"The only certain thing, is that nothing is certain, and nothing is more wretched or more proud than man"
- Gaius Plinius Secundus Plinius Hist. Nat. II, 7
It is difficult for anyone see whatever they hold dear to wither and fade. Witnessing the world around you break down, dying in front of you. The feelings that one would feel, the uncontrollable emotions, all heavily weighs down upon one's back, anchoring the soul to the whims of the mind. Thus a man cannot help but reminisce about the past. Mark Anthony, an accomplished military general and now lictor to the new consul, has lived his entire life within the walls of this once great city. Growing up, he witnessed the many triumphs celebrating the glory of Roma's conquest. This city was his world, he grew up in this city, and he grew up for this city. It saddens him, to see his world crumble, it hurts him to realize how powerless he is, and it angers him, to know the reason of its demise.
So when a single spark of hope, in the form of Julius, presented itself to Mark Anthony, he could not help but be doubtful of the things to come. Sure, in his mind he knew that there is always a possibility for betterment, that maybe...just maybe...this time, it will be different, something will finally bring change...something...Grand...
"Ave! Consul Julius!"
"Ave!...Ave!...AVE!"
"AVE! AVE! AVE!..."
The curia was resonating with the unified chants of the senate. The walls seemingly shaking from the rumble of the voices. Mark Anthony found himself facing a haunting sight, the senate bestowing the title of dictator so readily to the new consul. His eyes, fixated only to the sight of the man at the center of it all, Julius. A rising beat could be heard, similar to the war-drums he is oh so familiar with. Was it from the glorified chant? the frantic claps? or the solid stomps of their feet...he does not know where this sound was coming from...what this sound was even supposed to be...but he has heard this sound before, not too long ago even...
"Ave! my Lord!"
"Thank you lord consul"
"ave!...Ave!...AVE!"
It was the day before, the visage of that scene still lingering in the mind of Mark Anthony. A large crowd, chanting in the name of Julius, whether it be a form of gratitude, honor, or glory. The same beat could still be heard, ever so steady and echoing within his mind. Again, Julius was at the center, being showered by many words and praises that almost seem like nothing to him. Be it in front of the people or the senate, his face never changed, it all stayed the same, showing a face of drive, conviction, purpose...ambition...
Mark Anthony did not know what had become of him, no matter what happened around him, his attention was only directed towards the poised stature of the man in front of him, Julius. It was almost like he had gone blind, everything was blurry, and only one thing was clear...there was a path, a path that he did not know yet where it lead.
"Let us go address the people..."
The sound of Julius's voice brought him out of his daze, as the bloodied hand of the consul rests on his shoulder. He uttered no word in response, only a nod as he postured his body to be ready, prepared to follow the words of the now dictator. Everyone from within the curia followed Julius outside, be they from any allegiances, one way or another, they were all compelled to follow. Yelled at, ordered, of their own will...everyone from the hall brought themselves to face the people, to hear...the drums...
Walking past the great pillars, the figure of Julius slowly revealed itself to the awaiting crowd. A chaotic symphony of voices emanate from the people bellow, flooding the space with incoherent discourse, as the grief stricken people still search for an answer, any answer from the senate or Julius. He held his bloodied hand up high, it was a simple but effective gesture, as the sight of the blood dripping from the grasps of the consul was more than enough to bring forth silence.
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"Hear me people of Roma, you have all been wronged, wronged by the senate, wronged by the guards, and wronged by me..."
He marks his chest piece with blood before continuing...
"It is insurmountable, the amount of pain and suffering these men in front of you have inflicted, be it deliberate, through negligence, or a product of inaction..."
He turns his head one by one towards the members of the senate before looking back towards the people...
"Your sons are dead...Pompey the Great, is dead. Our city faces the dark future of capitulation, and our children face the grim fate of slavery..."
Julius points at the ruins...
"Look around you, upon the houses that shelter you, upon the walls that protect you, and upon the roads that carry you...everything is in ruin."
He grasps his hands again...
"Undeniable is this reality, so much misery, so much anguish, and there is more to come haha...we are the people behind all of this, all of the blood is on our hands...all of your hope...has been crushed by our hands."
He clenches again, allowing himself to bleed more before declaring...
"But not anymore...look here my noble people, look upon my bloodied fists! from this day forwards, every wound, every death, and every sin...will all be on MY HANDS"
Julius presents his palms towards the people...
"Forget the men behind me, focus only on this animal in front of you! My name is Gaius Julius Caesar, former consul, now dictator of Roma. Chosen! by the men who have wronged you, now standing, in front of all those who have been wronged."
He paints his face with the fresh blood from his hands. Donning the symbol of Jupiter. Triumphantly, he shouts...
"By your grace! and by the Gods! I will lead myself to eternal damnation for all of you to be lead to the path of glory!"
"Use me as your torch, to guide yourselves from the darkness that we have brought upon you!"
He again raises his fist, presenting his wounds to the masses. Julius bows his head down before solemnly asking...
"Romans!...Please!...give me the honor of dying for you!"
An immediate cheer followed the heavy words of Julius. His rugged and beaten up appearance becomes clear now to the on-seeing masses, this sight only fuelled the now seemingly unwavering support for the dictator. Their answer was clear, Yes. Julius showed them a glimpse of a better future, he brought to them the embers to create a bright and glorious flame...he gave the people hope. Julius Fondatore, has brought hope to the hopeless...
The senate, while a bit confused by Julius's emphatic speech, join in the celebration. They wanted this after all, they wanted a martyr, and what they got was not just a simple sacrifice, but a will one, a very willing one. All of the members were visibly ecstatic, all but two, Crassus and Quintus. Quintus was just as confused as he was happy, never, even in his wildest imaginations did he expect a result such as this.
"What is wrong with that man..."
He thought to himself as he basks in the situation. Many thoughts went through his head, all of them easily dismissed as at the end of the day, his plan followed through. Crassus, on the other hand, was was very surprised, he also never expected such a driven speech from a man who was meant to be a political sacrifice. He now had much more respect for Julius, both as a politician as well as a person. Whether this individual will find success or not, Crassus now looks forward to the future of his career as dictator.
"Ave Julius!"
"ave!...Ave!...AVE!"
"AVE! AVE! AVE!"
The crowd shouts, screaming Julius's name in glory from all corners of Rome. Beggars, merchants, senators, children...in that moment Roma hailed the name of Julius.
"There it is again..."
Whispers Mark Anthony to himself, the audible beats of a drum, only now, the tempo is rising by the second. Again, he looks for the source. But no matter how hard he tries to find the answer from observing his surroundings, he still can't seem to find the source of the sound. Its the same sight, this image that has been seared into his mind by now, the image of Julius's glory at the center of a crowd of people...at the center...of Romans...Julius showed them a glimpse of a better future, he brought to them the embers to create a bright and glorious flame...he gave the people hope. Julius brought hope to the hopeless...
The sound got louder and louder, eventually it silenced the cheers of the people around him. Feeling overwhelmed, Mark Anthony grasped his chest, and it was then that he finally realized where that sound was coming from...
"Ah...so thats what it was..."
It was the pounding beat of his heart...