Legio XVII: Battle of the Danube (7 page)

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March 214 BC

September proved to be a fairly dry month as did October and November.  Unfortunately, the previous summer months of travel were very wet, particularly August.  As the season changed, the temperatures dropped.  By January, temperatures rarely got above the 40s.  The same held true for February.  The people, however, did not suffer.  They had had adequate time and help to construct proper homes and barns.  Fodder for the animals had been gathered and stored and there was sufficient food for the people.  Trading with the locals met many of their needs.  The ones who suffered the most were the guards patrolling the walls and gates, but that is the life of a soldier.

The people used the winter months to repair their wagons, fatten their animals, and make new clothing for themselves.  The runaway boys and girls that the columns rescued in Langobardi territory had settled in and were well adjusted to their surroundings and new families.  Occasionally, sickness would appear and spread for a while, but quarantining the sick households prevented any significant outbreaks.

Despite the cold, Timur once again called upon his scouts to push on to the Danube and search the river from Ulm to Passau where he heard Suevi garrisons were stationed.  In May, the scouts returned.  They had, indeed, found three Suevi garrison at Ulm, Regensburg, and Passau.  They estimated the size of each garrison to be no more than 2,000 men.  They told Timur that the garrisons spent most of their time patrolling along the river searching for signs of a crossing.

Timur and his military leaders began planning how to breach the river and subdue the garrisons, but they were more concerned about reserve Suevi forces that would stream north out of Innsbruck following an attack upon the three garrisons.  Further scouting confirmed that the Suevi could only field a total of about 20,000 men at best and would not be able to offer that much resistance.  The Suevi were, however, allied with a tribe of Insubres on the north side of the Alps that could join them.  Their combined army would probably number about 50,000.  An army of that size could inflict serious damage.  All these factors drove the planning that became more detailed each day.

When Timur called a Council meeting to discuss the next step and to prepare the people to continue the migration, he was met initially with silence, then vocal resistance, finally an outright refusal to move.  The Clan Leaders relayed to him that the people were content to remain where they were.  They felt secure behind the river and wall.  Food and fodder were abundant and they were tired of traveling.  Timur was shocked.  For a while, he didn’t know how to respond.  His leadership had never before been challenged and this was outright mutiny.  He dismissed the Council to think things over.

When he told Jennike, she agreed with the people and that clinched it.  He assembled the Council and announced that the migration would resume next year, in the spring of 213 BC.  Riders were dispatched to inform the Marcomanni.  They interposed no objection, and, frankly, could have cared less.  They had problems of their own to deal with and the Cimbri/Teutons were not one of them.

The people were happy where they were.  Huts and barns were expanded and improved, babies were born, and crops were planted.  It felt like home.  Timur found it hard to deal with the inactivity and became more involved with the training of the Army and cavalry.  It occupied his time and gave him a purpose.  Clan Leaders took care of the mundane tasks of governing such a large host.

When the Council was called again in 213, nothing had changed as far as the people were concerned.  They still refused to move.  At the people’s insistence, Timur delayed the migration to 212 and then again to 211.  He was beginning to think that this area was going to be their new homeland.  Reports from traders and merchants, however, portended a different outcome.  Timur was hearing that the Marcomanni were beginning to resent their presence.

In November 211, he visited their Chief, as he often did, to maintain good relations and learned that they had recently defeated the Boii Army to the east, but had suffered significant casualties in the process.  The Chief confided in Timur that his advisors were concerned with having such a large population of Cimbri and Teutons in their area.  The Chief said I trust you Timur, but one day you will not be the Chief.  We are rebuilding our Army and I am not sure how long I can protect you from an all out war.  I think it best for your people to continue your journey as quickly as possible.

Timur expected that this would happen one day and promised the Chief that they were not going to stay and would move shortly.  The Chief pressed him on when they would move and the route they would take.  Timur wanted to keep the details secret so he merely said we will move next year in 210, cross the Danube, and be completely out of your territory.  The Chief then suggested a route to get around the Danube.  He told Timur that he should consider going west, then south to Karlsruhe, about 150 miles (241.4km) away.  By doing that, he said, you could then go east from Karlsruhe and avoid the Danube.  You would still have to cross the Iller River, but it is much smaller.  Timur thanked the Chief and decided to check it out as a possible alternative route to continuing straight to Regensburg.

When he returned to the settlement, Timur assembled the leaders and told then what the Marcomanni Chief had said.  Timur told them, “This time, we must continue our journey; no more delays.  The Marcomanni Army is already equal to ours and is growing larger.  If we stay here, we face certain death through starvation or the sword.  Tell the people we will move next April.”

The Clan Leaders anticipated the difficult task of convincing the people to move and mentally prepared their reasoning.  As it turned out, they met little resistance.  After five years in one location, most people were ready, actually eager, to get going again.

In March of 210 BC, Timur personally led a force of 10,000 warriors west to Karlsruhe making a respectable 15 miles (24km) a day.  But before he could turn east, he was met by 50,000 warriors drawn up in battle array on a large open field.  Unbeknown to Timur, he had been observed for some time.  Timur and Donar rode out to talk to their Commanders.  When they were about 400 yards (365.7m) from the array of troops, a contingent of 20 horsemen emerged and rode towards them.  He could see the cavalry’s lances and pulled up.  He said to Donar, “They are attacking us!”  But before he could turn his horse around, the group stopped and only two individuals continued towards them.

Timur nudged his horse forward until only 20 feet (6m) separated the two groups.  He noticed one was an armed woman and the other a wild looking man who seemed angry and arrogant.  He said to them, “I am Timur, Chief of the Cimbri/Teuton Tribes.  We mean you no harm; why are you arrayed for battle?”

The man spoke harshly, “I am the Commander of the Insubres.  Turn around and go back from where you came.”  His language, while different from Timur’s was intelligible.  Timur easily understood Bethica when she spoke, “I am Bethica leader of the Suevi Tribe.  Why are you here; where are you going?”

Timur knew he could not tell her the real reason.  “We live in the Marcomanni territory along the Main River,” he said.  “I am here with my small Army to explore the territory to find and establish new trading partners.  We have an abundance of fish, wild game, and more crops than we can use.  We are no threat to you and have peaceful intentions.  If you do not want to trade with us, we will leave.”

Bethica looked at him and said, “I find that hard to believe.  Maybe you are planning to relocate your people to our area.”  She was trying to provoke a response from Timur.

Timur did not take the bait.  He said, “My people are happy where they are.  We will not come this way again unless you invite us.  We came in peace and will leave in peace.”

As Timur turned his horse, Bethica called out, “I think we will meet again Timur, Chief of the Cimbri/Teuton Tribes, but under less favorable circumstances.”  Timur could not help but smile at her.  He knew she had seen threw his lies.

As Donar and Timur rode back to their men, Donar said, “This route to get on the other side of the Danube is now blocked; we will drop it from any future planning.”

As Timur and the 10,000 returned to the settlement, he did appreciate that this 20 day walk in full battle gear was good training for the troops, so it was not a waste of time.  Timur told the Marcomanni Chief what had happened at Karlsruhe.  He was angry at the Suevi and Insubres, but took no further action.

Timur’s planners suggested the Tribes move from their present location southeast to Nuremburg, about 50 miles (80.4km) distance, and then continue to Regensburg, another 60 miles (96.5km) away.  The planners noted that since this part of Germany was more heavily populated, the roads were better and sturdy bridges spanned the creeks and streams.  The total distance required to travel was only about 100 miles (160.9km) with no major rivers to slow them down.  The planners estimated that the columns could make 10 miles (16km) per day and close in on their new winter location by late May, if they departed by 1 April.  That time schedule would give the people the entire months of February and March to prepare to move.

Timur liked the idea.  He decided to travel the route to Regensburg and select an appropriate area for the people to spend the winter.  To help him, he invited all the Clan Leaders to accompany him and participate in selecting the exact location to winter over.  It would then be their job to convince the people that they would be moving to a good location.

Timur and the Clan Leaders reconnoitered the route to Nuremberg and Regensburg.  As expected, the roads were better and the bridges would support heavy wagons.  Timur wanted to keep the presence of the two tribes hidden from the Suevi for as long as possible, so he focused the search for a winter camp ground about 20 miles (32km) due north of Regensburg and found what he wanted.  The Clan Leaders concurred.

The site chosen was at Two Lakes: the Steinberger See and the Knappensee.

Figure 3: Two Lakes (Goggle Maps
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The former was about a mile and a half (2.4km) across and the latter about three quarters of a mile (1.2km).  An abundance of roads would make it easy for the columns to maintain their column integrity around the lakes and provide access to the water for drinking and fishing.  There were forests nearby to facilitate the construction of huts and barns.  If the people arrived in May as planned, they would have five good months to prepare for the coming winter.  Timur talked to the Marcomanni Chief about the movement and temporary settlement at Two Lakes.  He did not object and said he would direct his people to trade with the Cimbri/Teutons and cause them no harm.

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1 July 210 BC

On 1 April, the wagons started to roll south.  Morale was good, even giddy.  When the last wagon pulled away from the wall protecting the camp, the Army began to burn the huts, barns, and even the protective wall itself.  The wagons were well out of sight by the time the smoke and flames reached tree top level.  The people knew what was happening, but did not want to see it.

The four columns separated to travel their designated routes and the Army provided a protective shield around them.  The April and May rains arrived on schedule and turned the roads into a muddy waste land.  This was expected and only caused minimal delays.  The Army assisted the people as they had during the first part of the trip.  The wagons had been improved significantly during the past five years.  The rear wheels were enlarged and the front wheels smaller to allow for tighter turning; the beds of the wagon sloped to the center to stabilize the loads; and the water proofing of the wagons and leather covers left nothing to be desired.

After 20 days, the first wagons arrived at the Steinberger See.  The Clan Leaders had designated specific camping grounds for each of the columns and the wagons settled in without much confusion.  The Two Lakes were beautiful and provided a pleasant change of view from the Main River.

The Clan Chiefs designated where the huts and barns were to be built and laid out roads.  The Army studied the surrounding terrain to identify main and secondary avenues of approach an attacking force might use, sites to build watch tower, and where to establish ambush and defensive positions.  While the people built their huts, the Army built ditches, barriers, and towers.  Since the locals were friendly and hostile tribes were far away, Timur saw no need to build a wall around the lakes.  The Tribes occupied an area 10 miles in circumference around the Lakes.