He instituted a daily meeting with his staff to keep himself current on vital issues such as personnel, intelligence, medical, and logistics. At any given moment, Manius knew the number of soldiers in the Legion, the latest news from the Cisalpine, and number of horses, mules, and food stocks arriving in the Legion. Knowing that the Legion would face harsh winter weather in the Cisalpine and Austria, Manius directed the procurement of winter clothing to include trousers. Since trousers were only worn by barbarians, he had to overcome considerable staff resistance.
Manius further directed his medical staff to examine the teeth and gums of every Legionary. He wanted to weed out men whose poor teeth would eventually render them combat ineffective. Most men had relatively good teeth because of their healthy diet; some were treated for minor problems and a few underwent tooth extractions. A handful were actually discharged from the army. Most Legionaries valued strong, healthy, white teeth. The men used toothpicks, toothbrushes, and a poultice containing urine to clean and whiten their teeth.
Manius realized from the beginning that this mission into the heart of the Gallic tribal area was fraught with danger and would probably involve fighting, despite what he told his family. The Gauls had gone over to Hannibal whole heartedly in 218 and continued, even now, to provide him with manpower. Additionally, the Cisalpine was literally a highway for mercenaries coming and going from Illyria to join Hannibal or to just pillage the Italian countryside. Rome was powerless to do anything about it. The chances of bumping into these very capable and fierce marauding groups were high.
Manius and his staff spend a considerable amount of time trying to arrive at a scheme of maneuver that suited the size of his force. It was generally agreed that deception, stealth, and surprise had to be the XVII mode of operations, particularly now in the planning and preparation phase. There were Carthaginian spies everywhere. Manius put a sign on the wall, which simply said, “Ambush” as a security reminder to his staff that four Legions had been destroyed by ambush by the Boii in 216 and by Hannibal at Lake Trasimene in 217.
A single Legion was simply too small to demand respect or to count on victory in a stand up battle against a larger foe. The question for Manius was should the XVII try to present a low profile to potential foes as a non threat not worth bothering with or try to appear as big and noisy as possible to serve as a bluff. If they looked too weak they would invite an attack; if too large, they could inadvertently cause the enemy to muster an Army too large to beat. Manius eventually settled for the former.
As soon as Calvus heard about Manius’ special mission to the Cisalpine and Austria, he told Farrid who asked him to gather as much information on the mission as possible. Farrid told him Hannibal’s brothers, Mago and Hasdrubal, were recruiting armies to come to Italy to reinforce Hannibal. Farrid speculated that they would have to land at a port in northern Italy since the Roman fleets had all the southern harbors completed blockaded. Farrid expressed concern that Manius’ Legion would be in a position to possibly prevent or impede the landings. Legio XVII had to be kept away from the landing sites once they become known.
After weeks of discussion, Manius and his staff developed an overall concept of operation, which included four phases and two key deception elements. The first phase was the preparation for the mission, which included assembling and training the force as well as acquiring the necessary supplies and draft animals. Phase II would be the movement to the area of operations; phase III the operation itself; and phase IV the movement back to Rome at the completion of the mission.
The center piece of Manius’ plan was to split the Triarii, his third line of battle, into two equal parts, about 800 men each, and place a Centurion in charge of each half. He would rather have picked Tribunes to command the two parts of the Triarii, but he needed the Tribunes to serve as staff members to solve the countless administrative and operational issues that constantly arose.
The Mission ~ Late October 210
Finally, Manius was ready to issue his orders. He assembled his key leaders, unfurled two large maps, one of the Cisalpine and the other of Austria.
“Legio XVII comprised of 6100 men, 600 cavalry, and 1000 archers has been ordered to demonstrate Rome’s continuing interest in the Cisalpine and Austria by its presence in the region. Our mission is to enforce freedom of trade into and out of the region, encourage loyalty to the Republic among the many peoples and tribes in the area, and discourage and even halt, when possible, any further support of men and material to Hannibal emanating from within the region.”
He continued, “You all know the general situation in the Cisalpine. Rome has lived with that threat for hundreds of years. Austria may be a new region for some of you. On the northern side of the Alps is Austria. Its main population center is Innsbruck, which is located on the Inn River. The Rhaetia people were driven from Innsbruck by a powerful and hostile Germanic tribe called the Suevi. About 15 years ago, the Suevi built a fortified bridge over the Inn and have completely blocked trade coming or going over the Alps. They have even been raiding into Rhaetian territory. Our allies in the area, the Raeti and Veneti people have asked Rome to restore trade, stop the raids, and remove the Suevi threat.”
Field Orders Patavium
He then issued his orders to Centurion Publius Auerlius Servilius, the newly designated commander of one half of the Triarii:
“Servilius, your half of the Triarii will march to the east coast port of Aternum and arrive no later than February 1, 209. You will board ships with barges in tow and row the 265 miles up the Adriatic to the island of Fossa Clodia [modern Chioggia] where the troops and animals will off load the ships.
Figure 12 Patavium(Google Maps)
You will rest the troops for a day then board the barges and proceed through the shallow waters hugging the coast line and make landfall south of Correzzola. Once there, off load the barges, rest for a day, and march the 12 miles to Patavium [modern Padua] where you will be greeted by our loyal allies of the Euganei and Veneti tribes. Treat them kindly. These people fought with us at Cannae and they lost a lot of men.”
“Within 90-days of arrival, your mission is to construct a fort at Patavium along the west side of the Medoacus River [modern Bacchiglione River, formerly Brenta River] large enough to store six-months’ worth of food supplies. You will use Legion funds to procure help from the Veneti people to build and protect the fort. Stay at the fort until you receive further orders and be prepared to move within two days of receiving new orders. When you depart, turn the fort over to the Veneti and march rapidly to join the Legion.”
“Patavium is located on a major east-west highway for mercenaries coming from Illyria to Italy to support Hannibal. Be prepared to encounter hostile forces when you land at Correzzola. These hostile forces may be larger than your own, so do not engage them unless you are attacked. Similarly, hostile Boii may discover your presence and come up from the south to attack you. The same rule applies.”
“Take four Scorpio ballistae, 200 archers, 100 cavalry, and two molossus dogs. Bring adequate food, fodder, and fuel to last two weeks. Secure the barges onshore for future use. Prepare a strong encampment until the fort is built. Use the cavalry to scout for enemy forces and to maintain weekly communications with me. Supplies for the Legion during its extended mission will flow continuously from Aternum to the island of Fossa Clodia and will then be escorted to the fort by the Veneti.”
“Arrange to procure additional supplies from the Veneti. Elitovius, our Cenomani ally, will provide you with a trained intelligence agent who will hire local tribesmen to circulate throughout your area of responsibility to gather information that may affect your mission.”
Field Order Clastidium
Manius then turned to Centurion Appollonius Albus Vitulus. His orders were similar to those given to Centurion Servilius. Vitulus and his 800-man Triarii, along with four Scorpio ballistae, 200 archers, 100 cavalry, and two war dogs will depart from the west coast port of Ostia on January 1, 209. They w
ill board transports and row the 300 miles from Ostia to Genua. At Genua, they will link up with 500 Ligurians and then march the 67 miles to the fort at Clastidium, the site of the battle in 222 and subsequently captured by Hannibal in 218.
“Your mission is to rebuild the fort as a supply base that is capable of defending itself. Do this as quickly as possible; complete it no later than 90-days after arriving. Then, on order, be prepared to join the Legion. Supplies for your half of the Triarii during its extended mission will flow continuously from Ostia to Genua and will then be escorted to the fort by Etruscan Auxiliaries who will arrive with the first supply ships. This Etruscan Auxiliary unit of 1000 men will man the walls and protect the fort upon your eventual departure from the fort. Elitovius has trusted agents in Genua who are coordinating for another 500-man Ligurian force, which should be assembled and armed by the time you arrive. Legion funds will pay these Ligurians to help rebuild the fort and assist in its defense until the Etruscan unit arrives. Elitovius’ agents will also hire and manage the services of trusted individuals from the Insubres and Ligurian community to serve you as spies.”
Manius cautioned Vitulus that while the Ligurians at Genua were, indeed, friends of Rome, “Other Ligurians and Celts in the neighboring area were not, and in fact, had and were, even now, materially aiding Hannibal.”
The staff envisioned that Vitulus’ surprise landing by sea in early January 209 at Genua and rapid four-day march to the damaged fort at Clastidium would go mostly unnoticed by any hostile forces in the area.
Legio XVII Orders Brixia
Manius continued with his formal field orders: “On February 1, 209, I will march north with the remaining 4500 Legionaries from the Hastati and Principes, four Scorpio, 600 archers, 400 cavalry, and 8 dogs up the west coast on the Via Aurelia. While enroute, I plan to continue to conduct maneuver-training for the Legion such as reacting to a surprise attack, laying out an encampment at night, and practicing battle formations. I intend to stop for two days at the site of the 225 Battle of Telamon to rest the troops and conduct a historic walk of the battlefield with the Tribunes and Centurion.”
“Throughout the march northward, the cavalry will be deployed around the Legion in a 360 degree circle and up to a day’s march or 10 hours out from the Legion.”
“The cavalry commander will develop and implement a patrolling scheme that has eight teams of two-horsemen each ride away from the center of the Legion on the eight cardinal points of a circle. The teams will then return on another cardinal point. Ten hours after they depart, eight more teams will be dispatched on the same routes as the original teams. This intense patrolling will ensure that the Legion will always have at least a five hour warning of an approaching enemy.”
“When the road ends near Pisa, the Legion will hire local guides to travel cross-country through the swamps to Parma, which is 75 miles south of our end point, Brixia.”
“From Parma, we will travel 16 miles north to where we will cross the Po River. We will then take a 15 mile detour due west to the settlement of Cremona. From Cremona, we will march 32 miles north east to Brixia [modern Brescia], which is mid way between the forts at Patavium (92 miles to the east) and Clastidium (81 miles to the west). Our operational Phase III plan beyond Brixia will be issued once we arrive there.”
Figure 13 Site of the River Crossing (Google Maps)
“The people of Brixia are members of the Cenomani tribe. The Cenomani reside in Brixia, Cremona, and Verona and have been staunch Roman allies since 225 BC. They provided us with troops to fight against other Gallic tribes and even joined us against Hannibal at Trebia. In this strategic and safe position, the Legion will prepare a full sized Legion field encampment and be ready to respond to emergencies at Patavium or Clastidium. The XVII will maintain a low profile until the two forts are strengthened and fully supplied. In the meantime, we will have to be ready to move quickly. Either fort could be attacked: Patavium by Illyrian mercenaries and Clastidium by the Gauls.”
Manius paused, looked at each man, and continued, “I want you to be aware of one other possible threat to the XVII. For months, rumors have been circulating that Hannibal’s two brothers, Hasdrubal and Mago, are both raising armies in Spain to reinforce Hannibal. These brothers could cross the Alps like Hannibal did or sail from Carthage or Spain to Genua. If that happens, the XVII will be in a good position to support other Legions coming up from Rome to block the attempted link up with Hannibal.”
“Navigating cross country from Pisa to Brixia is not going to be easy. Most of the area south of the Po River is swampy. Finding a suitable crossing site over the Po may be time consuming. The cavalry, with help from local guides, has the responsibility to navigate the Legion through the wet terrain to find as much dry ground as possible on which to march and to prepare each night’s defensive position. Legionaries get sick in the summer swamps, so I plan to pass through them in early February and cross the Po to the north side as quickly as possible.”
“With the exception of a 30 mile area adjacent to the north bank of the Po, any travel farther northward is restricted by north-south river valleys. Once in the mountains, east-west travel is severely limited by a lack of roads, numerous ridges oriented north to south, and fast moving streams running through narrow gorges. There are no east-west roads. It would be almost impossible to move troops and supplies east-west across those steep and heavily wooded ridges. Movement of the Legion is pretty much restricted to north-south river valleys.”
“For security reason, I have enlisted the help of Elitovius a Cenomani from Brixia. He will recruit and direct the activities of local agents to gain vital information for us on what the people in our areas are thinking and planning. I expect Commanders to cooperate fully with him and to heed his advice.”
Calvus heard that Manius was going to issue orders to his force and he managed to get an invitation under the guise that it would help him devise relevant training programs at Campus Martius. He listened intently to the orders and lost no time informing Farrid of the plan.
Farrid knew he needed to delay Manius’ timetable, as much as possible and then arrange for the destruction of the XVII once deployed. Two things immediately occurred to him. He could get his agents in the Roman Navy to build a reasonable argument to deny Manius’ request for ships to take the Triarii northward. Secondly, he could try to arrange an ambush of the force marching to the port of Aternum on the east coast. They only had 800 men and would be vulnerable as they marched strung out along the road. Their destruction would significantly reduce the strength of the XVII.
The next day, Farrid dispatched two agents by horseback to link up with Hannibal in the south of Italy and explain to him the wisdom of ambushing Servilius’ 800 Legionaries while enroute from Rome to Aternum. He made sure his agents explained that the rationale for this action was ultimately to support his successful link up with Mago and Hasdrubal whenever they arrived in northern Italy.
It was now October; Hannibal had two and a half months to dispatch a relatively small detachment north to be in position to execute the ambush by mid January. Farrid’s report indicated that the target would be departing Rome about 20 January for a February 1 scheduled sailing date. Farrid suggested that Hannibal’s men initially occupy an area near Aternum to give them the flexibility to shift positions should the Romans change their intended route. He anticipated the ambush would take place on or about January 25. Farrid further promised to continue his efforts to identify the exact route the Romans would take. Hannibal agreed to Farrid’s proposal and dispatched 3000 Ardiaei [are-DIE-a] warriors under their commander Agron.
Agron and his men were tired. Tired of Italy, tired of hardships and hunger, and tired of marching and fighting. After a long seven years with Hannibal and away from their families, they were ready to go back home across the Adriatic. Agron was a good commander and by sheer force of will held his men together and gave them hope. They respected him and followed his commands, but he was wearing out. His 51 year
old body demanded more and more attention and rest.
*******
Vitulus was concerned that, after landing at Genua on the west coast, his 800-man unit would be attacked while enroute to Clastidium or when they eventually marched to join the Legion at Brixia. He and Centurion Servilius needed a plan to turn their 800-man units into fighting forces capable of holding their own. After meeting with Manius to discuss the issue, they devised a strategy whereby the two halves of the Triarii would organize and fight like a miniature Legion. They each developed a battle formation whereby they created a 100-man skirmisher line, a 300-man Hastati, 300-man Principes, and an initial 100-man Triarii. Each Centurion planned to place his 100 horse cavalry detachment on one flank and his 200 archers on the other and spread them out to look even larger. The Centurions doubled the normal 3’x 6’ fighting box for each Hastati Legionaire while keeping the 100-man Maniple checker board spacing for the Principes and Triarii.
Since the Triarii were the most experienced soldiers in a Legion, Tribune Tullus excused them from much of the Legion’s routine training so the two Centurions were able train their forces and build a sense of unity and team work. The two Triarii halves would often engage in mock battle to refine their formations and fighting techniques. They practiced all the maneuvers emphasized by Tribune Tullus for the XVII such as passing the Hastati to the rear of the Principes and reacting to an ambush. By the time they were scheduled to board their respective ships for the trip northward, both Commanders felt their units were mini-Legions and ready to fight.
“Hearth Stone” December 210
Lucia’s concern with Manius’ long absence prompted him to institute a new concept into his deployment preparations that he called, “Hearth Stone.” The staff assembled a list of wives, mothers and fathers, and girl friends for every member of the XVII and invited them to a daylong event to explain this new family-oriented concept.
Legio XVII: Roman Legion at War Page 15