Season of the Gladiatrix

by David Adkins

  The next morning I told Pedius in detail of my time spent with Glyca, Decarian, and Sotan and their connection with Marcus Gracchus. He informed me that I would be questioned by both Nerva and himself. His questions would be well planned to take advantage of my knowledge of the devious arts of Gracchus but when Nerva questioned me I would be on my own. He warned me to stay calm despite the hostile line of questioning that I was sure to face. That made me nervous and I spent the rest of the day worrying about the approaching ordeal. I wanted to see Corelia but she had warned me to stay away from the school. I felt a little lost.

  The next day in the morning I walked to the Tiber and then across the Field of Mars as far as the mausoleum of Augustus. I wanted it to look as if I were doing something and that Paulinus would believe that I was searching for Glyca. I walked aimlessly until in the early afternoon I found myself heading back to the palace. As I approached the gate I saw two women leaving the palace. One was the instantly recognizable figure of Corelia and the other looked familiar because of the way she held herself and her gait. I swiftly caught up with them. “Corelia, why were you in the palace?” I asked.

  “I was just visiting the Emperor,” she replied. “It is what I have to do from time to time as you know.”

  The other woman had walked a little distance away but my eyes followed her. “Your disguise does not fool me, Glyca. I know you too well,” I called to her.

  She shrugged and rejoined us. “You are more observant than the rest of your guards,” she remarked.

  “I have reason to be,” I said a little bitterly.

  “You did not see us,” said Corelia severely.

  “But I did see you,” I answered.

  “Hylas, please do as I say. Do not tell Paulinus or Macro that Glyca was in the palace. The guards think I was merely accompanied by a slave.”

  “Why not?” I asked.

  “I have told you to trust me. It is for the best for both me and for Aria. It is what I need you to do. I give you my word that I will reward you well, Hylas.” Her expression and her final words offered a promise of paradise.

  I was hypnotized by her and though I could see Glyca grinning widely it did not stop me agreeing to what Corelia demanded. “I will say nothing.” The promise of a reward was so beguiling.

  “Thank you, Hylas.” She stroked my face and subdued me to her will. I loved her so much.

  “I trust no harm has come to Solanus.” I still needed that reassurance.

  “I would never do anything to harm Solanus,” she replied. “Remember, you will say nothing.”

  “I will say nothing,” I confirmed.

  I watched as they hurried away down the cobbled streets. Then when I entered the palace I went straight to see Solanus.

  Nepos was on duty outside his room. “Has Solanus had any recent visitors?” I asked.

  “Corelia, the gladiatrix visited him a short time ago. She said she was an old friend of his. I would not let her in so he came out to speak to them in the corridor but they were never out of my sight,” he added defensively.

  “To speak to them?” I said.

  “Yes, Corelia had a slave with her. The slave had come to carry a gift which had been given to the Emperor. Is there something wrong, Hylas?”

  “There is nothing wrong, Nepos. Did the slave talk to Solanus?”

  “Yes, she did. I did find that rather strange but they talked softly and they were too far away for me to hear what they were saying. Are you sure there is nothing wrong?”

  “I am sure. Can you ask Solanus to come into the corridor – I would also like to speak with him?”

  Nepos did as I asked and Solanus emerged from his room. “Greetings, Solanus,” I said.

  “Greetings, Hylas,” he replied. “I remember you. You were the young guard who spoke to me about patrolling the wall when I was prisoner here.”

  “That was me. Have you just had a visitor?”

  “Yes, the gladiatrix Corelia. We are old friends and she was in the palace seeing Domitian and came to call on me on her way out. Is there something wrong?”

  “I see, you are old friends and she wished to see her friend again.” There was a tinge of jealous irony in my tone. “Did she have someone with her?”

  He looked me in the eye as if inviting me to contradict him. “Just a slave she had brought with her.”

  I smiled derisively and muttered. “Some slave!”

  He changed the subject. “I hear you spent much of the last year chasing me round Asia.”

  “I was wasting my time then just as I am doing now.” I could not suppress the hostility. This was the man that Corelia had loved once and may still love. This was the man who had rejected her.

  “Did you see and speak with Corelia as she left?” he asked.

  “I did,” I answered. I had betrayed my promise to her.

  “Then I advise you not to waste any more of your time.” He looked at me knowingly and a faint smile crossed his face. He turned and re-entered his room and the door closed behind him. I stood there staring at the closed door.

  “What was that all about?” asked Nepos.

  “I wish I knew.” I evaded his question and walked away.

  The remaining two days before the trial passed without incident. The day before I walked to the Circus Maximus where crowds were already gathering to talk about the impending court case. It was obvious that if Paulinus wanted the Roman people on his side then he was in for a disappointment. It was not that they were on the side of Gracchus but rather that they were uncommitted. At previous famous trials one side or the other had been able to harness the influence of the Roman mob but it was apparent that this was not going to happen this time. The common people were usually against the aristocracy and Gracchus was the wealthiest member of that patrician hierarchy, but they were also highly suspicious of the ambitions of Paulinus though he was more one of their own. They would come in vast numbers to view the entertainment but the majority would remain neutral.

  I walked back to the palace pondering on my role in the coming drama. I would give my evidence truthfully though I would leave out anything that might incriminate Corelia or her father. I did not know whether Gracchus and the others would be convicted or not but I did wonder about his ability to influence events. I also wondered whether if, by giving evidence against him, I was putting my own life in danger. It was a sobering thought prior to the drama that was about to be continued in the forum of the most powerful city in the world. Meanwhile it seemed that the only thing that interested the Emperor was the event that would follow a few weeks later in the Colosseo.

  Chapter 21

  The day of the trial had arrived at last and I sat alongside Paulinus, Pedius, and Solanus, flanked by numerous members of the Praetorian Guard. Opposite to us on similar benches sat the accused senators, Marcus Gracchus, Canius Rebilus, and Tovanus Polla next to their lawyer, Marcus Nerva. Gracchus and Nerva looked supremely confident, which was unnerving, while Rebilus simply looked ill. In the middle and to the rear sat Marcus Bradua and Volussius Saturninus who were responsible for the smooth running of the trial and keeping order. They too were surrounded by guards as was the Emperor, who sat a little further back but was looking disinterested. At least this time he had honoured proceedings with his divine presence. Alongside Domitian sat the nineteen senators who would act as judges and behind them the bulk of the rest of the senate. In the main the atmosphere seemed tense, for it was likely that this trial would strongly influence the future of Roman politics. Would it be the Senate or the Praetorian Guard who would run Rome in the name of the apathetic Emperor?

  The tension was mirrored in the vast crowd that had packed into the forum on this auspicious day. Many were aware that something important was happening even if they were not quite sure what it was. It did not have the draw of events in the Colosseo but it was spectacle enough to draw the crowds. I searched the many faces for any sign of Corelia and her father but it was impossible to spot them among such n
umbers. I felt sure, however, that they would be there among the masses. The tension I detected was not of a hostile nature and I felt confident the day would pass trouble free and the guard would not be called into action. With that comforting thought in mind I settled back and waited for the trial to begin.

  As before, Bradua stood to begin proceedings. He held up his hand for silence and the noise both in the crowd and in the senatorial ranks died away. Bradua looked around him and began to speak. “Once again we are gathered here for the trial of the senators, Marcus Gracchus, Canius Rebilus, and Tovanus Polla. Our gods and our ancestors will look down on this trial in the knowledge that we will reach a judgement based purely on the facts as they are presented to us. That is the way we do things and that is what must govern the verdict of our eminent judges. These three named senators are accused of treason against the state and plotting the downfall and assassination of our great Emperor.”

  Domitian for the first time looked interested and Bradua continued. “In the first part of the trial many months ago Marcus Nerva and Gaius Pedia presented us with a wealth of evidence for our consideration. It was found that this evidence was inconclusive due to the absence of a main witness, Solanus Fuscus. Solanus is with us today and so the trial is at last able to continue. Gaius Pedius informs me that he has indeed two new witnesses he would like to call to furnish us with valuable evidence relating to the trial.”

  Nerva was on his feet. “I must protest. We were led to believe that there would be just one witness, Solanus Fuscus.”

  “Two is better than one if they have relevant information,” responded Bradua.

  Nerva shrugged and then smiled. “It makes little difference if they call two or two hundred, for the honourable senators will still be innocent of the false allegations made against them.” He sat down.

  Bradua continued. “Before we listen to the evidence of these two new witnesses I would like to call on Gaius Pedia and Marcus Nerva to brief us and to reacquaint us with the charges from both the point of view of the defence and prosecution. First it will be Pedius to tell us why he believes these senators to be guilty.”

  Pedius was on his feet. “I will read out to you the transcript from the earlier trial.” He paused for a moment and then began. “A foul conspiracy was unearthed at the home of Marcus Gracchus, at his villa on the coast near Surrentum. How was it unearthed? you might ask me. Well, three of his senatorial colleagues were involved with Gracchus in the plot to overthrow our beloved Emperor. Two of these men sit here next to Gracchus, also on trial for their evil machinations. These two men are the senators Canius Rebilus and Tovanus Polla. However, there was a fourth conspirator who is not here – another eminent senator, Quintus Fuscus. I call these men eminent because we once considered them distinguished, but now, certainly, disreputable would be a far better word. Quintus Fuscus had a son, Solanus Fuscus, and that son had issues with his father. Issues that made them enemies, and two months ago Solanus decided to settle these issues. It is just as well for us and for our great city that he did. Solanus Fuscus blundered onto a conspiracy against our Emperor.

  “Of course our ever vigilant Praetorian Guard already had grave suspicions concerning these four infamous plotters and so Paulinus, the head of the People’s Guards, followed Solanus to the villa of Marcus Gracchus. Solanus arrived first, forced his way into the villa and found the five of them discussing their abhorrent objectives. Did you notice that I said there were five of them? There was another man there, and it is the presence of this man that proves their guilt beyond question. The fifth conspirator was Antonius Sabinus, the legate to the governor of Asia, Civica Cerealis. Now, as you all know, neither the governor nor his second in command is permitted to leave their province without the permission of the Emperor or the Senate. Sabinus’s presence in the house of Gracchus was quite illegal and very secret. I put to you that only one possible motive could have drawn Sabinus away from his province – and that motive was treason. The four senators would dispose of our Emperor by assassination and the legions of Asia would be ready to back them and to threaten Rome itself. However, Solanus Fuscus had interrupted their scheming and he had an old score to settle. In the melee that followed Quintus Fuscus was killed and his son escaped from the scene, but not before he had told Paulinus about what he had seen and what he had heard. The attendance of Antonius Sabinus was living proof that the words of Solanus were true, giving indisputable credence to the strong suspicions which Paulinus already harboured regarding these fanatical senators. Every senator knows and every citizen knows that these men are guilty as charged. The evidence is undeniable. Many senators have come forward in the last few days to say that they too had suspicions. Valerius Messala has given evidence which informs us of the lofty ambitions of Marcus Gracchus and Quintus Fuscus, the two undoubted leaders of the conspiracy.

  “That these three men before us are guilty there can be no doubt. Let us consider the consequence of their actions. We have enjoyed twenty years of peace and prosperity since the last great wars. These men would have brought all that to an end. They would have murdered our Emperor – but do you think it would have stopped there? Other senators who were not of their faction would have been disposed of. Paulinus, the head of the Praetorian Guard, would equally have had to meet an untimely end. What if the opposition after the death of the Emperor had proved not so easy to overcome? That is when the Asian legions would have been needed and the country plunged into civil war. The legions of Civica Cerealis would have marched on Rome. Civil war would have ensued and the great city of Rome, your city, would have been in dire danger and the people of Rome would have been in mortal peril, and why? I will tell you why – because of the outrageous ambitions of these three men who must be found guilty.”

  Pedius paused again and looked about him. “That is the statement I made at the first part of the trial nearly a year ago. It states eloquently, I believe, and without any doubt, that these three men are guilty of the most heinous of all crimes.” He waited for effect before he said loudly and simply, “Vile treason.” He sat down.

  “Now we will hear from Marcus Nerva,” said Bradua.

  Nerva stood up and looked at Pedius with disdain. “Last time I congratulated my esteemed colleague on an admirable piece of theatre but this time I can only regard him with contempt. It seems to me to be rather pathetic to read a transcript from past events.”

  Pedius protested. “It is simply a means of relating what has gone before.”

  Nerva continued. “So you say, but it suggests to me that despite your new witnesses you have little new to say and indeed you have no confidence in the truth of what you intend to put forward. If you do not believe your own words to be true then how do you expect the rest of us to give them credibility?”

  Pedius looked angry but said nothing.

  Nerva looked at the Emperor and then at the senate and then at the people. “I invite you to consider the three accused senators. What you see here are three noble Romans who have served their country well with honesty and with hard work. For almost a year, despite their service to the city, they have been under virtual house arrest waiting for the continuation of this farcical trial. It has affected their lives, their families and their health.” He looked at Canius Rebilus. “They have suffered the ignominy of being regarded as criminals. How much more are they to suffer because of the false accusations brought against them by the extremely ambitious Praetorian Prefect? This is a man who brooks no rivals when it comes to aiding the Emperor to run the state.”

  Paulinus scowled and I thought he was about to protest but he kept his peace.

  Nerva looked at him accusingly and continued. “I have already once demonstrated the injustice of the accusations against these men but I shall do so again despite the claims of these so-called witnesses. The case hinges completely on a meeting that took place at the mansion of Marcus Gracchus at Surrentum where it is scurrilously claimed that a plot against the Emperor was being hatched. I will demonstrate th
at it was a social meeting among friends who wished to do no more than relax for a day or two away from their busy lives in Rome. There were four senators enjoying the sea air. There were the three you see before you plus the unfortunate Quintus Fuscus who was killed by his son as a result of a family disagreement. These men were all known to be friends and colleagues. Why should they not enjoy each other’s company for an evening of relaxation?”

  He paused and took a sip of water. “The case of the prosecution depends on the presence of Antonius Sabinus at the mansion. Sabinus was second in command to Civica Cerealis, the governor of Asia, and another loyal servant of the state. We are told that the only reason Sabinus could have been at the house of Gracchus was to plot against the Emperor. That is total nonsense. The poor man’s sister was very sick and he secretly returned to Italy to see her for they were very close. I concede that he should not have been in Italy, but any man here who has a sister who is dear to him will understand Cerealis’s actions. His sister died of a disease and the distressed man clearly was not thinking straight as a result and did not return to Asia immediately as he perhaps should have done. He decided to pay a social call on an old friend before returning to his province. The Sabini and the Gracchi families have been friends and allies for decades and so why should these two men not meet? Is our Praetorian Prefect going to bring in a law against socializing? Will I be bringing Antonius Sabinus forward as a witness to what took place in the mansion? No, I will not, because the said legate died while in the custody of the already mentioned efficient Praetorian Prefect. The whole business stinks and these honourable men should never have been brought to trial.” He shook his head and sat down.

  Bradua stood. “Did a conspiracy take place at the home of Marcus Gracchus in Surrentum or was it nothing more sinister than a social gathering? Pedius has two witnesses and their testimonies, he states, will prove that a conspiracy took place. We will listen to what they have to say and they will be questioned by both Pedia and Nerva. First will be Hylas, who serves in the Praetorian Guard, and the second will be Solanus, the man we have all heard so much about. So let Hylas come forward.”