Legio XVII: Roman Legion at War (33 page)

Calvus was beginning to have second thoughts about his role as spy.  He used to think that everyone was corrupt, incompetent, lazy, and stupid.  But he genuinely admired Manius and most of the other officers as well.  They all appeared to be hard working patriots.  He had even come to conclude that several of them were actually more talented and smarter than he was.

The two Centurions both arrived a day early, paid their respects to Manius, and spent the remaining day cleaning their gear and resting from their five days journey aboard bouncing horses.  The two-man briefing team also arrived a day early.  Manius learned that these teams fanned out once a quarter to brief the deployed
Consuls, Legates, Praetors,
and
Tribune
s
on the progress of the war with Carthage as well as about any new equipment, tactics, or procedures that Rome wanted the Legions to be aware of.  These briefing teams were a good technique to share lessons learned, and to ensure that the entire army was up to date on current affairs.

The next day, Manius assembled his key leaders for the briefing.  Among other items, they heard that Scipio had captured New Carthage and was preparing to move farther south into Spain to engage Hasdrubal.  His goal now was to prevent Hasdrubal from moving north into Italy to reinforce Hannibal.  They also said that Fabius Maximus, the father of the “scorched earth” policy to deny Hannibal food, had finally captured Tarentum.

The briefers spent considerable time discussing a new tactic introduced by Scipio.  Specifically, Scipio was using the
Triarii
as a separate maneuver element rather than as the last line of defense within the
triplex axis
.  Scipio would direct the
Triarii
to maneuver to his right or left flank and attack an adversary at a vulnerable spot in his defenses.  The briefers emphasized that the other two battle lines, the
Hastati
and
Principes
must be highly trained in this maneuver to prevent panic or disorder upon seeing the
Triarii
move out of their accustomed battle station.  The briefers concluded by reiterating a possible future mission for the
XVII
, which was to be prepared to block any further Carthaginian attempt to reinforce Hannibal by crossing an army over the Alps or bringing them into Italy by sea.

At the conclusion of the briefing, Servilius recommended that the briefing team return via the east coast as the safer of the two routes back to Rome.  He also suggested they spend a day resting at the fort at
Patavium
and to visit Mestre to see the progress of the settlement’s defenses.  They concurred and departed shortly thereafter.  Manius asked his two subordinate Commanders to remain at
Brixia
for another day as he was preparing to issue new orders for the Legion.

T
hat evening, Manius dined with his subordinate commanders.  The topic of conversation centered mostly on Scipio, Spain, and Hannibal, but included vignettes from Servilius and Vitulus about their respective independent missions.  With the “boss” sitting at the end of the table, the overall discussion was professional, lighthearted, and humorous.  No one broached the numerous petty annoyances that plagued officers and men alike.  Those were the things that filled letters going home, but had no place among the leadership of a Roman Legion.  One could complain publically about the poor wine and incompetence of higher headquarters, but never about physical hardship, the food, or bad weather, which were only mentioned if it negatively impacted the welfare of the troops or hindered the mission.  That was all that really mattered; everything else was of minor importance.

As usual, Joseph sat hunched over his scrolls in a corner of the tent recording the conversations and activities of Manius and the Legion.  He had never been happier or more fully occupied.

After dinner, Manius dismissed the servants, rose from his camp stool, and unrolled a huge map hanging on the side of the tent.  The map was of the
Cisalpine
and showed all the cities, rivers, mountains, tribes, forests, and approximate distances.

He started out by thanking his commanders for their numerous and continuous behind-the-scenes efforts to ensure the men were kept in fighting condition and that the Legion continued to improve as a fighting force.  He singled out Servilius and Vitulus for the good job they were doing on their separate missions and then asked them both to step up to the map, turn, and face their fellow commanders.  Manius had a big smile on his face.

He said that the briefing team had brought with them an official scroll with particularly good news for Centurions Servilius and Vitulus.  Manius said, “All rise,” then read the scroll from the
Comitia Centuriata
: “For exceptional service to the Republic above and beyond that expected of your rank and time in the Army, Centurions Servilius and Vitulus are hereby promoted to Tribune effective the first day of April 209.”  Everyone immediately crowded around the two new Tribunes and loudly offered their congratulations.  There was no doubt in any one’s mind that it was well deserved.

When the well wishing finally quieted and everyone was seated, Manius began briefing his orders for Phase III of the mission.  “We have to assume the worst in Spain and that means we may need to move west to the vicinity of
Mediolanum
, set up a camp, and be prepared to block or hinder any Carthaginian movement into northern Italy.  If I were the Carthaginians, I would forego crossing the Alps and come by sea to
Genua
.  Therefore, our focus will be to study all possible landing sites around
Genua
and prepare a plan to defeat or delay them as close to the landing site as possible.  I envision marching directly west the 35 miles to
Bergomum
where we will parade and rest for two days before marching another 35 miles to an area just south of
Mediolanum
.  Once there, we will rest for a day before heading further south to get closer to
Genua
while still being in position to move north should they decide to cross the Alps.”

“Tribunes Vitulus and Servilius, you will return to your commands tomorrow morning and remain at your forts until further notice.  You will not rejoin the Legion at this time.  I feel that the threat in your respective areas is too great to pull you away.  Each of you is scheduled to be augmented with Auxiliary units and your combined strength should enable you to withstand all but the most determined attack.  I know this news is disappointing and that you would rather join the Legion, but it is clear to me that you must protect the forts and their supplies.”

“The Legion minus the
Triarii
will march west on April 21st.  I expect to arrive in
Bergomum
on the 23rd and
Mediolanum
on the 27th.  We will continue our training program for the remaining three weeks with emphasis on individual physical training.  If there are no questions, you are dismissed.  Tribunes Vitulus and Servilius, I know how disappointed you are, let’s go for a ride and talk this through.  Joseph, you will accompany us”

Once the group passed under the fort’s gate and over the ditch, Manius led them about half a mile across the open fields and just into the wood line.  “Tribunes, I will now give you your real orders.  As you know, we’ve had two major security breaches; so I’m trying to plug the holes and introduce a bit of deception into our planning.  What you heard me saying back in the tent will probably find its way back to Rome, Carthage, and, for sure, to the
Insubres
at
Mediolanum
.”

“Vitulus your Etruscan Auxiliary will be strong enough to defend the fort.  When you return to the fort, pack up your command and plan to meet me here at Brixia on the 27th.  You should have more than enough time to do that.  On your way here, I want you to pass through
Placentia
[modern Piacenza] as a sign of Rome’s continuing interest in their welfare despite these challenging times.  As you may recall,
Placentia
and
Cremona
were both established as Roman military colonies back in 218, which is the same year that Hannibal entered Italy.  These people are Romans colonists and have had a tough time here in the
Cisalpine
.  Do what you can for them.  They are our brothers and sisters.  One last item, when you leave your fort, do so in the middle of the night.  The longer we can keep the
Insubres
guessing as to our true strength, location, and intentions, the better for all of us.”

“Tribune Servilius, prepare to leave your fort also; turn it over to the
Veneti
and meet me at Verona on April 30, but do not enter the village.  Once the
Triarii
is reconstituted, we will march to
Tridentum
and spend a month or so with Timo and the
Raeti
where I hope to get another 2500 men.  We will then march over the Alps to Innsbruck and see what develops with the
Suevi
.  See that neither of you tells anyone your plans.  No one here and no one back at your forts.  Neither your subordinate commanders nor your troops need to know where you are marching.  They’ll figure it out soon enough.  Any questions?”  Both men shook their heads.  “Good, let’s get back to camp.  And good luck!”

Calvus watched the four men ride out of camp and immediately mounted his horse and rode to
Brixia
.  It was dark when he arrived.  He always felt a little nervous riding without a cavalry escort, but he had to keep his mission secret.  He approached an inconspicuous looking hut on the outskirts of the villages and softly called.  Soon a woman came out, looked around, and led him inside to a table near the fireplace.  The nights were still chilly this far north.

An older man named Bellonii appeared to expect him, but did not greet Calvus or even look up from his dinner.  Calvus looked around the room and waited for the man to finish eating.  When he finally pushed his plate away and wiped his mouth, Calvus started talking and did not stop until every bit of Manius’ plan was carefully explained.  The man nodded.  Calvus continued by telling the man what the briefers from Rome had to say.

When Calvus finished, the man put out his hand and said, “Pay me.”  Calvus pulled a small bag of coins from his cloak and pressed it into his hand.  This was only the second time Calvus had met Bellonii, but he already despised him.  He felt disrespected and dirty just being in the same room.  The man rose and said, “I will get this information to the people in
Mediolanum
.”

Calvus rose, went outside, mounted his horse, and rode back to camp.  Calvus was angry.  He did not care about passing on secrets, but he hated the way he was treated by that
Cenomani
.  That old man was disrespectful.  He should have stood up when Calvus entered the room.  He should have stopped eating.  He really hated that he had to wait for the man to finish eating.  Calvus thought to himself, “When the old man returns from
Mediolanum
, I’ll teach him to disrespect me.”

Elitovius stood in the shadows as Calvus left the hut and rode back to camp.  He had heard everything that Calvus said.  He knew for years that the old man had been making a good living providing the
Insubres
with information about the
Cenomani
, so it was simple to figure out that he was now telling the
Insubres
what the Romans were up to.  Elitovius wanted to kill him for personal reason, but knew he had to let him pass on the bogus information to the
Insubres
.  Before he left the village, Elitovius paid a visit to his old friend and village Chief Segovesus.  He told him all about the traitor Bellonii, but cautioned him not to do anything about it yet.  “Let’s see who he uses to pass on the information.  He has to have accomplices.”  Segovesus agreed.

When he got back to camp, Elitovius went directly to Manius’ tent and said, “Calvus passed the information to a man in
Brixia
while you were out riding with the two new Tribunes.  I suspect Bellonii or an accomplice will depart tomorrow to
Mediolanum
to pass on the information.  I’ll watch and let you know.  Unless you want me for something else, I’ll return to town.”

“No, that’s all.  Thank you Elitovius,” said Manius.

The next morning, Tribunes Vitulus and Servilius each bade farewell to Manius and rode off to rejoin their Commands.  Both men were accompanied by a fairly large cavalry contingent.  Servilius did not expect any trouble since he would be traveling through the predominately
Cenomani
and
Veneti
tribal areas, but Vitulus knew that as soon as he got beyond
Bergomum
and entered
Insubres
territory, anything could happen.

Tomaeus meanwhile set about the task to divert the stream near the encampment to serve as the Legion’s bath and latrine.  After much planning and discussion, he secured the help of three Maniple that rotated with three other Maniples every third day.  The task was to reroute the stream to run through the ditch alongside the east wall of the camp to enhance its defensives and also to move the stream closer to the camp.  Eventually, the channel of the stream was reshaped to form a loop that diverted it from its original course and now took it alongside the camp’s wall and back to the original stream bed about 120 yards away.

Fifteen yards from the fort and adjacent to the stream, Tomaeus built a bathhouse complete with a stone lined pool and fire pits to warm the water.  It could only accommodate half a dozen men at a time, but was hailed as a major benefit for troop morale.  It operated 24 hours a day!  Rotating Maniples were assigned the duty to keep the fires burning.

About 25 yards downstream from the bathhouse, a series of huts were built that spanned the stream and were fitted out with toilet seats that opened to the stream below.  Human waste was carried downstream and away from the camp.  Individual Legionaries’ sponges were affixed to sticks that could be dipped into the stream and used by the men to maintain personal hygiene.

Manius designed a strict regime of training for the first three weeks of April that included daily running, sports, parades, and battle formation drills.  To ensure that their shield arm remained strong enough to carry the 22 pounds, Manius would periodically declare a “Shield Day,” which meant the Legionaries had to carry the shield with them wherever they went.  He noticed that the longer the Legion remained in camp the greater the number of disciplinary problems, so it was with a bit of relief when he announced to his staff that the Legion would march west on April 20: destination
Bergomum
, where the Legion would parade through the village in a show of force, and then on to
Mediolanum.
  Only, he, Joseph, and the two newly promoted Tribunes knew their true destination.