are outside with the rest of our belongings.’
‘Excellent, I’ll have Priscus my steward make arrangements for them all. Now, please, make yourselves comfortable, I’ll see you when you are refreshed, and then we shall make plans for these boys of yours.’
The bath had indeed been refreshing, although both Vespasian and Sabinus had felt a little disconcerted at being expertly massaged and then rubbed down by two very pretty youths, who, despite their age, seemed to have no hair on their bodies at all, apart from their long golden locks.
They had joined their parents who were sitting in the shade in the courtyard garden. It was dominated by a statue of an unnecessarily large Apollo placed in the middle of the fishpond at the centre of the garden. Vespasian was sitting at the pond’s edge idly trailing his fingers in the water when Gaius arrived.
‘Don’t do that, dear boy,’ he warned. ‘That pond contains my lampreys; they’ll dig their teeth into your finger in a trice, given the chance. Unfortunately they enjoy eating us as much as we enjoyeating them,’ he said cheerily as he sat on a stool proffered by yet another beautiful slave boy. ‘One of my slaves fell in last year and was dead before he could be pulled out. Apparently the whole pool just seethed as they rushed to sink their teeth into him. I believe he died of shock. I was furious as I was particularly fond of the lad and had only recently bought him.’
Vespasian quickly moved away from the pond and sat down next to Titus. Two more slave boys appeared, one with a table and the other with a tray of sweet cakes.
‘It’s my custom at this time of day to take something sweet,’ Gaius said as one of the boys set down the table. ‘I do hope you will join me, it will be a little while before dinner is served.’
The boy with the tray bowed to Vespasia and offered a cake, displaying as he did a pair of smooth well-shaped buttocks and a tight, hairless scrotum, which Gaius eyed appreciatively. Vespasian felt his father, next to him, shift uncomfortably in his chair at the sight and wondered how his mother would react when his side of the table was being served. Thankfully Gaius became aware of his guests’ discomfort and before Vespasia was subjected to the ordeal he slapped the boy’s arse.
‘Arminius, how dare you serve my guests in a state of undress? Go and put your loincloth on at once.’
The boy stared uncomprehendingly at his master, having obviously never before been told to put on that particular item of clothing, if indeed he even possessed one.
‘Go!’ Gaius barked. ‘And leave the cakes on the table.’
The poor boy did as he was told and ran off. Gaius smiled at his guests. ‘I must apologise, they can be very forgetful, these Germans. Good workers, but a bit sloppy.’
‘Please don’t mention it, Gaius,’ Titus replied. ‘No harm done. Are all your slaves Germans? I believe they are very expensive.’
‘Oh, they are, but worth every denarius,’ Gaius said with afaraway look in his eye. ‘I have mainly Germans, but also a couple of Mesopotamians and a Briton.’
‘Where are Britons from?’ Vespasian asked.
‘Britannia, an island to the north of Gaul. Surely you’ve read Caesar? He went there twice over seventy years ago, but they were a vicious bunch and he never managed to subdue them; that will be someone else’s task in the future, no doubt. But come, Titus, haven’t you given the boys any education. Surely they must have read the classics?’
‘I’m afraid Vespasian was more interested in husbandry than history, and much of his reading was neglected.’
‘That is something that must be repaired. Vespasian, I shall lend you my copy of Caesar’s
Gallic Wars
; in it you will learn about Britannia and Gaul and Germania as well. You need to know these things as a soldier; who knows where you’ll be posted? You boys may have free use of my library whilst you are my guests.’
‘That is most kind, dear
‘Excellent, I’ll have Priscus my steward make arrangements for them all. Now, please, make yourselves comfortable, I’ll see you when you are refreshed, and then we shall make plans for these boys of yours.’
The bath had indeed been refreshing, although both Vespasian and Sabinus had felt a little disconcerted at being expertly massaged and then rubbed down by two very pretty youths, who, despite their age, seemed to have no hair on their bodies at all, apart from their long golden locks.
They had joined their parents who were sitting in the shade in the courtyard garden. It was dominated by a statue of an unnecessarily large Apollo placed in the middle of the fishpond at the centre of the garden. Vespasian was sitting at the pond’s edge idly trailing his fingers in the water when Gaius arrived.
‘Don’t do that, dear boy,’ he warned. ‘That pond contains my lampreys; they’ll dig their teeth into your finger in a trice, given the chance. Unfortunately they enjoy eating us as much as we enjoyeating them,’ he said cheerily as he sat on a stool proffered by yet another beautiful slave boy. ‘One of my slaves fell in last year and was dead before he could be pulled out. Apparently the whole pool just seethed as they rushed to sink their teeth into him. I believe he died of shock. I was furious as I was particularly fond of the lad and had only recently bought him.’
Vespasian quickly moved away from the pond and sat down next to Titus. Two more slave boys appeared, one with a table and the other with a tray of sweet cakes.
‘It’s my custom at this time of day to take something sweet,’ Gaius said as one of the boys set down the table. ‘I do hope you will join me, it will be a little while before dinner is served.’
The boy with the tray bowed to Vespasia and offered a cake, displaying as he did a pair of smooth well-shaped buttocks and a tight, hairless scrotum, which Gaius eyed appreciatively. Vespasian felt his father, next to him, shift uncomfortably in his chair at the sight and wondered how his mother would react when his side of the table was being served. Thankfully Gaius became aware of his guests’ discomfort and before Vespasia was subjected to the ordeal he slapped the boy’s arse.
‘Arminius, how dare you serve my guests in a state of undress? Go and put your loincloth on at once.’
The boy stared uncomprehendingly at his master, having obviously never before been told to put on that particular item of clothing, if indeed he even possessed one.
‘Go!’ Gaius barked. ‘And leave the cakes on the table.’
The poor boy did as he was told and ran off. Gaius smiled at his guests. ‘I must apologise, they can be very forgetful, these Germans. Good workers, but a bit sloppy.’
‘Please don’t mention it, Gaius,’ Titus replied. ‘No harm done. Are all your slaves Germans? I believe they are very expensive.’
‘Oh, they are, but worth every denarius,’ Gaius said with afaraway look in his eye. ‘I have mainly Germans, but also a couple of Mesopotamians and a Briton.’
‘Where are Britons from?’ Vespasian asked.
‘Britannia, an island to the north of Gaul. Surely you’ve read Caesar? He went there twice over seventy years ago, but they were a vicious bunch and he never managed to subdue them; that will be someone else’s task in the future, no doubt. But come, Titus, haven’t you given the boys any education. Surely they must have read the classics?’
‘I’m afraid Vespasian was more interested in husbandry than history, and much of his reading was neglected.’
‘That is something that must be repaired. Vespasian, I shall lend you my copy of Caesar’s
Gallic Wars
; in it you will learn about Britannia and Gaul and Germania as well. You need to know these things as a soldier; who knows where you’ll be posted? You boys may have free use of my library whilst you are my guests.’
‘That is most kind, dear
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