Free Soldier of Rome: The Last Campaign (The Artorian Chronicles) by James Mace Page A

for Magnus and Praxus,” Artorius remarked with a smile. “Their promotions were long overdue. I suspect one of them will become primus pilus before too long.”
    The First Cohort housed the elite troops of the l egion. It consisted of five centuries instead of the usual six, though each century was at double-strength of one hundred and sixty men. Four of the commanders held the rank of centurion primus ordo and were, in fact, senior in rank to the cohort commanders, serving as tactical advisors to the commanding legate in addition to leading their own troops. The remaining century in the unit, along with the entire cohort, was led by the centurion primus pilus , who also served as the master centurion of the legion and was third in command behind the senatorial legate and chief tribune. It was also the pinnacle of an enlisted soldier’s career, and the only rank within the Roman Army where the holder was elected by his peers. Artorius was proud to hear that the year before his closest friends had been promoted to centurion primus ordo.
    “Our master centurion met with a terrible accident three months ago,” Metellus continued. “Gangrene set in and he died a few weeks later.”
    “Who was it?” Artorius asked, concerned that it might have been an old comrade.
    “No one you knew,” Metellus reassured him. “He’d come to us as a centurion primus ordo from the First Legion. Well , during the Centurions Council to name his replacement, both Magnus and Praxus refused to stand for the position.”
    “Why the hell would they do that?” It exasperated Artorius that his friends, who had come so far in their respective careers, would decline a chance at the highest rank any of them could ever achieve.
    “Publicly, both said that they lack the necessary experience,” his son explained.
    “That’s a load of shit,” Artorius scoffed. “If I ever see those two again, I’ll beat the piss out of them!”
    “Most of the cohort commanders are new to their positions as well,” Metellus continued. “It was the oddest thing that we had such a high turnover amongst senior leaders around the same time. Only two of them put their names forward for consideration. Both were Civic Crown recipients. While this holds a lot of sway, Magnus managed to get a third candidate onto the ballot, albeit in absentia.”
    He then handed his father the first scroll, which bore the official seal of the imperial post. As Artorius read, his eyes grew wide.
     
    Centurion Primus Ordo Titus Artorius Justus,
     
    In recognition of your lifelong career of service, distinguished conduct, and superior leadership qualities, you are hereby promoted by acclamation of your peers to the rank of Centurion Primus Pilus and appointed Master Centurion of the Twentieth Legion, Valeria.
     
    Signed,
    Aulus Plautius
    Governor-General, Germania Inferior
     
    “How can this be?” he asked as he read the official order. “I don’t understand why the centurions of a legion I left ten years ago would elect me to be their new primus pilus!”
    “Perhaps in your absence, your reputation turned to legend,” Metellus shrugged with a grin. “I will say this; many of us believe that our new emperor will try and finish what his nephew proposed doing with Britannia, only with an actual invasion force and not just ordering us to attack the sea with our weapons and then ‘plunder’ seashells as booty from Neptune; that was an embarrassing, fucked up gaggle as I’ve ever seen. Any potential operations are all speculation and rumor, of course.”
    “It would have to be at this point,” Artorius observed. “Claudius has only been on the throne a few months. I doubt that conquering new lands for the empire is foremost on his mind right now.”
    “Agreed. However, we’ve been keeping ourselves ready for any such potential campaign, regardless of who is Caesar. And like I said before, most of our cohort commanders are very new, plus the two other centurions primus