I would rather reign in the backwoods of Gaul than in Rome.

- Gaius Julius Caesar (Roman dictator)

The heavy topic made both Oscar and Quintus feel a little helpless; By this time, it was close to lunchtime. So Quintus suggested that Oscar go with him to walk the streets of Rome after lunch and see for himself the life of the Romans and the trivialities of the city. Although Oscar didn't particularly want to go, he didn't want to live up to Quintus's kindness; Moreover, Oscar really hasn't had anything to do lately, so Oscar accepted Quintus' suggestion.

After lunch, Oscar and Quintus changed into a normal Roman burgher's clothes, and then walked out of the Augustan mansion; This is also the first time Oscar has come to this world to calm down and walk around. The Romans got together in their leisure time, and their favorite pastime was gambling. They gambled on everything, in addition to putting men and beasts together to fight and instigating spectators to bet, they also gambled on eating to see who ate more. It is said that one of the most powerful champions once ate a roast cow and won 400 slaves for his master with such a big stomach.

It is also said that the earliest lotteries also originated in the Roman monarchy, when it was a game of the royal family, and later evolved into the social behavior that is now popular in all countries along the Mediterranean coast. After entering the era of the Republic, the senators of the Senate also often used festivals and large-scale events to carry out gambling activities; First, it is to increase the festive atmosphere, and secondly, it can also raise funds for the National Day. Horace, a famous poet and literary theorist of the Wang Dynasty, once expressed his views on the issuance of lottery tickets, and he believed that gambling should be: "entertaining and educating, both to advise the reader, and to make him excited, in line with public expectations."

After entering the era of the Republic, the Romans often liked to gamble by playing a game of dice and chess pieces, and Claudius, one of the former consuls of the Republic, wrote a book entitled "How to Win in the Roll of the Dice". The consul and several other laid-back officials of the time were gambling enthusiasts and were very obsessed with rolling dice. It is a pity that the book has not been preserved, as the consul himself regarded it as a treasure. Generally, he refuses to show it to others easily, and in the end it is lost.

In view of the important position of gambling in the social life of the Romans, Quintus first took Oscar into a relatively large private casino; Originally, Oscar thought that casinos in this era were more boring and boring. But when he walked into the casino, Oscar realized that he was wrong; The loud voices, noisy yelling, and fierce gambling make Oscar feel like he is back in a casino in modern society!

Quintus also saw Oscar's surprise. He thought Oscar had never seen such a scene since he was a child, so he was surprised; When you come, you can't just take a look. Oscar had gambled some money, but it had all been gambled in another world before; He doesn't gamble in this world. So, the two of them just found a dice table and made it.

The casinos in the city of Rome are all operated in different ways, this casino is that the casino party does not participate in gambling, they only provide the gamblers with the premises, gambling equipment and impartial personnel; And their interest is that each person has to pay 10% of the money they win. The loser does not have to pay. So, the eight people at this table are all gamblers, and the impartials who are responsible for recording wins and losses are the people in the casino.

Among the eight people present, in addition to Oscar and Quintus, there are five people who are obviously foreigners, and they must be merchants from Greece; The remaining drunkard was Antony, the commander of the 14th Legion of the Maxentius family, whom Oscar had just met, and who was about his age. Oscar had long heard that this Antonine legion captain was a well-known prodigal son in the city of Rome, who was proficient in eating, drinking, prostituting and gambling; Every day, either drunk people gamble in casinos, or drunk people stay in brothels, it seems that the rumors are true.

However, Oscar feels that this Anthony is not so simple; If he really is just a waste addicted to eating, drinking, prostituting and gambling. How could he be on a par with Octavian? How could Marlevus recommend him as the commander of the Fourteenth Legion? This man was a figure to be reckoned with in Rome, even more so than Octavian, who had always performed extremely well.

Perhaps it was Anthony's constant gaze that made Anthony feel something, and he nodded and smiled at Oscar before lying on the table and throwing up; The stench of vomit instantly drove seven people except himself out of their seats, and onlookers shouted and walked away. Oscar and Quintus also reluctantly walked out of the casino; However, Oscar felt that he was not without gain, at least Anthony's smile made Oscar a little enlightened.

Then Quintus took Oscar to the most prestigious gladiator arena; Regardless of the era, the favorite gamble of all the Romans has always been in chariots and gladiatorial arenas, because they have always believed that gladiatorial fighting is the fairest. They used both sides of the gladiatorial fight as a tool for gambling, and got physical and mental satisfaction in the blood-spattered gladiatorial fight. During the competition, the spectators were desperately cheering for their favorite chariots and gladiators. Some spectators scolded the coachmen for their poor skills and the gladiators' incompetence.

Everyone pinched a cold sweat for their own bets; The game was over, some people were happy and some were sad, and the loser had nothing left and fainted to the ground. The winner gets rich in the blink of an eye, or he may faint due to overexcitement! When Oscar and Quintus arrived at the arena, the gladiators were already fighting in the arena. Four Gallic gladiators armed with shields and short swords were fighting in the center of the arena, while the spectators in the arena were frantically cheering on the two.

When the gladiators they bet on began to show their defeat, the spectators who bet on them became even more crazy, and even stopped cheering for their gladiators. Rather, he scolded them. What is even more ridiculous is that the two noble knights of the Senate, when their gladiators might lose the match, rushed into the arena to participate in the gladiatorial fight in person, without any regard for their identity. Quintus couldn't help but say: "The reaction of the audience on the field is like a rough sea roaring!"

Although the chaotic arena is not as fierce as the battlefield, it is also bloody; But what made Oscar feel uncomfortable was that these brave warriors did not die on the battlefield, but instead became a gambling tool for the Roman people; This couldn't help but make Oscar feel sad. As a commander-in-chief, Oscar was very fond of valiant soldiers, and this affection was of all nationalities and races; Therefore, Oscar is very repulsive to this kind of game that plays with the life of a warrior.

seems to see Oscar's dissatisfaction, Quintus is also a general, so it is naturally not difficult to imagine Oscar's emotions; But this thousand-year-old custom is not something that the two of them can criticize. After this contest is over. Oscar took the lead out of the arena, and Quintus followed suit. The two of them did not enter any more places this time, but wandered around the square.

The Piazza della República and the Champ de Mars were not only the main meeting places for the loafers, but also the political and religious center of the city of Rome. and illegal trading centers. There are many shops, merchants gathered, itinerant vendors can be seen everywhere, and the shouts of selling fish, meat and vegetables are endless. Every day during the day, the whole city of Rome gathers up to 100 meters long. 60 meters wide on Republic Square.

Swaggers operate in the vicinity of the filthy temple of Venus; Wealthy people dressed in old-fashioned fur clothes moved around the rectangular City Hall; The poor, because they don't have enough to eat, often haunt the fish market, and honest people fuse the place below Republic Square. In the area of the Maxim sewage ditch, there are groups of people who have nothing to do; A little above the Curthius paste, outlaws are the majority; In addition, there are charlatans, rumor-mongers, quarrel-pickers, and even those who use a little thing to scold the street...... Surrounded by vendors, loan sharks are infested with flies, and not far from the red light district of Tuscany Street.

The city of Rome is the largest city on the Mediterranean coast, attracting careerists from far and wide. They came to the city of Rome in search of a paradise on earth where they could spend their days of wine and luxury. Some people sell their eloquence here, and some people sell their posture here; People who frequent Republic Square share the same hobby. People are not gods, they have nothing to do, they all want to go to the Place de la République, which has become the most popular place for people to walk; Visit the barbershops, taverns near Republic Square, or just sit in the middle of the street for a break.

If a wealthy person wants a haircut, he can invite a barber to his home or hire a private barber. The average person needs to wait in line for a haircut, and the waiting time is long, long. During this time, everyone exchanged familiar news of the day, and the barber heard the news of interest. He would also stop what he was doing, express his opinion, and keep waving the razor in his hand when he spoke.

In the evening, citizens can watch acrobatics in Republic Square or see a doctor in Langzhong. There are also diviners who are compiling the future for people. The diverse crowd gave Oscar a taste of the bustle of Rome for the first time; As a result, Quintus said something that made Oscar a little speechless. It turns out that there are also many old and men in Republic Square, who squat every day in a position as they see fit, peeking at the sexy beauties passing by. It seems that perverts are also regardless of age, race and era!

Of course, life in these squares is not all bad; At least Oscar found something more elegant. About fifty meters away from Oscar, a middle-aged Roman in shabby clothes but with a gentle expression was standing on a high place and reading poetry to the people below. The beautiful words and the intonation of the tone made the audience fascinated. From time to time, bursts of applause and cheers erupted.

Oscar pointed to the reader in front of him and said to Quintus, "Quintus, such a person is a true Roman!" Although he was poorly clothed and his family was in difficulty; But he is full of poetry and books, his demeanor is gentle, and he is a truly cultivated person. Moreover, his tone and expression were indeed indulged in his own recitation; Their presence is the real wealth of Rome, and they are the disseminators and promoters of Roman high culture! ”

After finishing speaking, Oscar strode forward to the reader without waiting for Quintus to react, and gave all the 100 gold coins he brought with him today to the reader. Looking at the reader's grateful expression, Oscar felt for the first time that what he was doing could change a person's life; Perhaps, this help will save this person from poverty in the future and concentrate on reading and writing.

Unfortunately, the idea is beautiful; The reality is brutal. Quintus, who hurriedly chased after him, directly poured a basin of cold water on Oscar's beautiful hopes, which made Oscar feel sorry for this reader at once. (To be continued.) )