Winter passed, and spring arrived.
The Adriatic Sea was calm, and the port of Brundisium was bustling with people.
Large quantities of local products were transported from Greece, Syria, Asia Minor, and even Parthia, making it a very active port in Italy.
Suddenly, sails appeared on the sea, at first going unnoticed.
But soon more and more sails appeared, covering the entire sea as far as the eye could see, causing exclamations of alarm among the people.
The people, like a torrent in panic, began to run toward the gates of the city.
The merchants who were selling their goods outside the gate began to gather their products in haste.
Brundisium was a strategic port and a Roman colony within the Roman administrative system that was governed by a magistrate.
The magistrate of the city of Brundisium had only two Roman cohorts, a total of 900 soldiers protecting the city.
During the last years, the civil war had been a constant problem in Rome; as a consequence, Cretan and Cilician pirates frequently attacked the villages or ships of the city.
The magistrate was named Titus Vibius. He was an elite with a noble wife who had managed to obtain the position of magistrate of Brundisium by paying a large amount of money.
"Open the armory, I want all the citizens of the city to take up arms," shouted Titus to a trusted soldier.
Titus led all the available soldiers to protect the walls of the city.
If the city of Brundisium were to be conquered by pirates, the consequences for all the people who lived there would be tragic.
The pirates were known for being savage and brutal, especially with women. Only some nobles or elites who could pay a large ransom would have the luck to survive and avoid further humiliations and torture.
Common citizens without great wealth would have only a tragic fate, and the best outcome would be death.
The ships approached little by little, and Titus could only watch in horror the endless sails.
The Roman citizens inside the city of Brundisium had been equipped. The city of Brundisium had managed to equip almost 2,000 guards and 2,000 volunteer militias with wooden spears, clubs, and sticks.
All the people of the city knew the consequences of falling into the hands of pirates.
Many women inside the city were prepared to commit suicide together with their small children.
An atmosphere of imminent calamity spread throughout the entire city of Brundisium.
The magistrate Titus, standing on the city wall, watched as hundreds of figures disembarked from the ships and formed ranks.
Time passed slowly, and two men on horseback approached within one hundred meters of the city walls.
"We are messengers of the great general Sulla. We order you to surrender the city," shouted one of the riders to the soldiers on the walls.
Titus relaxed when he heard the riders.
He was not a coward, but facing thousands of pirates and facing Sulla were two different situations.
Although Sulla was powerful, if he managed to conquer the city, in the worst of situations he would only kill the nobles of Cinna's faction. In contrast, pirates were savages who tortured and killed ordinary people without mercy just for amusement.
Titus was an elite and did not have the qualifications to join Cinna's faction. He was only a minor figure who had spent money to occupy a position. He quickly decided to surrender to Sulla.
The gates slowly opened, and thousands of Sulla's Roman soldiers entered the city, being received with shouts of enthusiasm from the citizens of Brundisium.
The population of the city of Brundisium was also relieved and happy not to face thousands of brutal pirates. Sulla's reputation among the average Roman citizen was very good.
Sulla was a great hero who had created military myths in Greece and raised the honor of the Roman people.
The Romans respected and idolized the generals of Rome who had great military achievements.
The arrival of Sulla and his legions caused a commotion of celebration inside the city.
The magistrate Titus and his guards swore loyalty to Sulla.
After a few days, the news of Sulla's landing swept through Rome and even the Mediterranean like a storm.
In the center of the plaza of the city of Brundisium, the great general Sulla delivered a speech, explaining his position regarding the new citizens, and sent, openly and secretly, numerous emissaries to persuade local nobles and powerful figures, hoping to obtain their support.
Agitation and unrest reigned everywhere in Rome.
In the region of Picenum, on the Adriatic coast, Pompey was filled with joy when he learned the news. He called his slave Demetrius to organize his legions.
In Hispania, inside a cave, Crassus laughed with excitement.
"Quick, contact our men and prepare for the uprising!" exclaimed Crassus excitedly inside the cave.
Septimus was the first to learn of Sulla's landing; he was only waiting for Sulla's famous speech in order to present his proposal.
Sulla's army was composed of five legions, ten thousand Greek mercenaries, and ten thousand Numidian horsemen.
In ancient Rome, stirrups had not yet been invented, and the Numidian cavalry could only serve as scouts to harass the enemy. The Numidian light cavalry, after the defeat of Hannibal, became highly sought-after foreign mercenaries by the Romans, fighting alongside them in their conquests.
Sulla needed the support of all the nobles and elites who were dissatisfied with the current government of Rome.
Now he faced Roman legions, not a barbarian army. Against barbarian armies, he could win with fewer troops.
Against Roman legions, that was uncertain. Later, in the final battle outside Rome, Sulla's main force was almost completely overwhelmed. It was Crassus's army that prevailed and won that battle.
The Roman legions were heavy infantry, and without the invention of the stirrup, cavalry could only be used as light cavalry incapable of changing the situation on a battlefield.
The Empire of Parthia was able to use heavy cavalry without stirrups because their riders used saddles that provided stability, had great equestrian training from childhood, and rode strong horses, which allowed them to charge with long lances against Roman armies, as in the Battle of Carrhae against Marcus Licinius Crassus.
While Sulla and his generals organized their soldiers and sent emissaries throughout Rome, a soldier approached to report.
"General, a delegation from a noble who proclaims himself 'Septimus the Impaler of Heads' requests an audience," reported the soldier after presenting a military salute.
Sulla and his generals were slightly surprised by the arrival of such a sudden delegation.
After thinking for a few minutes, Sulla gave the order to let the messenger enter. He needed the help of the upper class in order to defeat Rome.
Sulla and the generals present were also curious about the arrival of a delegation. They had only been a few days since landing in the city of Brundisium, and Septimus's delegation was the first to arrive.
Septimus's delegation was composed of one hundred clone horsemen with black armor bearing the emblem of decapitated heads and carrying banners with the same emblem. The clones had been waiting near the city and only after hearing the speech did they move toward the city.
Sulla's legionaries maintained caution against Septimus's delegation. The distinctive black armor and banners surprised the legionaries and the citizens of the city.
Only one of the messengers was allowed to enter. Septimus's clone wore a finely crafted black general's armor.
"Salve Septimus," greeted the clone as he removed his helmet.
Sulla and the generals present only nodded without paying attention to the strange greeting. Normally it would be "Salve Roma," but they decided not to give importance to the man's words.
"Who are you? Which noble house do you represent? And what do you want?" asked Sulla with a scrutinizing expression while staring at the clone.
"I am the legion commander Appius, and I represent 'Septimus the Impaler of Heads.' My purpose is to negotiate cooperation with the great general Sulla," said the clone named Appius with a serious expression.
Sulla and the generals were surprised by the answer. The arrival of new allies cheered them slightly.
"How many legions can your lord provide? And what requirements does he have?" asked Sulla with a smile to the new ally.
"My lord has five legions near the city of Capua, and the only request he asks for is the control of the region of Campania," replied the clone Appius with a serious expression.
Sulla frowned. The region of Campania was a source of grain that supplied a large part of Rome and was located near the great city of Rome. If it became the personal territory of a noble, the consequences would be uncertain.
"My lord Septimus's five legions can confront the ten legions of the consul Scipio and take control of the region of Campania," said the clone Appius when he saw Sulla's frown.
Sulla relaxed when he heard the answer and, after thinking about it, accepted the proposal, giving a polite farewell to the clone named Appius.
"General, why did you accept his request?" one of Sulla's generals asked in confusion.
Sulla laughed at the question.
"Hahaha, I do not know who that noble named Septimus is, but he is a fool if he thinks he can defeat ten legions under the command of Scipio," replied Sulla with a smile.
Facing Scipio commanding ten legions with only five legions was suicide according to Roman common sense.
Sulla did not trust in Septimus's victory. He only accepted the request because he considered that five legions could wear down Scipio's troops.
Sulla's purpose was to restore the authority of the Senate and reorganize the Roman political system under his rule, in order to impose reforms intended to strengthen the power of the senatorial aristocracy.