While The Emperor Slept by B.R. Stateham

Author:B.R. Stateham [B.R. Stateham]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

Through the busy streets the three walked. It was, without question, a beautiful day without a cloud in the sky, with the sky an amazing color of translucent blue. Past vendors selling all kinds of delicacies, past magnificent pieces of sculpture rising into the heavens in front of the temples which dotted the city. If anything, Rome was known as a city of temples. Every god imaginable had at least one temple dedicated to them. There was even a temple for the unknown god. A temple which seemed to attract a goodly sized following.

Across the street from the Temple of Ceres, not too far from the main entrance to the Circus Maximus, the three paused to lean against the bar of a small wine shop. It was race day as they watched the festive masses gathering for the event. Thousands of Romans, dressed in their team's primary colors, milled about between the Circus Maximus, the Temple of Ceres and the Temple of Hercules. Today were chariot races. A sport enthusiastically followed by most Romans from the full strata of Roman society. Haughty patrician and the much more enthusiastic and raucous masses of plebian followers mingled in the crowd exchanging good natured banter and placing bets on one charioteer or another.

They walked up the southern slope of the Aventine and down the northern slope before imbibing in a shop between the Aventine and the Palatine. Tiberius' home was one of the several homes which resided in the Augustan compound at the top of the Palatine. The Palatine would be a steep climb. They would have to trod past the Grotto of the Lupercal, the supposed sight where the legendary she-wolf had suckled Romulus and Remus, the founders of Rome, in a cave on the southern slope of Palatine not more than fifty yards away from the grounds of Caesar Augustus' home. The Imperator spent a large amount of his own private wealth to build a small temple above the cavern. A sight Decimus had not yet taken in. He would not explore the temple and grotto today. Too bad. He had heard the temple was a remarkable piece of architecture.

Leaning against the bar facing the milling crowd, wine cup in hand, bracketed on one side by the taller centurion and on the other by the rough looking Gnaeus, his dark eyes took in the masses idly. Beside him he felt the stillness of Quintus Flavius and almost smiled. Since leaving the small home opposite the Aventine he had noticed the young man's thoughtful pose. He knew what the lad was mulling over. And waited for the centurion to break the silence. He did not have to wait long.

"Sir, about what was said earlier. Concerning the Imperator's successor …"

"Quintus, before the Imperator adopted Tiberius, what was his full name?"

The brows on the young centurion folded together thoughtfully before he shrugged at his mentor.

"To be honest, sir, I haven't a clue. Imperial intrigues and politics have been the least of my worries. Until now, that is.

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