by David Blixt
“You are my home,” said Deborah. “If you die, I die with you, whether I stop breathing or no.”
After a time he'd chuckled softly. “I suppose they have to let us marry now.”
She'd smiled back at him. “Yes. I'm a ruined woman. There's no value to me anymore.”
“There is to me.”
Now they walked, protected by the shield of Queen Berenice's safe conduct. A few other survivors traveled with them, but most had scattered to friends and relations in Galilee. Only a handful saw the sense of fleeing to Jerusalem, where a real stand might be made. Of those few, they had been forced to abandon three after they became ill from drinking too much water. It was a grave temptation, now that water was plentiful and readily available. Judah himself carried two skins, and every five hundred paces he allowed himself a mouthful to savour.
They walked along in the late summer sun under the bluest of blue skies. All around they could hear birdsong. For a month the only ones they had seen were carrion birds like the black-shouldered kite, whose song was a croak of impatience as he waited for men to die. Now Judah could hear the whistled vit of the hooded wheatear, a bird he knew well. It made its home in rocky crevices, and often he had startled them from their nests as he searched quarries for material. Their song wasn't pretty, more like a harsh chattering, but it was music to Judah's ear. He breathed deep, tasting the air of freedom.
Deborah saw his expression. “What are you smiling at?”
“Life,” answered Judah simply. “Just life.”
They walked on for a time without speaking, and Judah knew that Asher was listening now too. There were thrushes calling, and a group of bulbuls flying in loops off to the right, singing their nasal song. The hum of insects was pleasant and low, not the roaring buzz of flies massed on a dead man. Fluffy white clouds floated across the perfect sun, casting fleeting shadows across their path.
“Nice day,” observed Asher.
“Yes,” agreed Judah. “It's fine.”
Forgetting what they left behind them, ignoring whatever awaited them in Jerusalem, they walked the southbound road with their hearts open. If Jotapata had taught them anything at all, it was to enjoy God's greatest gift, life.
For it was all too brief.
Afterword
A few words about the story you've read, and the story to come.
As seems to be my wont, this series was conceived as a single book. But almost at once I found I was suffering an over-abundance of good material. The Great Fire of Rome, the Judean War, the Year of the Four Emperors, the fall of the Temple in Jerusalem. I tried, then tried again. Finally I have carved the larger tale into discrete episodes, trusting you to put the mosaic together yourself. It spans decades, weaves in and out of many events, and affects the whole of world history in dozens of ways. And yet in many ways it's a simple story.
Which leads me to a word about the brothers, Judah and Asher. They are entirely fictional, created for dramatic purposes – except that they will merge with historical personages later on. Judah's was the first voice I heard in this tale, and he and Asher shaped it for me. In fact, there are only a handful of fictional figures – Asher, Judah, Curtus, Thorius, and a few minor players. The rest were real enough, though sometimes I created names where none were before.
I found conflicting data as to who was Kohen Gadol when the war began. Several sources list Mattathias ben Theophilus as the High Priest at this time, stating that Ananus ben Ananus was already dead. But Josephus, who was there, clearly puts Ananus in the High Priest's robes. I chose to listen to the man on the ground. Much of Josephus' writings were biased, especially elements in his Jewish War, because he was writing for a Roman audience. I take any motivation he gives anyone (including himself) with several boulders of salt. But for raw facts, like who was where when, there is no reason to doubt him.
That does leave gaps to fill in. There is no mention of Cerialis Rufus being a part of the Jewish War, though another Cerialis served. Nor is it certain the Flavia he was married to was close kin to Vespasian – many believe she was a cousin, not his daughter. But with the vast confusion these relationships create, it was better to assume the simpler explanation. It is also easier to follow one man than two or five. As Vespasian's son-in-law, it is not a stretch to bring him along to Judea, then send him back in time for the fireworks of 69. Which comes next.
Another problem: Josephus mentions Placidus, but gives us no other name for him. As Placidus is a common cognomen, not a family name, there was nothing to do but choose a family tree and graft him onto it. Trajan, thankfully, went on to sire a famous son, so he at least is decently documented.
This series was conceived in a physical place, one that hasn't even appeared in the story yet, so I will leave off inspiration for a later date.
♦ ◊ ♦
One author to whom I owe the world is Isaac Asimov. If there were only two volumes of research I were allowed to reference, one would be his guide to Shakespeare, which I use in my life as an actor. The other would be his guide to the Bible. Massive, painstakingly researched, methodical, and informative, I simply could not have written this book without it. He makes connections between verses, references history and tradition as well as pure scripture, distinguishing one from another. For a rather agnostic Christian who had never before sat down to read the Bible through, this was an invaluable aid.
I could say as much about Will Durant's CAESAR AND CHRIST. Marvelous, complete, meticulous, and at times quite poetic. He made me appreciate Seneca, a poet I have professionally reviled (his plays are atrocious, but at least now I understand why).
Antique authors I owe: Suetonius, Livy, Tacitus, Martial, Cassius Dio, and, naturally, Titus Flavius Josephus himself.
I've read many modern authors while researching this series, but most of them affect later parts of the story. There are only two whose work shapes every corner of this novel. Appropriately, one is an historian, the other a novelist himself.
Desmond Seward's JERUSALEM'S TRAITOR: JOSEPHUS, MASADA, AND THE FALL OF JUDEA is a gripping read. He is quite clear about so many aspects, and his details, the lifeblood of the novelist, are incredible.
Writing on this topic, I will forever be in the shadow of Lion Feuchtwanger. He wrote the Josephus Trilogy in 1932, and it's still the definitive take on the man. Sometimes I wonder if I depart from his version of Josephus just to prove my independence. But for him, Josephus was the central pivot of the story. Here he is a vital part, but only a part. Still, those books have an incredible wealth of detail, both about the man and about first century Hebrew life. I borrowed often and ferociously.
A final note on sources. When looking at Hebrew prayers for the dead, I chose the E-l Malei Rachamim over the more traditional Kaddish, despite some sources asserting that the former was a medieval invention. I chose it for the three lines added for martyrs to Israel, which seems especially important in this time and place. That the prayer is used today for soldiers in the IDF also swayed my choice.
♦ ◊ ♦
This book would not have happened without a literary agent by the name of Dan Conaway. As we discussed ideas for my next novel, he asked a simple question: was there a place I wanted to write about? I quietly scoffed at the idea, but felt compelled nonetheless to answer him. So in the pack of four story concepts I sent him, I unenthusiastically dropped in a line about a church. He wrote back telling me to look at that one harder. Dutifully, I did, and just a little bit of scraping revealed this novel. Proving, I suppose, that so-called inspiration can come from skilful manipulation. Thank you, Dan.
If this novel has one father, it has many aunts and uncles, those friends, mentors, and colleagues who gently ripped it to shreds to watch it rise again, stronger than before. Firstly, doctors Steve Pickering, Kevin Theis, and Alice Austen. These three and I are known collectively as Shanghai Low Theatricals, a collaborative writing endeavor focused mostly on theatre. They graciously took time from their various projects to read and cri
tique early drafts, much to the novel's benefit. Also Nona Bennett and Sherry Murphy, who each have more religious knowledge than I could ever claim. And Stephanie Heller and Mike Nussbaum were other early, enthusiastic readers.
Huge thanks to Rick Sordelet. Not Epic enough yet? Just you wait, you bastard. I'll make this thing impossible to stage.
I always say the best question to ask authors is, 'Who do you read?' I usually point to my friends MJ Rose, CW Gortner, and Michelle Moran, as well as Dorothy Dunnett, Bernard Cornwell, and Raphael Sabatini. Here let me add Colleen McCullough. My understanding of Rome began with her MASTERS OF ROME series, and hers is still the voice in my head when I write Roman characters.
Dan Slater and Katy Ardans at Amazon have been a tremendous help in everything, and I am grateful for their cheerful patience, however badly I tried it.
Rob McLean designed the cover, which I love (no, Erin, not because it looks like me!). The image is of Bernini's David. Unlike Michelangelo's David, who is pausing before the famous throw, or Donatello's David, who is cheekily standing victorious after, Bernini's depiction of the young shepherd catches him mid-throw. It's a statue I admire, and it came to me again and again when I was writing about Judah.
Many thanks to John Lobur. In 7th grade we took the same Latin 1 class. He got it, I didn't, and he's gone on to become a professor of Latin. He helped me with a couple of lines in THE MASTER OF VERONA, but here his help has naturally been much greater. Clearly he is the expert, I the layman, and any mistakes within these covers are mine, never his. Gratias, John!
Many thanks to Constace Cedras for her 11th hour edits.
Another friend in need of thanks is Tara Sullivan. The godmother to our children, she has been the outside reader for four novels now, and continues to be a voice of enthusiasm. Also, she takes the kids out to play when Mommy is away and Daddy needs to jot something down.
Thanks to my parents, Al & Jill. I'm curious to know what my mother thinks of the series as a whole. And I'd have no appreciation of Rome at all if not for a car-trip with my father when I was eighteen. If only we'd known it was that simple…
I embarked on this series just before the birth of my daughter, Evelyn. Again, babies bring good things. And then there's Dash, who has been the soul of patience. This book was finished on his sixth birthday.
Which brings us to my wife. Jan stood with me in the place where this series was inspired, and she has continued to inspire it since. She laments that I've carved it up, so I have promised her that one day I will put all the pieces together, if only for her. Like Judah, I don't need to make an oath. For Jan, my word will always be true.
The next novel is entitled COLOSSUS: THE FOUR EMPERORS.
Ave,
DB
Appendix
Rome's Legions
For those interested in (or confused about) Roman legions, here are a few definitions.
A Roman Legion was made up of about 5,500 men. The core unit of a legion is the century. Originally a century, as its name suggests, was made up of 100 men. But by the late Republic and early Empire it was actually 80 soldiers and their support staff.
Eighty men make a CENTURY. Six centuries make a COHORT. Ten cohorts make a LEGION, with the lead cohort being double-sized. That's 5,280 men. Add 120 cavalry men and around 100 noncombatants – engineers, cooks, etc. – and you reach 5,500.
Each legion had a golden eagle, the aquila, carried by the aquilifer. They also had a flag with their symbol on it. The flag was called a signum, or a vexillum, and was carried by the vexillifer. Sometimes a legion would detach a smaller unit. When this happened, the main legion would keep the eagle, while the detachment marched out under the vexillum. Thus the name for the detachment became a vexillation.
Legionaries were supposed to be citizens, but by this time recruiting standards were winked at. Many locals were recruited with the promise that if they served Rome well for between sixteen and twenty-five years, they would retire as full Roman citizens.
Some common terms to do with legions:
LEGATE (legatus) – Either the legion's commander-in-chief, or else senior commanders under a specific general. For example, Titus is senior legate of the Fifteenth Legion, under the command of his father Vespasian, who oversees several legions. A legate was usually a senator or from a senatorial family, as leading a legion was often a large part of climbing the cursus honorum.
TRIBUNE OF THE SOLDIERS (tribunus militum) – Not to be confused with Tribune of the Plebs, whose veto power had by this point been absorbed by the Princeps. A military tribune was a staff officer, often in his twenties. The term originates from Rome's earliest days, when each of Rome's tribes would send a representative to be a junior officer in the army. Usually 6 tribunes to a legion, the most senior of whom was second in command to the legate.
TRIBUNUS AUGUSTICLAVIUS – Like the military tribune, this was a staff officer, but from an Equestrian family. Usually 5 to a legion.
CENTURION (centurio) – Professional, career officer, the backbone of the Roman army. He could be elected, appointed, or promoted from the ranks. Caesar promoted men of valour, and many historians record centurions as being the first over a wall. The most wounded, most decorated, most valuable element in a legion. A general would think nothing of losing all his tribunes, but weep outright if he lost a centurion. 60-66 centurions in any legion (depending on the breakdown of the extra men in the first cohort).
OPTIO – A centurion's right-hand, carrying out orders and enforcing discipline. Basically a centurion in training. 60-66 optios to a legion.
DECURIAN – Cavalry commanders. A legion's cavalry was divided into four units of 40 horsemen, so 4 decurians to every legion.
MORE DAVID BLIXT NOVELS
The Star-Cross’d Series
THE MASTER OF VERONA
VOICE OF THE FALCONER
FORTUNE'S FOOL
THE PRINCE'S DOOM
VARNISHED FACES
The Colossus Series
COLOSSUS: STONE & STEEL
COLOSSUS: THE FOUR EMPERORS
COLOSSUS: WAIL OF THE FALLEN
HER MAJESTY'S WILL
WHAT GIRLS ARE GOOD FOR: A NOVEL OF NELLIE BLY
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