Loxuru
Graf von Kreuzigung
(time for a simple, uncomplicated Roman crucifixion story, I was thinking)
1.
The city of Luna, Liguria, during the reign of Emperor Trajan.
The port city of Luna derived its wealth, because of the rich marble deposits in the area. The hills around nearby Carrara provided the purest and whitest marble in the world one could imagine. Often spotless, it was highly demanded by sculptors from all over the Roman empire. Carrara’s ‘white gold’ had attracted all kinds of craftsmen, quarriers, traders and shipowners.
The town of Luna was the center of the trade. It took profit from its location, downhill from the roads to the quarries, and next to the mouth of the River Macra, which provided a sheltered harbor for loading cargo ships with the precious stone. The marble trading gentry also preferred this place for living over the more windy and dusty highlands near the quarries, because of Luna’s soft local climate at this nearshore location along a quiet bay.
Flavia was one of them. She was the daughter of a shipowner and the widow of a merchant, who had once set his mind of becoming a senator. In order to gain the necessary social credit for his political ambitions, he had joined the Legions and bought a commission as a centurion. But he had died in combat on a battlefield far away, many years ago. Since Flavia’s only son had joined the army, in the footsteps of his father, he was mostly far away from home too.
Despite the wealth she lived in, leading a life among the Luna gentry, loneliness was her part. Flavia hence had projected her affection to the children of her late sister, who had been married to Julius, a marble trader. Alexius, nineteen, a lively young man, and Domitia, his two year older sister.
Julius was an esteemed patrician in town. He was member of the city’s council. He sponsored projects like the local academy, where young talents could learn the skill of sculpting. He was an influential man, one of the driving forces of the local Sodalites Gyratorium.
But behind all this, there was a dark side, no one saw or wanted to see. Behind the walls of his domus, Julius was a tyrant. He treated his children nearly as slaves. Being the pater familias meant for him being the absolute ruler and owner over his son and daughter. Over their behavior, over their social conduct, and, concerning Domitia, over their body. One day, Alexius had revealed to Flavia that Julius regularly abused Domitia. He treated her as his personal sex slave. Alexius hated him for that. But if Alexius protested, about anything, then Julius ordered one of his slaves to give Alexius a corporal punishment, or to let him do harsh work.
Flavia got furious about this mistreatment of her favourite niece. Between her and Alexius grew a plan to stop Julius, a plan that, when Domitia got involved too, became a murder plot. But none of the three of them were eager to do the dirty work themselves. So, Flavia contacted a former decurion from her husband’s legion, Drusus, a though fighter, for whom a kill was easy to make. Drusus had once belonged to the elite cohort of the legion, but he got into financial trouble after his dismissal from the army.
Flavia offered him a big lump of sestertii if he would accept. He did. The murder would take place when Julius came back from his weekly out to the games, the whores and the taverns, returning drunk and eager to rape Domitia. He dragged Domitia into his room, unaware that Drusus was waiting behind the curtains, and that Flavia and Alexius were around to provide assistance. Occupied by taking Domitia, Julius was completely overwhelmed by surprise. Drusus pressed a pillow on Julius’ face with all his force, while Flavia, Alexius and Domitia used their weight to restrain his limbs. Julius did not make a chance. Officially, a servant had found him in the morning. His death was attributed to natural causes, during his sleep.
As often happens, however, the weakest link in such plots was the hitman. Drusus could neither keep his sestertii in his pocket, nor keep his mouth shut. When drunk, he boasted about his new profitable job as a hitman. He was arrested, tortured, and confessed the whole affair, naming Flavia, Domitia and Alexius as both his clients and his accomplices.
Confronted with this, Flavia boldly denied all accusations. So, the prosecution turned to Domitia, who immediately caved in after the interrogator had loudened his voice to her for about thirty minutes. Domitia confirmed all the confessions made by Drusus.
Flavia saw her villa exchanged for a stay in a dungeon, and her expensive clothing replaced by rags. The same for Alexius and Domitia.
They were all four put on trial for murder and conspiracy. The judge considered the accusations proven, because of Drusus’ and Domitia’s confessions, taken separately, matched perfectly.
Flavia’s defense, that they had done it to stop Julius abusing his daughter, was neglected. In Roman law, a father had full ownership over his daughter, until she got married. Abuse of a daughter by her father could be an adverse side-effect, which the judges did absolutely not approve, but its gravity was considered much less than speaking a verdict that could jeopardize the unalienable rights of the pater familias.
Flavia, Alexius, Domitia and Drusus were found guilty for murder and conspiracy and condemned to death.
The judge added an addendum to the verdict. Since Alexius and Domitia had taken part in the murder of their own father, they had committed patricide. Since all four were condemned for conspiracy, the consequences of this verdict also applied on equal terms to Flavia and Drusus.
And in the patriarchic Roman society, patricide was considered such a grave crime, that a judge could strip the condemned from certain rights and protections. Which the judge did! He lifted the exemption on crucifixion, their Roman citizenship granted them. Flavia and her companions would not get mercifully beheaded, in the basement of prison, far away from onlookers. They would die in public the agonizing and humiliating sentence of crucifixion.
(to be continued)
1.
The city of Luna, Liguria, during the reign of Emperor Trajan.
The port city of Luna derived its wealth, because of the rich marble deposits in the area. The hills around nearby Carrara provided the purest and whitest marble in the world one could imagine. Often spotless, it was highly demanded by sculptors from all over the Roman empire. Carrara’s ‘white gold’ had attracted all kinds of craftsmen, quarriers, traders and shipowners.
The town of Luna was the center of the trade. It took profit from its location, downhill from the roads to the quarries, and next to the mouth of the River Macra, which provided a sheltered harbor for loading cargo ships with the precious stone. The marble trading gentry also preferred this place for living over the more windy and dusty highlands near the quarries, because of Luna’s soft local climate at this nearshore location along a quiet bay.
Flavia was one of them. She was the daughter of a shipowner and the widow of a merchant, who had once set his mind of becoming a senator. In order to gain the necessary social credit for his political ambitions, he had joined the Legions and bought a commission as a centurion. But he had died in combat on a battlefield far away, many years ago. Since Flavia’s only son had joined the army, in the footsteps of his father, he was mostly far away from home too.
Despite the wealth she lived in, leading a life among the Luna gentry, loneliness was her part. Flavia hence had projected her affection to the children of her late sister, who had been married to Julius, a marble trader. Alexius, nineteen, a lively young man, and Domitia, his two year older sister.
Julius was an esteemed patrician in town. He was member of the city’s council. He sponsored projects like the local academy, where young talents could learn the skill of sculpting. He was an influential man, one of the driving forces of the local Sodalites Gyratorium.
But behind all this, there was a dark side, no one saw or wanted to see. Behind the walls of his domus, Julius was a tyrant. He treated his children nearly as slaves. Being the pater familias meant for him being the absolute ruler and owner over his son and daughter. Over their behavior, over their social conduct, and, concerning Domitia, over their body. One day, Alexius had revealed to Flavia that Julius regularly abused Domitia. He treated her as his personal sex slave. Alexius hated him for that. But if Alexius protested, about anything, then Julius ordered one of his slaves to give Alexius a corporal punishment, or to let him do harsh work.
Flavia got furious about this mistreatment of her favourite niece. Between her and Alexius grew a plan to stop Julius, a plan that, when Domitia got involved too, became a murder plot. But none of the three of them were eager to do the dirty work themselves. So, Flavia contacted a former decurion from her husband’s legion, Drusus, a though fighter, for whom a kill was easy to make. Drusus had once belonged to the elite cohort of the legion, but he got into financial trouble after his dismissal from the army.
Flavia offered him a big lump of sestertii if he would accept. He did. The murder would take place when Julius came back from his weekly out to the games, the whores and the taverns, returning drunk and eager to rape Domitia. He dragged Domitia into his room, unaware that Drusus was waiting behind the curtains, and that Flavia and Alexius were around to provide assistance. Occupied by taking Domitia, Julius was completely overwhelmed by surprise. Drusus pressed a pillow on Julius’ face with all his force, while Flavia, Alexius and Domitia used their weight to restrain his limbs. Julius did not make a chance. Officially, a servant had found him in the morning. His death was attributed to natural causes, during his sleep.
As often happens, however, the weakest link in such plots was the hitman. Drusus could neither keep his sestertii in his pocket, nor keep his mouth shut. When drunk, he boasted about his new profitable job as a hitman. He was arrested, tortured, and confessed the whole affair, naming Flavia, Domitia and Alexius as both his clients and his accomplices.
Confronted with this, Flavia boldly denied all accusations. So, the prosecution turned to Domitia, who immediately caved in after the interrogator had loudened his voice to her for about thirty minutes. Domitia confirmed all the confessions made by Drusus.
Flavia saw her villa exchanged for a stay in a dungeon, and her expensive clothing replaced by rags. The same for Alexius and Domitia.
They were all four put on trial for murder and conspiracy. The judge considered the accusations proven, because of Drusus’ and Domitia’s confessions, taken separately, matched perfectly.
Flavia’s defense, that they had done it to stop Julius abusing his daughter, was neglected. In Roman law, a father had full ownership over his daughter, until she got married. Abuse of a daughter by her father could be an adverse side-effect, which the judges did absolutely not approve, but its gravity was considered much less than speaking a verdict that could jeopardize the unalienable rights of the pater familias.
Flavia, Alexius, Domitia and Drusus were found guilty for murder and conspiracy and condemned to death.
The judge added an addendum to the verdict. Since Alexius and Domitia had taken part in the murder of their own father, they had committed patricide. Since all four were condemned for conspiracy, the consequences of this verdict also applied on equal terms to Flavia and Drusus.
And in the patriarchic Roman society, patricide was considered such a grave crime, that a judge could strip the condemned from certain rights and protections. Which the judge did! He lifted the exemption on crucifixion, their Roman citizenship granted them. Flavia and her companions would not get mercifully beheaded, in the basement of prison, far away from onlookers. They would die in public the agonizing and humiliating sentence of crucifixion.
(to be continued)
