Crusader Kings: Prisoners of War.

Chapter 76: Pompey's Theater
Orville had the most basic political acumen and could certainly see these things clearly, but he would not be timid and afraid of angering the members of the Senate by doing anything.

Now Vespa is still alive, and all 10,000 Roman guards obey the emperor's orders. If the senators dare to cause trouble at this time, what will happen to Vespa? It can be regarded as screening out troublemakers and potential threats in advance. It is best to solve problems as soon as possible. Now and the next few years may be the most powerful period for the Flavian royal family.

He asked Belisarius to send back the carriage and horses, and brought an extra pony, and then Orville reached out and lifted Domitia onto the saddle.

Although she seemed very unfamiliar with the technique, Domitia still clamped her legs around the horse's belly to keep her body basically stable, which showed that she had practiced riding before.

Domitia panicked at this time: "Isn't this against the rules? We don't have any urgent matters, so we can't ride horses in the city."

"Rules are dead, but people are alive. So what if the royal family has some privileges? There are many elders who do this. If anyone has any opinions, just come to me for consultation."

In Orville's opinion, although Vespa and Tia both had good reasons, they did treat Domitia unfairly and made her develop a flawed character. But now it was not too late to correct everything. The first goal was to make Domitia feel that her family cared about her and that she was also a member of the family rather than an insignificant existence.

He walked to Domitia's pony and began to lead the horse for her. Belisarius didn't say much when he saw this, but followed silently a few meters behind Orville, ready to deal with any emergency at any time.

After coming out of the mansion and onto the street, Domitia immediately became much more dignified and quiet. At least she no longer threw a tantrum or sweared. She looked like a lady, like a proud little princess, and in fact, she was just like that.

"How's your riding skill? Can you shoot arrows on horseback?" The atmosphere between the two was a bit dull, and Orville began to make small talk.

"My teacher said I was not good at riding horses, like many Romans, but he also said I was good at archery and he said I had a talent."

Domitia was silent for a few seconds, but still tentatively answered Orville's question with a somewhat uneasy look in her eyes.

During this period, the Romans were not good at cavalry, and the cavalry in the army were mainly mercenaries. However, this did not prevent horse riding from becoming a very important "noble skill". In an agricultural environment, this required a lot of time and money and training from an early age. Those who were proficient in it basically came from a good family background.

At the same time in Rome, only auxiliary troops used bows and arrows in large numbers during this period. Bows and arrows were seen more as a form of entertainment than a war skill, and the status of the two was different.

Therefore, if Vespa or Tia were to answer this question, they would probably start by comforting Domitia and tell her not to be discouraged, saying that she would still have the opportunity to practice horse riding in the future, and they would not pay much attention to the issue of archery.

However, in the eyes of Orville, who was not a pure Roman, skills were skills, and there was no distinction between high and low. Archery and horse riding were equally important skills.

The Mediterranean climate is not suitable for bow and arrow maintenance, and the broken terrain is more suitable for javelin, but this does not mean that bows and arrows are not useful. Orville has always felt that the Romans, due to their own experience, have underestimated the construction of long-range troops for a long time. Javelin is useful, but you can't hang yourself on a tree, and you can't change it only after being hurt. "That's good. The Romans need more sophisticated archery now. If you can really excel, I will find a way to make you the commander of the long-range troops so that you can give full play to your talents in the right position.

Not everyone can learn to ride a horse. If that were the case, we wouldn't need to hire barbarian riders. To be honest, not everyone is suitable to be a cavalry officer. If you can ride a horse and walk normally, and don't look too ugly, I think you are basically qualified. Don't always demand yourself by other people's standards. The best is what suits you. Your sister even wanted me to train as hard as she did, but I refused directly because I knew I would definitely die if I did that. "

Orville joked with Domitia, who seemed very surprised to get the unexpected answer. In her family environment, recognition is a rare thing. Tia is sometimes too standard and excellent, so excellent that it makes people feel a little at a loss.

But besides being happy, she was still a little depressed: "Will my father and sister come later? I think we can postpone it a little bit and invite people to perform a play in the mansion."

Orville reached out and stroked the foal's neck, enjoying the soft touch of the pony's fur. "I don't think it's possible today. Their situation is very difficult, but you can come with me to tour the city. If you want, I can also take you to other cities, such as Ostia and Brindisi."

Hearing that she could go on a trip, Domitia perked up: "Really?"

"I always keep my word, but we can only go to these two places, otherwise your sister and your father will probably be worried to death. But if you want to do anything else, we can discuss it. As long as it is reasonable, I can consider it."

In Orville's opinion, children of this age can still be spoiled and willful for a while. If they hold it back for too long, the repercussions will be even more terrible. Anyway, the demands of this age are generally easy to meet, and it only takes a little time and money. He has always been generous when conditions permit.

Domitia seemed to be thinking seriously about Orville's suggestion: "Let's go to the theater first and talk about it after the show. Although I am not satisfied with you being the only one accompanying me, I still have to go to the theater. I have been looking forward to this play for a long time."

Although he insulted Orville openly, he didn't get angry with the kid. He nodded slightly and took him to the theater.

The venue for the performance is the famous Pompey Theater, which was funded and built by Pompey, one of the three giants. It is also the first stone theater in Rome.

Drama, like theater, is an import from Greece. The earliest theaters were mostly set up in marketplaces. They were temporary venues built of wood and were deeply influenced by Greek culture. Pompey, who loved Greek classical culture, funded the construction of this huge formal theater to meet the entertainment needs of the Roman people and enrich their spiritual world.

Later, Rome fell into civil war, but Caesar, who occupied the city of Rome, did not destroy the building donated by Pompey. Instead, he retained it as part of the public facilities and has maintained it to this day.

(End of this chapter)