Legionary, page 41
Maximus conferred on him so great honours, and so many presents, that Domninus supposed that Valentinian would never again have so good a friend. To such a degree did Maximus succeed in deluding Domninus, that he sent back with the Syrian part of his own army, to the assistance of young Caesar against the Barbarians – Zosimus, Historia Nova.
Zosimus’ accounts of what followed are vague. He seems to suggest Maximus followed the diplomat back through the Alpes and tricked his way through the garrisons there, then penetrated deep into Italia, before seizing Africa too.
Why did Maximus pick this moment to finally invade Valentinian’s lands? Possibly because he realised that, were he to wait any longer, the East – having repelled the threat of Odotheus and stabilised its Persian frontier – might soon be in a position to intervene militarily in Western affairs.
Fleeing the chaos, Valentinian and his mother, Justina, sailed to Thessalonica to plead for help from Emperor Theodosius. Yet Theodosius at this time was a much-changed character from the vital man who had ascended the Eastern throne, recently-bereaved and seemingly in a spiral of pious guilt and paranoia. He had become entangled in his support for violent Christian activism, and his new and punishing taxation policies had stirred great unrest and bloody protests all across the East.
Still, with his legions freed from the Persian and Gothic problems, and with his pride no doubt still bruised from his previous inability to militarily challenge Maximus, he must have been tempted to agree to Justina and Valentinian’s appeals. Apparently, however, it was in fact the mere sight of Valentinian's sister, Galla, that made his mind up. The great Edward Gibbon describes the moment they first met:
The charms of the princess Galla most powerfully pleaded the cause of her brother Valentinian. The heart of Theodosius was softened by the tears of beauty; his affections were insensibly engaged by the graces of youth and innocence – Edward Gibbon, The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire.
First, Theodosius sent stern demands for Maximus to relinquish his conquests. Next, he mustered the armies of the East, including a portion of the settled Haims Goths, along with troops of Hun, Alani and Iberian foederati… and marched to war with the West.
Nobody truly wanted this. The last comparable civil clash had been Emperor Constantius' suppression of a Gallic usurper thirty years prior, an expedition that had exhausted the empire militarily and financially for many years afterwards. But Maximus’ aggression and territorial expansion meant war was unavoidable.
Maximus established an advance army at Siscia (modern Sisak), a city strongly fortified by the River Savus, blocking Theodosius' landward line of advance towards Italy. His main general Andragathius (or Dragathius as I call him) was stationed with strong forces on the approaches to the Julian Alps, while his brother Marcellinus controlled another army in nearby Noricum.
Theodosius set out to face Maximus down in these regions. As I have portrayed it, the Eastern Emperor and the main body of the army set off along the Via Militaris, while Valentinian and Justina led a smaller band of legions by sea, to Rome. Worthy of note is that Valentinian first landed in Sicily, defeating Maximus’ troops there, before going on to the ancient capital. And there was, in fact, also a third prong of attack, with a contingent of soldiers sailing from Egypt to liberate the vital, grain-rich Diocese of Africa.
Along the way with the main Eastern force, Theodosius learned that some of the Gothic troops he had mustered by the terms of the peace deal had been bribed by Maximus. It is not clear whether they attacked the legions, sabotaged the march or simply deserted. All we know for sure is that he was denied the services of these tribal warriors.
Also, it seems that Valentinian’s secretive naval expedition was betrayed very late in the day. Dragathius, on Maximus’ orders, led a fleet into the Adriatic to intercept it, but failed to do so. Thus, Rome was taken swiftly and bloodlessly by the return of the young Caesar.
Meanwhile, the two main forces of East and West finally met in a violent battle at Siscia. Theodosius’ cavalry and legions powered across the River Savus’ ford while Maximus’ defences rained all manner of projectiles at them. The fighting was fierce, spanning two days and the night in between. Maximus called his brother, Marcellinus, to his aid, but he arrived too late. Thus, Siscia fell to the Easterners and Maximus withdrew. As Gibbon says:
After the fatigue of a long march, in the heat of summer, Theodosius and his army spurred their foaming horses into the waters of the Savus, swam the river in the presence of the enemy, and charged the troops who guarded the high ground on the opposite side – Edward Gibbon, The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire.
Theodosius pursued for several days until East and West clashed again on the plains near the city of Poetovio. This here this time Maximus was reinforced by the army of his brother. Yet it was not enough:
The enemy… fought with the desperation of gladiators. They did not yield an inch, but stood their ground and fell. Finally, Theodosius prevailed – Edward Gibbon, The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire.
I describe Valentinian arriving here to seal the victory. This is fictitious, although he certainly did play his part in the overall victory by seizing Rome as intended, and cutting away Maximus’ support in Italia.
After suffering the reverse on the plains of Poetovio, Maximus retreated to Aquileia, perhaps expecting to withstand a final siege. However, the quick succession of defeats had irreparably damaged the loyalty of his troops. When Theodosius’ advance guard arrived at the city, Maximus was handed over to them. On 28th August 388 AD he was beheaded.
The head was taken on a tour of the provinces. His son, Victor, was slain by Theodosius’ high general, Arbogastes. Dragathius, still hiding out at sea having failed to halt Valentinian, heard of his master's demise and threw himself into the deep.
Yet Theodosius was magnanimous as well as ruthless, looking after the family of Maximus and paying recompense to those westerners whose lands and properties had been damaged during the war. He then went on to declare himself as sole Emperor of East and West, keeping Valentinian as an emperor in waiting, and installing Arbogastes as the sole Western Magister Militum. This in particular – handing the military might of the West to one man – was a bold move, and one that would ultimately prove imprudent.
My twist on this grand sweep of events – with Arbogastes masquerading as “Peregrinus the Stranger”, the driving force behind the arrival of Odotheus and Maximus’ invasion and all the subterfuge that followed – is, like Peregrinus, fictional. Arbogastes, however, was very much part of that thread of history, and it was he who benefited hugely from it all.
Few others did. This civil war left the empire in financial and military disrepair. More, the unhealthy dynastic system introduced by Theodosius now took root across the empire entire, with his ill-suited and far too young sons destined to one day rule in his stead. This, I believe, was the turning point for the fortunes of the Roman Empire – the seed that would grow into a strangling weed and bring about the collapse. But that is for another day…
Thank you for reading Pavo’s latest story. You may or may not know how difficult it was for me to return to the writing desk to pen this tale, but I hope you enjoyed the adventure. More, I hope and trust you will return for the final book in the series!
Yours faithfully,
Gordon Doherty
www.gordondoherty.co.uk
P.S. If you enjoyed the story, please spread the word. My books live or die by word of mouth, so tell your friends or – even better – leave a short review online. Anything you can do in this vein would be very much appreciated.
Connect with Gordon Doherty
I love hearing from readers – get in touch via my website: www.gordondoherty.co.uk/contact-me
If you enjoyed Legionary: The Emperor’s Shield, why not try:
Empires of Bronze: Son of Ishtar, by Gordon Doherty
Four sons. One throne. A world on the precipice.
1315 B.C. the world is forged in bronze, and ruled by four mighty empires. Tensions soar between Egypt, Assyria, the Mycenaeans and the Hittites, and war seems inevitable.
When Prince Hattu is born, it should be a rare joyous moment for all the Hittite people. But the Goddess Ishtar comes to King Mursili in a dream, warning that the boy is no blessing, telling of a bleak future where he will stain Mursili’s throne with blood and bring devastation upon the world. Thus, Hattu must fight against the goddess’ words and prove to his kith and kin that he is worthy. Yet with his every action, the shadow of Ishtar’s prophecy darkens…
Strategos: Born in the Borderlands, by Gordon Doherty
When the falcon has flown, the mountain lion will charge from the east, and all Byzantium will quake. Only one man can save the empire . . . the Haga!
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Yet a hunger for revenge burns in Apion's soul, and he is drawn down a dark path that leads him right into the heart of a conflict that will echo through the ages.
Rise of Emperors: Sons of Rome, by Gordon Doherty & Simon Turney
Four Emperors. Two Friends. One Destiny.
As twilight descends on the 3rd century AD, the Roman Empire is but a shadow of its former self. Decades of usurping emperors, splinter kingdoms and savage wars have left the people beleaguered, the armies weary and the future uncertain. And into this chaos Emperor Diocletian steps, reforming the succession to allow for not one emperor to rule the world, but four.
Meanwhile, two boys share a chance meeting in the great city of Treverorum as Diocletian's dream is announced to the imperial court. Throughout the years that follow, they share heartbreak and glory as that dream sours and the empire endures an era of tyranny and dread. Their lives are inextricably linked, their destinies ever-converging as they rise through Rome's savage stations, to the zenith of empire. For Constantine and Maxentius, the purple robes beckon...
Glossary
Adventus; The celebration that accompanies a new Roman Emperor’s formal entry into his capital city.
Aquilifer; Senior standard bearer of a Roman legion and carrier of the legionary eagle.
Arcanus (pl. Arcani); A secretive school of imperial agents that originated in Roman Britannia.
Arcuballista; An early version of the crossbow.
Auxilium Palatinum (pl. Auxilia Palatina); These elite infantry regiments (or palace legions) of the late Roman Empire served as the emperor’s core guard in his Praesental Army.
Ballista (pl. Ballistae); Roman bolt-throwing artillery that was primarily employed as an anti-personnel weapon on the battlefield.
Barritus; A tribal war cry that originated in the tribes outwith the Roman world. The Late Roman army adopted this cry, possibly as a result of the increasing number of tribal recruits in their ranks.
Buccina (pl. Buccinae); The ancestor of the trumpet and the trombone, this instrument was used for the announcement of night watches and for various other purposes in the legionary camp.
Campidoctor; A Roman drill-sergeant.
Chi-Rho; One of the earliest forms of Christogram, and was used by the early Christian Roman Empire. It is formed by superimposing the first two letters in the Greek spelling of the word Christ, chi = ch and rho = r, in such a way to produce the following monogram;
Comes; Commander of a field army of comitatenses legions.
Comitatensis (pl. comitatenses); The comitatenses were the Roman field armies. A ‘floating’ central reserve of legions, ready to move swiftly to tackle border breaches.
Commentarii; After action reports, outline accounts of operations.
Congius; Roman measure of liquid, roughly equivalent to six pints.
Contubernium; A Roman tent party of eight soldiers.
Corvus; Long wooden beam with a shark hook or spike at one end, fitted on Roman galleys. Used to snare an enemy ship and keep it pinned so the imperial soldiers could board. Literally means ‘crow’ in Latin.
Diocese; An administrative and geographical division of the later Roman Empire. Each Diocese was subdivided into a collection of provinces.
Dominus (voc. Domine); A respectful honourific indicating sovereignty.
Draco; A type of legionary standard that became popular in the era of our story. It comprised a bronze dragon head that would groan when wind passed through it and a flowing cloth tail that would ripple in the breeze as if alive.
Eques (pl. Equites); Roman light cavalry, used for scouting ahead and screening the flanks of a marching legionary column.
Fibula; A Roman brooch for fastening garments.
Haim (pl. Haims); A Gothic region or settlement.
Hexareme; A Roman galley with six decks.
Intercisa; Iron helmet constructed of two halves with a distinctive fin-like ridge joining them together and large cheek guards offering good protection to the face.
Labarum; A Christian legionary standard.
Latrunculi; Strategic board game, with similarities to draughts or chess.
Liburnian; A small, swift and nimble galley with just a single bank of oars.
Limitaneus (pl. Limitanei); The limitanei were the empire’s frontier soldiers, light infantry spearmen who served in the legions posted along the borders.
Magister Militum; Roman ‘Master of the Army’.
Maleficium; Sorcery or witchcraft.
Medicus; Medical officer attached to a legion, the most senior of which would hold the title Medicus Ordinarius.
Missio Causaria; Official and honourable discharge from the Roman legions due to wounds or disability suffered during combat.
Mithras; A pagan deity particularly loved by the legions – probably something to do with the belief that Mithras was born with a sword in his hand. He is thought to have evolved from the Persian Mithra, the God of Light and Wisdom.
Navarchus; A Roman admiral or fleet commander.
Navis Lusoria; Small river patrol vessel.
Peplos; A long dress worn by women.
Plumbata (pl. Plumbatae); A lead-weighted throwing dart carried by Roman legionaries, approximately half a metre in length.
Pomerium; The outermost road in a Roman city, running just inside its walls. The word originated from the sacred boundary of the city of Rome.
Porpax; An enhanced gripping mechanism on the inside of a shield.
Praepositus; An ad-hoc command position within the Roman army.
Primus Pilus; The chief centurion of a legion. So called, because his own century would line up in the first file (primus) of the first cohort (pilus – a term harking back to the manipular legions).
Protectores Domestici; The emperor’s household guard.
Reiks; In Gothic society, a reiks was a tribal leader or warlord. Whenever the Gothic tribes came together to fight as a united people, a ‘council’ of reiks would elect one man to serve as their Iudex, overall leader of the alliance.
Sacrum Consistorium; The Roman Emperor’s ‘Sacred Council’ or inner circle of advisers.
Schola Palatinum (pl. Scholae Palatinae); The elite cavalry regiments of the later Roman Empire. Typically, these crack riders would serve in the Emperor’s Praesental Army.
Shahanshah; The Persian King of Kings.
Spatha; The Roman straight sword, up to one metre long and favoured by the late imperial infantry and cavalry.
Stola; A woman’s garment, and equivalent to the toga.
Timpani; Also known as kettledrums, these instruments consist of skin stretched over a copper bowl.
Toga Virilis; The “toga of manhood" was a plain white toga, representing adult male citizenship and its attendant rights, freedoms and responsibilities.
Tribunus (pl. Tribuni); The senior officer of a legion. In the late 4th century AD, a tribunus was usually in charge of one or more legions of limitanei or comitatenses.
Trireme; A war galley with three banks of oars.
Turma (pl. turmae); The smallest unit of Roman cavalry, numbering thirty riders.
Valetudinarium; A medical building in a Roman camp or fort.
Vicus; The jumble of merchant stalls, taverns and houses that spring up around a legionary fort.
Gordon Doherty, Legionary
