Waking up just as the sun rises, he
stands outside his master’s beautiful two story stone house, admiring the far
off Tiber River and the colorful gleams of the sunrise on the water. As he
gradually makes his way down the Palatine Hill, he watches the inflow of people
rushing into the Forum for their early morning errands. Making his way into the
Forum, he admires the small, round, white marble Temple of Vesta to his left,
taking a careful look at the 20 fluted columns that hold the Temple together.
And to his right he sees the shrine of Regia, hoping to one day meet the king
that lives inside. Slowly continuing to make his way into the Forum, he takes a
moment to honor Emperor Augustus at the Arcus Augusti.
After
much walking he begins to feel his feet starting to ache as he feels the gravel
of the Forum through his sandals, finally making his way to the market. The
large columns that support the massive halls of Basilica Aemilia create an open
and welcome atmosphere, where he stops to listen to a court case, accompanied
by numerous men and slaves who are also interested, along with a tutor who
stops his teachings to listen in.
He
soon realizes that he has wasted too much time lingering the Forum and makes
his way into the market which is swarming with merchants selling their various
goods, and slaves who were, along with himself, sent to do their master’s
errands.
