Domina Victrix

Chapter 11: 21 AD, Eastern Levant

Herod Antipas read and reread General Marcus' letter, a smirk tugging the corners of his mouth.

"Why am I not surprised?" he muttered.

He had seen an uprising coming for years and had warned Tiberius, Piso, Germanicus, Gratus, and even General Marcus, to no avail. Now it was all coming back to them. The Herods were Idumean, from the Roman territory created out of the ancient kingdom of Edom. Herod's grandfather, Antipater, converted to Judaism and married a Hasmonian princess. Antipas' father, Great Herod, used friendship with first Pompey and later Mark Antony to seize royal power for himself. It was Great Herod who rebuilt a temple of more glory than Solomon, along with the city of Caesarea Maritima and the hilltop fortress of Masada. He had also built the Castra Antonia, one of the most extensive Roman fortresses ever constructed and one which still bore Mark Antony's name.

It was also during Great Herod's final years that a mysterious star appeared about twenty years ago. Men from Babylon had come to see the old King, saying the star heralded the birth of a savior for Israel. Antipas was about four at the time and had not seen the star, but his father was so unnerved by it that he ordered a slaughter of all baby boys in Bethlehem and Ramah, near Jerusalem, stamping his dynasty in infamy and setting them at enmity from the people they ruled.

Antipas had been educated in Rome and knew Germanicus and both of the Mauretanian brothers, though he was several years younger. He knew that Rome cared little for local problems as long as taxes were collected and conscripts were available. Pompey, Julius Caesar, Mark Antony, and even Augustus had let Great Herod manage Judea as he saw fit, especially where it came to selecting and installing High Priests for the Temple in Jerusalem. Valerius Gratus shattered that mold within months of his appointment as Governor of Judea, reaching over both Antipas' head and that of the Jewish High Court, the Sanhedrin, to unseat the incumbent High Priest Annas for his son-in-law named Caiaphas. How much money changed hands in the transaction no one knew but the common people believed that the Herods had sold out again to the Romans. Thus, Antipas risked a revolt in his own territory if he rallied his men for Rome. Both Syria and Emessa had large Jewish communities who were more reactive than those in Judea, which made the situation all the more dangerous. Antipas could not help General Marcus out now, even if he wanted to. He dictated his response.

...the port of Caesarea Maritima is at your disposal but you must understand why my men will remain in Judea to stop this contagion before it spreads here. Had my earlier warnings been heeded, so much unpleasantness could have been avoided. You and Gratus must, of necessity, shift for yourselves and look to me as a last resort...

...

Victoria opened a chest in the wreckage of her room and found a long tunic and sandals. She shut the chest and left it in the rubble. A little wooden box from her dressing table lay on the floor. Inside, she found a pair of tiny, gold drop earrings. She stuffed the tunic, sandals, and box into her pack and went to find her father.

"Mother will be so upset that I won't have a diadem to meet King Sampsiregum and Queen Iotapa in Emessa," she said.

"Your mother won't be there," Marcus said. "And it's your Arabic skills I'll need."

The Emessan royal couple would know Latin and Greek but some knowledge of the local language was required. Tryphaena and Queen Iotapa were friends and cousins. They corresponded and Victoria knew Iotapa would send a full report back to Antioch. Iotapa would notice the missing diadem, the roughened, tanned skin and blistered hands. Julius Verus boosted Victoria into her saddle and she guided her horse to join her father. Behind them were three full Legions and four Auxiliary units including both Cohorts of the Italian Band, and militias of mobilized veterans. They followed the course of the River as Lucius' horsemen ran down raiding parties of a still unknown enemy. Spartacus and his men had formed a trained cadre based on men with gladiator or military training. They had come to pitched battle with Roman militia and auxiliaries more than once. This uprising had no such leaders or structure yet. No one attacked the column. The men marched until late afternoon and stopped to make camp.