MS: Lesson - Reading Passage, Story Summary

Story Summary

As we continue reading the story Caedes Intellecta, it is important to remind ourselves of what has happened previously and the events that we can expect to read about in the upcoming chapter. So, let's review and get ready for the next part of the story!

To the right, we see an image of a Roman bride, being prepared for her wedding day. Imagine all of the emotions going through Selene's mind as she gets ready for her own wedding. What emotion(s) do you see in the face of the bride in this image?

Story Notes

Previously, Pseudolus went to meet Julia, Marcellus' widow. Julia made very clear: she didn't love Marcellus, but she had no reason to kill him (or have him killed): their marriage was just for convenience and the two of them were generally free to do whatever they wanted, as long as they kept up appearances. However, Marcellus had grown overly fond of Selene - could there have been a rift between Juba (Selene's finance) and Marcellus? Could Juba have done something in a rage?

In the meantime, Juba and Alexander participated in a chariot race, in which Alexander's chariot crashed. In a delirious state, Alexander accused Juba of sabotage and begged Selene not to marry him.

Pseudolus does not act quickly. Instead, several months pass. Selene had told Pseudolus about the things her brother, Alexander, said after the crash, wondering what her magister thought about it. Though Pseudolus had concerns about Juba, he continued to urge Selene to prepare for her wedding, keeping his suspicions quiet. He told Selene that Alexander was just delirious from the crash and could not have possibly been thinking straight at the time. He also pointed out the fairly obvious fact: what would Juba have gained from injuring or killing Alexander? Selene agreed.

At this point in the story, Pseudolus is beginning to show signs of wear from the stress of his investigation. Selene begs Pseudolus to take it easy, to find some rest. Pseudolus feels like he should say something to Selene, but just can't bring himself to say anything bad about Juba. What had the young man ever done wrong? He was a good man (or appeared to be one!) and had never harmed a soul. Most importantly, Augustus had arranged this match between the two foreign wards. What could some old slave do about that? Without proof, there would be little room to affect change. 

But now, Selene is about to be married to Juba. If Pseudolus is going to speak with Juba, he must act now! Has he finally built up the courage to approach his friend and former student with these concerns? If he can manage to broach the topic, how will Juba react? In the picture to the left, Pseudolus goes to meet with Juba.

At the end of this passage, the wedding itself is described. Take careful note of who is present, and what roles they are serving. Does the wedding reach its conclusion with no issues? Will Augustus be made aware of the concerns of his wife or will there be no disruptions on this day?