More help wanted for my book set in the late republic

[Trethiwr]

Hi, I stopped writing for ages because at every sentence I needed advice.

I have finally dragged myself back to the book but I still need loads of help.

 

My heroes who are three brothers aged 16 14 and 12,

accompanied by a very athletic and striking woman, are now in Rome. C. 84BCE

They are Celts from Britain and Gaul

although they are telling people they are from Gallia Narbonensis so as to claim hospitium.

They have learned quite a bit of Latin especially the eldest.

I presume first of all that this has a reasonable chance of working at this time?

 

However I can't really have them visit Rome and have a nice time sightseeing

and then leave without incident.

This is supposed to be a book after all.

 

I want to get the eldest arrested or kidnapped and sold into slavery.

He is quite hot headed although not really much of a fighter.

He tends to mouth off first and realise he is out of his depth later.

 

Am I right in thinking that citizens do not normally carry arms in the city?

Am I also right in thinking that soldiers carry arms both on and off duty?

Is there any practical way in which someone wearing a toga could conceal a weapon?

 

If the eldest were to lose his temper with an off duty legionary would he kill him,

or bring him to justice or might he just dispose of him in a convenient way

such as selling him to a slave trader?

 

If not can anyone suggest a plausible device for getting my hero roughed up a bit and ending up as a slave.

 

I'm sorry if it sounds like I'm asking everyone to write my book for me.

Once I get them back to Gaul I will be on firmer ground.

[caldrail]

I want to get the eldest arrested or kidnapped and sold into slavery.

Arrested? Easy. Just make a social faux pas. Have your character sit beside a senator in the theatre. Outrage! But that wouldn't get him sold into slavery. For that, your character would have do (or be accused of doing) something that would make a magistrate taking away his freedom and status in that manner. Debt perhaps?

 

Kidnapping is less likely in Rome. Solitary travellers in the countryside were more prone to this fate. Not really sure how prevalent this sort of thing was, but Augustus had Tiberius look into it, so it reached imperial attention.

 

Am I right in thinking that citizens do not normally carry arms in the city?

No, but knives were common enough and there were plenty of muggers at large in the city after dark, some of whom wouldn't think twice about killing their victim.

 

Am I also right in thinking that soldiers carry arms both on and off duty?

No, usually a soldier wouldn't be seen with a sword, especially in Rome which had customs against armed soldiers in the streets. Praetorian guards wore togas on duty at the senate house (not in armour, as usually portrayed)and swords were not to be seen. Roman legionaries could be a rough crew however, certainly capable of handing out a beating, and the nature of legionary organisation meant that contubernia, or 'close friends', barracked in eight man squads, would often socialise together.

 

Is there any practical way in which someone wearing a toga could conceal a weapon?

Yes. The toga has a voluminous nature and plenty of bulky folds. Caesars assassins concealed daggers under theirs for instance.

 

If the eldest were to lose his temper with an off duty legionary would he kill him,

or bring him to justice or might he just dispose of him in a convenient way

such as selling him to a slave trader?

Depends on the character of the soldier. many were less than good mannered. Juvenal includes a satire about the fate of a man who complains to a legionary commander that his men stole a donkey with menaces (legionaries weren't tried in civil courts). The following 'court martial' was biased against the plaintiff ('Judges in boots') and the indeed the plaintiff may well find himself beaten up afterward by aggrieved soldiers.

[caldrail]

Actually I was a bit careless with my previous answer. The praetorians in the time period of yourstory were small units of bodyguards in the military looking after generals in the field, not a 'unified' paramilitary protecting an emperor at Rome with official state functions.

[Trethiwr]

OK, is this scenario plausible?

 

Late evening - 16 year old argues with younger brothers and storms out of taverna/inn. (highly likely)

 

Walking blindly through streets he crashes into off duty contubernium coming round the corner. (a bit pantomime?)

 

Since he is in such a bad mood he tries to fight them and gets a good kicking for his troubles.

 

He is left battered by the legionaries and a little later is subsequently robbed by a lucky thief

who also beats him up a bit more and leaves him for dead in a rough part of town.

 

The next day he is found by a merchant who helps him but expects payment.

The youth has no money and is clearly an alien

(although he has learned some Latin its not enough to pass himself off as a Roman)

 

Could the merchant "adopt" him as a slave or would he need to go through the courts?

I sort of want to keep him out of the courts as his friend and guide would probably be able to find out and help.

Could the merchant sell him to a slave trader, were there slave auctions in Rome or is the whole idea or slave auctions a bit of an invention?

[sylla]

...The youth has no money and is clearly an alien (although he has learned some Latin its not enough to pass himself off as a Roman)... OK, is this scenario plausible?

Up to this point, I can't see why it wouldn't be so; I may have actually read something similar (maybe in Asterix).

Same as today second language speakers, even excellent Latin learners, would generally retain their local accent (Briton for your youth, isn't it?).

Could the merchant "adopt" him as a slave or would he need to go through the courts? I sort of want to keep him out of the courts as his friend and guide would probably be able to find out and help. Could the merchant sell him to a slave trader, were there slave auctions in Rome or is the whole idea or slave auctions a bit of an invention?

Then as today, people adopted "sons" or "daughters", not things or slaves; they were property.

Courts dealt with slaves as property, except if they contended their servile condition, eg if they pretended to be quirites or recognized peregrini that had been illegally enslaved; being that the case, your hypothetical merchant might have been in big troubles.

In principle, any property could be sold as long as it could be proved it has been legally acquired (or of course, if nobody cared).

Had your merchant sold any slave, he would have been a slave trader himself; however, my guess is that this kind of trade was a quite specialized market activity in the imperial Rome.

It was forbidden for quirites to sell themselves; I'm not aware of any express legal consideration on peregrini self-enslavement.

Roman slave auctions were very real.

[Trethiwr]

Thanks Sylla.

Asterix eh? Well you can't get any more historically accurate than that can you?

Yes he is a Briton, he has been trying to pass himself off as Salluvi since that gives him some rights.

 

So, if the merchant sold him he would have to pay slave tax and his details would be on record?

Which would make it difficult if there was any comeback.

 

If he took him to the courts then the lad's guide would surely turn up.

She knows her way around and speaks Latin like a native.

 

Having said that there was the little incident in Ostia which could catch up with him.

His brothers stole a tiger and a chimpanzee.

 

Trouble is then I have to learn all about the Roman court system as well!

It seems I will have to do that anyway.

 

Based on what Caldrail said I was thinking that if the merchant spent money helping him then he would be in debt and if he couldn't pay then he might be made a slave but perhaps that is a bit extreme?

 

I guess if the merchant who's tiger was stolen came across my hero, he could make a more serious accusation against the lad. Would the courts hold him responsible as the brother of the perpetrators. There was plenty of confusion surrounding the incident so almost anything goes I suspect.

 

Could he perhaps be given as a slave to the wild animal trader?

Particularly if it came out that he was a Briton and not from a subject state.