abstract
| - Larcius Afer was one of seven vigiles in the Roman town of Vesunna in Aquitaine. He had served with Gaius Tero in a Roman legion stationed on the Rhine and settled in Vesunna with him after he had mustered out. As Tero was the tesserarius, Afer reported to him. One night, when Afer had the watch, he was approached by a panic stricken Titus, valet to Clodius Eprius. Titus reported that he had been given the evening off and when he returned to the villa he had discovered Eprius dead. The sight of the body shocked and frightened Afer. He ran to Tero's home, awoke him and reported Eprius' death. He then accompanied Tero to Eprius' villa. While Tero viewed the body, Afer went and interviewed Eprius' neighbours. Two or three reported hearing Eprius cry out and then the roar of a thunderbolt. No one saw anyone leaving the villa. This lead to Afer's theory on the cause of the death of Eprius. It was thought that Jupiter's thunderbolt slew him. Kleandros, the town's doctor, was sceptical since he had never seen such a thing but Afer stubbornly kept to his idea, saying that there was a first time for everything. He was still convinced several weeks later when Tero outlined his plan to capture the killer. He bet Tero two aurei that the killer was not human. After they arrested Lucius and Marcus, Afer conceded they were human and paid up.
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