CHAPTER XVI
THE GAMING TABLE.
Gaming was a perfect passion among the Romans, and indeed among mostancient nations. Dice of bone and ivory, like those in use to-day, havebeen found in the tombs of Thebes and Luxor. [AE]schylus and Sophoclesdescribe their use four hundred years before Christ, and in an ancientGreek picture now before us, a female figure is shown tossing _tali_, orgaming cubes, and catching them on the back of her hand, as children nowplay "Jacks." Soldiers from the enforced idleness of much of their timeand the intense excitement of the rest of it, have in every age beenaddicted to gambling to beguile the _ennui_ of their too ampleleisure--from those of Alexander down to the raw recruits of to-day. Ourfriend, Ligurius Rufus, had undergone frequent experience of the painsand pleasures of this siren vice; but was eager to return to itsembrace. Such vast estates had been squandered, and great familiesimpoverished, and large fortunes often staked upon a single throw of thedice--beyond anything that Homburg or Monaco ever saw--that gambling wasforbidden by successive Roman laws. But when were not the rich able toindulge in their favourite vices, even under a much purer Governmentthan that of Rome? So even in this place of public resort, were numerousalcoves in which stood gaming tables, while money changers--generallyJews--had tables near for giving good Roman sesterces in exchange forthe _oboloi_ or _drachmai_ of Greece, the shekels of Jerusalem, or thescarab[ae]us coins of Egypt. Into one of these alcoves the three friendsnow turned, Isidorus promising himself that he would only look on. Hehad been excessively addicted to play, but had, notwithstandingoccasional success, lost so much money that he had abjured the seductivevice, especially since his visit to the Catacomb with his friendFaustus, who had urged him to forsake a practice so perilous in itself,and so opposed to Christian conduct.
Calphurnius and Rufus sat down to the gaming table, and the Greek stoodlooking on. The gold was placed in two piles on the board. The dicerattled, and eager eyes took in at a glance the number of red spots onthe upper surface. Rufus seemed to have recovered his good fortune.Throw after throw was successful.
"That is the _Jadus Venereus_," he exclaimed with exultation, as he madethe cast that counted highest. "We must have wine and I must betoast-master," for so was called the leader of the revels.
The Greek watched with honest interest the play, his eye flashing andhis pulse quickening under its strange spell. The richest wines of Chiosand Lesbos were ordered; and as the wine was poured into jewelledgoblets, he required slight urging to partake of the fragrant vintage ofthe Isles of Greece. The eager play was resumed. The Greek noted eachpractised turn of the wrist and cast of the dice--his eye kindling andhis brain throbbing with the subtle intoxication of both the game andthe wine.
"I've won enough," said Rufus, "I've got back my own, and more. I don'twant to ruin you, my good fellow," and he positively declined to playany more. His honest nature recoiled from taking that for which he gaveno value, beyond recouping his previous losses.
"Will you try a cast," he added, turning to Isidorus. "Our friend haslots of money to lose?" and he lounged away to watch the game of ball inthe Gymnasium.
"Yes, take a turn, my luck is wretched to-day!" exclaimed Calphurnius."Come, I will stake that pile of gold on a single cast."
The Greek's whole frame was tingling with excitement--yet he waswithheld by some lingering restraint of his promise to Faustus toabandon play. Calphurnius again rattled the dice, the cast was acomplete blank--the worst possible combination.
"'Twas lucky for me you were not playing then," he said, laughing; "butI'll risk another if you will."
"It must only be for a small stake--a single sesterce," said theinfatuated youth, quaffing a goblet of wine. "I have given up gambling."
"All right," said his friend, "it's only for amusement that I play," andhe cast again, and laughing paid over his forfeit.
Isidorus continued to win, each time taking a sip of the strong headywine. The baleful enchantment was upon him.
"Double the stakes!" he cried.
"I thought you would tire of our playing like slaves with jackstones,"replied the cool-headed Calphurnius. "This is something like play," hecontinued, as they doubled every time, till the stakes were soonenormous. The tide of fortune now turned; but the Greek had becomeperfectly reckless. Conscience was dead, a demon greed for gain hadtaken possession of his soul, the gaming-madness surged through hisbrain. He doubled and redoubled his stakes, till before he rose he hadlost even the gold received from Valeria the night before, and wasbeggared to his last denarius. With blood-shot eyes and staggering gaithe reeled away from the table, his handsome features convulsed with rageand wicked imprecations pouring from his lips.
"Don't be so vexed about it, man," said his tormentor, for so heregarded Calphurnius. "Better luck to-morrow. Here I'll lend you enoughto set you up. Let us have a bath, we both of us need it to quiet ournerves."
Isidorus, in his maudlin intoxication, accepted the offer, and declared,with much idle babble, that there was more money where that which he hadlost came from--that his services were too valuable to the state to beoverlooked--and that he knew a thing or two--that he could tell somesecrets, if he would--and much more to the same purpose.
This was just what Calphurnius wanted. He had been set on by his father,the Prefect Naso to worm from the Greek the secrets of the Palace andthe Catacomb, and this by a series of wheedling questions he completelysucceeded in doing. With some difficulty he got his victim home after hehad extorted from him all that he cared to know. When Isidorus awokenext morning it was with feelings of intense disgust with himself andwith all the world. He felt that he had played the fool, but how far heknew not. He remembered that he had lost all his money, yet he found afew coins in his purse. He felt that he had forfeited the confidence ofhis new patron Adauctus, of the Empress, and even was undeserving of thegratitude or respect of the beautiful freed-woman, Callirho[e:], whosefather he had restored. He had learned that there was a plot on footagainst them all. Indeed he had an impression that he had somehow addedto their peril by his indiscreet revelations. He determined to warn themof their danger and try to save them.
Valeria, the Martyr of the Catacombs: A Tale of Early Christian Life in Rome Page 18