A week ago:

Emperor C. Iulius Verus Maximinus had left the Nicer (Neckar) River quite a few weeks ago in hopes of getting to Moguntiacum (Mainz) of Germania Superior as soon as he could. The news of Petronius Magnus claiming the purple while the Thracian emperor was fighting the Germanic barbarians in the Teutonberg forest, had been reported by Maximus- the son of Iulius Verus Maximinus.

The eight-foot tall Thracian saw that the claim was correct. The bridge leading from the German province had been cut and for nearly a week the legions had been building pontoon boats in wait for the cross over and head straight up to the city- something easy with the entire forest behind them. The siege of Moguntiacum would be hopefully quick. The inner part of the city had stone walls thanks to Domitian while the civilian settlement grew beside it. Unlike Magnus, Maximinus had been trained the legions established stationed there, and they probably would quickly side with the emperor just by the sight of their own brethren.

Magnus was an upstart. He had been a praetor during Caracalla's reign and a haughty patron who always claimed that equestrians should know their place. This, of course, was why Maximinus had problems with the man. The Thracian was an equestrian when he was given the purple- something only done once before by Macrinus. Patricians put Macrinus down quickly, and the emperor suspected they would try the same this time also.

The first soldiers climbed into the boats and began the preparation of the pontoon bridge. Once things were secured, Maximinus would cross into Germania Superior in the middle of the night. As he watched, several horsemen across the Rhemus (Rhine) rode off to tell Magnus the news. Maximinus was going to grind his bones for bread. (To be continued)