Marius' Mules IX: Pax Gallica

by Turney, S. J. A.

  Caesar’s brow rose questioningly, and Fronto shrugged. ‘My sister.’

  ‘Ah, the redoubtable younger Faleria . You are formidable , master Galronus, for I had never thought that lady to be tamed once more.’

  ‘ Tamed is the wrong word, general.’

  ‘Yes, you are correct. She is too powerful for that. Contained might be a better word. And I can see that her influence on you is no small thing, Galronus. I remember you some years ago as a cavalry commander, moustache and braids and arm rings and the whole Gallic look . And now I would not be able to pick you out of a crowd at the circus. By Jove, you have become more Roman than many of my friends!’ The general let out a laugh, which seemed to ease some of the e xhaustion in his face.

  ‘Therein lies the second part of my reason for coming, G eneral,’ Fronto mused. ‘Galronus is troubled by the social gulf between he and Faleria. While the senate is unlikely to be forthcoming with a solution, I felt that you might wish to reward the prince here for his years of faithful service in suppressing Gaul’s rebellions?’

  Galronus shot Fronto a look filled with embarrassment and shock, but the general just smiled. ‘You are as impertinent, opinionated and correct as ever, Marcus. Very well, let me lay out my situation and my requirements and we shall see if we can come to a mutually beneficial arrangement.’

  Here we go , thought Fronto. Nothing for nothing with the general, as always.

  ‘What you need, Fronto , is security for yourself, your family and your friends, and assurances that your situation will improve as soon as the opportunity presents itself, am I correct?’

  ‘That’s the meat and bones of it, yes, G eneral.’

  ‘Then here is what I propose. I will have my agents in Rome and Italia secure whatever of your holdings and possessions have not yet been clai med by the senate. That gaggle of squabbling hypocrites work slowly , and the Falerii, if I remember correctly, have quite a collection of sprawling estates. You will have lost the house in Rome and the villa in Puteoli, sadly, but there will be other estates they have not yet touched. I will have them purchased by my factors under other names and held for you, along with any possessions, so that the senate cannot take them. Moreover I will take steps to secure the ongoing sector of your businesses in Italia. Essentially I will keep your interests safe until you can resume your former position. I will even see what I can do about acquiring the Puteoli villa, as I know that means a great deal to your mother. And I will vow here and now, on the altar to Venus if you wish, that the moment I achieve the consulship in Rome, I will renounce your exile, reinstate your family name and position and return all holdings I can secure to you.’

  ‘That is quite acceptable, Caesar. We must just hope that the consulship does not elude you, then.’

  ‘Worry not, Fronto. I will have my consulship one way or another. And I am content that I can do so without drawing Roman blood in the process. It is a matter of frightening the opposition – of being willing to go that step further if need be and making sure they know that. No, I will be consul next year and in Rome, be certain of that. And with it the Falerii will rise once more. Does that meet your requirements.’

  And there was something about the matter - of - fact way the general made the statement that convinced Fronto of the truth of it. Caesar would be consul in Rome. He was sure. That it would happen without the drawing of blood was another matter.

  ‘Perfectly, General.’

  ‘And so to master Galronus. Your life would be easier if you were to share some level of equality with Faleria. It would not be within my power, even as a consul, to induct the Remi royal line into the p atrician class . However, I can bring you close enough that the divide is crossable. Serve me one more time, and in return I will bestow upon you and upon your family Roman citizenship. After that unpleasant business with Comum’s citizens last year no one will dare try to overturn a similar grant. They would open themselves to public derision, s o you can be sure that your citizenship will be r atified in due course. Moreover I will, upon my return to Rome, grant you the equus publicus , making you one of the e questrian class. I will see to it that you have the right to sit in the senate. I n order to qualify for the equites, you must meet the fina ncial and property requirements and while I am certain that as a prince of the Remi you can meet the former, I will have estates passed to you so that you satisfy the latter. As one of the equestrian order you will be close enough socially to court the lady Faleria even in the most stuffy of circles. Especially as a senator.’

  ‘And Caesar get s a grateful ally in the senate,’ noted Fronto with a sly smile.

  The general shrugged. ‘A mutually beneficial situation. In fact it might be an idea to follow suit with a number of the more loyal Gallic and Belgic royalty. A man can never have too many allies, after all.’

  ‘Now tell us the cost,’ Fronto said, pursing his lips. ‘Labienus was coy and evasive, b ut he did mention Aquitania.’

  Caesar smiled. ‘ Yes. Aquitania. It seems interesting to me that we have spent eight years moving back and forth among the lands of the Gauls and the Belgae, but have had precious few dealings with the Aquitanii. Crassus claimed a victorious campaign there, though in truth he only really dealt with the low-lying tribes and found them to be very similar to their Gallic neighbours , as you will remember, Galronus, since you were with him . But last autumn I toured that region and I found that the true Aquitanii in the valleys and mountain passes of the Pyrenaei are somewhat different. They remind me more of the tribes of northern Hispania that we used to encounter in the old days, Marcus , though more hirsute .’

  Fronto’s expression became at once both wistful and dark. He had many happy memories of their time in Hispania, but recent dealings with Faleria and Galronus had stirred the ache of old wounds and now he could no longer quite manage nostalgia when he thought of the place. Hopefully tha t would fade with the union of h is friend and his sister , laying ancient ghosts to rest .

  ‘Anyway, ’ the general went on, stepping to one side to reveal the bottom left corner of the huge map on the wall, which covered Aquitania, the Pyrenaei mountains, and much of north-eastern Hispania. ‘On my visit, I made assurances to a number of tribes and took their oaths of allegiance to Rome. I had altars set up at all the tribal centres to remind them constantly of their oath, but I also sent men to help build aqueducts, cisterns, roads and so on, to remind them of the benefits, as well as traders, many of whom went of their own accord. The Pax Gallica has been in place in Aquitania now for some time.’

  ‘I foresee a “but” coming here, yes?’

  Caesar nodded. ‘ The Aquitanii have not lived up to their end of the bargains we struck. Either taxes or payment in goods were agreed with each tribe , and while we saw minor, sporadic appearances of such for a while, nothing has been forthcoming for months . They have reneged on their promises as a region entire . Moreover, it seems that Roman merchants who have moved into the passes have disappeared. That, of course, is not unusual in barbaric places, but so too have small parties of legionary workers and engineers, and that I cannot overlook. The commander of the Lapurda garrison beseeches me for aid. Clearly the Aquitanii are flagrantly defying the peace to which they so recently agreed. I fear the tribes there need to be reminded of their commitment, their oath and , most importantly , the supremacy of the R oman military. Do you follow me? ’

  Fronto nodded. ‘You want to send an army to stand on the toes of the mountain chiefs while you poke them in the eye. And I presume you wish me to take that army.’

  ‘Indeed, Marcus. Succinctly put. I had marked down Quadratus for the task, but illness has rather laid him low. He is constantly in a sweat and his face is the colour of goat’s cheese. And then, as if winged Fortuna herself had flown over the camp and dropped the answer in my lap, here you both are: one of my most successful and ingenious officers, who has a good working knowledge of both the Gallic and Hispanic tribes and with at least a passing familiarity of the region , and a Remi pri
nce who was with Crassus when he crushed them the first time . All rather neat, wouldn’t you say?’

  Fronto nodded, his mind racing ahead. A largely unknown expanse of mountains , untamed tribes, a simple situation with an enemy facing you across a battlefield rather than enemies wrapped in togas who used pens and scrolls to fight you? Something deep in his blood stirred, and he realised he was grinning.

  ‘Sounds perfect, in fact.’

  ‘I kne w you’d approve, Marcus. If I am to return to Rome in due course , I will need every morsel of support I can muster, and the favour of the public and the lower ranks of public office tend to be swayed by pomp and military victory. If I can say without fear of argument that Gaul is at peace, I will gain extra support. ’

  ‘What force were you planning?’ Fronto mused. ‘Just a single legion, I presume? Any more will become too cumbersome to move fast and efficiently in mountainous terrain. We discovered that two years ago crossing the Cevenna mountains against Vercingetorix.’

  ‘My thoughts precisely.’

  ‘And auxilia , General ?’ Galronus put in. ‘Any cavalry or missile units?’

  ‘I have had a mixed unit of slingers and archers three hundred strong prepared. Their commander is on their way from Vesontio as we speak. Cavalry-wise, I thought the standard ala attached to a legion would be adequate. Quadratus is a very able cavalry officer and was to lead the horse himself but in his absence, and g iven the fact that Fronto has fallen off more horses than he’s stayed on, you Galronus would be the logical choice to command the cavalry.’

  ‘Would regulars be willing to take commands from the Remi?’ Galronus asked seriously. ‘ My experience with them suggests otherwise – they are a haughty and arrogant bunch.’

  ‘You may be Remi,’ Caesar smiled, ‘but I will inform them that you are a member of the equestrian order in Rome. That should forestall any problems.’

  Fronto nodded. ‘What legion? ’

  The Tenth. Please let it be the Tenth …

  ‘Therein lies the most interesting part, Marcus,’ Caesar said with a knowing smile that made Fronto ’s nerve s twang .

  ‘What?’

  ‘Part of the plan to settle the region is to put down any trouble. Another part is to garrison the area. I intended to settle veterans in colonies among their lands to keep the region stable and under control. ’

  ‘Veterans?’

  ‘Indeed. I have had Labienus hard at work forming a single legion from all those men and officers who have reached the end of their term of service or are close to doing so. Every man in the legion prepared for the task is ready to retire. As you move through the region and work your wonders with its populace, you will leave small colonies of veterans behind you. I shall leave the specific details to you, of course, but you know the drill. And there will be a substantial train of pack animals to come with you bearing all the money and goods you need to settle the veterans, as well as the military diplomas for each man, which are currently being prepared. You will need a good clerk with you to confirm and detail each one in due course.’

  As the general had detail ed his plan, Fronto’s eyes had widened and he was staring at Caesar in disbelief. When the general finally fell silent, Fronto coughed.

  ‘You want me to march up into mountains controlled by rebel tribes with a legion of creaky old men and help them set up house along the way?’

  ‘Oh you do have a way with words, Marcus. I n essence you are correct, yes. Remember, though, that these “creaky old men” to whom you refer are well-trained and experienced combat veterans, and mostly, frankly, the same age as you or I.’

  ‘And that should be adequate warning, Caesar, since I can’t lift myself out of a chair these days without a bunch of creaks and groans.’

  The general chuckled. ‘The legion, which has no number, for it is in tru th just a temporary vexillation formed from eleven different legions, is encamped a few hours’ ride from here at Samarobriva. They are currently in training in the camp of the Twelfth , since they are formed from many units and need some time to begin working together as a single unit. And it will be a week or two before they are prepared to move, since we are waiting for all the goods, money and diplomas to be made ready and the unit of missile troops is still awaiting its commander and a half hundred men from Vesontio. Cretans under a prefect named Decius.’

  A wide smile slowly blossomed on Fronto’s face . Decius. The man he had fought alongside at Bibrax and who had crossed the Rhenus with him. Well that, at least, was a comfort.

  ‘Decius is commanding the archers and slingers?’

  ‘He is. Of course, you two know each other. This will be Decius’ last season . I am not sure whether he intends to settle with the legions or return to Rome , but h e has accepted a diploma this year . That is his choice. If you want all the details of the officers assigned to the legion, you can get the records from the camp prefect. In fact, I highly recommend you give him a visit. His office is across the hall.’

  Fronto frowned. ‘Very well. I think we have a deal, Caesar. I will see to your Aquitanian problem, and you see to my Roman one in due course. Galronus?’

  The Remi turned a strange smile on him. ‘A good exchange, I think.’

  Fronto straightened with a content ed sigh. Perhaps his specific command was not the one he would have chosen, but it felt good to be among the army once more and being pointed at an enemy and told to attack . The world became much simpler in these circumstances. And whoever else he might get saddled with, he would have overall authority, with Galronus and Decius as his seconds. It could be far worse.

  ‘Very well, Caesar. I shall return once I have acquainted myself with the officers, and then we can discuss the intricate details. For now, I shall go see the camp prefect, then take a ride to have a look at this mobile cemetery I shall be commanding.’

  Caesar snorted a laugh, and Fronto turned with Galronus and strode out of the room , closing the door behind them .

  ‘What do you think?’ Galronus muttered.

  ‘It’s a barking mad plan, full of holes and trouble, but l ike most of the general’s plans I can see no distinctive reason it wouldn’t work if we play everything right. A lot of our success will be down to the officers, I think, since they are such a disparate lot. I’m dying to meet them, as they’ll make or break the campaign. I think it’s too late in the day now to ride for Samarobriva. Let’s go in the morning, and we’ll take the others, since they’ll have to be recognised as my adjutants by the legion’s officers. I’ll have to have someone polish my armour tonight, and you should wear a good mail shirt and a new tunic. Let’s show them how impressively Roman and military we can be. But first let’s get their names and details.’

  Galronus nodded his agreem ent, and the pair crossed the hall to the camp prefect’s office, rapping smartly on the door.

  ‘Come,’ called a muffled voice.

  Fronto pushed open the door and stopped in the entrance, his jaw dropping in astonishment.

  ‘ Carbo? ’

  * * *

  Fronto reached for the wine jug and poured himself a generous cupful, cutting it with two parts water.

  ‘You were in this Uxellodunum the whole time? Ever since Gergovia?’

  ‘Not quite. I spent some time with other prisoners in Gergovia itself. There were quite a few of us at the beginning, but the ranks thinned out over time, and we were few by the time we were moved to Uxellodunum. I was out of it for a while. I took a bad blow to the head when I fell at Gergovia, and it was a few weeks before I was near my old self. Then, of course, I started a decline . Atenos found me just in time, I think. I wouldn’t have lasted much longer.’

  ‘You were strong as a horse,’ Atenos snorted from his cushion on the floor of the room.

  ‘Liar. I was little more than a skeleton in rags. Still got poor muscles now, even half a year later . Caesar ’ s expecting me to return to active service at some point, I think, but he’s content to let me run the camp for now, a n
d I’m rather enjoying the feeling of power over all these centurions and tribunes. There’s something immensely satisfying about having senior officers come crawling deferentially because they want something. ’

  He laughed, and the others in the room echoed the sound.

  ‘Though I sort of wish I was going with you, Fronto. I’d not be much use, of course, but it would be nice to be back in action with you and Galronus.’

  ‘Same here,’ grunted Atenos, ‘but even if there was a place for me, I don’t think our current commander, who’s a bit of a knob if I’m honest, would let me go.’

  Fronto leaned forward, sipping his wine, then peering intently at Carbo. ‘So what can you tell me about my officers?’

  ‘I’ve given you all the records.’

  ‘Yes but what are they like . You must know some of them?’

  ‘A few, mostly by reputation. Only three I know well, because they were drawn from the units stationed here. Your second most senior centurion is a man called Arruntius. Gaius Arruntius Piso. He’s also one of your oldest at s ixty three. He’s been through three terms of service and is only stepping down this year because he says his fingers are starting to tighten and ache in cold weather, so he worries about holding a sword or vine staff.’

  ‘Wonderful. The crumbly led by the decrepit.’

  ‘Don’t be fooled, Fronto. Arruntius would give any young soldier in the army a run for his money in the ring. He’s a hard bastard. And a mad one. Has a habit of being the first one over a wall.’

  ‘Fair enough.’

  ‘And there’s Terpulo. Lucius Terpulo. He’s a character. A proper character. You’ll either love him or hate him. Whichever it is, don’t get into a conversation about bodily functions with the man. He can fart on command and it always reeks.’

  ‘You’re painting a great picture of my new command, Carbo.’

  ‘Then you’ll love Bassus. Gaius Acilius Bassus. He’s a pretty bugger. Only got one ear, the most broken nose you’ve ever seen, one milky eye, missing two fingers , and a jaw that doesn’t line up with his face. His men call him Pulcher, coz he’s so beautiful. Good officer, though, for all he makes your eyes water to look at.’