The Antonine Romans and The Golden Torque

By Andrew Boyce

Please read/buy! AD 144. The Antonine Wall in Western Caledonia, modern day Scotland, has been standing for two years. Centurion Andronicus and Optio Scrivinus have recently been assigned to the Roman Balmuildy Fort and are attempting to improve the men's fitness and discipline.Soon both the old and the new world collide. The Romans find themselves amongst the native tribal chiefs of Jamis, Aritan and Callun. In peace or war can either side survive?Please leave a nice review! A second Novella to follow!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Andrew Boyce
• Release date: Jan 22, 2022
• ISBN: 9781005217655

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

Please read/buy! AD 144. The Antonine Wall in Western Caledonia, modern day Scotland, has been standing for two years. Centurion Andronicus and Optio Scrivinus have recently been assigned to the Roman Balmuildy Fort and are attempting to improve the men's fitness and discipline.Soon both the old and the new world collide. The Romans find themselves amongst the native tribal chiefs of Jamis, Aritan and Callun. In peace or war can either side survive? Please leave a nice review! A second Novella to follow! All of the Novellas can be standalone.

To my family

The Antonine Romans and The Golden Torque

By

Andrew Boyce

The Antonine Romans and The Golden Torque

A Novella by Andrew J. Boyce

Chapter 1.

Centurion Andronicus felt that he had become a little hunched due to his latest posting. This seemed to be confirmed by a cold gust of wind which went through his soul, causing his shoulders to curl inwards once again. Indeed the cold, wet weather of this north-west frontier of the Roman Empire was enough to shorten any man's height, he thought, even a man of ten years service, such as he was.

This section of the Antonine Wall was built two summers ago in 142AD after various battles between the Romans and Caledonians and since then there had been only a few skirmishes in this area of Western Caledonia. Centurion Andronicus had arrived here three weeks ago and soon was the most senior soldier here, as the senior officers had been called away on secret orders. He wondered if there could be any trouble while they were away, as the scouts had reported that there was much discussions going on in the nearby settlements about growing anger of being ruled by Rome.

His one comfort was the Balmuildy Fort baths and as he went through the doorway, his shoulders uncurled with the instant heat. He nodded to his second in charge Optio Scrivinus, then eyed the jug of warm wine in the corner. At last he could have a few moments peace and after pouring himself a generous amount, he made his way to sit by Scrivinus.

Optio Scrivinus was a good man, a grizzled veteran of nearly twenty five years service, compared to Centurion Andronicus's ten years. He had wondered about retirement but he had served with this Centurion for ten years and they worked well together, all of which seemed better than hanging about the village he came from, on the edge of Rome.

Optio Scrivinus clenched his first. This bloody Javelin Report is making me mad! How am I to reach a figure of how many javelins we have when half the unit is spread out across the length of this freezing country!

I don't know. But you usually find a way. Just make sure we're not all standing here with nothing in our hands the next time these hairy barbarians decide to attack. Centurion Andronicus drank some of the warm wine, then continued. Bloody country! I wish I was retiring!

Don't wish your life away. I'm not so sure I want to finish up. said the Optio putting down his waxed tablet. Besides, who else could you trust to do all your bloody administration! Both men laughed and they started drinking more of the warm wine. They had tasted better in their time, but this would do for now.

Outside the bath house, Legionary Nastin walked past in his duty patrol around the perimeter of the camp. Hearing the laughing from inside, he sneered. He hated the Centurion and his Optio, the sooner they were gone, the better.

Do you think there will be any trouble, Scrivinus? Scrivinus thought for a moment. If our leaders can't get an agreement with the locals, then yes. And if our leaders are not back here in time, you know very well who is going to have to deal with it all?

Us. Andronicus drained his cup. That's more of a problem than your Javelin report. Andronicus let the heat take over his body for a final few moments. I had better take one last look out over the parapet tonight, to sort out the next watch and to see how things look with my own eyes. Leave that bloody Javelin report for now. I've got a feeling that might be the least of our worries.

As Andronicus stepped out of the bathhouse, he expected the cold wind to make its presence with him once again. To his surprise, the weather had calmed and he made his way up to the parapet. At the top he looked out onto the open fields of grass and the edges of the forests beyond. He put on his helmet as it was not unknown for a soldier to be killed by a single, unexpected arrow, thumping into flesh, ending the silence and ending a life.

He thought he saw someone move by the trees and his eyes fixed, staring intently for the merest movement. His pulse quickened. But no further movement came and so he turned his attention to the changing of the guards, with the next watch due to begin.

Jamis stood by the edge of the trees. Although it was the dead of night, the moon in the clouds picked out the fort ahead. He watched a soldier on the palisade put on his helmet and he continued watching as the soldier