#ancient rome tv show

[justinewt]

In Extremis - THOSE ABOUT TO DIE REWRITE Chapter Eight

[THOSE ABOUT TO DIE MASTERLIST]

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Summary: They were restless, with the threat of Ursus hanging over their head like a sword of Damocles. And it almost felt like it fell, about to cut off their heads when Tenax was rescued from a fire, his leg broken. Aldea was in great distress to see him in such pain but they were far from being out of the woods.

Words: 5.1k

Warnings: title means "in an extreme situation" and/or "at the point of death" // Those about to die spoilers (episode 6 "Blood Relation" & episode 7 "Death's bed"), angst, broken limb, blood, murder

The next few days were greatly anxiety inducing. After Ursus killed the Felix, they were waiting to see what he would do next, if he would do anything at all because since bringing the money to the corner room in Tenax’s insula on the Cispian Hill, things seemed to quiet down, or maybe he wanted them to think so. Tenax wasn’t reassured if Aldea stayed home, rather wanting her to be either at the tavern or at the stables with her brothers, as long as she was out of Ursus’ reach because he couldn’t bear to find her dead like the young boy, nor could he bear to imagine what Ursus might do to her before killing her. The thoughts going through his head must have been pretty nightmare inducing as he barely slept, waking up in the middle of the night, at the slightest sound whether it be a random citizen walking down the street or the wood flooring cracking. At home he was restless, always on alert. At the betting tavern, he went about his day, working, acting like nothing was going on and those not in the know would never suspect a thing. She tried not to think about it, but it felt like Damocles’ sword hanging over their heads and it put such a pressure on their shoulders. It was hard to completely ignore it.

When Mount Vesuvius erupted, at the end of the month of Augustus, the ground violently shook under their feet and everyone panicked, running around to go get cover. Aldea was at the tavern when it happened and at first, she didn’t know what was happening. Dacia was about as confused as he stood in front of her to shield her. The earthquake lasted quite a long time, so much so it was hard to keep her balance and she clinged on Dacia’s arm. It eventually stopped, but was quickly followed by thick, white and grey ashes washing over the streets of the city of Rome. People covered their mouth and nose with their veils and cloaks, and the streets had emptied out completely. The ash had covered the tables and other pieces of furniture in the tavern. She coughed, holding her cloak to her face and helped sweep the ashes off every surfaces.

Dacia took the hand broom she was using, and she watched as he shoved it into the hands of a man who had recently begged Tenax for a job. She stared at him. He had gotten down on his knees and begged, and from what she understood, he was the man who had bet – and lost – his wife’s shares of the Blue faction which had allowed Tenax to have enough money for the Gold faction. Dacia then urged Aldea to go sit down and she sketched a faint smile, acquiescing. He pushed the other man in the same direction, his tone of voice much less friendly, ordering him to clean a seat for her. She didn’t want to sit on her ass and do nothing while others worked but being bent over made her back ache. She stood up when she saw Jula rushing in the tavern. The young girl embraced her older sister. A second later, Tenax turned up and Cala, Aura and Aldea watched from a distance at the two talking behind the curtains. She had a new piece of information for him it seemed.

“We have been away for too long.” Claudia said once Tenax sent the girl on her way. He stood by the curtains, his arms crossed over his chest. Aldea walked over to her husband. He turned his head towards her, watching her approach while her eyes followed Jula as she and Claudia left urgently. The girl had to be back before her mistress noticed her absence.

“How are you?” He asked, softly. She met his gaze.

“I’m all right.”

“When Cala goes home. Go home as well. I don’t want you to linger at the stables. You’ll see your brothers later.”

“I understand. What did Jula come to say?” He took her arm in his hand and squeezed gently.

“I’ll tell you later. For the moment, I need to go meet with Domitian.” And on those words, he left the tavern. Aldea stuck around until Cala and Aura went home and she followed suit, as asked from her by Tenax. With the threat of Ursus hanging over their heads, she didn’t want to wander in the streets on her own and she only knew of Elia being at the stables with Gavros. She didn’t know where the two others were. It didn’t matter. She would meet with them at some poing in the following days. She must have fallen asleep before he came home because when she woke up the next morning, he was beside her in the bed. “You seemed to be sleeping well.

“I was.” She smiled, leaning on her hand to sit up and press her lips on his before lying on his chest, resting her head in the crook of his neck. “So, why did you go meet with Domitian last night?”

“Consul Marsus and some senators were planning a coup to destitute the emperor.” He explained. “I had to go tell him, so he could win back his brother’s trust and reinstate our Gold faction. Titus had them all arrested for treason.”

“When will know if you got your Gold faction back?”

“I’ll have to wait until Domitian calls for me, but I’m sure it will happen soon enough.” They cuddled in bed a little longer, until Cala said she was going to go open the tavern and he got out bed, got dressed, kissed Aldea goodbye and left. She eventually got out of bed as well, ate some breakfast and had Claudia walk her to the stables of the Circus Maximus. As they walked throught the streets, they heard people talking about what had happened, Mount Vesuvus erupting and all the refugees it led to Rome. She stayed with Elia, chatting and brushing the horses, doing light work around the stables, leaving the heavier things to the actual stablehands. When she went home with Tenax at the end of the day, he seemed quite content and told her how his discussion with Domitian went. It went very well. The Gold faction would be reinstated and on top of that, he talked Domitian into letting him lead the preparation of the inaugural games of the amphitheatre he had been building for years and whose work was finally nearing completion. She always thought she couldn’t be prouder of him, and yet he continuously showed her how cunning and smart he could be. He now needed to get Scorpus back on their golden chariots and out of his contract with the Whites, but she wasn’t too worried. He would handle it easily.

By the next race the following day, he had gotten his hands on new chariots and got Andria and Scorpus back on the tracks. She went to sit by his side, the gold faction’s banners set on either side of them. The crowd was cheering, chanting Scorpus’ name and she smiled, following her brother’s progress in the race with attention and an excited smile stretching her lips. Both White faction’s driver got into shipwreck and a bunch of people from the audience just got up and left, as did Tenax, holding Aldea’s hand proudly once Scorpus crossed the finishing line, victorious. She returned to the tavern with him, but they would soon part ways as she really wanted to go see her brother and congratulate him.

“Ah, the victorious faction owner, and his beautiful wife.” Cala exclaimed, coming up to them. Tenax gave Aldea a nod and she let go of his hand, walking in the opposite direction, heading for the stables. His brother, Andria, must have been in the drivers’ changing room still but she was obviously not going to walk in there. She waited and hugged him as soon as she saw him. She then went home with Tenax. The door was unlocked. Cala was standing in the kitchen thoughtful, holding her arms to her chest.

“What’s wrong?” He asked.

“A dark day.” She said with a sigh, shaking her head.

“Agreed… at the moment.” She walked around the table and stopped, starign at him, letting her arms hang along her body. “What is that look?”

“I’m reconsidering my association with you.” He turned around as she closed the door to her room behind her. He shared a glance with Aldea, and he looked quite taken aback and disappointed to hear those words. They sat down at the table to eat and drink something before going to bed but just a moment later, they heard running in the stairs at the center of the insula and Woola’s voice rose behind the door, urgently calling Tenax’s name.

“Big man, whip scars on his face.” He was panting. Cala came out of her room and walked across the kitchen as he told her to lock the door and followed the young boy. Aldea could feel her heart beating faster. She had stood up only to sit back down and nervously take a sip of her wine. She had a bad feeling about this and feared that something would happen to Tenax when he encountered Ursus again.

“What if he kills him?” It was clear in her sentence that she didn’t mean Tenax killing Ursus, but rather the opposite. She was frightened. Cala sat in front of her, wrapping her hands around hers, making her look up at her, giving her a nod that was meant to be comforting but it didn’t shake off the sickening feeling of worry that turned Aldea’s stomach upside down. The moment Tenax stepped out of the apartment, this feeling washed over her, overwhelming her to the point she couldn’t stand up. Her legs felt weak, even while sitting. Cala didn’t reply. She wasn’t sure that Tenax wouldn’t die that night. She couldn’t say anything. They stayed there in silence for almost an hour, when one of the kids came running back to the insula and pounded on the year, shouting, calling out Cala and Aldea’s names. The two women immediately stood up and Cala rushed to the door. It was Tenax. Something did in fact happen – a fire happened. The insula where he was supposed to find Ursus had been set on fire. Her husband was stuck in a fire, who knows in what condition she would find him. She thought he was dead. Aldea took a couple shaky breath, her lip quivering and a hand compulsively rubbing the base of her neck and her broken collarbone. Claudia gave Aldea her arm, to give her some support as they all went after the child, briskly climbing down the single flight of stairs and ran down the streets, quickly reaching the Cispian Hill. Cala and Aldea let out gasps and the latter’s eyes widened in horror.

“A physician, go quick!” The Numidian woman turned around, gesturing at Nica and the girl ran off. Cala stood in Aldea’s way, blocking her sight but she had seen him. He was unconscious. They carried him to a cart. Aldea sobbed. She took sharp breaths with difficulty, gasping as though no air was going into her lungs. The man pulling the cart behind him ran while everyone followed. Cala and Claudia had their arms around Aldea. By the time they came back home, the sun was rising and Tenax had woken up, in utter pain as Cala and Claudia took him to the room and helped him on the bed. Aldea walked back and forth in the kitchen, a hand to her forehead, concerned, and the other resting on her hip. She forced on her eyelids, closing her eyes shut with a sob as she heard Tenax grunting and yelling. She opened her eyes, letting her hands fall along her body before joining them at her waist, fidgeting with the tip of her index finger and looked towards the bedroom when it got quiet. She saw the physician and his assistant enter their home and, taking a deep breath, she followed them but stayed outside of the room. Tenax’s leg was broken, the bone sticking out. it wasn't so much the sight of the wound that affected her but rather feeling Tenax's pain. Every inch of her body ached from knowing he was in pain, and imagining how much pain he was in. She had been in quite a state of distress when Elia broke his leg when he was younger, and she was beyond distressed now.

“I came as quick as I could.” The man said, walking to the other side of the bed, where Tenax was lying. The assistant set up their portable box on the dresser and followed his master’s requests. And at one of his requests, Cala and Claudia untied the laces of his sandals and took them off. Tenax exhaled and groaned. He shook his head when the physician brought a cup of tincture of poppies to his mouth but ended up drinking it reluctantly. His breathing was laborious. They pulled the bedcover. “When I say “pull”, slowly and steadily, when I say “release”, very slowly.”

They hadn’t even done anything yet, Aldea was already turning her back to them and sped walk to the kitchen, sitting down and cupping her face with her hands, gasping and crying when she heard Tenax screaming at the top of his lungs as they were setting the bone back in his leg.  The yelling subsided. Tenax exhaled rapidly, grunting. Aldea’s heart sank. She held her breath, straightening up and looking towards the bedroom when he went quiet. Dacia barged in, crossing eyes with Aldea – she was a mess, breathing shakily, her eyes red and cheeks wet from crying – and turned to Woola standing nearby while the rest of the orphans waited anxiously outside.

“What happened?” He enquired.

“It was that shit, Noro… He set him up.”

Claudia went to the door, to close it, “He is alright. Go.” She then prepared the hot water and Cala went to Aldea, taking her in her arms, rubbing her back. The young woman desperately tried to steady her breathing. They broke their embrace, going up to the physician when he and his assistant walked out of the bedroom. They anxiously looked at him.

“If he moves at all, it will unset the splint and he’ll lose the leg. Tie him down if you have to. Three balls of resin with wine, morning, noon and night.” He put the resin in Cala’s hand. “He’ll want more. Don’t give it to him.”

“I understand.” Cala nodded.

“If there’s a hint of rot, come get me at once.” A hand to her stomach, Aldea took a deep breath, quietly this time and exhaled, while Cala closed the door.

“Noro, that treacherous dog. I should have known.” Dacia frowned worriedly, looking at the bedroom, taking a few steps towards Aldea, putting a comforting hand on her shoulder. He was deeply loyal to Tenax but to her as well and felt for her.

“Well, he’s dead now.” Cala spoke. “But the one who did this to Tenax lives, and if he hears he has survived, he will come back for him.”

He turned towards her, “I’ll post guards. Men that I can trust.”

“Well, keep them hidden. Let the one who did this think he’s dead. Now… go to the apartment on the Cispian Hill, where he’s been putting the gold. See if it’s still there.” She spoke as though she was in charge, giving orders to Dacia, and something about her really made Aldea want to listen to her, despite wanting to go to Tenax’s bedside. The latter held her hands at her waist, standing by quietly but as Dacia argued, and Cala walked to the kitchen, she turned around and went to see Tenax. His chest heaved with his breathing, regularly. She carefully sat on the edge of the bed, softly taking the hand resting on his chest and stared at his bloodied face. She looked over her shoulder when Cala came in, carrying a bowl of what she assumed was the hot water prepared by Claudia.

“He will be okay.” She whispered as she set the bowl on the nightstand. Aldea’s only reaction was a sigh through her nose. She took the cloth she was being handed and began to clean his face after soaking it in the water, gently cleaning the blood off his face. She stopped, and they both looked in the same direction – towards the door. Footsteps were approaching. Cala took out the pin from her hair. It was long and pointy. She gave Aldea a look and walked to the door with light steps. Someone started knocking. She heard Aura’s voice from afar and relaxed, resuming what she was doing, cleaning Tenax’s face. Once she was done, she put away the piece of cloth and sighed as she went to stand near the window, holding her arms to her chest, peeking out in silence until she heard Tenax’s voice.

“Stop.” His voice was faint. She looked over her shoulder, wondering what was going on. It was a nightmare. “Please… stop.” He repeated himself, faintly and fearfully, the hand on his chest twitched.

“Shhh, Tenax… Tenax, wake up.” Cala came in at the same time, to check on him. Aldea sat by his side again, taking his hand, wrapping it with hers. He woke up and as he set his eyes on Aldea, his face relaxed and he calmed down and squeezed her hand, swallowing harshly.  

“You were in a dream.” She added, sitting on the other side of the bed. “You’re in your room. You’re safe.”

He rolled his head on the pillow, looking at Cala. He seemed somewhat out of it as he spoke, maybe a mix of how exhausted he was and the tincture of poppies. Aldea listened quietly. He told Cala about his past, how he lived with a great family when he was a boy, just as he told her, some time after they had met and gotten closer. He went on to talk about the master of the house he lived in, and how he liked boys, such as himself, but mostly Ursus.

Cala cut him off softly, “Stop. This is tincture of poppies talking.” She stood up, stepping towards the open bedroom doors.

“No. It’s me.” She stopped in her tracks. “Ursus and I lit a fire to escape. I got away… but Ursus was caught… because of me. He suffered… but I…”

“You did what you had to do.”

“That is what I always tell him.” Aldea spoke in hushed tones, locking eyes with Cala.

“I don’t know what I’ve done. He needed me…” His voice cracked. “…and I left him there.” He then waved his hand around, pointing next to hime, asking for more tincture of poppies and grabbed Aldea’s forearm as she let go of his hand to get him some tincture in the small cup. She slipped her hand behind his head to help him gulp down the drink. “More.”

“That’s enough.” Cala spoke. Aldea put down the cup, she heard the physician too. She wasn’t to give him any more of it, not right now. He began to argue with Cala, trying to get Aldea to give him more.

“You work for me, not the physician—"

“She works for you by obeying the physician, and I care for you by obeying the physician.” Aldea said, taking the hand he was pointing at Cala. The way he was looking at her, it was as though he stared into the depths of her eyes, hanging on to her every word. When she glanced at Cala, she saw a subtle smirk lift the corner of her lips. The woman seemed amused and happy to see her speak up and as she could see, her husband was actually listening to her.  She was so used to being quiet and letting others speak in her place, listening and staying in her place, she didn’t think her words had any actual weight to them, at least with Tenax, because of course, outside of these walls, it was very different. She did still need someone to speak for her out there.

Dacia walked in, interrupting them, “It’s gone. And no sign of this Ursus.”

“I sent him to see if the gold was still there.” Tenax rolled his head on the pillow, looking at Cala. She then left the apartment with Dacia, to go open up the tavern, as usual. Aldea stayed home. She didn’t want to leave him alone and she planned to stay home, to care for him, until he didn’t need her to anymore. She did as the physician told her and Cala, giving a ball of resin two more times that day, with a cup of wine, and a small amount of tincture of poppies to help with the pain when it became too much. Because of the medication, he fell into exhausted slumber and slept through the whole night. Aldea woke up with a start the next morning when he started yelling, terrified at the sight of his leg in a sling. Cala was alarmed by the screaming and barged in to check on him. He urged the two women to help him up.

“No, no, no! Do that now, and you lose the leg.” Cala rushed to his side of the bed and warned him.

“Poppies.” He requested, frantic. Aldea held his hand, and he squeezed, breathing heavily. “Come on!” He waved his hand around so she would hurry up and drank the tincture with a grunt.

“More at midday.” She said before leaving to go set up for betting. He winced, letting himself fall back on his pillows, his fists to his eyes. Aldea followed Cala with her eyes when he put his hand on her arm, making her look at him.

“Go with her. Go see your brothers. There’s a race today.”

“But—”

“Go. Come back with Cala at midday.” She acuiseced, leaning forward to place a kiss on his lips and she called Cala’s name as she heard the latter open the door, urging her to wait for her while she quickly got dressed and then followed her outside. As they neared the Circus, they heard the drums that always sounded, echoing through the city of Rome, before a race. As she was about to head for the entrance to the stands, Cala stopped her.

“Aldea, you understand that some of his enemies need to think him dead, and some need to think him alive?”

“Yes.”

“Your behavior needs to keep them guessing. Do not look too relieved, but do not look too worried either.” Then she let her go and they parted ways, Cala went to the tavern while Aldea didn’t go sit by the golden banners of Tenax’s faction, not wanting to be seen there on her own, when she wasn’t even an actual faction owner and not wanting the patrician or Domitian to see her up there, she went under the stands, watching the race through the openings at the top of the doors. The two Gold faction drivers would stop by this door when the race was over. She couldn’t wait to see Scoprus and Andria race together again. This was the only thing that brought her some happiness today. She was glad to see Andria as expected but was surprised not to recognize Scorpus on the second rig. She squinted her eyes, trying to see better and recognized Fonsoa. She gripped the edge of the opening, quietly cheering them on. A large smile stretched her lips when the horn sounded Andria’s victory. She chuckled, listening to the crowd clamouring. The stablehands present opened the doors, running to the rigs while her brothers stepped off them. She waited in the shadows, her hands at her waist, with a smile that she was now trying to contain. She noticed something moving from the corner of her eyes and looked over her shoulder, crossing Scorpus’ disenchanted look. His eyes were wide.

“Scorpus, where—” She cut herself off as he swung around on his heels and left, probably heading for Tenax’s place in the Suburra. She wondered where he had been, leading to Fonsoa taking his place in the race but she didn’t think too much about it and turned back to her brothers as they approached, congratulating them and embracing them, prouder of them than she could ever imagine. She went back with Cala after the latter had collected the winnings from the race. Aldea pushed the bedrooms’ doors open and walked around the bed, sitting on the edge, next to Tenax. He had unwrapped the bandage around his leg, exhaling painfully, breathing heavily.

“Shhh, lie down. Let me do it.” She said, gently pushing away his hands. She used some water to clean the wound, tapping around it very lightly before grabbing a new roll of bandage while Cala spoke.

“Hasn’t gone black, which is good.”

He sat up, “Where’s the tincture of poppies? I tried to find it.”

“Which is why I hid it.”

“Bring it to me.” He demanded, speaking through his gritted teeth as Aldea lifted his leg, inhaling sharply. She carefully and slowly wrapped the bandage around it.

“No.”

“You overreach yourself.”

“That I do. And… I overreached myself at the races today, as well. We took bets after the bell.”

“What?” He punched the mattress. “They’ll shut us down.”

“Calm down. We weren’t caught.”

He frowned, and glaring at her, “I can’t afford the risk.” At the same time, he finished his sentence, Aldea tied the bandage. He inhaled through his teeth, with a grunt.

“Perhaps you’re right.” She said with a sigh, before bringing her fingers to her mouth and whistling. The kids walked in the bedroom, one by one putting down half a dozen of small sacks on the bed. Coins jingled inside.

“All from today?” He asked. “All right. Well, just don’t get caught. And go and see Claudia. She’ll give you some rewards.”

“Yes!” Aldea smiled sweetly at the sight of the children’s joyful reactions, cheering. They left with the homekeeper, leaving Cala standing there, her arms crossed.

“We will need to renegotiate our deal.”

“I’m ill. Come back later.” She turned around and left and he let himself fall on his pillow, leaving it to Aldea to put away the bags of money. She pressed the tile on the wall by the bed and opened the secret door, storing them there. A few minutes later, Nica came back, holding fruits in her hands and jogged to Aldea.

“Want some? It’s good.”

“Why thank you, mi hija.” She returned Nica’s smile and took the fruit. Aldea looked fondly at the girl, caressed her hair and placed a kiss on her forehead before she took off running. Aldea took a bite of the fruit, walking to the other side of the bed to lie down next to Tenax. She spoke, imitating the accent and voice of her brother Andria with a chuckle, “You’re such a natural, Aldea.”

“He’s not wrong.” He raised his eyebrows, putting his arm around Aldea as she lied against his chest, her head resting in the crook of his neck. They napped and cuddled. She later gave him some more tincture of poppies for the pain and night came around, and in the blink of an eye it was morning – three days had passed since the fire. That day, there were some more drums sounding throughout the city, but it wasn’t a race, it was a gladiator fight, which didn’t interest Aldea, and never did so she stayed home, caring for Tenax as she had done since the incident. She brought him some food in the evening and went to lie down against him, quickly dozing off while he stared at the ceiling, taking in the restful silence. She slowly came out of her sleep, with a sleepy moan, when she felt Tenax move. In a whisper, he told her to wake up and she rubbed her eyes, confused, until she heard the heavy footsteps climbing the stairs of the insula. Her confusion was soon replaced by worry, thinking it was Ursus coming for him, which it probably was. He exhaled, puffing out his cheeks and grunted when he put his feet on the ground. Aldea swiftly rolled off the bed and he held onto her for support.

The loud footsteps grew menacing as they approached the front door. Tenax hoped towards the window and Aldea brought her hand to her mouth, muffling a shocked gasp at the sight of the man lying on the ground, with his throat slit. He was one of the men Dacia had put on watch around the insula. She was startled when the door was kicked opened, slamming against the wall. Tenax tightened his grasp and led her to the other side of the room, to the secret door. As they turned around, a floorboard creaked under Tenax’s foot and Aldea held her breath for a second, but they managed to hide before Ursus burst inside the bedroom, shouting, calling Tenax by his birthname. He held his knife in front of him, Aldea behind him, and they waited until Ursus’ footsteps receded, and they heard him leave the apartment. Only then did they come out. Aldea swept around the room with her gaze and saw the way Tenax stared at the bed. She let out a cry at the sight of Dacia’s severed head. Tenax sighed and held her, exhaling sharply. Ursus was going to kill all of them if they didn’t stop him.

Aldea glanced at the head with wide eyes, “Cala. She’s at the tavern… He’s gonna go look for you there. She—”

“I need to get there.”

“But your leg—”

“He is going to kill her.”

“Be careful. Please...” He kissed her and she let go of him. He went to get his crutches and quickly hopped away. It would take him longer than Ursus in order to get to the Circus. He had to hurry. Aldea anxiously paced around the apartment, breathing heavily, fearing once again for Tenax’s life. She exhaled audibly, relieved, when he did return almost an hour later. Cala’s face was covered in blood, and she stared at her in concern. The latter gave her a nod, to reassure her and Tenax drew her into a hug.

“He’s dead. It’s over.”

[To be continued…]  

Previous Chapter / Next Chapter

Published (09/06/2024) by Andrea

[t0yearnf0r]

Yeah those about to die may not have been great on a technical level but i had a great time and they made Domitian a sly evil twink. I love that.

[liviasdrusillas]

‘’i love you, mother.” // domina 2.06

[enlitment]

Okay but can we all collectively agree that Peter Sullvian's Ascanio Sforza in The Borgias always seems to be only one step away from glancing at the camera like he's in The Office?

[icarianlibrary]

Listen to me ramble abt my special interests and how they work (Or don't idc)

For those who DON'T know (idk how, but we ball) I'm autistic. I have very profound interests in things. I have 6 main special interests and then like sub catigories dw I'll explain it:

SO: Ancient Rome/Greece, Writing, Art, Musicals, Animals, & Shows (Specifcally like TV14 shows) LET ME EXPLAIN:

So the first 4 have a lot of overlapping simularities, so here are the sub catigories to those:

The Riordanverse

The Song of Achilles

EPIC the musical

Hadestown

The Lightning Thief the Musical

Bloom of the Sun (How tf is a sub-special interest of mine my own writing? idfk)

THEN shows like:

Brooklyn 99

Sherlock Holmes

Sweet Tooth

Dead Boy Detectives

Young Royals

And all that are shows I have a deep interest in as well.

For ANIMALS, this one I have had since I can remember:

Since I was a kid I have LOVED animals, specifically aquatic ones and ones you can keep as pets

Like I have spent 5 hours straight as a kid researching *mollies*, yk, the basic pet fish

Same with snakes, otters, dolphins, all that

SO dear viewer, my special interests have sub catigories too them, I blame it on my ADHD needing different stuff all the f-king time but my Autism needing the same stuff. I literally have a google drawing for my sub catigories.

I also opened up this post to rant abt Greek Mythology??? Idk bro

[glowing-starlight]

Part 1/(2)/3/4 of Livia and Tiberius Scene from episode 1 of I, Claudius for Anonymous

[secretagentsagainstwhatever]

this is so 2013 coded

[theantonian]

IULLUS ANTONIUS: Antony's only surviving son

He was the son of the Triumvir Mark Antony and his second wife Fulvia Flacca Bambula.

He was raised in his father's divorced wife Octavia's household after he was orphaned when his father committed suicide following his defeat at the battle of Actium in 30 BC.

Iullus was to leave for Alexandria along with this elder brother Marcus Antonius Antyllus according to their father's wishes sometime in 34 BC, but for reasons unknown, his stepmother Octavia only sent Antyllus and kept him with her.

Named after Julius Caesar by his father, Iullus married his stepsister Claudia Marcella Major after her divorce from Agrippa in 21 BC. He became praetor in 13 BC, consul in 10 BC and Asian proconsul in 7 BC and was said to be highly regarded by Augustus. He is mentioned by Horace in his own poetry where he speaks of an occasion when Iullus intended to write a higher kind of poetry praising Augustus for his alleged success in Gaul. Iullus was a poet and is credited with having written twelve volumes of poetry on Diomedia sometime before 13 BC, which were destroyed after his death.

Although when it began is unsure, Iullus became a lover of Julia the Elder. Marcus Agrippa died in 12 BC and Julia had been forced to remarry her stepbrother, Tiberius. Julia's marriage to her stepbrother had become a disaster and she was desperate to divorce him. Tiberius had left Rome in 8 BC leaving Julia and her five children by Agrippa, Gaius Caesar, Lucius Caesar, Julia the Younger, Agrippina the Elder, and Agrippa Postumus, in Rome. Julia felt that her children were unprotected and may have approached Iullus to be a protector for her children, especially her two elder sons, Gaius Caesar and Lucius Caesar, who were Augustus' joint heirs.

Tacitus censures Augustus in “calling, as he did, a vice so habitual among men and women by the awful name of sacrilege and treason, he went far beyond the indulgent spirit of our ancestors, beyond indeed his own legislation.”

In the telling of Cassius Dio:

when [Augustus] at length discovered that his daughter Julia was so dissolute in her conduct as actually to take part in revels and drinking bouts at night in the Forum and on the very rostra, he became exceedingly angry. He had surmised even before this time that she was not leading a straight life but refused to believe it. For those who hold positions of command, it appears, are acquainted with everything else better than with their own affairs; and although their own deeds do not escape the knowledge of their associates, they have no precise information regarding what their associates do. In the present instance, when Augustus learned what was going on, he gave way to a rage so violent that he could not keep the matter to himself but went so far as to communicate it to senate. As a result, Julia was banished to the island of Pandateria, lying off Campania, and her mother Scribonia voluntarily accompanied her. Of the men who had enjoyed her favours, Iullus Antonius, on the ground that his conduct had been prompted by designs upon the monarchy, was put to death along with other prominent persons, while the remainder were banished to islands. And since there was a tribune among them, he was not tried until he had completed his term of office. As a result of this affair many other women, too, were accused of similar behaviour, but the emperor would not entertain all the suits; instead, he set a definite date as a limit and forbade all prying into what had occurred previous to that time. For although in the case of his daughter he would show no mercy, remarking that he would rather have been Phoebe’s father than hers, he nevertheless was disposed to spare the rest. This Phoebe had been a freedwoman of Julia’s and her accomplice and had voluntarily taken her own life before she could be punished. It was for this that Augustus praised her.

Both contemporary and modern historians have suggested Iullus had designs upon the monarchy and wanted to marry Julia before her children Gaius and Lucius came of age possibly to form some sort of regency. Although no substantial evidence was ever provided by Augustus for such a claim. It is possible that she planned to divorce Tiberius and make Iullus Antonius protector of her sons.

The scandal finally broke in 2 BC, Augustus took action on his daughter Julia's alleged promiscuity. Iullus was exposed as her prominent lover. The other men accused of adultery with Julia were exiled but Iullus was not so lucky. He was charged with treason and sentenced to death. He was either executed or according to Velleius Paterculus, died by his own hand rather than be humiliated by execution.

He had at least 3 children with Claudia Marcella, namely Iullus Antonius, Lucius Antonius and Iulla Antonia.

Image: Juan Diego Botto as Iullus Antonius in Imperium: Augustus

[moodboards-aesthetics]

Jason Grace aka Son Of Zeus

[coolcrazycoffeecat]

Sooo Ive rediscovered my obsession with Greek mythology and antiquity thanks to Epic the musical. I’ve started Troy: the fall of a city in Netflix but I’m only on episode one and I don’t know if I trust it yet, I still have war flashbacks to the 2004 movie… Does anyone have any tips on movies/tv-shows about Troy, ancient times, mythology, etc. Otherwise I’ll just have to rewatch Xena again! Or Rome! My rule is that it’s either genuine (aka. An attempt was made), funny (like haha funny) or so bad that it’s funny (but not to cringe).

[theaddictedwatcher]

Hello everyone!

We're meeting again today to talk about a show that's very different from the ones I'm used to reviewing, but more importantly, different from the ones I'm used to watching, so I just wanted to thank you for the opportunity you've given me and for choosing it in the poll on Instagram (@theaddictedwatcherrewiews) last Saturday. The series I'm about to tell you about is an adaptation of Daniel P. Mannix's 1958 book of the same name, which was re-released in 2001 as The Way of the Gladiator. The book is said to have inspired David Franzoni's screenplay for Ridley Scott's Gladiator (2000). The series' release on Prime Video at the end of July this year could also suggest that it is paving the way for the release of the film Gladiator 2, scheduled for November 2024. As some of you may have guessed, I'm going to tell you about Those About To Die.

And as usual, a short synopsis : Rome, year 79, a few years after the death of Princeps Senatus Nero. The population is tired and bored. Some are starving, mainly because of the slow arrival of grain from Egypt. The ageing princeps Vespasian, who had initiated the construction of the Flavian amphitheatre, tried to distract and entertain the people with gladiatorial fights and chariot races. All this kept many people busy behind the scenes, providing a real 'spectacle' for the people. The new amphitheatre also provoked jealousy among the Roman elite, who resented Vespasian's desire to share the site with the people. Vespasian also had to deal with the rivalry between his two sons, Titus and Domitian. Against this backdrop, we follow the fate of Tenax, a man who starts from nothing and tries to reach the upper echelons of Roman society. Along the way, he crosses paths with Cala, a mother who has come from Numidia to recover her three children, who have been forced into slavery and transported to Rome. And now a short technical presentation: - Created by : Robert Rodat - Music by : Andrea Farri - Starring: Iwan Rheon, Sara Martins, Tom Hughes, Jojo Macari, Moe Hashim, Jóhannes Haukur Jóhannesson, Rupert Penry-Jones, Gabriella Pession, Dimitri Leonidas, Emilio Sakraya, David Wurawa, Pepe Barroso, Gonçalo Almeida, Eneko Sagardoy, Lara Wolf, Anthony Hopkins.

As I said at the beginning of this article, this series is an adaptation of the novel Those About to Die by Daniel P. Mannix (1958, reprinted 2001) by Robert Rodat, the man behind films such as Saving Private Ryan (1998) and the Falling Skies series (2011), both directed and produced by Steven Spielberg.

In this work, which takes the form of a peplum, we find many of the codes found in other well-known productions such as the films Gladiator (2000), Spartacus (1960) and Ben-Hur (1959), as well as the series Rome (2005) and Spartacus (2010), to name but a few. The title of the work is a direct reference to the Latin salute given to the princeps during the games: Ave Caesar, morituri te salutant, which translates into English as 'Hail Caesar, those who are about to die salute you'. It's a quotation that is used almost systematically in all types of works dealing with gladiatorial fights, chariot races and, more generally, the Roman arenas, as in the comic strip Asterix Gladiator by Albert Uderzo and René Goscinny (album published in 1964).

But let's stop for a moment. What is a peplum? The Latin name peplum is derived from the ancient Greek word péplos, meaning 'cloth used to cover the body to make a toga'. Since the twentieth century, it has been used to describe a genre of historical fiction films set in antiquity, particularly ancient Rome, ancient Greece and ancient Egypt. There are also biblical epics based on the Old or New Testaments. Its place in the history of cinema is proof of its importance. At once noble - because it deals with history and religion and uses authors such as Homer (The Iliad, The Odyssey) or Gustave Flaubert (Salammbô) - and vulgar, because it exploits violence and eroticism, the ancient genre is associated with epic, comedy, fantasy and even the miraculous through its use of various mythologies. The basic recipe for the American peplum was laid down by Cecil B. DeMille: a handsome hero, preferably muscular, a beautiful heroine, spectacular action (orgies, battles), lavish sets and costumes.

Now that we've looked at the genre, let's take a brief historical look at the characters and the various themes.

BACKGROUND

Before we begin, this section will probably contain some historical spoilers about some of the main characters, but you need to know a little history to understand what's at stake.

Although the series begins in 79 AD, under the reign of Princeps Vespasian, we need to go back a little to understand the socio-political context of the time.

Before Vespasian

After the death of Nero in 68, the Roman Empire plunged into civil war, known as the Year of the Four Emperors, and power was hotly contested, leading to a highly unstable political situation. While the usurper Vitellius took power during 69, the Roman legions in Egypt and Judea declared Vespasian emperor on 1 July 69. He marched on Rome with his larger legions and defeated Vitellius, ending the civil war and becoming the first representative of the new Flavian dynasty.

Princeps Vespasian - played in the series by Anthony Hopkins

On 20 December 69, it was announced that Vespasian had triumphed over Vitellius, and his appointment was confirmed by the Senate the following day. Vespasian's reign was marked by a series of financial reforms and ambitious building projects. His most famous project was the Colosseum, an amphitheatre the size of which had never been equalled. Through his delegate Agricola, Vespasian also pursued the conquest of Britain.

Vespasian was the first Roman princeps to come from a family of the equestrian order (the order that followed the senatorial order in the hierarchy of classes), and was also the first Roman princeps to be succeeded by his natural son, Titus, on his death in 79. His military career was the source of his fame (Roman conquest of Britain in 43, Roman domination of Judea - modern Israel and Palestine - during the Jewish revolt of 66).

Princeps Titus - played in the series by Tom Hughes

The son of Vespasian, Titus reigned from 79 to 81. Initially serving under his father, he rose to prominence as a military commander during the First Jewish-Roman War. Titus aroused the suspicion of the Romans when Vespasian became princeps, not only because of his status as prefect of the Praetorian Guard, but also because of his relationship with Princess Berenice of Judaea. Despite several breaches of Roman morality, Titus became increasingly popular after Vespasian's death in 79.

His reign, though short, was marked by a series of disasters. Having just come to power, Titus had to deal with the aftermath of the eruption of Mount Vesuvius and distinguished himself by his great generosity towards the victims. The following year he had to deal with a fire that ravaged Rome just as the construction of the Colosseum was nearing completion. Finally, he personally intervened to help the victims of a plague epidemic that killed thousands in the city. Considered a good princeps by ancient historians, he died of a violent fever on 13 September 81.

Princeps Domitian - played in the series by Jojo Macari

The youngest son of Vespasian, Domitian succeeded his older brother Titus as Princeps from 81 until his death in 96. He was the third and last of the Flavian dynasty. As Princeps, Domitian strengthened the economy by revaluing the Roman currency, reorganised the frontier defences and embarked on an ambitious building programme in Rome (including the construction of the Arch of Titus in honour of his brother). His foreign policy was marked by Agricola's campaigns in Britain and the wars against the Germans and the Dacians.

He is also remembered for expelling from Rome the philosophers who, by spreading their ideologies, were creating opponents of the regime. Domitian's government, and in particular his policy of centurionism, showed many signs of despotism. Indeed, he saw it as his destiny to lead the Roman people into a new golden age. This image was conveyed through propaganda developed on religious, military and cultural levels. In fact, Domitian was popular with the people and the army, but he was considered a tyrant by the senators, to whom he had left only vestiges of power. Domitian's reign ended in 96 when he was assassinated by members of the court. After his death, like Nero, he was condemned by the Senate to abolitio nominis ('suppression of the name'; the modern equivalent would be damnatio memoriae, which literally means 'condemnation to oblivion' but was not coined until 1689), and Latin historians such as Tacitus and Pliny the Younger published versions of Roman history in which he was described as a cruel and paranoid tyrant. Since then, modern historians have rehabilitated his reign, whose political, economic and cultural programmes helped usher in a flourishing era for the Roman Empire.

Berenice of Judea - played in the series by Lara Wolf

Berenice, also known as Julia Berenice, born around 28 BC, was one of the daughters of King Agrippa I. She was a descendant of the Herodian dynasty, being the great-granddaughter of Herod I of Judea. She was a descendant of the Herodian dynasty, being the great-granddaughter of Herod I of Judaea, known as Herod the Great.

She was married for the first time at a very young age. After this first marriage, Berenice spent some time in Alexandria until her husband's death. While still a young girl, she remarried her uncle, Herod V, King of Chalcis (south-eastern Roman Syria), with whom she had two sons. Widowed again around 48 AD, she married for the third time to Marcus Antonius Polemo II, the client king of Cilicia (in modern Turkey), whom she left to return to her brother Agrippa II in Jerusalem. At his side, she performed the duties of queen, a status that was recognised even though no wife of Agrippa is mentioned in ancient sources.

She became the mistress of Titus, the eldest son of Vespasian, while he was in command of some legions trying to crush all resistance in Galilee (northern Israel) between 67 and 68. Their relationship continued while Titus crushed the Jewish revolt of 66-70, known as the Great Jewish Revolt or the First Jewish-Roman War. Titus returned to Rome to witness his triumph (late 70s) and to help his father. Berenice joined him around 75. Because of negative rumours about the affair, he sent her back to her brother in Jerusalem when he became Princeps in 79.

The charioteer Scorpius - played in the series by Dimitri Leonidas

Flavius Scorpus, also known as Scorpius, was a famous charioteer in Roman times who lived at the end of the first century AD. Scorpus amassed 2,048 victories (that's almost 10 chariot races a week).

As one of the most famous chariot drivers in Roman history, Scorpus earned extraordinary sums of money; his income exceeded that of professional Roman sponsors.

Geographical context

A number of places are used in the series, and some of them have changed names over the course of the story, so here's a short list so that everyone knows where we're talking about:

Some of the characters are from Numidia, which now would be Algeria and part of Libya.

Berenice is from Judea, the kingdom that included Israel, Palestine and part of the modern West Bank.

CASTING

I'm not going to beat around the bush so I'll be quite honest about my feelings. This is just for me, and you are free, of course, to have a different opinion.

One of the main reasons that made me want to watch this series, apart from the subject matter, was the presence in the cast of Anthony Hopkins (Silence of the Lambs, Elephant Man, Dracula, One Life) and Iwan Rheon (Game of Thrones, Misfits, Inhumans). The former, used to very charismatic roles, plays a Roman Princeps, so the casting could hardly have been more dreamy. As for the latter, whom many of you, like me, discovered in Game of Thrones, he plays Tenax, a secret crime boss and owner of the biggest betting tavern in Rome. It's a new role, full of duplicity and manipulation, and I was curious to see how it would differ from his role as Ramsay Bolton. So why not give it a go?

With the exception of them both, the entire cast was unknown to me, at least by name, and sadly I think for many of them, this isn't the show that will showcase their talents. And I'm not necessarily talking about a lack of talent, although some of the performances leave something to be desired, but I'm mainly talking about visibility. The show is packed with so many characters that the main cast of the show is also immense, and the distribution of screen time between each of them leaves them with only meagre moments of appearance per episode.

For my taste, the interpretations of certain characters are either too caricatured or too effete, and this gives the whole thing an unpleasant lack of harmony. In fact, when you go from a very intense scene full of political stakes to a scene of discussion between two pages (this is just an example, but I think it's representative enough), the emotion created by the first disappears and, with it, a large part of the viewer's attention as well.

However, I have to admit that I discovered some talented actors that I didn't know and who deserve to be seen more. I'm thinking in particular of Jojo Macari (Morbius, Sex Education, Harlots), who gives a brilliant performance as the ambitious and manipulative Domitian Flavius, the youngest son of Princeps Vespasian, and also as Aedile Ludi, the person who organises the gladiator fights and chariot races in Rome.

But I'm also talking about Sara Martins (Les Petits Mouchoirs, Petits Meurtres au Paradis, Alexandra Ehle), a French actress who plays Cala, a Numidian merchant and mother of three children - Kwame, Aura and Jula - who does everything she can to free them from the clutches of the Romans.

They're not the only two, of course, but their performances and complex characters contributed greatly in making me want to watch beyond the first episode.

Although the characters played by Anthony Hopkins and Iwan Rheon are both very interesting and their stories could be explored in greater depth. Their presence in the cast isn't enough to make up for the lack of material in the script. It's a flaw I've already mentioned, and I'll come back to it later in the article.

However, I would like to pay tribute to the work of the actors/stuntmen in the race scenes and the arena fights.

THEMES

There are several important themes in the series, and although they are not always tackled with sufficient depth or with a fresh eye, I won't list them all here as it would take far too long. Themes inherent to the genre such as politics, rivalry, but also slavery and arena fights as entertainment are all part of it.

However, I can't help but mention one of the key themes of the genre, and of historical works in general: the exploitation of sex. It's an interesting topic, not only because of the importance of understanding the sexuality of the characters, but also because of their sexualisation. In many works of this kind, when male homosexuality is depicted, it's not so much to show relationships between men as to show the decadence of Rome, whether through fascination or moral condemnation. While male homosexuality is suggested and (self-)censored, this is not the case with female relationships, which are instead shown with voyeuristic force to satisfy a male audience, as in Sapho, Venus of Lesbos (1960) or Sodom and Gomorrah (1962). When the characters are explicitly lesbian, they are portrayed as hating men, and it wasn't until Xena the Warrior in the 1990s that on-screen sapphism was appreciated and reclaimed by lesbian culture.

What I like about the show is that although there are - far too many - carnal relationships between numerous characters, they are mostly brief and often censored by a frame or a well-placed sheet. Sexual vulgarity in the primary sense is not necessary to understand the stakes of the story and therefore doesn't need to take up so much space. However, it is notable that the majority of relationships between characters of opposite sexes almost systematically involve some form of sexual relationship or exploitation, which prevents the creation of the slightest connection between the two genders portrayed.

Another important theme is rivalry, especially political rivalry. Whether it's the relationship between Titus and Domitian as they fight over who will inherit the title of Princeps, the factions trying to seize power from the Flavian dynasty, or the relationship between Roman rulers and their provinces - in this case Numidia and Judea - political rivalry abounds. And yet, for most of the season, I got the impression that none of this was more important to the characters than their choice of dinner.As I said in the casting section, the sheer number of characters leaves too little room for each plot to develop, which is a shame because politics is one of the two main themes of the series. In fact, that's why I was considering watching this series in the first place: to better understand the political stakes behind the Circus Maximus games and, more broadly, to better discover the era of ancient Rome. But here the relationships remain superficial, predictable and therefore, for the most part, rather boring. Nevertheless, as Roland Emmerich himself said when the trailer for the series was released, "So much of it seems relevant in today's society, from the intertwining of politics and sport to the disciplines of the games, which haven't changed much in the last 2,000 years. The most electrifying spectacles for the general public still involve two men in an arena fighting each other, and today's chariots are called racing cars, whose drivers still have accidents and often pay with their lives". And I quite agree, if you look at the dirty tricks played by our politicians - anywhere in the world - the way celebrities are stripped naked as if they were gods, certain aspects of life back then are easily transferable to our times.

Finally, the approach to slavery with Cala's family remains, in my opinion, one of the rare successes of the series. Although certain events remain unlikely for the period, the recruitment of her children into the service of the Roman Empire and their sale into slavery remains plausible. I particularly appreciated the writing of Cala's character, who, as a visibly single and black mother, knows how to use these two characteristics to her advantage in order to manipulate her environment and try to free her children.

She's a strong, determined woman; she doesn't back down until she gets her way, and for once I find it refreshing to see not only a woman fighting to save her family, but to see slaves in a position of strength, all proclivities aside, of course. Speaking about the series, actress Sara Martins - who plays Cala - says: "Narratively, it's a side of Rome we've hardly seen. It's not just about the rich, the patricians, the ruling family and their opponents. It's also about all the workers, the slaves, the wealthy��� everything that's behind the curtains of a city like Rome, like all the slaves who built those beautiful buildings. It shows life in Rome at that time and on all social levels". And I agree that through her character's and other's journey, the show gives us a glimpse of that, and it's enjoyable.

PRODUCTION

With a budget of over $150 million for a ten-episode first season, the series marks the first venture into television for German filmmaker Roland Emmerich, known for his disaster films such as Independence Day (1996), Godzilla (1998), The Day After Tomorrow (2004) and 2012 (2009).

Along with Marco Kreuzpaintner (Trade, The Collini Case, The Lazarus Project), with whom he had worked several times in the past, Roland Emmerich had already been commissioned by the American network Peacock back in July 2022. The script was to be written by Robert Rodat (Saving Private Ryan, Thor: The Dark World, Kursk), with whom Roland Emmerich had already worked in 2000 on The Patriot.

But apart from the very ambitious technical aspect, which I'll come back to shortly, the production made a few mistakes which, in my opinion, are very detrimental to the series.

Firstly, the show jumps straight into the action without taking the time to set context, which is very important. The only introduction we get is a short monologue by Iwan Rheon's character, Tenax, who briefly explains how the circus games work and his role in them. As a result, viewers who aren't historians specializing in Ancient Rome - which is frighteningly specific in itself - will lack many of the elements needed to even understand who half of the main characters are and what's at stake politically in the series.

Secondly, the terminology is sometimes historically incorrect, although this may be done to help the viewer understand certain elements. For example, when talking about Andalusian horses, they should have said that they were horses from the Betic region, as it is incorrect to speak of the region of Andalusia 700 years before its creation. In fact, "Al Andalus" - which gave Andalusia its name - originated with the Arab invasions of Spain in the 7th century. At the time of the series, it would have been more accurate to speak of horses from Betica, a region created during the reign of Augustus [63 B.C. - 14 A.D.] by the division of Hispania Ulterior, which at that time covered the south of what is now Spain and roughly corresponded to present-day Andalusia. Its name derives from the Latin name of the Guadalquivir River, Baetis.

Finally, and this is perhaps the thing that annoyed me the most, but I've already mentioned it, is the over-numbering of characters, which drowns out the stories of all the characters, doesn't really bring anyone into the spotlight and loses its own purpose in random, superficial scenes.

Book adaptation

I won't go into too much detail on this, as I haven't read the book, but from what I've been able to skim through and understand from the various analyses of it, Daniel P. Mannix's work seems to cover several centuries of Roman history, and not just the principate of the Flavian dynasty, which may make it a more complete and complex work than the adaptation suggests. Indeed, on the very first page of the book, a single sentence briefly introduces the primary context in which the novel begins, as we are told:

"The situation here is out of control. The emperor is mad, the army is on the verge of mutiny, and the people are dying of hunger. For God's sake, get the sand! We must take their minds off their troubles! - Daniel P. Mannix, Those About to Die, Reed. 2024, p.7.

This only reinforces my feeling that the TV adaptation lacks a crucial introduction to the situation.

SPECIAL EFFECTS

I'd like to delve for a moment on the visual aspect of the series.

The series was filmed at the iconic Cinecittà Studios in Rome. This is one of the largest film studios in Europe and was originally a propaganda machine for Benito Mussolini's fascist government. It has been in operation for almost a century and has been used as the backdrop for classic productions such as Roman Holiday (1953), Ben-Hur (1959) and Cleopatra (1963). In fact, the site has become so popular with American film-makers that it has become known as 'Hollywood on the Tiber'.

The fact that the cast and crew of Those About to Die were able to film in the city where their story was set allowed the show's creators not only to shoot in the Eternal City, but also to immerse themselves in its history while telling a fictionalised version of real events.

"We shot the series in Rome and we're surrounded by buildings built by these emperors. You are constantly surrounded by their legacy. So you can read as much as you want and research as much as you want. But when you go into Domitian's bedroom, which is still on the Palatine Hill, there is nothing like it." said Jojo Macari who plays Domitian.

Of course, the production couldn't necessarily film in the actual bedrooms of Roman statesmen, so ancient Rome had to be recreated through sets and visual effects. The sets for the series were designed by co-production designer Laura Pozzaglio, a native of Italy, who was inspired by archaeological discoveries made in a number of important Italian cities, including Rome, Naples, Pompeii, Ercolano and Oplontis. Together with Johannes Muecke - the production's co-designer - and the production team, they worked with a number of museums to reproduce certain objects for the props. A team of sculptors also reproduced statues from the period and carpenters reproduced furniture they had seen in Pompeii or in history books explained Laura Pozzaglio in the production notes, underlining the effort made to achieve precision.

What could not be achieved in practice was left to visual effects supervisor Peter Travers, who used the Volume LED video wall technology pioneered by The Mandalorian. He explained that the digital wall used was huge: around 51 metres in circumference and eight metres high. It's made up of LED panels and can be stretched infinitely, so even the smallest conversation scenes could have the Colosseum or the skyline of ancient Rome in the background, giving the actors the impression of living in ancient Rome.

And it's true that although the sets - be it the various patrician residences or the outdoor settings such as the Basilica of Julia or the Temple of Vesta - are grandiose in their excess, there's a big problem with the lighting in many scenes. This problem of light contrast is very present throughout the season, and as a result we sometimes can't see what's going on or even the physical reactions of the characters.

There are also problems with the use of special effects. The green screens are sometimes visible in some of the distant shots - particularly the aerial shots of the city at the beginning of the series. And I'll just mention the CGI of the lions, which is absolutely terrible.

However, I must admit that most of the cinematography of the chariot races and gladiatorial fights - particularly in the last two episodes of the season - is quite beautiful, and the photography of the scenes in the Circus Maximus is reminiscent of works such as Ben-Hur. I also think that the athletic realism of the chariot races is due to the fact that the horses were real animals and the races were not digitised. Of course, they were choreographed and stuntmen were hired for the most dangerous scenes, but the actors, including Dimitri Leonidas - who plays the charioteer Scorpus - had to learn to drive a real chariot pulled by real horses. Of this experience, he said :

"Learning the several stages [of racing] before they let us get onto chariots and practice with the chariots was a lot of fun. And then finally when the stunt guys let us on the four-horse chariots to try and learn, the feeling is just incredible. There's nothing like it. Four giant Hungarian horses going all out. It's like riding an earthquake. It's hard to describe, to be honest. All I can say is those guys that do it, the stunt guys and then the guys like Scorpus who actually raced, you'd have to be insane. It's completely bonkers what they're doing. [...] I didn't go that fast except for one moment where we were sort of training and the horses decided they wanted to race and I just got dragged along. There's a great photo, actually, one of our set photographers took just as the horses went, and you can see me and one of the other actors just trying our best to stop them as we hit the turn on Circus Maximus. And he said to me that he stopped taking photos because he thought something bad was going to happen. To be fair, I was on the chariot and I thought something bad was going to happen. But that's why you do all that training. You have to just train as much as you can, hope that everything goes smoothly, but then trust that if something does go wrong, you know the protocols and you know how to make it safe. But I'm glad I got to experience it because that was the only time really that I got to feel them go full pelt was when I wasn't expecting it. And it's wild. It's completely wild. And gave me a newfound sort of respect for Scorpus and all those guys that were doing it." - Dimitri Leonidas in an interview for NBC on July 12th, 2024.

The colouring of the series is also of high quality. They make up for a lot of empty moments in the plot by captivating the viewer's eye with grandiose imagery, which, combined with the spectacular sets and opulent costumes, is one of the show's few strengths in my opinion.

COSTUMES

My penultimate stop is the costumes! This is one of the great strengths of the series, and one that I have no criticism for: the costumes in this series are breathtaking! Under the supervision of Gianni Casalnuovo as head costume designer, not only the characters' outfits, but also the armours are of the highest quality. With the help of costume supplier Peris Costumes - which is based in Spain but also has a branch in Rome - the production team had access to rare, high-quality pieces that were tailored to fit the needs of the show. No stranger to film and television sets, Peris Costumes has also worked on projects such as Gladiator II and House of the Dragon. Together they have created a costume collection that faithfully reflects the opulence and grandeur of the great age of Rome.

The only downside would be the blood splatters, prosthetics of severed limbs and gashes in the gladiators' flesh which at times look crude, but in the heat of the action are almost negligible details.

MUSIC

The soundtrack of the series, composed by Andrea Farri, is quite interesting and epic enough to seduce the viewer. However, if you listen to the music outside of the episodes, you won't always be reminded of ancient Rome. Nevertheless, the violin and cello compositions are very beautiful and will appeal to music lovers, even if they do not match the instruments of the time, as the violin and cello were only invented in the 16th century.

What's more, the work on the show's theme music - which depicts rivers of blood running down the streets of Rome and its emblematic monuments - is reminiscent of many of the show's themes in recent years: Game of Thrones, House of the Dragon, Westworld and more. Set to music by Woodkid, the epic status announced by the show's synopsis is truly palpable.

CONCLUSION

Despite having called on some big names for this series, it leaves a bitter taste in my mouth. While the superb costumes and some of the sets may appeal, the lack of any real depth to the story leaves room for the clichés of the genre, which have already been exploited far too often. Even the presence of Anthony Hopkins isn't enough to restore the reputation of this epic, which is fantastic in name only…

I won't go through the whole review again, I think it's self-explanatory enough for you to understand that this series was a big disappointment for me. Although peplums are far from my favourite genre, I was looking forward to another chance to be proved wrong, to learn more about an era I know so little about, and what's more with Anthony Hopkins and Iwan Rheon in the cast! Well, what I'll take away from this is yet another disappointment that has the bitter taste of time wasted…

I was expecting the exploitation of the games to highlight the political issues of the time and this is partly achieved. However, I think they could have emphasised the politics and toned down the sexualisation of the characters. Perhaps this is due to the period chosen, which is not the most eventful in history? Perhaps another period of the Roman Empire would have been more suitable for a series?

So I won't be going to the cinema today to see the next Gladiator, and I almost hope that Amazon doesn't renew this series, because there's nothing really at stake in this dull story. It would save everyone time and money… If they do decide to renew it, maybe they'll choose to do a temporal ellipse and focus on a period where the stakes are potentially higher. They had the opportunity to diversify and innovate with the peplum genre and, in the end, they chose to stick with the outdated clichés it's full of. Hopefully this is a mistake they won't make again if the show is renewed for a second series.

That's all I have to say about Those About to Die. I hope that those who have made this choice will still be curious enough to give it a try, if only to see for themselves. Maybe you won't be as picky as I am?

I'd like to give a special thanks to my partner, who watches all these series with me. She proofreads each article, supports me and, especially for this one, was my historical advisor, as this is her field of study.

Until the next article, I hope you enjoy your viewing, have a great week and see you soon on Instagram (@theaddictedwatcherreviews) to choose the next article!

Eli

[justinewt]

Familia Mea Mihi Omnia Est - THOSE ABOUT TO DIE REWRITE Chapter Four

[THOSE ABOUT TO DIE MASTERLIST]

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Summary: 5th of Augustus, 79 CE. Another food riot in the city led to chaos in the city and the only way to distract the roman citizens were games. A chariot race was called and Tenax and Aldea got ready quickly. There wasn't supposed to be race that day but it meant they had to go set up for betting. Aldea didn't expect who she would see at the Circus Maximus, right before the race even started.

Words: 4.3k

Warnings: title means "my family is my everything" // Those about to die spoilers (episode 1 "Rise or Die" and one scene from episode 2 "Trust None"), fluff

It was very late that day of Augustus, the sun had set when Aldea saw Tenax come back to the tavern after leaving with his right arm, Dacia, one of the most loyal men that worked for him. Tenax trusted him to the point that he was the one he asked if he needed someone to watch over his wife. She knew that, but she didn’t know that Tenax hadn’t just asked him to keep an eye on her. He had given word to every single man working for him, making the betting tavern the safest place she could be at, which was why he let his pregnant wife keep on working – because she liked working, yes, but also because she was safe there.

Once the betting tavern closed after the last race ended a while ago, she went to the orphans they had under their care. She had known them for about as long as she known Tenax, and even longer than they had been a couple. She quickly saw the two men leave the tavern and she knew where they might be off to now, while not knowing anything at all at the same time. Tenax was off doing what Tenax does – dealing with people. Whether that meant only threatening or killing them. She had grown accustomed to his business and though she didn’t like it – she knew he didn’t either – but she knew who she had married, and she was surprised with how easy it was for to turn a blind eye to his actions. His business was what allowed for their comfortable life, despite being plebeians. They rarely spoke of it anyway, but he didn’t keep her in the dark either. If she asked about it, he would tell her certain things, keeping quiet on his actual crimes to preserve her, but if she really didn’t want to know, she just didn’t ask. And she often simply didn’t ask about where he had been the previous night. She loved him, knowing very well he was considered a criminal – the king of the Suburra. Aldea herself had gotten a nickname, which came from Scorpus’ habit to call her Spanish princess.

She had cooked dinner for the kids while laughing because of how impatient they were to get food from her and ask about her baby. She was about four months pregnant at this point, but still barely showing, especially dressed in her tunic and toga. They always argued with each other on whether it would be a boy or a girl. It seemed they were taking their older siblings’ role very seriously. It was beyond funny and adorable to her. By the time she was done cooking for them by the torches’ light. The children had moved out of the way to let Tenax pass. She put down the pot on the table and looked over her shoulder, locking eyes with him as he gave her and the children a smile. As she served the food to the children, she watched Tenax walk away, two of his men lifting the curtains to clear the way for him to the betting counter. She had also worked at the counter during the day already, as she did almost every day whenever there were races or gladiator fights, there were several of one or the other every day. The gambling tavern of Tenax was the largest and most profitable in all of Rome. People knew Tenax, though it wasn’t his real name, and they knew her too, from afar. Tenax was the only plebeian roman of all the Suburra to have married a former Spaniard slave.

Tenax then came back and once the kids had finished eating, he took them with him to the ludus beastus at the other side of the Circus Maximus. She went to the stables to meet with Gavros, whom she sometimes helped caring and prepping the horses. She grew up with horses and it only made sense for her to hand around the beasts, in the absence of being able to ride them. The couple was awakened from their sleep the next morning by the screams and shouting of the mob in the streets of the Suburra. Aldea turned on her back, leaning on her elbow after Tenax sat up with a start. He stared at the window before pushing the blanket aside and getting out of bed.

“What is it?” She asked quietly as she joined him by the window. People were running down the street, shouting to go to the Palatine – the emperor’s palace adjoined to the Circus Maximus. Another food riot probably, but they saw, right outside their house, three young men standing there and letting everyone run past them. One, with red hair, put pouches of what Aldea assumed to be coins in the hands of his friends and they left in the opposite direction. They started this riot for some reason and both Aldea and Tenax understood this, though they had no idea what was going on with those three. Maybe Tenax would find out eventually, but Aldea would just go on about her day. About 20 minutes later, they heard the rumbling of drums echoing through the whole city, meaning there was going to be a race today. It was clear that it was to distract the mob and interrupt the riot because there wasn’t supposed to be a race today, but now there was. Dacia and Noro came in the apartment, looking a little concerned and anxious.

“Drums.”

“I’m not deaf.” Tenax was fastening the large leather belt at his waist as he walked up to them. Aldea stood in the back of the bedroom and threw her cloak over shoulder, securing it right above her broken collarbone with a brooch. She never went out with just her beige stola, which was sleeveless.

“Scorpus is nowhere to be found. Fimbria has looked everywhere.” Noro said.

“I can guess, I’ll go get him. You two get set up for the betting.” They followed him to the door, giving a nod to Aldea to greet her as she walked through the apartment with them and went to Claudia, their housekeeper, in the kitchen. The latter still stood by the front door. Upon noticing Aldea come out of the house with them, Tenax glanced at her – she knew he wanted her to stay home because of the riot but she wasn’t about to sit on her ass the whole day – and Dacia directly told him she would be safe with them and not to worry so he just ordered to keep her away from the stables and he left on his own to go find Scorpus, where he was always found, in a brothel. She wouldn’t risk venture around the stables until after the race because once people saw Tenax bringing Scorpus around, they would definitely get followed by a crowd and it would be dangerous for her. She stayed at the betting counter, working with Dacia taking the bets. It was already set in her mind that she would go to the stables once everyone had gone to watch the race.

“Aldea! Aldea!” Nica, one of the kids came running in the tavern, calling out to her. She took a bet, motioning for her to wait a second and she walked out from behind the counter, kneeling in front of the little girl to be at her height.

“What’s going on?”

“I was at the stables, helping Gavros with Incitatus. I saw three Spaniards standing in front of the blue faction stable.”

 “Okay. You’re telling me this because I’m a Spaniard? I don’t know them all, you know?” She chuckled with a shrug, an amused grin on her face. Her mind instantly started thinking about her brothers, but she didn’t know what they would be doing in Rome years later, and tried not to take the kid’s words seriously to not get her hopes up and end up disappointed and sad, as she usually did when thinking about her family. She missed them terribly. Her brothers had always been her best friends, and their absence definitely left a large hole in her heart. “Are you sure they’re even actually Spanish and not just a little tanned?”

“You’re from Baetica, right? One of them said he had a letter of, uh, of introduction from Baetica.” No words left Aldea’s mouth. She felt a little stunned, wanting to believe it and not wanting to believe it at the same time. She didn’t know the kids remembered everything she had told them about her family, how she was from Hispania baetica and had three brothers. She told them about her family in the beginning, but it was hard to talk about them after a while, feeling like she would never get to see them ever again and she stopped talking about it, but they might be there, and she was having conflicted thoughts over it. Maybe they were just three random Spaniards, that happened to be from the same region as her but were totally unrelated. Maybe it was the case, and maybe they knew the Corsi family name but not the actual family. They weren’t the only ones to raise horses in the whole region. She quickly sent the kid away, telling her they would go back to the stables after the race had begun and the stables would be less hectic. The bell was ringing loudly as Tenax came in, letting them know Scorpus was racing, and the name was added to the slates on the wall behind them.

“Blue Faction!” He exclaimed, slamming his hands on the counter. “Nine to three odds, driver… Scorpus!”

Hearing this, betters clamored to the desk, rushing in droves to place more bets. There was twice as more work once Scorpus’ name was announced and Aldea couldn’t exactly slip away to go check who were the Spaniards that Nica saw at the stables. What she did instead was to ask her to run back to the stables, see if they were still there, and ask them their names. The little girl remembered Aldea’s brothers’ names and darted across the tavern.  She counted the seconds that passed until she came back, some 5 minutes later. Nica was positive, excitingly telling her that the names of the three men were indeed the same as those of her brothers: Andria, Fonsoa and Elia. Aldea took a shaky breath, shocked and looked around, unable to think clearly for a brief moment. Nica was pulling her arm. Tenax saw the trouble in her eyes and came up to her, a hand on her shoulder.

“Are you feeling all right? Do you need Dacia to walk you home?” He probably thought that because she was pregnant, she was feeling tired or ill, but it couldn’t be further from the truth. The shock and excitement were such that she was just straight up stunned.

“My brothers are here.” She finally said before letting Nica drag her to the stables. She didn’t take the risk to run so they walked with a brisk step, but Aldea stopped in her tracks midway, staring in the distance. Her heart skipped a beat when she saw them at the end of the hallway. She could only see Andria and Elia. As the latter took a step aside before turning around, she saw Fonsoa walk away in the opposite direction. Elia was the first to see her and make eye contact with her, and his heart definitely skipped a beat as well. He took big steps, soon sprinting towards her and almost throwing himself at her, wrapping his arms around her, both sobbing as they repeated each other’s names. None of them could believe it. She couldn’t believe she was reunited with her brothers, minus Fonsoa who would join them later.

“Oh, mi querido hermanito—” She sobbed. “Mi precioso hermanito… My precious baby brother, Elia.” The bond between Aldea and Elia was even more special since she and Fonsoa had raised him from birth since their mother died in childbirth, and Andria was always off with the horses. They had their father and their grandfather, great male figures present in their lives, but she was the sole and only maternal figure Elia ever had. He cried in her arms, mumbling in Spanish, articulating so little she couldn’t understand everything he was saying. She wasn’t surprised he had gotten so emotional; he was her little, sensible brother. Andria joined them, putting his arms around his younger siblings and held them tightly, gently cradling his sister’s head in head. They took a step back, not fully breaking their embrace, all three of them wiping their tears with smiles on their faces. “The race is about to start. We should go get our tickets if you wanna attend. You’ll see, the Circus is so big. It’s great.”

“Yes. We’ll talk later, when Fonsoa comes back.” Andria acquiesced, giving her a kiss on the temple and they walked to the entrance. Aldea was about to get coins from the pouch she carried under her cloak, but Elia was adamant as to buy her the ticket and they squabbled in spanish at the ticket office and she laughed, sharing an amused look with Andria, letting her little brother pay for her. They climbed the stairs and found themselves nice seats. Elia was so happy to see his sister again, he clinged onto her hand. The crowd was cheering, waiting for it to begin. Now that she was sat and no longer in the heat of the moment, she realized she hadn’t told Tenax where she was going but she figured one of the kids, or someone around them must have seen her leave with her brothers. Three Spaniards hugging and crying, talking in Spanish in the middle of the Circus Maximus’ stables shouldn’t didn’t really go unnoticed. 

The siblings giggled, looking around them. Elia was so excited to be there, it was adorable to see. Aldea took it upon herself to explain it all to them, pointing at the factions’ booths, showing the consuls and senators sitting in the colors of their factions, and she showed the imperial platform. The emperor, dressed in his bright white robe was already sitting there with his younger son, Domitian. Their attention quickly went to Passus, the games’ master, as he addressed the crowd, his voice echoing through the sports’ arena.

“Citizens of Rome.” Lots of people in the crowd cheered louder, standing up. Passus held out his hand towards the gate behind which the drivers waited. One behind the other, they paraded around the spina. “I present to you: the contestants! Four factions, eight chariots and eight drivers! Try or die! For… victory! The Greens, seeking a win, after loss, after loss… after loss… And the Reds, is it painted red or is it blood from the last seen shipwreck? And the White Faction, with Xenon, their lead driver. The Adonis of the Esquiline!” Aldea laughed, seeing all the women giggling and cheering and covering their faces. But they weren’t the only fans of Xenon’s. Lots of people were screaming his name. “And wiping up the rear! The Blues, with Kirko and the Great Scorpus!”

“Scorpus!” Aldea cheered, raising her hand and Elia’s up in the air as she shouted her friend’s name joyfully.

“Ah, you see, Elia? She gets it.”

“I get what?” She lowered their hands, turning her head towards Andria.

“We saw Scorpus in the stables. Elia said he didn’t seem that special.”

“He still doesn’t.” The young man shrugged.

“Oh, he’s great. I know him well. He’s a friend of mine and my husband.”

“He’s your friend?”

“You have a husband?” Andria and Elia’s talked over one another, their questions overlapping but she could tell who asked what. They both heard her despite the loud crowd, but they didn’t pick up on the same detail. She wasn’t even surprised to hear Elia ask about her husband, staring at her, looking somewhat upset. Aldea had always been amused by how expressive her brother was. They weren’t even listening to Passus at this point.

“Yes. You’ll meet him later. He owns the largest betting tavern in all of Rome. We got married last year. I was really sad not to have you, my dear brothers, with me. But now you’re here and I couldn’t be happier. How I’ve missed you!” She sketched a large smile, grinning from one ear to the other, as she playfully rubbed her little brother’s hair, putting her arms around his shoulders to hug him before turning back to the arena. The drivers had returned behind the gate, waiting in their lanes until Passus let a white handkerchief fall to the floor and the stall doors opened, unleashing all the charioteers onto the tracks. Aldea loved watching the races. Her eyes followed Scorpus the whole time. Xenon’s supporters cheered for him as he took the lead during the first few rounds. At some point, Scorpus’ peer, Kirko, got into an accident and he went flying in the air, landing on the tracks.

“Shipwreck!” The crowd was chanting. Aldea frowned slightly. It was the only thing that didn’t amuse her at all when it came to chariot racing – the death aspect of it. It was a dangerous event afterall and there was at least one shipwreck per race.

“Aldea?” She turned to her left and looked up, seeing someone stand next to her. She had recognized Fonsoa’s voice, and they locked eyes. He was as shocked as Andria and Elia had been back at the stables. He drew her into a hug and pressed his cheek against hers. They could feel each other smile broadly. He grabbed her shoulders, taking a good look at her. He was in disbelief but couldn’t stop smiling and shook his head, chuckling. Fonsoa kept his arm around her back, holding her shoulder – thankfully the good one or he would have been wondering why there was no bone. They turned back to the race as bell chimed. “What did I miss?”

“Not much.” Andria told him as they watched people come out from the stalls under them, rushing to come and collect the fallen drivers and horses after the shipwreck. Kirko managed to stand up, clearly disoriented. He walked in the middle of the tracks after everyone had cleared out because the chariots were coming back. Aldea closed her eyes, turning her head towards Fonsoa and sighing through her nose when the young driver got ran over and strampled by the mounts and the wheels of the rigs. As the second to last round came, Elia pointed at Scorpus with his hand. He was behind in the race.

“Look at those two centre horses, they’re barely pulling.” He complained. Aldea knew why that was the case. He wasn’t doing it for no reason, there must be some money to be made from doing this, making someone’s bet fail on purpose perhaps but she kept quiet. Elia was unimpressed by Scorpus and didn’t seem to like him, probably because of his arrogance and the way he carried himself like the celebrity he was. Those two things were very funny to Aldea and were the reasons she liked Scorpus.

“He’s famous for his come-from-behind victories.” Aldea said. Then the last bell rang as they entered the last round of the race. It would be over in a minute or so. She laughed and cheered when he raced past his contestants, taking the lead within a dozen seconds. Xenon came up next to him and the two drivers were neck and neck and with one snap of the reins, Scorpus was first again and won the race. Aldea jerked to her feet, Fonsoa’s hand falling off her shoulder. She cheered loudly in excitement at her friend’s victory and sat back down. The solemn trumpet called the end of the race and people began standing up to leave. The Corsi siblings eventually left as well. As they walked, they came by a bunch of prostitutes standing to the side and Fonsoa was drawn to them like moths to a flame and she chuckled, shaking her head. Elia didn’t shake his head for the same reason, frowning. He looked upset and quite annoyed by their brother ditching them for a harlot. Andria playfully punched his shoulder.

“You brought horses to Rome?” She asked.

“Yes, do you wanna see them? Ferox has missed you. Come.” Elia’s smile returned and he grabbed her wrist. She didn’t flinch or wince, but she blinked as a reflex when he pulled on her wrong arm. She subtly switched the arm he held, and they walked to the stables. She was excited to see Ferox again, it was one of the horses she took care of back home and her and Elia’s favorite. She saw the way Andria looked at her after Elia took her arm and she knowingly ignored it. She wouldn’t be able to lie to her big brother and had no desire to get into all that she went through before coming to Rome. She didn’t want to stain the memory they had of her, as if she was the one who had done something wrong. Though she knew it wasn’t, she still couldn’t stop putting the blame on herself. She pushed those thoughts to the back of her mind when she saw ten Andalusian stallions, white as snow; Beautiful beasts. She observed them and recognized Ferox and went to pet him first.

“Aldea?” Gavros’ voice rose as he approached the three Spaniards. His eyes were going back and forth between her and the two brothers he had surely met earlier.

“They’re my brothers. I told you about them, you remember?”

“Oh, they’re your brothers?” He seemed pleasantly surprised and smiled, nodding.

“Where’s Tenax? I didn’t see him when we walked past the tavern.”

“He must have gone to see Scorpus in the drivers’ changing room if he wasn’t there.” She acquiesced, looking back at the horses happily, petting them.

“Who’s Tenax?” Elia asked.

“That’s my husband. You’ll meet him soon enough.

“It is getting late; we should get you home.” Andria spoke. She nodded in agreement and stepped away from the horses. Elia noticed Gavros walking by the stables and bringing Incitatus inside the blue faction’s one. His siblings followed him in there. Elia walked up to the seasoned stablehand while his three siblings stood by the door.

“How do you know Andalusians?” Elia enquired.

“I drove them. A long time ago.”

“You raced? Well, there are no horses out there to equal our Andalusians.” Scorpus walked past the siblings, marching with a quick and assured step into the stable. He saluted Aldea upon seeing her, giving her a friendly and jokingly flirty smile. She laughed.

“How are they?” He asked, passing by Gavros and Elia, going to see Incitatus in the stall at the very end of the stable.

“Sorna and Sista got their legs cut from the debris. We’ll have to rest them for a week.”

“Andalusians, huh?” Scorpus then walked back to Gavros and Elia. He leaned on a stall door and chuckled. “Gavros, and Aldea, have a high opinion of Andalusians. I think they’re pigs.”

“They’re faster than your bays, sturdier and more nimble.” Elia crossed his arms, facing the charioteer, ready to throw hands with him if he kept on criticizing their horses. Gavros watched the young man as he walked around him. “If they’re pigs, what does that make your Bays?”

“Listen to the boy, who does he remind you of?” He smirked, looking at Gavors.

“I was thinking me. But now… I’m thinking you.” Aldea chuckled at this comment.

“Tomorrow afternoon… I’ll take a look at your Andalusians.” Elia excitingly reached for Gavros’ arm. Fonsoa and Andria went up to them while Scorpus stopped by Aldea.

“I’ll walk you home. I have to go see tenax for something. Does he know you’re still here?”

“I told him I was with my brothers.” He stopped, raising his eyebrows and looking over his shoulder at the three Spaniards around Gavros, pointing at them with his thumb. He was surprised, to say the least.

“They’re your brothers? The brothers you’ve been telling us about? I see where the little one gets his temper from.” He scoffed, softly poking her shoulder with his fist.

“I’ll say goodbye and we can go.” He nodded and stood right outside the stable, grabbing onto his large leather belt. Elia saw her and immidietaly jogged towards her, almost taking leaps instead of steps. He seemed sad and almost worried to let her go, and she laughed quietly with how urgedly he took her in his arms and how tightly he held her against him, as though he feared to let her go. She smiled, closing her eyes and rubbing his back, cradling his head in her hand.

“I’ll see you tomorrow, okay? I won’t disappear overnight again.” It broke her heart to have to promise that. She wished it never happened to begin with. She felt a deep sens of guilt for having already disappeared on them years ago, and maybe making them think she was dead all this time and having to grieve a living person. Or maybe they still had the hope she was somewhere out there, all this time. She was convinced that Elia had refused to believe she was dead, no matter how long it had been since she had gone missing. It took a good minute for Elia to break the embrace, and she caressed his cheek tenderly as he stared at her with a sad frown. He just wouldn't take her eyes off her as if she was going to disappear into thin air, right before his eyes. She then hugged her two other brothers as well and walked out of the stables with Scorpus.

[To be continued…]  

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Published (08/18/2024) by Andrea

[littlemissbigears]

When you’re the last man standing of the disciples and you just so happen to be the bane of the emperor’s existence but he can’t just seem to kill you

[liviasdrusillas]

"He’s jealous, stepfather, he knows that you love Drusus more than anyone because Drusus reminds you of your father.” // livia drusilla and her son nero claudius drusus

[nat111love]

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