Domina Victrix

Chapter 94: 39 AD, Italy, Gaul, Caesarea, and Antioch

Marcus sat by Julius' bed, listening to his labored breathing. Death usually came in threes, but since his set-to with Caligula over Selene's marriage, it had been a regular visitor. All three of Mark Antony's surviving daughters, Antonia of Pontus, and Antonias Major and Minor, had joined him on the other side. The patriarchs, Old Domitius and Valerius Messala were also dead. Colleagues such as Cicero and Old Barca had crossed over, as well. All these people were elderly, with chronic health issues, nothing sinister about that. But the strain of losing so many nearest and dearest had taken its toll on Julius. Then Domitia was diagnosed with breast and stomach cancers, and she, too, slipped away. Julius was too heartbroken to attend her funeral. Marcus did those honors instead. Julius stirred.

"Marcus?"

"Yes?"

"I hope that damn son of mine isn't trying to come home," Julius said. "Caligula will kill him on sight."

"I've told him to stay in Gaul for now."

Julius drifted into sleep and Marcus stood to stretch, contemplating Caligula's continued spiral into madness. He had tired of Lollia and divorced her, ordering her into house arrest. Relieved to be rid of him, she turned her home into a focal point for Rome's party crowd, which included all three of Caligula's sisters, along with Valeria Messalina, and Aemilia. Caligula married an obscure woman named Milonia Caesonia, who was several years older and already had three girls by a previous husband. He would parade her naked at banquets so that all could admire her beauty.

Meanwhile, his middle sister, Drusilla, caught a fever and passed away. Caligula refused to allow the corpse to be taken long after it had started to smell. Marcus, again, was able to persuade him to let the undertakers have the body. At her funeral, Caligula gave her the final honors as would a grieving husband, while her actual husband, Gnaeus Lepidus, stood by. All the Lepidii were fed up, but could do nothing. Caligula kept both Gnaeus and Aemilius Lepidus as love slaves, though both had been legati at one time. Banquets, games, festivals, and other pleasures came one after another as the building continued on Lake Nemi and now back at Capri. Domitius Lepidus held onto the Guard and he, along with Marcus and rotating Claudius and Deiatorianus as Consuls, governed the Empire.

Caligula's obsession with the sea continued. He massed several naval vessels on the northern Gaulish coast and some infantry, but the plans were vague. Having no concept of strategy, he had not ordered any legions stationed in Gaul or Batavia to move. Meanwhile, the Germanic tribes under a brother of Arminius continued to pressure points along the Limes, or border.

Saemu knocked on the doorframe. After Urusillus' hurried departure the big Iceni had taken over some of his courier runs as well as being a bodyguard for Fortuna and the children.

"There's a messenger from the Imperial court," Saemu said.

His nerves jangling, Marcus met the man in the atrium. He was not a regular messenger, but a freedman and usher. Something was wrong.

"Find Deiatorianus and Artorianus and get them here," he told Saemu.

"The Divine One has ordered the arrest of Agrippina and Livilla, along with Gnaeus and Aemilius Lepidus," the usher said once they were alone. "They're all to be taken to Pandatera."

"What for?" Marcus demanded.

"Agrippina wrote a letter to Gnaeus and Aemilius, asking either of them to depose the Divine One and rule in his stead as regents for Gemellus."

"That's because Agrippina is as stupid as her mother and deserves what she gets," Marcus snapped.

"He's also ordered the arrest of Gemellus on Capri," the usher said.