said, candidly.
Petronius shook his head, and paced round the room.
"Now you want me to keep this from Marcus, but when he becomes Dominus he will obviously find out. He will find out because of all the records that Quintus and his scribae (secretaries) so assiduously keep, a well as your correspondence, Menelaus' records and correspondence, and the correspondence of the Dominus and the late Domina, unless you plan to burn all those records, and if you do, Marcus will probably have you executed. And he will find out anyway because of the physical presence of the boy."
"I know, but what am I to do?" Terentius said in despair.
"I think that young Aurarius was right when he told me that he thought that all the people in charge of the villa were a bit crazy!" Petronius said, exasperated.
"He said 'crazy but harmless', but I am beginning to think far from harmless!" Petronius added.
There was a pause, and the two men looked at one another warily.
"Well, my friend, I need to think this matter through carefully and let me know if you plan to do anything, and please don't do anything foolish" (the thought of Terentius' suicide, or some scheme to have the boy Demetrios killed had crossed Petronius' mind.)
"We must speak of this again, soon, but first I must help Marcus plan the new games," Petronius said, hoping to conclude a long and difficult conversation.
"Of course, we must talk again soon," Terentius said hopefuly, as Petronius turned and left the freedman's study.
Terentius sat back in his chair, slightly relieved, but puzzled that he had unburdened himself in such a manner to a mere slave, but then Terentius reminded himself that he had once been a slave, and Petronius, while also being a slave, had a mysterious aura of authority, as exemplified in his statue, posing as the God Apollo.
And a strange thought then crossed Terentius' mind…
No! Impossible! I must be going crazy! but what did Aurarius say? 'Crazy but harmless.' But are we?
Terentius shook himself, and called for Quintus to bring him the financial records of Servius' recent visit to Rome.
Amicitia Rediviva
A Renewed Friendship
Petronius thoughtfully made his way to Marcus' private apartments. Marcus had returned from the Amphitheater with Adonios and Aurarius. Petronius was pleased to see that Marcus' two new personal slaves seemed to be getting on very well, with no sign of the competitive jealousy that had marred the relationships between Marcus' previous slaves. The boys were undressing Marcus in preparation for a bath, to wash off the dust and dirt of the arena.
"Come and bathe with me, and we can talk," Marcus said.
Marcus had a luxurious private bath suite in his apartments, and while Adonios and Aurarius tidied up, and started preparing the evening meal, Petronius and Marcus luxuriated in the warm, scented water of the bath.
For Roman men the bath and bathing was not a private matter. Much of a Roman man's social and business life was conducted at the public baths. For those who were very rich, private bath suites would be installed in their villas or domus, but even when they had private bathing facilities, Roman men rarely bathed alone. Communal bathing was also to be found in very expensive brothels, where clients could indulge themselves with girls or boys in bathing facilities, as Petronius had discovered during his trip to Rome. However, for a master to bathe with a slave was quite unusual, but being probably the most senior slave in the villa, with a special status, an exception was understandable with regard to Petronius, however, slaves and masters did bathe together for sexual purposes, but this did not apply with regard to the relationship between Marcus and Petronius.
"Tell me, Marcus, how much do you know about what happened on the night of your 'coming of age' convivium?" Petronius asked.
"Well, I can't really remember very much, but while you were away the Dominus told me that someone in Rome had bribed Glykon, who, it seems was very jealous of me, to try to kill me. He was instantly caught by you and Servius. It seems that Cleon was involved in some way, and ran away from the villa, and was killed when trying to escape by the villa guards. I was unconscious for so long that I was unable to attend his funeral," Marcus explained.
And so Petronius realised that Marcus had not been told that Cleon had been raped, tortured and mutilated during his interrogation in the woods, and then tied to two trees, and left for dead and Petronius thought that it was just as well that Marcus didn't know.
"Also the slave Petram was involved, as he gave away information when he was in Rome with Nymphidius," Marcus continued to explain.
"That's correct," Petronius agreed, as he tried to bring the conversation to the point where he could discuss with Marcus what was to happen to the two remaining members of the conspiracy to attack Marcus.
"Now the Dominus has told me that Glykon must be executed and this should happen during the next Games."
"Yes," Marcus said, seemingly unfazed by the suggestion.
"And Petram should be allowed to have a last fight as a gladiator, but he will be drugged before the fight, and his gladius blunted, to ensure that he loses, and is killed," Petronius proposed.
"Or…we could finally stage the Trojan tableaux, and have Petram as Patroclus, so he gets fucked first by a slave playing the part of Achilles, and then he can be killed in combat by the gladiators playing Trojans," Marcus added, enthusiastically.
"And… Glykon can be one of the Trojan captives sacrificed at the Games for Patroclus, 'Games within Games'," Petronius concluded.
"So I think that we need to have a word with Aristarchos and Lucius (in case you have forgotten, Aristarchos is Marcus' Greek tutor, and Lucius is Marcus' Latin tutor) to check up on the Homer, and have some lines in Latin to explain to the audience about what is happening," Marcus said, getting out of the bath.
"And tomorrow, if you are not busy, we could select our Trojan warriors, and the condemned slaves who are to be the Trojan captives," Petronius suggested, following Marcus out of the bath.
"Yes…that would be good… and we need a backdrop… like a tent, and a couch for Achilles and Patroclus before the combat starts, so we need to order something from Neapolis," Marcus said, not bothering to call Adonios, but drying himself off.
Those born as patricians or aristocrats never thought of doing anything for themselves, always relying on slaves, but Marcus, having been a slave, would normally dress, and wash himself, and even go and get his own food or wine, and this endeared him to Adonios and Aurarius, and the slaves in the amphitheater.
"And when are the Games scheduled?" Petronius asked.
"That depends on the building work, but very soon, so once the work has been completed we must go the the Dominus and seek his permission to set a date." Marcus said, slipping on a loose tunic and making his way to the atrium.
"Now I must go to have my meal with the Dominus, but you may stay here, as Adonios and Aurarius will look after you. They are preparing a meal for themselves, and you are welcome to join them," Marcus said to Petronius.
"And please give my greeting to the Dominus, and apologise to him, for me, that I have not seen him yet," Petronius said.
Cena cum Dominum
A Meal with the Master
The large bronze doors of Gracchus' triclinium were opened noiselessly, and Marcus entered. Gracchus stretched out his right hand, and Marcus dutifully kissed the massive seal ring of the House of Gracchus.
"My boy… how are you today?" Gracchus said gently, smiling.
"Well, sir… and yourself?
Gracchus sat down slowly on his couch.
"Well, but worried," Gracchus replied.
"Wait until the slaves have finished, and then we can talk," Gracchus said, watching the slave-boys placing the various dishes of food on the marble topped tables.
"Are you finished?" Gracchus then said, rather gruffly, to the senior slave.
"Yes Dominus! I apologize for the delay," the boy said nervously.
"Then go!" Gracchus said.
The slaves bowed, and hurriedly left, realizing that their master was not in the best of moods.
"I have much difficulty in trusting my slaves since young Cleon betrayed us and also Glykon," Gracchus said ruefully.
"Those who are still alive shall be punished. Petronius and I have been working on the new Games and the form of execution that shall be used for Petram and Glykon," Marcus explained
"Good, but I don't want to know about it. I am a true Roman, and the shedding of blood is no problem to me, but, after Cleon, it is difficult to contemplate," Gracchus said, obviously moved.
"I know you were fond of Cleon, and so was I, but he must have known what would happen to him if he ran away," Marcus said.
"Well, my boy, I think that you are becoming more Roman that I am. And that's not a bad thing. The future, even though we now have a good, strong Emperor, may still be difficult, and I can see in the future there will be many hard decisions for you to take, so you must be strong, and at times hard and brutal."
"I understand, sir," Marcus replied.
"I do hope so, but now let's eat while the food is still hot!" and in a fatherly way Gracchus poured some wine into Marcus' gold goblet.
"I must tell you now that Petronius sends his deep apologies for not having seen you since his return from Rome. He has been busily concerned with the planning for the new Games," Marcus said.
"That is no problem," Gracchus replied, "But it is that trip to Rome that worries me."
Cogitationes Obstupescentes
Unsettling Thoughts
While Marcus was dining with Gracchus, Petronius was sharing a meal with Adonios and Aurarius. The two 15 and 12 year old boys chatted away, but softly, and they did not attempt to bring Petronius into the conversation. They could see that he was preoccupied, and out of the great respect they had for him, they talked quietly, and left him to his thoughts.
Petronius was thinking back to the trip to Rome, and his first meeting with Demetrios. The first thing that troubled him was why Menelaus had chosen Demetrios as their guide, considering the boy's problematic history and position? Also, Menelaus had said that Demetrios had actually been bought personally by Gracchus, about three years previously, on a visit to Athens, and that Demetrius had originally come from Corinth. If Terentius was telling the truth, then Menelaus was lying, but in the circumstances that was understandable.
Then there was the question of Demetrios managing to get out of the Domus to be waiting for Servius at the Forum Roman. Seemingly Demetrios wanted to go with Servius to the villa at Baiae. although he must have realised that his presence there would be unwelcome, and that Gracchus would not be prepared to give or sell the him to Servius.
Servius, of course, had almost certainly lied when he said that Menelaus had given permission for him to take Demetrios to Baiae.
There was also the question of whether Demetrios knew about Marcus, perhaps Servius had told him.
And there was also the problem of the possibility of the boy having some sort of plan to regain his inheritance and maybe Servius was a partner in such a plan.
Going back to the beginning, Petronius was also puzzled about Gracchus' reaction to the birth of Demetrios. The master of a Roman household was free to have sex with any of his slaves, as in Roman Law slaves were property and not persons. The result was that there were many unwanted pregnancies, and illegitimate children. This is one reason why so many wealthy Roman men prefered sex with boys, rather than sex with girls.
Unwanted babies, born into slavery, were the property of the master of the house, and he could dispose of them as he wished. He could bring them up in the household, as slaves, but this was unwise, and rarely done, or he could sell them to someone in some distant part of the empire, far enough away never to be a problem.
Unfortunately, the most common solution was to leave them on a public rubbish dump, to die of dehydration and exposure, or the have them suffocated, and dumped into the Cloaca Maxima.
Gracchus had unwisely decided to keep the boy, leading to a trail of complex lies.
According to archaeological evidence, infanticide was a practice that was common throughout the Roman Empire. Mass graves have been found from Israel to England, containing hundreds of bodies of babies that seem to have been otherwise healthy. Evidence suggests that unwanted babies were suffocated shortly after birth. Roman texts refer to infanticide as an accepted practice. (In fact, Rome's foundation myth involves twin boys, Romulus and Remus, who are left to die by their mother, but are saved by wild animals.) It should be noted that in Rome, babies weren't considered fully human upon birth. Instead, they gained humanity over time, first with their naming a few days after birth, and later when they cut teeth and could eat solid food.
At the present time, however, the only person who was really threatened by the existence of the boy was not Gracchus, but Marcus, as the boy Demetrios could claim to be the natural son of Gracchus and, regardless of the fact that his mother was a slave, the boy could make a good case that he was Gracchus' legitimate heir.
But…Terentius didn't want Marcus to be told about Demetrios.
The obvious solution, as far as Petronius could see, was that Demetrios had to die and the sooner the better.
And there the problem lay… until…
Alea Iacta Est
The Die is Cast
Suetonius, attributed by Suetonius to Julius Caesar on January 10, 49 BC as he led his army across the Rubicon river in Northern Italy.
Petronius slept badly that night and so did Terentius.
The following morning Petronius was up early and at the amphitheater, supervising the renovation to the pulvinar, and putting some of the gladiators through their paces.
Terentius had received from an exhausted courier, letters from Rome. Having read them through, he was debating how he was to approach Gracchus on the information that they contained.
Fearfully, Terentius entered Gracchus' study.
"I have correspondence from Rome, Dominus," Terentius said quietly.
"And?" Gracchus asked.
It's about the finances relating to Tribune Servius and 'the boy'," Terentius said, almost in a whisper.
"You mean Demetrios?" Gracchus questioned, obviously exasperated.
"I have to report, Demetrios, that the boy is here in the villa," Terentius said, fearfully.
"What!" Gracchus shouted, more than just exasperated but instead seething with anger.
"How!" Gracchus asked, incredulously.
"Servius brought him, when he returned from Rome, Dominus. He told me and Petronius that Menelaus had given his permission, but Menelaus has sent word from Rome reporting that Demetrios is absent from the Domus, without permission, and is therefore classed as a runaway slave," Terentius stated, trying to be calm, as he could see Gracchus' anger rising.
"What is going on? That fuckin' boy Servius!" Gracchus shouted, bringing his fist down hard on his marble topped table.
"And where is the boy Demetrios now?" Gracchus questioned, trying to calm himself.
"Locked in his room, and guarded. Dominus," Terentius replied.
"And has Marcus seen him? Gracchus asked.
"I truly don't know, Dominus," Terentius replied nervously.
"You don't know?" Gracchus shouted, mimicking Terentius.
"He must not know about the boy, under any circumstances and make arrangements for the boy to be taken back to Rome as soon as possible," Gracchus continued.
Gracchus sat down heavily on his chair. "And tell me, how did the young fool Servius come to meet the boy?" Gracchus asked, still seething.
"This is where there is a problem," Terentius began.
Gracchus raised his eyes to the heavens, expecting even more trouble.
"It seems, according to Petronius, that Menelaus selected the boy to guide Sevius and Petronius round Rome," Terentius explained.
"By the Gods, first my Tribune, then my senior freedman in Rome!… I'm surrounded by fuckin' fools! And all because of the boy. Get rid of him, Terentius,… I don't care how you do it… get rid of him!" Gracchus shouted hysterically, almost sobbing.
"Calm yourself, Dominus. You are not yourself this morning, so I will ignore your last order, and simply send the boy back to Rome, when transport and a chaperone is available," Terentius said gently, trying to calm the situation.
"You are right, Terentius, but I must do something about Servius. I should have realised when I got reports that he was fucking Marcus, when Marcus was still a slave, that he had a real problem with boys… and then he was unable to protect Marcus at the convivium, and allowed Cleon to escape, and didn't search Glykon's dormitory and now he's trying to filch money off me. He is useless as a Tribune, and can't be trusted, so I will dismiss him. So, Terentius, get Quintus to draw up papers for dismissal, and papers ending his lease on his villa in Baiae, and I will serve the papers, and dismiss him, when I speak to him tonight." Gracchus said, slowly calming down.
"Yes, Dominus, immediately!" Terentius replied, and managed to get out of the study with no more problems.
The question, however, on Terentius' mind was, who was to be the new tribune, as, until one was appointed, those duties would fall to him. The ideal person for the job would have been Petronius, but the tribune would have to be at least a freedman, and preferably a Roman citizen, and preferably an eques.
The Equites (singular eques) constituted the lower of the two aristocratic classes of ancient Rome, ranking below the patricians (patricii). A member of the equestrian order was known as an eques. During the Principate, equites filled the senior administrative and military posts of the imperial government. Equites bore the title Eques Romanus, were entitled to wear an anulus aureus (gold ring) on their left hand, and enjoyed privileged seats at Games and public functions. Augustus' legislation permitted any Roman citizen who was assessed in an official census as meeting the property requirement of 100,000 denarii to use the title of eques.
The day passed easily after Gracchus' outburst, with Terentius and Quintus preparing the papers for Servius' dismissal, and Petronius, later joined by Marcus, working at the amphitheater.
Servius was, apparently, sulking in his own small villa on the outskirts of Baiae, as he had been deprived of any contact with Demetrios, and Demetrios was locked up, apparently out of harm's way, in a cubiculum in a disused wing of Gracchus' villa.
The day wore on, and as evening came, ominous dark clouds swept in from the west, and the wind rose. Seeing the possibility of a storm, Marcus dismissed everyone from the amphitheater, and for the day the construction and refurbishment stopped, but it wasn't a problem as they were well on schedule, thanks to Marcus' dedicated work. Marcus and Petronius rode back to the villa as the first drops of rain fell.
At the villa Adonios and Aurarius were waiting to hand the horses over to a couple of servi equorum, and then escort their master, Marcus, to his apartments.
As Petronius had a separate apartment, next door to Marcus' spacious and luxurious accomodation, they said their goodnights in the corridor.
Marcus went out onto the balcony, and then down the steps to his private garden, watching the darkening clouds gather.
Meanwhile, Petronius lay on his bed in his apartment, unable to stop thinking about the seemingly intractable problem between Marcus, Demetrios, Servius and Gracchus.
Suddenly there was a flash of light, and an ominous peal of thunder.
Now most Romans were highly superstitious, including Gracchus.
Marcus, who considered himself an educated, rational (we would say 'modern', but the word hadn't been invented at the time of our story) boy, was not a strong believer in signs from the Gods, despite the prophecies of the Sybil.
The thunder and lightning startled him, momentarily, but he did not allow it to overly affect him.
The Romans called signs from the Gods auspices. There were five different types of auspices. Of these, the last three formed no part of the ancient auspices. Ex caelo [from the sky]: This auspice involved the observation of thunder and lightning, and was often seen as the most important auspice. Whenever an augur reported that Jupiter had sent down thunder and lightning, no comitia (a gathering deemed to represent the entire Roman population) could be held. Ex avibus [from birds]: Though auspices were typically bird signs, not all birds in the sky were seen as symbols of the will of the Gods. Owls and Eagles were particularly significant birds
In addition there was Ex tripudiis [from the 'dance' (of birds feeding)], Ex quadrupedibus [from quadrupeds], and Ex dīrīs [from portents]: This category of auspices represented every other event or occurrence which could result in an auspice which does not fit into the above categories. Often actions of sneezing, stumbling, and other slightly abnormal events could be taken as a sign from the Gods to be interpreted. The interpretation of auguries originated with the Etruscans, and Novius was an expert in such matters.
Meanwhile, back in Gracchus' study, the Dominus had called for a rider to take a message to Servius' private villa in Baiae, summoning Servius to his study, despite the rain and the storm. Some time later and rather bedraggled Servius was given entry through the huge bronze doors into Gracchus' presence.
Conventus Alienus
Strange Meeting
However, the skies suddenly cleared, and the dark heavens glittered with a thousand stars. Marcus, sensing the change, stepped out into his private garden. He saw, partly hidden by the columns of the peristylium, a figure that he took to be Petronius, but carrying a bow and arrows, which Marcus thought was strange.
"Petronius?" Marcus called out.
"So what are you doing, young Marcus, out so late, on a night like this? This, Marcus, is a night to remember and a dangerous night, when Thanatos hides in the shadows, and deadly arrows fly. Athena's owl has taken flight, so take care! Remember
Deus veniet cito!"
the figure said, turning and releasing an arrow towards the main building of the villa.
As the glittering arrow took its course, the young man's outline faded, but Marcus caught sight of another figure, dark and ominous, and yet at the same time beautiful, hiding in the shadows at the far end of the garden, but as Marcus approached the figure, it too faded like the drifting smoke of incense.
Marcus became frightened. He knew that something terrible was about to happen. He ran back to his apartments, calling for Petronius.
Meanwhile in Gracchus' study…
"Tribune Servius!" Gracchus began, absentmindedly handling Marcus' new pugio, which he had been previously examining.
"I have called you here, tonight, because I am not satisfied with your recent behaviour. After the debacle at the convivium for Marcus' 'coming of age' you offered me your resignation and I was foolish not to take it then and there. Subsequently I learned that you had failed to prevent the escape of Cleon, or organise his recapture, which was left to Terentius, and then Novius discovered that you had not even searched Glykon's dormitory, after Marcus had been attacked.
"Now, today, I receive communications from Rome telling me that you abducted one of my slaves, and lied to both Terentius and Petronius about the matter, and finally Quintus informs me that there are anomalies in the financial records regarding this pugio."
Gracchus held up the pugio, pointing it at Servius.
"And it seems that you want to buy the boy Demetrios, and that's why you stole money," Gracchus continued, raising his voice.
"Well, Tribune Servius… That boy you want to buy is my son!" Gracchus shouted.
Servius, incredulous and losing his temper, lunged forward, to get as close to Gracchus as he could.
"You're crazy! That boy is a mere slave! No more than that upstart slave Marcus or your 'fancy slave-boy' Petronius, who you would believe rather the myself, a Roman citizen!"
Gracchus grabbed hold of Servius.
"As I said to Glykon, when Marcus was attacked, Marcus is as free-born as I am, and anyone who says otherwise will pay dearly for such a lie with his life! So, Tribune Servius, you have signed your own death warrant!"
They tussled for a moment, and then Gracchus slumped over over the marble topped table, with dark blood staining the finely figured stone.
Realizing that no one seemed to be aware of what had happened, Servius left Gracchus' study, ran to the disused wing of the villa, and ordered the guard outside the door of Demetrios' cubiculum to release the boy. The guard, without question, obeyed his Tribune's order. Servius then took Demetrios down to the stables, mounted his horse, sharing his saddle with the boy, and rode off into the starry night with Thanatos stalking after him.
'and the story continues – in LIBER IV
The death of Gnaeus Octavian Gracchus – Enter Glaux! – Marcus inherits – takes his revenge on Servius – but – thanks to Novius – a new conspiracy is also revealed
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Boy Stories
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