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The Fate of a Goth Girl

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Calixtus and Acaunissa remained leaders of the century in Narbo for another eleven months before the group was recalled to reinforce Legio I Flavia Martis (to which the century had been assigned before being dispatched to Narbo). The legions on the Rhine needed help during the turmoil that followed the assassination of Emperor Gratian. There, Mogurix finally got his fill of killing Germans. After only a few months, Calixtus was promoted to Centurion of the Second Cohort, and Acaunissa raised to Centurion. When the Germans launched a surprise attack in overwhelming numbers at a gate defended by Mogurix and two contubernii, some of the legionaries began to flee. The new Centurion called after them, "Will it not shame you to be missing from the stack of bodies where the slaughtered heroes lie?" Mogurix and his men held for an hour until relief arrived.

During the battle, Mogurix killed so many Germans that his sword became blunt, so he cut one's hand off with a single blow from his knife and crushed another man's skull with a giant rock. He was getting attacked from all sides during the fight – his helmet was destroyed, his shield was bristling with arrows, he was stabbed in the shoulder with a javelin, hit in the thigh by a sword, and shot in the left eye socket with an arrow! This only made him hate the Germans more. He pulled the arrow out of his own eye, threw it down, and resumed fighting. In the end, over ninety arrows were stuck in his shield! The giant Ausci warrior survived to fight again.*

Calixtus distinguished himself in his new position (second-ranking centurion in the entire legion). His quiet, but steadfast demeanor endeared him to his men and won the respect and reliance of his superiors. On New Years Day 384, Gaius Calixtus, of humble peasant stock, was raised to Primus Pilus of the Legio I Flavia Martis. Calixtus served valiantly in this position for four more years before retiring at age 45. He returned to his hometown of Casoria, near Neapolis in Campania. There he was most content to live out his years on a farm he received as an allotment for his years of service. Even at the advanced age of 45, he married a local widow, with a tidy fortune and fathered two children, both daughters. As he watched them grow, he often thought back with regret and sadness to the cruel and unjust death of the Goth chieftain’s daughter.

To be continued

*I am sure that many reading this description think that it is just wild exaggeration, brewed up from my fevered brain. Especially that a man could be hit in the eye by an arrow, remove it himself and continue fighting. This description is taken (with immaterial changes to fit here) from the actual battle description of a Centurion in Caesar's De Bello Civili. If you don't believe me, look up Marcus Cassius Scaeva.
 
Praefectus Praetorio said:
Calixtus and Acaunissa remained leaders of the century in Narbo for another eleven months before the group was recalled to reinforce Legio I Flavia Martis (to which the century had been assigned before being dispatched to Narbo). The legions on the Rhine needed help during the turmoil that followed the assassination of Emperor Gratian. There, Mogurix finally got his fill of killing Germans. After only a few months, Calixtus was promoted to Centurion of the Second Cohort, and Acaunissa raised to Centurion. When the Germans launched a surprise attack in overwhelming numbers at a gate defended by Mogurix and two contubernii, some of the legionaries began to flee. The new Centurion called after them, "Will it not shame you to be missing from the stack of bodies where the slaughtered heroes lie?" Mogurix and his men held for an hour until relief arrived.

During the battle, Mogurix killed so many Germans that his sword became blunt, so he cut one's hand off with a single blow from his knife and crushed another man's skull with a giant rock. He was getting attacked from all sides during the fight – his helmet was destroyed, his shield was bristling with arrows, he was stabbed in the shoulder with a javelin, hit in the thigh by a sword, and shot in the left eye socket with an arrow! This only made him hate the Germans more. He pulled the arrow out of his own eye, threw it down, and resumed fighting. In the end, over ninety arrows were stuck in his shield! The giant Ausci warrior survived to fight again.*

Calixtus distinguished himself in his new position (second-ranking centurion in the entire legion). His quiet, but steadfast demeanor endeared him to his men and won the respect and reliance of his superiors. On New Years Day 384, Gaius Calixtus, of humble peasant stock, was raised to Primus Pilus of the Legio I Flavia Martis. Calixtus served valiantly in this position for four more years before retiring at age 45. He returned to his hometown of Casoria, near Neapolis in Campania. There he was most content to live out his years on a farm he received as an allotment for his years of service. Even at the advanced age of 45, he married a local widow, with a tidy fortune and fathered two children, both daughters. As he watched them grow, he often thought back with regret and sadness to the cruel and unjust death of the Goth chieftain’s daughter.

To be continued

*I am sure that many reading this description think that it is just wild exaggeration, brewed up from my fevered brain. Especially that a man could be hit in the eye by an arrow, remove it himself and continue fighting. This description is taken (with immaterial changes to fit here) from the actual battle description of a Centurion in Caesar's De Bello Civili. If you don't believe me, look up Marcus Cassius Scaeva.
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".. Especially that a man could be hit in the eye by an arrow, remove it himself and continue fighting ..." - if only Harold had showed such resolve the whole of British history since 1066 could have turned out differently!
 
In 1403 the sixteen year-old Henry of Monmouth (later crowned as Henry V) took an arrow to the face at the Battle of Shrewsbury. It just missed his right eye and lodged into his cheek. He carried on fighting with the arrow still sticking out of his face, refusing to seek medical attention until the battle was over (spoiler alert: he won).
The arrowhead was extracted by a master surgeon using pioneering techniques for the time, and Henry bore the scar for the rest of his life, and was only ever painted in profile seen from the left.
mattlewisauthor.wordpress.com

The Scar of Henry V

On 21st July 1403, a rebel army led by Sir Henry Percy, known as Harry Hotspur, son of the 1st Earl of Northumberland, gave battle to the forces of King Henry IV. The somewhat beleaguered monarch w…
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After his only child's disappearance, Praeses Antonious tried to lose himself in his work for a while. But it was to no avail. By 386, he resigned his position, much to the dismay of the citizens of Narbo and, for that matter, of the whole of Provincia Gallia Narbonensis. Gaius moved to a modest villa near modern-day Perpignan, overlooking the sea. There he sat, immobile, all day facing the crystal waters of the Mediterranean and drinking wine. Was he thinking of his wife? His son? Or Barbaria? We do not know. His wine consumption steadily increased as his health deteriorated until, surrounded by loyal and caring servants, he passed away in 388.

Lucius Piso and Marcus Claudius lived the rest of their lives in Narbo, much as they had before they ever set eyes on the Goth girl. They suppressed their guilt over her fate (if they even had any, which is doubtful) by telling themselves and others that they had tried to save her, but the Governor was too cowardly to act. Each died, safe and content in his own bed.

Unrest in the region contributed to an increased supply of slaves, further enriching Marcus Lycus and Septimus Silva. They quickly put all thought of the beautiful Goth girl and her botched auction behind them as they exploited (both monetarily and physically) the increasing trade in human flesh.

Friþugairns lived only nine months after his daughter’s death, declining quickly into a hollow shell of his former self. His steadfast instruction to his people was that there would be no retaliation for Barbaþais’ fate. Despite his decline, he continued to be revered and respected by his tribe. No council could be held without his presence, or decision without his concurrance.
When the chief passed away, a massive funeral pyre was built and the body of the departed was placed on top along with many of his household possession and one, small, amber broach, Friþugairns’ only remaining token of Barbaþais. In contrast to most Germanic tribes, the Goths did not include the dead’s weapons on the pyre. Afterward, the burial mound (the “gravehill”, grafheuvel) was marked with a ring of stakes.
grafheuvel.jpg
As soon as the three-day mourning period had ended, a new council was called by the younger chiefs to deal with unfinished business.

Two years after our story, in 385, Tertius Amelius died peacefully in his home surrounded by his children and grandchildren and great-grandchildren, as well as his close friend Septimus Silva. Also in attendance were his loving servants, especially the pretty young girl-slaves, all of whom were manumittentur (being set free) in his will. As the old man breathed his last, he repeated the name of his beloved wife, Livia, over and over. Then as he neared the end, he seemed to become very alert and looked around anxiously with unseeing eyes. Then he smiled, and said in a clear voice, "Carissima Barbaria! Carissima Barbaria (dearest Barbaria)!" to the total puzzlement of his family. Silva worked to suppress his smile and feigned ignorance of the meaning of the name. Immediately after, Tertius fell back on his pillow and soon breathed his last. "May you enjoy them both in the Campos Elysios (Elysian Fields, heaven), old friend,” whispered Septimus.
 
Just want to add how much I enjoyed this story, it was beautifully written, violent and erotic, occasionally tender and meditative, with flashes of dark humour. I totally respect all the research that went into it, although sometimes I think it was allowed to interrupt the narrative flow a bit too much, I mean I could have done with less gothic and Latin dialogue with translations in brackets, but it didn’t ruin anything, and I had a great time with it.* Thanks so much for a great thrill, and some beautifully intense writing around the Goth girl’s crucifixion, a real climax.

*also I should add, I know it’s your style to put in a lot of research and have it burst up through the text, and that’s fine! :p
 
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montycrusto said:
I mean I could have done with less gothic and Latin dialogue with translations in brackets,
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Thank you for the praise.

I appreciate your point. I struggled all along with a balancing act there. I felt that the authentic language added to the historical verisimilitude of the narration, bringing the reader into experiencing the time and place and even hearing the voices of the actors. However, I also knew that it could be too much. You might have noticed that I cut back a little toward the end to allow the narrative to move along unobstructed.

However, I would never cut, "Crucifige Eam!"
 
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Praefectus Praetorio said:
Thank you for the praise.

I appreciate your point. I struggled all along with a balancing act there. I felt that the authentic language added to the historical verisimilitude of the narration, bringing the reader into experiencing the time and place and even hearing the voices of the actors. However, I also knew that it could be too much. You might have noticed that I cut back a little toward the end to allow the narrative to move along unobstructed.

But I would never cut, "Crucifige Eam!"
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Yes it did seem to lessen as the tale went on! It only distracted me a bit, like subtitles in a French porno art-house movie :rolleyes: Overall, fantastic work, a real classic!
 
I do hope all appreciated the gentle sendoff of Tertius. In Writing that, I thought of the words of Solon, the wise Athenian Lawgiver, describing the happiest man he knew,

"Tellus of Athens is the happiest of all men. His country was flourishing in his days, and he himself had sons both beautiful and good, and he lived to see children born to each of them, and these children all grew up; and further because, after a life spent in what our people look upon as comfort, his end was surpassingly glorious.
In a battle between the Athenians and their neighbors near Eleusis, he came to the assistance of his countrymen, routed the foe, and died upon the field most gallantly. The Athenians gave him a public funeral on the spot where he fell and paid him the highest honors."

It was in reference to him that Solon made his famous statement, "Count no man happy until the end is known."

Count no man happy until the end is known

Why aren’t we happy? It’s a question that we have undoubtedly asked ourselves at one point or another. Perhaps you have done it while staring up at the ceiling fan late at night, or perhaps while doodling on a cocktail napkin at some out-of-the-way dive bar. The prevailing notion in the modern
classicalwisdom.com classicalwisdom.com
 
I usually hate to repeat unsubstantiated gossip. As you know I try to restrict my stories to documentable historical facts. However, I unearthed a rumor, recorded on a manuscript of questionable provenance that, without evidence, asserts a most intriguing happening. As the manuscript carries significant damage, a translation is also of a free kind. Nevertheless, I feel compelled to present for your evaluation. Make of it what you will.

In mid-May of 384, the rumor reports that Pipilla, a pretty young slavegirl in Tertius Aemilius's household, left Narbo and traveled north, returning a day later. The document asserts, most correctly, that such a slave could not do so except with the permission, and, even more likely, the positive instruction of her master. Runaway slave hunters were quite active and would insist on seeing written permission.
That is the core assertion of the document, reported as fact by the author. But, there is also a fascinating additional suggestion. This is even more suspect in its proof since the author reports it third hand. He says that a slave hunter stopped Pipilla and, while examining her permission note, observed that she had another written note on her person. Naturally, he tried to see it, but the girl steadfastly refused despite his threats. She pointed him to her permission. The hunter read, along with her master, Tertius' permission for her journey, a strict command that the other document she carried may not be seen. Therefore he allowed her to continue on her way without reading the second note. Of course, that means my source makes no statement of what might have been in the note.

I should point out that Galerius Antonious left on his fateful trip, only two days after that rumored event.
 
Praefectus Praetorio said:
Tertius' permission for her journey, a strict command that the other document she carried may not be seen.
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I think a full scale investigation with subpoena powers is in order here. Let’s get to the bottom of this. The public needs to know.
 
Praefectus Praetorio said:
I usually hate to repeat unsubstantiated gossip. As you know I try to restrict my stories to documentable historical facts. However, I unearthed a rumor, recorded on a manuscript of questionable provenance that, without evidence, asserts a most intriguing happening. As the manuscript carries significant damage, a translation is also of a free kind. Nevertheless, I feel compelled to present for your evaluation. Make of it what you will.

In mid-May of 384, the rumor reports that Pipilla, a pretty young slavegirl in Tertius Aemilius's household, left Narbo and traveled north, returning a day later. The document asserts, most correctly, that such a slave could not do so except with the permission, and, even more likely, the positive instruction of her master. Runaway slave hunters were quite active and would insist on seeing written permission.
That is the core assertion of the document, reported as fact by the author. But, there is also a fascinating additional suggestion. This is even more suspect in its proof since the author reports it third hand. He says that a slave hunter stopped Pipilla and, while examining her permission note, observed that she had another written note on her person. Naturally, he tried to see it, but the girl steadfastly refused despite his threats. She pointed him to her permission. The hunter read, along with her master, Tertius' permission for her journey, a strict command that the other document she carried may not be seen. Therefore he allowed her to continue on her way without reading the second note. Of course, that means my source makes no statement of what might have been in the note.

I should point out that Galerius Antonious left on his fateful trip, only two days after that rumored event.
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sounds like skulduggery afoot! Might Pipilla get her own spin-off series?
 
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