(Subura Quarter, Rome, July 85 BC)

"He taught me more than any tutor," a tearful Gaius remarked to Lucius, who had affectionately wrapped his arm around his best friend in an attempt to console his fellow 15 year-old, as well as help him recover from the recent epileptic fit. The two boys were now finally alone, having left the remaining mourners in the dining room, or ‘triclinium’, of the modest urban domus in favour of retreating to the sanctuary of the young patrician’s bedroom.

With his words, Gaius was, of course, referring to his late father, whose funeral he had just attended. The boy was also not exaggerating.

In order to assist the development of their sons, many Roman fathers, especially of the patrician class, encouraged their male offspring to accompany them whenever possible whilst they went about their daily business. The idea was that the boys would learn by observation and later, when old enough to perform family duties, imitation in readiness someday to inherit the paternal role in the life of Rome.

In Gaius’ case, after the patrician boy had taken the toga virilis of manhood, his father had allowed him to sit in on his morning meetings with clients, including with Lucius’ own parent. He also permitted his son to accompany him on visits.

These visits included trips to the forum and law-courts, where Gaius’ father had commented sagely on public life, and to the public baths, where much informal business was conducted whilst sitting, covered if anything only by damp towels, in places like the ‘caldarium’, or ‘hot room’. The boy had also accompanied his parent to banquets. However, to the 15 year-old, the most important and revealing experience had been going to the Senate, where he had been allowed to stand in an open doorway to observe the now often laughably trivial or servile debates. He also fatefully began to acquire distaste for the ancient but increasingly impure institution.

Nevertheless, Gaius had been impressed overall with his father’s world and the man’s commitment to the customary values of Roman patricians, which dictated that upper class families should place themselves at the service of their community and accept the concomitant disciplines. Such traditions were supposed to bring fulfilment and could also lead to glory.

These traditions certainly attracted patricians to a common orientation towards involvement in politics, in which success was greatly prized, especially as there were really no decent alternative professions for men of their class. The art of being a good politician could also not be properly taught in schools but only demonstrated and inculcated by example.

The demands of such preparation for adult life, when associated with normal schooling, did not leave patrician boys with much scope for play. However, there were three main compensations for Gaius.

Firstly, young patrician boys undergoing such preparation were taken seriously by adults, who treated them accordingly. Being respected in this way boosted self-esteem, and thereby personal confidence and quiet authority, and also helped the development of a sense of serious responsibility and of energetic enthusiasm.

Secondly, as a result of his father’s example, Gaius had become even prouder of his ancient patrician gens, of which he was now prematurely head, and this increased his desire to carry on the traditions and improve the status of his clan. The boy’s attitude was not lessened in any way by the current relative impecuniousness of the family.

Thirdly, Gaius’ early life had been shared for the most part, since they had met six years previously, by his beloved Lucius, whose own plebeian father had been more than happy to see his elder son being educated alongside a similarly aged patrician rather than following in the paternal footsteps. The parent wanted his children to rise above his status in life, and believed that such an ambition for his older offspring would be substantially aided by close association with an ancient aristocratic family.

Gaius still regularly sought Lucius’ viewpoint about any important decisions he had to make. However, he now rarely had to do so verbally, as a glance at his best friend’s very pretty face would instead frequently elucidate the boy’s opinion, which was a situation that was to become lifelong.

On this evening, the tearful Gaius talked to Lucius about his late father long into the night. By the end of their lengthy conversation, it was clear to both boys that it was now no time for the young plebeian to venture out into the dark and therefore now dangerous narrow thoroughfares of the Subura Quarter in order to return home.

Consequently, as he had often done previously on happier occasions, Gaius suggested that Lucius stay overnight. The young plebeian was, as usual, delighted to accept the invitation, not least because remaining enabled him to continue to console his best friend.

Lucius was therefore subsequently very happy to note that his later reciprocated successful and highly pleasurable masturbation of Gaius appeared to help his best friend finally to succumb to deep sleep.

(Farm of Marcus Atius Balbus, near the small town of Velitrae on the southern flank of the Alban Hills, south of Rome, 1 month later, August 85 BC)

‘Bis dat qui cito dat.’
(‘He who gives quickly gives twice.’)

"You have two visitors from Rome, Sir," the farm manager advised 19 year-old Marcus, who was the oldest son of the equestrian owner of the small estate and was currently supervising the repair by slaves of an irrigation channel on this very hot summer day. "I wasn’t expecting anyone," the young man commented before asking the identity of the unexpected arrivals.

On receiving the answer, Marcus ran to the villa, which was his family’s rural residence, in order to greet his visitors. After entering the atrium, he saw two very attractive 15 year-old boys waiting for him, one of whom wore an adult toga, whilst the other sported a much simpler and undoubtedly cooler and more comfortable light summer tunic.

Marcus rushed up to the two boys and greeted them warmly. "Welcome, Gaius and Lucius," the young equestrian declared, before adding truthfully "I’m delighted to see you both again!"

"I assure you, Marcus Major," Gaius replied with equal veracity on behalf of both himself and Lucius, and whilst using the habitual suffix that they had utilised to distinguish the older equestrian from his best friend’s eponymous younger brother, "that the delight is reciprocated!" In proof of their two statements, the host then briefly embraced and kissed his unexpected guests on their cheeks in an immediately reciprocated action, following the traditional non-military Roman gesture of greeting for close family and friends.

Marcus subsequently ordered refreshments from an attendant domestic slave and repeated the condolences he had given Gaius when he had attended the funeral of the boy’s father, just a month previously. Polite conversation then moved onto happier subjects, including reminiscences of escapades shared when spending the summer holidays on the farm as younger children. However, the host eventually summoned the courage to seek an answer to the question that he had wanted to ask ever since he had seen that one of his 15 year-old guests was wearing a formal adult toga, an observation that had both intrigued and excited him.

"Why do you dress so formally for your visit?" Marcus enquired of Gaius. As the young equestrian awaited the answer, he secretly prayed to the gods that the hope that had caused his excitement would now be fulfilled.

Gaius smiled before replying "I have already seen your father in Rome and he has kindly agreed to my proposal." The young patrician guest then teased his clearly excited older equestrian host by now pausing, causing the latter to ask impatiently "What proposal?"

Gaius’ lovely smile broadened even more before he put the obviously highly expectant host out of his misery. He did so by informing "My proposal, Marcus Major, as new head of my gens, is to establish a formal alliance between our two families, as long as you still want to marry my young sister, Julia!"

(Subura Quarter, Rome, 1 month later, September 85 BC)

Marcus Major arrived in the morning with his closest family and friends at Gaius’ modest domus in Rome’s Subura Quarter. Awaiting him was 14 year-old Julia, who had on the previous day ritually surrendered her childhood toys and clothes to the household gods. She was now wearing underneath a saffron-coloured cloak, or ‘palla’, the ‘tunica recta’, which was a hem-less tunic-like dress, secured at the waist by a woollen girdle, or ‘cingulum herculeum’. She also sported an orange veil, or ‘flammeum’, and hair parted into the traditional six strands, separated using a bent iron spearhead.

The matron of honour subsequently performed the ‘dextrarum iunctio’, a ceremony in which Marcus’ right hand was joined with that of Julia. A pig was then sacrificed and the marriage contract was signed, in which the dowry agreement was detailed. However, such arrangements were necessarily modest for two reasons.

Firstly, the groom’s equestrian family was actually wealthier than Gaius’ patrician equivalent. Secondly, neither Marcus nor his eponymous father wanted to jeopardise the wedding by being greedy.

Marrying into Gaius’ ancient patrician gens, which would never have been allowed by the boy’s more conservative late father, was a great and highly prestigious honour for an equestrian family. Such an alliance afforded the prospect for any male progeny to attain similar noble status and enter the Senatorial ranks.

Gaius had permitted the union for three reasons. Firstly, he wanted to oblige his friend, Marcus Major, who had asked him two years previously for advice as to how he might someday wed Julia. Secondly, he perceptively realised from their mutual reactions, when they had last met at his late father’s funeral, that the 19 and 14 year-olds were no longer just close friends but had truly fallen deeply in love with each other. Thirdly, and most importantly, his sister would be marrying a husband who would someday inherit substantial wealth and therefore could provide her and their children with financial security.

The first two reasons were normally insufficient in Roman society to allow marriages between classes. Consequently, the third motive allowed Gaius to justify his decision, made as head of the family, to his reluctant widowed mother and other important relatives.

After the sacrifice of the pig, a banquet followed, customarily paid for by the groom’s family and accompanied by music and dancing. After night had descended, all the guests then escorted the bride to her new home, which was that of her new husband and had just been bought by his father because the younger Marcus had preferred life on the family farm.

As tradition dictated, each of Julia’s hands was held by a young boy, whilst a third carried a torch in front of her, lit from the hearth of her former home. When the procession approached the groom’s residence, the light was tossed away, with the person catching the supposed lucky charm being promised a long life.

Julia subsequently smeared the doorposts of Marcus’ Roman domus with oil and fat and wreathed them with wool. Her new husband then carried her across the threshold, where she symbolically touched fire and water before being led to the bedchamber.

In the bedchamber, Julia was prepared for bed by women who had been married only once. The eager Marcus was then permitted entrance into the room to make love for the first time to his 14 year-old wife, in an effort to fulfil another explicit aspect of the marriage contract, namely the procreation of children.

Of course, neither husband nor wife realised that their lovemaking and happy marriage would eventually result in the creation of someone who would someday rise far above the current ambitions of Marcus’ family of attaining noble Senatorial status. A certain grandson would eventually become, among other achievements, a god.

(Farm of Gaius Octavius Thurinus, near the small town of Velitrae on the southern edge of the Alban Hills, south of Rome, over 39 years later, winter 46 BC)

A different Gaius was sitting in the farm villa, whilst reading a letter from his eponymous great uncle. Meanwhile, the boy’s similarly aged but currently standing best friend, another Marcus, adopted his usual habit of looking over his fellow 17 year-old’s shoulder to share the news.

"I hope you’re going to take me with you," Marcus then pleaded, as he read Gaius’ summons to join his great uncle, who was campaigning against rebels in Spain.

(Subura Quarter, Rome, over 39 years previously, October 85 BC)

"I suppose it’s only proper that I allow someone else to play with this lovely object occasionally," Lucius commented, whilst stroking Gaius’ erection. However, on this occasion, the naked young plebeian was acting as host in his own modest bedroom to his similarly nude best friend, who was staying overnight.

Gaius had recently informed Lucius that he had confirmed his betrothal, originally arranged years previously by his late father in order to form a useful alliance with her worthy and prosperous upper class family, to a girl called ‘Cossutia’, whom he had so far rarely met. "I also suppose," the young plebeian sighed, "that I’ll then have to find my own feminine substitute for your hand!"

"But….happily….not….tonight," Lucius then began to stutter, whilst the pert curves of his lovely bottom rose slightly from the bed, as Gaius’ gentle but remorseless hand brought him rapidly towards delectable orgasm. Not unusually, the boys then ecstatically ejaculated simultaneously, causing a shower of cum to fall over both of their gorgeous young bodies.

(Subura Quarter, Rome, 1 month later, November 85 BC)

"You afford me a great honour by your visit," Gaius commented to his very important visitor, who happened to be the effective ruler of Rome at that time. "Calling to pay my respects is the least that I could do for the nephew of my late friend and ally, Marius," Lucius Cornelius Cinna replied.

Marius’ replacement as leader of the ‘populares’ political faction had been his own eponymous son, who was Gaius’ cousin. However, Cinna was currently one of Rome’s pair of Consuls, just as he had been in the previous two years.

Because of an alliance with the younger Marius, Cinna was currently the most powerful man in Rome. His present dominance over the city’s affairs was later to be summarised by the term ‘Cinnae dominatio’, which referred to the period covering his consecutive terms in the highest office of state, even though they were notable for his moderation and attempts at reconciliation with opponents.

Cinna’s reply to Gaius’ greeting was not entirely complete, as the Consul had another motive for visiting an obviously clever and spirited boy, whom he had recently come to admire a lot, after meeting him for the first time in several years at a dinner. The current most powerful man in Rome was also visiting someone who not only was the head of one of the city’s most ancient aristocratic families and exhibited immense potential but also was the cousin of his ally, the younger Marius.

Given such attributes on the part of Gaius, Cinna had decided to propose to the young patrician a formal family alliance. The Consul offered the boy his daughter’s hand in marriage.

Cinna additionally offered Gaius a substantial dowry, plus appointment to the important and potentially lifetime office of ‘Flamen Dialis’, a priest of Jupiter, which had just fallen vacant. Such emplacement was technically subject to election by the Senate from three nominees. However, the Consul’s offer was a sign of his current complete control over the cowed legislature, from which most of the opposition ‘optimates’ faction had been culled or had chosen to flee or adopt very low profiles.

The revered position of Flamen Dialis was usually reserved for patricians whose poor health precluded political careers. However, Cinna obviously thought differently of the post and for a mere 15 year-old, even someone who was the head of an ancient aristocratic family, the position represented great honour and prestige.

A ‘flamen’ was a priest dedicated to one particular god of the Roman pantheon. There were fifteen such senior priestly posts, with the most significant being those of Jupiter, Mars and Quirinus, respectively the Flamines Dialis, Martialis and Quirinalis, with the first being considered the most distinguished.

Only the position of ‘Rex Sacrificulus’, which had supposedly inherited the priestly powers once held by Roman kings, could recline above the Flamen Dialis at banquets, even though the chief priest, the ‘Pontifex Maximus’, was more powerful. The latter title originated from old Latin for ‘chief bridge-builder’, which was one of the post’s original functions, signifying the sacred importance of such crossings to the Romans, and is still held by modern Popes.

If Gaius’ father had still lived, appointment to the position of Flamen Dialis would have meant emancipation from paternal ‘pater potestas’. Other benefits included the right to a ‘lictor’, a servant who carried before his master, whenever he moved round Rome on foot or in a litter, a ‘fasces’, which was a bundle of rods with an axe in the middle and was the symbol of civic authority. Subject to age qualification, he was also automatically entitled to a Senatorial seat, whilst his home could be a place of sanctuary for anyone in legal trouble and he could postpone for a day legal floggings if the victims fell at his feet as suppliants.

In counterbalance, many weird sacred restrictions were placed on the Flamen Dialis. For example, he was forbidden to spend more than one day out of Rome or more than two nights out of his own bed. The legs of the latter, in which he always had to sleep alone and at the foot of which there had constantly to be a box containing a little pile of fresh sacrificial cakes, were to be smeared with fine clay. He could not set eyes on armed troops outside the city or see people working during official holidays. He could not even touch a horse, let alone ride one, or to have anything to do with dogs, goats, ivy, beans, flour, leavened bread, raw meat or dead bodies, although he could attend a funeral, apart from being in the ‘bustum’, where the deceased were cremated. A table without food could not be set in front of him. He could not swear a ‘jurare dialem’, or ‘oath by Jupiter’. Any rings he sported had to be ‘nisio pervio et casio’, namely plain and without precious stones, whilst he could not have a knot anywhere on his clothing. He could not strip naked outdoors, go outside without wearing the cap of office or walk along a path that was canopied with vines. Hair and nail grooming had to be performed by a freeman using a bronze knife, with the relevant cuttings subsequently buried beneath a fruitful tree. Meanwhile, his wife, the ‘Flaminica’, was subjected to similar restraints, such as being prohibited from climbing stairs consisting of more than three steps.

Acceptance of both of Cinna’s proposals, of marriage to his daughter plus appointment as Flamen Dialis, would not just place a new member of the Consul’s family in an especially revered post. Agreement would also considerably boost the launch of Gaius’ public career in Rome. However, the arrangement would also commit him to his new father-in-law’s faction, thereby gaining the enmity of frighteningly very dangerous opponents, such as Lucius Cornelius Sulla, who had ignored all attempts by his political enemies to achieve reconciliation.

Nevertheless, duty towards family advancement overcame that in respect of prior agreements, and, after consulting as usual with Lucius, poor Cossutia was quickly dropped as Gaius’ betrothed in favour of Cinna’s young daughter, Cornelia, to whom the boy was wed a few months later.

(Subura Quarter, Rome, 4 months later, 15^th March 84 BC)

Lucius had never giggled so much since Gaius had fallen into a pond during summer holidays on the farm of Marcus Atius Balbus, when his best friend had emerged from the water covered in slimy reeds and resembling a sea monster. The young plebeian’s amusement was also so infectious that the recently married 15 year-old subject of his hilarity could not help but laugh uncontrollably too.

Gaius was trying on the priestly cap of the Flamen Dialis in front of his best friend. The boy wanted to check that the hat fitted correctly in readiness for his impending ‘inaugurabantur’, or ceremonial inauguration by the Pontifex Maximus.

The conical cap was called an ‘albogalerus’ and was made from the skin of a white bull sacrificed to Jupiter. The hat was held in place by two cords, or ‘apicula’, which were fastened under the chin by buttons, or ‘offendices’, and peaked with an ‘apex’, in this case a pointed piece of olive-wood, surrounded by a lock of wool.

The cap, the whole of which was also sometimes termed an ‘apex’, was considered very sacred and always had to be worn by the Flamen Dialis when outside. In fact, once office-holder, a certain Sulpicius, was deprived of his priestly position when his hat fell from his head when publicly sacrificing. However, to Lucius and Gaius, the headwear only looked ridiculous.

The day was the 15^th of the month of March. It is open to speculation whether the boys’ current amusement, which displayed some irreverence to the supreme god, Jupiter, later caused the date to be of great significance in Gaius’ life.

(Subura Quarter, Rome, next day)

Gaius tried his best to console his very pretty similarly aged wife, Cornelia. The girl had just heard the news that her father, Cinna, recently re-elected to serve a fourth consecutive year as Consul, had been killed in Ancona, whilst attempting to suppress a mutiny amongst troops freshly enlisted to attack Sulla in Greece.

Gaius was later to learn from the surviving Consul, Papirius Carbo, that his inauguration as Flamen Dialis would be postponed until the political situation calmed. Meanwhile, the priestly position would remain vacant.

In fact, as events turned out, the position of Flamen Dialis would remain empty for over seven decades, until the first Roman Emperor, Augustus, decided to revive the ancient post. He did so in honour of his adoptive father, who should once have filled the role if his fortunes had not suddenly changed for the worse.

(Subura Quarter, Rome, 1 month later, April 84 BC)

"Are you sure that you want me to do this to you too," a naked Gaius asked of the similarly nude Lucius, whilst holding a sharp razor. "Yes, I am," replied the young plebeian, who was in own bedroom, "because, if it’s a fashion that you like, I want to share it!"

Despite being newly married and now regularly enjoying making love to his young wife, Gaius still liked to indulge in occasional sexual pleasures with Lucius. His current overnight stay in his best friend’s home was just such an occasion.

Rather than being considered fully fledged adults, Roman males were regarded as being ‘adulescens’ from the moment they accepted the toga virilis until they reached their late 20s, which was believed to be the further time-span necessary for characters to become completely mature. In other words, adolescence was expected to be prolonged and extend well into young manhood. This cultural attitude was reflected in the imposition of high minimum ages for appointment to many positions. For example, no-one could be a magistrate until he was 30, whilst someone had to be at least 43 to be a Consul.

During ‘adulescens’ phase of male development, youths and young men of good birth, even those who married early, were expected and allowed to sow their wild oats and to be granted some foolish licence. They frequently made use of such liberality to indulge in festivities, extravagances and escapades, including amorous adventures, which were not necessarily restricted to common whores or even high-class courtesans. The married ladies of Roman society also had a taste for sexual freedom and variety, whilst the pederastic pursuit of pretty boys in the Greek fashion was common.

Given such cultural attitudes, and despite being newly married, 15 year-old Gaius’ regular overnight absences from his own domus and from the arms of Cornelia were not subject to much complaint from either wife or mother. The feminine pair instead generally accepted philosophically his excuses for staying away.

"Well, if you insist," Gaius now responded to Lucius’ request, just before his razor approached his best friend’s currently flaccid genitalia. The boy then proceeded to shave away the young plebeian’s small patch of fair pubic hair, prior to removing, with blade and pincers, all of the other slight hirsute growth on the rest of the his lovely body, including his legs, with the sole exception being that crowning his head.

Lucius had earlier performed the same exercise on Gaius at his best friend’s request. The young patrician had suggested that hairless bodies comprised one of the latest vogues amongst patrician youth, particularly those who wanted to rebel a little against traditional values.

Gaius later introduced his best friend to another fashion, designed to alarm conservative adults. Both boys subsequently often wore tunics with loose belts, which were considered by many of their elders to be eccentric, plus sleeves extending to elaborate fringes at the wrists, which were regarded as effeminate.

Gaius, as head of the family, could not be commanded by anyone to change his appearance options, especially now that his father-in-law was dead, although the boy’s widowed mother did complain. However, the young patrician ignored her criticism, as he was happy to display his individuality.

Lucius’ father could have invoked his ‘pater potestas’ to compel Lucius not to follow Gaius’ example. However, the rather liberal man refrained from doing so for four reasons. Firstly, he supported the old maxim that no-one should argue about taste. Secondly, he recalled his own youth and did not believe in suppressing during ‘adulescens’ relatively harmless expressions of rebelliousness, which he had once exhibited himself. Thirdly, he actually respected and liked assertions of individuality. Fourthly, he did not want to disturb the boy’s friendship with the young patrician, which he still hoped would someday bring significant social advancement for his son.

Gaius and Lucius were later to discover that there were two main disadvantages to parading around Rome whilst displaying their unusual dress sense and smooth hairless legs. As well as the occasional derisory comment or look, they were also occasionally propositioned by homosexuals.

Lucius intensely disliked such approaches, as he currently was only interested in enjoying sex with one particular male, who happened to be his happily readily available best friend. However, Gaius’ reaction was somewhat different, as his hidden cock invariably twitched in guilty excitement when he was the subject of a proposition.

Nevertheless, Gaius was currently too conscious of personal and family pride, as well as his loyalty towards Lucius, to allow himself to be seduced in such circumstances. In fact, only sly cunning would someday result in the beautiful young Roman being lured into a man’s bed to be sodomised.

(Subura Quarter, Rome, 3 months later, July 84 BC)

Gaius had recently celebrated his 16^th birthday and Lucius had just given his best friend the most pleasant of all his presents. After then cleaning up from their two still completely smooth and succulent naked bodies the resultant spermatic mess, the two boys became engaged in post-sex pillow talk. The conversation eventually turned to the subject of the prospective familial archenemy, Lucius Cornelius Sulla, who was still campaigning with his legions in the east to successful effect.

"I was only about 5 years old when I saw Sulla for the first time," Gaius informed, as he and his best friend lay on Lucius’ bed with arms around each other’s shoulders, "when the then praetor staged a great games in the circus. He had recently campaigned successfully in Africa and, in order to boost his political popularity back in Rome, now arranged for his ally, King Bocchus of Mauretania, to send him a hundred lions and a well-trained contingent of native spearmen to fight each other. The spectacle, to which my father took me, was magnificently exciting, if you like blood and gore, and was the talk of the city."

"I believe," Lucius recalled, "that I can remember hearing at the time about the event from my own father, who also attended but disappointed me by not taking me with him. I think he thought that I was too young to watch bloodshed, unlike your parent."

"I fear," Gaius then gloomily commented, "that we might both be witness soon to much more spilling of blood and gore at Sulla’s behest. However, I’m sure that he’ll arrange for his political opponents, not African lions and spearmen, to be the ones dying, and I suspect that I might be on his elimination list, as I am, after all, the son, son-in-law, nephew and cousin of some of his most notable enemies."

"Sadly the attempts of my late father-in-law, Cinna," Gaius added, "to come to some form of reconciliation with Sulla fell on deaf ears. He appears determined instead to conclude successfully his campaigning in the east and then to return to Rome to wreak revenge on his political opponents."

"I therefore strongly recommend, Lucius," Gaius continued sombrely, "that you and your father should now quickly distance yourselves from me and my family before Sulla does eventually successfully return, as I think he probably will. His legions appear stronger and more battle-hardened, disciplined and loyal than those protecting Rome on behalf of his political opponents, and you both could otherwise also suffer from his vengeful fury!"

"How dare you make such a suggestion!" Lucius retorted. As the boy did so, anger was clearly evident in his voice, for the first time when addressing Gaius since they had both fought each other on the farm of Marcus Atius Balbus seven years previously.

Lucius then fatefully advised "You surely know, Gaius, that I shall never desert you, regardless of the peril facing us!" The boy was subsequently to honour his promise of providing his best friend with devoted and selfless lifelong support.

(Greece, same time)

Lucius Cornelius Sulla had long since driven Mithridates of Pontus out of Greece, in the process besieging and then ravaging Athens and destroying enemy armies at Chaeronea and Orchomenus. He had achieved success despite receiving no succour from Rome, where his political opponents had instead declared him to be an outlaw.

Sulla had been forced to rely upon his own considerable leadership abilities, courage, determination and energy to secure victory. For example, he often appeared amongst the ordinary soldiers in the front line. He also ruthlessly seized many Greek treasures, including the finest works of art, in order to convert them into money to pay for his campaigns.

Sulla eventually compelled Mithridates to sign a treaty of peace at Dardanus in Asia Minor. The king gave up all of his earlier conquests, surrendered eighty warships and paid 3000 talents compensation. His allies amongst the cities of Asia Minor were fined the enormous sum of 20,000 talents.

Having reached this satisfactory settlement and acquired an enormous boost to his war-chest, the vengeful Sulla could now deal with his far more dangerous enemies back in Rome. With Cinna dead, he believed that due retribution against his Roman foes, who had once massacred many of his supporters, should be much easier to achieve. He was therefore currently busily tidying up affairs in Greece and organising his large victorious army to invade Italy.

Sulla also drew up a list of persons, whom he intended to cull once in back in Rome. Amongst the prominent names cited for execution was Cinna’s young son-in-law, who also happened to be the nephew of the old deceased foe, Marius, and the cousin of the latter’s eponymous offspring, the new leader of the enemy populares faction.

Young Gaius, by virtue of family alliances, was definitely destined not to survive Sulla’s eventual spiteful return to Rome.

(To be continued in part IV – ‘Ultiō’ [‘Revenge’])