The Seven Hills(7)

Zeno had visited Alexandria more than once and had been able to detect no sense of restraint in the place, but he let it pass. He was more impressed by the Romans' energy than by their taste, anyway.

The city was built upon a series of low, rolling hills so that it was difficult to get much sense of it. No sight line extended more than a few hundred yards, and even that was rare. It did not help that the streets were for the most part twisting and narrow. Apparently, the plan for rebuilding Rome did not include improving its layout. The Romans seemed determined to restore their city precisely to its state before Hannibal destroyed it.

The travelers made their way up one of the better streets, stepping aside for wagons of building material and tool-bearing slave gangs the whole way, until they entered a long, broad public space full of monuments and surrounded by buildings of considerable dignity. Its northern extremity ended at the base of the highest hill, which was topped by the splendid Temple of Jupiter Best and Greatest.

"This is their agora, obviously," Izates said, looking the place over for signs of vulgarity. "It's rather dignified, really," he said, disappointed.

"This is the Forum," Gorgas said. "I see they've cleared away the last of the swamp and cleaned the pavement. Those biggest buildings are what the Romans call basilicas. They're law courts, mainly. The little round temple is sacred to Vesta, goddess of the hearth. That one partway up the hill is Saturn's. The big one to Jupiter you already know and that other big one on the lower peak of the hill is Juno's. The little temples surrounding them I'm not sure about. The Romans have more gods and more temples than you can imagine. They even build temples and altars to the virtues: discipline, concord, peace—"

"Peace?" Izates said dryly. "The Romans esteem peace so highly that they have erected an altar to it?"

"I think we can assume that it's peace on Roman terms," Zeno said. "This seems to be the center of government and communal activity. Let's find an inn close by. It will be convenient since this will be where we will be spending most of our time."

They learned that, except for public areas like the Forum, Rome had no sort of districting. Houses, shops, temples, slums, parks, gardens and the town houses of the rich were jumbled together, often so closely that only one-way foot traffic was possible between them. Thus they had no trouble finding an inn no more than a few steps from the Forum, and nearby a stable to take care of their donkey.

"One thing to be said for a rebuilt city like this," Izates said, surveying the room they had engaged. "Even the inns are too new to have gotten shabby and acquire vermin."

The room was spacious, freshly painted and even featured a small balcony with potted plants, overlooking the Via Nova, one of the few streets in Rome wide enough for two-way wheeled traffic.

Zeno walked out onto the balcony, leaned on the handrail and surveyed the street below. "Do you know what is missing?" he said.

"What?" Izates asked. "I mean, what besides culture, beauty and learning?"

"Everywhere we've gone since we arrived in Italy there have been soldiers. I've seen none since we entered Rome."

"Armed soldiers are forbidden to enter the city," Gorgas informed them. "Even a general in command of troops has to stay outside the city walls. When the Senate must confer with the military, they have to meet in one of the temples outside the walls."

"That is a wise policy," Izates conceded. "I suppose that even the Romans must have good ideas upon occasion."

"I noticed some fairly grand temples standing just without the city walls," Zeno said. "Most cities have their finest temples in prominent places."

"It's another Roman thing," Gorgas said. "Certain of their gods are what the Romans call 'extramural.' That means they have all their temples and shrines outside the walls. Mars is one of them. He's their war god, sort of like Ares, except he's also an agricultural deity. His great festival is called the Martialis and it's actually a harvest festival, having nothing to do with battle."

"I can see that Roman religion must be a study that will require its own volume," Zeno said.

"Why bother?" Izates asked.

After a leisurely meal they walked out to see the sights. Just off the northernmost corner of the Forum they came to a rather modest brick building. The only thing fine about it was a handsome marble stair and portico with pillars in the severe Doric style. They might have passed it by without another glance, but Gorgas informed them that this was one of the most important landmarks in Rome.

"It's the Curia, where the Senate meets."