“I want you to go to Drepanum and bring Crispus to Gaul,” he told Dacius when they finished inspecting the household troops the next morning.
“When did you decide that?”
“Yesterday.”
“The Empress Fausta will not like having him here.” Constantine shrugged. “Fausta resents anything that poses what she considers a threat to her own children.”
“You can hardly blame her for that, but Crispus is your firstborn.”
“And it’s time he began his military education.”
Dacius protested
“Surely not here at Treves,” Dacius protested. “That would be throwing him into the Augusta’s face.”
“I have no desire to affront Fausta,” Constantine admitted. “But Crispus needs to learn about Gaul and its people, if he is going to be Caesar when I move on to Rome.”
“Rome?” Dacius’ eyebrows lifted. “Is that our next goal?” “Hasn’t it always been?”
“From what I hear about Maxentius, many there would welcome you. The Senate and the nobles wanted him, but now that he has imposed the tax he calls a Tree gift’ on them, they’re wailing louder than a merchant of Greece or Syria who thinks he’s been cheated. When do you want me to go to Bithynia?”
“As soon as you can get ready. Licinius has always been our friend, so it should be safe for you to travel by the northern route through Illyricum. I will give you a letter to Galerius.”
“Is that wise? After all he might choose to hold Crispus as he tried to hold you.”
“I think not,” Constantine said. “Just yesterday, Eumenius showed me some reports from our spies in his capital. Galerius is ill, perhaps with a mortal disease. It will do no harm to assure both him and Licinius that I have no territorial ambitions against them.” Dacius raised his eyebrows. “But is that true?”
“I’m still young. There’s plenty of time to consider the East, after I secure the West.”
Constantine’s swift campaign against the Germanic invaders and the even swifter move by water to Arles in the face of Maximian’s attempt to seize Gaul, had not given him time to inspect the work of his deputies. The vicars of the several divisions of Gaul had been supervised by Eumenius as Chief Chamberlain and Crocus as military commander, but Eumenius was anxious to return to the Scholae Maenianae at Autun in central Gaul, where he had taught before becoming Constantius’ magister memoriae and Constantine planned to turn Crispus’ further education over to him there.
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