I TELL STORIES

The Second Sun

 

I

October, 312 CE

Urbs, Capital of the Roman Empire

 

“Last night I dreamed Saturn ate you and your men.”

The Roman officer looked down to a shriveled old hag and said, “I’ve never seen you before.”

“I knew not what the dream meant,” she said. “But now, here are you.”

“My men and I stand tall in front of you, old woman, very much alive. Why should your nightmare worry me? Are you a witch casting a spell?”

She tugged at his arm. “In this land, I am revered as Morta. But you are a wolf born in Dardania, a distant land.”

The officer tilted his head into a curious look, wondering how she knew of his ancestry. For reasons not planned or understood, he cradled her hand with his.

“Dear son of Apollo, my dreams do not foretell the future or rehash the past. My dreams warn of the future. You must trust in the strength of lessons learned.”

She squeezed his hand for emphasis and hobbled away, losing herself amongst passersby on the Via Nomentana.    

The hag’s words echoed in the mind of Helvétius Lupis while chill from her flesh lingered through the fingers of his hand. It was a concerning prophecy. He could not forget the warning.

An immediate concern for Lupis was a vacant field abutting the Aurelian Walls of Urbs. Orders were to bivouac his two centuries of Legio XV to the left of the Nomentana Gate, directly across the highway from Castra Praetoria, home base of the emperor’s hand-picked bodyguards.

The Praetorians had cleared the field of vendor wagons in the early morning. It was now mid-day. The waggoneers were not happy to be losing sales.

Lupis flicked his hand to shake out its chill as a group of vendors approached him.

“You’re the commanding officer?” asked one in the front, their leader.

Lupis nodded.

“My name is Caius. We have grievances to air. Each year we vendors pay to lease this field. The Praetorians evicted us to provide space for your centuries. As a result, we have nowhere to sell our wares.”

As the spokesperson was talking, a squad of Praetorians left their fortress and marched across the via to where Lupis was listening. The Praetorians pushed the peddlers aside.

Grumbling grew louder as the group retreated to their wagons, unwilling to antagonize the surly Praetorians.

“We have set aside this field for your bivouac,” said the Praetorian leader to Lupis. “I am Centurion Narces. A runner has been sent to the emperor announcing you and the special envoy’s arrival. Our squad will guide the emissary and his aides to the emperor’s palace.”

“ Thank you, Centurion Narces. This field is suitable for us. I am Lupis, Primus Pilus of Legio XV. Concerning our orders, we must deliver the special envoy to Emperor Maxentius in person. Only my emperor can countermand the orders.”

Narces tensed his face, lips pressing against each other to form a scowl before saying, “Understood.”

Lupis pointed to the waggoneers. “The status of these vendors is concerning to my unit’s wellbeing. They appealed to me about being unlawfully evicted from this field without compensation. They have nowhere to set up their sales booths. If your Praetorians evicted them, then by Roman law, a temporary location for their business enterprises must be provided. Not doing so creates problems for us all.”

That a backwater legio officer was lecturing him, a renown Praetorian officer, was quite irritating to Narces. But his anger was controlled. He would not allow Lupis to witness his unease.

“I agree, Commander Lupis. Temporary provisions have been made for the vendors; however, the message of their relocation must not have been well communicated.”

Narces motioned the vendor leader to approach as he walked to the highway. They met on the via paving stones, and he said in a firm voice, “The emperor has given permission for displaced vendors to erect their sales booths and tents on the Castra Praetoria side of this highway. The fort’s gate must be left open and uncluttered for our ease of access.”

The peddlers’ leader smiled and moved closer to Narces. Just as he appeared ready to speak, Narces said, “This is non-negotiable. No thanks necessary.”

The vendors’ leader turned and re-joined his colleagues, who were pleased with the new arrangements.

Narces returned to Lupis and said, “No arms are permitted in Urbs. Your squad will accompany us without weapons. We will lead you to the palace.”

 “It will be done,” Lupis said. “Wait for us at the city gate.”

Narces saluted and walked with his men to the nearby entry area.

Lupis’ officers, who had been waiting, now approached.

“Thank you both for your patience,” he said. “There were fires of misunderstandings to be snuffed out. Caepio, supervise setting up our camp. Ancus, choose a squad of your men to accompany me into the city, no arms.”

An image of the old hag flashed through Lupis’ mind, and he asked, “What’s the status of the mules provided us when our ship was unloaded?”

Caepio said, “The Ostian mules remain with us, all 23, still packed. A squad cares for them near a stream and brush to our left, beyond where the latrines will be.”

“I have a bad feeling about staying here too long,” Lupis said. “I hoped the men would have time to visit the capital, but this episode with the Praetorians and vendors is troubling. It could be fair warning for what lies ahead.”

“And the mules are our ticket out of here,” Caepio said.

Ancus nodded in agreement and said, “Better safe than sorry.”

 “Then we keep them,” Lupis said. “After they’re unloaded, rotate squads among your men for shepherding the mules day and night. Let no one take the mules back to Ostia without my permission.”