‘I think not, Sire. True, their new Emperor, Marcian, is taking a more resolute stance against Attila than his feeble predecessor, which may cause the Scourge of God, as the Romans call him, to switch his attentions to the West. Thus leaving the East free, in theory, to resume hostilities against us after a nine-year lapse.’ The Surena paused, then added delicately, ‘Hostilities which
‘But they are strong enough to pose a threat?’ persisted Yazdkart.
‘Again, in theory, yes. East Rome is wealthy, densely populated, run well by gifted men, its armies being nurtured back to strength after their several maulings by Attila. But I believe its energies will now be directed solely to rebuilding their ravaged land; as ever, its priorities are economic not military. Armenia alone constitutes a potential flashpoint for war. But only if we demonstrate we have designs upon the Roman part of the protectorate. This, besides much else, I learnt from the confessions of a Roman spy who fell into our hands.’
‘. . the East, then, pacific yet strong,’ mused the King, when the Surena had finished his report. As though tiring of the role of warrior-king, he sheathed his sword and propped it against the arm of his throne. ‘Perhaps too strong for us to risk picking a quarrel with at this juncture?’ His tone, though one of disappointment, held a tinge of relief.
‘Exactly, Sire,’ declared the Surena with feeling, the alarming spectre of a full-scale war beginning to recede. ‘That, if I may say, Great King, is a commendably wise conclusion.’
In his office in the barracks of the palace guard at Constantinople, Aspar crossed Julian’s name off his list of agents. Two months had passed since the tribune had left for Armenia, so it must be assumed that he was either a prisoner of the Persians, or else dead — most likely the latter.
Another fine young man sacrificed — for what? the general reflected with a heavy heart. Even if successful, Julian’s mission would have been unlikely to affect the great scheme of things involving Rome and Persia to any significant extent. Whatever happened, the Great King was probably going to invade eastern Armenia; Roman aid to Vardan’s freedom fighters would now probably not materialize; in any event, resistance would be crushed by the Persians and eastern Armenia become another satrapy. However, Yazdkart, who at bottom was a parchment tiger, would probably hold back from attacking Roman Armenia. So in the end little would change, and relations between Persia and Rome continue much as before. Meanwhile, there was the sad duty of a letter to Julian’s parents to attend to. Having called for his secretary, Aspar began to dictate.
1 The pact partitioned Armenia between Rome and Persia; Sapor (Shapur II) was a ‘king of kings’ of the Sassanid dynasty.
2 Imperial palace guards; see Notes p. 437.
3 Korea
4 Alas, blown up by the reactionary Taliban government of Afghanistan, before its overthrow.
5 Ceylon/Sri Lanka and Malabar.
6 the Yemen.
7 Ethiopia and northern Sudan
8 Still today the largest arch in any facade in the world. Prior to the invasion of Iraq in 2003, the ruinous facade was being reconstructed by the Iraqi Department of Antiquities.
FORTY-THREE
Have I not given birth to God?
Returning Priscilla’s wink from across the chapel floor, Honoria, exiled sister of Valentinian, the Western Emperor, felt the familiar excitement stir within her. The thought of their coming tryst helped to make endurable the tedium of the prayer session, led by Sister Annunciata, a Syrian ascetic to whom fasting, prayer, and mortification of the flesh were disciplines to be embraced eagerly, and whenever possible enforced on others. At last the interminable litany of invocations and responses came to an end, and the troop of chosen maidens, eyes modestly downcast, filed out of the building, which was richly decorated with mosaics, and tapestries they themselves had embroidered. They were preceded by Pulcheria, sister of the recently dead Theodosius and now consort of the new Emperor, Marcian, accompanied by her sisters Arcadia and Marina. The chapel formed part of the monastery into which Pulcheria had converted the Hebdomon, the second of Constantinople’s three imperial palaces. It was located near the Golden Gate, and from it all males, barring eunuchs, were rigorously excluded. The eunuchs were all imported, mainly from Persia, castration being illegal within the Roman Empire.
Devout and iron-willed, Pulcheria commanded awe and admiration as ‘the Orthodox One’ among the populace. The semi-mystical veneration in which she was held owed much to her deliberate promotion of the cult of the Mother of God,
Officially, the inmates of Pulcheria’s convent had all been selected for their devoutness. Most were young women from good families, who had displayed a religious vocation. With some, this had proved to be a passing youthful enthusiasm; once accepted into the community, however, it was far from easy to be granted a discharge. A few had been taken in at the request of parents who found the upbringing of a difficult daughter beyond them, and who hoped that immersion in a strict devotional way of life would succeed, where they had failed. In these cases, a generous financial ‘dowry’ was an invariable condition of acceptance. The community therefore contained a small minority of desperate or rebellious members. It was to this category that Honoria, during her fourteen years’ confinement in the palace, had always belonged.
The women entered a large colonnaded courtyard opening off the chapel. Here, for the next two hours, before partaking of a meagre midday
‘The eighth hour,’ whispered Honoria, briefly brushing against Priscilla as they emerged into the courtyard. Neither woman witnessed the look of jealous hate on the face of Ariadne, Honoria’s prior but now discarded lover, who, walking just behind them, had overheard the remark.
Pacing up and down as though deep in religious contemplation, Honoria reviewed her present circumstances with fury and frustration. Brought up in the Western capital, Ravenna, while still a child she had been raised by her mother Placidia to the title of Augusta, an appellation normally reserved for the consort of the Emperor. This conferred a status somewhere between high priestess and national figurehead, effectively debarring the holder from marriage. This had put Honoria beyond the reach of ambitious schemers, marriage to whom, it was felt, might form a danger to the state. Absolutely no thought had been given to her feelings, she fumed inwardly. Her mother and the government, for reasons of political convenience, had made her into a non-person. Honoria felt the injustice especially keenly as, with the onset of puberty, she began to develop strong sexual appetites — now denied any legitimate gratification.
Partly to spite her mother and the bloodless men of the Consistory who had condemned her to the life of a latter-day Vestal Virgin, partly to gratify her raging desires, at the age of sixteen Honoria began an affair with her chamberlain, Eugenius. The resulting pregnancy could have been hushed up and the world none the wiser; instead an outraged Placidia publicized the royal family’s disgrace by exiling her daughter to Constantinople, after a period of severe confinement. Subjection to a life of strict religious observance would, it was believed, constitute both a salutary punishment and a corrective discipline. Chafing against the restrictions imposed by Pulcheria’s monastic community (whose aspirations she totally rejected), and barred from finding an outlet for her passions through
