wrest messages from dreams. I began to pay more attention.
“I will admit that I have heard rumors—and I am sure they are just rumors.” Faustina pretended reluctance. “I heard that he’s involved with that other Egyptian cult.”
“Honey,” drawled Maxima. Only she would have the nerve to contradict Faustina. “Jews aren’t Egyptians.”
“I didn’t say they were,” snapped Faustina. “All I said was, I believe Libo has been seen in attendance at one of those primitive Egyptian rites in one of those illegal temples. I’m sure it can’t be true. And you didn’t hear it from me.”
“Jews, Egyptians. They’re all foreigners,” Drusilla condemned them roundly. “They should all be shipped to Sardinia.”
“You can’t lump all foreigners together. It is really too ignorant of you,” said Fulvia with some heat. “And speaking of primitive rites, what about our own Roman practices? What about the cult of Bona Dea?”
Here several dominae turned pinker than they already were from the heat of the caldarium. I had heard about Bona Dea from Succula. Twice a year the vestal virgins and society ladies honored their goddess in a drunken, ecstatic rite that culminated in the slaughtering of a sow. Men were strictly forbidden to attend, and when one snuck in, disguised as a female harpist, with the intention of debauching Caesar’s wife, there was a great scandal. Caesar—at the time Pontifex Maximus—divorced the woman pronto and made his famous mealy-mouthed statement, “The wife of the high priest must be above reproach.” Gag me.
“Jews, on the other hand,” Fulvia went on earnestly, “are a very upright people. They don’t get divorced at the drop of a hat. They buy each other out of slavery. They are loyal to their religion. They send money to their Temple in Jerusalem no matter where they are. They have a very sophisticated system of moral law—”
“Why, Fulvia!” Agrippina was shocked. “I declare you sound like a proselyte.”
“If I am, I wouldn’t be the only one.” Fulvia was defiant. “You don’t have to be a proselyte to admire the Jews. Lots of the better class of Romans keep the Jewish Sabbath and some of the dietary laws. I haven’t eaten pork in a year. Pigs are dirty animals, if you think about it, scavengers. They eat anything. Ugh. That’s one reason I can’t abide the Bona Dea rites. The Jews have such a clean religion.”
“Well, I never.” Drusilla filled the awkward silence with another meaningless expression.
“You know,” mused Maxima, “if I was going to convert to an oriental religion I would go with the Egyptians. Worship of Isis offers a woman a great many advantages. If you don’t want to sleep with your husband, you can always say you’re doing one of the purification rites. On the other hand, if you want to step out on your husband, you can say you’re attending an all night ceremony.”
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