Legio XVII: Roman Legion at War (51 page)

Joseph survived the amputation.  He was knocked out with henbane while a serrated saw quickly cut through the remaining bone.  The surgeon seared close the artery and veins and sewed a flap over the wound while leaving a small opening to allow for drainage.  It was now up to Joseph’s body to fight off the infection that would surely follow.

As they walked uphill towards the waiting Alps, Manius and the Legion felt proud of their achievements at Innsbruck.  They had all performed well and advanced the cause of the Republic.  The Battle of Innsbruck would be recorded as one of the most lopsided in Roman history.  Over 13,000
Suevi
had been killed and wounded, while Rome and her Auxiliaries lost 764 killed and another 4320 wounded, some of which would later die.

The remainder of the trip to
Tridentum
was unremarkable except for the death of several of the wounded.  Despite his misgivings, Manius needed to compliment his
Optio
for his bravery and leadership during the battle.  One evening he called him into his tent.  “Calvus, you did exceptionally well during the battle.  I’ve learned I can count on you to perform your duties in an outstanding manner.  Your leadership skills have improved and the men respect you.  I’ve also noticed that you are well respected by the other officers and appear to actually be having some fun.  Has something changed?  You were a bit standoffish when you first joined the
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.”

Calvus had long ago decided to come clean with Manius and was just waiting for the right moment.  He took a deep breath and explained his nefarious relationship with Farrid.  He felt better admitting his traitorous behavior and begged Manius’ forgiveness.  Manius did not expect this admission and could see that Calvus was truly repentant and remorseful.  “When we return to Rome, I suggest you admit your offense to the Army and ask for mercy.  I will gladly speak on your behalf.”  After his
Optio
departed, Manius turned to say something to his ever present record keeper Joseph, and remembered he was with the other wounded, barely clinging to life.  He went to visit him, but he was in and out of consciousness.  Ariovistus was showing signs of improvement, but still had a nasty infection.  Manius’ own wound was healing nicely, but hurt when he put any weight on the leg.

As they approached
Tridentum
, Manius sent couriers ahead to notify Timo of their return and to arrange for a ceremony to honor the
Raeti
contingent and honor the dead.

In another grand but somber ceremony, Manius acknowledged the
Raeti
contribution and their bravery in battle.  He then presented several awards.  Timo and the people of
Tridentum
were pleased with the ceremony and the return of their men.  Throughout the event, the
Raeti
dead were honored and remembered.

The Legion occupied their old fort and stayed for another 45 days to rest, recuperate, and replenish.  The wounded continued to improve or died of their infections, but Joseph showed little change.  The Tribunes used the time to restock the Legion’s supplies, make personnel adjustments, distribute awards, and punish infractions.  Training exercises were kept to a minimum, but there were numerous inspections of personal gear and weapons.

Manius gifted Timo with Roman equipment and ideas in the art of warfare.  He was very conscious of building and maintaining a reliable ally for Roman interests in the region.  He also visited with Rosa as often as possible.  She was doing well and enjoying her new life.  Timo was a strong and forceful King, but he was no match for Rosa.  She ran the family with kindness and good sense and could just as easily have run the Kingdom.  The two of them made a dynamic and lively team.

By mid September, the Legion packed up and bid farewell to Timo, Rosa, and
Tridentum
.  Their next stop would be
Brixia
, their home base.  Servilius and his
Triarii
would separate from the Legion at Rivoli Veronese, pass through Verona, and return to their fort at
Patavium
to spend the winter.

The wounded, including Ariovistus, would go with Servilius to
Patavium
and return to Rome via ships.  Vitulus and his
Triarii
would stay with the Legion as far as
Brixia
and then continue on to
Clastidium
.  Manius sent couriers to Segovesus to announce their imminent arrival and to have him remove the
Cenomani
guarding the fort before the Legion arrived.  He knew that
Cenomani
housekeeping standards would not be up to that of the Legion’s and wanted to avoid the inevitable animosity and fighting among soldiers that would occur.

Manius returned the
Cenomani
Auxiliary contingent to Segovesus and the people of
Brixia
in the same manner as he had the
Rhaetians
at
Tridentum
.  By early October, the Legion and its separate element were all safely at their forts and preparing for the coming winter.

T
he winter of 209-208 was particularly bitter.  Manius, nonetheless, managed to conduct personal fitness training for the Legion as well as basic battle maneuvers when the weather allowed for such.  To keep the training interesting, Manius’ fitness program included the usual sporting events of racing, boxing wrestling, weight lifting,
episkyro
[rugby], and javelin and discus throwing. The cavalry continued their wide ranging scouting missions and Elitovius maintained, and even expanded, his network of spies.

Throughout the winter, ships and their precious cargo of replacement personnel, mail, food, and other supplies continued to flow into the three forts while the sick and mail made the return trip.

When the ships transporting the wounded from the Battle of Innsbruck arrived at
Aternum
, they were met by the Auxiliary unit who then escorted them back to Rome.  It was a difficult trip for the wounded, but those destined to die had already done so before boarding the ship.  These men were the survivors.  Joseph’s fate, however, was still in question.  His infection, fever, and swollen arm did not bode well for his ultimate survival.

As the column approached the city, the wounded passed through the city gates enroute to the several
valetudinaria
[military hospitals] scattered throughout the busy city. Ariovistus was a special case.  He went to a military hospital
located on the island in the Tiber River along with a 24 hour guard.  Manius’ written communication specified that he should be treated with the care befitting a future ally of Rome.  Manius correctly assumed that Bethica would retain her position as Tribal Leader and that Ariovistus would now resign himself to old age.  Manius had him appointed the
Suevi
Ambassador to Rome to ensure his continued interest in affairs of state.

Personnel were assigned to befriend Ariovistus and begin the process of indoctrinating him into Rome’s worldview, which included the belief that Rome would eventually dominate the Mediterranean and the surrounding countries. In time, he was shown the power and grandeur of Rome.  He was given Latin language instruction and provided with comfortable accommodations.  The goal was to turn an enemy of Rome into an ally and the effort succeeded.

Ariovistus was eventually released to return to Innsbruck and the
Suevi
people.  He was provided a horse, a military cavalry escort, and a wagon load of gifts.  He crossed the Brenner in July 208 and arrived at Innsbruck a year after his departure.  He was a changed man.  He had seen the future and the future was Rome.  Bethica was overjoyed to see her father again and relieved when he said he planned to step down from leadership permanently and allow her to continue as leader of the
Suevi
people.

Joseph’s parents brought Decima along on their first visit to see Joseph at the hospital on the Tiber’s island.  It was probably a mistake.  He was so pale and had lost about 30 pounds.  He looked terrible and it did not appear that he would survive.  Levi prayed for Joseph as he often had while he was away.  Levi considered taking Joseph to the Temple at Jerusalem. He had heard that the Greek General Seleucus permitted the practice of Judaism and peace was once again upon the land.  Perhaps Joseph would be divinely healed.

Unlike some other Roman women, Decima was not repelled by Joseph’s missing limb.  It was not a common sight in Rome and did require getting used to.  As far as Decima was concerned, this was still her precious Joseph.  She still loved Joseph with all her heart and began visiting him daily.  Despite his dire prognosis, Joseph’s fever began to subside as did the swelling.  He began to eat on his own and was feeling a renewed sense of energy.  He even began playing chess again.  By early January 208, seven months after he was wounded, he was allowed to leave the
valetudinaria
and went home with Levi and his mother.

Decima also moved into the Levi household and provided Joseph with constant care, which caused more than a little consternation in both families.  Levi and Rivkah wanted Joseph to marry another Jew and Manius and Lucia wanted Decima to marry a Roman.  When Decima converted to Judaism, Levi and Rivkah were satisfied while Manius and Lucia, particularly Manius, still had misgivings.

By February, Joseph was walking and talking of returning to the Legion, which he would do in June.  Before he left Rome, he and Decima were wed in a simple Jewish ceremony in Levi’s house.  Joseph loved Decima and he also loved the Legion and his scrolls.  He had to catch up and fill in all those months he had been away.  Writing the scrolls had become his purpose and passion and Decima accepted it.  Joseph’s work on the scrolls would continue for his lifetime and beyond.

Manius was informed by courier that the Briefing Team from Rome would arrive at
Brixia
on April 1.  As he had done the previous year, he summoned his two Tribunes from
Patavium
and
Clastidium
to attend.  The future mission of the
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depended on what the briefers had to say about Hannibal and the ongoing war with Carthage.  He may be ordered to block a Carthaginian advance into Italy or prevent the
Insubres
from reinforcing Hannibal, or simply to continue with his original mission.  Since he could not plan for what the briefers might say, he decided to plan for what he knew.  Part of his mission was to “encourage loyalty to the Republic among the many peoples and tribes in the Cisalpine.”  With that in mind, he scheduled a meeting with Segovesus, the
Cenomani
Tribal Chief, to present his ideas for 208.

Manius wanted to develop the leadership skills of his Centurions by providing them an opportunity to exercise independent command of their Maniples.  His idea was to dispatch the Maniples under their Centurions throughout the region to perform civic action and nation building tasks for the people.  He reasoned that the better the economy of the region, the more they would want to maintain good relations with the Republic and not be lured away into rebellion.  He asked Segovesus to provide
Cenomani
teams to accompany and work alongside each Maniple.  He suggested the teams first assess the needs of a village, prioritize the tasks, and perform the work in partnership with the village.  The tasks he envisioned for the Maniples included digging wells, irrigation ditches, building bridges, improving fortifications, and other essential tasks such as instruction on hygiene, care of wounds, and teaching Latin.

Since Segovesus could easily see the enormous benefits these teams would bring to the
Cenomani
people and his continued tenure as their Chief, he threw himself wholeheartedly into making it a reality.

The Briefing Team from Rome arrived with their usual pomp and feelings of self importance.  Manius overlooked it and made them feel welcomed.  They had important news that directly affected the
XVII
and lost no time in getting to it.

The Briefing Team reported that “Scipio defeated Hasdrubal at the Battle of
Baecula
last month in Spain, but Hasdrubal managed to escape with a significant portion of his army.  He was last seen heading north into the Pyrenees Mountains that separated Spain from Gaul.  Rome was concerned that he may successfully rebuild his army from the tribes in the region and attempt to cross Gaul and then the Alps as his brother had done 10 Years earlier.  “We believe that he will probably winter over near the Alps and make the crossing in the spring of 207.  Rome is not ordering the
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to move west to the Alps at this time, but, you
Praetor
need to be aware of that possibility.”

The other news was actually more disturbing than that of Hasdrubal’s.  The Etruscans, the long time ally of Rome, were growing restive.  Rome feared that they might go over to Hasdrubal if he crosses the Alps and manages to defeat the Legions sent north to block him.  Vitulus immediate felt a chill go up his spine.  His fort at
Clastidium
was situated just north of Etruscan land and 2500 of them were now guarding his fort!

After the briefers left, Manius tried to placate Vitulus’ concerns.  “It hasn’t happened yet.  Why not visit the Etruscans to get a sense of their loyalty.  If it’s bad, bring your Command back here to
Brixia
. And remember, we will come to your aid if something happens.”  Vitulus was extremely concerned as he rode back to
Clastidium
.  However, once he got back and talked frankly to the Etruscan
Commander, he realized that their loyalty was never in question.

During April and May, the Maniples left the fort at
Brixia
and headed to their respective villages.  Earlier, Segovesus rode throughout his tribal area and identified villages that would most benefit from Roman assistance.  His survey of villages was followed by a visit from the Centurions who met with the individual village chiefs.  By the time the Maniples arrived, the several targeted villages were prepared and eager to begin their projects.

The Legionaries were told to be on their best behavior and to do nothing that would be counterproductive to building good relations with the people.  There were individual incidents, of course, but for the most part, the program was a great success.  The deployed Maniples were visited regularly by Manius and the Tribunes to oversee the effort and resolve problems.  The Centurions enjoyed and learned from their experience while the Legionaries welcomed the break from routine camp life.

In mid June, Joseph rode into the fort at
Brixia
.  It had been a long trip by wagon, ship, and finally by horse.  He enjoyed his time at
Patavium
and learned in greater detail the story of Mestre, Bagaudas, and the battle.  Manius knew before hand when Joseph, his new son-in-law, would arrive at
Brixia
and passed the word to treat Joseph as they would any other Legionary.  When he arrived, the leadership did not make a fuss about his missing arm, but his fellow soldiers peppered him with questions and, above all, wanted to see the stump.  His old tent mates, Accius and Tertius, similarly showed no qualms about wanting to see the stump.  They talked about the Innsbruck battle and Joseph felt accepted as a fellow Legionary who had proved himself in battle.  At that moment, sitting around the camp fire, he felt like a man and began to accept his missing limb.  As the Legionaries observed Joseph, they were comforted that they too could survive an amputation and still live a relatively normal life.

After Joseph found his scrolls, they were inseparable.  He interviewed countless soldiers and leaders to get the details of the Battle of Innsbruck, which he duly recorded.  Only when Joseph had caught up the record of the
XVII
, did he relax and fully rejoin camp life.  Manius was impressed with Joseph’s diligence and ability to focus exclusively on one task.  Joseph caught Manius up on the news from home and, particularly, the happiness he and Decima shared as husband and wife.  Manius’ previous prejudice and suspicion of foreigners was softening.  He wanted what was best for Decima.  If she was happy, then he too would be happy for her.

In early October, Manius recalled his Maniples from the villages.  It was time to begin preparations for another winter in the harsh conditions of the
Cisalpine
.  Food, fuel, and fodder needed to be collected and stored and their personal shelters strengthen and better insulated.  Surviving the winters in reasonable comfort required a lot of preparation.  In the midst of this activity, news arrived from Rome that Hasdrubal had been found and his future intentions fairly well discerned.  As suspected earlier, he was wintering in the foothills of the Alps and would probably walk over the mountains in the spring to avoid all the problems his brother had faced with a winter crossing.  The news required no specific action for the
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beyond the normal training conducted during winter.