the beauty and quality of this rare artifact just as I respect the equivalent character of its human recipient.
Accompanying this gift is an endowment of a specially selected slave acquired at market at the Isle of Delos, the holy abode of our divine Apollo, for your personal service. THAIS is her name. She is fifteen years of age, and a native of Cyrene at Roman Africa. She is trained in all domestic duties, household stewardship, finances, is a body servant or lady's companion, and is a dancer and singer of talent.
However, more importantly, she is also schooled in Palatine Latin, Koine Greek, plus Syrian Aramaic to a high standard for your continuing language instruction. She reads and writes in all three scripts. This bestowal of ownership with its documents is supported with a purse of coins to pay for upkeep of her services for at least a year. Future annual upkeep is subject to your continuing demand of her services. Yours in friendship, etc.'
Antinous and I stared with amazement at this gift of living flesh standing demurely before us. Antinous peeped into the pouch. His eyes widened as he poured the contents of the purse onto the cloth before him.
A pile of coins of deep yellow gold lay before him, to the audible gasp of the surrounding household attendants. There was enough gold in the pouch to purchase several slaves of quality and provide their upkeep for years. Antinous didn't think anyone of the group, including him, had ever before seen so much gold in one place.
The assembly looked to the human acquisition before them in wonderment. She looked back to Antinous with an open expression of disingenuous delight and a brightly twinkling smile.
'Hello Master. My name is Thais,' she volunteered without permission, 'I am trained as an educated servant for a master or mistress of quality. I was born of a slave mother at Cyrene, capital of Cyrenaica in Africa, and raised in the household of the Imperial Prefect of the province at Cyrene and Ptolemais. My mother was Lais of Canopus, the concubine favorite of the Prefect. I am competent in the duties necessary for managing a household of quality such as the Prefect's two palaces in Cyrenaica.
At age fifteen on my maturity I was sold in the specialist slave emporium at Delos in the Aegean Sea. I was offered by my master, the Prefect, on the understanding I was to be sold only to masters or mistresses of honor, and not to traders in virgins or courtesans. I am told my price was subsidized by my master to ensure a select placement. However, due to my language skills and proficiencies in the service of the Prefect and his wife, I was acquired by the Imperial Administration on behalf of the emperor's Household, possibly on the Prefect's recommendation.'
Thais paused to observe and assess her audience's reactions. She then continued.
'Among my duties, I am intended as a live-in tutor of spoken languages and of courtly comportment. I am an instructor in manners in the Imperial mode to special students assigned by the Imperial Administration. I am charged by my former master that you, Antinous of Bithynia, are to receive my services,' the delicately boned waif with the hugely bright eyes and winning, if presumptuous, manner announced with lively enthusiasm.
Antinous and I shared a querulous expression and then burst into laughter.
'Well,' said Antinous after studied consideration, 'I see. Welcome to our service, Slave Thais of Cyrene. Make yourself useful to my steward and ourselves until such a time as I confirm your acquisition with the elders of my household.'
'I am desirous, Master, of performing well in your service,' she responded with a courteous, if slightly too obsequious, genuflection. Her response was spoken in pure Latin. It possessed an exacting pronunciation redolent of a native speaker of the patrician class. No Bithynian intonation was evident.
'May I take the liberty of offering this first lesson in conversational Latin, master?' Thais said with a tinkling laugh.
It was uttered with a lively gaiety which brought a smile to everyone's lips despite her faintly patronizing tone and a worrying lack of proper servility. It seemed Slave Thais had learned the habits and lifestyles of her masters too well at the Prefect's palace at Cyrene.
Antinous and I realized at last it had been a most unusual day and night.
CHAPTER 12
'So does it end there?' Clarus asked, yawning. It was now very late and the seniors of the group were inclined to catch some sleep. Only Surisca and Lysias seemed fully awake.
'No, not at all, my lord,' Lysias uttered brightly. 'There was then the matter of Ant's father learning of Caesar's desire to be erastes to his son.'
'I see. So?' Suetonius asked, 'What did his father have to say about it?'
The group settled back in their seats to continue hearing the testimony. Lysias again sipped wine before returning to his reminiscences.
'As his best friend, I accompanied Antinous to his family villa at Polis. The interview was held in the portico atrium where the men of the family meet for consultation. Antinous was obliged to formally seek paternal permission from his Father for the proposal.'
'And — ?' the Special Inspector enquired. 'What did his father say?'
'I sensed some ambivalence in Telemachus, so the occasion proved to be very memorable.
'My son, Antinous,' Telemachus opened in his rasping voice, 'the time has come for you to go out into the world to complete your education and weapons training now you have entered the older age-class of a meirakion warrior.'
This wiry old soldier with gray skin, grayer hair, and dulled eyes announced it in a breathy voice. He carried his left arm as a crook; his muscles stiffened due to a war wound long ago. His speech too was slightly afflicted. Telemachus was probably much younger than his visible years conveyed, but some war infirmity had aged him prematurely. He had served Rome well in the many campaigns of his youth.
I, with Antinous's elder brother and the senior steward of the House, stood impassively before their paterfamilias seated upright in his high chair in the atrium court. I was always a welcome guest at Ant's home, always.
'As the head of our House I, with your elder brother here as well as your deceased mother too I'm sure — if she were here, bless her shade! — with your extended family across Bithynia, your community, your tutors, and many others of good will, all encourage you on your journey. We will watch your progress from afar, and make regular sacrifice to Apollo and to his virgin sister Artemis to defend you from harm.
My son Antinous, you have received from us the blessings of a provident upbringing, proper discipline and tutoring, plus the foundation of a healthy body. You have been inducted into the code of honor which guides Hellenes to noble deeds to bring glory to our House, and brings dishonor, defeat, and death to our enemies.
You have displayed your worth as a member of our family, clan, and to our city council. You display the courage and martial skills expected of a future member of the town's militia, where you are likely to receive a commission on return from your studies.
You must now complete your education and advance to full adulthood. Someday soon you will sacrifice your first beard cuttings to Zeus as proof of your maturity. It will then be time for you to assume the joys and obligations of matrimony. In this too we will offer our supports, and we trust you will breed sons to project our seed, our arete, into the distant future to deliver our lineage to future generations. You must be the master of your own fate in this matter.
Lysias too, on behalf of your deceased father Lysander, I offer the same advice to you. Your mother has asked me advise you.
You both are now to go out into the world to drink of life at the font of Hellene culture at Athens. Letters of introduction and financial arrangements have been completed through the offices of Bithynia's proxenos ambassador at Athens by Arrian of Nicomedia.
Provision has been made for your and Lysias's education under the tutorship of the Academy of Secundus of Athens, whose school is renown. Accommodations at Athens and membership of the Kynosarges Gymnasium have been negotiated on your behalf.
You have received awards of scholarships to the College of Imperial Administration, generously endowed by your admirer Imperator Caesar Hadrian. Praise be to Caesar! This gesture in honoring you both is a token of your worthiness in the eyes of others. It is a remarkable boon. This now brings me to a matter of very great
