As Emperor Antonius indulged in a rare reprieve beside the scenery of the Golden Horn, the distant shores of Anatolia became the stage for yet another grim tableau of war.
The serene Aegean waters, deceptive in their calm, served as the approach for an impending naval invasion at the outskirts of Suzbeyli. A fleet, anchored steadfastly off the coast, dispatched a myriad of smaller boats, each laden with soldiers poised for battle on the receptive shores. The first wave of marines, numbering two hundred, had already made landfall, busying themselves with the construction of a makeshift harbour to welcome further reinforcements. Their gear was minimal, limited to simple blades and spears—pragmatic choices given the operational need for speed and the constraints of their maritime conveyance.