Legio XVII: Roman Legion at War

by Thomas A. Timmes

  Another 30 days would pass before Manius’ planned departure with the rest of Legion and an additional 30 days before he planned to actually arrive at Brixia, deep in the Cisalpine Gaul. He hoped that by March 1st, the two forts would be about 50% operational, stocked with provisions, and that the two Triarii halves would be ready to rejoin the Legion in month or so after that. He had arranged for couriers to depart from Legio XVII and from the two forts on a pre-arranged schedule and meet half way to pass information.

  By mid January both halves of the Triarii, unmolested so far, had reached their respective end points and were busy working on the forts.

  After seeing off the Triarii at Ostia, Manius scheduled a meeting with the new camp Martius Commandant and encouraged him to restore the training regime that he had instituted over the last five years. It was an easy sell. When the new Commandant reviewed the revised training program initiated by Calvus, he was shocked. He not only reversed Calvus’ programs, but also recalled recent graduates for additional training. Manius was greatly relieved.

  Unbeknownst to Manius, Levi had coordinated a special send off surprise for Manius and the XVII. When the Legion formed in front of the reviewing stand on February 1st to render their farewell salute to the many guests from the Senate, army leadership, and families, the air was suddenly filled with a trumpet blast and the solemn appearance of even more officials. Manius was called up to the viewing platform, faced the Legion, and was informed by official proclamation from the Comitia Centuriata that he had been elected “Praetor” for the duration of the expedition to northern Italy.

  Then a former Consul rose and addressed the Legion, “Men of Legio XVII, today I announce your official motto: Carpe Diem [Seize the Day] and your Legion’s symbol: the Peregrine Falcon, known for its speed, hunting prowess, and ability to see great distance. On behalf of the Senate and the People of Rome, may the gods bless and protect you, may your mission be successful, and may your many sacrifices bring you great honor and prestige from a grateful Republic. Go with the gratitude of Rome, the Army, and your families. Carpe Diem!”

  Parents, wives, and loved ones bid the Legion goodbye with shouts of encouragement and not a few tears. Those staying behind felt proud and anxious while those leaving felt proud and ennobled. Everyone knew that some would not come back. That was an acknowledged, but unspoken truth.

  Decima was there to see off her father, but her heart was breaking for Joseph. She could not imagine not seeing him for three years. Now that it was common knowledge that she and Joseph were a couple, she had begged her father not to take him or to allow him back on periodic visits, or to send him back after, perhaps, a year. Anything, but not three years! She even suggested to Joseph on the last night they were together at the bridge that they simply run away together. She knew that was really impractical, but because Joseph was so smart, maybe he could make it work. She was desperately looking for an alternative.

  Joseph smiled as he thought about his last night in Rome with Decima. As usual, they had gone to their penetralia, the bridge over the Tiber and its gently sloping banks.

  Joseph pulled the blanket tighter around them to ward off the evening’s cold and mist rising from the river. “Decima, he said, “I’ll miss you so much! I’ll try to return to Rome whenever I can. Maybe I’ll be able to accompany the wounded or join the couriers, but I will get back to see you. I now have a job to do and I respect your father too much to let him down. This is miserable for me too. Please, don’t let me leave feeling so terrible. Help me do this with a clear conscience and purpose. I can’t bear to think that I’m hurting you. I love you too much to do that.”

  Decima could see that her pleading was really upsetting Joseph and softened her insistence. “If you promise to really try to come back before the three years are up, even for just a visit, I’ll promise to wave you off tomorrow and will even try to have a smile on my face.” They both laughed for a second and then she cried even harder.

  She hated to let him out of her arms, but knew it was time to leave. Before getting to her feet, she squeezed Joseph and told him she loved him and couldn’t wait to be his wife. Joseph ached to remain on the slope of the river for the rest of the night.

  Young Rosa and her servant girls also made their preparations for the trip. As befitting the future Raeti Queen, Rosa would travel in a horse drawn wagon outfitted with more than a few creature comforts. Manius detailed half a Maniple to serve as her personal escort and to attend to her needs while in the field. Her language teacher accompanied her and continued her lessons throughout the journey. She especially enjoyed the companionship of her trusted Etruscan hair dresser and skilled Samnite seamstress.

  Her other two personal servants mostly annoyed her, but could be entertaining at times. Whenever possible, Rosa avoided her chaperone and surrogate mother ~ a matronly and gentle Roman woman personally selected by Rosa’s mother. She would later cherish her advice, support, and mature companionship. Rosa was thrilled to finally begin her journey and could not wait to meet her future husband.

  When the final farewell speech was completed, Manius mounted his horse and faced his Legion. Then in a loud clear voice, he commanded, “Left Face.” The entire column abruptly turned away from the viewing platform and the many sad and tearful eyes that watched them. Manius then commanded, “Forward March,” and the column stepped off smartly.

  As the long column crossed the Pons Sublicus, the marching troops grew quiet, each dealing with his own thoughts. Manius let them feel the moment and allowed each to work his way through it before he encouraged the singing of loud and boisterous army songs. As soon as the Legion was an hour up the road, Manius called a short halt to allow the soldiers to remove their armor and carry it on crossed wooden sticks made specifically for that purpose. Morale improved instantly!

  For the send-off, the Legionaries wore their complete uniform including the recently issued heavy chain mail shirts that fit under their armor. This too was gleefully shed. The one item that each Legionary could not take off was his canteen, which Centurions inspected to ensure it was within easy reach. To reduce drop outs due to extreme thigh chaffing, the heavier Legionaries now carried a small container of grease to apply to their inner thighs.

  Earlier, Manius issued cold weather clothing to his troops that included woolen pants, capes, gloves, and a blanket. They would not need this gear while on the march or digging the night’s encampment, but the nights and mornings would be cold. In Tuscany, the Legion could expect temperatures in the low 40s and in Lombardy the lows could be in the high 30s. These were not life threatening temperatures, but the added clothing would help morale and prevent cold weather injuries. Fortunately for the Legionaries, this extra clothing was packed neatly atop mules and wagons and not on their backs.

  In the evenings, when not recording Legion business, Joseph would join Accius and Tertius around their tent fire. This group of eight men readily accepted Joseph for the inside information he provided, but he had to be careful not to undercut the established chain of command particularly the Decanus [tent sergeant]. Since Joseph had inside knowledge of Legion activities, he was wary of saying too much. He also had to be careful not to quell or start rumors. For the most part, the men did not press him and he enjoyed the banter.

  The march north was uneventful, even enjoyable until the long column exited the Via Aurelia and began to pick their way through woods, fields, and swamps. The cavalry did their job remarkably well and kept the Legion dry and out of the Po’s swamps except on one occasion when wading through muck and water was the order of the day for men, animals, wagons, and ballistae. There was just no way around it. Even Rosa, who travelled in a decorative wagon, had to get out and walk. Initially, her escort planned to carry her through the swamp in a sedan chair, but Rosa would have none of it. She hiked up her dress, put on men’s trousers and boots, and slogged through the muck like a common soldier. Her servant girls were none too thrilled with Rosa’s daring, but followed suit nonetheless
. Later that evening, when Manius heard what Rosa had done, he liked her even more.

  As soon as they arrived on the far side of the swamp, Commanders built fires to warm and dry the troops. They were concerned that the water might cause the thick calluses on the Legionaries feet to slough off and make walking extremely painful. The XVII dried out for a day and continue the march with no ill effects.

  Occasionally, an animal would simply fall over and die for no apparent reason. Without halting the column, its load would be distributed among other animals. The entire column stretched out for over a mile, but in this swampy terrain with limited trails, there was no other way to proceed. Similarly, the Legion could only simulate a proper night time encampment. Digging was impossible because of the high water table and limited space.

  The Legion laid out its camp on the ground at Parma in the space provided and positioned themselves appropriately. It was not really necessary. Commanders did not fear an attack, but simulating a normal Roman camp helped maintain order and discipline. Staying dry and warm at night was the real priority. At this point, they made no attempt to hide themselves. Other than a few isolated villages built on stilts, there were no people in the area, so warming fires blazed all night long.

  From Parma, Brixia was only 75 miles or five days away. The end was in sight and so far there had been no surprises. Almost weekly reports from the two forts continued the good news that everything was progressing apace. The Legion made plans to march to the river the next day.

  The winter snows had not yet melted up in the mountains so the Po River was expected to be running low. Manius was prepared to have his Engineer Detachment, headed up by Tribune Tomaeus, gather boats from among the people on the river to build a pontoon bridge, which consisted of a line of boats, tightly lashed together and stretching from one bank to the other over which would be placed a wooden road way. That changed though when his cavalry Commander, Rasce, reported that his scouts had found a suitable fording site due north of their current location at Parma and near the settlement of Casalmaggiore.

  Unfortunately and totally unexpectedly, over night, the Po rose two feet and fording the river was now out of the question. The snow in the Alps was melting early. Manius told Tribune Tomaeus to go ahead with the pontoon bridge. Tomaeus said he would need to acquire about 100 boats from the local people and three Maniples to assist the engineers in the construction. Rasce was directed to send riders east and west along the river to find the necessary boats.

  The next day, Rasce reported that despite a thorough search of the area up and down river, they could find no usable boats. The locals told them that their boats had been wrecked, for no apparent reason, by a group of Insubres and Ligurians who came down the river by boat a few weeks ago. The locals said they floated down the river, would stop at a village, destroy the boats, and float down to the next village to repeat the process. Manius asked no one in particular, “Why would the Gauls destroy all the boats?”

  He immediately began to suspect that Farrid and Calvus were behind this. Manius was now faced with a difficult choice. He could march the Legion much farther east or west where there were bridges, and thereby give away his location while also losing a month in the process, or try to cross the river some other way. Manius did not want to disclose his presence in the area quite yet or lose a month finding a suitable bridge.

  Manius walked over to Tomaeus’ tent, which was a gesture of respect in itself. He could just as easily have sent for his Chief Engineer.

  Tomaeus stood up when Manius entered and said “Good afternoon Commander; I understand we have a challenge facing us.” Somehow Tomaeus already knew of the issue with the Po crossing. Tomaeus never talked about “problems.” Problems to him were challenges that simply needed a solution.

  Manius said, “I need for you to come up with a way for the Legion to safely cross the river. I will give you whatever resources you need, and Tomaeus, I need this done quickly. This is your number one priority. Drop anything else you are doing”

  Manius liked Tomaeus and trusted him to come up with a viable plan. Manius often commented to those around him that Tomaeus was a genius.

  His tria nomina [full name] was Pulvillus Tomaeus Venditus, but he preferred to use Tomaeus, his nomen [clan name] rather than Pulvillus, his praenomen [given name].

  He was 5’5”with a broad chest and muscular arms. He looked more like a handsome professional athlete than a soldier. Although he presented a serious, thoughtful demeanor, a smile and laugh lurked just below the surface. He obsessed over his job and was always working on a project, either his own personal project or one related to his job. His fellow officer liked and respected him, but, for the most part, he preferred his hand-abacus and writing instruments more than wine and conversation.

  Tomaeus, unlike Manius, came from a privileged background, but did not flaunt it. In fact, he made an effort to hide it and let his work declare his personal value. As a youth, he excelled in mathematics and the 7-stringed cithara [guitar-like] musical instrument.

  While Manius was forming the XVII, he heard about Tomaeus and his extraordinary engineering skills from another Commander who had worked with him in Spain. He learned that Tomaeus had picked up an infection in his foot and was recuperating back in Rome. Since a good engineer was vital to the success of any mission, Manius made a personal visit to enlist Tomaeus in the XVII. The visit went well from Manius’ perspective, and Tomaeus asked for a few days before making a decision.

  Since he would be working directly for the Commander, Tomaeus wanted to learn more about Manius before committing to a 30 month expedition. He was reluctant to leave his family again, but his choices were duty with the XVII, or back to Spain and the endless marching and fighting. He would leave Rome in either case. After discussing it with his wife and children, Tomaeus decided to join the XVII and Manius. Manius’ pleasant personality actually made the decision for Tomaeus. He liked Manius and felt they would work well together.

  That evening, Tomaeus met with his staff and briefed them on the bridge building task facing them. Tomaeus spent a restless night as he mulled over the many options available to him. He rejoiced when the sun finally rose and he could get the challenge “out of his head” and onto the actual work site. When he finished a quick breakfast, he gathered his staff and rode to the river. After studying the flowing water and walking the area, they developed a general idea for the river crossing. He and his staff then brainstormed his ideas, worked out the bugs, and finalized it.

  He found Manius around noon talking to Rosa and politely interrupted. He told Manius, “We have three options to get the Legion across the river.”

  Manius said, “Tomaeus, let’s go to the Operations Tent so the staff can also hear your report. When everyone was assembled and seated, Tomaeus began his presentation.

  “Yesterday, the Commander tasked the Engineers to design a method to safely cross the Legion over the Po. The site selected for fording by the cavalry is narrow, shallow, and appears able to support a river crossing by three different methods. All three require a substantial number of troops on the far side to support the effort. The reason for this,” Tomaeus explained, “is that the requirement for timber to build a bridge exceeds its availability on our side of the Po, but there is adequate timber on the far side.”

  “With adequate Legionary assistance, we can build five 20’ rafts simultaneously and ferry the Legion across. Horses on both sides would be required to pull the ferry back and forth. Because of the number of troops to be ferried including wagons and horses, it would take approximately 10 days, working day and night, to get across including the two days to build the rafts. This method of crossing is risky and not the safest.”

  “A second method is to use the same 5 20” rafts to form a pontoon bridge. The rafts would be towed into position and lashed together. Upstream suspension ropes would help stabilize the bridge. Anchors would be dropped alongside the individual rafts to help maintain their position. The entire Legion
would be able to walk or ride across. For many of the same reasons, this pontoon bridge is not the safest method particularly in view of the speed of the current and rising of the water. It would, however, be the quickest way across. I estimate we could begin crossing in four days.”

  “We recommend the building of a standard wooden pile bridge. By working day and night,” he said, “it would take about a week to build it and the Legion could begin crossing in the safest way possible. We have the resources and experience to build a proper bridge. This bridge would be permanent and not only help us, but also the surrounding tribes. That concludes my report.” He then sat down. He was pleased with himself. He had delivered a professional report and provided three options. He’d given the pros and cons of each and made his recommendation. He was now prepared to answer any questions.

  Manius and the staff discussed the three options and agreed with Tomaeus’ recommendation. Manius asked how he proposed to get the necessary timber to our side of the river. Tomaeus said we would float the logs across using suspension lines spanning the river.

  Manius liked the pile bridge concept. He told the staff to mount up and then the entire party rode from Parma with the Engineer to the proposed bridge site. It looked doable. He approved the plan. With each passing hour, the river seemed to be getting that much higher.

  Since the river was only about 100 yards wide at this point, Tomaeus knew of a quick river crossing technique to get men and material across using just ropes. He had seen it done in Spain and explained it to Manius, who told him to give it a try.