Amica 36
Meat, fresh meat for the brothels of Lucius! The Phoenician merchant has arrived with new slaves, like doves plucked of their feathers, bare breasts quivering, they undergo the humiliating ritual of assessment, frightened youngsters, lined up waiting for the verdict and their fate. We too tremble with fear, who’ll stay and who’ll go? It's a wheel, everything may depend on the tensing of a muscle, a movement of the lips, the quiver of an eyelash….
Eulalia is in attendance, as I understand, in her role as interpreter. She knows many languages, asks questions and translate the answers. Most of these wretches come from the east, they’ve dark complexions, black hair, and bright eyes, but their expressions are traumatised, their voices trembling, Two of them are distinguished by their incredible beauty. Another two have looks I’ve never seen before, with high cheekbones, eyes stretched thin, both amber-complexioned, paler than the others. They can’t comprehend what's being said to them, nor can anyone undestand what they say, they’re a new challenge for Eulalia.
Lucius and Fulvia have made their choices, four remain, the others will be sent off to work, to earn the bread they eat, and to enrich Lucius. Three of those who remain here will go into service in the house, one of them has come with me. Screams, tears, hugs, goodbyes, the torment for those who have to depart is even stronger, now their tragic fate is known.
'Why? Eulalia Why such cruelty? What have they done wrong? '
'בֵּיתלָחֶם Beit-lachem, Belem, the Judaean girl, has never adapted to living among other slavegirls, she’s too proud, she thinks herself superior - she’s had too many quarrels and created too many problems with her insubordination, and the punishments she’s received haven’t been sufficient! These Hebrews are difficult to deal with.
The other two have proved lazy - they thought they were safe, so they failed to do what they’d been commanded. Everyone’s responsible for their own actions - learn from these examples, and don’t be troubled about the fate of others, if it’s the consequence of their own behaviour. You cannot and you must not have pity on every person who suffers the consequences of her own actions, they certainly wouldn’t be bothered about your fate, even if you were to suffer unjustly!'
They’re tough, the judgments of Eulalia, but they’re well-considered, consistent with justice, who deserves receives, who doesn’t, pays.
Now that Eulalia is committed to educating these new arrivals, after the daily chores I have a bit more time to devote to reading, and a little more freedom. I can leave the house, always accompanied by the trusty Δρόμος, Dromos, the auriga (charioteer). I like him, this slave from Macedonia, but I’ve promised my heart and my body to Fannius, and he understands and respects me, and protects me when we are out.
As we walk along the street of the temple of Mercury, one insula (block) away from the house of Lucius, he points to a door of a two-storey building – it’s a lupanare (brothel).
I grab his arm, partly seized by fear, yet I look into his eyes questioningly.
'Let's go in, I want to see that place with my own eyes!'
He doesn’t object, indeed, he enters readily, has he been in on other occasions?
We’re welcomed by an ugly old woman with a bit too much weight on her.
She greets him, asks which girl he wants to lie down with, and turning to me says,
'But there are no boys here, only girls, do you want to spend some time with one of them?'
I must have a really surprised look, because she smiles at me, and takes me by the hand almost eagerly, to lead me through the maze of corridors leading to cellae meretricae (sex-workers’ cubicles).
Dromos explains to the woman that I'm a slavegirl of Lucius, but I have to be treated with respect as I’m the favourite of Fannius. The woman is still more surprised, she leads me upstairs to where there are the most beautiful girls in the brothel, for persons of quality, frequented by the rich. I’m explaining that it’s not my intention to enjoy myself with a girl, I’ve just come in to see, when Dromos slips off into a cubicle with a beautiful busty brunette!
The cubicles are small, but well arranged. By each door is the name of the girl, a stage-name of course, such as Myrtis, and a fresco, hers shows a girl engaged in fellatio. A piece of graffiti written by a satisfied customer reads Myrtis, bene felas (Myrtis, you suck well (+)).
At the centre of the brothel is a larger room where the girls stay while they’re waiting for their customers. They give me smiles, sweet words, obscene proposals,
'I lick right between your thighs ...', says one of them, thinking I'm coming to pass a little time in her company. The madame goes away.
One of them seems annoyed by my presence, taking me for a newbie - 'Have you come to take away our customers, you with your piggy face?'
It is forbidden to use coins with the imperial image in brothels, explains the madame, special tokens are used that are called spintriae (trinkets), more precisely eroticae tesserae, with which you can pay the girls for their sexual favours. Each token shows a sex scene on the front, and on the back a number, the performance, and the price.
(+) [n.b. fellas, not felas, but this is a true graffiti in a true 'lupanare']
, especially if Barb et al are busy and we get some crux chatter going 
.)
