The Fall of the Roman Empire Page #3

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It was because of your mother.

I was ashamed.

And she brought you such pain.

I knew moments of happiness with her,

and beauty.

But she looked for love elsewhere,

since she could not love me.

You, the best. The greatest of men.

Is that the way it must be, father?

Only moments of beauty

and then, betrayal.

We must try to

understand other people more.

Understand cruelty and weakness?

Even that.

You have such a gift for life, Lucilla.

But I think you ask too much of it.

Learn to pity.

Learn to have compassion.

For yourself, too.

Pity and compassion to yourself.

The future will make

great demands on you.

Oh, father.

Livius!

Livius!

Livius!

Commodus!

Commodus!

Livius!

Gaius Livius! Warrior! Voyager!

Commodus, Commodus!

Most Roman of them all!

I've missed you!

Are you well?

I'm never unwell!

I have much to tell you.

And I you!

We've all come up from Rome.

Virgilianus!

Niger! Claudius!

Father.

I've seen too little of you.

That was not my wish.

Nor mine.

But this wars have been endless.

Endless because,

You were too gentle.

I would have fought

these wars differently.

There's a lot we do

differently, Commodus.

I wish you could have

come to Rome more often.

There's a new generation there,

there's a whole new feeling.

You mean I'm getting old,

senile perhaps.

Rome has changed since you were there.

Rome has changed.

It is now crawling with gladiators.

Sister,

I thought you'd retired as a Vestal virgin.

And abandon Rome to you?

And your athletes?

Female philosopher!

As I remembered, you two

began to quarrel as soon as

you could walk. I expect you're tired.

And thirsty.

We'll talk together soon.

Come, let us find some wine...

The tribunes, Polybius and Victorinus.

We have fought four campaigns together.

Ferilus, the greatest

gladiator of all Rome,

survivor of a hundred combats.

We've come to fight your battles.

Gladiators to fight as soldiers...

Why not?

We'll teach your legionaires how to kill.

Let's have some wine.

Marcus Aurelius, our Caesar...

does not look well.

Dying men never do.

But you knew Caesar was dying.

What else could have

pulled you and your kind away

from the city of Rome.

You know, Livius...

it's when I'm with you,

that I feel... good.

Safe.

Don't ever change.

Caesar was just telling me

I should change.

Oh, father thinks too much.

There is much for a Roman

to think of these days.

Why Livius,

For a moment that honest warrior's face

of yours took on the philosopher's look.

Let's not think, let's drink.

As in the old days?

As in the old days.

Did you study logic?

Do you know what a dilemma is?

A dilemma.

Is...

When there are only two possibilities

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