Assassination of Cicero
Cicero, the great orator and statesman, is confronted by Herennius and a legionary in his secluded villa in Formia. They have been sent by Mark Antony to assassinate him. Cicero, realizing his fate, a
Setting
A secluded villa in Formia, Italy, surrounded by olive groves and overlooking the Tyrrhenian Sea. The villa's courtyard is paved with worn marble, and the surrounding gardens are withered from the winter chill.
Characters
Cicero
primary
A 63-year-old Roman statesman with a lean, intellectual build. His face is lined with age and stress, yet retains an aristocratic bearing. His thinning grey hair is carefully combed, and his sharp eyes still hold the fire of a seasoned orator.
Herennius
primary
A hardened centurion in his late 40s, with a muscular build and a face weathered by years of campaigning. His short-cropped hair is steel gray, and his dark eyes are sharp, assessing. A jagged scar runs from his left temple to his jawline, a testament to past battles.
Legionary
secondary
A battle-hardened Roman soldier in his late 20s to early 30s, with a muscular build from years of military training and campaigns. His face is weathered from exposure to the elements, with a short-cropped beard and a prominent scar running across his left cheekbone — a souvenir from Gaul. His hands are calloused, gripping his gladius with practiced ease.
Slave Boy
background
A young boy, no more than twelve years old, with thin limbs and a slight frame. His dark hair is cropped short in the typical slave fashion, and his olive skin is marked with faint scars from past punishments. His large, dark eyes are wide with fear.
Dialog
Herennius
By order of the Triumvirate, Marcus Tullius Cicero, you are proscribed. Your life is forfeit.
Cicero
Ah, the Republic’s last will and testament—written not in ink, but in blood. Tell me, Herennius, do you even know what you’re killing today?
Herennius
I know my orders. Extend your neck.
Cicero
A soldier’s answer. How Roman. But tell Antony this—my hands wrote the Philippics, not the proscriptions. Jupiter watches which men wield swords to silence words.
Herennius
Macte virtute. Die well, orator.