The Theatre was massive. They worked their way past the actual theatre at the front of the building, craning their necks to take in the Temple of Venus, and turned right. ‘Because we’re at the wrong end,’ said Jane. ‘We need to be at the other end. The Senate meets in the Curia, round the back.’

A long, long colonnade lay to their right, approached by three shallow steps that ran the whole length of the building. The colonnade was supported by the same red marble pillars. Blood red. Which, as Luke said, was quite appropriate when you thought about it. Behind the colonnade, however, were only solid walls, decorated with painted pastoral scenes and the occasional lion bringing down a gazelle.

‘There must be some way in,’ said Luke in exasperation. ‘There’s a huge garden on the other side and they can’t all troop through the theatre to get access to that. Let’s keep going.’

They trudged along. The morning grew warmer. Luke grumbled at the lack of shade.

Turning right again at the end of the colonnade, they finally found themselves at the back of the theatre. A structure, probably quite small by Roman standards but still grand by everyone else’s, was built into the back wall.

‘This is it,’ said Luke, consulting his scratchpad. ‘The Curia.’

The crowds here were considerably denser and predominantly male. Many of them were clutching scrolls or a wax tablet. To petition the Senators as they arrived, possibly. Others might simply be hanging around for a glimpse of the rich and famous.

They couldn’t just stand in the street being buffeted by what felt like all of Rome. Besides, they would be too exposed. They needed somewhere quiet to await events.

‘Over there,’ said Jane, pointing across the road. Four small and somehow much more homely buildings provided welcome shade. There were steps and pillars and even a handy statue to lurk behind.

Jane studied it carefully. ‘I’m trying to make out who it is.’

Luke subjected it to ruthless artistic scrutiny. ‘Some bald bloke with a scroll and a big nose. Which describes ninety per cent of Roman men. Could be anyone.’

The crowd around them was mostly masculine but there were some women about. Roman men divided women into two types. Those you’d want your son to marry and those you wouldn’t. These were definitely the second type. Jane was interested to see they wore make-up on their faces and some had dyed their hair blonde – presumably in an attempt to attract those who’d served abroad and fancied a bit of foreign barbarian. She pulled her sheet further up over her head to cover her own light hair.