The big heist was a collaborative effort. Days before the games began, Trimalchio, the opulent freedman, finally invited all members of the team to his home to devise the final scheme. Already, Pius saw the incoming shipments and traffic coming in for the great extravaganza; all the exotic animals, slaves, and entertainers from the conquered world. For the next week, the focal point of Rome was the Circus Maximus. All of Caesar’s senator puppets were celebrating the recent victories in Hispania and they wanted to put on a spectacle of epic proportion.
Pius approached the doorway of Trimalchio’s little palace and heard loud talk coming from the darkened dining room. Suddenly, a slave emerged.
“This way, please,”
“Ah, there he is. Pius come sit here,” called Trimalchio in his usual opulent toga. “I sent the messengers an hour ago…But it must be all the lions they’re bringing in, creating terrible crowd in the city.”
“Who are they?” Pius looked at the men in the dimly lit corner, where Trimalchio’s many slaves were serving food to a couple men and a woman.
“They’re the other assistants in our little job. Come meet them, they’re just finishing the supper I gave them. We were waiting for you.” Trimalchio got up and hobbled over.
Putting his hand on the shoulder of one of the younger men, Trimalchio said, “ Here is our most valuable source of information on the bets. This is Decimus Appius Pullo.”
“You are the soldier?” asked Pius.
“Yes”, responded the soldier. “ I fought at the Battle of Munda a month ago and my legion has been relieved.”
“And why aren’t you as satisfied with your pay as the rest of Caesar’s legionaries?”, questioned Pius.
“Caesar is a reasonable man. He knows soldiers are more loyal to his coin than the Republic. When he takes a city, he doesn’t starve his soldiers. He gives them everything they would want. And right now, there are thousands of us coming home, drunk with victory. I am not one to pass up on such an opportunity. As for the whole cult thing, I don’t understand it. Caesar is only mortal.”
“Explain to him as you did me earlier,” said Trimalchio.
The soldier, Decimus, reached into a small bag inside his toga and pulled out a small silver coin and handed it to Pius Aelius Cinna. On the front was a profile of Gaius Julius Caesar and the letters, “DICT”. He turned it over and saw the embossed depiction of Venus’s face.
“There are ten thousand men coming home with bags of these silver Venus coins. I guarantee that all ten thousand are going to bet on Green at the triumphal games. The Green chariot rider is one of Caesar’s favorites.”
