Chapter 5
461AD
Majorian would stay in Africa through till spring of the next year. With Aurelianus he brought in a structure for the new African army. Also during this time, Roman Senator Quintus Aurelius Symmachus, son of Quintus Fabius Memmius Symmachus, grandson of Quintus Aurelius Symmachus, arrived. Symmachus was the Prefect of Africa, and would govern the province, dealing with all the civil matters. Symmachus and Majorian set up the province wide tax, this tax wasnt well received, but was enforced by the army. By the time spring came the province was ran smoothly with taxes coming without problems. Symmachus and Majorian ensured the corrupt were not in power, and the full number of taxes were always recieved.
As the province and army organization took place, Majorian went west past were he landed on Africa by Icosium. To Caesarea, from here he sent a rider west, who would return approximately 2 weeks later followed by an army. This was King Masina, an older man who had taken control of all territory, west of Icosium. The berber Kingdom had been a constant thorne in the Vandal side, but only after the Vandal defeat at Icosium, had they secured their Kingdom properly.
With Masina was his son Masuna, the two men lead an army roughly 3000 strong as protection. It was at Caesarea that talks would happen. It was decided the relationship the two kingdoms would have, and that wss a peaceful one. Trade was negotiated as well as territory. It was negotiated that Berber merchants could trade anywhere in the empire, and that berber men could seek to become roman soldiers if they so wished, they would be allied kingdoms. Territorial, Caesarea would become the border, and everything west was Berber territory, the only area in the west that would remain roman were the Cities, Tingus and Septum. With talks done the two rulers celebrated the peace before both left the city.
462 AD
When Majorian, his court and his Army stepped onto the ships, he left a well run province run by two men who were extremely loyal to him, with an army of around 6000 to protect the province.
The army of Africa, was formed into 2 legions. As Majorian began seeing the use of Legions like his legio Augusta, which was around 5000 strong. These 2 new legions were only 3000 strong as to still keep power spread out. The Legio II Africana was composed of half the Vandals left in Africa and 2000 men of varying ethnicity, though all were roman. Legio III Auduitrix was named so because it was formed of a mixture of men, 1000 were vandal, some were roman, and others were auctually of the Foederatii who wished to stay in Africa, to complement these 2 legions 2000 cavalry were assigned from to the army. The cavalry was a mixture of locals, and Foederatii cavalry.
From Carthage the imperial fleet landed in Sicily were Majorian spent a month traveling through the province organizing it as he had Africa. Here he left a man by the name of, Marcus Nichomachius Flavianus as prefect.
On May 6th, the Imperial court and army landed on Italia's southern western peninsula. From here they would march north crisscrossing the the western part of Italia for the next month. Majorian was holding meeting with the city councils, meeting influential men, and presenting himself, and his now very pregnant wife to the people.
As they reached Capua, Eudocia reached thr final weeks of the pregnancy and it was decided they would stay in the city till after the birth. It was in Capua on July 14th 462 AD, that his son would be born. The son of the Emperor was presented to the people of Capua as Flavius Julius Valerius Theodosius. At the end of July the imperial Family continued onto Rome, where Majorian settled the imperial court, making Rome capital of the Empire once again.
It was in Rome he had his Triumph. The city of around 400,000 people, and many of these tried crowding the streets. The triumph was the first in over half a century. Majorian lead his army which was interspaced with the vast amounts of loot and the Vandal treasury inbetween. It was one of the greatest days in Romes recent history.
Majorians first actions were telling for the people of the Empire, though many did not like his orders, they were for the benifit of the people and the empire as a whole. To then here was a man of greatness who was going to give his life to save the empire.
As with his earlier laws, which gave coastal cities the rights to bear arms, and to increase the roman population several laws on roman marriage and the minimum age for woman to join the church. Majorians next law was for the benifit of the empire, and it was something much hated. His new law concerned the army, while he was slowly trying to make the legion system a main component of the army. He needed men to make these legions.
The new law stated that each army would send to the local group of provinces, Hispania, Gaul, Africa, Italia, and Dalmatia, a number of the recruits needed for that year. The Praetorian Prefects/Govenor would then divide that number between the cities and their surroundings. These men would be screened as to wether they were worthy or not. It was implied that Volunteers were preferred but if needed the men would be concripted. Within weeks of the law being made the Magister Militae began exercising this law. Majorian sent messages out to ask for no further than a few hundred per province, unless they were to cause major civil unrest.
He also passed a law on the payments of soldiers. Getting messages from his generals of the reluctance of any to join the army, he disbanded the payment through food. The army would have rations provided by local provinces, but each common soldier was to be paid a sum of 250 Siliqua (large silver roman coin)through the year as his salary, and officers larger amounts. He also added a retirement package onto the army as their had been before. Each soldier could choose between land upon retirement from the army if they so chose after 15 years, or they could choose a lump sum of 3000 Siliqua, their was an additional choice of a smaller chunk of land and 1500 Siliqua. With these changes to the army Majorian hoped to see more volunteers join the conscripts.
Majorian was also ready to bring back the grain dole for the city of Rome, but they would have to wait for the next Harvest. In the meantime he organized the agriculture of the rest of the Empire. To the anger of the big landowners including many Senators, he set a cap on land. Much of which was used for making luxuary items like wine instead of food. Any land owned by a person over the cap would be either heavily taxed and forced into grain, or taken and given to another person to farm grain. This was done to increase the amount of food grown on the peninsula and lessen the reliance on the province of Africa. That fall as the people of Rome began to riot over food the first grain from Africa arrived alieviating the crisis.
It was that fall that Ricimer general of Italia began his plan in earnest. Since Majorian had returned Ricimers power had deminished tenfold. His recruiting was heavier than other general and many of these men were mercenaries or barbarians, by the fall he had nearly 20,000 men in his ranks. He only had to wait for the perfect time. Many senators were up in arms over Majorians laws against their land, as well as his increased taxes and the penalty for withholding taxes. Though Ricimer detested these same men who were roughly a third of the Senate, he knew they were crucial if he was to regain the power he once held.
