i think my ideal life is a senator’s son in, say, 140 BC. I’m climbing the cursus honorum, but in a very leisurely way; I’m not really aiming for consul, which would be Too Much Trouble. I have dinner parties at which we discuss Greek theater and maybe think about trying to write Latin versions of them, but dismiss it as, again, too much work. Cato probably hates me. i am idle. my villa is opulent.