Claudius smiled wanly and gestured to the slave behind him to recommence wafting a long pole surmounted by a fan of peacock feathers, so as to stir the sluggish air. We reclined on couches beneath the shade of a fig tree in Lucius Claudius's garden at his house on the Palatine Hill. The weather was much warmer than the previous day.
My dear friend, always portly, was heavier than I had ever seen him; his complexion, always ruddy, had become alarmingly florid. His orange curls hung limply over his forehead, and his breathing, even at rest, was slightly labored. It was now some fourteen years since I first met him; time had begun to take a toll on him. It struck me that a rich meal such as the one Lucullus had served the previous day was the last thing Lucius Claudius needed.
'You've not tasted Lucullus's cherries?' I said.
'Never! I've heard about them, of course, and about how fabulous the house and the gardens are; but I've not yet been invited. Imagine that! Gordianus the Finder has trumped me on the social front! I'm really quite envious. But then, I've never felt at home in the rarefied intellectual circle of the Lucullus brothers; all that arty-farty philosophical blather rather puts me off my wine. And I seldom stray far from my own house anyway, these days. The litter-bearers complain that I've become too heavy for them to carry up and down the Seven Hills.' 'They do not!'
'Not out loud, perhaps; but I hear them wheezing and grumbling. And now that the warm weather has begun, it's too hot to go out. I shall settle here under the shade of this fig tree and stay put until autumn.'
'What about your Etruscan estate? You love it in the summer.'
He sighed. 'I should give it to you, Gordianus. Would you like a farm to retreat to?'
'Don't be ridiculous! What do I know about farming?'
'Yet you constantly complain of the indignities of city life. Perhaps I should leave the farm to you in my will.'
'I'm touched, Lucius, but you'll probably outlive me by a good ten years.' I said this lightly, but felt a prick of anxiety that Lucius should speak of wills; did he feel unwell? 'Besides, you're changing the subject. I was hoping you could tell me a bit more about Lucullus.' Lucius Claudius was always a fountain of gossip, especially about the movers and shakers of the ruling class.
A mischievous glint lit his eyes. 'Ah, let me think. Well, for one thing, it sounds as if Cato rather glossed over the matter of Lucullus's father and his scandalous end.'
'Yes, I was wondering about that.' Twice at the banquet I had seen a shadow cross Lucullus's face: first, when Archias recited his lines about the capture of one-eyed Varius, and then again, when
Cato told the anecdote about Lucullus's father. 'It seems rather extreme that the elder Lucullus should have been exiled simply because his campaign against the slave revolt in Sicily stalled.'
'Oh, his offense was much more serious than merely losing a battle or two! When the Senate recalled the elder Lucullus from his command, it was his subsequent behavior that was so unforgivable- and quite inexplicable as well, at least to those who knew him, because the elder Lucullus had always been a model of probity and even temper. You see, instead of doing the honorable thing, the normal thing, when he was recalled-leaving his provisions and maps and dossiers of information for the use of his successor-the elder Lucullus instead destroyed the whole lot. Smashed weapons, dumped stores of food in the sea, even burned maps and records of troop movements. It was most strange, because he'd never been known as a spiteful man; his personality was more like that of his sons, and you've seen how pleasant and easygoing they both are. That's one reason his punishment was so controversial; many of his friends and allies here in Rome simply refused to believe that the elder Lucullus had done such a contemptible thing. But the proof was irrefutable, and the court unanimously condemned him of malversation and sent him into exile.'
'How old were his sons at the time?'
'Mere boys. Our Lucullus was probably no more than ten years old.'
'His father's trial must have been a terrible ordeal for him.'
'I'm sure it was; yet eventually he turned it to his advantage. Instead of retreating from the world out of shame or bitterness, as soon as he was old enough, Lucullus dug up some dirt on the man who'd prosecuted his father and brought the fellow to trial. Everyone knew it was a prosecution motivated by revenge, but many people still felt warmly toward the exiled Lucullus and they were proud to see his son so full of spirit. The prosecution failed-but Lucullus's reputation was made.' 'So I gathered.'
Lucius Claudius hummed and nodded. 'Let's see, what else can I tell you about Lucullus?' He was lost in thought for a moment, then the mischievous glint returned to his eyes. 'Well-since you don't care to discuss my will-there's the matter of Lucullus's. I don't suppose that subject came up during the conversation?'
'Lucullus's will? No.'
'Naturally; the one thing on everyone's mind would be the one thing no one mentioned!' 'Tell me more.'
'Apparently, for the longest time, Lucullus had no will; he's one of those fellows who thinks he'll live forever. But just last month he drew up a will and left a copy in the keeping of the Vestal virgins. When a man as rich as Lucullus makes a will, that's news. Of course, the copy was sealed, and no one is supposed to know the details, but…'
'But you happen to have a tidbit or two, nonetheless?' I shook my head in wonder. How was it that Lucius Claudius, without ever leaving his garden, could know so much about the secret life of the city?
'Well, this is only secondhand, you understand, and there are no earth-shaking surprises. It's rather what you might expect: his beloved younger brother Marcus is his principal heir, and is also named as the guardian of Lucullus's son, if indeed the child Servilia is expecting turns out to be a male; if it's a daughter, the child is left to the care of her mother and her mother's family, which means her uncle Cato, I suppose.'
I nodded; my supposition that Servilia was pregnant was correct. 'And Servilia? What sort of provision is made for her?'
'Ah! As you may remember, Lucullus's last marriage ended in an acrimonious divorce; they say he picked the wrong Clodia-as if there might be a right one!' Lucius Claudius laughed at this little jest; each of the three Clodia sisters had become notorious for carry-ing on behind her husband's back. 'Right now, Lucullus is still very keen on Servilia, especially since she's to give him a child. But Lucullus is wary; once burned, and all that. They say there are all sorts of provisions in the will to keep Servilia from getting so much as a sesterce if there should be the least hint of infidelity on her part.'
'Has there been?'
Lucius Claudius raised an eyebrow. 'She was known to have a wild streak when she was younger.'
'Motherhood takes that out of some women.'
'Perhaps. But you've seen the lady with your own two eyes. If she did wish to go fishing, she possesses all the right bait.'
'She's not to my taste, but I'll take your word for it. It's curious that Servilia seems so different from her brother. Cato is so prim, so proper.'
Lucius Claudius laughed. 'For one thing, they're only half-siblings; perhaps Servilia inherited her wild streak from her father. And you know what they say: one Stoic in the family is more than enough!'
I nodded. 'Speaking of Cato, is he mentioned in the will-beyond his role as guardian to his prospective niece?'
'Oh, yes, there's quite a generous provision for him. Cato has been instrumental in pushing through the proposal for Lucullus's triumph, and for that, Lucullus is grateful. The two have become staunch allies in the Senate; the new Gemini, some call them.'
'Despite their differing philosophies?'
'Opposites attract. Look at you and me, Gordianus; could two Romans be more different? Yet this very day I've decided to make you heir to my Etruscan farm.'
'Stop jesting, Lucius! Your farm would be useless to me-except, perhaps, for the fine wine that comes from your vineyards, an-other cup of which I would gladly accept right now.' Lucius clapped his hands; a slave came at once and refilled my cup. 'What about Cicero?'
He nodded. 'Also named in the will, and generously provided for. And Jupiter knows he could use the money, what with bankrolling his campaign for the consulship this year! Really, it's a scandal how expensive it's become to run for office. Cicero's already been forced to borrow; he's in debt not just to Lucullus but to several other of his wealthy friends.'
