Sanctimonia - Part I

It had been a busy day in the forum; busier than usual. While it was not uncommon for the senators there to hurl insults at each other and for the mob watching the proceedings to be somewhat roused, today there had been physical violence done. Marcus Maxentius, Roman senator, went over the scene again as he slowly made his way home from the forum.
The consul Lucius, newly returned from wars in Cilicia, had been speaking passionately as usual, making a ploy to increase his own power by suggesting, quite insistently, that three senators be expelled from the senate. These three had long been considered the strongest opposition to Lucius, and as the consul spoke, painting a vivid picture of his foes as little less than the ultimate debasement of human kind, his bought senators showed their approval, the people became caught up in his words. The atmosphere was so charged that when the three rose to defend themselves, a group of men rushed forward from the mob and proceeded to mercilessly beat them, the rest of the people soon following. It was several agonizing seconds before the senators could be pulled, bloodied and shaken, from the murderous crowd. And all this time Lucius had done nothing. He had simply stood and watched, and smiled. The senators were expelled.
Marcus had been shocked and confused. He had intended to speak in defense of the expelled senators, but what could one man do in the face of such a wild mass of humanity? And why would Lucius do such a thing? What was he trying to accomplish? Marcus knew the man bore no love for his political opponents, but to allow them to be beaten, even killed seemed vicious even for Lucius.
As Marcus was passing the baths, pondering these questions he heard a familiar voice calling his name. Turning, he saw his friend Amulius, a fellow senator, hurrying toward him with an urgent and worried expression on his face. When Amulius reached him, he grabbed his arm and whispered fiercly, “Marcus, grave news. But not here. Come.” And with that he was off down the street, Marcus barely able to keep up. Amulius walked as though he suspected he was being followed: glancing to the left and right, over his shoulder. Finally, he swerved into an alley and pulled Marcus in after him.