The Toast #
At the banquet, Gaius attempts to negotiate the tax burden using the grounded language of trade: "Let us sell the cloth first, then pay the tribute. If you break the loom, the cloth stops."
The Procurator swirls his wine, rejecting the logic of survival with the logic of Empire: "The Emperor is not a partner, Calidius. He is the owner of the ground you walk on. Do you think we will starve without the wool of one valley?"
The rejection hits Aulus hard. He slams his cup down: "Rome is not the world."
The Procurator leans in, his smile cold: "But come. You promised me a toast. Tell me, Aulus... what is this 'New Rome' you whisper of in the markets?"