As the sun rises over Palatine Hill,
Quintus eagerly waits for his master Titus to leave the house with his wife
Lucilla. Quintus knows that once they
leave for the circus, he will be free to roam the city and partake in the
festivities for the rest of the day. It
is a festival day, and even the slaves of Rome have a lighter work load. And as members of the equestrian class, Titus
and his wife will be gone for the day socializing with their upper class friends
and feasting at the grand banquet.
Quintus plans to make the most of this rare free time.
Once Titus and his wife are out of
sight, Quintus quickly makes his way towards the circus maximus to watch the
games. As he climbs down the steep steps
Palatine Hill, he can hear the music and murmur of the crowds from the circus
procession. The procession winds around
Palatine Hill with the magistrates leading the way. Boys follow on horseback, their togas
flapping in the wind. While quickening
his pace in anticipation of the circus, Quintus watches the parade of
musicians, dancers, and incense bearers encircling Palatine Hill. He admires the intricate carvings of the
deities on the carts pulled by the vessel bearers.
Quintus approaches the Circus Maximus,
impressed by its grandeur and the enormous amount of Romans it can fit within
its rectangular walls. Because admission
to the circus is free, spectators from all classes gather to watch the
games. As a slave, he must stand to
watch the chariot race. Other slaves
turn the stone turning post to mark which lap the race is on. After the race, the crowd cheers as free
bread is thrown into the stands. Quintus
looks at the laughing, joyous faces of Rome all around him and, at least for
this moment, is grateful to live in such a city.
