Chapter 12: An Unexpected Invitation

Over the next few weeks, Cicero was intent on doing as much research as possible so that he was prepared to prosecute Gaius Verres when he returned from Sicily. It was toward this goal that Cicero dispatched me to the Republic’s archives to fetch the official dispatches and reports submitted by Verres over the course of his term in Sicily, as well as those filed by his predecessors.

“But isn’t the archive overseen by Catulus?” I asked, concerned. “You know whatever requests I make there will be reported back to him, do you not?”

“Of course I do,” Cicero replied. “Unfortunately, there are few options. I need to know what he has reported so that we can compare that against the accounts Sosethius have given. I don’t believe Catulus would try to prevent us obtaining those records or interfere with our investigation. While he is a patrician to the bone, I know him to be an honorable man at heart.”

So off I went to the archive, which, in those days, was located in the vast cellars under the Temple of Saturn.

There, my request for any records or official correspondence from Verres were rewarded with a single document, which I was told was all Verres had submitted since becoming governor.

“But what about previous governors?” I asked. “I’ll need something for comparison.”

So it was that I returned home with copies of a number of documents, which Cicero then reviewed with great interest.

“Interesting,” he said. “Here, he reports tax income of 600,000 denarii – no more, no less. Quite a nice, round figure, isn’t it? Whereas here, during the governorship of Marcus Antonius Creticus on a year before Verrus’ arrival, reported tax income of 823,654 denarii – a much larger, and more believable, number. I can’t imagine tax revenues on an island like Sicily would fluctuate so much, which leads me to believe that Verres was not only robbing the Sicilians, but also Rome.”

A knock on Cicero’s tablinium door distracted him.

“Yes?”

Cythenus, Cicero’s steward, entered.

“There is a centurion outside, master,” Cythenus said. “He bears a message from Marcus Licinius Crassus.”

Cicero’s eyes betrayed his concern, but he only nodded.

“Send him in,” he said, standing to greet his guest.

A moment later, the soldier entered.

“My master, General Marcus Licinius Crassus, Imperator, victor over the slave army of Spartacus that has threated Rome, requests your presence. He asks that you meet him tomorrow afternoon at the 18th milestone of the Appian Way, near Lanuvium.”

“I am honored by his invitation,” Cicero said. “Please leave us for a moment while I draft my response.”

As the soldier left, Cicero sat down heavily, shaken.

“Crassus! What could he possibly want?” I asked, nervously. “Will you go, master?”

“What choice do I have, Tiro?” Cicero said. “If I don’t go, it would be an insult to the richest man in Rome. But then, if I do go, I will likely have to insult him face to face, for I have already committed my support to Pompey.”

He sighed.

“Yes, I will go,” he said. “And you shall come with me.”

BEGINNING|PREV|NEXT