Some Lovely New Decor

Senators,

I have just witnessed a rather remarkable little scene in the forum. As I was taking my morning walk, I encountered a small crowd that seemed to be bearing several litters. At first I thought that this must be some sort of hastily assembled funeral procession. However, as they neared, I noticed that the expressions on the faces of the crowd were not ones of mourning, but rather that of anger. I must tell you that I found this rather disconcerting, so, hoping to prevent the outbreak of some sort of riot, I quickly approached the man who appeared to be the leader of the mob, and asked him whither they were going and what the cause of their anger might be. His answer, fellow Senators, surprised me. He answered me: "Sir, I am a veteran and served under Pompey, and it sickens me that we let the bodies of murderers and traitors be accorded the same honors as good and noble Romans. We are taking the bodies of Lepidus, Octavianus, and Dolabella to be dealt with properly." Astonished that such virtue still existed in Rome, I told him to carry on, and I followed the crowd up to the Tarpeian rock. At the edge of the cliff, the leader of the crowd halted. He had the bodies of the traitors brought forward, and, when the crowd had done so, he decapitated the traitorous dogs. The crowd then dumped the bodies off the cliff, and a small contingent ran down and dragged the bodies off through the streets to be dumped into the Tiber. Meanwhile, the veteran placed the heads on pikes and began to parade them down through the forum and finally placing them on the Rostrum, where they sit currently. I am amazed that men so virtuous still exist in our city, who know how to punish those who attempt to destroy our fatherland.