As he finished a commotion was rising amongst the Manlius factions, with Capitolinus, once again, attempting to get to his feet as his clan members pulled him back to his seat. Unperturbed, Iulius continued. Frowning, he took a moment to calm the gathering as Capitolinus continued to raise his voice to his own clan members. “Let me speak” he spat as jeers and calls of ‘shame’ rang around the room. Despite the anger against him Capitolinus got to his feet and waved his right arm around the room, silence falling as he called “with this hand I saved you. With this hand Jupiter, greatest and best gave me his strength. Would you turn down his voice now? Will you anger the leader of the gods?”
His words caused more anger, but others bowed their heads in fear at the mention of the god and his power. Capitolinus saw the fear in their eyes and grinned as he called more loudly. “Men of Rome, surely you know that the Capitol is the seat of the gods, chosen by Romulus as the centre of our world for it is where the gods reside? Jupiter gave me the strength to save the Capitol, the heart of our glorious city, from invaders. Let me speak now, hear the words that Jupiter allows me to speak on his behalf.” The words caused more commotion, but even more men set to mumbling about not angering the gods, especially, as they said, Capitolinus had clearly been chosen by them. After a few more minutes the room had fallen to a level of silence that allowed Capitolinus to nod his head as he allowed his eyes to rove the chamber, his right arm crossed to his left shoulder as a sign of his god-given strength.
He began to speak, his voice calm after the fury he had shown moments earlier, his eyes soft and his face relaxed. “The talk today has been of supporting our allies against our enemies. Yet at our door lies a bigger problem, a problem to which many of you are blind.” His lower lip protruded as if in thought as he lowered his head and scratched at his chin animatedly. The sound of silence rang heavily in the room as he waited for the perfect time to begin speaking again. “Out there” he pointed towards the door with his right hand. “Jupiter resides on the Capitol. He watches over us as we strive to make sense of our world, to master the elements over him the gods have given us to control. We” his closed fist knocked against his chest slowly as he continued to speak “are simply men. The playthings of the gods” he smiled. “Yet we are all the same. Flesh and blood. We will fall at the stroke of an iron blade or the snap of a bow which launches its arrow into our heart. We are all the same gentlemen. Yet we are not” he said as his voice rose. He took a moment, again, as he composed his thoughts. “The Republic was born of the ideal of the state deciding what was best for all. All men had a voice, all clans had a vote. Yet when we have time of dire trouble we allow one man to hold power, one man to be like Jupiter, greatest and best of all. One man decides our fate when disaster is at hand. Yet now” he frowned “as another disaster, another great war, is at hand and we have trouble in our own streets, you choose not to appoint a dictator to lead our forces. You choose to bend your knee to one man, allowing him to assume the power of the dictator without the vote. Why do you defer to this man” he turned and pointed towards Marcus, “when the Republic, the people outside that door, demand strong leadership from one beloved of Jupiter greatest and best.”
Immediately voices were raised, and men stood to shout down the words Capitolinus spoke. “Jupiter has sent us signs” called Capitolinus as men continued to shout in reply. “Jupiter has sent us warnings” he called again. “tell them Pontiff, tell them what you and Camillus have seen” he shouted above the rising crescendo of noise. “Tell them that Jupiter has warned us that we need to beware the signs and do not fall to our enemies as we did at the Allia. Tell them Javenoli” Capitolinus screamed as faces turned, eyes wide in shock, towards the Pontiff. “Tell them Javenoli. Tell them what you have seen in the sacrifices, you and Camillus. Tell us of the secrets you have withheld from us. Then, gentlemen, let us see if we do not need to vote again. Tell us what you have both seen, what the sages and seers have also seen and what it means for us all. Then, Javenoli, tell me why we shouldn’t vote for a dictator to lead our forces in the name of Jupiter greatest and best.” He thrust his chest out as he stood, right hand raised, and stared at Javenoli. Heads turned, moving from Marcus to Javenoli and back again. Both men sat in silence, faces taught as they faced their fellow senators. “Tell them Javenoli, or I will” shouted Capitolinus.
Javenoli looked to Marcus, eyes filled with anger. As he moved to stand Capitolinus muttered loudly “the gods are angry, you will see that I have been right all along” and sat back on his seat as the noise in the room began to falter.
“Capitolinus speaks some truth” he said slowly as men stood and called out, asking what truths, why had they not been warned, why were the gods angry? Questions came so quickly that Javenoli couldn’t answer, he flushed as he waved his arms for silence and turned towards Marcus. “There have been some strange readings recently” he said as groans came from around the room and a voice from the Manlius clan shouted that he had lied to them about the signs from the gods. He looked up and angrily shouted “listen before you judge” as men repeated the call that he had lied to them, faces turning red as they turned to Marcus and demanded to know what he knew of such things. Marcus glanced to Javenoli, who remained standing and faced the crowd. Iulius banged the table at which he sat as leader of the senate for the days hearing as, he too, shouted over the crowd of angry men asking for silence.
“Do not judge until you know the truth” called Javenoli. “Be silent and I will explain.”
“Tell the starving men out there” called Capitolinus. “Tell them how they have been sent to their deaths in wars we cannot win.”
“We have lost no wars” shouted Javenoli as the noise level drowned his words and more voices continued to be raised in anger. Capitolinus grinned as Javenoli stared at him with loathing. “Let me speak” he called, Iulius also calling for silence. Javenoli looked towards Capitolinus once again, his mind wondering how he had gained information about his meetings with Camillus and turned it to his own use at this time.
Eventually the room began to fall into silence as all eyes turned to Javenoli, who was still looking angrily at Capitolinus. He took a slow breath before speaking. “Gentlemen” he said as a low murmur went around the room. “For a week or more there have been some” his head leant to one side “rather strange readings which I have asked fellow priests and augurs to review and check. We have checked the books and discussed their messages at length, and it was not clear what the signs meant” he added quickly, raising his hands as more questions were thrown at him. “I asked Marcus Furius Camillus to review the signs as he is a renowned follower of the disciplina” he said with a short nod towards Marcus. “And I gained information from several of the best augurs in the land” he added quickly.
“What did they say” shouted a bald-headed man who had been standing chewing his finger nails nervously.
Javenoli waved a hand at him impatiently. “The readings are mixed” he replied. “We are all in agreement to one thing though” he added as people leant forwards to listen. “They suggest that the gods of the sky are in opposition to the gods of the earth. They suggest that change is coming, a change that will affect us all. Jupiter is reasserting his authority over the gods” he said as he looked again at Capitolinus, who was now nodding his head and grinning widely. Heads turned towards him as he started to stand, but before he could speak Javenoli continued, all heads turning back towards him as he spoke, his voice loud and strong.
“Yet the signs are still not clear” he said as the noise level had increased within the room. He waved his hand again to get people’s attention. “The signs from the gods suggest that there is a change in direction for our Republic. Our readings show that the outcomes are unclear and that it is for men to make the future, for us to shape our own path.” Hundreds of eyes stared at Javenoli as he allowed himself a moment to breath slowly. “The gods of the sky tell us that Rome has a strong future, yet the readings from the gods of the earth show tha
t there is something eating away at the core of Rome, something that could yet destroy us.” Men muttered excitedly as Javenoli tightened his lips before continuing. “We are not yet clear what it is. But one thing is clear” he said loudly. “We are facing uncertain times, times of change. What that change is?” he shrugged “We do not yet understand, as is the way with these things.”
The bald-headed man was up on his feet again. “What do you know of this Camillus?” he shouted, his finger pointing accusingly at Marcus. Javenoli turned towards Marcus and then sat, with a last glance towards Capitolinus.
Marcus looked to Lucius before standing once again. “It is as Javenoli has said. Many have looked at the sacrifices and readings from the sky. We have used the old books, spent hours reviewing the words of our fore fathers to understand the message of the gods.” He looked at the faces of the senators, all watching him closely. “It is clear that change is coming. That change will be good for Rome, that much is prophesied in the Sibylline books. The path to the future is for our own making. We, men of Rome, must make the choices that will define our future. Do we sit down and wait for more signs from the gods or do we act, sacrificing and paying due homage to the gods who have stood over our city for generations? I choose to act” he looked around at nodding heads. “I choose to make the future through the actions of men, guided by the signs of the gods. The gods have not let us down when we have followed the correct disciplina, when we have dutifully sacrificed to them. The gods are with us, gentlemen, of that I am sure. Did not Romulus found our city and the gods say it would be the seat of an empire? I believe that the change the gods want from us is to build that empire, to strike out against those enemies who constantly attack our allies. The time has come for us to take control of our destiny by building the Republic, not waiting for a sign that may never come.”
“Then what are the signs?” shouted Capitolinus. “You have said that Jupiter, lord of the sky, is at war with the gods of the earth.”
“I didn’t say that” Javenoli called.
“You said that Jupiter, greatest of the gods, is asserting his strength. Yet you do not propose that we, who follow his lead, do not assert our strength through one man, as he is doing as one god. Surely the signs are clear. One man should lead this army. One man should oversee the affairs of city at this time of need. Jupiter, god of the sky is telling us this. Surely you can see it” he said as he turned to all the faces in the room. “The Republic needs a strong leader, like the gods need a strong god. One to lead, others to follow. This is the natural order, the order to which Jupiter is leaning. The order to which his signs are showing. Surely this is what these readings are telling us?” he asked with wide eyes.
“I do not think so” replied Marcus. “In all the wars, in all the changes that Rome has seen we have been beloved by all the gods. Jupiter leads, his eagle is the symbol of our armies, his voice commands our actions, yet his wisdom is a part of the divine triumvirate with his brothers of the sea and the earth. His word alone cannot define all our actions. We must look to understand what these latest signs are telling us in conjunction with those of all the gods. When we have followed the disciplina, sacrificed according to the rituals of lore and given oaths to the gods, have they ever let us down before? No. They remained beside us, as you know Capitolinus, when Rome was defeated by the Gauls. With their grace we overcame them once we followed the true rituals and kept our promises to them. To say that we need one leader now” he turned back to the senators “the situation is not as dangerous as it may seem. We” he waved a hand to the men around him “will make the future by doing as our fore fathers have always done. We will pay homage to the gods, ask their advice and pledge oaths of allegiance to them. We will triumph, Capitolinus, as a Republic led by the strengths of the many, not the leadership of the one. This is how it has been with the gods and with man since the founding of the Republic. The Republic will grow on democracy not on the words of one man. The gods pay homage to each other, but none lead as you describe.”
Capitolinus closed his eyes as he took a slow breath before smiling and bowing to Marcus slowly. “I bow to you then, Marcus Furius, as these men bow to you. I bend my knee as these men bend theirs to you.” At these words men jumped from their seats and shouted as Capitolinus’ eyes widened in mock surprise and his arms opened wide as he circled the room. “The Republic is led by this one man” he shrugged before turning and pointing to Marcus. “Look how you bend your knee to him” he said as voices shouted angrily and men moved towards him shaking their fists. “You talk of the Republic Marcus Furius” he shouted over the din of the room. “You talk of the gods as if they follow your words, not you following theirs as it should be. Jupiter” he held out his right arm “who gave me the strength to vanquish the gallic invaders has given me the strength to see truth. He told me that the signs were there, he told me that you” he pointed to Javenoli “were lying to these men. You speak as if you know the future, as if you know the plans of the gods for the Republic” he shrugged, raising his hands in the air. “The senate is no longer the Republic. The real Republic is out there starving in the gutters, dying under the yolk of debt. It is the desire for power that drives the Republic now, cruel men, with a love of power and glory for themselves are forcing the gods to send us these messages. Jupiter, greatest of the gods, is at war with the gods of the earth because he sees corruption at the heart of Rome.” By now men were standing and calling for Capitolinus to be silenced while other shouted for him to speak, small scuffles started as factions began to circle the Manlius clan and tempers rose. “You must see it men of Rome. Look into your hearts and see that Jupiter calls for the us to re-examine the Republic. The heart of Rome is rotten as the hearts of the sacrifices have been rotten. These men have been lying to you” called Capitolinus as he pointed at Javenoli and then at Marcus before his clan pulled him backwards and started to move towards the doors of the Curia, which were flung open, men spilling out in great waves as the meeting came to an abrupt end.
************
“We should arrest him for his treason” shouted Cincinnatus.
“He has many followers” said Marcus calmly. “I don’t think they will take kindly to such an act.” Cincinnatus huffed loudly and shook his head.
“What he suggested is unforgivable” continued the older senator. “He must be punished” he said forcibly.
“We have bigger problems than one man who is losing his mind. His time spent with the plebeians is clearly affecting his judgement” replied Iulius as he rubbed at a large bruise on his arm gained in the pushing and shoving at the end of the senate meeting. “We must call the clans to arms and plan our support to our allies. When this war is over we will resolve the issue of Capitolinus” he added coldly with a glance to the senators who had remained in the Curia following the sudden ending of the meeting. He looked to Javenoli, who was standing quietly at the edge of the group looking tense.
“He’s your man isn’t he Gaius?” he asked guardedly. “What’s gotten into him?”
Javenoli shook his head at the question. “I don’t know” he replied. “For some time he’s been asking for advice on developing his political career, but this” he tilted his head and shrugged again. “He’s not my man” he added quietly. “I’m concerned that he has knowledge from within the Temples which he should not have. I will have to look into it” he said as he waved slowly and turned to leave.
Outside the Curia the sun was beating down hard on the crowd who were still outside the building, many of them continuing to ask questions. As he appeared a group of bystanders rushed forward calling for information and asking what had happened. Ignoring the shouts, he followed his lictors as they mercilessly beat a path through the crowd, people soon understanding that to get in the way meant to get hurt. The multitude split as he walked deep in thought, taking the right turn towards the Capitol hill with its low tuff walls still bearing signs of the fighting that had occurred against the Gauls. To the right was a small
dip in the land before the hill climbed directly in front of him, and standing on the far side was Istros, his wide brimmed hat hiding most of his face but unmistakable to Javenoli. Knowing that the Thracian would, no doubt, be ahead of him by the time he reached the Temple of Jupiter he continued on his way, the tight lane thinning the crowds as many turned back towards the Curia to find a better source of information.
At the Temple the sun was fierce as the hilltop was open to the sky. Walking across towards the low wall which led to the Tarpeian rock he stood in silence and looked out across the city. To his left were the sprawling houses which ran up and down the Aventine, with the Caelian hill away in the distance. He could hear the cattle in the Forum Boarium in the silence of his elevated position and with a turn to his left he could see the lower stretches of the Palatine Hill where some of the better houses afforded a location closer to the river. He took a slow breath as he considered the situation. Capitolinus had clearly lost his mind as Iulius said. In some ways he was happy to see this, in others he had a nagging surety that his dealings with Capitolinus would still come back to haunt him. His outburst showed that he was insanely jealous of both Camillus and those men in the senate who had profited from the gallic invasion while he, in his own mind, had gained nothing despite the love that Jupiter showed him. The gods are fickle, he thought. As he let his mind wander he heard some voices behind him and turned to see Istros strolling across, let through by the lictors who were guarding his privacy.
The King of Rome Page 26