by James Mace
Primus laughed aloud as he placed an arm around Artorius’ shoulders and guided him over to his place on the stand. In a short and private ceremony, Primus and Juliana were married. It was something that was long overdue in Artorius’ mind.
After the ceremony, all three took a walk on one of the hills that surrounded Rome. It was a beautiful day, the most beautiful day Artorius could remember. Juliana walked in between them, her arms laced between each of theirs. For several hours, they talked about anything but the war he had just fought. Artorius asked about their health, about home, old friends, and anything else he could think of. When they tired of walking, they relaxed in the shade of fragrant olive trees, enjoying wine and the closeness they felt as a loving family. Finally, Juliana breached the question about the war to Artorius.
“May I ask what Germania was like?” she asked.
“Cold and damp in the winter, though the summers can be rather pleasant,” Artorius replied. “And it’s populated by a race of rather inhospitable people. It is mostly forests and swamps. Teutoburger Wald was an absolutely atrocious place.”
“Tell me about when you found your brother,” she continued.
“My love, please,” Primus said, placing a hand on her arm.
“No, it’s alright,” Artorius replied. “I don’t suppose you shared my letter with her concerning Metellus.”
“I did not,” Primus answered.
“The short story is that I met a cohort commander, who was Metellus’ centurion. He told me about how Metellus made his final stand, how he gave his life, saving the lives of his friends. We later found a set of remains that corroborated with the centurion’s story, including the death blow that killed Metellus. I told Father he would have been proud of him. And I am honored not only to have laid his body to rest, but to have done him justice.” He contemplated telling them of his seeing Metellus, but thought better of it. After all, he wasn’t entirely certain he had actually seen his brother, as real as the vision seemed. Though his heart told him the truth, he knew that no one else would believe his story.
Juliana reached over and placed her hand in his. “Your mother would have been proud of you as well,” she said.
Towards the end of the day, Primus and his new bride walked Artorius back to the legion’s camp. Each then embraced him in turn.
“Don’t you worry about your father, I’ll look after him,” Juliana said as she took Artorius in her arms.
“I know, Mother,” Artorius replied.
Juliana smiled at being addressed as such. A tear came to her eye. Artorius then reached over and embraced his father.
“I’m very proud of you,” Primus said, beaming.
“And I you,” Artorius answered. “It’s about time you brought Juliana into the family…officially.” He winked at his new step-mother as he said so. He then turned and walked back into the camp, back to the army, to the legion and his friends. He felt invigorated in body and in spirit. He would miss his father and his new mother. Yet he also looked forward to continuing his life and his chosen career. His vengeful spirit was at last laid to rest. This was a feeling he had not known since he was a boy. His father would be all right, his brother and his mother’s souls could, at last, rest in peace. He now looked forward to going home, and his home was the legion. He was, after all a Soldier of Rome.
Bibliography
Note: All citations are from the Annals of Tacitus, Volume III
Further Reading:
Goldsworthy, Adrian. In the Name of Rome: The Men who Won the Roman Empire. London: Phoenix, 2004.
Tacitus, Cornelius. The Annals: The Reigns of Tiberius, Claudius, and Nero. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2008.
The adventures of Legionary Artorius continues in Part Two of The Artorian Chronicles,
Soldier of Rome: The Sacrovir Revolt
A new trilogy of Ancient Rome by James Mace
Available now through Amazon and Amazon U.K.
Table of Contents
Soldier of Rome:
Electronic Edition Copyright c 2012 by James Mace
“
Dedicated to the men of Company C, 2
The Works of James Mace
Cast of Characters
Roman Military Ranks
Chapter I: Teutoburger Wald
Chapter II: Aftermath of Disaster
Chapter III: The Recruit
Chapter IV: From Civilian to Soldier
Chapter V: Preparations for War
Chapter VI: The Legionary
Chapter VII: The First Campaign
Chapter VIII: Ambush and Philosophy
Chapter IX: Destruction of the Marsi
Chapter X: Return to Teutoburger Wald
Chapter XI: Frustration and the Roads Home
Chapter XII: At the Ahenobarbi Bridges
Chapter XIII: The Trap is Sprung
Chapter XIV: Winter Quarters
Chapter XV: Ambushing the Raiders
Chapter XVI: The New Optio
Chapter XVII: Into the Heart of Germania
Chapter XVIII: The Weser River
Chapter XIX: Calm Before the Storm
Chapter XX: Idistaviso
Chapter XXI: For Wrath, For Vengeance
Chapter XXII: The Rout and the Aftermath
Chapter XXIII: The Stronghold and Final Justice
Chapter XXIV: Redemption
Chapter XXV: The Bitter
Chapter XXVI: Return to Rome
Chapter XXVII: The Legionary versus the Gladiator
Chapter XXVIII: The Rewards of Triumph
Chapter XXIX: Soldiers of Rome
Bibliography
The adventures of