Two for the Lions

AD 73. The Emporer Vespasian occupies the Imperial Palace in Rome. Prior to Vespasian's accession was the mad year of four emperors in Rome. Vitellius had bankrupted the treasury by holding three feasts a day (according to Suetonius). Debts were quickly accrued and money-lenders started to demand repayment. Vitellius showed his violent nature by ordering the torture and execution of those who dared to make such demands. Such was the economy Vespasian inherited. The treasury was in ruin and the Empire had no public monies.

Four years into his term Vespasian has decided to replenish the treasury and restore the economy; the great Census of AD73 was conceived. He and his sons were the Censors, aided by the imperial staff. Falco and Helena Justina gifted the Palatine Household with sackloads of the Imperial Purple. This leads to Falco and Partner being offered the task of auditing in the grey economy of Rome - tracking down dodgy tax declarations by the beastiarii, the slaughterers, the gladiators and the lanistae, the suppliers of the gladiators and animals who provide the executions, spectacles, and entertainment for the Roman masses.

Immediately he enters his task of auditing his first client (one Calliopus) Falco is invited to view a corpse - that of a lion, Leonidas. Informer to the core, Falco begins investigating. During his investigation, Calliopus's main competitor Saturninus has a leopard loosed in the City. Shortly thereafter, Calliopus finds his corn supply poisoned, and his prize ostrich dies. Rumex, (a gladiator with the greatest renown in Rome) (there was plenty of graffiti about him) is found dead in bed. All grist to Falco's mill as he continues to investigate.

When Vespasian's men entered Rome and battled to take possesion of Rome, the most important Temple on the Capitol Hill, the Temple of Jupiter Optimus Maximus (adjacent the Palatine Hill, home of Emperors) was burned down. Vespasian was undertaking reconstruction; there would also be the Forum Vespasianus, and the Ampitheatrum Flavium, the great ampitheatre which would house the Games. Thus, the venatio and trainers of beasts were vying with an eye to be the suppliers of entertainment in the new Ampitheatre. Greed is always a significant motivator of human action.

Suprise, surprise. The investigation is shelved, as there was nothing to follow up. Unable to solve who had killed Rumex, Falco and Partner returned to their commision for the Censors.

We were not men who became obsessed. I, Marcus Didius Falco, was an ex-army scout and an informer of eight years standing, a professional. Even my partner, who was an idiot, could recognise a dead end. We felt frustrated, but we handled it. After all, we had our fortunes to earn. That always helps maintain a rational attitude.

The audits continue, the demands for tax are presented, and the auditees roll over and pay up, defeated.

The Cammillus family (through the earlier work of Falco in Baetica) host Claudia Ruffina, intended betrothed of the elder son Aelianus. Previously, the younger son Justinus had eloped with Claudia to North Africa. The young Justinus is now in quest for a wild pipe dream, establishing a business around the fabled wild-garlic, silphium.

Falco and family travel to North Africa. There is a professional interest as Famia is looking to purchase more steeds for the Greens (participants in the Games). They follow the trail of Justinus and Claudia, and meet with them in Berenice. Falco discovers that Calliopus, Saturninus and Hanno are headed to Lepcis Magna for Games.

Falco's is retained by a wild woman, Scilla, who believes one of these lanista is responsble for the dead lion who mauled her intended partner and ex-praetor, Pomponius Urtica. The denouement occurs in the Ampitheatre of Lepcis Magna where Scilla has forsworn her engagement of Falco and taken matters into her own hands. Scilla loses her life, and Falco's Partner survives to audit for another day.

This novel opens with the startling perspective that Falco and partner are auditing businessmen whose trade is slaughter. Of wild animals and humans. Their stock in trade was measured as units of mass murder. We'll take a look at this on the next page.