The Winemaker
by Theresa Black

'Mihi nomen est Calpurnia Valeria, sed cum ego natus eram dicitur Sextus, sexta vivum puerum parentes mei, et in tantum puer.' ('My name is Calpurnia Valeria, but when I was born I was called Sextus, the sixth living child of my parents and the only boy.')

I read the neat Latin script on the roll of parchment a second time. No, there was no mistake, it said 'puer' (boy) not 'puella' (girl), and 'Sextus' not 'Sexta'.

Intrigued, I read on, but first, let me introduce myself. My name is Hermoine Postlethwaite, and I am an Emeritus Professor of Linguistics. Since my retirement, and living alone with only a cat called Felis for company, I have volunteered my services at a large British museum. Many artifacts are stored in the basement due to lack of display space or because they are of little interest to the general public. Among them are many ancient documents and with my knowledge of so-called 'dead' languages such as Latin or ancient Greek, I like to help out when I can by translating some of them into English.

The following document was written in classical Latin on a large scroll of parchment in the first or early second century AD, by an obviously wealthy person, and tells an interesting story. How it came to be stored in the museum I have no idea. Two things I should point out; the writer's indifference to slavery will rightly shock modern readers, but at that time it was commonplace in Italy, Greece, and other Middle Eastern countries, indeed their economies depended on it. Secondly, there are some graphic descriptions of sexual congress. Provided a man, even a married man was the dominant partner in a relationship, it was quite acceptable for him to take a young male lover, although for two women to become intimate was not acceptable at all. As an academic, it is not my place to Bowdlerise text, but to translate and record it exactly as it is written as a true record of ancient times. Here, then, is the story of Calpurnia Valeria as she recorded it. I have divided it into chapters for ease of reading.

My name is Calpurnia Valeria, but when I was born I was called Sextus, the sixth living child of my parents and the only boy. Let me explain. My father, Marcellus Domitius, was a centurion in the Second Legion Augusta, at that time deployed in Britannia, and my mother Julia Domitia lived in Rome. My father came home on leave about once a year and since he loved my mother, it was not surprising that by the time he returned to the legion, she would find herself pregnant and would give birth before my father's next visit. So it was that they decided on a name for a boy or girl should one be born, and thus I was named Sextus because I was their sixth living child, and sadly also the last.

My mother was a small woman, according to my wet nurse whom I met many years later. She strived to give birth to me for two days and two nights and when I was finally born, the midwife held me up for my mother to see, and she gave one tired smile and then fell back on the pillow, dead. It seems her heart could no longer work after the strain it had been put through. My father always blamed me for my mother's death, which I felt was very unfair as more than anything in the world I would have loved her to live. Instead, her unmarried sister Claudia came to look after the children, five girls, and me. She was reluctant to do this but felt it was her duty.

My father was a good provider, and he finally married Claudia but they did not have children. We were all well educated, but when I was fourteen, my father was killed in a skirmish with the Celts. Claudia didn't know about this for many months, and with his death, his pay stopped. Our education ceased and we were forced to find work in order to survive, my aunt made that very clear. I was apprenticed to a baker. It was clean work but I found it very boring and it was not well paid since the baker felt it was reasonable to pay half my wages in bread. This helped with the household economy but left me with very little money of my own.

The baker had another apprentice, a handsome lad called Atticus. Both of us being in the second decade of our lives, we were becoming interested in girls, but parents were very protective of their daughters' virginity, something I can understand now that I am older, and as a result young men often turned to each other to explore their increasing interest in sex. This was the case with Atticus and me. He was already experienced, something I was not, and as a result, he was the teacher and I was the pupil. I learned how to kiss deeply, using my tongue to explore Atticus's mouth as he explored mine. From there he taught me the techniques of making a lover aroused, but he could see that I was nervous and didn't offer to initiate me into the next step of being lovers. Atticus told me that he was for a while the lover of a Roman general who had first met him while buying some bread at the baker's shop, but like all military men, he was posted to another province and so the relationship had ended.

“I really enjoyed him,” he said with a sigh. “He was a wonderful lover.”

Atticus always seemed to have plenty of money. I wondered where he got it from and one day he told me.

“I entertain men for money,” he said.

“Do you mean you sing for them?” I asked and he laughed. “In a sort of way I do, but not what you are thinking. Why don't I show you? You are a good-looking boy and maybe you would like to earn some extra money too.”

The following evening after work, I went with Atticus to his second place of work, having told my aunt that I was going to visit a friend. We stopped at the door of a house down a narrow alley and Atticus gave the door a series of knocks that seemed to be a code. It was opened by an older man wearing a toga who smiled at us. “Hello, Atticus, who's your friend?”

“Hello Felix, this is Sextus; he might be interested in working for you, so I brought him along to see what the work entails.” Felix smiled, showing his teeth, and for some reason I was put in mind of a shark I had once seen in a fish market. He couldn't have had a more appropriate name since his business was to make his customers happy.

“By all means, please enter,” he said with a bow, stepping aside to allow us to enter the house. “I'm so glad you're here Atticus, one of your clients, Gaius, has just arrived and was asking if you were free to entertain him. I shall go and tell him to prepare for you.”

Atticus told me that there were a number of bedrooms in the house. Naive though I was, I was getting an idea of what the business conducted there was. He opened a door and led me down a narrow corridor and stopped at one spot. “Here is a peephole,” he said. “Felix uses it to check on the clients and staff. Wait here and you'll see me and Gaius shortly.” With that, he left me. About five minutes later peering through the hole, I heard the door of the room open and could see Atticus enter, followed by a man about forty years old whom I assumed was Gaius. Atticus turned to him and they began to embrace and kiss. Then Atticus removed his tunic and naked he began to kiss Gaius again who fondled his body, especially between his legs.

Gaius must have whispered something because Atticus dropped to his knees, and reaching under the man's toga, lifted it up to expose his rigid member which he now proceeded to fondle and kiss. I couldn't tear my eyes away; Atticus and I had done the same with each other on many occasions, but now he was doing it with an older man. I could hear Gaius moaning as he ran his fingers through Atticus's hair and drew his head closer. Finally, Gaius must have said something else, because Atticus rose to his feet and lay with his stomach on the bed, spreading his legs. Gaius positioned himself behind Atticus and it was obvious what his intentions were. Soon he was thrusting away and grunting, while Atticus was mewing like a kitten. I remembered what he had said about 'sort of singing'. Finally, Gaius's body shook and after a minute or so, he withdrew and adjusted his toga again, throwing some coins on a small table beside the bed as a tip, and after expressing his thanks to Atticus, left the room.

I stood there, astonished at what I had seen. So this was how Atticus always seemed to have plenty of money. Atticus put on his tunic again and coming to where the peephole was smiled at me, saying. “That was easy wasn't it?”

Later, he asked me what I thought of it as a way of earning easy money.

“I've never done it; does it hurt?” I asked.

“Just the first couple of times, but some men like to deflower virgins so they pay you extra. In fact, you can lose your virginity a few times if you make sure to sound like it's hurting, but it actually becomes quite pleasant after a while.”

I was young and poor so I didn't need much persuading. It seemed like easy money and it was. Atticus was right, the first time it did hurt and I let out a yelp as the man forced himself through my natural defenses, but after a while, a feeling of pleasure filled my body as he drove his member deep inside me. I did pretend to be a virgin three more times, but it was one time too many, as the last time the man was experienced and growled at me “You're no virgin, I can tell a virgin. I'm going to make you beg for mercy.”

With that he pushed me face-down on the bed, forced himself upon me, and began to pound me so hard that I cried out loudly, begging him to stop, and hoping that Felix would hear and come to my rescue but to no avail.. The man didn't stop until he had filled me with his seed. As I lay sobbing and bruised on the bed, he roughly separated from me and after dressing, threw a denarius on the table, saying: “You weren't a virgin before and you certainly aren't one now. Don't try that again.” When I complained to Felix, he laughed and said he thought I was just enjoying myself. After that, I didn't pretend to be a virgin anymore.

I learned a lot about men by working in the brothel. For a start, I discovered that their manhoods varied greatly in length, thickness and shape, but every man wanted to believe that he was a stallion and it was my job to make him think so by being his mare. I also discovered that a man who was about seven or eight 'unciae' (inches) in length had the ability to excite the sensitive place deep inside me which brought me to the peak of ecstasy and a gushing forth of my seed, something which delighted my lover. If the man did not achieve this, either by reaching his peak too soon or not being large enough, then I indulged in a little play-acting to make him happy, explaining my lack of issue by saying I had already done so earlier that night.

There were some men who preferred that I should bring them to a climax with my lips and tongue, and even the occasional man who just wanted to talk. I felt sorry for them that they had nobody with whom they could be totally frank about their feelings and problems and I always lent them a sympathetic ear. Sometimes I kissed them goodbye on the lips and felt their bodies quiver with emotion. They always gave me a generous tip.

I worked in the brothel for a couple of years and then one day something happened that changed the course of my life. After finishing my shift at the bakery, I called at Atticus's house as usual so that we could go to work at Felix's together. He had resigned from the bakery some time previously, saying “Why should I get up at four o'clock in the morning and work for twelve hours when I can earn as much in less than two hours at Felix's?”

I couldn't disagree with his logic, but I felt that I couldn't leave the bakery since Aunt Claudia would wonder how I was earning my money and why I no longer brought bread home.

I knocked on Atticus's door and it was opened by a pretty young woman that I had never seen before, although she bore a resemblance to Atticus. I thought it might be his sister.

“Is Atticus in?” I asked, and the young woman laughed: “It's me, Atticus!” he said. I could hardly believe it.

When I recovered from my shock, I said: “Why are you dressed as a girl?”

“Felix is planning to open a new brothel in a seaside town called Pompeii about 150 milles (Roman miles) south of here,” he replied. “It's a port, so many sailors visit there, and it already has a number of brothels, so Felix wants to try something different with boys dressed as pretty girls. I think you would do that very well. Why don't we give it a try?”

I was intrigued. I had a secret even Atticus didn't know about. Being brought up in a house with Aunt Claudia, five sisters and one female slave, I had been envious of how all the females in the house except the slave, wore pretty tunics and stolae, some made of fine linen for special occasions. Our slave was skilled in applying their cosmetics and styling their hair, in fact, she was called a 'cosmeta'. On rare occasions when I was home alone, I tried wearing their clothes and loved the feel of them and how feminine they made me feel. Perhaps that was why I was so happy to give myself to men at Felix's house.

Now Atticus was suggesting that I dress as a young woman and perhaps work as one. How could I say 'no'? I entered the house and Atticus showed me to his room and produced a beautiful tunic and high-waisted floor-length stola and a woman's loincloth for me to wear. I quickly stripped and dressed in the clothes he gave me. Then he called in his 'cosmeta'. When she had finished applying kohl to my eyes, rouge to my cheeks, and styling my hair, which I wore quite long, I was shown the result in Atticus's bronze mirror. I was thrilled with the result but Atticus frowned.

“Wat's wrong?” I asked.

“You are more pretty than me,” was his reply as he smiled.

“Surely not!” I exclaimed.

“Yes you are and you're even blushing like a girl,” he laughed, which made my cheeks redden even more. I hardly needed the rouge but I was pleased with his remarks which I took as a compliment.

“So what are we going to call you?” he said.

“My wetnurse told me that my parents would have called me Calpurnia if I'd been born a girl, so why don't I use that?”

“Calpurnia! That's a really nice name,” said Atticus. “Don't forget that dressed like this I am called Attica.”

When we arrived at the house of Felix and he opened the door, he said 'Hello Attica, who's your friend?”

Atticus looked at me. “See? I told you he wouldn't recognize you!” Turning to Felix he said, “This is Calpurnia who you know as Sextus.”

Felix gaped at me. “Well, I must say that I'm impressed. So now I have two recruits for my Pompeii house; the sailors will be queuing up to ravish you. In fact, why don't I introduce you to the customers today? I can say that you are two visitors from Neapolis who will be working for me in Pompeii.”

Felix was the consummate businessman. As soon as his customers saw us they were clamoring to be the next to spend time with us and as a result, I earned more that night that I made in a week at the bakery.

To be continued:

The Winemaker
by Theresa Black

A month later, Felix told us that he had secured a house to use as his new brothel, and also another couple of young men who were happy to dress as girls and help to service the customers. I told Aunt Claudia that I had found a new job in Pompeii working in a 'hospitia' (hotel), and wanted a change of scenery. She had no objection to me going, especially when I promised to send her some money to look after my sisters, whom I'm sure she hoped to marry off soon. My sisters were sorry to see me go and I promised to come back and see them, not knowing that this would never happen. The baker was not happy to lose another apprentice, but I wasn't sorry to stop getting up at four o'clock in the morning. Now it would be more like the time that I usually retired for the night.

It was in the year of the Consulship of Titus and Vespasianus (79AD in the modern calendar) in the month of Martius that early one morning, Atticus and I took a 'raeda meritoria' south down the Via Appia. This was a covered wagon with four wheels, drawn by horses and more luxurious than an open cart drawn by oxen. We shared it with a husband and his wife, thus defraying the hire cost, but we were quite well off now and able to afford the fee. We told them that we were sisters traveling to visit a friend in Pompeii. The journey took several days and we finally alighted near Pompeii, where a cart had been arranged to pick us up and take us and our luggage the rest of the way.

As we traveled towards the town, my eyes were drawn to the mountain Vesuvius, a volcano only a few miles from Pompeii. I had heard that a volcano was a mountain that could spew forth fire and smoke, but this one looked quiet and I heard from our traveling companions that it had not erupted within living memory and nobody seemed too concerned about it. However, some years previously there had been a major earthquake in Pompeii which had destroyed many buildings but most of these had now been repaired or rebuilt. The town had many fine buildings and was also an excellent port where many goods were unloaded and taken by road to Rome and other cities. We said goodbye to our traveling companions who were only going to Pompeii for a holiday, so we never saw them again which was probably just as well.

We arrived at the house which Felix had rented. It was quite large and was able to accommodate us in a shared bedroom, as well as having a number of bedrooms where we would ply our trade, each leading off the atrium (entrance hall). Slaves had been hired including a cook, cleaners, and a 'cosmeta' to attend to our hair and makeup, which was very important in making us look like pretty girls, even though the clients would know that we were not. They were all well treated and seemed happy enough in their work.

Felix arrived a couple of weeks after us and so did the other two young men who would be servicing clients. Felix's philosophy was to start small and increase staff once the business was established. There was to be a grand opening with feasting and we would be dressed as pretty girls in stolae of silk with flowers in our hair, looking very glamorous. We would not be servicing any clients that day but the word would be passed around that we were open for business on the following day from after noon until late at night. A manager had been engaged to look after the business as Felix intended to return to Rome after a couple of weeks once he was sure that things were working well, and then visit Pompeii from time to time..

I greatly enjoyed working in Pompeii. It was a beautiful town and on my days off, I enjoyed wandering around, always presenting as a girl, sometimes attending the games in the amphitheatre. I especially liked to watch the gladiators. Some people think that gladiators always fought to the death but this is a mistake since they were far too valuable for that. I enjoyed watching their skills with the various implements that they used, swords, shields, nets, tridents, and daggers. To be honest I also loved looking at their muscular bodies, gleaming with sweat as they fought each other.

When I first arrived in Pompeii, I was startled to feel the ground trembling on a fairly regular basis, sometimes I barely felt it and sometimes the earthquake was quite violent. However, I noticed that local residents barely noticed the tremors and after a while neither did I.

While I enjoyed entertaining men, I was aware that time was passing and I worried that I would start to look like a man in woman's clothing. One of the other girls, who used the name Livia, told me about an old woman herbalist in the town whose products she used to stay looking young and feminine. One day I called at her house and the door was opened by a woman who looked about thirty at a guess.

“Good morning, may I speak to Aurelia?” I said.

“I am Aurelia,” she replied.

I felt embarrassed as I stuttered, “Oh, I was expecting...”

“Somebody older? I am nearly sixty years old,” she replied, smiling at my confusion. If she was an advertisement for her wares, she was certainly a good one.

Aurelia invited me in and asked how she could help me. I had to be totally frank with her, first telling her how I earned my living and how I wished to preserve my youth and possibly look more feminine while still having a functional manhood. She listened to me and then said she could certainly help me.

“You wish to be what the Greeks call 'androgynous', meaning man and woman. I can help you,” she said. She produced a number of herbs and told me to soak them in hot water, drink the resulting fluid and report back on the effects in a few weeks. I paid her and returned to the house.

I followed her instructions and drank the fluid, foul-tasting though it was and slowly began to notice changes in my body. My skin seemed softer and while my manhood was still functional, I was starting to develop small breasts which was very pleasing. Aurelia was pleased with the changes too when I reported back to her.

“You will not develop a man's beard, but you can still perform as one if required,” she said

Time passed by and soon we reached the month of Augustus. Felix had returned to Pompeii for a while; he was very pleased with the way business was booming. I have mentioned that Pompeii was a port and so we entertained a number of sailors who were anxious to make up for months away from home. Besides getting drunk, many of them heard about the brothel where pretty girls were really boys, and they were anxious to sample its pleasures.

This particular evening, there were not many ships in port, so business was unusually quiet and the six girls (we had added another two to cope with the usual amount of trade) were sitting in the atrium gossiping as women do when a customer entered. I had heard women say that a man made them go weak at the knees but always thought it was an exaggeration – I was wrong. He was tall, handsome, and muscular and it was obvious from his dress that he was a sailor, but what a sailor! The moment I saw him my heart started to pound, my face flushed, and as I watched him survey us all,.I prayed to all the gods I knew that he would choose me.

Never let anyone tell you that the gods do not exist because he finally walked up to me and held out his hand. I took it and rose to my feet and led him into one of the bedrooms. I could feel the envious glances of the other girls watching us go, but I didn't care.

“What is your name, pretty one?” he said in a deep musical voice.

“Calpurnia, sir,” I replied.

“That's a pretty name, Calpurnia. It was the name of Gaius Julius Caesar's last wife. By chance, my name is Gaius Julius Valerius.”

This was unusual; most customers didn't ask my name and certainly didn't tell me theirs.

“You look so much like a young woman, Calpurnia, I think you will have to prove to me that you are what you claim to be.”

I understood what he meant, so I lifted my stola up to my waist, blushing as I did so which seems ridiculous in view of my occupation, but there was something about this man which was making me react quite differently to the way I interacted with other men.

Julius smiled at me and thanked me. “Now come and kiss me,” he commanded and I was only too ready to obey. He was taller than me so I tilted my head up and he covered my mouth with his own. As his tongue explored my mouth, he pulled me closer and it was very obvious to me that this was a real man and rapidly getting aroused. When our mouths finally parted I was panting for breath and my heart was racing.

“Now, pretty Calpurnia, would you like to show me what you can do?” he inquired. I knew exactly what he meant and I fell to my knees and reached for his ever-growing manhood. I set to work with all the techniques I had learned that give pleasure to a man and was rewarded by hearing him groan softly. I freed him from his tunic and took him in my mouth, using my tongue to stimulate him further. He ran his fingers through my hair and drew my head closer. He tasted wonderful, slightly salty like the sea that he came from.

After some minutes he asked me to lie on my back on the bed which I willingly did, lifting my stola above my waist. Julius slipped out of his tunic and naked he caused my heart to beat even faster, what a man he was! I bent my knees and spread my legs for him and he came between them and lifted my legs so that my ankles rested on his shoulders. My heart was pounding in anticipation and then I felt him enter me. I gasped. He was so big, and when he slid deep inside me, I clamped my muscles around him. He smiled down at me as he slowly began to thrust, and soon I could feel him stimulating my pleasure centre and I moaned and gasped.

Many of my customers paid no attention to my pleasure during our encounters, but Julius was different, it was obvious that he wanted to give me pleasure as he took his own. He rode me slowly and after a while when his thrusts became deeper and more urgent, I found my own pleasure building. By now he was leaning over me and my legs were clamped around his back as I tilted my pelvis to take every last inch of him inside me. When I finally felt his body shuddering with his climax and his hot seed filling me, then I too reached my pleasure climax.

We lay locked together for some minutes and he kissed me again as I felt him soften and slip out of me and both our hearts and breathing gradually slowed. I fully expected him to slip off the bed and dress himself, but he didn't. Instead, he lay beside me on the bed, looking at me and smiling.

“Did you enjoy yourself, Calpurnia?” he asked, knowing full well that I did.

“Oh yes, my lord, that was the most wonderful experience of my life!” I responded.

I saw his eyebrows rise and hurriedly said. “I know that sounds like something I say to every man I lie with, but I assure you I really mean it.”

I didn't want him to go, and I'm sure he knew it. He ran his hands over my body and kissed me again, and I ran my fingers over his manly chest and his arms, feeling his muscles. I didn't have to say anything, he knew that I wanted him inside me again. Finally, I let my hand drift down to his groin and I fondled him again and he began to respond. He rolled over onto his back and soon his manhood was stiff and vertical. I straddled him and lowered myself onto him and we made love again. Yes, this was not having sex, there was far more to it than that, we both felt that.

We both climaxed again and after that, we lay together and we slept. When I next opened my eyes, Julius was still lying beside me.. In the dim light of the lamp, I gazed at his handsome face in the repose of sleep and I realized that I could really love this man, but why think that? He would be getting up soon and leaving me, and unbidden my eyes filled with tears.

Julius opened his eyes and looked at me. “Why are you crying, pretty one?”

I brushed the tears from my eyes. “I suppose it's because you are a sailor and you will be leaving me soon and I may never see you again.”

He smiled. “My ship is still unloading and then loading goods. We don't leave until the dawn of the day after tomorrow, I could come back again tonight.”

“Oh yes please!” I cried. “I will be here waiting for you and I promise that no other man will have me before you come to me again.”

“Then let us seal that promise by coming together again,” said Julius and once more our bodies locked together.

When Julius finally left the house, I returned to my own room and then bathed before having my morning meal. For the rest of the day, I couldn't get Julius out of my head. Attica saw me and asked who the man had been: “All the girls envied you,” she said. “Will you see him again?”

“Yes, he is coming back again tonight and we will spend the whole night together I'm sure. However, he's a sailor so he will be leaving the following day.”

“Enjoy him while you can,” said Attica. “I will,” I replied.

I spend most of the afternoon getting ready for Julius, bathing, and selecting my finest silk stola which I only used for special occasions. I secured the services of the 'cosmeta' to paint my face and create an intricate hairstyle with flowers entwined in my hair and gave her a silver coin for her trouble. I was seated in the atrium half an hour before Julius was due to arrive and waiting in a fever of anticipation. Time passed and he did not arrive and over an hour past the appointed time, I was sitting very downcast, especially when one of the other girls, Diana, expressed the opinion that Julius had changed his mind. Then a voice I knew said “Calpurnia” and looking up I saw it was Julius. My heart leaped in my chest.

He led me to our reserved room without speaking further, but when we were alone he apologized for his tardiness saying that as the captain of his ship, the 'Golden Eagle', he had to take ultimate responsibility for everything and a problem with the stores had delayed him. That was the first time a man had ever apologized to me and only made me respect him the more. He asked if I thought he wasn't coming and of course, I lied and said that I was sure he had only been delayed, whereas the truth was I thought Diana was right and that he had found another source of entertainment.

It was after the second time our bodies came together and we were starting to doze that it happened. There was a roaring sound as loud as I had ever heard and suddenly the whole house started to shake. I clung to Julius in terror. There were crashing sounds as something, probably amphorae fell on the floor and smashed, and we heard someone scream. After what seemed like an hour, but was really about a minute, the shaking eased and gradually stopped.

“By the gods, that was quite an earthquake,” said Julius. “Have you ever experienced anything like that before?”

“Never,” I replied, “Although older residents tell me that there was a very bad tremor years ago which destroyed houses and some people were killed.”

“Well that one was quite strong enough for me,” said Julius. There was a pause and then he looked at me and said softly “Will you miss me when I'm gone?”

I couldn't help it, my eyes filled with tears. “Yes I will miss you very much,” I replied.

“There is an alternative. I have a vineyard on the island of Sardinia, and I use my ship to bring wine here for sale. It's not safe for you here. How would you feel about living with me there?”

“How would your wife feel about you bringing back a concubine?” I asked, and Julius laughed.

“I have no wife, though many women have tried to snare me. I think you would make a very good wife for me.”

I was speechless..

“Well, what do you say?” he asked. This was another crossroads in my life, my answer would determine my future, in more ways that I thought.

“Julius, I would love to be your wife. I would love you, honour you and obey you, but you hardly know me.”

“I know that, but I also know that you are exactly who I want. You combine the masculine and feminine in one body, you are educated and intelligent, and of course, you are beautiful. I could look for a hundred years and not find someone I want with me as much as I want you.”

I leaned over and kissed him. “In that case I am yours,” I said. To my surprise he slipped out of bed and reaching into a small pouch which he had worn around his waist, he produced a gold ring which he slipped on the third finger of my left hand and with that we were married.

“When we return to Sardinia we will have a wedding feast,” said Julius. “I would not wish either of us to be denied the pleasure of that. Now I must tell Felix that you are leaving his house. I know he will not be pleased, but you are a Roman citizen and not a slave so you can do as you wish.” He smiled: “I think a few gold coins might ease the pain of your loss for him.”

To be continued

The Winemaker
by Theresa Black

Things seemed to move so fast. Julius told me that he had spoken to Felix and intended to sail with the tide at sunrise the next day, so he wanted me to be on board as soon as possible. He sent a messenger to his ship to bring a sea chest to the house so that I could pack all my clothes and other belongings. Before we left I saw Attica and told her what was happening. She was shocked to hear that Julius had married me and gave me a hug and her best wishes

“Julius is concerned that the next tremor may destroy the house, maybe even the town.. Would you like me to ask him if you can come with us?” I asked.

Attica smiled. “What would I do in Sardinia? No, I think I will take my chances here. Everyone tells me that after a big tremor there are no more for many years.”

I also bade farewell to Felix and thanked him for all he had done for me. He wished me well and said he hoped I would have a happy life. Then Julius and I walked down to the port and the wharf where the 'Golden Eagle' was tied up. Julius helped me onto the deck of his ship. It was the first time I had ever been on a ship, and I looked around me with interest and told Julius that his ship was beautiful. He seemed to swell with pride. Then he called the crew from their labours for a moment and told them that I was his new wife and he expected them to treat me with great respect. They all touched their foreheads in acknowledgment of me.

As captain, Julius had a small cabin with a single bunk bed, a small table and a chair. That night we made love in the bed and then Julius left me to sleep in the bunk, while he slept in his chair. I was not really happy with that since I thought he would be uncomfortable, but there was no alternative. Even tied to the wharf, the ship rocked slightly and I was soon lulled to sleep.

When I awoke, it still seemed dark, but there was little light below decks. Julius was no longer in his chair and I could feel from the motion of the ship that we were at sea. I dressed in a tunic and woolen stola and walked up on deck. Looking over the stern I could see the sky was lightening over Vesuvius and we already seemed some leagues out to sea. There was a wisp of smoke over the volcano but all was calm. Julius had been standing next to the man holding the tiller and seeing me he came up and said quietly: “Good morning my love, did you sleep well?”

“Very well indeed, my lord,” I said, and Julius smiled. It was time for 'ientaculum' (breakfast) and we had wheaten pancakes with dates and honey, washed down with water. The sun rose and I watched the sailors with great interest as they trimmed the sails to maximize the speed of the ship. The wind was coming from the north-west, which maximized our speed as we sailed for Sardinia. Time passed and I had grown used to the gentle rocking of the ship. Later, Julius told me that he wondered if I would suffer from seasickness but I was fine.

It was about the hour of noon that everything changed. An explosion like thunder came rolling over the water and everyone turned to look over the stern. A giant mushroom-shaped cloud was rising from the crater of Vesuvius high into the sky with fire and flashes of lightning. I have never seen anything more frightening in my life.

“By the gods, I was not wrong to leave,” exclaimed Julius, while I stared at the eruption in horror. Julius gave orders to the crew and helmsman to turn the ship around, saying that we must see if we could help rescue any citizens. I could not take my eyes off the spectacle which appeared before me. As we drew closer the cloud of smoke rose higher and higher into the air. We started to smell sulphurous fumes and I wondered if we were sailing into danger as some of us started to cough, and then the rocks began.

At first, the rocks falling out of the sky were small, and a few bounced off the deck, but then they increased in size, and finally one that appeared the size of a chariot fell into the sea so close to the ship that we were all covered with the spray.

Julius shouted orders to the crew to turn the ship around, and they didn't hesitate to obey him. With the wind once more behind us, we quickly picked up speed.

“No man will ever call me a coward, but neither am I a fool,” said Julius. “What will it profit the citizens of Pompeii if our ship is sunk and all of us lost?”

Once we were out of danger, Julius ordered the ship to head north to the town of Neapolis. He explained to me that the ship had to 'tack', a zigzag progress as we sailed into the wind.

“They will have seen the smoke of the eruption but may not realise how bad it is,” said Julius. I wondered about the fate of Attica, Felix and the rest of the girls. Had they escaped?

As we crossed the bay we saw a few ships heading south towards Pompeii. At the bow of one was an elderly man with white hair and Julius pointed him out to me. “That is Gaius Plinius Secundus, called Pliny the Elder. I met him once, a man of great learning, but why is he sailing to Pompeii at his age?”

Much later we discovered that he was actually sailing to the port of Stabiae, some miles south of Pompeii, in an attempt to rescue some friends, and he died there. Whether he died from the sulphur fumes or a weak heart is not known. Meanwhile, we arrived at Neopolis and notified the authorities of the extent of the disaster, and more ships were sent to attempt rescues despite Julius telling them of the dangers. It was not just Pompeii, but Herculaneum, Oplontis, and Stabiae which were partially or fully destroyed by the eruption. Sometime later, Julius sailed past the shore near Pompeii and told me that there was nothing to be seen of the town but a great pile of ash.

Night was falling and nothing more could be done that day. Meanwhile, the rumbling thunder of the eruption rolled across the bay, and looking south we could see flashes of lightning and flames in the clouds which now obscured the mountain.

“At dawn, I will sail south and see if we can rescue any survivors, but meanwhile we must eat and then rest,” said Julius to the crew. Later, in his cabin, I tried to make him rest on his bunk in preparation for the following day. It took some persuading but eventually, he agreed to sleep for a few hours provided that I awoke him and we changed places. Almost as soon as he lay down he fell asleep. I had no intention of waking him as he needed sleep more than me, but his chair was very comfortable and I fell asleep too.

The next thing I knew, Julius was gently shaking my shoulder to wake me.

“The dawn is breaking,” he said. “I have been on deck and I think the eruption is easing. We will break our fast and then set sail south.”

Before we left, Julius addressed the crew about our voyage. “There may be some danger although I will not willingly lose lives. If anyone wishes to go ashore before we wail, I will not try to prevent him.”

It says much for the crew's confidence in Julius that not one man stirred. As for me, I had total confidence in him. We set sail keeping as close to the shore as was safe and after a couple of hours, Julius said that we were approaching Herculaneum. The cloud of volcanic ash lowered above us and I notice some strange things that looked like rocks floating in the sea about us. When I pointed to them and asked Julius what they were he told me that they were volcanic rock called 'pumice', which had so many air pockets that it floated in the sea. He managed to scoop up some for me to examine closely.

“I have heard that some women use the rock to smooth rough skin,” he said, so I kept the samples he had secured for me.

Soon we were close to the site of Herculaneum which Julius knew well and the crew scanned the shore looking for survivors. Just when we were going to give up one of the seamen shouted and pointed to the shore when about ten people were waving to us. We approached as close as was safe, We were towing a small boat behind the ship which could be rowed to the shore by two seamen and pick up about five people at a time. When they were brought aboard the ship we were shocked by their injuries; most were suffering from burns and in great pain. I assisted by helping to bathe their wounds in wine and also some ointments which I had brought with me as a beauty treatment but put to far better use to help treat their wounds.

We asked where all the people were but they did not know, thinking that some had fled north and escaped and others might be dead. We sailed on but saw no other survivors and the air was becoming filled with sulphurous vapours, so finally, Julius ordered the coxswain to put the ship about and we returned to Neapolis. When we unloaded the injured, they were taken away to be treated and we heard no more of them, but I hope our efforts had helped them to survive.

The news in Neapolis was that Herculaneum and Pompeii were completely destroyed. There seemed to be nothing more that we could do, so the following day we set sail once more, this time for Sardinia. It will never be known how many people died on that terrible day and night, but some say it was as many as twenty thousand.

We sailed into the port of Olbia on the north-east coast of Sardinia. I had spent the days at sea asking Julius every question I could think of about the island of Sardinia and his winery there. He told me that he employed a supervisor called Cassius who looked after the property while he was away. I realized that it was important for me to get on well with him. As Julius's wife, I would be normally in charge of his property while he was away, but Cassius would be the one who knew all about the running of it and knowing men as I did, I felt sure that he would feel jealous of a newcomer and a woman, arriving and being put in charge. I judged that deferring to him and some flattery would not go amiss.

As the ship arrived at the dock, I saw a tall thin figure wearing a toga standing at the dock.

“There he is, there's Cassius,” said Julius waving to him. The figure acknowledged the greeting with a more stately wave of the hand and a bow. It occurred to me that Cassius was going to get quite a surprise seeing me. When the ship docked and the gangplank was lowered, he was the first to come aboard.

“Cassius,” said Julius, “Let me introduce you to my wife Calpurnia Valeria.”

I saw a flash of anger in his eyes, instantly suppressed. Then he bowed low and said: “Welcome to Sardinia, my lady.”

I had to keep a straight face. In less than a week I had fallen in love with a wonderful man and changed from a male harlot to 'my lady'. Nevertheless, Cassius would need careful handling.

“Thank you Cassius for your kind greeting. I am looking forward to furthering our acqaintance. My lord has told me so much to recommend you.”

He produced a tight smile at this bit of flattery, but I think he was not immune to it. I determined that I would defer to him as much as possible, while still making my position as lady of the estate clear to him.

“We heard of the Vesuvius eruption and were quite concerned for your safety, my lord,” said Cassius.

“We were fortunate to leave Pompeii only six hours before it happened, replied Julius. “But we returned to rescue some survivors at Herculaneum. I fear the death toll was very high.”

There was a wagon waiting for us to take us to the vineyard some forty minutes away. Cassius stayed behind to supervise the unloading of the ship and transport some goods to the vineyard. As we traveled through the fertile countryside I admired the scenery. We reached the start of some large fields with vines growing in rows and Julius told me that this was part of his property. I looked for his villa but there was no sign of it yet and it was another twenty minutes before we reached the brow of a low hill and Julius pointed out the villa to me.

I was surprised how large it was, in fact, everything about this man surprised me. When I had first met him I was impressed with his physique but thought him to be an ordinary sailor like the many others who visited the bordello. Then I discovered that he was captain of his ship, and later still that he owned the ship and a vineyard on Sardinia, but I'd had no idea just how big it was.

The household had seen us coming from afar and apart from the slaves who were at work in the fields., were all lined up to greet us. I was pleased to see that they all seemed genuinely pleased to see Julius. When he announced me as his new wife, they all clapped their hands. It seemed that they has wanted him to marry for some time. I wondered what they would think if they knew the truth about me, and since he informed me that I would be having some female attendants, they would inevitably know the truth. I did feel a bit concerned but what could I do?

Julius held out his hand to help me down from the wagon and we walked into the villa together. It was designed in the usual Roman manner with the entrance leading into an atrium with a central fountain, and a magnificent mosaic floor depicting Neptunus, the god of the sea, holding his trident. Bedrooms surrounded the atrium; there was a private bathroom with a pool, a dining hall with another beautiful mosaic, this time of Salacia, Neptune's wife, driving a chariot drawn by dolphins. Other parts of the villa included a kitchen, storerooms, servants quarters, a library and study, and a wine cellar. The furnishings of the principal rooms were magnificent and I was open-mouthed in awe.

“You like it then?” said Julius with a smile.

“Like it? It's magnificent,” I gasped.

“It was built by my father. Like me, he loved the sea,” said Julius.

There was a kitchen garden at the rear of the house where fruit, herbs and vegetables were grown. While the dwelling was not big compared to some villas, especially those in Rome, it was very comfortable and certainly the largest house I had ever lived in.

I was introduced to my personal slaves, Flavia and Sabina, both of whom bowed low and said “Welcome to Sardinia, my lady.”. They showed me into my room which was adjacent to Julius's room. The sea chest with all my clothes and belongings had been placed there and they asked if they could unpack it. I agreed, although I felt having people do everything for me would take some getting used to.

They unpacked my clothes and commented on how beautiful they were, and placed my cosmetics on a table. I suspected that from now on I would not be applying them myself.

“Would you like to take a bath after your long journey, your ladyship?” said Sabina. I thought that I might as well get it over with, so I agreed. Before they helped me to get undressed, I said to them both: ”There is something you must know about me. I am my lord's wife but I am a little different to most women and this is something which only you will see and which must not be told to anyone else or my lord will be very angry.”

I'm sure they had no idea what I was talking about until they helped me to remove my garments prior to taking my bath. To give them due credit, they did not gasp or say anything when they saw my mixture of female and male attributes. Perhaps they thought I was a goddess. I am sure that nobody else who saw me had any idea that I was anything other than a young woman and even if they had it would have been in their interests to stay quiet. Julius was a good master, far better than some, but the slaves were his property and he had total command over them and could administer any punishment he wished without any retribution.

That night it was wonderful to give myself body and soul to Julius once more and for many nights to come. I was, however, determined that I would not be just a good bed companion. Julius was quite unlike many of the owners of the adjoining plantations, most of whom left the running of their estates to supervisors while they indulged themselves in over-eating and drinking, and so were often corpulent beyond belief. Julius could easily have employed a captain to sail his ship and take his amphoras of fine wine to Neapolis for sale but he preferred to do it himself. On one occasion he sailed south along to coast to see for himself the destruction of Herculaneum and Pompeii.

“I could scarcely believe what I was seeing,” he said. “I knew that coastline so well, but now it is like a grey desert, not a single building or tree to be seen. Only Vesuvius, the cause of all that destruction remains. I made inquiries about your friends in Pompeii but there was no word of them. I can only assume that they lie buried beneath the ash.”

“I owe my life to you,” I said. “If it were not for you, I would be lying buried with them.”

Julius took me in his arms and kissed me: “I'm so glad that I took you away from the horror.”

To be continued

The Winemaker
by Theresa Black

Five years passed and I was well settled into living in Sardinia. I continued to take the infusion of herbs which Aurelia had given me back in Pompeii. It certainly had the desired effect of keeping me looking young and my body looked more feminine than ever. Indeed I wondered if Aurelia has started life as Aurelius. My male organs had shriveled away to a fraction of their previous size, but that was of no consequence. Julius was as virile as ever and I delighted in enjoying his body as much as he enjoyed mine.

I was determined that I would not only be Julius's bed companion but a helpmate in other ways. I had built up a cordial relationship with Cassius once he accepted that I was not trying to push him aside, and with Julius's permission I set about learning from him the art and science of winemaking. I like to think that I learn quickly and over the course of the years, I learned everything he had to teach me since I made sure he felt secure in his position but then it all came crashing down.

It was during one of the times that Julius was away on board his ship, although he was due back the following day. It was a warm night and I was asleep when something made me open my eyes and there at the foot of my bed stood Cassius.

“What is it, Cassius?” I asked. “Is there news of my lord?”

He put a finger to his lips and slurred “Shh, do not wake up your women.”

I was immediately wide awake, Cassius was drunk and I immediately suspected I knew why he was in my room. My two women slept in the adjoining room so I said quite loudly,

“What is it, Cassius?” Why are you here?”

Unfortunately, both women were rather heavy sleepers and there was no sound of them stirring.

“You know why I'm here, my lady, I've seen how you look at me. My lord is away so now is the time to collect the promise you have made me.”

“What promise Cassius? You are mistaken, I've made no such thing. Return to your chamber and we'll say no more about this.”

Sadly I seemed to be making no impression on him. I then remembered that Julius insisted that I sleep with a dagger under my pillow in case of robbers while he was away. I quickly pulled it out and pointed it at Cassius, hoping that the sight of the blade would sober him up. Instead, he laughed.

“I like a woman with spirit,” he said and started forward towards me, then he stumbled on a rug, and to my horror, he fell on me and the blade of the dagger drove deep into his chest. He uttered a sort of coughing grunt and lay still. Somehow I managed to push him aside to free myself. He rolled over, his sightless eyes staring at the ceiling and I saw the dagger had struck right where his heart was. There was blood everywhere and somehow I stopped myself from screaming.

I hurried into my women's room and woke each in turn while holding my hand over their mouths. They stared in horror at my blood-soaked nightgown.

“Keep quiet, do not scream!” I said.

“My lady, are you hurt?” said Flavia, wide-eyed.

“No but Cassius is dead,” I replied. “Come into my bedroom but be quiet.”

Trembling they followed me and gasped at the site of Cassius's body on the bed. I quickly explained what had happened.

“Help me wrap him in the sheets and hide him in the closet,” I said. “My lord returns tomorrow and he will know what to do.”

The rest of the night I sat in a chair, unable to sleep and wondering how Julius would react to learning that his top overseer was dead and the circumstances in which it had happened. I confess it occurred to me that perhaps he would think tha I had encouraged Cassius to my bed and then taken fright and stabbed him to silence him. That had me shaking with fright, but what else could I do but tell him the truth and trust that he believed me?

The next morning, I bathed to remove the last vestiges of blood off my body, and Flavia and Sabina dressed me. I'm sure we were all shocked at the night's events so I could only tell them to be as natural as possible. After ientaculum, which I confess I hardly touched, I set about waiting for Julius to return, praying to the gods that nothing had held him up. In our warm climate, it was important that Cassius be disposed of as soon as possible.

It was mid-afternoon when Julius arrived at the villa and I was so pleased to see him. He embraced me, saying as he did so, “You look pale my dear, are you feeling well?”

“Yes, my lord, but I must speak urgently with you, alone.”

“Very well,” he responded. “But where is Cassius? I expected him to meet me at the quayside.”

“It is about Cassius that I must speak with you,” I said, and so we both retired to Julius's bedroom. It was there that I told him exactly what had happened.

“Please believe me, my lord, I would never betray you,” I said.

“I do believe you, Calpurnia. Where is Cassius now?”

I explained where my servants and I had placed him and he went to look at the body. When he returned he looked grave: “Foolish man,” he said. “By seeking to take what was not his, he has paid the ultimate price. I will deal with it.”

That night, Julius told me to lie in his bed while he 'attended to things'. He was gone for a few hours and did not speak of it then, but later I found out that with two trusted servants, they had taken Cassius's body and buried it in a corner of the vineyard where nobody would ever find it. The story was given out that Cassius had decided to leave the island and do so without saying farewell to anyone. I was very relieved that Julius believed my account of that night or I might have found myself sharing an earthy bed with Cassius. Julius was a kind man but honour is very important to Roman men. When he next took me to his bed, his actions confirmed his love for me; men cannot conceal their displeasure or distrust of a woman, and a woman always knows her man's true feelings.

The loss of Cassius was a serious blow since the grape harvest was just about to be gathered in and the winemaking process started. Julius discussed this with me the following day, saying he didn't know how quickly he could find a replacement for Cassius since he was committed to another voyage to Italia in a couple of weeks and might have to postpone it. I decided to take a chance and hoped it didn't arouse Julius's suspicions.

“My lord,” I began (I always addressed him thus whenever any servants were present), “You know that with your agreement, Cassius taught me much about wine-making over the past five years. If I have your permission, perhaps I could supervise the grape gathering and preparation until you return, or a new overseer is found?”

Julius smiled. “I trust you to do more than that, my dear. I will tell all the senior slaves that you are in charge of the gathering of grapes since it is only a few weeks until the 'Vinalia Rustica', celebrating Bacchus, will be held. It will be your decision on the exact day the grape picking is commenced.”

This was a great responsibility as the time of harvesting determined the quality of the wine which would be made, but I felt sure that I had sufficient knowledge to do it. The date of the Vinalia was in the middle of Augustus's month. I and my ladies dressed in our finest gowns and I conducted the dedication ceremony of the vineyards and gardens to Jupiter and Venus Obsequens with me acting as her surrogate.

Julius had now left for Italia, so I presided over a great feast and the following day, I checked the grapes once more to see if they were ready for picking. I decided to wait for one more day since the weather was fine, and early the following morning the picking began. I picked the first few bunches myself and then the slaves too over. It had been a very good growing season and the harvest was abundant. Julius being a progressive man had installed a beam and weight press but when the grapes were exceptionally abundant, some were taken to stone vats where slaves pressed them with their feet to extract the juices.

The wine was then fermented in large terracotta jars set partly into the ground in large open-roofed buildings with holes in the walls so that cooling winds passed over the jars. When the wine was ready to drink, it was transferred to clay amphorae for transportation. There had been many vineyards around Pompeii, all lost after the eruption of Vesuvius, so there was a shortage of wine in Italia and prices rose accordingly. This had encouraged Julius to order the expansion of the vineyards on his property.

Most of the wine we sold was a sweet white wine which was much in demand, but occasionally if the vintage was particularly good, some wine was saved for extra maturing and sale to discerning customers, and also for drinking by the maker.

This particular vintage turned out to be rather good and I received a number of compliments about it which I felt was undeserved since Cassius had done most of the work. I still felt a little guilty about his death even though it was entirely his own fault, but it seems to be a female trait to blame ourselves when something like this happens, as though we should not have been so attractive as to lure a man into the fatal situation whether we meant to or not. That's stupid I know, but we still do it.

Julius was very pleased with the way I had handled things while he was away, and gave me a great surprise by sitting down with me and asking if I would like to take on the overseer's job permanently?

“I know it is unusual, maybe unique to appoint a woman to the post, but I feel sure in my mind that you can do it and lately I've been wondering if you are becoming a little bored?”

Of course, I assured him I was not bored at all, but the truth was that in my position I had very little to occupy my time. I had my two women whose sole job was to attend me, and there were numerous other slaves who could be called upon to do anything I desired. I was determined not to fall into the trap which had caused the wives of other lords to sit all day and eat and drink, thus becoming corpulent and unattractive. Who could blame their husbands if they found more pleasure in the arms of an attractive slave girl, or boy for that matter.

I jumped at the offer, and as an added bonus, Julius told me that he would pay me the same amount as Cassius had earned. This meant that should I desire a new gown, or anything else, I could use my own money to purchase it rather than have to ask Julius every time.

Years passed and we enjoyed our lives together. The seasons came and went and every vintage was successful. Some were better than others, but that is the way of farming. There were some exceptional wines produced which enhanced our reputation and led to high prices being achieved in the markets of Neapolis and Roma. Julius had expanded his fleet to two ships now as production grew, but he still liked to take the 'Golden Eagle' to sea with himself in command.

Julius's hair was now gray rather than the jet black when I first met him, but thanks to the womanly arts of cosmetics and a skilled applier, plus the herbal infusion I took daily, he informed me that I still looked as young as the day he first met me. I took this as husbandly flattery, but looking at myself in a mirror or still pond, it seemed from my reflection that I was not greatly changed. We still took great pleasure in bed together and our occasional partings, while he was sailing to Italia, meant that when he returned we thoroughly exhausted each other with our marital bliss.

Time passed, and one day, when we had been together over twenty-five years, Julius said that he had something important to discuss with me.

“My darling wife, I have been thinking about our future. Having no children, something I've never regretted, I have to consider what will happen to the vineyard when I am no longer here. Being older than you, it is likely that the gods will call me first. It would not be fair to leave you will this dilemma, assuming you outlive me. I have a cousin Brutus Antonius, who lives in the south of this island and he is a vintner too, with a larger estate than this one.. I have never spoken of him before since thanks to some ancient family disagreement we have not been in touch for many years. He is my only relative here and has two sons, Titus, the elder, and Marcus who must be in their twenties by now and are both learning the vintner's trade from their father. Titus will inherit his father's estate, but it occurs to me that I could offer Marcus the inheritance of this estate when you too pass or have no further interest in running it, and he could provide you with a small house on the estate in which to live. What say you to that?”

It so happened that the same subject had been on my mind for some time, although I had never dared to bring up the subject. So now I had a ready answer.

“My lord,” I began, “Your suggestions could not be better. However, I think that in the unhappy occurrence that I am left here alone and a new owner arrives, it would be better if I returned to Rome should a sufficient bequest be made that I could live comfortably although not lavishly there. I hardly think that a new young owner would welcome an old woman living on the estate and perhaps seeming to interfere when he brings in new ideas.”

Julius laughed: “My dear, you are such a wise woman. Let it be as you suggest. I will get in touch with Brutus and ask if we can visit him, heal old wounds, and discuss the future.”.

I was proud of Julius. Roman men sometimes allow their pride to interfere with resolving issues that a humbler approach could successfully solve.

Julius sent a messenger on horseback to Brutus with orders to wait for a reply if he was willing to send one soon. Some days later he returned with an invitation for us to visit their estate, and about two weeks later we set out. There were two wagons, one providing transport for me and my women, another one with our luggage and gifts including some of our best wine. Several of Julius's most trusted slaves and bodyguards walked beside him as he rode his favourite horse.

It took us about five days to reach Brutus's estate near the town of Cagliari in the south of the island, stopping at hostelries along the way. A couple of slaves had been sent on ahead to announce our imminent arrival We were greeted by Brutus, his wife Antonia and his sons Titus and Marcus. I could see that Julius and Brutus were a bit wary of each other, but as time passed so they became more friendly. We were treated to a feast by our hosts and naturally, this included Brutus's finest wines which were very good and we gave them lavish praise. Brutus said that he would see that we returned with some amphorae of the wines. We gave him some of our wines which he said would be served on the following day and he in turned commended them.

“Calpurnia Valeria, you are reknown through Sardinia for making some of the finest wines on the island and these prove it. You are to be congratulated.”

Even at my age, I could not prevent myself colouring a little at these compliments.

“My son Marcus is also learning from me to be a winemaker but he would love a vineyard of his own one day,” Brutus said with a laugh. His son smiled but I could tell from the look on his face that it was true.

The following day Julius and Brutus had a private discussion about Marcus inheriting our vineyard and the provision of funds for me to retire to Rome. Meanwhile, Titus being busy, Marcus showed me around the vineyard, accompanied by my two women for propriety's sake. I could tell that he was not used to discussing winemaking with a woman since I was the only female vintner on the island, but by the end of the day he realized that I knew at least as much as he did about wine-making, perhaps even a little more, and we became firm friends.

That evening, Julius told me that the discussions had gone really well. Marcus had a sweetheart called Valentina, the daughter of another vintner. They would love to marry, but her father would not give his consent until he was sure that Marcus could provide for her. This agreement would make all the difference, but first, it was agreed that Marcus should visit us and see what he thought of our vineyards. He came to visit us when it was time to pick the grapes and stayed for a month. He was a bright young man and had a few good suggestions which I was happy to take on board.

About two months after Marcus returned home, I was working in the little room I called my 'officium', when Sabina knocked on my door.

“Please excuse me, my lady, but a slave woman called Hadriana begs to have an audience with you on what she says is an important matter. Should I send her away?”

“No, I will see her Sabina, but have her wait one-quarter hour and then show her to this room.”

You may wonder why I would do this, but Julius had always told me not to be too available to a slave as they might forget their place.

In due course, Hadriana was shown into my room and stood there trembling. I think it might have been the first time she had entered the villa.

“It's alright, Sabina, you may go,” I said. Sabina looked concerned but still obeyed me.

“Now, what can I do for you Hadriana, are you unwell?”

“No my lady, it is about my daughter Aurelia; last night she confessed to me that she is with child.”

“And what is the problem with that?” I enquired. While slaves were not permitted to marry, it was not unusual for them to form partnerships with other slaves.

“It is about the father of her child; she swears it is Marcus, the young man who stayed here during the harvest. She swears she has lain with no other man.”

That made a difference; there was no question of Marcus, a free man marrying a slave, and in any case he had a sweetheart who he wished to marry. I was sure that Hadriana understood that.

“So how can I help?” I asked her.

“I've come to beg you not to send her away.”

I heaved a mental sigh of relief, so that was it.

“She can continue work until her seventh month, provided she is well, and then suckle the baby for three months after the birth before returning to work.” I suddenly had a thought and taking a wax tablet, I wrote a message on it and handed it to Hadriana.

“I presume you and other women will attend to Aurelia at the birth, but in the event of difficulties, this is an authority for you to summon a midwife called Alba in the town of Olbia.”

I stood up, indicating that the interview was at an end, and to my acute embarrassment, Hadriana fell on her knees and grasping my hand, kissed it, murmuring “Thank you, my lady, thank you so much.”

I had to report this incident to Julius, well not the hand-kissing bit, and he approved of my actions.

“At least Marcus has proved that he is fertile,” he remarked with a laugh. For some reason, I felt a little annoyed. It seems an unfair world where a young man can take his pleasure and be totally free of the consequences, while the woman has to suffer. I didn't say anything of course since Julius wouldn't understand. He was a fine man and I loved him dearly, but of course, that was it, he was a man, and they don't see things the same way as a woman does.

He did, however, redeem himself by saying: “If the child lives and is a boy, then I will send him and his mother to the farm of a friend of mine, Claudius, who lives on the west coast of the island. It would not do that Marcus when he comes to live here, should see his likeness in the face of a young slave. Claudius will ask no questions and will probably assume that the child is mine. When you speak to Hadriana, impress on her the necessity of keeping the baby's origins a secret.

In the fullness of time, Aurelia had a baby boy which she named Marcellus. The significance of the name and another name buried within it did not escape my notice, but I said nothing. It was an easy birth and she did not require the services of a midwife after all. Some months after the birth, I spoke to Hadriana and explained Julius's decision, and emphasized the need for secrecy She accepted his reasoning and only begged that she might accompany her daughter and grandson to the farm of Claudius. Julius had already agreed that this should happen. Aurelia was a pretty young woman and I had no doubt that one of the young male slaves would form an attachment to her and her child.

To be continued.

The Winemaker
by Theresa Black

Time passed and Julius's jet black hair turned to grey, but we continued to enjoy our lives together. I had become known as a good wine-maker, not just a woman wine-maker, but one who could hold her own with the other island wine-makers. The wine sold very well on the mainland too.

We received an invitation to the wedding of Marcus to Valentina. It was a very grand affair with a great feast, In addition to our wedding presents of a dozen silver goblets with fine bas-relief carvings from one the best silversmiths in Rome, we made a handsome contribution to the wine which was served in abundance. Valentina was a very sweet young girl and I was sure that unlike Marcus, she was a virgin when she married. Still, I don't think it would be a good thing for two virgins to marry since how would they begin to know how to give each other pleasure in the marital bed? This they obviously did since, in just over a year, they had their first son. Marcus was still living and working at his father's vineyard where he and Valentina had their own villa, but I was sure that he was longing for the day when he would have his own vineyard. I wondered if Julius was considering retirement but it wasn't for me to say; a wife must know her place. One day Julius told me that he was going to make a last voyage to Neapoli as commander of the 'Golden Eagle'.

“I have selected an officer from my crew. Darius Aurelius, to take over the ship,” he said. “I know you would like me to retire my dear, even though you have said nothing. We can hand the vineyard over to Marcus and retire to a small villa near the coast where I can at least see the sea every day.”

“My lord, whatever pleases you, pleases me,” I replied with a bow.

A few days later, Julius left home for his final voyage. I had begged to be allowed to travel with him to bid him farewell from the port of Olbia.

“I will only be away ten days,” he relied.

“I know, my lord, please indulge a female's foolish whim.”

“Very well,” he replied. I think he was secretly pleased that I wanted to wave him farewell on his final voyage.

I went on board the 'Golden Eagle' at he port and the crew greeted me with respectful bows. I could see that they respected and loved Julius, their captain. I also met Darius, the officer who was to take over from him, a young man, full of enthusiasm. The last of 3000 amphorae were loaded onboard and they were ready to set sail.

Before he went aboard, Julius held me in his arms and kissed me: “Farewell my dear, wish me a safe and prosperous voyage and you will see me in ten days, I promise.”

He leapt aboard, the lines were cast off and the sails set in the offshore breeze. The ship gradually gathered speed and soon she was just a dot in the distance. I returned to my wagon with my women and we set off on the journey home. I had a nagging worry about this final voyage of Julius, but no reason for it, and I decided that I was just being silly.

The days passed quickly and soon it was the eve of the day when Julius was due to return. That night I was awoken suddenly and sat up in bed. It was still dark, but I heard Julius's voice ringing in my ears.

“Calpurnia!” he cried out and there was a despair in his voice that I had never heard before. I could hear a gale-force wind rattling the shutters of the windows and realised that a storm was raging. I lay back on the pillows, my heart pounding, and tried to go back to sleep. I must have dozed for a while because the next time I opened my eyes, there was a grey dawn breaking but the wind was as strong as ever. I had a feeling of dread; I couldn't get the sound of Julius calling my name out of my mind. I could sleep no longer so I arose and summoned my women from their slumbers to dress me and tell the cook to prepare breakfast. All the while the wind howled around the house and I couldn't help thinking that if it was this bad so far inland, what must it be like at sea? I made up my mind to go to Olbia and await Julius's arrival, even though I hoped that he had stood well out to sea while the storm raged.

The covered wagon was buffeted by the wind and rocked on its wheels as we traveled slowly towards Olbia, the horses straining against the wind and the rain. I'm sure the driver was silently cursing his mistress for insisting on traveling in such inclement weather. Flavia and Sabina clung to each other in terror, but I sat bolt upright; it is not becoming for a lady to show fear. We arrived at the port of Olbia which is sheltered and calm, but out to sea the waters still raged. Standing on the quayside, the wind whipping at my cloak, I saw an old sailor named Cato whom I knew to have once sailed with Julius so I went up and greeted him.

“Good Cato, my lord Julius Valerius was due to arrive in port today, but I hope he has stood out to sea in this terrible weather. Have you heard anything of his ship?”

Cato bowed low. “I've heard nothing, your ladyship, and he is too good a seaman to attempt to reach land in this weather.”

Just then some men ran down to the wharf shouting, “A ship is aground on the rocks north of the harbour and breaking up fast. We are going to help save her crew if we can; who will help us?”

I felt as if a cold vice had gripped my heart. Surely it wasn't the 'Golden Eagle'? I had to know, so I begged Cato to show me the way to the rocks and he willingly agreed. I summoned Flavia and Sabina to accompany me since they were still sheltering in the wagon and they were very reluctant but had no choice but to come with me.

When we reached the rocky headland and looked down below it was a terrible sight; I had no doubt that it was the 'Golden Eagle', although her back was broken and the stern had disappeared. The bow was driven up high onto the rocks, the mast had fallen and was alongside the hull, held to it with the ropes and sail, and all the while the waves crashed over the hull and the wind howled. There was a small beach near the rocks and I could see the figures of men there wading into the breakers and helping others from the water. It seemed some of the men at least were saved, but I could not recognise Julius amongst them. Nevertheless, I decided to go down and ask if any of the survivors had seen him. A young man who was present kindly agreed to help me down a steep rocky path that led to the beach, holding my hand in case I fell.

Reaching the sand, I hurried down to where the survivors were gathered; one was Darius, who was to have taken over captaincy of the Golden Eagle. Blood was streaming from his face where he had cut it on the rocks.

“Darius! Do you have any news of my lord?” I asked him anxiously. I'm sure he was shocked to see me.

“Alas my lady, I fear the worst; he insisted that all the men leave the ship before him especially the ones who cannot swim but could jump from the bow onto the rocks. I was the last to leave before him and just as I did so, the remains of the mast fell and struck him, carrying him over the side. I know he is a good swimmer so I still have hopes...” his voice trailed away.

I knew he was trying to keep my hopes up, but if Julius had been knocked unconscious by the mast, then there was little hope. Nevertheless, I stood there like a statue, looking out to sea through the driving rain and spray, although I sent my women back to the wagon for shelter.

It was about an hour later that they brought Julius to me. Four men carried him and laid him gently on the sand at my feet and then respectfully retired. One of the men must have closed his eyes and I was grateful for that as I could not have born to see them with all the light gone out of them. I feel to my knees beside him and gently brushed strands of hair away from his face, his still handsome face. The only sign of injury on it was a great bruise and were it not so white I could almost have believed he was asleep. I bent down and kissed his lips and they were icy cold.

The rest is a blur but I'm sure that I told him that I loved him, over and over again, and maybe even gently chided him for saying that he would return to me but not telling me it would be like this. I cannot remember if I shed tears then and if I did, they would not have been seen amidst the rain and spray dripping off my hair and face. Finally, when I stood up, Darius stepped forward.

“What can I do to assist you, my lady?” he asked, just loud enough to be heard over the wind and rain. I pulled myself together.

“Please send someone to Olbia to hire a wagon to convey my husband home,” I said, and was pleased to find my voice was steady. There would be no female hysterics before these men, his shipmates. “Also would you please send someone to my wagon and ask my women to give you one of the blankets they are using to keep warm, Tell them my lord has need of it.” I knew they would not be happy but they still had one blanket and Julius's body had to be wrapped for his journey.

All was done as I asked, and sometime later, I don't know how long since I had lost track of time, Julius's wrapped body was lying in the hired wagon, and I and my women were seated in our own wagon ready for the journey back to the villa. I told Darius and the remaining crew to take rooms which I would pay for at the hostelry where Julius and I had stayed on many occasions and that I would send for them when the day of the funeral was arranged. I don't know how I managed to think of all these arrangements when my mind was in a turmoil, but somehow I did. Then we set off for the winery. This time the wind was at our backs and the rain had eased. My two women huddled up in their blanket. They had of course offered it to me but I refused; I felt numb and almost as if this was a bad dream as our wagon followed the one bearing Julius's body.

It was dark when we reached the vineyards and the two wagons stopped outside the villa. The senior overseer ran down the steps to greet us, a questioning look on his face.

“Quintus, I have terrible news; my lord lies in the other wagon, drowned when his ship was wrecked. Please carry him into the guest bedroom until morning when we will make the funeral arrangements.”

Quintus bowed and without a word signalled to three slaves to help carry my lord into the villa. This they did with great care and tenderness and laid him, still wrapped in the blanket, on the bed. They brought an oil lamp and after removing the blanket from covering his head, I sat beside him to keep watch after sending my women to bed. There was nothing more they could do. Once I was alone I could no longer hold back the tears and I sobbed my heart out until there were no more tears to shed. Eventually I fell into a fitful sleep and didn't fully awake until it was morning, and my women came to me.

Now we started the funerary rituals; Julius's body was washed and anointed, dressed in his toga, and then placed to lie in state in the atrium of the house, with his feet pointing towards the door. A coin known as a 'viaticum' was placed on his lips. This is a payment for the boatman Charon who ferries the dead across the River Styx to the underworld. I'm not sure if Julius really believed that, but I thought it appropriate to follow tradition. Julius had told me that if he died before me, he wished his body to be cremated, with some of the ashes scattered in the vineyards and some in the sea that he loved so much.

I directed Quintus to organise the building of a funeral pyre among the vineyards away from the villa and sent messages to the neighbouring vineyards notifying the owners of Julius's death and inviting them to the funeral three days hence. I also a fast messenger to Brutus and his sons. They could arrive in time if they came on horseback but wives did not ride horses, so Brutus' and Marcus' wives would not be able to come. Finally, I sent word to Darius to attend the funeral with the crew, asking that some pieces of wood salvaged from the wreck of the 'Golden Eagle' be brought to be part of the funeral pyre so that the ship that Julius loved so much would symbolically accompany him to the afterlife.

On the evening of the funeral, everyone having gathered who had been invited, dressed in dark stolae, I and my women led the procession to the pyre and Julius's body was placed on it. I read the eulogy summarising his life and praising him as a man, a sea captain, a winemaker and a husband. Normally this would have been read by a man, but there was no close male relative and nobody knew him better than I. A sow was sacrificed to Ceres, the goddess of among other things agriculture and a portion of the meat added to the pyre as a symbolic offering to the deceased. Finally, as the sun was setting, a lighted torch was placed in my hands and I thrust it into the pyre which rapidly burst into flames. Some hired musicians who specialised in funeral music played solemn airs as the body and wood were consumed. When nothing was left but glowing ash, we all returned to the villa where I presided over a feast. Somehow, I don't know how, I managed to keep my emotions in check, but later when I went to my lonely bed, I muffled my sobs in my pillow until I finally fell asleep.

The following day, I went out at dawn to where the funeral pyre ashes were and collected a small amount from the centre and put them in a small gold-lined wooden box. It is my intention that it will be buried with me when the time comes so that Julius and I will be together forever. Then some slaves gathered up the rest of the ashes and scattered some around the vineyards and put the rest into amphorae so that they could be scattered over the sea that Julius loved so much.

After I returned to the villa, I had a discussion with Brutus and Marcus, Titus having returned to their vineyard in the south of the island. I produced the parchment on which Julius had written his will.

“As you know, Gaius Julius Valerius bequeathed this estate, complete with all the equipment, slaves, furniture and fittings to you Marcus Antonius. The free men and women on the estate have told me that they are willing to continue in their present positions if you wish them to do so, but that is your decision of course.”

“And what of you, Calpurnia Valeria, what are your plans?” asked Brutus. I smiled inwardly; this was a not so subtle inquiry as to whether I would be staying nearby and perhaps looking over Marcus's shoulder as he took over the estate.

“Thank you for your concern, Brutus. I have enjoyed the years I have spent on this island, but now it holds no pleasure for me, so I have decided that I will return to Rome and see out the rest of my days there.” I looked at the two men and they looked relieved.

“Julius made ample provision for my comfort, so there is one other thing I would like to discuss with you. It was his intention that the 'Golden Eagle' would be part of his bequest since you need two ships to convey wine to Italia. Alas, she now lies at the bottom of the sea, and her crew has no work. I would like to buy you a replacement ship but would hope you would consider employing the same crew to sail her for you. Darius was going to take over as captain after the last voyage and Julius spoke very highly of him.”

“My lady, that is very generous of you,” said Marcus. “Rather than look for a new crew I would certainly take up your suggestion to employ the crew of the 'Golden Eagle'.

I smiled. “I asked Darius to wait here pending your decision; perhaps I should ask him to join us and tell us if he has any ideas on where a replacement ship could be acquired?”

The two men being in agreement, Darius was summoned and informed of the decision we had made together. He was extremely pleased of course and could hardly conceal his pleasure at the thought of having a new ship to captain.

“My lady, my lords, there is a ship at the port of Olbia which would be most suitable and has been for sale for a few months. I would be happy, with your permission, to negotiate with her owner for a fair price, as I have heard that he is getting anxious to sell.”

To make a long story short, Darius went to Olbia the next morning and sent word two days later that he had negotiated a very good price for the ship. Meanwhile, Brutus with Marcus returned to his estate, so that Marcus and his wife and family could pack their belongings and come back to take possession of his new estate.

In the meantime, I packed all my belongings. I should mention that my two women, Flavia and Sabina who were slaves when first assigned to me, had a few years previously been freed, an act called 'manumissio' as a reward for their devoted service to me. I thought that they might decide to leave but they begged me to allow them to stay in my service and asked no payment rather than food, a bed, and a small remuneration. When I told them of my intention to live in Rome, it was obvious that they assumed they would be going with me, and after the number of years we had spent together, they had become more like friends than servants. In any case, they knew of my secret, something I rarely thought of but did not wish to divulge to new servants, so I agreed to take them.

Marcus arrived at the estate together with his wife Valentina Antonia and his son and many wagons containing their personal items and slaves. They were installed in the villa and I retired to a small bedroom for my last few weeks there, while I made sure that I answered Marcus's questions about the estate. In the meantime, four thousand amphorae of the most recent vintage were loaded on the new ship named 'Concordia'. Marcus had decided to accompany me on the first voyage of the ship to Italia, where I could introduce him to some of the merchants with whom Julius had built up a good relationship. He also insisted on escorting me to Rome where I took up lodgings for myself and my two women while I sought a suitable small villa in which to live. We bade each other farewell, and I wished him a happy and successful life for himself and his family in Sardinia, since I knew that I would not see him again. Another chapter of my life had closed.

To be continued

The Winemaker
by Theresa Black

One thing I have failed to mention, and I do not wish to spoil this parchment by cutting and sewing it, is something that happened on the trip from Sardinia to Neapolis. It was the second night of the voyage and very hot. Darius had given me and my two women his small cabin, and I was sleeping on the bunk while my two women slept of straw-filled palliasses on the deck. Unable to sleep through the lack of air, I slipped out of the bunk, and into my stola and carefully stepping over the sleeping women, I climbed the steps to the deck. The air was fresh after the stuffiness below decks and the stars were brilliant overhead. Apart from Darius who was seated on the hold cover, the only other persons visible were the two men at the steering oars. When Darius became aware of my presence he stood up and saluted me with a bow.

“Please sit, Darius May I sit with you?” I asked.

“Of course my lady, “ was his reply.

We sat for a while, enjoying the cool breeze and listening to the sounds of the ship slipping through the calm sea, with just the occasional creak of the sail and the splash of water. Eventually, I spoke, knowing it would be my last opportunity.

“Darius, would you please tell me what happened the night the 'Golden Eagle' was wrecked and my lord was drowned?”

“If you wish, my lady, but it is a sad tale.”

“None the less, I would like to hear it,” I replied The truth was that I had never understood how two such experienced sailors as Julius and Darius were unable to save their ship.

So Darius began to tell me what happened.

“We were returning from Neapolis with a hold full of cargo for Sardinia after unloading our cargo of wine. It was late afternoon and before we came in sight of land, the wind died right down and we were becalmed. We expected it to pick up in the morning and we would sail into the harbour at Olbia. We were all asleep with only one sailor on watch when sometime after midnight he awoke Captain Julius who in turn awoke me. The wind had returned and was gaining force by the minute and the sea was rising. We awoke all the crew and took down the mainsail, leaving only the small 'supparum' sail at the bow of the ship. The wind was now the strongest we had ever encountered, and the waves were crashing over the ship. Coming from the east we were worried that the gale was driving the ship straight for the shore which we couldn't see for the night was inky black.

“We attempted to steer the ship northwards, hoping to reach the 'Fretum Gallicum', that is the strait between Sardinia and Corsica at dawn, but despite our efforts and having three men holding the steering oars, they were smashed against the side of the ship by the strength of the waves. After that we had to rely on the 'supparum' to keep our stern to the waves or we might have broached, that is turn side-on to the gigantic waves and been capsized. I can tell you we were all fervently praying to the gods to spare us.

“After some hours we saw the faint light of dawn but that revealed breakers ahead and we knew that the ship was doomed for there was nothing we could do to avoid it. We struck the rocks and the ship was driven high up upon them, breaking her back. Captain Julius insisted that all the crew leave the ship first, leaping onto the rocks, although they were slippery and some fell into the sea. When there were only three of us left, the remaining seaman fell down the sloping deck and I was going to help him when Captain Julius ordered me off the ship and said he would help the man himself. I fell and dashed my head on the rocks. I think I was dazed for a moment for when I looked up the seaman was climbing off the ship, but before Captain Julius could follow him, the remains of the mast fell and struck him on the head and he fell over the side of the ship into the sea.”

He paused and looked at me to see my reaction.

“Tell me truly, Darius, do you think he was unconscious when he fell into the water?”

“Yes my lady, I do. I don't think he had any knowledge of anything after that.”

That was what I wanted to hear. At least Julius did not suffer the pangs of drowning. Sometimes the gods are kind. I wiped a tear from my eye.

“Thank you, Darius, you have told me what I needed to know.”

After a few more minutes I went below to the cabin again and now I fell asleep.

Back in Rome, within two weeks I had found a suitable three-bedroom 'domus' (house) and with the help of my women, set about furnishing it. While the area was not particularly unsafe, I felt that it would be good to have at least one man present, and I was fortunate in finding a suitable couple. Both freed slaves, the woman, Magda was a good cook, and her partner Quintus, had been a soldier, captured during one of Rome's many wars, and sold into slavery. Having someone on hand who was handy with a sword and dagger was a good feeling in case of someone breaking in. Two slaves were also engaged as cleaners. All the domestic staff had small rooms at the rear of the house

I had the best bedroom of course, and my two women had the room next to mine. They had been sleeping together almost from the time they were first assigned to me in Sardinia. For women to do this was frowned upon in Rome, while men sleeping together did not raise an eyebrow, even when one of them was married. I had no problem with Flavia and Sabina sleeping together, and in that, I feel I am ahead of my time. Perhaps one day it will be commonplace.

I still kept in touch with Marcus in Sardinia, and about two years after I returned to Rome, a cart drew up outside my house and four amphorae of wine were delivered, together with a message from Marcus saying that this was his first vintage since taking over the estate and he'd like me to taste it and give him my opinion. In fact, it was a very good vintage and I wrote to tell him so. From that time on, every year four amphorae of the latest vintage arrived at my house. I was glad that he was keeping up the quality of the wine as it was still marketed as the produce of the Julius and Calpurnia Estate

While I was very wealthy, I did not engage in a lavish lifestyle which would draw attention to my wealth. My money was distributed around a number of temples in Rome for storing, thus making it more secure if one of them was robbed. I kept a supply of gold coins in the house which I hid in a cabinet to use for expenses.

Rome has its fair share of beggars, and as I traveled around the city, I noticed that to many of the citizens, they were invisible. I don't wish to sound like a philanthropist, but I could not do that, so I carried a number of low-value coins, asses, or denarii in my bursa which I put in their outstretched hands as they sat there with heads bowed. I'm sure that sometimes the coins made the difference between them eating or starving on that day.

One day, a couple of months after I returned to Rome, I was out walking with Sabina and Flavia, buying a few small items which they carried for me. As usual, I had dropped a coin into the hands of some beggars, and coming upon a woman who looked even more desperate than the rest, I dropped two coins into her outstretched hand, saying as I so often did: “May the gods go with you”. At the sound of my voice, she suddenly raised her head and our eyes locked.

“Calpurnia!” she croaked.

“Attica!” I gasped. “But I thought you were, were...” and my voice trailed off.

“Lying dead under the ash of Pompeii? Yet here I am,” she said with a ghost of a smile.

“I am living in Rome again and my house is not far away. You must come and dine with me,” I said.

“That would be very nice since I last ate two days ago,” Attica replied and her smile seemed warmer.

“Let me help you to your feet. Can you walk a little way or should I find a wagon?” I said.

“I can walk, thank you, if it is not too far.”

“Attica and I were friends in Pompeii,” I said to Sabina and Flavia, shooting Attica a warning look. I did not want her to mention exactly what we were doing there, and she understood immediately.

When we arrived at my house, I arranged for her to have a bath and fresh clothes, after warning the two women that they would find her similar in body to me. In the meantime, I asked Magda to provide enough food for a hungry guest. When Attica appeared at the dining table, she was wearing a clean stola, and her hair had been washed and brushed. She looked like a different person to the one I had seen begging in the street.

If she was surprised that I now allowed Sabina and Flavia to eat with me she said nothing when they sat down. Magda brought the food and Quintus the wine. As we ate, Attica asked why I was back in Rome.

“I thought you lived on Sardinia,” she said. I gave her an abbreviated version of my time in Sardinia, explaining about Julius dying and the estate being left to Marcus. Somewhere in the story, I mentioned about me becoming the winemaker.

“I heard about a woman winemaker in Sardinia,” said Attica, “But I had no idea that it was you.”

“Well the wine you've been drinking and were so complimentary about was my best vintage, only drunk on special occasions,” I said.

To be concluded.

The Winemaker
by Theresa Black

Eventually, the meal was over and Attica was totally replete. I gave a sign to my two women to retire as I wanted to hear Attica's story and how she had survived Pompeii. We filled our glasses again and she began.

“The day you left Pompeii with Gaius Julius, you invited me to accompany you and foolishly I refused. There were several more big earthquakes that night and I was in bed staring at the ceiling and willing it not to fall on me. Just as dawn broke there was another big quake and I decided that was it, I was going to leave. I crept out of the house and ran down to the quayside to join you, but your ship had already left. I decided to take the road north to Neapolis and hope to find someone who would let me ride in a cart as after a couple of hours I was getting footsore. Most of the carts passed me and did not stop, but finally, a horse-drawn wagon pulled up and the driver, whose name was Justus, asked where I was bound.

“'I'm fearful to stay in Pompeii,' I said. 'The ground shakes so much and I am afraid the house will collapse.' He said he was going to Rome with some goods belonging to his master who had a holiday villa in Pompeii and helped me up to sit beside him as he directed the horses. We traveled quite quickly, which in retrospect was just as well. As we passed by Herculaneum, I happened to look at Vesuvius and saw that some smoke was rising from the peak of the mountain. I pointed this out to Justus and his face grew pale.

“'I don't like the look of that,' he said and spurred the horses on towards Neapolis. It was about one hour past noon just as we reached the town, that we heard the explosion and looked behind us to see the great column of smoke and flames rising from the mountain. Thank the gods the wind was blowing south or the ash might have fallen on us. The eruption continued for two days and everyone knows the results of it. I was afraid that Justus might want to turn back to help with the rescue party, but thankfully he decided to carry on to Rome to preserve his master's goods and also tell him what had happened and the possible fate of his house.

“We stayed overnight in a hostelry and since I had no money, I offered myself to Justus as payment for taking me, but to my surprise, after I explained what I was, he declined my offer, saying he preferred women. 'However, my master Claudius loves pretty boys and he might be very interested in you,' he said. 'I will make sure you are introduced to him when we arrive in Rome.'

“We arrived at his master's grand villa two days later in the most select area of Rome. Justus took me into the servants' quarters where I helped him unload the goods in the wagon. As we were doing so, Claudius, his master, suddenly appeared. Justus bowed low and told him about the eruption of Vesuvius and the possible destruction of Pompeii news of which had not yet arrived in Rome. Claudius frowned and then he noticed me and asked who I was.

“'This is Attica, my lord. She was on the road fleeing the eruption when I rescued her.' This was not quite true, but sounded more dramatic than the truth and I didn't contradict him.

“'I see,' said Claudius and beckoned Justus closer to him and said something quietly in his ear. After Justus's reply, Claudius looked at me wth renewed interest and spoke quietly to Justus again before leaving.

“'His lordship wishes you to visit him in his room tonight at an hour before the middle of the night. I will show you where it is,' he said. 'He likes pretty boys more than he likes girls.'

“That evening I had a bath and prepared myself, donning a new stola. Justus came for me at the appointed time and led me to a room and knocked on the door. A voice called 'Enter' and I opened the door and went inside. The room was dimly lit with one small lamp but I could make out that Claudius was lying naked on a bed.

“'Come closer,' he ordered, so I did as he asked, and his gaze swept me from head to toe.

“'Why don't you disrobe?' he said, so I did as he asked, and when I was naked too, he told me to come and join him on the bed. I don't have to describe what happened I'm sure. He was a very good lover, well endowed and with plenty of energy and stamina, even though he must have been about forty. He finally dismissed me about the third hour in the morning saying that he had to attend the Senate in the morning. After I had put on my stola again, to my great surprise, he said. 'Show Attica to her room.' and a very tall attendant appeared from the corner of the room. I had no idea that he had been there all the time, and I blushed, thinking about all the things he must have seen. I supposed that Claudius had him there as a bodyguard. Obviously his presence had not reduced Claudius's libido any more than if the attendant had been a piece of furniture.

“I was called to Claudius's room again the next night, and even though I guessed that the attendant was again watching, I could not see him, and I thought that Claudius would be displeased if I seemed less enthusiastic about our coupling, so I threw myself wholeheartedly into pleasing him.

“It seemed I became his favourite, although I had no doubt that I was not his only lover. Through Justus, he rented an 'insula' (flat or apartment) for me to live in. Some of these are not well built, but Justus made sure that I was in a modern building. I was given a generous allowance and all I had to do was make sure I was there whenever Claudius chose to visit me, which happened about twice or three times a week. He was obviously sure of me by now because his bodyguard waited outside while he took his pleasure. I can't deny that it was a great pleasure for me too.

“I bought some new stolae with the money I received and food from local vendors as nobody ever cooked in the insulae. Claudius also gave me some generous gifts I think he liked me because I'm intelligent, and after our coupling, we often lay on the bed together and discussed numerous topics. I wasn't jealous of his other lovers. This had been the undoing of his previous favourite according to Justus. Claudius had grown tired of his constant complaints and one day he disappeared from his insula. The rumour was that he had ended up as a galley slave and perhaps he was lucky as Claudius could easily have arranged for a more permanent solution to his problem.

“This arrangement went on for many years. I admit it was a bit boring at times as I had to be onhand any time Claudius wanted to visit me and that was sometimes at short notice, but I was well paid and what else should I do? I had seen the beggars in Rome, so now you are wondering how I came to be begging in the gutter with them and I will tell you. “One day about six months ago, I was with Claudius and we were in the throes of passion. We were facing each other as he pounded me when suddenly I saw a strange look come over his face. He made a sort of grunting noise and fell forward on my body. His head hit mine and I was temporarily knocked out. When I regained my senses I realised Claudius was still lying on me and he wasn't breathing. I managed to push him to one side so that I could get off the bed. There was no doubt about it, he was dead. I didn't know what to do, so I hurriedly dressed, but what was I to do about his bodyguard standing outside the door? Finally, I grabbed a gold aureus coin and slipped out of the door. The bodyguard was surprised to see me, and more so when I told him that Claudius was sleeping and not to be diturbed but had sent me back to his villa for a toga. As I handed him the aureus I 'accidentally' dropped it, and when he went to pick it up, I quickly locked the door of the insula in case he disobeyed orders and checked inside.

“Then I ran to the villa where I luckily found Justus and told him what had happened. He listened without comment and then said I must give him the key to the insula and he would arrange for Claudius's body to be brought back to the villa and put to bed where it would seem he had died in the night. I was so grateful to him. He gave me a denarius since I had left so hurriedly, I had brought no other money with me and told me to spend the night in a hostelry before going back to my insula.

“The following morning I went back to the block of insulae and asked the porter for my key. I was shocked when he said I didn't live there anymore.

“'Titus, you know that's not true,' I said. 'I've lived here for years.'

“I couldn't make him budge, so eventually I said 'At least let me in so that I can gather my belongings.'

“He looked at me strangely and took me to my insula. When he opened the door it was completely empty; everything had gone. I confess I started to cry. 'How could you let them do this, Titus?' I cried. He just stood there and said he didn't know what I was talking about. Now I realise they had bought his silence and the bodyguard's, using my money..

“I went back to the villa which you can imagine was in an uproar since Claudius's body had just been discovered. I found Justus and he wasn't pleased to see me.

“'What are you doing here? You need to disappear,' he said.

“'The men you sent to collect Claudius stole everything I had,' I cried, close to tears.

“'Too bad,' he responded. 'I had to make sure nobody talked. At least you've got your life. You might have been crucified if they thought you killed Claudius, and believe me you wouldn't want to die that way.'

“I was shocked. 'But I'm a citizen of Rome,' I protested. 'They don't crucify citizens.'

“'But can you prove it?' was his rejoiner and I knew he had me there; I had lost my birth certificate when I fled from Pompeii. I burst into tears.

“'Justus, I thought you were my friend,' I cried, and he smiled grimly.

“'I was never your friend. I saved your life at Pompeii and now I'm saving it again, just go and never be seen here again.'

“'But where will I go, what will I do?' I cried. ' I only have the clothes I'm wearing and all my money and goods, everything else is gone.'

“I think he had a touch of kindness or maybe it was guilt, because when I turned away sobbing, he called after me 'Here', and threw a golden aureus at me. I had to go down on my hands and knees to find it. It was probably one of the ones stolen from my insula. I took it and left the villa for the last time.

“It didn't last me very long. I enquired about work in several brothels but they all said I was too old. Eventually, I was reduced to begging in the street and that's where you found me.”

I felt greatly saddened at Attica's story. How easy it is to lose everything.

Now he smiled. “At least I have had a bath, new clothes, and a good meal, so all is not lost.” He stood up. “Thank you my good friend, now I must not impose further on your hospitality.”

As he knew I would, I immediately said: “At least stay for one night, Attica and we will discuss your future tomorrow. I am sure that with your talents, you will make your fortune again.”

“Very well, my good friend, if you insist,” he replied. One of the servants showed him to a guest room. I went to bed and since I had drunk rather more wine than usual, I fell into a deep sleep.

The next morning, I was woken by Flavia. “Your ladyship, your friend has gone!” she cried

“What?” I said, immediately sitting up in bed.

“We have searched everywhere and then we asked Quintus and he told us that she had left at dawn.”

I quickly dressed and summoned Quintus to find out what had happened.

“My lady, your friend came to my room as dawn was breaking and said you knew she was leaving early, so please to open a door for her. I hope I didn't do wrong, your ladyship?”

“No, Quintus, you did the right thing. I didn't think she would leave quite so early,” I replied.
After he left my room, I had a sudden thought and walked into the dining room which contained the cupboard where I kept my money chest. I opened it and there was still a number of aureii in the chest, but there was also a wax tablet with a message as follows:

'Dear friend, I have taken the liberty of borrowing 20 aurei which I will return with interest as soon as I can. Thank you for your hospitality, and for restoring my self-belief. May the gods go with you and me. A'

I couldn't help smiling. If Attica has asked for the twenty aurei as a gift I would have gladly given them, but perhaps it was beneath her dignity to ask for them. I wouldn't search for her as it was obvious that she would leave Rome, so in my heart I wished her well. I couldn't help wondering just how much of the story she had told me the previous night was true. I knew she had a vivid imagination and while I could believe that Claudius had taken her as a lover when she first arrived in Rome as she was very pretty, it seemed unlikely that their intimate relationship would last so many years. Perhaps he had kept her employed as a procuress to provide him with a succession of pretty boys to slake his lust, who knows? Perhaps they did still have occasional intimate moments, I really could not say.

There was a follow-up to Attica's visit; about five years later, upon arriving home with my two women from a shopping trip, I was met at the door by Quintus, who bowed low and said: “Your ladyship, a woman arrived today and asked to speak with you. When I said you were not available, she left me with this.” He produced a small box wrapped in silk.

I took it to my room and unwrapped the silk, which proved to be a beautiful scarf. The wooden box which was revealed was made of cedar and on the beautifully carved lid was a bas relief of two standing women in a friendly embrace. I opened it knowing what I would find and tipped the contents onto my bed. I counted the aurei, there were twenty-two There was a small parchment scroll too which I unrolled and read as follows:

'Dear Calpurnia,
As promised here are your 20 aurei with interest. Thank you for your kindness to me throughout my life. I now live far from Rome and I'm very settled and happy. May the gods go with you always.
Attica.'

I sought out Quintus and asked him about the woman who had delivered the box: “How did she look and was she alone?” I asked.

“She was well dressed, my lady and accompanied by a young man dressed in a toga. I felt that I had seen her before but I'm not sure where.”

“Thank you, Quintus,” I said. Obviously Attica had managed to restore her fortune. Who the young man was I had no idea and would never know. She was happy and financially secure, and that was the main thing.

I have recently been thinking about the disposal of my fortune when I finally cross the River Styx. In my will I have ordered that I be buried with the box containing Julius's ashes clasped to my breast. Thus we will be together forever. I have commissioned a small marble statue of a woman holding a bunch of grapes to put on my grave, and a plaque which says:

Having no living relatives, I will leave a modest bequest to all the staff of my house. The remainder of my fortune I intend to be used to set up a kitchen to feed the poor and beggars of Rome. I hope that before the money is exhausted, that some wealthy Romans will provide the money to keep the kitchen open. That is my legacy.

Epilogue

Although there was space at the end of the parchment, this is where Calpurnia's writing stops. Perhaps there was nothing more that she felt was necessary to record, or perhaps she was ill and died shortly after writing the scroll, there is no way of knowing. I have tried to locate her grave, but with the passing of nearly two thousand years, that has proved impossible. I wonder if the statue she commissioned for her grave still exists, perhaps in a museum somewhere in Italy, or in a rich man's home. My investigations in Sardinia did reveal in an ancient history of the island, a reference to a woman winemaker about the time when Calpurnia was there, but unfortunately, no name was given. Nevertheless, it would have been extremely rare for a woman to make wine, so I like to think that Calpurnia's contribution to the wine history of the island did not go unnoticed.

H Postlethwaite.