"Brutus." "Brutus." "Domina." "Domina, please don't do that." "I'm so sorry." "Why don't you lie down?" "You're very tired." "Yes..." "I'm... very tired." "Would you like some willow water?" "Would I?" "It will help you sleep." "No." "No more sleep." "Oh, come along, cheer up." "You can't cry at your own wedding." "Show her how lovely she looks." " I look horrid." " No, you're beautiful." "Gods, still weeping." "I went to a lot of trouble to arrange this marriage." "Please don't ruin it." "There's not many men willing to marry a penniless orphan." "I'm sorry." "I am very grateful." "It's just..." "I'm sure he's a very nice man." "It's just, I had always imagined" "I'd wed someone..." "Someone different." "You won't wed anyone at all if you come out all red and puffy." "I know men." "And this one will make a lovely husband." "When and where you are Gaia, there and then I am Gaius." "Yes, sorry." "When and where you are Gaius, then and there, I am Gaia." "Makes you think, doesn't it?" " About what?" " About marriage." " Does it?" " The two of us." "With the augur here, we might as well do it now." "Quick and simple." "When we get married, it'll have to be the best wedding ever seen." "You deserve nothing less." "Just a thought." "This augur moves like a snail." "Atia of the Julii," "I call for justice!" "Atia of the Julii," "I call for justice." "Atia of the Julii," "I call for justice." "Excuse me for a moment." "Atia of the Julii," "I call for justice." "Atia of the Julii," "I call for justice." "Atia of the Julii," "I call for justice." "Atia of the Julii," "I call for justice." "Atia of the Julii," "I call for justice." " Atia of the Julii, I call for justice." " Ludicrous old bat." " What shall we do?" " Atia of the Julii, I call for justice." "Nothing." "Nothing at all." "She'll go away soon enough if we just ignore her." "Hey, wife." "Sun's been up for hours." "It's time to get up." "Soon." "While we're here..." "No." "You don't know what I was gonna ask." "You want to make love." "That's an idea." "No good for baby." "He won't mind." "Maybe she." "She won't mind, neither." "No good for baby." "Priest says so." "Priest?" "Priest?" "What priest?" "Priest in my country." "Well, we're not in your country, are we?" "When baby start to move, no love." "Is rules." "The baby's moving?" "Yes, feel." "So we have no choice but to use the deeper berths in Ostia." "We now have grain ships in excess of 10,000 amphorae." "Tricky." "Those berths have been reserved for our oil ships since fuck knows when, way back." "Well, that's no reason to keep it so." " Times change." " So you keep saying." "I'll allow you to use our berths, but we'll take 5% of the grain and the ships will be unloaded by my own men." "Bollocks." "That's a license for thievery." "If we were thieves." "I'll give you the 5%, but Mascius will go down to Ostia and he will supervise the dock work." "I'll leave today." "As you wish." "Atia of the Julii," "I call for justice." "Atia of the Julii," "I call for justice." "Atia of the Julii," "I call for justice." "Atia of the Julii," "I call for justice." "Atia of the Julii," "I call for justice." "Atia of the Julii," "I call for justice." "Good morning, all." "You're late." "Posca's wedding yesterday." "I'm afraid I drank rather too much." "I could not get out of bed, no matter how hard I tried." "I have the most shocking headache." "So you must both speak very quietly or I shall shatter into a thousand little pieces." "I've been approached by a number of eminent friends among the Senate." "They are troubled." "I do not say that they have grounds for anxiety, but I feel I would be remiss if I did not communicate..." " Do get on with it, man." " Yes, yes." "They're worried that perhaps we three intend to establish some form of... tyranny." "And who are these worriers?" " Give me names." " That's awkward." "They spoke to me in confidence." "I'll bet they did." "You tell your eminent friends to shut their mouths." "Tell them to go look on Cicero's hands in the Forum and remember what happens to those that prattle of tyranny." "I only mention it." "I would be remiss if I did not." "You're quite right, Lepidus." "Quite right." "Now, shall we get down to business?" "Yes, by all means." "Clearly, we three cannot all rule together at once." "We shall confuse and contradict each other." " True enough." " We must divide responsibilities." "What are you proposing?" "I suggest we divide the territory of Rome into three." "Each one of us shall assume command of one region." "Sounds reasonable." "Who gets what?" "I haven't considered that yet." "But Rome is a very complex machine." "One can't simply chop it up like cabbage." "You should have Rome and the west." "And I will make do with Egypt and the eastern provinces." " Objections?" " Rome and the west has what?" "Rowdy Gauls, Germans, a fractious Senate, all the trouble of keeping the Roman mob happy." "The east is where the money is, the grain supply, most of the tax revenue." "Well, all the revenues would be divided equally, of course." "It would be a purely administrative division." "All monies would be held in a single treasury." " That would work." " And I?" "What would I get?" "Yes." "Africa." "Atia of the Julii," "I call for justice." "Atia of the Julii," "I call for justice." "Atia of the Julii," "I call for justice." "Atia of the Julii..." "What is this?" "Is she putting down roots?" "Atia of the Julii," "I call for justice." "Atia of the Julii," "I call for justice." "Atia of the Julii..." "So..." "How goes your day?" "Mine went extremely well." "She's driving me mad." "It's completely unfair." "It wasn't me who killed her precious son." " She should be wailing outside your house." " She just wants a little attention." "Go out." "Let her rant at you a while." "She'll soon leave." "And have her curse at me in front of a mob of ogling plebs?" "Never." "I wouldn't give her that pleasure." "It's up to you." "But I guarantee she won't leave until she's seen you." "Atia of the Julii..." "Stop pushing!" "Wait your turn, woman!" "My family is begging for food!" "Seen you on line before." "Me?" "No." "This looks like a fake to me." "I bet you don't even live on the Aventine." "No fake." "I swear to you by the sacred black stone." "Get out and don't let me catch you around here again." "Get off!" "Did you bring in wood?" " Not yet." " Go do." " No hurry." " Get wood now." "Get it yourself." "I'm busy." "I give you an order." "Kiss my ass." "Go ahead." "Try." "I'll shove it down your throat." "You'll be sorry." "My husband will beat you in pulp." "Go on, on your way." "Fake." "Half the people in the line had them." "Well made." "Maybe one of the other collegia trying to fuck things up." " Memmio, I expect." " Very likely." " What do we do?" " Nothing." "Lost me there." "Memmio is dishonest and greedy." "Nothing we can do can change that." "If he thinks he's deceiving us, then he's happy." "And I want everyone to be happy." "That's how we keep the peace." "We do nothing." "But he's stealing from us." "People who need food are getting fed." "What matter where they live exactly?" "You must go to beat her dead!" " Calm down." "Beat who?" " That whore, that Gaia." " You beat her dead!" " What's she done now?" "She wouldn't bring in wood like I tell her." "Then she say she'll choke me with a stick." " What?" " She say she's gonna choke me with a stick." "I don't understand." "Why would she do that?" "What did you do to her?" "Perfect." "Now it's my fault?" " Thank you." "Thank you very much." " Eirene." "Oh, cack." "What do I do?" " Don't look at me." " Very funny." "If I go and beat Gaia like she deserves, what do you think Mascius will do?" " She's his girl." " It's a puzzle, all right." "Where's Mascius?" "Maybe if I go and talk to him man to man, he can chastise her." "He's in Ostia." "The new grain-ship business." "Oh, cack." "Maybe if you were to give her the beating..." "I will if you want." "No." "It's my wife she insulted, my responsibility." "Marriage, it's complicated." "With her pregnant now..." "I think it drives them a little mad." "Here's to a boy." "A boy." "Chief." "What's that for?" "Don't make a fuss now." "What?" "You're gonna whip me?" "I am." "Why would you want to do that?" "You know damn well why." " Tell me." " You disrespected my wife." "Oh, that." "She tried to hit me." "She's lady of this house." "You're a slave!" "She's allowed to hit you." "Now let's get it done." "It's hard to remember she's married to the boss." "I mean, nothing against her." "It's just not natural." "She's such a mouse of a woman." "You're such a lion of a man." "Gerrae." "You know nothing of us." "Mouse." "Lion." "Anyone can see." "What sort of animal does that make you?" "What kind of animal do you want me to be?" "The kind that will bend over and take her whipping without complaint." "I could do that for you." "But you've got to treat me nice first." "Just shut it, all right?" "Just shut it and come here." "What will Mascius do if you beat me?" "I don't give a fuck." "Mascius will do what I tell him." "No, Mascius does what I tell him." "Oh, yeah?" "More fool him, then." "Fuck you!" "What are you gonna do now?" "Is that all you got?" "This was a mistake." "This never happens again." "Shame." "You and me go nicely together, don't you think?" "You and me are nothing." "But what if I misbehave again?" "You gotta keep me disciplined, haven't you?" "Don't test me, girl." "I'm warning you." "You'll be sorry." "Relax." "Where's it say a man can't have his slaves if he wants?" "I can kill them too, if I want." "You can." "You can do anything you like." "Atia of the Julii," "I call for justice." "Atia of the Julii," "I call for justice." "Atia of the Julii," "I call for justice..." "I give up." "I give up!" "I give up!" "Atia of the Julii," "I call for justice." "Atia of the Julii," "I call for justice." "Atia of the Julii" " I call for justice." " Here, then!" "Here I am, you crazy bitch!" "Speak your piece and then be gone." "Here I am!" "Gods below..." "I am Servilia of the most ancient and sacred Junii, of whose bones the seven hills of Rome are built." "I summon you to listen." "Curse this woman." "Send her bitterness and despair for all of her life." "Let her taste nothing but ashes and iron." "Gods of the Underworld, all that I have left" "I give to you in sacrifice if you will make it so." "My God." "Now that is an exit." "Come." "Come back inside." "She's dead." "All citizens be aware that the vassal Prince Herod," "Tetrarch of Galilee, has come to the city." "By order of the Triumvirate, during his residence here, all mockery of Jews and their one God shall be kept to an appropriate minimum." "I am told Roman gentlemen do not solicit bribes." "One must offer the bribe as a gift." "Is that so?" "Yes." "Yes, that is so." "We are the most dreadful hypocrites, I'm afraid." "I offer you a gift, then." "Help me take the throne of Judea, make my enemies your enemies, and I offer you a substantial gift." "How substantial would this gift be?" "How substantial does it need to be?" "20,000 pounds of gold." "Done." "I said we should have asked for more." "You must guarantee, of course, to keep your Jews in line." "They will do as I say, or they will suffer the consequences." "Congratulations then, Herod." "You have the full backing of Rome." "One question." " Yes." " Our friends, Octavian and Lepidus." "You speak for them too?" "I do." "We speak with one voice." "So they will not come to me later expecting gifts of their own?" " No, your gift is for all of us." " Good." "Wonderful to have such trust between friends." "That is what I call a good morning's work." "Indeed." "A good morning's work." "May I inquire what my share will be?" "Share?" "Share of what?" "Of Herod's gift." " What gift?" " I see." "Do you?" "Let me be clear." "There was no gift." "Herod came here today to discuss administrative issues of taxes on olive groves, of border defenses against the Parthians." " There was no gift." " I understand." "Really, Posca, ever since you got your freedom, you have become insufferably greedy." "Go home, have a good lunch, make love to your pretty young wife, but do stop grubbing about after other people's money." "Trust me, you'll be far more content." "Scum." "Bastard scum!" "What good is shouting at him on the street?" "It's childish." "You'll only get into trouble." "He's worse than his father." "He'll make our people slaves and idolaters." "He should die." "The bastard should die!" "Well, it would be a mitzvah, no doubt." "I'm serious." "Come on." "Us?" "If not us, then who?" "Herod is here." "We are here." "The future of our people is in our hands." "Salve, Maecenas." "Hello, Posca." "Might I have a word?" "I suppose, if you must." "It strikes me you're the sort of man that knows how to keep a confidence." "Yes." "If a man were to tell you something in confidence, you might tell others, but you would not reveal your source." "No." "And perhaps you're the sort of man that knows how to properly... reward... those who confide in him." "You have me exactly." "You're a fine judge of character." "Those lions you bought me were useless." "Wouldn't pull my chariot for shit and bit the arm off a perfectly good groom." "They are temperamental animals." "I am very fortunate to have a giraffe, should you be interested." "What would I do with a giraffe?" "Camels, perhaps?" "Camels?" "Do I look like a fucking date merchant?" "Lions that run!" "Get out." "Now, what news, young Caesar?" "What is one-third of 20,000?" "6,666 or thereabouts." "Do you take me for a fool?" "Question after question." "Makes for very poor conversation." "If you have a grievance, just say what it is." "We had an agreement." " We would share all revenue." " Yes." "Herod has agreed to give you 20,000 pounds of gold." "I want my share." "Who told you this?" "You deny?" " Who told him?" " I've bought one of Herod's people." "Do you deny it?" "If Herod is kind enough to give me a gift, what business is it of yours?" "A gift is not revenue." "It is not a gift." "It is a bribe for political and military favors, the cost of which favors shall be borne by the state." " Pedantry." " Let us be realistic." "This arrangement of ours cannot work if you seek every opportunity to aggrandize yourself at my expense." "Aggrandize myself?" "This from the boy who..." "whose so-called father has been declared a god." "An honor he well deserves." "You only did it so that you might be known as the son of a god." "You have no accomplishments of your own, so you seek to borrow the glory of others." "It's true." "It was no accomplishment to defeat you at Mutina." "You defeated me?" "You cowardly little shit!" "He'd never even left his tent." "You have never defeated me in anything." "Gentlemen, gentlemen, let's not get overheated." "I'm sure we can come to some kind of reasonable agreement." "I had hoped you might have learned some humility and discipline." "I see now that you are still the same crude, arrogant lech you always were." "That's right, just the same." "And still fucking your mother!" "Are you all right?" "Yes, nothing." " Do you want to go lie down?" " No, it's fine." "Anything else, Mistress?" "Water." "Master?" "No." "Nothing." "See?" "Good slave now, ever since you gave her a good beating." "There you go." "You should beat her the same way every month." "If she wakes before I'm back, tell her I've gone to Lyde's temple." "Tell me again about the farm." "What kind of animals will we have?" "Sheep, goats," " pigs." " And chickens?" "Yes, horses as well." "Elephants, if you like." " Sons of Dis, will you..." " What's the matter?" "I'm sorry." "It's not you, it's..." "It's business matters..." "Forget it." "Give me a kiss." "Do you still love me?" "Of course." "Very much." "Omnipor, I've been looking..." "Oh, excuse me." " Is that..." " It's nobody." "It's just a girl." "I'll see you outside." " That's the daughter of Lucius Vorenus." " No, it's not." "Don't fuck me about." "I've got eyes, haven't I?" "How long's this been going on?" "A few months." "Are you insane?" "You know what disrespect this shows your father?" " I don't care." "I hate him." " But think what will happen if he finds out." "If I smile at him and serve his damn soup like a good daughter, he thinks it's fine." " He won't find out." " Will he not?" "Him and me are friends by oath." "It is my duty to be honest with him." "I'll have to tell him." " You can't." "You can't tell him!" " Sorry, love, but if I don't tell him" "I'm just as guilty as you two, aren't I?" "And what if he finds out?" "He'll never believe I didn't know." "His precious daughter and one of my men." "He'll have my guts!" "This is a right fucking mess." "Please, sir, don't tell him." "He'll kill her." "No, he won't go that far, I shouldn't think." "Yes, he will." "You know him." "He's an animal." "He killed my mother." "He'll kill me." "But what am I to do?" "You've put me in an impossible position here." "I'll do anything you say." "Just please don't tell him." "I don't know." "Maybe." "Maybe I can help you out." "Thank you." "Would you do something for me in return?" "Anything." "Me and him do a lot of business together." "If you kept your ears and eyes open, told me what was going on, that would be very helpful to me." "I can do that." "Good girl." "It's settled, then." " Herod's gift will be shared three ways." " Minus a finder's commission." "Each of you will consult the other before naming any officials above aedile rank." "The same goes for the appointment of foreign chieftains, princes, kings and so forth." "Now, all monies received, including taxes, customs revenue, military spoils and informal gifts and bribes, will be placed in the treasury under the supervision of a Saturnine priest." "Fine." "And now you must shake hands." "Lovely." "Friends again." "That wasn't so hard, was it?" "No." "If we're all done, I have work to do." "You do realize your two bickering has put the whole city in a panic?" "I'll have the newsreader say something," ""Renewed vows of amity" and so forth." "No one believes what the newsreader says." "You have some notion you wish to suggest?" "I do." "If a marriage was to happen between our two houses, no one could doubt all was well." "Well, I don't care if all Italy burns," "I'll not marry him." "It's not a bad idea." "It would be a strong expression of unity." "And the plebs love a good wedding." "I have no objection." "Thank you." "I should think not." "We should discuss it, at least." "We could do it after Lupercalia." "It's very auspicious." "What?" "If we are to discuss a marriage contract, it's inappropriate for a woman to be present." "Yes, sorry." "Carry on." "Be sure to leave enough time for my dressmaker to make me something nice." "Yes, Mother." "I'm getting married." "Antony and I are getting married." "Where's Octavia?" "This wedding of Antony's tomorrow..." "I've just heard the dog Herod will be there." "Him and a thousand other aristos." "There'll be lictors all over, soldiers as well." "Watching the bride and groom, nobody will be paying any mind to Herod." "There'll be a big crowd, lots of noise." "Chaos." "It's the perfect time." "I don't know." "You're not losing your nerve, are you?" " No." " We made an oath on the Torah." "And I'll not break it." "I'm just saying, we've got to be sure, we only get the one chance." "This is it!" "Who knows?" "If we're lucky and the crowd's thick, we might even make it out alive." "No." "There's no chance of that." "We'll be hacked to pieces quick as Pan." "His will be done." "Tomorrow, then." "Come, children." "Yesh." " What are you doing?" " You scared me." "I was looking for you, but you weren't here." "Here I am." "Are you all right?" "You look feverish." "No, no, I'm good." "Now, what do you need?" "Nothing." "Sister needs a new dress." "She grows like mustard." "Thank you, Father." "Nothing for me?" "I love you." "We need to talk." "Yes, we do." "I was thinking we should take a little break." " A break?" " From sex." "Just until our wedding night." "I want our wedding night to be something special." "Don't you agree?" "And we have so many practical things we need to discuss..." "Where we're going to live." "I'm happy moving into your villa, but it will need to be redecorated from top to bottom." "And I insist you sell your slaves, male or female, whom you've previously fucked." " Atia, I..." " I insist." "And another thing, you still haven't bought me my wedding gift." "I need to talk." "Well, I'm not stopping you." "When and where you are Gaia," "I, then and there, am Gaius." "When and where you are Gaius," "I, then and there, am Gaia." "Why so gloomy?" "No reason." "A bit of a headache." "Poor Atia." "I feel for her." "I always thought her attachment to Antony was purely practical, but look at her." "I think the old girl's genuinely in love with him." "Why did Octavian do this?" "Simple." "Octavia is more likely to provide children." "And what is marriage, if not a machine for the production of babies?" "It's wrong." "It's just wrong." "Careful, friend." "Anyone who didn't know better might think you were in love with Octavia." "Blessings upon you." "I'd rather eat shit." "Please try to see beyond your own desires." "I couldn't very well let you marry Antony." "Everybody knows you were lovers." "The public would assume it was a marriage of mere sentiment, of lust." "Whereas this match is clearly a political statement of unity." " Atia." " Go away." "You cannot stay in here." "Our guests will wonder where you are." "Well, our guests can go and fuck themselves." "There was no choice." "Your son would have it no other way." "And he is your master?" "He is my political partner." "Policy dictates that..." "Policy be damned." "Speak plain." "You love power more than you love me." "They are two completely different things." "This marriage has nothing to do with us." "It changes nothing." "Love, and you and I..." "It changes nothing." "I see." "First you betray me and now you propose to betray my daughter." "Forgive me." "Are you ready?" "Let's go." " Wait." " They're coming!" "I'm sorry, I can't do it." "What?" "No more killing." "Herod is just a man." "His death is useless." "It's just more blood." "If we kill him, another will take his place." " We'll kill him too." " Not by my hand." "Listen, you made an oath." "I break it, then." "Brother..." "I have a wife." "I have children." "You're a coward, a sniveling coward." "You always were." "I'll do it alone, then." "No." "No!" "Brother!" "You... are not my brother." "This is strange, isn't it?" "Look, I..." "I know you're not exactly happy about all this, but... it is our wedding night." "Do as you like." "Well, if you wouldn't mind just..." "Send her bitterness and despair for all of her life." "Let her taste nothing but ashes and iron." "I need silphium and hellebore." "You caught it early." "Yeah." "Drink this... before bed... and when you wake in the morning, problem is over." "How's it taste?" "I hate strong flavors." "If you put it in willow tea, you won't taste it at all." "I'll give you some horsetail in case there's much bleeding." "No, that's all right." "I don't need that."