“Hey, don’t think you have to do this alone,” he remarked. “You can delegate some of your duties to your more competent troops. Magnus is probably your best bet. Decimus is good, too, though he lacks Magnus’ ambition. And if you need anything, you know where to find me.”
Artorius nodded in reply. “Funny you should mention that. Macro said the same thing. In fact, he directed me to have Magnus act as section leader while I train up for the Legion Champion Tournament. Of course, I’m sure he will be one of my primary sparring partners, so his days will be full as well.”
“He will manage,” the tesserarius replied. “I know you are new to the position, but it is never too early to start training your successor.”
“So how are your new duties?” Artorius asked, wanting to shift the subject off himself.
Statorius shrugged. “I spend a lot of time with Flaccus. He was tesserarius for more than seven years, so he knows the position better than any. And speaking of which, I have to get this over to him and then it’s time to do my patrol of the rampart sentries.” With a wave he dismissed the sergeant. Artorius left without a word. As he walked out the door, he saw Praxus was there waiting for him.
“Statorius chew on your backside a bit?” he asked.
“No,” Artorius laughed, reviewing his notes as he walked, “though I thought for certain he was going to, for whatever reason.”
“He expects a lot of you, as does everyone else.”
Artorius stopped reading and looked at him.
Praxus was quick to explain. “Because of your extra duties, you get paid more than the rest of us section leaders. For example, Rufio has been in the army for over fourteen years, four as a decanus, yet with your incentive pay you make about a third more than he does. Statorius’ way of thinking, the highest paid sergeant needs to be the one who sets the highest standards. And to be quite frank, I agree with him.”
Artorius nodded. “Believe me, they make certain I earn that incentive pay. I’m just glad Vitruvius kept good notes. Otherwise, I’d be completely lost as chief weapons instructor.”
“Oh, come on! Why do I have latrine duty next month?” Carbo complained.
“Keep whining and you will have it every day for the next six months,” Artorius answered. He was mildly irritated and was in no mood to put up with any of the incessant bickering and complaining that usually followed after the duty roster was posted.
“Better yet, spend less time getting drunk and learn a skill so that you don’t have to show up on the duty roster anymore,” Decimus taunted.
This elicited a string of colorful profanities from Carbo. Decimus’ schedule for working in the leather shops, a skill which had given him his immune status, as well as incentive pay, was given to Artorius at the start of each month by the primus ordo who supervised all of the legion’s specialists.
Artorius shook his head and left the room. He noticed that Magnus was not in the barracks. Not that it mattered. Magnus was the least likely to complain about anything, no matter how unpleasant. Artorius figured that was why he did not like the thought of giving the less desirable details to his old friend. Old friend. The term sat hard with him. Though Magnus was one of his closest companions, he had to make it a point to not show favoritism towards him. Everyone knew the two were best of friends, However, Artorius could never allow it to show when it came to things such as assigning duties, otherwise he would lose the confidence and trust of his soldiers.
It certainly wasn’t easy adapting to the change from legionary to sergeant.
However, it was something he was just going to have to get used to. He would need to talk to Magnus soon. He had yet to tell him about Macro elevating him to immune status. Artorius smiled at how ecstatic Magnus would be, particularly when it came to the extra pay.
While the decanii of the Second Century had been at their meeting, centurions and options of the entire cohort were in a meeting of their own. There were six eighty-man centuries within the cohort, which fell under command of the centurion pilus prior, who also commanded the First Century. Valerius Proculus was the pilus prior for the Third Cohort, and had been for some years. A veteran soldier in his forties, his gray hair was just starting to recede from his forehead.
“As you all are fully aware,” he began, “it has been some time since we last crossed the Rhine in any force to let the barbarians know we are still here.”
The centurions and options nodded in agreement. All had fought against Arminius, the hated war chief of the Cherusci who had orchestrated the Teutoburger Wald disaster eleven years previously. Centurion Platorius Macro, Commander of the Second Century, had survived that disaster. The campaigns against Arminius had been fierce and brutal, many thousands of barbarians paying the ultimate price for their treachery. Though Arminius himself had eluded capture, the Cherusci were completely shattered and had scattered to the winds. The Battle of Idistaviso, near the Weser River, had broken his army; the assault on the Angrivarii stronghold annihilated his people.
“The commanding general thinks it is time for us to reconnoiter east of the Rhine,” Proculus continued, “so that we may not only show our presence to the Germans, but also see to it that they are not massing against us again.”
“How large of a force are we talking about?” Centurion Vitruvius asked.
“No more than three cohorts,” Proculus answered. “Command feels that any more than that will provoke the locals into thinking we are invading again. Our cavalry assets are few, and they are constantly taxed to the limit as it is. Hence, the task has fallen on us. We will move across the Rhine in ten days. From there we will split off, all centuries moving on line, each taking an assigned sector as you can see on this map.”
“Sir, will that not leave us exposed to attack?” the Optio from the Fifth Century asked.
“Possibly,” Proculus answered, “which is why we must make contact with the local tribal chiefs as soon as possible and gage from them the demeanor of their people. They also need to understand that it is their responsibility to keep the fanatics in check. We must make certain that they understand any hostile act towards us will be construed as an act of war, and will be followed by another full-scale invasion. It has only been four years since Idistaviso. While there may be some who wish for the opportunity to spill our blood, there are many more who remember all too well the consequences.”
Macro sat back in his chair, arms folded, brooding over what was being proposed. While the risks were there, he completely agreed with Proculus’ assessment. He was curious to see how things had or had not changed since they crossed back to the west of the Rhine four years earlier. This mission would be much different than their last; one of reconnaissance and information gathering. There would a lot fewer of them this time as well. He still detested the barbarians. The horror of Teutoburger Wald never fully left him. It was a pity this wasn’t another invasion. A part of him hoped the Germans would become openly hostile toward Roman soldiers crossing the Rhine. An opportunity to slay a few more of the bastards would not be unwelcome.
Tiberius sat before the assembled Senate. Piso stood with his defense counsel off to one side. The defendant stared at him the entire time, though the Emperor pretended not to notice.
“Piso,” Tiberius spoke, “was my father’s representative and friend and was appointed by myself, on the advice of the Senate, to assist Germanicus in the administration of the East. Whether he provoked the young prince by willful opposition and rivalry, and had rejoiced at his death or wickedly destroyed him, is for you to determine with minds unbiased. Certainly if a subordinate oversteps the bounds of duty and of obedience to his commander, and has exulted in his death and in my affliction, I shall hate him and exclude him from my house, and I shall avenge a personal quarrel without resorting to my power as Emperor. If, however, a crime is discovered which is punishable, whoever the murdered man may be, it is for you to give just reparation both to the children of Germanicus and to us, his parents.