SPQR Chapter 4
Years had passed since the incident at the arena and the wolf Martellus had learned and experienced much. Martellus had given some thought and realized that the Empire which he had fought for was indeed violent, and it had no right claiming to be civilized as it killed innocents. But the lust for violence was what Rome was known for and there would be absolutely no changing it whatsoever. Even as a Senator, nothing could be done as the Romans enjoyed carnage, cultivated perhaps by a heavy emphasis on the military and early years marked by constant turmoil. Perhaps some future generation would end the bloody spectacle or at least modify it, but there were other issues which urgently needed attention in the Senate.
As for Martellus' personal life, it seemed as though the wolf senator would experience triumph followed closely by tragedy. He was married to a she-wolf that would make Juno herself jealous, a merchant's daughter by the name of Cecilia, and by her had birthed a son whom Martellus named Lucius, believing that he would be the "light which would lead Rome to a golden age". But before the cub was even a week old, Martellus' father had passed on. The Senate seat, now left vacated by the death of his father, was his for the taking. He won the Senate seat with relative ease (who would run against a Legionnaire with a brilliant military record and stand any chance?) but within a month, the tragic eruption of Vesuvius had completely destroyed the cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum, forcing the Empire to direct its funding to a vast rebuilding effort of its closer cities rather than further expansion.
Under the new emperor Vespasian, rebuilding became a passion. The Forum and many other public buildings which had been destroyed in the fires of 64 and neglected by Nero were rebuilt under Vespasian to their pristine glory. The Flavian leopard ("Flavius" was a familial name meaning blonde and Vespasian was a gold-colored leopard as were his sons) could be seen assisting on the restoration of the Forum, carrying gravel as the plebeians and slaves did. And buildings were not the only things that this new Emperor sought to restore- under Nero, the Senate became nothing more than a rubber stamp for Nero's wild spending habits and religion based around himself. The new Senate resembled the Republic more than the Empire- each Senator's voice was important and the value of republicanism and civic virtue returned, causing the citizens still scared of the abuses of power under Nero and Caligula to feel pride in their city once more. Vespasian was different than his predecessors- influenced by his time in Judea and wary of repeating their mistakes, he stopped the Imperial cult. The leopard knew that he would accomplish much but immortality would forever be beyond his, or anyone else's grasp.
Martellus had accepted the invitation to a palace party held at his beloved leader's home, to coincide with one of the many festivals held throughout the Roman calendar. This particular festival was not only a holiday to Artemis, goddess of the hunt and also a celebration of ancient Aegyptius, from which the Romans had extracted so much treasure and ancient knowledge. The food, and music, and artwork were all resplendent and beautiful works from Egypt or they were replicas of such wondrous works- including a marble statue of Vespasian as a Pharoah, which was the centerpiece of this celebration. Though Martellus enjoyed talking with the Emperor (a rare privilege, to be sure), he was not a wolf given to frivolity and so this event did not hold much importance in his eyes. The Imperial cult had died but the city itself would do everything in its power to revive it.
"So I see my old friend has recovered from that embarrassment at the Senate and now he is in full control." Vespasian's voice, spoken with wisdom and intelligence had caught Martellus by surprise and he had no response.
"Even if you are not much one for speaking, your military career speaks for itself. And...", the leopard continued, this time looking at his son who was also there, "if the future of Rome is as I have planned it, we will have nothing to fear."
At this point, Martellus would give his customary "Vita aeternam, Imperator" only to hear Vespasian cleverly retort that such a wish was impossible. The leopard was always sharp, intelligent, hard-working, and most importantly, humble to all his subjects.
"After surviving the nightmare of Nero and his debauched rule, I feel it is necessary for the Romans to feel safe in their home city and that people so long as they are willing to serve the Empire should be given the freedom to do as they see fit. And it is my sincere hope that they would seek the most noble path." He turned and looked at Martellus. "And I see in you the same that I see in my son, a willingness to serve the people, to have Rome at peace with the world, and for prosperity to shine down upon us all. The time is coming soon when-
And the leopard just stopped mid-sentence, clutching at his heart which caused Titus and Martellus to come over to his side. A cold and nameless fear overwhelmed and chilled all the party-goers.
"I am afraid that the Romans will now make me a god," as the leopard grabbed his chest and it became very clear what would happen next, as Martellus and Titus kept their Emperor standing as best they could. He soon collapsed and his body turned cold. Titus would have to muster up the courage to run the Empire as of right now- his father had passed away, leaving him with the greatest responsibility in the world. And for Martellus, he could only hope that Titus was up for this challenge.