Amulius Viridius (40 AD-) was a Roman nobleman and Roman Army centurion who commanded an auxiliary cohort during the mid-1st century AD.
Biography[]
Amulius Viridius was born in Rome, Italia, Roman Empire in 40 AD, the son of a member of the Roman Senate. He received a classical Roman education and was fascinated by the military; after his father's murder (either by political opponents or by bandits) and his mother's death soon after, Amulius joined the Roman Army as a tribunus militaris. In 64 AD, he was assigned an auxiliary cohort to command, with the imperial treasury paying for his soldiers' upkeep, receiving a salary of 1,000 denarii for his service, and paying a punitive tax for being unmarried.
Viridius surviving the Great Fire of Rome
On 2 June of 64 AD, he entered the city of Rome and noticed black smoke over the roofs; he heard people shout "Fire!", and he decided to help evacuate citizens from what would become known as the "Great Fire of Rome". In the process, he was attacked by the looters Canus Fulvius Sylvianus, Caius Vesnius Viridio, Marcus Atilius Augustanus, Postumius Iulius Bubo, and Clodia Adranos, and he managed to slay all of them before escaping the burning city. He went on to travel south to visit the city of Neapolis (Naples) before turning north, intending to participate in the Roman conquest of Britain. Along the way, he and his cohort visited Arretium, where he introduced himself to the village leader Placus Septimius Victor and purchased additional supplies for the journey to Britain.
Viridius at the Battle of Dorking
Viridius proceeded to cross the Alps with his cohort and travel through Gallia, where he introduced himself to Legate Kaeso Flavius before visiting Lugdunum (Lyon) and Lutetia (Paris). He then rode north and paid 90 denarii for the ferry across the English Channel, setting foot in Roman Britain for the first time. After a brief visit to Regnum (Chichester), where he met the local elder Dagohad ap Helledver, he noticed a Pictish warband invading as far south as present-day Surrey, and he saw that the Picts were attacking a smaller Roman force. Viridius came to the rescue with his army halfway between Chichester and London in the Battle of Dorking. In the ensuing battle, Viridius personally led the Romans in defeating the Picts, forming a spear wall on a hilltop and then charging the Picts as they attempted to charge up the hill. The Picts were driven from the field and forced to flee across the River Thames with heavy casualties, allowing for Viridius to visit London and enjoy its public baths for a full day. However, the approach of invading Corieltauvi armies forced Viridius to reconsider his position in Britain, as he had insufficient men to fight against any of the three 300-strong Corieltauvian armies invading southern England. He decided to cross the Channel back to Gaul, having won a victory and earned greater renown.
Viridius fighting as a gladiator in Byzantium
Viridius then resolved to travel east, stopping at Viminacium (Kostolac, Serbia) along the way, and then visiting Byzantium. While there, he decided to join the local gladiatorial competition, one of 64 competitors. He fought in several multi-team brawls, and, while he was knocked out in one of them, the judges decided to recognize his bravery by allowing for him to continue competing. He ultimately made it to the top four, where his teammate was cut down at the start of the fight, leading to him being overwhelmed by his two opponents and knocked out, thus eliminating him from the tournament. Ukerdi Gainchuri ultimately won the competition after slaying his former teammate.