Hosker, G [Sword of Cartimandua 08] The Last Frontie Read online

  Anchorat

  Morwenna's acolyte

  Angus

  Votadini bodyguard

  Appius Sabinus

  Quartermaster

  aureus (plural aurei)

  A gold coin worth 25 denarii

  bairns

  children

  breeks

  Brigante trousers

  Brynna

  daughter of Morwenna

  Burdach

  King of the Dumnonii

  Capreae

  Capri

  capsarius

  medical orderly

  Caronwyn

  daughter of Morwenna

  Coriosopitum

  Corbridge

  Danum

  Doncaster

  Derventio

  Malton

  Deva

  Chester

  Din Eidyn

  Edinburgh

  dominus

  The master of a house

  Drusus Graccus

  Decurion

  Dumnonii

  A tribe from the west lowlands of Scotland

  Dunum Fluvius

  River Tees

  Eboracum

  York

  Eilwen

  daughter of Morwenna

  First Spear

  The senior centurion

  Gaius Metellus Aurelius

  Ex- Decurion Marcus' Horse

  Gaius Saturninus

  Regular Roman Decurion

  Glanibanta

  Ambleside

  Gnaeus Turpius

  Camp Prefect Corio

  groma

  surveying equipment

  Gwynfor

  One of Morwenna's chiefs

  Idwal

  One of Morwenna's chiefs

  Julius Demetrius

  Senator

  Julius Longinus

  ala clerk

  limes

  Roman frontier defences

  Livius Lucullus Sallustius

  Sallustius' nephew

  Luguvalium

  Carlisle

  Lupanar

  The red light district

  Maban

  Morwenna's acolyte

  Macro

  Son of Macro

  Mamucium

  Manchester

  Manavia

  Isle of Man

  Marcus Appius Bradua

  Governor of Britannia

  Marcus Aurelius Maximunius

  Former ala commander

  Marius Arvina

  Camp Prefect Morbium.

  Mediobogdum

  Hardknott Fort

  Mona

  Anglesey

  Morbium

  Piercebridge

  Morwenna

  Fainch's daughter

  Neapolis

  Naples

  oppidum

  hill fort

  Parcae

  Roman Fates

  phalerae

  Roman award for bravery

  Porta Decumana

  The rear gate of a fort or camp

  Scipius Porcius

  Prefect at Eboracum

  Seteia Fluvius

  River Mersey

  Surrentum

  Sorrento

  Taus

  River Solway

  Tava

  River Tay

  Tinea

  River Tyne

  Tole

  Son of the King of the Selgovae

  Trajan

  Emperor of Rome

  Traprain Law

  Capital of the Votadini

  uncia

  Roman inch

  Vedra

  River Wear

  vicus (plural-vici)

  the settlement outside a fort

  Vindomora

  Ebchester, County Durham

  Vinovia

  Binchester, County Durham

  Viroconium

  Wroxeter

  Historical note

  Lucius Quietus was a real senator who was arrested and executed along with four other senators after Hadrian became Emperor. It was on the orders of his guardian Attianus who was ruling Rome in Hadrian’s absence. The real reason may have been that they opposed Hadrian and questioned the legitimacy of his rule but I have created the fiction that he was plotting to become Emperor himself. Hadrian became Emperor in 117 and then went to Britannia in 122. As work had begun on the wall already I have used the device of Livius as his agent to do so.

  Trajan did die in Selinus, later called Trajanopolis, of edema (dropsy). His wife confirmed that Hadrian was to be his successor but some of Hadrian’s opponents said that this was after Trajan’s death and was not sanctioned by him. It was also said that Hadrian had left Selinus already. The Empress may have done as Hadrian’s enemies said but I cannot believe that the Emperor would have kept Hadrian so close if he did not wish him to continue his work in making the Empire safe. Hadrian’s first acts as Emperor were to pull Rome out of Mesopotamia and make Armenia a Roman client state of Parthia.

  The limes were the defences erected by Trajan and Hadrian along the border with Germania. They were made of wood and turf. Hadrian’s Wall was a more substantial stone structure which was intended to mark the beginning of the Roman Empire rather than its extremity. It was originally covered in plaster and painted white. It would have stood out quite clearly in the green open spaces of northern Britannia and been a symbol of Rome’s power rather than a sign of its weakness.

  There was a unit around the wall at the time the book is set. It was the 2nd Sabinian Wing of Pannonians named after one of their officers, Sabinus. I have merely substituted Livius Sallustius as the officer after whom the ala was named. Marcus Appius Bradua was appointed by Trajan but only spent a short time in Britannia. As soon as Hadrian returned from the east he was recalled and replaced. History does not give us a reason.

  The punishments inflicted were as stated. It does beg the question what did they do if they didn’t have snakes? Perhaps they were more common in the past. The bastinado also seems a fairly brutal punishment but as the men’s lives had been put at risk, perhaps not too extreme.

  Above all this is a work of fiction. The only writing we have is from the Roman side either Tacitus who, as Agricola’s son in law, was a little biased or Aelius Spartianus the biographer of Hadrian writing two hundred years after the events in the book. Even the evidence for the Romans in Britain is sketchy, a few inscriptions on walls and tombs. The truth is, apart from the legions we are not certain who did what and when- as a writer this suits me! If I have offended anyone I am sorry for the offence but not the story.

  Griff Hosker July 2012

  Other books by Griff Hosker

  If you enjoyed this book then why not read another one in the series?

  Book 1 The Sword of Cartimandua

  Book 2 The Horse Warriors

  Book 3 Invasion Caledonia

  Book 4 Roman Retreat

  Book 5 Revolt of the Red Witch

  Book 6 Druid’s Gold

  Book 7 Trajan’s Hunters

  The first five are available in paperback and all are available in the Kindle format

  Also available in paperback and Kindle is the book aimed at 12-15 years olds, Great Granny’s Ghost

  Carnage at Cannes is a modern thriller and is available in the Kindle format.

  For more information then please go to the author’s web site at http://www.griffhosker.com

  Table of Contents

  Dedication

  Copyright

  Part One- Troubled Times

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Part Two- the poisoned tongue

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Part three- In dangerous waters

  Chapter
14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  List of characters and places in the novel

  Historical note

  Other books by Griff Hosker