Salvatoria: The Memoirs of Lucretia Aurelia

ᑕᕼᗩᑭTEᖇ ᙭᙭ᐯI: EᑎEᗰY Oᖴ ᖇOᗰE

March 20, 44 B.C

Rome

Caesar's funeral had been an immaculate, gaudy event. The funeral had been held in the Forum and thousands gathered to mourn the dictator. At the center of the Forum lies a grand stage adorned with flowers and wreaths, a symbol of honor and remembrance for the fallen leader. Senators and dignitaries don their finest attire, their expressions reflecting a mix of sorrow and apprehension. I stood besides Cassius and Brutus near the back. We could still hear the funeral begin, and the private security of the fourteenth protected us.

Marc Antony stepped forward, dressed in black robes, his face grim. He began to speak, his voice captured by false emotion.

"Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears; I come to bury Caesar, not to praise him. The evil that men do lives after them; The good is oft interred with their bones..."

As Antony spoke, the crowd was clearly divided. Some murmured in grief, some in disagreement. When he concluded his eulogy, he produced the old man's will, and announced he would read it aloud as was agreed by the Senate. I only remembered certain parts of it, my blue eyes flickering between Antony and the crowd.

"I, Gaius Julius Caesar, leave my gardens as new public parks, to be enjoyed by the people I fought for,"

"Each and every Roman citizen shall be given seventy-five drachma - or two months wage,"

"My primary heir shall be my grand-nephew Octavian, grandson of my sister... my heir in the second degree shall be... Gaius Decimus Brutus..."

Cassius, Brutus and I exchanged wary looks. Decimus, who had stabbed Caesar, put his head in his hands, was clearly devastated. When the will was finished, Antony presented Caesar's posthumous titles. These included Protector of the Country, and Father of the Country. He then publicly declared all of Caesar's laws that would be upheld per the agreement with the Senate. The crowd begins to rumble and become more hostile with each mention of the conspirators. My mood became more concerned and regretful as I pondered if Caesar had once set aside anything for me at one time. I doubt it. Yet, there was a rumor that Caesar had suddenly changed his will mere months before the assassination... so it is something lurking in the back of my mind.

Then Antony broke down in tears as he lifted the bloody toga Caesar had been wearing onto a spear. The crowd was brought to a boiling point. I began to quiver as Antony rolled out a wax replica of Caesar - fit with twenty-four stab wounds.

"By the graces of Juno..." I quietly cried out.

"He's gone mad," Cassius sneered.

I looked at Cassius, Brutus and Decimus.

"We need to go... now,"

"That would be the best recourse," Brutus agreed, his eyes quickly filling with horror.

"Agreed," Cassius drew us together one final time, "Brutus and I shall retreat to our estates in Southern Italy,"

"Cisalpine Gaul is still my province," Decimus postured firmly, "Antony will have to pry it from my cold, dead hands,"

"I shall withdraw to Campania... from there to Sicily," I let out the breath I had been unknowingly holding in.

With our future locations determined, we scattered like the wind, fleeing Rome.

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March 22, 44 B.C

Campania

I barely escaped Rome with my life, reaching the Campania estate within two days. I rushed inside just as word had reached the region of the Rome riots.

"Marcus!? Publius!?"

My sons appeared in the room, and were panicked by my frantic racing about.

"Mom!?"

"Mom what's happening!?"

"Boys, we need to leave, pack everything and anything!"

"Where are we going?"

"And why?"

"Just do as I say, please!"

The boys ran upstairs. I then proceeded to free my slaves, bringing their loyalty firmly in my favor. I had planned on moving into Sicily with whatever men I could muster. Civil war, at least in my view, was inevitable. I had aligned with the Liberators for the sake of the Republic, and now fate would decide my destiny if we would be victorious, or die for it.

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September 44 B.C

Massena, Sicily

I met with Cassius and Brutus to decide our next moves. Rome had been in chaos with clashes between Antony and Caesar's primary heir Octavian. I called my husband to join me, which he refused to do. I was enraged, and the next thing I know, Agrippa is publicly divorcing me.

"I will not remain married to a woman who directly participated in the assassination of the Father of Rome,"

I knew the young man could not be trusted, so thank the heavens I had not been around him enough to sire any children of his. The Senate at least was on my side in the matter, and Cicero publicly slandered Agrippa. He would call him an opportunistic, cowardly snake. I exchanged letters with Cassius and Brutus, less frequently with Decimus and other Liberators as we figured out a plan.

Decimus planned on holding firm in Cisalpine Gaul, Cassius would be headed to Syria and Brutus Greece to begin raising troops and funds in the event hostilities became open. I had essentially occupied Sicily, and the peoples of Africa and Mauretania - despite my brutal invasion the previous year - were calling for my return. I had gathered some of my veterans who were loyal, and levied an additional volunteer legion.

Cassius and Brutus were grim in appearance as we made our final plans. We were not to provoke Octavian or Antony, and keep in constant communication with Cicero and the Senate. We were only to initiate civil war if there were no other options. We must still keep up the peace game and see what support we could still garner from the population. I sent letters to Decimus in Cisalpine Gaul that informed him that if he was to retreat he should go across Gaul to Britain. The three legions there had remained firm in maintaining Roman hegemony there and still carried distant loyalty. I explained that their loyalty to me would translate to being allied with Decimus. A response letter confirmed this, and the plans were sealed.

Antony and Octavian were no Julius Caesar, and they were just as tyrannical as him. I had no qualms with waging war for the sake of the Republic against them, and I knew what I was doing was right. It was clear, and my duties and conviction were unobscured. My actions were for Rome, whether they liked it or not.