LOVE AND HONOR: The Mad Emperor (BL)

an Empire is a bit complic

n boys and girls, reflecting the ineq

he way of

t most women accepted it witho

hat for now... Now,

y boy was born, he was give

family, he would also receive additional

d the nomen, o

the identifier of

ee were referred to

es for these children, specifically the boys, to grow, mirror

if he was adopted

onal name, often a feminine version of a family nam

into a new family, girls do not ty

s the Julio-Cla

e imperial family, produced the former empe

merged through marriage and allian

re also other patrician (means noble) families tha

erful as the curr

ans patrician)-including the Julii-C

ety, and culture through their complex web of rel

ure third emperor of Rome,

; the two added names came from his adoption into

ius Caesar was his nomen, an

imperial family. One of the adopti

dded when he rises from the throne. Reser

ory is for

Gaius Julius Ca

n general, who is currently actively

**********

grippina, was a woman of strikin

perfectly styled, framed sharp haz

luring, her strength

gant features and ent

of Roman motherhood, an i

and friend of the former emperor, her husband, Germanicus Julius Caesar, a

loyalty, as she consistently braved the arduous journey

ragon of virtue and

birthday was still months away-N

ius, whose fourth birthday was on the very last

st visit to Vetera Castrum-the major Roman military camp h

amp in Germania, leaving their domus and

na and her youngest son, with selected slaves and

o danger, and their small group

ovember, 16 AD.

ived at Vetera Castr

months, encompassing the last of summer, the

s miniature soldier's outfit-devised by his mother to please his

und since 12 BC, was a fortress that housed two Roman legions an

defensive walls, gates, barracks, and administr

thmic clang of metal and the scent of burning wood fill

lls made the littl

heir families

as quite chilly. His little boot

s of wood smoke, different food aromas, and swe

ple chatting and soldiers

other, their faces softening and es

ds of recognition, others

ng his

tent, Agrippina suddenly crouched d

ve to look more like the s

im a once over and smile. "

**********

pily. Kissing Agrippina and

camp), momentarily boosting the morale of the soldiers a

little boy and his little boo

he camp's mood, a welcom

and the temporary commander of the camp, was

amp's Taberna-a stall where they

on, Gaius Julius Caesar Germanicu

soldiers dr

asked Agrippina to have his you

aius, while gently laughin

g promise beyond his years, stepped

fit, he scanned the faces of the

at his fathe

deep breath and

as you're

in

e sad a

is sh

s for it

efore-an ethereal, angelic tone that seemed to

en for a loved one th

during the times of war a

d into applause, ch

nicus laugh

"-in admiration of his performance while wearing

affection for the young Caligula and their recognition

slept soundly. The crackli

**********

ina, his mother, left him

dy preparing for his r

ed her, whispering in her ears, makin

and a twinkl

fixes her son's hair

alone, save for one or two

ft alone with his fath

s his little adventures in the camp e

father was percei

aracter, dashing physique, and exc

ment of Ro

. In his young heart, he wanted

d father's hues, and his little brown boots were a

g him story after story of his battle. And te

, eager to please

im discipline, courage, and leadership skills and

the time Germanicus spen

Caligula to practice with a sword. And when he r

ember, 16 AD. Stil

enty-one day

sm for the sword has started to wane, but he st

ss his father

it to conduct imaginary bat

one mo

ta-

his feet after the chickens fled. The g

ve ret

cto

mani

a Ro

THU

boots sprang into actio

face as he ran. His baby

s father's joyful and thunderous laug

crowd. But the air felt he

and the metallic tang of blood hit Caligula's nose-a s

long procession and de

in the crowd; being sm

position, he waited patiently.

ine of people comin

to fade when he saw the wounded sol

He knew s

freckled face guy that tumble on the dirt af

m and carry him on their

o trouble with his f

made Caligula feel bad-a c

s fault all over again.

specially Drusus Caesar-his second older

t out of the scolding of his mother

trouble with the

id because they made Caligula cry or said something about

kids don't kn

will use anything and any excuses at all to a

as they come back like his brothers, after getting hurt, m

ng the kid's eg

his father would be mad at him. Tha

fear in Caligula's

y wooden carts comes

, stained with mud and

eir faces etched with the raw pain of loss, while

also started to cry, and Ca

esit

look so broken?' He wanted to ask,

edge of his

my fault?' He can feel his ey

, he is still a kid that get scared so easily with the

ooden cart p

rief, others pale with shock, and a few hardened wi

the dead, moved like grim, si

ss and the inevi

s only a kid. Whose biggest p

ooden carts, blocked hi

doesn't sink in with him

y got stuck in a protrudi

art to move, as it is hinderi

push, the wood

n the ground near his little boot

with blood in it, st

price of victory, a gr

ing that it was

lt himself fly

but the grip w

his eyes, as the

aid, "Filius meus iuvenis..." an en

f relief and a deep, unspoken pain a

ruggling. It was his father

ror, the rough fabric of his little boots now

**********

DE

rt naming convention

famil

camp or

ancient Greek song,

ic garments

***********

ntes

udii (joint

anii (joint

Aem

Cor

Val

F

nt in marriage) (another

Lic

Pom

Pl