The Far Arena (12 page)

Publius answered that his word was the word of a Roman. A praetorian officer interrupted his divine emperor, and even this did not loosen some little stream of doubt in Publius' dam of confidence. The officer said the emperor should not hold a man so young to his word, a man who obviously had many years to go to reach his mature strength and skill.

And if this were not enough, yet did Domitian play his game out further. He argued with the praetorian, and there stood unsuspecting Publius, witnessing an emperor justifying himself to a bodyguard.

'Publius is a Roman,' said Domitian. 'A real Roman is born with sharpened steel in his blood and a taste for combat in his liver. This is a Roman you worry about. If we had but a thousand Publiuses, no border would ever suffer trespass, nor barbarian muse some thought of confronting the eagles of Rome.'

Publius weaved and was held steady by slaves. He said he had one regret and that was that there were no barbarians within his grasp. He would like to see the entire arena filled with Germans, yellow-haired and horrifying.

The emperor said this might be arranged after Publius fulfilled his promise, which the emperor would be willing to forget, since Publius was a patrician and perhaps did not wish to appear before multitudes in combat with only a Greek.

To this Publius answered, 'Roman steel is Roman steel and cuts everywhere.' While this was distinctly unclear to logical minds, Domitian interpreted it as Publius' being unwilling to desecrate a promise.

'You are matched individually with that Greek, Eugeni,' said Domitian and then turned loudly upon his praetorian. 'You see what a Roman promise is. It is greater than his life, greater even than Publius' friendship for that gladiator. This is a Roman you look upon. Look well, there are not too many surviving in the city today.'

And Domitian called in many from outside to look upon a real Roman. He had senators witness this also as well as those of the equestrian class and, of course, the praetorians.

My informants and retainers had this news to me even while Publius stood before the gathering crowd. As each new citizen of importance heard this, an informant ran from the circus to my abode. This took some time because my city home was a well-fortified network. On the outer fringes were the tall buildings with living units stacked one upon another, a peculiarity of Rome, where space is so important that people would live vertically. Behind this square were what appeared to be wide avenues, but they all narrowed and turned into the one at the right of the square, so that, should a raging mob burst the outer perimeter, it would be fed like rivers into the wide avenues and then pressed rightward, which is the natural direction of people in hysteria. This would bring them into conflict with others of the mob also pressing rightward. One does not stop a strong force like a mob, one delays it and teases it elsewhere. The real entrances to my home were narrow passageways off these turning streets that led to the walls of my home which enclosed my gardens and sleeping cubicles and kitchens. From several cubicles there were also underground passageways that led outside the farthest tall buildings. When one depends on the mob for one's f
ame, one takes the proper precau
tions against its flittering affections.

Since there had been a night of riot, my informants were deployed at each perimeter, lest a disguised madman seek to enter. When you are part of so many people's thoughts and fancies, as am I, you have many strangers thinking themselves passionate friends or enemies without your slightest real collaboration. In any case, I was too late to stop what had begun.

My questions were brief. Who witnessed the promise? Which senator? Which equestrian? Which faction? Were there those who ridiculed the promise ? Where did the patricians stand ? Had this information become public knowledge yet? No matter, it would soon be so. When the sun was directly above us, I knew the fate of Publius was inevitable. I would have to kill him in the arena. I could not keep him out. I could not substitute some other combat or even provide games myself or help his family provide games.

Domitian had found in Vergilius Flavius Publius his distraction for a smouldering city: the arrogant patrician who would meet the mob's dear Eugeni. Eugeni, who had twice refused the wooden sword, who had proclaimed his greatest ambition was to please the people of Rome, who had often said publicly he had one fear and that was that his life should be wasted at the hands of invincible time.instead of ending in the glory of the arena.

Of this absurdity and others like it was my fame made, and Domitian knew it well. Freedman Eugeni, who loved Rome with his life, would face individually an arrogant young patrician who disdained the people of Rome. The city would accept nothing less than his blood.

By the time Domitian's emissary arrived, I was prepared.

The emissary outlined Domitian's thinking: 'By sponsoring the games himself, Domitian shows his love of the mobs; and since you will be matched with Vergilius Flavius Publius, our divinity puts further distance between himself and that distant relative.'

'Domitian doesn't need distance. What greater love of the mobs than giving one's own because he has violated the sanctity of Rome?' I said.

The emissary quickly shook his head lest that idea linger in the air one moment too long. 'One cannot get enough distance from that lad. Domitian will follow your match with bears, and - this is a good one - will hunt the bears himself from a platform. He will end the games with Jews, Germans, and criminals. The games will be in ten days. What do you think?'

Ten days? Mars's ass. Ten days.'

'Yes? No? What do you say?'

‘
It will need blood.'

'We have it. There is a crime wave we are ending within days. There will be enough convicted crirninals.' 'You have the bears?' I asked. 'We have the bears.'
/

'Bears, how?
’
'We have them.' 'How?'

'We had them. A transaction. The family that sponsored the disaster couldn't meet the price.'

'The family that sponsored the disaster that started the riots wanted to add bears, and you held out for more money? You paid with a city instead.'

They didn't have money,' he said.

'Yes, we all know that now,' I said.

‘
Well? Ten days. What do you think?'

Kitchen slaves brought us fruit and wine and cheese. I drank water. Domitian's emissary commented on the quality of the wine and on the fact that I never drank even the gentlest of wines. He said Domitian believed I had stronger reasons that just my cautions for the arena, since a little wine fortified the liver. I raised my hand signifying I wanted to think.

Domitian's scheme showed a sound knowledge of the arena. My match with Publius would be talked about, discussed, and argued about and would become the major point of interest before the games. The match itself would be, of course, nothing, especially for a large arena where my skill and Publius' lack of it would barely show. But if it were followed quickly by Domitian hunting bears, to sustain interest, and then much blood at the end, the crowds would in all probability leave feeling well satisfied with the day.

Merely an unbalanced match between Publius and myself would leave the crowd without the great discharge that comes from spectacle and blood. Domitian had arranged it all: interest, spectacle, and blood. And for his political purposes, he once again directed the mob's hostility towards the patrician class, his only real rival for power. Publius represented the patricians; I, the crowds.

'Good,' I finally said.

'Domitian thinks you should add some extra device.
’
'What?'
I said. 'He does not know.'

‘I
will fight without wrappings around my loins,' I said. That is only done in small arenas,' he said.

‘
It will be good,' I said. 'It will signify that I come to Rome without even clothes, and the people gave me everything I have.'

'Brilliant,' he said. 'Domitian's retainers will spread this word throughout the city.'

'No. My retainers will. Your retainers will say Domitian will not allow this, and this will further heighten interest'

'Domitian will appreciate your risking your body.'

'It is not great risk, and Domitian knows this. It is only in the mind that nudity is more dangerous than having light cloth.'

'But might it not dangle in the way ?'

'I am a man, not a horse. At the end of the match, Domitian will offer me the wooden sword again.'

'And you will refuse again.'

'No. This time I accept. Domitian will say he does not want the virtue of Eugeni desecrated by an inferior opponent as was witnessed here today, and he offers me the sword so that the purity of my glory will now belong to the gods and the people of Rome eternal. He asks the mob if they agree, and I succumb to their will. I say no twice, the mob screams yes, and Domitian himself descends to the arena to hand me the wooden sword personally. He presses my left hand around it, and, in confusion and despair, I begin to fall on my real sword. Domitian gets in between me and my sword. I kiss his feet. He raises me, I weep profusely. He walks me around the arena, his arm over my shoulder, and we both ascend to his seat - emperor and his devoted gladiator. There he makes me a senator by his decree and the voice of the people. During the captives or criminals, I attempt to return to the arena but Domitian stops me. He must stop me. This is important because with barbarians one doesn't know what pointed weapon goes flying around.'

'You're accepting the wooden sword? You are finished with the arena?'

'Yes,'
I said.

'But you arrange your own matches. You are leaving fortunes lying fallow.'

'It is not that profitable. My wealth is more rumour than real. You and Domitian should know how worthless is free information.'

'But you received great latifundia for your brief efforts yesterday,' he said. 'We know because we are seizing the late sponsor's property, and you left nothing.'

'The latifundia's value is that they are contiguous to other lands I have.'

'They came with slaves and water rights.'

'Oh, did they?' I said surprised. That is Greek business, and I do not follow it that well. I am so poor at figures, I do not ask gold or any other wealth from Domitian for the match he has arranged.'

'You ask for the wooden sword.'

'Which Domitian, befor
e the people, gives as the instrument of their will. He wins greater favour from the mob for this.' 'Domitian will not like losing you.'

'He will love the gesture of saving me from taking my own life, I, so despairing of leaving the arena and the people 1 love.' 'Why do you want to leave now ?'

'I am old. I should have left before. Any fool can ride the chariots of victory. It takes judgement to get off at the right time.'

'You were old yesterday, Eugeni,' said the emissary shrewdly. 'And you will be only ten days older when you mount to the right hand of the emperor and your senate seat. It is not you who have changed.'

I denied this, but he was right, of course. It was not my thiity-three years. The crowds had changed and had been changing for years, and one day just for the pique of it they would call lions or elephants to be loosed on me. When I had begun, crowds threatened to become a mob if things went wrong. Now they entered the arena as a mob. When I had begun my journey with the sword, owned by the Aurelii, a quick accidental kill, even in the great arena, would cause a few groans, maybe even applause for the speed of it. But today it was all spectacle and farce, and a sponsor without elephants was lost.

It was time I had gone.

On the second day, my retainers picked up the first stories of Publius' family's attempting to offer me a fortune not to appear in the arena with Publius. This was even discussed privately in the senate, 1 found out from two senators in my debt. If they were not in the senate, they would publicly be called my retainers. They asked if I had any special action I wished them to take in the senate, any stories to be confided to others. I said no.

On the third day, Publius secretly examined armour: Greek, hoplite, secutor, and Roman legionnaire - the last never seen in the arena because of its bulkiness. In that afternoon, he stored away the hoplite and secutor armour. I was asked by one of my people if I wished the armour cunningly damaged in any special spot and covered with coloured wax. I said no. I was also asked if I wanted his water drugged at the arena. I said no. Nor did I want some beam accidentally to fall on his sword arm

'It will be hard enough getting him to move properly,' I said.

On the fourth day Publius was well into training. He took not even heavily watered wine. The family had hired an old veteran of the Twenty-second Prim. Genia, which had been stationed facing the barbarians in Germany, under the theory that any lanista would be in the reach of my influence. The centurion, who had campaigned with one of the lesser Flavian generals, could not be bribed to discuss his methods. But he drank much and talked
freely. He told many that Vergi
lius Flavius Publius might have a little surprise for that breast sucker and his old muscles.