Chapter 20: Visit to the Legions
Chapter 20: Visit to the Legions
“And today!” Grandmother raised her hand. “We brought a gift!”
The wagons rolled forward, and sacks of silver coins poured out.
The silver gleamed in the sunlight, capturing the soldiers’ eyes.
“This is our family’s entire fortune! Everything handed down through generations! And I will give all of it to the soldiers of 'your legion!”
The soldiers held their breath.
“We are not trying to buy your loyalty with money! We know you are true Roman soldiers, warriors of the Severan dynasty! This is a token of gratitude, and a promise that we will open a new era together!”
“Each legionary will receive one thousand denarii in silver!” Legate Avila shouted. “That is twice the average soldier’s annual pay!”
“Waaaah!!! Long live!!!” The soldiers began cheering.
Right on cue, I stepped forward and shouted.
“I am a soldier like you! I fought on the battlefield, I lost comrades, and I know the joy of victory and the pain of defeat! I understand you!” I raised my voice. “If you accept me! I will reclaim Rome’s glory with you! I will wash away the humiliation of Parthia, drive out Macrinus, and become the true emperor!”
The plaza exploded.
Thousands of soldiers shouted in unison.
“Varius! Varius! Varius!”
“Augustus! Augustus!”
“Long live Emperor Varius! Long live!”
We were now racing toward the climax.
Legate Sextus Avila climbed onto the platform, drew his sword, and raised it to the sky.
“Legio III Gallica proclaims Varius Avitus Augustus as emperor!”
The other officers drew their swords as well.
“Imperator! Imperator!”
Grandmother placed her hand on my shoulder. “This is the beginning, Varius. From now on, the real fight will begin.”
I looked at the cheering legionaries.
The trembling boy who had first experienced battle on the Rhine a year ago was gone.
Now I was a candidate for the throne, and I would move to seize control of all three Syrian legions.
The dice had been cast with the empire’s fate at stake.
**
Had Grandmother read my thoughts?
Before the cheers of Legio III Gallica had even faded, she formed the next plan.
“Legio III alone is not enough.” Grandmother unfolded a map inside the tent and spoke. “There are three legions stationed in Syria. Legio III Gallica, Legio XVI Flavia Firma, and Legio IV Scythica. We must bring all three to our side.”
“Macrinus will find out soon—aren’t we moving too fast?” Comazon worried.
“Precisely why we must move faster.” Grandmother said firmly. “We must seize all three legions before Macrinus has time to respond.”
That was Grandmother for you.
Her political judgment was truly extraordinary.
Even without me saying anything, she had the nerve to push forward relentlessly.
Sextus Avila stepped in. “Legio XVI is stationed at Satura (modern Suwayda), and Legio IV is near Cyrrhestica (modern Shaizar). Each is two days away.”
“Good.” Grandmother decided. “Tomorrow we head for Legio XVI. Then Legio IV. We finish within a week.”
That night, a festival was held with the soldiers of Legio III.
The soldiers who received silver cheered and shouted Varius’s name.
I walked among them, shaking hands and listening.
“Did you really fight on the Rhine?” A young soldier asked.
“Yes. I went through dozens of battles over a year.”
“You fought the Germanic tribes directly?”
“I clashed with the Alemanni many times. I could win because I fought beside brave warriors like you.”
The soldiers’ eyes changed.
They began to see me not as a mere noble, but as a fellow warrior.
Two days later, we arrived at Satura, where Legio XVI was stationed.
Legio XVI was a storied unit founded in the time of Emperor Nero, and it bore the title “Firma,” meaning “steadfast.”
But its atmosphere differed from Legio III.
Legate Aulus received us cautiously.
“Lady Julia Maesa, welcome. But… you must explain what this means.”
He already knew what had happened with Legio III.
“Aulus, I will speak bluntly.” Grandmother said. “Macrinus is a usurper. He assassinated Emperor Caracalla and seized power.”
“But the Senate approved him.”
“Because they had no other choice.” Comazon cut in. “Now you can choose. The legitimate heir of the Severan dynasty is here.”
Aulus’s gaze turned to me. “Varius Avitus… I heard the rumor. That you are Caracalla’s… son?”
“Bloodline matters, but something matters more.” I stepped forward. “I am a soldier. I fought on the Rhine for a year, and the soldiers of Legio III Gallica acknowledged me.”
“I also heard rumors that Legio III was blinded by money.”
“The silver is only a token of gratitude.” Grandmother said coldly. “Didn’t Macrinus throw around two thousand denarii as a bonus for his Praetorians, while claiming there wasn’t enough money and cutting the legionaries’ pay?”
Grandmother produced a stack of documents. “And that’s not all… Look at this. As you know well, it’s the content of Macrinus’s peace treaty with Parthia. Abandoning Mesopotamia, two hundred million sesterces in reparations, and a humiliating withdrawal of Roman forces.”
Aulus’s face hardened.
“Aulus, do you agree with abandoning lands conquered by Emperor Trajan? As a Roman soldier, can you accept this humiliation?”
A long silence followed.
Aulus had no logical rebuttal.
The part about pouring money into the Praetorians while cutting the soldiers’ pay… left him choking.
It was something even he had burned with envy over. And then there was the humiliating treaty.
“Let me meet the soldiers.” I stepped forward. “Let them decide.”
“Understood. I will arrange it.”
The next day, the soldiers of Legio XVI assembled.
About five thousand warriors filled the plaza.
This time, I spoke first.
“Legio XVI Flavia Firma! Warriors who bear the honorable name of the ‘Steadfast Legion’!” I rolled up one sleeve of my armor. “I am Varius Avitus. A soldier like you!”
When I raised my arm, the sword scar from the Rhine was clear.
“This is a wound I took fighting the Alemanni. This is a wound I took saving a comrade. And this…”
I showed my other arm as well.
“This is an arrow mark from holding the testudo formation!”
The soldiers murmured.
“I am not a noble on paper! I rolled in the mud with you, bled, and grieved the deaths of comrades! I am a warrior!” I raised my voice. “And I ask you! What has Macrinus done for you? What became of the sacrifices of your comrades who died fighting Parthia? A humiliating peace treaty—was that the answer?”
A furious murmur spread.
“I promise you!” I clenched my fist. “If you follow me, we will reclaim Rome’s honor together! We will wash away Parthia’s humiliation! And you will serve a true emperor!”
Then Grandmother stepped forward.
“And Legio XVI will receive the same gift. One thousand denarii in silver per soldier!”
The wagons entered, dumping sacks of silver coins.
Legate Aulus climbed onto the platform.
He hesitated briefly, then drew his sword.
“Legio XVI Flavia Firma…” He shouted loudly. “Recognizes Varius Avitus as Imperator!”
“Waaah—!!!!” The soldiers erupted in explosive cheers. “Imperator! Augustus! Long live the emperor!”
We gained the second legion.
**
Legio IV… was the hardest opponent.
The name Scythica—meaning “Scythian”—this legion specialized in eastern campaigns.
They were rich in combat experience and fiercely proud.
When we arrived in Cyrrhestica,
Legate Gaius Verus received us coldly. “I heard two legions already raised you as emperor.” His voice carried scorn. “It’s easy to buy a legion with silver. But Legio IV is different.”
“General, we are not trying to buy a legion.” Comazon said. “We respect the soldiers’ honor.”
“Honor?” Verus scoffed. “So you speak of honor. Then let me ask. Varius Avitus—are you truly Caracalla’s son?”
The room fell silent.
I looked him straight in the eye.
“Gaius, I will speak honestly. I am Caracalla’s nephew. But it is true that Severan blood runs in me.”
“Then aren’t you deceiving the legions with a lie?”
“No.” I said firmly. “I can show you something more important than bloodline. I will show you my skill.”
“How will you prove it?”
“I will duel the strongest warrior in the legion.” I declared.
Grandmother and Comazon stared at me in shock.
Even Legate Gaius Verus looked at me anew.
[What? Why would you make such a reckless proposal? You could be seriously injured—or even die.]
“If I don’t take this kind of risk, I don’t think I can persuade all of Legio IV. They’re extremely prideful.”
It would be a lie to say I was certain… but I had to try somehow.
I had a year of skill built on the Rhine.
The next morning, thousands of soldiers gathered at Legio IV’s training ground.
They wanted to see how well a young noble… no, a boy noble, could wield a sword.
My opponent was the primus pilus—the chief centurion.
His name was Flavius Maximus.
A twenty-year veteran, said to be the strongest soldier in Legio IV.
“Are you ready?”
Maximus asked as he drew his sword.
“I am.” I drew mine as well.
At the signal, we moved.
Maximus’s first strike was fast and precise.
But I had survived dozens of life-and-death battles on the Rhine.
My body reacted on instinct.
Sword met sword.
The ring of metal echoed across the training ground.
We repeated attack and defense.
“Oho!” Maximus exclaimed in admiration. “You’re not bad!”
I used techniques learned on the Rhine.
A feint, a swift change of direction, and a counter from a low stance.
When Maximus faltered for a moment, I broke through his guard and brought my blade point to his throat.
“Stop! Match over!” The referee shouted.
The training ground went silent.
“Waaaah—!!!”
Then a sudden eruption of cheers burst out.
Maximus smiled and extended his hand. “You… are a real soldier. I acknowledge you.”
That afternoon, the full assembly was held.
This time, Legate Gaius Verus spoke first.
“I was skeptical.” He admitted. “But what I saw today cannot be denied. Varius Avitus is a true warrior.”