The banker had just arrived from Carthago Nova, on his way back to Gades. He was sitting in front of Aulus Flavius Rufianus, in the fine tablinium at the rich mine owner's villa. The news he was bringing were most disturbing.

"The city was really taken by the mine slaves. It was only by luck that I could escape in the middle of the turmoil."

Aulus Flavius could hardly believe it. How could it be possible? He looked at the man in front of him: "And where are the soldiers?"

"You know that the legions are stationed in Laminium, in Legio, and in Tarraco. Until a word about the rebellion reaches their legates, the slaves have already taken the city and made the praefectus their hostage. Not to mention all the imperial procuratores and their families..."

Aulus Flavius closed his eyes. He remembered the first time he arrived in Carthago Nova, more than forty years ago, as Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa's right-hand man for administrative matters. Carthago Nova was a city in the southeastern part of the province of Tarraconensis, and it's strategic position, had won it an important place in the whole Empire. Notwithstanding its extensive romanization after the Punic Wars, its geographic location was typical of Phoenician cities. Built on a promontory, extending out to a bay, with an inner lagoon serving as a safe harbor for small ships, and the bay, accommodating the larger ships, it was an ideal military location. And this was precisely why it was settled there. Those slaves knew very well what they were doing when they chose Carthago Nova as the city to be taken. It was probably the work of a very able leader. Not a slave. Danger was too near and Aulus Flavius was really worried.

"How long do you think we have until the rebellion spreads on to our direction?" asked the rich mine owner.

The banker seemed to be weighing the odds for a moment. The enormous silver mining district, from which the Phoenicians used to extract the huge indemnity which they had to pay to Rome, annually, and which now belonged to Aulus Flavius, lay some 30 miles to the west of Carthago. One day, maybe two, would be his guess. But he didn't want to alarm his best patron. A fit of panic now could make Flavius withdraw all his currency deposits and that would mean disaster in Gades. He tried to look as convincing as he could when he replied: "Maybe they're not coming to this direction. I'd say they want to take the ships at the city port and run away as far as possible. They know that the legions will be after them soon."

It was possible, thought Flavius. But who knew what a bunch of crazy mine slaves would do? Flavius instructed the banker on what to do regarding his money. Not a moment for hasty changes. The usual remittances to his two sons in Rome, to help them advance in the cursus honorum; the usual remittance to the temple of Diana, where his youngest daughter AnniaFlavia was a priestess. Gades would not suffer yet.

After dismissing the banker, Flavius wrote a quick message to his son-in-law, Valerius Marcius Niger, governor of Tarraconensis, and a messenger with the fastest horse was immediately sent to Tarraco. He paused for a moment to think about Morgana. Having a daughter married to the provincial governor was indeed a valuable asset. He then walked over to the window, his eyes lost in the horizon. His thoughts started to wander. In his old age, however, memories were Aulus Flavius' most precious assets.

By the time Aulus Flavius Rufianus arrived in Hispania, the Colonia Urbs Iulia Nova Carthago was a pacific city, where old veterans of the Cantabrian war had been sent to settle down and to assure a proper Roman way of life in that part of the province. The local elite was formed by descendents of Phoenicians and Celtiberians, most of them very wealthy and eager to please and absorb Roman cultural traits. Their wealth came mostly from the silver mines and oil trade and many families had received full Roman citizenship, after proving their unconditional loyalty to the Emperor, and contributing to the development of the city with the construction of temples dedicated to Roman gods, a theater, a circus, a bath house. Among these families was that of Carvilius Aureus, latinized name of a descendent of native Celtiberians and Phoenicians. He had just gifted the city with a shrine dedicated to the Divus Caesar and was one of the honored guests at the banquet party hosted by Agrippa to get acquainted with the local "nobility". And this was when Aulus Flavius saw Carvilius' daughter for the first time.

AnniaCarvilia was so exquisitely beautiful, that Aulus Flavius had not been able to hide how impressed he was, despite his already wide experience in social affairs. He would never forget the way her lips slightly parted in a silent salutation, when the introductions were made. Aulus Flavius felt helpless; it was love at first sight. But as helpless as his heart, was his mind when he learned that AnniaCarvilia was not only extremely beautiful, but also the only surviving child of her father, with an immensely rich dowry. The man who would marry the beautiful heiress would also be the owner of the biggest silver mine in the area. Therefore, every single man in Carthago Nova was lining up at Carvilius's door, begging to marry his daughter.

But the goddess Fortuna had her own designs and was resolved to favor Aulus Flavius. Carvilius was rich and politically ambitious. He knew perfectly well that his daughter was the most valuable weapon he could use to climb up within that romanized society. And what he wanted most was to get closer to Marcus Agrippa, the most powerful Roman citizen after Augustus himself. Agrippa was in Carthago Nova; Aulus Flavius was his right-hand man. Carvilius needed Flavius to get closer to his objective, and everyone knew that no money could buy Flavius or Agrippa's favors. So Carvilius decided to replace metal currency by his own daughter. Agrippa was already married to Augustus' only daughter, Julia; but Aulus Flavius was single...

The story went as it usually goes, and soon, the eques Aulus Flavius Rufianus had become the fortunate husband of Annia Carvilia and the owner of a profitable mining franchise north of Carthago Nova. And when Agrippa finally returned to Rome, Flavius and his wife followed him, leaving their mines to the competent administration of Carvilius.

Aulus Flavius was taken from his trance by one of the slaves asking if dinner could be served. Certain things were too painful to remember and Flavius decided that having dinner alone would be better than remain in the tablinium, in the company of unwanted ghosts.