Calabis let the patron get what he wanted, and the villa of Prima was completed before the second Saturnalia, which also means that Calabis came to the city of Rome for two years, and the whole city of Rome was tense and busy, because in January of the following year, it was the month of the election of the consuls that the Romans were most concerned about, and many dignitaries began to openly canvass for votes, or participated in various dinner salons, forming dazzling and fragile political alliances. Bribery and even assassinations are also endless.

So, when Lucuras decided to feast in the most luxurious of Apollo rooms in his newly built mansion, almost all the leading figures of Rome were eager to be invited.

Five days before the feast, the first to be celebrated alone was Tyrannan, who had established himself as the chief figure of rhetoric in the city of Rome, and Lucuras warmly received him in his private library, accompanied by Calabis.

"Oh, what a beautiful place of knowledge and wisdom - oh, this is citron wood, I once saw a whole piece, twenty Roman feet in circumference, and I was going to pay for it, and let the most famous carpenter make it for me, but when I asked the price, I realized that I could not afford it." Tyrannan lay face to face with Lucuras on the couch with his wine, first admiring the place, then smiling wryly at himself. On all sides there were busy scribes, copying texts or carefully placing scrolls of vellum paper on bookcases, and tying them as labels with silk ribbons on which the words were written.

Calabis stood by the couch of the host and guest, and thought to himself, that the old fellow Tylañan, who now earns at least 100,000 to 200,000 drachmas a year, could not afford to buy a whole piece of citron wood, so it can be seen how expensive this thing is! Thinking of this, he couldn't help but think about his own affairs: this year, he got enough money in the Temple of the Stove and Prima, he and Potty had already started to build a small villa in a beautiful mountain called Apilo on the outskirts of the city, and he was still looking for Milu and Pope for the design and construction, 10,000 drachmas in the end, Milu patted his chest and said, Definitely satisfy Calabis.

When the time comes, I can't afford citron wood, so I'll use maple wood to build my room.

"By the way, aren't you going to write a comparative work on the character of the two peoples, the Greek and the Roman? How, did you write it? Lucuras asked, placing his glass on the small table.

"Yes, I have written several volumes, and I have come to visit you to-day, and there is a factor in this - I wish to read some of the history of the wars of the Roman city-state, and I happen to hear that you are a good hand. How, can you lend me a copy of your work? ”

Lucuras smiled graciously and said that he would be glad to do so, and then Tyrannan "got an inch" again, and complained that the Greek transcribers in Rome were asking for too much money, and that a person who copied them would cost fifty drachmas a day, and a skilled or well-written one hundred drachmas, and then he would knock on the side, meaning that he could lend himself two of his transcribers for free, depending on Lucuras.

"Oh, Calabis, I remember you could read and write in Greek." Lucuras asked, as if remembering something.

What, do you want me to be a free transcriber for Tyranion? But before he could say anything, the Greek rhetorician said with great approval that Calabis was a very suitable man, and that he was well acquainted with me, as well as with your Excellency Luculas, and that it would be fitting for him to assist me in transcribing this excellent military work—and, of course, Calabis, I, who are Tyrannan, will not let you do it in vain, and that you may assist in this work in your spare time at the Temple of the Vesta, and that I will pay you thirty drachmas a day.

"With such money, brother is not rare now." But Calabis still had a happy expression on his face, and said leave it to me!

At this moment, a stupid servant almost knocked over the bronze lamp as he came up with a plate of sweet meat. Tyranion quipped that he didn't expect that in Your Excellency's courtyard, there were also untouched savages. This embarrassed Luculas, too, and just as the official was about to step forward to teach the clumsy servant a lesson, Calabis realized that it was Timothy.

Poor Timothy, who could still have worked in the kitchen, has now become a servant serving vegetables, and Calabis is also a little sad.

"I should throw you in the fish pond and feed the eels!" The official raised his hand in a gesture to beat Timosius and threatened.

"Stop!" Calabis said to the official to stop him, and then he bowed politely to the Lord of the Protectors, and asked why a doctor as good as Timosius did not put him in charge of the herbs of the Lord and Marcos. With a look of embarrassment, Luculas said to Calabis, "My dear, not every slave and freeman can understand human relations as well as you. Timosius, it wasn't until he entered my mansion that everyone found out that he could only refine snake venom or manipulate knives, and he didn't understand the herbology of calming the nerves and strengthening the brain. In addition, he has not been getting along well with the steward, and yes, I am also very distressed about his whereabouts. ”

Fate? Could it be that Luculas is ready to sell Timothy? So according to the current situation, Timosius's whereabouts should be very miserable.

"If you wish, I can pay for Timothy to become a freeman, and I can also pay for him to open a clinic in the city of Rome, and perhaps he will do you more good there, just like me." Calabis suggested sincerely.

Luculas nodded, took a sip of wine, and said that you don't need to pay the ransom for Timothy in Calabis, I will liberate this Scythian immediately, but the proceeds of the clinic must be borne by you Calabis, and it has nothing to do with me.

At the time of farewell, Luculas cordially invited Tylangnan to attend his banquet on the day of Saturnalia, and many dignitaries hoped that a learned man like you would come, which would also be of great benefit to your career, but Tylangnan politely refused: "Everyone knows that next year's election of the two consuls will be at the most intense juncture, and this banquet must be full of whirlpools like gladiatorial battles, and I am afraid that no one will be interested in rhetoric." As a foreign freeman, I'd better stay out of it. With that, he drifted away.

Calabis, on the other hand, carried a string of bronze tubes containing scrolls, including Lucuras's History of the Battles of the Mathies, and his half-completed History of the Iberian Wars, the former describing the "War of the Allies" that had broken out twenty-five years earlier, that is, the war of the Latin League of the Apennine Peninsula against the city of Rome with the aim of gaining equal rights and citizenship; The latter describes the war waged by the remnants of Marius in Spain against the Sulla partisan ten years earlier. It is said that Luculas was also preparing to write the "Mithridates War" written in Asia Minor, and if all three parts were completed, it could be said that his contribution to the history of Roman warfare would be great.

Timosius followed behind him and asked enthusiastically all the way: "Hey, Calabis, you said that you would immediately fund me to open a clinic, can you pay more money to build a few altars to the god of fish, horses, and wind and snow in front of my clinic?" ”