Augustus Road

The bearded man didn't answer anything, but Nicole jumped off the horse, cheered and hugged her father. During this time, she learned a skill that girls of this age can do, acting like a baby.

Lepidus also hugged Nicole tightly and spun around twice. Then he looked at Helenputina and Elcapa, and said to his daughter, "I'll give you the owl, okay." The owl over there seemed to be Realizing that her master was "tired and unloved" towards her, she hurriedly put her nose to her master's shoulder, sniffing and rubbing her intimately, but Lepidus ignored her and asked Nicole this question again.

The daughter shook her head and said that the horse was a little old.

"The old one is better, gentle and not aggressive. Then you will have nothing to worry about on the way." Lepidus said with a smile, stroking her daughter's brown hair, and Nicole also laughed. It seems that her father will take her there. The city of Rome had considered all aspects carefully, so it nodded and agreed, willing to become a partner with the owl.

So Lepidus hugged Nicole's waist, put her on the owl's back, and then slapped the horse's hindquarters. This was a normal signal. The owl immediately carried the nagging Nicole and headed towards the mountain. As he ran away wildly, Nicole yelled at his mount, but the other party was not moved at all. At this time, Lepidus and Helenputina looked at each other on the hillside, "I am determined to fulfill the agreement I made with you and not take Nicole with me." I went to Rome not because I dislike the burden, but because I have the same worries as you.”

"You also have to take care." Helenputina said, and then she made up her mind and said to Lepidus, "Soon we will settle in the plains of Armenia, and I will not reject you thousands of miles away like before. "Over there, an angry Nicole was riding an owl, spinning in circles. As she whipped the owl hard with a whip, tears welled up in her eyes. She couldn't accept the fact that she was suddenly abandoned by her father, and she didn't understand the reason why her father did this.

After a lengthy march. The army of Lepidus left the rough and wild land of Asia Minor behind. Finally, they assembled hired ships and arrived in Byzantium. An autonomous city loyal to the Roman Republic, after a happy market day, once again followed Pella and the Aegean, and went straight to Delphi, the "navel of the world" on the Gulf of Corinth.

There were so many soldiers and horses. So he could only stay in the wilderness outside the Delphi temple complex. Needless to say, Lepidus just donated a large amount of incense and myrrh to this oracle city. This was in the summer camp city of Chinondo. It was purchased with a lot of money from Persian and Indian merchants and was the favorite thing of the Greek priests. As a result, the administrator not only allowed Lepidus to hold the funeral of Crassus here. All soldiers were also allowed to come and watch the ceremony.

Because the largest and most famous temple of Apollo in the city is located on the cliff of Mount Parnassus, eight hundred Roman feet away from the plains. When all the people and horses gathered at the foot of the mountain, at dawn, "Friend of the Gods" Lepidus Us. He just came out of the mountain spring fully clothed, put on coarse clothes, and personally followed the priest's request, leading the sacrifice, a bull, and dragging Edlomax behind him, slowly walking up the ramp towards the morning star. When we got to the altar of the temple, this altar, which imitated the Egyptian Sphinx, was burning with flames all year round. It was located so that all the soldiers could see it very clearly. Many officers and soldiers with a little knowledge shed tears of excitement. For those who believe in Greek polytheism, Delphi is undoubtedly a holy place in their hearts.

First, several priests and centurions began to cry together with Lepidus, holding Crassus' head and praying at the altar. Of course, Lepidus understood that this head was actually the real Paxianus's, and he had already After much effort and twists and turns, I found out in the knight circles of Rome that this man had been kept secretly because his appearance was similar to Crassus, and he was a patron who had received many benefits from him. He died in the service at the critical moment.

Then, under the guidance of the young priest who was playing the flute and holding an olive branch, Lepidus followed suit and passed the main hall and corridor of the temple with his head raised, and placed it in the tomb that had been dug in advance. Next to the cemetery, a group of the best The famous sculptors are carefully carving the statue of the consul Crassus as a long-lasting memorial.

Then Lepidus washed his hands, put on a white robe, and stood in the pool under the makeshift sacrificial platform. The centurion drove up the sacrificial ox, and then with a mournful cry, the ox collapsed. The torrent of blood all flowed along the wooden frame of the sacrificial altar and poured heavily on Li Bida. When the soldiers at the foot of the mountain saw this scene, they all excitedly raised their flags and team logos in greeting, and then their legs were Edlomax was tied up with a rope that was bent over by a tree. After giving an order, the priest cut the rope with a sharp ax, and the tree flew up, tearing him alive in half in mid-air, and followed him on both sides. The tree branches were swaying, and the soldiers were more interested in watching this bloodthirsty and exciting scene. They cheered loudly, waved and applauded towards the top of the mountain.

After the sacrifice, Lepidus, who was covered in blood, went up the higher mountain ladder. In a basement dug between the cliffs, he stooped and walked in. There was a fat woman sitting inside. , Lepidus had previously known from the priests of the temple that this woman was chosen by lot from the villages around Delphi in a very mysterious way. She was illiterate, looked extremely ugly and fat, and was hung on a rope and a couch. On the rock, there was a crack behind her buttocks, and a foul-smelling steam came out from it, probably the smell of sulfur. Lepidus did not dare to pinch his nose, because the most important and notorious oracle came from this woman's What came out of her mouth was that she was crazy and loudly carved various inexplicable lines on the board with a knife. Then she threw the board to the male priests. They then invited Lepidus out and came to the temple to use rhymes. Let’s interpret this witch’s ghostly paintings.

Finally, in the morning sun, Lepidus put on clean robes, walked out of the temple, stood on the rock of Parnassus, facing the entire army standing in the morning wind, he was solemn, wearing the light of the sun on his head Dizzy, like a god, the people standing in the sacred forest hurriedly flew out a hungry pigeon. The pigeon circled twice over the temple and landed clearly on Lepidah's side. On his shoulder, the other party smiled and took off the paper roll in his mouth, then shook the hidden robe in his robe, revealing the delicious peas and broad beans, and the pigeons circled behind him affectionately, from the soldier's waist. Judging from the angle, it was like the messenger of Mercury and Apollo. Then Lepidus unfolded the scroll and read Apollo's oracle to everyone at the foot of the mountain:

"The luck quota of this era has ended, and new wars will arise together with new heroes."

The soldiers looked at each other, what the hell does this mean? But many people were shocked by the scene where the pigeon came carrying the oracle, and they quickly shouted the titles of "Friends of God" and "Heroes of the New Era".