One More Example of Sex Based Marriage

   We know well by now that Julia is quite unrelenting in her need to hold court. I suspect she was always so. "I told you," she said in an abrupt appearance which I neither needed or wanted, "that I had more than one example of your own notions, and in fact your words, on this topic of marriage for the sake of hormonal output.  Before we discuss the case let us consider what you said.  I give you your own words, Jewellee. In the EMPEROR'S DAUGHTER  you said this. Julia was in Greece where she had accompanied her husband Agrippa on his diplomatic assignment."

                         YOUR PASSAGE: :YOUR BELIEFS: YOUR WORDS

            Julia aimlessly wandered into the garden. The night air was cool after the scorching day. The smell of jasmine spread over the whole garden. Her ears pricked up at the sound of someone sobbing. At the edge of the garden past  the  rose trellis she found the sobbing. "Phoebe, Whatever is the matter?"

            Phoebe raised her head slowly and looked at Julia. "Oh Lady, I don't know what to do. I have been such a fool.  I can't tell you about it."

            Julia sat on the bench."Now come. Nothing can be that horrid.  Phoebe, you love it here. I have never seen you so happy. I hear you babbling away in Greek, sounding so natural. Why wouldn't you? It is your native language."

            Phoebe sobbed harder. Julia took her by the shoulders, jerked her around.  "Phoebe, get hold of yourself."  The sobbing continued; Julia slapped her cheek. "Phoebe, get hold of yourself. Whatever happened cannot be solved by blubbering like a baby." The sobbing subsided, but Phoebe did not look at Julia. "Phoebe, tell me now what the matter is or I'll leave you here to act like a child."

            "Oh Lady, I've been such a fool.  You know Crispus, the stable master.  Well I've been spending a great deal of time with him.  I love talking to him."

            "I gathered as much.  Everytime I look you're with him." Phoebe's sobbing began again. Julia threw up her hands in desperation. "Now Phoebe, stop it this minute.  Has he harmed you? If he has I'll see that Agrippa dismisses him."

            "No Lady he has done nothing to harm me. But one thing led to another... and-- Oh Lady I've been...  He's not a slave you know, but a freedman like me. I just found out he's married and has three sons.  Oh Lady what am I going to do?"

            Julia rose, "About what? Are you pregnant?"

            "Oh no, but-."

            "Do you want to marry him?"

            "Oh no, but-."

            Julia interrupted, "I don't see a problem here. You don't want to marry him. You don't need a father for a baby. Stop seeing him or keep on seeing him."

            "Lady, I don't want to stop seeing him. But we really ought to be married."

            Julia sighed heavily. "Ye Gods, Phoebe, if you want to marry, Agrippa can arrange it. If all you want is sex then have sex and don't tie yourself in knots about who's married and who's not.  Anybody who’s anybody knows whom you marry and whom you bed are entirely separate matters. It's best not to confuse one with the other." A new bond between lady and servant was forged that night. Phoebe who had so zealously diverted her mistress from rash sexual encounters began her own.

                             END OF PASSAGE

   "Now," Julia said, "let us consider what matters here. Are we concerned with sex or marriage? I do think we need to discuss this further"  I grimaced. Julia grimaced in response. "You're living in a cultural and religious world which does not exactly jive with the world as it ever was,  or is or, most likely will be.