Chapter 17: A Governor’s Return

It was only ten days later that we were informed that Gaius Verres had quietly returned to Rome. Atticus had learned of it first, since he had been a guest at a dinner hosted by Marcus Aemilius Scaurus Princeps Senatus. Scaurus, of course, was a leader of the boni, the aristocratic membership of which welcomed Verres home with open arms. The very next morning, as he waited for the senate to convene, my master began his work.

“So I understand Verres has returned,” Cicero said, speaking intently with Gaius Norbanus Flaccus, a fellow back bencher whose lack of funds outweighed his unquestionably noble birth in the eyes of his fellow patricians. While his grandfather had been a consul, the old man had fallen into disfavor during the reign of Lucius Cornelius Sulla, leaving his son and grandson after him struggling to retain the family’s position – and the rest of Rome’s famous families looking down their noses. As such, he’d struck up friendships with many of the plebian senators, including young Cicero.

“Oh yes,” Gaius Norbanus replied. “I heard he spent his first night back in the company of none other than the leaders of the boni themselves – Catulus, Scaurus, Hortensius and the brothers Metellii.”

“Is that right?” Cicero replied. “You seem well informed.”

“Oh, Hortensia, the wife of Catulus, is a dear friend of my Scribonia, my wife,” Gaius Norbanus said. “They talk and gossip constantly, and thus I heard of his welcome dinner first thing this morning.”

“Well, then, I should like to have been a fly on that wall,” Cicero said. “Any juicy gossip that might be helpful to my case?”

“Well,” Gaius Norbanus said, conspiratorially, leaning in with voice lowered, “from what I hear, he returned with lavish gifts for all his friends. For example, he gave Hortensius a beautiful bronze status of Hermes that was said to be worth at least 50,000 denarii!”

“A bronze now?” Cicero said, giving me a sidelong glance. “Well, my colleague Hortensius must have been pleased.”

“Oh no doubt,” Gaius Norbanus said. “But no more pleased than Scaurus and the rest, who all received bronzes equally fine to that which he had gifted Hortensius.”

“Hmmm,” Cicero said. “Our dear Gaius Verres must have spent every penny he made in Sicily on gifts, then.”

“Not at all – or at least, that’s not the tale Scribonia passed on to me, Marcus Tullius!” Gaius Norbanus, laughed. “It seems Verres spent most of the evening talking about all the money he’d made as governor. Finally, old Scaurus left his guests and went to bed, thinking Verres’ boasting in very poor taste.”

“Of course, he didn’t decline the bronze, did he?” Cicero asked, grinning.

“Of course not,” Gaius Norbanus replied, smugly. “But then I’ve never known any patrician to turn down a gift like that, no matter how ill-gotten it may have been.”

The senate bell rang, calling the senators to session.

“I thank you for the information, Norbanus,” Cicero said, gesturing toward the senate house. “Shall we?”

BEGINNING|PREV|NEXT