Claudia, Wife of Pontius Pilate: A Novel (12 page)

“He is influenced by Sejanus in his attitude toward the Jews. You must temper this carefully. If he is high-handed, he will bring much grief on his office as governor. Tiberius is leaving for Capri within the month. I’m glad you will be far away, if only for what will happen when Sejanus has a totally free hand. I am grateful I will not live long enough to see the maelstrom he will create in my beloved Rome.”

The import of her grandmother’s words struck Claudia like a blow to her heart. Her grandmother would be lost to her and she shuddered to think what would be happening in the city.

Scribonia continued. “I have signed the papers and set Medina free. She knows this, but has chosen to remain with me in my last days. I do not know her plans for after I’m gone—perhaps she will contact you in some way. I do not know if she wishes to travel to Judea.”

“She is welcome to come here, Grandmother. From what I know of Marcus and this household, she would be welcome. I can send an allowance for her living expenses.”

“That is generous, Claudia. I will speak to her about that and let her know that is one path she can take. You must also speak with the steward of this household and be sure he is agreeable to such a plan.”

“I will do that.”

Medina and Hotep helped Scribonia down the stairs and into the coach. Claudia held back tears as she took leave of her grandmother for the last time. Marcus and Alba stood in the background watching the scene with somber faces.

With a heavy heart, Claudia watched the coach bearing her grandmother and her old nurse until it was out of sight. She would never see the last person left of her family again.

She didn’t feel like talking. Hotep concentrated on repairing one of Claudia’s garments. Claudia worked her loom, reminding herself that in a few weeks’ time she would see her Lucius again. She deliberately turned her thoughts in a more positive direction.

That night she hardly slept. She remembered his kiss and his eyes when he parted from her. “Lucius,” she murmured softly as her eyes finally closed.

When Titus returned on the third day, he and Marcus carried her chests down to the open coach secured to carry Claudia and her belongings to Ostia.

Claudia turned to the two servants who had endeavored to make her brief stay at the Villa Ponti as comfortable as they could. “I will remember you to my husband and tell him how kind you have been to me. I don’t know when we will return from Judea, but we will be comforted that the villa is in good hands.”

She had spoken to Marcus about Medina and he had agreed to her plan. “She will be welcome, Domina, if she chooses to come.” His anxious tone caused her to scrutinize him more carefully. Then she dismissed her thoughts. It was probably nothing. He was just being kind and obedient to his mistress.

Marcus and Alba bowed their heads briefly to her and wished her a safe voyage.

As the coach moved away, Claudia looked back at the beautiful villa that was her new home, even if only for a few months. Would they return? And when?

 18 

A
s they skirted the city of Rome, Claudia glimpsed the top of the palace on Palatine Hill and thought of her years there. She passed a statue of Tiberius and nearby a newly erected statue of Sejanus. She tightened her lips in disgust. Praying to the man and celebrating his birthday like a holiday! She pressed her lips together. Rome could have him. She couldn’t get out of Rome fast enough.

Ostia, approximately thirty kilometers west of Rome, was reached in a little under an hour, but the trip from the villa had taken longer. The driver had pressed his team at a fast clip. Titus rode up with the driver to direct him to the right part of the port and the ship. As the coach rolled through the small city in the late afternoon, Titus turned to the women.

“My lady, have you seen the forum, built by our emperor?” Claudia studied it as they went by. It was truly an impressive building.

The town was alive with activity, carts filled with merchandise and goods from the ships headed for Rome, pulled by teams of oxen. Everywhere there seemed to be people hurrying to and fro. It reminded her of her first glimpse of Rome.

“Titus, what are in the huge pottery jars on those carts?”

“They are amphorae, my lady. Many of them carry wine to the provinces and other ports. The large round pots carry wheat and grain.
They are taking them to Rome. Those carts heading toward the wharf carry salt from the salt-pans east of the city.”

As the coach rolled onto the dock and slowed to a stop, Titus turned to her. “If you will wait a moment, my lady, I shall notify the captain that we have arrived and bring help to carry your belongings.”

Claudia nodded her agreement and sat, observing the ship that would convey her to Caesarea and Lucius. She suddenly felt the grip of fear as she faced her first sea voyage. She turned to Hotep, who also looked at the ship with fearful eyes.

“It was such a ship that brought my brother and me to Rome. But it had oars, and there were many slaves rowing.”

“Courage, Hotep. The voyage should not take more than twenty-one days according to Titus. We will make port stops along the way and be able to leave the ship.”

The ship was a large vessel with double sails that seemed adequate for her safety. It had one great sail unfurled from the mast in the center of the ship and a smaller sail at the rear. In the very front of the ship a graceful swan’s head had been carved.

She didn’t want to travel on a slave ship and was relieved that this would be a sailing ship, carrying only cargo and a few passengers. Titus returned with several strong sailors who unloaded her trunks and carried them to the ship where they would be stored in the hold. Thankfully her grandmother had advised her as to what foods to take and warned her about the lack of privacy.

There was a structure on the deck of the ship that would house the captain and his first mate. Passengers erected tents on the deck of the ship. Looking around, Claudia wondered where they would sleep.

Two soldiers approached the wagon and one offered his hand to help Claudia down. “I am Commander Ignatio and this is Subaltern Gordian. We have been sent by your husband, the governor, to escort you safely to Caesarea and see to your comfort on the ship. The governor is a fortunate man, my lady. He is most anxious for your safe arrival.”

“Thank you, Commander. I shall feel less fearful of the voyage knowing I am under your protection.”

Claudia and her maid were shown to a tent that had been set up for them. It seemed a flimsy shelter and she silently besought the god of the sea to grant them fair winds.

A large, heavyset man approached her and bowed his head slightly. “I am Captain Vibius, my lady. I see my son Titus has brought you safely to the ship. It is my pleasure to have you on board. You have met the two
beneficiari
sent by the governor.” She was surprised and pleased to find that the young man, Titus, was the captain’s son.

Noting the looks given she and Hotep by the soldiers and the men working on the ship, she was doubly grateful for the protection of the soldiers and thankful to Lucius for looking out for her.

When the two soldiers had moved away to prepare their bedding on the deck nearby, Claudia entered her tent with Hotep to settle their things. She thought to rest but it was impossible with all the noise of a ship getting ready to sail. Men called to each other and orders were shouted out as salt and other cargo was being loaded on board. The ship creaked and groaned as it rocked back and forth in the incoming tide. If it moved now, she wondered, how would it be when they were out to sea? Already her stomach was doing strange things.

At last, with the high tide, the ropes holding the ship to the dock were loosened and pulled aboard the ship. Captain Vibius came to see that they were settled.

“Captain, what will be our first port?”

“Puteoli, my lady. We will be taking on additional cargo and unloading salt.”

She turned to Hotep. “Perhaps we can go ashore.”

Hotep nodded. “I will be glad of any time off this ship, Domina. I pray I will be well enough to accompany you.”

“You are ill?”

“As the ship moves, my stomach moves also.”

The reminder was all it took for Claudia’s stomach to rebel. As
the ship moved out into the open sea, Claudia and Hotep both found themselves leaning over the rail.

Titus came to the tent and offered a wet cloth he had dipped in a bucket of water. “I also felt the sickness of the sea on my first voyage, my lady. It is best that you and your handmaid eat something. Bread and cheese would help your stomach. Please, my lady, take my word for it and eat what you can.”

The thought of food made her feel worse. She forced herself to eat some bread and had to order Hotep to eat some. The ship settled into a steady pace and the sea was calm, and in time her stomach began to right itself. She stood at the rail and breathed in the fresh air with deep breaths. Hotep remained in the tent, curled up on her pallet in a ball of misery.

To her surprise, the gentle movement of the ship had a soothing effect on her sleep, and Claudia woke up early the next morning as they were entering the small port of Puteoli. They could not disembark as the ship stayed only a few hours, unloading salt and then loading other merchandise in large baskets. Hopefully, the next port would afford them some time on land again.

 19 

T
he ship continued through the Straits of Messina and entered the port of Valetta on Malta. Claudia was invited to the estate of the island’s chief official, Petrunius, and his son, Publius. Struggling to walk on land again, she felt as if she was still on the rolling deck of the ship. She was made welcome and given a comfortable room for the night. The commander and young Gordian went to the barracks to join the few soldiers who were stationed on the island.

Hotep was delighted to be off the ship. She was not happy with their quarters on the deck of the ship, having to sleep in their clothes for lack of privacy.

Thanks to her hosts, Claudia was again able to bathe and put on fresh clothing. Their hosts were most happy to have a beautiful woman join them for the evening meal, and she admitted to herself that it was a pleasurable thing to be the wife of a province governor.

When the ship had taken on fresh water and bread for the crew and unloaded their cargo for Malta, they got under way again the next day with high tide. She dreaded this part of the voyage. The captain told her it was the longest, from Malta to Fair Havens on the island of Crete.

They sailed many days and Claudia spent most of her time out on the deck breathing the sea air. Hotep, between bouts of seasickness,
joined her. Ever near and watching over them were the two Roman soldiers charged with their welfare.

The days and hours passed far too slowly for her. She could not work on her embroidery with the gentle rolling of the ship, for she found the one time she tried, her stomach protested. Sometimes she spoke with the captain when he was free, and sometimes with the commander and his subaltern. Today it was the commander. He was telling her he was close to retirement and this would be his last voyage before returning to his villa. He was looking forward to spending more time with his family.

When he excused himself and strolled away, she found herself glancing down at the dark water that rushed by. White spume was thrown up by the prow of the ship as it plowed steadily through the sea. Birds followed the ship for miles, calling to one another and looking for any scraps thrown overboard at the end of a meal. She suspected they were not far from land.

When they reached Fair Havens, Claudia couldn’t wait to get off the ship. This time the commander found Claudia and her maid a small inn and arranged for lodging for two nights. The ship unloaded pottery jars of salt and dried fish and took on fruit and building supplies.

Fortunately there was a contingent of Roman soldiers stationed on the island, and Claudia was surprised to see a Roman warship sail into the harbor not too long after they had pulled up to the dock.

The commander noted her puzzlement and explained. “They have been following us since we left Rome. A fully armed Roman war vessel is a strong deterrent to pirates.”

Claudia had not paid attention, assuming there were just other ships on the sea routes. Sudden fear gripped her.

“Pirates? Are we in danger, Commander?”

“No, my lady. Pirates will not chance a meeting with our escort ship. Because of the great abundance of merchandise that travels the Mediterranean Sea, the merchant ships were being seized upon. Now we do not travel without the armed Roman galleys.”

As he mentioned galleys, Claudia remembered Hotep talking about the slave ships and the condemned men that rowed them. Nearly a hundred, chained to their oars. If a Roman warship went down in battle, the slaves were not released but, in chains, went down with the ships. She gave an involuntary shudder.

Once back on board the ship, Claudia watched their parting from the safety of the harbor in a different light. This time she felt better only when she saw their escort also pull away from the docks.

The last stop before Caesarea was Myra. As they entered the harbor, named Andriske, Claudia saw rolled multicolored carpets, large baskets containing grain, white wool and blue cloth from an Alexandrian ship. All of which would be loaded on board their ship for Caesarea and other ports.

Looking up at the face of the cliffs, she saw what looked like carved temples.

“Are those temples, Titus?”

“They are not temples, my lady, but very ancient tombs.”

“They are quite colorful. I’ve never seen tombs painted yellow, red, and blue.”

“It is their custom.”

Titus returned to his duties on the ship as they neared the dock and Commander Ignatio came to her side.

“We have a few hours, my lady. Would you like to explore the city?”

Anything to get off the boat again. “Yes, thank you.”

Once again, the two women followed their military escort into the town. The young soldier procured a cart for them. The commander pointed out the temple of Artemis, the protective goddess of the town. There were public baths, a theater, and the granary that stored the grain prior to shipping. Claudia purchased some bread, cheese, and apples. One enterprising vendor had a small brazier going and had cooked some fish. She bought enough for herself, Hotep, and their escorts. A merchant near the town well sold small pottery cups to drink from.

They walked slowly back to the ship, enjoying the stroll on a surface
that wasn’t moving. Claudia had become so used to the movement of the ship that once again she felt the land under her was moving, as if she were still on deck. It was a strange sensation.

As they had entered the open sea and had sailed for a few hours, a sudden squall sent the women to their tent to huddle in what little protection it gave them. The sailors on the ship, some stripped to the waist, went about their duties with little deference to the storm. With the rougher water, Hotep became seasick again and Claudia had to help her handmaid to the rail and back to the tent, supported by the young subaltern who steadied them on the slippery deck.

The storm passed and the air became fresh and sweet again. Claudia breathed it in and looked in the direction they were heading. The captain told her the next port would be Caesarea. She was close.
Oh Lucius, I am almost to you.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a disturbance on the ship. There were shouts heard from the belly of the ship. The captain left the helm and hurried down belowdecks. Claudia turned to the commander.

“What is happening?”

Young Gordian was sent to investigate and came back quickly, his face anxious.

“Sir, the ship is taking on water. The captain needs every man available belowdecks to bail.”

The commander turned to Claudia. “While we are gone, remain in your tent, my lady. It will be best if you are out of the way.”

As Claudia huddled with Hotep inside the tent, her heart pounded in fear. Taking on water? Was the ship sinking? The two women clung to each other. The only thing they could do was pray to mighty Neptune, the god of the sea, to spare them.