The End of a Dynasty

by David Adkins

  She smiled and withdrew her hand. “You must be careful on this trip to Tibur. Domitian is a man of many moods and some of them are dark. Do and say nothing to offend him and flatter him profusely. I think that sometimes he believes himself to be omnipotent and he believes the flattery. Be very discreet in your enquiries about his relationship with Corelia. His liaison with the gladiatrix has been enduring and, though I think he has tired of her slightly, her ability to excite him is constant. She does wield some power and you would not wish to make her your enemy. She has never shown any inclination to be too ambitious and to be fair she can hardly refuse the Emperor. However, things can change and ambition can grow. She had him agree to supply her with great wealth in exchange for fighting the Asian champion in the Colosseo.”

  “I saw that remarkable contest. And he wants her to fight in the arena again?” I asked.

  “Yes he does, and if she agrees what will she ask for next time?”

  Her statement went unanswered. “I will be careful,” I said. I made no mention that Corelia would not be the only person at Tibur that I would be observing.

  “I have no idea when you will return, but as soon as you do report back to me.” She sighed. “Now, Parthenian, it is nearly time for you to leave and I will see you when you return.”

  I knelt. “I will miss you, Empress.”

  The next morning I was waiting in the gardens with Drucilla for the appearance of the Emperor. Tero and four of the mounted Praetorian Guards were also waiting as was Domitian’s horse-drawn carriage.

  Tero approached me. “You, chamberlain, will ride inside the carriage with the Emperor and I will drive the carriage. The four guards are our security on the short trip to Tibur. Now give me any weapons you are carrying.”

  I handed him my dagger. “It is just for self defence,” I explained.

  “We can never be too careful, can we? Now hold up your arms, chamberlain.”

  I did as I was instructed and he searched me for any further weapons. “Do not take this personally for I would do the same whoever his travelling companion was. He is my responsibility and you will be alone in the carriage with him.”

  “I understand,” I replied and Tero walked away and started talking with one of his guardsmen.

  I turned to Drucilla. “I hope everything runs smoothly while I am away.”

  “I am sure it will,” she smiled. “It all ran smoothly before you arrived. I knew she was right and while I was away it would, once again, be Drucilla and Maximus back in charge and I knew they could manage very well, particularly with the Emperor absent.

  At last Domitian emerged from the palace. The guards loaded a couple of boxes on to the carriage and Tero held the door open for the Emperor to board. Domitian sat down on cushions and I entered the carriage after him and sat opposite to him. Tero climbed aboard the carriage, took the reins and it started to move as I waved to Drucilla. How times had changed for I would be travelling through the great city of Rome in the Emperor’s royal carriage and we were on the way to the grand villa at Tibur that belonged to the famous gladiatrix, Corelia.

  Chapter 4

  Tibur – Late Spring AD90

  I felt nervous sitting next to the ruler of the world but he smiled benignly at me which put me a little more at ease, though I did wonder if it was the smile of a serpent about to make a deadly strike. The carriage soon entered the forum and then continued down the Via Sacra while crowds of cheering people seemed to materialize on our route. The royal carriage had been spotted and word was quick to get around. Domitian called to Tero to slow down so that he could enjoy the adoration. “See how they love me,” he said to me with a contented expression on his face.

  “They do indeed, your majesty,” I replied remembering the advice of the Empress to flatter his ego.

  He nodded and waved serenely from his slow-moving carriage. “The common people of Rome are my most trustworthy supporters.”

  It was true, for to the people of Rome he was a popular and benevolent ruler. They saw him as a benefactor for he provided them with grain and games. He kept their stomachs full and provided them with entertainment to brighten up their lives. He was also popular with the army and the Praetorian Guard, for he placed them in importance above the senate. His cruelty and contempt for the senate had made him many enemies but he still enjoyed much popular support. “They do love you,” I added.

  “The people are loyal to me which is more than I can say for those scheming senators or even members of my own family.”

  I moved the conversation away from his family and back to the people of Rome and continued the flattery. “The people have no ambitions and accept that you are our supreme ruler. To the people you are a god.”

  For the first time he looked straight at me. “That is true, chamberlain. I am a god.”

  His words sent a shiver down my spine and I nodded agreement. The Emperor continued to wave to the cheering masses until we left the city of Rome behind and set out on the more deserted Via Tiburtina towards the Sabine Hills and the resort town of Tibur.

  With the crowds behind him the Emperor once again centred his attention on me. “Chamberlain, Parthenian, I think you and me need to have a little chat.”

  “If you wish, Emperor,” I replied anxiously.

  “You are not a senator or a member of my family. You are a commoner and therefore you are loyal to me and I can trust you.”

  “You can trust me totally,” I confirmed, wondering where this was leading.

  “I brought you along on this trip not just so you can look after me, for Corelia does a good job there,” he smiled. “I brought you with me for a chat. Casperius wanted to kill you but I told him no. Parthenian, I said, is my chamberlain and is loyal to me and will not speak of what he saw.”

  “I will not,” I gasped, realizing that he was referring to the morning that I saw Titus Sabinus dragged into the palace gardens by Casperius.

  “That is what I was sure of. Casperius was insistent but I dissuaded him from such an extreme course of action which I considered unnecessary. It was unnecessary wasn’t it, chamberlain?”

  “Yes, it was,” I confirmed. It appeared that not only was Marcella keeping me safe but so was the Emperor. However, the promises of both seemed tenuous to me.

  “Good, that is out of the way and we understand each other,” he smiled.

  “I understand fully,” I confirmed.

  “We will soon be in Tibur and so let us enjoy the countryside,” he suggested.

  “It is a change from the city,” I commented, pleased to no longer be discussing my precarious future.

  Tibur was a town of many splendid villas and the villa of Corelia was the most splendid of all. The gates of the villa opened and our carriage entered. I recognized the woman waiting to greet us as the once famous gladiatrix who in her fighting days had been the toast of Rome, both for her arena skills and her exquisite beauty. She looked different standing there in long flowing robes rather than gladiatrix attire, but her beauty was undiminished and was further enhanced by her radiant smile. A man of medium height and boyish good looks stood next to her but he did not look so happy to see our esteemed Emperor. Was it jealousy I wondered?

  Domitian was quickly out of the carriage to greet his lover and I followed, carrying his bag. “I see you have brought us another guest,” Corelia observed.

  “This is just my new chamberlain. He can go with the guards.”

  “I am sure that he is not used to having to reside in the barracks.” She smiled at me and I found myself smiling back. “Hylas will find him a room near yours.” She looked at her companion. So this was Hylas, the man that Marcella wished me to investigate.

  “As you wish,” Domitian replied.

  “Does your chamberlain have a name?” she inquired.

  “He is called Parthenian.”

  Tero then came forward. “Do you require us or shall I take the men to the barracks to settle in?”

  Domitian turned to him. “
Yes, you do that.”

  “And Hylas can take Parthenian to his quarters and you can come with me,” she said to the Emperor. She took his arm and they slowly wandered off together towards the villa while Tero and his four guards marched towards a large one-storey building in the grounds of the luxurious villa. This left Hylas and me alone. “You do not like Domitian then?” I ventured.

  “Is it that obvious?” he sighed. “Fortunately for me he does not seem to notice.”

  “We have something in common.” I looked around at the pristine grounds. “These gardens are very exotic but what is that area over there?”

  “That is the training area. Corelia likes to practise her gladiatorial moves there.”

  “I thought she had retired,” I said.

  “She has but she likes to keep fit and hone her skills. She practises with my wife, Aria, who is also a former gladiatrix and Corelia’s greatest friend. Come, let us go in.”

  I followed Hylas into the villa. I would have been staggered by the opulence if I had not recently been living in the royal palace. “It is very impressive,” I ventured.

  “Indeed I am very lucky to be living here.”

  “What is your role exactly?” I asked.

  “I am head of security for the villa. I have two guards who live in the barracks but I have rooms here in the villa with my wife.” We ascended some stairs to the upper floor. “This will be your room and the Emperor’s room is just down the passage, though he will probably spend most of his time with Corelia,” he sighed sadly.

  His attitude interested me but there was time for me to inquire about that and to follow Marcella’s instructions. I still had Domitian’s bag as well as my own smaller bag. “What shall I do with this?”

  Hylas took it off me. “I will leave it outside Domitian’s door. You make yourself at home and if the Emperor wants you one of the servants will let you know, otherwise I will see you later.” He nodded and walked off down the corridor and I entered my room.

  It was all very adequate though not as large or well furnished as my room at the palace. I did not expect to see Domitian for some time as the lascivious grin on his face, when he had left with Corelia, suggested he would be engaged for quite a while. I unpacked my bag and rested on my soft bed, reflecting on the danger presented by Domitian and Casperius and my tasks of spying on Corelia for the Empress and on Hylas for Marcella. Was Corelia possibly a threat to Domitia Longina, and why was Marcella so interested in Hylas? First I decided I needed to question Hylas.

  Luck was on my side for it was Hylas who later knocked on my door with an invitation. “Dinner has been served to Domitian and Corelia in her room and so I do not think we shall see them again until morning.” Once again I noted the distaste in his voice. “The guards are all playing dice in the barracks and so I wondered whether you would like to visit the local taverna and we could eat there.”

  “What about your wife?” I asked.

  “Aria is in Rome. She makes occasional visits to the gladiatorial school there. She will be back in a few days.”

  “I am not sure I should leave Domitian,” I was nervous about upsetting the Emperor.

  “If he wants anything the servants will look after him.”

  I was eager to go with Hylas for this was an excellent opportunity to talk with him. “In that case I would enjoy a visit to your local taverna.”

  It was only a short walk through this town of extravagant villas to our destination. We sat down at a table in a private corner and as I looked round at my surroundings I noted that this taverna was not as rowdy or as seedy as many that I had frequented in Rome. We ordered venison with loaves of bread and watered-down wine and then we started to relax. It was good to be away from the presence of Domitian and I sensed that Hylas felt the same. The meal and drink were swiftly delivered and I looked forward to an evening in which I could unwind after the veiled threats of the Emperor, though I had to remember the wishes of Marcella.

  “How do you like my local taverna?” he asked.

  “It is rather quiet,” I observed. “There do not seem to be any women around.”

  “If that is what you are searching for you will not find it here,” he laughed. “Tibur is a resort for wealthy senators who have villas here. They come to take the waters and if they also want female company they make their own arrangements. This taverna, unlike many in Rome, is a respectable establishment.”

  “It sounds very dull to me but the food is good,” I said, taking a sip of wine. “Are you a regular visitor here?”

  “I tend to come when the Emperor is at the villa.”

  “Why is that?” I asked.

  “I cannot stand him but would not want him to know of my dislike, and when he is here then Aria tends to be in Rome.”

  “Does she also not like Domitian?” I inquired.

  “It is not that so much, it is more that out of sight is out of mind. I am frightened that he will demand that she fights in the arena because he has hinted at this in the past, but I would rather not talk about Domitian. Tell me how you became chamberlain to the Emperor and why he has brought you to Tibur, for he has never brought a chamberlain or servants before.”

  I decided to answer all of the questions of Hylas which might then make him more inclined to answer my questions. “I was training to be a lawyer with the great advocate Nerva.”

  “I know just how good Nerva is,” he replied with feeling.

  “Anyway, Nerva thought that, though hard-working and intelligent, I was not destined to be a lawyer. He is a good friend to the Empress, Domitia Longina and so he recommended me to her for the vacant post of chamberlain which she generously bestowed upon me.”

  “You were fortunate, if working for the Emperor can be deemed fortunate.”

  “Indeed I was but I know what you mean. Domitian then surprised me by saying that he wished me to accompany him on this trip to Tibur. I have no idea why,” I lied.

  “You said that we have a dislike of Domitian in common. Does he treat you badly?”

  I considered the question. “So far he does not treat me badly but I have seen him treat his family and other servants badly so I do wonder when it will be my turn. He also treats the Empress badly and she was kind enough to employ me. Finally his unpredictable behaviour makes me nervous. Why do you dislike him?”

  “He is cruel. He constantly tries to persuade my mistress to return to the arena and when he is unsuccessful in this he threatens to send my wife back to the arena instead. The arena is a desperately dangerous place.”

  “If you do not mind me asking, do you love Corelia?” I asked, remembering that Marcella had implied that he did.

  “That is a strange question. I am totally loyal to Corelia but I love Aria. Why do you ask such a thing?”

  “I am sorry, Hylas, but I noticed the way you look at her and she is most amazingly attractive. I hope you did not mind me asking.”

  He shrugged. “No, I do not mind.”

  “Are you happy then with Aria?” I asked.

  “Yes I am for she is also amazingly attractive and is all that I could ask for.”

  “Then you are a lucky man,” I smiled.

  “Do you have a wife or anyone, Parthenian?”

  “There is no-one. That is why I was watching out for ladies in your taverna,” I grinned. “Does being head guard at the villa keep you busy?”

  “Most of the time it does,” he answered vaguely.

  “Do you get much time away from the villa?”

  “I do not really but I come to the taverna once a week with one of the guards and more often when Aria is in Rome.”

  “I do not think I could live in Tibur for I enjoy the pleasures and excitement in Rome.”

  “I lived in Rome as a guard at the palace when Paulinus was Praetorian Prefect. I would not wish to return to Rome to live.”

  “Paulinus was murdered and Casperius became prefect. Did you know Casperius?”

  “I did, Parthenian, but he was just a
nother guardsman who did not often cross my path. I was surprised when he led the conspiracy against Paulinus.”

  “Now, he ruthlessly carries out Domitian’s orders.”

  “He once carried out the orders of Marcus Gracchus who was my enemy.”

  “You had powerful enemies,” I observed. “Do you still have enemies?”

  “I expect so. You ask a lot of questions.”

  “I am sorry, Hylas, I am interested and just making conversation.”

  “Do you have enemies, Parthenian?”

  “Casperius seems to dislike me though I do not understand why,” I admitted.

  He sighed. “We all have enemies and Rome can be a dangerous city. I see you have finished your meal. Shall we return to the palace?”

  I drank the last few drops of wine and nodded. “Can we do this again before I leave?”

  “Certainly, for I expect you will be with us for a few days. One of your guards, Cyprian, is an old friend. He was on duty tonight but I hope to go to the taverna with him another night before you all leave. You may join us if you wish.”

  “I would like that, for it would be good to get to know one of the palace guards for I feel a bit isolated at times.”

  “It is settled then. If you hear from the Emperor when he plans to leave then please let me know, for I can then call Aria back to Tibur.”

  We walked out into the street. “I will do that,” I promised.

  It only took a few minutes to return to the palace. I felt pleased with my evening for I had gone a long way to finding out what Marcella had wished to know. I would get the opportunity to further observe Hylas and I would also get another chance to talk with him. If I could get to know this guardsman, Cyprian, then he might be able to tell me a little about Marcella but I would have to be discreet. Now I could concentrate on Corelia, but finding out if she was a threat to the Empress would not be easy. Hylas was most reluctant to talk about her though he opened up on other matters. I would see what the next day would bring but I might have to be quick for I did not know how long we would be in Tibur.