BooksBarbecue
Back The City Save as PDF
Contents ( 111)
  1. BY ADRIAN GOLDSWORTHY
  2. CONTENTS
  3. MAP
  4. PROLOGUE
  5. I
  6. In the hill country
  7. Nearer the Euphrates
  8. The same night
  9. II
  10. The temporary camp of Legio VIIII Hispana, Fifty-five miles east of Cyrrhus
  11. Fifteen days before the Kalends of March
  12. III
  13. On the training grounds outside Zeugma
  14. Fifth day before the Nones of March
  15. In the house of Simon the merchant, Nicopolis
  16. The next day
  17. IV
  18. The temporary camp of Legio VIIII Hispana
  19. V
  20. Outside Nicopolis
  21. Eleventh day before the Kalends of April
  22. Nicopolis
  23. The same day
  24. VI
  25. On the road to the crossing at Zeugma
  26. Tenth day before the Kalends of April
  27. VII
  28. Zeugma
  29. Seventh day before the Kalends of April
  30. VIII
  31. The camp of VIIII Hispana
  32. One day before the Nones of April
  33. Nicopolis
  34. The same day, late afternoon
  35. IX
  36. Outside Nicopolis
  37. Eighth Day before the Ides of April
  38. X
  39. Near Nicopolis
  40. A little later
  41. XI
  42. In the plain in front of Nicopolis
  43. The Ides of April
  44. Nicopolis
  45. The same night
  46. XII
  47. In front of Nicopolis
  48. Eighteenth day before the Kalends of May First day of the siege
  49. XIII
  50. Outside Nicopolis
  51. Seventeenth day before the Kalends of May Second day of the siege
  52. XIV
  53. Outside Nicopolis
  54. Fifteenth day before the Kalends of May The fourth day of the siege
  55. Nicopolis
  56. The sixth day of the siege
  57. XV
  58. Up country
  59. Thirteenth day before the Kalends of May The eighth day of the siege
  60. XVI
  61. Zeugma
  62. That same night
  63. XVII
  64. The siege lines outside Nicopolis
  65. Eleventh day before the Kalends of May The tenth day of the siege
  66. XVIII
  67. The large camp to the east of Nicopolis
  68. Tenth day before the Kalends of May The eleventh day of the siege
  69. Nicopolis
  70. Late on the fourteenth night of the siege
  71. XIX
  72. Before Nicopolis
  73. Fifth day before the Kalends of April Sixteenth day of the siege
  74. XX
  75. Outside Nicopolis
  76. The Kalends of May The twenty-first day of the siege
  77. XXI
  78. Before Nicopolis
  79. The day before the Nones of May The twenty-sixth day of the siege
  80. Nicopolis
  81. The next day The twenty-seventh day of the siege
  82. XXII
  83. North west of Nicopolis, some miles from the road
  84. Fifth day before the Ides of May The thirty-second day of the siege
  85. XXIII
  86. In front of Nicopolis
  87. The day before the Ides of May The thirty-fifth day of the siege
  88. XXIV
  89. Outside Nicopolis
  90. The Ides of May
  91. The thirty-sixth day of the siege
  92. XXV
  93. The breach in the western wall
  94. XXVI
  95. Outside Nicopolis
  96. Seventeenth day before the Kalends of June The thirty-seventh day of the siege
  97. The prison at Nicopolis
  98. Three days later
  99. The forty-first day of the siege
  100. XXVII
  101. The citadel at Nicopolis
  102. The last hours of the fourteenth day before the Kalends of June
  103. The forty-first day of the siege
  104. XXVIII
  105. Nicopolis
  106. The same night
  107. EPILOGUE
  108. The next morning
  109. HISTORICAL NOTE
  110. GLOSSARY
  111. CAST OF CHARACTERS

‘Do you think they are at it on the eastern side as well?’

‘Doubt it. Very rocky over there. And if they had one why didn’t they fire it at the same time?’ The defenders had launched a sally during the night, and only heavy fighting by Cerialis and his men had protected the siege works and driven them back inside. ‘Wouldn’t make sense to waste men coming out if they had another mine to fire. So that should be all right.’

‘We hope to have the ram remounted by tomorrow.’ Rufus was trying and failing to sound optimistic. A beaten, exhausted mood had spread throughout the camps.

‘And here?’ Hadrian was leaning on the rail, staring at the ruin.

‘If we want to start building from scratch, then I’ll need a lot more timber… a lot.’ Caecilius’ voice was flat and even he did not sound convinced. ‘There is nothing much left around here.’

‘I shall see what I can do.’

The acting governor and the commander of the legion toured the camps and the siege lines, doing their best to rouse the men’s spirits. It was easiest on the eastern side, where Cerialis’ men felt pride in having repulsed another sally, and some satisfaction that their tower would soon be back in operation. Everywhere else, men’s eyes were down, their movements stiff and lethargic. Everyone and everything seemed covered in a layer of dirty smuts and dust, making them old, almost decayed.

‘Did Pliny ever tell you about the day Vesuvius spread ruin all around?’ Hadrian asked Crispinus, as they sat down in the praetorium for a light meal. He flicked some dust from his couch. ‘The stuff gets everywhere. Reminds me of when I went to Ferox’s garrison in Moesia – the place caught fire within a couple of hours of my arrival.’

‘Philosophers might begin to see a pattern,’ Crispinus joked. He felt his cheek throbbing and had to concentrate to control it.

‘We must take solace in the fact that it all turned out well in the end – more or less anyway. So we must make sure that the same happens now. Is it worth attempting an escalade? Ferox is good at making the most of darkness. Try to storm at night – on this side, when they think that we will be putting all efforts into the assault in the east. We’re tired, but they must be more tired – and relaxing after this success. Could take them by surprise and break their spirit.’

‘Shall we summon Ferox?’

‘Holy Athena, no.’ Hadrian chuckled. ‘Don’t think I could take more of his gloom at the moment… And I know that those are high walls and this is a big risk. Maybe start making some ladders, just in case.’

‘Of course. And once the other ram is back working we have a chance.’

‘And there is the mine. Yes, I know, I know, we still have a lot going for us before our time runs out. Be nice to give the men something though. You know soldiers. Love smashing things and burning things, hate labouring, but take a pride in what they have made and hate even more to see it destroyed. If we do attack up ladders we’ll need ’em keen, and that’s one thing they are not at the moment – oh, I know, this is Ninth Hispana and they’ll do their duty. Storming a strong city takes more than duty. You know it and I know it. We need luck and we need—’