by Peter Tonkin
‘You think Antony will believe you this time?’ asked Quintus as they lowered the corpse to the ground.
‘I’m not taking his head or his hands as proof,’ said Artemidorus grimly.
‘I’d better go and bring the General here then. You stand guard on the body, while I fetch him,’ said Quintus.
*
‘Now what in the name of all the gods am I expected to do with this arsehole?’ demanded Antony, looking down at his dead adversary an hour or so later. ‘After all the trouble he’s caused I should crucify him – dead or not – and line the Via Egnatia with him and the treacherous scum who plotted Caesar’s downfall with him - like Crassus and Pompey did to Spartacus and his friends.’
‘His actions are finished, General,’ said Enobarbus quietly. ‘How he will be remembered is already decided. You are still writing the words by which men will remember you in the future.’
‘Hmmm. A nice analogy. You mean do I want to be written down as heroically magnanimous in victory, or as a petty, spiteful tyrant?’ Antony looked around the group of legates, tribunes and senior centurions with which he was surrounded on that bleak hillside.
‘Every man writes his own epitaph in the end,’ said Bassus and the others nodded in agreement. They were standing in a semi-circle round the corpse, their horses in the hands of legionaries from Legio X further back.
‘Oh very well,’ said Antony. ‘Magnanimous in victory it is. Remember this, all of you and tell your children about it.’ He swung his purple cloak off his brawny shoulders and laid it on the corpse at his feet. ‘Use some of these branches to make a stretcher,’ he ordered the legionaries. ‘Carry him down to my quarters. Show him every respect – no draping him over a saddle like a dead deer. He was an arsehole but I suppose he was the best of them. What news of the others?’
‘Mostly dead,’ answered Artemidorus, whose assignment during the last two years had been to make that particular matter as certain as possible. ‘Those that weren’t dead already, either killed in the proscriptions like Galba and Ligarius, or who died in other circumstances like Trebonius, Aquila or Decimus – or murdered by their slaves like Basilus – almost all died yesterday. The Casca brothers fell side by side in battle, Lucius Cassius went down fighting as well. Half a dozen more fought until they were chopped down – not so much in bravery as having nothing to lose. Those that survived the battle only stayed alive long enough to kill themselves, like Cassius, and Brutus here. I hear Pacruvius Labeo made it back to his tent, dug his own grave there and killed himself in it. Lucius Cinna also fell on his sword.’
‘That’s all, is it?’ asked Antony.
‘Not quite. Rubrius Ruga is unaccounted for – may be in hiding. Gaius Parmensis apparently made it through to Neapolis. He’s gone off with Tillius Cimber and his fleet, almost certainly to join Murcus and Ahenobarbus.’
‘That’s all, is it?’
‘That’s all, General.’
‘So. Your mission is effectively complete, unless you want to go after those few still standing.’
Artemidorus’ answer was drowned out by the arrival of young Caesar, Agrippa, Rufus and Maecenas.
‘…father and son,’ Caesar was saying to Maecenas as they rode up the hill side by side. ‘The father asking me to execute him in place of the youngster. I let them draw lots. Father lost – throat cut. But then the boy killed himself in any case! Hilarious!’
The four of them slid down off their saddles and handed the reins to their own attendants. They joined the group round Brutus’ body.
‘He’s under here is he?’ demanded Caesar, stirring Antony’s cloak with a disdainful foot.
‘Yes,’ snapped Antony, by no means pleased to see his cloak treated so disrespectfully.
The young Triumvir squatted and jerked back a corner, uncovering Brutus’ head. He looked at the dead man in silence for a moment then he announced, ‘I don’t know what you’d planned to do with the rest of this bastard but that head is going back to Rome. I’ll have it placed at the feet of Caesar’s statue in the Forum so everyone can see that justice has been well and truly done.’
‘Be careful, Caesar,’ warned Antony. ‘Do you want to go down in history as a petty and spiteful boy who has no respect even for your most noble enemies? Is that the kind of epitaph you want?’
Octavian straightened slowly to his full height. It seemed to Artemidorus that the victory here at Philippi had started to change him. He seemed taller, fitter. The weak, coughing boy had somehow faded. He was more confident, more decisive. More ruthless. For the first time in the spy’s experience, he did not let Antony stare him down. ‘I will write my own history,’ he answered, his pale eyes flashing. ‘Literally, as my father Divus Julius did. And I will ensure that any other commentaries likely to remain after my death are written by men who love me, fear me or are paid by me. I have no worries about my epitaph. Now, I’ll take the bastard’s head and put it at the feet of my father’s statue in the Forum.’
He drew his sword but Antony said, ‘Wait!’
Young Caesar looked up at him, by no means pleased at the abrupt order.
‘We’ll take him to the camp,’ said Antony. ‘Let the legions see him – to make up for the fact that they never saw Cassius. After that you can take his head. Agreed?’
‘Agreed. I’ll see you back at camp.’ Caesar Octavian sheathed his sword, turned, ran a couple of steps and vaulted into his horse’s saddle. Just like Divus Julius his father used to do. His companions did the same. They all rode off down the hill. Caesar glanced back, leaned over, said something to Maecenas. They all burst into laughter.
‘Do you think those puppies are laughing at me?’ demanded Antony.
‘No! No!’ said Bassus. ‘Of course not!’ Saxa, Norbanus and the others nodded in silent agreement.
But Artemidorus for one was certain that they had been.
As the slaves fashioned branches into a makeshift stretcher and lifted Brutus onto it, Antony led the other senior officers away. As he leaped astride his horse, he pulled it round and walked it over to Artemidorus and Quintus. ‘Guard Brutus as they carry him down to my quarters,’ he commanded. ‘Then assemble all of your crypteia. I have a final briefing for you.’
‘That sounds sinister,’ said Quintus as they in turn mounted and walked their horses down the hillside on either side of the slaves carrying the cloak-covered corpse.
‘I’m not so sure…’ countered Artemidorus and the discussion continued all the way down to Antony’s command tent.
With the corpse lying safely in the atrium, Quintus went off to summon the rest of the crypteia while Artemidorus stood guard, waiting to be relieved by the General’s praetorians and for his crypteia to arrive. As he waited, he thanked the gods in general and Achilleus - not forgetting Thetis his mother – in particular, certain that it was only through their good graces that Quintus, Ferrata, Hecate, Hercules, Notus, Furius, Voadicia, Kyros, Felix and he had survived thus far. He was aroused from his thoughts by the arrival of Antony himself out of his armour, with a goblet of wine in one hand and a chicken leg in the other. ‘Others not here?’ he asked easily.
‘No, General.’
‘Come through. I want to talk to you. Brutus isn’t going anywhere.’
The command tent was empty apart from a few legionary slaves whose main function seemed to be to hold plates of food and amphorae of wine. Antony took a goblet, gestured that it should be filled and passed it to his secret agent. ‘I’ve been thinking, Septem,’ he said. ‘Planning.’
‘Yes General?’
‘I reckon we Triumvirs will be leaving things as they are. The bloody boy in charge of the west and south. Lepidus in Italy – for the time-being at least. Me in the east.’
‘I see.’
‘Oh, I’ll have to go back to Rome, pat the Senate on the head, make certain everything is settled there in the way I want it to be. But I’ll be coming back east, Septem. The east is where I belong.’
‘Yes, Gen
eral?’
‘I’ll be heading back in the spring. Athens… Ephesus… Tarsus…’
‘Of course, General. Your popularity in those cities will go from strength to strength, I’m certain.’
‘Very diplomatic. But I didn’t ask you here and pour you goblets of my best wine to have you flattering me. I have a mission for you. I calculate that I’ll be in Tarsus by late summer.’
‘And you want us waiting there for you, General?’
‘Yes and no.’
Interest piqued and heart pounding, Artemidorus waited for Antony to explain what he meant.
‘I’m sending you all back to Alexandria, Septem.’ Antony paused, eyes narrow, goblet half-way to his lips but held still. ‘Yes, I want you in Tarsus by the end of next summer but…’
‘But, General?’
‘I want you to have Queen Cleopatra with you. I don’t care how you manage it but get her there. Not only there but on her knees, ready to beg my forgiveness for failing to bring that navy to my aid when I asked for it.’
‘On her knees, General?’
‘Yes Septem. Cleopatra. In Tarsus. At the end of next summer. And remember. The bitch had better be on her knees.’
THE END
AUTHORITIES
CLASSICAL
Appian (The Civil Wars Book IV). Plutarch (Parallel Lives of the Noble Greeks and Romans: Brutus), Suetonius (The Life of Augustus), Cassius Dio (The Roman History), Flavius Renatus (The Military Institutions of the Romans)
MODERN
Sir Ronald Syme The Roman Revolution, Adrian Goldsworthy Augustus, Patricia Southern Mark Antony A Life, Stacy Schiff Cleopatra A Life.
Firmin O’Sullivan The Egnatian Way, Lawrence Keppie The Making of the Roman Army Nigel Pollard and Joanne Berry The Complete Roman Legions
Rafaele D’Amato Republican Warships 509 – 27BC
Si Sheppard Philippi 42 BC The Death of the Roman Republic (As I used Appian as my final Ancient authority, Sheppard is my final Modern authority).
Rose Mary Sheldon’s seminal Intelligence Activities in Ancient Rome.
Some of the Actual Historical Characters who appear in Death At Philippi
Lucius Lucius Calpurnius Bibulus, proscribed but escaped Rome and joined Brutus.
Messalla Marcus Velarius Messalla Corvinus, proscribed, escaped, became one of Brutus’ most outstanding lieutenants.
Octavian Gaius Julius Caesar Octavianus Divus Fili – usually referred to as Octavian or Young Caesar but later became Augustus. Triumvir. History presents him in two main lights – the cold, calculating but effective politician and the womanising occasionally sadistic manipulator.
Sextus Pompey the only surviving son of Pompey the Great, established with a large fleet in Sicily. Accepting escapees from the proscriptions, posing a threat to Rome’s grain supplies, but not really taking sides.
Murcus Lucius Statius Murcus, general with imperium for one of the Libertore fleets (The word ‘Admiral’ is a recent coinage (C12th Arabic origin) but I have used it to discriminate from Generals with imperium over land forces). It was Murcus who is said to have observed Cleopatra’s fleet as wreckage on the beaches of southern Greece and it was the pair of them who destroyed Antony’s most powerful legion The Martia.
Ahenobarbus Gnaeus Domitius Ahenobarbus, general with imperium over the largest of the Libertore fleets. Turned pirate later & joined first Antony and then Octavian. The basis for Shakespeare’s ultimately treacherous Enobarbus in Antony and Cleopatra.
The Martia The most famous and highly regarded legion of the time – the only legion known solely by name not number. Entirely lost at sea during an engagement with Murcus and Ahenobarbus on or around the 3rd October 712/42BC
Artemidorus a Greek man about whom only one thing is known for certain – it was Artemidorus who gave Julius Caesar a list containing the names of the men planning to murder him just before they did so. Caesar never read it and died in consequence. In these books he is reimagined as a secret agent currently working for Antony.
Antony Marcus Antonius. Triumvir. History presents him as a headstrong, womanising soldier of relatively limited experience but outstanding leadership qualities and occasional flashes of military genius. Southern suggests persuasively that he underwent a character change when crossing the Alps after losing the Battle of Mutina – he became much more calculating and ruthless vide his vendetta with Cicero. He may also have been an alcoholic – something life with Cleopatra exacerbated.
Saxa & Norbanus Lucius Decidius Saxa & Gaius Norbanus Flaccus were the two generals Antony sent ahead of his invasion of Macedonia with several legions each and orders to secure his army’s approach routes, which they did until they were forced back by Cassius and Brutus soon before the final battles at Philippi.
Brutus Marcus Junius Brutus Husband and first cousin to Porcia Catonis. The ‘heart’ of the plot to assassinate Caesar; traditionally presented as the one who insisted that only Caesar should die – a decision later presented by Cassius and Cicero as a major error. A better administrator than general, however noted as a ruthlessly efficient tax-gatherer (vide Xanthus below).
(Xanthus) A city not a person. Committed corporate suicide rather than pay Brutus’ tax demands (42BCE/712AUC). Before/during his siege, the entire population is recorded as having killed each-other with the last survivors setting fire to the city before killing themselves.
Quintus Dellius Although in this story an alias used by Artemidorus without much thought, this is me setting things up for later. Dellius was a real person – sent to Cleopatra by Antony after Philippi to ask why she failed to support the Triumvirs. Dellius apparently fell under her spell. It was he who arranged the meeting at Tarsus on the River Cydnus that famously swept Antony off his feet.
Cassius Gaius Cassius Longinus the ‘head’ of the plot to assassinate Caesar. Brutus’ brother-in-law. A ruthless politician and an able soldier (on land and sea), he was forgiven by Caesar for his part in the Civil War when he fought on Pompey’s side. He was famous in the East for leading 10,000 survivors out of Parthia after the defeat of Crassus at Carrhae. He had no trouble raising troops therefore and was (briefly) appointed Governor by the Senate. He advanced on Egypt and may just have been about to invade when he was recalled by Brutus to a meeting in Sardis – where they planned their final campaign against the Triumvirs. He is reputed to have had problems with his eyesight. He died on his birthday 3rd October.
Vedius Pollio Entirely unremarkable – survived in the historical record for two reasons: 1)became an associate of Augustus’, 2)receives universal obloquy for his habit of feeding slaves who upset him to a tank full of eels (lampreys?) which he kept for the purpose.
Cleopatra Cleopatra VIIth Philopator perhaps the most enigmatic figure in history. Modern scholarship emphasises that her reputation far outstrips her actual importance. She was a client ruler of an admittedly significant country in Rome’s sphere of influence. The last one, as Augustus replaced the Ptolemies with personally-appointed governors after her death. In 42BCE/712AUC she was in considerable danger. The Nile had not inundated for 2 successive years & the grain harvest had failed. Vermin (esp rats) from the fields invaded villages & towns bringing Plague. She took sides with Antony and built a fleet to help him – but it was destroyed in a storm. An angry Antony was later to send Quintus Dellius to find out why she had let him down so badly at such a crucial time. But as recorded above, Dellius simply engineered the meeting in the city of Tarsus which she famously approached in her golden barge down the Cydnus River. And the rest really is history.
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