Domina Triumphans

Chapter 4: 46 AD, Rome

Claudius sat in his study in the Domus Augusta in Rome, ticking off a list of things done. He had just returned from Verona in Northern Italy after dedicating the Via Claudia, a main road leading from Italia into Germania. He was also building a key port, Novicorum on the Danubius delta in the Black Sea. The last native king of Thrace had recently passed with no heirs, enabling Rome to patch up that border with little effort wasted, thanks to a treaty which his Cousin Victoria had helped negotiate.

He worked his way around the rest of the map. For the time being, there were no major wars. Italicus, the longtime commander of his German Bodyguard, had succeeded his uncle, Sigismund, as King of the Cheruscii, the largest Germanic tribe. He cooperated with his cousin Governor Crispus Aetius, in keeping the Marcomanni and other unreconciled Germanic tribes out of Germania Superior and Gallia Belgica. The client kingdom of Pontus anchored the northern and eastern portions of the Black Sea. His niece, Julia Livia and her husband, Rubellius Blandus, held Armenia for Rome in tandem with a Parthic king, to keep the two empires from colliding.

Proconsul Lucius Antonius governed Syria and had developed a working relationship with Agrippa I and his son, Agrippa II of Judea. Lucas Vorenus' older brother, also named Lucius, was in control of Egypt, Rome's bread-basket. The former Kingdom of Mauretania had been divided into three Roman provinces, each held in trust for one of the late King Ptolemy's adopted sons. All three boys were now cavalry commanders following in the footsteps of their biological father, Juba of Mauretania, and in the traditions of the wider Antony family. Hispania was booming under the Barcii, and Gaul eclipsed Egypt, Spain, and Syria as the premier province of the Empire.

Claudius turned to family matters next. He had two heirs, his son Britannicus, and his great-nephew Nero through Young Agrippina. There was also Julia Livilla's son, Marcellus, who had survived his brush with poison and returned to school. Julia Livia in Armenia also had three sons, Gaius, Plautius, and Drusus Rubellius. The Vinicius heir and the three Rubellii were barred from the succession, but that could change with a decree. There were, thus, many healthy Imperial offshoots. Surrounding them was a cadre of other young men from the two Triumviral lines, the Antonii being the strongest. The Mauretanian princes, Bolt and his sons, Beaky's son Primus, and now young Antonillus of Gaul who was showing promise and training to become an aide to his father. Domitius Lepidus had two sons, Valerillus Messala also had boys, as did his cousins Flavius and Decius.

Claudius hoped to make a break with past tradition by harnessing these men's talents instead of killing them off young. But he would have resistance close to home. He knew who likely poisoned the two Vinicii. Both Valeria and Agrippina sensed a threat to their own sons, and Julia Livilla hated her ex-husband and his offspring just for their existence. Claudius knew all three women kept a tame witch, a Gaulish slavewoman who had already been implicated in several murders. Iolarix of Gaul had several times demanded Locusta's execution, but Claudius knew he would never hear the end of it from the female side of his family if he did so.

There were other ways of keeping Marcellus safe. He had proposed that Marcellus be sent back to Gaul when Iolarix came to Rome. The King agreed to accept him and Marcus Vinicius knew it was for the best. Many elite Roman parents sent their teenage sons to live with more prominent families to continue their education, so it was not that unusual. Young Marcellus would be out of sight and out of mind, and could attend university in Lugdunum before posting to a legion. Claudius turned his attention back to Britannia, always a hot mess.

Julius Caesar had invaded Britannia as part of his conquest of Gaul. He had identified several Celtic leaders willing to ally with Rome and instituted a King of the Britons to keep them in line. The intended effect was similar to what was happening now in Gaul. None of the Britannic kings, though, had shown the efficiency and loyalty of Iolarix. The current High King was Caratacus of the Catevellauni, an agitator who had no love of Rome. There were loyal leaders, Prasutagus of the Iceni, recently married to a young noblewoman of his tribe named Boudicca, and Queen Cartimandua of the Brigantes, but they did not represent all of Britannia. Claudius picked up a report from Artos.