Sejanus 1
This is the first instalment of a story which will include descriptions of men abusing boys both physically and _s_e_x_ually. If you do not enjoy such stories or are under eighteen please do not read it.
The story will include some deaths but it is not a snuff story. The deaths will not be described in a provocative way and are included only for story or character development.
I do not make any claim for historical accuracy. For instance Drusus (grandson of Augustus) is going to play an important if transitory part although he was almost certainly poisoned by Tiberius before Sejanus was killed. Some bits are right. It does seem that Sejanus had three children and while two were executed the fate of the third is I think unknown. One was a young girl and she was raped by the executioner before being strangled because virgins could not legally be executed. Titus (Caesonius Priscus) actually existed and was a Roman knight although to call him Tiberius's pimp is perhaps a little unjust. His official title according to Suetonius was Comptroller of Pleasures. Over all though this is a fantasy story set in a fantasy version of the early Roman Empire.
I write because I enjoy doing so. You are at perfectly at liberty to copy or post this story. If you do so I would be glad however if you would acknowledge my authorship.
I would be glad to receive any comments (pleasant if possible) or suggestions you care to make. Please send them to zelamir@hotmail. com. I will reply to any messages I receive other than those complaining that this story include descriptions of young boys being physically and _s_e_x_ually abused. That is what it is about. You have been warned.
Crastus stood at the edge of the pool and looked down into the face of a terrified man. Normally this would not have surprised him. He was used to causing fear among those he met. It went with his profession. To see it though on the face of his employer, the supreme pontiff, the first consul, the man every one in Rome other than himself referred to as the Emperor, struck him as strange. It would have been understandable perhaps a day or two earlier when the outcome of Sejanus's bid for power was still in doubt. Now though, when, the praetorian guard had declared for Tiberius, Sejanus himself had been slaughtered, his body exposed on the Gemonian steps before being cast into the Tiber and his supporters were being hunted down, such fear was strange indeed.
Yet the feel of a regime under threat had been palpable throughout his journey to Capri. The naval squadron lying close off shore, the long sleek hulls of the galleys reflected in the almost unmoving sea, elegant and beautiful until the they had drawn close enough to catch the stink from the rowing benches, the double guard of marines at the single landing place, hard men in full battle gear, all suggested Tiberius and his rule were under threat rather than, as they truly were, triumphant.
"I can trust no one, no one."
The man who was Emperor of Rome stood naked, waste deep in the pool, beads of water glinting on the thick dark hair that matted his powerful chest, staring at him through cold distrustful eyes.
"Sejanus who I made my companion in power and who I was going to bring into the my own family betrays me. If he had been content to wait who knows what might have been open to him. But no, he must snatch at the prize as many have before him and many will in the future and to what end? What has the supreme power brought me.?"
Crastus glanced round at the vast marble lined pool, the imperial villa towering behind it, the crowd of beautiful naked boys, lithe limbed and attentive, hovering eagerly about them and thought that power seemed to have it's compensations. Then his eyes went back to the emperor's closed frightened face disfigured by a mass of angry white tipped pimples and he wondered if they were enough.
It was not the first time that Crastinus had been summoned by the Emperor to get his instructions direct from himself. He thought the man looked more under strain and more frightened than in the past. Certainly the pimples that on earlier occasions had been a mere occasional blemish now covered Tiberius's face with a livid rash of pustules. It was clear that Sejanus's rebellion had hit the man hard.
"You have some special task for me Sir?" Crastus asked. Experience had taught him that once the Emperor began to talk about the burdens of his office he would prose on in an incoherent disjointed sort of way indefinitely unless checked.
Tiberius made a small gesture of assent with his hand and one of the boys mistaking it's meaning slipped with a flash of smooth brown limbs from the side of the pool into the water. and began to swim towards him. A couple of yards from his master he jack knifed, for an instant his tight boy's bum broke the surface of the water, and then fish like he swam submerged, his hands pressed to his sides, propelling himself forwards with small kicks of his bare feet. Crastus watched as his slim body, it's outline distorted by the ripples of the clear water approached Tiberius's crutch his head thrown back ready to nuzzle his master's flaccid _c_o_c_k_ and heavy balls. Crastus resigned himself to a long wait before the Emperor would be ready to give him his instructions. However it was soon clear that Tiberius did not wish to postpone the business immediately in hand. Turning slightly he reached out his left hand and seizing the boy by his hair held the child firmly under the water. The boy's feet scrabbled desperately on the floor of the pool as the Emperor turned his attention back to Crastus.
"I have indeed Crastus," he said apparently oblivious of the increasingly frantic struggles of the boy whose head he continued to hold beneath the water. "In so serious a case of rebellion as Sejanus's it is not enough that the man himself should perish, his whole family must be expunged from the face of the earth."
"His son and daughter have both been disposed of Sir and their bodies displayed to the mob.."
Crastus could see the boy had grasped Tiberius 's hand with both of his and was trying to break the man's grip on his head. .
"I know Crastus but here is another child, a boy, still younger than those two whom Sejanus loved the most and kept in the country to preserve him from the temptations of the City and the Court. I did not myself know of this but the freeman in whose charge he left the child sent a messenger to me after the plot was unmasked informing me of the boy's existence and asking me what was to be done with him. I wish you to look after the matter for me."
"A very loyal man, that freeman of Sejanus's," Crastus observed dryly.
"Yes, yes," replied Tiberius oblivious to the sarcasm in the other's voice. "I would wish him to be rewarded. Certainly he may be left to manage the farm for the state. But first Sejanus's son must be killed."
The boy had ceased to struggle. Tiberius released his hold and the lad's body sank gently down until it floated just clear of the floor of the pool.
"It will be done Sir. Where....."
"A villa just outside Perugia. Sail back to Rome. Pick up your men there and then ..."
Crastus said nothing. He bowed and turned to go.
"Crastus," Tiberius called after him. "The two children... They were very young. I know convention says that a virgin may not be executed did you...."
Crastus turned and stared at his employer coldly.
"Neither were virgins when they died Sir," he said grimly. "I can vouch for that." Tiberius grinned wolfishly at this reply.
"Good excellent," he said, "I am glad your trade, grim as it is, has it's little pleasures. Now Titus escort our faithful friend to the shore. We must not let so important a servant of the state be killed by over zealous guards."
A fat man wearing a spotless toga waddled forward from the shadows and touched Crastus's arm. Tiberius clapped his hands and there were a series of splashes and squeals as the attendant boys threw themselves into the pool eager to show their devotion to their master.
"I hope," Titus remarked as he escorted Crastus down the narrow path to the islands only landing place, " that he didn't drown that boy. Decent quality ones are getting harder to come by all the time and the price is rising. What we need is a good foreign war or a revolt in one of the provinces. Either of those would flood the market with fresh stock fast enough."
"You won't get much out of the treason trials then?" Crastus enquired absently. He was not really interested in this fat old ponce's problems. His mind was busy considering the new task he had just been set.
"Not much to the purpose," Titus lamented. "We get three quarters of the accused's property including his slaves but what our Emperor wants is fresh young boys and what we get generally maybe young but hardly fresh. If we could have the man's sons it might help a bit but they either get passed to you and your colleagues to dispose of or are allowed to live in poverty. Still it's an ill wind that blows nobody any good."
"It's a busy time for me," Crastus admitted moodily, "but not a particularly profitable one. I just get what the criminal has about him when he dies and that's often precious little especially with the young one's. What good is a doll or a toy soldier to me?"
"It's better mind you with the older one's," he continued. "They wear rings and things which they press on me to try to persuade me to make their deaths easier." His eyes rested for a moment on Titus's silver knight's ring. "It's the informers who do best. A quarter of the accused property. You can get rich on that."
"But you make enemies," Titus remarked, "A change in the wind and you stand accused and then it's slit your wrists or face a visit from you. At least your job is a steady one."
"I've never been short of work," Crastus agreed with a harsh laugh.
"And never will be. But me, if the emperor's tastes should change or anything I would be finished at once and meanwhile I have to try to keep him satisfied and he's got more demanding since Sejanus's plot broke."
The two men, the executioner and the pimp, the two most important officers of state in a tyranny, walked on in silence each bewailing to himself the hardness of his own lot.
The path that was cut into the side of the cliff turned sharply to the right. Below them now was the cove that formed the only landing place on the whole island, the fierce Mediterranean sun glinting on the almost still water. Crastus saw that since he had landed a small fishing vessel had arrived and moored behind his own boat. A skinny looking youth was trudging up the path towards them two large baskets of fish hanging from either end of the wooden yoke that rested across his narrow shoulders his only clothing a brief threadbare tunic. Bent under his heavy burden his eyes fixed on the ground as he laboured upwards the lad was clearly unaware of the two men.
"Watch where you're going boy," Titus growled. Startled the boy glanced up. Crastus saw his eyes widen with terror as he saw the two men looming over him. The boy stumbled to a halt and pressed himself against the cliff face to allow the two men to pass.
"Stupid little oaf," Titus continued slapping the boy hard across his face. "I'll give you a taste of the whip this evening to teach you to keep out of the way of your betters."
The boy said nothing and made not attempt to ward off the blows with which Titus punctuated this threat. He just stood there head bowed tears streaming down his face sobbing hopelessly.
"Look at this useless brute Crastus," Titus said reaching out and lifting the boy's tunic up to reveal a hairless crutch and a chest so thin that every bone in his rib cage was clearly visible. "Scrawny little runt isn't he? And look at his face." He caught hold of the boy by his chin and roughly pushed his head back. "I don't think I've ever seen an uglier stupider boy. But do you know if I had to replace him it would cost me perhaps a hundred denarius in the market. More than half the price of a decent mule. The worlds gone mad if you ask me."
Titus glared at the boy in silence for a second or two apparently rendered speechless by the false values of the moment.
"Oh get up to the kitchens with you. I'll have the skin from your shoulders later on." Titus swung the starveling boy round and helped him on his way with a sharp kick up his backside. For a fat man he was quite agile on his feet.
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The sum blazed down on the rolling Umbrian plane. The dark green olive trees that stretched out on either side of the long straight road seemed to quiver in the hot air. To the left a double row of cypresses marked where a track branched off from the surfaced road. About a mile away were a jumble of white washed walls and red tiled roofs where a large farm lay at the end of the track.
The four riders reigned in their horses at the point the track joined the road and consulted together for a moment. Then they wheeled off the road and began to trot briskly along the track their horses hooves casting up behind them a reddish cloud of dust. Members of a slave gang hoeing the dry baked earth between the olive trees turned to watch them until the shouts of the overseer and the crack of his whip drove them back to their work.
The horsemen did not look pleasant men.. All four of them were big man with hard faces and three of them had short swords hanging from their belts. There was something about them vaguely suggestive of the military although they were not in uniform. Despite their lack of uniform the grooms at the various imperial post stations where they had changed horses seemed to know them well and had brought out fresh mounts for them with a speed that suggested that they were eager to send them on their way and to be rid of them. The leader of this small band was Crastus and he was the only man that did not carry a sword.
When they trotted through the gateway into the farmyard it was clear that word had arrived ahead of them of their approach. A short well fed freedman stood ready to greet them and slaves were standing by to take their horses. The three men reigned in their mounts and slid from their saddles throwing the reigns to the waiting youths.
"Well come Sir, welcome," the freedman said to Crastus smiling ingratiatingly and nervously rubbing his hands together in front of him. "My name is Echion and I was in the service of the traitor Sejanus acting as his bailiff. I have been expecting you ever since I sent word to the Imperial Authorities that I had secured one of his sons here."
"Your message reached the ears of the Emperor himself and he sent us to take care of the boy," Crastus replied coldly.
"We have him here waiting for you Sir. We have had him secure for the last week Sir awaiting the Emperor's command."
"The last week ," said Crastus with a slight note of interrogation in his voice.
He made a small gesture and two of his attendants moved forward so that they were standing nearer to the plump little freedman. The remaining man began to whistle softly through his teeth and turned round apparently to take a view of the yard his hand falling nonchalantly on his sword hilt. A look of alarm spread over Echion's face. He edged backwards until brought up short by the farmhouse wall.
"That is some time after Sejanus called out his supporters and indeed after the Praetorian guard declared their continued allegiance to my master the Emperor Tiberius."
"News takes a long time to reach us here Sir," Echion pleaded his voice shrill with fear.
"A long time indeed. It took us only two days to ride here from Rome. It would seem that news of your Master's treachery took five times that time to reach here or did you wait until you knew his attempt had failed before demonstrating your loyalty to the Emperor?" Crastus smiled coldly and his hands began to unknot the thick length of cord with the wooden toggles at either end that held his leather jerkin closed.
"No Sir. No Sir," Echion's legs had began to shake and his eyes watched Crastus's strong blunt fingers play with the cord as if hypnotised. "I am a loyal subject of the Emperor Sir. As soon as I knew of the planned treachery I secured the boy Sir. I swear it Sir. I was in Sejanus's service Sir but I was didn't know of his planned treachery. I would have informed on him straight away if I had."
"The Emperor expressed his appreciation of your loyalty and authorised me to investigate it's extent and to reward it as appropriate," Crastus remarked. He had the cord free from his waist now and was holding it loosely in front of him a toggle in each hand.
Echion gave a high pitched moan and dropped to his knees tears streaming down his face.
"Oh Sir please. I did my best Sir. I have been loyal to the Emperor. The boys been locked in the cellars ever since I learnt of his fathers treachery."
"And fed on the fat of the land and generally spoilt so that if by chance his father came out on top you could say you were just protecting the boy," Crastus sneered.
"No Sir, no. The boy would have starved long before now. I wouldn't do anything to help an enemy of the Emperor but one of the slave girls was feeding him on the sly. We caught her only yesterday Sir and I've had her well whipped and she'll work in a field gang now till she dies."
"I wish all would deal with the friends of traitors with similar harshness," Crastus said with quiet irony. "Now show me where you have imprisoned this threat to the state about whom you informed the Emperor."
Echios half rose to his feet and bent almost double scuttled off round the side of the house followed closely by Crastus and his three men. Echios stopped before a stout door and fumbled in his tunic pocket for the key.
"The key was kept on the nail there by the door," he explained as he fumbled it out of his pocket. "I didn't think any one would dare to use it to help the boy. Once I found what that treacherous girl had been up to I took charge of it personally."
His hand was shaking so violently that it took him some time to fit the key into the lock. Eventually he succeeded and the door swung open to reveal a steep flight of stairs disappearing into darkness. A dank cold smell rose up from the cellars to meet them.
"The boy has no light down there?" Crastus asked.
"No Sir none." Echios was fumbling at a lamp that stood on a ledge behind the door.
"Well perhaps you weren't spoiling him after all...."
"All right you three stay up here I reckon I can cope with a half starved brat with out your help. Just keep an eye on my back."
"Echios show me where he is."
The freedman led the way down the steps the flame of the lamp throwing an uncertain light ahead of him as the flame flickered and guttered in his trembling hand. At the bottom of the stairs a narrow corridor stretched ahead of them, earth floored, it's stone walls glistening with damp. Echios shuffled a few yards along it and stopped outside a door fastened by two heavy metal bolts.
"He's in there," the man said speaking for some reason in a hoarse whisper.
Wordlessly Crastus took the lamp from him and with a jerk of the thumb dismissed him. Echios turned and set off towards the pool of day light at the bottom of the stairs at a half run.
Crastus shot the bolts in the door. A foul animal odour assaulted his nostrils. Holding the lamp in front of him he stepped forward to meet the boy he had been sent to kill.
.