Tridas by Alan Mark

Author:Alan, Mark [Alan, Mark]
Language: afr
Format: epub
Published: 2015-11-30T18:30:00+00:00

327 B.C.

Hearing rumors of enemy occupation in Neapolis, Antipater and Kavani returned to their home under the protection of a Roman Army. Calvinus had requested Antipater to lead an elite battalion to remove the Samnite presence. He easily threw out the garrison, but the conflict set off the Second Samnite War.

The war went clearly in favor of the Romans, yet the Samnites still controlled the mountainous territory and continued to raid the cities. The area was far from peace. Kavani began to fear their lives were bound to conflict. Antipater believed a harmonious habitation would actually be the best for the region. He sent letters of accord, but the terms of the agreement were often lost in translation. Although the Samnites had united with the Roman Republic to fight the invading Gauls same 50 years ago, the Romans had never made an effort to understand the Oscan language.

The migrating history of the Samnites intrigued Kavani, especially the rite of the Ver Sacrum, The Holy Springtime. It was a cultic practice of descending the mountainsides following a wolf or deer that served as a sort of spiritual guide to leave the enclave in search of new territories. Where the animal stopped symbolized a pleasing, sacred place to dwell during the months of spring. Antipater, taking advantage of this tradition, offered peace during these months for the Oscan people to freely move. He sought an audience with their Greats to bear out the mutual laying down of arms.

The gathering was confirmed. Antipater and Kavani, accompanied by a small elite guard would meet at the mountain top with the union of the four Samnite tribes. Directly above the Campania lowlands was Mount Taburno. The summit would not be easy, but the escort from the tribes already had Kavani's mind a rush. She had chosen a very colorful and ornately accented dress in tribute to the Oscan traditions. She had heard they appreciate the bright colors of life, when not hiding in the hills to assault their enemies. The escort did not disappoint. Their full body shields painted in bright reds and blues with alternating borders highlighted with star shapes and laurels. Their helmets were played up with long plumes and massive horns complimenting their bronze breastplates molded with their three circles in a triangular pattern. Their tunics were noticeably short, revealing the power in their thighs and the gold of their belts and greaves. Antipater's armor, although dull in color comparison, was equally impressive emblazoned with his wolf crest, shoulders draped in the traditional scarlet robe.

The morning journey began. As the temperature dropped with the climb, Antipater covered Kavani in his robe. The cool was refreshing. Summiting to a ridge plateau, the Samnite Chiefs were striking, but almost instantly lost in the imagery of Antipater's armor. The wolf imagery was a blaze in the mid-day sun. Both Kavani and Antipater had spent the time approaching this assembly, studying as much of the Oscan language as was available to them. Kavani proved the better

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