Roman Fathers, Roman Sons

The Dream that was Rome, in verse inspired by Dante

With his brother - Rome was begun,
On the Tiber’s banks they settled,
Over the seven hills they struggled

Father of a city – the she wolf’s son,
The Roman nation is built,
By hands grasping a sword’s hilt.


He serves like his father – like his son,
The Republic’s proud citizen soldier,
The last line of the legion, best armed and older.

Iron clad and armed – under the Italian sun,
“Carthage must fall” is the cry on the senate floor,
Rome’s strength is the arms of citizens at war.


He marches like his forebears – legionaries every one.
One of Caesar’s ever victorious legion,
For the glory of Rome in every region.

Barbarians fall before the God of the unconquered Sun.
With brawn and blade the empire springs,
By road, rock and mattock, civilization wins.


He guards the wall under the weak northern sun,
The stone built line marking the world’s border
So far from Rome yet preserving order.

Forced to serve – the duty of each soldier’s son,
Pay seldom comes and the day’s Caesar is unknown
Time passes and he becomes a man of this land and not of Rome.


Riding under the dragon standard- the Pendragon’s son.
Defending the remains is one of Rome’s last kings,
Straddling the past and when a nation begins.

His legend burns bright – many battles won
But Rome and her Britannia belong to the past,
And all that is left is the dream that will last.