“Is it really power which makes people so cold and lonely? No, it's not for me! I don't want to be like her,” Marcus thought, “I don't want to sit alone in the imperial box, when there are so many earthly joys and pleasures around. And all life lies ahead.”

“As I heard, Sabine didn't like the emperor's choice very much,” Faustina continued. “I'm talking about Commodus. We all hoped that Hadrian would stop at our Marcus, but for some reason, he appointed Ceionius to his son. She didn't tell you the reason?”

“No, my darling!” Domitia replied. “But it's Augustus's decision. We're going to have to be content with Marcus being part of the Ceionius family. After getting engaged, he often invites Marcus to himself, wants to get to know each other closer.”

“Closer?” Faustina snorted derisively. “I'm afraid that this dandy and reveler Commodus can pass on bad habits to Marcus. Ceionius always has Ovid lying on the bed with his “Science of Love,”50 and he often quotes him to the place and out of place.”

“Commodus probably wants to impress. But how do you know everything?”

Faustina grinned pointedly. “I've been to his house. But there's nothing between us.”

“Knowing you, I would be surprised,” Domitia could not resist the stinging remark.

“No, I was with another man. What's the big deal? You can't blame me for bad behavior. My Titus has one boredom. Only talk about the harvest, and the price of grain, and about the drought. But I'm not old enough to lock up with him in Lanuvia.”

“But what about Titus, will he ever know?”

“He's already guessing. But it's forgiving. He is so generous, my Antoninus, that's why I don't divorce him like some matrons who have swapped several husbands. Have you heard of Calpurnia? She already has a fifth husband. But I haven't told you yet about Ceionius. So, his wife Avidia on her reproaches of infidelity, he says that the wife is a symbol of dignity, not an object for pleasure.”

“Pretty stupid excuse,” Domitia shrugged. “If I were Avidia, I would definitely divorce.”

“You're too strict a rule, so men bypass you.”

At this time, Ceionius from his seat finally threw a white handkerchief into the arena, and the races began. Six chariots, raising the sand, rushed in a circle around a long wall, with sculptures placed on it. The audience began to shout furiously, cheering the brave riders. Faustina also screamed, pointing her hand at the charioteer in a blue tunic. It was her quadriga, which was run by slave Agaclytus.

Heading the race was Green. As Marcus understood from Faustina's explanations, it was Geminas, a man who belonged to Ceionius. Commodus himself also shouted loudly from his seat, as well as his children sitting next to him—Fabia and Lucius. Unsatisfied wife Avidia screamed furiously, and her cry seemed to Marcus to look like a tantrum.

The conversation between his aunt and mother, which he unwittingly witnessed, made him look at the woman. She was short in stature with a pretty face. A scarf is put on her head, her hands are hung with gold bracelets, glistening dimly in the sun. She showed Ceionius on a charioteer in green and said something loudly.

For a while, Geminas led the race. They swept a few laps, and already six balls removed a special slave, indicating that the final seventh round remained. Suddenly, Agaclytus' horses raced like madmen, and he almost overtook the leader. The fans seemed to go crazy. Faustina jumped up. Clutching Marcus's shoulder painfully, so as not to fall, she wailed, stomping her feet and swearing rudely, like some proletarian from the poor quarters of Rome.