Caesar didn't rest after the ten month siege in Alexandria. He pursued Cato
and Scipio to Africa, making only a short pause to be joined by additional
legions. He faced his enemies at the Battle of Thapsus, which he won
decisively, despite being outnumbered again. The episode itself doesn't give
any numbers, but according to Wikipedia Caesar had about 6000 men while Cato
and Scipio had 9000 men. That's three battles in a row which Caesar won
despite being outnumbered. The Gods must truly have been on his side.
We don't see the battle itself. The episode begins with Cato and Scipio
sitting in the desert surrounded by corpses and dying elephants. Later in the
episode Vorenus describes the battle to his children:
"There's us with the walls of Thapsus at our backs. Now, coming towards us
on the plain with all their legions, cavalry and 900 war elephants: Scipio
and Juno. 'Hold fast", says General Caesar, 'let the bastards come!' But
there are ballistas on the walls, so the front line thinks they've been
ordered to advance. So before the officers can stop it, the whole army
charges on Scipio's men. The elephants see us come running and screaming,
and they turn tail and charge on their own lines. Chaos!"
Cato and Scipio withdraw to Utica, accompanied by only a few soldiers. Scipio
says that they can gather a new army to fight again, but Cato kills himself.
This demoralises Scipio. At Cato's funeral pyre he orders a soldier to flay
him. In Roman times suicide was considered a noble way to die, but when Caesar
hears about it he calls Cato and Scipio cowards; he says that they killed
themselves to deny him the opportunity to pardon them.
When Vorenus returns to Rome he returns to civilian life yet again. His wife
Niobe and her sister Lyde have taken over the butcher's shop that Lyde's dead
husband Evander used to run. With the help of two new slaves that she's bought
the business is booming. Vorenus grudgingly agrees to become a butcher. Pullo
declares his love to the slave girl Eirene that he rescued in
the third episode. He's happy to find that she's learnt how to speak Latin in the two years
while he was away.
There's an incident outside the butcher's. Two thugs are beating up another
tradesman who owes them money. Vorenus challenges them and tells them to take
their argument elsewhere. Vorenus slaps one of them, and they threaten to kill
him. Soon afterwards Erastes Fulmen visits Vorenus with a gang. That's the
money lender for whom Vorenus briefly worked in
the fifth episode. Over the last two years he's become the most powerful crook in Rome. He
says that he wants a public apology from Vorenus within a week, otherwise
he'll kill him and rape his wife.
Octavian returns to Rome after two years studying at an unnamed academy.
Presumably a religious academy? His mother Atia is happy to see him again and
holds a large banquet in his honour. Caesar makes Octavian the pontifex
maximus, the high priest responsible for divining the will of the Gods.
Octavian accepts the position unwillingly. He says afterwards that he doesn't
believe in the Gods.
I failed to mention that Octavia became Servilia's lover in the last two
episodes. I thought it was too trivial to mention, but now it becomes
relevant. Servilia is still angry with Caesar for rejecting her. She's heard
that Caesar has an illness ("an affliction"), and she wants to find out
exactly what it is, so that she can use it against him. The only person who
knows about it is Octavia's brother Octavian. Servilia asks Octavia to
question him. Octavia asks Octavian what his biggest secret is, and Octavian
replies that he helped Titus Pullo kill Lyde's husband Evander. That's a big
secret, but of no use to Servilia. She suggests that Octavia should seduce her
brother to find out more.
Unlike in Egypt, incest was considered a great crime in Rome. It was
punishable by death. Octavia refuses, but Servilia persuades her by telling
her that her mother Atia ordered the death of her husband Glabius so that she
could marry Pompey. This angers Octavia, and she seduces her brother. Atia's
slave witnesses it and informs her mistress. Atia whips them both, and Octavia
says that she did it because Servilia had said that Atia had ordered Glabius'
death. Atia insists this was a lie.
The revenge comes quickly. Atia sends her lover Timon with a gang of men to
ambush Servilia's carriage. They rip her out of the carriage, strip her naked
and cut her hair in public view.
Vorenus doesn't apologise to Erastes. While having a meal with his family,
Vorenus hears Erastes and his thugs approaching. He prepares to fight them,
but at this moment Caesar himself arrives and Erastes flees. Caesar says that
he respects Vorenus' integrity and wants to make him a magistrate. Vorenus,
always outspoken, says that he doesn't want to serve a tyrant. Brave words,
but Caesar isn't insulted. Caesar insists that he isn't a tyrant. He's only
become a dictator for a short period of time, and he will give up his power as
soon as he's able to restore the Republic. Vorenus is convinced and accepts the
office. If I understand correctly, a Roman magistrate was a man who stood between
the Senate and the Consuls.
![]() |
Order from Amazon.com |
Order from Amazon.co.uk | |
Order from Amazon.de |
No comments:
Post a Comment
Tick the box "Notify me" to receive notification of replies.