I might not get a chance to finish it and post the final version until Saturday morning. Final version.

In case you missed it, there was an extra comic Thursday.

Lots of fun commenting going on here and on the LJ post! Over on LJ, zeus67 commented about the “historical spoiler” rollover:

Your rollover text made me curious and had to look for a Flavian cousin named Sabinus.

The only one I found was Titus Flavius Sabinus, Titus’ cousin and son-in-law. Later executed by Domitian because allegedly he was proclaimed imperator instead of consul, but many believe that it was so Domitian could just keep bedding Sabinus’ wife (Domitian’s niece) Julia Flavia.

BTW, I also read that Domitia Longina allegedly had a liason with her brother-in-law Titus Flavius. You know, this would make it completely logical for Domitian to want to undermine Titus’ reign and to look for ways to get rid of him. [He] loved his wife, he bribed Domitia’s first husband to divorce her and spurned marriage to Julia Flavia so he could marry her. FInding out that his loved wife was unfaithful with his brother would be the icing on a bitter cake. Domitian was a mediocre military leader and his only attempt at military command ended in disaster. He had to be rescued and never again was given command of any formation even though he remained in a Legate’s staff.

So Domitian is one man with serious sibling rivalry syndrome, who obviously resented his older brother’s military, political and seduction successes. No wonder he wanted to use Felix to undermine Titus and it seems that Titus is very much aware of what Domitian is trying to do but won’t do anything because blood is thicker than water and perhaps he feels some guilt about seducing Domitian’s wife.

Felix is now swimming with large sharks and he is armed only with a very small knife.

So that means that the guy leaving with the slave for some happy time is none other than future emperor Marcus Cocceius Nerva, although you call him Ulpius.

Congrats Klio, I feel that you have really joined Colleen McCullough’s Master of Rome level of paranoia and intrigue.

First off, thanks to zeus67 for the praise. If I’m going to name a chapter “ROMA,” it’s time for some major Roman-style shenanigans.

Domitian is one man with serious sibling rivalry syndrome

I believe that is so very, very true.

In spite of Domitian’s smart political manoeuvering on his father’s behalf, the old man never seemed to respect him, and kept him way out of the way while Vespasian and Titus basically co-ruled. Domitian never seemed to be able to prove himself in either of their eyes–was it his youth? His ineptness at military leadership? Did his father and brother already see that this boy wasn’t quite right? And if his brother and wife (with whom Domitian had a stormy on-and-off-and-on relationship, even if they loved each other) really were embroiled in an affair, I can imagine how devastated he would have been. It helps explain his astronomical levels of paranoia.

blood is thicker than water

No matter how much they clash, it’s still his baby brother.

So that means that the guy leaving with the slave for some happy time is none other than future emperor Marcus Cocceius Nerva

The next one up the line: Marcus Ulpius Traianus, later called Marcus Ulpius Nerva Traianus. Though at this point, he’d probably say, “The illustrious Trajan? Oh, you must mean my father, the famous Marcus Ulpius Traianus.”

zeus67 replies:

I think it was his disobedience. If Vespasian ordered Domitian to marry Julia Flavia and Domitian said no, then it is very likely that Vespasian basically told him that he was on his own. He did not disown him but never trusted him to follow orders again. I bet Titus obeyed his father….