The Antonine Romans and Deva: Roman Chester Awaits!

By Andrew Boyce

Tribune Lacitus has received new orders to travel to Deva (Roman Chester). His mission is to save Deva from falling, with an attack from the local tribe imminent. Can Tribune Lacitus and his brother Centurion Antallius, survive and succeed?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Andrew Boyce
• Release date: Jan 23, 2022
• ISBN: 9781005907518

Andrew Boyce

Growing up in the Glasgow area of West Central Scotland, the remains of the Roman Antonine Wall were around me. I would see unusual ditches, man-made hills and stretches of straight roads, even the remains of a Roman bathhouse. All harked back to a time when the Romans came to Scotland.In museums such as Glasgow's Hunterian Museum, I would see Roman coins discovered near where I lived, models of Roman life and stone carved distance slabs. Reading great Roman Fiction Authors such as Harry Sidebottom, Simon Scarrow, Ben Kane and Anthony Riches, to name but a few, I hoped one day to write my own humble offerings and thankfully, I have.I write The Antonine Romans Novellas and as well as publishing them individually, I group three each together as compilations, in The Antonine Series. All Novellas and Compilations are available as Ebooks and Paperbacks.Thank you very much for reading/ buying my work, which I very much hope you enjoy, in which case please leave a nice review! Best wishes, Andrew Boyce.

Book preview

Tribune Lacitus has received new orders to travel to Deva (Roman Chester). His mission is to save Deva from falling, with an attack from the local tribe imminent. Can Tribune Lacitus and his brother Centurion Antallius, survive and succeed? The seventh Novella. All of the Novellas standalone.

To My Family

The Antonine Romans and Deva:

Roman Chester Awaits!

By

Andrew Boyce

Chapter 1.

Tribune Lacitus stood at the prow of the ship with his brother Centurion Antallius.

You are going to love Deva, Antallius! It is such a nice, clean, well-ordered place. Once rumoured to have nearly become the capital of this rain-soaked place.

Antallius looked at his brother, uneasy with their latest deployment. I miss Balmuildy Fort. I hope Optio Scrivinus is coping.

Scrivo? Lacitus laughed. He'll be having a great time! To start with, he won't have you or me to bother him! Lacitus looked into the distance as the first signs of Deva neared. I can see him now - walking around the Granary, then inspecting the bread. Old habits die hard, you know! He'll soon be retired back to the Bakery near Rome he is always telling us about.

I know. Antallius tried not to sigh. Even so, it's a pity we've ended up here.

Well, an Order is an Order. And as I say, you are going to love it here!

As the ship travelled along, Antallius looked back towards the group of six they had brought with them, partly as bodyguards for the journey, but mainly as soldiers that Antallius knew could slot into senior positions easily.

Antallius nodded towards the group and they acknowledged likewise, including Legionary Castus, who had served in Deva before, in charge of the Fortress East Gate.

Bringing Castus would outwardly have seemed like a sensible choice, however Tribune Lacitus and Centurion Antallius were not aware of Castus's propensity for secret assignations and secret letters, for money.

Even worse, the two Senior Officers were completely unaware that the facemasked attacker that had tried to kill Antallius, had been Castus - promised a wealthy, new life if he had succeeded in his task.

Castus nodded back to Antallius. In his mind, Castus cursed himself that his assassination attempt had failed. He imagined himself where he should now be - in one of the prosperous properties in Rome, under the guise of a successful trader. Oh what should have been, thought Castus. Oh to get another chance for wealth again, there is always that hope.

Turning back, Antallius looked at his brother and was surprised to see his frown of wrinkled eyebrows and twisted mouth.

What is it, Lacitus?

The Port was never like this when I was here. Look at those big piles of rubbish! Lacitus pointed. There! And there! And over there! What a mess!

Antallius tried to calm his brother. "Well, maybe it's just