Heir of Aurelian

Chapter 158 Entering The Age Of Sail

Winter came and went as the next year rolled around. The improvements to Roman Society in this time were no small amount. Both the Western Roman Army and the Eastern Roman Army were integrated into one force.

Those survivors of the war were forced to get along, and those who acted out with brutally punished. Incompetent leaders who had gained their positions through bribery and coercion were executed, while veteran officers of good moral character took their place.

The arms industry was booming, as thousands of soldiers were armed to the teeth with the best weapons and armor available. With access to more soldiers, Marcellus focused on raising more cavalry, and by now he held a significant number of cataphracts beneath his control.

The reliance on Foederati to defend Rome's borders had come to an end, while those foederati who were still employed existed as vassal kingdoms in northern Gaul and Illyricum. Both the Suebi and the Goths had bent the knee to Rome, and their gains were not small by any means.

In Britannia, Antonine's wall was under reconstruction, its defenses were on par with Hadrian's wall. No longer an earthen fortification, the wall was being constructed of stone and cement. So that it could last for a thousand years.

Romano-British garrisons under the command of Primus continued to man the border with the Caledonians. The northern barbarian's raids on Britannia had come to a bitter end, as any attempt to cross the border was quickly put to an end. Law and Order had finally returned to Britannia.

The Roman Navy expanded at a rapid rate. During this time, Marcellus had been hard at work designing a new ship design. One that would allow him to conquer the seas. However, he did not lose sight of his ultimate goal, and as a result, he vastly expanded not only the number of shipyards that existed within the borders of the Roman Empire, but their size as well. So that they could accommodate the new vessels he had planned.

Aside from the improvements in the military, the agricultural sector was booming, with all the methods that Marcellus had devised being fully implemented across the Empire. From Britannia to Egypt, all arable land that could be harvested was being done so, and to a much greater degree than in the past.

The crop yields brought an end to the starvation of the plebeians and helped create a more stable economy. Which gave brith to small businesses, and an experimentation into the culinary arts. Perhaps inspired by Marcellus' own cooking, the cuisine of Rome had taken a major shift, and was starting to resemble to a lesser extant the food modern Italy was known for. Though obviously without ingredients like tomatoes.

With the Barbarians being pushed back beyond the frontiers, and the Sassanids stuck in a succession crisis, Marcellus was left to his own devices, focusing primarily on civil development. What time was not spent on running the massive empire was spent with his family.

He had adopted the children of his brother-in-law, who had died years before he even married Placidia. These four kids were a handful, but they mostly behaved themselves. This was not including the two children of his own that would soon emerge into this world.

Currently, Marcellus was looking to expand trade routes to the east. However, in order to accomplish this, he would need to get through the Sassanid Empire. Something that was not easily accomplished. The only other option he had was to increase the capability of his ships so that they could sail around the tip of Africa. Something he was only aware of due to his memories of his past life.

? Basic triremes and galleys were not effective in long range transport. There was no possible way for them to make such an arduous journey. Luckily for Marcellus, he recently had dreams of a new type of ship. One that was used during the age of exploration during his past life.

The Fluyt was a sailing vessel from the 16th-18th centuries of Marcellus' past life, and was a deciding factor in the rise of the Dutch's seaborne Empire. It was purely a cargo ship, and because of this, Marcellus would not have to worry about outfitting it with weapons. After all, there was no ship in this ancient world that could match its speed.

There was a lot of information that went into designing an advanced sailing ship like this. There were many technologies that existed within it that simply were not present in this current time. It was because of this, that Marcellus had spent the last five months drawing these blueprints, based upon different memories and schematics from his dream.

However, after nearly half a year, the overall design for a basic Fluyt was finally completed, and all that was needed was another six months at the earliest for his shipwrights to not only become accustomed to the design, but produce it from scratch.

Luckily, he had planned in advance for these ships, and expanding his shipbuilding capabilities. Perhaps in a year, the first of these new cargo vessels would be laid down, and begin the long journey to Asia and back.

After placing his pen down on the table, Marcellus smelled a distinctive scent in the air. It was almost time for breakfast, and he knew this smell better than most. It was the smell of pancakes. With a wide smile on his face, the Roman Emperor rose from his seat, and marched down the steps of his palace towards the dining hall where he witnessed his family waiting patiently for his arrival.

Once Marcellus entered the room, three distinctive cries erupted in the air, as the younger of his nieces and nephews ran over to greet him.

"Uncle!"

Marcellus eagerly greeted his family, while gazing upon the scene with a wide smile on his face. It would be good if these peaceful days could last, but there was a sense of dread deep within the man's heart, knowing that sooner or later war would find its way to Rome once more. All he could do was expand his military and prepare for that day, which was not as far away as he thought.