by Tanya Allan
I came up with a new compromise that I had worked on with the tribeswomen. Using leather jerkins, I instructed the armourer to sew metal strap sheets over the shoulders and on central front and rear torso, allowing complete freedom of movement and bringing the weight down considerably.
The existing helmets, which normally had neck protection and filets of metal covering the cheeks and side of face, were designed for set pieces with infantrymen facing infantrymen. In these sort of confrontations, usually conducted behind walls of locked shields, most of the action consisted of hacking or slashing with swords, or thrusts with the pilum (spear).
I had to consider the type of engagement my troops were likely to face. Wherever possible, I wanted to avoid set pieces, so it had to be light, capable of protecting the head from injuries, such as those sustained from falling off a horse as well as from falling rocks and arrows.
Stealing an effective design from more modern history, I designed a helmet more like the current US pattern, which in turn owed its design in no small part to the latter part of WW1 and WW2 German army helmet design. It was sufficiently similar to the current Roman design, but far less fiddly.
This was an effective design in several areas: it kept the rain off, it protected the neck and also by having a slight peak, it kept the rain and what little sun sneaked through out of the eyes. With no adornment, it was easily covered in green cloth or netting to render it camouflaged. Once the shape was created, then the leather internal band and chin straps were riveted into the inside. With four basic sizes, each taking adjustable bands, this kept the cost and manufacturing process down.
In the place of a legionary’s shield, which was cumbersome, heavy and restricted one arm, I simply had filets of metal on leather straps designed to be strapped to both the forearms, so the arms could be used to fend off blows while keeping two hands free to strike back or otherwise work reins or carry equipment. The straps covered the backs of the hands, a very important and vulnerable area for archers and those on horseback.
I could not imagine these troops getting into a classic infantry combat situation deliberately, so they needed all their wits, speed and skill to do their job and escape.
Weapons were bows, of a similar design to the English Longbow, but shortened to be suitable for women and so as to be used from horseback if necessary: short swords, and what looked like commando daggers. All our metal weapons were smoke darkened so as not to be too obvious.
Topped off with a green cloak, that doubled as a blanket, sleeping roll, ground sheet or even a stretcher with the addition of two poles or spears; the result was an uncanny replica of twentieth century soldiers, without the firearms, of course.
We had yet to recruit any females, but I at least, had a pattern that the armourer and tailor could start creating the necessary equipment so that once recruited, they could be issued with it quickly.
Iona and I tried on our sets.
I had to smile, for I swear that as soon as Iona stood there in her finery, she seemed to grow in stature and strength.
“That looks good,” I said, meaning it. “Comfortable?”
“Very.”
My own was a little more comfortable than the body armour I wore in the Marines. The tunic, armour and cloak managed to disguise the gender of the wearer, while the helmet fit snugly and offered sound protection. The armourers had done a remarkable job.
“Green does not look as smart as the red,” Iona observed.
“Smart be damned, we’re wearing the right stuff so as not to be seen. Red shows out from miles away, just as nice shiny armour and gleaming weapons. Our people can lie in a meadow under our cloaks and rise to strike the enemy who have come close without being aware of our presence.”
“But the Romans like parades and things,” she said.
“If we ever live that long, I’ll order a second set of cloaks and uniforms that will look the part.”
“In red?” she asked, hopefully.
“Black.”
She frowned but then nodded.
“That will look good.”
“You’d better believe it.”
Now all I had to do was train my trainers and recruit the first forty girls.
Chapter Six
The dew made the meadow very damp. It was high summer, and the enemy were encamped just a couple of hundred meters away. The recon unit had crawled through the high grass inch by inch, barely disturbing the grass or the creatures that dwelled here.
The forest had been dense to work through, but here, in a land that had been cleared by previous generations to feed their flocks, the trees gave way to lush meadows and meandering streams.
This was a moment of truth for us, as we were finally being permitted to go into action. We were in what would eventually be called Northumberland, that county in the north-east of England, to the north of which lay Alba, or Scotland, inhabited by the Picts and other tribes who were no friends of Rome.
Here, in the north of England, the Brigantes dwelled. This war-like tribe inhabited most of the north of what is now England, and were probably the largest tribe in the country. They had a chequered past, as far as the Romans were concerned. Having made a pact with them early on in the occupation, there were many uprisings over the years, and there is some conjecture that it was because of them that Hadrian’s Wall (and later the Antonine Wall) was built across the country.
From my uploaded data, I knew that modern archaeologists have found tools, ornaments, building structures and cairns dating to the bronze and iron ages, when the area was occupied by Brythonic Celtic peoples who had migrated from continental Europe. These were most likely, the Votadini whose territory stretched from Edinburgh and the Firth of Forth in the Scotland of the future, to Northumberland.
Certainly, as far as the Legion mapmakers that I had quizzed before setting forth, it is not at all clear where the boundary between the Votadini and the Brigantes actually lay. Roman maps were not that accurate, as there were few landmarks within the heavily forested areas of this bleak country. Coastlines could be mapped from the sea, so rivers and coastal regions were reasonably accurate, but once you get into the heartland, away from big rivers and the sea, one could easily get lost.
The borders between tribal areas frequently shifted as a result of wars and as smaller tribes and communities changed allegiances. Unlike neighbouring tribes, Votadini farms were surrounded by large walls, banks and ditches and the people made offerings of fine metal objects, but never wore massive armlets. There are also at least three very large hill forts in their territory (Yeavering Bell, Eildon Seat and Traprain Law), each was located on the top of a prominent hill or mountain. The hill forts may have been used for over a thousand years by this time as places of refuge and as places for meetings for political and religious ceremonies.
There was yet another up-rising, this time involving the attack on the Roman fort at Corstopitum (Corbridge). This fort was later to become a central fort close to the great Hadrian’s Wall. However, that was yet to be built, and the garrison at Corstopitum was vulnerable and prone to be cut off for weeks if not months at a time.
Close to the local town of Coria, the name given by the local people who were part of the loose Brigante’s federation, this garrison fort was essential in maintaining a safe haven for the legions in their quest to dominate the region. In the first century AD, it was a volatile area, and so the legions needed all the safe havens they could build.
The fort had held, but the soldiers were besieged for many weeks. A single rider escaped in the middle of a terrible storm at night, and was able to get to Eboracum (York) and so three cohorts of the Ninth Legion were duly despatched to relieve the fortress: the First, Third and Fourth Cohorts.
Along with the cohorts was a detachment of cavalry and the brand new, all-female recon unit. There followed the usual band of followers, including many women, driven animals for the pot and the usual craftsmen who supported the soldiers.
Our uniforms were prima
rily practical. We were neither trained nor physically equipped to be front-line legionaries with the swords, shields and pilum.[iii]
In the intervening few weeks, I had recruited a single platoon strength – thirty girls. Funnily enough at least ten were part of the group of warriors I had previously trained and led into battle. They had decided not to return to domestic bliss, and instead followed the two Roman cohorts as they marched south with their captives.
I have no idea what they planned, but York was a bustling town so they were able to secure work and wait to see what transpired, when they saw me and Iona in the company of the Centurion Gaius with two of his men.
We set up a recruiting booth in a small square outside the fort and opened for business. We were an unusual spectacle – two women in military uniform bearing weapons.
We even staged a mock battle with two legionaries, in which we beat them soundly.
This attracted a crowd that initially believed we were street entertainers. Then the Romans asked if any man wanted to try to beat us with wooden swords.
This was a good ploy as many of the local people had been warriors at one time, despite the Pax that the Romans imposed.
Four big and hefty men believed they could subdue weak and feeble women, and so attempted to better us, and we efficiently beat them within a few moments.
Then Gaius announced that we were recruiting women to join an elite unit. We received some funny looks, but no recruits. Word of mouth must have worked, for the crowd that gathered on the next day was several time larger, including, I noted, many off-duty Roman soldiers.
This time twelve men thought they could beat us.
They failed.
I give Iona due credit here, for she was without my enhanced physical attributes, yet she was as good at this as was I.
We stood there, glistening with sweat, probably getting most of the local men’s blood pumping to another organ entirely, but this time we had a few women come forward.
In the end, we managed fifty. However, within one day, I reduced it down to thirty, as twenty were simply not up to it. Some of the thirty were probably border-line, but I had to work with those who volunteered.
It was good that ten were already partially trained, as we now had our male section leaders, so we had females to act as deputies if needs be. I split the girls into teams of three. That way I had a partially trained warrior in each team along with their instructor.
We had little time, as Gallinas was eager to try us out. I think he hoped we would fail, thus preserving his innate belief in the superiority of man. However, we trained these poor girls mercilessly.
For the first week, we made them run carrying packs of rocks. We ran them for miles, round and round the track that surrounded the camp. Then we went out and up the nearest hill, and down the other side. By the end of the week, they could manage ten miles. I then started on the weapons training in between the runs and weight training.
Interestingly, we had made no decision as to the instructors. I had thought that once trained, the men would be content to return to their original cohort. Instead Gaius received a deputation of the instructors. All wished to remain under my command in the unit, and requested that their uniform be changed to reflect it. They retained their armour, but took on the new green and new helmets at the expense of the traditional red and standard helmets.
Gaius asked me for my opinion. There was a generally held belief that women were only good for having sex and producing children. Indeed, sex with a woman was often not as attractive because of the second potential hazard.
“If the other legionaries see men and women working together without having to sneak off to fuck during every down moment that will be good. They need to believe this will work, and this sort of thing is great for morale.”
Mind you, when men and women work together in close proximity, there will always be that attraction and strong discipline was required to prevent just what I had said from happening.
The instructors stayed in the unit.
By August we were in a reasonable condition. Ideally, I’d have liked another month to hone their skills, but Gallinas wanted to relieve this besieged fortress before the autumn rains.
That made me laugh.
Gaius saw me laughing and asked what was so funny.
“Autumn rain? It rains all the damn time, what’s the difference?”
“It’s colder in autumn. Then the snows come, and they can cover the land until the spring flowers arrive.”
This time three cohorts were despatched to undertake the rescue of the garrison. After persuading his superiors, Gallinas was given command, but Gaius was never far away. At least the young man was aware of his military shortcomings, so tended to keep the experienced Gaius close at hand for tactical advice.
The Roman army had built a long, straight road north, so the march was an easy one in good weather for the most part. Because the road was paved with close-fitting, rectangular blocks, it was easy underfoot and well drained, so there was little pooling and almost no mud.
The hob-nailed sandals were sturdy, but prone to skid a little on the hard stone roads. They were more suited for rough or softer ground where a sound grip was more beneficial.
Initially, as we marched through supposedly friendly territory, the Recon unit was kept to the rear, where we did not stand out. Under orders to keep our military equipment and status hidden, we marched in green tunics and pants, with our buckskin leggings. Our weapons and other equipment were carried in a wagon pulled by mules immediately behind us.
Taking full advantage of the long summer evenings, and early dawns, we marched for the bulk of the daylight hours, stopping at regular intervals for water, food and toilet breaks.
Considering that we were only in the first century, I was surprised at the speed at which we moved north. The road came to an abrupt end by a small fortified camp somewhere in the middle of what is now the county of Durham. There was a military unit there, a modern army would call them engineers, but they were normal soldiers seconded for the task of building the road. There were many locally recruited labourers, all under the watchful eyes of military overseers.
We spent a night there; not really mixing with the other soldiers or the locals. We had our own tents, and kept ourselves close to our weapons and alongside the first cohort.
The legionaries had been initially scathing and unpleasant towards the girls. However, after we proved ourselves more than a match for them, and their friends who had been chosen as instructors volunteered to remain with the unit, they came around and were broadly supportive and became more and more possessive and protectionist. Woe betides anyone from outside their unit who might show an interest, sexual or otherwise, in any of the girls.
Inevitably relationships between the soldiers and the girls happened. I had told the girls in no uncertain terms that pregnancies were not part of the deal, so although I had no idea what they got up to. Standard vaginal intercourse was probably not that common.
Roman attitudes towards sexual relationships were at odds with any twentieth century imprints I carried with me. For men, it was generally acceptable to be a giver of sexual activity. The masculine male was seen as primary, although often whether they screwed girls or boys was relatively unimportant. Indeed, most men of higher rank were expected to have male concubines from within the slaves in the household, and these men had reasonably high status in the home.
Indeed, Emperor Trajan himself was reputed to be an active homosexual. Although married, it was to be a childless marriage, but whether this was due to his sexual orientation or not is something about which we can only speculate. His wife was Pompeia Plotina, a woman of noble Roman birth from the Roman Settlement at Nîmes in Gaul.
It was common for senior soldiers to select attractive males as bed-mates during campaigns. However, male concubines were always slaves, while female concubines were often freely born and were simply kept mistresses.
For most men, allowing himself to
be penetrated threatened his liberty as a free citizen as well as his sexual integrity. If a Roman citizen were to be found being penetrated by another male or giving another man oral sexual gratification, he could have his citizenship removed.
It was expected and socially acceptable for a freeborn Roman man to want sex with both female and male partners, as long as he took the penetrative role. The morality of the behaviour depended on the social standing of the partner, not gender per se.
Both women and young men were considered normal objects of desire, but outside marriage a man was supposed to act on his desires only with slaves, prostitutes (who were often slaves), and the infames (a similar status to prostitute who was not a slave but unable to be anything else). Gender did not determine whether a sexual partner was acceptable, as long as a man’s enjoyment did not encroach on another man’s integrity. It was immoral to have sex with another freeborn man’s wife, his marriageable daughter, his underage son, or with the man himself; sexual use of another man’s slave was subject to the owner’s permission. Lack of self-control, including in managing one’s sex life, indicated that a man was incapable of governing others; too much indulgence in “low sensual pleasure” threatened to erode the elite male’s identity as a cultured person.
In the Imperial era, anxieties about the loss of political liberty and the subordination of the citizen to the emperor were expressed by a perceived increase in voluntary passive homosexual behaviour among free males, accompanied by a documentable increase in the execution and corporal punishment of citizens. The dissolution of Republican ideals of physical integrity in relation to libertas contributes to and is reflected by the sexual license and decadence associated with the Empire.
