Hadad Parthenius

Hadad was born in Alexandria of Arachosia, a still predominantly Greek city in the far east of Parthia.

True to his restless, adventurous nature, he declined taking up his intended position in the sprawling family business. Though tough and far less glamorous than it had appeared at first, the nomadic lifestyle of a caravan hand — later as armed escort and right hand man of the caravan master — suited Hadad’s nature perfectly.

After his caravan was raided, Hadad was sold as pleasure slave to a Roman grain trader from Alexandria of Egypt. Realising there wasn’t much pleasure to be gained from his acquisition, the infuriated man eventually replaced Hadad with a more docile slave. Again, Hadad found himself on an auction block, but no longer in the upper price segment.

Hadad was purchased by patrician military tribune Alexios Flavius Aquila, who had just completed his military career in Raphana and was looking for a personal slave. Eased by Aquila’s unpretentious, affably detached way of handling him, Hadad began to unwind and, reluctantly, to see beyond his prejudices, coming to appreciate the man himself.

As time progressed, their relationship grew closer, they developed an easy, affectionate bond despite their respective social ranks. They became friends — on eye level, as if Hadad were a free man. It wasn’t until then that Aquila and Hadad became lovers. Aquila manumitted Hadad and offered his lover to call him by his first name, an act of great intimacy, a token of Alexios’ love which Hadad cherishes even more than his regained freedom.

To Alex, Hadad will always be ‘simply’ Hadad though his official name is now Alexios Flavius Parthenius.