Chapter 14 Building the Team Initially
Hamilcar led Maximus into the farmstead; their task, assigned by Spartacus, was to take an inventory of the estate's supplies.
The farmstead was quite large, though compared to the one they had stayed at last night, it had fewer buildings. There was no manure pile nearby, no granary or pens for pigs, sheep, or even horses, thus lacking the usual odors.
The center of the courtyard was a flat stone surface, not for threshing grain but for drying grapes. In the middle was a pool, constructed for collecting rainwater. On one side of the courtyard were two winemaking rooms filled with presses and various sizes of wooden barrels. On the other side were several wine cellars, sealed rooms that stored massive wine jars in some areas and wooden barrels in others... This farmstead only had one relatively small warehouse that contained flour, barley, and a modest amount of smoked meat. Clearly, this was a farm dedicated to winemaking.
Finally, the two entered the estate's sole residential building. Its ground floor housed quarters for the slaves, cramped and crowded. The upper floor was for overseers and guards—spacious and comfortable.
In the largest room, Maximus noticed a piece of papyrus placed on the wooden table, next to a torn envelope.
He walked over and casually picked it up. The Latin written on it was something he could understand.
"What does it say?" Hamilcar, illiterate, asked curiously.
After reading it, Maximus carefully pondered and then spoke in a deep voice: "That man wasn't lying. This farmstead indeed belongs to a Roman Elder. He wrote this letter to inform the overseer here that wine prices in Rome have risen, and he demanded the prompt shipment of twenty barrels of wine to Rome. Here's his signature—"
Maximus read aloud, word by word: "Marcus Porcius Cato."