Rome Drabbles: Past

[artyartie]

Written for rome100, prompt "Past."

The burnished gold of his ancestors’ death masks, glistening in the torchlight, frighten the young boy. Generations of both Junii and Servilli, watching him with solemn expectation. He has learned to return their stares with a calm gaze and unquivering lip – his mother’s sharp look of disapproval when he first whimpered under the weight of his own history hit him like a blow across the cheek.

“One day, your image will join them,” his mother says, kneeling behind him, her hands on his small shoulders. Brutus imagines his own face, older and silent and stern, staring back at him.

***

The sun beat down on his back, but the young boy felt no discomfort. He was gawky, all arms and legs, his head bobbling precariously on a thin neck. His blue eyes, however, were as bright as the summer sky, a scroll clutched tight in his small hands.

While some of the Greek was unfamiliar, certain words almost burned into the page, as if from Aristotle’s own hand. Ethos, pathos, logos. The tools of rhetoric and the orator. The power of words, the very words of power. Other boys played at soldier; Marcus Cicero desired a far more important future.

Comments

[babel.livejournal.com]

Ahh, the first one hurt. In a good way. "Small shoulders" really got me. It says so much without directly saying it. ♥

On the other hand, the second one just about killed me with adorable. Little Cicero. Reading Aristotle. And the last line struck me as so very Cicero.

[artyartie.livejournal.com]

I really love the first one - Brutus seems overwhelmed by his name when he's a grown man, so as a child it must have been overwhelming. And that's even without the slightly unhinged Uncle Cato.

And after all the angsty, emo Cicero of the past few prompts, I figured this was my chance for sweet little Cicero, hero worshipping Aristotle. And yet even back then he's still all ambitious, albeit in an adorable way.

[bofoddity.livejournal.com]

I loved these so much. The awed little Brutus and hopeful little Cicero! These make me want to pretend that their very dark futures don't exist.

[lucky-sparkle.livejournal.com]

Ooo these are sad. The poor little things have no idea yet just what their futures will bring. Eek.

I especially like the second one, the words flow so perfectly.

[jhd91.livejournal.com]

Oh, love the first one! Poor Brutus, it's heartbreaking knowing what will come to pass.

And Cicero... I can picture the scene you've written, and you've described what a young David Bamber probably looked like. ;) Excellent!

[artyartie.livejournal.com]

Thank you! It was so hard to write the first one, given Brutus' future and his image up on the wall, but the second one was much more hopeful, even if Cicero's fate wasn't all that different.

[artyartie.livejournal.com]

What we dream of when we're young and hopeful. Though most of us, thankfully, don't meet death on the point of a sword - or several.

I'm so glad you liked the second one! It was a little trickier to write - when writing anything on Cicero, I always feel that the words matter that much more.

[artyartie.livejournal.com]

Thank you! I was pleased with both of these drabbles - given their very poignant futures, even these childhood idylls are tinged with sadness. Especially for Brutus.

Evidently the young historical Cicero was also a gawky thing, and so it was easy to 'merge' the two - but the description of the eyes and head motion came from David Bamber's inspiration.

[schadenkatze.livejournal.com]

Brutus is my favorite character from the series, so I always appreciate brutus-centric fic . . . and this, m'dear, is no exception. Lovely and so sad.

Cicero I did not appreciate to the proper extent, now that I read fiction devoted to the character. thank you again.

C

[artyartie.livejournal.com]

Thank you! While Cicero will always be my favorite, Brutus is certainly very enjoyable to write. I'm glad this drabble was as enjoyable to read!

[theilian.livejournal.com]

Artyartie! How are you doing. We miss you at HBO board.

I read all your stories. They are so moving (and this time adorable) and so thoughtful, too. I can tell you I love them much better than the series itself. And hungry for more

Love

[artyartie.livejournal.com]

Ilian! I'm as good as can be, with the end of the semester, though starting to get a bit worried. Sorry I haven't been around the boards - it's so sill, but when I can keep up with the readings, I feel like I can't make a good conribution, and, yeah, silly, right? I'll pop in this weekend - we have a three day weekend and thus something of a breather.

Oh, thank you for reading the stories! It's been a welcome break from all things scholarly and nautical, and a nice chance to be creative. And the last one was a fun chance to write a young Cicero, not yet jaded by the world. But once I finish class, I have a few longer stories in mind for the summer!

Everything going well with you? It was really good to hear from you!

[theilian.livejournal.com]

Oops. Trying again.

I look forward to more stories, short or long, they are all lyrical and beautiful. I want more, more, MORE! :)

The latest one reminds me of a 1464 painting called The Young Cicero Reading, and it goes perfectly with it.



It's all same with me. Winter or summer, the same work, but I guess that's a good thing.

And something rather off-topic, but your interest in Cicero and nautical matter reminds me of a wacky usenet post I somehow came across Cicero the Sailor.

Cicero hated sailing, so I don't know what possessed this person to write it, but I think you'll like it. :)



See you!

[artyartie.livejournal.com]

*blinks* You found my inspiration - that was exactly the picture I had in mind! Just a minor change in setting, but that was it, exactly. But I'm so glad you enjoy the stories - Cicero is an absolute joy to write!

That alternative history was fascinating! And it sets that part of me that isn't totally frustrated with nautical archaeology to wondering if it could work. The hulls, certainly, though it's really the ship rig (three square rigged masts with supporting fore and aft rigs) that makes reliable trans-Atlantic passage possible - but if anyone could have figured it out...it's hard to make it work given Cicero's aversion to ship but otherwise it's absolutely intruiging - and what a treatise on ship building he would write!