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It's Byzantium. Plotting is how to survive, but, yeah, it's getting very complicated. It should settle down eventually.
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Part 1: The War In The Shadows, Chapter 3: Be All My Sins Remember'd, Albinus's "Meetings", Part 1
Apparently, very few people were concerned about the invasion of their privacy, because the line was still really long. Was one single legion - less than one single legion, actually - really that important to the common soldier? It was important to Albinus, of course, but that was because he was viewing things through a strategic lens. Why would the common soldier care? Simple concern for their comrades? That was doubtful - nobody was that nice or kind. There was always an ulterior motive.
Of course, it was always possible that his men simply viewed this as no different from the yearly interviews. Most of these men were probably sheep, following whoever showed strength. They could never be trusted. Those that weren’t sheep were wolves, and they were equally untrustable.
Albinus decided to lead with Luwia’s interview, simply because he somewhat trusted Luwia. Albinus would never phrase it that way, but he trusted Luwia to undermine his command. He was certain that the Anatolian secretly wanted command of the Three Legions for himself. After all, why else would he point out the heavy costs of one of Albinus’s policies during a meeting?
Luwia entered the tent and looked around. Albinus thought that he saw the Anatolian’s eyes gaze around the command tent hungrily. “Yes,” he thought. “This man clearly wants power. I can give him that… for the right price.”
For a little while, both men sat in silence. “So,” Luwia began. “Can we get this ‘interview’ over with? We both know that it is no mere interview. I can tell you this right now - I will not betray you to the Persians. But that was never your real concern, now, was it?”
“And why do you think that?” Albinus responded. “I am just as loyal to the Eastern Roman Empire as you are. Neither of us want the Sassanids to triumph, and I know that you and all the other men outside of this tent have reasons for seeking out the Armeniaca that you aren’t telling anyone.”
“Are you sure about that last part?” Luwia replied. “There is another explanation for our eagerness to go on this mission. A simpler explanation, although the schemers who run this empire would never think of it. You plotters always believe that everyone else is playing your game. Of course it wouldn’t strike you that your men could simply be bored. Nobody’s seen combat in days. To many, that’s an eternity.”
“How is that an eternity to anyone?” Albinus demanded, and he was legitimately curious as to the answer. “A day is nothing in the grand scheme of things.”
“And there’s your answer,” the Anatolian man replied. “In the grand scheme of things. Who views the grand scheme of things? A simple soldier has no need to do that. A simple soldier has other things to worry about - like staying alive until tomorrow. You command warriors, my Centurion, not plotters. Remembering that could do you a world of good. Forgetting that could cost you your command - or, worse, your life. That’s just my advice, though. I doubt that you’ll acknowledge it, suspecting it to be part of some scheme as you will, but it’s the truth.”
Of course, it was always possible that his men simply viewed this as no different from the yearly interviews. Most of these men were probably sheep, following whoever showed strength. They could never be trusted. Those that weren’t sheep were wolves, and they were equally untrustable.
Albinus decided to lead with Luwia’s interview, simply because he somewhat trusted Luwia. Albinus would never phrase it that way, but he trusted Luwia to undermine his command. He was certain that the Anatolian secretly wanted command of the Three Legions for himself. After all, why else would he point out the heavy costs of one of Albinus’s policies during a meeting?
Luwia entered the tent and looked around. Albinus thought that he saw the Anatolian’s eyes gaze around the command tent hungrily. “Yes,” he thought. “This man clearly wants power. I can give him that… for the right price.”
For a little while, both men sat in silence. “So,” Luwia began. “Can we get this ‘interview’ over with? We both know that it is no mere interview. I can tell you this right now - I will not betray you to the Persians. But that was never your real concern, now, was it?”
“And why do you think that?” Albinus responded. “I am just as loyal to the Eastern Roman Empire as you are. Neither of us want the Sassanids to triumph, and I know that you and all the other men outside of this tent have reasons for seeking out the Armeniaca that you aren’t telling anyone.”
“Are you sure about that last part?” Luwia replied. “There is another explanation for our eagerness to go on this mission. A simpler explanation, although the schemers who run this empire would never think of it. You plotters always believe that everyone else is playing your game. Of course it wouldn’t strike you that your men could simply be bored. Nobody’s seen combat in days. To many, that’s an eternity.”
“How is that an eternity to anyone?” Albinus demanded, and he was legitimately curious as to the answer. “A day is nothing in the grand scheme of things.”
“And there’s your answer,” the Anatolian man replied. “In the grand scheme of things. Who views the grand scheme of things? A simple soldier has no need to do that. A simple soldier has other things to worry about - like staying alive until tomorrow. You command warriors, my Centurion, not plotters. Remembering that could do you a world of good. Forgetting that could cost you your command - or, worse, your life. That’s just my advice, though. I doubt that you’ll acknowledge it, suspecting it to be part of some scheme as you will, but it’s the truth.”
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A good meal to eat, a good night's sleep and a another sunrise is just as important as ruling the world!
Of course. Still, Albinus might be being too paranoid here.
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Part 1: The War In The Shadows, Chapter 3: Be All My Sins Remember'd, Albinus's "Meetings", Part 2
“Of course I won’t acknowledge it,” Albinus thought. “It is a part of some scheme. This man clearly knows what the game is, which means he’s a player. All men are either players or pawns. Still, that’s irrelevant at the moment. He won’t betray the cause to the Persians…”.
The fact that only the Sassanids were mentioned in Luwia’s declaration didn’t go unnoticed by Albinus. However, it was possible (but unlikely) that he simply saw the Sassanids as the Eastern Roman Empire’s only enemy. If it was an omission, though, then it was an obvious one. How did he ask that question subtly? Ah. That would work.
“You won’t betray us to the Sassanids,” he began bluntly. “But the Sassanids aren’t our only enemy. For that matter, the Sassanids aren’t even the only Persians that we’re enemies with. We have many enemies, within and without. How do I know that you won’t betray me - and, by extent, the three legions gathered to battle here?”
Luwia scoffed at this, which Albinus only took as a further sign of his guilt. “I was using the Sassanids as a shorthand moniker for our enemies,” he said. “Obviously they aren’t our only enemies, given how much this empire seems to fight itself. It isn’t me that you need to worry about - not yet, and not at all if you aren’t plotting treason. Still, the fact that you know the Sassanids aren’t the only Persians means that you should consider how they might manipulate us - and how we can manipulate them in return.”
That was shockingly blunt, but it did make clear what Luwia’s current loyalties were. Albinus was annoyed about being accused of considering - or having considered, really - treason, no matter how accurate the statement was. He would never betray the Eastern Roman Empire even to its emperor. Still, there was a bit in that statement that Albinus found interesting.
“What do you mean ‘how we can manipulate them in return’?” he asked. This information could prove crucial to the campaign. Albinus had considered how the Sassanids could poison the minds of his people, but he’d never thought about doing that to them. It wasn’t that he refused to consider it, just that he’d never thought of it before.
“The Sassanids are not - and never have been - the only Persians,” Luwia replied. “Two Persian Empires existed before they did, and they overthrew one of those. Perhaps there are still some who remember those lost glories, if only through tales. There are many formerly Parthian clans… why should we not court them as allies against their titular liege? We can offer them spoils… perhaps even Persia itself.”
That was ruthless, but there was a harsh kind of logic to it. It was even harsher than Albinus had imagined it might be. He had merely thought to get some Sassanid generals to turn against their emperors, or maybe turn some members of the Sassanid family against their kin. Causing an empire-wide civil war wasn’t on the list. It could work, but it could also backfire spectacularly. Albinus would need to think about this.
Nonetheless, there were other people he had to “interview” in order to test their loyalty. This proved that Luwia wouldn’t betray him in the middle of the battle, and keeping his enemies closer was a good policy anyway.
The fact that only the Sassanids were mentioned in Luwia’s declaration didn’t go unnoticed by Albinus. However, it was possible (but unlikely) that he simply saw the Sassanids as the Eastern Roman Empire’s only enemy. If it was an omission, though, then it was an obvious one. How did he ask that question subtly? Ah. That would work.
“You won’t betray us to the Sassanids,” he began bluntly. “But the Sassanids aren’t our only enemy. For that matter, the Sassanids aren’t even the only Persians that we’re enemies with. We have many enemies, within and without. How do I know that you won’t betray me - and, by extent, the three legions gathered to battle here?”
Luwia scoffed at this, which Albinus only took as a further sign of his guilt. “I was using the Sassanids as a shorthand moniker for our enemies,” he said. “Obviously they aren’t our only enemies, given how much this empire seems to fight itself. It isn’t me that you need to worry about - not yet, and not at all if you aren’t plotting treason. Still, the fact that you know the Sassanids aren’t the only Persians means that you should consider how they might manipulate us - and how we can manipulate them in return.”
That was shockingly blunt, but it did make clear what Luwia’s current loyalties were. Albinus was annoyed about being accused of considering - or having considered, really - treason, no matter how accurate the statement was. He would never betray the Eastern Roman Empire even to its emperor. Still, there was a bit in that statement that Albinus found interesting.
“What do you mean ‘how we can manipulate them in return’?” he asked. This information could prove crucial to the campaign. Albinus had considered how the Sassanids could poison the minds of his people, but he’d never thought about doing that to them. It wasn’t that he refused to consider it, just that he’d never thought of it before.
“The Sassanids are not - and never have been - the only Persians,” Luwia replied. “Two Persian Empires existed before they did, and they overthrew one of those. Perhaps there are still some who remember those lost glories, if only through tales. There are many formerly Parthian clans… why should we not court them as allies against their titular liege? We can offer them spoils… perhaps even Persia itself.”
That was ruthless, but there was a harsh kind of logic to it. It was even harsher than Albinus had imagined it might be. He had merely thought to get some Sassanid generals to turn against their emperors, or maybe turn some members of the Sassanid family against their kin. Causing an empire-wide civil war wasn’t on the list. It could work, but it could also backfire spectacularly. Albinus would need to think about this.
Nonetheless, there were other people he had to “interview” in order to test their loyalty. This proved that Luwia wouldn’t betray him in the middle of the battle, and keeping his enemies closer was a good policy anyway.
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Thank you for updating. Just because you are paranoid, does not mean that everybody is not plotting your demise.
You're welcome. Except... sometimes people aren't plotting your demise... and sometimes they are, and you don't notice.
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Part 1: The War In The Shadows, Chapter 3: Be All My Sins Remember'd, Albinus's "Meetings", Part 3
As Albinus pondered things, Luwia got up and left the command tent. Presumably, he didn’t want to sit in awkward silence for a long while.
Albinus wondered how receptive certain factions in the Sassanid Empire would be to an entreaty of the kind that Luwia had suggested. The main problem was simple - figuring out how to contact them in the middle of a battle. The problem was simple, but the solution would never be that. He would need to ask advice from someone about this, but there was no one present to be trusted.
Hopefully these interviews revealed someone whose loyalties he could be certain of but that had still had good advice to give him. That was unlikely, but it was possible. A man could hope, even if he believes it to be in vain.
Albinus actually did have people whom he trusted to share goals with him. The problem was that they were either in a different legion, dead, or stranded with the rest of the Legio I Armeniaca. He’d be with them if he could. His own legion was a flock of wolves… though it had its uses at the moment.
After having that thought, Albinus looked up and noticed that Luwia had left. That meant that he could begin his second interview. Yes, he would get all of these interviews done as quickly as possible and then begin the mission. The Armeniaca could already be getting destroyed!
However, he quickly realized that those were emotional thoughts, not rational ones. Rushing the interviews could easily end in disaster. He might end up trusting people that he shouldn’t… or, worse, not trusting people that he should trust. That would defeat the entire point of the interviews. And this mission couldn’t end in betrayal… and, by extent, destruction.
An unbiased observer would point out that Albinus wasn’t exactly unbiased himself. His own biases might cause exactly the thing he feared anyway, and they may already have done so. An unbiased observer might suggest to trust Luwia, given that his advice was genuinely good advice, and the reason why Albinus refused to trust him was due to his own biases. Of course, Albinus could be correct, and it was unlikely that he would listen to such a hypothetical person anyway.
Still, the fact that Albinus wasn’t getting a second opinion at all could come back to bite him. Of course, there likely wasn’t anyone Albinus would trust to fact check anyway.
Albinus looked down at his interview list. He’d already interviewed Luwia, which meant that the next person to interview was a man named Xenophon. If his name reflected his personality, then he was a loyal Greek through and through. This should be an interesting interview…
His previous interview with the Anatolian man did tell Albinus two things. First, he needed to direct the interviews. He couldn’t allow the person whose loyalties were being tested to ask questions. He would ask for advice if he needed it. Second, he was going to need to go on this mission himself. How else would he ensure the loyalty of those he sent?
The Dark Lady observed all of this, and she got more than enough information from Albinus’s mind. It was always useful to know other players in the game, after all. She should stay here, in the shadows, where no one could see her. This event could be a wellspring of information about those who could be used in her plans.
Albinus wondered how receptive certain factions in the Sassanid Empire would be to an entreaty of the kind that Luwia had suggested. The main problem was simple - figuring out how to contact them in the middle of a battle. The problem was simple, but the solution would never be that. He would need to ask advice from someone about this, but there was no one present to be trusted.
Hopefully these interviews revealed someone whose loyalties he could be certain of but that had still had good advice to give him. That was unlikely, but it was possible. A man could hope, even if he believes it to be in vain.
Albinus actually did have people whom he trusted to share goals with him. The problem was that they were either in a different legion, dead, or stranded with the rest of the Legio I Armeniaca. He’d be with them if he could. His own legion was a flock of wolves… though it had its uses at the moment.
After having that thought, Albinus looked up and noticed that Luwia had left. That meant that he could begin his second interview. Yes, he would get all of these interviews done as quickly as possible and then begin the mission. The Armeniaca could already be getting destroyed!
However, he quickly realized that those were emotional thoughts, not rational ones. Rushing the interviews could easily end in disaster. He might end up trusting people that he shouldn’t… or, worse, not trusting people that he should trust. That would defeat the entire point of the interviews. And this mission couldn’t end in betrayal… and, by extent, destruction.
An unbiased observer would point out that Albinus wasn’t exactly unbiased himself. His own biases might cause exactly the thing he feared anyway, and they may already have done so. An unbiased observer might suggest to trust Luwia, given that his advice was genuinely good advice, and the reason why Albinus refused to trust him was due to his own biases. Of course, Albinus could be correct, and it was unlikely that he would listen to such a hypothetical person anyway.
Still, the fact that Albinus wasn’t getting a second opinion at all could come back to bite him. Of course, there likely wasn’t anyone Albinus would trust to fact check anyway.
Albinus looked down at his interview list. He’d already interviewed Luwia, which meant that the next person to interview was a man named Xenophon. If his name reflected his personality, then he was a loyal Greek through and through. This should be an interesting interview…
His previous interview with the Anatolian man did tell Albinus two things. First, he needed to direct the interviews. He couldn’t allow the person whose loyalties were being tested to ask questions. He would ask for advice if he needed it. Second, he was going to need to go on this mission himself. How else would he ensure the loyalty of those he sent?
The Dark Lady observed all of this, and she got more than enough information from Albinus’s mind. It was always useful to know other players in the game, after all. She should stay here, in the shadows, where no one could see her. This event could be a wellspring of information about those who could be used in her plans.
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Thank you for updating. The Dark Lady? The first instinct is usually best. Overthinking can be deadly.
And so can underthinking. The Dark Lady is important. She'll be more important later.
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Part 1: The War In The Shadows, Chapter 3: Be All My Sins Remember'd, Albinus's "Meetings", Part 4
Albinus, of course, knew nothing of the Dark Lady’s plans (that was how She liked things). He knew not of his use as a pawn, only that he was a player of the game - a game that he fully intended to win. Oh, at the moment his only goal was to defeat his empire’s Persian enemies, but he would need something to do after that. And he already knew what it was, deep down. He wished to serve his empire’s best interests. At the moment, that meant keeping a regime friendly to reconquest on the throne.
He smiled, but it was no friendly thing. That smile spoke of the pain that awaited those who crossed him. The Dark Lady approved, and She influenced him to get a move on. The interesting part had barely even started, after all.
Albinus, unaware of Her presence, complied anyway. These interviews were a waste of time better spent saving his comrades. Loyalty was a necessary thing, but it should not have been conditional. In the Eastern Roman Empire, it was, and that irritated Albinus far more than he liked to admit, even to himself.
An army should be made up of trustworthy men. The commander should be able to count on his subordinates to not backstab him as soon as it became convenient. That forced commanders of Eastern Roman armies to watch everyone that ostensibly served them. It forced an army structure that should have been simple into an impossibly complicated thing.
And, most importantly, it led to the deaths of all unweary men. It led to the deaths of all unweary leaders. And it led to the breakdown of trust. An army that refused to be loyal was no army at all. In truth, it wasn’t much of anything.
Yeah. Albinus didn’t have the highest opinion of the Eastern Roman organizational system or of other human beings in general. Hopefully, however, Xenophon would be someone that he was able to trust. Even “trust”, in this case, meant “trust to be a fool and/or very predictable”.
Albinus got up and called his next volunteer in. He hadn’t initially known how to start this conversation, but he had decided to do “research” on all potential volunteers. That way, he wouldn’t be surprised by anything. After all, he had checked all of their previous interactions with him or authority of any kind. What could he possibly not know, having done that? Nothing would have been kept from him.
From all appearances, Xenophon looked like an ordinary soldier. Albinus knew that he hated the Sassanids a bit more than most from his… “background check”, but that was fine. It just meant that he was even less likely to betray the Three Legions to the enemy - or at least to this enemy. In this case, that was an advantage, not a liability (whether or not it would remain an advantage was the question, but Albinus generally didn’t think ahead).
“Well,” Albinus began. “It seems as if the Sassanids killed your family, and you want revenge on them for that.”
“Yes,” Xenophon agreed unflinchingly. Albinus admired his ability to act as if he didn’t care about things like this, honestly. “They did. For that, they must be… punished.”
He smiled, but it was no friendly thing. That smile spoke of the pain that awaited those who crossed him. The Dark Lady approved, and She influenced him to get a move on. The interesting part had barely even started, after all.
Albinus, unaware of Her presence, complied anyway. These interviews were a waste of time better spent saving his comrades. Loyalty was a necessary thing, but it should not have been conditional. In the Eastern Roman Empire, it was, and that irritated Albinus far more than he liked to admit, even to himself.
An army should be made up of trustworthy men. The commander should be able to count on his subordinates to not backstab him as soon as it became convenient. That forced commanders of Eastern Roman armies to watch everyone that ostensibly served them. It forced an army structure that should have been simple into an impossibly complicated thing.
And, most importantly, it led to the deaths of all unweary men. It led to the deaths of all unweary leaders. And it led to the breakdown of trust. An army that refused to be loyal was no army at all. In truth, it wasn’t much of anything.
Yeah. Albinus didn’t have the highest opinion of the Eastern Roman organizational system or of other human beings in general. Hopefully, however, Xenophon would be someone that he was able to trust. Even “trust”, in this case, meant “trust to be a fool and/or very predictable”.
Albinus got up and called his next volunteer in. He hadn’t initially known how to start this conversation, but he had decided to do “research” on all potential volunteers. That way, he wouldn’t be surprised by anything. After all, he had checked all of their previous interactions with him or authority of any kind. What could he possibly not know, having done that? Nothing would have been kept from him.
From all appearances, Xenophon looked like an ordinary soldier. Albinus knew that he hated the Sassanids a bit more than most from his… “background check”, but that was fine. It just meant that he was even less likely to betray the Three Legions to the enemy - or at least to this enemy. In this case, that was an advantage, not a liability (whether or not it would remain an advantage was the question, but Albinus generally didn’t think ahead).
“Well,” Albinus began. “It seems as if the Sassanids killed your family, and you want revenge on them for that.”
“Yes,” Xenophon agreed unflinchingly. Albinus admired his ability to act as if he didn’t care about things like this, honestly. “They did. For that, they must be… punished.”
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Thank you for updating. Layer upon layer. One loose thread can damage the entire tapestry.
True enough, although the tapestry has a way of repairing itself.
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Part 1: The War In The Shadows, Chapter 3: Be All My Sins Remember'd, Albinus's "Meetings", Part 5
Of course they had to. The Sassanids were his current enemies. Still, something about the way Xenophon said that sentence made Albinus uneasy. He sounded as if he wanted to use a word much worse than “punished”. He sounded like he wouldn’t care - indeed, he might even be happy - if all subjects of the Sassanids - no, anyone even remotely associated with a Sassanid subject at all - were exterminated to a man. He might not even care if they were killed off entirely - men, women, and children.
Albinus would definitely need to watch this man. No, he didn’t need to watch him for betrayal… he needed to watch him for going too far. War was a dirty business, but it did still have a few rules that most people - and certainly all civilized people - agreed on. Breaking those rules would have devastating consequences. Consequences that the Eastern Roman Empire as a whole might not be able to bear.
Still, outright alienating a potential ally was a bad idea too… so Albinus would have to word his response very carefully. Nothing too alienating, but nothing that implied that he was okay with what he thought Xenophon wished to do.
“Indeed,” Albinus began cautiously. “The Sassanids are our enemies. Betrayal won’t be tolerated… but neither will needless cruelty. Nobody really likes this endless conflict with whoever controls Persia, but we continue fighting it anyway. Do you know why?”
“Because the Persians are sore losers,” Xenophon replied. “They refused to accept that their age was over when the great Alexander conquered them. Once his successors weakened, they revolted. They have not learned obedience to their betters… the Greeks. Greece seized Persia once, and there can never be peace until Greece seizes Persia again. Neither side will allow it. Ever.”
That was… well, it was certainly an interesting interpretation of history. It sounded fine on the surface, but it also sounded like a very slippery slope. There was a line between “peace is rare between these two peoples” and “peace is impossible between these two peoples”. The latter was far more deterministic than the former.
Really, that was Albinus’s problem with this idea. Albinus didn’t believe in fate. He thought that all men made their own destiny. That was their gift from the Almighty… something granted even before the Resurrection. The idea that it was outright impossible for two peoples to have peace between them was anathema to his entire worldview (in Constantinople, the Dark Lady laughed. How beautifully naive.)
“I take it you believe in Fate, then?” Albinus asked. “If so, know this. I do not share your views, and I will take any advice based on how things are Fated to be nonsense.”
“Oh, that’s wise of you,” Xenophon responded, smiling. “There is a fate, but it’s not like it can be told. Destiny likes to obscure her designs from us. Otherwise, how ever would men like you believe we have a choice? No one can see the future because, if they could… why haven’t they?”
“If you truly believe in all that you have just told me,” Albinus began. “Then why do you believe that there can never be peace between Persians and Greeks?”
Albinus would definitely need to watch this man. No, he didn’t need to watch him for betrayal… he needed to watch him for going too far. War was a dirty business, but it did still have a few rules that most people - and certainly all civilized people - agreed on. Breaking those rules would have devastating consequences. Consequences that the Eastern Roman Empire as a whole might not be able to bear.
Still, outright alienating a potential ally was a bad idea too… so Albinus would have to word his response very carefully. Nothing too alienating, but nothing that implied that he was okay with what he thought Xenophon wished to do.
“Indeed,” Albinus began cautiously. “The Sassanids are our enemies. Betrayal won’t be tolerated… but neither will needless cruelty. Nobody really likes this endless conflict with whoever controls Persia, but we continue fighting it anyway. Do you know why?”
“Because the Persians are sore losers,” Xenophon replied. “They refused to accept that their age was over when the great Alexander conquered them. Once his successors weakened, they revolted. They have not learned obedience to their betters… the Greeks. Greece seized Persia once, and there can never be peace until Greece seizes Persia again. Neither side will allow it. Ever.”
That was… well, it was certainly an interesting interpretation of history. It sounded fine on the surface, but it also sounded like a very slippery slope. There was a line between “peace is rare between these two peoples” and “peace is impossible between these two peoples”. The latter was far more deterministic than the former.
Really, that was Albinus’s problem with this idea. Albinus didn’t believe in fate. He thought that all men made their own destiny. That was their gift from the Almighty… something granted even before the Resurrection. The idea that it was outright impossible for two peoples to have peace between them was anathema to his entire worldview (in Constantinople, the Dark Lady laughed. How beautifully naive.)
“I take it you believe in Fate, then?” Albinus asked. “If so, know this. I do not share your views, and I will take any advice based on how things are Fated to be nonsense.”
“Oh, that’s wise of you,” Xenophon responded, smiling. “There is a fate, but it’s not like it can be told. Destiny likes to obscure her designs from us. Otherwise, how ever would men like you believe we have a choice? No one can see the future because, if they could… why haven’t they?”
“If you truly believe in all that you have just told me,” Albinus began. “Then why do you believe that there can never be peace between Persians and Greeks?”
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What would be the fun if one perfectly knew the future because then each action would not matter as the end is always known? Thank you for updating
There wouldn't be much... unless you knew it and you didn't it like it much...
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Part 1: The War In The Shadows, Chapter 3: Be All My Sins Remember'd, Albinus's "Meetings", Part 6
“Because there has never been peace,” Xenophon snapped back, seeming surprisingly defensive. “And what was will be. What will be was. The circle must be kept.”
This he said as if he had recited it many times before, and Albinus thought that he might have. It seemed as if Xenophon’s loyalties might be more complex than they seemed at first, but his hatred towards the Persians seemed real.
But what was the circle? What did “what was will be” mean? Xenophon sounded as though he thought that the past and the future were one and the same, but he couldn’t, right? That didn’t even make logical sense. And that directly contradicted what he had said earlier - about fate being unknowable. If the past and the future were equivalent, wouldn’t simply reading history books allow one to know the future. He expressed as much to Xenophon.
“You misunderstand me,” Xenophon replied, but he was smiling. “You twist my words. Do not worry. Many do. History exists in ages. As one age passes, it fades into legend. That becomes nothing more than a myth, a truth buried in a sea of lies. And the lies pile up until there is so little truth left. In time, even that speck of truth is forgotten. But you had other questions for me, did you not? I can assure you of - well, I can’t actually assure that I am loyal to you. However, I can assure you that I won’t betray you, at least not now. Is not the enemy of my enemy my friend?”
“I should like to know more of your beliefs in time,” Albinus responded. “But you’re right. I still have questions about other things that you have claimed. Starting with, why are the Persians sore losers? You say that Alexander conquered them, but his empire died quickly. Did not the Parthians win their empire from his heirs? And did not the Sassanid Persians win their empire from the Parthians?”
“I began my answer to that with a few questions of my own,” Xenophon replied. “When the Medes lost their empire to the Persians, did they wait and bide their time and reclaim their lands after ages had passed? When Egypt lost the Levant - that land you consider holy - did they attempt to retake it? No, they didn’t. They understood that their time had come.”
“But what about the Assyrians and the Babylonians?” Albinus asked. “For that matter, what about the Sumerians, and, even - from a certain point of view, the Akkadians? Did they not also bide their time for a restoration?”
“The Akkadians never truly regained their empire, and, truthfully, neither did the mighty Sumerians,” Xenophon replied. “Yes, Assyria and Babylonia were descended from similar peoples to the ones that formed Akkad, but they were distinct from the great Akkadian Empire. Akkad died with Sargon’s line… and Ur was no true reign. It was extremely ephemeral, and the Sumerians were intermixing with the Akkadians even then. It’s arguable that Ur wasn’t Sumerian, but that is for the scholars to decide. As for the Assyrians and the Babylonians, they weren’t one people. They are referred to as one people, but that’s just convenience. The Kassites and the Amorites weren’t alike.”
That was arguable, but Albinus still somewhat got Xenophon’s point. Besides, those were perhaps bad examples because they did fall, and the Sassanids hadn’t yet. Since Albinus didn’t want to get sucked into a lengthy discussion on history at this moment (and he would if they continued talking - it was a fascinating theory, but now wasn’t the time).
“If the Persian Empire was completely destroyed, what should happen with its remains?” Albinus finally asked. “Directly annexing them to the Eastern Roman Empire would only give us a lot of extra frontiers to defend.”
This he said as if he had recited it many times before, and Albinus thought that he might have. It seemed as if Xenophon’s loyalties might be more complex than they seemed at first, but his hatred towards the Persians seemed real.
But what was the circle? What did “what was will be” mean? Xenophon sounded as though he thought that the past and the future were one and the same, but he couldn’t, right? That didn’t even make logical sense. And that directly contradicted what he had said earlier - about fate being unknowable. If the past and the future were equivalent, wouldn’t simply reading history books allow one to know the future. He expressed as much to Xenophon.
“You misunderstand me,” Xenophon replied, but he was smiling. “You twist my words. Do not worry. Many do. History exists in ages. As one age passes, it fades into legend. That becomes nothing more than a myth, a truth buried in a sea of lies. And the lies pile up until there is so little truth left. In time, even that speck of truth is forgotten. But you had other questions for me, did you not? I can assure you of - well, I can’t actually assure that I am loyal to you. However, I can assure you that I won’t betray you, at least not now. Is not the enemy of my enemy my friend?”
“I should like to know more of your beliefs in time,” Albinus responded. “But you’re right. I still have questions about other things that you have claimed. Starting with, why are the Persians sore losers? You say that Alexander conquered them, but his empire died quickly. Did not the Parthians win their empire from his heirs? And did not the Sassanid Persians win their empire from the Parthians?”
“I began my answer to that with a few questions of my own,” Xenophon replied. “When the Medes lost their empire to the Persians, did they wait and bide their time and reclaim their lands after ages had passed? When Egypt lost the Levant - that land you consider holy - did they attempt to retake it? No, they didn’t. They understood that their time had come.”
“But what about the Assyrians and the Babylonians?” Albinus asked. “For that matter, what about the Sumerians, and, even - from a certain point of view, the Akkadians? Did they not also bide their time for a restoration?”
“The Akkadians never truly regained their empire, and, truthfully, neither did the mighty Sumerians,” Xenophon replied. “Yes, Assyria and Babylonia were descended from similar peoples to the ones that formed Akkad, but they were distinct from the great Akkadian Empire. Akkad died with Sargon’s line… and Ur was no true reign. It was extremely ephemeral, and the Sumerians were intermixing with the Akkadians even then. It’s arguable that Ur wasn’t Sumerian, but that is for the scholars to decide. As for the Assyrians and the Babylonians, they weren’t one people. They are referred to as one people, but that’s just convenience. The Kassites and the Amorites weren’t alike.”
That was arguable, but Albinus still somewhat got Xenophon’s point. Besides, those were perhaps bad examples because they did fall, and the Sassanids hadn’t yet. Since Albinus didn’t want to get sucked into a lengthy discussion on history at this moment (and he would if they continued talking - it was a fascinating theory, but now wasn’t the time).
“If the Persian Empire was completely destroyed, what should happen with its remains?” Albinus finally asked. “Directly annexing them to the Eastern Roman Empire would only give us a lot of extra frontiers to defend.”
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