Commdous

In 175 A.D Commodus was only 14 years old and would not succeed his father Marcus Aurelius as emperor for another 5 years. The war on the northern front is going well, Commodus's succession looks secure, but with treachery lurking in the eastern provinces and betrayal close to home, nothing is certain. Avidius Cassius has been conspiring and scheming with powerful senators and politicians throughout the empire, just waiting for his moment to claim the purple. It comes in...
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In 175 A.D Commodus was only 14 years old and would not succeed his father Marcus Aurelius as emperor for another 5 years.

The war on the northern front is going well, Commodus's succession looks secure, but with treachery lurking in the eastern provinces and betrayal close to home, nothing is certain. Avidius Cassius has been conspiring and scheming with powerful senators and politicians throughout the empire, just waiting for his moment to claim the purple. It comes in the form a single line of delicate text; he knows the writer even though it is unmarked, and acts.

He gathers his forces and allies and proclaims himself emperor and marches towards Alexandria where the Governor of Egypt is just waiting to open the gates and give Avidius control of Rome's grain supply. The intent and message are clear, to those in Rome still wavering, accept Avidius as emperor or face starvation and the wrath of the baying mob.
Marcrinus, Avidius's jaded camp commander must choose between going along with Avidius and the potential civil war that could follow or fight for a visage of Rome he no-longer believes in. Unable to countenance the pain and suffering a civil war would entail on countless innocent lives, he chooses the later and must arrive in Alexandria before Avidius if he is stop Avidius in starving Rome into submission.

Avidius looks certain to succeed, but then news arrives in the eastern provinces that Marcus Aurelius is not dead. The message was wrong and Marcus now plans to march on Avidius. Avidius has nowhere to turn and his troops know it. They cannot hope to defeat Marcus Aurelius' battle hardened troops. Avidius' only hope is for Rome to submit but Marcus Aurelius had sent his own message in the form of Gaius Vettius Sabinianus and his men now sit outside Rome, and Marcrinus has sailed to Rome with ships laden with grain. Avidius' dream of power had started with betrayal and would end with betrayal.

Commodus: The Revolt of Avidius is a highly fictionalised and description rich account of the revolt of Avidius Cassius that took place in 175 A.D against Commodus's father and emperor Marcus Aurelius. If successful it would have changed the course of Roman History and Europe.

If you like shows like Spartacus and films like the 300, you'll love Book One in my Commodus series.

'The legionnaires recoiled in horror at the sheer unfathomable number of barbarians sprawling over the hill. Increasing their terror was the unmistakable reality that still more were flowing over the hilltop. Their numbers were so vast that the barbarians appeared to ooze over the hill like an unbroken, blackened undulating mass of rage and disdain. Their noises were deafening and inhuman, berserk with wrath and vengeance.

The screams' shrillness shredded the legion's resolve, and panic began to take hold. It appeared to the legion that they were facing a single humongous, pulsating organism, driven by hatred and of one mind. It had but one goal, to kill all Romans that crossed its path.

"Look to me, look to me?" Decimus bellowed above the horrendous cries of the massing barbarians. The legionnaires closest turned in unison to face Decimus. Decimus mounted his steed and carolled the fleeing Romans until they stood ashen-faced as he rode past their ranks roaring. His words poured out in an unbroken, unscripted sermon of pure passion that silenced their fears and roused their courage to the surface.

"Do you hear that; do you know what that sound is?" Decimus's whole body shook with venom as he screamed to make himself heard.

"That is the sound of pain, thousands of lives wiped out, wiped out by us. In their eyes, we TOOK their wives and children from them, and they want to take ours from us if we do not stop them, HERE TODAY.'