There was silence as the senators ceased their protestations of loyalty to hear what could be worse than a crime against the Emperor. ‘I was present when your emissary, the proconsul Marcus Asinius Agrippa, brought Poppaeus the news of the honour that this House had voted him, and our Emperor had been pleased to confirm, Triumphal Ornaments. I witnessed Asinius order Poppaeus, in the name of the Senate and the Emperor, to immediately give up his command to Pomponius Labeo and return to Rome. Showing no gratitude for this extraordinary honour, Poppaeus refused, thereby committing a crime not only against the Emperor but also against this House. It was not until Asinius repeated the order in front of the whole army after the battle that Poppaeus felt obliged to lay down his command.’
Shouts of outrage forced Vespasian to pause again. Asiaticus sprang to his feet and bellowed for order.
‘Senator Vespasian,’ he shouted over the din, ‘can you swear to this?’
‘I can, but I can do better than that, Consul, I can get you proof. Senator Corbulo, where did you find Poppaeus on the night of the Thracian attack?’
Corbulo stood. ‘In Asinius’ tent.’
‘Who else was there?’
‘Asinius, you, King Rhoemetalces and Primus Pilus Faustus.’
‘Unfortunately, Consul, Asinius is dead as is Faustus but King Rhoemetalces is not. Write to him and ask him for the details of the conversation that had taken place between Asinius and Poppaeus before Corbulo arrived; he will confirm everything I’ve said.’
Vespasian returned to his folding stool as the first of the many senators eager to express their disgust at such a disregard for senatorial authority jumped to his feet.
After a succession of speeches each railing at Poppaeus’ behaviour and each one more damning and hypocritical than the last, Asiaticus brought the matter to a close.
‘Conscript Fathers, I withdraw the motion that I proposed and recommend instead that we should mark Poppaeus’ death with an acknowledgement that in his service to Rome he was merely up to the task and no more. We should write to the Emperor and ask him, in view of Poppaeus’ behaviour, if he would wish us to strip him posthumously of his Triumphal Ornaments.’ This was greeted with a unanimous shout of approval. ‘I see no reason to divide the House on this issue.’
‘Consul,’ Gaius shouted, ‘if we are to write to the Emperor, I have another matter to be brought to his attention.’
‘Wishing the Emperor dead is a very serious accusation indeed,’ Asiaticus told the Senate after Eutyches’ statement had been read. ‘We should have this freedman sent to the Emperor so that he can question him personally. Do you know where he is, Senator Pollo?’
‘I do, Consul; the Lady Antonia has had him confined since he tried to blackmail her because her grandson merely reprimanded Herod for his views rather than reporting the treason.’
‘Good, I shall ask her to keep him there until the Urban Prefect can arrange for his transfer. We should now discuss how to deal with Herod Agrippa.’
Sabinus got to his feet and waved the scroll that Antonia had given him. ‘Consul, I have some information that relates to both the issues that have been discussed this morning.’
‘You may have the floor.’
‘I am pleased to report that the Lady Antonia has, out of her own purse, purchased a consignment of grain, which she has donated to the public granaries to help relieve the shortage.’ Sabinus paused as the senators expressed their approval and gratitude for this selfless act of altruism. ‘As I was processing the paperwork this came to my notice in amongst the newly arrived grain deliveries.’ He unrolled the scroll with a melodramatic flurry. ‘It is a certificate of ownership for a delivery of grain from Egypt, worth over a quarter of a million denarii; it was part of the consignment of the Egyptian grain fleet that went down in the storm. However, this grain was carried by one of the two transports that did make it to Rome, but I, as the grain aedile for this year, am unable to distribute it because it does not belong to Rome; it remains in a private warehouse in Ostia, all the time gaining in value as grain prices soar. This certificate shows that, once it had been offloaded in Ostia, the ownership of the grain transferred to Gaius Poppaeus Sabinus in payment of a loan he had made to Herod Agrippa.’
Uproar followed this revelation.
Asiaticus bellowed over the crowd in righteous indignation. ‘Are you saying that Herod Agrippa has been using our city’s current difficulties for his own profit so he can pay off debts?’
‘It appears that way, Consul.’
‘Show me that.’
Sabinus walked the length of the House and handed the scroll to Asiaticus.
After a cursory glance the Senior Consul rolled it up and placed it into the fold of his toga. ‘Thank you, Senator Sabinus.’ He looked up at the sea of expectant faces to find the Urban Prefect. ‘Have Herod Agrippa brought before the Senate in chains.’
PART III
CHAPTER XIII
‘How long is it going to take to rebuild?’ Vespasian asked Sabinus as they watched a work-gang of public slaves unload a delivery of bricks in front of the fire-blackened ruins of Sabinus’ house on the Aventine Hill. All around them scores of other gangs were working among the charred ruins of the Aventine, resurrecting the once beautiful and prosperous hill overlooking the Circus Maximus. Heavy cloud and an incessant drizzle added a depressing sombreness to the scene of devastation; hardly a building remained untouched by the fire that had ripped through the area six months before, adding a sour note to Sabinus’ year as a praetor. His denunciation of Herod Agrippa had resulted in the Jewish king being chained to the wall in a damp cell and Sabinus coming top of the poll in the election — beating Corbulo, much to his chagrin — and therefore eligible for the governorship of a senatorial province.
‘It should be about three months, according to the foreman, but with almost every house on the Aventine being rebuilt he can’t say for certain. It depends on the availability of building materials and slaves and also upon whether you, as the aedile in charge of roads, manage to do your job properly and keep the streets clear. Either way, now that the sea-lanes are opening up again, I’ve got to leave for my province in a few days so you’ll have to oversee the work for me.’
‘At least you don’t have to worry about money, the Emperor’s seen to that.’
Sabinus grimaced. ‘Two hundred million sesterces might sound a lot, and there’s no denying that it was very generous of Tiberius now that it’s finally arrived, but that’s not going to cover the cost of every building on the hill. I’m going to have to find some money from somewhere if the house is going to be rebuilt to the standard that it was originally; Clementina won’t accept anything less.’ He shook his head regretfully. ‘If only I hadn’t bought it and just rented it, then it wouldn’t be my problem.’
Vespasian glanced at his brother and judged that now was not the best of times to bring up the fact that he had advised Sabinus not to take the loan from Paetus with which he had bought the house.
Sabinus caught his look. ‘I suppose you want to say “I told you so”, you little shit. Well, you were right: if I’d lived within my means I wouldn’t be in this trouble now. From now on, no more loans.’
‘Have you paid it back yet?’
Sabinus looked embarrassed. ‘No, I keep on meaning to then something happens like a new child, or this.’
‘Well, you should; you promised to pay it back within two years.’
‘Have you kept your promise to Paetus to keep an eye on his son, Lucius, for him?’ Sabinus retorted.
It was Vespasian’s turn to look embarrassed. ‘No, I haven’t. I must take more interest in him.’