As he talked we walked around in the vast, dim room. I saw, besides the usual statues, pieces of obsolete armor, farm implements, stones carved with archaic lettering, documents, a few chariots, a sundial, bags of fragrant substances, potted plants long dead, even what appeared to be the spar and sail of a ship. It looked like an auctioneer’s yard after the breakup of a very old estate.
“It is the bane of all temples,” Telemachus said. “Donations of money are one thing, but dedications are quite another. People think they are honoring the gods by dedicating these things, but sometimes I wonder whether the gods truly appreciate it all. Once a thing has been dedicated to a god, it cannot be sold or thrown away. They accumulate and clutter the temple precincts. Some years ago, the Temple of Apollo at Delphi became so crammed with armor dedicated by the Greeks after a few centuries’ worth of victories that they hit upon the idea of using it for landfill at the building of a new stadium. Since the stadium was also dedicated to the god, it was adjudged not to be impious.”
“I know the problem,” I said, commiserating. “I worked in the Temple of Saturn when I was quaestor. It looked like the hoard of a pack of thieves down in the crypt.”
“Precisely. Perhaps you could apply to Caesar. As pontifex maximus perhaps he could provide us with a solution that would be satisfactory to both the god and the temple.”
Everybody thought Caesar could solve their problems.
“I’ll mention it to him. Maybe he can excavate a new storeroom below this one. That would keep it within the temple precincts.”
“An excellent idea. You will have my gratitude.”
“Now, about Postumius?” I prodded.
“The man was always sneaking out to go to the Circus and the stables. He was constantly trying to get the other clerks to engage in bets on horse races. It was affecting the work here, which was unsatisfactory enough to begin with. I had to dismiss him. Slaves are much better than free-born citizens or freedmen for this sort of work. They can be confined, and there is an array of punishments available to correct their behavior. Had it not been for the shortage of skilled accountants I never would have hired him.”
“It is a great bother,” I agreed. “When did you dismiss him?”
“About a month ago.”
“Did he seem greatly distressed at losing his position?”
“Not at all. He was quite insolent about it, in fact. He hinted that he no longer needed to do any such work and was moving on to something better.”
“I thank you, Telemachus. You have been of great help to my investigation.”
“Investigation? Is this something to do with the killings?”
“I have every confidence that it is,” I told him.
Hermes and I went outside and made our way to the area where the astronomers lived. Its fine terrace, recently the site of Polasser’s murder, had an excellent view of the north end of the Circus Maximus, the end where fine statues of four-horse chariots stand above the gates through which the racing chariots enter the field.
“Picture yourself standing here,” I said.
“Why?” Hermes wanted to know. “I am standing here.”
“Picture yourself,” I said again, “standing here looking out at this view and you are in congenial company. What do you talk about?”
“The races,” he said without hesitation. He was a true Roman.
“Exactly. You speak of your mutual interest in racing and, no doubt, gambling. Then, with this common interest established, you go on to other things, such as your work.”
“So Postumius strikes up a conversation with Polasser about racing,” Hermes said. “Then he learns from Polasser about astrology, most particularly about how highborn Romans, especially women, are enthusiastic about it.”
“There you are. And if there is one thing my life and experience have taught me, it is that one rogue will always recognize another. I will wager that not too many conversations occurred before Polasser learned that Postumius was a professional gambler and not an honest one, and Postumius learned that Polasser concocted favorable horoscopes for anyone who would pay him.”
“So it wasn’t long before they devised the fraud to profit from trading in grain futures. It must have been mainly Postumius’s doing. Polasser was an amateur fraud. Postumius was a real professional.”
“That is my thinking. Come, let’s talk with Sosigenes.”
We found him on the observation terrace with its arcane instruments, alone for a change. After the usual greetings we sat at a table and got down to the business of the day.
“How well did you know Polasser?” I asked first.