Domina Victrix

Chapter 39: 26 AD, Rome, Caesarea, Alexandria and Antioch

Sejanus skimmed yet more copies of the Antony family's letters, not surprised that Pilate had failed to impress. He was being sent to Judea to take an upper hand in that turbulent province, not to win golden opinions. Still, it was amusing to see the consternation pouring out of Antioch. Fortuna wrote to Victoria.

...Not since Agrippina was here have I met anyone so intolerant and rude, and now Pilate beat her mark in a week. To see how devoted Cornelius, Verus, and Messala are to that poor little boy. Marius and I painted some large wooden blocks with pictures and now he can show what he needs or wants. He does not scream so much anymore, just when he plays, so would not have been a bother. Yet Pilate would not let him go with them to Caesarea. He has a heart of stone....

The Emessans were just as upset. Prince Alexion wrote to his sister Eleni.

...Father is so pissed and you know it takes a lot to get him going. He cannot believe they sent this man to govern Judea. He may be a good general, but he has the social skills of a boar. He will step in it down there and Gods help us. We will have another revolt worse than Paulus...

Sejanus was sending Pilate to Judea to stave off a potential revolt, not start one, and he hoped the Emessans would see that in due time and settle down. He sorted through letters between Fortuna, Sejana, and Drusilla, the mother of the Messalas, regarding the reception of the Cohors II families in Caesarea. There was also a note from one Squad Leader Eli Burrus in Caesarea to his father, First Rank Aelius Burrus in Antioch.

....We have places for all the families when they come. Lady Drusilla and Captain Decius let me help with this work and I feel like I am the Bolt of Caesarea, but there could only be but one ever. Please write me any news of him. I think I have found Mother's family. Her brother Samuel is the Rabbi here and wants to sponsor me to train to be a chaplain...

Nor was young Eli the only one getting on with life. Lucius wrote to Marcus.

...We will be married once Gaius and Julius get here and before we deploy. More units are arriving every day and I believe Juba's thorough preparation will pay off....

Marcus responded to an inquiry from Demetrius, Prince Juba's doctor, who was gathering information to begin Victoria's accreditation process as a physician.

...You are the best source of information as to Victoria's character and training. As you may know, Lysias died of a stroke of some kind. Also my longtime lead Capsarius, Longinus, has been transferred to Caesarea, as has Verus, but Crispinus is here. I can get statements from them, as well as Decia and Julia. I will also get intel from Vinicia and Melita. Would testimonials from patients help? I can get you no end of those...

.....

Cornelius tossed his pack down on the sack on the bedframe in his new quarters. Centurions had their own room, situated at the end of each barracks row. As a First Rank, he had one of the larger quarters, but it was as simple as his first apartment back in Antioch.

He opened the pack and pulled out tunics and underwear, putting them in a cupboard along with a towel and a few hygiene items such as a metal razor and pumice stone, tweezers, strigil, and tiny scissors for nails. He had a general issue pan and kettle to cook rations, which he would need to draw at the commissary and prepare at the cook house. He walked to the open door of his room, seeing Verus settling in a similar apartment opposite. For now, the new arrivals were confined to the castrum. He would have to wait to buy lamp wicks and oil from a sutler and get cushions and bedding once Julia arrived.

He used his trip to the commissary to look around. Herod the Great had built the castrum in Caesarea and it was large enough to accommodate units of his provincial army, plus a full Roman legion if necessary. Right now, two auxilliary cohorts of the Italian Band, roughly twelve hundred men, were stationed on the Roman side. He drew his rations, wheat flour to make bread, salted pork and beef, wine, oil, salt, and some peas and beans for a puls. He put the items in his room and walked along the barracks row, seeing how his century of eighty men and twenty enslaved orderlies was settling in. He could tell nobody was happy about the accommodations. The rooms had not been aired or swept. Men hauled the mattresses outside and began beating out dust. The straw inside the bed sacks was broken and packed down and would need to be restuffed soon. There was no sign of lice or bedbugs, but they would no doubt appear.