CHAPTER XLVI

                                                                                    XLVI

“ My lady Calpurnia:

It is not only is your Lord who worries me because of this blinding ambition of his, which is about to threaten Rome’s own personality... but also this vicinus from Esquiline Hill who is not even trusted by your husband, who has felt forced to appoint Lepidus as his lieutenant, instead. Why this interest in crowning him in the middle of Lupercii’s race? Is Antonius playing along with the Senate? It is easy to imagine that the Dictator Perpetuus, as you know, has designed the same kind of strategy as at Ludi Latini, bringing a huge number of supporters who had been previously paid –as you may imagine –by his loyal schemers: Opius, Balbus and someone else, so as to be publicly acclaimed as Rex. Of course, Decimus Brutus’ intervention thwarted his intention. Why did... that impudent lascivious fellow have to go on insisting that Caesar should accept the crown? My uneasiness about Antonius is quite different from my former repulsion for him, mainly now that your husband is going to be a Dictator...until his death. If he has not succeeded in being proclaimed king through people’s acclamation, no doubt he will try to attain this by any means, even in quite an unexpected way. It is not simply a matter of intuition. Anyone who knows your husband may imagine that, Calpurnia. I do not fear the risks of an imminent monarchy as much as those which might affect Caesar’s integrity... and also ours as Roman citizens.

If only I could enlighten you as much as I wish and we need!

Cornelius”

“My lady Calpurnia:

I can understand that Cornelia, always so sensitive about you present situation, has not told you anything about it....

I apologise for such a disturbing beginning of a letter, but, from the moment I learnt about it, I have grown aware that I cannot keep you ignoring what is being plotted in the shadows here in Rome. Near Marcus Brutus’ domus there have sprung up graffiti, urging him to take deeds against tyranny by making allusions to his forefather. You know, that who led the conspiracy against the last Tarquinius. No wonder that, as I was explaining to Cornelia, Portia has not let herself be seen in your house anymore. She is a noble soul who does not want to engage you in whatever thing that might happen in the near future...Yes, Calpurnia. It seems that, as at Britons’ Samhain, during the celebration of Roman Parentalia, the Manes crossed the border between both worlds. Such is Marcus Portius Cato’s case... except that he is meant to stay here much longer Than only a few days in February. Yes, I grow more and more aware that, beyond death, he is determined to carry out that mission which had been the core of his life since quite a young age.

On the other hand, it seems that your husband, from his god-like way of seeing things, deals  with what is beyond human nature as if this were his equal, unaware that life itself may  suddenly remind him that he is just a simple mortal, perhaps in some brutally unexpected  way… A human being that is bound to perish and, therefore, is not allowed to manipulate  what Rome has always considered sacred and cannot be submitted to human plotting. Can  you remember any Roman, even any of his preceding Dictators, who dared using... the  Sibylline Books!!! In order to justify what was convenient for their interests? Why on earth  should our quindecemviri have accepted that? Yes, that is clear: Cotta, Aurelia’s brother and  your husband’s uncle is one of them. Aurelia... What would she have thought about  this....After all, she was from gens Rutilia, like your mother, who, nevertheless, might have  owed her nature to your grandmother, something running in a female line. This explains the fact that mother lineage has a great importance among Gallic people and Britons, so that their women can enjoy a situation which would be unthinkable about any Roman matron. If this is so, Calpurnia, you husband is attempting against arcane wisdom by ignoring it, maybe unconsciously. Nevertheless, he is doomed to pay the price for it. We must do something to stop him, my lady...

(Here it seemed that the ink had been changed... or looked fresher, as if several days had gone by between the paragraph that I had just read and what it followed)

I was not wrong, Calpurnia. Your husband wants to justify himself through an old Sibiline prophecy, according to which Parthians could only be defeated by a rex, in order to convince the Senate that he should be proclaimed king before starting the military campaign against Parthians, something which seems to be imminent. Who knows if he is simultaneously planning that famous law bill in favour of polygamy -?- which he would justify through the need of a male heir... I have been informed through my contacts at Subura –Hector, who you already know, and a colleague of his, an aruspex from Etruscan ascendancy called Spurina. They had told me that there is some solid opposition to your husband’s projects. You must have learnt about that unforgettable theatrical performance which upset the Dictator, as he was publicly accused of oppression. But he might have also considered it a sort of conspiracy against his person, instead of the reaction of those Romans who were right to be angry....

Rumour has it that it could happen on the Ides of March, since it is Anna Perenna’s festivity and the celebrations on that day – such a gladiator fighting – may deviate the

rabble’s attention from it. A nefastus day on which trade and legal affairs must remain suspended. No, this is a minor issue for your husband. After having violated a sacred text, what could you expect? Though he may not pay attention to what is sacer, we could be able to make him feel uneasy. Spurinna –who is Brutus’ tutor – might take advantage of his position as an augur to warn him about that. As for the birds to be used in his foretelling rite, we must make sure that he will not have any difficulty to claim that he cannot find their livers or hearts, aware of what a bad omen this would mean for any Roman. Nevertheless, I fear this will not be effective at all. I have remembered that on the day of the battle of Munda, the aruspex could not find the entrails of the victim. However….If this could be made in front of Curia Pompeiana, where it can be watched by many Romans -what a pity that the Forum is so far away!-, it would possible stop him from going on. Otherwise, people would certainly see that he was violating such an untouchable thing by publicly ignoring a sacred Etruscan tradition. Spurinna will previously try to bump into him whenever he goes to survey the works at Forum Iulium so as to remind him how imprudent it is to choose a nefas day for such a seriously important affair. Remember that our history is full of natural prodigies portending mischievous things. Therefore, Spurinna and Hector will try to make a huge number of individuals – such as those who struggle to survive at Subura – believe that they have witnessed…for instance, eclipses, exotic wild animals hanging around the streets or in certain meaningful places. They could even try telling them that they saw slaves who had been transformed into human torches. Anyway, whatever wonder that may be worthwhile being spoken of… maybe on the Ides’ eve or before. Well, let’s think about that.

I have not stopped thinking about that…vision? that you once told me and which could be so useful to us. Of course, you should be in contact with your husband in order to make any attempt to convince him about it, mainly because that eerie experience of yours might have not been any simple hazardous coincidence, Calpurnia…. Please do forget about your modesty and, if necessary, send a message wherever he might be, even if this place is….the Egyptian’s. These days prudence is not a virtue anymore, not even for such a virtuous Roman lady like New Alexander’s true wife.

Harden your heart if this is required, Calpurnia. Do write me whenever you find it necessary

Cornelius”