As he strutted proudly up the the white marbled steps of the Senate, Heres Leonidus sucked in a deep breath and adjusted his gold and purple toga. Ah another hot summer day, another wrestling match with the insufferable fools he mused. " All Hail Rex Heres Leonidus!" the usher shouted as Heres made a grand entrance in slow deliberate steps, soaking in the greetings and salutations by the patricians. "Please, my comrades. Be seated." A blood curdling scream grounded the fawning on Heres to an abrupt halt. At the top of the steps was Lenis Auctoritas, the heretic philosopher and rhetor. Bloodied from a gash by the side of his arm, he cried out " Corruptio optimi pessima! Rex Heres, Monstra Mihi Pecuniam!" Two stern Praetorians appeared in an instant and held him back as he tried to hurl himself across the floor of the Curia Hostilia. "What outrage is this?!"Praetor Faveo Risumus glowered. " Why hasn't this man been disposed of yet?!" Heres fumed, his hand clutching the hilt of his gladius. " Yes Rex, he will be dealt with immediately! Praetorians! Take him to the carcer!"Faveo howled at the two Praetorians, who dragged Lenis away forcefully. "Praetor..was it not my Father's order to have that nuisance permanently removed?"Heres murmured, while tossing his gladius between hands playfully. "Rex indeed it was. Allow me to explain. Lenis had the support of some wayward barbarians in Gaul and somehow he managed to escape incarceration with help from these supporters."Faveo responded in a strained voice, bowing. "Perhaps we should engage a more assertive Praetor... We can't have madmen running in to disturb our routine can we?"Heres threatened the seemingly shrunken Faveo. Stifled laughs were heard from the ranks of the Senators. Faveo straightened his red and white toga , retaliating " Rex, I have been in the office since the rule of the great Augustus Lucius Leonidus. Over the years I have served your Father and you with due diligence." "That only means that you should start enjoying the fruits of your labor. I heard you have a well appointed residence in Florence do you not? I think you should learn to enjoy more of it's grounds."Heres signaled to his Magister Militum Lepos Virtus, who escorted the aged Praetor out of the curia grounds immediately.
"Now lets get back to business shall we? What is the agenda for the day, Princep?"Heres questioned the Princep Senatus Servus Dominus who reads out agenda for the Senate meetings. " Rex and fellow members of the Senate, the first issue of the day is the Loss of our hold in Asia Minor. The Governor of Temeritus Hold , the esteemed Callidus Pacalis has lost a shipment of one hundred thousand aureus to the rebel plebian army and the trading town of Shineas Corpus has been sacked." "Callidus should be held accountable for the losses!"cried Moenias, a popular senator who holds a pro-republic stance. Senator Adstruo Orientis, long-time friend of Moenias tugged at his sleeve and whispered tersely "What are you thinking Moenias?! Callidus is his lover!" Meanwhile the other senators exchanged muted looks and broke into odd bits of conversation now and then. " And so you think you can do a better job then, Moenias?"Heres countered, one hand on the arm-rest of his grey marble seat, the other on the hilt of the gladius he was spinning on he floor. Standing up, he walked over to the row of Senators where Moenias stood. Waving an arc with his gladius across the row of Senators he challenged them "Is there any amongst you willing to replace Callidus?!" An uncomfortable pregnant pause crushed the air, Heres satisfied with his successful intimidation returned to his seat. "We still have to account to the people of Rome, Rex" Moenias ventured. "What is Rome, Wise Moenias?"Heres asked, leaning comfortably into his seat. "Rome is the people, this Senate and the lands that stretch from here to Numidia."Moenias replied.
" No Moenias, I am Rome."Heres thundered. " Then we should disband this Senate and go back to our farms."Moenias laughed. Adstruo Metonius intervened "My old friend Moenias must be delirious from the wine we shared. Haha he's equal parts lousy drinker and good orator. A potent mix is it not?Haha.." Speaking in soft tones to Moenias , "Think of your family if not of yourself my friend."Adstruo pretended to falter in the action of putting his arm around Moenias. "Ah perhaps I myself am not a good drinker as well. We should go rest, Moenias."Adstruo added, trying desperately to salvage the situation. Pontifex Maximus Coitus Primus stepped in and mediated, whispering to Heres "Moenias is still of use. We need him in the Senate to keep the mob happy. We have eyes on him, everything is within our control." Heres pondered the situation and decided that a show of magnanimity would be the best solution. " Take your friend and leave, Adstruo. Remember to send me some of that wine!"Heres remarked and the Senators broke into guffaws.
As Adstruo and Moenias hurried away from the Curia Hostilia, Adstruo reprimanded the younger man "Moenias that was too brash, even for you! Do you not know that Callidus is Heres's lover?!" "I know well what they are, Adstruo. You have my respect for being an honorable man, but I am prepared to stand and fight for the right cause. Callidus has the calibre of a mule and we both know that very well."Moenias argued, face flushed with anger. "Heres has the love of the praetorians and the legions. What do you think will happen to your family and yourself if you were to cross him too much. Moenias my friend, we are not indispensible, we have a voice in the Senate because he allows it. Can you really bear the thought of your wife being raped, your son being sodomised before they kill them in front of you? "Adstruo counseled. "It is not without a glimmer of hope, Moenias. I do know a way we can bring down Heres and democracy back to Rome. There is a secret which will empower us. Come let us go to the lavatorium and talk. It will be safe there."Adustruo motioned for Moenias to follow and the duo walked brisly into the distance. Unnoticed in the shadows of a pillar was a cloaked man, surveying their every move. Glancing around he started to follow the pair.
To be Continued
Auhor's Note:
"Now lets get back to business shall we? What is the agenda for the day, Princep?"Heres questioned the Princep Senatus Servus Dominus who reads out agenda for the Senate meetings. " Rex and fellow members of the Senate, the first issue of the day is the Loss of our hold in Asia Minor. The Governor of Temeritus Hold , the esteemed Callidus Pacalis has lost a shipment of one hundred thousand aureus to the rebel plebian army and the trading town of Shineas Corpus has been sacked." "Callidus should be held accountable for the losses!"cried Moenias, a popular senator who holds a pro-republic stance. Senator Adstruo Orientis, long-time friend of Moenias tugged at his sleeve and whispered tersely "What are you thinking Moenias?! Callidus is his lover!" Meanwhile the other senators exchanged muted looks and broke into odd bits of conversation now and then. " And so you think you can do a better job then, Moenias?"Heres countered, one hand on the arm-rest of his grey marble seat, the other on the hilt of the gladius he was spinning on he floor. Standing up, he walked over to the row of Senators where Moenias stood. Waving an arc with his gladius across the row of Senators he challenged them "Is there any amongst you willing to replace Callidus?!" An uncomfortable pregnant pause crushed the air, Heres satisfied with his successful intimidation returned to his seat. "We still have to account to the people of Rome, Rex" Moenias ventured. "What is Rome, Wise Moenias?"Heres asked, leaning comfortably into his seat. "Rome is the people, this Senate and the lands that stretch from here to Numidia."Moenias replied.
" No Moenias, I am Rome."Heres thundered. " Then we should disband this Senate and go back to our farms."Moenias laughed. Adstruo Metonius intervened "My old friend Moenias must be delirious from the wine we shared. Haha he's equal parts lousy drinker and good orator. A potent mix is it not?Haha.." Speaking in soft tones to Moenias , "Think of your family if not of yourself my friend."Adstruo pretended to falter in the action of putting his arm around Moenias. "Ah perhaps I myself am not a good drinker as well. We should go rest, Moenias."Adstruo added, trying desperately to salvage the situation. Pontifex Maximus Coitus Primus stepped in and mediated, whispering to Heres "Moenias is still of use. We need him in the Senate to keep the mob happy. We have eyes on him, everything is within our control." Heres pondered the situation and decided that a show of magnanimity would be the best solution. " Take your friend and leave, Adstruo. Remember to send me some of that wine!"Heres remarked and the Senators broke into guffaws.
As Adstruo and Moenias hurried away from the Curia Hostilia, Adstruo reprimanded the younger man "Moenias that was too brash, even for you! Do you not know that Callidus is Heres's lover?!" "I know well what they are, Adstruo. You have my respect for being an honorable man, but I am prepared to stand and fight for the right cause. Callidus has the calibre of a mule and we both know that very well."Moenias argued, face flushed with anger. "Heres has the love of the praetorians and the legions. What do you think will happen to your family and yourself if you were to cross him too much. Moenias my friend, we are not indispensible, we have a voice in the Senate because he allows it. Can you really bear the thought of your wife being raped, your son being sodomised before they kill them in front of you? "Adstruo counseled. "It is not without a glimmer of hope, Moenias. I do know a way we can bring down Heres and democracy back to Rome. There is a secret which will empower us. Come let us go to the lavatorium and talk. It will be safe there."Adustruo motioned for Moenias to follow and the duo walked brisly into the distance. Unnoticed in the shadows of a pillar was a cloaked man, surveying their every move. Glancing around he started to follow the pair.
To be Continued
Auhor's Note:
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author's imagination or are used ficticiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
