‘I’ll despatch envoys from the Britons who’ve already come over to us to all the tribes and ascertain which chieftains will be willing to pledge themselves to the fool. Sabinus, I want prisoners for Claudius’ triumphant entry into Camulodunum; take your legion west for a month making our presence fully known and then return here with some captives. The Ninth will now remain here where I can keep an eye on them. I’ve left the Twentieth building a bridge across the Tamesis and securing the southern bank from Caratacus. The Second I’ve left the other side of the river ready to head south. So, Vespasian, it now falls to you and not Corvinus to take Verica back to his capital and then secure the Isle of Vectis so that there’s no threat in your rear next season when you start to push west along the coast; do it by negotiation with the King if you can — we need to preserve our troops. But if that fails then invade.
‘I expect Claudius to arrive soon after the calends of September. I want you back here by then with Vectis secure, Verica in place and your legion established as the main force in the south of Britannia.’
CHAPTER XX
‘My nephew will yield,’ Verica assured Vespasian, ‘and once he does he will be completely loyal to Rome.’
Vespasian tightened his grip on the rail as the trireme was again buffeted by a gust of wind in the choppy channel between the mainland and the Isle of Vectis. ‘Do you think so? He’s shown no inclination to be so in the last month of negotiations.’
‘Once honour has been satisfied he will accept Rome.’
‘But to satisfy his honour a good many of my men will have to die?’
Verica shrugged and wiped the drops of salty spray from his face. ‘It’s always been the way of things. Many more of his warriors will die for his honour than will legionaries.’
‘I’m sure they will; but why do it? Why didn’t he just capitulate when I sent envoys offering good terms?’
‘Because I told him not to.’
Vespasian turned to the old King, startled. ‘You did what?’
‘I did what I knew to be the best for everyone as I intend to make Cogidubnus my heir. My people’s blood has been shed fighting for Caratacus at the crossing of the Afon Cantiacii; Cogidubnus and his warriors weren’t there because of his and Caratacus’ hatred for each other. If Cogidubnus were to surrender to Rome without a fight my people would never accept him.’
‘They accepted you back and you came with us.’
‘True, but they did so only grudgingly. Now that Caratacus has been defeated and has fled west the Atrebates and Regni confederation are no longer under his dominion. They have accepted me back as their rightful King who was usurped by Caratacus. However, they resent the fact that I came with Rome and didn’t stand with them against her.’
‘So to secure your position you will make your nephew a hero for resisting Rome and then adopt him as your heir and fuck all the lives that will cost.’
‘Yes, you could put it like that; but the important issue is that my kingdom will be stable and when I die, which will be very soon, there will be a strong successor who will be supportive of Rome. You wouldn’t like the Atrebates and the Regni revolting next year or the year after, cutting off your supply lines as you move west, would you?’
‘No, I wouldn’t.’
‘If this battle doesn’t happen then that’s what you’d have. Both my sons are dead, legate, and my natural heir is my sole grandson, named after me, but he is only in his teens; he’s too young and, besides, he’s lived with me in Rome for the last three years so he doesn’t know my people and they won’t accept him.’
‘Doesn’t he mind being passed over for his cousin?’
‘I haven’t told him yet; but I hope that he will see that it’s for the best. I think he’ll try to make his way in Rome. Along with me, he was given citizenship and equestrian rank and now speaks fluent Latin. At the moment he’s serving as a thin-stripe tribune on Plautius’ staff, perhaps you’ve come across him? Tiberius Claudius Alienus is the Latin name he’s taken.’
‘Alienus? Yes, I’ve seen him; he is young.’
‘And obviously not strong enough to hold my people together under Rome.’
‘And Cogidubnus will be if he can demonstrate that he stood up to Rome?’
‘Yes; this small battle and small loss of life is a price worth paying for that, don’t you think?’
Vespasian looked round at the hundred and fifty men of the first century of the depleted first cohort, kneeling on the deck, wet with spray, looking in apprehension at the island’s shore, now less than a mile away, which, even in the thin dawn light, was visibly defended by a large force. Behind them, clutching their bows, knelt the two contubernia of Hamian auxiliaries that Vespasian had allocated to each ship. How many of these men would be dead within the hour to secure Verica’s kingdom? After a few moments contemplating the hardened faces he realised that, pragmatically, it did not matter how many would die now so long as the goal was achieved and Verica’s chosen heir could be seen as a man who bowed to the superior might of Rome after testing that strength for himself. Rome’s position in Britannia would be stronger for it.
Verica was right, Vespasian mused, as the wind tugged at his cloak: his welcome had been less than enthusiastic. In the month after Corvinus’ arrest, Vespasian had led his legion south, in stages, down through the Atrebates’ heartland; every hill fort, township or village they had come to had opened their gates and submitted to Rome. The warriors had laid down their weapons but Vespasian had permitted them to take them back up so long as they acknowledged Verica as their King who would rule in the Emperor’s name; indeed, he even bore the Emperor’s name, Tiberius Claudius Verica, having been granted citizenship by Claudius whilst he was in Rome. This fealty, however, had not been granted immediately and Verica had been obliged to enter into protracted negotiations with the elders of each settlement before they would consent to accepting back their former King. The pacts had inevitably been settled with a long night’s drinking, each successively taking their toll on the ageing Verica’s health, and in the mornings there had always been fewer warriors coming to reclaim their swords than had deposited them the previous day. Some warriors had been waylaid heading west to Caratacus and they had been sent in chains to Plautius for use in Claudius’ mock victory but a significant number had slipped away to swell the ranks of the defiant chieftain’s growing army.
Verica’s arrival at his power base, Regnum — a port within a natural harbour on the mainland, just to the east of Vectis — had been more triumphant as he was welcomed by his kin of the Regni. The II Augusta’s welcome, however, had not been so warm and both Vespasian and Verica had been forced to work hard at smoothing over relations between the two sides during the following month as the legionaries built a permanent camp and the navy modernised the port. It was at this point that Vespasian had entered into negotiations with Cogidubnus, King of Vectis, for the peaceful surrender of his kingdom, but his overtures had always been thwarted, despite the honourable terms offered and the presence of a large Roman fleet in the Vectis channel.
Now he had been forced to use that fleet to take what Rome demanded he realised why it had not been given freely. He looked sidelong at the wily old King. ‘Why didn’t you tell me that you’d told Cogidubnus not to surrender without a fight? I’ve wasted almost a month in negotiating with him.’
‘I had to have my people see that you were prepared to try and talk peace; had I told you at the beginning you would’ve invaded immediately and Rome would’ve looked like an impetuous aggressor.’ Verica turned his rheumy eyes to Vespasian. ‘You have to understand, young man, that if Rome is to stay here and doesn’t wish to keep four or five legions constantly tied up keeping the tribes subdued, then you must rule with the broad consent of the people and to get that Rome must be seen as powerful and inclusive. And besides, had I told you, you might have had me executed.’