Legio XVII: Battle of Zama (44 page)

Molle on main north-south road
(Google Maps)

On the 20th, Malush’s men were up and preparing their breakfast about 7:00 A.M.  They were on the road at 8:00 A.M., much to Malush’s delight.  The men were recovering and appeared to be getting back their old spirit.  They walked for three hours and reached the settlement of Molle when they saw a large body of men approaching them from the south.  Malush had no idea who they were.  He ordered his men to form two lines of 2,000 each and to be prepared to fight.  Adrenaline surged through everyone.  The unknown group continued to advance.  He could see that many were being helped to walk, not unlike his own army, but they looked worn out, demoralized, and defeated.

Finally, he could see that they were Taurisci and Boii/Eravisci troops.  He looked for any Illyrians, but saw none.  Aze rode in the middle of the column, but was summon to come to the front.  Malush was relieved to see him.  “Aze,” he said, “I don’t understand.  What’s going on?”

“Vendim attacked on the 19th, a day early.  We were ready so we launched our attack.  We got over the wall, but they beat us back.  We lost a lot of men.  Dindar and Lugius were killed.  We last saw your Illyrian men walking east; we are heading for the Brenner Pass.  Then we will turn west and go to Genoa.  If you want to go with us fall in at the rear.”

Malush was suspicious.  He did not trust Aze.  “We will go east.  I have 1,000 Taurisci with me.  They will stay with you.”

“As you wish.  I suspect the Cenomani and their allies are pursuing us.  If I were you, I would get off this road as soon as possible.  We’re hoping we can outrun them.”

Malush told the Taurisci to join the column going north.  It was about 10:00 A.M. on July 20th.  Malush immediately turned his 3,000 men east and began following a series of connecting mountain trails.  He didn’t know where the trails went, but if the Cenomani were in pursuit, anything was better than staying on the road. Two days and 15 miles later, they entered the northern outskirts of Verona.  They carefully scouted the area for enemy troops and found none.  They briefly considered going west towards the wall to recover their loot from the wagons, but decided against it.  They got on the main road heading east.  They had escaped!

Meanwhile, Aze’s men made about 20 miles and stopped for the night near the settlement of Rivalta.

*******

By July 20th, Bethica was even with the top of the lake when she was told that a rider was approaching from the north end of the lake.  The rider was intercepted by Nasua’s cavalry and escorted to Bethica.  He handed her the message.  Davenhardt took it and read it out loud.  “Manius says do not go around west side of lake.  Continue south.  Be prepared to meet mercenary army going north.”

She said, “That doesn’t give us much to go on.  How many are coming north and why?”

Davenhardt interjected, “If the mercenaries are going away from the blocking position, I suspect that a battle has been fought.  The mercenaries must have been defeated and they are escaping this way.”

Nasua said, “That makes sense.  They are probably aiming for the Brenner.”

Bethica said, “I think you’re both right.  I wish I knew what we were facing.  Let’s look around for a good defensive position.  We only have 13,000 men and we will need all the help we can get.  We need a location with natural obstacles that will prevent them from simply bypassing us.  Those mountains up ahead may provide what we need.  Have the Legions close up on the run and keep moving south.  We’re strung out for miles.”

Bethica, Davenhardt, Nasua, and an escort of cavalry rode south.  Her three legions began moving from their long columns into a more compact formation.  Bethica rode south about seven miles and saw what she was looking for by the village of Ala.  On her left were steep hills that came down abruptly to the road. The flat ground extended to the west for about half a mile and was met by the deep and fast moving Adige River, which was about 200 feet across.  She looked at it and said, “Perfect.  Ride back and bring the Legions here on the run.  Quickly now!  We don’t have much time!”  The cavalrymen galloped off. “Nasua, is that signal messenger still here?”

Queen Bethica’s blocking position
(Google Maps)

“Yes, I told him to wait for a reply.”

“Good!  Tell him to ride back to the signal station and tell Calvus that we are in a strong blocking position at the northern end of the mountains about a mile south of the village of Ala.  Nasua, when the Legions arrive, I want the men to dig a ditch 10 feet wide and 8 feet deep with sharpened stakes in the bottom.  I want the ditch to stretch from the mountains to the River.  Pile the dirt on our side and set up a palisade.  Put some men on that eastern hill over there to look down the road for the mercenaries.  I need to know how much time we have.  When the men finish the ditch and wall, I want two Legions abreast on the wall in a triplex acies.  Hold the third in reserve right behind them.  Prepare planks so we can cross the ditch if we need to.”

Within 45 minutes, the lead Legion came into view.  When they reached the Queen, she was told another rider had arrived with a message from Calvus.  Davenhardt read it.  “Manius has been wounded.  17,000 mercenaries headed your way.”

Bethica looked at Davenhardt and then at Nasua.  “Manius is wounded?  Is that all it says?”

Davenhardt responded, “Yes, that’s the entire message.”  He paused and added, “He’s a good man and a good Commander; I hope it isn’t serious.”

The lookouts on the mountain side shouted, “I can see the head of a column coming this way.  They’re probably four hours away.”

Bethica said to Nasua, “That should be enough time.  Keep the men working.”

Bethica’s Suevi Army was comprised mostly of former refugees who had been evicted from their lands when the Cimbri/Teutons crossed the Danube River in 209 B.C.  Subsequently, they spent seven months at Bad Tolz being trained by Romans in the Roman style of fighting.  They then spent a month campaigning alongside Romans.  With no prior military experience, these former farmers only knew the Roman way of war. Their shields and pila were modeled after the Romans and the gear carried by each Suevi soldier mirrored that of the Legionaries.

When they were told to dig a ditch and erect a palisade, they had the tools and know how to do it.

*******

When Rasce told Snake that he needed 300 archers to pursue the Illyrians, Snake vehemently objected.  Rasce explained that they had an opportunity to kill off the remaining Illyrians.  All his men had to do was sit on the back of a horse and go for a ride.  Snake relented and picked the archers to go.  By 8:00 A.M., one hour after the battle ended, 500 horsemen and 300 archers were chasing the fleeing Illyrians.  At 9:30 A.M. the Illyrians came into view.  Rasce raced to get ahead and encircle them.  When the approaching horses were spotted, the Illyrians scattered.  The archers notched their arrows.  As the cavalry rode up to a running man, they fired.  The remaining 200 horsemen used their long spears to stab the desperately fleeing men.  In 20 minutes it was over and Rasce rode back to the camp.

At 12:00 noon, Calvus led his five Legions out of camp.  He already told the Legates that they would have to speed march to catch the mercenaries, who had a five hour head start. After they had walked an hour, a rider approached with a message from Bethica.  Calvus turned to his Legates and told them, “Suevi have established a blocking position at the top of the lake by Ala with a ditch and palisade.”  Calvus said, “If she can hold her position, we can end this.”

Aze’s column was slowed by numerous walking wounded.  Men took turns supporting them.  Everyone grumbled about leaving their wagons behind and their precious loot collected over the past two months.  They had no food, no water, and the future looked bleak.  All they could do was continue walking.  Some of the wounded died along the way and were left where they fell.  They stopped when they found a stream and then it was hard for the leaders to get them moving again.  Their five hour lead was rapidly melting away.

Calvus was pushing his Legions at 4 MPH.  He stopped every hour for five minutes and continued on.  The Centurions watched the men drink water at each stop to ensure they stayed hydrated.  Water skins were filled at the many streams in the area.

Stragglers began to fall out.  Many were exhausted from the fight earlier in the morning.  Five hours of sleep did not fully restore them.  Their muscles needed time to heal and rebuild.  Mile after mile they pressed on.

At 3:00 P.M., the cavalry came back to report that they could see the rear of the enemy column, which appeared to be stationary.  Calvus called a break and rode forward with his Legates.  He saw the same thing and told an aide to climb up the hill until he could see the head of the enemy column.  The aide scrambled up the rocky hillside.  He went higher and higher until he was out of sight.

Thirty minutes later he could be seen climbing down with another individual.  Fifteen minutes later the two men stood in front of Calvus.  “Sir, this man is from the signal station on top of the mountain.  He says he can see everything that’s going on.”

“Tell me Legionary, what is ahead of us.”

“Sir about nine miles up the road, the Suevi have dug a ditch and erected a palisade.  The lead element of the enemy is about 400 yards in front of it.  They’re not doing anything yet, just looking.  The rest of their army is strung out along the road.  The rear of their column is about 500 yards to your front.”

Calvus turned to his Legates.  “Any ideas?”

Caile, as always, was the first to speak.  “We’ve got them trapped.  If the Queen can hold her position, we’ve got them.”

Lugano added, “I agree.  These hills are too difficult to climb easily.    The enemy is essentially pinned between us and the Suevi.  I suggest we attack the rear of their column and roll them up.  The road is wide enough to put a Legion on line with the other four stacked behind them.  We could rotate Legions like we rotate the Hastati.”

“Anyone else?”  Snake suggested that he put his archers behind the Hastati to fire on anyone trying to climb the mountain to escape.  “I agreed with you Snake.  Put them on both ends of the line.  Our freshest Legion is the Suevi, they will lead off.  The one Raeti Legion will follow and then the two Cenomani Legions.  Odo, move your men to the front.  Form a triplex acies and move out.  Lugano, you’re next.  Gervasius will follow you and then Bricius.  Let’s end this!”

In 20 minutes, Odo had his men in their battle formation and began moving forward.  The Legions were spaced 25 yards apart.  Odo’s men got to within 300 yards of the mercenaries before they were spotted.  Instead of forming their lines for battle, the mercenaries began to withdraw.  Their confusion and lack of organization was obvious.  Most of their Commanders and sub-commanders had been killed fighting at the wall.  The men themselves were in charge.

As the word spread among the mercenaries that they were boxed in at the front and the rear, a furious debate broke out.  Some argued to surrender and accept Roman slavery.  Others vehemently opposed the idea of slavery and would rather die fighting.  Old tribal animosities resurfaced and they began fighting among themselves.  Odo’s Suevi advanced without pause and the Taurisci at the rear of the column finally formed into a line to face them.

When Odo’s men were about 50 feet away, they threw their first pila and quickly followed it with their second.  The Taurisci line went down.  The Eravisci behind them tried to withdraw, but found they were pinned in place.  The army was compressed and movement was impossible.  The Suevi drew their gladius and smashed into the wall of mercenaries who raised their shields and started fighting with their swords.  Even if they wished to surrender, they were now in a battle.  Men started scrambling up the hillside and were felled with arrows.  The Suevi Legion moved and stabbed; the Eravisci dropped by the hundreds.