Rome Must Perish

"My name is Tierks. I was originally a mountain dweller from Iberia, living freely. But later, some Romans stirred up a rebellion in Iberia, causing war, and the conflict continued. The Roman officials started taxing the various tribes in the mountains. If we didn’t pay, we’d be considered accomplices of the rebel army. The taxes were so high that if our tribe paid them all, we wouldn’t be able to survive. So, our clan leader kept trying to delay the payments. Eventually, the Roman army suddenly attacked our mountain village one day, killing most of our tribespeople. I was captured, became a slave, and was sold to a farm here, where I worked and tilled the land every day..."

Tierks spoke with a heavy tone as he recounted his past, while lifting his tunic to reveal the crisscross of scars on his chest and back: "At first, I was very unwilling, always thinking of escape. But this is the Roman’s territory; where could you escape to? Every time I was caught, I was beaten up and denied food... To avoid beatings and to fill my stomach, I finally surrendered, working like cattle and sheep under the whip’s lash. At first, it felt like torment, but later I became numb and felt like I was living dead. Maybe one day I’d just collapse in the field and be tossed into the bushes like garbage by those guards..."

Everyone listened silently, Tierks’ experiences resonating with them, with some even having reddened eyes.

"Later—" Tierks’ voice suddenly soared, "Spartacus, the leader, led his troops to Vesuvius, and the farm where I worked was the first one they captured. Having gained my freedom, I decided to join the troop and became one of them. After joining, I realized the decision I made back then was the right one! Because in our troop, everyone was poor and suffered like me; there was no oppression among us, everyone treated each other like brothers...

The first time the Romans attacked us, I was in the troop led by Leader Spartacus. It was our first battle against the Romans, and with no experience, we suffered a defeat. But later, following the advice of Leader Maximus, Spartacus led us down a cliff over a hundred meters high under the cover of darkness, launching a surprise attack on the Romans’ camp. The Romans suffered a terrible defeat! I got injured during the battle, but thanks to the careful care of the medical team in the supply camp, I recovered and decided to stay in the supply camp—"

Speaking of this, Tierks’ face was full of gratitude, with a faint hint of shyness. He coughed a few times before continuing, "Last night, Centurion Torrelugo told us that the headquarters assigned over 400 slaves to our supply camp. Leader Maximus plans to form several more centurion units but needs to assign some people from the original troop as team officers. I thought it was a good thing, so I volunteered and became the centurion of your small team. That’s all about my experience. Who would like to speak next?"

"Me! Me!" Tini Bazus clamored first.

With Tini Bazus taking the lead, the new recruits of the first squad began recounting their stories one after another. Although they came from all over the world, and some, like Samoras, were not fluent in Latin, no one present laughed. Everyone sighed for the sufferings recounted. When everyone finished sharing, they felt a closer bond with each other.

Then Tierks spoke again in a deep voice, "Leader Maximus once said that the reason we became slaves and have been oppressed is essentially due to the greed and expansion of the Romans. Although we’ve gained our freedom, it is only temporary. As long as the Romans are not defeated, we could become slaves again and fall into darkness at any time. And to defeat the mighty Romans and live freely forever, we should at least achieve the following three points—"