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Eastern Germania Superior
Marius Vitellius´ headquarters
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It was summer in Germania and the sun rose in the far horizon. The birds started to sing and the wind blew from northeast. In that morning the nature showed all its beauty, hundred of thousands of flowers covered the ground, the wild animals were moving in the plains and forests and the fresh waters of the small rivers flowed swiftly into the sea with a characteristic noise. Marius Vitellius and his Legate Bonetius Terpus were walking in silence admiring the nature. Bonetius smiled to his commander and said “It is wonderful to see Germania at this time of the year. Often the ground is covered by the snow and the low temperatures make the land cold and barren”.

Marius looked to his Legate and replied “Yes, Bonetius in this land the summer is a gift from the Gods! But we have important matters to discuss. As you know our beloved Emperor approved the senatorial project for the development of Germania Superior inspired by my proposal. This project has three phases. We are now concluding the first phase, the military one. Do you have the reports about the building of roads and fortress?”

Bonetius shook his head affirmatively and then started his report “Sir, the things are going very well. The men of legion XXXVIII already built 25 roads in Western Germania Superior. According the last information within 6 months they will build 5 more roads in that region, which make the 30 roads for the region according the Senatorial project. Meanwhile my legion X Aludae already built another fortress in Eastern Germania Superior. Thus we have now two fortress in the region, the fortress of Lupodurum, near the Rhine river, and now this one in the former Semnones´ territory. Regarding the roads we already built 27 roads in the region but we need 3 roads more to achieve the number of 30 proposed in the Senatorial project”.

Marius was happy with Bonetius´ report, everything was going according his plans for the territory. Then he turned to his legate and friend and with a serious and sad voice said “I know you are suffering for the lost of your beloved wife Augustina but you need to think about your little girl, Tara. You know Bonetius, sometimes the Gods who give with one hand are taking with the other. You have work here and time will make you feel better.”

Bonetius looked to his commander and replied with tears in his eyes “Thank you, Sir. She was a good and dedicated wife, I will miss her”.

Marius slapped Bonetius´ back and said with a smile “Come with me to my tent, we will drink some wine and eat a good meal. Then tomorrow we will visit our men in the field in order to see them at work.” The two men walked in silence to Marius´ command tent.

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Eastern Germania Superior
Building roads
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Earlier in the morning of the next day Marius Vitellius and his legate Bonetius Terpus road toward the nearest worksite in the region. They stopped, dismounted and walked toward the men who were working on a new road. Marius called a centurion, “Tell me how the things are going here?”

The centurion saluted the two men and started his explanation “Sir, as you can see we divided the men into two groups. The legionaries are building the road itself, while the auxiliary troops and several hundred natives are in the forest chopping down the trees, carrying the timber and also working in the quarries. The process to build a road is quite simple. We start by digging a hole 2 metres deep and 6 metres wide. Then we use medium sized stones and sand to make the first layer called statumen. Then we use pebbles and cement to make the second layer called rudus. Finally we use large and plain stones to make the final layer called pavimentum. During the process we use often an engineering tool, called groma, for the levelling of the roads”.

Marius was pleased with the explanation and asked “Do you need two more men for the job?”

Bonetius understood immediately Marius´ intentions and followed his commander example removing the greaves and armour, while the surprised centurion commented “Well, Sir it will be an honour to have you both working with us”.

Marius replied to the centurion “Good, give us work among the men!” then he turned to Bonetius and whispered to him, “This is good to show an example to the men, this will certainly raise their morale”.

Marius and Bonetius started to dig and carry stones and sand like the other common legionaries. The men observed in silence but with satisfaction their commanders´ work. After two hours of hard work Marius interrupted the work and ordered a pause for the lunch. The two commanders ate with the men, talked and joked with them. Then Marius Vitellius spoke to his men. “Brave soldiers of Rome! I am proud of you. Some people in Rome think a soldier´s life is only killing and destruction. They constantly demand your sweat and bravery in the battlefield. However such persons are ignorant and don´t know that the true soldier´s live also involves making the peace and helping the natives in the process of Romanization. Thus a soldier must fight but also build, educate and help the natives, because this is part of his duty to Rome. So don´t be jealous of your comrades in Egypt who are fighting hard for Rome. They are doing their jobs well, as we are doing well our job here, for the glory of Rome. Every mile of road you build here will allow this province to one day become truly a loyal and productive province of Rome. May the Gods be with you, my comrades and friends.”

Hundred of men cheered their commander while many others murmured agreement. Marius Vitellius and Bonetius Terpus returned to the fortress—-tired, sweating, but happy. In that afternoon Marius had another conversation with his faithful legate. “Bonetius, the things in Germania Superior are going very well and I am please with the men´s work. Now it is time for me to go to my home in Tarentum and visit Rome. I will be out only for three months and during my absence you will be in charge. I already informed the other three legates that you will be in charge, so don´t worry and continue the good work”.

Bonetius asked “Sir, when you leave?” and Marius replied “Tomorrow morning”.

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Tarentum city, South of Italy
Marius Vitellius´ home
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After three weeks Marius Vitellius finally arrived at his humble but comfortable house in Tarentum. He was received by his wife Octrilla Vitellius and his old friend Deanna. While he kissed and embraced his beloved wife he asked to Deanna “You are well my dear friend? Where is my Egyptian nice Satsobek?”

Deanna responded with a smile “I am well, thank you. Your wife is already a close friend of mine and we feel secure in your home. Regarding your nice Satsobek, don´t expect to spend much time speaking with her because she will give birth today!”

Marius was surprised and commented “Today!? By the Gods it seems I came at the appropriate time.” Then he turned to his wife Octrilla and whispered “I miss you so much my love!” and kissed her again.

Octrilla looked at her husband and said to him with a concerned face “We will talk later, my love! Now stay here and let me offer assistance to your nice.”

Marius Vitellius was in his own house but he was lost. He was a man among women, and didn´t know anything about what was going on regarding the preparations for receiving a new family member. Marius, a tough commander, used to being in the barbarian and cold lands of Germania, couldn´t understand the Egyptian preparation for childbirth and why some strange animal statuettes representing Egyptian Gods and Goddess were in his house. He rose from his chair and went to his bedroom for demanding some explanation about the statuettes but he was expelled by his wife “Please, get out of here and let us work! Be nice and wait in the dining-room”.

Marius walked nervously in the dinning-room, grumbling and scratching his dense black beard, while in the bedroom the two women assisted Satsobek. The parturient was instructed to sit in a special chair for the occasion, while Octrilla held her from behind and Deanna pronounced ritual Egyptian formulas for a fast and happy childbirth. Near the chair where Satsobek sat there was a statuette of the Egyptian Goddess Taueret, protector of the expectant mothers. Suddenly Marius was alerted by a scream followed by the crying of newborn baby. Inside the bedroom Deanna yelled “mesi!”, “mesi!” After 30 minutes Octrilla came to the dining-room and brought the newborn baby to his husband “Look at your great-nephew, he is a fine and healthy boy!”

Marius Vitellius held carefully his great-nephew in his arms and said with emotion “This is my deceased sister Antonia´s grandson, thus he will be named Antonius Vitellius. He will be a good and loyal citizen of Rome”. Octrilla was pleased with her husband´s words and nodded in agreement. Then Marius gave the baby back to his wife and asked with curiosity “But now tell me, what the hell is the word mesi?!”

Octrilla laughed and explained “This is the Egyptian word for ‘gave birth’”.

** Five days later **

Marius was walking in silence with his wife Octrilla in a street of Tarentum. Octrilla knew her husband very well and could see that something was disturbing him. Thus she asked kindly “My love, why are you so apprehensive, so quiet? You are not happy with your new family?”

Marius Vitellius hesitated and then confessed to his wife “I am sad and worry about the way my great-nephew was born. Instead of being born as a Roman he was born as an Egyptian, under strange rituals and protected by the Egyptian Gods and Goddess, and that displease me a lot. We can not forget the example of his father Julius and the way he died, without glory and alone in a far land. Also I don´t like to have those strange statuettes in my house, I am afraid that we may be punished by the Roman Gods.”

Octrilla responded “My love you are right, but give time to your niece Satsobek. She is young and with time she will learn our language, our habits and religion. Also I promise to you that your great-nephew will be raise as a true Roman and as soon as possible I will get rid of those statuettes. However you must understand Satsobek is Egyptian and for now she only trusts in her own Gods and Goddess. So if we hadn’t allowed her to practice those childbirth rituals maybe she and the baby would have died. Thus I beg you to trust me and have patience”.

Marius looked at his wife and replied with a smile “Very well, I trust you! I will stay with you and my family one month and then I will go to Rome, I have political business there. After that I will go again to my legions in Germania”. Octrilla embraced his husband, kissed him and resigned herself to the life of a soldier’s wife with a deep sigh.

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Scenario consequences :
The Romans built 30 roads and 2 fortress in Eastern Germania Superior, and 30 roads in Western Germania Superior. These actions finished the first phase (military phase) in Germania Superior. A new member of Marius Vitellius´ family was born: Antonius Vitellius.

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Authors: Agrippa Marius Vitellius and Ovidius Bonetius Terpus.

AD 61