"They say the queen is in Rome right now, here to watch her rebel sister, Arsinoe, paraded in chains and put to death to cap the Egyptian Triumph."

"Yes, yes, triumphs for Caesar's victories in Gaul and Asia and Egypt-no one can complain about those. But what about this triumph that's planned for his victory in Africa? It was fellow Romans he fought there. Poor Cato! Who could raise a cheer about the way he died?"

"Oh, you might be surprised. The Roman mob loves to see a big man brought down, especially by a bigger man. And if Cato was the best general the opposition could put up after Pompey was killed, then they deserved to lose."

"You! You, there! What's that you're saying? My brother fought for Cato, you piece of scum, and died at Thapsus. He was a better Roman than the likes of you, you slandering pig!"

From the corner of my eye I saw the beginnings of a scuffle, and hurried on.

Passing beyond the public buildings of the Forum, I entered a maze of streets crowded with shops offering every sort of merchandise and service. Closest to the Forum were the more respectable eateries, tailor shops, fullers, craftsmen, and jewel merchants. Further on, the atmosphere grew progressively seedier and the clientele less affluent. I saw fewer togas and more tunics. This was the Subura district, notorious for its rough taverns and brothels. Nowadays it was thronged by Caesar's veterans, many of them maimed or bearing hideous scars. Under the midday sun they gathered outside taverns, drinking wine, and gambled in the streets, casting dice made from bones.

I saw a group of street performers putting on a show for a little crowd that had gathered. Unlike their colleagues in the theater, such troupes sometimes include female performers; the ones in this company were notable for their ample breasts, barely contained in tight, sheer gowns. The sketch was more pantomime than play, featuring a balding letch dressed as a Roman commander (his armor was made of tin) and the most buxom of the actresses, who wore a cheap imitation of the tall Egyptian headdress called an atef crown, and very little else.