Redditus Gloria
Two years, for two year Pyrrhus army had savaged the Italian countryside by sacking villages, cities and incited rebellions among the different tribes. What had taken centuries to build through countless wars was unraveling at the hands of a master tactician. If it were not for the mighty wall surrounding the eternal city of Rome, she too would have been sacked.
But the fierce battles had cost the Epiriot army as well, so much in fact that Pyrrhus had withdrawn from Italy altogether to regroup. Thereby allowing Rome to do what Rome does best, grasp the winning straw out of a certain defeat.
Two more Legions had been levied to quell the uprising tribes and show once and for all who ruled Italy. The pompous Greeks in Taras would learn their lesson and submit to Roman rule at last; the times of petty squabbles were over.
Gaius Fabricius Lucinius, one of the most prominent individual of Rome, had gained control over the 2nd legion. The fabulously wealthy man, for many the next would be consul of Rome, had secured the Legion right in front of Lucius Julius Libos. Both had seen the Legion as a way to earn glory for them self before the election for Consul, thereby giving them an edge before the other.
In the end it was the money of Gaius, who had held great parties and promised great swaths of land to the right kind of people, who won the day. In a mere few months he had reestablished rule over the Lucanian tribes and was ready to take the battle to the Greeks.
But Gaius sure path to glory soon run in to trouble. Lucius Julius Libos together with both the ruling consul Lucius Aemilius Barbula and the brother of the Pontifex Maximus, Marcus Atilius Regulus, had stopped the advance. Fearing that Gaius would crush the rebelling Brutiis, and conquer Taras thereby gaining enough support for the consulship, the 2nd Legion was ordered to halt.
Consul Lucius just returning from his campaign in Etruria, where he had crushed a rebellion, wanted to earn himself a triumph. By conquering Taras, putting down the Brutii uprising, and punish the deserters in Rhegium would certainly give him one. All he had to do was to hold Gaius and his 2nd Legion back long enough so he could grab the glory for himself.
Lucius Julius started a massive campaign with his supporters to win himself the Consulship, in sharp competition with Marcus Atilius and Marcus Aemilius Paullus. It was these three together with Gaius who were the contenders for the highest office of Consul. In the midst of war the intrigue had begun and all parties were positioning themselves for the coming election.
Seeing his power diminish by being away from Rome and not being able to send back boasts of glory and victory, Gaius traveled back to Rome. There he persuaded the senate to let his Legion take the battle to the enemy and in early January they started to march.
So in the last year of Consul Aemilius or the 474th year after the founding of the eternal city, the stage was set and the players had been dealt their cards. A new era was dawning, and man was drawn out to war. Only when the dust had settled the outcome would be clear and the dominates mundi would be hailed by the Gods.
o ) but I hope I’ll manage to hang on this time.
