Roman
Tales
by
UrsusMajor
I.
Maximus 59 AD
Fabiana, the cook, tipped the few
scraps of pork and bits of sausage left from the main meal prep into
the pot. Those, plus a few carrot scrapings and beans made for a
very thin soup for the slave's supper. She added an extra pinch of
salt and oregano. Looking into the steaming pot, she thought, 'To
Hades with the old bitch', and added another measure of barley to
thicken the supper that would be served soon to the household's slave
workers.
Livila, the mistress of this particular
household, was known for her parsimony. At the very top of her
personal list of Roman virtues was 'frugality'. She kept a very
close eye on all aspects of the household that she kept in efficient
running order for her husband, Appius Silanus. Appius Silanus ran
his latifundus with the same degree of frugality. Fabiana knew that
Livila most likely knew down to the last grain just how much barley
was in the large clay pot in the pantry. 'Bitch', Fabiana through to
herself again as she stirred the pot. True, none of the slaves
actually starved under Livila and Appius' hand, but none grew plump,
either. Now, Livila was decidedly plump, and Appius was gaining on
her. Their generosity with their own rations did not even extend to
invited guests, who were never offered second helpings. Wise guests
partook of a light meal before attending the annual Lupercalia dinner
party at the house, lest their stomachs growl too loudly.
In spite of Livila's sharp eye, Fabiana
had managed to squirrel away several choice morsels of pork roast.
They were not for herself directly, but were part of a plan she had
been concocting over the last couple of weeks, ever since the new
slave boy had been acquired to work in stable and garden, doing odd
jobs. The new boy, called Maximus, certainly lived up to his name.
Already taller than most his age, and broader and more muscled, he
even needed to shave, which boded well for his maturity in other
areas, Fabiana thought. According to Appius, the boy was perhaps
fourteen years of age, and could already out-work slaves with ten
years on him.
Fabiana had had no outlet for her
plentiful sexual desires ever since her lover Lepidus had been sold
away when the neighboring paterfamilias had been exiled for fraud
involving construction contracts for one of the Emperor Vespasian's
pet projects. The arrangement she and Lepidus had involving sex but
not love was mutually satisfactory to them both; but that ended more
than six months ago, and Fabiana was getting desperate. None of the
other male slaves in the household interested her. They were either
too old, or physically repellent to her. So Maximus' arrival was of
great interest, looking far more mature than his years.
She surmised that Maximus had an
appetite to match his size, and she planned on using the promise of
extra rations as bait. Food in exchange for sex was certainly not a
new idea, having a long and largely successful run in human history.
She planned on making her initial move that evening. Once the
evening meal was concluded and the triclinium and kitchen cleaned and
put to rights, Fabiana stuck her head out the kitchen doorway and
called out, "Maximus! I need you here."
Although technically not his domina,
Maximus knew better than to ignore the cook. "Coming, Fabiana."
Maximus hurried to the kitchen. "What is it you need?"
"That large sack of beans, bring
it in from the larder, I'll need it tomorrow."
"Of course, Fabiana."
Maximus went to the larger and shouldered the not-all-that-heavy sack
and returned to the kitchen, thinking to himself, 'She could have
shifted this herself, so... why??'
"Ah, thank you, Maximus. I seem
to have strained my back." She looked Maximus up and down.
"You look rather hungry, Maximus." At this point, Maximus'
belly obligingly growled. "Ah, I guessed correctly. Here, I
think I... yes, there's a bit of the evening's pork roast still here.
You have it, with my thanks." She handed the chunk of roast to
Maximus, who eyed it hungrily.
"Are you sure? I mean, won't
domina be angry?"
"You let me worry about her. Now,
run along." As Maximus was leaving, she added, "Oh, and
Maximus..."
"Yes?"
"I may have some other tasks for
you later. If this damned back does not improve, you understand."
"Yes, Fabiana." Maximus
headed back to the slaves' rooms, munching happily on the pork.
Over the next several weeks, Fabiana
found numerous small tasks that her 'bad back' prevented her from
doing. Not surprisingly, she required Maximus' help with these, and
they always seemed to happen in the evening hours. Maximus benefited
from the extra portions from the main meals, slipped to him by
Fabiana as 'payment' for his help... his belly was growling less, and
he no longer was awakened in the night by hunger pangs. Judging the
time ripe, Fabiana made her move after the usual post-supper
clean-up.
"Maximus, come here for a moment,
will you?"
"Yes, Fabiana." Well trained
by now, Maximus reported to the kitchen, anticipating whatever table
tit-bits the cook had set aside. "What is needed?"
"Well... you, I think."
Fabiana grasped Maximus' cock through the front of his tunic. Like
any male, Maximus shied away, but was not quite quickly enough.
Fabiana held on, carefully calculating just how tightly she should
squeeze. "You know, Maximus, I could make you feel really good,
in a way I bet you've not felt before." Maximus froze. "There,
see? I'm not going to hurt you. This will feel really good."
She slowly began to massage Maximus' penis through the coarse cloth
of his tunic. Maximus' cock slowly began to inflate, in spite of his
apprehension. As the cook continued her expert manipulations,
Maximus' apprehension eased somewhat, slowly replaced with a growing
feeling of furtive pleasure.
Maximus had grown up in close proximity
to farm animals and knew the basics of reproduction. Several
experiences of mutual inspection with another slave boy behind the
stable made him aware of two things: first, that he was more
physically mature than the other boy who was actually older than
himself; and second, that his cock could now be used for more than
just peeing. Since then, he had regularly pleasured himself when the
opportunity presented itself. At the farm, the opportunities were
frequent. Here, in this household, they were much rarer.
"Fabiana, you should stop. I
will..."
"Stop worrying. The others are
all in their rooms, and the bitch and her husband went to bed early
tonight." Misjudging her effectiveness, as well as the reason
for Maximus' concern, she increased her manipulation of Maximus'
throbbing cock, hoping to bring him just to the edge of climax but no
further. She planned on leaving him hanging there, and therefore all
the more eager to return for another round when she planned on
introducing him to a new form of pleasure.
"No, I mean that I... I..."
Maximus never got the chance to complete his sentence. With a loud
groan, he soaked the front of his tunic and Fabiana's hand with a
sudden gush of hot seed. His face was a mixture of embarrassment,
release, and anxiousness.
A somewhat surprised Fabiana exclaimed,
"Oh! My, my! You produce like a prize bull. And you've made a
mess on the floor, too." She looked him in the face. "Oh,
stop worrying, no harm done." Maximus started to reach for a
cloth. "No, leave it. I'll clean up. You need to get back to
your room. That moaning of yours might have awakened someone. And
rinse out your tunic in the trough outside." Maximus did as he
was told, while Fabiana mopped up the result of her earlier work.
"Venus be praised, he does make a mess." She was
already planning her next assault on Maximus.
The next assault happened two nights
later. Fabiana was busy chopping herbs for the sausage seasoning.
"Maximus, bring in another load of firewood for the oven."
Maximus did so, and stood behind the cook, who was blocking his
access to the hearth. She stepped aside. Maximus stacked the
firewood. As he straightened up the cook turned towards him. She
squeezed his cock, her body concealing the motion from anyone who
might be line of sight. "Come to my room tonight," she
whispered. "Wait until all the others are in their beds, then
wait a while longer so they are all asleep. And be quiet about it."
She smiled at Maximus. In a louder voice, she said, "That
will be all, Maximus." She turned back to chopping herbs.
The house had been quiet for some time,
and Fabiana was beginning to doubt that Maximus would show. She had
masturbated twice, to whet her appetite and to make any penetration
easier. There was a soft knock at the thin wooden door to her room
next to the kitchen. She got up off her bed and went to the door.
"Maximus?" she whispered.
"Yes." The cook opened the
door and drew Maximus in, closing the door behind him.
"Come, sit here," she
motioned to the bed. They both sat. "I saved some meat for
you," the cook motioned to a plate sitting on a low stool by the
bed. Maximus nodded.
"Thank you." He made no
motion to pick up the plump chicken leg. "I'm really tired.
Might I take that back to my room?"
"Oh, I think not... at least, not
yet. I have something to show you, and you have something I want to
see." There was a long pause. "Maximus, have you ever
been with a woman?"
Maximus shook his head.
"Well, we need to remedy that.
Take off your tunic."
"I'd rather not."
"If you want to continue getting
treats from my hand, you'd better. Now, stand up and get that tunic
off." Fabiana's voice now had an edge to it.
Maximus eyed the chicken leg, and was
dismayed when his stomach growled of it's own accord. He thought for
a moment, then stood up and drew his tunic off over his head.
Nearly all slaves, male or female, wore
only a plain tunic, knee length or slightly shorter, with female
slaves adding a simple strophic to provide support for their breasts.
Subligaculuma, a kind of underwear, were only worn if one's gentiles
were likely to be exposed. Male slaves who worked outside in the
heat of Roman summers would wear them, to allow their tunics to be
taken off for some relief from the heat. Taking off his tunic left
Maximus completely naked.
Fabiana stifled a small gasp. How
could a fourteen year old look like this? Belly and chest already
covered with a decent coating of black hair, the pubic bush thick.
And the cock... ye gods, he was big! Lepidus had not been small, but
this boy put him to shame. "Turn around." The boy's back
was broad, and already showed muscular definition and hair. His
midsection was also thick and hairy, with almost no taper and very
little fat. Hips were fairly wide, with the butt muscle rounded and
solid. Thighs were not especially thick, but they were dressed with
a thin coating of black hair, front and back. She stood and slowly
removed her own tunic. Earlier she had removed her strophic, so her
breasts swung free. "You know how a woman is shaped, no?"
Again, Maximus nodded. "Come closer."
Maximus was confused. What little he
knew about sex between men and women was that the man was supposed to
be driven mad with desire upon seeing a naked woman, and would do
anything to put his erection inside the woman's pudenda. He could
clearly see Fabiana's, and the luxuriant bush of pubic hair that
surrounded it. Her breasts were full, if somewhat slack, the areolas
darker against her paler skin. This was when his cock was supposed
to grow and stand up... but he was feeling nothing except some
nervousness, a bit of hunger, and a vague impatience.
Fabiana noticed the lack of male
response, and marked it down to youthful inexperience and
nervousness. 'After all, he's only a boy, no matter how manly he
looks,' she thought to herself. 'Best to take matters in hand then,
like before,' she thought. She reached for his flaccid penis,
stroking it and fondling the ample ball sack than hung below.
Slowly, Maximus began to erect, the foreskin retracting over the
blunt tip. "Ah, that's it, boy. That's what I want to see."
She continued to stroke and squeeze the warm flesh until Maximus was
standing more of less fully erect.
"Now, this is what that is for,"
she said, pointing first to her crotch, then to Maximus'. "You
slide that inside me and we both feel really good. I am told that
men regard it is the very best feeling in the whole world; and I can
tell you that it is one of the best feelings for a woman." She
reached up and tipped Maximus' head back so they were looking each
other eye to eye. "You are lucky to have a woman like me to
show you the way of it. I've had a good amount of experience, and
can show you some interesting tricks to help you last longer, and
give a woman more pleasure. Now... for this first time, I am going
to lay down here, and you lay on top of me. I will guide your cock
inside." She reclined on the bed with her legs apart and pulled
Maximus down on top of her with more eagerness than she intended to
show at this stage. True to her word, she used the fingers of one
hand to spread her labia, while her other hand guided Maximus inside
her.
Maximus felt heat, and wetness. He
knew the humping motions that male animals made when they mounted a
female, and this seemed to be much the same situation, except for the
cook's position on her back. Before he could do anything though,
Fabiana reached for his butt cheeks and pulled him in towards her.
His cock slid all the way in, down to the root of his member.
Fabiana gasped.
"Venus and Diana, you are huge!"
Her eyes glittered. "Now, move in and out, but don't pull all
the way out. Take it slow, there will be time for more speed in a
bit. There, that's it. Slower. Yes. Good boy, keep doing that.
See? I told you it would feel wonderful." Fabiana was feeling
filled to a degree she had not felt before.
Maximus, on the other hand, was not
feeling the deep tingling in his loins that he usually felt when
looking at animals mating, or at sweaty slaves and freemen, laboring
in the sun with their tunics off, or when he thought of those sights
in his bed at night, fondling himself. The deeply pleasurable
feeling of the tingle that signaled his seed surging up from his
balls and out of his cock was... not there. Or at least, not to the
degree he had experienced before. He could feel the slickness and
warmth, and he could tell that he would soon climax, but not with the
force and pleasure he usually found. He continued the in and out
motion. Fabiana began to moan quietly.
"You can go a bit faster now. And
let your weight down on me, press into my pudenda... YES! like that!
Oh, don't stop! keep going! Oh, Venus! Harder! Harder! Ooohhhh!!"
The cook shuddered and shook under Maximus. Her hands gripped his
back, then his buttocks, pulling him in even harder against her.
Maximus felt himself begin to pump his seed out... and that felt good
to him. Not quite as good as when he brought himself off with his
own hand but still...
They were both slick with sweat.
Fabiana pushed Maximus up. "Now, this is where you get up and
roll off. It gets uncomfortable, once you have been to heaven and
back. We can lay here for a bit." Maximus' breathing was
returning to normal, but Fabiana's was still rasping with effort.
After a moment, she turned her head to him. "You know, you show
promise. With some practice with me, you will become quite good at
this. I must confess, in the past I was seldom filled and never
full; but you certainly are equipped to fill any woman in Rome. Make
the most of your gifts, boy, and you could go far, even for a slave.
But we'd need to do something about all that hair. Another time,
though; you've tired me out. Now, off you go, get some sleep."
Maximus got up and pulled his tunic back on and moved towards the
door.
"Oh, and take the chicken. You've
earned it."
There were more night time visits to
Fabiana's room over the next months, but the cook still noticed a
lack of eagerness on Maximus' part. One night, she said to him,
"Maximus, pay attention. A woman likes to be pursued, to feel
that she is driving the man wild with desire, that he can't keep
away. You need to show more interest, more... eagerness.
Make me feel like you cannot wait for nightfall, that you cannot
keep your hands off my body when we are together like this."
"I am sorry, Fabiana, I will try
harder."
"No, no, NO! You
shouldn't have to 'try', it should come natural, just show it.
If it doesn't, then pretend. Be an actor if you have to, but be a
good one. NEVER tell a woman that you will need to 'try
harder'!" She looked at the boy. She was seriously put out.
"After all I've done for you, I expect more. I think maybe we
had better take a break. I'll let you know when I'll need you
again."
That would not be for over a month.
Maximus found that he missed the release, and the sense of
penetration, but not the person involved. He thought a lot about
that while he worked in the stable and in the garden. He wondered if
there was something wrong with him. "I guess I do need to try
harder even if I don't show it." He shrugged and continued
forking hay into the stable manger. Fabiana did not weigh heavily on
his mind.
After what was to be their last time
together, Fabiana made an observation to Maximus. While Maximus was
donning his tunic, she leaned back against the pillows on her bed.
“You know, most men cannot get enough sex, even the old goats think
about it all the time, even if they can't get it up any more. But
you, Maximus... you seem like you can take it or leave it. I wonder
if you even really like women, or sex, at all.” She was wrong
about the liking sex part. A month later, at almost sixteen years of
age, Maximus was sold to an auction house. Fabiana was slightly
sorry to see him go, but not for long. Appius had purchased two new
male slaves, and they looked promising.
II.
Rufus
59 AD
Rufus was
fifteen years old when he was first taken to the Thermae Agrippae by
Lucius Secundus Hirtuleius, his dominus. It was not unusual for a
well-off Roman to bring a slave with them to the baths, to hold
towels and caligas, and in using a strigil to scrape cleansing oil
off the hard to reach places; and Lucius was fond of the boy in any
case. Rufus was good-natured, bright and inquisitive. His curiosity
was tempered with good manners and an appreciation of his place as a
slave in a wealthy household of a prominent Roman businessman and
Senatorial relative.
They were
walking on the Campus Martius, past several of the large buildings
commissioned by the wealthy Agrippa. "Oh, it's so BIG,"
Rufus said as they approached the entrance to the baths. Lucius
chuckled.
"Yes, it's
one of the biggest in Rome, and one of the oldest. And you are only
seeing part of it, there is a parallel set of baths for women here,
too. One can bathe, get a massage, use the gymnasium, get something
to eat, even listen to lectures by some of the most famous orators in
Rome today." Lucius deliberately avoided mentioning the several
small side rooms that were reserved for more private activities.
Rufus had no need to know about those. Besides, as a slave he could
never actually use the baths himself. That was reserved for
citizens.
As they walked
into the large rotunda, Rufus marveled at the tall columns, the
colorful mosaic floors, and the statues, especially the largest one,
the Apoxyomenos. Lucius kept up a running commentary on the features
of the building as they walked to the men's changing rooms. "Did
you know that Marcus Agrippa built an aqueduct specifically to bring
in water for these baths of his? The Aqua Virgo is over 12 miles
long. There are actually three pools in here, the caldarium, which
is steaming hot and very soothing to sore muscles. The tepidarium is
more lukewarm, and finally the frigidarium, where the water is not
heated at all. It can be quite cold in the winter, you know! After
that, a massage is quite nice, and then a bite to eat. It's also a
great place to meet friends and socialize, or conduct business."
Lucius noticed two of his many business acquaintances heading
towards the caldarium.
"Marcellus!
Aelianus! Avete! I'll meet you shortly." He turned to Rufus.
"Now, Rufus, you take my toga and tunic to one of those baskets
over there, make sure the number on the disc matches the basket, and
don't lose it! Walk around, explore a bit, but don't make a nuisance
of yourself. Maybe walk in the public gardens next door. I'll be
here for a while. Come back in two hours and wait for me here."
Rufus nodded. Once Lucius had stripped, he handed Rufus his
clothing and sandals, and headed for the caldarium and his business
friends. Rufus took the things and found an empty basket and
exchanged them for the numbered disc at the bottom.
Being naturally
inquisitive, Rufus decided to look around before heading back to the
rotunda area. For the first time in his young life, he saw a large
number of men of all shapes and sizes and ages, all naked. Most were
either heading into or out of one of the interior pools, or just
standing and talking. They were all so casual! Rufus knew enough
not to stare openly. These men were all his social superiors; and he
was accustomed to keeping his eyes downcast for the most part when he
was at the market or elsewhere with one of the other slaves or Lucius
or Antonia. But this! This was unbelievable. So many cocks!
Short, stubby but thick, long and thin, ones that looked like a large
sausage... the variety was amazing. Some had hair of a variety of
browns, light to dark, with some much lighter, almost blond. Many had jet black bushes surrounding their cocks. The variety was
intoxicating, regardless of his caution. He was surprised to see
that many of the men had no hair at all on their bodies. Suddenly,
three men rounded the corner and walked straight towards Rufus on
their way to the heated pools. The one in the middle had a long,
thick cock that reached more than halfway to his knees, and swung to
and fro as he walked. The man to his right nudged him with his elbow
and said, "If that thing ever gets hard, there won't be room for
the rest of us in the pool!" Raucous laughter from the three
echoed off the tiled walls and they crossed into the steamy rooms
ahead of them.
Sabina, the
cook, had slipped him a quadrans before he had left the house and
told him to get himself a meat pie. "If I know Lucius, you'll
be home late and he won't have thought to get something to eat on the
way." Rufus bought a pork pocket from one of the food stalls
and returned to the area outside the entrances to the heated pools.
Munching on the golden pastry gave him some cover for his presence.
He would nibble, then sneak a good look as the men moved in or out of
the archway entrance. He found himself thinking that he preferred
the men who had body hair to those who did not. It looked more
natural to him, more... manly. He stood up as if looking for his
dominus, looked around as if concerned, then sat again and returned
to munching on the crust. He stretched this out for as long as he
could, his own cock now swelling uncomfortably. Finally, pastry
gone, he stood and turned, brushing the front of his tunic, willing
his hard on to recede. Eventually, flaccid once again, he wandered
outside into the adjacent public gardens. He walked around for a
bit, then returned inside to wait for Lucius.
As he passed
down one hallway, he noticed several small rooms, most with partly
open doors but two with closed ones. He peeked into one of the open
rooms and saw on the walls mosaics unlike any he had seen before. To
the right, the mosaic depicted a young man bending a young woman over
a large cushioned stool, and inserting his grotesquely large penis
into the woman's behind. The opposite wall showed an older bearded
man with a younger man on his lap, plainly lowering himself on the
rigidly erect cock of the older man. The wall facing the entrance
showed a more conventional forest scene of satyrs, fauns, and young
priestesses chasing each other and coupling among the trees. Rufus'
eyes lingered on the scene at the left, imprinting every detail on
his mind. He reluctantly started to back out of the room when he
heard moaning and groaning from the next room.
"Oh,
yes... that's it. Futuo, you are tight! Your skin is so beautiful.
Oh!" The voice was one of an obviously older man, nearly bass
in it's register. It was followed by a much younger, lighter voice.
"Oh,
Master, tell me what you want me to be. I will be anything for such
a powerful man as you. I am yours to use. AHH! Oh, you are in so
deep, Master. Fill me, Master. Put your powerful seed in me!"
Rufus stored that fragment of conversation away in his mind along
with the images it conjured. He quietly moved along the hall,
fearful he would find Lucius impatiently waiting for him. He quickly
made his way to the changing room.
He found he had
timed it well. Lucius was just waving to several businessmen as he
exited the moist rooms and in to the changing area. "Ah, Rufus,
there you are. Do you have my... ah, yes, you do. Excellent. I'm
skipping a massage today, Aelianus will
run on and on about his sons and their military successes. Still, it
pays to listen politely, even if it takes time. Aelianus' company
buys a lot of iron from me, you know. Personal relationships are
important in business, boy." He donned his tunic and then began
the laborious task of draping himself with the toga that was expected
of all Roman men of any standing when out in public. "Here,
help me with the dratted thing," he said, handing one end to
Rufus. Although Rufus was not Lucius' personal slave (eccentrically,
he chose not to have one), he had grown adept with this task. It
helped that he was now as tall as Lucius. "There, that does it,
I think. Well done, Rufus. Let us go." They walked out into
the late afternoon sunlight that was glancing across the open area
between the baths and the Pantheon. They headed towards the
Hirtuleius household on the Quirinal hill and their evening meal.
Once his simple
evening meal was consumed and his tasks for the day had been
completed, Rufus went to his room in the slave's quarters. He took
his tunic off and looked down at his cock. He began reviewing the
images of the afternoon, especially those of one stocky young man
with a stubby cock and large balls. His chest and belly had been
dusted with brown hair, joined by a thicker line of hair connecting
them. His cock jutted out some, not because he was hard, but because
it was resting on those large balls. The hair around his cock was
thick and spread wide across his crotch. Rufus felt his own cock
lengthen and expand, the foreskin sliding back to reveal his blunt
tip. He was impressed with the young man's relaxed air, seeming
totally unconcerned at being naked among others, many older than he,
chatting and laughing. His body was not the lean, defined type he
had seen on many statues and on some of the younger men at the baths.
This young man had a pleasing softness to his stocky body; slightly
rounded curves and just a hunt of a belly. For the first time, Rufus
found himself with a variety of body types to compare, and he
decided that he preferred the stockier, rounder versions.
Rufus was not
especially long when relaxed, but when erect, his cock was thick.
The blunt tip was set on a shaft the got wider as it got closer to
his crotch. His own chest and belly already had a respectable amount
of hair, much lighter in color than the intense red of his head hair.
Reddish gold, it suited his fair coloring. The bush surrounding his
cock was slightly darker, but still light... more copper than gold.
He had first noticed the hairs on his crotch just before he turned
twelve, and they had filled in rapidly. Already, he had a mature
look about him. His hair color called attention to him, and when
others looked, they saw a young man that they guessed was older than
his actual years.
He remembered
the mosaics he had seen in the baths, particularly the one with the
older and younger men. He began stroking himself, feeling the
familiar, delightful tingle in his groin and feeling his balls
contract until the sack was snugged tight up against the base of his
penis. He touched the tip of his cock and drew out a string of clear
precum from the fat drop that had formed there. He remembered the
dialog between the older and younger man in the room next to the
mosaics, and felt his tip swell. He debated slowing down and
delaying his orgasm, but decided he didn't want to wait. A few more
firm strokes and he fired his seed into a coarse cloth he kept for
this purpose, legs slightly apart, butt muscles clenched tight.
Finished for the moment, he lay down on his bed and reviewed other
mental pictures of the men he had seen earlier. He had a good visual
memory, and recalling those images got his cock thickening up again.
He reached his hand down and caressed his balls, then gently rubbed
the underside of his cock, which was lying mostly flat against his
belly. Using one finger, he traced up and down the shaft, and when
he had reached full hardness, around the flare of his tip. He
stopped, and let his erection subside, and then brought himself back,
repeating the process several times. He finally let himself cum, but
this time is was quieter, less intense. He pumped out several slow,
thick ropes of cum on his belly.
His thoughts
before he drifted off to sleep were of the first slave boy he had
played with. Marcus had been two years older than Rufus, hairless
except for a modest amount on this crotch, and it was Marcus who had
taught Rufus how to pleasure himself. There had been no oral or anal
sexual release, whether because neither had thought of those forms,
or because there simply weren't enough opportunities, or privacy, to
experiment. Unfortunately, Marcus was a lazy slave. Lucius and
Antonia were good to their slaves, treating them with fairness and a
measure of human respect that was rare among Roman society, but they
were strict in their expectations about work. Marcus had been sold
to a dealer after numerous warning about laziness and time-wasting.
Rufus was thinking about Marcus and his first sexual experiences with
him as he fell asleep, his hand holding his flaccid and sticky cock.
III.
Maximus 61 AD
Maximus'
second owner was a randy old goat, with a shrew for a wife. Maximus
had been purchased to work with the animals on a fundus. These were
mostly pigs and oxen, with a few milk cows and two horses. The farm
was of moderate size, not quite the 'country estate' Livius Caeso
liked to think it was.
"What?
Another slave? How many do we need? What's this one for...as if I
didn't know!"
"He's
to work with Cassio, he's getting too old to keep up with the work,"
Livius said. 'Or with me,' he muttered to himself. 'The new boy
isn't bad looking, and he certainly looks strong as an ox,' Livius
thought, rubbing his crotch, anticipating fresh meat.
"Feh!"
his wife Aurelia snorted in disgust as she turned away and walked
off.
Cassio,
the head of the outdoor slaves, took Maximus aside and cautioned him
on his second day there. "You want to watch out for the
dominus. He'll call you in soon enough, and let you know that one of
your jobs will be to make him 'happy'. Just grit your teeth and do
what he tells you. Anyone who refuses gets whipped and sold off."
The older slave scratched the stubble on his jaw. "I feel
sorry for the inside slaves, they have to put up with both him and
her. Out here, it's just the dominus. Oh, and if he works your ass
too hard, come see me. I've got some salve that will make your
foraminis
feel better."
"Thank
you." Maximus went to work, forking hay over into the mangers
in the stalls. "So... is it just boys, then?"
"Oh,
no. Anyone who holds still long enough, boys, girls, men, women....
pigs, for all I know. But you're young and new... mark me, he'll be
interested in you. Probably why he bought you, truth be told. Now,
leave that, and help me with this cart."
The
older slave's prediction was spot on. Two days later, Livius Caeso
summoned Maximus to his study. He wasted no time at all. "Boy,
come here, let me look at you. Hmmm. Turn around. Yes, very nice.
Well, then. I'm sure Cassio has shown you your duties outside. Now
it's time you learn your duties in here. As long as you keep me
happy, things will go well for you. Cease doing that, and it's the
whip. Do I make myself clear?'
Remembering
Cassio's words, he nodded. "What am I to do to make you happy,
dominus?"
Livius
leered. "Suck my cock for starters. We'll move on to other
things later. Kneel down here." Livius pointed to a spot in
front of his chair. He pulled his tunic up, exposing his moderately
sized penis, surrounded by smooth skin. "Well, boy... get
busy!" Maximus was seized with fear. This was something he had
never done, and was completely unsure as to how to proceed.
"Do
I have to do everything?" Livius growled. Maximus dropped his
head. "Oh, look at me!" Maximus looked up and Livius
began Maximus' first lesson in cock sucking. "Have you never
done this?" Maximus shook his head. "Well, pay attention.
You open your mouth like this, and you take my cock in your hand,
like this." He demonstrated both instructions "You put my
cock in your mouth and start sucking on it. Lick it with your
tongue. Move your head up and down while you do that. I'll get
hard, but you continue, got it? And see that you watch your teeth!
You're not eating a sausage, though it might look like it. Use your
lips and tongue. When I cum, you swallow. NO SPITTING! If I tap
you on the shoulder or head, you stop. Sometimes I want to make it
last and need to take a break so I don't cum too soon. Otherwise,
you keep working. You do not
stop unless I signal you. Understand?"
Once
again, Maximus nodded. Some of the things he had overheard slaves
talking about at his previous owner's made more sense now. He had no
practical experience with this, for in all their times together,
Fabiana had never bothered to give Maximus head. As far as she had
been concerned, the pleasure flowed all in one direction, towards
her.
Livius
remained seated, tunic lifted, waiting. Maximus crouched down a bit,
so his head was level with the dominus' crotch. Livius' cock was
already erecting, and was shaped like a legionary's gladius, narrower
at the base, thicker in the middle, and tapering to spear point. It
was large when erect, and starting to leak precum through the
puckered end of the wrinkled foreskin. Maximus noted the heat from
his dominus' crotch warming his face, and the strong scent of male
sweat and a sort of salty tang. As he approached, he saw Livius'
cock twitch, and the pointed tip of his penis slowly emerge from the
foreskin shroud. He grasped the hot shaft with one hand as he had
been instructed, and began to swallow it's length. Mindful of his
teeth and the dominus' warning, he made use of his lips and tongue,
becoming familiar with the shape and taste of his owner's equipment.
He struggled not to gag.
Livius
had been anticipating breaking in this new slave, and not having has
any release in two days, his fuse was quite short. He reached out
and took Maximus' head in both hands and pulled him in tight, to the
base of his cock and fired off several scalding volleys of his cum
into the slave's throat. Maximus started to gag again, and then
pulled off the still pulsing cock, Livius' cum dribbling down his
face.
Livius
slapped the side of Maximus' head, hard. "What did I say, boy!
DO NOT SPIT! Swallow it all, or by Jove's balls, I will whip you
until you can't sit or
lay
down!"
"I...I...I'm
sorry, dominus. It won't happen again, I promise." He looked
up at Livius. "Shall I continue?"
"No.
I am not pleased, and no longer in the mood. Go back to your cell,
and think about what I've tried to teach you. And you'd do well to
see that you do better next time. Now, go, get out of my sight."
Livius turned away from the still-kneeling slave.
Maximus
got to his feet and stumbled out of the study. Back in his cell, he
reflected on two things. First, Livius had said 'next time', so he
likely was not going to be sold off just yet. And second, that he
had found the act of sucking another man's penis to be strangely
intoxicating. He drained his own seed onto the straw on the floor of
his room three times that night.
Several
days later, Livius summoned Maximus to his study with something
rather different in mind. He wasted no time. "Take off your
tunic, boy." Maximus did so. "By Jove's cock, you ARE a
hairy one! I've known old men with far less hair than you. I wonder
what it was your mother mated with. And the gods didn't hold back
when it came to your equipment, either." He reached out and
took Maximus' penis in his hand. "A shame you won't get much
chance to use it. Although, come to think of it, it might be
entertaining to watch you work that thing in to that pretty little
slave Aurelia bought last month... after I've had her, of course.
Eh, no matter, turn 'round." Maximus did so, a bit embarrassed
and more than a bit angry. It was one thing to be naked with other
slaves while they washed each other's backs behind the stables, with
cloths and buckets of cold water. It was quite different being naked
before his owner. And Fabiana had handled his cock often enough.
The comment about his parentage, though, made him want to hit Livius;
but he swallowed the anger. Slaves were whipped and beaten, often to
death, for striking their owners.
"Bend
over and spread your butt for me, boy." Maximus did so. Behind
him, Livius shed his own tunic and reached for container of oil. He
worked some of the slippery stuff into Maximus' anus, and then
smeared it over his own thickening cock.
"I
don't suppose you've done this either, have you?" Maximus shook
his head. Thanks to Fabiana, he was familiar with the sensation of
penetrating. Being penetrated was entirely new to him.
"Good!
I will enjoy being the first to take your podex and make it mine."
With that, he centered his penis on Maximus' hole and shoved in with
one thrust. Unable to stifle his response, Maximus yelped in pain.
Far from deterring him, the obvious pain he was inflicting seemed to
further inflame Livius' lust. "Big, aren't I?! Well, here's
how it feels to have a man in you, boy!" He made thrust after
savage thrust into Maximus' virgin ass. Maximus gritted his teeth
and did his best to think of something, anything, other that what was
being done to him. Finally, with a shout of triumph, Livius came in
his slave's ass. After regaining his breath, he pulled his softening
cock out of Maximus, and wiped the cum and blood off on the slave's
butt. "Yes... young and tight. You'll work out well for me.
Best get back to the stable, boy. Cassio tells me you have a new
foal to take care of. See that you do."
Rufus
picked up his tunic, pulled it over his head, and walked tenderly out
of the house and back to the stables. He knocked softly on the door.
"Cassio?" The door was opened by the older slave, who
drew Maximus inside.
"Oh,
you poor boy. He's hurt you, hasn't he?" Maximus nodded. "Do
not be angry with me for asking, boy, but was this your first time?"
Again, Maximus nodded. "Animum
et oculos perdat," Cassio muttered in quite anger. "I know
we have to take what the fates allow us, but really, could not he use
at least some
care? Here, take your tunic off and I will get the sal... Hades,
you're bleeding!" The shocked slave had Maximus lean over a
stack of hay bales. "I will be right back." Cassio
hurried off and then returned shortly with a basin, cloths, and a pot
of salve. "This will sting, Maximus, there's nothing for it,
but you need to be cleaned first before I put on the salve. Hold as
still as you can." With that, Cassio began to very gently wipe
Maximus' raw anus and buttocks with the warm water that he had mixed
with some sharp wine. Maximus winced. "Sorry, Maximus, I know
it hurts. I remember.... well, no matter." He finished
cleaning Maximus, and then gently applied the strong-smelling salve.
Almost instantly, Maximus felt the burning pain lessen.
Maximus sighed.
"Thank you, Cassio. That feels much better."
"Good.
Now, take this, apply some more tomorrow in the morning, and once
more when you shit and wipe yourself. That should do it." He
looked at the younger slave who was slowly standing up. "It
will get better, trust me. Doesn't seem like that now, but it will.
Trust me."
Over the next few months, Maximus developed a
considerable talent as a cock sucker, partly out of
self-preservation, and partly out of his own desire to indulge in the
act itself, if not the person involved. He had found Livius to be
quite temperamental, but also easily calmed with a prolonged session
of oral sex. He also found that once penetrated, he liked the
sensation of being filled; and missed it when, spent, Livius
withdrew. In one respect, being fucked was actually easier, since he
had to put very little physical effort into it. As long as he could
mentally block out the 'who' of the sex acts, he was finding that the
'what' was rather nice.
One afternoon, about a month later, Cassio and Maximus
were mucking out the stable. "Let us take a break, Maximus... I
don't have your endurance!" Cassio mopped the sweat from his
head and took a swig of water from the cistern, then offered the cup
to Maximus, who did the same. "Speaking of endurance, how are
things going for you?" Cassio asked. There was no mistaking
what 'things' Cassio was asking about.
"Well enough, I guess," Maximus answered.
"I'm used to his size, now."
"Let me give you a suggestion, from my own
experience. If you relax your muscle as much as you can when he
enters you, and then tighten it when he pulls back, he likes that."
"Tighten? You mean like I was trying to hold off a
shit?"
"Exactly. It's like milking a cow, and it will put
him in a good mood, especially if you do it without his asking you.
And the more you can keep him in a good mood, the better. Better for
all of us, actually."
"Thank you, Cassio, I will try that next time. And
Cassio..."
"Yes?"
"You were right, it has gotten better."
Cassio smiled, and they returned to their work of shoveling horse
shit.
Eventually, Livius got tired of Maximus, the desire for
fresh meat never adequately satisfied in his mind. This was the
principle reason for the turnover of slaves in the household.
Maximus' life was certainly easier once the necessity of frequent
servicing of Livius' sexual needs lessened. Maximus was a good
slave, though; a strong and able worker, dependable, and well-liked
by the other slaves. Because of that, he was kept on when others
might have been discarded, once their novelty had worn off. He
stayed in the Caeso household for almost twelve years before he was
consigned to a slave trader, along with all the others upon the death
of Livius Caeso. The day they were to leave, Cassio approached
Maximus and embraced him.
"I will miss you, my boy. You sling hay even
better than I can, and I've never seen anyone with your way with
horses." He paused, doing his best to control his emotions. "I
wish there was something I could give you..."
"Cassio, no. You cared about me, and for me, more
than any here. You have always given me good advice, and made my
time here much easier than it might have been. You have given me
more than enough."
"Still... oh, go with my blessing then. May
Feronia always watch over you and protect you." Cassio reached
out again and drew the young man into a tight hug. Maximus returned
the older slave's embrace, and then climbed onto the cart that would
take him to the slave trader's auction house.
IV.
Rufus and Maximus
Late November,
79 AD
It
had been weeks since they had all escaped the utter destruction of
Pompeii, and things had more or less settled into a routine at the
farming estate once the others who had escaped with them had moved on
to relations or other accommodations elsewhere. Antonia, Lucius'
wife, had recovered from her badly sprained ankle and had regained
some of her usual cheerful demeanor, but bore the effects of their
ordeal in the increased lines on her face and the now copious gray in
her hair. Lucius, for his part, spent a great deal of his days
sitting in the small garden, staring off into the west, sometimes
shaking his head and muttering. The horrors of the previous month had
receded but a little for all of them.
On
this chill late autumn morning, Rufus was walking down the hallway of
the farm house. The past two days had been anything but calm.
Everyone except himself was ill with some sort of stomach ailment.
He stopped as he heard Lucius puking mightily in his bedroom. Rufus
knocked on the wooden door. "Dominus? Do you need me?"
His answer was another volley of puking. Rufus opened the door and
entered. Lucius' head was bent over a bucket, strategically placed
beside the bed. He looked up at Rufus, face drawn and haggard. He
lay back on the bed.
"Hades,
I hate being sick like this. To have survived the wrath of that
volcano, only to be laid low by... this." Lucius gestured
weakly to the chamber pot and bucket.
"Dominus,
let me take the bucket and empty it and bring you a cloth to clean up
with." Lucius nodded weakly. Quickly taking the bucket, he
went out to the herb garden outside the bedroom and emptied the
bucket over the wall and rinsed it out, swirling water from the
cistern and dumping that, too. He grabbed a cloth from the kitchen,
wrung it out with water, and went back to Lucius' bedroom.
"Here,
Dominus. You've soaked through your tunic. Let me get you a fresh
one." He took one from the chest at the foot of the bed, and
helped Lucius sit up and change the sweat-soaked tunic. Carefully
laying his dominus back on his bed, he was unsure of what to do next.
Antonia, in the next room, was a sick as Lucius was. "Should I
get Anna?"
"No,
she ran out a few minutes ago, heading for the latrine. No, Rufus, I
need you... to do... something for me." Lucius stopped and
waited for a wave of nausea to pass. "Before she started
vomiting, Antonia wrote out a list of things for a remedy her mother
swore by for stomach ailments like this. She insists it does
wonders, better than prayers to Febris, and you know what stock my
wife puts in the proper prayers. It should be in her room. Get it,
will you, and take it in to Nuceria. I'm not sure where you would
get everything on the list, but surely the shop keepers can help. Or
perhaps that Greek physician they have. And be quick, we all ne..."
Lucius was cut short by another round of vomiting. After Rufus had
emptied the bucket again, Lucius smiled weakly, and looked Rufus
straight in the eye. "Take Maximus with you. I know you don't
like horses, and it will take too long to walk."
Rufus
nodded and went next door, knocking softly on the door. "Domina,
it's Rufus. May I come in?"
Antonia
weakly called out permission, and Rufus entered. Antonia was lying
on the bed, pale and weak-looking. "Dominus told me you had a
list of things for a remedy and that I was to take it into town.' He
took up a wax tablet from the table next to the window. "Is
this it?" He held up the tablet. Antonia nodded.
"Yes,
please, Rufus. And hurry."
"I
will, Domina, as quickly as I can." He hurried outside, and
around the house to the stable area at the back.
""Maximus!"
Rufus called out, not seeing the big man at first. He came out from
the far stall, brushing straw from his hands and hairy forearms,
looking concerned.
"Rufus...
what's wrong? Are they worse? Are you...?"
"Maximus,
they are all sick now, and no, I am all right, no fever, no puking,
no flux. How about you? any others out here ill?"
"No,
we seem to be fine. What do you need?"
"You...
and a horse." Maximus raised an eyebrow at that.
"You
hate horses... well, not hate, really, but you certainly don't trust
them. Why do you need a horse?" He leaned a bit closer and
whispered, "I know why you need me!"
"Shhh...
later, my Beast," Rufus whispered, and then in a louder voice,
"I need to get to Nuceria with this list for domina. It's for a
remedy she says will help with all this."
"Well,
I'd say, give the list to me and I'll take it, but you know I can't
read. How would I know if they were giving me the right things?"
"Dominus
said I was to take you because I don't do well with horses."
"Did
he now?" Maximus smiled. "Wait here, I'll get one of the
horses and we'll make a quick trip of it." Maximus hurried off
and shortly brought back a broad-backed mare. Rufus eyed her with
suspicion.
"This
is Bella, Rufus. She very gentle and easy going." Maximus
stroked the mare's velvet nose and fed her a handful of oats. "Here,
let her sniff you and then pat her neck. If she lowers her head, you
can scratch between her ears, she likes that."
"I'd
rather not."
"Oh,
go on, Rufus. She really
is
gentle." The horse snorted warm breath into the chill air.
Rufus
slowly stepped forward and nervously stood still while Bella sniffed
gently at his hair and beard. Seemingly satisfied, she lowered her
head, hoping for a scritch.
"Well,
go on, Rufus. She's waiting. Mustn't keep a lady waiting."
Maximus was grinning.
Rufus
gave the horse a tentative scritch between the ears, and the rubbed
some more when the mare nickered softly.
"See?
She likes you." Maximus gave Rufus' shoulder a squeeze. "You
have the list?" Rufus nodded and Maximus tossed a light blanket
on Bella's back and stepped up on a rock next to the fence, swung his
leg over her back, and as quick as that was sitting on the horse
looking down at Rufus.
"How
do I get on?"
"Just
like I did... oh, never mind. Give me your hand." Rufus was
shorter than Maximus but thickly built and solid, no lightweight.
"I'll swing you up, just lift you leg up and over."
"But
I..."
"Don't
think, just do it," Maximus grinned. He grabbed Rufus' forearm
and easily swung the nervous man up and around behind him. Rufus
ended up on Bella's back, somewhat lopsidedly sitting behind Maximus.
"See? Easy!" Maximus dug his heels into Bella's sides
and the horse moved off under Maximus' direction towards the road
towards Nuceria. Rufus tentatively put his arms around Maximus'
belly to steady himself.
"Gods,
I wish I could hug you tight."
"Why
not? They're all busy being sick, no one will notice; and if they
do, well.... you're famously uneasy around horses!" Rufus
sighed deeply and hugged his Beast tightly. "That's my
Wolfpup."
Rufus
turned his head and lay his cheek on Maximus' back. Through his
tunic, Rufus scratched Maximus' belly fur with both hands, and sighed
again, contented for the moment.
"Beast?"
"Hummmm?"
"Do
you think anyone else knows... about us, I mean. We know dominus
knows, but does anyone else, do you think?"
"I
shouldn't think so. We are very careful, always. And I've seen none
of those 'knowing' looks, or heard any comments. Have you?"
"No,
none. Dominus has kept his word to us." Rufus paused
thoughtfully for a bit. "I know we are very lucky, and I am
grateful for that good luck. But oh, how I wish we could be together
more. I ache for you, Beast."
Maximus
reached down and back and stroked Rufus' softly-furred leg. "And
I for you, Wolfpup." The narrow road they were on was not the
main road that ran through Nuceria, but only a farm track that
connected to it, so there was little traffic. Right now, there were
no other travelers in sight.
"Wolfpup....
I know it's cold, but if we are quick, do you think we could..."
He left the thought unsaid, waiting for Rufus' answer. After all,
they had been sent on an urgent errand.
"Oh,
gods, YES!"
Maximus
used his knees to direct Bella off the road and under a small stand
of trees that provided some privacy for the two men. Maximus swung a
heavy leg over Bella's neck and slid to the ground, and reached up
for lift Rufus to the ground with him. They fell into each other's
arms and kissed with a fierceness that spoke of their frustration at
being in each other sight daily but unable to touch. They shed their
cloaks and tunics quickly and pressed themselves together, chest to
chest, belly to belly, cock to cock.
"Futuo,
hold me tight, Beast! Tighter!! Ahh....." Rufus sighed deeply
as his Beast squeezed him with thickly muscled arms. He nuzzled in
Maximus' densely furred chest, inhaling his scent. "Let me feed
on you, Beast." He sank to his knees and buried his face in
Maximus' crotch, nuzzling, inhaling, licking. He took the nearly
erect cock in his mouth and held it there, reveling in the feel of
the hot flesh as it hardened, the tip flaring, the foreskin fully
retracted. He started licking from ball sack to tip.
"Wolfpup,
stop."
"Wha...
is something wrong?"
"Oh,
no, not at all... but I have an idea. Lay down on your back."
"But
I want to..."
"Shhhh,
you'll see. Lay down." Rufus did so, still puzzled. Maximus
turned and lay down as well, but with his head even with Rufus' hips,
thus making Rufus' head even with his own crotch. "Now, turn to
me."
"Aahhh!"
Rufus suddenly realized what was now possible, staring at at his
lover's erect meat. Without a word, he attached himself to Maximus'
straining cock, and felt the heat and wetness of his Beast's mouth on
his own. Wordlessly, ignoring the cold, they both used their tongues
to bathe each other's cocks, tracing around flared tips and ridges,
tickling the sensitive spot where their retracted foreskins attached
to the shaft. At first they were slow, experiencing the new
sensations of giving and receiving simultaneously, and using only
their lips and tongues to pleasure each other. Lust soon took over,
though; and they worked harder and harder at bringing each other to
climax. Each put an arm over the other's hips and drew them in
tight, burying their faces in each other's crotch, inhaling the
salty, slightly yeasty, moist scent of themselves.
Knowing
he was about to flood his Beast's mouth with his load of seed, he
pulled Maximus in as tight as he could and began pumping his cock in
as deep as he could. The heat of his Wolfpup's load now flooding his
mouth, the sharp, salty taste of it, pushed Maximus over the edge;
and he, too, unloaded, gripping Rufus tightly as he shot his life
down Rufus' willing throat.
Winded,
they broke apart and each lay back, resting after their happy work.
"Why have we never done that before? What a great idea, Beast!"
Rufus smiled up at the cloudy autumn sky, shivering only slightly.
He suddenly jumped up.
"Hades,
we've got to get to town! They will be expecting us back home!"
He felt his beard. "I'm a mess." He handed Maximus his
tunic and rapidly put on his own. Maximus brought Bella over to a
tree stump and used that to mount the horse.
"Wolfpup,
use the stump, like I did. There won't always be someone like me to
swing you up on board!" Rufus was clumsy, but ultimately
successful, and the pair moved off toward Nuceria.
Reaching
the town, they found a stable fairly quickly and Maximus paid the boy
there to watch Bella while they went in search of the ingredients on
Antonia's list. Rufus rinsed off his coppery beard in a water
trough. He had not been able to keep up with the quantity of
Maximus' pumping earlier.
"Maximus,
I think we should just go directly to the Greek doctor, if we can
find him." He shook his beard, and water drops flew.
"I
agree. Quicker, and probably more reliable." They started
walking quickly towards the center of the growing town, bigger now
through having absorbed a number of refugees from the recent
disaster.
"Ave!
Can you help us?" Maximus asked the first likely person he saw
outside the stable.
"Quid
est?" The young woman stopped somewhat hesitantly, pulled her
cloak more tightly around her and looked nervously at the big man.
"Can
you direct my friend and I to the Greek doctor? I am told there is
one here, but I've no idea where." Maximus did his best to look
friendly and non-threatening, in spite of his size.
The
young woman smiled with some relief. "Oh, well... yes, there
is, quite a good one in fact. He has a taburna, actually he shares
one, just over there, next to the new baths."
"Gratias
vobis agimus!" Maximus nodded politely, and the two hurried off,
leaving the young woman to reflect on how looks can sometimes be
deceiving.
"That's
it, there," Rufus said. "I recognize that symbol with the
snakes." They entered the shop and were immediately struck by
the mixture of smells, not all of them pleasant.
"Yes?"
A middle-aged man looked up from a scroll he was reading and talking
notes from. "What is it?"
"We
are from the fundus near here, owned by Lucius Secundus Hirtuleius.
They are all sick, stomach, bowels, and fever. His lady wife, my
domina, sent me with this list for a remedy. Might you have the
ingredients here?"
"Ah,
blowing it out both ends, are they? Are either of you sick?"
"No."
"Give,"
the doctor abruptly said, motioning with this hand for the list.
Rufus handed it over. The doctor looked over the list, muttering as
he read. "Ginger... hmmm... and peppermint; well, someone has
some knowledge. Yes. Although...." The doctor paused and
looked up at Rufus. "You wouldn't believe some of the things I
see here. Only yesterday a woman came in with her young son, cough
you wouldn't believe, could wake the dead. She had a dead mouse in a
leather pouch tied around his neck, and couldn't understand why her
granny's foolproof remedy wasn't working for him." He shook his
head and was silent, tapping this teeth with his stylus.
"The
list?" Rufus asked when the doctor continued to remain silent.
"Ah,
yes, sorry. I can make this up for you, though I would add some
poppy juice for the flux. Have a seat." Rufus and Maximus sat
on a bench that ran along one side of the interior. About ten
minutes later, the doctor emerged from the curtain blocking off the
rear of the shop.
"Here.
Put three good-sized pinches of the dry mixture in a cup of boiling
water, let it steep for five minutes, then drain it off. Have them
drink it all, but don't let them swallow the leaves. This will be
quite bitter, you can take the edge off with some honey if you have
it. Do that every three hours or so. Nothing else for a day, and
absolutely no milk. By tomorrow evening, you can try some boiled
grains, mashed. In two days, light foods should be OK, but no meat
until their bowels have completely calmed down."
"And
the poppy juice?" Maximus said, eyeing the small glass bottle
filled with a milky liquid.
"I'm
getting to that," the doctor said, testily. "Five drops in
a cup of heavily watered wine, no more. Two drop only for any
children. Administer that three times a day until the flux stops and
their shit is firm." The doctor handed over the two containers
to Maximus. Turning to Rufus, he said, "Do all the slaves eat
separately from the family?"
"The
outdoor slaves, yes. The house slaves eat in the kitchen. But all
of the food is prepared by Sabina, our cook. She prepares all the
meals for the household. She is an excellent cook."
The
doctor sniffed. "And you are sure you are not sick?" Both
men shook their heads. "Well, that rules out food poisoning.
There been a lot of that
going around of late, I'm sure it's due to that pig of a farmer
Plautius and his "first class produce". Filthiest stuff
I've seen in the market, I tell people time and again to avoid the
stuff, but who listens to a Greek?" The doctor rinsed his hands
in a basin of water. "And wash your hands after emptying the
chamber pots, or any buckets with vomit, every time!"
Getting
up to leave, Rufus handed over the fee, and asked the doctor, "Are
there any special prayers to be said along with this treatment? A
sacrifice to any particular god? Domina will want to know."
Again,
the Greek sniffed. "No. Waste of time."
"You
don't believe in prayers?" Maximus asked.
"I
told you what I believe in," he said, pointing to the containers
in the big man's hands. "Now, good day, I have work to do."
They left him muttering about dead mice and worthless prayers.
Walking
back to the stable where Bella was in temporary residence, Maximus
chuckled. "Plain spoken, wasn't he?" Rufus laughed out
loud.
"He
certainly was. Well, he's a Greek, and this is still very much a
rural town. It's a bit different in the city. I imagine that here
he gets all sorts of people who try every folk remedy possible before
giving in and coming to a foreigner, no matter how long he's lived
here. On the other hand, that young woman seemed to think highly of
him." He looked up at Maximus. "We need to hurry back.
If I hold on tight, do you think you could make Bella move along
faster, to make up for... well, you know." Rufus was smiling
and blushing.
"Oh,
Wolfpup, you can hold on as tight as you like. Bella won't mind and
I will enjoy keeping you warm!" Maximus' beard was split with a
wide grin as he nudged Bella out onto the road.
V.
Rufus and Maximus,
89 AD
The
savage growling, snapping, and mayhem outside their window woke both
Maximus and Rufus at the same time. "What in Hades...."
Maximus exclaimed, tossing the light blanket aside and moving to the
window as Rufus was rising from the other side of the bed. Rufus
opened the shutters and both stuck their heads out of the opening.
"Look!"
said Rufus, pointing toward the four dog-like creatures circling
about in the dark and darting in towards one another, snapping
tooth-filled jaws. "They are wolves!"
"Not
all of them, one's... well, it's not a wolf, the shape's wrong, and
look at the tail." Maximus pulled his head back in and started
towards the hall that led outside. "I don't like this, they'll
scare the horses, and I don't want the mare to lose her foal."
Rufus followed his mate to the door. Maximus grabbed a torch and
held it to the nearly extinguished coals smoldering in the base of
the kitchen stove. It flared into light and smoke and he charged
outside, waving the torch and shouting, followed by Rufus with his
own flaming torch.
The
three wolves, wary of the noise and flames, broke off their attack
and backed away slowly, snarling all the while. In the pack's
experience, humans always meant trouble, and often, death. Two of
their pack mates had met that fate the previous week at a fundus not
far from this place, and these survivors remembered humans and their
weapons. After some more snarls and growls and in spite of their
hunger, the three turned and loped off, clearing the stone wall
around the large pasture and heading off into the night.
Left
in the middle of the pasture was a large dog, seriously wounded, it's
left rear leg gashed deeply, and it's left ear nearly torn off. As
frightened by the humans as the wolves had been, it growled and
snapped as it tried to drag itself away. It made it only a few feet
before collapsing, panting heavily. The pool of it's steaming blood
reflected in the torchlight. Rufus and Maximus breath steamed as
well in cold night air. It had been a hard winter... the calendar
might say Martius, but it felt far more like the middle of Ianuarius.
Both men were naked, since they had not paused to don their tunics
or cloaks. Both men threw a lot of heat in bed and customarily slept
naked, with only a light bed covering in the colder months. "Futuo,
it's cold. I'll be right back." Rufus went inside to get
cloaks while Maximus warily tried to approach the wounded dog.
The
dog continued to snap a growl, but with less and less energy.
Finally, it just lay, panting heavily, with it's eyes never leaving
Maximus. Rufus returned with a cloak for his Beast, and placed it
around his shoulders. "Thanks, love," the hairy man said,
pulling close about him. "He won't let me near him. At least
he's not trying to drag himself away."
"Poor
dog. I wonder where he's from. I've not seen one like him anywhere
around here."
"Probably
wild, or a run-away. He looks half-starved." Maximus tried to
approach the dog again, and again the dog growled, a low, menacing
sound. "Wolfpup, get me one of the blankets from the stable,
the newest one, it won't smell so strongly of horse." Rufus
walked quickly to the stable and searched for the newer blanked. It
was folded on top of a pile of others. He grabbed it and returned to
Maximus and the dog.
"He
won't let me near him, so I can't get him into the stable or the
house, and the cold won't do him much good. Here, help me spread
this out over him." The two men unfolded the blanket and
stretched it over the wounded dog, who growled again, then whimpered
as the blanket came down over his body.
"I'll
get a bowl and fill it with water. We can set it near him, maybe
he'll drink if we leave him alone." Rufus hurried into the
house, while Maximus made soothing noises for the dog's benefit.
Rufus returned with a shallow bowl filled with water, put it on the
ground near the dog's head, and pushed it closer with his foot.
"Careful,"
Maximus cautioned as the dog snapped it's jaws.
Having
done what they could for the creature, they returned to their bed and
held each other to warm up from the cold night air. "Do you
think he has a chance?" Maximus asked.
"We've
done what we can for now. It's in the hands of the gods; Diana and
Bacchus willing, if he's still with us in the morning, he might have
a chance and we can try to do more for him." He rubbed his
lover's furry back then hugged him tight. "Sleep now, my love."
Soon they were both asleep, but Rufus kept tossing and turning and
eventually eased himself out of bed, made sure Maximus was covered,
and, pulling on his tunic and cloak, lit a small oil lamp and walked
out of the house to the pasture.
The
dog was laying there, still covered with the blanket. Rufus stood
still, watching for any movement indicating life. After a long
moment, the blanket moved up, then down as the dog took in a deep
breath. Relieved at this, he returned inside and poked the fire in
the stove back to life, and fed it several small branches. He lit
another lamp from the first, and made a mental note to add more
charcoal to the list of supplies needed on their next trip into town.
Once the fire was going, he made himself a beaker of posca. He
filled a small iron pot with water from the large barrel and waited
for it to heat. He measured out some vinegar in a beaker, added wine
and some honey. Once the water was hot, he poured that into the
beaker, and stirred. Sipping the drink, he thought about the dog.
'It seems the gods have shown mercy to the poor creature. I will do
all I can to save him.' He sipped his posca, and made plans.
Rufus
checked on the dog every hour or so, folding back the blanket so the
dog's head was fully visible. Awake, the dog's eyes followed Rufus'
every move. Shortly before dawn, Rufus noticed that the bowl of
water was now empty, and the blanket somewhat askew. "Ah,
you've drunk. Good, that's good." The dog blinked but did not
growl. Rufus refilled the bowl, then sat on the ground, close, but
not too close to the dog's head. The torn ear was covered with
blood, and would soon be attracting flies. Rufus shoo-ed away an
early arrival. The dog flinched at the motion, but again did not
growl. "It's all right, boy. I won't hurt you, just keeping
the flies off."
Maximus
found his lover sitting next to the dog as the sun came up over the
hill behind the stable. He yawned mightily and scratched his belly
fur. "Have you been here all night, Wolfpup?"
"Off
and on," Rufus nodded "His breathing seems easier, and
he's drunk water."
"You
are sitting close, I see. Couldn't have done that last night."
"Yes,
and he's not growling now." Rufus, he leg muscles cramped with
contact with the cold ground, struggled up. "Come inside, love,
I want to talk with you." Maximus followed Rufus inside the
warm kitchen. Rufus pushed a beaker of warm posca towards Maximus as
they sat at the table. Maximus sipped the warming drink as he
listened.
"Do
we have some of the poppy juice left?" Maximus nodded. "Good.
I want to save this poor dog. The gods spared him and now, I think,
they are telling us to do what we can for him."
"And
you say I am soft-hearted." He reached over and squeezed Rufus'
hand. "But I agree, Wolfpup. What do you have in mind. I
know that look of yours, you have a plan."
"Well,
a sort of one. He's not small, even if he is starved; and I don't
know how badly his leg is injured. If we get a plank and lay it next
to him, we could probably move him carefully on to it, and then carry
him inside. But I'm sure it will hurt." He looked at Maximus.
"You know animals far better than I do, Beast. Do you think if
we put a small amount of the poppy juice into some broth, that it
would dull the pain enough so he wouldn't try to bite or bolt when we
moved him?"
"I'm
not sure, Wolfpup. Poppy juice works with people; I've never tried
it with animals. We could try it, I suppose. Very small amount, see
how he takes it." Rufus nodded. He got up and started cutting
a piece of dried pork into a pot, added some fat and bit of water and
olive oil, and sat the pot on the iron lid of the stove. "I'll
get a plank, there's one left from building the stable that should
do." Maximus went to get the wood while Rufus poked at the lump
of pork with a long handled fork.
About
an hour later, all was ready. Rufus ladled some of the savory broth
into the shallow water bowl he had used earlier, letting it cool and
adding a few drops of the poppy juice.
"Let's
see if he'll take it."
The
dog was obviously interested in the good smelling liquid, but was
hesitant. "Let's leave him for a bit, see if he'll drink. You
got the bowl in really close, Wolfpup, so he should be able to,
easily enough." The pair stepped back inside, hoping the
privacy would make the dog feel secure and more willing to drink.
The
ruse worked, he lapped at the broth eagerly. Rufus and Maximus took
turns watching the dog carefully for any ill effects. There were
none.
"All
right, let's try more of the poppy juice. It would be great if he
would just sleep and we could clean the wounds. The ear looks really
bad, and we need to wash that leg to see how bad that is."
Rufus ladled some more of the broth into the bowl and added more of
the poppy juice, doubling the dose. Once again, the dog lapped it
all up, then lay his head back down.
A
third dose of the poppy in the last of the broth turned the trick,
with the dog's head rather suddenly plopping to the ground. Rufus
approached cautiously, fearing the worst. The dog was breathing
slowly and steadily. Maximus came over from the barn where he had
been putting out feed for the hoses and checking on the very pregnant
mare. "How is he?"
"Sleeping,
it looks like. His breathing is very much easier, steady and deep.
I think we should move him now." Maximus nodded his agreement
and bent to help Rufus lift the dog onto the plank. "Gods, he
weighs a lot less than he looks like," Rufus said, laying the
dog's hindquarters on the plank. "I could probably carry him
inside without the plank."
"Who
knows how long it's been since he's had decent food... or any?
Still, it's better this way, I think. Now where? Stable or house?"
Rufus
nodded towards the house. "Better in the house, cleaner.
Safer, too. I wouldn't want the barn cats to spook him." They
carried the now-snoring dog inside. "Put him in here, we can
eat in the kitchen and I can put my writing materials in the
bedroom." They set the plank down on the table where they
usually ate and gently moved the dog onto a thick pad of spare
blankets and towels. The dog barely stirred. In the light of day
coming through the window and with the help of several oil lamps,
they examined the dog. Here, he looked even more starved than he had
outside, all of his ribs showing and his flanks hollowed. His coat
was dull and filled with burrs and bits of straw. His coloring was
largely black with brown muzzle and jowls and chest. It was evident
that in his prime, he would have been a sturdy, sizable specimen.
Rufus
had put a pot of water on the stove earlier, and took a basin and
ladled hot water into it. He mixed in a measure of wine so the
mixture was not quite half and half. He brought it in and handed
Maximus a folded soft cloth. He dipped it into the mixture and began
to gently dab and wipe the wounded left rear leg, while Rufus held
the dog in case he moved suddenly. "How does it look to you?"
Maximus
wrung out the cloth and continued wiping and dabbing. "Not as
bad as I thought it might be. I've really seen worse. Look here, if
you can. The wound is running up and down, the same direction as the
muscle fibers, not across them."
"Is
that good?"
"Very.
But this will take a long time to heal if that wound is not closed.
You remember the legionary doctor in Rome, the one who sewed me up?"
Rufus nodded. "I don't see why we couldn't do that here. We
clean the wound and I have some salve I use on the horses when they
get deep scrapes or gouges from hooves during mating. I hope it
works the same way on a dog, prevent the wound from becoming
putrid."
Now
that the wound was clean, it was clear that it was both deep and wide
but that it had missed any major blood vessels. "I'm afraid we
don't have anything like the fine needles and thread that doctor
had," Rufus said, shaking his head. "We have a couple of
needles but they are large ones. Would they work, do you think?"
"They'll
have to. Jove's balls, I wish we had a doctor near. I've no real
clue what I'm doing. What are we going to use for thread to close
the wound with?" Both Maximus and Rufus cudgeled their brains,
thinking of and then discarding several possible thread substitutes.
Suddenly,
Rufus smacked his hand against his forehead. "I am SO stupid!
The answer is right here!"
"Here?
Where? I see no thread..."
"Beast,
we're wearing it! Unravel the hem of a tunic!"
Maximus
laughed out loud. "Of COURSE! Well done, Wolfpup!" He
shed his tunic and stood, naked, as he started pulling threads from
the hem of his tunic. "They're kind of short, but we can to the
stitching in sections." Rufus reached for the coarse threads
and headed to the kitchen. "Where are you going?"
"To
get some wine," Rufus called over his shoulder. Returning with
a cup partly filled with wine, he pushed the wad of threads down into
the liquid. "You might not remember this, but that doctor had
his assistant soak the thread he used to sew your scalp with wine.
If it was good enough then, it's good enough now. And he washed his
hands before, so here, I'll hold that while you wash up and then I'll
do the same. I don't know how long the dog will be asleep and I
don't think he'd be happy to wake and fine us treating him like a
torn blanket."
While
he was washing up, Maximus called out, "I wonder why the wine?
I mean, I know we use it when we clean a wound, but what exactly does
it do? Does it speed healing? Maybe dull pain?"
"I've
no idea. But he seemed to put some store in it, so... What doctors
do is mostly a mystery anyway, I think. Here, my turn." Rufus
make quick work of washing his hands and arms which were by now
covered with dried and crusted blood.
"The
dog seems to still be sleeping deeply. I say we start now, all
right? Hand me that salve."
"Yes."
Working together smoothly, as equals, each doing what was needed or
asked without question, Rufus and Maximus set to stitching up the
dog's leg. First, swabbing the wound with more wine, then stitching
the wound closed as Rufus, without being asked, gently pushed the
sides of the wound together ahead of the needle. Once done, they
coated the area with the salve Maximus used on the horses' wounds.
Then, they turned to dealing with the mangled ear.
"There's
no way to stitch that back on," Maximus said, pointing to the
nearly severed half of the ear. "There's only a bit of skin
holding it, but the base of the ear is sound. I think it's best just
to cut the last little bit off and bandage the rest." Rufus
nodded agreement and went to the kitchen and got the one really good
knife they owned. He ran a whetstone over it and the dipped it into
the cup of wine. He held the shriveled and dry remains of the ear,
while Maximus sliced through the thin strip of skin holding it on.
He held a wine-soaked cloth to the bleeding cut until it stopped,
then smeared the edge with the salve. He looked at Maximus. "What
now?"
"Bandage
the leg and try to figure out some way to bandage the ear. And
watch. And wait."
Over
the next several days, Rufus kept watch over the dog, who fortunately
came out of his opium-induced sleep with no issues. Maximus silently
took over some of the house chores that Rufus usually did, in
addition to his own work with the horses. This left Rufus with more
time to attend to the dog. The mare delivered a fine, healthy foal,
a filly. Maximus gave up trying to wash the tunic he had been wearing
during the birth, and tore it up for cleaning rags in the stable.
Rufus
boiled a chicken and mashed up the liver and heart and mixed it with
oil and some broth. The dog ate it all, and later the cut up pieces
of chicken. He rejected the mashed up grain sweetened with honey
that Rufus tried to feed him until it was doused with garum. In
fact, the secret seemed to be using garum with anything, and the dog
would eat it. The pungent sauce truly seemed to be something the dog
enjoyed, and not just because he had been on short rations for so
long. Admittedly, garum could be an acquired taste, but the dog
seemed to have acquired it.
It
took a week for the leg to heal sufficiently for the dog to be able
to walk around enough to go outside to pee and shit. He had a slight
limp, but the wound did not putrefy; there was no off odor, and the
wound was cool to the touch and not puffy. The half ear healed
fairly quickly and gave the dog a rather lopsided rakish air, making him look
as if he was always questioning whatever he was looking at.
The
leg took much longer to heal. For two weeks, the dog flinched if the
stitched area was touched. One day, Rufus was trying in vain to stop
the dog from chewing at the threads that looked as if they were still
holding his leg together. "Beast, I think we are going to have
to take those threads out. He keeps chewing them."
"Well,
that damned assistant pulled them out of my
scalp after a week, so it should be time, I think. Hurt like Hades,
though. Should we give him some more of the poppy juice?"
"If
we have any left, I think it might help." Rufus, as well as
Maximus, had noted that the dog was much less nervous around the two
of them, particularly Rufus. It was Rufus who fed him and carried
him outside to do his business until he could manage the walk on his
own. And it had been Rufus who had held him when Maximus was sewing
his leg. Though unconscious,
he still had formed a scent memory of Rufus and associated it with
his gentle touch. Still, it might be too much to ask the dog to
endure the removal of the threads without some chemical assistance.
Garum
is salty, and often creates a powerful thirst. After a gaurm-doused
bowl of pork scraps and mashed grain, the dog lapped up nearly a
whole bowl of water, which Rufus had laced with the last of the poppy
juice. Shortly after, the dog looked around him as if in a confused
daze, and then suddenly sat down on his butt, and promptly toppled
over. Both men went to work quickly, Rufus holding the dog's head in
his lap again while Maximus soaked the stitched area with wine
applied with a cloth. He then used the sharp knife to cut the knots
and pull out each of the strings. Two were particularly difficult,
and the dog jerked in pain as the thread was pulled free. The few
spots of blood were patted with the wine-soaked cloth until they
stopped bleeding.
Over
the next month, the dog gained weight and filled out, generally
looking much better, and more fierce. His body was thick and
square-ish, solid looking.
"He's
going to be a chunk of muscle, that one is."
Rufus
nodded. "He looks like us!"
"You
mean stocky and hairy?" The two looked at each other and
laughed.
The
next day, Maximus was standing at the doorway while the dog was
limping around the pasture, chasing chickens with little success. He
turned to Rufus, who was standing next to him. "What will you
call him? He should have a name."
"'Dog',
I guess. I don't know. It hadn't occurred to me."
"Well,
he's your dog, you know."
"Oh,
surely ours..."
"Come
now, Wolfpup. His eyes never leave you; if you leave the room, he
follows; if he hears your voice, his ears prick up. He likes it when
I scratch behind his ears, but he closes his eyes in bliss when you
do. He sleeps next to your side of the bed, not mine. He's your
dog." Maximus was smiling at his Wolfpup.
Rufus
seems lost in thought for a bit, then said, "You are
right, he should have a name. He is strong and brave, fought
courageously even when outnumbered three to one. I could call him
Cerberus." He looked at Maximus. The dog come over to them,
having heard Rufus' voice. He still limped, and always would.
"He
hasn't got three heads."
"True."
More thinking. "I know... Ferox, for 'ferocious'. How's
that?" The dog barked, loudly.
Maximus
grinned. "Well, that settles it! You've named your dog,
Wolfpup!" He hugged Rufus, and Ferox barked again, giving his
assent.
Later,
after their evening meal, Maximus leaned back and stretched. He put
his large hands, fingers laced together, behind his head. "Pretty
good life, isn't it, Wolfpup?"
Draining
the last of his wine from the cup, he agreed with his lover. "Truly,
it is. Sometimes, I am working on something and I am overtaken with
the wonder of it... how very lucky we have been." He stood up
and walked behind his Beast, reaching down and rubbing his chest and
giving the nipples a teasing brush with his fingers. "I love my
Beast so very much." He kissed the top of Maximus' head, and
noticed for the first time a few strands of gray. He smiled and
kissed his lover again. "Come to the bedroom, I have something
I want to show you." He took Maximus' hand and led him to the
bedroom they had shared for the past ten years. Ferox followed.
Once
in the bedroom, Rufus took his tunic off and made to raise Maximus'
arms so he could lift his tunic off. "What did you want to show
me?"
"This,"
the red furred man said, placing his Beast's hand on his thickened
cock. "And this," pulling his Beast's head down so he
could deeply kiss the man he loved so much. Maximus clasped Rufus to
his chest and cupped his butt with both hands. "Don't let go,"
Rufus breathed.
"Never."
Maximus
laid his Wolfpup down on the bed and lay next to him. They stroked
each other's pelts, reveling in the feel; gently cupped each other's
balls in their hands, then nuzzled in each other's beards. The sun
had set, the birds had quieted for the night. In the distance, one
of the horsed nickered to it's stable mate.
Rufus'
thick, rigid cock entered Maximus, making him grunt with pleasure.
Even after ten years of being able to this whenever they desired, it
never lost it's thrill for Rufus. He felt Maximus' sphincter slowly
spread as his blunt tip forced its way in, and then caress his shaft
as he slid in deeper and deeper, drawn in by the heat of his lover's
gut. The feeling never grew old for Rufus. Smaller in body size
than his Beast, he reveled in the feeling of power as he mounted and
penetrated, like a stallion servicing one of Maximus' mares in the
pasture. Although their relationship was one of equals, this
position made Rufus feel like a strong, powerful animal in rut. The
fact that he was not only receiving pleasure but also giving it to
the man he loved above all else enhanced the animalistic feelings and
drove him to greater efforts. He varied his angle so that the tip of
his penis rubbed Maximus' prostate, causing the big man to moan with
pleasure and push back hard against Rufus' thrusts.
No
words were uttered... none were needed. Each knew what the other
wanted, and when at last Rufus picked up his pace and began to
rapidly pump, Maximus braced himself, knowing his Wolfpup was close
to cumming. When he felt the hot gush of his lover's seed, he
tightened his anus so that each time Rufus withdrew partway, his cock
was milked, so that every drop was saved.
"Stay
in me, Wolfpup. Keep that thick cock of yours deep inside me.
Cover me. Stay with me." Rufus did, occasionally moving a bit
in a slow pump to keep himself hard. They lay like that, Rufus'
cheek resting on the fur of his Beast's back. He slipped his arms
under Maximus' and said, "I have more seed for you, my love."
"YES!
Oh, gods, YES! Fuck me, Wolfpup... fuck me hard!"
Rufus pulled out and raised up on his knees. He turned his Beast
over on his back and raised his legs up, holding them in a V shape.
He used his cock like a spear, repeatedly pulling out, then stabbing
back in. His previous load made the going in slick and easy, but the
repeated entries made Maximus' hole especially sensitive. He was
gasping and moaning, tossing his head back and forth. "FUCK
ME!," he roared, and Rufus plunged in one last time, lodged
deep, and shot. He pushed in as hard and as far as he could, digging
his feet into the bedding to give himself extra leverage. Copper gold
crotch fur meshed with black butt fur, cemented together with lust
and cum and sweat.
Sated
and spent, Rufus collapsed on his Beast's belly and chest. Maximus
put his legs down and his arms around his lover and hugged his
sweat-soaked body tight, humming the little tune as he often did when
contentedly working around the horses. Ferox raised his head,
reassured himself that his master was still there and safe, and then
lay his head down between his paws and went back to dozing as the two
men he now lived with drifted off to sleep.
Author's
Note
Rufus
and Maximus are fictional characters, but the world they inhabit is
not. As in the earlier stories,
79 AD
and After
Vesuvius,
I have kept these scenes as historically accurate as possible in
their details. The historical persons, social customs and details,
Latin words and expressions are all as correct as I can make them.
These scenes are for the most part ideas that, for various reasons,
didn't make it into the two much longer stories mentioned above.
Slave
births were rarely recorded, and it was not at all unusual for a
purchaser of a slave to know only the barest of facts about their new
property's antecedents, so I claim an author's privilege in creating
their backstories. For those who wish to follow a timeline of the
two main characters, Rufus (the older of the two by one year) was
born in 44 AD, and Maximus in 45 AD.
Rufus
grew up in Lucius Hirtuleius' household, being the son of his wife
Antonia's personal slave, who died several years after giving birth.
Rufus never knew his father (a discharged legionary), but he in fact
is a close replica of him, both in coloring and build. He served in
Lucius' household until his manumission in late December of 79 AD.
Maximus
is unaware of his parentage or much about his very early life. We
can say that his parents were sold apart, that he went with his
mother, and his mother died when he was not quite 14. He was first
formally sold as a slave at the age of 14 to Appius Silanus, in 59
AD. He was later sold to Livius Caeso in 61 AD. He is purchased by
Lucius in 73 AD.
Rufus
and Maximus meet at Lucius' country house near Nuceria in April of 74
AD. At that time Rufus was 30, Maximus 29. They are manumitted by
Lucius in December of 79 AD in gratitude for their actions during the
catastrophic eruption of Vesuvius. They eventually settle on their
own land close to the fictional town of Rocca (which is sited near
the real town of Clusium) in 82 AD, after a dangerous adventure in
Rome.
The
Baths of Agrippa that Lucius takes Rufus to were the first of the
large bath houses in Rome, and became the first public one.
Construction was started in 25 BC. Initially, entrance to the baths
cost a quadrans, a quite small sum that allowed many Roman citizens
to make use of them. The baths were part of a very large complex of
buildings on the Campus Martius, most funded and built by Agrippa,
who was one of the wealthiest men in Rome. Agrippa died in 12 BC,
and in his will, left all his property to the Emperor Augustus with
the stipulation that the baths he built would be forever open to the
citizens of Rome at no cost to them.
Immediately
next to the baths was a very large outdoor swimming pool enclosed by
a colonnade, called 'Agrippa's Lake'. The baths and pool were
surrounded by gardens. The Pantheon, directly to the north of the
baths, was also also funded by Agrippa, as were several other large
buildings on the Campus.
All
of that required a huge amount of water. Agrippa, again from his own
funds, had an aqueduct built to bring in the necessary amount of
water. The Aqua Virgo was completed in 19 BC, the same year as the
greatly expanded baths and the 'lake'. It was almost 13 miles long,
carried nearly 27,000 gallons of water daily, and remarkably is still
in active use today, supplying water directly to the Trevi Fountain
in Rome. To maintain the necessary drop in elevation, part of the
aqueduct actually ran underground. It's name comes from a popular
Roman legend. Thirsty Roman soldiers asked a innocent young woman
for a drink. She directed them to nearby springs, which later formed
the source for the aqueduct The water source and the aqueduct were
named after her.
Many
of the buildings on the Campus Martius, including Agrippa's baths,
were heavily damaged or destroyed in the great fire of 80 AD. Those
baths were the first to be rebuilt by the emperor Domitian, due in
large part to their immense popularity with the Roman populace. (You
can find out a bit more about Domitian, his older brother Titus, and
their father Vespasian in
79 AD
and After
Vesuvius.)
The rebuilt baths were in continuous use up until circa 530 AD.
Posca
was the morning drink of all levels of Roman society, from slave all
the way to the Imperial household. For slaves and poorer freedmen,
it was the day long drink. Wealthier families might serve watered
wine at the mid-day and evening meals, in varying strengths.
Preferably served hot, posca was made with equal parts vinegar, wine,
and water. Better-off Romans would sweeten it with honey, but old
school Roman nobility eschewed such 'soft' habits. The legions drank
it unsweetened, and little else, when on campaign. Straight wine was
reserved for meals in camp.
A
word on shaving and facial hair in Roman times, since both of my main
characters have thick facial hair. Beards were acceptable in Roman
society but normally reserved for older men. Body hair was generally
looked down on as an indication of less refined breeding. Upper
class Romans (men and women) shaved their bodies, men shaving their
beards as well. Julius Caesar is famous for having all his body hair
as well as his head hair plucked out, most likely by full body
waxing. Older upper class men might let their beards grow back in,
but it was a matter of personal choice. Fashion played a part in
this, as did hygiene, and fashion ran in cycles. Emperors typically
set the fashion for men. Augustus, for example, shaved daily, so
beards went out of fashion until Vespasian brought them back by his
shunning of the blade. If worn, beards were kept trimmed by using
scissors, usually made of bronze.
Lower
class Romans, as well as Roman slaves, were much more likely to let
nature take it's course where hair was concerned. However, male
house slaves in upper class households might be required to shave.
Rufus' skin, like many men with red hair and fair, thin skin, did not
react well to shaving. Antonia, being fond of the boy, saw his
suffering and allowed him to keep his full beard as long as he kept
it cropped short, an unusual accommodation for an upper class
household. Maximus, as an outdoor slave, had only shaved a few times
in his life. Rufus, once he and Maximus are on their own after
manumission, let his beard fully grow out, so that both men sported
full, thick beards for the rest of their lives. A shaving blade
would have made cutting Ferox's stitches much easier, but of course,
neither Rufus nor Maximus had need of such an implement.
Shaving
blades were made of iron or bronze, and could be quite sharp. Usually
the handle was an unsharpened part of the blade, sometimes with
finger holes, although there are examples from both Rome and Pompeii
of blades with ivory handles. An extremely well-preserved personal
grooming kit found in London (Roman Londinium) has several shaving
blades, a tooth pick, a small pair of scissors, a strigil (used to
scrape oil and dirt off the body), and a very small spoon-like tool,
most likely for removing ear wax.
UrsusMajr,
February, 2024
These
scenes were written by a real person, not a computer. Please respect
the time and effort that went into creating them. If you post these
elsewhere, include the author's name and notes. The author can be
contacted at ursusmajr@gmail.com