Richard
Corlett
7326853
2/24/12
Assignment
6: Details of everyday life
With his senses on high
alert Appius surveyed the landscape. The sun was rising and shadows from the
moonlight were beginning to fade. Appius thought to himself where someone would
hide if they knew that the other slaves would be rising soon to begin their day’s
work. Then he saw her, scared and dressed in his missing tunic. She looked beaten,
dirty, and malnourished. Appius approached her cautiously as she appeared
scared. “Do not worry, I will not hurt you”, Appius said gently. “What is your
name?”
The woman answered, “I
am Adelphe”. Appius recognized this as a Greek name; she was not from Rome. He
also noticed that she was wearing a tag which read, “I have run away, please
return me”. She was a runaway slave. “Where are you from?” asked Appius. “Far
from here.” she responded. Appius knew
that since she was from a place outside of Rome, it was unlikely that anyone
would recognize her. He offered to take her to the market and get her something
to eat.
They traveled together
down Palatine Hill and into the Forum. It was morning now and the Forum was
already starting to fill with people. Today was a market day and people were
getting ready to purchase the food they would need until the next one eight
days later. The familiar smell of burning wood filled the air from the fire
burning inside of the Temple Vesta. Vesta was the goddess of hearth, the fire
which brings warmth and food. This reminded Appius that he needed to get
something for Adelphe to eat.
The month was February,
the month of purification and mourning. One of Appius’s tasks was obtaining
some februa for the purification ritual of throwing it into the fire. Appius
knew of a merchant who had this and a stand selling cooked meat in the Horrea,
so they began walking east across the Forum.
