Countless moons have drifted by,
Much has shifted like sands in the wind,
By Antonius' hand, half the Senate swept,
Like leaves in a storm, their power thinned,
No longer do scholars sit in their stead,
But men unlearned now rise from the land.
Without the books, yet full of desire,
To mold the world with a trembling hand,
The halls once echoed wisdom's call,
Now filled with voices, raw and bold,
Their speeches coarse, yet passion burns,
In minds untamed, their futures told.
The scholar's ink fades from the page,
Replaced by grit and hands of toil,
In this new tide of change, they stand,
To mold their world from common soil,
The ancient ways now bow to might,
Old knowledge cast beneath their feet.
Antonius' fame burned bright and wide,
A flame that swept through Rome with pride,
His victories strong, his name renowned,
In Senate halls his voice profound,
Yet Lucius watched with wary eyes,
His heart weighed down by jealous ties.
Once brothers in the heat of fight,
Now shadows fell, dimming their light,
Where once the cheers for both had soared,
Now only one the crowd adored,
Antonius rose, his power grew,
And Lucius' envy deeper too.
Rome's future strong, if we unite,
Antonius called with voice of might,
The Senate cheered, their hearts enthralled,
But Lucius sat, his spirit stalled,
His silent heart no longer calm,
Jealousy's grip a steady palm.
That night, a letter came in haste,
Warning Lucius of his friend's embrace,
Beware, it read, his power's too vast,
And shadows long, they do not last,
The words struck deep, like poisoned wine,
Filling his heart with doubt's design.
He stared upon the distant glow,
Antonius' villa bathed below,
Power corrupts, Lucius did say,
And I won't watch it lead astray,
With jealousy now full and strong,
He knew their bond would not last long.
In Rome's dark streets, where shadows grew,
Lucius stood cold, his path in view,
Loyalty faded, swept away,
As ambition called him to betray,
The night was still, but in his mind,
The battle for power was defined.