(Subura Quarter, Rome, on the third day before the ides of the month of Quintilis, in the 653^rd year after the officially dated foundation of the city [13^th July 100 BC])

Gaius Marius, for the 6^th time, and the 5^th consecutively, and Lucius Valerius Flaccus were consuls when a healthy baby boy, also given the first name, or ‘praenomen’, of Gaius was born. The child came into the world in the modest house, or ‘domus’, of a patrician in Rome’s Subura Quarter, which was otherwise mainly inhabited by the poor.

The baby’s father was a quaestor, the lowest rank of Roman officialdom. The boy’s mother was Aurelia, daughter of a former consul, Lucius Aurelius Cotta.

(Subura Quarter, Rome, 9 years later, summer 91 BC)

"I was hoping to send the children to the countryside for the summer holidays," the dinner host advised his two guests, who were both useful commercial and political clients, albeit currently very minor ones in the greater scope of Rome’s affairs. All three men were reclining on couches on their left sides, whilst they consumed the decent fare presented on low tables in front of them in the dining room, or ‘triclinium’, of the modest home, or ‘domus’. Meanwhile, the shadows surrounding them increased, as the outside sun began to set and illumination became more reliant on the oil lamps flickering on stands surrounding them.

"When the fortunes of my family were better," the host added in his posh patrician voice, which seemed rather out of place in a small house in Rome’s main, and in some parts notoriously decrepit and dangerous, plebeian quarter, "we always left the oppressive heat of the city for a pleasanter rural retreat. Ideally, the place would also be close to the seaside."

The host was actually a Senator and a member of one of the city’s most prestigious aristocratic families, one which had sadly fallen on impoverished times, although they still had significant social standing. The latter status, plus the Senatorial position still held, also led to a degree, albeit declining, of political influence.

The clan, or ‘gens’, boasted descent from the Trojan hero, Aeneas, who was the son of the goddess of love, Venus, and grandfather of Romulus and Remus, founders of Rome. The family had produced consuls, who, in republican times, were the ultimate rulers of their city, although they held office in pairs to prevent any individual becoming too mighty, and their tenure was only supposed to last one year.

Lack of money had recently encouraged the family to play a relatively low political profile, as great wealth was now required in increasingly corrupt times to make any progress in the struggle for power. They nevertheless still maintained a small coterie of paid supporters, diplomatically termed ‘clients’, who, in turn for cash or petitioned favours, provided some form of useful aid or information.

At the homes of many of Rome’s most influential men, clients could often be seen arriving at dawn, ready to queue to see their patron. Such business was generally conducted in the early morning and in the large airy atriums of the residences concerned, which possessed seating for the purpose.

The atrium of today’s relatively impecunious host was, however, modestly small and therefore embarrassing to use for audiences by a man of such social standing. He could also generally not offer cash to his clients, concentrating instead on utilising his social and political rank to secure them favours in relation to their businesses, such as building permissions, trading licences and public contracts. In such circumstances, inviting them to the occasional informal dinner seemed appropriate, especially when the Senator too wanted a courtesy from one of them.

Rome was a city of patronage. Advancement was often achieved more through whom you knew than via ability. The host was no different. He would also sell the information he had obtained, or his vote in the Senate, in return for cash or favours, although he currently tended to support the ‘populares’ faction, led by Gaius Marius.

The Roman Empire had recently grown significantly. However, such rapid expansion brought external and internal troubles.

The influx of wealth generated by imperial expansion, and concentrated in the hands of the elite, had disturbed the traditional economy and social order. Small farmers, the backbone of the community, were everywhere being dispossessed of land that they could no longer profitably farm because of deflationary price pressures on their produce. The rich stepped in to buy them out and create huge estates, or ‘latifundia’, of their own. The deprived peasantry then swarmed to the cities, especially Rome, where they found little work available because of the existence of slavery.

Consequently, the former rural peasantry formed a large and volatile urban under-class living in squalid poverty, ready to gel into a mob and riot at little provocation. In order to try to keep this potentially extremely dangerous rabble in order, the elite was forced to provide them with free food and, in the form of chariot racing and gladiatorial games, some entertainment. As Juvenal said, "Two things only the people anxiously desire, bread and circuses!" On the day that the host dined with his two client guests, about 320,000 citizens relied on the regular dole of wheat corn to survive.

Gaius Marius was a ‘novus homo’, or ‘new man’, meaning that he was one of those rare people who had emerged from familial obscurity to force his way, through ability, personality and accumulated wealth, plus luck, into the charmed circle of the elite in one generation. He was also the leader of the ‘populares’ political faction that supported agrarian and economic reform to help the distressed citizenry, by means of the likes of compulsory land distribution and debt cancellation. However, his involvement in such policies was not just out of altruism, as he realised that the proposals might give him public popularity and permanent ultimate power.

Marius had already defied convention by being Consul on six occasions, including an unprecedented five successive years when there had been a serious threat of invasion by barbarians from Germania. However, his influence and that of the populares had since diminished because they were strongly opposed by a faction of conservative aristocrats, called the ‘optimates’, or ‘best people’, led by Lucius Cornelius Sulla. This reactionary party naturally favoured the economic and social status quo, and thereby the preservation of their own vast assets.

The host’s natural tendency as an aristocrat would have been to support the optimates. However, there were two main reasons why he currently favoured the populares. Firstly, his relative impecuniousness and associated accumulated borrowings encouraged him to like a policy of debt cancellation. Secondly, he was Marius’ brother-in-law through the marriage of his sister, Julia, to the political leader.

The marital alliance made sense to both families. The link to such an ancient aristocratic family had provided the novo homo with improved social standing, whilst the wife gained not only a wealthy and important husband but also increased political clout for her gens.

"I can’t say that my much more humble family ever did the same," replied one of the guests, whilst referring to summer holidays in the countryside and betraying the rather plebeian accent that was used by many of the people forced to live in the Subura. "However," he continued, "I’d love my two sons to enjoy seaside or rural air too during the forthcoming summer."

Both the patrician host and plebeian guest, who had just commented, then smiled at the third man present and expectedly awaited his reaction. The person concerned appreciated that he had been set up but he also knew that he could hardly in conscience refuse the barely hidden request behind the remarks, especially as accommodating the four children concerned would not be too much trouble.

The man’s small but nevertheless pleasant and comfortable farm near Velitrae to the south of Rome could easily accommodate and feed the children. There were enough slaves to ensure their welfare without losing agricultural productivity, and his own son would probably enjoy the company, despite being at least five years older than the others.

"Well then," the second guest therefore fatefully suggested, in the moderate tones of the equestrian middle class, "why don’t all your children spend the summer at my country estate in the Alban Hills?" In making this suggestion, accepted by his gleeful fellow diners and toasted with fresh wine poured by his host, he not only exaggerated the status of his property by the two words used to describe it but also satisfied the pre-planning of the other two cunning men.

He additionally changed the history of Rome and of the world, for his decision led to repercussions that have permeated through time to this modern day.

(Farm of Marcus Atius Balbus, near the small town of Velitrae on the southern edge of the Alban Hills, south of Rome, 1 week later)

Marcus, eponymous son of the farm owner, watched the approaching ox-drawn wagon from within the shadows inside an upper opening of a hayloft. As the handsome 14 year-old equestrian boy did so, he felt a strange mix of fear and excitement.

The fear came from his inherent shyness. The excitement emanated from having four new younger playmates for the summer, two patricians and two plebeians but all free, which made a change from having to cavort with the uneducated offspring of slaves.

As the wagon eventually entered through the open gate of the tall protective walls, which surrounded the main central complex of farm buildings, Marcus summoned up all his courage to go to greet the new arrivals. Whilst a slave helped the wagon driver to unload the children’s luggage from the cart, the boy introduced himself to his four younger guests.

"It’s nice to meet you," replied a pretty and smiling 9 year-old patrician boy, with short black hair and similarly coloured eyes, who appeared to be the most confident of the arrivals. Marcus never afterwards knew precisely why but he immediately thought to himself that the young aristocrat appeared to have a natural air of nobility and authority about him, thereby permanently registering in his mind that he was meeting ‘a born leader’.

"My name’s Gaius," the 9 year-old continued, echoing Marcus’ attempt through his introduction to be very amicable and informal from the start by referring only to his praenomen, which was generally solely used by close family and friends. The boy then turned to the only girl amongst the new arrivals, who closely resembled himself. The reason for this similarity then became evident when he advised "This is my younger sister, Julia!"

Gaius subsequently pointed at two other pretty boys, one of whom was as old as himself, whilst the other was the same age as Julia, a year younger. "These are Lucius and Marcus," he then announced, "who are the sons of one of my father’s…."

There was then a short hesitation before Gaius finally worked out the most appropriate word to use. He was originally unthinkingly going to say ‘clients’ but fortunately realised in time that this might be considered unflattering by the two boys, as well as the other older Marcus, because it diminished the status of their respective fathers. The 9 year-old therefore more politely finished his sentence by using the term "friends."

The other three boys were naturally delighted to note the young patrician’s use of the word ‘friends’ to describe their fathers’ relationship with the Senatorial head of such a renowned noble family. Their attitude was reflected in the appearance of a trio of broad smiles on their lovely faces.

"I suggest," Gaius next declared, whilst also smiling and showing further evidence of his natural leadership, "that, in order to avoid confusion, we call our two Marcuses, in descending order of age, ‘Major’ and ‘Minor’!" The two boys concerned readily and happily agreed to this arrangement.

14 year-old Marcus Major had already proudly advised the four young guests that, in the absence of his own widower father, who was still in Rome, he was master of the estate, although the others quietly appreciated that the real power would rest with the farm manager. The boy host now requested and informed "Come with me, friends, as I’ve arranged some refreshments for everyone in the house!"

So started the long and fateful summer holidays for five children on a small farm on the southern edge of the Alban Hills.

(Farm of Marcus Atius Balbus, near the small town of Velitrae on the southern flank of the Alban Hills, south of Rome, next day)

- Julius Caesar

Tension had been building between the two 9 year-olds, Gaius and Lucius, a development that had been noted by the two Marcuses and Julia, who were also perceptive enough to realise the probable reason. The plebeian boy appeared to resent the way in which the young noble tended, albeit politely, to dictate what everyone should play.

Fair-haired, blue-eyed Lucius therefore often dissented, suggesting another game instead, generally to be overruled by the others. Even Marcus Major, five years older than Gaius, usually deferred to the young patrician.

The tension naturally had to give sometime and this, given the proud and dynamic young personalities involved, inevitability led to first a heated argument and then a fight between Gaius and Lucius. The fierce scrap occurred in a quiet clearing, in an orchard in which the five children had been playing, well way from adults.

The younger two of the three non-combatants originally wanted to stop the conflict between their brothers. However, Marcus Major suggested to his namesake and Julia that "I think they’re best left alone to decide the argument in their own way!"

The older Marcus did not, of course, appreciate that, like his father before him, he had just made a decision that would affect the future history of Rome.

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

"Take your clothes off!" ordered Deianeira, the middle-aged female slave who was responsible for all of the house’s domestic arrangements outside the kitchen, which was the domain of the cook. Her responsibilities included the mending and washing of the clothes of her master and his son and freedman whenever they were at the farm, plus efficiently attending to any bruises, abrasions, cuts or other small wounds they or servants or slaves somehow acquired during their daily routines.

Deianeira was a Greek and had been named after the mythical wife of Heracles. She had by necessity become very proficient at her medical art because, on a working farm involving many potentially dangerous chores and tools, minor injuries were common. There were also the playful children, who frequently suffered tumbles and other accidents. Most of the youngsters were the offspring of the slaves but her owner’s energetic son was not immune to needing her remedies.

Deianeira was aided in her work by being the daughter of a now deceased slave physician. He had taught her how to prepare many proficient herbal remedies, which were produced from local agricultural and natural vegetation and rested in small clay pots, stored in her washroom.

Deianeira’s skills at mending and washing clothes and curing wounds were obviously again now needed, as she surveyed the dirty, dishevelled and injured young boys now in her presence. She had already sighed at the prospect of having to sew the tears in and clean what were previously intact and pristine light sleeveless short summer tunics.

Deianeira had also admonished the 9 year-olds for fighting and telling fibs, with the latter required because they initially suggested that their abrasions and cuts had been caused by falling from a tree they had climbed. However, she had not chided them too much. It was clear to her perceptive mind that the boys’ recent conflict actually appeared to have done them some good, obviously not in terms of the condition of their attire or bodies but rather of their apparently revised spirits and attitudes towards each other.

The first evidence for this perception was the manner in which Gaius and Lucius, whose faces and exposed limbs were covered in abrasions and bruises, had arrived in her washroom, which was located adjacent to the kitchen at the rear of the large farmhouse. Despite the pain their bodies must have been suffering, as the boys hobbled awkwardly into her presence from their recent fight, the two 9 year-olds were incongruously smiling and carefully helping each other to reach their destination.

The second evidence came when both Gaius and Lucius invited Deianeira to see first to the other boy, despite the fact that both were undoubtedly desperate for remedial attention to reduce their bodily suffering. The female slave solved the dilemma by advising the boys that she would repair their wounds simultaneously.

Gaius and Lucius appeared to be happy with Deianeira’s solution until she demanded their clothes. Despite the clear necessity for the woman to have the attire for washing and repair, and to expose the boys’ currently covered parts for medical attention, the 9 year-olds intensely disliked the idea of disporting themselves naked in front of the female slave, who was a stranger to them.

Gaius and Lucius had been directed to seek Deianeira’s attention by Marcus Major when their fight had eventually come to an end because of mutual utter exhaustion. The two young combatants had been unable to raise their arms to aim another blow at each other, after they had pushed, slapped, punched, kicked and wrestled each other for a quarter of an hour. Breathing heavily, the boys had instead then just glared at each other, whilst they stood unsteadily, on the brink of ignominious collapse in front of each other.

The young patrician had then broken the impasse by saying, whilst incongruously managing a smile on his battered face and expressing clear true admiration, "You fight like a true warrior, Lucius!" The other boy looked back at his opponent and, also somehow developing a grin on his own similarly pounded visage, replied "So do you, Gaius!"

To the amazement but also pleasure of the three spectators, namely the two Marcuses and Julia, Gaius then stepped forward, in an action subsequently replicated by Lucius. Simultaneous to a sound of mutual chortling, the two boys next began to embrace, although the hug had, by necessity of their wounds, to be very careful and gentle.

Nevertheless, the embrace was to be symbolic of two important changes in the relationship between Gaius and Lucius. Firstly, the hug indicated kindled immense mutual respect for each other. Second, the moment was the beginning of a lifelong friendship, which was to prove to be of immense significance.

Gaius thereafter always respectfully consulted his friend, Lucius, before making any suggestions or decisions. The young patrician’s new habit, which was also to be lifelong, began now with Deianeira’s command to strip.

"What do you think, Lucius?" the young patrician asked in reaction to Deianeira’s disturbing instruction, whilst the understanding woman, who recognised the reason behind the boys’ embarrassed reluctance to obey her, waited patiently for a response. The other 9 year-old contemplated the question for a moment before answering "I suppose we have no choice, Gaius!"

Gaius and Lucius then stripped, although Deianeira initially allowed them to reduce some of their embarrassment by permitting them to shield their genitalia with their hands. However, even this small modicum of comfort was temporarily denied them after the woman asked them whether either had been kicked in the balls during their fight.

The anguished look in the sensuous eyes of both Gaius and Lucius, as they remembered the pain from the successful breaching of their genital defences by the well-aimed and hard-hitting foot of their adversary, then rendered useless an answer to Deianeira’s enquiry. The woman therefore advised them, without waiting for a verbal response but in as soothing a voice as she cold muster, "You’ll just have to let me have a little look, boys, and there’s no need to be shy because you don’t have anything that I haven’t seen before!"

Gaius was the first to expose his genitals for Deianeira’s scrutiny, and he winced when she gently touched his small bruised scrotum. "That’ll require some salve," the woman advised before turning her attention to Lucius.

By the time that Lucius had reluctantly removed the manual protection that he had afforded to his own most private parts, Gaius’s genitalia were already hidden again behind his hands. It was then the young plebeian’s turn to wince, as Deianeira touched his sensitive darkened scrotum and suggested "You’ll need some slave there too. However, what you both first require is a bath to clean your bodies in readiness to receive my attention."

Deianeira then opened a door and pointed to a separate building, located across a large backyard. The bathhouse was adjacent to the rear surrounding wall.

Whilst still manually hiding their genitals, both Gaius and Lucius then hid their naked bodies behind the opened door because the revealed backyard was full of activity and people. The busy atmosphere was created by the fact that animals, used to provide provisions for the house and domestic servants, including egg-laying chickens and dairy cows, were kept there in side pens and stalls. Farm craftsmen, such as the blacksmith and tanner, also had their workshops in what seemed to be a popular place for the children of the slaves to play.

"You don’t expect us to go there like this?" Gaius now asked incredulously of Deianeira, whilst referring to his unclothed state. "Well that’s were the baths are situated," the woman answered, whilst displaying a mischievous grin, "and I’m not giving either of you naughty dirty boys fresh attire until you’ve been washed. I’m also not letting you have your original grubby tunics and loincloths back because they’ll have to go into soak immediately or they’ll otherwise stain permanently."

"I’ll send a slave to attend to your bathing shortly," Deianeira next informed the two now highly alarmed boys, "so, don’t be shy and hurry across to the bathhouse!" She then reinforced her instruction by moving behind both Gaius and Lucius to tap them gently and simultaneously on their pertly curvaceous but currently bruised and bare sore bottoms.

The abashing concern now felt by Gaius and Lucius at attempting to comply with Deianeira’s command was exacerbated by realisation that their current injuries would prevent them from walking quickly across the wide backyard, let alone run the distance. After all, their relatively short journey from the orchard clearing in which they had fought to the washroom had taken a long time, even with the assistance of the two Marcuses and Julia.

"What do you think, Lucius?" the young patrician again asked in reaction to Deianeira’s disturbing instruction. His friend once more contemplated the question for a moment before repeating his previous answer, namely "I suppose we have no choice, Gaius!"

Two bare, blushing and badly bruised boys, now unable to hide their genitals behind protective hands because of the need to assist each other across the backyard, subsequently exposed themselves to the suddenly laughing thirty or so clothed adults and other children occupying the area. Afterwards, the humiliating incident was never to be forgotten by either Gaius or Lucius.

The slow walk across the farmyard, however, was to be another important aspect of the development of Gaius and Lucius into truly great friends and eventually magnificent men.

(Farm of Marcus Atius Balbus, near the small town of Velitrae on the southern flank of the Alban Hills, south of Rome, 4 years later, summer 87 BC)

Gaius, Julia, Lucius and Marcus Minor were again spending the summer holidays on the farm located in a scenic setting on the southern edge of the Alban Hills, as they had done in each of the previous four years. Their nominal host was once more the owner’s still very handsome son.

Marcus Major was, however, now a 17 year-old, who had accepted the toga virilis denoting manhood. He had therefore been granted real responsibilities for the operation of the small estate by his eponymous city-based father, with the farm manager effectively becoming his deputy.

Nevertheless, Marcus Major still allocated some of his time to be with his younger guests, although he noticeably spent most of this with Julia. The maturing 12 year-old girl, who was truly beginning to blossom in appearance, was extremely flattered by the youth’s attention.

"Do you think he’s after Julia’s body or hand in marriage?" Lucius asked of Gaius, in relation to Marcus Major’s apparent infatuation with Julia and in the blunt and intimate manner of many of the conversations shared by the two still very pretty 13 year-old boys, who had been virtually inseparable over the past four years.

Gaius had even persuaded his father to allow Lucius to share the private tutors, appointed to educate the young patrician. The two boys also spent all of their leisure time together and often slept overnight in each other’s homes, even though that of the young plebeian was even more humble than that of his friend, being located in a much more disreputable part of Rome’s Subura Quarter.

"Well," Gaius replied to Lucius’ question, with both young males fully appreciating that girls were considered mature enough to marry at 13, whilst boys were expected to wait a few more years, "if he tries to seduce Julia, I’m sure that my father would castrate him personally. If he alternatively seeks her hand in marriage, I think he’ll not only be disappointed but also receive a punch on his nose for effrontery!"

"Knowing Marcus Major as I do, I personally wouldn’t mind him as my brother-in-law," Gaius honestly continued, "but I don’t think my father, who’s ever conscious of the status of our family, would ever countenance a marital alliance between his daughter and an equestrian. He’d also probably consider the mere suggestion to be a grievous insult!"

On the day after making these comments to Lucius, Marcus Major, overcoming his inherent reserve, came to Gaius and asked his advice as to how he might someday seek Julia’s hand in marriage.

(Farm of Marcus Atius Balbus, near the small town of Velitrae on the southern flank of the Alban Hills, south of Rome, 2 days later)

Gaius and Lucius were lying barefoot on a quiet and secluded grassy bank of a narrow but fast-running stream that ran off the Alban Hills and through the farm, eventually to merge with a local river. Julia and Marcus Minor were playing in the distant farmhouse, whilst their older host attended to estate duties.

Whilst peering into the blue cloudless sky above and remembering Marcus Major’s request for advice on the previous day, Gaius asked of Lucius "Do you ever think about girls and their bodies?" In order to answer this surprise question, the young plebeian, who had also been staring into the heavens, turned onto his side to fix his gaze on his friend’s beautiful face.

Lucius could have lied in response to Gaius’ question but he had never been false to his friend. He also knew that the other 13 year-old would not ridicule any answer he gave. He therefore truthfully replied "Not yet!"

Lucius then asked his own question. "Does that make me strange?" he enquired.

Gaius now adopted a similar position to that of Lucius, on his side and looking into his friend’s blue eyes. "No," the young patrician then responded, "because I’m the same."

"What do you think about then?" Lucius next asked, whilst clearly, without specifying, referring to sexual attraction, and as excitement began to build within his lovely mind and body, evidenced by a slight bulge appearing at the front of his light summer tunic in the area of his groin. The boy had often wondered whether his friend shared the strange feelings that had increasingly begun to permeate his young pubescent form.

Lucius received his longed-for answer when Gaius, with a slight blush guiltily reddening his gorgeous face and whilst nervously fluttering his long delightful black eyelashes, declared "You!"

Soon afterwards, two discarded light summer tunics, plus the same number of shed loincloth undergarments, rested on the grass, whilst nearby on the bank of the stream a pair of naked boys writhed together in a tight all-entangling embrace, full of passionate kisses and unprecedented ecstasy.

(To be continued in part II – ‘Virtus’ [‘Virility’])