“I thought the video was rubbish,” Dennis said.
A partygoer nearby turned to him.
“You have a better version?”
“I do.”
“And you are?”
“Peter Dennis, journalist, I wrote an article on the lance.”
“I see and that makes you an expert.”
“I’d like to think I know a bit on the subject.”
“So do I. I’m the actor who narrated the short documentary.”
Dennis cringed.
“If I’ve offended you I’m sorry.”
“I’d like to hear your version,” the man’s wife said.
“So would I,” said another.
“Ok. Well….” Dennis began to his new audience, ”The spear was originally a Roman legionary standard issue spear belonging to a Roman legionary called Gaius Longinus. Longinus worked with his legion in Judaea until his eyesight began to fade, it actually sounds today like he had cataracts, but of course the Romans would have no way of dealing with this affliction, anyway, sorry I’m going off the point….”
“No it’s very interesting,” one listener said, “please continue.”
“So Longinus is almost blind and ends up only able to perform light duties and one day he gets a task which for him would be life changing, he’s asked to assist in a crucifixion. Now it’s a Friday and the Jewish Sabbath was Saturday so the executions had to be finished by midnight so the Roman tradition was to break the crucified’s legs, unable to support the upper body any longer the condemned would suffocate and die within fifteen to twenty minutes. When it came to Christ’s turn the blind Longinus told his centurion that the man was already dead. To prove it Longinus or his centurion thrust the spear into Christ’s side emitting a flow of blood and water, St John 19;34, The blood splashed Longinus’ eyes and he was cured. ‘This truly is the son of God’ he declares and is converted. Shortly after this he leaves the army and travels the province with his spear telling all he meets his story. Arrested for his faith he angers the Governor and has his teeth and tongue ripped out before he is beheaded and the spear disappears from history.
It reappears some time before 286AD and is carried by a black Roman commander called Maurice during the reign of the emperor Maximian. Maurice’s entire legion, known as the Theban because they were conscripts from Egypt, of six thousand six hundred men were all Christians. This was extremely rare in ancient Roman history. The army was strongly pagan and remained so until the Emperor Constantine. Anyway the Theban legion led by Maurice, Candidus and Exupernis based in the east was ordered to Gaul, that’s France today, to assist with rebels in Burgundy. In Burgundy the legion was joined by the Emperor and once the rebel uprising was quelled the emperor ordered the killing of all civilians. Horrified at these instructions the christian legionaries refused. The Emperor was furious and ordered the legion to be decimated, that being every tenth man to be put to the sword, six hundred, as an example. The rest of the legion were not moved by this and soon the Rhone flowed with the blood of the entire legion. This whole event occurred in Aguanum, Switzerland. St Moritz in Switzerland is named after Maurice.”
Dennis took a sip of his champagne. As all good story tellers he gave his audience time to ingest his knowledge. He noticed the actor whose name he didn’t know was actually listening with great interest. When he was sure they were ready for him to go on he continued.
“Next the spear passed to the Roman Emperor Constantine who carried the spear into battle against the rival Emperor Maxentius on the Milvian bridge over the Tiber in Rome. Losing the battle Maxentius fled with his army and the bridge collapsed and Maxentius drowned. His body was recovered and decapitated Constantine became the sole ruler of the West. Founding the city of Constantinople on the older city of Byzantium Constantine kept the ‘holy lance’ or as it is now known the ‘spear of destiny’ there.
During the reign of the Emperor Otto III in Constantinople, sometime around the year 1000AD a Roman nail was added to the spear. In 1084Ad holy Roman Emperor Henry IV added a silver band. In 1350 Charles IV added a gold band over the silver one. In 1424 Sigismund had relics including the lance moved to Nuremburg.
When the French revolutionary army in 1796 approached Nuremburg the city moved the collection to Vienna, Austria. Many Kings, Popes and Emperors added to it until we end up with what we see today.
The Holy Roman empire was disbanded in 1806 and the treasures remained in the custody of the Hapsburgs.
In 1912 Adolf Hitler saw the spear in the museum in Vienna and from that moment he became obsessed with it. Some say that the only reason he invaded Austria in 1938 was to capture the spear. Hitler kept it in St Catherine’s church in Nuremburg for six years believing the ancient legend that whoever owned the spear could not be defeated and held mystical, magical powers. He truly believed that his Nazi forces were now invincible.”
Dennis paused again to allow his audience to catch up.
“Then on April 30 1945, Hitler and Eva Braun commited suicide as an American Lieutenant Walter William Horn took possession of it. He gave it to American General George S Patton. The rest of the story you all know from the vignette. It was returned by the Americans and today resides back at the Hofburg museum in Vienna, Austria.”
Dennis looked at Natalie.
“What do you think?”
“My head’s buzzing, trying to take it all in.”
“Well I’m sure some of you have some questions you’d like to ask me about the spear and I’ll look forward to answering them but if you’ll excuse me for a minute, I need to use to use the bathroom. Too much to drink,” Dennis said.
“That was fascinating,” the narrator said, “They didn’t include half of that knowledge for my part. I must get a copy of that magazine. Are you his wife?”
“No. Peter and I are a couple. We’re not married.”
“Oh I see. He’s a journalist isn’t he.”
“Yes.”
“And yourself?”
“I’m an archaeologist.”
“Archaeology? That’s wonderful,” the narrator’s wife said, “all adventure and treasure finding. What an exciting life you must lead.”
“Yes it must be a bit Indiana Jones,” the actor cut in.
“It couldn’t be further from the truth,” Natalie replied, “But they are great films aren’t they.”
Dennis was just drying his hands under the air dryer when his I-phone began ringing in his pocket. He fished it out, frowning at the display. It was his editor Tom Rogerson.
“Hi Tom what’s up?”
“Pete. Sorry. I know you’re at the premiere….”
“That’s no problem,” Dennis knew the phone call must be urgent.
“Pete I don’t know if you’ve had a chance to see the news but Gaddafi’s been killed.”
“Which one?”
“What do you mean which one?”
“Well the whole family is called Gaddafi….Oh! You mean ’the’ Gaddafi.”
“Yes I mean ’the’ Gaddafi, Muammar.”
“What happened?”
“He was caught by rebel forces. There was a NATO air strike on a convoy he was travelling in and he and others with him had to abandon their vehicles and they took refuge in a drain and were caught. I’m a bit sketchy about the incident to be honest Pete so I’ve sent the Sky news link to your phone. I know it’s Friday night but when are you next in the office? Is Nat with you?”
“Yes she is. I’m actually in the toilet and as for the office, I did have plans for the weekend. Wouldn’t your usual newspaper reporters cover this event?”
“Yes Pete, that wasn’t why I was ringing you. I want you to do an article for ‘the country’ focusing on the impact these events will have on others lives. Like the one you did after Saddam’s fall. You know the sort of thing. Look I’ll let you go so you can get back to that gorgeous woman. I just wanted you to know so you can keep up with events in Libya over the next few days. Enjoy your weekend, I’ll see you Monday.”