Augustus Road

Just when the veteran hesitated, a voice came from the crowd, "I am willing to pay forty drachmas on my own to carve a monument." When everyone saw it, it turned out to be Calabis. He raised his hand and quickly walked to Milu In front of him, thirty silver coins were handed to him.

"Who are you? Are you related to the Seventh Legion?" Milu squinted and looked curiously at the young Karabis whom he had never seen before.

"My name is Calabis. I was once a camp slave of the Seventh Legion. I am now a free citizen. I was released by the military tribune Apis during the recent battle of Lycodania." Calabis told the truth. .

Milu accepted the silver coins readily, "Oh, then you can be considered a member of the Seventh Army. Apis, I recognize him. He is a gentleman and a real commoner. But, Karabis, don't worry and pay all your wages now." Leave it to me?"

"Yes, I can see that you are a real man. I am full of sympathy for the deceased, but I am full of admiration for you. In Rome, the most important thing is faith, whether it is citizens and free people, or natives and foreigners. "Fides is the basis of all interactions in the world," Calabis said gracefully. He had read this in Luculas' Torah and started to learn it. Fides refers to the faith between Rome and foreign countries, which is more important than anything else. If this is violated, the real Romans will feel great shame. During the First Punic War, the Roman consul Regilas, who was captured by Carthage, was released back to Rome by the Carthaginians after promising to persuade the two countries to become friendly upon his return. When he returned, he reported to the Senate the situation of Carthage's internal and external troubles, and strongly advocated that Rome fight again and seize Sicily. After the Senate decided to send troops, Regilas believed that although his behavior was beneficial to his mother country, it violated the sacred fides. He actually tied himself and returned to Carthage. As a result, he was brutally killed by the angry Carthaginians. die.

After Milu heard this, he looked at Calabis with his blue eyes, his eyes were very gentle. He nodded and asked: "What shape do you want the tombstone to be? A crow, a dolphin, or something else - you decide. "

"Say it!" Karabis asked, facing the other veterans.

Finally, the finalized plan was to make it in the shape of a statue of Bacchus, the symbol of the Seven Legions.

Milu put the silver coins in the bag and said to Calabis: "After a market day, I came to the ground floor of the second row of the apartments of the Veterans' Home in Aventini Hill to see the plaster models. I was satisfied. Three sets of The market will be finished soon." After saying that, he put the money bag on his shoulder and left.

In fact, after having a fever in his head and giving away a full forty silver coins, Calabis also felt a little bit of pain. After all, he was now financially stressed. When he returned to the apartment on Jukora Street in the evening, he used his feet to Kicking the door of his house gently (Romans were not used to knocking with their hands, they usually kicked the door "politely" with their feet), Poti opened the door for him with a mysterious and excited expression.

There were several pots of flowers brought by Bodie in the apartment, and there were a few lights hanging. The room was filled with warm fragrance. Bodie took his hand and came to the shrine on the wall and said, look - Kara Bisi saw that the first floor of the shrine was an exquisite wooden statue of a god, "our household god." Potee introduced the identity of this guy. The second floor was a wooden statue of a man and a woman. "This is My father and mother gods." Calabis laughed and touched the two statues. It was obvious that Poti asked the craftsmen to carve them according to their appearance. The bottom is a small statue, which must be The little pigeon looks like Paluma, because there is a small rubber ball tied next to it.

This family is all alive.

Over there, Paluma was on the balcony, mumbling to the little gray pigeon, not knowing what he was talking about.

"You have to be like the head of the family, offering sacrifices and worshiping to the shrine every day so that our family can be blessed." Potty demanded forcefully, "Before dinner is the best time to offer sacrifices to the gods. Come on, give it." After saying that, he handed it over. Calabis was given two plates, one containing half a loaf of wheat bread mixed with two flowers, and the other containing salt water. Calabis suppressed his laughter, followed the standard Roman example, placed the plate on the shrine, dipped his fingers in salt water, then stood respectfully, raised his hands, palms upward, and began to chant to the shrine.

But when he saw Poti also closing his eyes and praying devoutly, his heart suddenly became hot, and he almost burst into tears: the fire of Calabi, the passes of Sophini, the wind and snow of Lekdania, so many After so many ups and downs, now he and Poti finally had a warm and small harbor in this huge ancient capital.

"As a family god, there was no faith in you in my world before, but now I seriously ask you not to live up to our sacrifice to you." Calabis stared at the shrine, thinking silently in his heart.

In the depths of the night, Calabis and Poti were lying on the bed hand in hand. For a long time Calabis asked if the family savings were running low now. Poti nodded tiredly, so Calabis made plans to go there tomorrow. When I report to the Temple of Vesta, I get a daily salary of twelve sesterces, which is three drachmas, so I don’t have to worry about food and clothing, but it is indeed a bit stretched to maintain this expensive apartment. And can he get a share of the Prima Villa in Luculas? It's still an unknown number.

You have to seize every opportunity!

The Temple of Vesta in Rome, a narrow and long temple close to the mountain, enshrined the sacred fire of Vesta. Five virgins who guarded the sacred fire were standing in a row at the entrance of the temple. Carapis stood harmlessly below them. He saw the virgin in a white dress that day in the Subura district, the one Claudia called "Zeno". It seemed that Zeno was the youngest among them. The leader was Ms. Licilia, who was about 40 years old and was called the "Head of the Virgins".

Carapis bowed to Licilia and waited for her arrangements.

"The daily work in the Temple of the God of the Vesta is very leisurely, and it is mainly done by us virgins. In the early morning, we go to draw clear spring water and put it in the temple's reservoir, and then take turns to guard the temple's sacred fire from going out. Originally, I hired you to clean and manage the virgin's house behind the temple while we work, but Lord Luculas sent a letter two days ago, requesting to arrange a position for you as a sacred vessel manager. I can't refuse, so Carapis, this is the key to the temple's sacred treasury, take it." Li Xilia handed a key to Carapis very elegantly.

Carabis took it and asked casually, "Excuse me, what is the salary of the sacristan?"

Li Xilia frowned at his philistinism and scolded in a low voice: "Although you are a free citizen, you must always regulate yourself with the virtues of Roman citizens. The basis of our livelihood is the respect and offerings of citizens to God. It is despicable to ask about the salary so blatantly? If the previous sacristan had not gone out to be a tax farmer, it would not be your turn. But I can tell you that the salary of the sacristan is also twelve sestes a day." Then, the five virgins held up the exquisite water bottle and left (some stayed in the temple to guard the sacred fire).

"Yes, yes, yes." Carabis nodded in agreement, secretly hating himself in his heart, "Not to mention offending the leader, I didn't expect it to be this price, alas!"

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