The Fall of the Republic: A tale of Roman Civil Wars

[Dolnikan]

This is great! Really hope you continue it.


Also, has someone else gotten ROB'd?

Click to shrink...

There indeed has been someone, but no prizes for working out who.

So, these "Magi" developed some form of explosives. That is definitely a game changer when it comes to breaking defensive positions.

Click to shrink...

The Hermetics actually were a group that started to rise at about this time, with Chimes being one of the founders. I couldn't find the real dates, although many place them around a century later. I figured that there would at least be predecessors, and besides, I had to feature Chimes, who was quoted in later works that became the foundation of alchemy, which might very well have been named after him. And I can really recommend looking up the Hermetics. They had some pretty interesting ideas about the world.

 

[Dolnikan]

Despite the earlier demonstration, Sextus felt ill at ease about the new weapon Arsinoe had called a bomba. Sorcery just didn't sit well with him, but then again, Chimes had said that Arsinoe herself had given the idea, saying that they had to mix saltpeter, charcoal, and sulphur in various proportions. That alone had killed or maimed several of his followers, but the sudden flames were miraculous enough. Finally, they had come to this mixture, the one that thundered with true power.

Sextus wished that he had had some more time to talk to Arsinoe about it, but again, she had been busy with making arrangements to have a second weapon prepared as well as the matters of the city and the country beyond. Now, he looked at the new weapon. Another iron vase, as thick as a finger. It had hieroglyphs drawn all over it and only a small opening for the rope.

"No worries, o goddess-loving", Chimes said in his soft yet pulling voice, "the queen's thunder is not yet in place, this is merely an empty vessel. My acolytes are preparing the sands of fire. We prefer not to move it too much, even during its mixing it can easily ignite and we would not want an accident in the city".

Sextus nodded, recalling the thunderous force. For a moment, he imagined bringing it to bear against Caesar: "How long?"

"It will be nightfall by the time it's ready, but the queen instructed us to work with all haste".

"Then we will attack in the darkness", Sextus said before turning to Polyperchon, who had become one of his guards, "We will need the best men to drive home this attack. I want the divisions of Zeno, Philoxenos, and Hagnon to be fully rested, along with the the companions under Demetrios. And Meganandros is to have his ships ready to form a cordon, with candles lit. The traitors can't be allowed to escape".

Polyperchon nodded and turned away to a few messengers. He was someone Sextus could trust, after they had fought for their lives together. He however didn't have much time to dwell on that and returned to Chimes: "And how long will it take to place it?"

"Not long", he replied, "we only need a suitable opening to place it, and that will be enough. Preferably something only a little larger than the vessel of the queen's thunder. It then has to be inserted, and the string has to be lit with sacred fire".

"Can your acolytes complete that task?", Sextus asked, "naturally, they will be given armour. And shieldbearers will protect them".

"They might choose the mystic arts, but they are still citizens. They are men. And men will bear arms when commanded by their civic duty. And they are the only ones who can perform the task, knowing the correct incantations of the divine will. I only ask that you do your utmost to keep them safe, there are few who study the mysteries like they do", he said, before quickly adding: "naturally, I would have joined in this great task myself, but as a teacher I must contemplate the deeper meanings of these revalations".

Sextus almost smiled at the clear attempt to hide his cowardice. But he couldn't. He needed this man and his strange arts. After all, this new weapon could give him the victory and vengeance he craved: "Thank you, your work is truly exemplary and I am glad to have learned of your studies. I however have to go now, there is much to prepare for an assault".

Relief washed over him once he was away from Chimos. Something about his intensity seemed off, almost like he wasn't entirely living in this world. He also felt safer being away from where the weapon was being prepared, having heard of deaths and mutilations in merely making it was proof that it was some dangerous magic that he would rather not stand too closely to. He however wanted his men to see its effect. Knowing that the gods themselves were so clearly on their side would do wonders for morale. Much better than any simple omen found in the intestines of a goat.

Mere moments later, he was back in one of the large houses closest to the palace walls. Sextus had considered attacking the main gates, but there was no use in that. It was where the defenses were concentrated, and he didn't need a gate now that he could make his own. He however went to the gate where his men had built barricades on the road, from which projectiles could be launched with relative safety.

Unfortunately, his men weren't the only ones who could do that, as the gathered wounded attested to. The dead were taken further away, to be buried properly. But the wounded stayed nearby, treated by the finest physicians in the world. His eyes lingered on them for a few moments. Many would recover, but still, he felt a fear gripping him. How horrible must it be to be crippled for life? Especially for ordinary men, some of whom had no families to take care of them. He resolved to ask Arsinoe if something could be done for them.

Kallippos, whose men were busy building the engine had been alerted to his arrival and came from the works a few moments later: "O Heptos! It's tough work, but we're getting closer. Not close enough for an assault though. So what do you want of me?"

Sextus faced the tall man, hating that he had to look up to him: "The queen has found an alternative way to breach the walls, and we will do it tonight. We however don't want the attention of the defenders on it, so I want to create a diversion here. To make it look like this is where we'll assault from".

"And how are we supposed to do that? There's no way we can charge over the road without more barricades to protect from slings and worse. It might not look like it, but the Romans have some excellent slingers with them. And they certainly know how to work their engines!"

"How much time do you need to build a light tower? It's important that it looks tall, but it doesn't have to be heavy or strong. And if you need carpenters, we can bring in all the men from the shipyards".

"When do we start?", Kallippos asked in return, "and where?"

"Behind that temple for instance", Sextus pointed, "that way, they will think that it's a true one. Meant to take the walls by storm. We will also draw up our Romans here. They will see them as our main striking force, and they have their own engines to make them keep their heads down".

"Let's get on with it then. Just don't leave us out here when there's glory to be won".

 

[Dolnikan]

With most the the men gathered just outside view, Sextus readied himself. It wouldn't be his first time in battle, unlike some of these men, but still. He was worried, what if the eruption of flames would panic his men? They had been warned that something spectacular would happen, but no details had been given. Despite thousands of men being gathered for an assault, it was mostly silent. All he could hear was the distant work of engines aimed at the gate which was soon followed by the blowing of horns to make it obvious that something was happening.

The horns were answered by others within the walls, but Sextus could barely think about the battle. Just as the horns blew, a group of soldiers entered the large room. And not just soldiers. Between them, he saw her. Arsinoe. The men with him bowed their heads and Sextus stepped forward: "It's good to see you".

"It is", she replied, "I'm happy to see you here. Before the battle that is".

There was a hint of worry in her voice, a sound that made Sextus feel small: "I fear that there is little time now, but I look forward to seeing you when this work is done".

"You are my general", she said, "so don't behave like a common soldier. Your task is to lead your men, to tell them what to do. Not to charge into combat on your own. And to make sure that happens, a detachment of my guards under Lobon here will accompany you".

He wanted to protest, to tell her that he could look out for himself. The look in her eyes however told him that that would be a bad idea. Instead, Sextus smiled. How could he not, with her so close? "Thank you, but please, keep yourself well-guarded. There might still be traitors about".

"There are", she said, "and that's why you also have to be guarded. I couldn't bear losing you. And, to keep you safe, I have a gift for you".

A slave came forward, carrying a lightly made wooden box that she put on a nearby table. Arsinoe excitedly followed and said: "Come on, open it".

Sextus opened it by a hinge on the top, and was stunned by what he saw. It was a helmet, but not a normal one. He reached in and took it out, it was heavy, heavier than what he was used to. But it was a work of art. The helmet was fully covered in gold and was shaped like an eagle's head and had a crest on either side, both of them set with purple horsehair. The eyes were gemstones but the most striking was what looked like a wreath of lightning bolts circling around it.

Without hesitation, Sextus put it on. It wasn't as heavy as he had thought and he smiled widely: "Thank you so much. With this, I shall be invinvible".

It still took some getting used to, but Sextus did wear his new helmet when he got ready for the assault. He still tried to figure out a way to hold it though, he didn't want to bend anything and the twin crests didn't make things any easier. Despite night having fallen, it wasn't truly dark, and not even because of the moon. Fires illuminated the skies, even if they were some distance away, at the gates. Runners had told him that the Caesarians had concentrated their forces there, even if it was all too clear that there still were troops elsewhere. Troops that could easily call on reinforcements and defend themselves.

Some of them had noticed the small party heading to the wall. There was a hole there, meant as a drain for water. Not that it was raining now, but that slight weakness was all that was needed. The soldiers on the wall however had no idea what the purpose of the small party was. Sextus imagined that they thought they would try to climb the wall without any tools, as spies or saboteurs.

He smiled to himself. In a way, they were saboteurs. The enemy shouted and a few slingstones were launched, but his men carried large shields to hide behind. Originally, they had been made in the Roman fashion, but now they were extended in all directions, making them far too heavy for battle. But for that short distance, they proved to be enough.

The shieldbearers lined up their tools, carrying them with both hands to keep their charges protected from more stones coming from above. When a particularly large one came crashing down, one of his men winced and fell, but the others closed their shields to cover the hole. To Sextus' relief, he seemed to be alive and crawled back up.

He hated watching like this, but if he showed himself, everyone would know that this was their main effort. Every moment seemed to stretch into eternity and Sextus wished he could see things more clearly. But the two dozen shieldbearers made it impossible to see what exactly was going on.

Finally, however, they started to back away, met by jeers from atop the walls. Sextus smiled, praying that they would make it in time. It was then that he heard one of the Hermetics shout: "Cover yourself!"

The small party dropped their shields and ran. Sextus smiled and finally rose, wanting to watch the spectacle. The soldiers on the wall shouted something, but mere moments later a deafening roar put an end to that. A cloud of dust rose and he could hear his soldiers gasping in sheer shock. Without waiting to see the results of Arsinoe's thunder, he raised his sword and shouted: "Let's end this! Death to the traitors!"

"Death!", came the response, and his men started to move. Sextus glanced sideways, at his new guards. Their leader made eye contact and it was obvious, he wasn't supposed to go with his men yet and instead remained, watching the dust settle as the first of his loyal soldiers scaled the ruined wall. There was a hole, at least a perch wide at the lowest, with more space around it. As far as he could see, the attacking forces didn't find any resistance passing through the wall.

 

[Dolnikan]

Ahead of him, the fighting was intensifying as more and more of his, or rather, Arsinoe's men crossed the breach into the palaces. Sextus had joined them, watching the legionaries falling back. They were fighting hard, but it was inevitable now. Mere moments ago, a messenger had come to report that all the gates were taken, and now, it was just a matter of pushing on.

The fighting was close by, but Sextus remained back. For now. He instead tried to keep track of what was happening through runners and the little he could see in the moonlight. He had directed royal guards to secure palaces to ensure that the treasures wouldn't be carried away by the other soldiers. But still, he felt useless. What kind of man was he to stay back?

"General!" another runner called out, "The enemy is falling back, it looks like they built new walls to the east!"

"Push on", Sextus commanded, taking up his own shield. "We have them. All we have to do is break through and they will be forced to surrender".

He himself went forward as well, seeing his men pushing ahead more easily. But there, between several of the oldest and most strongly-built palaces, there indeed were new walls. And more. On top of them he saw a man he knew all too well, the red of his mantle easily visible even in the scarce light. Caesar.

The tyrant stood between his men, sword in hand for battle. Sextus looked at him, and it felt like their eyes met despite the distance. He pulled out his sword and went forward, to join the attacking soldiers, but felt a strong hand on his shoulder. He almost lunged at the man but instead met his eyes: "Let me. I know what the queen has commanded, but that man murdered my father and my brother and my dearest sister. That man is the cause of all woes in my life. Honour and duty both compel me, I have to fight".

The older man said nothing at first, before slowly beginning: "The queen's instructions are clear. She doesn't want you to engage in this battle".

"Victory already is ours", Sextus replied, "even if I die or suffer wounds, her realm will be her own. And with that man's death, the war for Rome is over as well, and the senate will know that it was Egyptian arms that ended his tyranny. What matters now is how it ends".

After a few more moments, the man nodded: "One condition, you take responsibility. I tried to stop you but you slipped away".

Sextus smiled: "Of course!" and turned to run to the front. Towards where Caesar was, next to his eagle-bearer. The last of the Romans were falling back, clambering onto the barricades to escape under the cover of slingstones and spears. Sextus made it to the first line, and something heavy clanged against his shield.

Looking over it, he saw the eagle of the enemy legion. To his surprise, the man turned away, backing down from the fighting and moving away from sight. There was something going on and almost immediately, he grasped what it was. They were trying to save it from falling into his hands. And that meant that they had some way to escape destruction.

He turned to the man to his left: "You! Soldier! I need you to head back to the rear and tell whichever general you find that I said that the Romans are retreating. Tell him that the ships should row to the eastern walls!"

The man looked at him with scant comprehension and Sextus felt his heart sink. He couldn't move back. That would shatter his men. And besides, Caesar was there and he wanted him dead more than anything else: "It is my command, as general of the queen's armies. This is not cowardice, it is a necessity. Now go!"

Still, the man didn't move and the man next to him joined in: "I will go, general. The ships should attack the eastern wall, right?"

"Yes!", Sextus shouted in relief before the man made his way back through the ranks. He could hear him shout several times that he had orders to bring through, but that was met by quite some swearing. He turned away from the scene, knowing that there was little time.

Sextus raised his sword: "Men! Brave soldiers! The time is now! Let us extinguish these foreigners and free this glorious land!"

He was met by a cheer and after another barrage of javelins, he advanced, followed by his men. More projectiles were raining down from atop the palaces, but that wouldn't stop him now that he was so close, even if others were falling. He reached the foot of the barricades, right opposite Caesar, and his men. Many of them weren't fully armed, some wearing nothing but their tunics. They clearly hadn't expected a full assault now.

A jolting blow went through his arm and Sextus glanced down, seeing a spearhead poking through, stopping a bare fingerwidth from his exposed thigh. He stopped, and tried to push it out with his boot, but the thing was firmly lodged in place. Another landed near him, glancing off his shield. That was his chance. Sextus crouched in place, seeing his men struggling as he reached out, picking up the fallen weapon.

It wasn't a good position, everyone could tell that, but it would have to do. He turned, holding his shield in front of him while readying the throw. He knew that he was exposed, but trusted in his armour as he threw with all his strength. A mere moment later, something heavy struck his head and he shook it, dazed for a few moments. But when he looked up again, Caesar was no longer there and he heard panicked calls in Latin.

He shouted: "The tyrant is fallen! With me! With me!"

 

[Dolnikan]

He wasn't there. There wasn't a trace of Caesar either on or behind the improvised wall that he had fought from. And more than that, there weren't too many survivors to question either. It surprised him, he had expected them to surrender but instead, many of the traitors fought to the death.

Sextus took off his helmet, some of the lightning bolts were bent and there was a dent on the left side, but otherwise, it was intact. He sighed. He had failed. He looked over the battlefield, the wounded being carried away, and the dead, well, remaining there for now even if some already started to relief them of their valuables. At least they weren't looting Arsinoe's home.

It was then that his guards let through a messenger. A woman, one Sextus recognised to be one of Arsinoe's slaves. She bowed her head: "The queen wishes to know if she can safely enter her home".

He shook his head: "Not fully, there still are small bands of enemies remaining, trying to hold out in one of the palaces".

"And her siblings?"

"I don't know, but we don't have any of them yet".

"Then the queen wishes that you come and see her. And if I may be as forward, I would suggest having a good reason why there's blood on you. Or perhaps wash it off somewhere first. And you might also want to send your helmet to be repaired…"

She said the last part with a smile and Sextus couldn't help but blush before nodding in gratitude. Lobon smiled at him and agreed: "Yes, better get you cleaned up. We don't want to have to explain to the queen how you got so battered. Theagenes here will take your helmet to a goldsmith. Nabis is a capable one, and he knows me. It's late, but I'm sure that he will have it ready soon enough. And let's find you a fountain. And Judah, you get a fresh tunic for our general".

"I will let her know that you will be coming. I will return to you to tell you exactly where she will be".

A little later, Sextus was ready. It was a little awkward to have men help him wash in a fountain and to change into a fresh tunic, but at least, it was his and he hoped he wouldn't overly worry Arsinoe. In the meantime, the last of the fighting had died down and the slave had returned. She approached carefully: "O Sextus, the queen awaits you in the Palace of the Benefactor. But I have to warn you, she is distraught by what she has seen".

Sextus swallowed, he wasn't too familiar with the palaces, but he knew that that was the last place where there had been fighting going on, even after the rest had fled or died. Nevertheless, he followed, walking at a brisk pace, asking: "What did she see?"

"It's not my place to say", the slave said, "but it gave her great grief".

When he reached it, the palace was surrounded by her own royal guards, and there were dead bodies inside, some of whom had been hastily pulled out of the way. He saw Romans, but also Greeks, wearing the purple bands of Ptolemaios' guards. It made him shiver, suspecting why they had held out for this long. There were other Greeks as well, attacking soldiers, he presumed. But after a while, those ended and the only dead were guards from both sides. A cold fear gripped Sextus.

And then he entered a last room, shattered barricades at the large door. And bodies, way more bodies. He stepped in, and in the corner, he saw Arsinoe. She was on her knees, on the blood-slicked ground, seemingly sobbing at the sight of two bodies. A woman he knew, and a boy he wasn't familiar with.

Immediately, Sextus ran over and put a hand on Arsinoe's shoulder. She sobbed: "They, they're dead…"

For a moment, he glanced over at the bodies, at Cleopatra and a boy he presumed to be Ptolemaios. Both were dead, stabbed multiple times by daggers. He stroked over her back: "They are, but you are save. And there was nothing you could do".

"She killed him, she killed our brother", Arsinoe whispered, "and then herself". She sniffed and Sextus felt her resting her head against his shoulder, making him wish that he hadn't put on his armour again. He met her eyes, seeing the tears and brushed them away, feeling her grief: "It's not your fault. Your sister, she chose this path. She was a murderer".

She sighed and Sextus held her closer. Despite the sight, he felt happy in a way he had never felt before. Arsinoe looked up and their foreheads touched. It was a good thing that he wasn't wearing his helmet, he thought before shaking the stupidity away. What mattered now was Arsinoe. He gestured to the soldiers, dismissing them for now. They headed out, judging by the footsteps and the two were left alone.

Their eyes met and despite everything, Sextus felt himself smile. Arsinoe's eyes sparkled and she turned and he turned with her. On their knees, they faced each other and then their lips met. The whole world disappeared as they kissed. Sextus barely even noticed the taste of blood.

 

[Shador]

The last update isn't threadmarked.

 

[Dolnikan]

The last update isn't threadmarked.

Click to shrink...

Thanks for pointing it out!

 

[Dolnikan]

Sextus could barely sleep at night, constantly thinking about Arsinoe. She was gorgeous, he couldn't deny that. But at the same time, he felt bad about what he had done. He had kissed her when she was so vulnerable. Her siblings had just died, and her youngest brother was still missing.

He sighed when the first light of the sun entered through the window, realizing that he hadn't slept for a moment. He had to see Arsinoe again, to tell her how he felt, and to apologise. At the same time, he was afraid. He didn't want her to reject him. But, he deserved it.

When he got up, his left arm was sore and when he combed his hair, he could feel a bruise under it. If only it had hit harder, to save him from his stupidity. Before he could think more about it, two slaves entered. Gifts from Arsinoe. One spoke softly: "Master, do you wish to be washed?"

He nodded: "And have there been any messengers?"

"Yes master", one said, throughout the night. Thales has collected them for you.

"Don't do that again, I want the messages as soon as they arrive. Now call in Thales, I want him to report while I get ready".

"Yes master", the same one replied, "there also is a woman belonging to the queen. She says that she has to speak to you".

Sextus blushed: "She can wait until I'm ready. I, I don't want to be naked around her".

A little later, Thales entered. He was an old eunuch, another of Arsinoe's creatures. Merely looking at him made Sextus' skin crawl. He was getting used to them, but to have one near him while he was naked was a step too far.

But still, he let the man make his report. Caesar had escaped then, probably together with the younger Ptolemaios. Several ships had slipped away into the night, carrying them. Prisoners however had confirmed that Caesar was wounded and had been carried away by his men. No one however knew how injured he was and he feared that Caesar was only grazed and used it as an excuse to withdraw from the fighting.

As soon as he was dressed, the woman was let in. It was the same slave from the day before and she smiled knowingly at Sextus: "It's good that I don't have to tell you to wash yourself this time!"

She laughed at her own joke, telling him all the better that she was one of Arsinoe's favourites. No other slave would dare to do that. "But next time you should let me in while you're being washed. I after all have to report everything to our beloved queen".

Sextus turned bright red and couldn't immediately reply. The woman only laughed more at him: "Don't worry. I won't tell her that. Now. On to more important things, she is expecting you as soon as you're available".

"I, uhm, I'm available now…", Sextus stammered, "shall, shall I be coming then?"

Immediately, she led him from his rooms and back into the palace district. Now, only the royal guards remained, and piles of bodies were being gathered by slaves. He was led to another palace, through magnificent gardens that showed only little traces of the fighting with trampled flowers and the occasional bloody streak on the marble paths. From there, he was led onto a terrace, overlooking both the harbour and the seas beyond.

And there, there he saw her. She sat under a purple canopy, held up by statues of men with their arms stretched. He guessed that they were bronze, marble wouldn't hold that way. She sat on fluffy pillows and looked out over the sea and didn't notice him until a eunuch called out: "Heptos the general approaches!"

Arsinoe turned around and smiled. It was a smile that made his heart melt and he struggled not to run into her arms: "Ah, there you are! Come, sit down! Do you want anything to drink? Or maybe a morning meal?"

Trying not to blush more, Sextus reclined close to Arsinoe who was sitting, only leaning back a little: "Have you already had something?"

"Oh yes, don't worry about me. I had some delicious scrambled eggs".

"Eggs?", he asked, not knowing what she meant exactly, "I'm curious, I'll have some too!"

"Good", she smiled, picking up a cup with steam rising from it.

"What's that? Some sort of soup?"

"Oh no", she laughed, "just some hot water. I like it, you know. With just a little bit of honey".

What she described didn't match with what Sextus had heard of the decadence of the kings and queens of the east. But then again, Arsinoe wasn't like them. It was hard to believe that she was their descendent.

"I'm afraid that I would prefer some colder water", Sextus laughed, "but I guess that we're not just here to talk about what to eat and drink?"

"Oh no! Although that's always important", she met his eyes, "I have great plans there. But for now, there are other things to do. Caesar escaped with my younger brother, and I'm sure that he will be back soon. Probably with another army. And this time with a large one".

Sextus nodded: "He will. Caesar isn't the kind of man that gives up, but we have friends. Many of my father's men were going to Africa, and there are loyal men in Hispania as well".

"But not here, Sextus. And we need men here. We need real armies. I've seen my own troops, they struggled with the Caesarians, even though they were much greater in number".

"It's not a lack of bravery", Sextus admitted, "I've seen them fight. It's just that they're not used to battle, and their weapons also aren't the best".

"But could a new one be made? Could you create an army?"

"We will need weapons. Lots of them. And armour and everything else. And time. It takes months to train soldiers, to properly do it. I would say some four months".

She nodded, her smile fading for a few moments: "And can we use the winter for that?"

"Yes", he replied without hesitation, but then doubt set in, "although, it's still possible to bring troops here. And we need men to train this army".

"Will your Romans be sufficient?", she asked, "we can of course offer those given that task double pay. And we already have experienced men, who only need some retraining. Although I will be sending out the call for more".

"We can, yes. And how many more?"

"I will have to see what we have left now, and who has to be purged. My ancestors, when we were much poorer in men, had over a hundred thousand men", Sextus gasped as she dropped a pause. Such a number was beyond anything the Republic could bring to bear at any one place. "But that takes time to build up. With the klerurchs and machimoi, I can raise some thirty thousand footsoldiers. But they can also be excused in return for a new tax. And intend to recruit that many more from the landless, so we will be raising sixty thousand. And some ten thousand horsemen will also be readied".

Sextus nodded, that was an army larger than any his father had ever commanded: "Of course, and can we keep them in the field?"

"Yes. The treasures are mostly intact, and if we win this war, they can easily be replenished. So Sextus, build me an army worthy of Egypt".

She chuckled for reasons Sextus couldn't fathom. But he didn't care, her laughter was just so beautiful in the morning sun.

 

[Orrorsaness]

Will Egypt voluntarially join Rome? Will Rome join Egypt? What will become of Rome? Find out next time on... Sextus's wild ride!

 

[Orrorsaness]

(Also, are you continuing this?)