Octavian frowned and looked at the man in purple robes in front of him.
He recognized that purple color. Octavian spent millions of dollars on just one pound of purple wool during his lifetime.
It was Tyre purple first produced by the Phoenicians, but later countries throughout the Mediterranean, including Rome, learned how to make this dye.
Aristotle once wrote a book describing this method of preparing dyes by extracting the mucus and venom glands of red-mouthed rock snails or dye snails.
But the spread of the recipe did not make this fascinating color accessible. Even Octavian Augustus had to spend a lot of money to obtain it and regarded it as one of the most noble colors.
Until around the fourth century AD, the price of Tyrian purple wool could still be equal to the same weight of gold.
It has become the symbol of imperial power of the Eastern Roman Empire——Byzantine Empire, and only Basilius is qualified to enjoy it.
The red impression of Rome has gradually changed to the purple of Byzantium.
"Is Michael VIII...a strange name. Even if someone has called him Octavian before, I will not call myself Octavian II or III or even VIII."
"After all, there is a thousand-year gap between the Rome I rule and your era. Even for you, the present and the current emperor Nero, who is considered to be a long time later, to me only exists in the history books. He’s like a mythical figure.”
If Animusfia were here, he would definitely be able to directly identify the man in purple robes as one of the famous emperors of the Byzantine Empire in later generations - Michael VIII, also known as the Eight-clawed Spider. (Michael VIII).
In English pronunciation, this name may be more familiar to ordinary people, Michael VIII.
It comes from the name of Michael (Micha'el), the angel who guarded the Garden of Eden in the Bible.
"But you're not even a Roman - you speak with a Greek accent, that's all, and your name even sounds like a Punic from Carthage or Phoenicia, ah, I guess. Get up, there seems to be a man named Michael in Jewish mythology, right?"
Apparently Octavian was not so satisfied with Michael VIII's name.
In traditional Roman culture, there were actually not many names for Romans to choose from, and they also had a set of serious naming rules.
Take Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus as an example. Each name of Nero means something.
"You have even betrayed the name of the gods and Augustus. Do you have the nerve to say that you represent Rome?"
Octavian said sarcastically to Michael VIII.
"Yet I am indeed Basilius of the Roman Empire, more than a thousand years later."
Mikhail VIII said neither humble nor haughty.
"Ha, Basilius, my beloved Basilius! You even used the Greek king's title————"
Octavian interrupted Michael VIII.
"Are you really not a Greek? You should be one of Alexander's successors. Should I call you a Thracian or a Byzantine? Or a Jew who speaks Greek and believes in Judaism?"
"I am Basilius of Rome, and I single-handedly saved Rome from falling."
Michael VIII still maintained his identity.
"Then my [junior], what are you doing here? Shouldn't you be sitting quietly on your throne now and waiting for the puppets you manipulate to deliver you the fruits of victory?"
Octavian's implication was that a person like Michael VIII who was good at manipulating power should not appear in his army.
Especially on the eve of his upcoming expedition.
Octavian still remembered the fact that Animusphia blew him off the top of the giant galley that day.
"You must also know about the failure of His Majesty Caesar. The net I laid in the city of Rome was easily cracked by the other party's followers. Moreover, you also suffered a lot of losses at the hands of the other party—————— "
Michael VIII looked at the giant battleship in the harbor behind Octavian, whose repair marks could still be seen under the setting sun.
"So by that lord's instruction, I come to serve as your aide-de-camp."
"Spiders also want to climb onto the shoulders of giants? Haha."
Octavian chuckled contemptuously and said no more, turned around and walked back to his flagship.
Since it was the adult's arrangement, he had no position to continue to object.
It's just that he really doesn't understand how these guys, who are far from the Rome in his mind from head to toe, are counted as part of Rome.
Although she is now an enemy of Nero, she does have the blood of Octavian flowing through her body, and Octavian is willing to admit that she is the real Rome and the real Augustus.
And he is just a traitor who climbed out of the grave and wanted to take back everything he had in life.
But that gentleman actually regarded these guys as Rome.
If the German barbarians also came to establish a country on Roman land in the future, would they also be called Rome?
Furthermore, neither Caesar, who had failed, nor Octavian, who was preparing to set sail again after a few days' rest, did not think that the conspiracy hatched by Michael VIII in secret could have much effect.
At least, it won't be decisive.
Looking at Octavian leaving, Michael VIII sighed and began to order his troops to board the ship.
To be honest, Michael VIII also preferred to get along with his contemporaries - at least a few emperors who were not separated by a thousand years, rather than those in the west who were already like mythical figures [Augustus] ] They.
If he hadn't been the only one who had time to rush to Masselia, Mikhail VIII would not have chosen to go directly to the battlefield.
Many more problems can be solved between pen and paper and words than between swords and guns.
"Nero...?"
Although Michael VIII had also arrived in the city of Rome in this era, he had never seen the heinous tyrants described by the priests and patriarchs.
Nero was rumored to have burned Rome, executed saints, and persecuted Christians. Together with Caligula, he was sentenced to memory obliteration by the Senate, and Nero was not even allowed to be recalled by future generations.
Michael VIII himself had done something shameful to the Patriarch, and was even excommunicated by his own Patriarch.
As a result, Michael VIII as emperor finally changed to a patriarch.
Without giving Michael VIII much time to sigh, Octavian ordered the fleet to leave the port after waiting for all the soldiers he led to board the battleship.
The setting sun slowly sank on the ridge of the Alps. The two legions deployed by Octavian and Michael VIII from the front line set out toward the southeast with the setting sun on their backs.
On the other side of the Alps, Boudica received news from Jing Ke.
"Sir Boudica, no new regiments have entered the enemy's camp under the ridge on the west side in the past few days, and the soldiers originally stationed have not left."
Jing Kehui finally found a name that didn't sound weird to him or Boudica.
"Great! It seems like their forces are finally contained."
Boudica said excitedly, holding a letter from Animusfia from the rear requesting a counterattack in her hand.
"Please, Miss Jingke, you and General Lu Bu will stay here to guard against the enemy in the east, while Spartacus and I will lead half of the troops to attack the enemy from both sides at the request of His Excellency Governor Animusfia. "
"As you command!"
***********
On top of the lighthouse, watching the sunset sinking below the horizon, Animusfia seemed to sense something. She turned to Nero who was painting on the drawing board and said:
"Your Majesty, it's almost time to put away the painting supplies."
"What's wrong? Governor."
Nero stopped painting the warships in the harbor and poked his head out from behind the drawing board.
"The enemy troops have already moved out."
"Hmm? How did you know that?"
Animusfia pretended to raise her head and looked at the half-rising full moon in the sky and said:
"Well, I looked at the stars at night and saw that the enemy army left the port in Gaul three minutes ago, and they will arrive in Rome in a few hours. If you want to paint, please wait until the war is over to complete it."
"Hey, Governor, do you know how to do astrology?"
"It's just magic."
Although Nero said it was astrology, Animusphia actually just placed the cube he picked up from the corpse in a corner when he was on Octavian's flagship.
So every move of Octavian's fleet in the past few days has been under his control.
Now the position of the cube suddenly began to move. In addition, it was almost the time Animusfia had expected. It was obvious what the conclusion was.
"Hmm, then it's time to launch a counterattack against those [United Empire] traitors!"
Nero walked down the lighthouse excitedly.
Seneca, who had been waiting on the side, watched Nero leave and then silently walked to Animusfia, who was sorting out the debris left by Nero when he was painting.
"I have made arrangements for the refugees from Florence."
"That's good, remember not to let them starve to death or die of illness - His Majesty is very concerned about them."
Animusfia said without looking up.
"but------"
Seneca suddenly drawled.
"but what?"
Animusfia looked up and asked.
"Many of them blamed you for burning Florence, and also carried out a killing spree at the gates of the city, killing many civilians indiscriminately."
"Do you believe it?"
"...You are the one who can do that kind of thing."
"You can really judge people. In that case, don't tell His Majesty."
Animusfia put all the painting tools aside and piled them in the corner of the lighthouse.
"But she'll always know."
"Then we'll talk about it then."
Animusfia turned back to Seneca and said one last word before walking down the lighthouse.
