"You cannot escape necessities, but you can overcome them.” - Lucius Annaeus Seneca
I felt nauseated. I hated ships; on that day, I hated the sea too and the weather left a lot to be desired in addition. I stood on the deck of the rocking bireme soaked to the skin in the heavy rain that always followed the long hot dry summer.
I still puzzled over how the divers managed to stay underwater for so long and was quite sure I could never emulate them even if I practised for twenty years.
It was the fifth day of the reclamation process. The divers had placed draglines under the decks of the sunken ship and were going to use them to pull large, air filled, leather bladders into the vessel. They had erected huge pilings alongside the wreck and attached lifting gear to the sunken ship. None of the engineers had done this type of work before, but they seemed confident enough. They had told me that they only needed to have the wreck on the surface long enough to take off the treasure and then they could let it settle back on the floor of the Black Sea forever.
Junius put a hand on my shoulder to steady himself.
'Incredible isn't it? Our engineers can do anything. Raising a ship from the sea is an unbelievable story. You wait until we get to the taverns back home. They'll be spellbound. Think of the rounds it will earn!'
'Junius, your trouble is you think of wine and women too much. I’ll believe it when I see the chests of gold brought onboard.'
'Cheer up you pessimist! No drill, no marches, no guard duties! This is a holiday compared to the usual drudge of guarding Sinope.'
'I never found it so boring.'
'No but you had a Queen to distract you.'
'Maybe you're right.'
I stared at a diver who had come up for air. I leaned across the gunwale and shouted 'How much more?'
'Nearly finished. By tomorrow we can try to float her,' the diver said gulping air as if it was in short supply.
I looked down at the bare wooden planks of the deck. I thought of Hypsicratea. I thought of making love to her and touching her, kissing her. It was becoming an obsession. I do not recommend unrequited love to any man.
'Wake up! What's the matter with you?'
'Nothing, just tired that's all.'
'Meridius wants us in the cabin; try to snap out of it.'
We made our way unsteadily aft. There was a leather screen across the doorway to the main cabin. We entered and the ship lurched suddenly. My legs bent slightly to accommodate the initial upward movement. It threw me up into the air and pitched me forward. I ended by knocking a cup of wine onto the Tribune's lap.
'I don't mind being informal but I think you're stretching civilities a bit don't you?' Meridius said brushing the wine off with one hand, a rare smile appearing on his lips. He was in a good mood. Operations were going well and the raising of the wreck seemed to be on schedule. The prospect of regaining the massive wealth that Hypsicratea had described put him in an excellent humour. Lucullus had guaranteed him a share. He told us that it would be enough to pay off his debts and allow him total independence when he returned to Rome.
I straightened up, 'Sorry sir, this seafaring business isn't my best side.'
'Where is Asinnius?'
'He's on the other ship. The engineers are keeping him occupied, sir.'
'He won't have time to send any messages or signals?'
'It seems unlikely. The engineers are keeping him very, very busy.'
'Good. We should be able to offload the ship tomorrow and get on with the business of soldiering again. Like you, the sooner I have my feet squarely on dry land the better.'
'Permission to go ashore?' enquired Junius.
'Yes, we have just about finished here anyway. See if you can get the cooks to organise some decent food and you two can join me. Oh, and by the way, get them to provide some wine, last night was the worst excuse for wine I have ever had,' Meridius said.
The two of us went ashore in the small boat used for transporting the crew and equipment and we obeyed Meridius' instructions to the letter. As we sat in the command tent Meridius began talking of Rome and her greatness and what a privilege it was to be part of this great army.
'Are you serious, sir?' asked Junius.
'Of course I'm not bloody serious. We're here for our own reasons, every one of us. Me? I'm here to get money to pay my way in the world and make it easier to move into the political scene. What are you two lads here for?'
'Aulus is here because he signed documents to say he would be. Cerialis, an old soldier caught him thieving when he was a youth and forced him to join the legion. Me? I'm here because the alternative was to be a farm worker for the rest of my days and to be honest, this life suits me.'
Meridius turned to me.
'You never told me that Quintus caught you stealing.'
'I was just a lad then. I was all alone on the streets of Rome and had no other way to support myself.'
'You didn't try to rob him did you?'
'Well I broke into his house and he threatened to kill me actually.'
Meridius laughed.
'He would never harm a child. I told you how he fought twenty men to save a comrade?'
'You mentioned it.'
'Well, he stood on that bridge and killed all comers. He was a vicious killer but he was loyal and had a kind streak too. I think your presence here demonstrates that. I would have killed you!'
'I don't believe you,' I said. We all laughed a little at that.
'Here's to Mercury, the expedient one! May he push our venture to the limits and bring us our just rewards,' Meridius said raising his cup.
We drank long into the night and Junius and Meridius retired mellow and with smiles on their drunken faces. I was still moping when the others left and I sat for a time thinking of Hypsicratea, but finally I slept, slumped across the rough wooden table only to awaken at dawn with cramp and a headache.
* * *
As the wreck of the bireme broke the surface of a wave-torn sea, a cheer rose from the crews, soldiers and engineers. They had pulled more than a hundred air-filled bladders into the lower decks and each bireme, manned by rowers, pulled thick hawsers across the wooden piles, driven deep into the sand and rocks below. The raising was a slower process than any of us had imagined and it took a full hour of hard work to elevate the hulk to a level where they could board. Below decks, I could see the remains of the slaves, still chained at their oars floating, almost waving in a grim greeting.
Twenty men, selected for their strength, knocked a hole in the deck to reach the cargo hold. Using rope, they secured and lifted the chests of treasure onto the waiting biremes as we a stood and watched. There were fifteen such chests and in front of the soldiers or crews they remained sealed. They were stowed and when the job was done, the wreck was released and it sank, carrying with it its cargo of dead.
I had odd, mixed thoughts about the whole episode. I remembered the feeling of being on board that bireme, the overseer's lash and the presence of Charis, blind and crippled next to me. When the wreck was gone, I heaved a sigh of relief. It had been a time in my life I was glad to have behind me. The experience had changed my views on many things, not least its aftermath: love, disappointment and a burning desire to be with a woman I could never have.