Salvatoria: The Memoirs of Lucretia Aurelia

ᑕᕼᗩᑭTEᖇ ᙭᙭ᐯII: ᑎOTᕼIᑎG ᒪEᔕᔕ Tᕼᗩᑎ ᑌᑎᗷEᑎᗪIᑎG KᑎEE

December, 43 B.C

Carthage, Roman Africa

The only thing that spared us from immediately needing to take up arms was the quickly blossoming rivalry between Antony and Octavian. They bitterly fought each other, and Antony had made the Senate his enemy. Despite the irony of it all, I refused to join the new so-called 'Pompeian' movement - I preferred either 'Neo-Optimate' or 'Republican' to describe my current position.

So as I secured Africa, a civil war had broken out in the north as Antony tried to invade Cisalpine Gaul. He wanted the province for his own ambitions. He had initially been granted Macedonia, but Macedonia had no armies of its own, Antony wanted a province with troops. He was proving to be no better than Caesar. He wanted legal immunities to ensure he could never be tried for his corruption and actions. Antony besieged Decimus in the city of Mutina.

So, the Senate, led by Cicero and supported by the Optimates faction, declared war against Antony, who they viewed as a threat to the Republic. The Senate raised armies, and Octavian, eager to assert his authority, joined forces with them against Antony.

Upon reaching Mutina, Antony besieged the city, seeking to oust Brutus and establish control over northern Italy. The siege lasted for several months, during which both sides engaged in fierce battles and skirmishes. Antony's forces, bolstered by experienced veterans, launched relentless assaults on the city's defenses, while Brutus's defenders fought valiantly to repel them. Despite it all, Brutus never called on Cassius, Brutus or I to intervene.

Meanwhile, Octavian, recognizing the threat Antony posed to his own ambitions, mobilized his forces and marched to relieve the siege of Mutina. Octavian's army, composed of both veteran legions and newly recruited troops, represented a formidable force that tipped the balance of power in the conflict.

In April 43 B.C., the decisive Battle of Mutina took place outside the city walls. Antony's forces clashed with the combined armies of Octavian and the Senate, resulting in a bloody and hard-fought engagement. The battle was marked by intense close-quarters combat, with neither side willing to yield ground. According to our contemporaries, both armies fought in near total silence, the only sounds present were groans of pain and the clashing of steel.

Ultimately, Octavian and the Senate emerged victorious, dealing a significant blow to Antony's ambitions and securing their dominance in Rome. Antony was forced to retreat, abandoning his siege of Mutina and withdrawing his forces southward. The defeat at Mutina weakened Antony's position and set the stage for further conflicts between Antony and Octavian in the years to come.

Brutus and Cassius had secured Greece, Macedonia, Asia Minor, Bithynia, Cilicia and Syria and earned the support of Judea. Decimus consolidated his rule in Cisalpine Gaul as I did in Africa. By strategically seizing Sicily and Sardinia, I could, in theory, sever off the grain supply to Rome - strangling Antony and Octavian should I find it necessary. Word from Cicero suggested they dreaded campaigning against me. They knew I was dangerous, especially in Africa, and my vast personal fortune meant I could pay my troops for decades should I feel like dragging out this cause.

Which I was all too willing to do.

My fortune came from my governance of Britain, Africa under Caesar, and marrying into the Crassus and later Agrippa family. I currently had roughly 250 million denarii under my belt, which mostly came from Crassus, who had 200 million at his death. It had gone to my late husband in 53 B.C, then to me in 49 B.C since Marcus III was only four at the time, and not responsible for such vast wealth. I was, by all accounts, the wealthiest person in the known world.

A wealthy, ideologically determined, and militarily sound foe is not a good combination. Perhaps that's why Caesar made those threats. But, what's done is done. However, the Senate made an enemy in Octavian by refusing to grant him the consulship. Octavian proved just like his great uncle, crossing the Rubicon and marching on Rome. Cicero rallied a defense, but it was for nought. Octavian became consul, and began amending his relationship with Antony and Lepidus. I saw what was coming, as did many, from a mile away.

Proscriptions.

Knowing I was guaranteed to be on that list, I sold my properties in Campania and Etruria to my brothers, now 40 and 37 respectively in hush deals. I sold them at the lowest price, as my brothers were convinced that, as friends in pragmatism with Antony, they were safe.

In September, Decimus fled for Britain, successfully evading capture with his bodyguard. He took command of the four legions in Britain - roughly 20-24,000 men, and established a Republican holdout there. Shortly after, word came that Antony, Octavian, and Lepidus had formed the Second Triumvirate, and divided the Republic amongst themselves. Shortly after, the proscriptions began. I am proud to say I was third on the list, followed by Cicero. My brothers found their names on the lists, specifically Octavian's and with Cicero fled to Sicily. From there they made their way to Africa where we reunited and formed a new political bloc.

From what we heard, the proscriptions were harrowing. Hundreds of senators were killed as the triumvirs legions prowled the streets like hungry dogs. Men would hide in sewers, wells and chimneys before being dragged out and executed. Brothers holding onto one another were killed with a single swipe of a single sword. Children were not spared, further reassuring me that my swift departure to Africa with my sons had been the best course of action. The lists expanded night after night and the sacred streets of Rome ran red with blood. It was a purge, nothing more, nothing less. They began taxing women and the daughter of a lawyer rallied the women of Rome. Many would flee to Africa to join us, and we began assembling our own Senate in Carthage. Civil war had been made inevitable.

Cassius and Brutus had been hard at work assembling a colossal force in Greece, of roughly sixteen legions (105,000 men) and had taken advantage of my alliance with Parthia and gained 20,000 cataphracts. As of the end of 43 B.C I had five legions in Africa, or 30,000 men, along with one in Sicily, Sardinia, and Corsica, for eight total. The triumvirs began levying their forces and organizing their campaign. Despite their total control over Gaul, Hispania and Italy, the triumvirs were not safe. With Africa, Mauretania, Cyrenaica, Britain and the East, they had their work cut out for them.

But we were not afraid. Cicero proclaimed loud and proud that we, the true liberators of the Republic would ever quit, and would offer the triumvirate nothing more than an unbending knee. This was not just ideology...

This war was for the soul of Rome itself!