It is early morning of the day before the Kalends of January. Caesar rose before dawn; his servants helped him to get ready for his last day as consul, and he made a first offering to his household gods.
He and Asiaticus had gone over the ritual and were confident that everything would go well.

Now a small crowd has already filled his atrium ("Darling", his wife had said, "You really should break some walls to make more room in the atrium for your clients"); his servants offer hot drinks to stave off the winter chill, and off they all go surrounding the senior consul on his walk down the Palatine, across the Forum and on to the Capitoline.

They meet Asiaticus and his attendants and the two processions merge into an evergrowing one; even those who cannot claim familiarity or association with the two consuls want to greet them and, if not busy, walk with them a while.

"Glad the sun is out and we have some warmth today" says Caesar, "I'd hate to do this in the rain."

"At least this is a ritual we haven't forgotten." comments Asiaticus while he rearranges a fold of his toga.

"No word from the pontifex maximus otherwise so I suppose he'll meet us at the Capitoline."

"Hope someone wakes him up. I heard there was a huge celebration last evening at his house, which lasted well into the night."

There are public slaves washing the Forum and close streets.

"Not everybody celebrated privately in their homes," says Asiaticus watching the piles of rubbish being carted away, "Some people must have had a lot of fun in the streets as well."

"We might say that this is what the republic is all about", says Caesar philosophically, "living in the open air and in the company of your neighbours. After all, unlike other nations, we do everything out in the open, under the scrutiny of the people. Our marriages, our court cases, our elections, our festivals, our funerals, are all played under the sky and not inside mouldy halls. I think that's also what keeps us fit."

Asiaticus cannot help feeling that "the company of one's neighbours" should perhaps be taken more literally to mean people of his own class. But his only reply is, "I'm glad then, because coming up these stairs is easier said than done!"

They have arrived at the top of the Capitoline, before the temple of Jupiter the Best and the Greatest. Everyone who should be there is there. There is a big crowd in the Forum looking up. It is time for the sacrifice.
The white bull, brushed and garlanded, is brought fourth. He bellows softly, being too drugged to feel fear or nervousness. His death is quick and clean and the priests declare that the god accepts the offering.

Now the consuls come forth, the senior consul first, and each repeats the usual formula in a clear voice, pitched so as to be heard as far as possible:
"In the name of Jupiter the Best and Greatest, of Juno and Minerva, of Mars and of all the gods of Rome, I swear that I have completed my consulship and served the gods, the senate and the people of Rome faithfully and to the best of my ability."

There is a huge cheer from the crowd, people hug and kiss and are glad for a new reason to make merry. Caesar and Asiaticus are complimented, and for the next hour or so return kind words and best wishes.

It is indeed a sunny day. If anyone were to look, the birds fly from the best quarter of the sky. A good day to end the consulship of Lucius Iulius Caesar Albinus and Lucius Cornelius Scipio Asiaticus.