I, Claudius - Robert Graves [49]
Medullinus said that the girl could do very much worse, quite apart from the unlooked-for honour to the family of being allied in marriage with the Father of the Country.
Now Medullina, the granddaughter, was my first love; and never, I swear, was there such a beautiful child seen in all the world. I met her one summer afternoon in the Gardens of Sallust, where I was taken by Sulpicius in the absence of Athenodorus, who was unwell. Sulpicius' daughter was married to Medullina's uncle, Furius Camillus, a distinguished soldier who was Consul six years later. When I first saw her it was with a shock of surprise, not only at her beauty, but at her sudden appearance, for she came up on my deaf side while I was reading a book, and when I raised my eyes, there she was standing over me laughing at my preoccupation. She was slender, with rich black hair, white skin and very dark blue eyes, and all her movements were quick and birdhke.
"What's your name?" she asked, in a friendly voice.
"Tiberius Claudius Drusus Nero Germanicus."
"Ye gods, all thati Mine's Medullina Camilla. How old are you?"
"Thirteen," I said, mastering my stammer well.
"I'm only eleven, but I bet I can race you to that cedaf tree and back."
"Are you a champion runner, then?"
"I can beat any girl in Rome, 'and my elder brother, too."
"Well, I'm afraid you win by default. I can't run at all, I'm lame."
"Oh, you poor fellow. How did you come here then?
Hobble-hobbling all the way?"
"No, Camilla, in a sedan-chair, like a lazy old man."
"Why do you call nie by my last name?"
"Because it's the more appropriate one."
"How do you make that out, clever?"
"Because among the Etruscans 'Camilla' is what they call the young hunting priestesses dedicated to Diana.
With a name like Camilla one is bound to be a champion runner."
"That's nice. I never heard that. I shall make all my friends call me Camilla now."
"And call me Claudius, will youf That's my appropriate name. It means a cripple. My family usually call me Tiberius, and that's inappropriate because the Tiber runs very fast."
She laughed. "Well then, Claudius, tell me what do you do all day if you can't run about with the other boys?"
"I read, mostly, and write. I have read scores of books this year already and it's only June. This one's Greek."
"I can't read Greek yetI only just know the alphabet.
My grandfather is cross with me—I have no father, you know—he calls me lazy Of course, I understand Greek when I hear it talked: ve always have to talk Greek at meals and whenever visitors come. What's the book about?"
"It's part of Thucydides' history. This passage is about how a politician, a tanner called Cleon, began criticising the generals who were blockading the Spartans in an island.
He said that they were not doing their best and that if he were general he would bring back the whole Spartan force as captives within twenty days. The Athenians were so sick of his talk that they appointed him to command the forces himself."
'That was a funny idea. What happened?"
"He kept his promise. He chose a good staff-officer and told him to fight in any way he liked so long as he won the battle, and the man knew his job; so within twenty days Cleon brought back to Athens a hundred and twenty Spartans of the highest rank."
Camilla said: "I've heard my uncle Furius say that the cleverest leader is one who chooses clever people to think for him." Then she said: "You must be very wise by now, Claudius."
"I am supposed to be an utter fool and the more I read the more of a fool they think me."
"I think you're very sensible. You tell things so nicely."
"But I stammer. My tongue's a Claudian too."
"Perhaps that's just nervousness. You don't know many girls, do you?"
"No," I said, "and you're the first one I have met who hasn't laughed at me. Couldn't we see each