Legio XVII: Battle of the Danube (12 page)

Manius then shared with Lucia his enthusiasm for his assignment and the sense of pride he felt in the Senate’s confidence in him.  He was, though, concerned about Commanding such a large force.  He would have eight Legions reporting directly to him.  That was a Consular’s Army times four!  Lucia loved Manius’ so she did her part to bolster his confidence.  They also talked about how his promotion to Proconsul would affect his pay.  They both enjoy thinking and talking about all the things they could do with more money once they retired from the Army.

Manius was now 52.  Before this new mission and promotion, he had been wondering what he would do with his life now that the 30 month expedition to the Cisalpine and Austria was completed.  He was the kind of man that needed to have a meaningful task to complete.  He needed challenge in his life to feel fully alive.

On those occasions when his work did not supply that challenge, he would create a challenge for himself outside of work.  He was known to develop a strong temporary interest for activities such as physical fitness, gardening, learning a language, taking his children to interesting places, and indulging in personal hobbies such as wood carving.  He moved from one activity to another to fill his need for challenge and meaning.  Each activity consumed him until he tired of it and developed a new interest, which then became his new passion.  That was his pattern and it brought him happiness and fulfillment.  This new mission to Austria met all his needs.  He was a happy man!

Being called “Proconsul Tullus” would take some getting used to.  He immediately revised his uniform to reflect his rank.  Not out of pride, but he knew it would give him extra leverage to get the things he needed for the mission.  Rank meant something in Rome.

The next day he met with Levi to talk about the necessary funding to operate such a large force in the field.  Levi had already worked the numbers, found the money, and made the allocations.  Manius’ budget consisted of five million sesterces [$525 million U.S. dollars].  Levi paused for a moment and then looked at Manius and asked, “Do you intended to take my son Joseph on the expedition as an administrative assistant; I know he would jump at the opportunity.”

Manius smiled as he replied, “I couldn’t think of a better man to take.  Have him report to my headquarters tomorrow.”

Using his Senate authorization for the mission and his rank, Manius essentially told Army Headquarters that he planned to recall Calvus, his former Legio XVII Tribunus Laticlavius, from his exile in Sicily to Command Legio XVII for the duration of the mission.  Once again, Manius’ expedition was considered a sideshow compared to the real war with the Carthaginians, so no one seriously objected.  He also said he needed half of all the new recruits that were graduating from Basic Legionary Training for the next six months to fill out Legiones XVII, Legio XX, and V Etrusci.

Campus Martius was churning out new Legionaries at a remarkable rate to replace those killed in battle, injured, sick, and retiring from the Army.  Ten classes were running simultaneously and graduating 200 per class every three months or 8,000 men a year.  Manius estimated that the new recruits would add 2,000 men to his Legions in 6 months, which was about when he hoped to go on the offensive.  He would be out of Rome by then and these new men could join him in the spring.

Manius told his aides, who numbered 10, to coordinate with the Commandant of Campus Martius, a good friend of his, to ensure he got 1,000 new Legionaries when they became available in December 207 and the second 1000 men at the end of March 206.

*******

After the Battle of Innsbruck in 209, Calvus admitted to Manius that he had been passing information to the Carthaginian Ambassador.  Manius already knew this, but also saw Calvus’ potential for higher level command. Calvus was an exceptional leader. Manius had seen him in action and admired his courage, level headedness, and good judgment.  Nonetheless, Manius wrote a full report and Calvus was sent back to Rome.  Only Manius’ praise for Calvus’ wartime deeds saved him from immediate execution as a traitor.  Instead, Calvus was exiled to Sicily and given an administrative job.

When Calvus arrived three weeks after Manius requested him, Calvus was overcome with emotion and gratitude.  His wife had already divorced him because of the shame he had brought upon the family, but his wealthy family never gave up on him and still supported him.  Manius had long ago forgiven Calvus for cooperating with the Carthaginians and wanted him to lead Legio XVII with the temporary rank of Legate, which the Army reluctantly approved.  Manius would never regret recalling Calvus.  The Acting Legate for XVII became Calvus’ Tribunus Laticlavius.

Manius told Calvus to form another staff for Legio XVII because he was going to pull the entire Legio XVII staff to work in his Expedition Headquarters.  Calvus did not object.  He looked forward to building a new staff loyal to him.  Calvus knew the men of the XVII, their capabilities, and their bravery in battle.  The men of the Legion liked Calvus and respected him despite his traitorous acts.  Only Tribunes Servilius who fought Agron and his Ardiaei warriors at the Battle of Properi and lost men in the battle could not forgive Calvus.  Calvus had tipped off Hannibal’s men as to the specific route that Servilius would be traveling from Rome to the seaport and he was attacked.  He requested an immediate transfer to Manius’ staff and it was approved.

When Calvus heard that Servilius had transferred out of the XVII because of him, all the repressed remorse that he had been fighting for three years came back like a punch in the stomach.  He was overwhelmed with shame and guilt.  He was tempted to resign from the Army and go back to Sicily to hide.

The next day, quite by accident, the paths of Calvus and Servilius crossed outside the entrance of Expedition Headquarters.  Servilius saluted Calvus, who now bore the insignia of Legate.  Calvus returned the salute and said, “Tribune may I have a few minutes of your time.  I need to say a few things to you.”  The two walked about 20 feet (6m) away.  Servilius’ every move exuded hostility and anger.  Calvus had nothing planned.  This was a chance encounter, but he had to say something.  He could tell Servilius was angry and knew to be careful.  He had to choose his words wisely to avoid making the situation even worse.  Calvus instinctively knew not to try to flatter Servilius or to apologize or to say he was sorry.

“Servilius,” he said, “There is nothing I can say or do to compensate for the death of 28 of your men at Properi.”

“Thirty,” shot back Servilius, “Two of the wounded died while on the way back to Rome.”

“I did not know that,” said Calvus.  “But I know I will carry their death and my shame to my grave.  I tried to have the Suevi kill me at the Innsbruck battle.  I even tried to kill myself at Sicily, but could not do it.  I deserve death, but Proconsul Tullus has spared me for reasons I do not know.  I will try my best to lead Legio XVII and continue its record of faithful service and victories.”

“I want you to know that I gave 1,000 sesterces to each of the dead men’s family or wife to help them cope with their loss.  I will seek out the last two and do the same.  I know you cannot forgive me for what I have done; I cannot forgive myself.  There is nothing you can say that I have not already said to myself.  That is all I wanted to say.”  Servilius saluted and walked away without saying a word.  Calvus felt worse than he had ever felt, but was glad he had opened his heart to Servilius.

Chapter V:  Roman Planning

Unlike his last independent mission to the Cisalpine and Austria, Manius would not have to build and train a staff and Legion from scratch.  This time he would be spared the humiliation of begging for equipment, animals, and wagons.  Legiones XVII and XX were already hardened veterans and fully equipped for battle.  He did plan to spend time with the Auxiliary Legion known as Legio V Etrusci to ensure that they met his standards, but suspected that they too were fully trained and combat ready.  They, like Legio XX, had just returned from a six-month long deployment to southern Italy facing Hannibal.  The four other Etruscan Legions were still in southern Italy.

Manius gathered his aides and key planners for an informal discussion.  He needed them as a sounding board to help him think through the tasks that lie ahead.  He started out by saying, “Our mission appears straight forward; engage and defeat the Cimbri/Teuton Tribes who have crossed the Danube into Suevi territory.  To accomplish that mission, we must first identify the intermediate steps; and there are quite a few of them.  Our major challenges for this deployment are to develop a strategy to enter the area of operations undetected, train a Raeti Legion and four Suevi Legions to Roman standards, and then fight a force far superior in numbers to our own. To succeed in battle, we need trained, properly equipped Legions, and the element of surprise.”

“Once the deployment issues are resolved, our major focus needs to be on training the force.  We will have one Raeti Legion and four Suevi Legions assigned to the Expedition.  Many of the men in the Raeti Legion fought with us at Innsbruck and are experience warriors; the other half of the Raeti Legion will be raw recruits.  My major concern though is not with the Raeti, but rather with the four Suevi Legions.  A few months ago these men were farmers and probably never held a sword or shield in their life.  Before we engage the Teutons, these men must be hardened and trained.  Thankfully, we will have five months to train them.”

I want you all to be thinking about what I’ve said so you can help guide the Planning Group when they convene.  That’s it and now I must go meet with the three Legion Commanders.  I know Calvus, but the other two, I do not.”

*******

All three Legions, XVII, XX, and V Etrusci were encamped in temporary barracks built specifically to house Legions returning from southern Italy for rest and recuperation.  Units typically rotated in for two weeks at a time before returning to the fight.

Legate Silvius commanded Legio XX and had done so for the past three years.  He was a no nonsense wealthy patrician in his early 40s, but looked 10 years older.  His face was craggy and sunburned.  Manius found him to be deferential, more bark than bite, and eager to follow Manius to Austria and Germania.  He was a fighter at heart and Manius took an instant liking to him, but had a feeling that Silvius was worn out.

Praetor Caile was a tall thin man and commanded Legio V Etrusci.  As soon as Caile opened his mouth, it was obvious that he was intelligent, a careful planner, and one who looked out for his Legion.  Manius got the impression Caile thought himself superior to everyone else, and, in some respect, maybe he was.  Manius only wanted loyalty, obedience, and cooperation.  Other than that, a man’s personality mattered only insofar as it affected his ability to lead effectively.  He would tolerate Caile’s arrogance, to a point.

Manius made a mental note to give Caile the temporary rank of Legate for this mission to keep him on par with the other Legion commanders.

Manius’ aides found an unused encampment nearby of half wood and stone that could contain all three Legions.  It would do.  The three Legions vacated the temporary barracks and moved into their new quarters with all their gear, wagons, and animals.  These Legions were already stripped down to only the necessities and knew how to pack up and move quickly.  No one, man or animal, carried anything more than the bare essentials for combat.  It was a joke within the Legions heading south that the roads were strewn with so much discarded nice-to-have stuff it would keep a merchant in business for years.

Manius’ staff officers included all the Tribunes and specialty commanders from Legio XVII that served him so well during the 30 month expedition to the Cisalpine and Austria. They were honored to be called to form his new staff and included Tribunes Servilius, Vitulus, and Tomaeus his Engineer; newly promoted
Tribune Andreas; his spy master Elitovius, Snake and his 1,000 Illyrian archers, and Rasce, his Etruscan cavalry commander.  In time, Manius would acquire an additional 1,000 archers from Crete and allocate them for the deployment to Austria to Legiones XVII, XX and V Etrusci.  He planned to keep the Illyrian archers with him as a reserve.

The men readily took to their new jobs that just expanded from one Legion to three.  They each met with their counterparts of the three Legions to work out future command and staff relationships.  For example, Snake would have overall staff responsibility for archers, but each Legion would individually train and employ his own archers in concert with orders flowing down from Proconsul Tullus to the Legion Commander.  Snake was not a commander and had no authority to issue orders.  His job was to advise Manius on matters that pertain to archers and Manius could then issue orders, if he so desired.  This meant that, in reality, each of Manius’ staff officers wielded considerable authority and the three Legates paid attention when they spoke.

One day, Manius overhead a Tribune on his staff refer to the organization as the “Consular Staff.”  This title did not sit well with Manius.  It seemed presumptuous and over reaching.  The next day, he gathered the staff together, now numbering about 100 men.  “Gentlemen,” he started, “There are two Consuls of Rome and they are appointed by the Senate.  I am not one of them and never will be.  Nor do I aspire to be one.  I am a humble soldier who has a mission.  The Senate has generously given me the temporary title of Proconsul, but in my heart I am a simple Legionary who will one day be a simple, yet happy, fisherman.  I would like you to refer to our Headquarters as “Expedition Headquarters” and our staff as “Expedition Staff.”

*******

September 13, 207

Lugano, the Raeti representative promised by Timo, was essential to the Planning Group, but had not yet arrived.  He was expected to arrive from Trento at any moment.  The planning sessions were to be attended by Manius’ staff officers, the staffs of the three Legions, and the Suevi Davenhardt.  Lugano arrived from Trento shortly before Manius made his opening remarks.

Manius addressed the initial planning session to pass on his guidance and to encourage the staffs to work hard, cooperate with one another, and consider all available options.  After welcoming everyone, he said, “My intent for this operation is to engage and defeat the Cimbri/Teuton Tribes in separate battles using two Roman Legions (11,000 men), one Auxiliary Legion (5,500 men), identified as Legio V Etrusci, one Raeti Legion (5,000 men) known as Legio I Raetorum, four Suevi Legions (about 20,000 men), 900 cavalry, 2,000 archers, and 150 Scorpio.  I am in the process of getting 100 Slingers from the Balearic Islands, but am unsure if they will arrive in time.  Scipio is using Slingers with great effect in Spain, but they are expensive. As you may know, they are renowned for their ability to sling a stone or lead pellet between 80 and 100 mph with lethal accurately over 400 yards (365.7m).”

“Our combined force will total 41,500 infantry plus our specialty forces.  We can expect to face 90,000 Teutons including about 5,000 archers.  Since they will far outnumber us, we must devise a strategy to separate their Army and then attack and defeat them in detail.  I do not intend to fight all 90,000 Teutons at one time.  Your first task is to develop an effective command and control structure.  Determine the best way to organize our forces to complete our mission.”

“I want our Army and their equipment to arrive in Austria undetected.  The Cimbri/Teutons probably have the Innsbruck area blanketed with spies to report any unusual movement of arms, men, and military wagons into Innsbruck.  I want to keep our arrival and purpose a secret.  If our presence or intentions become known, we will lose the element of surprise and the initiative will pass to the Teutons.  Find a way for the Legions to enter Austria without using the Brenner or Reschen Passes; surely there are other ways for infantrymen to cross those mountains. Obviously, the wagons will have to use the Passes at some point. I do not want Legionaries anywhere near Innsbruck.  They must be encamped a distance away that will still allow easy access to the operational area.”

“The encampment must be large enough to support eight Legions, their equipment, animals, wagons, and have terrain suitable for maneuver and training.  Personal hygiene for 45,000 men is a major concern.  Find an area with adequate water and drainage.  The last item I need to mention is that we must cross over the Alps before the snows get too deep, which will occur in December and January.  I expect to depart Rome no later than 1 October, 207, and cross the Alps in mid November.”

“Elitovius will lead an effort to develop a network of Raeti and Suevi spies to infiltrate Teuton occupied territory to report on their activities as soon as possible.  Elitovius, you will report only to me and the other Legates.”

“One of my major concerns is that all our men in the Expedition are trained to the high standards of a Roman Legionary.  Specifically, I am referring to the Raeti Legion and the four Suevi Legions that will join us at Trento and Austria.  We will do these men and our own Legionaries a great disservice if we fail to ensure that our entire Expedition Force is properly trained and physically fit.”

“Once we arrive in our training camp in Austria, the Expedition Staff will designate separate training areas for each Legion and establish training standards for each soldier to meet.  In addition, the Expedition Staff will establish an Expedition Training Center to test individual proficiency.  All Legions will spend two weeks at the Center and rotate through 10 stations.  Upon successful completion of the Training Center, each Legion will be granted a two day training holiday.  The Maniple with the best record will be granted a three day training holiday.”  Manius was drawing on his five years experience as the Commandant of the Legionary Training Center at Campus Martius.”

“As you know, we have a Rear Detachment which will be staffed full time by those men who will not deploy with their Legion.  The Headquarters for the Detachment is near Campus Martius.  Make sure the families, wives, and girlfriends of the Legionaries know that this is the place to drop off letters and leave messages for their men.  I want the letters then shipped to the fort at Patavium along with the food and held there until we begin operations; then they can be sent forward to the men on the march.  Once we are established in Austria, we will set up a collection system for correspondence going back to Rome.  Ensure the Legionaries know this information.”

“I want to make one last point.  It is a minor one, but one that has the potential to be easily overlooked.  Good planning must also include details that are usually outside major planning concerns.”  The staff perked up; they were curious.

“In December, the Commandant at Campus Martius will give us 1,000 new recruits, which is half of his graduates in the October to December class.  Then in March, we will get another 1,000 men from the January to March class.  These men will join us in Austria probably in May.  They will be used to fill out Legiones XVII, XX, and V Etrusci.  I want you to solve the challenge of what to do with the first 1,000 men during January, February, and March, after they graduate, while we wait for the second 1,000 men to arrive in March.  If they are not properly employed, they will be diverted to the Legions in southern Italy or in Spain.  I suggest you plan to get them out of Rome immediately upon their graduation.”

“I expect that the cold Austrian weather and our challenging training regime will produce more than the usual number of sick and injured.  These replacements are important to keep the Legions up to full strength.”

Manius then looked at Tribune Andreas who had successfully commanded the Combined 5,000 man Raeti/Cenomani Legion during the Battle of Innsbruck and said, “You are responsible to ensure that this issue is examined and resolved.”

“Gentlemen, you have two weeks to pull this together.  Good luck!”

*******

Manius and his three Legates then left the meeting to conduct an inspection of the three Legions.  Their horses were brought to them and they mounted.  The Legates rode ahead to position themselves at the front of their Legion.  They were arrayed in a large rectangular shape rather than in one long line.  When Manius entered the field, he paused and stared.  Drawn up before him were three Legions, approximately 16,500 men in battle gear in their triplex acies formation.  It made his heart leap!  The horns sounded attention and the Legions stood tall and proud.  Manius thought about the men standing before him.  They were essentially farmers; young men in the prime of life.  With good leadership, they could accomplish the most difficult of tasks or die trying.  “I mustn’t fail them,” he thought.