Marcus’s
body ached. He had been in the same position for days. He knew that he would
die from thirst and starvation today. When he had been lowered into the second
lower level of the tullianum, he had
immediately fallen into deep despair. The Mamertine prison was usually reserved
for famous prisoners. The fact that he
was thrown here meant he posed a great threat to the members of the Senate.
What was even worse is that he knew what his fate would be: just like all the
Mamertine prisoners, he would be killed via starvation and then flushed out of
the Cloaca Maxima. The builders had been wise in connecting the cistern drain
to the large sewer. It made flushing out cadavers that much easier.
In
the aftermath of Julius Caesar’s death, rumors of a plebian accomplice to
Brutus abounded. Some Romans were skeptical – what praetor would stoop low enough to collude with an ordinary pleb?
But others were not so sure. Involving a plebian could be a political tool, as
if they were saying “we weren’t the only ones who wanted Caesar dead; ordinary
citizens like this man did too!” However, the meager justification was not
enough for most and Marcus was thankful that no formal investigation was
conducted. But once he knew he was safe, his thoughts quickly became enraged.
To be used as a tool for evil was more than he could bear. So in order to right
the wrong, he hatched a plan to reveal the opulent corruption of the politicos.
He took it as a good omen that when he initially thought of the plan, he
sneezed right as an eagle passed overhead. He immediately went to then Temple
of Jupiter and offered sacrifices in gratitude and for good luck. He also said
a prayer to Justitia, asking for her guidance in his righteous endeavor. Little
had he known that his plan would backfire, leaving him in the clutches of the
corrupt Senate.
A drop
of water fell loudly into a small collecting pool nearby, drawing Marcus out of
his reverie. He shouldn’t lose focus now since he was so close to death. Marcus
had been delirious from dehydration for days. He knew he was close. He wanted
to die. It was too painful being alive. Goodbye world, he thought. Salve, Hades.
