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his sons. His tactical savvy was unparalleled, and his personal valor in battle had been an inspiration. Like Tiberius before him, Germanicus never led from the behind the army. To him, his life was no more important than that of his lowest legionaries, and if they were in danger, so was he. His concern for their welfare had been genuine, and he had always made it a point to meet with individual soldiers. When he spoke to his legionaries, he spoke to them as men, with dignity and respect. His loss would shake the Rhine Legions to their very foundations.
    Artorius was among the last of the section leaders to arrive. Many were talking excitedly. Germanicus’ death could very easily cause a serious disruption within the legion, which would, in turn, lead to civil unrest within the province.
    “At ease!” Optio Flaccus shouted.
    I mmediately there was silence.
    Centurion Macro then spoke. “Before we start letting rumor and emotions run rampant throughout the ranks, we need to make certain that we deal strictly with the facts of the matter. We have just learned our former commander, Germanicus Caesar, is now dead.” His voice was cold and distant, his emotions blunted by the tragedy. “Given his age and the fact that he was in prime health, rumors of murder are spreading like wildfire. The gossips have even conspired to implicate the Emperor in this affair. Let it be known that we will not tolerate such talk from amongst our men! Tiberius has many enemies in Rome, enemies that will do anything to slander his name. Yet we must not forget the real man, who led us on this very frontier before becoming Emperor of the Roman Empire; a task, I may add, he never wanted.”
    Macro was an impassioned supporter of the Emperor, especially since he had been one of the soldiers welcomed back into the army by Tiberius himself after the Teutoburger Wald disaster.
    “As for the talk of murder,” he continued, “there is already a suspect in custody at this time. Some of you may have heard of Gnaius Calpurnius Piso, the former governor in the east. He is the primary suspect, along with his wife, Plancina. Let our men know that while we all mourn the loss of a Son-of-Rome, we do not seek to meet out our own form of justice. Let the courts in Rome decide Piso’s fate!
    “More importantly, if there are dissidents amongst the provinces, they will see the death of Germanicus, along with the Emperor’s implications , to be a sign of weakness. We dishonor Germanicus if we allow ourselves to fall into disarray, to forget ourselves as Romans and as legionaries. To allow calamity to fall upon the province will undo everything he fought for. Make certain your men understand this. That is all.”
    With that, the host of men who led the century dispersed.
    Artorius returned to his section’s barrack to see that all of his men were gathered around, talking very fast. They s topped when they saw him enter.
    “What’s happened ?” Decimus asked.
    “We’ve heard awful rumors, rumors that we cannot believe to be true, ” Gavius added.
    “ I know,” Artorius replied and took a deep breath. “Sit down, men.” Here was his first challenge as a leader of legionaries. Very carefully he explained everything that Macro had said, emphasizing the need to remain focused on their own section of the Empire and not to be distracted by events in Rome which they could not control.
    “Piso,” Carbo muttered. “I wish I could gut the bastard myself!”
    “Well, you can’t,” Magnus retorted. “Artorius is right; the only way we can do right by Germanicus is to continue as he would have wanted us to.” He looked to Artorius who nodded his assent, thankful for the support from his friend.
    “Still, can you even believe the talk of the Emperor himself being involv ed?” Valens added in disgust. “It makes no sense.”
    Decimus leaned back onto his elbows on his bunk and shook his head.
    “Absolutely not,” he replied. “If Tiberius ever saw