Sharpie

Aulus recognised that commanding look; his wife had inherited it from her father (and if Titus had inherited it from her, that would do his son no harm at all!) but met it levelly, with a smile in response to the fond look in the old man's eyes. "We would seem to have little to talk about - Rome is at peace and has been for ten years. I daresay that you still have the same cases coming before the courts today as you heard ten years ago - heirs quarrelling over not getting the silver wine jugs or the villa down in Etruria and the like." It didn't matter where in the Empire you were, the same cases were brought before the magistrates time and time again. The faces and specific details differed but the basic facts remained much the same. "You have no doubt heard of the Augustus' ideas to provide for the orphans of the civil war - I don't know if you were present in the session where that was discussed," he added, and paused to sip at his own wine. It was hardly the best Caecuban or Falernian but it was a far cry from posca. @locutus-sum (The proposal mentioned was in this thread)

Just bought 'The Ides of April' which is the first Flavia Albia book by Lindsey Davis, though not the first Flavia Albia book I've read. If you like the Falco novels, Flavia Albia is the next generation (literally; she's his daughter). Ancient Rome detective novels by an author with a very dry sense of humour. Highly recommended!

"I thank you," Aulus replied. It was kindly meant, and his being elected was by no means certain, even with the promises of support that he had - and some of them from the very highest; Quintus Caesar himself had said he would support Aulus in his candidacy. Aulus led the way from the steps of the Temple of Juno toward one of the quieter, more discreet, of the numerous wine-shops and popinae that were found in the environs of the Forum. It was not one of the lower class of such establishments either. He looked neither to the right nor to the left, merely expecting the crowds to part before him which, for the most part, they did. They were able to take a seat inside, out of the heat, and the proprietor placed a jug of wine and two beakers on the table in short order, pouring a cup for each man before retreating. "So, how are things with you these days?" he asked once they were both settled with little to threaten to disturb them. @locutus-sum

"I daresay we must all seem ancient to you," Aulus said, good-naturedly. He was by no means 'old' but probably seemed at least as old as Rome herself to his son and to Marcus Junius Silanus. There were two, perhaps three, years between Junius Silanus and Titus - having a son on the very cusp of manhood was bound to make anyone feel old. "He retired about sixteen years ago - was it really as long ago as that? -and while he is not still in training, he has not lost his skill. I believe he has been able to keep from getting too rusty because he helps with training some of today's fighters. And his age is balanced by her lack of strength and shortness of reach. She knows how to make it look good, though - she is quite talented at that." Showiness was not something that Aulus could abide in his soldiers, but in the arena it was all that mattered - make it look good and showy to the uneducated masses and they would go home happy even without seeing a death match. @Sara @Atrice @Liv @Chevi

Volusa glanced over he shoulder and realised that the older lady was having a little trouble keeping up with her, so dropped back to a more sedate pace. "No," she said in answer to Antheia's first question. "And yes. That is, they're not all the Lady Claudia's slaves, but yes, they do all live and work here. This is the Emperor's home, our mistress is his niece, or cousin or something, and he has other members of his family who live here too, and it's a big house, so there are a lot of slaves to look after everyone and keep the place looking as Caesar's palace should." She paused, to let the older woman catch up, and then continued, walking more slowly, "There aren't really so many of us - there's me, there's Cynane who's her bodyguard, her ornatrix, her cosmetics slave and Isis who does all the general sort of work in her apartments - and now there's you, as well. It's not so many, not really. And there's the house slaves who come by to run errands or bring messages, that sort of thing, but it's usually the same faces and they don't spend all their time with us." It was probably a lot of information, but Volusa hoped it was relevant and useful information, at least - and she would try to answer whatever questions Antheia had. @locutus-sum

"Late is better than never, and you're twenty-three. It's not like starting a career at thirty-three," Gaius pointed out, though if Lucius kept on stalling, they'd be in this same position in twenty years' time. "Or the legions, if you prefer actually doing something - you can't say marching twenty-five miles in a day isn't active, and there's plenty of ways to be useful as a tribune?" He was beginning to feel that he had lost his brother somehow; he would have to visit Longinus and ask for advice - he felt that somehow Lucius and Longinus might have something in common. If only he had some actual suitable concrete suggestion that his brother might accept! Or even simply just think about instead of dismissing out of hand Well. He hadn't completely dismissed entering a legal career, so that was something, at least. @Chevi

"Light, too - if you can, put it near a window," Davus said. He'd seen plants that had been kept in the dark and pale thin weedy looking things they'd been, though they seemed to improve when left somewhere the sun could see them. Artemon. A nice easy name to remember - Davus was a little surprised that his friend did not seem to boast the tria nomina of a citizen (there was no reason a native Egyptian could not also be a Roman citizen, after all!) but it was also kind of nice that his new friend only had a single name like Davus himself did. "I don't know if you could visit at my master's house," he confessed. "But I do run errands almost every day - someone needs to go shopping for vegetables and things, after all, they don't keep all that long, not really. And, I live on the Esquiline, too - at least, that's where my master's domus is." It would be nice if his friend could visit him at home, but he so rarely had time off (though his master did give deserving slaves a few hours off a week) that any visitor would be more likely to find him doing chores than relaxing. @Liv

"Indeed I am," Gaius said, with a smile. If Lucius was at all discomfited by Tullus and his sister and their presence in the house, that was probably his own fault, though Gaius was glad that Lucius hadn't been doing anything worse than picking apples when he'd met Ovinia Camilla. Though something about the story didn't ring quite right - but he wasn't about to start picking it apart right then and there, not in front of their guests. "I don't currently hold a magistracy, but I hope to be elected aedile next year," he added, not meeting his brother's eye - Lucius' lack of interest in pursuing a suitable political career was something the two brothers very much did not see eye-to-eye over. It wasn't as though Gaius was particularly ambitious, he would climb the ladder as high as he could but if he did not make it to the next rung, well, he would settle for the magistracy and career he had. Much like his mentor Lucius Cassius Longinus, he thought suddenly, though his patron's friend had made it to the dizzying height of Consul - perhaps he should ask Cassius Longinus for an introduction? What point was there in having friends-of-friends in high places if you couldn't actually claim a few minutes of their time to make an acquaintance, after all? "I think the civil war set several political careers back a bit," he added, reaching for some olives to begin the meal as the slaves began bringing dishes in. @Chevi @Sara

"Antheia," Volusa repeated, committing the name to memory - not that that was hard, not when meeting one new person. It would probably be harder for Antheia to remember the names of everyone she was introduced to, of course. The older woman seemed friendly, at least, with a steady calm voice and a Greek accent which was pleasant enough despite the unfamiliar lilt. "Don't worry if you don't remember the way, it's a bit of a rabbit warren at first. Most folks will give directions, you just have to be direct with them to get their attention," she added, breaking off to snap, "Watch where you're going, Nisus, you clumsy great thing!" "Excuse me!" came a cheerful reply, flung over the shoulder of a male slave of a similar age to Volusa, who turned back to Antheia with a shrug. "They don't mean to be rude, they're just... busy all the time. Except when they're not," she said. @locutus-sum

Hi! Could I request a domus for Gaius Vipsanius Roscius and his brother Lucius in the Domi Quirinalis, please?

"Speak with him?" Marcus' voice grew dry. "You are aware he can't talk, of course?" He smiled. "But as much as we can communicate, I will." He grew serious again. "There's something else I wanted to talk with you about, other than Azarion. I've watched you with him - he's made great improvements since the first time I took him round the circus in a chariot, and I think you have great potential to be a trainer, if you want the role." Marcus took pride in selecting the best people for the jobs he required, whether slave or free, and he would not force anyone into something they hated - to put someone into a role they hated would be to run the risk of that person sabotaging things whether accidentally by neglect or deliberately by their actions, and that could potentially lead to injury or death. Much better to have people happy in what they did, after all. @Járnviðr

"Let's face it, Lucius, we both know I would rather you did take an interest in the cursus... and we both know you'd rather do anything else at all. Why not save us both the agony? Becoming a lawyer would be at least an honourable way for you to make a living - considering you're a patrician and all, I mean. Not that there's anything dishonourable about earning a living any other way, but there are certain expectations for people of our rank, especially if you don't want to be the subject of gossip and graffiti all over Rome." He didn't want his brother to be miserable for the rest of his life, but nor did he want to find people talking about them - either of them - behind their backs or when they thought that Gaius couldn't hear them. Presumably Lucius didn't care either way, but he might show at least some concern. "You can't do nothing all your life, Lucius. What do you want to do?" @Chevi

My favourite nephew, Uncle Secundus had called him. Whatever he thought about his uncle, that simple acknowledgement helped settle Teutus' conflicting emotions about this whole thing. And if he could help his cousin to a good marriage with the Senator - not that there was really anything for Teutus to offer that his father and uncle couldn't, seeing as they were both older than him and had the power over the family and its relations with the other leading families in Rome. He returned the Senator's grin with a smile of his own. The family politics of gens Quinctilia were probably not at all the sort of thing that Cassius Longinus wanted to get embroiled in, of course. He seemed a nice enough sort of person - even on such short acquaintance, Teutus couldn't help wishing that his father were more like their host. Perhaps the inner politics of his own family wouldn't be so damaging to the family members then! He didn't really have anything to add to the conversation and was content to remain silent, sipping at his wine (it was good, though he did think Aunt Livia had overstated things somewhat, comparing it to Falernian so favourably) and listening to everyone else jostle for attention. @Atrice @Liv @Járnviðr @Sara

He had never really considered things that way, but she was right. He suddenly felt regret that they had started off on the wrong foot, that he probably was right that her father would refuse to countenance a wedding between them (even on such slim acquaintance!). "You have a more optimistic outlook than I do," he confessed. "I hadn't thought of that but... you're right. And thank you for pointing it out. I'm sorry it's not like that for you." And he was, truly sorry. Seeing Ovinia Camilla and the narrowness of her life even compared to his own made him think of Antonia Varia and what it would be like for her as she grew up, with the same weight of her father's expectations to marry well. "I don't have a domus, not yet - maybe when I'm a rich merchant grown fat on the proceeds of the business. But right now, I have rooms in an insula on the Esquiline while I make my mark on the world. Maybe it isn't very much, but it is mine." @Sara

"I don't know, I've never tried," Davus replied, and shrugged. "It couldn't hurt to try, could it? Maybe if it isn't completely dried, it might revive and grow again." He wondered at his new friend's sudden interest in gardening. "I'm Davus," he said in reply to the other's query. He was sure he hadn't offered his name, but it had been a polite enough query and it couldn't hurt for his new friend to know it. "I don't think you told me your name, either." Whatever else his new friend was, he didn't mind flattering people. Davus had never considered himself to be smart, not really; he knew enough to be able to stay out of trouble, but he was never going to suddenly find himself promoted to secretary or the like. Even becoming someone's body slave would be a reach, though he supposed it might be possible, if the stars all lined up and the gods smiled on him. He was likely to spend his days every day the same, running errands to market, sweeping floors, serving food and pouring drinks. There were far worse things a slave could end up doing. @Liv

"We are very fortunate - they are a credit to their mother," Aulus said. He had wondered, sometimes, why there had never been a third child, Horatia had certainly not had trouble conceiving in their first years of marriage. To give birth to three children, of either sex, meant a woman was liberated from her father entirely under the Lex Augustae, with a social standing to equal that of the Vestal Virgins. Horatia had never really shown that sort of ambition, though, which Aulus could understand - even without being party to women's things, he knew that pregnancy and birth were dangerous, and he had enough of his own ambition to satisfy the both of them. "Have you never wished for a third child, even so?" he asked. "All other things aside, I mean. Hypothetically." @Sara

"Amber? Yes, that is very popular here - it's very expensive because it isn't easy to get hold of," Teutus said, and had a sudden flare of inspiration. Tertius could hardly prevent his sons from working together to bring such luxuries to Rome, and yet that knowledge would needle him. Oh, that would be such a perfect revenge for... so much. He continued, nonchalantly, "What sort of goods do you need in Germania?" Let Tertius squirm at the way the conversation had turned. Much Teutus cared; he'd done enough squirming of his own, and Wulfirc had at least had some warning that he had a brother other than Charis' baby. Teutus had had no warning whatsoever to prepare him for the reality that he had a freeborn half-brother to contend with as well as Peregrinus. @Sara @Atrice

"My father likes to keep things complicated," Teutus managed, a little tightly. "It seems I have inherited that trait, though I've never done it on purpose. I'm - sorry that you ended up in the middle of it all, Charis." He was, too, despite his own inability to do the slightest thing about it. And now of course Alexius had got caught up in the fall-out too, which was completely unfair because he'd never done a damn thing to deserve that, except try to cheer Teutus up that day. "It isn't your fault, either of you. You both deserve better than being tangled up with my family." @Atrice @Sara

"Horati Justine!" He had not expected to see his father-in-law here, but it was a pleasant enough surprise - he got on well enough with his wife's family (though he had reservations about her brother-in-law, but that was none of his business whatsoever). "Let us not tempt the Fates, but the omens seem favourable enough," he said. "But we shall see. May I ask what brings you to the temple of Juno - if it's not too pressing, perhaps I could tempt you to a cup of wine somewhere?" Whether Horatius Justinus would want to risk the wine in any of the local establishments was something else, of course, although the places near the Forum weren't the worst in Rome - they couldn't serve anything worse than second-rate wine if they wanted to be able to boast of having senators among their clientele. The senators' slaves naturally hung around the cheapest wine-shops in some of the alleys off the Forum while waiting for the senate sessions to break up. @locutus-sum

The slave quarters were their usual bustling hive of activity; Volusa had expected no less, of course. Her mistress' quarters were less frantic, less crowded and generally a more soothing place to be - almost as if the palace were like a swan, all beauty and calm and grace in the visible areas and frenetic activity below the surface where nobody important would ever see it. There was one spot of stillness in the corridor, though; an older woman standing by the wall, trying to be as out of the way as she could while obviously looking and waiting for someone. If she had properly understood the half-garbled message passed to her, that someone was her. "Salve," she said. "I'm Volusa - are you Claudia Caesaris' new tutor?" If she sounded somewhat doubtful, it was merely because she had not expected a woman to be given that role - not that it was impossible for a woman, it was just highly unusual. But then, her mistress seemed to surround herself with unusual people, so that was nothing new. @locutus-sum

"I did not know that," Aulus admitted. "I think young men are more scared of failing in the public sphere, or being killed in battle - no, no, young men are all absolutely invulnerable, we must not forget that. I think a public humiliation of some sort is the most terrifying thing for a young man." His own first venture into the Senate, surrounded by his father's friends and peers, was one of the most terrifying things Aulus could recall. Even his first battle hadn't been so terrifying, mainly because it wasn't at all clear what, exactly, was going on, and all he'd had to do was follow orders and remember his training. Being expected to have his own opinions and to defend them was far more daunting, at least when he'd been young. "It does not compare at all, does it," he commented, giving into the temptation of having his wife's feet in his lap to give them a rub. "I understand that in Sparta a few centuries ago, a woman who died in childbirth was given the same hero's funeral as a soldier killed in battle. Perhaps we should adopt the same custom?" @Sara

"Weathered?" Aulus adjusted his position to peer at Horatia's face in mock concern. "There's very little sign in your face of any weathering, my dove," he said, and sat back again, resuming his more usual seriousness. "But yes - I am not at all anxious to repeat that sort of separation, and it would not have been for nearly so long if it hadn't been for... everything back here." He did not need to specify any further; she had lost her mother during that tumultuous period, and had never really opened up about what she had been through - although he could understand why. If his presence at home would not have put his family into imminent danger, he would have stayed and done what he could have to support her. Well, that was all water under the bridge, and they had not suffered too badly in the intervening years. He accepted the change of subject. "Yes, I did. She is all right, I think, though somewhat worried about it all. I think I relieved her fears over her future, at least." Worries about women's issues were much better left to Horatia and the female slaves than to Aulus, for whom they were as impenetrable as the rituals surrounding Bona Dea, and aroused far less curiosity. "I'm not sure I managed to allay her fears about finding a suitable husband, but at least she isn't so worried about having to find someone in the next six months, or being married off to someone twice her age that she's never met." @Sara

"Duly noted," Aulus said. "I shall have my secretary write me a memo - Horatia Justina is not fragile. But can't I treat you as if you were the most precious thing in my house?" He shifted his position beside her until his thigh was pressed against hers, enjoying the proximity and intimacy. "You're not used to the sea in winter, and perhaps I am too used to thinking of a winter sea as icy and frigid? I have little recent experience of any sea that isn't the cold green sea surrounding Britannia, after all, there being no sea between here and Raetia." He was not a historian, but Caesar on his campaigns in Gaul was a stirring subject - not that he was going to continue to read rather than focus on his wife, who was far more interesting. @Sara

It was a nice kiss, if a little unexpected on some level (though if they really were going to do this, why should kissing Theo be at all unexpected?!) Didia managed to squirm out of the three-way embrace, leaving Rufus and Theo holding each other as they kissed. Eventually they had to come up for air, though, and Rufus looked over as Didia commented about the bed. "No, I don't know that at all," he said, feeling a grin come over his face. "We might have to try it out to see whether it is serviceable or not." As his hands went to his belt, he looked between the other two. "There's too many clothes for this experiment, though, don't you think?" Nudity was not something to be ashamed of, not in their society, and it wasn't long before Rufus was discarding his tunic - although he had watched the others begin the same process. "Dearest Didia, and Theo - who should be in the middle?" he asked. If they were, all three of them, going to do this, simple logistics dictated one of them had to be, after all. @Chevi @Sara

"Rome is very different from where I grew up. I think I like the view down to the Forum from the Palatine, though." What's your favourite thing to eat?