Ctesiphon, Parthia, 53 BC 

Background:The Roman Consul, Marcus Licinius Crassus' unprovoked war against the Parthians had resulted in a humiliating defeat of his seven legions at the Batle of Carrhae with more than 24,000 Romans -including Crassus - being killed. It is estimated that some 10,000 Roman prisoners of war were sold into Persian slavery. That is the background to this vignette.

My name is Ariamnes and I am member of one of Persia's oldest and noblest families. I am blessed with many riches which include an unknown number of slaves owned by me. I'm unsure of the number of slaves I own - I leave the exact numbers to the stewards of my numerous estates - but it must number in the hundreds who labour ceaselessly to enrich me and provide for my indulgent lifestyle.

The very recent defeat of the Romans at Carrhae, has seen a glut of new slaves offered for sale in the slave-markets of Persia and I have taken advantage of their low prices to stock my many farms with new workers. The Romans will make excellent slaves - eventually.

Strong and robust, they come with the promise of many years hard labour once they have been "broken in" to their new status as beasts-of-burden. They are a proud, haughty race and it is inconceivable to them that they, the masters of the Mediterranean, can be reduced to slavery. Therefore, their spirits must be broken, their wills destroyed, as they are rained to accept their future roles as naked, work animals. I have found the branding-iron to be the most effective means of "helping" them accept their slavery. As the iron sears itself into the tender flesh of a new slave's arse, he understands that he is now a branded animal and an owned property.

Already, my brawny, new Roman slaves show great promise: bent double under the heavy wooden yokes placed on their broad shoulders and with their naked backs exposed to the cut and pain of Persian whips, they plow my fields and harvest my crops. 

Today, as is my custom, I visited a slave-market and was taken by a semi-naked Roman offered for sale. The slave-trader told me he is a Roman of noble birth and certainly his despondency and demeanour indicated he is a patrician and after a close inspection I bought him to serve as one of my personal litter-bearers and as a whore slave in my household.

I enjoyed lifting his skirt and was pleasantly surprised by the generous size of his cock and balls and the rigidity of his spontaneous erection. However, it was his arse that held my attention, well-rounded and shapely, I found myself spending more time in its examination than I normally do when buying a slave.

I have never fucked a tight, Roman arse and before I do so with this one it must be prepared for me. I am an admirer of male genitalia and I have a small collection of dildos made from the sun-dried pizzles of sheep, goats, horses, camels and including one or two of my once favoured slaves which I use as training aids. Before I fuck my new Roman slave I will have him strapped down, arse up, and have his hole loosened by a goat's pizzle.

Ultimately, the slave's future will be as one of my litter-bearers and I look forward to having him struggling to carry me through the crowded streets of the city. Naturally, his condition will be that of a true slave. Except for my ornate collar around his neck and my family's crest on his arse, he will be as naked as the day his mother gave birth to him.

Then, at other times, he will serve in my household as I entertain friends and visiting dignitaries. I am a generous host and my slave will be made available to them as a goodwill gesture on my part. With the help of my training aids, his arse and mouth will no doubt prove most popular.

The artwork for this post has always been one of my favourites. It is the work of that excellent artist, Janus who is well known to all of us. I suspect Janus meant the background for this work to be Egyptian; however, I have adapted it to reflect my interpretation of his beautiful artwork.