Legio XVII: Roman Legion at War (54 page)

Abeis
(Snake) Scirto [ABEE skerto]: Leader of 1000
Illyrian
archers allied with Rome; assigned to
Legio XVII
for the mission to northern Italy.

Accius
: Legionary friend of Joseph

Agron
: Leader of 5000
Ardiaei
[are-DIE-a] from Montenegro sent by Queen Teuta to provide support to Hannibal in Italy.  Defeated by Centurion Servilius of
Legio XVII
.

Ariovistus [a-rio-VIS-tus]: Leader of the
Semones
tribe and
Suevi
people at Innsbruck.  Defeated by
Legio XVII
at the Battle of Innsbruck in 209 BC.

Aternum
[a-TER-num] (modern Pescara): Port on the East coast of Italy

Bagaudas
[BA-ga-dus]: Leader of
Gaesatae
[gay-SAY-tae] mercenaries that attack Centurion Servilius at
Patavium
.

Belunum
[BEL-unum]: Veneti spy master assigned to assist Centurion Servilius.

Benjamin
: Son of David, grandson of Joseph.  Preserved the scrolls in Israel.

Bethica
: Daughter of Ariovistus.  Replaced him as Chief.  Made peace with Praetor Tullus and Rome.  Married Davenhardt.

Bosettius
, Timo: Prisoner of the Gauls and later King of Germanic Tribe of
Rhaetians
in
Tridentum
(Trento) in northern Italy.  Ally of Rome, friend of
Praetor
Tullus, and husband of Rosa.

Brixia
(modern Brescia): Base camp for
Legio XVII
.

Calvus
, Quintus Sentius: Tribune and Roman patrician.  Replaced Tribune Tullus as Commandant of Roman training camp.  Secret spy for Carthage.  Appointed 2nd in command of
Legio XVII
.

Celtic Tribes
of the
Gallia Cisalpina
[Cisalpine Gaul]: There were 13 tribes of “Gauls on this side of the Alps” the most prominent and hostile to Rome were the
Insubres
[in-SU-bray],
Boii
[boy], and
Ligurians
.

Charles,
Tom, Colonel, U.S. Army: Assistant Professor of History at the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York.  On loan for six months to assist the translators interpret the scrolls.

Clastidium
[clas-TI-di-um] (modern Casteggio): Site of Roman fort rebuilt and defended by Centurion Vitulus while in command of half of
Legio XVII Triarii
.

Clausal
[CLAW-zul]: Commander of 200
Illyrian
archers assigned to Centurion Servilius.

Concolitanus
[con-co-li-TANus] and Aneroestes[Ana-REStes]: Leaders of mercenary
Gaesatae
Gauls from the Transalpine hired by the
Insubres
and
Boii
to fight against Rome.  They defeat three Roman Auxiliary Legions in Battle of
Faesulae
[fay-SUL-a], but were defeated at the Battle of
Telamon
in 225 BC.

Consuls
Gaius Terentius Varro and Lucius Aemilius Paullus: Roman Consuls who led the Roman army that was defeated by Hannibal at
Cannae
in 216 BC.  Varro survived.

Consuls
Lucius Aemilius Papus and Gaius Atilius Regulus: Roman Consuls who led the Roman army that defeated the Gauls at the Battle of
Telamon
in 225 BC.  Papus survived.

David
: Son of Joseph.  Little is known about David.  He abandoned Rome and returned to Israel with his father’s scrolls and passed them to his son Benjamin.

Decima
: Daughter of Lucia and Gaius Tullus, Praetor Tullus’ brother.  She married Joseph.

Davenhardt
: Political advisor to Ariovistus and Bethica.  Married Bethica.

Elitovius
[E-lit-TOVius]:
Praetor
Tullus’ spy master from the
Cenomani
tribe in
Brixia
.

Etruria
(modern Tuscany): Roman allies.

Farrid
, Davood: Carthaginian Ambassador to Rome.  Spy for Carthage and Hannibal.  Persian ancestry.  Attempted to foil mission of
Legio XVII
in northern Italy.

Flavia
: Mother of the brothers Manius and Gaius Tullus.

Gaius
[GUY-us]: Brother of Manius Tullus.  Married to Lucia and father of Decima.  Killed at Battle of
Faesulae
in 225 BC.

Genua
(modern Genoa): Mediterranean seaport.

Hamilcar Barca
: 275 BC - 228 BC, Father of Hannibal, Hasdrubal, and Mago.

Hannibal
: 248-183 BC.  Carthaginian General and scourge of Rome.  Nonpareil military tactician of the ancient world.  Invaded Italy in 218 BC and remained until 203.  Defeated multiple Roman Legions.  He was defeated by Consul Scipio Africanus in 202 BC at the Battle of Zama near Carthage.  His ability to defeat Roman armies stands as apodictic a law as any in nature, but his strategy for ultimate victory was fatally flawed.

Hasdrubal the Fair
: 270-221, Carthaginian General.  Brother-in-law of Hannibal and son-in-law of Hamilcar Barca.  Concluded Carthage-Roman treaty of 225 BC, which seeded control of Spain south of River Ebro from Rome to Carthage.

Hasdrubal
: Carthaginian General and brothers of Hannibal.  Fought the two Roman Scipio brothers in Spain for six years (218-212); defeated and killed them both.  Crossed the Alps in 207 to support Hannibal.  Defeated in northern Italy at Battle of
Metaurus
in 207 and was killed.

Joseph
: Born in Rome in 227 BC.  Son of
Queastor
Levi.  Accompanied
Praetor
Tullus to Cisalpine Gaul and wrote scrolls.  Became Plebian Tribune of the
Concilium Plebis
.

Latin allies
of Rome who contributed troops to Rome’s Auxiliary Legions: Etruscans
, Samnites, Umbros, Veneti,
and
Cenomani
are mentioned most frequently.

Levi
: Born near Lake Kinneret (Sea of Galilee), Israel in 268 BC.  Moved to Corinth at an early age with his parents.  Travel to Rome as Corinthian ambassador at age 25 and stayed.  Appointed Roman
Quaestor
.  Husband of Rivkah, father of Joseph, and friend of
Praetor
Tullus.

Lucani and Luceria
: Elderly couple from
Samnite
village of Agnone who nursed Manius back to health from wounds suffered at Battle of
Cannae
in 216 BC.

Lucia
: Wife of Centurion Gaius Tullus killed at Battle of
Faesulae
in 225 BC. She married
Praetor
Manius Tullus, Gaius’ brother.  Mother of Decima, Flavia, and Titus.

Lugano
: Leader of 2500 Raeti warriors that support
Legio XVII
.

Mago
: 243-203 BC.  Carthaginian General and youngest brothers of Hannibal.  Crossed Alps with Hannibal and participated in Battles of
Trebia
218, Lake
Trasimene
217, and
Cannae
in 216 after which he returned to Carthage.  Fought Romans in Spain.  Arrived at port of
Genua
in Summer 206 BC with Army to aid Hannibal, but was confined to Northern Italy by Roman Legions.  Wounded in battle and sailed back to Carthage in 203.  He died enroute.

Marcellus
; Roman
Praetor
and leader of the Auxiliary Legions defeated by the Gauls at the Battle of
Faesulae
225 BC.

Marcellus
: Roman Consul who defeated Gauls at Battle of
Clastidium
in 222 BC.  He was awarded the
spolia optima
for defeating the enemy commander in hand-to-hand combat.

Mediolanum
[medio-LAN-um] (modern Milan) – Home of the
Insubres
Gauls.

Ofra Abishai
: Israeli archeology student who discovered scrolls in 2010 while participating in archeological dig at Lake Kinneret following an earthquake and collapse of houses.

Patavium
[pata-VI-um] (modern Padova): Site of Roman fort defended by Centurion Servilius while in command of half of
Legio XVII Triarii
.

Pontius
: Young
Samnite
man from village of Agnone traveled to Rome to negotiate exchange of Tribune Manius Tullus after village nursed him back to health.

Professors
Emily Burns, Adiv Tuviya, Bruce Holloway, George Albright, and Tom Connor: Greek, Hebrew, and Latin linguists who translated scrolls.

Pulvillus
Tomaeus Venditus: Chief Engineer assigned to
Praetor
Tullus.  Used the name “Tomaeus.”