Turning the house into a temple had not rendered Clemens and Domitilla homeless. As the Emperor’s only surviving relatives and as parents of his designated heirs, they lived at the palace. Their two eldest sons had been renamed by their imperial uncle as Vespasian and Domitian. The young boys had been subtly separated from their parents; they had a good tutor in Quintilian, though he was getting on in years. Domitian himself gave them little attention. Lucilla knew their mother worried about their isolation.
Nobody yet took them seriously. A lot could happen in Domitian’s mind before those boys inherited so much as an old cloak.
The fact that he had identified two young brothers to succeed him had precedents. A spare was prudent. On the other hand, it could be divisive and among the conspiratorial Julio-Claudians it had never worked. Augustus’ heirs Gaius and Lucius both passed away from natural causes too soon but when Tiberius inherited with Gemellus, Gemellus quickly suffered fatal effects from a suspicious cough linctus, and when Nero inherited with his stepbrother Britannicus, almost his first brazen act was to have Britannicus handed a goblet of poisoned wine at a public banquet. If Domitian had been right when he claimed that Vespasian intended that Titus and he should rule jointly, and that Titus forged their father’s will to avoid this, then duality did not work among the Flavians either.
It was now clear that Domitian’s mind churned with greater suspicion than ever just when, if the establishment of the great family shrine meant anything, he should have been most secure. Not only had he alienated himself from the Senate, but he harboured increasing doubts about the trustworthiness of his own servants. Imperial freedmen could no longer rely on the safety of their positions.
As always, and as Themison had once suggested to Vinius and Gracilis, there could be a grain of reality in his decisions. An example was his dismissal of an elderly freedman called Epaphroditus. In his heyday, Epaphroditus had been Nero’s petitions secretary. He had served Nero faithfully, especially when a senator named Calpurnius Piso plotted with others to organise a coup; loyalists revealed details to Epaphroditus, who immediately reported everything and the conspirators were arrested. To mark him saving his Emperor’s life, Epaphroditus was awarded military honours; he also became very wealthy. He remained close to Nero to the last. After Nero was declared a public enemy, Epaphroditus helped him flee and, when requested to do so, he assisted his quailing master to kill himself.
Subsequently he continued in service. To be a remnant from a previous reign was never a good idea, nor did Epaphroditus endear himself by owning as a slave the leading stoic philosopher, Epictetus. Suddenly, Domitian banished the old scribe because of this connection to the opposition.
Sometimes, it worked the other way. Early in his reign Domitian had dismissed a secretary of finance called Tiberius Julius, whom he recalled now, ten years later, allowing the elderly man to die in Rome at the grand age of ninety. Statius wrote a consolation to his son, another senior freedman called Claudius Etruscus.
‘He would!’ commented Gaius.
‘A nice gesture,’ reproved Lucilla.
‘Crass. Claudius Etruscus really does not want to be reminded that his papa was banished under a cloud. Not least, my darling, because it might make Etruscus scared that with Domitian in his current spiteful mood, the same thing can happen to him.’
Once Gaius took against someone, he was merciless. ‘Look, he wrote a verse to celebrate the anniversary of the poet Lucan’s birth — ’
‘You snaffled my scroll!’
‘I was tidying the couch like a good boy. It tumbled on the floor from under the headrest. I assumed it must be saucy so I sneaked a look. Listen, your foolish friend says, when he and the widow, Pollia Argentaria, were discussing the birthday commission, “that rarest of wives wanted it written and billed to her account ” — surely the most revealing words he ever wrote? He has done it for the money! Well done, honest poet!’
‘I like his Lucan poem.’
Gaius lowered his voice abruptly. ‘Well don’t say so publicly.’
‘What’s wrong?’
‘Don’t you know that Lucan and his Uncle Seneca were executed for involvement in that big conspiracy against Nero? The very plot that our recently exiled Epaphroditus once exposed? Piso was the ringleader and would-be replacement emperor, but a wide range of other people died for supporting him. Seriously, I am astonished that your poet friend associates himself with Lucan publicly. This is the equivalent of celebrating Brutus and Cassius. It is all too, too reminiscent of the kind of plot with daggers that Our Master and God thinks is aiming against him.’
‘Maybe Statius is a brave man.’
‘No, he was lured by the money, and just slipped up. He’ll be writhing with fright once he thinks about it properly.’
Gaius was obsessed with plots, plots and the history of imperial plotting. Although Lucilla knew he had an airy enjoyment of his work on the secret committee, she was in two minds about how it affected him. The only thing that saved him from complete commitment was his double-edged verdict on the mandarin Abascantus. Gaius judged him extremely clever, but found him subtly unreliable. Such mistrust was endemic in Domitian’s Rome.
Lucilla had owned up to something: ‘Gaius, you do realise I know Abascantus’ wife? Priscilla? She is a friend of Statius’ wife Claudia and has been a client of mine for years.’
‘So what’s the gen? Do you like her?’
‘She is not my favourite. Being in the height of fashion with the same hairstyle as the imperial ladies is all part of her plan to push Abascantus. She wants to look the part. He married up, quite a long way up — ’
‘The freedman’s ideal.’
‘Yes, I’m waiting to catch some consul’s eye myself, Gaius darling
… Priscilla seems to have decided to make Abascantus her life’s great project. His service to Domitian is a holy calling — I do so loathe that! Still, she has money and she tips well…’
‘He’s her second husband?’
‘Yes and she is significantly older. They seem a little odd together; I can never imagine them in bed. Theirs is one of those marriages where the couple work for the sole purpose of furthering the husband’s career.’
‘Vomit-making. When Domitian promoted Abascantus, Priscilla flung herself down like a human carpet and practically licked the floor at the Emperor’s feet, thanking him. I do wish people would stop doing that. It encourages his delusions.’
Lucilla smiled serenely. ‘Would you like me to kiss our Master’s tunic hem for you, darling?’
‘No! You know I try never to be noticed by the great.’
‘You have not done too badly then, Gaius.’
‘Yes, my father would be ecstatic.’
‘I think I’ll have a cameo carved to celebrate your glorious career. You will ride in a chariot with gambolling cupids, wearing your oakleaf wreath and looking shy of the attention. It will be titled, The Triumph of Diffidence.’
‘Have you kept my golden oakleaves?’
‘They are a swine to dust. But maybe one day the name Clodianus will be famous.’
‘If I thought that,’ said Gaius, with feeling, ‘it would really worry me!’
Lucilla was one of the first people who knew the wife of chief secretary Abascantus was ill. Hairdressers notice the health of their clients. Hair becomes lacklustre or even falls out, sometimes before any other symptoms of disease present themselves. Clients share bad news with their hairdressers too. Their special intimate relationship encourages people who would not normally open up to trust their stylist. It is understood that nothing said while the comb is plied will be passed on.
Priscilla needed a confidante. She shared her fears with Lucilla early on, yet she was concerned to keep the information from her husband for as long as possible. This was how they lived; his work for the Emperor was too important to be disrupted by anxiety for her. Domitian, of course, took Abascantus’ devotion for granted.