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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

‘Athenodorus is a good, just man,’ his father said, without sounding too certain.

Domitius looked down at his sword propped against the frame of his bed. Yet what could he do? Apart from the main gate, there was a back door to the side street from the stables, but he could not get there without going through the courtyard. He could climb up to the roof, and probably escape by jumping across the alleys and then… Then he would be on his own in a foreign city and his flight was sure to be seen as proof of guilt. He did not even know guilt of what as yet. It might be nothing, and he owed a lot to the family.

‘Are you sure this is necessary?’ The older Simon sounded nervous. ‘We could bring him. There is no need for armed men.’

‘Orders!’ The leader’s tone was stronger again.

Domitius left the sword where it was and came out. There was nowhere to go, because the only door from his room led into the courtyard. Nor did he want to abandon the family who had taken him in.

‘What’s this about?’ he asked.

‘You need to come with us,’ the leader said. Up close Domitius could see that he was forty or more, that the dye on his beard left a lot of mottled hair, and there was a dent or two in his helmet. ‘Best if you don’t make any trouble.’

The younger Simon patted Domitius on the shoulder. ‘We will sort this out.’ The warmth in his tone was surprising. Domitius had got the impression that the pride of the family was none too fond of him.

‘Very well.’ Domitius held his arms out together. He had spotted the rope in one of the men’s belts.

‘Is that necessary?’ the older Simon asked as the guard tied Domitius’ wrists.

‘Orders!’ the leader barked. He added a ‘Sir!’ when he noticed the younger Simon watching him closely. ‘Come on then, boy! Let’s get going.’ He clearly wanted to leave.

Domitius let them lead him away and wondered what was in store. The guards had their job to do, so they did it. As far as they were concerned it was simply a job and they did it as well as they did any other job. Domitius could not help noticing that there was rust on more than one spearhead, and fittings missing on two of the cuirasses. It was hard not to bawl the men out for this. These men were soldiers of a sort, even if not very good ones. So they did their job without particular malice and only hit him a few times on the way to the prison.