Caesar Dies

he gardens and for the imperial baths that were as magnificent, if not so large, as the Thermae of Titus. Palace after palace had been wrecked, r

omb cells in the dark foundations. There were underground passages, some of them secret, some notorious, connecting wing with wing; and there was on

ts, as each Caesar strove to outdo the magnificence of his predecessor. Oriental marble, gold-leaf, exotic trees, silk awnings, fountain

ribly uncomfortable in the heavy togas that court etiquette prescribed, reminded of their dignity by colossal statues of the noblest Romans of antiquity, and ushered by magnificently uniformed past masters of the art of ceremony, all who entered felt that they were insignificant intruders

ed the approach of Caesar, who could enter unobserved through a door at the side of the dais. From the moment that the trumpet sounded, and the guards grew

an gift of standing like a god. Vespasian and Titus, each in turn, was Mars personified. Aurelius had typified a gentler phase of Rome, a subtler dignity, but even

readily for spiritual quality within that golden hall, where the resources of the world were all put under tribute to provide a royal setting. He emerged. He smiled, as if the sun shone. He observed the rolled petitions, greetings, testimonials of flattery from private citizens and addresses of adulation from distant cities, being heaped into a gilde

to fill the throne-room, but none knew whether it was meant for an aside or not and none dared answer him. The crowd continued flow

r silence. For a moment he stood scowling at the crowd, one hand resti

rble screen. Met and escorted up the stairs by groups of cringing slaves, he reached a columned corridor. Rich carpets lay on the mosaic f

irls, half- hidden behind the statues, each one trying, as

of hers to keep me from enjoying my manhood? Send them away! The next

rough a bronze door, into the antechamber of the royal suite. There a dozen gladiators gr

recover, Albinus? What a skull the man has! Not many could take what I gave him and be

ough the curtained door

iting, C

me more of her Christians in the carceres, I wonder? Or has some new

uffled a moment and raised him struggling in the air, then flung him i

aughing, passed into the other room, where half a dozen

manded. "Why am I

fronting her, play-acting the part of a gui

sooner than expected. What woman can remember you are anything but

ning with the caestus; I will listen to your plan for ruling me and Rome whi

en scowl frightened the women standing behind Marcia, although she appeared not to notice it, with the same peculiar tri

n away then," he retor

speak be

nother room, the last one drawing a

asked Marcia. "And is i

to you before

, but she did not seem to notice it. Her genius-the secret

ess your slave and more your sycophant I would have tired of warning you. But none shall say of Marcia that her Caesar

tablet! Come now, name me your conspirato

ape's. The mania for murder that obsessed him tautened his sinews. Cheeks,

g unconsciously for the tablet tha

him. "O Hercules, my Roman Hercules-does love, that makes us women see, put ban

me sick to look at them! They fawn on me like hungry dogs. By Jupiter, I make myself ridiculous too often, pandering to a lot of courtiers! If they despise me then as I despise myself, I am in a bad way! I

upted. "So did Nero. Did they come to his aid

my court with gladiators! I can change my ministers as often as I please-aye, and my mistress too," he adde

d. "I can feel, though. I hear

hen I will clo

ugh the streets I

e no new things in Rome. The old way is the proper way to deal with mobs! Blood, corn and

he attendants whose dangerous duty it was to divine in an instant what clothes he would wear and to help him into them. He

on! Oh, T

or-all laughter-one of those spoiled favorites of fortune whom it was the fashion

with him. Go in and make him

through the curtains where Commodus roared him a greeti

see Sextus las

yeste

one, do you say? T

o discovered the leaders of Pescennius Niger's party. He says, too, there is a sm

tell you

ould write all the names on his proscription list. Sextus, I tell you, re

following of freedmen and educated slaves. They only commit just enough robbery to gain themselves an enviable reputation on the countryside. They visit their friends in Rome in various disguises, and they travel all over Italy to plot with the adherents of this faction or the other. Sextus favors Pertinax-says he would make a respectable emperor- another Marcus Aurelius. But Pertinax knows next to nothing

mad that I protected S

. If I had let them ca

e had no one to keep u

But are you sure h

red himself that the world is tired of Commodus, and that no faction is strong enough to stand in the way of Pertinax; but he knows how difficult it will be to persuade

Otherwise we all die-all of us! Severus-Pescennius Niger-Clodius Albinus-any of the others would include us in a general proscription. Pertinax is friendly. He protects his friends. He is the safest man in all ways. Let Pertinax be acclaimed by all the

rst chance. Severus, Pescennius Niger and Clodius Albinus keep themselves informed as to what is going on; their messengers are in constant m

rmers, and to try to terrify the generals by killing their supporters her

ssus

ow, who persuaded me to save Maternus the highwayman's life; it was he who told me Maternus is really Sextus, son of Maximus. His knowledge of that secret gives me a certain hold on Pertinax! Caesar would have his head off at a word from me. But the

xcuse for being seen in conversation with her he began to show her a charm against a

g in his way. Not even she dared lay a hand on him when he wa

have I not done?" he re

at

no nearer. There was laughter on h

it! It protects a

he had girded on along with t

against conspiracy!" he answered. Then he took the little golden charm i

you get t

magicians who frequen

cis

will have him thrown into the carceres. We'll see whether the charms he

ow, don't approve of ch

charm or two against my weariness of their perpetual efforts to govern me! The Christians, I suppose, have been telling you to keep me out of the arena? Hence this living statuary in the corridor, and all this talk about the dignity of Rome! Tscharr-rrh! There's more dignity about one gladiator's

him when he boasted. Not even she knew why he let her do it. He began to smile again, the

nd jabber in the senate and the Forum. You are beautiful enough to start another siege of Troy! But remember: You are Caesar's concubine, not empress! Just

these insults?" she retorted, trusting to the inspir

e to Rome instead, and use your godlike energy in ruling wisely, rather than in killi

eath. "A Caius and a Caia we have been! By Jupiter, if not for you and Paulus I would have left Rome long a

muscular and beautiful, but, nonetheless, though taller, not to be compared with Commodus-even as the women, chosen for their good

uman shapeliness than the tyrant who ruled and the woman whos

her. "Come and see how Hercules throw

er, and he forgot her a

ate tunnel through which

aimed and nicely balan

with javelins agai