Post by The Lord Our God (GM) on Feb 17, 2013 23:23:19 GMT
Not long after the crowds converged on the Great Palace. Orientalis on orders from the Dictator was sent out to talk to the blues' leaders. He will read a letter out loud from Bacchus:
"Gentlemen,
Long have I been a supporter of the blues, and before me Justinian had his turn. There is little chance that the blues will have such support for a third time, given the growing popularity of the reds and the already well-established greens.
God has a plan for all of us, and though my religious leanings have been deemed questionable, I would remind you gentlemen that it was not through divine providence, but rather through a council of men that Arianism was declared a heresy. I have long been blessed by God, and if you have question of that I would simply ask you to examine my history. Victories against the Sassanids, against the Gepids, against Belisarius. Elevation to Dictator. These do not happen without the support of our Lord, God.
These disasters that are spoken of by my opponents are not signs of God working against me. They are signs of his displeasure at Belisarius' actions, for which he has been punished. Why else would he confine these disasters to imperial backwaters? He does not wish to hurt my reign, nor the young Justin II for whom I serve.
Gentlemen, please take my advice and go home. God will support me in this event and the rioters will be unsuccessfully dispelled sooner or later. Take this chance to speak to your fellows and go home with my gift and favor, for I will not offer such an opportunity again.
Dictator de Interrex Bacchus Solomanus Romanus vir Illustris"
Orientalis then began to distribute gold among the leaders urging them to head home. The leaders took the gold and some did indeed leave, especially agmonst the Blues. However this only angered the Greens, Reds, and Whites who continued their chanting of "Nika" and began demanding for Justin to be brought out to the crowd along with the Dictator's head.
Magister Militum Ultrusquae Petrus Marcellinus Liberius dressed in full Raglia arrived outside the Great Palace to address the crowd. Demanding that they leave the Emperor and palace alone, but showing no signs of hostility. The crowd kept in control by their leaders refrained from attacking the Magister Militum Ultrusquae and instead continued chanting "Nika! Nika!" At the palace.
An hour later Bacchus' 20,000 Bucelarii and 1,000 Domestici began their assault on the crowd. Showing little mercy as they began tearing into the ranks of the unarmed crowd. Panic soon engulfed the crowd and many began to flee amongst the cries of the dying. Petrus Marcellinus Liberius and his guards drew their swords and attempted to stop the Bucelarii and Domestici. But heavily outnumbered were cut down and left dead and dying outside the palace with many citzens.
Notable absence in the initial stages of the fighting were the Excubitors, who under Germanus remained at the Great Palace refusing to partake in the massacre. As well the army stationed outside Constantinople quickly became confused with a series of orders arriving from all three leaders of the city. The Roman soldiers of the Comesitanes, Scholae Palatini and Auxilia Palatini refused to attack their own city and when the Hunnic and Herulic cavarly attempted to form up to enter the city on Bacchus' orders fighting erupted in the camp instead. Effectively leaving these men out of the battle for Constantinople's streets.
The Praetorian Prefect of Constantinople John Dukas who had initially attempted keep the crowd and Bucelarii calm left once the massacre began only to return an hour later with his own Bucelarii (said to be those of the late Belisarios) and more importantly weapons which were quickly distributed to the crowd. The fighting deteriorated into street to street fighting as the Bacchus' Bucelarii and the Domestici grounded away at the men now deemed rebels.
All seemed lost for the rebels when towards the end of the day the soldiers of Magister Militum Praetensialis Flavius Liberius began their attack on Bacchus' Bucelarii. Driven by a desire to avenge his father and save the crowd; Flavius Liberius drove the 15,000 Comesitanes, 500 Palatini and 1,500 Scholae Palatini, supported by Dukas' Bucelarii and thousands of armed citizens pushed forward against Bacchus' Bucelarii. The Comesitanes veterans of several recent campaigns had a distinct advantage against the Bucelarii in the narrow streets of Constantinople.
By nightfall, Bacchus' Bucelarii men realising their fate if captured in the city after what they had done to the citizens earlier that day retreated to the palace complex to make their last stand. Outside; Flavius Liberius who was soon joined by Narses and John Dukas surrounded the palace complex with their soldiers. John Dukas was sporting a heavy wound to his shoulder perhaps a knife in the heat of the battle, and a large gash across his forehead, needless to say the ex gangster looked even more ugly.
"Gentlemen,
Long have I been a supporter of the blues, and before me Justinian had his turn. There is little chance that the blues will have such support for a third time, given the growing popularity of the reds and the already well-established greens.
God has a plan for all of us, and though my religious leanings have been deemed questionable, I would remind you gentlemen that it was not through divine providence, but rather through a council of men that Arianism was declared a heresy. I have long been blessed by God, and if you have question of that I would simply ask you to examine my history. Victories against the Sassanids, against the Gepids, against Belisarius. Elevation to Dictator. These do not happen without the support of our Lord, God.
These disasters that are spoken of by my opponents are not signs of God working against me. They are signs of his displeasure at Belisarius' actions, for which he has been punished. Why else would he confine these disasters to imperial backwaters? He does not wish to hurt my reign, nor the young Justin II for whom I serve.
Gentlemen, please take my advice and go home. God will support me in this event and the rioters will be unsuccessfully dispelled sooner or later. Take this chance to speak to your fellows and go home with my gift and favor, for I will not offer such an opportunity again.
Dictator de Interrex Bacchus Solomanus Romanus vir Illustris"
Orientalis then began to distribute gold among the leaders urging them to head home. The leaders took the gold and some did indeed leave, especially agmonst the Blues. However this only angered the Greens, Reds, and Whites who continued their chanting of "Nika" and began demanding for Justin to be brought out to the crowd along with the Dictator's head.
Magister Militum Ultrusquae Petrus Marcellinus Liberius dressed in full Raglia arrived outside the Great Palace to address the crowd. Demanding that they leave the Emperor and palace alone, but showing no signs of hostility. The crowd kept in control by their leaders refrained from attacking the Magister Militum Ultrusquae and instead continued chanting "Nika! Nika!" At the palace.
An hour later Bacchus' 20,000 Bucelarii and 1,000 Domestici began their assault on the crowd. Showing little mercy as they began tearing into the ranks of the unarmed crowd. Panic soon engulfed the crowd and many began to flee amongst the cries of the dying. Petrus Marcellinus Liberius and his guards drew their swords and attempted to stop the Bucelarii and Domestici. But heavily outnumbered were cut down and left dead and dying outside the palace with many citzens.
Notable absence in the initial stages of the fighting were the Excubitors, who under Germanus remained at the Great Palace refusing to partake in the massacre. As well the army stationed outside Constantinople quickly became confused with a series of orders arriving from all three leaders of the city. The Roman soldiers of the Comesitanes, Scholae Palatini and Auxilia Palatini refused to attack their own city and when the Hunnic and Herulic cavarly attempted to form up to enter the city on Bacchus' orders fighting erupted in the camp instead. Effectively leaving these men out of the battle for Constantinople's streets.
The Praetorian Prefect of Constantinople John Dukas who had initially attempted keep the crowd and Bucelarii calm left once the massacre began only to return an hour later with his own Bucelarii (said to be those of the late Belisarios) and more importantly weapons which were quickly distributed to the crowd. The fighting deteriorated into street to street fighting as the Bacchus' Bucelarii and the Domestici grounded away at the men now deemed rebels.
All seemed lost for the rebels when towards the end of the day the soldiers of Magister Militum Praetensialis Flavius Liberius began their attack on Bacchus' Bucelarii. Driven by a desire to avenge his father and save the crowd; Flavius Liberius drove the 15,000 Comesitanes, 500 Palatini and 1,500 Scholae Palatini, supported by Dukas' Bucelarii and thousands of armed citizens pushed forward against Bacchus' Bucelarii. The Comesitanes veterans of several recent campaigns had a distinct advantage against the Bucelarii in the narrow streets of Constantinople.
By nightfall, Bacchus' Bucelarii men realising their fate if captured in the city after what they had done to the citizens earlier that day retreated to the palace complex to make their last stand. Outside; Flavius Liberius who was soon joined by Narses and John Dukas surrounded the palace complex with their soldiers. John Dukas was sporting a heavy wound to his shoulder perhaps a knife in the heat of the battle, and a large gash across his forehead, needless to say the ex gangster looked even more ugly.