Douglas Jackson - Enemy of Rome

They hurried through the gardens and past the lake, but by the time they reached the Sacred Way it was already filled with Praetorian units making their way towards the Forum. Valerius paused to look out across the sea of golden statuary, white marble and ochre tiles. On the far side the Temple of Jupiter Optimus Maximus stood like an impregnable citadel on the western of the Capitoline’s two summits. The temple, the holiest in all Rome, was surrounded by a clutter of smaller shrines, arches and altars, each set in its own compound. To the right, across the dip of the asylum, more ancient and careworn, lay the Temple of Juno Moneta, on the platform known to all as the Arx.

‘How many men did Sabinus have with him?’ he asked Serpentius.

‘A single cohort when he came down from the villa on the Esquiline. It depends whether he had time to bring in reinforcements before the Praetorians got here in any strength.’

Valerius turned the situation over in his mind. A thousand men. Not enough to defend the entire hill. Sabinus would have to set up strong-points to hold the stairs and the Clivus Capitolinus. That way he could fortify the temple precinct and hold out for days. The urban cohorts were a police force, but that force was made up of trained soldiers, and even the Praetorian Guard would struggle to winkle them out of such a formidable position. He only prayed that their commander realized that. Better to talk Sabinus out than have men slaughtered in one futile attack after another.

But when he forced his way through to the base of the hill he realized he’d prayed in vain. Cornelius Clemens, the stony-faced tribune in charge of the Praetorian force, had done all the talking he was going to do.

‘You say you’re here from the Emperor?’ Clemens had encircled the base of the Capitoline mount with two of his cohorts; the others waited in formation on the Via Sacra out of spear range of the hill’s jeering defenders. ‘Well, you can go back and tell him we advised the traitor Sabinus to surrender, only to have him respond with accusation, threat and insult. Do they think they can occupy the most sacred site in the Empire and expect us to let them sit there and taunt us? He even had the effrontery to claim the Emperor was responsible for the deaths of his own soldiers.’ The man’s face flushed with suppressed fury. ‘Twelve of my men. Good men all, murdered by a gang of backstabbing traitors. Well, it doesn’t matter where they hide or how long it takes, I am going to make them pay.’

‘Perhaps it would be better to wait for the Emperor to arrive in person,’ Valerius suggested. ‘It might avoid more bloodshed.’

Clemens pushed his face into Valerius’s, so close the one-handed Roman could smell the sour wine on his breath. ‘Maybe you don’t hear so well. Those were my men lying with their throats cut. The way I hear it, the Emperor won’t be leaving the palace any time soon. My lads don’t like what they hear about their tentmates surrendering without a fight at Narnia. If I don’t order them up that hill then like as not they’ll go anyway. Now take yourself out of here.’ He threw a contemptuous glance at the mottled purple stump of Valerius’s arm. ‘This is no place for a cripple.’

‘There’s a woman with them …’

‘More than one, so we hear.’ Clemens softened a little. ‘But if they’re with that nest of traitors, they’ll have to take their chances. I won’t risk the lives of any of my men to keep them safe.’

Serpentius was waiting on the far side of the waiting Praetorians, beside the little circular shrine to Venus Cloacina. Valerius explained what he’d been told. ‘So where does that leave us?’ the Spaniard asked.

‘I need to get Domitia out of there, but …’

‘… the only way to get her out is to get inside first, and that isn’t going to be easy.’

Valerius looked up at the towering bulk of the temple. ‘The odds of getting through Clemens’ cordon without his permission are slim. Even if we did someone would probably put a spear in us while we were explaining why we were there.’ Neither man voiced the terrible reality of what would happen to the defenders if the Praetorians successfully stormed the hill. A soldier with blood in his eye wasn’t going to be concerned about the age or gender of the people who got in the way of his sword.

‘That doesn’t leave us many options.’ Serpentius paused as shouted orders were passed down the line of men to the foremost cohorts. He met Valerius’s eye. ‘And time is getting short.’

Valerius tried to still the fear that rose inside him. ‘There has to be a way.’ He ran back through the ranks to the command post. Clemens was briefing his officers, but he’d just noticed the several hundred people gathered among the temples surrounding the Forum. ‘Jupiter’s piles, where in the god’s name did all these civilians come from?’ he complained to one of his aides. ‘Get rid of the buggers. What do you want now?’ he demanded when he saw Valerius.

Valerius knew he only had one chance. He outlined the situation quickly and succinctly, one officer explaining a potential complication to another. ‘The woman in question is General Gnaeus Domitius Corbulo’s daughter and she is not with the rebels of her own free will.’ He saw surprise and a degree of respect in the other man’s eyes. ‘I served with the general in Syria and before he died I promised I’d protect her, so you see my problem. It is a matter of honour and duty. If you’re sending your men into the temple I’d count it a favour to go with them.’

Clemens’ grim features twisted into a frown of calculation. His first instinct was to refuse the request outright, but he was a man who understood honour and duty. If there was a chance of saving the women — and one of them was Corbulo’s daughter … He made his decision. ‘If you’re stupid enough to want to get yourself killed that’s up to you. You can go in at the tail of the cohort. Just remember you’re on your own. Once it starts no one’s going to stop and help you. I take it you’ll be accompanied by that murderous-looking bastard who’s watching your back?’ Valerius laughed. Serpentius would be pleased with the description. ‘I doubt he’ll have trouble finding the pair of you a blade and there’s a pile of shields over by the steps of the basilica.’ He was interrupted by a rattle of metal as the leading Praetorian cohort hefted their scuta . Valerius nodded his thanks and ran off shouting for Serpentius to fetch swords and a shield. When they were armed they took station at the rear of the last century. The black and silver-clad Guards in the final ranks turned to study the newcomers.

‘We’re safe now, lads,’ someone muttered. ‘Some aristo’s come to lend us a hand, and he’s brought his mangy old hound with him.’

‘How about if this mangy old hound rips your fucking throat out when we’re done with this hill?’ Serpentius growled back.

‘You’ll be lucky if you can get up that hill, grandad.’

‘Save your breath,’ Valerius said before the Spaniard could continue the conversation.

Serpentius glared at him. ‘We’ve done some daft things, but I reckon this is the craziest yet.’

‘You know why we’re doing it. If anybody’s mad, it’s you for coming with me.’

‘Bloody women,’ the Spaniard spat. ‘A month ago we were fighting for Vespasian. Now we’re attacking his brother, with no armour and one fucking shield between us. We might as well go the whole way and fight naked like those Celtic barbarians you were telling me about.’ His face dissolved into a grin, then sobered again as the men ahead began to move forward down the Sacred Way towards the Capitoline.

It had begun.