Constantine lifted certainly one of them, unrolled it and browse it, then rolled it again up once more. “So Senecio has been appearing as agent in negotiations between Bassianus and Licinius,” he mentioned slowly. “However why would Bassianus search to betray me? I trusted him sufficient to make him Caesar and to provide him my sister in marriage. In a month or extra I might even have made him Prefect of Italy and Africa.” “Ambition and impatience have ruined a couple of good man,” Dacius mentioned. “Keep in mind Julius Caesar.”
“Bassianus and Licinius have clearly been plotting to destroy me and take over the Empire for themselves,” Constantine mentioned. “So there may be no query of what to do with them. However how can I inform Anastasia that I need to execute her husband nearly earlier than their marriage mattress is chilly?”
“Or your different sister, Constantia, that her husband additionally sought your loss of life,” Dacius mentioned. “She has simply borne that black traitor, Licinius, a son.”
Constantine picked up the scrolls and browse via them once more. “Licinius says right here that he’s shifting to Sirmium. Little question he meant to drive eastward from the Danube and be part of forces with Bassianus, after I used to be assassinated and the legions purchased off with the gold he was sending to Senecio.”
“I reached the identical conclusion,” Adrian agreed.
“Do you assume many others in Rome are concerned on this plot?” “I can not inform, Dominus,” the service provider mentioned. “I solely discovered of this by chance as a result of Camianus was intelligent sufficient to find the scrolls, after the grasp of the galley tried to jettison them.” “Your nephew shall obtain my private commendation and a beneficiant reward,” Constantine promised and turned to Dacius.
Arrest Bassianus
Ship a tribune you possibly can belief and 100 males to Rome directly. Inform them to arrest Bassianus and produce him to me right here. In the meantime, I need you to depart directly for Treves to boost a military there and transfer via the northern passes towards Sirmium.” “Shall I cross over into the territory of Licinius?” Dacius requested. “Not till I ship you phrase, however be prepared on the border.” Constantine raised his arms and allow them to drop in a gesture of defeat. “Why should I battle once more, when a lot may very well be carried out for everybody, if I have been solely left to rule in peace?”
Travelling 