The Company Of Gods

By Errol D. Kaighin

Three weeks after the disaster of Cannae (216BCE), a small company of Roman soldiers is dispatched by ship to Eryx in north west Sicily to bring back the goddesses Mens and Venus Erycina to Rome. This was in accordance with the advice obtained after consulting the Sybelline Books, that the Republic needs their divine aid if it is to survive.. On the return journey, their ship encounters a small Punic fleet and Scipio, the leader of the company, orders that the Hesperus be beached on the rocky coast. They manage to elude possible pursuit from the enemy by fleeing south, rather than north towards Elea, their nearest refuge. The following day, by making a wide sweep to the west and then turning north, they manage to get within striking distance of Elea. The company rescues a group of Roman actors led by their player-manager, Plautus, when the players are being attacked by Numidian horsemen. Scipio allows the players to join his company though he means to leave them at Elea if and when they can reach that town. But both Elea and Paestum, the town forty miles to the north of Elea, are wavering in their alliance with the Republic and if the company fails in its mission to bring the goddesses to Rome, the city may fall.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Errol D. Kaighin
• Release date: Mar 15, 2014
• ISBN: 9781310105678

Book preview

The Company of Gods

Errol D. Kaighin

Smashwords Edition

Copyright 2014 Errol D. Kaighin

This book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person please purchase another copy for each recipient, If you are reading this book or did not purchase it or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to your favourite ebook retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

To

The nurses and staff

of the

Albany Health Campus

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Chapter One: Plautus

Chapter Two: The Vale

Chapter Three: Night March

Chapter Four: To Elea

Chapter Five: Amynta

Chapter Six: Athena's Temple

Chapter Seven: The Chief Archon

Chapter Eight: The Fishing Boat

Chapter Nine: The Plan

Chapter Ten: Lucius

Chapter Eleven: News

Chapter Twelve: The Bit Player

Chapter Thirteen: A Triumph

Chapter Fourteen: Miles Gloriosus

Chapter Fifteen: Iola

Chapter Sixteen: The Venus

Chapter Seventeen: The New Governor

Chapter Eighteen: Charis

Chapter Nineteen: The Tiber

Notes

Chapter One

Plautus

The march from the ruined Lucanian village had begun five hours ago, just after first light. The previous night Scipio had been keen to avoid possible pursuit by soldiers from the small Carthaginian fleet. He felt certain the fleet’s commander would have put ashore parties of men to capture the passengers and crew from the beamy Roman trading vessel that the Punic ships had so nearly caught yesterday evening. When the identity of the four triremes advancing from the north had become suspect, only the prompt and desperate measure of running the Hesperus ashore on the rocky coast had preserved the freedom of Scipio’s company.

The second war with Carthage had begun scarcely three years ago in Spain, some twenty two years after the ending of the first. This had resulted in a series of calamitous defeats for Rome when Hannibal invaded northern Italy after crossing the Alps, culminating in the disaster at Cannae in the south six weeks earlier where a Roman army of eighty thousand men had been destroyed. But the appearance of this tiny Punic fleet was a thing almost as shocking as the recent defeat; Rome had not lost the dominance of the seas it had gained in the first Punic war so how could the enemy be able to patrol Italy's south western coast with seeming impunity?

Three weeks earlier, the Hesperus had been sent from Rome to Eryx, on Sicily’s north western coast, specifically to beg, buy or seize the two ancient bronze images of the goddesses, Venus and Mens and bring them back to the city .This was in accordance with a prophesy in the Sybelline books that their presence was necessary for Rome’s eventual victory. At one time Eryx had been under Carthaginian control and Venus had been worshipped as the goddess Tanit; the other Roman goddess, Mens, the personification of Mind and Good Sense, was considered by the Romans to be another aspect of Venus. She too had been worshipped by the Punic invaders but as a new goddess in their pantheon. Since both goddesses had been venerated by the Carthaginians, in one way Scipio’s whole mission, the bringing of the images back to Rome, could be regarded as an abduction of two Punic deities. Also, during the last war with Carthage when the Romans had captured Eryx, they had been besieged for months and their successful resistance had brought about the end of hostilities. The goddess had been the symbol of that resistance and became known as Venus Erycina. Already on the Capitol in Rome, the building of two new sanctuaries for Venus Erycina and Mens which the dictator, Quintus Fabius Maximus had ordered prepared, must be nearing completion.

The fugitive company which Scipio now commanded was composed of his original command, a centurion and forty five soldiers and included eight crewmen from the ship and one priest of Mens. They now stood waiting in column for their scout on the other side of the valley to signal that the way was clear. In spite of the Roman party being encumbered with a variety of baggage - the bronze images of Venus and Mens, the two scorpion artillery engines from the Hesperus’ fore and after decks, their own individual equipment which included back packs - the fugitives had made good progress from the wreck. Indeed so much ground had been made that before the Carthaginians could come ashore in pursuit, the Romans were sufficiently far away to hide the fact that Scipio had led his party to the south and away from their more likely goal, the polis of Elea, a town allied to Rome only thirty miles up the coast to the north. An hour after their flight began, in the rear a thick column of smoke had plumed into the darkening sky; its source the Romans had little doubt was the burning timbers of the Hesperus.

Now Scipio’s command had to cross a small valley whose floor was less than a mile broad. It might seem that there was little peril in this but now, six weeks after their catastrophic defeat at Cannae, Romans venturing outside city walls were fearful of roving bands of Numidian horsemen who would suddenly appear and utterly destroy the unwary. From his vantage on the hilltop on the southern side of the valley near its eastern mouth, Scipio examined the flatter landscape to the east. Instead of cultivated fields and herds of animals grazing quietly in a peaceful countryside, all now lay desolate; several blackened spots with heaps of rubble showed where farmhouses had once stood and the fields were full of weeds, some already over head high and turning to straw. There were no sign of human activity anywhere. It was hard to tell which side of the conflict had caused the most of this destruction. Two years before, Quintus Fabius had been appointed dictator following the disaster of Lake Trasimene where Hannibal defeated and killed the Consul Flaminius and his army. He had ordered the general destruction of the countryside throughout Italy in order to deny sustenance to Hannibal’s army. Some four miles away to the north east, a large patch of blackened ground was visible; a sizable village had once stood there or perhaps even a small town. The dirt road to Capua could just be seen as a dark straight line through the fields of weeds, its nearest point was temptingly, just three miles away. It was extraordinary to consider that scarcely three years ago Scipio would have unhesitatingly followed that road northward to where it joined the Via Appian and then back to Rome without a qualm, confident of the power and reach of the Roman state. But that was before Hannibal and his army had erupted into Italy after crossing the Alps.

Appius, Scipio’s second in command who gone ahead to find the easiest way down to the valley floor now returned and, ignoring the stilled column of soldiers, clambered up the slope to join his young commander who stood on the hill’s highest point; Scipio was just twenty but had already survived three major battles. Despite his fifty years, Appius still looked fit and there was no lack of breath as he said; I’ve found the route Lucius spoke of. Since he still hasn’t signalled, perhaps we should call a meal break.

The soldiers were already taking surreptitious sips from their water bottles but no one had actually taken off their packs or broken rank as they stood waiting with grounded shields for the decision of their leaders; Scipio had no doubt that it was the fact that he and Appius still wore their backpacks that had preserved discipline in the company. Though, in the middle of the column, the eight crewmen from the Hesperus were now sitting beside the two bronze images swathed in cloth that they had been carrying on litters of canvas stretched between two poles. With this group sat Mendocles, the priest of Mens, who was still wearing his own smaller pack and his usual straw hat to protect his tonsured head from the hot, late summer sun, with his satchel of medical supplies at his side. He was talking quietly to Tullius, the master of the Hesperus, who was looking considerably less anxious than he had been earlier that morning as Scipio had reassured him that he would, personally, ensure that he was fully compensated for the loss of his ship if the Roman state didn’t. Further back in the waiting column, the six soldiers bearing the four parts of the two scorpions and the two bags of bolts had set their burdens down while they waited patiently with the rest of their comrades – an action which Marcus, the subleader, had sensibly chosen to overlook.

No. We’ll wait a little longer. Scipio looked across the valley to the hill opposite where some minutes ago he had seen the distant figure of Lucius, their scout, crossing its summit and disappearing down the other side. Lucius was actually Scipio’s optio, or adjutant, but familiarity with the countryside around Elea and Paestum had forced him into his present role of scout. Lucius knew of a route across the hills to Elea, or rather a series of tracks, mostly used by shepherds. This would enable the company to avoid using the dirt road to reach the side road that led off to Elea.

They were again thirty miles distant from Elea but now at a spot seven miles to the east of where they had landed yesterday. The extent of their present danger depended upon whether the encounter with the Punic ships had been accidental or had this been a deliberate attempt at interception. If the latter, then the enemy must have learned of the mission which Scipio had been entrusted with by the dictator, Quintus Fabius, and of its importance. A former dictator of Rome, Fabius had been reappointed dictator because of the disaster at Cannae. One of his first acts had been to appoint Scipio a tribune and to lead a company of forty five soldiers to voyage to Eryx and remove from there the famous images of Venus and Mens and bring them back to Rome. Scipio had been pleased at the appointment for it gave him a chance to redeem the dishonour he felt at surviving the recent battle at Cannae; he had been driven from the field with the remnants of the Roman cavalry leaving the ordinary soldiers to be slaughtered. If yesterday’s encounter had been a deliberate attempt at destroying his mission then there was likely to be parties of soldiers from the Punic ships still out searching for them. If the divine aid that Fabius had promised would come to Rome with the arrival of the two goddesses – as seemingly prophesied in the Sibylline books - was destroyed before it could reach the city then that could well prove the final blow to public confidence. Even as things stood, it was doubtful if the Republic could survive much longer with the loss of its army and the legions of its allies; already several city states, including Capua, had gone over to Hannibal and others were teetering on the edge of switching sides. Many of the formerly autonomous city states of Magna Graeca, which had lost their own independence with the withdrawal of Pyrrhus and his forces from southern Italy sixty years ago, were now weighing up the chances of their own individual survivals if they broke their alliances with Rome. And with the presence of this small, enemy fleet, it seemed as though Rome was also losing command of the sea.

Lucius is returning.

Appius’ deep voice broke the sequence of Scipio’s gloomy thoughts. From over the crest of the hill across the valley, a dark figure had appeared and moments later came a single flash of sunlight from the piece of polished bronze which the scout was wielding. Lucius had just returned to duty after recovering from wounds suffered at the battle of Lake Trasimene where he had fought with exceptional courage. Scipio had chosen him as optio, a junior officer, setting him on the first rung of a ladder that should lead to rapid promotion which his bravery deserved.

Scipio turned and called down to the subleader, Marcus; Signifer!

Marcus had scarcely finished ordering the standard- bearer to join his two leaders before another signal flash came from the scout’s bronze mirror; single flashes meant that the way was clear. The signifer arrived on the hill-top moments later bearing the company’s makeshift standard. The original vexillum had been lost overboard while the signifer was manning one of the sweeps when the Hesperus was wrecked, so a section of cloth (taken from Scipio’s red tribune’s cloak) and marked on each side with a burned stick with the letters S.P.Q.R. had been attached to the top of a stout hasta.

Scipio nodded towards the figure of the distant scout across the valley from whence another flash of light now came. Acknowledge.

The signifer raised his spear and slowly waved the flag from side to side. After a moment Lucius seemed to wave back before the scout turned away and began to walk towards the hill’s eastern side. From there he would be able to watch over the approaches to the valley. Although a Roman citizen, he had been born in Paestum, forty miles to the north of Elea and was familiar with this area.

It seems we are not pursued, Scipio remarked as he nodded dismissal to the signifer. The veteran saluted before he retraced his steps down the slope to rejoin the waiting column. Scipio idly watched him go as he wondered yet again how many of the veterans serving in the ranks of the Roman army could make better leaders than their own present commanders; most would, he suspected. Certainly it would not have been hard to improve upon the leadership of the two consuls, Varro and Paulus, who had led the legions to slaughter at Cannae.

Perhaps they’re waiting for us near Elea, Appius suggested, catching the note of whimsy in Scipio’s comment.

That’s very likely, Scipio agreed. Now, see if we can get across this valley in under an hour and get safely up onto that hill. It was prudent for the company to keep to high ground with bands of enemy horsemen roaming about.

After a final look of the landscape towards the east, the two leaders made their way down to the waiting company and got the column under way again. Without complaint the sailors took up their two burdens and marched in step with the soldiers. Last night, two hours after darkness had fallen when the company had stopped its flight so as to camp in the ruined village, the sailors had been very disheartened but Scipio’s promise to their captain had now restored their spirits. As Scipio had observed during his time on board the Hesperus, they were a close-knit group – witness Captain Tullius’ readiness to bear his part in carrying the statues - so it was safe to assume that if he were paid his crew would be too.

With the stocky figure of Appius leading the way, the company wound its way through trees and bushes down the steep slopes of the hillside to reach the valley floor. There had been plentiful rain earlier in the season and the weeds had grown to head high. Scipio kept to the rear watching their back trail. The valley seemed to be closed at its western end so the chief danger would come from its open, eastern side facing the dirt road. Once the company had arrived at the valley floor, it was assembled into three ranks of three abreast and it started on the crossing, unfortunately leaving a clear trail of trodden-down weeds which even a blind man could follow. Scipio gritted his teeth and left unuttered several oaths which sprang to mind. After making a bee-line for the opposite hill and when more than half-way across, the ground started to rise slightly, Appius led the column to the left so as to avoid a small mound. A sudden flash of light ahead came from the hilltop they were making for; this was followed rapidly by two more and after a slight pause this sequence of three flashes was repeated.

That signal meant that Lucius had sighted horsemen and Scipio pushed his way through the slowing column till he reached Appius at its head.

Make for the west side of the rise then we’ll try to see what’s happening.

Yes, Tribune. Appius saluted with raised forearm and called out; Column will follow me.

Many of the men had recognised the signal and word was spreading through the ranks. It lent alacrity to the column as it followed Appius. After Cannae, it was the greatest fear of any Roman soldier that he and his comrades might be caught in open order by a troop of enemy cavalry. At the battle, Numidian horsemen had got into the right flanks of the Roman lines and hamstrung hundreds of soldiers by a slash to the back of their thighs with their swords. After the battle had ended, the Carthaginians had stripped the helpless soldiers of weapons and armour and left them for the crows.

The distance to their immediate goal was only a hundred feet but most members of the column were panting as they reached it. Scipio ordered: Company will form a square! Ballistari! Assemble the scorpions!

The drills that he and Appius had instilled into the company on the voyage to Eryx now paid off; with only minor confusion and a little pushing from Marcus, the soldiers arranged themselves into a small square; each of the them was equipped with helmet, cuirass, shield and hasta; their swords were of the gladius type, a short stabbing blade meant for close in fighting. In the centre of the square the six artillery men were assembling the two scorpions while Marcus had positioned himself a little apart from them, trying to control the whole scene; Mendocles was also in the centre, ready to care for the wounded.

Scipio took all this in with a single glance then walked up the slight rise, followed by Appius. They both removed their red crested helmets before venturing close to the top; from here they were afforded an extensive view which went well beyond the valley opening some fifteen hundred feet away.

Make no sudden moves, Appius cautioned the tribune.

The tribune felt no annoyance at being reminded by his deputy that abrupt movement draws the eye. Appius had served as Scipio’s parent’s military advisor for many years and had survived the battle at Ticinus where the tribune’s father, Consul P. Cornelius Scipio, had been defeated by Hannibal and badly wounded. Appius’ wealth of military experience was the very reason Scipio had summoned him out of retirement when given this mission by Fabius. With no sign of any horseman at the mouth of the valley, Scipio directed his gaze further out to where the distant dirt road lay hidden behind fields of tall weeds that rippled in the slight wind.

Suddenly Appius grasped his arm and whispered urgently; To the left.

Made cautious by his deputy’s tone, Scipio slowly turned his head towards the left and froze as he saw a line of Numidian horsemen just turning into the mouth of the valley from the north. Fortunately, the line ended when the twentieth horseman appeared; so their number was small but they were scarcely two thousand feet distant riding close to the north side of the valley. They seemed to be following a trail since most the riders were examining the ground very carefully. They wore no armour beyond a simple helm but each had a small round shield, a javelin and a sword belted at his waist. Their horses, ridden without saddles, were scarcely more than ponies but were hardy beasts being inured to the deserts of Numidia. As one, Scipio and Appius slowly sank down till their heads were below the vegetation then the tribune turned towards the recently formed square of soldiers and made frantic downward motions with his hand. Marcus understood at once and with whispered orders - and as much by signs - instructed the soldiers in the square to sink down onto one knee. This was also a well rehearsed drill but one meant to used shortly before receiving a cavalry charge; consequently, Marcus had to rush around the square pushing down spear points that were held at an upward slant ready to receive the enemy.

How many of them are there? Scipio asked his deputy in a whisper.

I make it twenty, was the equally low voiced reply.

This agreed with Scipio’s tally and at once turned his thoughts on how to destroy this small enemy troop. It seemed impossible to achieve with the forces he had but the enemy must at some point discover the trail of flattened weeds and therefore become aware of the Roman’s presence; it would only take one horseman to escape the valley and summon reinforcements for the company’s position to become parlous.

They seemed to be following a trail, Appius whispered.

Again that agreed with Scipio’s impression but not until his deputy made the comment did the tribune realise that he had mistaken the downward gazes of the horsemen as a search for the tracks his own company; but if the Numidians had been advised that a group of over forty Roman soldiers were on the loose, they would hardly be riding so carelessly and with such a small number. No, they were following a different trail, one at whose end was a quarry they were confident they had the numbers to handle. But before that, even if they held to the northern side of the valley, the enemy surely must see the trail the Romans had made through the banks of wild vegetation given their extra vantage point on horseback; so discovery seemed inevitable. Scipio looked at Appius, gave a slight shrug, and with infinite caution slowly raised his head again above the wind stirred weeds. The line of horsemen was nearly opposite his present position but the ground there must dip because the tops of the riders’ helms were only just visible above the wild vegetation. Scipio glanced at Appius with a grin and with an upward jerk of his chin invited him to have another look.

This is a piece of luck, murmured Appius after a moment’s scrutiny. Now, we can at least reach the hill without a fight. But there was a question in his voice. They were still thirty miles from safety and their pursuers would soon know exactly where they were.

We’ll decide what to do when we reach the other side, Scipio declared. It was almost certain they would be followed and eventually trapped, for it was very unlikely that they would be afforded an opportunity to destroy this entire enemy troop.

They watched as the Numidians continued on with their search, the horsemen’s heads now and again popping up into view as they traversed a section of higher ground.

Form up the column, Scipio ordered, speaking now in a more normal tone. The horsemen were far away and it was unlikely they would detect the Romans even when their passage in the landscape became marked by a thick line of disappearing weeds.

It took a surprisingly short time for the column to reassemble and this time the tribune took the lead, setting a brisk pace; Scipio was anxious to reach higher ground before the Numidians began their inevitable pursuit. The race to the other side seemed endless with the wild growth at first offering little resistance but soon his progress seemed more like a struggle through the staked defences of an enemy encampment. The tribune was relying on Lucius to alert him if the Numidians turned back – or worse – if another troop of riders entered the valley. At last, after what seemed an interminable period, Scipio burst through into the relatively open ground at the foot of the hill which was his objective. He was immediately hailed by Lucius who had come down the hillside to meet him.

Tribune, someone is fighting the Numidians. The tall, bearded optio pointed along the valley in