Alea iacta est-"The Die Is Cast"
--OR--
How A Single Birth Changed History
“Is she alright? Is the baby alright?”a distraught Gnaeus Pompeius asked the doctor as he approached him. The screams and moans had finally subsided into a tense quiet. The women gathered in the atrium stopped their chatter. All waited to hear the answer from Athenaeus. Childbirth was a risky thing, and even if the baby came out healthy, there was no guarantee the mother would survive. It was for this reason that Pompeius had always made sure to hire the finest doctor in Rome. Athenaeus had learned his craft in Alexandria, and Pompeius had relied on him now for all three of his childbirth's and so he was fairly confident that nothing would go wrong. Still, even the best doctors could sometimes not prevent death, and Pompeius' tense nervousness showed on his face.
Pompeius had reason enough to be feareful. Julia had gone into labor earlier than expected. More worrisome however was that the cries had ended fairly quickly. This was unusual considering this would be Julia's first child, and her hips were not very wide. Given the context, the birth being over so shortly often spelled bad things.
Athenaeus, remaining calm and composed, addressed everyone, “Why don't you all go see for yourself? My dear friend Pompeius, I am happy to say that your wife's labor was easier than most, and both her and the baby boy are perfectly healthy”. At that moment, as if to confirm Athenaeus' assurances, little cries could be heard from the room. Athenaeus patted Pompeius on the shoulder, and began looking for a towel to wipe the sweat off his body.
“I must thank you, Athenaeus. You always come through.”
“Well with how much you are paying me, I figure I better come through or I'll soon be out of business in this city,” Athenaeus joked, wiping sweat off his face.
Pompeius made his way to the bedroom to see Julia. By now most of the Roman matrons present had already made their way to the room, eager to see the new baby and congratulate Julia. He overheard Cornelia Metella, daughter of Q. Caecilius Metellus Scipio Nasica (Metellus Scipio), wife of Publius Licinius Crassus, and friend of Julia from their youth, fawning over the baby.
“He's so beautiful”, she beamed as she took the baby into her hands and smiled at him.
“He is. Just try not to crush him,” Julia chuckled as she took him back.
She hardly finished her sentence before she was the victim of a tight hug from her aunt Julia. “You did a fine job my dear niece” she proclaimed proudly. “Your father will be proud of you when he hears the good news. He'll be even happier to know that now he has a grandson”.
“Thanks, auntie” Julia forced a smile. She'd rather not think of her father, Gaius Julius Caesar. Everything she did seemed to be in his shadow and for his benefit. She was first engaged to Quintus Servilius Caepio and then married to Pompeius to assist in moving along his political career. She was to deliver a son because it would secure his line would continue into the next generation. Her feelings or opinions never counted. Julia rightfully felt like nothing but a tool in her father's political machinations. She had never been allowed much freedom while living with her grandmother Aurelia Cotta, and had resented them for it. While she didn't particularly care much for her husband, at least Pompeius allowed her a decent amount of personal freedom, and truly cared about and loved her. That was more than she was willing to say for her father, and, from what she saw around Rome, more than most wives were able to say.
Pompeius made his way over through the crowd of matrons and kissed Julia. “How is he?” he asked affectionately.
“See for yourself,” she replied, handing him the boy. Pompeius gave the baby a warm gaze. The baby's brown eyes blinked back at him. The crying had died down by now and the baby gave a small smile as Pompeius whisked away his auburn hair. Soon Julius Caesar would adopt him, and while he would almost certainly be raised with Julia for awhile, there was a small sadness in knowing the child would belong to Caesar, and not him. He completely understood and backed the reasoning; he had two sons to carry on his name, while Caesar had none, but that didn't change the attachment he felt.
Dispelling his negative thoughts in what was supposed to be a joyful time, he instead turned to everyone else and held the baby up for them to see. There was a lot of oohing and ahhing as they fawned over the cute ball in front of them. The baby was perhaps a bit discomforted, for he began to cry again, which didn't make for a pretty sight. Pompeius brought him back down and handed him back to his mother, joking, “He'll make a good Roman I'm sure, but first he has to get rid of that shyness”
--OR--
How A Single Birth Changed History
Rome, August 20th, 700 AVC
“Is she alright? Is the baby alright?”a distraught Gnaeus Pompeius asked the doctor as he approached him. The screams and moans had finally subsided into a tense quiet. The women gathered in the atrium stopped their chatter. All waited to hear the answer from Athenaeus. Childbirth was a risky thing, and even if the baby came out healthy, there was no guarantee the mother would survive. It was for this reason that Pompeius had always made sure to hire the finest doctor in Rome. Athenaeus had learned his craft in Alexandria, and Pompeius had relied on him now for all three of his childbirth's and so he was fairly confident that nothing would go wrong. Still, even the best doctors could sometimes not prevent death, and Pompeius' tense nervousness showed on his face.
Pompeius had reason enough to be feareful. Julia had gone into labor earlier than expected. More worrisome however was that the cries had ended fairly quickly. This was unusual considering this would be Julia's first child, and her hips were not very wide. Given the context, the birth being over so shortly often spelled bad things.
Athenaeus, remaining calm and composed, addressed everyone, “Why don't you all go see for yourself? My dear friend Pompeius, I am happy to say that your wife's labor was easier than most, and both her and the baby boy are perfectly healthy”. At that moment, as if to confirm Athenaeus' assurances, little cries could be heard from the room. Athenaeus patted Pompeius on the shoulder, and began looking for a towel to wipe the sweat off his body.
“I must thank you, Athenaeus. You always come through.”
“Well with how much you are paying me, I figure I better come through or I'll soon be out of business in this city,” Athenaeus joked, wiping sweat off his face.
Pompeius made his way to the bedroom to see Julia. By now most of the Roman matrons present had already made their way to the room, eager to see the new baby and congratulate Julia. He overheard Cornelia Metella, daughter of Q. Caecilius Metellus Scipio Nasica (Metellus Scipio), wife of Publius Licinius Crassus, and friend of Julia from their youth, fawning over the baby.
“He's so beautiful”, she beamed as she took the baby into her hands and smiled at him.
“He is. Just try not to crush him,” Julia chuckled as she took him back.
She hardly finished her sentence before she was the victim of a tight hug from her aunt Julia. “You did a fine job my dear niece” she proclaimed proudly. “Your father will be proud of you when he hears the good news. He'll be even happier to know that now he has a grandson”.
“Thanks, auntie” Julia forced a smile. She'd rather not think of her father, Gaius Julius Caesar. Everything she did seemed to be in his shadow and for his benefit. She was first engaged to Quintus Servilius Caepio and then married to Pompeius to assist in moving along his political career. She was to deliver a son because it would secure his line would continue into the next generation. Her feelings or opinions never counted. Julia rightfully felt like nothing but a tool in her father's political machinations. She had never been allowed much freedom while living with her grandmother Aurelia Cotta, and had resented them for it. While she didn't particularly care much for her husband, at least Pompeius allowed her a decent amount of personal freedom, and truly cared about and loved her. That was more than she was willing to say for her father, and, from what she saw around Rome, more than most wives were able to say.
Pompeius made his way over through the crowd of matrons and kissed Julia. “How is he?” he asked affectionately.
“See for yourself,” she replied, handing him the boy. Pompeius gave the baby a warm gaze. The baby's brown eyes blinked back at him. The crying had died down by now and the baby gave a small smile as Pompeius whisked away his auburn hair. Soon Julius Caesar would adopt him, and while he would almost certainly be raised with Julia for awhile, there was a small sadness in knowing the child would belong to Caesar, and not him. He completely understood and backed the reasoning; he had two sons to carry on his name, while Caesar had none, but that didn't change the attachment he felt.
Dispelling his negative thoughts in what was supposed to be a joyful time, he instead turned to everyone else and held the baby up for them to see. There was a lot of oohing and ahhing as they fawned over the cute ball in front of them. The baby was perhaps a bit discomforted, for he began to cry again, which didn't make for a pretty sight. Pompeius brought him back down and handed him back to his mother, joking, “He'll make a good Roman I'm sure, but first he has to get rid of that shyness”
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