Beric the Briton | Page 9

musicians, decorators, skilled artisans,
and traders were attracted from the mainland to the rising city, which
rapidly increased in wealth and importance. Conspicuous on the most
elevated position stood a temple erected to the honour of Claudius, who
was raised by the grateful legionaries to divine rank. So strong and
populous was the city that the Trinobantes, during the years that had
elapsed since the Romans took possession of it, remained passive under
the yoke of their oppressors, and watched, without attempting to take
part in them, the rising of the Iceni and Brigantes, the long and
desperate war of the Silures and Ordovices under Caractacus, and the
reduction of the Belgae and Dumnonii from Hampshire to Cornwall by
Vespasian. Yet, had their spirit remained unbroken, there was an
opportunity for revenge, for a large part of the veteran legionaries had
been withdrawn to take part in the struggle against the western tribes.
The tribe had, however, been disarmed, and with Camalodunum on the
north, and the rising towns of London and Verulamium on the south,
they were cut off from other tribes, and could not hope for final success,
unless the powerful Iceni, who were still semi-independent, rose in the
national cause. Whether their easy defeat of this tribe soon after the
occupation of Camalodunum had rendered the Romans contemptuous
of their fighting powers, or that they deemed it wiser to subdue the
southwest and west of England, and to strike a heavy blow at the
Brigantes to the north before interfering with a powerful tribe so close
to their doors, is uncertain; but doubtless they felt that so long as
Prasutagus reigned there was little fear of trouble in that quarter, as that
king protested himself the friend and ally of Rome, and occupied
himself wholly in acquiring wealth and adding to his personal
possessions.
The scene in Camalodunum was a familiar one to Beric. The streets
were thronged with people. Traders from Gaul and Italy, Roman
artisans and workmen, haughty legionaries with shield and helmet, civil
officials, Greek players, artists and decorators, native tribesmen, with

the products of their fields or the spoils of the chase, walking with
humble mien; and shopkeepers sitting at the open fronts of their houses,
while their slaves called the attention of passersby to the merits of the
goods. Here were the rich products of Eastern looms, there the cloths
and linen of Rome, further on a smith's shop in full work, beyond that a
silversmith's, next door to which was a thriving trader who sold
unguents and perfumes, dyes for the ladies' cheeks and pigments for
their eyebrows, dainty requisites for the toilette, and perfumed soap.
Bakers and butchers, vendors of fish and game, of fruit, of Eastern
spices and flavourings abounded.
Druggists and dealers in dyes for clothing and in the pigments used in
wall decorations and paintings were also to be found; and, in fact, this
Roman capital of a scarcely subjugated country contained all the
appliances for luxury and comfort that could be found in the cities of
the civilized provinces.
The only shops at which Beric paused were those of the armourers and
of the scribes, at some of which were exhibited vellums with the
writings of the Greek and Roman poets and historians; and Beric
muttered to himself, "If I am ever present at the sack of Camalodunum
these shall be my share of the spoil, and I fancy that no one is likely to
dispute their possession with me."
But he did not linger long. Boduoc would be waiting for him, and he
could not hurry over his visit, the first he had paid since his absence;
therefore he pushed on, with scarce a glance at the stately temple of
Claudius, the magnificent baths or other public buildings, until he
arrived at the villa of Caius Muro, which stood somewhat beyond the
more crowded part of the town.

CHAPTER II
: CITY AND FOREST
The house of Caius Muro had been built six years before on the model
of one owned by him in the Tuscan hills. Passing through the hall or
vestibule, with its mosaic pavement, on which was the word of
welcome, "Salve!" Beric entered the atrium, the principal apartment in
the house. From each side, at a height of some twenty feet from the
ground, extended a roof, the fall being slightly to the centre, where

there was an aperture of about eight feet square. Through this light and
air made their way down to the apartment, the rainfall from the roofs
and opening falling into a marble tank, called the impluvium, below the
level of the floor, which was paved with squares of coloured marble.
On either side of the atrium were the small sleeping chambers, the bed
places being raised and