Legio XVII: Battle of Zama

by Thomas A. Timmes

  Dindar invited Aze and Lugius to ride to the wall with him to see what they faced. Careful to keep away from the tree line, he showed them the fortified islands, the river, the mound in front of the wall, and the wall with its towers. Of course, they were oblivious to the ditch on the other side of the mound, and that the Romans and Raeti avoided being seen on the rampart.

  Back at his camp, Dindar had his cavalry commander describe what they found when they rode south along the river. They emphasized the absence of suitable fording sites and bridges. When he completed his briefing, Dindar told Sali to present his idea for attacking the wall. Sali led the group outside where he had drawn the features he planned to discuss in the dirt allowing him the ability to point to ensure they were properly oriented. He had prepared and rehearsed his presentation many times earlier with Malush, Landi, and his other Commanders. He desperately wanted his plan approved, so he would get the credit when the Cenomani were successfully defeated. He went slowly, repeated himself, and frequently summarized until he was sure they understood what he was saying. When he finished, Aze and Lugius asked a few question, and were satisfied that they understood Sali’s plan.

  After Sali, Dindar introduced Vendim who gave his pitch. It was not as polished as Sali’s, but his message was clear enough. He wanted 10,000 men to break a defensive position at the top of the lake, and then he would conduct a night attack against the west side of the enemy position.

  While these talks were underway, the Taurisci, Boii/Eravisci Army set up six circular camps on the north side of the road in sight of the islands.

  Lugius commanded the largest of the three groups with his 20,000 Boii/Eravisci army and was appointed the overall Commander for further operations. He would be responsible for making all the decisions. Aze wanted the job, but quietly acquiesced. Dindar was viewed by the two as a failure and would have little say in the conduct of future offensive action.

  As the meeting was breaking up, Lugius told Dindar, “Send Sali and Vendim to my Headquarters this evening at 6:00 P.M. I want them to brief my Commanders on their plans.”

  Lugius rode back to his camp and took his Commanders on a riding tour of the battlefield, after which they then ate dinner together and talked about the Cenomani defense. Following the meal, Sali and Vendim arrived and were introduced by Lugius. Sali took the group outside and explained his plan. When he finished, he felt that he had won over his audience. Then Vendim explained his need for 10,000 troops and his idea for a night attack on the rear of the Cenomani position. Lugius thanked them for the briefings, and they departed.

  After they left the camp, Lugius said, “I would like to give Vendim 5,000 Taurisci. I think his idea has merit. A night attack will certainly cause mass confusion and divert troops away from the main attack. The other 5,000 men that he wants can come from the Illyrians. They still have 10,000 men sitting in their camps. Unless anyone has any comments, I will inform Dindar that I will give him 5,000 men to help Vendim, but they must all be returned as soon as they complete their mission. I assume Dindar will insist that Vendim command the operations. He can do that, but our men will come back here as soon as the enemy position falls.

  Lugius continued, “I also like Sali’s attack proposal. We’ll have to reorganize our commands to fit his idea, but the plan makes sense. We will need to practice the separate attacks to get the sequence right and practice doing it at night. What do you Commanders think about his attack plan?”

  No one had any substantive objections, and they immediately began identifying supporting tasks. One man stated, “We need to start constructing ladders. I estimate the walls are over 15 feet high.”

  “You’re assuming that there is no ditch in the front of the wall,” admonished another. “Maybe there is, and maybe there isn’t. To be safe, I think the ladders should be at least 30 feet high.”

  “I like that!” approved Lugius. “The mound of dirt is obscuring our view, and there could easily be a ditch in front of that wall. Let’s build extra ladders so the men can use them to get over the ditch if there is one. If not, we can still use them on the wall. Dindar said that his men are building the five rafts. I’ll make sure that it’s his men that scamper over them and not ours.”

  “Now let’s look at when the attack might happen. I’ll tell Dindar tomorrow that we will each contribute 5,000 men to help Vendim. If the 10,000 men leave here the following day, they should reach the top of the lake on the 15th and attack the enemy position on the 16th. I will give him four more days to get around the lake before he attacks. That’s the 20th.”

  “Based on how long it took us to march from the top of the lake to here, I think your timing is correct,” agreed one of the Commanders. “I would stage our forces for an attack on the 20th, but if Vendim does not attack on the 20th, I would send the men back to camp and try again on the 21st. If he fails to attack then, I think we should attack without him. I also agree that Dindar’s men should run across the rafts, and tell him to put his remaining 4,000 men in position to storm the island if that attack succeeds. If not, then the 4,000 should come over and support our men attacking the north gate closest to the river. We will use 1,000 of Dindar’s men to create the diversion on the southernmost portion of the wall, 10,000 to go against the center gate, and 20,000 to hit the north gate. If Dindar’s 4,000 men by the island join us, that’s well and good, but we will be in control of the wall.”

  “You’re making a good point,” another Commander chimed in. “Our three tribes have built a strong bond of friendship and cooperation during the long march here, and particularly during the attack on Bad Tolz. I would hate to see that unity disrupted with the introduction of an Illyrian element. The more we can keep our army together and away from them, the better.”

  “Agreed,” said Lugius. “Tomorrow, I will tell Dindar of our decisions and the timetable for the attack.”

  *******

  As soon as Andreas was told that the Northern mercenary army was approaching Trento, he gathered up his escort and informed Manius that he was leaving to talk to Bethica. He knew that by the time he reached Trento, they would be long gone. Earlier, Manius told Andreas to ride to Innsbruck when the way was clear to find out the extent of the damage caused by the invaders, and to try to convince Bethica to send more troops to fight the mercenaries.

  Andreas knew that a sizeable Illyrian army was forming up to go to the northern end of the lake, but found out from the Raeti and Cenomani that there was a trail to the west of the lake that bypassed the cliffs and eventually went to Trento. He left on July 4th and arrived at Innsbruck on the 11th. He met with the Queen and the Council, and was told about the massacre at Bad Tolz and the damage sustained throughout the Valley by the looting and arson. He was pleased though to hear that the evacuation plan for Innsbruck worked relatively smoothly and that the people were safe. He offered his sympathy for the people at Bad Tolz.

  Andreas then briefed the Suevi Council on all that had occurred at the wall and the impending arrival of 30,000 mercenaries from Ptuj and Posonium. He again made an impassioned plea for Suevi troop to help stop the mercenaries. He suggested that if they decided to send troops that they should come around the west side of the lake and approach the fort from the west since the enemy controlled the eastern side of the Mincio River.

  This time, the Queen and the Council were more receptive to the idea. They had seen what the mercenaries were capable of and did not want them returning to Innsbruck. The image of the atrocities committed at Bad Tolz was uppermost in everyone’s mind. No one said it, but revenge played a part in their decision. One by one, the Councilmen agreed to send the Army. The “Andreas,” said Queen Bethica, “you may tell the Praetor that the Suevi will send our remaining 15,000 men to help defeat the mercenaries. We will leave in two days and should arrive at the northern end of the lake on the 22nd.”

  Andreas sped off the same day. When he reached Trento, he turned west to avoid the mercenaries by the top of the lake and came face to face wit
h King Timo’s cavalry. They recognized each other and stopped to talk. Andreas learned that the King and his people were well. He heard that the mercenaries made a half-hearted attempt to follow them, but were ambushed and gave it up. Timo’s cavalry was there to assess the damage and report back. They told Andreas that the King’s Residence showed some evidence of fire damage, but that it was minimal. Many smaller huts and buildings though had been burned down.

  Andreas told the Detachment Commander what was happening at the wall, and the fact that Bethica was sending her remaining 15,000 troops to support the effort. He also passed on the awful news of the slaughter at Bad Tolz. All this information eventually reached the King and his Advisors. Timo, therefore, decided to wait a while longer before bringing the people back to Trento and the surrounding area.

  To save time, Andreas opted to travel down the main road from Trento and turn east on the road leading to the top of the lake. It was July 14th. As Andreas approached the northern part of the lake, he and his escort could see an enemy encampment of about 5,000 men. They quickly rode back north and found the trail heading west. It led them to the trail they had used earlier. They rode hard and reached the fort on July 17th. The horses and men were exhausted.

  Andreas went directly to Manius’ tent. “Andreas, you look worn out. You must have ridden nonstop. Quickly, give me your report, and then go eat and lay down.”

  “Sir, the mercenaries devastated the Inn River Valley and slaughtered 50,000 Suevi, mostly civilians, at Bad Tolz. The people there had decided to stay at the fort, and the Queen sent 10,000 Suevi Auxiliaries to help in its defense if the mercenaries came their way. No one expected they would. Apparently, the evacuation of the people and farm animals out of the valley left the mercenaries with nothing to eat, and Bad Tolz looked like easy pickings. Sir, the good news is that the Queen and Council decided to send their15,000 man Army to help us. She expects them to arrive on July 22. I told her to come around the west side of the lake to join us since the enemy occupies the other side.”

  “Good report, Andreas. That’s excellent news, and thank you for your effort. Now get some rest!”

  *******

  Lugius was surprised that Dindar did not object to sending 5,000 of his men to help Vendim along with 5,000 of his Taurisci. Lugius could sense that Dindar had lost his confidence and could be easily led. So he said, “We have approved Sali’s attack plan. We would like the Illyrians to take charge of the rafts and attack on the island. If it fails, send the remaining 4,000 men to the north gate. I want to begin practicing the attack today. I will move my men back a few miles towards Verona to conduct rehearsals, but have them return to their camps in the evening. We have eight days to prepare, which should be more than enough. I will tell Vendim to start his attack at 2:00 A.M. on the 20th. I plan to put our two armies in their attack position about 400 yards back from the river. If Vendim attacks on the 20th, we will move forward and assault the wall. If he does not attack by 2:00 A.M., we will return to our camps. On the 21st, we will again assume our attack position and wait for Vendim. If he again fails to attack, we will begin the assault without him.”

  No one had any comments and the meeting broke up. Dindar was in a very sour mood when he summoned Vendim to meet with him. “You are the Commander of the operation to overcome the defenses at the top of the lake. You are to travel down the lake’s edge and assault the west side of the wall at 2:00 A.M. on July 20th. Lugius said if you don’t attack on the 20th, they will wait until the 21st and attack with or without you. I’m repeating all this, so we are clear on your orders.”

  “I don’t trust the Taurisci,” he continued. “When you assault the position on top of the cliffs, put their men in the front. You said that the width of the defenses up there is about 1,500 feet. That means a front of 800 men. Put the Taurisci in six rows of 800. Put Malush’s men behind them in the same configuration. Tell Malush to order his men to cut down any Taurisci who try to flee the battlefield. Don’t let them retreat. Have your men come last so they will suffer the fewest casualties. After you take the position, send the Taurisci and Malush’s men back here. That’s the agreement. Gather your men, and leave tomorrow at dawn while it’s still cool. You should be back at the top of the lake on the 15th. I wish you success; we could use some.”

  *******

  The following day the signal detachment on the mountain transmitted two items. Ten thousand men were walking up the road in the direction of Trento, and all the other troops in the mercenary camp were walking towards Verona.

  Manius assembled his leaders to review and make sense of the two messages. The one message was quite clear. Fifteen thousand men were going to assault the Suevi position. Even though the cavalry posted near the signal station on the west side of the lake already sent a rider to notify Odo of the impending attack, Manius had another signal sent telling Odo to start sending men to the rear. The plan was to keep the archers and best pila marksmen on the wall and allow the others to go back down the lake in preparation for the ambush. Manius knew that Odo would not be able to hold his position against 15,000 men.

  Commander Gervasius, who was feeling emboldened after his successful night attack, was the first to offer a comment. “Praetor, if I may, I would like to suggest a date when we could expect to see action.”

  “Go ahead,” said Manius.

  “If the reinforcements reach the top of the lake on the 15th, I would expect they would attack Odo’s position on the 16th. If they continue down the lakeside, they would arrive at the ambush side on the 18th. I would think the enemy would expect him to launch his attack on the west wall on the 20th or 21st.”

  “I think that’s an accurate assessment,” said Manius, “which means Commander Calvus should leave here with Legio XVII and I Raetorum on the 16th to be ready for the ambush on the 18th. Hopefully one of two things will happen at Odo’s position. The mercenaries will take such heavy casualties that Calvus won’t be ambushing 15,000 men or, perhaps, some of the enemy will return to their main camp. It’s obvious to me that the enemy wants to tie together the attack on our west wall with a full frontal assault on our east wall. In fact, I suspect that the reason the enemy has pulled back to Verona is to practice the assault on the river wall.”

  “Calvus, if our timing is off and we are attacked while you and two Legions are out of the fort, we’re in trouble.”

  “Praetor, that’s also been on my mind. I recognize the importance of executing the ambush, but I am also concerned with pulling out two full Legions.”

  “How far away is the ambush site?” asked Manius.

  “It’s about 25 miles.”

  “I assume that you will spend one night in the field on your way there, but after the ambush, I want you to force march the men back here. Don’t stop. Leave the wounded. Don’t wait for stragglers. Get the Legions back here as soon as possible. I have a bad feeling about this.”

  “Bricius, when Calvus and the two Legions leave camp on the 16th, I want you to abandon the island and bring your Legion back here. Leave a small force on the island’s wall. Take up Legio XVII’s position at the north end of the wall. Caile, you and Bricius will have to spread out to cover that portion of the wall normally occupied by I Raetorum. This is one of the things that you as Legates must see to personally, or it won’t happen.”

  “For the three nights that the two Legions will be gone, I want the men to sleep during the day and fully man the walls at night. I think an attack is imminent, and we will be vulnerable. The men can sleep on the ramparts, but I want a 100 percent turnout with full equipment.”

  “Vitulus, you will be the acting Commander of Legio XVII during the ambush. Review again how they may attack us here.”

  “Sir, I speculated earlier that they may execute two diversionary attacks at opposite ends of our wall to throw us off balance and cause us to shift forces. After a pause to allow us to move our men, the main attack will focus on the center gate and maybe the northern gate. I think we need to ignor
e the divisionary attacks and wait for the main one.”

  “I couldn’t agree with you more,” said Caile. “I expect them to make an attempt to overrun the first island, but I think we have enough men there to prevent it. If they were to get lucky, the men on the first island can simply withdraw to the second, and the enemy will have accomplished little. I don’t think we have to get excited if we see an attack there. We can just let it play out.”

  Gervasius added, “My men occupy the southern end of the wall. Don’t send us more troops unless I call for assistance. If we’re hit with a diversionary attack, we can handle it.”

  “Calvus, assuming you get back from the ambush site before we are attacked here, tell me how you plan to handle your position by the northern gate.”

  “We have stockpiled extra pila by each position. I have men ready to fill the clay pots with oil, light them up, and throw them down upon the attackers. It should have a big psychological effect. We’ve also put brush down in the ditch with the intention of lighting it as the enemy is crossing. There’s enough brush down there to create quite a fire. My men are proficient with the forked poles and should be able to keep the ladders off the wall.”

  “Caile, V Etrusci sits over the main gate. What’s your plan?”

  “Sir, it’s the same as that for Legio XVII. We collaborated on the best way to defend our position. They’re not coming through us!”

  *******

  Emil

  After Elitovius talked with Emil, and Manius approved his release, Emil was given three day’s worth of food and told to walk to Brixia and find his mother. The Romans were easily fooled into thinking that Emil had forgiven them and abandoned his thoughts of revenge. As he walked to Brixia, his anger and determination to avenge his father grew stronger with each step.