APOLLONIA

Five

The next morning, Apollonia, her mother, and her father rode in a coach to the outskirts of Rome. Soon, they approached a sea of red capes and shining helmets. A myriad of javelins stuck out of the crowd of soldiers. Men were shouting and calling orders to organize the legion. Stepping out of the coach, she laced her arm around Scipio's as they walked towards the army. The higher ranking officers were nearer and the soldiers were loading supplies in their organized sections: first line soldiers, second, third, etc. Scipio had a longer cape, a more richly decorated helmet, and signet leather wrist bands as symbols of his higher ranking. A cry pierced through the air and the men turned 90 degrees in unison. They moved in fluid motion, as one. It was the time to leave. Apollonia watched her parents kiss each other goodbye. Then, her father embraced her and said, "Farewell, Dilectus"; thus calling her beloved and precious. Then he turned and walked to his soldiers, marching to fight the Carthaginians in the second Punic War.

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Scipio the Younger kissed his wife goodbye and walked off to help toss bags of barley into a cart. She called after him, "Scutum referre manum super eam, Dilectus!" It was the popular farewell to soldiers, since the men killed at war were carried back home on their long shields to be buried. Winking back at her, he was reminded of his promise to his baby sister. Deep in the sea of red soldiers, he searched for his dark-haired companion. Soon, he came round a tall cart to see a tall, muscular soldier throwing heavy sacks of grain easily into the wagon.

Scipio leaned on the cart and thought to himself. 'Nerius is twice as strong as me, and a good three finger widths taller than me. He is smart, funny and the best friend you could ask for. I wonder why Polly doesn't want him. Huh. Women are strange.' Nerius had noticed him and had walked to greet his friend. Slapping his shoulder, he laughed. "Hey, you ready to pound some Carthaginians with me?" Backhanding him in the ribs, Scipio replied. "Of course I am! I hope, though, that you're not too hurt when I beat down twice as many as you!" Laughing, Nerius slung his arm around his shoulders and for a moment, he looked like his old self. But he quickly slipped back into his sad, solemn state. Patting him on the back, Scipio added nonchalantly, "By the way, old friend, Polly told me to tell you, scutum referre manum super eam, come back with your shield, not on it." Nerius' eyes lit up and a smile overtook his face. To keep it from getting too weird, he added, "Yeah... It's nice to know she at least likes you THAT much, eh?"

As I said, Dilectus is "Beloved" or "Precious"

  Scutum referre manum super eam means "Come back with your sheild, not on it."