Legio XVII: Roman Legion at War

by Thomas A. Timmes

  The next day, the Legions departed for the fort at Acerrae with 1000 of the prisoners; the other 2000 were returned to Rome under heavy guard to be sold as slaves or work the Roman mines. The garrison at Acerrae knew they had no choice and surrendered as soon as the Legions appeared. While some managed to evade the Roman cavalry and scatter to the surrounding woods before the Legions arrived, most of the garrison remained at the fort thinking they would fight. Subsequently, they were taken prisoner when the leadership decided to surrender. The fort was demolished and another 1000 Gauls were taken prisoner. Rome had enforced her will in the Cisalpine. Her commerce was not to be hindered.

  Flushed with victory, Marcellus declared his intention to march to Ticinum [modern Pavia] and then to Mediolanum [Milan] to further punish the Ligurians and Insubres by laying waste their home districts. Having just defeated their combined armies, he knew they could offer no resistance. The Legions marched to Ticinum and burned the entire town. Two days later, the Legions entered Mediolanum and repeated their performance. Expecting the worst, the towns’ people had fled long before the Legions arrived.

  Marcellus did not disappoint them. When the Legionaries finished their work, nothing remained of the huts, farming tools, or live stock. It was a lesson they would not soon forget, but it was not the lesson intended by Marcellus. A mere four years later, they eagerly rallied to Hannibal with the memory of the devastation of their homes and livelihood still fresh in their minds.

  Before Consul Marcellus marched to punish the people of Ticinum and Mediolanum,he instructed Manius to take the boy immediately back to Tridentum. Once again, Manius was in turmoil over the killing of civilians and knew he had to say something. He returned to his tent to think through his position. He felt it was bad policy and objected to the senseless slaughter of innocents, but planned to restrict his comments to the policy aspect. When he felt calm and had mentally rehearsed his argument, he went to see Marcellus.

  After warmly greeting Manius, the Consul agreed to discuss the upcoming punitive mission. He listened intently while Manius spoke, asked a few questions, and then presented his rationale for the mission. Basically, Marcellus was convinced that the Insubres needed to be punished as a deterrent against future misconduct. He said he appreciated Manius’ justification, but planned to continue with the mission. Manius was deeply disappointed, but felt he had done all he could. He realized that if he “fell on his sword” over this matter, he would lose all personal credibility and be unable to influence future decisions. Manius then adroitly moved the topic to Timo.

  The Consul told Manius to extend, “Warmest greetings to the Raeti People from the People and Senate of Rome and best wishes for a long life to the King and the future King.” Manius was given a 20-man cavalry escort and provisions for 14 days. He figured the distance from Acerrae to Tridentum at 125 miles and planned to ride east to Cremona, north to Brixia, home of the Cenomani [cen-o-MA-knee] tribe, west around Lake Benacus [modern Lake Di Garda], and northeast to Tridentum. He planned for a five day trip there, two days at Tridentum, and seven back. He was instructed to catch up to the marching Legions who would be nearing Rome. Consul Marcellus did not want him to miss the Triumph that the Senate planned for the victorious Army.

  During the trip, he and Timo got acquainted and Manius looked after him as though he were his own son. Having been raised as a future King, Timo was a little arrogant and spoiled, but, for a boy of 10, surprisingly knowledgeable about events that affected the Raeti people. His father had taught him well. Manius did not talk about the boy’s father. He figured it best to let him find out about his father’s failing health for himself.

  The journey north was not particularly difficult and passed quickly. Manius successfully befriended Timo and heard his version of the origins of the Raeti people.

  Timo said, “My people are Germanic, as is my name; years ago, my people crossed the Danube and settled in the Oeni Pons [Innsbruck] valley. Over time,” he said, “pressure from other southward moving Alamanni [German] people, particularly the Suevi tribe, pushed the Raeti farther south, across the Oenus [Inn] River, over the mountains, and into the present Adige River Valley.” He added that the hostile Suevi had recently blocked any further movement north or south through Innsbruck with the construction of a fortified bridge over the Inn River. Manius made a mental note to pass on this bit of intelligence when he returned to the Legion.

  Timo was given a King’s greeting when the party finally arrived at Tridentum. His father, the King, had died two months earlier. All of Tridentum mourned along with Timo. Manius slipped into the background, but continued meeting quietly with the new King’s advisors. Manius proposed that when Timo came of age, Rome would offer him a Roman bride to secure the growing relationship between Rome and the Rhaetian people. The advisors concurred.

  On the appointed day, the Romans packed up their belongings, thanked the Rhaetians for their hospitality, bade farewell to the young King, and rode to catch the Legions. Before they left, Timo made Manius promise to come back and see him. Manius promised that he would and did 14 years later.

  Upon the return of the Army to Rome, Marcellus was awarded the Republic’s highest award to a Consul in time of war ~ the Spolia optima ~ for killing Viridomarus in single combat. [This award was the third and final award of the Spolia optima in the long history of Rome.] He was given the valuable armor of the fallen Chieftain and a large sum of money. Marcellus dutifully presented the armor to one of the temples of the gods.

  For now, the Gauls were defeated and passive, but Rome would soon be fighting them again.

  Rome’s highest recognition for success in time of war was the Triumph; this magnificent spectacle consisted of a parade through the heart of Rome complete with marching Legions, musical band, and a display of captured prisoners. It was usually followed by speeches and the distribution of awards. Rome turned out for Consul Marcellus’ parade and the people lined the Via Sacea. Marcellus rode in a chariot while his driver repeated, “Memento mori,” “Remember you are mortal.”

  Manius marched with the Legions and never felt prouder. He caught sight of Lucia and Decima and managed a tiny almost imperceptible smile, which she noticed nonetheless. The Legionaries looked their absolute best having taken great pains over the last two days to clean and shine everything they owned and fought with. Marcellus was true to his word and was very generous to his Tribunes, Centurions, and Legionaries. Each received wealth from the sale of slaves commensurate with his performance and duties. Manius received 23,800 As [$50,000], which was more money than he had already earned in his entire life and at 37 was now considered a wealthy man.

  Chapter IV: The 2nd Punic War 218 - 202 BC

  For the next six years, 222-216, Manius was assigned to one of the Legions garrisoned in Rome, which, rather than disappointing him, exceedingly pleased him. It was relatively easy duty and consisted mostly of required monthly training, guarding the Forum and other public building, and patrolling the city. Arresting drunken citizens was a lot safer than facing the Insubres or fighting the Carthaginians in Spain. Besides, he did not volunteer for this duty, it was where the Army wanted him at the moment. His philosophy was to do his best in whatever the assignment.

  Since his return from the battle of Clastidium, Manius’ mother, Flavia, had died and Lucia had given birth to a girl also named Flavia, and a son Titus. Manius used some of his newly acquired wealth to purchase a villa not far from his childhood home. As a Tribune, he was authorized to live there as opposed to the barracks, which had moved recently from Campus Martius because of the construction of Circus Flaminius on the same grounds. A new, vastly improved training site for the Legions was constructed west of the city, across the Tiber, and actually closer to his villa. He enjoyed his time with his family more than his time patrolling the streets of Rome. He was beginning to consider retiring, but, as of 220 BC, he was only 39 and had to do something to earn a living, so he decided to stay in the Army.

  Five years earli
er, in 225 BC, and concurrent with the battles at Faesulae and Telamon, the Roman Senate had taken a policy gamble with the Carthaginians concerning Spain.

  Alarmed by the Celtic mobilization among the Insubres, Boii, Ligures, and other tribes in the Cisalpine, the Senate signed a treaty giving the Carthaginian General Hasdrubal the Fair (270-221 BC) unimpeded control of Spain south of the River Ebro so Rome could concentrate on the Gallic threat closer to home. Rome also wanted to discourage Hasdrubal from supporting the Insubres and Boii with arms, personnel, or funding as a way for Carthage to fight and weaken Rome without getting directly involved. It worked, but, as it turned out, Spain would later become the focal point of conflict between these two powers and eventually lead to the downfall of Carthage.

  After Carthage’s defeat by the Romans in the First Punic War (264 BC–241 BC), Carthage compensated herself for its loss of Sicily by building a vibrant commercial empire in Spain. The resulting economic competition between Rome and Carthage made the 2nd Punic War almost inevitable. The Mediterranean basin was not big enough for these two growing empires and the spark of conflict was lit at the Spanish coastal town of Saguntum, which was closely allied with Rome. After an eight month siege, Hannibal, brother-in-law of Hasdrubal, captured it and, thereby, thumbed his nose at Rome.

  As a result of Saguntum, Roman armies invaded Spain in 218 BC to slow Carthaginian hegemony and to use the fighting against the Carthaginians as a training ground for officers and a proving ground for tactics. None of these deployments or battles affected Manius who continued with his duties in Rome. The results of the fighting in Spain were reported back to Rome where Manius heard about them and was able to maintain his currency with evolving tactics and equipment. While other generals were making a name for themselves, he was content with his current reputation, garrison duties, and time with his family.

  Hannibal

  In 218 BC, everything changed. Rome would be shook to its foundation. For the next 15 years, Hannibal and his Carthaginian army would occupy large swaths of the Italian peninsula. Rome was almost destroyed in the process, but continued to resist and doggedly pursued her Sisyphus-like task of defeating Hannibal or forcing him to leave Italy.

  Carthage mightily resented Roman interference with her economic activities in Spain and was only waiting for the right time to strike back. They already had a superb, proven army and navy that was supported by extremely capable North African allies. With the death of Hasdrubal the Fair in 221 BC, what Carthage lacked was an aggressive leader. What they got was Hannibal, [248-183 BC] son of Hamilcar Barca, 275-228 BC, a military commander and tactician who is popularly credited as one of the most talented commanders in history.

  Hannibal decided to strike at the heart of the problem ~ Rome itself and more importantly all of Italy. It was personal! He wanted to destroy Rome’s Legions and cripple its economy. In 218 BC, the 30 year old Hannibal marched an army of 100,000 mostly mercenaries from Libya, Spain, and Numidia [modern day Algeria and part of Tunisia], including war elephants, over the Pyrenees Mountains, through Gaul [modern day southern France], and over the Alps into northern Italy. Rome saw these movements as they were unfolding and attempted to stop Hannibal before he entered into Italy.

  Scipio [not Scipio Africanus] served as consul in 218 BC and sailed with an army from Pisa to Massilia [modern Marseille], with the intention of stopping or slowing Hannibal's advance on Italy. Failing to find Hannibal, he returned to Cisalpine Gaul by sea, and sent his army on to Spain under the command of his brother Gnaeus Cornelius Scipio with instructions to hold and block other Carthaginian forces from joining Hannibal. He reasoned that if he could threaten Carthaginian interests in Spain, Hannibal might be persuaded to turn back. It did not work. Hannibal crossed the Alps and was in Italy for the long haul.

  On Scipio’s return to Italy, he assembled another army and advanced at once to meet Hannibal as he exited the Alps. In a sharp cavalry engagement near the Ticinus, a tributary of the Po River, Scipio was defeated by the numerically stronger and more capable North African cavalry. This was the first of three major defeats inflicted on Rome by Hannibal.

  In December of the same year, 218 BC, Scipio again witnessed the complete defeat of the Roman army at Trebia, when his fellow consul Tiberius Sempronius Longus insisted on fighting against his advice. As a result of poor planning and leadership, on the morning of the battle of Trebia, the Legions had no breakfast and were forced to wade through freezing water to get into position. When the Carthaginians attacked them from a hidden defilade, they were too weak and numb to offer much resistance. Even though the individual Roman Legionaire was as good as his Carthaginian counterpart in hand to hand fighting, the difference at Trebia was leadership and Hannibal was second to none.

  Despite these military defeats, Scipio still retained the confidence of the Roman Senate. His term of command as Consul was extended and the following year he was in Spain with his brother, winning victories over the Carthaginians. Scipio successfully continued his Iberian campaign and prevented reinforcements from reaching Hannibal. That is until 211, when he was killed and his army defeated on the upper Baetis River [modern Quadalquivir]. That same year, his brother and his army were destroyed at Ilorci near Carthago Nova. The details of these campaigns are not completely known, but it seems that the ultimate defeat and death of the two Scipios was due to the desertion of the Celtiberians, who were bribed to desert the Romans by Hasdrubal, Hannibal's brother.

  The Roman attempt to lure Hannibal out of Italy by attacking Carthaginian interests in Spain from 218 to 211 BC continued to fail, but was a better alternative than directly attacking the seemingly invincible Hannibal.

  In the end, this Roman strategy of focusing on Spain was correct. Spain was, indeed, Carthage’s center of gravity. When it fell to Roman arms, it was just a matter of time until Hannibal fled Italy and Carthage itself fell.

  When Hannibal entered Italy in 218 BC, the tribes of the Cisalpine, particularly the Insubres and Boii, quickly rallied to him and his army swelled. These additional troops were important because Hannibal lost about 30,000 men while fighting various tribes that tried to block his approach to the Alps and from additional losses that occurred during the difficult crossing itself.

  In his first two years in Italy, Hannibal won three dramatic victories, the Battles of Trebia in 218 and Lake Trasimene in 217, where Rome lost two legions. These two defeats were followed by the Battle of Cannae in August 216 where Rome lost a staggering 86,000 Legionaries in one day. The entire Roman Army had been decimated. There was little left. At the most critical moment in its history, Roman leadership had failed dramatically. This was, indeed, Rome’s darkest hour in her long history.

  Since the city of Rome itself was heavily fortified with massive walls, Hannibal bypassed it on his way south choosing instead to obtain wealth, food, and former allies of Rome rather than conduct a lengthy siege with inadequate forces. Besides, his objective was to weaken Rome, not destroy it.

  Victory on the battlefield continued to evade Rome. Four years after Cannae, in 212, the Romans temporarily abandoned their successful scorch-the-earth-and-avoid-Hannibal policy and suffered yet another defeat at Herdonea [modern Ordona, not far from Cannae] and the loss of 18,000 Legionaries. Two years later, while besieging the same town, four Roman Legions were surprised by Hannibal and lost another 13,000 men. Despite these defeats and enormous losses of manpower, Rome never conceded.

  The training of new troops was interrupted in 211 when Hannibal came up out of the south of Italy where he had been operating since 213 and briefly appeared outside the very walls of Rome. His presence caused barely a stir within Rome itself as the leadership and people had complete confidence in their city walls and defenders. After demonstrating for a while, Hannibal returned to the south. As Hannibal traveled throughout Italy, he won over more tribes and cities previously allied with Rome such as Capuae [Capua] (Hannibal’s winter headquarters) and Tarentum [Taranto]. Hannibal also concluded an allianc
e with Philip V, king of Macedon. The future looked bleak for Rome future existence.

  In the meantime, Roman Legions were successfully attacking Hannibal’s forces and allies around the edges at places such as Syracusae [Syracuse] and Tarentum, the richest city in southern Italy that went over to Hannibal after Cannae.

  Capua was eventually recaptured in 211 BC due to the dogged determination of six Roman Legions who successfully besieged the city by first building a wall completely around the city, then a ditch, and finally another wall. The city was starved into submission while the besiegers fended off a determined effort by Hannibal to relieve the city.

  Just prior to the Battle of Cannae, Rome fought another battle against the Boii in northern Italy. Two Legions and an equal number of Auxiliaries, 25,000 men in all, were ambushed in the battle and totally destroyed. Consul L. Postumius Albinus was killed, beheaded, and his skull converted into a Boii drinking cup. Rome was already reeling from these losses when the terrible news from Cannae struck the city.

  Chapter V: Containing Hannibal 215 BC

  Manius Returns to Duty

  Life was good for Manius while recuperating at home from his wounds, but he was beginning to yearn to get back to training troops and the investigation of the Cannae tragedy. After two wonderful months, he was ready and eager to return to work.

  Manius threw himself totally into his new job. He was not totally healed by any measure, but he could still function. In his first year back at work, he rarely left the camp even to go home. He was 100% focused on his mission and, by all accounts, doing a remarkable job. The Legions were being reconstituted and their training was not rushed or abbreviated. Recalling the slaughter of the Auxiliaries at the battle of Faesulae 10 years earlier, Manius vowed to never again send partially trained troops into battle. By the time each Legionaire graduated from basic training, he was a soldier in every sense of the word. Each soldier could feel totally confident in his ability and his equipment to meet and defeat Rome’s enemies.