Letters from Compatriots

Vorenus, it is with a glad hand that I write to you this letter. It seems my fortunes have continued to soar since you saved our lives on the battle field and reaped your ‘rewards.’ My father-in-law, Laenus Linucius, died just a few months ago and while his death is tragic and his daughter Linia Minor and I have mourned properly, I have happily taken over his fabric dying business as he had no sons and Linia Major is a widower with no sense. This has placed me as a captain of industry in our country and many localities near and far as our trade partners are wide and many. This has given me the added bonus of being a loud voice in the ears of our erstwhile government, since I pay large taxes now and hold up our corner of the fiscal world around here. While I am sure you are pleased to hear of my good fortune, I do not tell you these things out of egotism or pride. Instead I want you to know that I and our compatriots are ever working to re-establish your good name and allow you to return to your home in honor as a dignified citizen and hero. Your forced and unjust expulsion from the military and your country is nothing less than criminal, and I ardently work on your behalf.

I know, I know, you’ve neither asked for our help, nor wish to return to a home so plagued with small men with big dignitas. I can see you now, sitting on some crooked beer-sodden bench in an alehouse in some harbor sipping the putrid vinegar of so many unsophisticated places, one eye warily watching as Pullo dances with a local strumpet and orders round after round on your purse. That perpetual scowl on your face as your other eye reads this and thinks me a fool for devoting so much time and effort to what you believe a hopeless cause.

But I tell you we could change all that now! Marcus Mancinus has risen to senior legate and won many battle-field accolades thanks to you saving his neck, and will enter government soon on his military career. Gaius Strabo has taken up publishing and is rapidly becoming a very respectful scribe-leader. There are many well lettered men who have left the temples and counting houses to work for him. So you see we are becoming well positioned all, and all have vowed to work on your behalf. Look past your injustices and see what a strong and upstanding man you truly are, what you mean to us and to the survival of your country. You are an important leader of men and that is one thing we are completely lacking these days. It would be a crime if we did not strive thus to bring you home, so please, be well, stay safe, and keep yourself out of too much trouble (not that you couldn’t handle anything, eh?) And for the love of all that is holy, quit yourself of Gaius Pullo. He is loyal, and strong, but he is no good for anyone including himself.

I leave you with this other piece of news also: Despite the strong leadership of Marcus Mancinus, our armies continue to be trounced under the bad leadership of the patrician generals. If nothing is done soon, we will not even be able to defend our capital city.

Yours in worry, and jubilation,
Scipio Albinus, Knight of Dyer’s Industry