The road to the Parthian capital Ecbatana was a beautiful one. Lands that Cassius Agrippa and Trunicus had never seen before awed them with beauty. The flat plains and clear lakes of this mountain plain region were breathtaking. Only Prince Athan had been here before, so a guide he became. The small escort of Cappadocian light cavalrymen were also instrumental in protecting the party from possible dangers. After days of travel, the natural wonders of inner Armenia led them to the gates of Ecbatana.

The capital city of Parthia was bustling with life. Shopkeepers, merchants and many soldiers lined the streets of this great city. It wasn't hard for the three men to find their way to the imperial palace. A traveler could see its great flags from the gates of the city. The men weaved their way through the crowded streets toward the great palace. They hoped that the king would be gracious enough to meet with them.

At the palace steps, the men were met by two elaborately armored guards. Clamoring toward the men, the guards pointed their spears at them.

"Stop! We demand that you announce yourselves and the manner of your presence at the royal palace!" The guard on the right stated. Cassius looked at Athan, and then Trunicus. Prince Athan stepped forward, flinging his indigo cape back over his shoulders.

"I am Prince Athan of Cappadocia, this man here is Cassius Agrippa of Cappadocia, formerly of Rome, and his guard Trunicus. We are here to speak with his greatness, King of Kings, the King Vardanes! He will see us regarding Seleucia." Athan stood his ground and glared at the two guards. They nodded simultaneously. "Very well, we were told that you would be arriving. Come with us." The guards then clamored back up the steps with Prince Athan, Cassius and Trunicus in tow.

Once inside the Great Audience Hall of the palace, they could see that the court of King Vardanes was very busy. Generals, advisors, courtiers, and favor-seekers moved around the room, speaking among themselves. Only the King seemed to be calm, seated in his throne at the end of the hall. A palace official took note of the Cappadocian delegation’s arrival. He pounded his rod on the polished floor, silencing the people in the hall. After three deep bows, he announced (in Greek), “Your Exalted Majesty, my Lord Vardanes, Supreme Chief of the Parthians, King of Kings and successor to the ancient throne of Persia… unto you I do present, from the Kingdom of Cappadocia, Prince Athan, and his counselors Cassius and Trunicus!”

Cassius and his comrades bowed. "Greetings, Your Majesty." Athan and Trunicus followed suit.

King Vardanes raised a hand in acknowledgement. Despite his recent defeat at the hands of the Seleucid Kingdom, the Parthian monarch possessed an air of supreme confidence and arrogance. “Welcome, Cappadocians and… Romans, to my glorious land!"

"Oh Your Majesty, I am most greatfull that you accepted our audience! I have something of great importance to speak with you about!”

"Why do you come to see me?" King Vardanes asked, stepping down from his throne. Two fan-bearers followed a few steps behind. The Parthian soveriegn stepped deliberately toward a table strewn with maps and parchment. Advisors and servants bowed repeatedly.

"I am sure you have heard by now that there are a few more men like myself who have defected from the great empire of Rome to live and defend the kingdom of Cappadocia." Cassius stepped closer to the King. “This was promised years ago by our late, excuse me, ‘Rome’s’ late emperor Honorius in a pact signed with the late Cappadocian king Peliander. Though Rome itself does not officially acknowledge this, my good statesmen and I do. Rome, it seems, is inclined to befriend our mutual enemy the Seleucids."

The king turned from the table strewn with maps and parchment to look Cassius and his friends up and down. Without letting the King speak, Cassius continued with his request.

“"What I came here for, my gracious host, is to plainly ask for your assistance, and allegiance against the mounting Seleucid forces. They are worried by our presence. I honestly feel that with battles raging on multiple fronts, together we can bring the arrogant Seleucids to their knees." Cassius kept a serious face and looked in the King’s eyes for a response. He knew the Parthians hated the Seleucids far more than the Cappadocians.

"I, the Great King of Kings, shall consider your humble request. Perhaps we can arrange a treaty, if you pledge loyalty to me, the Lord of the East, and my successors!" The King raised his arms with this statement to the murmurs of agreement from the nearest advisors.

"My lord, loyalty to you and your countrymen is not something we fear. As friendly nations we can do many great things side by side." Cassius emphasized the ‘friendly' part of this statement. The king looked interested. Cassius continued. "Our numbers are not as significant as yours, great king, so we humbly ask for some reinforcements from your own, brilliant army. In return for the physical donation of troops, we offer unrestricted access tariff free to our ports on the Black Sea."

King Vardanes stroked his chin. An advisor whispered something in the King’s ear. The King then looked at Cassius and Athan.

-----------------------------------
The Plains of Central Cappadocia
-----------------------------------

The wind blew heavy on the backs of Epildos and Augustus Manus. They were nearing the ancient city of Militene. Now everything was for keeps, mistakes would be most likely very fatal.

A few days into the journey. Elpidos had decided to share some of his fighting wisdom with Augustus. So began rigorous combat training. Both men threw themselves into it, for a means of survival and a way to get their minds off the monumental task at hand.

Later that night, they found themselves on a plain overlooking the city of Melitine. From their vantage point they could see the night fires of the city with ease.

"We wait here and see what happens in the morning," Elpidos said. "You sleep, I will stand watch. In a few hours I will wake you and you stand watch while I sleep."

Augustus nodded, and in no time at all had fallen into a restless slumber. Elpidos pulled his cloak tighter and turned his head to scan the area around him

-----------------------------------
The Royal Palace of Parthia
-----------------------------------

"I will send an army of 5,000 horsemen under Prince Ardashir to take command of the Cappadocian armies. You, loyal servants of Parthia, will be well-rewarded for your service."

"Your Majesty, this is most generous. Thank you very much. Your Prince will work well with our Roman commander. General Florianus Julianus. When can these horsemen be ready? However long it takes, I am prepared, along with Prince Athan, to work out a treaty and sign it this very day. This alliance will only bring good favor down on your kingdom my good king!" Cassius turned to Prince Athan and slapped him on the back. Trunicus stood silent behind the two men, knowing his place as only a guard.

The King turned and whispered to the same advisor. After some exchanges, the King nodded in agreement and turned to Cassius and Athan. A scribe sat to the side, ready with parchment and a pen. Without pausing for breath, the King announced the terms of the treaty.

"These are the terms of the Treaty:

I. The King of Cappadocia and all his subjects, and the Romans in the service of the Kingdom, swear fealty to the Vardanes, Supreme Chief of the Parthians, King of Kings, Successor to the Throne of Persia, and High Lord of the East. They also swear the same fealty to the successors of Vardanes.

II. The merchants of Parthia shall be granted free trade rights throughout Cappadocia.

III. The Parthian Army of the Cappadocian Kingdom shall be under the supreme command of a Prince of Parthia, appointed by the Great King.

IV. The Great King of Parthia shall protect and defend his loyal Cappadocian servants, and protect them against all external enemies."

The King turned to the scribe and watched as he quickly finished writing the treaty. King Vardanes took the quill and signed the parchment.

"Signed, by my exalted hand, Vardanes." The king motioned for the scribe to have Cassius and Athan sign it as well.

"My lord, while this treaty sounds acceptable in its immediate form... I have to clarify my own thoughts." Cassius glanced at the scribe holding the treaty. "Cappadocia will remain an independent state, ruled by King Ariobarzanes and loyal to You, oh king of kings, all your merchants will receive free trade through Cappadocian lands, your forces in Cappadocian lands will be commanded by your Prince and our protection will be under your humble and gracious command? If that is how it sounds to you, I will sign it here and now, along with Prince Athan!"

Before anyone could respond, Athan stepped forward. "My Lord King of Parthia, with all respect, I must humbly object to these terms. The King of Cappadocia must remain sovereign, and in command of his armies. We will swear fealty, and we will submit to the Prince on questions of overall strategy, but on the field of battle the King is the commander."

It was quite obvious King Vardanes was not pleased by these objections. He stroked his chin again.

"Very well. We shall sign this treaty with the alterations, but I expect your cooperation! My horsemen shall be dispatched within a week's time." The king nodded at Athan and Cassius. The scribe quickly altered the treaty and read the alterations out loud.

"III. The Parthian Army of the Cappadocian Kingdom shall be under the strategic command of a Prince of Parthia, appointed by the Great King. The King of Cappadocia shall retain command over his men on the field of battle." With that, King Vardanes again signed the treaty. Cassius and Athan both stepped forward to do the same.

"Excellent your majesty!" Cassius exclaimed. "King Ariobarzanes has been leading the people of Cappadocia for long enough to know what is right for them. I am so grateful we have accomplished this historical moment. We will return to Cappadocia with the treaty and the knowledge that your great prince and fine horsemen will follow soon!"

The king wasn't paying any attention to Cassius's final statement. The advisor rolled the treaty for Cassius and bid the three men on their way. It was still very busy in the Kings palace, so the three men slipped out unnoticed. Since the horsemen would be ready in only one week, Athan suggested they find rooms in the city and wait for the cavalry's departure.


-----------------------------------The plains of Central Cappadocia
-----------------------------------

Several hours later, Augustus felt a tug and looked up to see Elpidos looking at him. Augustus pulled himself up and asked, "See anything of interest?"

Elpidos nodded no, "It was quiet."

Augustus looked at the city, "Sleep well Elpidos."

-----------------------------------
Royal Palace, Trapezus
-----------------------------------

General Florianus Julianus of Cappodocia stood besides his new King as they both watched the formation of their army. The retired Centurions and legionaries he'd brought with him were now busy training the four cohorts, while Captains Alexandros and Stafanos trained the hoplites

In the months that he'd been in Trapezus, thousands of Cappodocians had arrived to join the new army and now a trickle of men from the other locations began to arrive as well. Unfortunately for Florianus, the number of new recruits from Rome was minimal. Emperor Justius Vitellius had ordered Roman authorities to prevent any citizen from joining the rebels. Large fleets heading through the Bosphorus were inspected by Roman officers with the aid of the Byzantine polis municipal officials. Of course, the effectiveness of the inspections was limited. But Rome’s firm condemnation of the upstart “Cappadocian legions” was a sufficient deterrent for most former legionaries.

There was a mild economic boom in Trapezus as workshops were established in the city for the manufacture of shields, armour and weapons. Of course, the entire enterprise was funded by the Julianus family wealth. Julii gold was, for the moment, a blessing for the relatively poor nation.

King Ariobarzanes looked over the city with a dark feeling in his gut. His once prosperous kingdom had been reduced to little more then this city and its people.

With weary eyes that felt ten times their real age, he surveyed his troops from the balcony. Two months ago, most of them were young, nearly children, and those who were not so young looked worn from their service. Now there was an improvement, especially in equipment, thanks to the exiled Romans’ money. Unfortunately, however, the relatively small number of centurions and instructional personnel were hindering the speedy formation of a “legion”. The Cappadocians were organized and dressed as legionaries, but their training was far from complete. Thanks to the large number of hoplites in the original standing army, the phalanx-style heavy infantry was in slightly better shape.

Ariobarzanes shifted his gaze to Florianus; the man was, to Ariobarzanes’ cause, a gift from the gods but looking at him now the young king felt the slight ebbs of doubt flowing into him. He trusted the man but questioned his motivation; he had been through war before, why return to it now?

"Training of the cohorts proceeds well, you're majesty" Florianus informed him. "You're people make good soldiers, but the Centurions do warn me that we still have much work ahead of us.” Florianus silently cursed his lack of trained Roman infantry veterans. He had some, yes, but not enough to build a legion, or even part of a legion, in a short period of time.

"Well, I suppose that this is good news," the king said in an unsure tone, "When do you feel they will be ready to march on my true capital?"

Florianus smiled, he was anxious himself, so much has been risked in this venture. "It takes six months to train a lazy citizen plebeian into a legionnaire, but you're people are hardier and many are already experienced in such matters and as we are only raising four cohorts they should be ready to support the hoplites… in the near future.”

"And we will win back my father's lands from Seleucia?" Ariobarzanes asked as he looked over the troops. It was a rhetorical question. So much had changed over time that it was hard to look back on all of it now. Ariobarzanes watched as wind swept over the tops of buildings sending the banners flying and rustling the trees. Turning back to face Florianus, "I fight to win back what my father left to me, I must fight," he said in a slightly unsure tone, "Why do you fight Florianus?"

"Our previous Emperor pledged his assistance to your people, as did I…" Florianus stopped. There were other reasons: glory, adventure, greed. No selfless act was truly selfless to a Roman. "Emperor Justius Vitellius does not understand that our true enemies are the Seleucids, while he plays in Germania, I shall weaken the Seleucid Kingdom for when he realizes this…." Florianus smirked. "And if there's time I'll carve out my own Kingdom in Asia."


"Your quest is indeed noble and your vision grand" Ariobarzanes said boldly, although his words may not have been speaking the truth. "I only pray that together we may achieve the glory in winning back my lands… let us hope that Cassius and Flavus are successful in Parthia and Asia."

-----------------------------------
The plains of central Cappadocia
-----------------------------------

The hours passed slowly for Augustus Manus. He tried keeping his concentration on the city. But his mind kept wandering. He would think of his wife, what she was doing. Was she worried about him?

His mind also wandered to the events of the last year or so, starting with the chance encounter with Cassius Agrippa at the Palatine forum that led to their friendship. He thought of the party that had led to his meeting Octavia. Then he had dreams of becoming a Proconsul, running a province of his own. He felt that would never happen now.

He was confused by the response of Rome. It had seemed that the fighting spirit of Rome had left for all but the emboldened and self ambitious. Was this the Rome of Romulus, who had killed his brother Remus because the latter jumped over his walls? The Romulus who went to war with the Latin League because his neighboring allies had been attacked? Was this the same Rome of Cinncinatus? When he held of the enemy at the bridge because it was required, then went home, even though he had been offered the Consulship? Or the Rome that embarked on the Punic Wars and fought decade after decade because Carthage had impugned Rome's honor?

Now he and his comrades were in Cappadocia fighting for there right to exist. Were they fighting because a fallen Emperor had given his pledge? Did the word of an emperor mean so little, he mused. To be cast aside when the political winds shifted direction?

-----------------------------------
Alans Camp, Central Caucuses
-----------------------------------


Meanwhile, far to the north-east of Cappadocia, an exiled Roman Tribune named Sarius Terpus made his way into the tent of a nomadic chieftain. He was announced by a guard as “an envoy from the south-western lands”. The Chief turned to the visitor. “Greetings! I am Attaces of the Alans,” he said in his native tongue. The words were translated into Greek by one of the Chief’s advisors.

"Thank you for you're welcome Chief Attaces" Sarius Terpus replied. He had been sent by General Florianus to open a dialogue with the Alans.

"You come asking for men to fight in your armies, yes?" The Chieftain stated.

The Tribune smiled at his directness, something the Roman tribune wasn't used too. "Yes I've come to ask for men to fight with the Army of Cappodocia"

"I see. I have at my command 8,000 horse!" the barbarian leader said proudly.

Eight thousand men! The Tribune wanted to shout for joy, that was thousand more then Florianus had estimated. "Eight thousand horse, such a mighty host you have at you're disposal"

The counselor continued to translate the Chief's and the Roman's words. "You wish for the service of my people?"

"Indeed we do wish for such a service" Sarius said bowing his head slightly fearing negotiations would go sour.

The Chief could smell gold now and plenty of it judging from the Roman's fancy uniform. "And why should we risk our blood for your sake?"

Sarius nodded. "You may settle our north eastern borders and police them from brigands, we see you as our friends, if ever one was to attack you, we would provide you with assistance.”

"Ha! So if the Parthians attack us, you will come to our aid? How am I to believe this? You will never fight the Parthians on our behalf.”

"That was the old Cappodocia, the new Cappodocia will share close friendship with Parthia and the Black Sea states. We shall ensure that you are not attacked" Sarius replied with the pro-Parthian propaganda that now filled the streets of Trapezus.

No... we must have more... than a simple promise" Attaces demanded.

Sarius smiled once again, he was enjoying this. "Of course, we would not expect your men to fight without compensation, now…"

"I will take my entire army to your lands, but you must promise that I will retain command of my men. You will not impose your leaders upon my people… I will report only to your king," the Chief declared.

"Indeed, and our King will respect you're command and will march out with the army and General Florianus for such a campaign," responded Sarius.

"Good. I report only to your King. In exchange, I want gold." He continued, before stating his price, the translator whispering it to the Roman.

Sarius knew it would be a burden but he also knew what eight thousand men and their families meant for the war effort. "We shall pay such a price for the coming campaign and more if we are successful… you will enjoy plundering the Seleucid baggage train"

"Very good. I expect the payment each season… And your Kingdom must feed my men, in addition, and provide for the horses. I will take the families with us, as well."

"Indeed" Sarius smiled remembering Cassius' grain convoy.

"Good. Wait a few days, and my people will prepare to move." They were nomadic; it would not be a difficult or long process.

"We'll then we shall ride together to the marshalling grounds outside Trapezus, plenty of room there to set up temporary camp for your people before we leave on campaign. Glory and plunder awaits!" Sarius said excitedly.

-----------------------------------
By: Acedus Florianus Julianus, Decius Cassius Agrippa, Cicero Augustus Manus, Quinarius Mardraeus Agrippa (GM)


AD 44