Anatolie
Au réveil, la première chose ressentie par Anatolius était la douleur. Loin de l'agonie qu'on attendait d'un éclair, c'était plus d'une légère douleur dans ses muscles. En toute probabilité, c'était simplement de la fatigue de la bataille. Cela ne pouvait signifier qu'une chose : par la grâce du Seigneur, sa vie avait été préservée. Lorsque le bruit de la conversation voisine a atteint ses oreilles, l'Hellène a conclu que ses camarades l'avaient récupéré du champ, et célébraient déjà leur victoire sur l'usurpateur Eugenius. Ainsi, Anatolius ouvrit les yeux, et fut rapidement accueilli à une vue entièrement en contradiction avec ses attentes.
Le légionnaire s'est retrouvé allongé sur un sol dans une pièce de construction résolument étrangère, entourée d'individus en jaquette tout aussi étrangère. Après s'être levé jusqu'à ses pieds, Anatolius a pris un moment pour inspecter ces étrangers de plus près. Le grand homme barbu provenait probablement de l'une des innombrables tribus du nord qui habitaient la Magna Germania. La femme était de souche méditerranéenne, mais sa robe primitive ne ressemblait pas autant à celle des peuples qu'il connaissait. L'un semblait être un cataphracte d'une certaine description, à en juger par son costume d'armure entièrement fermé. Deux des hommes portaient des traits quelque peu hunniques, mais portaient des vêtements radicalement différents. Quant aux deux autres, les Hellènes étaient beaucoup trop déconcertés par leurs vêtements débordants pour même commencer à comprendre leur héritage.
Parmi les individus étranges dans un pays étrange, Anatolius n'était tout d'abord pas sûr de la marche à suivre. C'est à ce moment-là que le discours incompréhensible de tout à l'heure lui devint soudain clair. Un homme du nom d'Artemis avait utilisé une marque de sorcellerie pour les amener ici. Non seulement cela, mais ils devaient se battre dans une arène, de peur qu'ils ne deviennent esclaves des seigneurs résidents de cette terre. L'Hellène connaissait bien ces pratiques, car malgré les meilleurs efforts de l'Eglise, la lutte pour les endiguer dans l'Empire n'avait pas encore abouti. Après quelques ruminations, Anatolius a finalement parlé.
« J'ai mené mon collègue légionarii dans beaucoup de batailles contre ceux qui allaient défier les Roms. Parmi les quatre qui restent parmi nous, je serai plus que disposé à les mener contre ce "champion", s'ils m'ont."
Name: Anatolius the Hellene
Time Period: 394 A.D.
Age: 35
Height: 185cm
Weight: 93kg
Favourite Weapon: Spatha (and depending on how one views it, the Scutum as well)
Bio: Anatolius is a man of Greek birth, hailing from a family of carpenters. Having been baptised by a Nicene priest, Anatolius' early years were heavily influenced by faith and hard labour, forging him into a man of strength, piety, and staunch morals. In the nineteenth year of his life (379 A.D.), Anatolius would leave his humble beginnings to enlist in one of the empire's many field armies, the comitatenses. Under Theodosius, the recently ascended emperor in the east, Anatolius would first see combat against the Goths in Macedonia. However, Rome did not win the day, and the survivors were sent limping back to Thessalonica.
With assistance from Gratian, Emperor in the west, the Goths were temporarily repulsed. It was during these times that Theodosius declared that Rome would embrace Nicene Christianity as the state religion, and worked to promulgate it throughout the empire's holdings. As for the conflict with the Goths, it would ultimately be settled through a treaty permitting them to settle below the Danube, on the condition that they agree to fight for the Empire (382 A.D.).
In the following year, Gratian was assassinated, leaving the pre-adolescent Valentinian II as Emperor in the west; furthermore, the general Magnus Maximus usurped the throne, and proclaimed himself emperor. Unable to challenge the usurper at present, Theodosius would remain patient, and allow Magnus to 'legitimize' his claim over Gaul and Britain. Anatolius was called into service once more in 387, so as to retaliate against Magnus Maximus' invasion of Italy. Magnus' army was shattered in the Battle of the Save, and his supporters were slain in subsequent battles. Ultimately, Magnus was executed, seeing the (effectively powerless) Valentinian II restored as Emperor in the west. For all intents and purposes, Flavius Theodosius Augustus was the sole emperor.
In recognition of his valiance in the war to depose the usurper, Anatolius was assigned to serve in the Herculiani Iuniores. Thus, he would continue to serve proudly under the Magister Militum Praesentalis, one of the two senior generals directly below the Emperor himself.
Anatolius' final campaign would occur some years later (394), resulting from yet another succession crisis. Following a failed initial assault against the armies of the usurper Eugenius, Theodosius' forces were assisted by the heavens themselves, as great cyclonic winds served to break the enemy lines. But, just as victory was assured, disaster befell Anatolius. A bolt of lightning, emanating seemingly from nowhere, struck his sword. Rather than slay him where he stood, the bolt instead whisked Anatolius away from the field, and deposited the legionary in a wholly separate plane of existence.
Personality: For the most part, Anatolius is a humble and reserved man, more inclined to attribute his successes to divine providence or combined effort rather than his own talent. He refrains from indulging in what he considers 'material excesses,' and seeks to live an ordered and regimented life. In the heat of battle, however, the courage for which his fellows knew him becomes apparent. With rousing rhetoric (and a penchant for shouting), he is adept at rallying his comrades against what may appear to be insurmountable odds. While lacking a formal education in tactical matters, the battlefield has served as a teacher in its own right, granting Anatolius an almost instinctual ability to acknowledge and react to changing situations in combat.
Reference for armour/weapons, but with the mail replaced by
the scale hauberk shown here; note the throwing darts.
Emblem for the scutum
Note: In regards to his name, to my understanding, Christian Romans preferred a single name system, while the praenomens and cognomens of old became more akin to titles for powerful officials (e.g. Flavius Theodosius Augustus). As the character is a man of low status, I decided a single name made the most sense.