Chapter 122: Triumph
The annexation of Armenia went smoothly without any major problems.
Marcus’s prediction was right again.
The people who were exhausted by the repeated wars welcomed the occupation of Rome, the dominant power.
They thought that as long as they paid tribute to Rome, they would never have to suffer from the flames of war again.
The nobles were even more pleased, as they retained their original lands and properties and also received Roman citizenship.
On the other hand, it seemed that it would take some more time to fully Romanize the Mesopotamian region.
The Parthian nobles who settled in the Mesopotamian basin were different from the Armenian nobles.
Parthia was not a declining country like Armenia, and it was a proud nation that claimed to be the descendants of Persia.
Although they had suffered a defeat against Rome and agreed to cede half of their territory, they did not want to bend their pride.
Moreover, many Parthian nobles resented the fact that Marcus took Orodes as his prisoner.
No matter how incompetent he was, he was still the Shahanshah of Parthia.
They did not like the idea of him being a spectacle for the citizens.
Of course, Marcus was only sending Orodes to Rome with the permission of Sanatruces.
That’s why there were more people who disliked Sanatruces than Marcus.
They thought that Sanatruces was humiliating Orodes to satisfy his personal grudge.
The nobles of the Mesopotamian basin, who were full of discontent, also rejected Marcus’s offer to become Roman citizens.
Some of them had signed an agreement to migrate to the Indus basin after Parthia conquered it.
They did not want to go under Rome’s rule, no matter how much benefits they offered.
Of course, not everyone acted like that.
There were many who turned to pro-Roman among the Parthian nobles.
Especially those who had been trading with Rome for a long time had mostly become pro-Roman.
“Why do we have to stubbornly resist when Rome does not exploit or discriminate against us? It’s better to become Roman nobles and increase our wealth and honor.”
“That’s right. We will only harm ourselves if we stick to our pride. How many countries are there that are so generous and lenient after winning a war? It’s better to join their system before they change their mind.”
Marcus entrusted the important positions of the Mesopotamian province to these pro-Romans.
He did not directly suppress the anti-Roman nobles yet.
He knew that there were many seeds of conflict, but it was not a problem that could be solved in a short time.
Besides, Marcus had to return to Rome because of Crassus’s triumph.
Originally, Crassus could have stayed as the governor of the East for more than three years.
This was the biggest problem.
The fact that he had three years left as governor meant that he had to wait at least three years for his triumph.
But Crassus did not want to wait for three years in the East.
It was not just because he was impatient.
Three years was too long.
Now Rome was ecstatic about the victories in the East, but there was no guarantee that this enthusiasm would last until three years later.
Besides, Caesar would also return to Rome in three years.
Unlike Crassus, Caesar’s conquest activities were still ongoing.
If their return dates overlapped, Crassus would be at a disadvantage compared to Caesar, who had completed his conquest activities long ago.
He did not have any regrets about leaving his governorship with three years left.
He just wanted to have his triumph, which he had dreamed of for over 60 years, in the best possible way.
The Senate agreed to Crassus’s wish.
They also planned to sweep the next year’s election with Crassus’s triumph as a stepping stone.
The legions in the Eastern province also temporarily returned to Rome for the triumph.
But they still had a lot of work to do in the East, so they followed a strange procedure of disbanding, triumphing, and reorganizing.
Crassus asked them to allow Marcus to join him on the chariot of the triumphant general.
The Senate gladly accepted this request as well.
Thanks to this, Marcus boarded a ship with Gaius and headed for Brundisium, returning to Rome for a while.
Arsinoe and Cleopatra naturally accompanied him as well.
The two princesses, who were now 15 and 14 years old respectively, still had some traces of young girls, but they also began to emit a scent of womenhood.
Arsinoe did not hug Marcus out of the blue like before.
She became more flustered and started to care about her hair and accessories.
She was doing the same thing that she had mocked Cleopatra for when they were on the ship from Egypt to Rome.
“Marcus, I sincerely congratulate you on your triumph.”
“Thank you. By the way, this must be your first time seeing a triumph, princess.”
“Yes. But I know very well what a triumph means to the Romans.”
Cleopatra, who had been listening to their conversation, naturally joined in.
“And I heard that there are very few Romans who have a triumph at such a young age like Marcus.”
“It was just luck.”
“You can’t achieve such amazing results with luck alone. Besides, Marcus is still young in the eyes of the Roman power-holders. This is just the beginning. Isn’t it more amazing?”
Cleopatra’s words were full of confidence.
Arsinoe’s long eyelashes trembled slightly.
Cleopatra had snatched the words that she was about to say and continued to talk with Marcus.
If it had been before, she would have clung to Marcus and pushed Cleopatra away, but it was too embarrassing to do that in this situation.
She was old enough to get married, and she did not want to be seen as a frivolous woman.
She had to show her grace and elegance as a royal bloodline at all times.
When she cleared her throat and tried to change the topic.
Marcus’s son Trajanus, who had grown up quite a bit, spotted Arsinoe and ran over to her, waving his hand.
“Arsinoe sister, come and play with me.”
“Huh? Can you wait a minute? I have something to say to Marcus…”
“Come on, play with me! Hurry up, I have cards ready.”
“Oh, Arsinoe sister was here. Let’s go and play together. Trajanus is too weak and boring.”
Sophia, who had followed her younger brother, also hung on Arsinoe and nagged her.
In the end, Arsinoe was dragged away by the twins into the ship.
Marcus looked at them with a fond smile.
“It seems that the princess has become quite close with my children.”
“Maybe it’s because they have similar mental ages.”
“…She has grown up a lot. I can’t stroke her head or hug her anymore.”
“She must have realized her royal status by now. She was too unreasonable before.”
Marcus smiled awkwardly.
The two of them looked at the calm sea that was gently swaying.
There was a brief silence.
Cleopatra opened her mouth again.
“You will return to the East after your triumph, right?”
“My father might stay in Rome, but I think I have to go back. There are still some things left to do after the war.”
“I see. Then Arsinoe and Julia will follow you too.”
“Will you stay in Rome, princess?”
Cleopatra could not answer right away.
She had been thinking about it until this moment.
She took her eyes off the white waves that were crashing down and looked at Marcus.
“I’m not sure. I don’t know if I can stay in Rome or not.”
“There is no reason why you can’t. Do whatever you want, princess. If you decide to stay in Rome, I will introduce you to a suitable guardian as I promised before.”
“Thank you. I will think about it with gratitude.”
Cleopatra’s mind was filled with all the situations and relationships that surrounded her like a spider web.
What choices would she make and what would she pursue in this changing era?
The bright sunlight and the autumn sea that contained a hint of loneliness created a big wave in her heart.
※※※※
Crassus disembarked at Brundisium and disbanded his legions.
It was a mere formality since they would be reorganized after the triumph, but they had to follow the procedure.
He arrived at Rome surrounded by an enormous crowd of people who welcomed him and settled in the Campus Martius outside the city walls.
The Senate decided on the date of his triumph as quickly as possible so that Crassus would not be uncomfortable.
It was a very different attitude from when Pompey returned from his expedition.
After all, the triumphant general could not enter the city walls until his triumph.
Crassus and Marcus waited patiently in the plain and greeted the congratulatory visitors who came every day.
Crassus was more excited than ever for his first triumph in his life.
Although Marcus took most of the honor and glory, Crassus was rather more satisfied.
He was the one who had achieved all the honors of consul, governor, and triumph at the age of over 60.
He did not have any desire to take all the credit for himself at this point.
Besides, in the Roman society where raising a successor of the family was considered a virtue, his son’s merit was also his merit.
The thing that the nobles of the same age who congratulated Crassus were most envious of was none other than the existence of Marcus.
It would be a lie to say that they were not jealous of the triumph, which was considered the highest honor for a Roman.
But for the heads of the families who had to pass on their lineage, the existence of a successor who would make the glory of their family shine more was more desirable.
Marcus deliberately entertained the young nobles himself, so that Crassus could spend time with the elders who envied him.
Crassus, who was in a good mood as if he was flying, was even able to accept Pompey’s visit with pleasure.
“It’s late, but you finally held your first triumph.”
“Hahaha, yes, I did. They say it will be as splendid and magnificent as your triumph.”
Pompey shook his head with an awkward smile as his competitive spirit was strangely aroused.
“I have already held three triumphs.”
“That’s worthy of the great Pompey Magnus. Hahaha, it’s an amazing achievement.”
Crassus was not hurt by Pompey’s sarcasm, which was not sarcasm.
He was in such a generous mood that he could laugh off anything.
Pompey, who had taken advantage of the situation, was rather embarrassed by the reaction.
“Considering your age and military talent, it wouldn’t be wrong to say that you don’t have a second triumph. Didn’t you want to achieve military glory comparable to mine?”
“I didn’t say I didn’t think about it. No, I still have that desire if I can. But what can I do? In fact, this triumph is also thanks to my son. It would be greedy to ask for more.”
Is this really the Crassus?
Pompey widened his eyes at the words that were not like him.
But this was also something he could confide in because Pompey was his conversation partner.
The two were not close, but they had a strange sense of kinship that had been built up over a long time of competing and cooperating.
Pompey, who had been listening silently, asked in a soft voice.
“Your words sound like those of a person who is about to retire. Are you thinking of retiring from politics after the triumph?”
“No. I have to coordinate things until Marcus returns to Rome. But I have achieved all the goals I wanted to do. Now I just want to watch how far my son can reach.”
“Your son… It must be a special feeling to look at your son who has talent beyond yourself. That’s the only thing I envy you for.”
Pompey’s two sons were also not lacking anywhere.
But compared to their father Pompey, they were inevitably lacking in military aspects.
Their political skills were also not comparable to Marcus, who was an outstanding talent among their peers.
Objectively speaking, Pompey was behind Crassus in terms of succession.
Crassus shook his head slowly as if he was genuinely surprised.
“I never thought I would hear that you envy me, the great Pompey Magnus. Life is indeed full of surprises.”
Pompey poured wine into the glass in front of Crassus with a chuckle.
Crassus also filled Pompey’s empty glass with his own hands.
The two looked at each other silently as they moistened their throats with wine.
Suddenly, Crassus muttered in a strange tone that was both sentimental and bitter.
“We’re old. You and me.”
“We’re old. But I’m still in my fifties. Remember how I defeated Mithridates and ended the war when I was your age. I’m still confident. Nothing is over yet.”
“Nothing is over… Are you dreaming of a fourth triumph?”
“I think I still have the ability to do that. But I guess it will be my last expedition anyway. I’m going to look carefully for the final battlefield that suits me. It might be good to consult with Marcus.”
Crassus couldn’t answer for a long time.
The voices of the young nobles congratulating Marcus outside came in.
Most of them were praises and compliments for Marcus.
Crassus closed his eyes happily and slowly opened his mouth.
He didn’t say anything sarcastic to Pompey, who still had energy left. He didn’t even feel like doing that anymore.
“You can do it if anyone can. After all, you are Pompey Magnus.”
“I never thought I would get all the encouragement from Crassus…”
A voice tinged with strange humor leaked out.
The two who shared the same era and realized that a new era was coming.
A thin smile appeared on their lips.
It was not a fake smile or a mockery, but a sincere smile that came from the heart.
Pompey put down his glass and muttered.
“You’re right. Life is full of surprises.”
The bright sun shone down and shattered on the green plain.
The wind that contained the emptiness and mystery of time brushed past their white hair.
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