Marcus Aemilius

Note from the writer: As a child, I loved a novel called Pearl Maiden by H. Rider Haggard. In short, the novel takes place in ancient Rome and Roman-occupied Judea between around 57 C.E. and 80-something C.E. In 70 C.E. the novel depicts the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple by Titus and the Roman legions.

Although these large plot lines are the main drivers of the story, the overall story focuses on a love triangle between a three young people coming of age during this tumultuous time. There is Miriam, a christian girl whose parents were killed when she was a baby, her handmaiden Nauhushta from Ethiopia, and the two young men who love her, Marcus Aemilius and Caleb son of Bilel. Marcus is a commander in the Roman army and Caleb is a Jewish man who is a member of the Zealots.

Miriam loves Marcus but cannot marry him because of a charge her mother put upon her as an infant that she could not marry any man who was not a Christian. Therefore, the story follows these two lovers as they grow up and apart, but still hold an eternal love for one another. Eventually, the faith of Marcus is changed after he believes Miriam has died, and he becomes a Christian, only to be reunited with her in Alexandria Egypt where they are married.

While I still love this story and find the character of Marcus particularly excellent, after rereading it recently, I felt there were several things greatly lacking. First, the diversity, schisms, and disagreements within the early church are not addressed at all, and the novel seems to pretend that all Christians were a sort of Catholic all the way back to before the destruction by Titus. Second, the character of Marcus is given a rather lack-luster "conversion" which I find highly unprobable since the Roman legions were some of the most religiously devout (especially to Mars and the Eastern cult of Mithras).

So, here is a fun, rediscovery of this somewhat obscure book written over 100 years ago that has long since needed a breath of fresh air. While I know this story is not my own, even back when I read it for the first time, I envisioned ways in which I, if I were the original writer, would have taken the book in a different direction.

"By Dionysus! Is there no end to this infernal land of sand and sky?" came the voice of Achilleus, a Greek by blood who stubbornly held onto his thick accent no matter how far away the Roman Empire pushed them.

Marcus grinned, though, thinking his auxiliary officer was given to them to make them laugh. His manners were always jovial even when he was complaining, and he often boasted that the only god he felt close to was Dionysus, whom his people called Bacchus. Being about 18 or 19, about five years younger than himself, meant he still had a baby face which only served to highlight his features which were already much softer and rounder than his fellow soldiers who were either Roman, German, or of Gaul.

"I don't say this much, but I agree with the Greek," came the voice of his German companion who's pale skin was suffering under the desert's scorching heat. "I miss the woodlands of Germany. Hell, I miss Rome at this point."

At this declaration, Marcus and several of his fellow Romans laughed outright. "Never did I think I would hear such words come out of the mouth of a Northman," Marcus answered, grinning widely as he peered back at the German and Greek who were riding their horses side by side. "Rather be in Rome? By the gods, you must hate the lands of Judea almost as much as we Romans. I daresay, although I say it in ignorance I suppose, I do not understand Nero's fascination with this back country. Nothing to be seen for sure save some scraggly brambles and the never-ending skyline."

"If you open your eyes, commander, you would allow yourself to see great beauty even in this forsaken land," answered Lucius, one of his closest friends in the army who was raised on a steady diet of Stoic philosophy. "Look yonder, those hills in the distance could be mistaken for an ancient palace of some long-gone dynasty. The wild winter flowers growing along the roadway are quite sweet and charming in their own way, and seem to be smiling back up at their lord, the sun."

"Thank you, Stoic, suddenly I do believe myself to be in Nebuchadnezzar's hanging gardens," Achilleus laughed mockingly. Most of the regiment followed his lead, but Marcus did not laugh. He mused about the words of his friend and considered that there could be something beautiful to be seen even here in the desert of Judea.

"Why have we been sent here, commander?" the German, who was named Volfgang, asked. "Are we truly to discover who killed some rascally Jew and that is all? It seems so minor a thing for the Roman government to care about."

"Rome cares about everything, Volfgang, much to the peril of the world," Marcus answered gravely. "The logic of Rome is simple, if we allow any sign of a lack of care to show, people will start to believe they can get away with whatever they wish. However, there is a deeper matter to be attended to in this it would seem, since we are not only investigating the crime but the community accused of committing the crime."

"What community lives out here, sir?" Volfgang asked in disbelief.

"The High Priest at the Temple told me they call themselves the Esseness," Marcus told him. "They are nomadic people who follow and worship the sun. So, I would say they adore Apollo if I am not mistaken. But, I do not know if I would trust to discover that illustrious god out here in the desert."

"I would have to agree with that," several of his men agreed.

"You know what I miss the most?" Gaius, a stout young man of 27 asked suddenly.

"We all know what you miss," Marcus answered.

"Women!" Gaius said as if the question needed an answer. They all knew how much Gaius loved being with women. Indeed, it had been close to a month since they'd last rested at a tavern and even Marcus had to admit he felt a slight yearning for companionship.

"I have a wife," Volfgang stated plainly. "She is enough for me."

"Bahh, Germans," Gaius scoffed. "You don't carry your wife with you."

"I do, in my heart," he answered. "And as soon as my service is spent here, I will return to Germany, free, and we may have our way with each other just as before. I am not charmed by the Roman makeup, the Greek lyrics, or the Jewish eyes. I have all that I need, and when I am lonely, she visits me in my sleep."

"Lucky, lucky," Marcus said with a sincere tone. "I do not know if our warm hearts are as steadfast as the hard, brave souls of you in the North. My father was steadfast to my mother though. I hope someday I shall find that too. Right now, I am contented with dusk til dawn, as I do not know how to have a wife as a soldier."

"You are loyal to the death to your country, simply find a woman who is deserving of equal loyalty as your country," Volfgang stated flatly.

"You barbarians can be so poetic without even realizing it," Achilleus broke in excitedly. "Why, we Greeks composed stunning poetry about love! I too hope I shall find a wife just as Dionysus stumbled upon nobel Ariadne on the open sea."

"And what do you think Lucius?" Marcus asked his closest friend. "Shall we all find true love one day and have a dozen children just as our Germanic friend here most assuredly will do once he is home."

"All future events are in the hands of the Fate," Lucius answered practically. "I do not know, but Marcus, I can say, I do feel you are worthy of such a love and so, I do hope you will have it. Just be more careful around wine and pretty women, for you most likely will not find your wife in a brothel."

Marcus laughed again. True, he had his fair share of trists with barmaids on their travels across the empire. He had a weakness for wine which made him somewhat of a delusional romantic. Truth be told, he had his heart broken more than once and he hoped that this year things would be different for him.

As he was lost in his own thoughts, he started to scan the horizon of the wilderness as his men continued to yammer amongst themselves about what type of woman they liked best and which would best serve as their wife. Just then, out of the corner of his eyes, Marcus spotted a small figure and a slightly larger one moving out of the roadway a few feet ahead, and his hawklike eyes was able to catch that they were arrayed in pure white robes like he heard the Essenes wore.

"Excuse me," Marcus called after the two people, urging his horse onwards to overtake them. To his surprise, there was no willy wildman awaiting him in the brambles, but a young, beautiful woman with bright blue eyes and skin like cream. He lost his voice for a moment as he gazed upon her, feeling his already hot red skin growing warmer, and he knew his ears were certainly noticeably red.

Beside the girl was a tall, elderly yet powerful-looking Ethiopian woman who stared back at him, not unkindly but without an ounce of trust.

"Um, do excuse me, fair maiden and her stunning companion," Marcus stammered slightly as he switched from Latin to Aramaic. "I was hoping you might be able to help me and my men."

The young girl smiled as if nothing in the world could startle her and she asked, "Where does your accent come from, sir? I apologize for asking so boldly, but it intrigues me!"

He smiled back at her and chuckled slightly as he said, "Rome, good maid."

"And how may we be of service to you and Rome?" asked the tall, defensive woman from beside the young woman.

"I am here on official business, good matron," Marcus told her in a gentle tone, hoping to ease her clearly alarmed defenses. "I and my men are seeking the small village of the Essenes who are said to live someplace near here."

"Oh dear," the young woman suddenly cried out, "please do not say you plan to harm them! They are such good people, I tell you. Do you mean to cause them harm?"

"Me?" Marcus asked in alarm. "I would not dream of it. No, I am here to investigate the reported murder of a Jewish tax collector. It seems the evidence shows that the killer may be hiding out someplace near here. I only wish to meet with the Essenes to investigate, I do not wish them any harm at all."

The girl's face lit up a little at these words and she said, "In that case, we can show you where they dwell, kind sir. You see, I live with them."

"By the Mars!" Marcus exclaimed, dismounting his steed without taking his eyes off of her for a second. "That Priest must have lied to me. He said the Essenes were not permitted to have women amongst their numbers and yet, you're saying that you're one of their numbers?"

He let his eyes explore her further, losing himself for a moment. Her figure, gentle features, bright eyes, and everything else, were just too captivating to ignore. After a moment, he realized his hungry gaze might be seen as insulting to such women and he bowed as he took a quick step back.

"I am their guest," the young woman said earnestly, her eyes still shining and gazing back into his own.

He swallowed hard before answering and saying, "Ah, well, I guess this is even more shocking. I suppose they treat their guests well if one such as you keeps company with them."

He could tell that his flattering words were making her blush and she smiled bashfully at him. He returned the smile and held her gaze for as long as he could before the elderly woman cut in, her voice not rude but not flattering.

"Lord, please come with us to the home of the Essenes," she stated a little coldly, "You can ask them whatever you wish."

"Thank you, ma'am," Marcus answered, taking a quick bow. "Please, lead the way. Just allow me a moment to give some orders and we can be off."

He quickly turned on his heal and approached his men. As he started to tell them the plan, he noticed how they all seemed to have a grin and snicker drawn across their faces.

"Oh, whatever is it?" Marcus asked.

"Nothing," Lucius answered, being the more somber of the rest. "Just remember, keep away from wine, my lord."

Marcus gazed at him in disbelief, but their was no hiding his feelings from Lucius. After a moment, Marcus relented and said, "I won't touch a drop of the wine as long as we're here. I swear it to you."

"Good," Lucius nodded as he watched his commander split from the rest of his troops and walk close to the young woman and her handmaiden. Lucius watched Marcus interact with the young woman. His features were lively and he spoke easily with her as was a gift of his towards women. He never seemed awkward or to lack assurance when speaking to a woman. But, there was something different about his mannerisms today. There was an earnestness about his behavior, like he really wished to please and impress this fair maiden.

"Of all the children of Juno," Lucius moaned under his breath, "why did you choose a religious zealot, Marcus? Oh, why do you make your life difficult?"

Marcus could feel the eyes of his men on his back as he walked beside his new companions, but he tried to keep them out of his mind so he could study the young woman. He learned that her name was Miriam and she was not an Essenee like her hosts but was a follower of the crucified Jew named Jesus.

He watched her with amused admiration as she talked about her love of her faith, how little she feared death, and how proud she was of her parents who suffered a martyr's death so bravely.

"Surely, they must have been brave," he admitted, choosing his words carefully, "but, I do not believe the miserable death of my parents would be something that I would feel great pride in. You see, we Romans are nothing without our honor and to have that taken away from us before death is a sign that our lineage must end and die in disgrace."

"Not us!" Miriam answered gleefully. "It is a great honor to die for the faith."

"Or, so it was for your parents," Marcus corrected. "Many Christians in Rome, Judea, and Egypt choose to renounce their faith rather than suffer such a fate."

"Perhaps," she said quietly. "Although, I do not know all of the Churches and their doctrine."

"I understand," Marcus said with a smile. "Nor do I know all the cults and practices of my own faith."

"Are you an idolator?" Miriam asked suddenly. Nauhushta, her handmaiden, shot her a rebuking look for asking such a presumptuous question, but Marcus dismissed it with a wave of his hand.

"It's okay," he insisted with a slightly nervous laugh. "I've traveled all over and have met many gods. Some good, some evil. Some filled with light and some with darkness. But I, sweet maiden, worship Mars, Bacchus, Venus, and Zeus on High. However, I am an initiate into and an adherent of the order of the cult of Mithras, as are my men."

"Do you fear eternity?" Miriam asked.

"No, I do not," he stated plainly. "We soldiers know that the fields of Elysium await those of us who live a life of piety and devotion to the gods. We do not fear death either, although, I daresay, we do not seek it out as eagerly as you do."

"You speak with conviction, sir," Nauhushta answered with a smile. "For that, you have our respect. Now, look yonder just a few yards away, and you shall see the fields of the Essenes. The little buildings are their dwelling places, and this small home set aside slightly is where I live with my lady."

"I should have known," Marcus told her, but his eyes fell once again on Miriam. "Look at that lovely flower garden you have. That must indeed be the touch of one such as you who-" but he cut himself off at this instant, worried his compliment may seem inappropriate to them. He swallowed, gazed down, and cleared his throat.

It wasn't easy to flirt with such a maiden, but he sort of liked the challenge. Not to mention, she was surely deserving of every compliment he could think of.

To be Continued Next Week...