Marcus, a slave in the household of Lucius Coelius Felix, enjoys a better life than most slaves (and many free citizens) as the secretary and accountant of a wealthy aristocrat. His master is rising in the civic life of the Roman colony of Antioch-near-Pisidia (central Turkey), and his responsibilities and income are growing as well. If this continues, he could soon earn enough to buy his freedom, set up a small business, and even marry.
Then misfortune strikes, and his master falls into a deep depression that is exacerbated by a nagging illness that his physician is unable to cure. The future looks bleak until the physician receives a dream from the healing god Asklepios calling Lucius to travel hundreds of miles across western Asia Minor to his sanctuary at Pergamon for treatment and, he hopes, a cure.
Accompanied by Marcus and his new wife Selena, Lucius embarks on a long and eventful journey in which both master and slave encounter people and ideas that challenge long-held beliefs about themselves, their society, and the world around them. Values are questioned, loyalties tested, and identities transformed in a story that brings to life a corner of the Roman empire that has been neglected by previous storytellers.
One day in March, when the winter snows had melted and the trees and fields were showing their first touches of green, a new face appeared among the horde of clients who visited Lucius’s house every morning to pay their compliments and request his assistance. Marcus was unaware of the man’s arrival, since he was seated at his small desk in Lucius’s office taking notes of his conversations and recording the various commitments that Lucius made to his clients and vice versa. It was the job of Hermas, the butler, to prioritize the mob that milled about in the atrium, not his. But when a new visitor entered and Hermas was unsure what to do with him—especially if he looked like he might be an aristocrat, or the agent of one—he often consulted with Marcus about how to handle him while Lucius was talking with one of his less important clients.
As he led the next visitor behind the wooden partition into Lucius’s office, Hermas signaled to Marcus to join him in the atrium. He pointed to a short man who was leaning with his eyes closed against one of the columns that ringed the shallow pool in the middle of the room. He was surrounded by a shaft of sunlight that was beaming through the opening in the roof, and he appeared to be enjoying the warmth. Hermas showed Marcus a small bag of coins that the man had given him to secure his attention. After a few moments of whispered consultation, Marcus nodded to the butler and walked over to the man.
“Greetings,” said Marcus. “I am Marcus, the personal secretary of Lucius Coelius Felix, the master of this house. I understand that you would like to see my master?”
The man wore the anxious but friendly face of a slave in his mid-thirties. He was attired in a spotless blue tunic and sturdy sandals and wore a gold ring on each hand. His dark, curly hair was neatly trimmed and his face freshly shaven, and Marcus’s nose caught a hint of perfume. This was no ordinary man’s servant.
“Greetings,” replied the man. “Actually, it’s you that I wanted to see. The butler tells me that you’re the one who arranges meetings with your master outside of his usual reception hours. My master would like to stop by and see him at a convenient time.”
“Who is your master?” asked Marcus warily. “I’ve not seen you here before.”
“Forgive me,” replied the slave. “I should have told you that from the start. My master is Gaius Curtius Theodorus, a visitor newly arrived in your city, and I am Fortunatus, one of the managers of his affairs. We’ve come here from Ephesus, where my master is a merchant and the owner of substantial property. He would like to extend his business to your city, and he sent me to arrange a meeting with your master the agoranomos to discuss how to manage such a move. He will pay you well for your assistance.”
He held out a small bag of coins, but Marcus did not immediately reach out to take it, so he tucked it back into his belt.
“What kind of business in your master in?” probed Marcus.
“He imports luxury goods—silks, spices, rare woods, that kind of thing,” said Fortunatus. “He’s going to need a local partner to help watch over his business in Antioch, and he thought that your master might be interested. He’s willing to offer generous terms to the right person,” he added with a wink. He held out the bag of coins again, and this time Marcus took it.
Marcus stared at the man for a moment. This was the first real business opportunity that had come to Lucius in his role as agoranomos, and he knew that he would want to hear about it.
“Wait here,” he said at last. “I’ll ask my master about it between clients.”
The man nodded and bowed slightly as Marcus turned to walk away. I could come to like this man, he thought.
Marcus spoke with the butler for a moment, then returned unobtrusively to the office and took up his usual station behind and to the side of Lucius. He knew this client, and after a few moments he could tell that he had not missed anything important.
“I think I understand your concern,” said Lucius, cutting the man off in mid-sentence. “I’ll have Marcus look into the matter for you. Now if you’ll excuse me…”
The man stood, bowed obsequiously, pronounced a blessing upon his patron, and left.
“What a bore,” said Lucius with a grimace. “But he has his uses. He wants to borrow yet more money from me to get a creditor off his back. Find out from Linus how much he owes and let me know by tomorrow morning. I’ll probably lend him what he wants, but I’d like to be sure where things stand first. I might have to cut him off if this keeps up.”
Marcus nodded. “So how do things look out there?” inquired Lucius. “Are there many more of them?”
“I’m afraid so,” answered Marcus. “But I’d like to speak with you for a moment before your next client, if I may.”
Marcus described his conversation with Fortunatus and handed Lucius the bag of coins that the slave had given him. Lucius hefted it for a moment, then returned it to Marcus.
“That does sound like an interesting proposition,” said Lucius when he was done. “If he is who he says he is—what was his name again?”
“I believe he said it was Gaius Curtius Theodorus, sir,” replied Marcus.
“Curtius,” echoed Lucius, wrinkling his brow. “I’ve never heard of anyone by that name here in Antioch. That’s too bad—it would be nice to know something about his family before I decide whether to see him. Of course, it’s possible that he’s a freedman; a lot of those merchants are.” He paused and stared at the wall for a long moment. Marcus waited.
“Yes, Theodorus could be a slave name,” he went on. “By Jupiter, I hope not; I don’t want to go into business with a freedman. Perhaps you or Linus could find out for me. Linus is good at digging up personal information on potential borrowers.”
Marcus nodded and scratched a note onto his wax tablet to talk with Linus about it.
“Still,” Lucius continued after another moment of reflection, “if this Curtius is wealthy enough to be trading in silks and spices, this could be a good chance to gain a foothold in a lucrative new business. I guess there’s no harm in talking with him. Go and tell his slave that his master can join me for dinner this evening. I don’t have any other commitments, do I?”
“No, sir, you’re free,” answered Marcus.
“Good,” replied Lucius. “I’d like to learn more about this man and what he has in mind. Tell Trophimus to get the house in order and arrange a good meal with the cooks. Nothing exquisite—we don’t know yet what kind of man we’re dealing with, and I don’t want to honor him above his station. But give him a decent meal nonetheless. You know what I mean.”
“Yes, sir,” replied Marcus. “I’ll take care of it.”
“And tell Hermas to hold my next visitor until I call him—I need to run to the toilet. That damned abdominal problem is giving me cramps again, and I need some relief.”
Marcus nodded and returned to the atrium, speaking first to the butler and then to Fortunatus.
“Very good—that’s good news indeed,” replied Fortunatus when Marcus told him of the dinner invitation. “My master did not expect such prompt accommodation, but I can assure you that he will be happy to accept this gracious offer. Can I tell him that your master found his proposition worthwhile?”
“He will listen to what your master has to say,” answered Marcus cautiously. To betray the extent of his master’s interest might weaken Lucius’s bargaining position.
“Then we will see you this evening,” replied Fortunatus with a genial smile.
“So you’ll be coming with him?” asked Marcus, surprised.
“Most certainly,” answered Fortunatus. “He doesn’t go anywhere without me.”
“Then I look forward to speaking with you further,” responded Marcus. “Farewell.”
“Farewell,” echoed Fortunatus, bowing slightly in the direction of Lucius’s office before turning and striding across the atrium.
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Praise for A Rooster for Asklepios and A Bull For Pluto
...Dr. Terence Donaldson, Academic Dean and Professor of New Testament, Wycliffe College, Canada
"The realism of this story reflects the author's deep first-hand knowledge
of the landscape and culture where the narrative takes place."
...Dr. Mark Wilson, Director, Asia Minor Research Center, Antalya, Turkey
"This well-researched book really brings the Roman world to life!"
...Dr. Alanna Nobbs, Professor of Ancient History, Macquarie University,
Australia
"The
amount of research, imagination, and effort involved in crafting this story
earned my admiration, and stirred my curiosity, too."
...Dr. Mark Nanos, Lecturer, University of Kansas, USA
About the Author
Christopher D. Stanley
Christopher D. Stanley is a professor at St. Bonaventure
University who studies the social and religious history of the Greco-Roman
world, with special attention to early Christianity and Judaism. He has
written or edited six books and dozens of professional articles on the subject
and presents papers regularly at conferences around the world. The
trilogy A Slave’s Story, which grew out of his historical research
on first-century Asia Minor, is his first work of fiction. He is
currently working on an academic book that explores healing practices in the
Greco-Roman world, a subject that plays a vital role in this series.
Connect with Christopher:
Website • Facebook • Twitter • Instagram • Goodreads
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