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.

[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!

[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

[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