Marcus Aurelius Betrayed (8 page)

There was also a table for whips and another for medical equipment and a
furca
, a “Y” shaped wooden post to which the unfortunate victim was fastened during the inquiry.

“I have found in the court records, Rufus,” began the judge directly, “that you applied the lash in the case of the Prefect’s slave, Ganymede. Do you remember it?”

“Of course,
eminentissime
. He was the one who tried to kill the Prefect. It was an important case.”

“I have discovered,” continued Severus with authority, “that Ganymede was in fact innocent and that therefore his confession was false. I want to know how the examination was conducted. Did you hit him too hard or too often? Did someone direct you to conduct the session that way?”

“I just do my job,
eminentissime
,” replied Rufus nervously. “But it’s true what you say. Secundus did tell me to lay it into him. We’d been getting no results from the first few slaves, so Secundus told me to let this Ganymede really have it. I did and he confessed.”

“Did he come right out with it? Or did Secundus suggest the answers to him?”

“Well, to tell the truth, it was a little of both. You know, Secundus would suggest something and then the slave would say yes, yes, and even added to it.”

“Did you hit him a lot?” the judge asked grimly.

“Secundus told me when to do it,” replied Rufus. He bowed his head. “To tell you the truth,
eminentissime
, I thought he told me to hit him much more than was necessary. The slave’s back was a mass of blood and he was screaming horribly through it all. I knew it had reached the stage when he would say anything just to get me to stop. Even I sometimes have nightmares about it.”

The judge turned around and walked out. Flaccus followed quietly behind him.

Before confronting Secundus, Severus made a quick stop in the law library to look up the exact wording of the law he had in mind. Then he headed to Secundus’ office, where he found him talking to two clerks.

“Get out,” said Severus to the clerks standing next to the young man. They took one look at the judge’s face and hurried out, closing the door behind them.

“What’s this all about?” asked Secundus, standing up slowly. He was frightened by the judge’s manner.

“I have proof that the slave Ganymede did not attempt to kill the Prefect and that you tortured him so cruelly that he confessed to a crime he didn’t commit.” The judge began to excoriate him. He kept his voice under control but his manner was menacing. “There is no worse act of judicial injustice or incompetence than the one you have committed. You have procured false testimony to convict and condemn an innocent man. That’s judicial murder. You’re a disgrace and I mean to see that you answer for it.”

A look of defiance had crept into the young man’s eyes. “That slave was guilty. I don’t know how much pain a...”

“Save your defense for the trial.”

Secundus stopped short. “Trial? What trial?”

“Your trial,” replied Severus, his eyes glaring. “For judicial murder under the
Lex Cornelia de sicariis et veneficiis
– the Cornelian Law on murderers and poisoners. The law specifically includes as liable, and I quote, “a magistrate presiding in a criminal case who renders a judgment based on false testimony by which an innocent person is convicted.” That’s what you did and I will instruct my court clerk to draw the charge sheet. You are to consider yourself under arrest.”

Severus turned and opened the door, motioning for Secundus to go out. “You will go to your apartment in this building and stay in it until I hold a court session tomorrow morning. You may ask for bail at that time.”

“This is absurd,” shrieked Secundus. “There’s not going to be any trial. Wait til my stepfather hears about this. I’m not going to my apartment. I’m going...”

“Vulso,” yelled the judge into the hall. The Centurion strode in, accompanied by two armed marines from the quadrireme
Argo
.

“Vulso. Escort him to his apartment and place a guard at his door. He is not to leave it until called into court tomorrow. If he resists, use force.”

Secundus stood motionless.

Severus walked up to him and slapped him in the face.

X

THE PREFECT GIVES HIS VERSION

T
he word of Secundus’ arrest was all over the building in minutes. Within a half hour the Prefect was at Judge Severus’ apartment in the Hadrianum.

“What’s this all about?” he asked with a worried look as soon as he and the judge were alone.

Severus took the Prefect into the open air peristyle where they could enjoy the late afternoon breeze blowing off the sea. They strolled around the colonnade while Severus gave Calvus a brief explanation, reviewing the absence of corroboration for Ganymede’s confession, the accounts of the women at the House of Selene exonerating Ganymede and the story of the court torturer indicating the use of excessive force to coerce a confession.

“I’m sorry,” concluded Severus, stopping and facing the Prefect. “I know Secundus is your stepson, but I have been given full judicial authority by the Emperor himself, and I find myself in circumstances where the law compels me to use it. Your stepson appears to have committed judicial murder under the
Lex Cornelia
.”

Severus paused. “Under our dual penalty system he doesn’t face the death penalty because he’s an Equestrian, and therefore an
honestior
, but exile or relegation to an island for life are possible.”

Calvus sat down on a bench, bowed his head into his hands and stayed that way a long time. Then he looked up. “You know, Judge Severus, this puts me in a delicate position. On the one hand, I can understand that the young man may have been a bit over-eager, perhaps irresponsible, in his conduct of the investigation. But he is my stepson and I’m obligated to protect him. I owe that to his mother, may she rest in peace. You must expect me to exert every public effort in his behalf, though I hope you won’t take it personally.”

Severus nodded understandingly. The Prefect walked over to the lotus pool in the center of the peristyle.

“When Secundus first told me about Ganymede’s confession, I found it a little hard to believe. Not, you understand, because I didn’t observe him near the table -- I was, unfortunately, too drunk to remember anything. But I couldn’t believe that Ganymede would do something so foolish as to try to kill me, even if he fancied that his wife and I were intimate. But I questioned him myself and he repeated his confession. I had no choice then but to allow the law to take its course.”

“Prefect,” replied Severus, “your position is even more delicate than you say. Because if Ganymede didn’t poison your wine, then someone else did. And the person who did it has not been apprehended. He may make another attempt to kill you.”

“I see,” replied the Prefect. “What then do you suggest, Judge Severus?”

“First, I’m assigning a squad of marines from the ship that brought me here to serve as your personal bodyguard until we find the murderer.”

“Really, judge, is this all necessary. I have a personal bodyguard headed by a former gladiator. He’ll...”

Severus held up his hand. “It is necessary, Prefect. I’m responsible to the Emperor to see that you remain alive. I would be remiss in my duty if I failed to take such a simple precaution. Your bodyguard didn’t prevent this attempt so I must insist on the increased protection.”

The Prefect gave in with a shrug.

“Now, from the accounts of the women, it appears that at least ten people had an opportunity to reach your drinking cup. The Isis priest, Petamon, Isarion the antique dealer, your aide Serpentinus, Secundus, the two young slave girls who served your table, and the three
hetairai
at the head couches -- Aurora, the courtesan at your couch, Zoe the
hetaira
with Pudens and Pulcheria, the courtesan with Petamon. However Philogenes never left his couch, so he couldn’t have done it.”

“Secundus is also out,” shot back Calvus. “Even if he doesn’t honor me as his stepfather, he knows I am in the process of legally adopting him as my son. This will happen soon. So he certainly has no motive before then. Quite the contrary. He has a strong motive for keeping me alive.

“Also the slave girls are impossible. They are too young and innocent and are devoted to me. And they’ve had many other opportunities to serve me food and drink and haven’t poisoned me. And the courtesans should also be eliminated. What motive could they have? Besides, if one of them had done it, she would hardly
have provided evidence which clears Ganymede, and none of them implicated him.”

“Then we can concentrate on either Petamon or Isarion or Serpentinus. Which of them would want you dead?”

The Prefect thought about it. “None of them. Just the opposite, actually. I can think of good reasons why they -- why all the guests at the party in fact -- would want to keep me alive.”

“Why do you say that?”

“Take Isarion, for example. He’s an antique dealer and I’m his best customer. Now it doesn’t make any sense for him to kill me, does it?

“Or Serpentinus. He’s my confidential aide and I pay him very well. My death would not be to his benefit at all.”

“Or Petamon. I recently became an initiate into the Isis cult. Not only because it’s good politics for the Prefect of Egypt, but also because I’m getting old and the Isis cult offers hope based on the wisdom of the ancients. Petamon is my teacher in the sacred lore of the Egyptians. Needless to say, his association with me has earned him a promotion in his Serapeum from ‘Interpreter of Dreams’ to ‘Keeper of the Keys.’ He’s now next in line for ‘Prophet’ of his Serapeum and he knows if I am alive, I would see that he gets it.”

“May I ask, Prefect, how Petamon became your teacher. Did you select him?”

“Secundus found him for me, actually. He had asked the ‘High Priest of Alexandria and All Egypt’ to find an appropriate priest to instruct me. The High Priest, despite his fancy title, is nothing more than the Roman official who oversees the Egyptian cult. His
basic job is to descend unexpectedly on temple books and accounts. I believe Secundus said the High Priest spoke to the ‘Prophet of the Great Serapeum’ who selected Petamon.

“Petamon has proved to be very learned in sacred lore and can read the ancient hieroglyphics. I see him once every few days, whenever I get a chance to continue my studies in the ways of the Isis cult. He’s a priest in the Serapeum outside the Moon Gate and I simply send a litter for him when I want him. We have gotten along well and I can’t think of any reason why he would want to poison me.”

“I see,” replied Severus. “Still I would like to talk to him and the others. While no one may have personal animosity towards you, someone may have a political motive. After all, you are the Roman governor of this province and there are some opposed to Roman rule. And then there’s a war on. Who knows who the Persian secret service has in their pay? The ‘Eye of the Great King’ is always dangerous to us.”

“You can talk to Petamon any time, I suppose, since he’s here in Alexandria, as is Isarion too, unless he’s away collecting antiques. But Serpentinus is not now in Alexandria. He’s away on a mission.”

“What kind of mission, may I ask?”

“Actually I’m not quite sure. It’s a mission for Secundus, so you’ll have to ask him.”

“Under the circumstances, perhaps you can ask Secundus and let me know that and when he’ll be back.”

Calvus nodded in agreement.

A slave appeared at the entrance curtain to the peristyle with a tray of refreshments. He poured some chilled white wine from a decanter and set two glasses on a low
table next to the flower pool bench. He then retired as the two men sipped their wine.

“While we’re on the subject,” continued Severus. “I was wondering how Petamon came to attend your orgy. I thought priests of Isis are supposed to be celibate.”

Calvus cleared his throat. “That’s rather a recent development in the Isis clergy, Judge Severus. Not all the priests follow it. In the past, they were only required to remain pure prior to performing certain ceremonies. Brother Petamon observes those, of course. But there was, shall we say, nothing impending when he attended my little party.”

“I see,” said Severus, draining his glass. “Did you know, Prefect, that Philogenes has disappeared? He has been missing from his home and the Library for more than a week now.”

“I didn’t know that,” replied the Prefect. “I’ve been wondering why I haven’t seen him recently. He’s a harmless Homeric scholar. I liked having him around because his literary knowledge impressed people. He liked to dance attendance on me, for the prestige I suppose. I send for him occasionally, particularly for parties. As I say, to impress people.”

“Were you trying to impress someone the night of the orgy?”

Calvus smiled. “No. I invited him to this orgy as a reward for his services to me.” The Prefect stood up and sauntered toward the doorway, indicating it was time to leave. “I hope nothing serious has happened to Philogenes. I expect he went on a trip. He tends to be absent-minded. He probably forgot to tell people he was going.”

“Prefect, you seem to be exonerating everyone. But someone poisoned your drink. Who do you think it was?”

“I have no idea.”

“Think harder. Your life may depend on it.”

As they reached the front door to the apartments, Calvus returned to the subject of his stepson. “I hope you won’t be too hard on poor Secundus. It’s true that he sometimes tends to be rash, but he has by and large done a competent job on my staff, both here and in Rhodes, when I was Procurator there.”

“I will certainly see,” replied Severus obliquely, “that Secundus gets what he is entitled to.”

The Prefect gave him fishy smile. “Then I will leave this whole matter in your capable hands, Judge Severus. In my next dispatch to the Emperor I must compliment him on his choice of emissary.”

Severus thanked him and opened the front door. The Prefect’s slaves lounging in the corridor immediately sprang to attention.

“There is one other thing,” said Severus, “that I was wondering about. It’s about Pudens, the unfortunate victim in all this. I noted from the diagram of the seating arrangements that he was placed on the couch on your right, the guest of honor’s post. Was the party that night in his honor?”