“What trickery is this?” he asked loudly. “The man Fabius is ours. He was ambassador and he acted outside of the law by fighting within the city and murdering one of our chiefs” he barked as the Senate burst into a chorus of angry hisses and a wave of head shaking took hold of the seated men.
The bald Senator smiled and nodded slowly at the Gauls before speaking, calmly and quietly. “Belinus of the Senones you have asked us to release to you a man who broke his oath whilst acting as an ambassador in the name of Rome and its people. I ask you” he said as he stood taller, a flash of anger coming to his eyes “if that man was released from his role as ambassador by the King of Clusium before your armies attacked the walls could he legally be declared as no longer an ambassador?” The question boomed into the room as Belinus’ nostrils flared.
“This is a trick” he yelled. “The king did no such thing. Fabius faked his leaving the city and stayed behind to murder Gattric. His case is closed, he is ours by the laws…”
“I have here” the Senator said, his voice cutting across Belinus, who fell into silence at the movement of the older man. “A scroll sent by the King himself. This scroll” he said as he held up a rolled document and turned to show it to the assembled men.
“It’s a trick” Belinus called as the Gauls stepped forwards and the soldiers around them quickly closed ranks, their swords rasping as they were half-drawn. Many of the Senators stood, their faces turned in anger towards the Gallic men. Belinus faced up to the shorter Roman soldier who had been whispering to him earlier as the man stepped across him with his spear barring his movement, the man smiling with a ‘go-on then’ look in his eyes.
“Ambassadors” spoke the Roman from the rostrum as his eyes widened in mock surprise. He stepped forwards as the Senators around the room began to shift back to their seats, a low muttering echoing around the walls. “As leader of the Senate it is my solemn duty to answer the claims that you have made against the people of Rome” he said, his voice sounding exasperated. “This document tells us that Quintus Fabius was released from his role as Ambassador and acted with integrity and honour.” At this his face turned from the Gauls to the men sat around the room and he held the scroll higher as his head circled the faces who were all now nodding at him. “This scroll exonerates the actions of the hero Quintus Fabius and his brothers. The King of Clusium asks that we throw out this false claim against the Fabii clan and proceed to support our allies against the barbarians who knock at his walls.” As he finished a whole section of the room stood and roared its approval at the old man, who turned slowly and smiled at Belinus who stood and stared back at him with his jaw clenched in rage.
Belinus pushed against the soldier in front of him, lifting him off his feet before the man regained his composure and held the giant Gaul in check. “Let me see this scroll” yelled the Gaul as several soldiers lowered the points of their spears and drew their swords against the unarmed Gallic men.
Atratinus walked forwards and handed the scroll to the Gaul with a smile. Belinus stared at the vellum and noted the seal. He had no idea if the scroll were real or a fake, but he knew he had been beaten by the trickery of the Romans. He passed the scroll to Baltor who flicked his eyes across the words and nodded before handing it back.
Belinus stood tall again and looked down at the soldier, who was pressing his spear tip against the Senones stomach. With a flick of his head the Roman moved the spear tip away and allowed the Chieftain to ascend to the rostrum with the scroll in his hand. The Gaul took a slow circle of the room, many of the Romans sneering at him as he stared at them. “This.” He held up the scroll before throwing it across the floor towards the Senator. “Is nothing. We had heard you Romans were people of honour, men of true words and deeds who would follow the sacred laws of nations.” He spat onto the grey floor as he sneered at the Senators of Rome. “Yet you trick us as if we are little children who have come to ask your permission to act. I tell you now Romans.” He pointed at the scroll. “We demand the man Fabius as is our right. We demand he be given to us now or we will come to this place and take him.” Jeers started around the room, some laughter, others calling for silence and for the voices of ambassadors to be heard. Others simply smiled and watched the show. Belinus raised his voice. “The strong will always defeat the weak. You Romans have no honour and your gods will not forgive you. In the eyes of the law of nations you apply trickery…”
At this a large man with a heavy golden chain dressed in a white toga with a purple border stood and clapped his hands loudly, a bell tinkled in the background as he stood and turned to the Senate. He held up his hands and an instant hush fell over the proceedings, Belinus unable to continue speaking despite being mid-tirade.
“Senator Atratinus” the man said, his voice deep and gruff and his eyes squinting as if he had been blinded by the sun. Belinus huffed as he turned to stare at the man. As the silence began to stretch the man bowed slowly to the Gauls and held up a hand. “Belinus of the Senones” he said with a nod. “I am what I believe your people would call the chief druid” he said with a questioning look to check that the Gaul understood him. Belinus nodded and the man continued.
“My name is Gaius Maximus Folius. I have listened to your claim and to the response of the Senator” at which he nodded towards the man who was called Atratinus. “Senators” he said, more loudly as his face turned back to the men in the room. “I am sure we all agree that a document which exonerates Quintus Fabius exists. It is here” he added as Belinus huffed loudly and shifted his position to stare at the priest who was holding up his hand to calm the anger that the Gaul was showing in his face. “We, as Romans, follow the laws as no other nation. We pride ourselves on our statutes, our principles and our governance. It is right and fitting that we must listen to the ambassadors and give them the chance to respond. Anything less would not be worthy of the people of the Republic of Rome.” He added the last words with a measure of anger as he sat and looked directly to Belinus.
The Gaul looked long and hard at the floor before he spoke again. “As ambassador for my people I ask that this scroll and Quintus Fabius return with me to Clusium. There we will confirm that the King has signed this document and that it is as you speak” he said quietly as his eyes glanced to Baltor, who nodded at the wise words.
“This seems a logical suggestion, Senator” Folius said as he rose again before anyone else could speak. “The gods have suggested that caution is needed on this day” he said, referring to the reading of the bird flight that morning. “It would be the right thing to do, and I urge the Senate to consider the Gallic ambassadors request” he added before sitting down to a smattering of applause from the chamber.
Belinus frowned and his forehead creased as he shook his head and turned to Baltor and whispered in his own language. “These Romans argue with themselves. They have no regard for what I ask. Look, their priest is arguing for his solution, not ours” he added angrily as the Gauls all nodded at the look of distrust between the two Romans.
Atratinus stepped forwards and picked up the scroll, letting out a low groan as his elderly frame bent forwards to pick up the vellum. “Senators, you have heard the words of the Pontifex” he started. “I put it to you that taking the scroll and our hero back to Clusium will only see him being attacked by the barbarians. See how they growl and snarl like bears in the forests” he said with a glance at the Gauls who bridled and stiffened at the words. “They come here and shout, spit” he pointed the scroll at the phlegm that Belinus had spat earlier “at our feet and demand rights in law which we can counter with evidence.” He turned to the Gauls. “I state that you have no case against Quintus Fabius or the people of Rome and I present this as evidence that his services were engaged as defender of Clusium having been released from his role as ambassador. Your argument is that he remained ambassador when he justifiably killed an attacker who was attempting to breach the walls of the city. An act of war which was unprovoked by your people appearing from the mounta
ins and claiming land that was not rightfully yours to claim.” Belinus held his tongue as three of the Gauls pushed at the guards who had closed around them again.
“Senators” Atratinus shouted above the rising noise. “As is the custom and law of the Senate, and in sight of the gods, we must vote. Those who vote to send Fabius back with the ambassadors” he motioned to the Senators whose heads turned as the Pontifex stood, followed by one or two of the men sitting closest to him, though their eyes were firmly placed down at the floor. “Good. Those who vote that Quintus Fabius is exonerated and should be allowed the freedom to stand for Military Tribune” he asked with a smirk growing across his face as he turned to glance at Belinus. As one the Senators stood and cheered, raising their right hands and calling for Fabius to be Tribune.
Baltor turned his bearded face to Belinus. “What just happened?” he asked incredulously.
“The Romans have just declared war” came the smiling reply.
***********
The uproar coming from the crowd served to tell Aengus that the Romans had dismissed the claims from the Gauls minutes before the deputation appeared and were ushered away from the long low building in which they had been meeting towards the accommodation which had been given to them before they set off back to Clusium the following morning. Word spread quickly that the Senate had voted against the motion to return Quintus Fabius to Clusium with the barbarians and that the Senate had, in fact, voted for Fabius and his two brothers to be Military Tribunes in the coming season.
Aengus was plying a local trader for further information.
“I don’t see how they can decide such a thing neutrally” he spoke with a shrug as he turned over a half-burnt loaf and squeezed it slightly as the baker watched him carefully.
“Well friend, you haven’t been in Rome long enough to understand that what the Senate wants, they get” he said with a nod to the bread. “You buying that now you’ve squeezed it to death?” he smiled amiably.
Aengus nodded slowly as he raised his eyebrows. “Came in two days ago” he lied as he quickly pulled a small silver coin from his belt and eyed the baker before pointing at a basket full of what looked like glazed loaves. “And how much are they?” he asked as the baker smiled at the coin and replied “that coin would buy the loaf and four of them.”
The baker’s wife, her dark brown eyes gazing at Aengus, picked one of the glazed loaves from the basket and passed it across. “Made with my own soft hands” she said in a high-pitched voice which showed just how young she was.
“Hmm” he muttered in response before motioning to the basket. “I’ll have them if I get the basket as well” he added as he took the loaf and squeezed it.
“Done” the wife said as the husband looked angrily at her and shook his head before letting out a deep sigh.
Aengus flicked the coin to him, which quickly changed his demeanour as he shot out a hand and missed the coin, knocking it to the floor where the wife stooped to pick it up.
“And these barbarians” he asked as the baker’s eyes fell back on him. “Where are they from?” he asked as he lifted the basket and placed the half-burnt loaf on top.
The baker’s eyes narrowed before he spoke. “They say they come from across the mountains in the north. Somewhere called Gallica” he said dismissively as he shrugged and pocketed the coin. Aengus noted that another buyer had appeared and was picking through the bread in much the same way that he had done moments before. The baker glanced at the woman as she picked up one of the remaining glazed loaves to show the new customer.
“Do you think they will be trouble, these men from the north? They are big brutes” he said as he moved to step back from a woman who was leaning across inspecting another loaf.
“Trouble? There’ll be no trouble. They don’t know about our men and how good they are in a fight. We’ve got the best soldiers in the world” he crowed as he nodded sagely at his own words. “Nobody can beat us” he added as he moved across and started to haggle with the woman who was holding a loaf in the air and bartering.
Aengus grinned as he walked away. His eye was caught by a large circular building with several small statues placed in alcoves around the doorway, each statue covered in a variety of flowers, off-ripe fruit and small candles, some lit and some of which the flames had died hours before. He stepped closer and sniffed the air. A scent he knew but could not place wafted across his nostrils as he decided to enter the temple, for that is what it clearly was, and see what was inside. As he approached, he stepped over a drain, about a foot wide and filled with flowing water, the smell hidden by the sweet smell of the scent which was burning in the temple ahead of him. To his right the ditch snaked up the hill where the effluence of the houses poured in and flowed down the hill towards the river. He nodded his head, clever, he thought as he felt a movement ahead of him and came to a sudden stop.
“You cannot enter the sacred grove, man” said an old lady, her white robes greyed from years of sitting outdoors on the small stool from which she had stepped. She eyed him cautiously, her eyes falling to the basket.
Aengus wasn’t exactly sure what she had said because her Greek was mixed with the sing-song Latin accent that he struggled to understand, the language fast and tuneful but hard to grasp. He wondered if she was asking for payment and lifted the basket, at which the old crone seemed aggrieved and shook her head, lifting the stick she held in her left hand and raising it as if about to strike.
“What, old lady?” he asked in his best Greek as he cocked his head and looked beyond the old woman. She was sat at a small gate, big enough to keep a small child out but a Gaul could easily stride over the wicker fence if he wished to. The temple was a mix of wattle and daub, a wisp of smoke coming from the hole in the ceiling of the circular walls. The path to the building was set with stones and a small grove of low trees, some olive, some other fruits, were neatly trimmed and buds of fruit remained in place. The doorway was open, and Aengus could see rows of scrolls in neat shelves across the side wall in the well-lit interior.
The old woman moved the stick in a threatening manner and he stepped back. She garbled something again and moved back to her seat, grumbling as she struggled to sit back on the stool. Aengus noticed that several people had stopped and were looking at him, their faces a mixture of caution and alertness. He shrugged to the crowd in general and turned to walk away, seeing the crowd’s eyes follow him as he moved away towards another tall structure at the base of a steep rise. This building had the word Janus carved into the heavy block of stone which stood next to the doorway and he peered into the gloom inside, his eyes taking a moment to adjust to the semi darkness.
He slipped inside and peered at the statues which covered the bare wooden walls. Adorning most of the statues were gold and silver necklaces, small baskets of fruit and large jars of oils and wine. He shook his head. What sort of people were these Romans that they covered stones with their wealth? He made a whispered prayer to Teutates and turned to leave as a small boy glanced up at him, his face a shock of surprise as he entered the temple. The boy muttered apologies as he bowed and stepped past into the temple carrying several jars in a basket and started to replace some of those at the feet of the statues, muttering some prayer or other as he did so. Aengus left and decided he should visit as many of these temples as he could before he returned to Belinus with his information.
************
Chapter 5
“What will these Gauls do, do you think?” Sulpicius asked as he moved a scroll across the desk after reading the latest report. It had been a few days since the Gauls had left Rome, their angry curses still fresh in his memory.
“Nothing” came the cool reply. “They may continue their siege of Clusium, and yes we should really consider sending a force, not just talking about it” came the response to Sulpicius’ sudden interested look. “But the reality is that Clusium is too far away to offer us any real benefit. Let them fight it out, destroy each other and then we can march in
and set up a new colony. It’ll be good for the plebs to have somewhere new to live, get a few of them out of the way at least” laughed the thin face of Licinius Lanatus, former Tribune and now, very much, retired man of Rome.
“Ha” laughed Sulpicius as he studied his long-time friend’s face. “Yes, I think you are right Lanatus” he said as he leant back in his chair and wiped his hand along his cheek, the tiredness coming to him as he stifled a yawn and blinked his eyes several times. “I think it’s time for me to retire to my room” he added as his friend smiled at his gestures. “I feel that the last few days of discussions has worn me out” he added with a long sigh.
Lanatus stood and bowed, saying his first few words of thanks before a thundering knock came at the door. Both men’s eyes widened as Sulpicius gripped his dagger and called “enter”, at which a slave bustled a brown-clothed rider into the room, closing the door quickly behind the man and hurrying to Sulpicius’ side.
“Messenger for the Senate” he said with a nod. “Senator Javenoli’s man” he whispered as he turned his head closer to Sulpicius. “Javenoli sent him here before he goes on to the Senate” he added under his breath.
Sulpicius and Lanatus shared a brief glance before Sulpicius said loudly, “Report soldier” and sat back down, all traces of the tiredness he had shown moments earlier gone.
The rider saluted smartly, pulled a heavy tablet from a bag and held it out to Sulpicius, who sliced the binding and scanned the words inside, as Lanatus moved closer and tried to look over the shoulder of his friend.
“Gods” Sulpicius exclaimed as he handed the message to Lanatus, his eyes wide in surprise. “It seems we were both wrong my friend. The Gauls are marching on Rome” he added with a questioning look on his face. Lanatus looked up from the words and handed the tablet back to the rider who quickly produced a new binding cord and tied it to the tablet.
Vae Victis Page 6