by Q V Hunter
As I dove downhill and into the busy throng, I felt someone grab my tunic tail.
‘Eh, Soldier? I heard your sword bang into something. Are you an honorable man?’
I looked down at a man crouched for safety against a graffiti-covered wall.
‘I hope so, my friend.’
He was a disabled veteran, his uniform in tatters, still bearing the insignia of the Legio I Martia. He stared up at me through white eyes blinded by fire or oil. The shiny bloodless scars disfigured the upper half of his face.
‘You served on the Rhenus?’
‘Castrum Rauracense, guarding a bridge over the river. Took it full in the face from some fucking Alemanni with a bucket of pitch.’
‘Bad luck, but I’ve just left 50,000 dead in Mursa, Pannonia. Take some joy from the day. Here’s something for wine and a willing woman.’ I dropped my loose change into his soiled lap while his fingers scrabbled for something in the bottom of an almost empty begging basket. He was fingering a coin over and over. His sightless eyes turned full up at the sky in concentration.
Now he grabbed me again and held the coin out to me without letting go of it. ‘Don’t steal it from a brother-in-arms.’
‘I wouldn’t do that. Why do you show it to me?’
‘Somebody said it’s a solidus, but how would I know? It feels funny. Is it the real thing?’
‘Looks like solid gold. Lucky day for you.’
I was going to move on when he clutched at my boot cuff. ‘But I don’t recognize the profile. Please, is the money good?’
I examined the coin closely now as it rotated between his grimy fingers. I saw the large eyes and strong curving chin, the sharp long nose and the curling hair of Magnentius.
‘Yes, don’t worry. The man’s gone now, too fast and bold for our times.’
‘But it is gold?’
‘Yes, it’s gold. The metal always survives the man and the Empire’s gold is as good as ever.’
The End
Connect with the author at:
mailto:[email protected].
Want to keep going? Read on:
The Veiled Assassin, Embers of Empire, Vol. I
The Back Gate to Hell, Embers of Empire, Vol. III
The Wolves of Ambition, Embers of Empire, Vol. IV
The Deadly Caesar, Embers of Empire, Vol. V
The Burning Stakes, Embers of Empire, Vol. VI
Glossary and Places
Actium—a promontory in Western Greece
Aginnum—Agen, France
Aquileia—Aquileia, France
the Alsa River—the Ansa River, France
Arelate—Arles, France
armillae—gold armbands awarded for bravery
Atrans—Trojane, Slovenia
Augusta—honorific for emperor’s wife or close relative
Augustus—honorific for emperor
Augusta Raurica—near Kaiseraugst, Switzerland, east of Basel
Augusta Taurinorum—Turin, Italy
Augustodunum Haeduorum —Autun, France
Augustonetum—Clermont-Ferrand, France
Augustoritum—Limoges, France
Avaricum—Bourges, France
biarchus—mid-ranked agens
Bononia—Bologne, France
bulla—a child’s amulet
Brigantium—Vorarlburg, Austria
Brundisium—Brindisi, Italy
Burdigala—Bordeaux, France
carnificina—work of a torturer or executioner
Carnuntum—Petronell-Carnuntum, Austria
Carthago—Carthage, North Africa
Castra Peregrina—headquarters in Rome of the schola, the agentes in rebus
Castrum Rauracense—a river fort attached to Augusta Raurica, east of Basel, Switzerland
cathedra—a wide-seated armchair
Celeia—Celje, Slovenia
centenionalis—a large bronze coin introduced by Constans and Constantius to replace the follis, worth 40 nummi
Cibalis—Vinkovci, Croatia
circitor—one rank above eques in the five ranks of agentes
cisium—a small cart for a rider and minimum baggage, pulled by two horses
Chi Rho—the two first Greek letters of Jesus Christ’s name, painted on his soldiers’ shield by Constantine before his decisive victory at the Milvian Bridge, and later on coins issued during the Constantinian era
codex, codices—paged books bound to a spine, as opposed to scrolls
Colapsis River—Kupa River, Croatia
comitatus—suite of comes or counts, around the emperor
Comum—Como, Italy
conciliarum—councilor
consistorium—imperial council
contubernalis, contuberales—tent-mate
contus—lance of four meters’ length, requiring expertise
Cularo—Grenoble, France
cornicen—army signaler playing a brass horn, the cornu
cubicularius, cubicularii—bedchamber attendant
curiosus, curiosi—nickname slurring imperial agents
Cursus Publicus—the imperial state highway and postal system
dispensator—majordomo
Decetia—Decize, France
Divodurum Mediomatricum—Metz, France
draco, dracones—flying dragon, wind pennant
Emona—Ljubljana, Slovenia
eques—the lowest rank of agentes in rebus
fauces—small foyer or passage leading to Roman atrium
fibula—a large pin to fix tunics at the shoulder
evectio—a license to use the Cursus Publicus network
garum—fermented fish sauce
Gallia—the Roman province of Gaul, part of modern France
Garona—the Garonne River in southwest France, and northern Catalonia, Spain
Gates of Trajan—the Succi or Ihtiman Pass, Bulgaria
Hasta Pura—Arrow without a Head, a silver spear battle award
Hispanic Tarraconensis—north, central, east Spain
Horreum Margi—Ćuprijai, Serbia
imperator—emperor
imperatrix—empress
insulae—five- to six-story apartment blocks
labrum—washtub, basin, bath
latrunculi—two-player board game similar to Checkers
Londinium—London, England
Lugdunum—Lyon, France
Lutetia—Paris, France
magister equitum—Master of the Horse, a title revived in the Late Roman Empire, when Constantine I established it as one of the supreme military ranks
magister militum—Master of the Infantry, previously magister peditum under Constantine I, eventually amalgamated with magister equitum in the Late Roman Empire
magister officiorum—a senior imperial office created under Constantine (306-337) to limit the power of the praetorian prefect, until then the emperor’s chief administrative aide.
manceps—shopkeeper, contractor, also used for franchise holder managing a state
mansio, mansiones—Cursus Publicus relay station, or village providing services and horses
Mediolanum—Milan, Italy
Moesia—parts of Serbia, Macedonia and Bulgaria
Mursa—Osijek, Croatia
Naissus—Niš, Serbia
Nisibus—Nusaybin, Turkey
Oriculum—Olricoli, Umbria, Italy
ostiarius—gateman, porter, janitor
Pannonia—Bosnia and northern Serbia
Peninsula of Haemus—Balkan Peninsula, named after King Haemus of Thrace
petanus—peacetime riding helmet
phalerae—gold, silver, or bronze disks worn on the breastplate
Pisae—Pisa, Italy
popina—restaurant
praepositus—foremost (officer)
pugio—a short dagger
retiarius—gladiator fighting with a weighted net, dagger and trident
the Rhenus River—the Rhine River
the Rhodanus River—the Rhône River
the Sava—the Sava River in Croatia
Samarobriva—Amiens, France
Sardica—Sophia, Bulgaria
Servitum—Gradiška, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Singidunum—Belgrade, Serbia
Sirmium—Sremska-Mitrovica, Serbia
Siscia—Sisak, Croatia
spatha—a double-bladed Late Roman sword
taberna—tavern or shop
tablinum—study
thermae—public baths
the Tiberis River—the Tiber River
Ticinum—Pavia, Italy
tiro, tirones—recruits
Tolosa—Toulouse, France
torc—gold neckpiece awarded for heroism
Tomi—an ancient Greek colony, now Constanta, Romania
triclinium—dining space, either enclosed or under a trellis
tubincen—horn used for attack and retreat signals
turma—Late Roman cavalry unit of thirty men
Upper Sea—the Adriaticum or Adriatic
Vicus Helena—Elne, France
Viminacium—(near) Kostolac, Serbia
Vindabona, Noricum—Vienna, Austria
vir, viri—man, men
volo, voluntarius—a slave earning manumission through military service
vitulinum—vellum, (expensive writing material from animal skin)
Historical Notes
Whereas the available records informing The Veiled Assassin, (the first volume of the Embers of Empire series) fall short on dates and biographical details, the source materials for Usurpers suffer from almost too much rich detail. One conspiracy after another surrounds the imperial clan. It’s small wonder that the foremost contemporary historian, Ammianus Marcellinus, wrote so much about the dramatic rivalries of the post-Constantine I courts. His almost modern eye for the telling detail, such as the purple cloak discarded by the fleeing Emperor Constans, brings this turbulent period to life.
Some scholars dispute Ammianus’ reporting as biased by his years of military service under General Ursicinus, but we have historians Zozimus and Zonaras weighing in with vivid accounts of their own, not to mention the clearly prejudiced description of Mursa from none other than that last Constantine ruler, Julian the Apostate.
The year 350 AD tossed up no fewer than three claimants for the western half of the Roman Empire—Magnentius, Vetranio and Nepotianus—at a dizzy pace. The uncharacteristic clemency shown to Vetranio by Constantius II, who murdered so many of his own family for merely existing as contenders for power, stands out. The loyal old soldier, renowned for his dogged pursuit of literacy into middle age, retired to Bithynia where he lived another six years after his public resignation—although how or why he died then is left to the reader’s suspicions.
There are different dates set for the formal promotion of Magnentius’ brother Decentius to Caesar. Some accounts time it before the June 350 declaration of Nepotianus in Rome, while others cite a promotion as late as mid-351 as a response to the elevation of Gallus.
Many supporting characters, including the warriors General Claudius Silvanus and Gaiso, (sometimes recorded as Gaison or Gaisco,) as well as the Treasury Secretary Marcellinus, are all historical figures that make their fleeting mark in the pages of history. They leave as many questions as answers in their wake. For example, I searched in vain for a fuller description of Gaiso’s rank, full name, or military record. Despite his role in such a cataclysmic event, the full name of Marcellinus eludes history as well.
As for Paulus ‘The Chain’ Catena, his reputation is richly savaged by Ammianus who identifies him in Book XIV as a Spaniard and in Book XV as a Persian. Hence, I’ve made him a Spaniard with a trace of Persian in his ancestry, as it’s unlikely a full-blooded Persian would have served in a Roman court of this era.
Other details about Catena are clear. He gained notoriety for his witchhunt across Roman Britannia for refugees from the defeated Magnentius camp. This campaign left a bitter aftertaste because he broadened his mandate into a vicious and indiscriminate purge of the elites of Roman British society. Catena then participated in the equally dramatic events surrounding the new Caesar Gallus, depicted in the third volume of the Embers of Empire series, The Back Gate to Hell.
Apodemius was also a historical figure, one of fewer than a dozen of Rome’s powerful intelligence agents to find themselves ‘outed’ from the shadows by historians. His own role in the interrogations around the disastrous usurpation attempt by General Silvanus to come after this story, as well as the torture and arrest of Caesar Gallus was too noteworthy to elude Time’s Pen.
The Manlius family was an actual old Roman clan, but both the Senator and his son Atticus are fictional attempts to bring readers closer to the dilemmas of aristocratic families coping with the ‘usurpation’ of new blood from both within and outside the family circle.
The eunuch Lord Chamberlain Eusebius lived and breathed. He drew particular venom from Ammianus Marcellinus for both his backstage manipulation of Constantius II’s mounting paranoia, and his ill-disguised greed for other people’s real estate. The sarcastic Ammianus is the real-life source of Apodemius’ quip in Chapter Five of Usurpers that the Emperor Constantius II has only ‘some influence’ over the conniving eunuch.
The sadistic Constantia’s individual travels before the years of her second marriage to her younger cousin Caesar Gallus are not well documented. However, her proclivities for torture and intrigue don’t escape the master of juicy rumors. As Ammianus writes, ‘Constantia’s pride was swollen beyond measure. She was a Fury in mortal form, incessantly adding fuel to her husband's rage, and as thirsty for human blood as he.’ (And if the author of ‘The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, Edward Gibbon, called Ammianus ‘his faithful guide,’ who are we to question such a poisonous portrait?)
In recreating events some 1700 years old, I tried not to be waylaid by minor contradictions. Primary sources differ on the location of Constantius’ first days in conference with Vetranio, ending in Sardica. Some report the two men met in Naissus first and then moved to Sardica. I chose the simpler account.
I should also note that, to my knowledge, only Zonaras reports the appeasement sacrifice of a maid by Magnentius under the direction of a woman magician followed by the issuing of a blood-wine concoction to the troops. We’ll never be sure of this episode, but Mater Magnentius’ earlier career as a fortuneteller at Constantine the Great’s court adds to the impression of an inherited family taste for the supernatural.
Like England’s King Richard III, Magnentius was perhaps a victim of coloured propaganda written by his victorious enemies. They would be inclined to furnish evidence after his defeat that his barbarian nature made him unworthy to rule. One noted academic points out that it takes three generations of early historians to go from outright condemnation of Magnentius as a ‘barbarian,’ to less emotional and more factual details of his lineage and education as a descendant of barbarians.
It is hard to portray a man like Constantius II who presents us with a number of contradictions. Though ruthless enough to manipulate the army into killing off his family rivals for succession, he displays later efforts to restrain his vindictive side for the sake of maintaining the Empire’s unity. Perhaps his overweaning desire for concentrated, orderly resistance to outside threats explains all his actions.
Sadly, the best description of his person—Ammianus’ sketch of an unmoving, unblinking visitor riding in taciturn glory on his first visit through the streets of Rome a few years after the Battle of Mursa—is not fertile material for fiction.
Perhaps the most intriguing to me of all the historical persons in this story is the virgin girl-woman Justina. She would survive to finish an extraordinary career as the powerful grandmother and doyen of the Valentinian dynasty nearly fifty years on. Her transitory role as the second recorded wife of Magnentius is an enticing hint at the charisma over others that she exercised to the full many years later. Her physical beauty stu
nned both male and female contemporaries a decade after the Magnentius episode and brought her to the attention of her sponsor’s husband and her next suitor, Emperor Valentinian I.
She bore Valentinian four children and survived to act as regent during the reign of her son Valentinian II. She ruled over the Western Empire as a contemporary to the redoubtable Pulcheria who controlled the Eastern Empire as the regent of her little brother, Emperor Theodosius II.
I hope experts in Late Antiquity will forgive my ruthless compression of what was in fact a painful, drawn-out demise for Emperor Magnentius and his brother Decentius. For the sake of fictional pace, I’ve sped up the ‘decline and fall’ of one of the fourth century’s most compelling and ambiguous figures. In reality, it took another year of mop-up battles, strategic harassments by Constantius II, and military defections for Magnentius to accept that his bid to reform the Empire was doomed. But fall on his sword he did, eventually. According to Julian the Apostate’s Orations, he did so at the direct order of Constantius.