Lilybaeum

Chapter 5

The first room he came to was full of shelves, each shelf holding the toga and sandals of a Roman citizen. Amellius found an empty shelf and removed his toga and sandals and preceded into the first room, the Frigidarium the coldest pool, only a few men still bathed there as most wanted to move onto the warmer pools, but Amellius was content to spend all afternoon in the cool pool to escape the sweltering heat of the day. He slowly eased his body into the cold water, Amellius shivered slightly but soon regained control as his body was shocked at the sudden temperature. Amellius closed his eyes and relaxed, it brought back memories from his childhood he recalled spending the warm evenings in the small lake near the olive groves. He shook himself to stop the warm memory from pulling him to sleep, he looked up and half the men who had been in there had left, he must have been daydreaming for longer than he thought. He needed to stop drifting off like this if he wanted to run an important region of the expanding empire, he laughed quietly not himself and several of the other men looked at him with raised eyebrows.

Amellius quickly got out of the pool the cold water dripping from his body; he swept the sodden hair from his eyes and moved into the next room where the round Tepidarium lay sunken into the marble floor. This pool was easy as was not too cold or hot; Amellius only spent a short amount of time in this pool and quickly got out. This was not his ordinary bathing routine, usually he would start in the hot steam room and pools but today was just a quick refresher before the execution. A short Greek slave scraped the water from his body then quickly oiled his rough skin, it was always nice to feel fresh and clean from the dust of the road even though he was preparing for the demise of another person. He quickly changed into his crisp white toga, the bright purple band, made from distilled sea urchins would show the plebeians who he was without announcement. Many feared the purple stripe and the power that came with it but for those who could control the power; it was a force that you could wield over those who stood against you. In the right hands could mean security financially and physically for a lifetime and for those who followed you. But whether that he was one of those people? He didn't know, but one day it would happen.

The situation outside had changed completely since he was in the baths; the empty streets had been transformed into a churning mass of people who were all heading towards the amphitheatre. The street sellers were back and their trade was busier than ever with people desperate for refreshments during the execution. Children sat of their parent's shoulders to see above the throng of people as they waded towards stands where they would stand to watch the bloody performance. Amellius headed towards a separate entrance which was guarded by four large men. Amellius showed them his senatorial ring and headed down the passage way to the private box area, specifically reserved for the town council and members of the nobilitas. Here you could sit in comfort and watch the execution without disturbance, it also gave a spectacular view of the rest of the amphitheatre which added a powerful atmosphere.

Traianus was there with several other members of the town council, the big man stood up as Amellius entered.

"Welcome Praetor, come sit" Traianus boomed and pointed to the couch next to his, Amellius stretched before reclining on the soft furniture.

They chatted for a while and Amellius learnt that Traianus had lived in Sicily all his life and that his father moved here after picking up a serious injury in one of the earlier campaigns. Traianus' father had been a member and took up a place on the town council which Traianus took when his father had passed on.

Suddenly conicerns sounded above the tumultuous, an announcer boomed across the suddenly quiet amphitheatre.

"Today we witness the end of an enemy, may they never send spies against us again or they will face far worse!"

A bear and a bull were led out each with a chain around their neck with a ring on the end the rings were then both attached to a pole. The criminal was then dragged out of the side gate, the criminal's aim was to unhook the two beasts and then to last as long as he could with them unhooked. The spy was handed a stick that he had to use to unhook the animals. The man would with die unhooking the animals or die once they were unhooked, there was a small chance he would survive but the longer he took to unhook the animals, the angrier the creatures became. The crowd hushed as the man moved forwards.