IMMORTUI - Carpathian Interlude Part I

A while ago, I wrote a post detailing all of the upcoming historical and literary treats that I was planning on releasing in 2014. 

One of those items was a re-release of IMMORTUI, Part I of the Carpathian Interlude series.

If you haven't read this novella yet, it's a cross between historical fiction and horror.

As usual, I've paid a lot of attention to the history of the age (i.e. the reign of Emperor Augustus). I never cheat on the history!

Also, the cult of Mithras plays a big part in this story, so if ancient mystery religions fascinate you, you'll like this. 

Here is the fantastic new cover design for IMMORTUI by LLPix Photography and Design. 

If ancient history and zombies are your thing, be sure to check it out and tell others about it! It's available on Kobo and Amazon. 

This series is a joy to write and the second part is on the way! For now, here is the outline of IMMORTUI:

The Legions of Emperor Augustus have returned victorious from putting down a massive revolt among the Germanic tribes of the Danube frontier. While Rome basks in its success, a new foe is gathering in the darkness of the Carpathian Mountains. When a young boy shows up at the distant fortress of Troesmis, it falls to Optio Gaius Justus Vitalis and his centurion to investigate the horrors described by the young refugee.

It is just the beginning of a struggle between the Eagles of Rome and the undead forces of an enemy that could halt the Empire’s northern advance.

It’s Romans vs. Zombies in this first novella of the Carpathian Interlude series. Get ready for action, mystery and blood in this clash between Light and Dark. 

If you have read and enjoyed this novella do be sure to leave a review wherever you purchased it as this always helps other readers to discover the series. 

Finally, so that I can get a bit more history into this post, here are some pictures related to the story. 

As ever, thank you for reading!

Remains of the Legionary base of Troesmis,
where the story begins on the Danube frontier
in modern Romania.

Image of the 'Tauroctony' - Mithras slaying the Bull.

An ancient Mithraeum.
Mithraic rites took place in caves such as this, where
the worshipers reclined and shared a sacred meal.

If you missed the previous posts called 'IMMORTUI - Fighting the Undead', you can still read them. There are three posts on:

Roman Weapons

Roman Armour and Clothing

and

Mithras, Lord of Light

LYKOI - Carpathian Interlude Part II will be coming this Spring, so stay tuned!

Eagles and Dragons Publishing

Every publisher, whether indie or traditional, needs a logo for its imprint, something that grabs the eyes at a glance.

Today, I received the final version of the logo for my own publishing imprint, Eagles and Dragons Publishing. Here it is:

'Eagles and Dragons', in addition to being the name of my first historical series, refers to the cultures and periods in which I am writing, and will write.

In ancient Greece and Rome, the Eagle was a symbol of the Gods' power, a personification of the great gods. It is also symbol of victory, inspiration and valour. The Eagle was the messenger of Zeus and of Jupiter, and the supreme emblem of Rome's Legions, the Aquila.

In both ancient and early medieval cultures, the Dragon was a creature of power, of wisdom and of prophecy. The Dragon, of course, plays a great role in the life of Lucius Metellus Anguis, the protagonist in the Eagles and Dragons series. 'Anguis', as I point out in the historical note of Children of Apollo, refers to the great worm, the Python, the ancient dragon constellation.

But for Eagles and Dragons Publishing, the Dragon also represents the Celtic west and the early medieval period, the Arthurian period. For my own writing, the future does indeed hold an Arthurian series, and in this, the Dragon most certainly has a role to play.

2013 is going to be an exciting year for Eagles and Dragons Publishing with a few releases coming up.

In the next month or so, we'll be releasing a second edition of Children of Apollo with a new cover that will blow you away, as well as a complete glossary of Greek and Latin words.

The long-awaited second book in the series, Killing the Hydra should be out some time in June or July, so watch for news of that and all the accompanying blog posts. If you thought Children of Apollo was good, you'll love this sequel.

Part II of the Carpathian Interlude series will also be out toward the end of the summer and let me tell you, Gaius Justus Vitalis and his men will be tested once more! Watch for that.

I've also written a short story that is a retelling of the Phaethon myth of Greek mythology. This will be part of a special offer early in the Summer.

In addition to new novels and stories, Eagles and Dragons Publishing will be working on some swag for giveaways and such. There is a lot to look forward to!

That's the news for the moment.

Thank you all for reading and do be sure to 'Like' Eagles and Dragons on Facebook. You can click on the Facebook box to the right on your screen.

Cheers and Hail Caesar!

IMMORTUI – Fighting the Undead – Roman Armour and Clothing

Optio's helmet

In the previous post, we looked at the main weapons used by Roman troops. However, if you are not clothed and protected, you may not last long on the field of combat. In IMMORTUI, I mention some of the articles of clothing that the characters wear as well as their armour.

Pretend you are a Roman soldier getting dressed for the day or that you are preparing to go on campaign and need to stuff some extra clothing into your satchel which you will have to carry on your back along with two sharpened stakes, pots and a shovel and pick axe. When the Legions were  reorganized and equipment standardized by the General Marius, there was a reason why the men became known as ‘Marius’ mules’!

Tunic

Bracae and Caligae

 The Roman soldier would have a standard issue tunica which was like an over-sized shirt, belted at the waist by a cingulum. You wouldn’t leave without pants or trousers in the morning and neither would a Roman go into battle without bracae which were made of wool, just like the tunic. This basic outfit was completed with a pair of caligae which were standard issue Roman military sandals with hobnails. As an aside, the Emperor Caligula was so nick-named because of the little pair of army sandals he wore as a child. He was called ‘Little Boots’. New archaeological evidence shows that contrary to what was thought, Roman soldiers did in fact wear woollen socks. Makes sense to me; I can‘t imagine trekking through Caledonia or Germania in bare feet. A cloak was also an important piece of the outfit and could serve as a blanket on the march, a shield against the elements.

Phalerae

Cingulum and Pugio

If you were a decorated officer such as a centurion, you would be wearing a leather harness over your chest that was decorated with phalerae, a series of bronze or iron discs with images of gods, goddesses and other symbols that were believed to protect the wearer from harm. Soldiers were notoriously superstitious!

Lorica Segmentata

All that clothing however, is not going to help you if you are not protected by a certain amount of armour. This brings us to the lorica segmentata, the standeard breastplate of the Roman legionary of the Empire. The design of the lorica is ingenious, providing good shoulder, chest and back protection while providing for ease of movement and flexibility due to the segmented style of the steel plates. If you were an auxiliary trooper, you more likely had chainmail. Aside from the leather straps hanging from the soldier’s cingulum, the lorica was the only protection on the torso.

Officer's Pteriges

An officer’s armour would vary from the ordinary trooper’s. Commanding officers or tribunes would be wearing a cuirass which was a breast/back plate made of iron and/or hardened bull’s hide, often ornamented with patron gods and goddesses of their family. Beneath these would be a full skirt of leather straps hanging down to the knees called pteriges. A commander may also have worn ornamented greaves which protected the shins but these were often cumbersome and not always in use during the Empire.

Finally, when it comes to protection, few things mattered so much as the helmet. The standard legionary helmet was perfected over hundreds of years, improving upon ancient Greek, Thracian and Macedonian models. There was a rim to protect the face from downward slashes from an enemy, a large, fan-like neck protector at the back, cheek flaps and holes for the ears so that the soldier could hear what was going on.

Centurion's helmet

Helmet crests were used to denote rank as well. For instance, a centurion would be known by the horizontal, horse-hair crest on his helmet where an optio (one step down from a centurion) had a crest going from front to back with feathers on either side of the helmet. A legate or other commanding officer might add a flourish with a very large horse-hair crest and highly ornamented cheek pieces to denote their own rank and wealth. Later on, parade helmets for cavalry prefects and other auxiliary officers included face masks, giving them an otherworldly look.

Auxiliary Cavalry Helmet

There you have it, a quick look at the clothing and armour of the Roman army. Not much to it, but, it was highly effective and utilitarian and certainly gave the soldiers of Rome an edge when combined with their weapons. Whether or not the armour provides enough protection against the undead enemy in IMMORTUI, well, that is another thing entirely.

Keep an eye out for the third and final instalment of the posts looking at the world of IMMORTUI when I will look at the cult of the Roman soldiers’ god, Mithras. 



IMMORTUI - Carpathian Interlude Part I is now available as a $.99 cent novella on Amazon and iTunes. 

IMMORTUI – Fighting the Undead: Roman Weapons

Salve!

This is the first post in a short series that will be looking at some aspects of the world of IMMORTUI, Part I in the Carpathian Interlude series of novellas.

When Optio Gaius Justus Vitalis and his men set out to confront legions of zombies in a dark valley of the Carpathian mountains, there is one thing that really enables the Romans to hold their own: weapons.

The Roman army was one of the most disciplined, well-organized and well-armed fighting forces of the ancient world and their weaponry evolved over time as they adopted the best from each nation they conquered.

In IMMORTUI, I have tried to use the Latin names for all the weapons and articles of clothing. After all, this is a story, not a history lesson! However, for those of you who may not be familiar with the world and weapons of ancient Rome, here is a crash course in case you ever find yourself facing down legions of undead.

Pompeii style Gladius

First, and most importantly, is the gladius. This is the Roman soldier’s (legionary’s) sword. The word ‘gladiator’ is derived from this word. This weapon has been called the ‘meat-cleaver’ of the ancient world because of its brutal efficiency. It was primarily a stabbing weapon, worn on the soldier’s right side. The style varied slightly from the Republic to the Empire but the effect for each was the same. The gladius was indeed an extremely deadly weapon.

In the ancient world, shields were of primary importance for defending the bearer against all manner of attacks from arrows and sling stones, to cavalry charges and a rush of roaring Celts. The Roman legionary’s shield was called a scutum. This was a very large, heavy rectangular or oblong shield with a large boss in the middle that could be used to smash the face of an attacker. It would protect more than half of a soldier standing up, and was used to great effect in military formations such as the tustudo, or tortoise formation.

Scutum

Pila

What ancient warrior’s kit would be complete without a spear? The Roman solider’s spear was called a pilum. This differed from the spears of the ancient Greek hoplite in that it was much lighter and could be used only once. It was however, very effective at piercing armour and flesh because of its fine point. A hail of these was truly deadly and was the Romans’ first offensive weapon after artillery. And, once thrown, it could not be picked up by the enemy and thrown back due to the special design that ensured the tip broke off or bent upon impact making it useless. 

For an optio, like Gaius Justus Vitalis in IMMORTUI, a hastile was carried instead of a pilum. The hastile was a staff carried by that particular rank of officer and though it was symbolic of his rank it could also be used as a weapon if need be.

Optio carrying hastile

When the fighting inevitably came to close quarter combat, and pila and gladii were spent or lost, the Roman dagger called a pugio was what was called for. This blade, apart from having practical uses such as cutting meat or sharpening a stake, this could be thrust into the side of an enemy when he came too close for comfort. The pugio was worn at the soldier’s left side, secured tightly at the waist for a quick and easy draw.

So there you have it! These are the main weapons of a Roman legionary which they would carry with themselves on the march and into battle. They would never leave his side whether he was sleeping or digging ditches and ramparts at the end of the day.

Roman Pugio

The question you have to ask yourself is whether these weapons, honed and perfected over centuries of use, would be enough to defeat an enemy that feels neither pain nor fear, an enemy that will keep coming at you until you do one thing…

Well, you will have to read IMMORTUI to find out.

Tune in next week for the second post on the world if IMMORTUI in which we will look at Roman armour and clothing.

Legionaries in 'Testudo' formation