Hosker, G [Sword of Cartimandua 09] Hero of Rome Read online

  “You know Metellus and this is Nanna, the woman he loves and he wishes to marry.”

  Nanna blushed and Metellus punched Marcus’ arm. “I take it back what I said. How could you…”

  In answer Nanna put her arm around him and, kissing Marcus on the cheek said, “Thank you again Decurion. Once again you have saved me just in time.”

  “You are welcome and these, mother, are orphans from Stanwyck. We knew not what to do with them and…”

  Like a mother hen with her chicks Ailis folded the five into her arms. “Come with me we have more than enough room for such as you.”

  Decius looked at Metellus. “Congratulations and where will you live?”

  Metellus looked at the ground and Nanna said defiantly, “I have money I will buy somewhere.”

  Marcus interjected. “Decius I told Metellus that his wife needed to be close to protection. Is there no building we could give,“ Nanna snorted and Marcus went on hurriedly, “which they could buy?”

  Decius grinned, “I have better. Sergeant Cato left me his horse farm when he died. I am spending too long travelling each week to supervise the men. If Nanna would live there and manage it for me then I would be grateful.”

  “A horse farm! Then all my prayers to the Mother have been answered, I have my man and I have my dream.” She impulsively kissed Decius. “Thank you I will take the farm.”

  They walked through the gates and as they did so a hawk screeched and plunged behind the trees. They all looked up, Marcus nodded and murmured, “Macro approves.”

  ******

  The Emperor Hadrian stepped ashore at Eboracum. The garrison had turned out on the jetty and Governor Falco was there ready to receive him. The keen eyed Praetorians glared at the hangers on and idlers watching from the wharfs. This was a momentous occasion, the first time since Claudius that an Emperor had set foot in Britannia and the first time ever that one had visited the frontier.

  “Ah Pompeius. How goes the limes? And has the trouble been dealt with?”

  “The rebels are punished. You will see their crosses as we head north. Their lands have been confiscated and sold; the profits have funded another cohort of auxiliaries. The Irish raiders have been destroyed and the captives returned.”

  “Excellent. You have done well.”

  The modest governor shook his head, “The Legate and the ala have done well but the barbarians north of the frontier have now risen. They do not like the idea of us building a frontier defence.”

  “Then the sooner I get north, the sooner my wall will be built. Come Pompeius I am anxious to see where Rome will build its final frontier.”

  The End

  Author’s Note

  Si an Bhru is a World heritage Site on the Boyne. Built before the Pyramids of Giza and the Greek and Roman wonders, its origins are definitely pre-history. There are the remains of the dead there and it has had many functions during its long life. It suited my purposes to involve the Mother cult. Most of Ireland or Hibernia as it was known to the Romans is also shrouded in mystery. Tacitus talks of Agricola going to Ireland but there is no archaeological evidence for this. There is no extant writing and the Roman writers just write of legends and myths. Again this suits a writer of fiction.

  Although the wall is credited with being started by Hadrian during his visit of 122 A.D. there is evidence that the turf element was already being constructed as were some of the main forts along its length before that date. There were many attacks from across the sea during Hadrian’s reign and this may be why he secured both ends of his wall at defensible sea forts. The wall itself was built over a six year period by vexillations from three legions. The legions built their own camps but were defended, whilst they worked by the auxiliaries. The wall was, indeed, started in the east, close to Corbridge. In the east, up to the River Irthing it was ten feet wide and, in places twelve feet high, faced with stone. West of the Irthing it was made of turf and only eight feet wide. I visit the wall as often as possible to give the novel as much realism as I can. I have had to speculate in many areas as rivers have changed courses over time and, in some cases, become less navigable. There are quarries near Morbium as well as close to the wall but I assumed that, to start things off, they would have brought in stone rather than quarrying new quarries. There is much archaeological evidence of temporary camps north of the wall and these are the ones I have ascribed to the ala. It made sense to me that they would have kept a screen of soldiers between the builders and those trying to stop them building.

  The mixing of blood with a blade was a Celtic custom. Some smiths were reputed to have put some of their own blood into the steel to make it more powerful. The idea that Macro might become some kind of spirit until he had atoned for a misdeed goes all the way back to the Egyptians and was very common in the pan-Celtic tradition. Putting one’s enemies head on a spear was a practice familiar to every army other than the Roman army. The Huns, Scythians and Pannonians would have ridden with felled foes’ skulls on their saddles.

  The series will continue, if for no other reason than I want to know what happens to these hardy warriors and I am enjoying discovering more about these great builders. Caronwyn and her like will ally with Faolan and Gaius Brutus to continue to cause mayhem. I will be travelling over to Hardknott Pass in the Lakes to visit the fort they built there to control the road to Ravenglass; as for the rest of the story line- that is in the hands of my characters for it is they who determine where my novels end up- not me!

  Griff Hosker September 2012

  People and places in the book

  Fictitious characters and places are in italics.

  Name

  Description

  Ailis

  Gaius' wife

  Alavna

  Ardoch in Perthshire

  Angus

  Votadini bodyguard

  Antoninus Brutus

  Brigante chief

  Appius Sabinus

  Quartermaster of the ala

  aureus (plural aurei)

  A gold coin worth 25 denarii

  bairns

  children

  Bodotria Fluvium

  Forth River

  breeks

  Brigante trousers

  Bremenium

  High Rochester Northumberland

  Brocavum

  Brougham

  Brynna

  daughter of Morwenna

  Burdach

  King of the Dumnonii

  Capreae

  Capri

  capsarius

  medical orderly

  Caronwyn

  daughter of Morwenna

  Cassius

  Decurion Princeps

  Castra Vetera

  Fortress of the 1st Germanica in Germany

  Catuvolcus

  Gallic Decurion

  Clota Fluvium

  River Clyde

  Coriosopitum (Corio)

  Corbridge

  corvus

  beak- a ramp which was lowered from a Roman ship

  Danum

  Doncaster

  Decius Lucullus Sallustius

  Brother of Livius Sallustius

  Decius Macro Culleo

  Decurion

  Derventio

  Malton

  Deva

  Chester

  Din Eidyn

  Edinburgh

  dominus

  The master of a house

  Drusus Graccus

  Decurion

  Dumnonnii

  A tribe from the west lowlands of Scotland

  Dunum Fluvius

  River Tees

  Eboracum

  York

  Eilwen

  daughter of Morwenna

  First Spear

  The senior centurion in any unit

  frumentarii

  Roman Secret Service

  Furax

  Street urchin

  Gaius Brutus

  Son of Antoninus

  Gaius Metellus Aurel
ius

  Decurion

  Gaius Saturninus

  Regular Roman Decurion

  Glanibanta

  Ambleside

  Gnaeus Turpius

  Camp Prefect Corio

  Gnaeus Vedius

  Criminal in Mamucium

  groma

  surveying equipment

  Gwynfor

  One of Morwenna's chiefs

  Habitancum

  Risingham Northumberland

  Hadrian

  Roman Emperor

  Hen Waliau

  Caernarfon

  Hercules

  Captain of The Swan

  Idwal

  One of Morwenna's chiefs

  Itunocelum

  Ravenglass

  Julius Demetrius

  Senator

  Julius Longinus

  ala clerk

  Keltoi

  Irish tribes

  liburnian

  small Roman ship, normally a bireme

  limes

  Roman frontier defences

  Livius Lucullus Sallustius

  Prefect of the ala

  Lucius

  A deserter

  Luguvalium

  Carlisle

  Lupanar

  The red light district

  Maban

  Morwenna's acolyte

  Macro

  Son of Macro and weapon trainer

  Mamucium

  Manchester

  Manavia

  Isle of Man

  Marcus Gaius Aurelius

  Decurion

  Marius Arvina

  Camp Prefect Morbium.

  Mediobogdum

  Hardknott Fort

  Metellus

  Explorate

  Mona

  Anglesey

  Moray

  Selgovae Chieftain

  Morbium

  Piercebridge

  Morwenna

  Fainch's daughter

  Neapolis

  Naples

  Octavius Saturninus

  Camp Prefect Eboracum

  oppidum

  hill fort

  Parcae

  Roman Fates

  Petroc

  Votadini warrior

  phalerae

  Roman award for bravery

  Pompeia Plotina

  The wife of Trajan

  Porta Decumana

  The rear gate of a fort or camp

  Portus Santonum

  An old port south of La Rochelle

  promagistrate

  Local official in charge of a vicus

  pugeo

  Roman soldier’s dagger

  Quintus Licinius Brocchus

  Centurion Vexillation of the 6th

  Quintus Pompeius Falco

  Governor of Britannia

  Quintus Arreius Verecundo

  Captain of the Hercules

  Radha

  Queen of the Votadini

  Rufius

  Decurion

  Sceanbh

  High priestess at Si an Bhru

  Scipius Porcius

  Prefect at Eboracum

  Selinus

  The place in Cilicia where Trajan died

  Setantii

  The tribe living near Fleetwood.

  Seteia Fluvius

  River Mersey

  Si an Bhru

  Sacred Iron age site in Eastern Ireland

  Sicera

  Cider

  Surrentum

  Sorrento

  Taus

  River Solway

  Tava

  River Tay

  Tearlach

  Hibernian chief

  The Fist

  Former cavalryman and mercenary

  Tinea

  River Tyne

  Tole

  Son of the King of the Selgovae

  Traprain Law

  Capital of the Votadini

  uncia

  Roman inch

  Vedra

  River Wear

  Vibius Hostilius

  Centurion Second Gallic Cohort

  vicus (plural-vici)

  the settlement outside a fort

  Vindomora

  Ebchester, County Durham

  Vindonnus

  Celtic god of hunting

  Vinovia

  Binchester, County Durham

  Viroconium

  Wroxeter

  Wyddfa

  Snowdon

  Other books

  by

  Griff Hosker

  If you enjoyed reading this book then why not read another one by the author?

  Ancient History

  The Sword of Cartimandua Series (Germania and Britannia 50A.D. – 128 A.D.)

  Ulpius Felix- Roman Warrior (prequel)

  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

  Book 8 The Last Frontier

  Book 9 Hero of Rome

  Book 10 Roman Hawk

  Book 11 Roman Treachery

  Book 12 Roman Wall

  The Aelfraed Series (Britain and Byzantium 1050 A.D. - 1085 A.D.

  Book 1 Housecarl

  Book 2 Outlaw

  Book 3 Varangian

  The Wolf Warrior series (Britain in the late 6th Century)

  Book 1 Saxon Dawn

  Book 2 Saxon Revenge

  Book 3 Saxon England

  Book 4 Saxon Blood

  Book 5 Saxon Slayer

  Book 6 Saxon Slaughter

  Book 7 Saxon Bane

  Book 8 Saxon Fall: Rise of the Warlord

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  Book 1 Viking Slave

  Book 2 Viking Warrior

  Book 3 Viking Jarl

  Book 4 Viking Kingdom

  Book 5 Viking Wolf

  Book 6 Viking War

  Book 7 Viking Sword

  Book 8 Viking Wrath

  Book 9 Viking Raid

  The Anarchy Series England 1120-1180

  English Knight

  Knight of the Empress

  Northern Knight

  Baron of the North

  Earl

  Modern History

  The Napoleonic Horseman Series

  Book 1 Chasseur a Cheval

  Book 2 Napoleon’s Guard

  Book 3 British Light Dragoon

  Book 4 Soldier Spy

  Book 5 1808: The Road to Corunna

  Waterloo

  The Lucky Jack American Civil War series

  Rebel Raiders

  Confederate Rangers

  The Road to Gettysburg

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  1914

  1915 Fokker Scourge

  1916 Angels over the Somme

  1917 Eagles Fall

  1918 We will remember them

  Combined Operations series 1940-1945

  Commando

  Raider

  Other Books

  Great Granny’s Ghost (Aimed at 9-14 year old young people)

  Adventure at 63-Backpacking to Istanbul

  For more information on all of the books then please visit the author’s web site at http://www.griffhosker.com where there is a link to contact him.

  Table of Contents

  Copyright

  Map of Northern Britannia in 122 A.D.

  Prologue

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18<
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  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Epilogue

  Author’s Note

  People and places in the book

  Other books by Griff Hosker