The Emperor's Men 2: Betrayal

by Boom, Dirk van den

  “I’ll do my own inquiries. This will take some time to complete. Meet me again in three weeks, then, I’m sure, I know a bit more. In any case, you can travel to the camp and ask yourself, although it will be very hard to figure out something without raising the suspicion that Volkert is one of the foreign visitors. If he wants to remain anonymous, or needs to, this might be not such a good idea. You know what happened recently in the harbor.”

  “Yes,” Julia murmured with a helpless tone. “But I cannot just do nothing.”

  “I can give you one further advice,” Severus said after a moment’s thought. “From what I hear, Gratian wants to return to the West. This also means that the leader of the strangers, Rheinberg, will soon be back with his ship. Talk to him. When he is committed to Volkert, the authorities will assist him, should he ask them to.”

  “He’s a deserter,” Julia said quietly.

  Severus nodded. “Yes, you young people have called big trouble upon you. There is a lack of patience in your age. I didn’t behave like that in my time.”

  Julia abstained from any comment. She had heard other stories about the old man.

  “However, this Rheinberg has been described to me as a man of understanding, and he has just nearly lost his ship to mutineers. He might consider clemency because he needs his men more than ever before. You can, dear Julia, be very convincing, so maybe you should talk to him. To save your lover on your own might be an insurmountable task.” Severus looked at her sadly. “The time has not yet come for women like you, my dove. You have to go with the flow, meander through it like a fish among the rocks, then you will go far. If you always swim against the water, you might get strong muscles, but will never reach your goal. Whatever you desire you will achieve if you follow the stream, not by fighting yourself to the source. I’m not saying that you should forget what you want. Your will guides you along the stream and help you to overcome the rocks and rapids. If you focus on your will and swim fast with the flow, you’ll overtake who’ll try to stop you. At the mouth of the lake, your lover is waiting for you. You can reach him that way.”

  Julia didn’t speak, as the words of the old man impressed her. Behind the shell of the lecherous old warhorse was a man who had seen much and lived longer than most of his contemporaries. The young senator’s daughter swallowed every contradiction that stirred within her. She decided to devote some more thought to Severus’ words before she came to the decision whether his advice was welcome or not.

  Severus stood up. “I’m tired, beautiful Julia. I’ll do what I can, and I won’t tell your parents anything. Come in three weeks.”

  Julia did the same. “Thank you, I appreciate it a lot, venerable Senator.”

  Severus laughed and looked at his visitor with an almost youthful intensity. He took her arm and led her out, which due to its frailty rather meant that she led his steps.

  She said goodbye to the senator at the gate.

  “If you come back, wear this dress.”

  Julia smiled.

  The old man patted her arm. “It helps a lot that I feel immediately less venerable.”

  23

  “I hope that you will be successful with your plan!”

  Symmachus looked up from the rear, over the railing right into the Mediterranean Sea. The trip to Ravenna was almost done, and the weather was getting a bit restless. Rheinberg pulled his jacket tighter as the wind picked up. But neither he nor the Senator had the intention to leave the deck, because inside the ship everywhere was dark and stank. It was much more pleasant to endure the cool freshness of the coming winter.

  “I’m not sure about Gratian,” Rheinberg replied. “Sometimes he seems to open up to my words, then his thoughts are suddenly not traceable for me anymore.”

  Symmachus sighed. “You have to understand how he grew up. When he was named by his father as his successor, there was loud criticism. The fact that Gratian had predominantly civil and no military training didn’t go down well with the legions. We lived for centuries in the belief that the salient quality of any emperor must be to lead his troops and to emerge victorious from the battles against barbarians and other enemies. Anything beyond that is considered a secondary virtue. This has been exacerbated by the reforms of Diocletian, for with the separation of military and civil administration, many new emperors had indeed gained military experience, but none in all the other important matters of administration. In addition, successful men from the non-military sector were more or less without any chance of ever wearing the purple.”

  “And then we have a heir like Gratian – very young, too young, as some say. Trained in the fine arts, a great friend of rhetoric exercises, taught by a certain excellent teacher, the respected Ausonius. Raised in orthodoxy, and that very early. He learned nothing else than the Trinitarian doctrine in his entire youth – I won’t even speak of the traditional religions whose highest representative he actually is supposed to be. His lack of military experience caused two consequences – important generals ignore his orders because they don’t regard the Emperor as capable of making the right decisions and Gratian himself has a strong tendency to overly rely on his military chiefs, rather than to gain experience himself and earn the acknowledgement of his troops. It also doesn’t help that he invited numbers of rhetoricians and scholars to the court and regarded eloquent speeches with greater importance than military issues.” Symmachus sighed again. “Not that I have any objection in principle. A little more subtlety and a little less brutality couldn’t harm the empire. But the court doesn’t work properly. So Rome isn’t working.”

  “Gratian is not sure of himself?”

  “What he is fully sure of is his faith. Ambrosius and Ausonius have done a great job, and this will no longer be reversible. It doesn’t need to. As long as Gratian doesn’t turn his orthodoxy into fanaticism and bigotry, which leads to intolerance, and as long as he doesn’t abuse the state as an instrument to pursue spiritual interests, so shall the Emperor believe in whatever he wants to believe. But by your report, I understand that Gratian is on the way to make exactly that mistake.”

  Rheinberg looked wistfully at the increasingly wavy sea. On the horizon the coast line of Italy was already visible. He took a deep breath. “I hope he will not make it. Gratian’s fickleness in these matters may also develop to our advantage. He must be subjected to the appropriate influence. While he might be sure of his faith, he might on the other side also recognize that it is not necessarily a part of his duties as a ruler to impose his faith on all his subjects. Instead, he’d serve the unity of the Empire by achieving a balance of beliefs. And when he should come to the conclusion not to give the Eastern purple to Theodosius, but to embark on the permanent government of the whole Empire – then the basis for a longer survival of the state would be established, and we might be able to turn to the real problems.”

  Symmachus looked questioningly at Rheinberg. “What would that be?”

  “Keep the Vandals out of Africa and attack the Huns before they have approached the borders of Rome in force. I could still expand the list a bit, but I think these are the two most important points in the medium term.”

  The senator nodded. “It sounds as if big challenges must be overcome. And what role will play Trierarch Rheinberg in this?”

  The question by the senator confronted Rheinberg with the fact that he hadn’t given this scenario too much thought so far. His helplessness must have been visible, because Symmachus smiled understandingly.

  “Think about it. I suspect that you’d like to bring a lot of your advanced technology in the Empire.”

  “Oh yes. The Empire has to solve two key problems: transportation and communication. The former can be largely solved by a fleet of steamships, not as well developed as the Saarbrücken , but fast, seaworthy and of great carrying capacity. And for communications, I have already some ideas.”

  “You need an office. Several offices. And actually, you are therefore also a victim of Diocletian’s reforms, because y
ou would need both a military as well as civilian office that would allow you to achieve all of this.”

  Rheinberg thought for a moment but then shook his head. “That will not be necessary. It makes no sense to repeal the reforms. It’s not wrong in principle to separate civilian and military careers from each other, which conveys professionalism in both. No, I think, if it actually comes to the question of public office, it’ll have to be another solution. I would seek a civilian office to make the necessary changes, if needed at all. As for the military part … we wait and see how Becker fares against the Goths.”

  Symmachus nodded. “Now you think. Very wise. Waste some more effort to it.”

  “A high, important posting for you I would also hold as desirable and possible.”

  The senator laughed and held up his hands. “No office for me! How horrible, just the thought! Strenuous government service brings nerve-wracking obligations! No more time for the finer things of life, the cultural delights! Oh no, Rheinberg, please ask me to take an office only if you want to punish me terribly. I can imagine nothing more horrible than such a prospect! Vade retro!”

  Rheinberg heard the speech of Symmachus and smiled. Not because he was mocking him, but because he knew that the senator spoke nothing but the truth.

  On Symmachus he couldn’t count in this regard.

  24

  Thessaloniki was impressive. During their ride through the city in which they were admired by the people with big eyes, the Germans could not help but stare back. What was in their time only a ruin, appeared here, as a new building, and the splendor of the city as an imperial residence was clearly visible through both the buzz and the depressing mood in the residents’ faces. The Arch of Galerius was one of the first monumental building to be seen, as it was still right on the Via Egnatia. And the Imperial Palace, where they intended to meet General Flavius Victor, had not been completed until about 60 years before, begun by Emperor Galerius, who had raised Thessaloniki to the state of imperial residence. Next to it, the Hippodrome, the great race track, was visible. Becker had to restrain himself to look the citizens of the city in the eyes, because if he made a mistake, many of them would be doomed in the near future.

  Theodosius would, crowned as emperor, experience one of his darkest hours in this city, tackling an uprising against him. The emperor, known for its sudden whims, would order the mass execution of 7,000 citizens in that very Hippodrome. Later, he would regret his actions, but too late. Another reason not to elevate the newly appointed general of the East to become the emperor. Nothing cast a clearer light on this ruler the historians would later describe as “the Great.”

  Flavius Victor, the survivor of the two eastern supreme commanders, expected them at the main entrance of the palace. The whole town was full of soldiers, the remnants of the eastern army had taken refuge here. And the faces of the soldiers showed their mood. The defeat at Adrianople still stuck in their bones. The contrast to the unit that had arrived with the Germans couldn’t be greater. After defeating the Gothic troops a few days ago, the mood was at its peak. For the Romans under Arbogast, one thing was clear – the victory was theirs in any case.

  Flavius Victor seemed to be not yet convinced. Nevertheless, his greeting didn’t lack in warmth. As the new arrivals had been taken care of, he asked Becker, Arbogast and some of his own lieutenants to a meeting. Becker held back for the time being, leaving the Germanic general to speak, for while he was a blank slate, Victor knew Arbogast well.

  The General was aware of the fact that it would be difficult, despite all the information given, to convince Victor of their plans. The situation was complicated by someone who wasn’t even present: Theodosius.

  “Gratian has appointed a new supreme commander, and I can’t make such decisions without having consulted with him,” was therefore Victor’s greatest objection.

  “Gratian ordered this mission; Theodosius has to accept that just like you and me,” Arbogast replied. “We learned a few days ago what a striking effect the strangers’ arms can have. With their help, we can act immediately and don’t have to wait years before we have trained a new army.”

  “In addition, Theodosius is busy. The Sarmatians threaten the border. He will be primarily concerned with it, using the border garrisons to control the advance of these warriors,” Becker said.

  Victor measured him with a long look. “How do you know that, Becker? The last thing I heard from Sirmium …”

  “Trust me …the first mission Theodosius embarks upon after his appointment is the suppression of a Sarmatian attack. Then he will take years to rebuild the army of the East. He is also disturbed by the fact that Gratian will be murdered, and he has to deal with a successful usurper in the West. The Goths will never be defeated, but only pacified and included as Foederatii in the empire. Not as subjects but as allies with their own government.”

  “Foederatii?” Victor echoed with an incredulous tone. “Their own government?”

  Becker nodded. “The beginning of the end of the Roman Empire.”

  Flavius squinted. “If you know the future so well, then tell me what is my fate?”

  “No fate that would be worthwhile to report, noble Victor. You are an old man and will not play a military role in the following years. You’ll spend the rest of your life with your wife, mostly in Antioch, where you will also die.”

  If the old officer was affected by this prophecy, he didn’t show it. He even seemed to smile almost cheerfully. “Not a bad outlook,” he said. “A few quiet years with my wife, to live without war.”

  “Would it not be much nicer to spend retirement in a safe and well-established East, instead of being busy for years to come with the changing fortunes of war? The eternal question of what would have been if Valens had listened to your advice to wait for Gratian’s troops? I offer you this peace and certainty, Flavius Victor. Give me the benefit of the doubt. Ask Arbogast and the other officers about what they have experienced. Maybe this will help you to form an opinion.”

  The older man said nothing. He looked at Arbogast, who just nodded at him. Flavius Victor appeared to reflect on Becker’s words as he rose and walked to the large windows lining the walls of the room. Becker didn’t press further. There were moments for quick decisions, but sometimes issues had to be carefully considered. It didn’t help if Flavius, whether driven by the orders of Gratian or persuaded by his friend Arbogast, was only half-heartedly behind the project, while Becker wanted to expose the rest of the army of the East to a certain a risk. Flavius had to be at least a bit convinced. This couldn’t be accomplished overnight.

  “Very well,” Victor finally said. “Arbogast, I want to talk to all the officers who were there when you have defeated the Goths. And, of course, I will obey the command of the Emperor. I do not know when Theodosius arrives here, but maybe we really shouldn’t wait so long.”

  “Do you know where the Goths are currently?” Arbogast asked.

  “The convoy moves slowly toward our position. Fritigern knows that we gather here. He wants to prepare the second big victory, and if not for you, I would have barricaded myself here and let the Goths walk up and down in front of the city.”

  Becker frowned. “I would like, noble Victor, that one of your men runs me along the fortifications. I have to gather an accurate picture, so that I can consider setting shooting positions.”

  “No problem. So do you have the intention to fight the Goths with your secret weapons when they approach Thessaloniki?”

  “Only if they attack in great strength and massed. This requires an important prerequisite.”

  Victor made a sour face. “I can guess what you ask of me. But speak!”

  “You have to offer the Goths battle before the gates of the city. We need to provoke them as best we can. Scornful speeches and typical Roman arrogance would be something fine. The Goths have to be so bloodthirsty to run toward your men and their allies with them. They will only do so if they see that their enemies leave the protective
walls of the city. Then we have to make an exact series of commands, and it must be clear that your most reliable officers do the right thing at the right time so that we do not fire on Romans, but only on the Goths.”

  Victor snorted. “Reliable officers. My troops almost exclusively consist of officers.”

  Becker smiled. “So much the better. When the signal is given, we open the gates of the city and the troops will retreat there. This will make the Goths even more ambitious because they think they have now easy game. And then we can welcome them – our way.”

  Victor was still not convinced. “You promise me a comprehensive victory, as in your fight a few days ago?”

  “I promise nothing, there are too many things that can go wrong. Who knows if Fritigern won’t give credence to the survivors of our battle and doesn’t fall for our maneuver? But should he fall into our trap, then we will spread great terror among the Gothic troops. We will not quench all – there are too many. But we will break their morale and might stop their pilfering of Greece and the East. And we will be able to negotiate with them.”

  Becker wondered by himself how naturally this “we” escaped his lips. And at least it didn’t seem to offend Arbogast. If Flavius felt differently, he gave no sign.

  “Negotiations would be nice. Goths as new subjects. At least allies.”

  “If they are to agree, we must first break their will and destroy their morale,” Arbogast confirmed. “Becker’s plan has its risks, but he can succeed.”

  “Well,” murmured Victor. “But if that is so, dear Becker, how can we use your few men in the long term? Sometimes one will die or leave your services, whether he wants to or not. Also, I have my doubts that much of your magical ammunition will remain after such a battle. What awaits us for the time after that?”

  This question was a clear indicator for the intelligence of the officer. Becker hadn’t expected it, but he’d discussed the issue at length with Rheinberg, and he decided to be as open as possible. “It will be necessary to teach you some of the technological achievements that we have mastered,” Becker said. “Many are not directly transferable to the empire, but we can offer improvements that can be adopted with some effort – and certainly a few failures – by your craftsmen. I think that we will provide for an appropriate agreement to give you these technical achievements, and the Roman Empire won’t become invincible through them. But we wouldn’t experience the rapid collapse in the West as we know it.”