by Ben Kane
It was too soon to sound the charge. As many riders as possible had to come into the copse where the trees would ensnare them. With every passing moment, though, the risk of being discovered grew. Fabricius’ stomach clenched painfully, but he did not stir. By the time two-thirds of the horsemen had ridden in, he saw that his men were on the verge of breaking ranks. He could no longer take the pressure either. ‘Charge!’ he shouted, urging his horse down the slope. ‘For Rome!’ Bellowing with excitement, 250 cavalry followed. An instant later, Clearchus and his Massiliotes emerged from the other side of the track, screaming at the top of their lungs.
Fabricius revelled in the look of stunned disbelief on the Numidians’ faces. It was their job to ambush and fall on an unsuspecting enemy, not the other way around. Surprised, outnumbered and with the advantage of height against them, they instantly wheeled their mounts’ heads and tried to flee. Within the space of a dozen heartbeats, total confusion reigned. Although some of those at the rear were already riding away, the vast majority were trapped by the trees. Horses reared in panic; men shouted contradictory orders at each other. Only an occasional rider prepared to fight. All the rest wanted to do was escape. Fabricius bared his teeth exultantly. They had ridden within thirty paces of the enemy without suffering a single casualty, and things were about to get even better. For all their horsemanship and skirmishing skill, the tribesmen were poor at close combat. ‘Ready spears,’ Fabricius yelled. ‘Kill as many as you can!’
With an inarticulate roar, his men obeyed.
* * *
Casting fearful looks over their shoulders, the surviving Numidians fled for their lives. Eyeing the bodies littering the ground, Fabricius estimated that more than a hundred of their number had been slain or injured in the initial ambush. The Roman and Massiliote casualties were perhaps half that number. Given the circumstances, this was more than satisfactory. Catching sight of Clearchus, Fabricius beckoned him urgently. ‘We’ve got to follow them,’ he said. ‘Stick tight to their tails, or there’ll be no chance to assess Hannibal’s forces.’
Clearchus nodded. ‘The wounded, sir?’
‘They can fend for themselves. We’ll pick them up on the way back.’
‘Very good, sir.’ The Massiliote turned to relay the order.
‘Clearchus?’
‘Sir?’
‘I want no further engagement with the enemy. A running battle could easily lead to disaster, especially if we encounter more Carthaginian forces. Our mission is more important now than killing a few more Numidians. Understood?’
Clearchus’ teeth flashed in the sunshine. ‘Of course, sir. Publius is waiting for us.’
Soon all the able-bodied men had formed up and were ready to ride. Without a backward glance, Fabricius and Clearchus led them after the Numidians. This time, there was no advance party. They rode at top speed, four abreast, knowing that the chance of an attack from the panicked enemy riders was slim to none. It wasn’t long before they glimpsed the last of the tribesmen, who screamed in dismay. At once Fabricius ordered his men to slow down. He was relieved when his command was obeyed without question. Poor discipline was too often the reason for battles being lost.
They followed the Numidians along the winding track for perhaps five miles. The flat terrain and the well-beaten track made the pursuit easy. Fabricius had no idea how far the Rhodanus was, but Clearchus reached him as they neared a low, stone-topped hill that stood alone, dominating the surrounding wooded area.
‘The river is on the other side of that, sir.’
Immediately, Fabricius held up his hand. ‘Halt!’ As his order was obeyed, he fixed the Massiliote with his stare. ‘Let’s go up. Just you and me.’
Clearchus looked startled. ‘Are you sure, sir? There could be enemy pickets at its crest.’
‘They’ll be running after the Numidians!’ Fabricius replied confidently. ‘And when we come leathering back down here, I want everyone ready to ride, not bunched up on a narrow path.’
Clearchus blinked; then a mischievous smile twitched across his lips. ‘I suppose two men against an entire host are as good as a few hundred.’
With a fierce grin, Fabricius slapped his thigh. ‘That’s the attitude.’ He turned to the nearest of his decurions. ‘Rest the men. We’re going to take a look at what’s on the other side of the hill. I want you ready to leave at a moment’s notice.’
‘Yes, sir!’
Fabricius led the way up the path. He was surprised to find himself feeling more nervous than he had in years. He would never have expected to be the first Roman to set eyes on Hannibal’s army. Yet here he was.
Nearing the crest, they found evidence of a sentry post: a stone fireplace full of smoking ash, and bedding rolls, which still bore the imprint of those who’d been sitting on them. They dismounted and tethered their horses before clambering to the peak. Instinctively, Fabricius went down on his belly. The first thing that caught his attention as he peered over the edge was the mob of yelling Numidians driving their horses down the slope. Behind them were a dozen or more running figures: the sentries from the abandoned picket. Fabricius’ lips peeled up in a snarl of satisfaction, but as he took in the scene beyond, his mouth fell open in wonder.
In the middle distance glittered the wide band that was the River Rhodanus. Perhaps a hundred paces from the water’s edge, the enemy tent lines began. They stretched as far as the eye could see. Fabricius was used to legionary camps that could hold 5,000 men, or even 10,000. What lay before him was much less organised, but far larger. It was more than twice as large as a consular army, which was made up of approximately 20,000 men. ‘You weren’t exaggerating. This host is immense!’ he muttered to Clearchus. ‘Publius should have moved on your intelligence. We’d have caught the bastards napping.’
The Massiliote looked pleased.
Fabricius scanned the encampment, mentally noting everything he saw. Hannibal had superior numbers of horsemen compared to an equivalent Roman force, which worried him. Few things were more important than the quantity of horse at one’s disposal. There were the usual Carthaginian stalwarts: Libyan spearmen and skirmishers, Balearic slingers and Numidian and Iberian cavalry. Most plentiful of all were the infantry, the majority of which were scutarii and caetrati. And last but not least, there were the elephants: the battering rams that had so terrified Roman armies in the past. Perhaps twenty of the massive beasts were already on the near bank. ‘Gods,’ Fabricius whispered in amazement. ‘How in the name of Jupiter did they get them over the river?’
Clearchus touched his arm and pointed. ‘On those.’
Fabricius peered at the two massive wooden rafts being pulled back to the far side by rowing boats. There, he could see a dozen or more elephants waiting to be ferried across. Before them, an enormous jetty formed by a double line of square platforms projected some sixty paces out into the fast-flowing water. Dozens of ropes and cables secured the makeshift affair to trees upriver from the pier. He shook his head at the scale of the engineering that had gone into the pier’s construction. ‘I’ve heard that elephants are intelligent creatures. Surely they wouldn’t just walk on to a floating square of wood?’
Clearchus squinted into the bright light. ‘I can see a layer of earth all along the walkway. Maybe it’s meant to look like dry land?’
‘Clever bastards. So they lead their charges to the end of the jetty, and on to the rafts. Then they cut them free and row across the river.’ Rapt, Fabricius watched as, encouraged by its mahout, an elephant was slowly led down the walkway. Even from a distance, it was clear that the creature was not happy. Bugles of distress blared out again and again. It had only walked a third of the jetty’s length before it stopped dead in its tracks. In an effort to make the elephant continue, a group of men behind it began shouting and playing drums and cymbals. However, instead of continuing to the raft, which was now tethered to the end of the pier, the creature jumped into the water. There was a wail from its unfortunate mahout as he disappeared fr
om sight, and Fabricius closed his eyes. What a way to die, he thought. When he looked up, the elephant was swimming strongly across the river. Fabricius was engrossed. He had never seen such an incredible sight before.
Suddenly, Clearchus tugged at his arm. ‘The Numidians have raised the alarm, sir.’
At the edge of the camp, Fabricius could see the tribesmen milling around. Many were pointing at the hill and beyond. Faint shouts of anger carried through the air, and he smiled mirthlessly. ‘Time to go. Publius will want to hear the news. Good, and bad.’
Fabricius was delighted by Publius’ instantaneous response to his dramatic news. The consul was not afraid of confrontation. Ordering the heavy baggage to be loaded on to the quinqueremes for safety, Publius led the army north as soon as was humanly possible. Nonetheless, it was three full days before the legions and their allies arrived at the point where the Carthaginians had crossed the river. It was a huge disappointment to find the vast encampment abandoned. As the Roman officers picked their way across the remnants of thousands of campfires, the only life to be seen were the skulking forms of jackals looking for scraps, and the countless birds of prey that hovered overhead for similar reasons.
Hannibal had gone. North, to avoid a battle.
Publius had difficulty concealing his amazement. ‘Who would have thought it?’ he muttered. ‘He is heading for the Alps, and thence to Cisalpine Gaul.’
Fabricius was still astonished too. He knew no one who had even contemplated that Hannibal would pursue such a plan. Stunning in its simplicity, it had taken them all completely unawares. It was lucky chance that had them standing here today. Now Publius faced a hard choice. What was the best thing to do?
The consul immediately convened a meeting of his senior officers on the riverbank. As well as Gnaeus, his legatus, there were twelve tribunes present, six for each regular legion. Following tradition, alternate legions had three senior tribunes, men who had served for more than ten years, while the others had two. The junior tribunes needed only to have seen five years’ service. It was a mark of the times, and of the influence of the Minucii, that Flaccus, who had no military experience, should be accorded even the lower rank of junior tribune. As the patrol leader, Fabricius was also present. He felt distinctly nervous in the presence of so many senior officers.
‘We are faced with four choices, all of them difficult,’ Publius began. ‘To pursue Hannibal and force him to fight, or to withdraw to the coast and return with the whole army to Cisalpine Gaul. The third option would be merely to send word to the Senate of Hannibal’s intentions, before continuing as charged to Iberia. Or … I could bring the news to Rome myself while Gnaeus takes the legions west.’ He scanned his officers’ faces, waiting for a response.
Fabricius thought that either the second or fourth options were the best, but he certainly wasn’t going to say anything before any of his superiors did. As the silence lengthened, it appeared that none of them were prepared to speak up either. Fabricius fumed. This was one of the most pivotal moments in Roman history, and no one wanted to say the wrong thing. That is, he realised, apart from one. Flaccus was shifting from foot to foot like a man possessed. Fabricius struggled to master his exasperation. Probably all that kept Flaccus’ mouth shut was the desire not to breach military protocol by speaking out of turn, before the five senior tribunes.
Eventually, Publius grew impatient. ‘Come now,’ he said. ‘Let us be frank. You may speak without fear of retribution. I want your honest opinions.’
Gnaeus cleared his throat. ‘In theory, Hannibal should be confronted immediately. However, I wonder if it would be the right thing to do?’
‘We know that his forces outnumber ours by at least two to one, sir,’ added a senior tribune quickly. ‘And if we suffered a setback, or even a defeat, what then? Massilia’s defences aren’t up to withstanding a siege. All of the other legions are occupied on other duties, either in Cisalpine Gaul, or in Sicily with Consul Longus. We have no support to call on.’
Sensible words, thought Fabricius. He was surprised to see Flaccus’ face grow red with indignation.
Another senior tribune, an older man than the rest, stepped into view. ‘Is the enemy’s strength so important, sir?’ he demanded angrily. ‘Our legionaries are the finest soldiers in the world! They are used to winning victories against vastly superior numbers, and have done so against Carthaginian armies in the past. Why should they not do the same against this … Hannibal?’ He filled the last word with contempt. ‘I say we follow him, and stamp on the gugga serpent before it slides into Cisalpine Gaul and prepares to bite us in the heel.’
It was difficult to respond to the tribune’s fierce words without seeming unpatriotic, and the first speakers sealed their lips. Even Gnaeus looked unsure. Naturally, Flaccus beamed and nodded in agreement, turning to his fellow junior tribunes for support. Cupping his chin with one hand, Publius gazed at the nearby fast-flowing water. Everyone waited for his response.
Roman soldiers are indeed without equal, thought Fabricius, but the Carthaginian forces who had left this camp were led by a man who, in less than a year, had conquered large areas of Iberia, passed through the mountains into Gaul and, despite fierce opposition, successfully crossed an enormous river, elephants included. Chasing after Hannibal could prove disastrous.
Publius held his counsel for an age. At length, he looked up. ‘It seems to me that pursuing a larger enemy force into unknown territory would be most unwise. As some have already said, we are alone here apart from our Massiliote allies, who do not number more than a few thousand. We must reconcile ourselves to the fact that the Carthaginians will enter Cisalpine Gaul within the next two months.’ Ignoring the shocked gasps this comment produced, Publius continued, ‘Let us also not forget where Hannibal’s main base is. If his access to that is cut off, his chance of supplies and reinforcements will be greatly reduced. With this in mind, I propose to hand the command of the consular army to my brother, and for him to lead it to Iberia.’ Publius acknowledged Gnaeus’ accepting bow. ‘I myself will return to Italy with all speed. I intend to be waiting for Hannibal when he makes his descent from the Alps. In this way both our problems will have been addressed, the gods willing.’
Publius’ decisive manner was good enough for most of the tribunes, who muttered in agreement. Only the older man and Flaccus seemed unhappy. The former was experienced enough to know when to keep quiet, but the latter was not. Ignoring Fabricius’ warning look, Flaccus started forward. ‘Think again, sir! Hannibal may win many allies among the discontented tribes in Cisalpine Gaul. The next time you meet his army, it could be far bigger.’
Publius’ eyebrows rose at Flaccus’ temerity. ‘Is that so?’ he said icily.
Fabricius was impressed by his future son-in-law’s insight, but it was time to shut up. Angering a consul was not an intelligent thing to do. Again, however, Flaccus ignored his pointed stare.
‘It is, sir! For the honour of Rome, you must follow Hannibal and defeat him. Think of the shame of a foreign enemy, especially a Carthaginian one, setting his foot on Italian soil.’ Seeing his fellow officers’ horrified expressions, Flaccus faltered. Then he looked for support. Finding none among his compatriots, his gaze finally fell on Fabricius. ‘You agree with me, don’t you?’
Suddenly, Fabricius was the centre of attention. He did not know what to say. Agreeing would make him party to Flaccus’ insult to the consul. Refusing to agree would, in effect, renege on the newly founded alliance between his family and the Minucii. Both choices seemed as bad as the other.
To his intense relief, Publius leaped in. ‘At first I thought you courageous for speaking your mind. Now I see that it was your arrogance. How dare you speak of Rome’s honour when you have never drawn a sword in her defence? The only one here who has not, I might add.’ As Flaccus’ cheeks flushed crimson, Publius continued. ‘Just so you know, I too hate the idea of an enemy on Roman soil. Yet there is no shame in waiting to face an opponent on the best ter
ms possible, and in Cisalpine Gaul we shall have the entire Republic’s resources behind us.’
‘I’m sorry, sir,’ Flaccus muttered. ‘I spoke out of turn.’
Publius did not acknowledge the apology. ‘Next time you place your foot in your mouth, do not try to redeem yourself by asking a junior officer such as Fabricius to disagree with a consul. That is a shameful act.’ He stalked off with Gnaeus. The other tribunes fell to talking among themselves. They pointedly ignored Flaccus.
Fortunately, Flaccus’ outrage was so great that he assumed Fabricius was of the same opinion as he. Complaining bitterly about the public humiliation he had just suffered, he accompanied Fabricius back to the legions. For his part, Fabricius was content to remain silent. He had dismissed Atia’s concerns out of hand before, but Flaccus’ rash action revealed monstrous arrogance, but also a worrying lack of awareness. What else was he capable of?
Chapter XV: The Alps
HUNCHING HIS SHOULDERS against the early-morning chill, Bostar emerged from his tent. He gazed in awe at the towering mountains that reared up before him. The range stretched from north to south above the fertile plain, and occupied the entire eastern horizon. A dense network of pine trees covered the lower slopes, concealing any potential routes of ascent. The sky was clear, but the jagged peaks above were hidden yet by shrouds of grey cloud. Despite this, they were a magnificent sight.
‘Lovely to look at, eh?’
Bostar jumped. Not many of the soldiers were stirring, but it was no surprise that his father was already up. ‘They are incredible, yes.’
‘And we’ve got to cross them.’ Malchus grimaced. ‘Our passage of the River Rhodanus seems trivial now, doesn’t it?’