“I do not know what is customary,” said Steiger. “Would tenthousand sesterces be appropriate?”
“Ten thousand sesterces!” Trebonius said.
“See here, Sabinus.” said Antony condescendingly, “pride canbe a costly thing. Despite what Marcian said. and I am certain he was onlyjoking. I have no wish to see you lose so much.”
“It is a sum that I could easily stand to lose,” saidSteiger. “However, if you could not. I would certainly understand.”
Antony raised his eyebrows. “I could stand to lose a greatdeal more than that. my friend,” he said with a smile. “Very well. then. Tenthousand it is.”
The sound of trumpets rang out through the arena and thecrowd cheered as the presiding consul entered in his chariot, followed by hislictors and attendants. After them in the procession came the legionaries andthe cavalry, followed by the teams of chariots. The drivers were all attired incolored tunics that denoted their teams. They had the reins wrapped aroundtheir chests, leaving one hand free to manipulate them and the other to use thewhip. Driving a chariot took great strength and dexterity, as well as skill.and by wrapping the reins around their chests, the charioteers were able to addtheir full body weight to the task. a, well as using it to balance the lightchariots. It made the driving very dangerous. because in the event of a spill.the charioteer had to draw a sharp dagger and quickly cut the reins, otherwisehe would be dragged along behind his horses. Even if he could cut himself loosein time, there was, still the danger of being trampled or crushed by the wheelsof the following chariots.
After the chariots came the singers. followed by the priestsand the incense-hearers. ‘Then came the images of the gods carried on biers.The crowd cheered and applauded as they made their circuit of the arena to thepounding of the drums and the blaring of the trumpets, then the cheering grewstill louder as the Emperor appeared in his box, just a short distance fromwhere Steiger and Marshall sat with Antony and his friends.
Steiger turned to look at Julius Caesar. He stood in theimperial box, wearing a laurel wreath and a purple-trimmed toga with fringes onthe sleeves, holding his arms out to the crowd.
“Is that your first sight of the Emperor?” asked Trebonius,raising his voice to he heard over the cheering of the crowd around them.
“Yes.” Steiger replied. “I must admit, he looks differentthan I had expected. More like a philosopher than a conquering general.”
“Do not be deceived by his appearance,” Antony said. “He isthe finest general that Rome has ever seen. And I am proud to have served withhim in the campaigns.
“A singular honor,” Steiger said.
Antony smiled. “Perhaps later, I will introduce you to him.To ease the pain of your loss.”
“It would indeed be a great privilege to meet the Emperor.”said Steiger. “But I have not lost yet.”
Antony grinned. “We shall see. That first rank of chariotswill compete in the first race. And the second rank will race after them, andso forth. As a breeder of fine horses, which team do you fancy?”
Steiger considered the teams as they rode by intheprocession. “Of the first rank, I think I like the greens,” he said. “The browntrigae.”
He pointed to the team of three dark brown horses drawing alight chariot driven by a man in a green tunic.
“A good choice,” said Antony, nodding. “You do knowyour horses. But I think the whites will take the first race.”
“Perhaps,” said Steiger. “However, I will stand by mychoice.”
“And be the poorer for it,” Antony replied with a grin. “Butwho knows, fortune may smile upon you.”
After the procession completed its circuit of the track, thechariots for the first race lined up at the far end of the arena. The horseswere restive. pawing at the ground. The charioteers held them back, easing theminto position. The presiding consul gave the signal for the trumpets to sound.He stood above the chariots, dressed in a scarlet tunic, an embroidered toga,and a heavy gold wreath. In one hand, he held out a white cloth. In his otherhand, he held aloft an ivory baton with a bronze eagle on it. the symbol of hisoffice.
The charioteers had previously drawn lots for theirpositions at the start of the race. The tails of the horses were bound tightly,their manes decorated with pearls and gems. their breastplates adorned withgold and silver and trimmed with jewels. Each horse wore a ribbon with thecolor of its team. The drivers stood in their chariots, some wearing leatherhelmets, others wearing metal ones, their thighs and calves beneath their brieftunics wrapped in leather leggings. Most of them were low born and some hadonce been slaves, but as charioteers, they could rise far above their stations.
Winning charioteers often received substantial gifts frommagistrates and aristocrats, sometimes even from the Emperor himself, and theywere paid generous salaries by the owners of their teams, as well. They werethe star athletes of Rome, often wined and dined by their rich patrons. andsome of them were able to become quite wealthy in their own right. A hush fellover the crowd as the consul waited to give the starting signal. Steiger’sbrown trigae had drawn a position third from the inside. Antony’s whiteswere on the pole. The consul dropped
the white cloth and the crowd cheered asthe race began.
The blue team took an early lead as the horses thundereddown the straightaway, heading counterclockwise around the track, toward thefirst turn. The greens ran second. the whites a close third. The drivers lashedthe horses with their whips as they passed the stands where Steiger and Antonysat, coming up to the first turn.
“The first turn is always crucial.” Antony said loudly,speaking close to Steiger to be heard above the crowd. “And Tibulus, who racesfor the whites, always rides close upon the leader as they close for the turn.Watch now!”
The blue driver took the turn a little wide, anxious to givehimself plenty of room so as not to be caught between the posts and the pressof the other chariots closing in. Tibulus, the charioteer for the whites, hungclose on the heels of the blues, slightly to the inside. The greens were rightbehind him, swinging wider. The driver of the red team suddenly swung for theinside. trying to ace the greens out of position. but as they rounded the turn,the whites also swung sharply to the inside, toward the post, cutting off thereds. Having nowhere else to go, the red driver had to swing in closer stilland the wheels of his chariot caught the post as they went around.
The crowd gasped collectively as his chariot struck andbounced up into the air, teetering precariously on one wheel for an instant,and then crashing back down again, dislodging the driver. He drew his knife andslashed the reins, cutting himself free, then rolled wildly to avoid beingtrampled by the team behind him. He didn’t make it. The crowd roared as thehorses of the green team trampled him and the chariot jounced over his body. Assoon as the chariots had all passed, attendants ran out with a litter to pickup the fallen driver, who was writhing on the ground with pain.
Meanwhile, the whites had taken the lead on the inside ofthe turn. As they thundered down the opposite straightaway, they were all outof sight behind the spew, but in moments, they were coming around the far turnand Steiger saw that the whites had increased their lead, while the greens wereclose behind them. It remained that way for the first two laps as the chariotsgradually spread out along the track. By the third lap. the greens had closedthe distance. By the fourth, they were almost neck and neck with the whites,but Tibulus was clearly the better driver and he gained an increased lead oncemore going round the turn. By the fifth lap, the greens had once more closedthe distance, but the whites kept gaining on the turns. practically shaving theposts.
“Your greens arc putting up a game fight,” said Antony. “Demosdrives well, but he won’t catch Tibulus! Watch as he gives them full head onthe last turn!”