659 Emperor Is Here

The emperor's forces, after three tough days at sea, made landfall at the bustling port of Thessaloniki. This city, a jewel of the empire and a nexus of commerce and culture, found itself under the shadow of impending conflict. The arrival of Emperor Antonius and his Varangians was far from a celebratory return; it was a discouraging march through a city bracing for war. Thessaloniki, where Antonius's rise to power had begun, offered no grand welcome this time—its streets were thick with tension, its citizens haunted by the fear of rebellion that loomed on the horizon.

Without delay, Antonius enacted martial law, his Varangians a stern reminder of the empire's might. News and logistics were commandeered for military purposes, a strict protocol imposed on all movement in and out of the city. Though order was momentarily restored, the unease persisted. The true resolution lay beyond the city walls, in quelling the rebellion that threatened to unravel decades of peace.