Augustus Road

"Pop, come to the drawing table. Just making this thing is not enough." Calabis said excitedly, "What about your fire prevention measures? You can't destroy those nobles' fire in less than three days." Are the courtyard and villa burned down?"

"Thickening the wall tiles of this kind of fireplace can both prevent fire and keep heat. This is why it is better than braziers and copper stoves, Karabis. This technology has already been used in bathrooms." Popper was very confident. say.

"Where's the fuel?"

"As for fuel, charcoal is of course the first choice, but because most of the charcoal in Rome is sent to forging weapons, charcoal is still relatively expensive." Popper scratched his head, feeling a little troubled.

"Expensive? Can this be called a problem? Those nobles, such as my patron, are pursuing these things. You have to grasp their psychology, understand my dear Pope." Calabis held his forehead with his fingers , walked back and forth in front of the drafting table twice, and then asked Pope, "By the way, you said that fuel is expensive, and it really reminded me that we also have to consider those people whose annual income is three to five thousand drachmas, but who like to be arty. The needs of free people and state slaves are called market segmentation - apart from charcoal, what other simple and cheap fuels are there? "

Then he and Pope snapped their fingers almost simultaneously and shouted "Coal, coal."

At that time, coal was mainly used by civilians in Rome, and strangely, it was not placed in braziers, but used for noble ladies to make necklaces and hanging spouts, and for heating bronze wine vessels.

"Okay, this problem is solved, my dear Pop, now it comes to the issue of external style." Karabis further deepened his request.

"Style?" Popper shrugged. He had served in the legion for so many years. The most basic requirements for buildings and equipment for him were to be sturdy and practical. Soldiers did not like flashy things. Seeing the engineer's expression of resistance, Karabis ran to his open-plan restaurant and shouted, "Pop, the restaurant you designed for me is very reasonable, semi-open, so that in the summer it will be filled with fresh air." While it's moving, the guests won't lose their appetite because of the heat and stuffiness - this is called practicality, but look at the food heater standing here!" Karabis slapped the expensive copperware loudly, "This is Isn’t it just a covered structure with upper and lower layers? The upper layer is used to store barbecue, ham, vegetables with spice paste, etc., and the lower layer is separated with coal for heating. How much does it cost to build such a furnace with bronze? "

"Fifty to a hundred dinars, Karabis," Pope said truthfully.

Calabis raised his head and exclaimed, imitating Cicero's speech style, then clenched his fist and hit the copperware, "But this thing cost me a whole Three thousand dinars! Why, why, look, it’s because four little gilded dolphins are molded on the lid. Oh, how cute. The lady fell in love with it at first sight, and the lid is molded into waves of the sea. Look, the furnace door with added coal is sculpted into the shape of the temple door, which fits the psychology of all pious Romans. Then, this thing that cost one hundred dinars was sold for three. Thousand, thirty times. This is called style, do you understand?”

Pop thought for a while and said he understood something. Karabis raised the charcoal pen and walked to the drawing table, "What are you waiting for? Call all the craftsmen outside and let's think about the style together - For noble families, for knights, for free people, for public places, for private courtyards, for courtyards, for temples, think of it as soon as possible." After that, he patted Pope on the shoulder and said, "Good job. Do it like last time at Varin Apartments, no, it should be called 'Calabis Warehouse' now. Once this is done, your current salary will be more than 24,000 cestus a year. It can be adjusted to 3 Ten thousand."

"Yes, I will try my best, I will definitely try my best!" Pop said with all his strength. His wife was recently very interested in contracting the ground floor store of an apartment on Jucola Street, selling expensive jewelry and luxury goods. But two years ago, his wife couldn't even afford a copper ring.

At night, while the tall lamp in Calabis's living room was still hissing with fat, he opened the cellar of fine wine stored in amphora and shared it with everyone, who moved the couches at will. In front of the drafting table, whoever had an idea would doodle on it, then carefully roll up the vellum with the pattern and put it on the bookcase behind. The room was filled with laughter and discussion.

"Hey, are you right? Mount a statue of the God of Winter on the fireplace?"

"Don't you think there's something wonderful about this kind of dislocation?"

"What does this giant snake-like relief mean?"

"The snake is the incarnation of the household god. Having a snake in the homestead is a blessing..."

Until the next day, Calabis got up dizzy, while Pope and other veterans and craftsmen were still sleeping soundly. He ran to the clear pool in the courtyard and washed his face, and then remembered that he had to Go to the Prima Villa in Luculas to say hello. By the way, Tyranion's books have been transcribed, and he has been entrusted to return the originals to the patron. He muttered all this, put the bronze tube containing the original manuscripts on his back, and went out with a clanking sound.

When they arrived at Prima, Calabis felt that the atmosphere was not right. It was almost dinner time, and several slaves were walking nervously to the Apollo Hall. Calabis also followed them and saw them in front of the bronze door. Kelly looked helpless.

"What's going on?"

Kelly faced the bronze door and said, "The master is going to have a banquet today."

"Who is he inviting?" Carabis asked casually, taking out a berry from the tripod table next to the door and eating it.

"There are no guests. He is inviting himself. The main dish is peacock tongue, and a plate costs 6,000 drachmas." Kelly replied.

At this time, the dissatisfied voice of Luculas came from the hall: "What's wrong? Can't Luculas, the triumphant general of Rome, invite himself? Today, it's Luculas, invite Luculas!"

At this time, Kelly approached Carabis and said uneasily: "Marcos has been obsessed with Princia recently and has not come back much. I found that our master - it seems that his will and wisdom have been exhausted in these days - he has gradually declined and become depressed, and his memory is not as good as before. He often says that he is no different from Marcus now." After listening to Kelly's After saying that, Carapis gently pushed the bronze door open a crack. Under the dim light, the magnificent and empty Apollo Hall presented a strange feeling. Luculas was a little hunched, sitting alone at the huge dining table, which made him look much smaller. He stared at the appetizers such as plums and olives in front of him with a dull look. From time to time, he raised the toothpick to take the fruit and put it down again, touched the napkin from time to time, and muttered words like "peacock tongue" in his mouth. He was anxiously waiting for this dish. His hair turned gray. It was hard to imagine that this was Luculas who was still a powerful warrior three years ago. Seeing this, Carapis remembered what Luculas said on the battlefield of Asia Minor. His life was like an old-fashioned comedy, with a grand beginning and a dull ending.

"Carabis, come in." Luculas raised his slightly loose eyelids and said.

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