by Simon Hawke
The Cleopatra Crisis
( Time Wars - 11 )
Simon Hawke
Simon Hawke
The Cleopatra Crisis
Prologue
Rome, January 10, 49 B.C.
The house of Gaius Cassius Longinus was surrounded by awall, as were the homes of all wealthy Romans, for the city had been growing atan alarming rate. Every day. more and more refugees arrived from the provinces.It was no longer safe to travel alone at night. The streets were choked withthieves and cutthroats who wouldn’t hesitate to kill for a few measly denarii.The gatekeeper opened the heavy wooden door, admitting Marcus Brutus and hisslaves, whom he had brought along for protection. Each of them was armed with agladius, the Roman short sword, and Brutus himself wore a parazonium,the bottle-shaped, foot-long dagger that no Roman male went without these days.The times had grown perilous. He took off his cloak and handed it to thegatekeeper.
“See to it that my slaves are fed,” he told the gatekeeper. “Havethe others arrived yet?”
“They are dining in the peristylum, Master Brutus,” saidthe gatekeeper. “I was told to bid you join them as soon as you arrived.”
“Thank you,” Brutus said. He shivered in his toga, despiteseveral layers of tunics that he wore beneath it. Unlike Cassius, who neverseemed to feel the chill and tonic cold baths every day to inure himself to it.Brutus always felt the cold. Roman houses were never very warm in winter. Theyhad no fireplaces or chimneys. What little heat there was came from a system ofcentral heating called a hypocaust, which consisted of spaces underneath thefloors and in the walls where smoke and heat from a roaring fire stoked in thecellar could circulate. However, the courtyards of the houses were open to theelements and the cold always managed to get in. All Romans suffered in the winter,huddling at night beneath their bedclothes of tapestries and carpets, with opencharcoal braziers burning in their rooms, rendering the air smoky andoppressive.
In winter, they suffered from cold. In summer, there was thestench. Slops and sewage were simply thrown out into the streets, where theirstink mingled with the smells coming from the cook shops and the bakeries, manyof which kept hogs to eat their refuse and the hogs, of course, left their own.It all mingled to produce an atmosphere that choked the lungs and drove wealthyRomans out of the city, to their country estates. Winter was a time of chills;summer was a time of fevers. Brutus sometimes wondered why he bothered stayingin Rome. Being governor of a province would have seemed more preferable, butthen Rome was Rome and the provinces provided no society, no stimulation forthe intellect. Rome was the center of the world, and these days. the center ofthe world was turbulent.
Brutus strolled through the atrium, with its marble columns.exquisite mosaic floors, its curtains and elegant furnishings in ivory, bronze,and rare woods. Cassius had spared no expense in the construction of his house,and every year, he refurbished a part of it. There was always some kind of constructiongoing on in Rome. There was a shortage of housing and most of the tenementswere shoddily and hastily built. There was a constant danger now from fire, orfrom falling buildings. But Cassius was able to employ the finest architectsand builders. The atrium, a large courtyard surrounded by a series of rooms,was open to the air, with a large pool in the center that collected rainwaterand which, from time to time, Cassius had stocked with carp. There werebedrooms on the second floor, but Cassius lived primarily in the secondbuilding, the peristylum. It was built around another courtyard, ameticulously landscaped garden surrounded by columns, with fruit trees,flowering shrubs, and fish ponds. In the warm months, Cassius kept an aviary.He was particularly fond of peacocks, though Brutus couldn’t stand thestrutting birds. They were beautiful to look at, but their ceaseless, raucouscawing was annoying in the extreme. Now, however, all the birds had died, asthey did every winter, and the garden looked bleak, matching the disposition ofthe city.
Cassius and the others had already started their dinner.They were reclining on their stomachs or their sides on couches placed aroundthe table, attended to by the slaves of the household. The stove was puttingout some welcome heat and there were several braziers burning, as well as anumber of oil lamps, with wicks of flax that could provide up to forty hours oflight on a pint of oil. No candles were in sight. Candles were used only by thepoor, who could not afford the oil. They used them very sparingly, since thetallow was often eaten when times grew lean.
Cassius, though lean himself, had never known lean times. Hewas fond of surrounding himself with luxuries. The sideboards were adorned withgold and silver cups and dishes, silver spoons and knives-though most food waseaten with the fingers-and elaborately carved drinking horns covered with gemsand mounted in gold and silver. The money Cassius spent on murals, on tables ofrare woods, or chairs of carved ivory could have kept an average Roman familyfed for several years. And, as usual, he set an elegant table.
In the city, the staple food of the masses was wheat andcorn, which most people ate boiled, as a sort of porridge. Few could affordmeat. For most Romans, variety in diet was provided primarily by vegetables,sometimes fish or wild fowl. But Cassius dined like the aristocrat he was.Dinner began with salads, radishes and mushrooms. Eggs and oysters, washed downwith generous amounts of mulsum, a sweet brew of warm wine mixed with honey.The main course consisted of six or seven dishes-mackerel eels or prawns, boar,venison, wild goat, suckling pig, hare, stuffed dormice, geese, ostriches,pheasants, doves and peacocks, honey-sweetened cakes and fruit, all washed downwith copious amounts of Greek Chian wine that was heated and mixed with water,then served in horns and bowls so that bread could be dunked into it.
Frequently, Cassius’ guests would gorge themselves untilthey were so full, they couldn’t eat another bite. Then they would stickfeathers down their throats, vomit on the floor, and, while slaves cleaned upthe mess, eagerly reapply themselves to the feast spread out before them.Often, Cassius staged lavish entertainments during dinner. Musicians played whilehis guests ate, or perhaps some popular poet recited his latest works.Sometimes there were dancing girls-Cassius was especially fond of dancinggirls-and dwarf acrobats and conjurers. But there was no entertainment on thisnight. The mood of the diners was grim, conspiratorial.
“Ah. Brutus!” said Cassius. greeting him with a wave. “Comein, come in, we’ve been waiting for you.”
“It seems you have begun without me,” Brutus said.
“Here, take a place by me,” said Cassius, moving over on thecouch. “Don’t worry, there is plenty more. Here, have some wine. You look cold.”
“I am cold,” said Brutus, gratefully accepting the steamingcup.
You should immerse yourself in the frigidarium,” saidCassius. “I’ve told you time and time again, one must fight the cold with itsown weapons.”
“I prefer to fight it with steam, thank you,” Brutus said.
“You know everyone, of course.”
“Of course,” said Brutus, nodding to Casca, Cimber,Ligarius, and Labeo. They were all influential citizens of Rome. Powerful andambitious men. He sipped the wine and was gratified to feel its warmthspreading through him. A good night to get drunk, he thought.
“We were discussing Caesar” Cassius told him. He picked up aradish and popped it into his mouth, crunching on it noisily.
“What else?” said Brutus, allowing the heat of the wine cupto warm his hands. “All Rome is discussing Caesar. One hears of little else.”
“The man’s a dangerous rebel against the traditions of Rome,”said Ligarius, a portly, balding man who always spoke as if he were utteringgrave pronouncements. He was known as “the soporific of the Senate.”
“Caesar’s entire life has been a history of rebellion,”Brutus replied wryly.
“Yes, that is true
enough,” said Cimber, a young man withdark, curly hair and deep-set eyes that gave him something of a haunted look. “Theystill talk about how, as a boy, after he was nominated to a priesthood at thetemple of Jupiter, he flouted convention by breaking his engagement so that hecould wed a young woman of more noble birth. And when Sulla ordered him to divorceand honor his original engagement. Caesar refused! Can you imagine refusingSulla?”
“I can well imagine Caesar doing it,” said Brutus with asmile.
“I recall that story,” Labeo said as He licked his fingersand wiped them on his tunic. “He was stripped of his priesthood, his wife’sdowry, and his own inheritance. Sulla was so angry with him that Caesar wasforced to go into hiding.”
“Yes, but Sulla pardoned him.” said Brutus.
“Only because Caesar had influential friends who intercededfor him.” said Casca with disgust. Casca had never been a man who troubled toconceal his feelings. Wiry, dark, and foxlike, his sharply chiseled featuresgave him a predatory look, tie was one of Caesar’s most vocal critics. Perhapstoo vocal. His friends frequently cautioned him, yet he paid them no mind.
“Caesar has always had influential friends,” said Brutus. “Hegoes to a great deal of trouble to secure them.”
“I hear he sometimes secures them in the bedchamber,” saidLabeo with a grimace of distaste. “Be careful, you oaf!” he shouted, hurling apiece of venison at the slave who had leaned over to refill his goblet. “Youalmost spilled that on me!”
“I had heard that, too.” said Cimber. adjusting his tunicand getting grease stains on it in the process. He wiped at them absently,spreading them still farther. “During his assignment as aide to the governor ofBithynia, weren’t there rumors of a homosexual relationship between Caesar andKing Nicomedes?”
“Malicious gossip.” Brutus said.
“Perhaps, but where there’s smoke, there’s fire,” Cassiussaid, giving them all a knowing look. “And there has always been such gossipabout Caesar. He swims in a veritable ocean of scandalous rumor. When therevolt broke out following Sulla’s death, did he not immediately hurry home,anxious to take opportunity of any chances to advance himself?”
“Are you speaking of the alleged conspiracy with Lepidus?”said Brutus, reaching across the table for some fruit. “The way I heard it. hechose to stay well out of it.”
“Only because he knew that Lepidus would fail,” said Casca. “Hewas afraid to take the chance of throwing in with him.”
“Afraid?” said Brutus. “Caesar?” He chuckled. “Theman is absolutely fearless.”
“Yes, that is true enough,” Cassius conceded. “He is courageousto the point of foolishness. Such as that time when he was captured by Cilicianpirates while en route to Rhodes. ‘They held him for ransom for over a month,during which time it’s said he often told his amused captors that he would paythem back by crucifying them. They doubtless found his youthful braggadocio vastlyentertaining. However, they were not quite so entertained after the ransommoney had been borrowed and Caesar was released. He raised a fleet to pursuethem, captured them, and did exactly as he’d promised. Then he seized theirbooty as his prize and used it to raise a force so he could join the campaignagainst King Mithridates, for which he was voted the rank of tribune on hisreturn to Rome. No. Brutus is right. If there is one thing you cannot say aboutCaesar. it is that he has ever been afraid of anything.”
“Have you heard the story of when he was sent to Spain, asquaestor?” Labeo asked. “Supposedly. he saw the statue of Alexander in theTemple of Hercules and became quite upset. The thought that by the timeAlexander was his age. he had already conquered the world while Caesar himselfhad done nothing nearly so significant caused him to quit his post and returnto Rome, from where, presumably, world-conquering could be more easily accomplished.”
“And there followed rumors of Caesar being involved in severalconspiracies for revolution, most notably with Crassus,” Cimber added. “Eventhen, he lusted after power.”
“I’ve heard those rumors, too,” said Brutus, “but nothingever came of such plots. lf, indeed, they ever existed.”
“Oh, they existed, you can be sure of that,” said Cassius,tearing off a piece of bread and dunking it into his wine. As he chewed on it,some wine dribbled down his chin and he wiped it away with the back of hishand.
“If nothing came of those plots, it was only because the momentwas not right or the other participants in the conspiracies were hesitant.”said Labeo with his mouth full. “But did that stop Caesar? No, he went onangling for higher office and making a reputation for himself as a prosecutor,one who was not above bribing witnesses to bring charges against his enemies.”
“He also shamelessly curried favor with the public bystaging elaborate entertainments,” Ligarius added between gulps of wine, “whichplaced him heavily in debt. Yet it paid off. Eventually, he managed to securethe office of Chief Priest. They say he bought the votes.”
“What about when Catiline was brought up before the Senateon charges of conspiracy?” asked Cimber. “The entire House was in favor of thedeath penalty. Caesar alone argued against it. Perhaps he was mindful of hisown aborted conspiracy with Crassus.”
“If that isn’t damning evidence, what is?” asked Cascasourly. “I heard he so incensed the Senate with his obstinacy that the houseguard went so far as to unsheath their swords. They would have killed him, too,if not for Ciecro’s intercession.”
Not that Cicero was ever fond of Caesar,” Cassius saiddryly. “He simply thought that killing someone in the Senate was bad form.”
Brutus chuckled. Cicero might have phrased it exactly thatway himself.
“You may laugh. Brutus. but it would have saved everyone alot of trouble if they’d done away with him right there and then.” said Casca. “Itell you, his luck is simply unbelievable.”
“What about when the House voted to suspend him?” Labeoasked. His white tunic was spattered with food stains. “The people clamored forhis reinstatement and the Senate buckled under. restoring him to office. Yet nosooner had they done so than his name was linked to the conspiracy of Catiline.”
“The man he had so ardently defended,” interjected Casca sarcastically.“Yet he not only managed to wriggle out of that one, but he also turned thetables on his accusers and had them sent to jail. Can you believe it?”
“He always was audacious,” Cassius agreed. “It was not longafter that, the Senate decided to send him off to Spain. Doubtless in the hopethat some obliging savage would stick a spear between his ribs. Naturally.Caesar immediately saw this as yet another opportunity to distinguish himself.However, he was worried that his creditors would seek his impeachment, so theycould keep him in Rome until he could pay off his debts. Which, of course. hecould not do. So what was his solution? He rushed off to Spain at once, withoutwaiting for his appointment to be officially confirmed or even for the House tovote him the necessary funds. After all, why should such small matters oflegality bother the great Caesar”
“But you must admit that he did bring things back under controlin Spain by the following summer,” Brutus pointed out He held out his cup to berefilled.
“True, but then he returned to Rome without waiting to beproperly relieved and demanded, demanded. to be awarded a triumph.” Cassiusreplied scornfully. “Not only that, but at the same time, he announced hisintention to run for a consulship. Now everyone knows that a commander whopetitions to enter the city in triumph is supposed to wait outside the cityuntil he receives his answer, whereas a man who wants to run for consul must bepresent in Rome to file his candidacy. Clearly Caesar could not legally doboth, but did that dissuade him? Not Caesar! He tried to get himself exemptedfrom the election regulations, so that his friends could file his candidacy forhim. Talk about audacity! The resulting protests in the Senate forced him toeither give up running for consul or forgo the triumph. He decided that beingelected consul was more important. so he gave up the triumph. entered Rome,filed his candidacy. and, running true to form, procee
ded to bribe the voters.”
“The way I heard it, his enemies bribed the votersthemselves to cast their lot for Bibulus,” Brutus said.
“With the result that both men were elected,” Casca saidwith disgust. “The whole thing was a farce!”
“And after his election. Caesar embarked upon still moreintrigues,” said Cassius. “He somehow managed to work his charm on Pompey. whowas still angry with the Senate for the difficulties they had given him inpursuing the war against Mithridates. Caesar managed to patch things up betweenhim and his old fellow coconspirator. Crassus. who was still smarting overbeing eclipsed by Pompey in their defeat of that rebel gladiator, what was hisname? ‘The surly-looking bastard with the dimple in his chin.”
“Spartacus,” said Brutus, popping a stuffed dormouse in hismouth.
“Yes, that’s the one. Caesar brought Pompey and Crassus togetherand arranged for them to agree upon a pact. All three of them swore to opposeany actions of the Senate that any one of them might disapprove of.”
“If you ask me, that was the turning point for him.”Ligarius pronounced. “Crassus had the money. Pompey had influence and hissoldiers. After that. Caesar began to make his presence in the Senate felt witha vengeance.”
“Wasn’t his first act a rule that all daily proceedings ofthe Senate and the courts be published, insuring that the people would knowabout everything he said and did?” asked Cimber. He turned. “You! Yes, you.the ugly one! More wine!”
“Yes, and he quickly turned that to his advantage,” Cassiussaid. “When he proposed some agrarian reform and his old opponent. Bibulus,took a stand against it. Caesar actually had him driven from the Forum at swordpoint! The idea, one supposes, was to prove to all those who would read of theproceedings that the great Caesar would stop at nothing to champion any causethat would benefit the Roman people. “
“And at the same time, demonstrate to the members of the Senatewhat would happen to anyone who dared oppose him.” added Ligarius. He shiftedhis position on the couch and broke wind prodigiously.
