Augustus Road

In the main square, although many of Pompey's supporters took up arms to resist, they soon became panicked because in front of them were a group of people eager for revenge. Their reason had been blinded by madness and hatred, and there was no point in killing them. Temperance took less than half a night, and Pompey's party members couldn't hold on and dispersed.

What follows is the psychological anger that becomes real.

All the thugs shouted, snatched furniture from surrounding shops and temples, chopped it into pieces in the main square, then tied linen battens and cloth strips, poured oil and water on them, and soon several flames erupted from the Concord Temple. It popped up there, and then got bigger and bigger. The relief of the Heavenly Father on the pediment still stood stiffly, until it was engulfed by the thick smoke. First it came to the Temple of Concord, then to various temples, and finally the fire dragon continued to extend, straight up to Kapi. Mount Tull spread to the Temple of Jupiter, and the priests ran away like spiders. In the end, half of the city of Rome was destroyed, and there were people fleeing everywhere. Cicero and Lenchard on the Palatine Hill The couple thought that meteors in the sky fell to the ground. They wrapped themselves in blankets and looked at the bottom of the mountain through the flower wall in horror. Among the seven hills, the fire dragons rolled horizontally and turned into several huge cross shapes. "I am in Tulu." Apartment in the Museo district!" Cicero looked at the fire there and cried out heartbroken.

Lenchart, on the other hand, hurriedly ordered his most trusted butler, who was of course also Cicero's least favorite guy, to quickly mobilize the domestic slaves to pack up the house deeds, valuables and treasures, all of which Lenchard had bought with his original dowry. , but Cicero was more worried about his two "philosophical academies" of "Athens" and "Miletus": they were actually two study rooms he built in his own mansion, with various kinds of books bought from Greece. There are precious sculptures here, as well as bathrooms and gyms. There are also a large number of rare hand-written books. He admired Plato and Aristotle. He wanted to turn this place into a place where he could cultivate the beauty of young Roman nobles, so he deliberately named it such an elegant name. "In the future, young people in Rome can learn Greek knowledge without having to cross the ocean." This was his lifelong passion.

Therefore, Lenchart asked the butler and servants to save the vulgar money and neglected his cherished study. This made Cicero doubly unhappy, so he fell into the light of the sky. He and his wife started to quarrel, but Lenchardt's voice was much louder, completely ignoring the logic of Cicero's argument, and suppressing the other party with a woman's unreasonableness, "The money to buy this house, as well as the personal savings in daily life, It's all the dowry I brought from home. Your humble income is only enough to cover your riding and swimming expenses. Now the city of Rome is about to be in trouble, rather than you carrying those things that no one wants. Twisted characters are much stronger!”

"Take a long-term view, woman!" Cicero assumed the posture he was accustomed to in court, preparing to give a long speech. When he saw that the butler ignored his existence and continued to busy himself, he became angry and cursed, "Am I the master here, or are you? Don't think that the master can't live without the slave, you bastard."

But the butler actually pushed Cicero away with contempt, and said teasingly: "Three months ago, when you secretly withdrawn five thousand sesterces from me to hold a banquet, why weren't you so confident? My master? This money is an asset entrusted to me by the mistress. I am only willing to follow the mistress, but you are a poor old man who transfers money to me but cannot even pay the commission. "

This sentence simply made Cicero unbearable. Didn't he pay enough for this family? He was strict with himself and had no bad habits. He did not drink or indulge in alcohol. He lived a well-off and temperate life, using philosophy. To temper himself, he insisted on running, boxing and other fitness activities. With the income from court debates and public office, he either supported poets and scientists, or gave it to his wife for safekeeping, and also used it as his daughter’s dowry. But now why does Lenchardt To do this to him?

"I will return to a prominent position. Pompey killed Claudius, and the opportunity came - I will defend Triali immediately. As long as he can avoid the death penalty, Pompey will give me the position of governor!" I don’t know where the impulse came from, maybe all men will be like this when their wives look down on them, Cicero shouted a little irrationally.

Lenchardt looked at her husband with contempt, and then said, "Idiot, although I am not as educated as you, but you are just playing with fire. Caesar will win this contest. I am in Rome." I've been watching Pompey for long enough. He's nothing but a loser. Husband, you bet wrong again and again. Even the gambler in Suburra who lost everything and became a beggar is better at this than you. I no longer have the interest or patience to stay in this marriage with you. Now that my daughter has married into the Ulabella family, it’s time for me to take my luggage and leave.”

"Don't regret it, you long-tongued and short-sighted woman. When I was consul before, I just disdained to accept money because of my integrity. As long as I take the tax farmers with me and obtain a province this time, I can accumulate a huge fortune of one thousand talents in three years just by selling the title of Roman ally to those kings and chiefs. Then you can go to hell!" Cicero was furious and a little incoherent. In the end, in order to vent his anger, he walked around the gifts piled in the yard and picked out The least valuable crystal cup inside, screamed with all his might, and threw it to the ground, but because the cup was too strong, it could only break at the mouth. This made Cicero feel more frustrated. He stomped hard, and he couldn't figure it out: the person he admired was Pompey, and his wife was Renchard, but neither of them cared about him at all. On the contrary, Caesar, even when he was fighting in Gaul, would send him passionate letters every two market days, which were full of humble words, and his brother Quintus was also taken care of by Caesar there.

Caesar had always been eager to win him over, but he knew in his heart that if Caesar became powerful in the future, he would definitely overthrow his beloved republic. Even though Cicero was a cowardly and wavering figure compared to small groups, this was more caused by his strength. He was from the provinces, his family was not high, and he had no foundation in Rome. In terms of prestige, he was not as good as the Cato family, so he preferred to consider interests when doing things.

But now Cicero wanted to prove with his actions that he truly loved the Republic, and would not be worse than Cato the Younger, and he hoped to make Lenchart regret it, because it was this woman who "divorced" him!

On the morning of the next day when Cicero and his wife had a fierce quarrel and finally parted ways, the Capitoline Hill and the Grand Forum turned into a scorched earth ruin. Refugees gathered like flies in front of the half-finished Julia Hall construction site. Then the consul Banks announced that the whole city of Rome was in a "state of emergency martial law". All legion soldiers were expelled from the city for 15 Roman miles. All the legal officials, finance officials and tribunes in the city were to gather in the open air at the Temple of Mars within a specified time to discuss how to deal with this emergency. (To be continued...)