Legio XVII: Roman Legion at War

by Thomas A. Timmes

  Manius’ Legion and another were immediately assigned to Consul Lucius Aemilius Papus for the coming fight. At last, he and his brother Gaius would be serving in the same Consular Army. He wished they were in the same Legion, but this assignment would put them closer than they had ever been before.

  Papus would command two Legions [equivalent to a US Army Division] through the Legions’ two Legates. The Legions assembled on the outskirts of Rome and began to prepare for the arduous task that lay ahead. Replacements streamed into the camp; mules, oxen and donkeys were quartered everywhere to transport the Legions’ gear. The goal, rarely achieved, was to have one pack animal for every eight soldiers or roughly 570 animals per Legion. Huge quantities of grain, fuel, and fodder were gathered and stored. Commanders established the chain of command among the Consul’s staff and those of the Legion’s and practiced maneuvering the two Legions in concert. Additional engineers, blacksmiths, and medical personnel were also assigned to the Legions.

  The other Consul, Gaius Atilius Regulus, the Plebian Consul, was fighting with his two Consular Legions in Sardinia, which the Romans received in 238 BC as part of the settlement with Carthage following the 1st Punic War. His task was to further Roman domination of the island by subduing the mutinous mountain tribes led by Carthaginian mercenaries. The task proved easier said than done. Now, the immediate threat to Rome took precedence. Regulus was ordered to assemble his Legions and row at top speed [7-8 mph] the 180 miles from Sardinia to the Italian coast near Liburnum [Livorno/Leghorn]. Upon landing, he was to fortify his position and be prepared to march his two Legions the 15 miles north to Pisae [Pisa] to link up with Consul Lucius Aemilius Papus and his two Legions

  Figure 4 Leghorn, Pisa, Florence (Google Maps)

  It took Regulus three days to relocate his Legions from the interior of Sardinia to the two ports where ships were already at anchor. The remaining ships would arrive in three days. It took another two days to prepare all the animals and equipment for the movement by sea and four days to actually load the ships. Once the Legions were loaded, it took the Navy just 24 hours to row from Sardinia to Leghorn.

  Immediately upon landing, Regulus off loaded his cavalry and ordered them to find the Gauls. He feared a surprise attack while his command was half on and half off the ships. After an eight hour ride throughout the countryside, the scouts reported back that they found a hostile population, but no hostile army. Greatly relieved, Regulus ordered the off loading to continue. It took another five days to off load the men, animals, and equipment due to rough sea conditions, which forced them to frequently stop, wait, and then restart the effort.

  Once safely on land, Regulus rested his sea sick men and reorganize his army. Two days later, they advanced on Pisa in good fighting order. In just 18 days, Regulus moved two full Legions and all their equipment and animals over 200 miles of sea and land. It was quite an accomplishment.

  The Gauls had not been inactive. Their cavalry spotted and reported Regulus’ landing to the Gallic chieftains, Concolitanus [con-co-li-TANus] and Aneroestes [Ana-REStes].

  Meanwhile, seventy thousand Roman auxiliaries comprised of tribesmen from the Sabini [Sabine], Samnis [ Samnite], Etrusci [Etruscan], Umbros [Umbrians], and men from the Campania Felix [South of Rome] answered the general alarm to meet the common threat. They knew their land, houses, family, and farms were at stake. Roughly a quarter of this huge force, 17,500 men from the Sabine and Etruscan tribes were organized into three Auxiliary Legions and placed under the command of an appointed Praetor, named Marcellus, who reported to Consul Papus. These Auxiliary Legions were provided with a cadre of Roman Centurions from the regular Legions to officer the Maniples. Manius’ brother Gaius was one of the dozen Centurions chosen for this duty.

  The plan was that the Auxiliaries would go north as a separate army, but operate in conjunction with the two Consuls’ four Roman Legions. The remaining 52,000 auxiliaries were held back in strategic reserve to form a final defensive perimeter around Rome.

  With Senate and Comitia Centuriata approval, another three Legions of former Legionaries were mustered in for the emergency and began an abbreviated process to prepare them for battle. Mobilization units, to help muster them in, were activated and quickly accomplished the necessary training and equipment issues. These 15,000 former Legionaries would march to join Consul Papus’ force in about three weeks time.

  Papus was told to not engage the Gauls until all seven Roman Legions arrived on the battlefield. He was ordered to fight before joining the other Legions only if the Gauls marched on Rome. Finally, two reserve Roman Legions stationed in Sicilia [Sicily] and Tarentum [Tarento] were recalled to Rome for additional homeland protection. Soldiers would now determine Rome’s future.

  Papus’ two Roman and three Auxiliary Legions totaled 37,000 infantrymen with an attached 1600 cavalry. They were now ready to move north and link up with Regulus’ army, who at this point was just beginning to unload his two Legions at Leghorn. Regulus was ordered to dig in at Pisa and wait for Papus who would march the 220 miles up the Via Aurelia and arrive in about two weeks. In another month, Papus’ force would swell by another 15,000 experienced former Legionaries. Every bit of edible grain for the troops and fodder for the animals was gathered from around Rome and secured for the campaign. It was a huge undertaking.

  As Counsel Papus was about to march north, a scout arrived with news that the Gauls had moved from Mediolanum [medio-LAN-um] [Milan] in the west to the east coast and were pillaging and burning the coastal towns along the Mare Superum [Adriatic Sea]. Papus quickly decided to take his two Roman Legions to Ariminum [ARI-minum] [Rimini] up the eastern Via Flaminia, which was still under construction, and send the Auxiliary force up the western Via Aurelia to link up with Consul Regulus’ Legions at Pisa. Papus was concerned that the Gauls might suddenly decide to move back to the west coast and then south to Rome. If that happened, he wanted the Auxiliaries to be in a position to block and hold them until he and Regulus could converge.

  Riders were dispatched to advise Regulus of the change in plans. He was told to stay at Pisa and await the arrival of the Auxiliaries before taking the field against the Gauls. The Gauls were considered too strong to attempt a battle without multiple Roman Legions. Despite their enthusiasm, the Auxiliaries were no match for the Gauls.

  The next morning, Manius departed Rome, but instead of heading north on the Via Aurelia to Pisa as he expected, the Legions moved north east onto the Via Flaminia while only the Auxiliaries went north. It would be another five years before this magnificent 15’ wide stone road was completed, but the Via Flaminia served the troops well even in its present state. The foundation for the final road was in place; it was straight, level, dry and much easier than going cross country. Manius guessed their destination was the coastal town of Ariminum to serve as a blocking force to prevent the Gauls from traveling down the east coast.

  He estimated the distance from Rome to Ariminum at about 230 miles. They were walking now at a pace of 20 miles a day, but he doubted the Legions could maintain that speed for more than two days. Mentally, he slowed the pace to 15 miles a day and calculated they would arrive at Ariminum in 14 days. He was only off by one day. It took 13.

  The rate of march was grueling even when slowed. Unlike other Centurions, he chose to carry his own gear like his men and eschewed the perk of stowing his equipment aboard one of the many mule drawn wagons that accompanied the Legions.

  Figure 5 Apennines Mountains

  The Gallic cavalry that spotted Regulus’ landing at Leghorn also observed the two Roman Legions now marching up the Via Flaminia, and the three Auxiliary Legions going north on the Via Aurelia. Riders galloped back to report the news, which prompted an immediate change of plans for the Gallic Army. Wishing to avoid an encounter with Papus’ heavy Roman Legions that were now marching to confront them, the Gauls abandoned the east coast and marched rapidly through the central passes of the Apennines Mountains and emerged into Tuscany on the west coa
st. They were now on a collision course with the Auxiliaries.

  Always greedy for loot, the Gauls plundered and burned the villages as they went. They got as far as Clusium [Chiusi] only 100 miles north of Rome when they were suddenly brought face to face with the three Auxiliary Legions in battle formation. The Gauls were completely surprised. The Gallic chieftains were outraged that their cavalry had failed to detect the rapidly moving Auxiliaries.

  Not wanting to fight the Auxiliaries where they could get trapped between four Roman Legions coming to their aid from the east and the west, the Gauls traveled north away from Rome. They march 80 miles in five days hoping to shake the pursuing Auxiliaries and finally stopped at Fluentia [Florence]. On several occasions, the Gallic cavalry attempted to block the Auxiliaries pursuit, but without success. The head strong Praetor was determined to fight and relentlessly pushed his untrained troops to catch the fleeing Gauls.

  When word was brought to Consul Papus that the Gauls were in a headlong retreat northward from Chiusi to Florence with the Auxiliary Legions in pursuit, he immediately sensed disaster and ordered his now five Legions (the 15,000 veterans had joined him) to force march across the Apennines Mountains to support the Praetor. He also dispatched riders to order the Auxiliary Legions to immediately break off the pursuit and await his arrival. These orders arrived too late. Similarly, messages sent to Regulus instructing him to break camp at Pisa and march with all haste the 68 miles south to aid the Auxiliaries, did not arrive in time.

  Figure 5 Ballista

  By now, the Gauls had a good fix on the locations of the two Consuls’ seven Legions and realized that they were too far away to support the Auxiliaries. Concolitanus and Aneroestes picked the village of Faesulae [modern Fiesole, about two miles NE of Florence] as the place to fight the Auxiliaries. They sensed an easy victory and they were correct.

  The Gauls prepared an ambush and other surprises for the Praetor’s army. The Gauls dug in on a slight rise behind a 8’ wide 6’ deep ditch. Large Gallic infantry formations were hidden out of sight in woods and ravines on the two flanks. Their new ballistae were positioned on a hill overlooking the battlefield in a perfect position to hurl their huge 9’ shafts over the heads of their men and into the charging Auxiliary ranks.

  [The ballista was originally a Greek weapon mounted on city walls to fire down into attacking enemy infantry or into their siege weapons. It was ungainly and could only be moved from one location to another with great effort. Roman engineers and blacksmiths were in the process of adapting the ballista for mobile field operations, but had not yet perfected it. Somehow the Gauls beat them to it and were about to unleash its power on the hapless Auxiliaries.]

  The Battle of Faesulae 225 BC

  Marcellus’ mounted scouts found the Gauls drawn up in battle lines on a slight hill. They failed to spot the heavy infantry hidden in the woods on the flanks or the ballistae on the hill. When the Praetor heard the report, he rushed his three Legions into battle. He felt confident. He had been chasing the Gauls for five days and now that he had finally caught them, he planned to bring the operation to a rapid and successful conclusion.

  Marcellus was not given to seeking glory, but was aware that by destroying this threat to Rome, he would receive honors and rewards. With those thoughts, he ordered the three Legions into the triplex acies battle formation with Legions abreast. However, rather than advance in the customary checkered board pattern with staggered Maniple, he had the Hastati of the two Legions form a solid shield wall of 1500 men with two men lined up behind each lead man. He kept the staggered checkered board pattern for the Principes in case the Hastati needed to fall back and get behind the Principes to rest or regroup.

  The one long Hastati line advanced in good order over the broken ground. They stretched out over half a mile in width and were about 6’ deep. The men sensed victory since they knew that they could over power the few Gauls they could see. The Centurions worked hard to keep them from breaking into a running charge. The Principes and Triarii followed closely behind the Hastati. Spirits were high.

  When the lines were about 60 yards apart, the Gauls unleashed their five ballistae. The results were devastating. Each shot found a target. Three to four men were impacted by each ballista arrow as they penetrated shield, armor, and flesh, and still keep going! At the same time, skilled Gallic bowman began to fire their arrows in rapid succession. Falling men and exploding equipment opened gaps in the lines, which were not closed by these untrained troops. The line hesitated as men sought refuge by squatting down behind their shield or lying flat on the ground. The veteran Centurions ran among the ranks pushing and prodding the troops to get up and continue the attack, but most suffered the Centurions blows and stayed put.

  As the ballistae and bowmen’s arrows continued to smash into the stalled Hastati ranks, the inexperienced Praetor attempted to pass the Principes, another 5000 men, through the Hastati to continue the attack. It was total chaos. The ranks became horribly intermingled with troops bunched up and not even knowing which way to face. Confusion reigned supreme. Concolitanus and Aneroestes sensed this was the moment to call the hidden warriors out of the woods and ravines to hit the milling Auxiliaries on both flanks. They also ordered the troops on the hill to jump over their now unneeded ditch, reform themselves, and attack downhill on the run.

  To the Auxiliaries’ credit, those that remained on the field put up a valiant fight. Many others deserted for the woods at a dead run, but most fought in the general melee as the Gauls smashed into the flanks and head of the Auxiliaries formation. The strong Gallic cavalry circled around behind the doomed men and pinned the third line, the Triarii, to prevent them from attempting to take the pressure off the first two ranks.

  In the end, the remnant, the Triarii, about 6000 of the most experienced Auxiliaries evaded the harassing Gallic cavalry by listening to their leaders, keeping their formation, and moving rapidly away from the victorious Gauls onto a wooded hill for a last stand. The main battle was over very quickly and it was a slaughter. Over 8,000 Auxiliaries were killed or captured. Marcellus was captured, nailed to a tree, and skewered with spears. The Gauls lost a mere 300 men. Rome had suffered a humiliating and devastating loss. Furthermore, this Gallic victory could embolden other tribes in the Cisalpine to try the same thing for the promise of loot, prestige, and freedom from Roman interference.

  *******

  After an exhausting 100 mile six-day forced march across the Apennines, Papus and his five Legions arrived at Faesulae from the east on the evening of the battle. They saw the shattered Auxiliary army lying in the field, but could not stop to inspect the carnage. It was late in the day and the Legions needed at least two hours to prepare their fortified camp for the night. The stranded Triarii was instructed to dig in on the hill and wait for daylight. Papus feared the emboldened Gauls might attempt a night attack against his position and posted extra security. He knew his troops needed to rest, but overall camp security was paramount. The night passed without incident. The Gauls, too, were exhausted after marching for five days, preparing defensive positions, and fighting a three hour battle. Everyone slept.

  *******

  Regulus’ two Legions arrived from Pisa around noon of the following day and joined the surviving Triarii on the hill. Regulus further fortified the hill. The men dug ramparts and ditches and added sharpened stakes to create obstacles. Regulus used the survivors from the Triarii to form a reserve Legion, but was well aware that they were spent physically and mentally. Their morale was shattered and he felt he could not rely on them.

  The mercenaries Concolitanus and Aneroestes were in no mood to fight another Roman army so soon. Their men needed a rest. But they were not ready to quit the field quite yet. His men were burdened down by loot from months of scouring towns and villages and were fearful that they could lose it all if the Romans won the next battle. Their allied tribesmen, the Insubres and Boii, were beginning to talk of going home. They were tough fighters, but they were also
farmers and could not remain absent too long.

  Nonetheless, the two Gallic leaders decided to risk it all and attempt an attack on Rome itself or at least the rich suburbs. There would never be a better time. Morale among the troops was high and they had just decisively defeated a sizable enemy force. They felt that given the proper conditions, the army could even take on and defeat multiple Roman Legions. The decision was made to gamble it all and move south to Rome.

  *******

  Both Roman Consuls were extremely leery of fighting the Gauls other than on very favorable terrain where they would have an advantage. They could see and were beginning to smell the results of the Auxiliaries’ ill conceived plan of battle. Once the Gauls abandoned the battlefield, the Romans took possession. The Gallic camp was about a mile from the battlefield and situated between the city of Rome and the Legions. Regulus and Papus were separated by 400 yards of woods and fields and about that far from the battlefield.

  Regulus assumed command of the combined Roman Army of seven Legions and ordered Papus not to engage the Gauls until the entire Army could unite and find more favorable terrain. The Romans stayed put in their well fortified camps to await the Gauls next move. Would the Gauls go north back to the Cisalpine or south to Rome? If Rome was the target, then the Legions were in the wrong place to block them. They needed to get the fighting Legions between the city and the Gauls.