“Anger is a brief madness: govern your mind [temper], for unless it obeys, it commands”
– Quintus Horatius Flaccus Odes of Horace
It was a bright and sunny day, the warm rays of the sun piercing through the leaves of the stone pine. The birds chirp, singing a pleasant melody as the cool breeze of the wind flow through the Roman country side. On the horizon, a column of what looks like to be a military expedition force could be seen. They march down the dirt path leading to the city, it was such a wonderful morning, these poor tired soldiers must have been enjoying their trek back to the city…the cool breeze…the warm sunlight…the beautiful song of the birds, singing, almost as if they were heralding the soldier’s return. That morning, would have been the venue to witness to a grand scene of humanity, the reunification of a soldier and their family. One could say, that this morning, is a very peaceful morning, both for nature and for man…and yet…The city of Roma…was in uproar…
Everyone, man and woman, took to the streets, marching towards the forum. Armed and seemingly unified…in their despair. Mothers were weeping, fathers were enraged, and the children dragged along were confused. Just what could have happened for the already unfortunate people of Rome, to come up in arms?
Their sons, did not come back…
The ground rumbled as the people gathered up and surrounded the curia.
“Give them back! Give back our sons!!!”
“Their blood is in your hands!!!”
Rocks were thrown at the walls of building, just as much as insults were thrown to sully the names of the senate. More and more vengeful people gathered, preparing to storm the curia with all their might, their furious voices were all that could be heard. It was then that a 5 maniples of triarii marched towards the crowd, they bang their spears against their shields, creating a sound loud enough to pierce the noise of the people. Noticing their approach, a man in his early thirties shouts.
“They have come to spill more blood!!!”
“They killed our sons, and now they have come to kill us too!!!”
The enraged masses rally, they charge towards the maniples, some hesitate, but the sheer number of people around them push them along. They justified this act in the name of revenge for their loved ones, the people knew this was a senseless, they knew that doing this will not bring their dead sons back. They thought that the maniples triarii would only take a defensive stance and block the incoming hoard. But they thought wrong, moments before impact, the triarii brought up their shields and compressed tightly as they readied their spears, pointing them towards the incoming horde. Those in the front of the mod had no time to react, in one moment they were running, charging in the name of their sons, in the next they met the dark and cold grasp of death.
Mortified, many of those who saw spears piercing through the bodies, stopped, some quickly stumbled and fell to the ground. What they saw was real, the citizen army has turned their weapons towards the people. What was once a crowd driven by anger and revenge, is now driven by the fear of death. Majority, however, did not know of what happened…how could they know? Thus the people at the back kept charging and pushing as the people in the front screamed and cried for help.
It was chaos…
The unaware crowd pushed them, they got moved closer and closer to the spears of the triarii…closer and closer…to their deaths. Among them was a young lady, she was first in line for the impending meatgrinder that is the triarii.
She fell, looking up at the men in armor. A chill moves runs up her spine, it seems that death has come for her. She thinks to herself.
“Ah…”
“I die here…huh?”
“Wait for me brother, we will meet soon…”
The man who instigated the mob to charge earlier calls out.
“N-no, Flora!!!”
The triarii’s arm was in motion, his spear was ready to take another life. But it was stopped by a loud voice coming from behind the line maniples.
“STOP THIS INSOLENCE AT ONCE!!!”
Confused, the soldiers spun their heads and looked towards the source of the command. It was Julius and his lictors.
Mark Anthony declares to the triarii…
“Make way for lord consul Julius!”
The men were taken aback, unable to respond properly to his arrival. They hesitated for a moment before finally saluting in honor of the consul.
“Ave consul Julius!”
They make way for the consul, clearing out a path in their formation to allow the consul to pass…to allow the consul to see what they have done…
“What…”
“Has happened…”
“HERE!”
The tension dropped, in the chaos, Julius saw the bodies of the dead Roman citizens, their blood splattered on the equipment of the bastards who have taken their lives. The frightened young woman on her knees, and the scoundrel about to take another. Both sides unable to take action, unsure of how to answer the sudden question of the consul. There was silence for a moment. Only the song of the birds could be heard. But like a rubber band stretched to its limits, the silence snapped, broken by the growing unrest of the people as the shock from earlier his earlier question had subsided.
Thus they started shouting.
Those who recognised his name, desperately tried to ask for answers from the magnanimous new consul, pleading with him…
“Consul Julius! What of my son?!”
“Where is he? Please give him back…please!”
Those unfamiliar with him, thought he was a part of the senate members who sent their sons to die. Thus they angrily demanded justice, throwing insults at the soldiers and Julius.
“You pig!!!”
“Murderer! you and your dogs should go to hell!”
The officers of the triarii hurriedly tried to explain their side, claiming that this situation was unavoidable, that they had no choice but to resort to killing.
“Lord consul, we received word from the senate to quell the riot!”
“They ordered us to use force if needed!”
Only his lictors, especially Mark Anthony, knew to keep their silence..
This exchange went on for a while. Many truths and opinions have been shared, the sound was deafening. But Julius could not hear hear anything, to him, the birds stopped singing, the people stopped shouting, the officers stopped stammering…He could only feel, he felt the warm rays of the morning sun, he felt the cool breeze of the wind, he felt an emotion that he could not describe at first.
Anger…confusion…rage…denial…disgust…pain…disappointment…any of these could have been plausible, any of these words could have explained his emotions. But there was only one word to describe what he was feeling…FURY
Julius’s mind was in disarray, he did not know what to do, what he SHOULD do, who to blame…he was truly at a loss…he wanted to lash out, but couldn’t…he wanted to ask questions, but couldn’t…he wanted to address the people, but couldn’t…he wanted to scream…but couldn’t. Julius was frozen in place, almost as if he was dead from where he stood. He could not move, not because he was petrified by what he just witnessed, but because he simply did not want to…his eyes stare at the dead corpses, men and women a like, lifeless by his feet. For a moment, he looked towards the people, then, he looked towards the triarii and his lictors, before setting his gaze at the curia.
Just like the day before, Julius clenched his fists as anger took hold of him, Mark Anthony makes note of this action.
“Ah, what happened yesterday is about to repeat”
He readies himself and the other lictors to de escalate the situation. But he then found himself stunned by the realization that his consul’s hand was bloodied. At this point, the only thing that was keeping Julius awake was his adrenaline, he could not feel his hands were bleeding, nor did he care…
“Marcus…”
“Let us proceed…”
With a heavy heart and bloodied hands. Julius ordered his lictors to follow him and head towards the curia. Understanding what the consul wishes to do, responds.
“Yes, consul Julius”
Mark Anthony quickly ordered the triarii to stand down and return to their posts, signalling the lictors to make a path for the consul. Julius, however, did not care, he fearlessly treaded towards the mob of people and pushed himself through the rioters. Panicking at the sight of this, Mark Anthony quickly ordered the lictors to immediately go to the side of Julius. That he himself will follow.
Fully intending to catch up, Mark Anthony hurriedly facilitates the triarii to stand down, ensuring that no more harm could be done to the people. After this he makes his way to catch up before noticing the woman who fell earlier. Her left leg had been broken by the weight of the people behind her earlier. As a chivalrous gesture, Mark Anthony knelt down on one knee, extending his hand to the beaten girl…
“Allow me to help you-“
He says before the woman slaps his hand away.
“Get your bloody hand away from me you wretch!”
Understanding her perspective, Mark Anthony simply nods and stands up, respecting her wish. He then proceeds to make his way to the curia. Hearing in passing, the voice of her father.
“Flora! are you ok? Did that dog do anything to you?”
And thus that morning bore witness to one of the “greatest” things on this earth…the aftermath of human actions…
