Gaius pushed his way through the gathering crowd that stood outside the west gate of Rome, which had been sealed shout, guarded by a century of city cohorts that forbade entrance. For the thousands of refugees who'd fled into the city seeking refuge, this had caused panic.
The chorus of voices cried out, demanding that they be allowed within the city. This same scene was repeated at each of the city gates, some more violent as the people had been standing outside, undefended and exposed to the elements for days, at least what Gaius had heard since his arrival an hour prior.
Gaius didn't expect to see this many people. He and his men had just returned, crossing over the Tiber River a day ago. Now, after Rome had promised its citizens protection, the city was closed. He had noticed the white smoke that billowed from within the walls when he first arrived as if dozens, if not hundreds, of buildings had been set ablaze. Why, he hoped to find out soon.
As he and his century forced their way towards the gate, the mob swarmed. His men had to form a defensive line around Gaius, holding their shields up and basing away any that dared to challenge them, blocking thousands of fingers that were reaching for Gaius once they realized he was an officer, and could, perhaps, get them access to the city, or worse, held for ransom.
The peoples’ collective voices cried out, demanding help, stating they were hungry, that they had come to Rome for protection, and that it was the Senate's duty to allow them entrance.
“Get back you bloody fools! No entry I said, on orders of the Senate!”
“What is going on here?!" Gaius roared as his men pushed away the people that hung from the gate.
“What in Hades are you doing out there?” The soldier asked with a dumbfounded expression on his blank face. “There aren’t supposed to be any more men outside the city walls. Didn’t you get your orders properly?”
“Are you touched?! Open the bloody gates and allow us in before this crowd has our heads!” Gaius demanded as rocks, clumps of mud and other assorted garbage was thrown at his men with increasing ferocity.
“At once, sir — Open the gates!”
Two dozen guards rallied to the gate and took up formation, interlocking their shields together, ready to repel anyone who dared to follow Gaius and his men through.
Gaius’ men were barely able to hold back the rushing mob that ceased opportunity once they saw the gates were rising, as hundreds of bodies pressed forward.
“Forward, quickly!” Gaius yelled as he and his men rushed through the city gates.
Several dozen people took advantage and ran forward as well, forcing their way through. Their efforts were cut short as the city cohorts attacked them, beating anyone they grabbed with clubs before pushing them back outside. The larger mass of people met with the Roman formation once Gaius and his century were safe. They bashed blunted swords against their shields as they carefully marched.
Some of the bravery men challenged the approaching Romans, urging those behind them to try their best to overwhelm the guards, but most, fearful of bruise and broken bones, after watching other refugees beaten down, decided against heeding the encouragement from those in front.
Moments later, the savage beating of already sickly and starving refugees began as the city guards easily manhandled the mob back outside the gates, before the heavy iron bars came crashing down. Those that were still trapped inside, were rustled to the ground, their foreheads bloodied, arms broken, crying out in pain as they were dragged away.
“What the hell is going on here? Why are the gates sealed, and these people forced to suffer beyond our walls?” Gaius demanded between heavy breaths.
“I apologies, sir but two day ago the Senate declared martial law, recalling all soldiers beyond the walls back into the city, and the gates to be sealed until further notice. I wasn’t aware that any of our men were left outside during the recall,” the guard captain reported.
“We’ve only just returned from the north. Now tell me, why would the Senate do such a thing as forbade these people entrances into the city? Do you know what they have already endured? For crying out loud, man, there are thousands left along the road leading to Rome, dead, food for the birds.” Gaius could not hold back his disgust. He had promised those he escorted that Rome would be haven for them, that the Senate would embrace them and bandage their wounds. However, the sight upon reaching the city, and the fowl stench within Rome’s walls, made him sick to his stomach.
“I am sorry, sir. After the riots, which left much of the city in ruins, the Senate did what it felt was best.”
“Why then do the people riot?” Gaius asked, dreading what his gut was telling him. Rumors had already reached him, which he prayed to the gods couldn’t be true. However, from the sorrowfully stare from the guard captain; he knew the truth before a word was uttered.
“Trasimene, sir — Flaminius’ legions, all of them, to the last man — they are gone — thirty thousand men, just gone.”
“My word…” Gaius could hardly contain himself. He felt weak in the knees, his mind struggling to comprehend what his ears were hearing. So many men…The Sixth…Valerius, all gone,
“What about survivors?” Gaius asked.
The guard captain scratched his head, seemingly trying to remember.
“There have been a few trickling in, here and there. Even so, the Carthaginians have been hunting them down, slaughtering them like wild game, or so I’ve heard. Needless to say, when the word reached the mob, well, they acted like anyone would, I suppose. They rioted, nearly burning down the Senate House. Damn near a quarter of the city went up in flames. Those few days, well, I’m glad you weren’t here to see it, sir. I don’t enjoy putting the sword to our people, but orders are orders.”
The guard captain sighed heavily as he spoke again.
“Will there be anything else, sir?”
“No. Thank you. Carry on,” Gaius answered. The captain saluted and then rushed off, barking orders at his men as they continued to hold back the mass of people beyond the gates. Gaius hoped, but knew it was wishful thinking that this same scene wasn’t repeated at every entrance to Rome.
“Well, what do we do now,” Maurus asked, having overheard the entire conversation.
Gaius wasn’t too sure. He had been hoping to rejoin Valerius and Sixth Legion up north, but that was obviously out of the question now. At the moment, however, only one other person came to mind.
“I need more answer as to what is going on. Come, gather the men, we march, now,” Gaius replied.
The streets were nearly empty save for a few citizens who ran, with fear as they saw Gaius and his men marching down the narrow road. It was eerie. He was used to the volume of business and trade that normally occupied every block, but what greeted him was empty shops and boarded-up windows. Soldiers were everywhere, patrolling with orders to take anyone into custody that were out passed the curfew, or looting those shops that were abandoned or burnt-out.
Gaius understood the reasoning behind the riots well enough. Two armies sent north, tens of thousands of men and two consuls, dead, left to freeze in waning winter months before the thaw. The mob wanted answers as to why their fathers and sons would never come home — what was the Senate going to do, and how would it protect Rome from Hannibal, who was fast become a man of mythical standing. However, the sights that Gaius witnessed, the stacks of dead, piled up like winter logs on carts, the smell of lingering death and burnt wood, and the sense of sorrow and hopelessness was overpowering. Rome felt like a blotted corpse — a defeated city, and Hannibal wasn’t even within sight of its walls.
For the moment, Gaius’ only concern was checking on his friends. He prayed every step he made that Antonyand Julia were safe. Had they left Rome before the riots, or had they endured? These questions plagued him without end until finally, he saw his destination as, he, and his men marched around the block, and turned down the street that led to Varro’ estate.
Gaius’ eyes opened wide as instinctively his right hand fell to the hilt of his sword, when he saw two dozen men, armed, standing outside the home of Antony and Julia. With them were several more slaves as they moved an assortment of furnishings, statues and other personal items into horse-drawn wagons.
“Looters, you suspect?” Maurus asked as he saw Gaius’ sudden reaction.
“I do not know. However, they don’t look too friendly. Stand ready on my mark. I don’t want to give them a moment to act if this should turn bad.”
“Never fear, my friend, we have the numbers,” Maurus mussed.
“Numbers haven’t worked so far in our favor,” Gaius added.
The steady marching of his men quickly drew the attention of the armed men around the home of Senator Varro. Their leader, a tall broad-shouldered man, shaved head and numerous scars, most likely a former gladiator, eased his hand over his sword, watching with careful attention as Gaius and his century came closer.
Many of the big man’s men weren’t as seasoned, or ready for a fight. Some seemed panic by the sight of a hundred Romans marching towards them, but still, more than a few stood ready to fight if one was called for.
“I am Centurion Lucius Gaius of the Sixth Legion,” Gaius called out with a firm and commanding voice, one that showed nothing of his apprehension. “And I am looking for the master of this house, or his children.”
The leader of the gang sneered as he stood firmly between Gaius and the entrance into the house. Smoothly, not quickly, he drew his sword, but held it down in a relaxed position. Gaius in return did not order his men to draw their weapons, even though many of his boys were edgy about drawing their iron.
“You can look, Centurion Lucius Gaius, but you cannot see,” the gang leader replied with a strong hint of distaste in his voice.
It was then that Gaius wondered if these men weren’t here to rob Varro’ home, but hired to protect it. If so, a hundred Roman soldiers marching toward the front gate could be seen as an act to arrest Varro, who would be paying these men to keep him safe. So, Gaius eased himself, controlling his next words so not to sound too threatening, but still remained firmed in his determination to get through those gates.
“I am not here to harm the senator or his family. I seek an audience with them, to ensure that they are safe. Now, kindly move aside before bloodshed is required,” the threat was purposeful, which got the reaction he was hoping from a number of the opponents as they seemed to shiver at the prospect of fighting well trained soldiers.
The gang leader smiled as he leveled his sword, aiming its point at Gaius. This action caused nearly all of his men, those most eager for a fight, and not fearful of Roman soldiers, to draw their weapons.
There was nothing Gaius could do to stop his men from responding, as a hundred swords were pulled, save for his own. He did not want blood to be shed, but he doubted words were going to work against this man either.
“The senator has all the protection he needs. Now, be gone with you, before I carve my name in your pretty young face.”
The threat was implied, and Gaius knew this man would not allow him to say another word before a sword came at his head. There was only one course for him to take right now — he needed to see Antony and Julia — he promised to keep her safe, and a gang of thugs weren’t going to stop him from keeping that oath.
A voice called out, distracting everyone’s attention away from the conflict.
“Enough! Stop this madness, at once! Move aside you bloody fool, now I say!”
Gaius realized it was Antony’s voice before he saw his friend push his way between the hired goons.
“By the grace of Jupiter almighty, Gaius, you’re alive!” Antony cried out as he rushed over and embraced his old friend, throwing his arms around him without holding back his joyful emotions.
“What is happening here, Antony?” Gaius demanded as he nodded his question toward the big lug that stood before him.
Antony glanced back and leered at the gang, unable to hold back his anger.
“Lower your damn weapons, I command you! Who do you think you are raising swords against a Roman officer?!"
“We are only doing the job your father paid us to do,” the gang leader replied, but he did as he was told as he withdrew his weapon, but clearly unpleased about Antony’s tone of voice.
“Ignore them, Gaius, they are goons hired by my father to safeguard our home and us from the rioters — mindless dogs, nothing more. Come, bring your men inside.” Antony waved his hand violently at the gang leader as if he was shooing a fly from his path, before he led Gaius and his century into the courtyard of his father’s home.
“Bring water, and food for these men, at once!” Antony demanded to a group of slaves who were busy moving furnisher from the house. They dropped what they were doing and ran off, gathering more help as they carried out Antony’s demands without question.
“What is going on here, Antony?” Gaius asked.
Antony sighed deeply as the first group of slaves brought back buckets of water and fresh-baked bread. Maurus took command as he directed the men to corners of the large courtyard, while issuing twenty men to stand watch by the front entrance, clearly none-too-trusting of the gang beyond the walls.
“My father, he is running, like many noblemen have done over the past few days. He is packing our stuff and moving us to our country estate where we can be better protected, or so he would hope.”
“You are no safer out there, not with Hannibal and his horde running about unopposed,” Gaius commented.
“I know, but there seems no place safe, regardless. He acts out of fear, nothing more.”
“It is that bad?” Gaius asked.
“I’m afraid it is worse,” Antony shook his head. “Once word reached the city about Flaminius’ death and the defeat of his army, the people demanded answers from the Senate. However, those old fools had no answers to give. Some ran, fleeing for their own estates, or heading elsewhere out of Italy. The people, well, they just went mad.”
Antony closed his eyes as he recalled what he had seen.
“By the gods, Gaius, our own soldiers were slaughtering people in the streets, in droves. I barely escaped the madness myself.”
“Then, the Senate must call more legions from the frontier to safeguard Rome,” Gaius spoke, more demanding, as if he was in the Senate addressing its members.
“It is not that simply, I’m afraid. While the Senate is taken Hannibal seriously now, the bloody Macedonians have started a rebellion. What capable legions we have in Greece are forced to remain there to safeguard our settlements there, and our grain shipments, or else we all starve, Hannibal or no Hannibal.”
Antony led Gaius into his home. To his amazement, the place, which had been pristine upon his first visit months before, was sorry, as the floors were filthy, caked with layers of muddy footprints. Most of the furnisher was gone, as well as the potted plants, marble statues, the family death masks that dominated the far wall, and even the gold tiling had been removed from the floor.
Antony sat down on one of the few chairs that remained in the house, as a slave brought him a cup of honey wine. Gaius, on the other hand, refused his drink, and chose to remain standing as he tried to wrap his mind around the information he had learned in the past hour.
“Then we must do something. We must reform the legions from the survivors, draft new soldiers from the country, hell, and even empty the dungeons if we must. With winter almost over, we won’t have much time before Hannibal has enough supplies to launch his full offensive on Rome,” Gaius spoke, practically yelling as if he expected it was within Antony’s doing to carry out the suggesting he was making.
“And then what? Who will lead them into battle? We don’t’ have an affective government right now. Brand new consuls must be voted into office. And then what should we do, lead the fresh legions to their slaughter? I’m afraid it isn’t as simple as you may wish it to be so, my friend.” Antony rubbed his index finger across his brow, before he took several long swings of his wine.
“You mean well, my friend. I know. However, you haven’t been in Rome to know the whole picture,” Antony added.
“No, I’ve been out there, bleeding for Rome,” Gaius shot back.
Antony couldn't resist smiling.
“Oh, how I wish we had ten thousand men just like you, Gaius. We could conquer the world if we tried.”
“I’m only interested in saving the Republic,” Gaius replied.
“As am I. However, until someone steps up for the task, I’m afraid there is little that can be done right now but wait and let the river take us where it may.”
Gaius finally sat down, and then took a long, deep breath before letting it out. As he ran his palm through is growing hair, it was only when he pulled it back that he noticed the grit and filth from his scalp.
“I’ve seen things you wouldn’t believe, and I’m not speaking of the battles or the men I’ve killed." Gaius’ words trailed when he said, killed, as if he had only just then understood that he had taken lives — men who might be fathers, doing what they believed was right.
Antony lessened carefully as Gaius continued.
“The men who fight for Hannibal, his barbarians, and…” Gaius did not know how to form the right words for what he’d seen at the estate further north, now a full week past. “The things they’ve done to our people — women, children, even the fucking slaves; you couldn’t believe if I told you.”
“The Senate has heard the reports,” Antony added.
“Not like this,” Gaius’ words fell silent as, he pulled out from his purse that hung from his waist the ring he pulled from the charred corpse of Decima Felix Titus, where he held the small object tightly in his hand.
After a long pause, Gaius’ thoughts returned from the lingering horrors he had seen. He turned his attention back towards Antony and spoke with an unfamiliar firm tone.
“The Senate may be filled with cowards, and you may even want to surrender,” Gaius directed his angry words at Antony, speaking to him as if he represented the whole Senate. “But I've lost too many good friends to allow what I’ve seen done to our people to go unpunished.” Gaius stood abruptly, clinching his fists shut once he tossed the gold ring of Titus to Antony, who caught it, unknowing why Gaius had given it to him.
“You need to understand; Hannibal doesn’t want to defeat Rome or topple the Republic, but he desires to destroy us, all of us, so that our names may never be spoken again, for all history. I fear that even Carthage won’t be able to pull him back.”
“You cannot make this war personal, Gaius,” Antony said as he struggled to understand what his friend had gone through.
“Tell that to those people beyond our city gates, or the widows and orphans of our fallen brothers.”
Gaius was about to leave when he stopped, as he saw Julia standing in the doorway, blocking his exit.
She had just walked in, and dropped the package she had been carrying, as apples rolled across the dirty floor. Her eyes quickly began to water as she first uttered, “Gaius,” before she cried out his name once more, and rushed over to him, throwing herself into his waiting arms.