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Amica
- Thread starter Velut Luna
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Velut Luna
Sibilla Cumana
Amica 7
A bag of gold coins, the price of my virginity. It adds to the already large pile of cash deposited in the Phoenician merchant’s box. I’m red with shame, my head bowed, eyes fixed on the ground. There’s a nod of understanding between the master and his wife, the other girls are nudging each other with knowing, complicit looks. The Master nods to the merchant to depart, the Phoenician bows affectedly, retreating to the door without looking behind him. Two soldiers lift the box with the money, the merchant hands over two bags full of coins to the centurion for the bespoke escort service he’s received.
My value has increased dramatically since those two gold coins were first given to the robber who kidnapped me from my father's house, then I attracted five coins from that Viking, next ten coins were paid by the Phoenician merchant, and now I cannot even guess what my flesh is worth, the price of my skin, I know for certain that my virginity is precious.
The Master comes. With his hand he lifts up my chin, looks me in the eye, and asks something, I do not understand, I remain silent, my heart pounding. I’m blushing again, trembling. Udij responds for me, saying, 'Amica, Amica!' (From now on this will be my name, engraved on a copper plate on my slave-collar: 'Lucius Silius Satrianus owns the slave Amica', and after it in minuscules, 'tenemene fucia et revo camaedomnum et viventium in aracallisti'). (1)
A brief conversation between Lucius and his wife, then I’m entrusted to you. You take me by the hand, smiling at me. I turn to Udij, she is smiling at me, signalling me with her hand to go with you. I have not understood a word of what has been said, I do not know or understand this foreign language.
You take me with you into a nice room with paintings on the walls. The walls are tinted red, the wooden bed is covered with colorful cushions. You caress my face, brushing aside a lock of hair that’s escaped the ribbon holding the ponytail. Your dark eyes are exploring the transparency of mine, your smile reassures me. You give a kiss on the cheek, your hands now caressing my arms, with your right hand resting on my bosom you say: 'Amica', then bringing it to rest on yours, 'Eulalia '.
I am your servant, the slave of a slave. I rest my face on your breast and cry, you comfort me, wiping away my tears with your fingers. I do not know if I’m crying from sadness or delight, maybe both, but I am happy not to be the prey of a man, not having to lie in bed with one who would ruin my treasure chest. We look deep into each other’s eyes, a hint of smile, then I sign with my right hand to my mouth and my left hand to my stomach. You understand right away, a clap of your hands, a slavewoman enters, there’s a short conversation, she goes away and comes back with a tray full of food.
(1) arrest me if I run away and bring me back in the beautiful house of my master.
A bag of gold coins, the price of my virginity. It adds to the already large pile of cash deposited in the Phoenician merchant’s box. I’m red with shame, my head bowed, eyes fixed on the ground. There’s a nod of understanding between the master and his wife, the other girls are nudging each other with knowing, complicit looks. The Master nods to the merchant to depart, the Phoenician bows affectedly, retreating to the door without looking behind him. Two soldiers lift the box with the money, the merchant hands over two bags full of coins to the centurion for the bespoke escort service he’s received.
My value has increased dramatically since those two gold coins were first given to the robber who kidnapped me from my father's house, then I attracted five coins from that Viking, next ten coins were paid by the Phoenician merchant, and now I cannot even guess what my flesh is worth, the price of my skin, I know for certain that my virginity is precious.
The Master comes. With his hand he lifts up my chin, looks me in the eye, and asks something, I do not understand, I remain silent, my heart pounding. I’m blushing again, trembling. Udij responds for me, saying, 'Amica, Amica!' (From now on this will be my name, engraved on a copper plate on my slave-collar: 'Lucius Silius Satrianus owns the slave Amica', and after it in minuscules, 'tenemene fucia et revo camaedomnum et viventium in aracallisti'). (1)
A brief conversation between Lucius and his wife, then I’m entrusted to you. You take me by the hand, smiling at me. I turn to Udij, she is smiling at me, signalling me with her hand to go with you. I have not understood a word of what has been said, I do not know or understand this foreign language.
You take me with you into a nice room with paintings on the walls. The walls are tinted red, the wooden bed is covered with colorful cushions. You caress my face, brushing aside a lock of hair that’s escaped the ribbon holding the ponytail. Your dark eyes are exploring the transparency of mine, your smile reassures me. You give a kiss on the cheek, your hands now caressing my arms, with your right hand resting on my bosom you say: 'Amica', then bringing it to rest on yours, 'Eulalia '.
I am your servant, the slave of a slave. I rest my face on your breast and cry, you comfort me, wiping away my tears with your fingers. I do not know if I’m crying from sadness or delight, maybe both, but I am happy not to be the prey of a man, not having to lie in bed with one who would ruin my treasure chest. We look deep into each other’s eyes, a hint of smile, then I sign with my right hand to my mouth and my left hand to my stomach. You understand right away, a clap of your hands, a slavewoman enters, there’s a short conversation, she goes away and comes back with a tray full of food.
(1) arrest me if I run away and bring me back in the beautiful house of my master.
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Velut Luna
Sibilla Cumana
Not the wife of Master, Eulalia is a slave, she is one of the most important in the master's home, she is a preceptor, she know Greek and Latin, Amica is almost illiterate and is the 'ancilla' of Eulalia..(I am your servant, the slave of a slave.). but all is clear in the next parts...
RacingRodent
Consul
Indeed from what little description we have of Roman domestic orderings (among the upper classes we have even less for the lower orders) such arrangements seemed fairly commonplace, you might think of it as an apprenticeship or even an internship squared
Velut Luna
Sibilla Cumana
LittleSiss
Sorceress
I said it to you before Luna. You have a wonderful way of opening the mind so that pictures fill your head.
This is even better!
This is even better!
P
Pia
Guest
This is fascinating!
cxslave
Chain Slave
Ah I understand now! So Eulalia is "First girl" or "head slave." Like RR said it makes perfect sense that a large, rich household would have so many slaves someone like Eul would be necessary as an important link between Masters and slaves. Amica is very lucky indeed to be chosen as the personal assistant to the first girl. This puts her in a position of relative power among the slaves.
P
Pia
Guest
You write so beautifully!
P
Pia
Guest
Totally true!
Velut Luna
Sibilla Cumana
Velut Luna
Sibilla Cumana
The map of Pompeii is placed here before for understand the next part I'm writing. All captions are in English, very easy for you all to remember the map.
It's a useful map of the Forum Amica, thanks for posting it -
it will indeed set the scene for the next episode (from what you've told me
)
but perhaps we should point out though that it doesn't show the house
where Amica has arrived to join the 'slave-staff',
actually The House of the Faun, near the small Temple of Fortuna,
to the north of the Forum so off the bottom of the map.
As described in your story:
'Passing along the entire length of the Forum, our wagon takes the lane to the right of the great temple [of Jupiter] that occupies the entire width of the square, and passes the columns of the entry arch of the Forum [TRIUM ARCH on map]. We ride [ahead, off the map] along another stretch of well-paved road, then arrive at a small temple where we turn right onto a very long street. At the second crossing, we turn left, and stop. The Phoenician merchant enters the building through a door with a pair of columns at the sides, not the main entrance of the building, we seem to have passed that just before turning.'
it will indeed set the scene for the next episode (from what you've told me
)but perhaps we should point out though that it doesn't show the house
where Amica has arrived to join the 'slave-staff',
actually The House of the Faun, near the small Temple of Fortuna,
to the north of the Forum so off the bottom of the map.
As described in your story:
'Passing along the entire length of the Forum, our wagon takes the lane to the right of the great temple [of Jupiter] that occupies the entire width of the square, and passes the columns of the entry arch of the Forum [TRIUM ARCH on map]. We ride [ahead, off the map] along another stretch of well-paved road, then arrive at a small temple where we turn right onto a very long street. At the second crossing, we turn left, and stop. The Phoenician merchant enters the building through a door with a pair of columns at the sides, not the main entrance of the building, we seem to have passed that just before turning.'
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Velut Luna
Sibilla Cumana
and here:
Pompei Map by Pompeionline.net
https://maps.google.it/maps/ms?msid=203702705023246089166.0004c8c8a04529ec7ba4a&msa=0&dg=feature
Last edited by a moderator:
Velut Luna
Sibilla Cumana
The Faun is a statue find in the house
the property is of Lucius Silius Satrianus.
(Archaeologists discovered an inscription bearing the cognomen Saturninus, suggesting that the dwelling was owned by the important gens, or clan, Satria; a ring bearing the family name Cassius was also found, indicating that someone of the Cassii family married into the gens Satria and lived in the House of the Faun)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_of_the_Faun
