Point of View of a Teacher in Rome

Point of View of a Teacher in Rome
Svitak, Adora

I disliked the children who slumped in their chairs and paid as much attention to me as a dead man would to flies. They showed no interest in learning and I wished that I could smack them on the head with their own impertinence. But no; their parents were rich, and I would be reprimanded severely and never allowed inside again.

A child's lack of interest made me bored as well. At least I taught them outside in their gardens by the peristyle, where I could hear the sounds of Rome, hear our city speak. One particular child, Augustus, was quite a bother. He acted as though he were both blind and deaf, for he did not even try to observe the things going around him. I was more than happy to take a break to smell the colorful flowers in the garden and to converse with a lady fishmonger, Octavia, who I knew well. Octavia had come into the courtyard looking for some dropped possessions; Octavia was always losing things. I helped her to look for them. I knelt down on my knees and poked around in the rose and laurel bushes, trying to talk to Octavia as I looked. Perhaps fishmongers were among the ones "least worthy of approval" but they received fairer pay than I and I was dying for intelligent conversation.

Unfortunately Octavia was lethargic that day. She had pursed lips and spoke with as few words as seemed possible. I asked her a question; she said "yes" or "no" or "I don't know." I finally found Octavia’s “possessions”—a dirty toga, a few coins, and a pair of spare sandals—inside a bag close to the stone walls that surrounded the courtyard. I had always been a little wary of the walls; the stones were never properly chinked, made in a hurry for Augustus’s family. I threw the bag to Octavia, who caught it promptly.

“What’s that noise?” Augustus's mother, Pompeiia, a cheery and outspoken lady, called from the window. “Oh, good to see you both. I’ll be coming down with some wine and bread for Augustus.” Soon Pompeiia was in the courtyard. She gave the bread and wine to Augustus, then addressed us.

"It is wonderful to see you,” Pompeiia said brightly. “My husband and I are having a conflict of interest, so if you would just give the fish to the cook instead of bringing it to him for approval first, I'd appreciate it."

"If you don't mind me asking, what kind of conflict of interest?" Octavia asked sharply. "Oh, well, he is talking, in such a silly way, about taking Augustus on his ship soon, so naturally I broke a vase over his head," Pompeiia said lightly. "Would you like any quail?"

I could barely hold in my laughter, of course. Pompeiia shrugged, as though breaking a vase over one's husband's head were something that a Roman woman did every day. Augustus sat in his chair looking petrified and did not appear to have heard. Pompeiia shook him roughly.

"Wake up, you louse!" she shouted in annoyance. Pompeiia was incredibly mercurial and could change from cheerful to annoyed any minute.

We heard humming from under one of the laurel bushes and we jumped. Soon a lady emerged and began viciously breaking off laurel branches, until she noticed us. It was Pompeiia’s unmarried half-sister, Tiberia. "Pompeiia, I thought you were going to the baths," Tiberia said in surprise, looking embarrassed.”

"Goodness, Tiberia, I would have thought that you knew that was a joke. The baths are closed today. Hasn't your mind gained some experience?" Pompeiia said snidely.

"You horrid beast pig!" Tiberia shouted. Both Tiberia and Pompeiia tended to call each other names. "How dare you insult me?"

"And you, Tiberia!" Pompeiia said, and turned her back on Tiberia pointedly. Augustus sniggered. Everyone turned to look at him, and he turned bright red. I sighed and imagined that I could break a vase over Augustus's head just as the badly chinked stone walls of the villa began to collapse around us.