VII

OCTAVIANO AUGUSTUS

—“Long live Cesar!” The simultaneous greetings of Agrippa and Maecenas.

—“So is my desire to my gracious rulers.” Cesar replied. (Maecenas became the governing ruler of Rome and Italy during war time).

—“Oh! This pain of mine, my powerful Augusto, is like a crybaby, a restless child here inside my body.” Maecenas replied and urge to sit down.

While Cesar sits beside Agrippa, without any reason to justify his course of action, for distancing himself from Maecenas.

—“You know my son-in-law,” Augustus said to Agrippa, —“this morning, my daughter Julia, your wife, were so furious at me; she thought that I am taking you away from her. The unhappy girl is throwing a temper tantrum at me, she is not aware that we are already in trouble, having difficulties in putting all the writings of our beloved friends, Horatius, and Virgilio’s works, organizing them one at time. We have to systematically arrange them to elevate and enrich an outstanding library in Greek and in Latin, exceptional for Apollo’s Temple’s bookshelves.”

—“It is indeed, one of the reason why many amongst women are seeking attention from their capricious well-being without realizing the need to sacrifice a little of their time for people’s benefit!” The soft reply of Maecenas.

—“They are definitely obsessed for asking men’s attention, and set aside ourselves. Focus our eyes only for them, to be the first, and the only one for us.” Third by Agrippa.

—“Let women do their stead. I have something more important to say.” Cesar said.

The Emperor’s two friends paid attention to Cesar, showing their interests by listening to this important news with certainty and understanding.

—“Our beloved friend Gaius Calpernius Piso,” Augustus continues, —“the city prefect, is finishing his works and he’d able to gather thick books and all the writings of Cumaean Sibyl. These books are available starting tomorrow and could be read at the Octavian Library for people attending the performing arts in Marcellus Theater.”

—“May god Lares grant me a long life, so that I may see our effort in this work, achieved its’ purpose and see the rewarding result.” Maecenas said.

—“So, therefore, let’s go back to work.” The Emperor said.

Augustus, Maecenas and Agrippa, immediately went back to work, assessing thick books, opening and filtering every pages, inspecting the contents, organizing them one by one on the shelves and in orders according to their apportionment. With guidance in each chapter, recorded and noted in a long piece of paper spreads out, laying on the table.

The three friends dedicated their whole day, taking their cherished time, arranging and organizing various books. They search for valuable stories, enriching the enhanced and desirable quality of the refined wisdom necessary to manifest the complete harmonious development of understanding. The featured library has two divisions to embellish the decorative details of the institution established by Augustus.

Once in a while, this polite Emperor would throw a glance to his friend Maecenas, emaciated and pale for being sick, then would meet Agrippa’s eyes, giving a serious look. Both would shake their heads together like doctors losing their hope from their ill patient to live.

Octaviano Augustus would keep his mouth closed when talking about his friends, Horatius, Virgilio, Maecenas, and Agrippa. But he would usually mention this instead:

—“My friends’ deaths are the biggest blow that I could receive in life.”

Heaven forbid, but God must have heard him and let his four friends die first than Augustus. The death of his two beloved poets brought forth a terrible distressing pain, so whenever he look at the poems written by the said poets, his tears would trickle down his cheeks.

After sometimes, his two friends died too, the angel of death had taken from him Maecenas and Agrippa. His two friends who gave him most valuable advice in his reign. Their passing away had given him bitter lamentation and excessive pain that he let his beard grew long. He avoided socializing with people, and in the last years of his life, he spent teaching his nephew, Tiberius Cesar Augustus about his responsibilities as a good King.

While these noble people are preoccupied managing and caring ancient writings, they meet everyday to systematically enhance valuable books to put them in order. Organizing every classification, sorting. Herod on the other hand, is being followed by his noble escorts and countless slaves. He entered Rome at the “Via Triumphal” gate, after crossing the River Tiber by Janiculum bridge. The Idumean arrived in the Capitol city, called by the Emperor to defend himself against the accusation, a serious crime formally presented to him by his children. Herod was riding a horse, a recognized breed from Syria; on his right side is Mario, his lawyer also riding the horse, and on his left side is his slave Cingo. Behind him are his slaves well-dressed, while in their midst is a compartment, a sleeping berth (litera), covered with gold, and the staves (varas) are silver. Next comes Paulo Atme, leading and supporting the three ranks Roman cavalries, and the last of these cavalcade are flocks of strong mules, carrying loads of awning tents, and a few gifts for the Emperor from this Palestine King that pays taxes.

By the time Cesar Augustus’ return to his home, he found out that Herod had already been there antecedently with tens of his escorts waiting for him at the Palace’s wide door. Humble and modest, powerful Octaviano is simply walking, wearing ordinary clothing, like a typical citizen of the Republic. Truly far from the proud and flashy Herod, the King who pays taxes and the first Roman slave.

Augustus received Herod filled with graciousness, his usual practice, and even invited Herod to stay with him in his palace. The coarse and proud Idumean with his claimed crown paid by the taxpayers, and who are in great debt of gratitude from Mark Anthony, had immediately forgotten the person he owed from helping him gain to reach his status of a King.

Since Augustus rise as the world’s Emperor, after his triumph from the battle of Actium, (he fought between the fleet of Octavian and the combined fleet of Mark Anthony and Queen Cleopatra of Egypt, the Roman Republic’s last war), Herod won Julius Cesar’s nephew’s approval by pleading and bribing him with power of money, and the flatteries he had given to further his own interests. He imitated Aristobulus II, King of Jerusalem, with his countless money and had even sent acres of gold to Pompey, who defeated him (Aristobulus).

Herod, the Escalonite, desires the world’s Emperor to take his side in a dispute brought up by his children. In knowing Roman’s insatiable appetite for money, Herod sent in advance numerous gifts for the magistrate (Judge). But the gift for the Cesar, is an excellent piece, created by the skillful silversmith, a great value of a refined white pearls combined with black pearls and with some copper-colored pearls, made in the illustration, depicting the marvelous ripening grapes.

Being passive and clever, Herod did not forget to bring two boxes, filled with Hebrew books from Jerusalem, selected and picked explicitly for Cesar’s library. His gifts were highly appreciated and humbly acknowledged by Augustus.

Early the next day, while Herod’s in Rome staying at Cesar’s palace, he asked the Emperor’s permission to show him his gifts for the Cesar, to honor and to give value to all the favors he brought, and to please the Emperor. Favored by the Cesar, Herod entered the room and greeted the Emperor:

—“Noble Cesar,” Herod said. —“I brought you these taxed pearls from Juda to add it in your acres of gold from Aristobulus, which I am pleased and my pleasure to present to you, and for Rome to see these vineyards of grapes from Judea, fruitful and abounding from Herod’s hand, your slave.”

Augustus was astonished by Herod’s gift. He admired Herod’s marvelous gifts, his thoughtfulness for treating people in a most delightful way. Since then, Augustus, a modest and a fair Emperor had granted Herod the “father’s right” to his children. From the fourth commandment of the “law of the twelve tables” which terrified him and gave him the hair raising goosebumps from the back of his neck, and this broke him into pieces. Herod’s arrival in Rome, to defend himself from his children’s accusations were acknowledged by Filippo and Aristobulus, his two sons. (The readers should know too that Herod had a son named Aristobulus). They were informed about their father’s arrival and they made a careful preparations for their case to be brought to court. Mario, Herod’s lawyer, was one of the best advocates at that time. A famed man of great intelligence, with his dynamic words, is quick in sharp replies. He has the capabilities to alter a notorious criminal to come out as a hero, meek and wretched on earth. He defended Herod with his full wisdom and intense sharpness. His skilled expertise made the court of law to look at Herod like an honorable person, and the murdered wife is evil, a dangerous woman, and an unfaithful wife. The Hebrew law allows the wife’s execution for forgetting her obligations to her husband. So later on, Herod was acquitted after twenty days of legal proceedings where the court had tried the lawyer’s expertise. In Augustus’ command and his desire to respect the “Law of the Twelve Tables,” the court of law has appointed to leave the entire matter to Herod and let him do just as he pleases, everything he desires to inflict punishments for his children’s disobedience.

Having given that power to Herod, is an awareness of judgement to his two son’s execution, Filippo and Aristobulus, similar to what we will see later on at the end of the story.

While this is happening, Paulo Atme, on the other hand, is not wasting his time, going to Marte’s camp everyday, looking for people who are not afraid to take chances to venture and attain the dangerous tasks. He would usually gathers them for meetings, planning to carry out his and Antipater’s plot, the strategic attack they are about to accomplish.

Cingo, likewise, Herod’s slave, is faithful to his duty, to keep an ever-closer eye to the Roman’s every move. Unknown to Paulo, the negro is in full tactical shrewdness, cunningly deceiving them. Through all Cingo’s seductive powers, he convinced Paulo that he too is angry and hated Herod; thus, Paulo did not hesitate to hold back in declaring to Cingo their planned coup.

Paulo Atme made a mistake in giving his complete confidence, for trusting Cingo, and this destroyed their plan.

Herod is getting ready to leave to return to Jerusalem, and Cesar sets the date in advance, Herod’s departure. The first day of June was the start of his journey, and Paulo was again selected to lead the escorts to transport the King that pays taxes. Four “galley’s” (Roman vessels promenading by the slaves’ paddlers) are waiting at the Cavita-Vecchia’s port to escort them to the edge of Cesarea. On the night of the departure, Augustus, with his friendly and harmonious manners, ordered Herod and his children to join him and have dinner with him, believing that in this way, the father and son’s relationships can wipe away their bitter indignations from each other.

Throughout their dinner, Herod displayed courtesy, showing politeness with loving-kindness and tolerance to his children, but this contrasts his will. After the family gatherings, Herod asked Augustus a secret meeting between them alone. So Augustus granted his request, and off they went to the Historical room, the library.

As the two were left alone in the room, Herod pulled a piece of parchment hidden in his crinkled garment, then handed it to Cesar.

—“What is the meaning of this?” Octaviano asked, while staring at the document presented to him by Herod.

But before the Idumean could respond, Cesar’s quick alertness made him continue immediately to speak in his hoarse voice:

—“Ah! Therefore, there are people in my monarchy that dared to oppose my arrangements in rules and regulations? If that is so, then these rebellious Marte’s children, with the profound trust and compassion I showed to them, are even planning to conspire against the King I am supporting? Good Herod…………….good! I am so grateful for what you discovered, for giving honor to the truth. This task belongs to Gaius Calpurnius Piso; he is the Prefect General of this city and not yours, for you are not from here.

—“The name Cingo from that list should not be punished along with them.” Herod said. —“For that, Cingo is my beloved slave, and for thousands of times, this person has been tried and would rather take his life for me. Aside from this, he had done no evil deeds against me, but instead, he accomplished all of my commands. He even suspected that from Jericho, he noticed that my son Antipater and Paulo Atme had allied to conspire against me. So, I ordered my slave to stay focus and not to turn his eyes away from Paulo while I am traveling, and the whole time I am living in Tiber’s city.”

—“With all these rebellious plots against my friend Herod,” Augustus responded, —“Kings like me don’t want to see bloodshed, and I am punishing no one, except these warring rulers. The bloodthirsty Kings are like greedy beasts and should be crushed by their people like the venomous snake.”

Augustus knows the Idumean’s brutality, and so he stressed out the last of his statement in an unbridled talk at one extreme sentence. Filled with cowardice, dastardly Herod bowed down his head after Augustus expressed his summed up words. Then the Cesar went near the door and opened it, calling one of his soldiers walking around the lobby; he whispered in his ears, giving him the instructions supplied.

After an hour, the door open again to let the two Romans inside the room. One of them is Paulo Atme, and the other one is an older man dressed as a Centurion.

Augustus observed Paulo’s nervous pale face for a while, and then he handed the parchment that Herod gave him, saying:

—“For the sake of the Capitol’s gods and goddesses, for your parent’s reputation, and in honor of that eagle you are wearing, decorating you, a sign of your higher level of achievements, an accomplishment for leading an army. I asked you to tell me if what is written in that parchment is true?”

—“It is true Cesar,” Paulo answered.

—“Only Augusto is the only one that can build an army in Rome.” Cesar’s response with his voice shaking.

—“I am the only one who has the power to grant crowns to the deserving throughout the territories that is under my jurisdiction. You have failed the law, and so you need to die like a true soldier.”

And having said this, Augustus pulled the sword hanging from Paulo’s belt and handed him the handle and said these words at the same time, saying:

—“Take this!”

Paulo did not wait to repeat the orders; he could not think, for he knows what the Cesar means by handing him his own sword. Bearing one exceptional courage, Paulo stabbed his chest instantly and fell to the ground, bathe with his own blood.

—“In that manner, a rebellious traitor should die for threatening the life of a King I adopted here in my palace.” Augustus continued statement, then gave Paulo a sullen look and turned his back from him.

Augustus saw that Herod and the old Centurion are the ones who witnessed this gruesome scene. Still Cesar cleared away the disturbing emotional incident by meeting the Roman soldier face to face and continue to speak, saying:

—“You my loyal Antonio, you will escort the King to Jerusalem, and you will obey his orders like mine. Prepare now, for tomorrow morning before sunshine and before the morning star shines, you should be in Tiber’s port with your armies.”

Then he dealt with Herod, facing him saying:

—“You can trust him, for he is my long-standing soldier, faithful and true to his duties and obligations. He was forever with me, fated amid life’s battle in Egypt.”

After a few moments, Paulo’s body was taken and buried by the “lictors.”