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Authors: Alan Scribner
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slaves.”
“What about the time that Secundus threw his clothes about. His tunic landed on Andromache on his right and his silk
synthesis
landed on Pudens’ couch on his left. Is that right?”
“Yes,” answered Eudoxia on Secundus’ couch.
“That’s right,” joined in Zoe from Pudens’ couch. “It must have been of a very fine gauzy material because it sort of floated down. It landed right at the edge of the table and the couch, covering some cups and half the food platters.”
“Who removed it?” asked the judge, leaning forward in his chair.
No one could say.
“Ganymede?” asked Severus.
“Not very likely,” said Andromache. “If he was servicing my couch with Philogenes, what would he be doing over at Pudens’ or the Prefect’s couches, on a different side of the table.”
“And I don’t remember him ever at my couch with Pudens,” said Zoe. “Some of the other guests passed by at various times like Secundus or Petamon or Isarion or Serpentinus. I remember that, but none of the slaves that attended us were Ganymede.”
“But not Philogenes,” interjected Andromache, who had been on the same couch as the Homeric scholar. “He never left our couch at all.”
“I agree,” said Aurora. “At one time or another all the guests except Philogenes came to the Prefect’s couch to say a word or two.”
“So let me sum this up,” said Severus, “and tell me if any of you disagree. Of the guests, everyone except Philogenes passed by the Prefect’s couch. Of the slaves, they all stayed where they were assigned so only the two young girls were at the Prefect’s couch. Ganymede only served the couches he was behind and was never at the Prefect’s or Pudens’ couch.”
Severus looked at the
hetairai
, one after the other. No one disagreed.
“But then,” said Selene, “if Ganymede never was at the Prefect’s couch or at Pudens’, how could he possibly have poisoned...?” She stopped in mid-sentence.
The girls all looked at each other quizzically.
Judge Severus didn’t say a word. His face flashed a brief show of triumph and then he fought to contain rising anger. His fists clenched involuntarily. He rose from his chair, turned and stalked out.
IX
QUESTIONING THE
QUAESTIONARIUS
AND CONFRONTING SECUNDUS
T here was just one more piece of evidence the judge was after. “If Ganymede was innocent,” Severus put it to his staff, “why would he confess?”
“He was tortured,” said Vulso. “He couldn’t take it.”
“Exactly,” replied the judge with a wan smile. “So now we’ll question his torturer.”
Though most judicial torture was carried out in public as a salutary example of judicial authority and power to show the populace that the government was doing everything possible to solve crimes, there were also inside torture chambers for more secretive interrogations.
Severus and Flaccus descended the steps to the basement of the Hadrianum, where the inside judicial torture chamber was located. The court
quaestionarius
was waiting for them at the door. He was a short stocky man, with enormous shoulders, a neck like a bull, and the small red cap of his low profession onhis head. He introduced himself as Rufus, opened the door with a key that hung from his belt and let them in the room.
As a judge, Severus was familiar with the arrangement. One part was the exact replica of a courtroom, with the Tribunal, a low platform for the magistrate, with three camp chairs on it; one for the judge, one for his assessor and one for the stenographer. On one side of the Tribunal was the statue of Jupiter Fidius, whose presence was necessary for an official Roman court, and on the other the court’s water clock.
There was also a table for whips and another for medical equipment and a
furca
, a “Y” shaped wooden post to which the unfortunate victim was fastened during the inquiry.
“I have found in the court records, Rufus,” began the judge directly, “that you applied the
“What about the time that Secundus threw his clothes about. His tunic landed on Andromache on his right and his silk
synthesis
landed on Pudens’ couch on his left. Is that right?”
“Yes,” answered Eudoxia on Secundus’ couch.
“That’s right,” joined in Zoe from Pudens’ couch. “It must have been of a very fine gauzy material because it sort of floated down. It landed right at the edge of the table and the couch, covering some cups and half the food platters.”
“Who removed it?” asked the judge, leaning forward in his chair.
No one could say.
“Ganymede?” asked Severus.
“Not very likely,” said Andromache. “If he was servicing my couch with Philogenes, what would he be doing over at Pudens’ or the Prefect’s couches, on a different side of the table.”
“And I don’t remember him ever at my couch with Pudens,” said Zoe. “Some of the other guests passed by at various times like Secundus or Petamon or Isarion or Serpentinus. I remember that, but none of the slaves that attended us were Ganymede.”
“But not Philogenes,” interjected Andromache, who had been on the same couch as the Homeric scholar. “He never left our couch at all.”
“I agree,” said Aurora. “At one time or another all the guests except Philogenes came to the Prefect’s couch to say a word or two.”
“So let me sum this up,” said Severus, “and tell me if any of you disagree. Of the guests, everyone except Philogenes passed by the Prefect’s couch. Of the slaves, they all stayed where they were assigned so only the two young girls were at the Prefect’s couch. Ganymede only served the couches he was behind and was never at the Prefect’s or Pudens’ couch.”
Severus looked at the
hetairai
, one after the other. No one disagreed.
“But then,” said Selene, “if Ganymede never was at the Prefect’s couch or at Pudens’, how could he possibly have poisoned...?” She stopped in mid-sentence.
The girls all looked at each other quizzically.
Judge Severus didn’t say a word. His face flashed a brief show of triumph and then he fought to contain rising anger. His fists clenched involuntarily. He rose from his chair, turned and stalked out.
IX
QUESTIONING THE
QUAESTIONARIUS
AND CONFRONTING SECUNDUS
T here was just one more piece of evidence the judge was after. “If Ganymede was innocent,” Severus put it to his staff, “why would he confess?”
“He was tortured,” said Vulso. “He couldn’t take it.”
“Exactly,” replied the judge with a wan smile. “So now we’ll question his torturer.”
Though most judicial torture was carried out in public as a salutary example of judicial authority and power to show the populace that the government was doing everything possible to solve crimes, there were also inside torture chambers for more secretive interrogations.
Severus and Flaccus descended the steps to the basement of the Hadrianum, where the inside judicial torture chamber was located. The court
quaestionarius
was waiting for them at the door. He was a short stocky man, with enormous shoulders, a neck like a bull, and the small red cap of his low profession onhis head. He introduced himself as Rufus, opened the door with a key that hung from his belt and let them in the room.
As a judge, Severus was familiar with the arrangement. One part was the exact replica of a courtroom, with the Tribunal, a low platform for the magistrate, with three camp chairs on it; one for the judge, one for his assessor and one for the stenographer. On one side of the Tribunal was the statue of Jupiter Fidius, whose presence was necessary for an official Roman court, and on the other the court’s water clock.
There was also a table for whips and another for medical equipment and a
furca
, a “Y” shaped wooden post to which the unfortunate victim was fastened during the inquiry.
“I have found in the court records, Rufus,” began the judge directly, “that you applied the
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