Act One
Scene Two
Sub-Scene Four
The bitch’s letter
My dear husband
Firstly, let me say this: I
loved you as much as I loved my other two previous husbands. The dead does not
measure to you now. Nor will I ever compare you to them, for your valiant
actions are never to be compared with. I do miss you from here. And our
children, M. Antonius (nicknamed Antyllus) and Iullus Antonius, do ask for you.
They are your twin sons not by birth but by name as they call you father too;
they are brave and fearsome of anyone who will desecrate your good name.
Please allow me to share my
thoughts with you here now.
I know you married me not
for my fame and wealth. I am the daughter of Fulvii and the Sempronii Tuditani,
two noble Plebeian families that have been dying since the end of the last
empire. I had a good life with my husband's influence; I have seen more of it
in the boys who served them. I have taken the children to display before the
boys that they are yours. They proved themselves well when they addressed the
boys. Many had pledged their loyalty to the children. As I have towards you.
When you left for the far
city, I will not mention the woman’s name here. Not in the same breath as I
confessed my love to you. I was to care for the extended families, our
relatives and even your mother. She is fine if you were to ask. We have many
conflicts, but they were resolved through negotiation or by force if need be. I
am no stranger to force, as you may know.
I am a good
mother, devoted to my family, my husband, a cook, although I was not every
adept at it, and above all, I saw to bed all of you. I only came to understand
the influence of the empire when Clodius died. He was a peaceful man, a lawyer
by profession, yet he was gunned down on the street.
However, he was a threat to
Cicero, with his influence on the others; he gave them corn during the famine.
He enacted the new rules for the empire. The first, the lex de capite civis
Romani, was directed against Cicero and punished with exile anyone who put to
death a Roman citizen without trial. Cicero had, of course, ordered the
execution without a trial of the Catilinarian conspirators, among whom was your
stepfather, P. Cornelius, another noble man. The second law, the lex Clodia de
exsilio Ciceronis, confirmed Cicero’s punishment of exile after he had fled
Rome in fear of prosecution under the first law.
Son, after the death of
Clodius, I married Curio. He was associated with Cicero, but they were not
conspirators in Clodius’ death. Clodius died fighting the Numidians on behalf
of the empire.
Enough of my previous. I am
onto you now.
I did wonder why I married
you. We were lovers after Curio died. I was twice a widow, and chaste was not
my body, but regardless, I found my last love with you. Yes, Mark Antony. I do
love you. We hold no children of our own but our love. You were the empire’s
consul, and yet Cicero; still the conspirator was adamant about toppling you. I
had stood by your side. Even when Caesar (He was a bastard.) was trying to get
your boys to change allegiance, he even took over your territory to reward
those who joined him. I stood up for you and challenged them all. I got back
what was yours.
I allied with Lucius, my own
brother, against Caesar. It was difficult initially; Lucius distrusted you, but
I won him over. We challenged Caesar together. You did not respond to our
messages, but we prevailed without you. Eventually, we lost the challenge, but
Lucius was let off by Octavian. He was sent away, while I escaped with my sons.
As for me, I am outside of
Rome, in the care of some old friends. I evaded capture, but death awaits me
soon. I have an incurable disease. I may not have long to live, but believe me,
I loved you.
Your loving wife,
Fulvia.
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