Augustus Road

The villagers on the plain of Tarquin were the first to see Caesar's cavalry under the banner of King Numa at the second quarter of the day the next morning.

This is probably the third fully armed team that the people of Rome have seen entering the city of Rome. The first one was the Gallic invaders led by Breanus three hundred years ago; the second one was thirty years ago. Previously, the ** regiment led by Sulla, at least the legion number indicated that it belonged to the "Roman Republic".

Lepidus deliberately chose to enter from the Tarquin Plain. After he did not see any organized enemy interception along the way, he became more and more courageous. The cavalry advanced faster and faster, and even removed the legion flags and infantry He left them all behind, but when he reached this vast plain area, he immediately ordered the cavalry behind him to slow down, trying not to let the black and blond barbarians under his subordinates completely scare away the surrounding villagers.

Fortunately, slowly, the villagers began to gather around both sides of the road, and began to point at the cavalry's uniforms, skin colors, and totem logos. Lebidat, who was walking at the front of the queue, took out a few silver coins from his horn saddle bag. , was thrown to several children and asked them to guide them through the swamp, into the Serbian city wall northwest of the city of Rome, via the Mars Campus, and to the main square.

Because Sulla entered through the Porta Printina, in order to avoid irritating many Roman citizens who were still alive, Lepidus took the opposite route this time. In the evening, the brass helmets of the Thirteenth Legion caught up with the light reflected in the setting sun, and then the infantry and cavalry teams mixed together and camped on the Tarquin Plain. Compared with the countless bonfires and smoke rising in the camp at night, In Lepidus' eyes, the city of Rome was completely integrated into the night, and it was extremely silent.

Rome now. It was indeed lifeless.

A dozen strong elite soldiers (the mobile troops under each legion commander, about three to four centuries), guard the military flag when marching and serve as reserve forces during combat. In return. They enjoy several times the salary and exemption equipment obligations). The Serbian Gate was pushed up with a groan. The first rotation of the city gate's axis was difficult, and the last one made a roaring sound, and the door suddenly opened. Crows of crows perched on the tower screamed and flew up, making noisy noises.

"The reason why we come here is just because the consul owes our legion a triumphal ceremony. Since Pompey is not willing to meet us at the end of the Grand Square, then we will come by ourselves!" Then, carrying the equipment on our backs, strapping weapons and shields Soldiers of the Thirteenth Legion. Except for the cavalry who were left to camp in the suburbs outside the city in case of emergencies, the rest of the infantry followed the order of the Centurion. Shouting slogans, they entered the streets of Rome. The arcades on both sides made the marching route extremely narrow. Several children ran to the front, wearing masks (their adults were afraid that the children would be retaliated if they showed their faces) and waving in their hands. The money guides the way forward for the Thirteenth Legion, otherwise many people may get lost in this winding city. But there were no cheers or onlookers. Ninety-nine percent of the shops had their doors closed, and many windows were boarded shut. The only sound on the deserted streets was the sound of military shoes.

Not long after, the main square was filled with big-headed soldiers wearing military shoes and red cloaks. Lepidus separated the crowd on horseback, and then came to the Juilliard Hall. He dismounted, held the whip in his hand, and looked around All around, in the core area of ​​the Roman city that used to be the busiest, there were now only soldiers wearing helmets. After pushing open the door of the synagogue, Lepidus wiped the doors and windows with his hands and found that there was no dust. It seemed that the senators had abandoned the assembly hall and there was no dust. They had escaped too far. Many people must have stayed here all night before Pompey evacuated, hesitating and struggling. This scene made him feel a little bit more confident.

Immediately, he personally took the hook pen from the clerk, took out the writing board from under the rostrum of the synagogue, and carved a new "Akuta" on the spot, "Lepidus, Commander of the Thirteenth Legion, on behalf of Julius .His Excellency Caesar announced a declaration - this time when entering the city, there will never be a declaration of public enemies. Therefore, the original senators, including those who followed Pompey and Cato the Younger, will still retain their status, positions, and assets as senators as long as they return even if they are on their way out of the city. They will all be well preserved. The only targets our army claims are the following ten, namely, Pompey, Cato the Younger, Bolus, Cruz, Marcellus, Domiius, Scipio, and Gebinus. Could it be that he was the culprit who instigated the war? The rest of the generals and officials should be forgiven of their responsibilities for coercion." After writing, Lepidus asked that all the people in the army who knew how to write should be gathered together, and each person should be given a few silver coins and his Aku. All the contents of the tower were copied on papyrus and all were posted in squares and markets in the evening.

When it was almost nightfall, some soldiers still opened their mouths and turned their Akuta upside down, not knowing which direction to stick it on. Others were dissatisfied with the commander's order to camp in the main square, so they He vented his anger in the synagogue, dragged out all the wooden boards on which the laws and proclamations were carved, and the outside seats, chopped them into pieces, and lit a fire in the square to keep warm.

The "Acuta", an official publication created by Caesar, was effective quite quickly, because Lepidus's announcement was written very clearly, even the main target was indicated, and it was clearly stated that it would not be like the civil war between Marius and Sulla, where public enemy declarations were issued at will to protect good property. As a result, on the second day, senators came to the hall one after another with uncertain expressions. They saw that Lepidus was sitting in the chair of the senators under the patio, holding a sword in his hand, and the tip of the sword was turning on the marble floor, making a buzzing sound. Beside his seat, on one side was a dark-skinned, thick-lipped guard with a short bow, and on the other side was a centurion with a cockscomb helmet and a face full of flesh.

These senators rubbed their hands and rushed to tell Lepidus, no, through him to tell Caesar that they were absolutely bewitched, deceived, and even coerced. Now they saw that Caesar's commander could work hard to restore order in the city, and listened to their stories with great kindness and patience.

"This is inevitable. We are here to restore justice and order in this city and even in this country. So you must distinguish between good people and bad people. Caesar will always attach great importance to you. As long as you are willing to bring your cute little slaves and jars and pots back to the villa on the Palatine Hill, the country will be safe, at least on the surface. In a few days, the flower market, fresh fish market and cattle market will continue to open, and there will naturally be people to organize competitive activities. Bread from other provinces will still be shipped to Rome." Lepidus stretched one leg forward, continued to turn the hilt of the sword in his hand, and said with a smile.