The End of a Dynasty

by David Adkins

  It must have been the early hours of the morning when a piercing scream shattered the peace of the palace. It had been a sound of such agony that I had woken up sharply and almost jumped out of bed. The palace had gone quiet once again but I started to dress, for I was acutely aware that something terrible must have happened. I was dressed and just starting to imagine that the scream might have come in some unrecalled nightmare I had suffered, when there was a loud and frantic banging on my door. It was obvious then that the scream related very much to reality. I opened the door to see Maximus standing there looking shocked and very pale of face.

  “What has happened?” I asked.

  The big man stumbled over his words. “Drucilla and Petronilla are outside Drucilla’s room.” It was not much of an explanation. He then hurried off and I followed him down the corridor towards Drucilla’s room.

  As we turned a corner I saw Petronilla lying on the floor with Drucilla bending over her. “She has fainted,” she explained as we drew close and she then turned to Maximus. “Can you please get a cup of water?” Maximus, once again, was hurrying off down the corridor leaving me alone with Drucilla and the prostrate Petronilla.

  “What made her faint and what was that scream?” I asked.

  “I heard a frantic knocking on my door and when I opened it Petronilla was standing outside in utmost distress. She muttered that her mistress was going to die and then let out a terrible scream and fainted. A servant told me that Julia is very ill and was being attended by the Emperor and Empress and two of our servants. I then sent Maximus to fetch you.”

  “She seemed fine at dinner,” I mused.

  “She was apparently returning to her room with the Emperor and took ill. The Emperor fetched the Empress who brought two of our female servants with her, one of them being Antonia, a midwife.”

  “Is this to do with the baby then?” I asked.

  “If it is then I do not see how the baby will survive, for it is far too early.”

  Maximus returned with a cup of water and Drucilla sprinkled a little on Petronilla’s face and then gave her a few sips to drink. She came round slowly but looked haunted. “I am sure she will die,” she groaned. “They would not let me stay with her because they said I was too hysterical.”

  I can believe that, I thought to myself. “I will go and see what I can find out but you had better look after Petronilla,” I said to Drucilla.

  I left the three of them and entered the royal wing of the palace and moved quickly along the corridor, past the luxurious rooms of the Imperial family until I reached Julia Flavia’s room. A Praetorian was stationed outside the door. “I have my orders that nobody is to go in.”

  “What is happening?” I asked.

  “I believe that the Emperor’s niece is gravely ill and is being attended to,” he explained.

  I was joined by Casperius.”I was told to put a guard on the door. Is there any news?”

  “No, I know very little,” I sighed.

  “Then we can do nothing but wait,” he offered.

  We did not have to wait long because a few minutes later the door opened and the Empress, Domitia Longina, emerged looking very distressed. “A short time ago the Emperor’s niece, Julia Flavia, died from an unknown illness,” she announced.

  “That is terrible,” I muttered. Casperius looked dumbfounded.

  “The Emperor is distraught and so I must return to him. We will give him time to get over the extreme shock and then we will make the necessary arrangements. Casperius, you and a few of your men will be required later. Parthenian, you may start telling people the terrible news. I must return to the Emperor.” She re-entered the room and closed the door behind her.

  “What do you make of that?” said Casperius.

  I shook my head. “What do you mean?”

  “Never mind,” he replied. “You had better do as the Empress ordered.”

  I made my way slowly back to the servants’ quarters knowing that the news would be shattering for Petronilla. They were just as I had left them except that Petronilla was now sitting up.

  “Well?” she said, looking at me with an expression that was beseeching good news.

  I shook my head. “Julia Flavia has just died.”

  The tears rolled down her cheeks and this time she did not scream but collapsed into a series of gut wrenching sobs. “First my master dies and then my mistress and her unborn child. It is truly too much to bear.” The sobbing continued and Drucilla held the distressed woman in her arms.

  “What was the cause?” asked Drucilla.

  “I do not know,” I replied.

  I never did find out the cause of Julia’s death. The official announcement was that she had simply died of unknown causes. Petronilla, when she had recovered, immediately started to make accusations against the Empress and was quickly dismissed from the palace. Casperius spoke in innuendo to me about the Empress but had the good sense not to make any direct accusations. He was also aware of my loyalty to Domitia Longina and so if he really believed that the Empress was in some way implicated in the death of Julia then he may also have believed in my complicity.

  The Emperor never showed any sign that he believed that Julia’s death was anything but an unfortunate illness that had simply taken away her young life. He did remain for many months in a very distressed state of mind. I believe that this deep sorrow was more for the loss of his heir than for the loss of Julia. I wondered where this craving for an heir would leave the Empress, for it was becoming increasingly obvious that she would not give him what he most desired. In the short term it could not be denied that she no longer had a rival and her position seemed safer than ever.

  It was with this in mind that I felt my first audience with the Empress after the death of Julia would be interesting. It came a few days after her death and was ostensibly to talk of the funeral but I wondered if there was more to it.

  I came into her presence and knelt before her. “It is good to speak with you again, aunt.”

  “And with you, nephew,” she replied. “The funeral will be in five days time and it will be very much in the mode of her husband; except that Domitian is set on having her deified as a goddess.”

  I shook my head. “That seems extreme.”

  “She was the daughter of his brother the Emperor Titus and so a member of the Flavian dynasty. Domitian at times looks on himself as a god and so I suppose his niece would therefore be a goddess.”

  “At this rate there will not be enough room in the celestial pantheon for all these gods and goddesses,” I surmised.

  She laughed. “You are good for me, nephew. The cremation will take place in the Flavian temple at the great cemetery just outside the city. I am making the arrangements, for Domitian is far too upset to be involved.”

  “He is lucky to have you, aunt,” I observed.

  “I hope you approved of my dismissal of Petronilla. I could not have the stupid girl making such absurd accusations around the palace.”

  She had raised the subject that I had feared to raise. I took her hand and kissed it. “She is not the only one who believes in your involvement.”

  “Are you saying that you do?” She sounded quite shocked.

  “Of course not, Empress,” I said and kissed her other hand.

  “You mean Casperius. Let him think what he wants as long as does not mouth his thoughts. Watch him with the Emperor and report to me if he is giving voice to his deliberations and planting undesirable seeds into Domitian’s head.”

  “I will, aunt.” I honestly did not know whether she had been involved in Julia’s unexpected death. I would have liked to think that she would have told me of any such plan.

  “You will take charge of the palace for the day as before and Casperius will leave Otho in charge of the barracks. There is no need for you to attend the funeral.”

  “As you wish,” I said and I bowed low and left her august presence. I could not help reflecting that the position of Domitia Longina had become
a whole lot more secure with the death of Julia. However, life could be tenuous in this dangerous world and particularly so for a woman who was pregnant.

  The funeral procession set off from the palace five days later. I sat in the gardens with Drucilla to watch proceedings as I had when her husband’s entourage had left the palace. Like her husband before her she had laid at rest in the atrium until the day of the procession. This time the gardens were even fuller as senators and aristocrats and their families gathered to pay their respects to the daughter of the great Titus, perhaps the most popular of the Flavian Emperors. After a period of time the family, Domitian and his wife and Titus Clemens and his wife, emerged from the palace followed by Casperius and a few guardsmen pulling the casket containing Julia on a litter. The family, then followed by the guests, began the lamentations and the gathering joined in and then followed the procession out of the palace gates. Slowly the entourage departed the palace heading for the Flavian Temple in that vast cemetery just outside the city. As for her husband there would be a ceremony and libations at the grave for Julia and proceedings would take all day. Domitian was the chief mourner and it was obvious that his distress was still immense. The loss of his heir had been an enormous blow to Domitian and I was also sure that he must have had some feelings for his unfortunate niece. Once the entourage had completely disappeared from sight we returned to the palace to face our chores. This cold winter day was not suitable for dwelling in the gardens as it had been on that spring day when her husband had departed his earthly mantle.

  *

  The months continued to pass by and winter was drawing to a close but a sense of mourning and despondency never left the palace. The mood of the Emperor seemed to encompass the whole place and everyone that lived there. Domitian was like a man in a trance at times, and sometimes it was a violent trance and people learned that, even more so than in the past, it was best to keep out of his way if possible. I was convinced that it was the loss of his heir that most affected him and not the loss of Julia. The only men that seemed to have his ear were Rabirius, the architect, and Casperius. The Empress was treated with due respect but in a cold fashion. I think I was better off than most for I was never the victim of one of his worst, violent outbursts. Nevertheless, it was a time to tread warily and do nothing that might annoy this so called god on earth.

  It was, therefore, with some trepidation that I received a summons to his royal presence for an individual interview as he put it. That was enough to make me feel nervous. My anxiety increased when I entered the royal chamber and he smiled at me. He was reclining on a couch and he indicated that I should do the same.

  “We are going on a trip, Parthenian,” he announced.

  “We are your majesty?” I was surprised.

  “Well it is not really a trip, it is a campaign.”

  I did not like the sound of that. “May I ask where?”

  “We are going to travel along the great river Danube,” he grinned.

  Now I was feeling a sense of panic. “Is that not dangerous?”

  “Indeed it is, Parthenian. We shall start in Aquileia and then cross the river and deal with the Alamanni and Quadi. From there we shall travel east down the Danube and base ourselves at Cusum and from there we will subdue the Marcomanni. Finally we will reach Singidunum and then either reach agreement with, or vanquish the Lazyges. Then it will be Dacia and we will annihilate Decebulus and his Dacians, putting an end once and forever to his threat to Rome.”

  I was horrified. “You want to take me on this campaign, the palace chamberlain?”

  He laughed. “I will need you to look after me. Do not worry for I will not expect you to fight. You will live in the baggage train that follows the army. You are my chamberlain and you will serve me during the campaign. I would not be happy leaving you behind.”

  I was aghast. Was this a reference to Corelia? What did he suspect? “As you wish, your majesty but surely we will be absent from Rome for a long time if we are to do battle with all these tribes?”

  “I want to terrorize the Alamanni so they do not cause trouble when we are in Dacia. That is the reason why Tettius Iulianus had to withdraw even though he had won a great victory over the Dacians. The Quadi and the Marcomanni have been raiding Roman settlements on the south side of the river for the past year, and they need to be taught a lesson. The Lazyges are rather different for they are a powerful nomadic Sarmatian people who have for now settled north of Dacia. I would like to negotiate with their leaders and make them Rome’s ally. If they were to join Decabulus then it would make our task much more difficult for it is the total defeat of Decabulus and his Dacians which is the prime objective of this campaign. It will take two years to deal with the Germanic tribes and another year to wipe out Decabulus and his hordes.”

  It just got worse and worse. “We will be away from Rome for three years.”

  “About that,” he agreed. “You are a young man and this is an adventure. Young men like an adventure.”

  Not this one, I thought to myself. “It does sound like an adventure,” I agreed.

  “I will take you, a few other servants plus a decent cook, and you will all look after my needs which I will confess to you are much greater than those of the common soldier. I will also take Otho and about half of the Praetorian Guard. We will march north with one legion and join up with Sextus Fronto and his two legions at Aquileia. That is all you need to know for now, Parthenian.”

  “When will we leave?” I inquired.

  “In about a month we will depart Rome at the start of spring. I hope to get some campaigning in against the Alamanni and the Quadi during the summer and bring them to their knees by the end of the year.”

  I nodded. “I am sure my Emperor will win quick victories.”

  He smiled. “It will be a good time to be away from the palace, because work will take place on the many improvements I have in mind. When I return in triumph I will have a new and grander palace waiting for me; one that befits a great conqueror.”

  “Who will be in charge while you are away?” I asked.

  “Rabirius will be in charge of the building work, but the Empress will be in charge of the palace.” He smiled. “Of course it is Casperius who will wield the real power. He is a good man and I trust him. Now Parthenian, you have asked enough questions and I have much work to do and there are many preparations to be undertaken before we leave.”

  I took that as my cue to depart the royal chamber. I bowed and left the Emperor to ponder over all his many preparations but I was far from happy as I left his divine presence. The furthest I had ever travelled from Rome was the nearby towns of Tibur and Capua and now I was to travel to the edge of the Empire and face the sort of dangers that I never believed I would ever have to face.

  I appealed to the Empress to try and rescue me from the coming adventure that I had no wish to participate in. She did not want me to go and I am sure that she tried hard to convince Domitian that it was not necessary to take his chamberlain on such a campaign. Her words fell on deaf ears and no matter how she tried it was to no avail. I was going to the Danube and that was that.

  The preparations went on busily around me while I remained in a daze. A renowned cook named Norius was recruited who would serve the Emperor and some of the baggage train. The rest of the army had almost a brigade of cooks. Two other male servants from the palace were recruited to follow my orders though I was not sure what was expected of us. I was no soldier and never had any ambition to be one and so I had little idea of the demands of any army on the march or the generals who commanded them. I was aware that Domitian did have some military experience from previous campaigns and that he was popular with the soldiers and that gave me some comfort, that our campaign would be quick and successful. However, Decabulus also had a reputation as a formidable leader, and the Dacians were known for their savagery and cruelty and that was not comforting.

  Drucilla and Maximus would be left in charge in my absence and I was more than hap
py with that, for I knew that under Drucilla’s excellent guidance things at the palace would run smoothly and the Empress would be well looked after. Even Casperius was friendly and I was surprised that he came to see me one evening soon after the Emperor had announced that I would be going on campaign with him.

  “Greetings, Parthenian,” he smiled.

  I returned his greeting. “You do not seem as hostile these days as you once were,” I observed.

  “You saw the murder of Sabinus and I was worried that you would talk. I see now that I was worried unduly. I think we came to an understanding after the death of Tero.”

  “I think you are right,” I agreed. “I have always been curious about one thing, Casperius. What did you say to Domitian to persuade him to spare Glyca?”

  “I threatened him. He felt vulnerable at the games.”

  “You threatened to withdraw your protection,” I gasped.

  “I will not say anything else on that matter except that I thought that I might be ruined as a consequence. It seems that the Emperor has forgotten my indiscretion and I am back in his trust; just as he seems to have forgotten your indiscretion. We are both fortunate that the Emperor has a short memory.”

  “If you call going on campaign fortunate,” I observed.

  “You will see some of the world,” he laughed.