It was a beautiful morning in Syracuse, where everyone in the grand temple of Athena was busy preparing for a very important feast.

“Haste, haste! Lord Amiran is already headed to the altar! Quick! Put on your best armour!” Apollodorus, the old wise man appeared, rushing the soldiers who were all a little panicked with their appearance. The servants helped them to put up their bronze cuirass. Those plates were formed into a beautiful shape of muscles, a symbol of the human bodily ideal.

“Teacher, we just won the battle against Argos! Why can’t my troops be presented as the best?” Arete questioned him, she felt disappointed by Apollodorus’s decision.

“My Lady, go find something else to do! I’m very busy! Emperor Nero could arrive anytime now!” he shooed Arete away.

“My men are going to be very disappointed by that!!!” Arete shouted, but Apollodorus ignored her and walked away.

“It’s okay, Ma’am. We are happy to stay in Syracuse to serve you!.” A soldier tried to cheer her up. His name was Arctus, he wore a linothorax with an ornate belt, a symbol indicating his rank as the Tagmatarkhis, a major under Arete’s command.

“Well, I’m glad that you guys are okay with it.” Arete smiled.

“Ma’am, are we going to meet up with Chlorus tonight for a reunion? I heard that he gained some great success in Rome.” Another soldier asked. Petraeus was his name, the Lokhagos, captain of Arete’s troop.

Arete answered with a smile: “Well, okay, you guys should have a reunion. But count me out; I have to attend the dinner with the officials tonight.”

“Hey, Ma’am, do you regret not answering Chlorus’s proposal two years ago?” asked Arctus.

Petraeus: “Hehe, but he must have wives with big stithos at Rome now…”

“Arctus, Petraeus, both of you are to clean the stables and groom the horses tomorrow!” Arete ordered with a serious expression.

“Sh… sh… Sorry Ma’am!” they replied nervously.

Arete felt a little difficult dealing with her troops, especially when she inherited the authority from Chlorus, the previous Stratigos, general of the troops. She took over the role simply due to her being the only daughter of Lord Amiran. She knew that she might not be respected by her subordinates, but she tried hard to win over their trust and approval.

Matea appeared then, wearing a Syracusian linothorax similar to all the other hoplites in Arete’s troop. She was as calm and emotionless as always. Arete noticed her and said, “I’m sorry, Matea. You’ll earn your freedom someday.”

Matea did not reply, not a single word. Arete realized the problem. Arctus and Petraeus just annoyed her and she wasn’t getting a response from a mere hoplite. She re-adjusted her tone and said, “Put your helmet on, and get back to your formation!”

“Yes, Ma’am!” Matea replied immediately and ran away. But the response did not please Arete.

Respect is earned, not given. Deserved, not inherited. I am still far away from getting there. Chlorus.

Arete took a deep breath and sighed.

It was the emperor of the Great Roman Empire, Caesar Nero’s biannual visit to Syracuse. A day where the best soldiers of a city-state would be chosen to be transferred to serve Rome and the Temple of the King of all Gods, Zeus. It is the dream path of all soldiers. They will be awarded an opportunity to become political officials, granted beautiful wives and most importantly, gain the status of a free man.

“Clear the way!!!” The guards shouted, and they blew the trumpets.

“Caesar arrives!!!” They laid the golden carpet on the ground, the city gates were wide open.

Caesar’s parade entered the city with a great caravan of stallions and chariots.

Caesar Nero was a handsome, strong man in his late twenties. Sitting next to him was an elegant beauty, the empress Sporus, holding a peacock feather fan covering half of her face. She looked sharp and observant, the only consort of Nero over ten years. It was a rare situation; most emperors would own a harem of beauties, but Nero was known to be extremely loyal to Sporus alone.

Second to Caesar’s chariot was General Chlorus. A peer to Caesar in age, calm and handsome with a great physique. He was once a Syracusian warrior, Arete’s colleague. He was chosen and presented to Nero two years ago. He then gained favour of the elders in Rome and rose to great position in a short period of time.

Lord Amiran came to greet Nero. He was a middle-aged, bearded, thin but well-shaped man; his attire was somewhat modest considering his position as the Lord of Syracuse.

They gathered at the grand hall of the Temple of Athena.

“Summon Hector! The greatest warrior and the best troops of Syracuse!”, the announcer shouted. And a group of tall strong spearmen arrived with flashy bronze cuirass. Hector, the commander of the troops, wore an ornate belt with a Triskeles symbol plate in the middle. A sign that he was the champion selected by Amiran.

“SALUTE!” He shouted. And his troops stood up straight handsomely and gave a salute to Nero.

“Your majesty…” Amiran addressed.

“These are my best soldiers that I specially trained. Master of the arts of spears. Blessed by Athena, the Goddess of War…”

“Take down all your armour!” Nero commanded. And the soldiers removed their helmet, untied their shield and breastplate. Underneath the cuirass, they all carried a beautiful shiny bronze muscular physique. Every one of them looked flawless.

“Look, that’s why your troops failed, Lady Arete…” Apollodorus whispered to Arete.

They were observing the event at the side of the great hall.

“It is not about the real battle experience, or how many enemies you’ve killed,” he added. “Caesar loves beautiful muscular men…”

Arete looked at her so-called best troops who fought numerous victorious battles with her. All came in different shapes and sizes. Arctus was tall and average, but he wasn’t good looking with his face full of pimple scars. Petraeus was slightly larger in size, but he wasn’t muscular. There sure was a diversity of men and Matea, a woman. But they were not as handsome and in good shape as Hector.

Nero walked towards Hector, and he suddenly pulled out his sword, attempted to attack him. Hector waved his spear in pace and the spearhead closely pointed at Nero’s neck. Everyone was in shock.

“Good job, Amiran! He is well trained.” Nero calmly put his sword back to his scabbard. While Hector slowly put down his spear.

“For your majesty, it is my duty,” Amiran replied.

“Enough with the acting, take down this traitor!” The mercurial Nero shouted and pointed at Amiran.

His soldier kicked Amiran to the ground. They captured him and locked him up with chains.

“AARRGHH! CAESAR WHY!!”

It was very sudden, everybody in the grand hall was shocked.

Nero yelled, “You have betrayed me!”

Amiran pleaded in his chains, “What have I done that makes you accuse me of such a thing? Your majesty, I’m innocent!”

Seeing her father in danger, Arete was about to shout out some words, but Apollodorus tapped her shoulder and stopped her.

Nero continued to yell, “You took down three battles in a year!”

Amiran shouted, “They are your enemies! My lord! You ordered the attacks! I simply respond to what you command, my lord!”

Nero acknowledged what Amiran was saying. “Yes, you did a great job, Amiran. I ordered you to kill them all! Destroy all the weaklings, but what have you done? You took them in as slaves and made them part of your army!”

Amiran stuttered, “Th… that’s not true, my lord! I didn’t take them in to fight, I simply freed them, they are not…”

“ENOUGH!”

Amiran was frozen.

“You admitted your crime! I ordered you to kill them, yet you freed them! You plan to form a strong army to go against Rome!”

At this moment, Arete felt troubled, as she knew something. Her troops, Arctus, Petraeus, Matea… and all members. She knew they were all previously slaves brought from different city-states.

Apollodorus grabbed Arete’s hand and said, “Lady Arete, you must leave now…”

Amiran raised his head, and spit out a mouth full of saliva on Nero’s face.

“Your iron fist will fall, Nero! HA HA HA!”

“Father!” Arete shouted in disbelief.

“Let’s go! Arete! Run!” Apollodorus pulled Arete away from the crowd. They ran out of the grand hall.

Hector and all the Syracusian soldiers picked up their spears and started to attack Nero as Chlorus stood out to protect him. Everything went into complete chaos. Roman soldiers started to attack the Syracusians. Arctus and Petraeus jumped in and joined the fight, attempting to get close to Amiran to save him. Matea ran towards the way where Apollodorus and Arete escaped.

“Chlorus, Amiran has a daughter! Capture her and bring her to me alive!” Nero ordered.

“Yes, your majesty!” Chlorus replied.

“I’m going with you!” Sporus the empress shouted to Chlorus.

She took the bow and a bag of arrows from a soldier standing beside her.

to be continued...