by Griff Hosker
On the deck of the Hercules Livius had never let his eyes leave his brother and, even as Centurion was holding them all off , the one time general leapt overboard and swam around the stern of the Hercules, unseen by all but Livius. Livius dragged himself to his feet and put the sword on to the deck. Taking out his pugeo he made his painful way to the other side of the ship and then he threw himself into the water. The pain was excruciating as his broken body hit the water but, as with the river crossing the previous night, the chill river numbed the pain and he erupted from the water gulping in great breaths of air.
Had his prey been anyone else than Decius then Livius would not have caught him but his brother was also wounded and could only use one arm. Gradually Livius swam closer to his brother who was unaware of his danger. On the Hercules Quintus had seen the drama and was lowering the ship’s boat to come to the aid or rescue of Livius. Standing on the deck of the ship he could see that Livius would reach his brother before the boat could even be launched for Livius’ two arms were cutting the distance to his brother with each stroke.
Perhaps it was Livius’ laboured breathing or perhaps some sense that his brother was near but Decius suddenly turned in the water and faced Livius. “Now you will die!” Decius had a gladius in his hand and Livius only had a short dagger.
Decius’ blade sliced towards Livius’ throat and, as he held Decius’ hand at bay, the Decurion felt himself begin to sink below the waves as the power of Decius’ arm forced his upper body into the river. Livius wildly stabbed upwards and felt the blade sink into some part of his brother. The pressure from his brother was still forcing him down and he began to panic that he would drown and he kicked and struggled. As he did so he kicked his broken toes against his brother’s shin and the pain was so bad that he opened his mouth to scream. His mouth filled with water and he saw the blade of the gladius heading for his eye. He slashed the pugeo though the water and it seemed to travel in slow motion. Once again he felt it strike something but it would be too late for him his lungs were filling with water. He was trying to breathe but there was no air, there was just water and the surface seemed to be getting further away; he was dying and his brother had won. Suddenly he saw Decius go limp and his eyes, though still open had no life in them. Livius kicked hard for the surface feeling the agony in his damaged legs as he did so. As the world above seemed to go blurry he thought how ironic, to die at sea, when his mission was accomplished. As he drifted into oblivion he felt glad that he had left the sword of Cartimandua on the Hercules. Metellus would be able to return it to Gaius. Feeling the pugeo in his hand he would be able to join the Allfather and be reunited with Marcus and Macro and all his other fallen comrades.
* * * * * * *
The sailor sent by Quintus had been chosen because he could swim and, as the boat approached the two still bodies he dived into the water and put his arms under Livius’ to turn him onto his back. In the boat Metellus waited anxiously for the sailor to return with the body. He had been terrified at the length of time Livius had been underwater and now, as the body was dragged back he feared the worst. The sailor arrived at the back of the boat and Metellus reached down to pull him in.
“No sir, not yet.” The sailor tightened his grip around Livius’ chest and pulled as hard as he could. The sailor’s arms were knotted with muscles and Metellus winced at what he took to be torture. The sailor repeated this action four times and Metellus was about to hit the man with the hilt of his dagger to stop the unnecessary torture when Livius suddenly coughed and spluttered brown, murky river water out of his mouth. He was alive!
* * * * * * *
The promagistrate fussed around Livius like a mother hen with a chick she thought she had lost. The fact that they had the gold, easily recovered at low tide and the body of the traitor meant that the promagistrate of Namnetum could boast of the efficiency of his vicus, despite not having had to do too much himself. Livius would have to spend some time recovering and this seemed to please Gnaeus Villius Coccius. It was as though some of the heroics of the three Explorates had rubbed off on him. He insisted that they stay in his official residence and both Rufius and Metellus found themselves enjoying a standard of living they had only heard of. Privately they shared their concerns with Quintus. “He nearly died and he killed his own brother. You don’t forget those sorts of things.”
“He seems strong.”
“Yes the operative word is seems. We will keep our eye on him. And at least we are in comfortable surroundings. The promagistrate tells us that there will be a courier boat for Britannia in the next week so we may be able to get back home then.”
“Good for I am away on tomorrow’s tide. Hopefully Neptune will be kinder to us.” He clasped their arms. “I must say you do make my life interesting. Two voyages and my men have seen more action and had more success than in the previous five years. Your lives are anything but dull!”
Epilogue
Hadrian hovered close to the door while he awaited Trajan’s attention. When he was finally admitted and they were alone Trajan gestured for his protégé to sit. “Well at least we got the treasure and the traitor sir.”
Trajan looked up sharply. “I think the loss of the legion outweighs any success we might have been able to claim.”
Hadrian held the eagle in his hand. “Have to admit that, in the circumstances, they did quite well sir. If we ignore the fact that neither Salonius nor Galba did as we intended then the legion did well to leave the land of the Votadini with the eagle.”
Trajan snorted. “It just shows me that in these matters we need the hand of an Emperor.” He looked intently at Hadrian. “I will keep the frontier at the Stanegate until I have finished in the east and with my reforms here in Rome but when I do eventually visit that troublesome province I will put it in order! We will have walls and forts. We will have fine buildings. They will know that they are Roman!”
Hadrian smiled to himself. “Now sir these other matters. The Prefect and First Spear?”
“They did well and gave a good account of themselves. Have both of them transferred to Judea and we will find a position for them there, where we can keep an eye on things.”
“And the Ninth legion?”
“It no longer exists. Transfer those still able to fight to the Twentieth, they have a sound Legate. Replace them with the Sixth Victrix. As for the eagle, melt down the metal and use it to… well just use it. I want it to vanish from the face of the earth. Find all the records of the Ninth in the past year and have them destroyed. This disaster did not occur.” He looked wryly at Hadrian. “It is a good job that these savages do not write. The only written record will be ours. Better appoint a new Governor, someone less belligerent. Bring me a short list of names and we will discuss it.”
“And the treasure recovered from the ship?”
“Straight into the treasury. It means we will be finally able to complete the building programme we began in Dacia and that province will be a little safer.”
Hadrian checked his documents again. “That appears to be all then.”
“That Decurion, Sallustius, he seems a resourceful sort of fellow.”
“Looking at his record it would appear so.” He looked at the Emperor curiously. “You have something in mind for him?”
“What we lacked in this debacle was someone from the province who understood the people. In a perfect world that would be the Governor but as we tend to appoint Governors based on political reasons that is unlikely to happen. No it seems to me that this Explorate might be useful to us.”
“I believe that he was badly injured in the fight.”
“His brother had him tortured, broke his toes, feet and one of his kneecaps. He will never walk properly again.”
“All of that and he still completed his mission?”
“He even killed his brother. Quite remarkable.”
“Have him brought to Rome. If for no other reason than I would like to see someone from that infernal island who wasn’t trying to get rid of Romans
. But there may be a role for him which will aid us when we civilise Britannia.”
* * * * * *
Radha lay in the arms of her husband. His hands were on her stomach and he was staring into her eyes. “Are you sure?”
Her face beamed, “I am. Next year we will have an heir to the throne.”
“So something good came out of that waste of men.”
She held his face in her hands. “Many good things came from that. We defeated the Romans and they now know that north of their Stanegate is no longer their land. We showed Aindreas and the Selgovae to be untrustworthy cowards and we assuaged our young men’s lust for glory and honour.” She kissed him on the forehead. “Next year we can deal with Aindreas and the young warriors will no longer wish to fight each other.”
“And I will build stone halls and forts as the Romans did and better roads. There may come a time when the Romans decide to come north again and next time I will deal with them by using their own tactics.”
“At least more of our men have fine swords, helmets and armour.”
“Yes, they may have changed the way the helmets and armour look but they are better protected. Speaking of protection, I am still not happy about this voyage of yours.”
“I told you it will be quite safe. I will take some of your new bodyguards and my women, it is but a short sea crossing to Manavia and I need to speak with the high priestess of our order for I need more power. Besides, she is the Queen of the Brigante and she too has fought and defeated the Romans, I can learn much from Morwenna, Queen of the Brigantes.”
* * * * * *
When the ship finally tied up at Eboracum Livius was walking better. He had two sticks hand carved at the promagistrate’s insistence from the mast of the sunken pirate ship and presented as a memento. Rufius and Metellus were glad to see the land loom again and the familiar sights of the fortress. As they tied up he heard Livius’ name shouted and there he saw the rest of the Explorates, Cassius, Decius, Macro and Marcus.
”Where are the rest Rufius?”
“I don’t know Metellus, on patrol, in the barracks?”
“I don’t care, I am just glad to see old comrades again, no matter how many. I may not be able to be a Decurion of the Explorates any longer but I can still enjoy some time with my men before…”
Rufius and Metellus exchanged a look. They had noticed that he was becoming more depressed as they slowly sailed up the east coast of Britannia. “Livius it looks like we have another reception committee as well.”
Metellus pointed to the Praetorian officer who waited with the ten man guard. “And that lot look official. We haven’t done something wrong have we?”
Livius sadly shook his head. “Haven’t you learned Metellus that sometimes it doesn’t matter if you do everything right, politics is more about the appearance rather than the reality. Who knows who we have offended this time or what rule we have broken?”
As they stepped from the ship they were mobbed by the other four Explorates. “Good to see you sir.”
“What happened to your feet and legs?” Cassius looked in horror at the Decurion’s injuries.
“Why the sticks?”
“Where have you been?”
Before the assault of questions could be answered the booming voice of the Praetorian optio boomed out. “When you have quite finished I have orders for Decurion Livius Lucullus Sallustius of the Explorates section of the Ninth Legion.”
“That’s me.”
“We have orders to take you to Rome.” He grinned, “You are going to meet the Emperor.”
Fearing the worst Livius put his hands forward for the inevitable manacles. “Oh no sir, you are going in style, aboard one of the Emperor’s finest Triremes. You are to be rewarded, not punished. Now say goodbye to your friends sir for we leave in the morning.”
The others slapped Livius heartily on the back and congratulated him. “I think that we need a tavern, for I am tired already and I need to know about my Explorates, the Ninth Hispana and their stories.
Cassius looked sadly at his companions and then back to Livius. “Sorry sir, you have done well but the Ninth is no more, over five thousand of them died north of the Stanegate and these two young lads saved the eagle.”
Looking skywards Livius said, to no-one in particular, “Well the Parcae have enjoyed themselves at our expense, haven’t they?”
The End
Places and people in the novel
Name-Description
Ailis-Wife of Gaius
Aindreas -King of the Selgovae
Alavna-Alnwick in Northumberland
Aulus Salonius -Legate
Baroc-Brother of the King of the Votadini
Bodotria Fluvium-Forth River
Bremenium-High Rochester Northumberland
Brocavum-Brougham
Burdigala-Bordeaux
Cassius-Explorate
Centurion-Mercenary working with Decius Sallustius
Clota Fluvium -River Clyde
Coriosopitum (Corio)-Corbridge
corvus-beak- a ramp which was lowered from a Roman ship
Danum-Doncaster
Decius Lucullus Sallustius-Brother of Livius Sallustius
Decius Macro Culleo-Explorate
Derventio-Malton
Deva-Chester
Drusus-Decurion Explorates
Dunum Fluvius-River Tees
Eboracum-York
frumentarii-Roman Secret Service
Gaius Metellus Aurelius-Ex-Decurion Pannonian cavalry
Glanibanta-Ambleside
Gnaeus Villius Coccius -Promagistrate Namnetum
Habitancum-Risingham in Northumberland
Hadrian-Trajan's right hand man
Hen Waliau-Caernarfon
Julius Metellus Galba-Governor of Britannia
Julius Saturninus -Promagistrate Portus Santonum
King Cunobelinus (Shakespeare’s Cymbeline) -King of Britain who fled to Rome in exile
Lentius-Decurion Explorates
liburnian-small Roman ship, normally a bireme
Livius Sallustius-Decurion Explorates
Lucius Aemilius Karus-Prefect of the Ninth
Lugubelenus-King of the Votadini
Luguvalium -Carlisle
Mamucium -Manchester
Marcus Gaius Aurelius-Explorate
Metellus-Explorate
Mona-Holyhead
Morbium-Piercebridge
Petroc-Votadini warrior
Portus Santonum-An old port south of La Rochelle
promagistrate-Local official in charge of a vicus
pugeo -Roman soldier’s dagger
Quintus Arreius Verecundo-Captain of the Hercules
Radha-Queen of the Votadini
Rufius-Explorate
Sallustius Lucullus (Grandson of King Cunobelinus)-the governor who succeeded Agricola
Sicera-Cider
Tam-Father of Radha
Taus-the river Solway
Tinea-River Tyne
Tiny-Mercenary
Trajan-Emperor of Rome
uncia-Roman inch
Vindonnus-Celtic god of hunting
Wyddfa-Snowdon
Historical note
Hadrian was indeed nominated by Trajan, apparently to be his successor and the two Emperors presided over the largest Roman Empire and the one with the most success. Trajan did indeed devalue the currency by 4% which allowed him to continue his building. The games he organised lasted three months and left 11,000 gladiators and slaves dead.
There is confusion about the Governorship of Britannia from 103 until 115. I have created the figure of Galba as type of Governor who would be appointed by Trajan who was a very efficient administrator and would have chosen efficiency over personality.
The bireme or liburnian was a small fast ship used outside of fleet duties by the Classis Britannica. They were fast and armed but not able to stand in a battle line like the larger ships. There were pirates abounding in the North Sea during th
e first and second centuries. They became a problem until the latter end of the second century when the Classis Britannica did to them what Pompey had previously done in the Mediterranean.
The story of the disappearance of the Ninth Legion is a famous one. Although there appears to be two views: one disappearing in Scotland the other disappearing at a later date in Judea can be reconciled. The evidence for the existence of the Ninth Legion after Britannia is based upon the records of senior officers from the Ninth serving in Judea. I have used one of them, Lucius Aemilius Karus, as the Prefect of the Ninth. I have also assumed that the Ninth would not have been wiped out but there would have been some survivors. The fact that the eagle disappeared seems no mystery to me; if a legion was badly mauled then Imperial Rome would have made it quietly disappear. It was only the disappearance of three legions, as in the Teutonberger Forest which could not be hidden from public view and there are many instances of legions disappearing from the books of the Roman Army. Normally this was associated with some disgrace or, as in the case here, of a disaster which needed to be hidden. The fact that the disaster resulted from heavy handed policing and failure to use auxiliaries reflects the fact that Agricola, the most successful General to operate in Britannia used persuasion, bribery and auxiliaries to great effect. The Stanegate became the frontier until Hadrian built the famous wall which straddled the north of England. Later the Roman army would advance north again and build another short lived wall across Scotland but the Votadini and the other tribes north of the Stanegate remained independent of Rome.
The promagistrates in Gallia Aquitania were officials appointed by Rome to run their towns and cities. They were normally appointed for their efficiency and their ability to collect taxes. Gallia Aquitania was indeed a quieter place in the second century AD having been conquered by Caesar himself almost two hundred years earlier.
Griff Hosker
May 2014
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