Bedrock of Empire

by Thomas M D Brooke

  The signum that our standard-bearer carried was adorned with the steel discs and open-hand motif of the legions but also held the wreath and scorpion of the Praetorians. I was beginning to realise how many doors this particular guard of honour was opening for me, especially in heavily Romanised Tarraconensis. ‘It’s a bit early to stop, isn’t it?’

  Audax shrugged. ‘Maybe, but what’s your hurry? Remember, once we pass Caesaraugusta these easy nights of soft beds and Roman villas will be just a memory. If I were you, I’d take advantage whilst you can.’ He gave me another wink, which I guessed was in reference to the farmer’s daughters.

  ‘Oh, do let us stop, Cassius? It is so hot in the sun today,’ moaned Aulus.

  I gave a laugh. ‘It’s hot every day, Aulus. But I guess you have a point. The road won’t be so easy later on, so we should take advantage whilst we can.’

  Marcus stepped forward from his place next to the signifer. ‘Let me reconnoitre the place first?’

  Audax spat on the ground. ‘We’re in an olive farm. What do you expect to find? Olive thieves?’

  Marcus gave him a stony look, and I sided with my friend. ‘Marcus, you’re head of my security, so it’s your decision. Send some men ahead if it makes you happy.’

  Marcus rushed off to comply, and Blasius and Audax shared a grin. I knew as much as they did that Marcus was being overly cautious, but I didn’t want to undermine him in front of the men. I looked on in approval as Marcus sent off Iovis and a few of the men to secure the farm. After a short time we received the signal, one of the legionaries waving a red flag, that it was safe to approach. We left the Roman road and made our way up to the villa, where we were greeted by the local farmer. He was a rotund man of Iberian descent who spoke excellent Latin and had changed into a very smart toga.

  ‘Welcome, Quaestor, this is a great honour. Never has my home been so blessed,’ he told me, a great smile cracking his sun-darkened skin.

  I smiled back from the back of my horse. ‘The honour is all mine. I am very appreciative of the welcome I’ve received here. May I ask my men to find accommodation in your grounds?’

  The farmer agreed enthusiastically. ‘Yes, my head slave will help them settle in.’

  I nodded to Marcus, who immediately got to work posting sentries around the villa’s perimeter wall and billeting the others in the farm’s outhouses. I dismounted my horse and handed it to a young stable hand before telling the farmer, ‘We don’t want to be an inconvenience. We’ll only be staying one night.’

  The farmer bowed. ‘It will be my pleasure. Will you join us for dinner tonight?’

  I looked around the villa’s grounds. ‘I’d be delighted, but not until later. I wish to spend some time with my men.’

  The farmer bowed again. ‘Of course, if that is what you wish.’ And then he bowed once more and left us.

  ‘What was all that about?’ asked Aulus. ‘Not planning on dicing or drinking with the men I hope?’ Aulus had grudgingly accepted that I hadn’t actually ravished the young governor’s wife the night before we’d left Tarraco, but he still remained suspicious of me. He was convinced I must have done something to encourage her.

  I sighed. ‘Actually, I want to do some exercise, Aulus, something you wouldn’t understand. I’ve been on the back of that horse all day, and I want to stretch my legs. I plan to go for a run through these olive groves.’

  Blasius laughed. ‘I better warn Marcus. He’ll want to scout the route.’

  I shook my head. ‘Do what you like, I’m going.’

  Aulus looked at me. ‘A run is it? Do you mind if I join you?’

  I put my hands on my hips and looked at my brother-in-law, his thin frame, spindly limbs, and balding pate that had burned in the sun. ‘You can’t be serious?’

  Aulus lifted his nose. ‘You said I needed to find a way to keep fit, so let’s go for a run.’

  I sighed. ‘Very well, but don’t expect me to wait for you if you get left behind. I want to clear my head before dinner, not be carrying you home.’

  He gave a loud sniff and left to get ready. Audax and Blasius shared wide toothy grins, which I chose to ignore. I went to tell Marcus of my plans. He wasn’t completely happy, but he conceded that this olive farm did seem the most benign of locations, and he and his men would have a clear view of us as we jogged around the local fields. I found Aulus, stretching by the gates to the villa, dressed in short tunic and some light sandals.

  I gave a slight chuckle. ‘You look to be taking this seriously.’

  Aulus stood up and put his hands on his hips. ‘And why shouldn’t I?’

  ‘No reason.’ I removed my breastplate, gladius, dagger, and leather kilt. I wasn’t worried about soiling my tunic, I knew I’d need to change to a fresh one before dinner, and one of the farmer’s slaves would no doubt wash the old one for me. ‘Shall we take a full lap round the base of the hill?’

  I guessed the circumference of the hill to be three to four miles; nothing too taxing in normal conditions, but in this heat, enough to build up quite a sweat. ‘Or is that too far for you?’

  Aulus gave a sniff. ‘One lap of the hill it is.’

  We both jogged out of the farm’s large gate to ironic cheers from the watching Praetorians. I wasn’t surprised they’d taken an interest in our late afternoon run, sentry duty was never the most exciting of tasks. I set out briskly, but without too much urgency, and settled into a nice even pace.

  I wasn’t and never had been a natural runner. I was too heavily muscled and weighty to be anything other than average when it came to this form of athleticism. In my youth I’d been passably fast over a short sprint, but Julius had invariably beaten me over anything further. However, my background in the legions had involved much vigorous training over many disciplines, and running was no exception. Marcus and I had been forced to run for almost three days after the Teutoburg, the simple desire for survival being the only motivation necessary to open up reserves of strength neither of us knew we held. Therefore, I was confident of my own ability to set a strong pace and be able to keep to it, hot sun or not. I started to eat up the ground underneath me as we ran down the hill and turned along one of the natural breaks in the olive grove that circled the base of the hill.

  I was pleased that Aulus was at least keeping up with me so far, although I knew I shouldn’t push the pace too fast. It was good that he was taking his physical fitness seriously. As I ran, I tried to focus on the challenges that lay ahead – the court case, locating Flavus, and Germanicus’ damned monoceros. But running through these olive groves, under the hot afternoon sun, naturally brought me back to memories of my past, memories of Julius. I remembered us competing in our youth, running in my father’s estate through equally sunbathed fields. Nothing at that time seemed more important than beating him, beating the friend I loved like no other. Damn you, Julius. Why did you have to ruin everything?

  The anger gave me a spurt of energy and I inadvertently increased my pace. I was surprised that Aulus was managing to stay with me. I knew he was a few paces behind, as I could hear his laboured breathing. Now was the time for me to break out on my own, I decided. Anger that I’d let my mind slip back to Julius pushed me to go faster. Aulus would just have to catch up when I’d finished. I ran hard around the further bend of the hill, along the olive groves that made a neat path to follow. I gritted my teeth as the pain of the heavy exertion began to take its toll, and I turned along the path to run up the hill back to the gates where we’d started. As I turned, I received a shock. I realised that Aulus was still with me. Surely not … not Aulus?

  I ran faster up the hill. Losing to Julius in my youth was one thing, but I was damned if I was going to lose to my sister’s husband. Not now, not ever. I started to run full pelt up the hill; he’d never be able to live with my speed over a sprint. I found I was running raggedly, the anger-driven fast pace earlier had upset my rhythm, and now I was slightly panicking as I could still hear Aulus just behind me. To make matters
worse, the Praetorians were now calling out to us from the top of the hill, whistling and cheering, as they were now being given an unexpectedly tight contest to watch.

  I tried to bury my anxiety; I was still in the lead. If I could just hold him, I could make it to the gates first. I dug deep and forced my legs to move faster, pushing for home. The men cheered and I began to think I was going to do it. But just as the ground levelled before the gates, Aulus increased his speed, and with seeming little effort, he breezed past me. He ran through the farmhouse gates to the wild applause of the Praetorians and watching slave hands.

  I staggered in behind him and collapsed.

  It took me a long time to regain my breath. I rolled on the ground and looked up to see a very smug-looking Aulus looming above me.

  I was still struggling for breath, but I managed to blurt, ‘How?’

  He smiled as he shook his feet, loosening the joints. ‘Three years in a row I was Proculian school champion over the long run. We had a fine racing tradition and never once whilst I studied there lost to our fierce rivals in the Sabinian school.’

  Marcus came over to us and helped me up, trying – and failing – to hide a smirk of his own. ‘I think you learned a lesson there, Cassius.’

  ‘I certainly have.’ I stood up but still needed to lean on Marcus for support. ‘I had no idea, Aulus. I never thought you remotely interested in the gymnasium.’

  Aulus smiled. ‘Well, to be honest, it’s been many years. I’ve surprised myself really. But some things never leave you, and racecraft is one of them. I knew if I could just stay with you, I might be able to take you at the end. You’re strong and passably fast, Cassius, but everyone feels the pressure of someone coming up behind them at the end of a race, and you let this affect your stride pattern.’

  I shook my head in disbelief. ‘If losing to you wasn’t bad enough, knowing you’ve not run in years makes it worse. The gods only know how fast you could be if you were fully fit.’

  Aulus stood proudly erect. ‘I intend to get that way, Cassius. This is just the start. I’d forgotten how much I enjoy this.’

  I groaned.

  ‘What now?’ asked Marcus.

  I looked at him. ‘I’ve just realised my sister will hear of this.’

  Within a few days, we approached the great city of Caesaraugusta, largest of the non-coastal towns in Tarraconensis and home to many veterans from the Spanish wars. The city couldn’t compete with Tarraco for sheer grandeur, but as we approached her high walls, I could appreciate how well established the colony had become. Unlike Tarraco, which elegantly spread down to the sea from its position on the heights above, Caesaraugusta betrayed its former military past with long square walls and rigidly straight tightly packed streets. It stood on the great Hiberus river, a wide pontoon bridge crossing the water to her gates.

  I raised my arm to stop my small column. ‘You had better go ahead, Blasius. Take Audax with you and announce my coming. I don’t want to spring a surprise on them by turning up unannounced.’

  Marcus came walking up to us. ‘Do you want me to send any of my men with him?’

  I shook my head. ‘I don’t think so. The city is full of old veterans, nothing we need to fear.’

  Blasius nodded, and said formally, ‘Very well, my lord.’

  I reminded Blasius before he went, ‘Make sure you display the fasces when you approach. I want them to know who we are.’

  Blasius grunted and then stopped to pull the bundle of wooden rods out of a bag he’d slung over his back. ‘Of course, I’ll make sure to put on a good show.’

  We watched the two men approach the city, and Aulus remarked, ‘Blasius seems a bit moody today. What brought on his ill humour?’

  Marcus chuckled. ‘The men say he lost a bet on that race you and Cassius took part in. Apparently he’d been doing well on the dicing up until that point but lost all his winnings in one swoop.’

  ‘Oh, I see.’ Aulus was trying to feign indifference, but I could tell he was secretly delighted. ‘He bet on Cassius, I take it?’

  I suppressed a smile of my own. ‘It would appear so. More fool him.’

  After a short wait, Audax came cantering back to us, telling us that all was well and we could proceed. As soon as I entered the city, I was greeted by various honoured citizens, who were clearly considered important in this part of the world. They arranged for my Praetorians to be billeted in the city barracks, and Aulus and I were treated to a pleasant dinner at one of their grand houses. Despite their eagerness to show off their wealth and sophistication, it was noticeable that we were now entering the Roman frontier. The domus we were dining in was a former military residence – possibly a former legate’s, I recognised the design. The banquet, although well prepared, comprised several helpings of hearty courses, rather than the refined food you’d expect in Rome, or indeed the governor’s table in Tarraco. Strong-tasting smoked sausages stuffed with cumin, pepper, and parsley were served with garum and olive relish. Afterwards we were given some sweet cheesecakes made with goats’ cheese and honey.

  We left the city the next day and immediately it was apparent that they’d be no more easy stops along the route. The rich farmland halted shortly after the city and then nothing much could be seen on the road to Gallaecia. I’d been warned to expect it, but the sudden demarcation was still surprising. We’d gone from a fat rich land, full of roadside inns and pleasant villages, to one of stark wilderness in the space of a day.

  Soon the road divided in two, and all the remaining traffic took the northerly route. I asked Audax, ‘Which one leads to Asturica Augusta?’

  Audax shrugged. ‘They both do.’

  I rubbed the back of my neck. ‘So the northerly route must be faster then? As that’s where everyone else is heading.’

  Audax shook his head. ‘No, the northern route takes you around the mountains of Calagurris. It takes far longer.’

  I frowned. ‘Then why is everyone going that way?’

  He looked over at the few wagons and ox-carts that wended their way north. ‘Well, some want to visit and trade in the town of Calagurris along the way.’ He then spat on the ground. ‘But mostly they avoid the southern route as they consider it bad luck. Only the military ever use the southern path.’

  That didn’t sound good. ‘Why’s it bad luck?’

  He turned and looked at me. ‘It passes the ruins of old Numantia.’

  My stomach gave a slight turn. I’d heard of the doomed city of Numantia. Rome had destroyed the city and her people one hundred and fifty years before. ‘Is it dangerous?’

  Audax narrowed his eyes. ‘It depends whether you’re afraid of the shades of the dead? You certainly won’t find anyone living near there – even the bandits never venture close to that cursed place.’

  I gave a slight shake of my head. I wasn’t a superstitious man, but I still didn’t like the idea of going past an ancient and cursed city. On the other hand, something inside me told me I needed to get on with this mission as quickly as possible. I couldn’t explain why, but I felt the need to find Flavus and have done with this one way or another. Why couldn’t anything be easy? ‘We can’t afford the delay. We take the southern road.’

  Audax looked at me closely, before finally replying, ‘As you wish.’

  It was another three days marching on a deserted road upon which we didn’t see another soul before we neared the ancient ruins. I knew we were close when the roadside emptied of foliage and grass; other than a few stunted weeds, nothing but barren hard-packed earth lined either side of the highway. We stopped our horses and Marcus walked up to see why we’d stopped.

  Marcus looked around at the sparse countryside. ‘Why does nothing grow here?’

  Audax rode his horse next to mine. ‘The memory of the dead rules in Numantia now. I told you, nothing lives here.’

  Marcus looked around nervously. Not much scared Marcus, but ghosts were something that did. ‘Is the curse so strong?’

  Audax nodded. �
��They were once a proud and strong people. Their pride brought them to their ruin, and now their pride stops them from departing this place.’

  I viewed the barren landscape. ‘Don’t listen to him, Marcus. Nothing grows here because after the city was destroyed the Roman commander ordered all the fields sown with salt.’

  He looked at me intently, as if in need of reassurance. ‘Why would they do that?’

  I sighed. ‘I can’t say I truly understand it myself. But Numantia had defied Rome for twenty years, inflicting several defeats. After destroying her, they didn’t want anything to remain as a reminder of its defiance.’

  Marcus swallowed as he looked at the bare empty fields. ‘What turned the tide of the war with them?’

  Aulus took up the story. ‘My friend Titus Livius writes of it in his histories. Rome was fighting Carthage for many years, and Numantia decided to take advantage of it. They rebelled when Rome wasn’t able to respond as forcefully as needed. Only after Rome finally defeated our ancient enemy did she have the resources to deal with Numantia once and for all. They laid siege to Numantia for many months before the city’s will was broken.’ Aulus’ tone was low and distant. ‘As a final act of defiance, most of her warriors decided to commit suicide rather than submit to the rule of Rome. Left with no one else to punish, the Roman commander took the lives of the populace, tore down her walls, and all the fields were sown with salt.’

  ‘By the gods, I thought we were the civilised ones,’ whispered Marcus to the slight breeze blowing through us.

  I kept quiet and just gave my horse a touch of my heels to move it on. Numantia wasn’t the first city Rome had inflicted this cruel ruination on. Carthage, our ancient enemy, had received the same fate thirteen years earlier than Numantia. Rome could never forgive Carthage for Hannibal. He’d come too close to destroying Rome altogether. That had bred a hate that made Rome capable of this horror. Now, one hundred and fifty years later, we were seeing the manifestation of that hate.

  We rode past the ruins, just visible on a hill with a rocky outcrop as dusk descended. Crows flew up from the ancient city’s broken walls as the sun sank behind her. It was past time for us to stop for the night, but one look at the frightened Praetorians behind me told me that it wouldn’t be a good idea to stop now. We needed to put some distance between us and the cursed city’s silent presence. I felt it myself, a chilling tingle that ran down my spine and had nothing to do with the cool evening air. Could the shades of doomed Numantia’s past be watching us now? Seeing the heirs to the empire that had taken not only their lives, but also any reminder to their way of life, leaving nothing behind except these few broken stones?