Rome - 1. Chapter 1

It was a great day at the house of Caecus, Senator Lucius Duccius Caecus resigned from the Senate in favor of his son Appias Claudius Caecus. Appias had just returned from the Carthage campaign, where he had distinguished himself in battle. Lucius was getting old and wanted to retire to his villa, just outside Rome’s southern sector walls. He would be close to the ocean, where he could enjoy the cooling breezes and fresh air.

Appias had returned from the campaign and was ready to settle down. He had served nine years in the army, distinguishing himself on the battlefield. He now set his sights on getting married, settling down as a Rome citizen, and becoming a member of the Senate.

He moved, with his slaves, into his father’s home in Rome. The house was built on a hill overlooking the center of Rome. It was surrounded by olive trees, peach trees, and fig trees. At a going-away party for his father, he met a young woman, Celia, the daughter of Senator Gaius Lucinius Stolo. Appias and Gaius had a lot in common. They both served in the Roman army. Gaius was distinguished in his service in the Grecian wars. Appias was smitten with Celia’s beauty and grace. After a short courtship, and with his and her father’s agreement, the two were married.

Where Appias was rough, she was smooth. Unlike most women of the time, she was educated. On one of his campaigns in Greece, her father captured a young man who was educated according to the Grecian standard, a very desirable trait. Upon returning to Rome, he brought the Greek lad with him as his personal slave. Having no sons, Gaius favored his daughter and wanted her to be educated beyond what society deemed appropriate for a girl. Boys in the public schools were taught reading, math, writing, literature, and debate. Public schools were mostly for boys. The wealthy utilized tutors for their children of both sexes. Gaius used the services of his Grecian slave to teach his daughter about Greece.

By the time she was ten years old, she was fluent in the Greek language and knew their customs and geography. As she grew older, her father found her reading Greek literature and the writings of respected Roman writers. Being inquisitive, encouraged by her father, she spent time in the Temples talking to the priests and priestesses. She was fluent in Latin and Greek and was well aware of the lands to the east, south, and north of Rome. Her mind was like a sponge, soaking up knowledge from the scholars’ writings, the beliefs, and the similarities between Greek gods and Roman gods. She visited the various sacred places in Greece on one of her trips with her father. She was unusual compared to most women of that time, well educated, well-traveled, extremely beautiful, and a favorite of the priests and priestesses.

Her skills were put to the test many times. Although Appias was a good soldier, he needed to be taught the ways of a Senator. He was trained to hitting the battles head-on. His diplomacy skills were lacking, saying the least. Unknown to him, his brutish behavior started to create enemies. The Senate was a place of dialogue, respect, and gentility, not the site of a rough soldier. Gaius was concerned. He thought he might have agreed to a bad marriage for his daughter. As hard as it was for him, he confessed to Celia he made a mistake and should never have agreed to the marriage. She assured him that Appias was like a rough statue that needed to have the sharp edges removed. Patting her father on the arm, “I’ll work with him.”

Working with a hard-headed soldier was not easy. She requested the help of Appias’s father since he understood the politics of the Senate. Together with Lucius, it took time, but after a few years, Appias began to understand and change his ways. He would never reach the stage of nobility, but he would be able to control his temper, at least when he was in the Senate. At home, he could rant and rave about the stupidity of this Senator or that Senator. Celia felt that over time he would mellow more. What he needed was a son.

Every day she would go to the Temple and pray to Juno, the consort of Jupiter, for a child.

Six months later, she told Appias that she was with child. Now Appias didn’t quite know how to act. He was pleased she was with child, but suppose it was a girl. It didn’t surprise Celia when she discovered Appias was going to the Temple, praying to Mars for a boy. Appias should not have had to worry. Celia delivered a healthy baby boy to Appias’s delight. On the ninth day of the child’s birth, the boy was taken to the Temple for his naming. A proud father held his son as his name was registered, Appias Duccius, dedicated to the god Mars.

That evening a feast was held in honor of the newborn child. Members of the Senate gave gifts to the child and the parents. Appias was glad to see one of the gifts was a dagger, a weapon worn at the waist. Gifts of food and wine were given to the priest and priestess at the Temple in the child’s name.

Over the next three years, Duccius grew to be a strong young boy. His dad would wrestle with him, show him how to fight, and even throw a lance. By the time he was five years old, there were no disputes concerning whose son he was. He was an image of his father. Appias continually bragged about Duccius’s feats to his fellow Senators. To the point, some of the Senators began to avoid him.

At the feast celebrating Duccius’s fifth birthday, Celia announced she was pregnant. Appias began to strut, thinking he was going to be the father of another Duccius. What he didn’t know, Caelia was praying to Apollo to give her a son of intellect.

Three months before the sixth birthday of Duccius, Celia gave birth to a son. Unlike his brother, he was thin and small. Appias looked at him, turned his back and walked away. He accused his wife of adultery, but the priest and priestess told him she was pure, the baby was his. Roman law allows Appias to disown the child, in fact he could have put the child to death, which would have been his right. He could sell him into slavery and was serious thinking about it when the members of the Senate, who were friends of Gaius, began to praise the child as a child of the gods. Appias still tried to disown the child, the friends of Gaius told Appias that they were against his desires. The child was blessed by the gods, and to do what he was thinking would cause the gods to be vengeful.

Appias had many enemies in the Senate, he wasn’t liked. He was seen as a boisterous bore. All he could talk about was the Roman Army and their conquests. As to the matters of State, he made ridiculous suggestions. Those who he thought were his friends used him to put forth ideas they wouldn’t. He was being used and didn’t realize it, the only reason he was in the Senate was because of his valor in the Carthegian Wars and he was very rich.

On the ninth day of the child’s birth, Caelia took the child to the Temple for his naming. Appias and Duccius accompanied them. Even though Appias did not like the child, Duccius did. For some reason he felt protective of the child. Celia knew that Apollo and Mars recognized the future of the child. He would be given gifts that would help him achieve great things. Appias and Celia registered the name of the child as Appias Lucinius Caecus. Celia presented the child to Apollo for his blessings.

At the naming feast that night, Gaius made a comment to his friends that Appias didn’t seem happy. The feast was nothing like it was for Duccius, no special dishes were served and the wine wasn’t sweetened with honey. Anyone looking at the feast knew Appias was doing it because it was expected and not from the pride of having a second son. Gaius took an interest in his grandson, knowing that his father wasn’t going to treat him like he treated Duccius, and he was right. Appias favored Duccius, he took him with him when he went to the Baths, he bought him gifts, albeit they were analogs of the weapons the Army used. He had a short spear, he had clothes that mimic a soldier’s uniform, he even had the small dagger that was given to him at his naming. Appias had a physical regime for him, he assigned one of this slaves to work with Duccius. In truth, he was preparing Duccius for the Army. He totally ignored his other son.

Celia named her son in honor of her father. Gaius was very pleased and took an interest in the development of the child. He encouraged his daughter to visit him where he had the opportunity to have Deacon teach him. While Appias was at the Senate, Celia spent time with her father. Duccius enjoyed the time with his grandfather as well. While Deacon was teaching Lucinius, Gauis would tell him about the Eastern campaigns. When they return home, Lucinius would work with his mother, Duccius would relate to his father the stories he learned about the Eastern campaigns. This satisfied Appias’s concerned that Duccius might lose interest in the Roman Army. He didn’t care what Lucinius did, in fact he totally ignored the boy.

Duccius continued his interest in the Roman Army, practicing the various skills he would need if he was successful in getting a position. Listening to the tales his father would tell him about his experiences and the battles he fought, just continue to enforce Duccius’s resolve to follow in his father’s footsteps.

Lucinius followed after his mother, By the age of four he was competent in Latin and Greek, speaking Greek with his mother and Latin with his brother and on a rare occasion with his father. At the age of five, he was reading the archives of the Roman and Greek scholars. He was a frequent visitor at the Hall of Libraries where all of the writings of renowned Romans and Greeks were kept. Along with Deacon, they discussed the various writings. Deacon, being a student in the Greek school, brought that knowledge with him.