Legio XVII: Battle of Zama

by Thomas A. Timmes

  Manius said, “At tomorrow’s Staff Meeting, brief everyone on what you just told me.”

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  Manius had been in Sicily almost a full month and felt he was well on his way to accomplishing his mission. The port, the nearby city, ship construction, discipline, training, and overall security were effectively managed and supervised. His two clerks had sent a steady stream of updates to Scipio’s staff without ever receiving a course correction in return. Manius assumed silence was approval.

  Scipio’s staff was due to arrive on November 5th, Scipio himself on November 18th. The two Legions would graduate from training on November 27th. All that remained for Manius was to continue to manage the everyday affairs of the camp.

  On November 1, 206, a letter finally arrived from Scipio’s Chief of Staff. In it he expressed his appreciation for Manius’ service in Sicily and all his accomplishments. He expressly approved of everything Manius had done to bring order to the port and town. He noted that Scipio was personally pleased with Manius’ performance and had appointed him Praefectum (modern Governor) of the western part of Sicily from Panormus (Modern Palermo) in the north to Agrigentum (modern Agrigento) in the south.

  The letter went on to state that Consul Scipio and his Staff planned to land and stay at Messana on the east coast for the foreseeable future and not Lilybaeum. The letter mentioned possible offensive action against Hannibal at Bruttium as the reason. The Chief asked that the two Legions currently undergoing training be sent overland to Messana upon graduation.

  The Chief noted that the Carthaginian Senate had just ordered Mago to sail for northern Italy to attempt a link up with Hannibal, and that Manius had been mentioned as a possible Commander to prevent that from happening. The Roman fleet was keeping track of Mago’s movement, and the Chief said he would issue additional updates as warranted. In the meantime, Manius was instructed to continue as the Governor and to manage affairs at Lilybaeum until he heard otherwise.

  On November 5th, at the daily Staff Meeting, Manius began, “You may recall that we promised the Legionaries they could go to Lilybaeum to unwind for one day when they reached the half way point in their six weeks training. November 9th marks the end of the first three weeks. Therefore, Legio V may allow their men to go to town on November 9th and Legio VI can go the next day. Personal gladii and pugiones will remain at camp. Legates, I want you to establish a procedure to ensure that the men who go to town are unarmed. Sempronius, I want your men to patrol the town and post guards around all taverns. Use your entire force. I also want you to send a few men to the more troublesome tavern and appear as ordinary Legionaries. I want to see if the owners are cheating the men.”

  On their appointed day, the Legionaries all but ran to the town and their favorite taverns. Prostitutes were in high demand. There were a few incidents, but no one was killed and the brawls were few and short lived. Sempronius’ Provost Force quickly intervened when things seemed to be getting out of control.

  On November 11, after the Legionaries had returned to training, Sempronius visited Manius and told him that the tavern owners were mostly fair in their treatment of the troops except for the owner of The Helmsmen. Sempronius said that his men discovered he was still watering down the drink, over charging, and roughing up the men. “He has five personal body guards and 10 bullies who were hired to prevent fights. These 10 men manhandled our men and robbed some. They may be preventing fights, but they are clearly shaking down the Legionaries. I suspect the owner gets a cut. Something needs to be done!”

  Manius leaned back in his chair and thought about it for a few minutes. “Modius,” he called out, “get Acamus and Pittacus.” When they arrived a few minutes later, he said, “Draw up an arrest warrant for the 10 men suspected of shaking down the troops. Prepare it for my signature.”

  He turned to Sempronius. “Arrest the 10 men tomorrow and interview them separately. Pittacus and Acamus, I want you to be present to write down their statements. Tell them that in exchange for their truthful statements, they will be released with no punishment other than they will be expelled from Lilybaeum. Based on what the 10 say, draw up a list of charges against the owner of The Helmsmen. If they confirm what I suspect and they implicate the owner, take a large contingent of your troops, arrest the owner, and take him to the center of Lilybaeum. Read the charges to him and give him 10 lashes. Afterwards, tell him he has 12 hours to gather his property from the tavern and give him a warning not to return to Lilybaeum. Sempronius, be careful of his bodyguards; they may attempt to resist his arrest.”

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  Three days later, Sempronius gave a report to Manius. “Sir, we arrested the 10, and they had no problem blaming the owner for instigating the shakedowns. They claimed he also cheated them out of their wages. The clerks recorded everything. Two days later, we marched to the town to arrest the owner. As you suspected, the body guards put up a fight. The two who survived have left town. We read the charges to the owner of The Helmsmen and flogged him. He’s in pretty bad shape, so he hired some locals to load his wagons. I understand he plans to return to Panormus (modern Palermo), which is still in your Governorship. I’ll ensure he leaves town within the 12 hours. What should we do with the empty tavern?”

  “That’s a good question,” responded Manius. “I think I’ll have Centurion Sentius, the Facilities Manger, hold a public auction to sell the property. The funds will be turned over to the two Legions to benefit the troops. He stole their money.”

  Chapter III: Mago Barca 206-205 BC

  Mago, younger brother of Hannibal, travels to Genoa

  After his humiliating and costly military defeat at Carthago Nova, Mago returned to Gades to face even more rejection and humiliation because of Rome. He had an army, but was unsure what to do with it. He decided to return to Carthage to seek guidance, but before boarding a ship, a courier arrived with startling news. The Carthaginian Senate ordered him to sail to Genoa, recruit men from among the Gauls and Ligurians, invade Etruria (modern Tuscany, Lazio, Umbria Italy), and eventually join Hannibal. The courier also said that the Senate anticipated sending him reinforcements in 205 BC. He was given a large amount of Silver Tetradrachm and Dishekels to hire mercenaries.

  As a minimum, the Carthaginian Senate expected that Mago’s presence in Italy would divert troops away from Scipio and prevent additional Roman troops from joining the blockade of Hannibal.

  Joining his brother in southern Italy was a long shot, but at least Mago now had a goal. He immediately set about planning for the long and dangerous voyage.

  He summoned his leaders, including his naval commanders, and began planning for the journey. He wanted to get to Italy and moved the planning process along at a rapid rate. He ignored weather warnings from the navy and planned to depart on November 1, 206, the beginning of the storm season. That gave him two weeks to assemble his ship; provision each ship with water, food, and fodder; plot his route; and develop a plan for the warships to protect his transports. The Naval Commander repeated his warning, “This is not a good time to sail. We can expect foul weather November through March. Can’t we postpone the trip until May?”

  Mago answered curtly, “No, the expedition will sail as soon as the ships are loaded. My brother is depending on us.”

  His Army and Navy consisted of between 12,000 to 14,000 infantry, 1,200 cavalry, 30 warships and about 40 troop transports (mostly converted warships). Enough transports were equipped with horse stalls to safely move his cavalry. These front-loading ships were designed to be run up on the beach to allow the horses to walk onto the ships. The infantry walked up gangplanks to get aboard their ships. Only a fortunate few infantrymen remained on deck, the rest went below. Each ship carried about 200 men, which meant they were tightly packed; it would not be a pleasant voyage.

  Deeply religious and practical, the men built altars to their city goddess, Tanit, and to their god Eshmun for health and protection. They gathered ginger roots and fervently fingered their amulets. They k
new the perils of an extended sea voyage.

  Mago planned to sail to the Balearic Island of Pityusa (modern Ibiza) by hugging the Spanish coast and stopping every third day for water and food. He gave Carthago Nova a wide berth, but then steered back to the coast and put in at Xabia, Spain. He was now 68 miles from the Pityusa Island, across an open and unpredictable sea. Two days later, the fleet launched, and the weather held. They landed successfully on the southeast coast and off-loaded the animals and men for a week’s break. The fleet had sailed about 500 miles from their start point at Gades and faced another 540 miles (869km) if it sailed directly to Genoa. Mago knew that was too far for the rowers and planned to stop at Mallorca, Sardinia, and Corsica. At Pityusa, he was supplied with food, water, and additional men to help man the ships.

  The fleet sailed from Pityusa to Palma, then on to Mallorca, the largest of the three islands, but was not well-received by the population. The people had abandoned the towns taking with them their livestock and valuables. The fleet departed the following day and sailed another 90 miles (144km) to Menorca arriving in early December 206 BC, where Mago planned to spend the winter and wait out the worst of the storms.

  Balearic Island, Sardinia, Corsica, Genoa (Google Maps)

  The harbor at Mahon was well-protected against the rough sea and provided easy access to the surrounding towns. The fleet had averaged about 50 miles a day and had been at sea for about three weeks. A long winter break would give everyone, men and animals, a chance to recuperate. To avoid the reception he had gotten at Mallorca, he sent his men throughout the island and compelled the people to return to their homes and farms. They were told to feed and care for the men and horses. He planned to stay on the island until March 205 BC before sailing to Sardinia, another 225 miles (362km) across the open sea.

  The weather at Menorca was pleasant enough. The locals told him to expect highs in December to be 68F degrees with lows of 55. January and February were identical with highs of 57F and lows of 45. In March, the weather would be ideal for sailing with highs of 63F and lows of 50.

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  Consul Scipio arrived at Messana as scheduled on November 18th, 206 BC, and Manius’ first class graduated from training on November 27th. The two Legions, comprised of 6,200 men each, immediately began their 25 day, 265 mile (427km) march to Messana along the northern coast. Just before entering the military camp, the Legates stopped the marching columns, and instructed the Legionaries to clean up, adjust their gear, and straighten their formation. The Legates wanted to impress any observers. A marching Legion was an impressive sight, and they expected Scipio and his staff to turn out. They arrived at Messana on December 22nd. Scipio watched them as they marched into camp. He was pleased, and made a note to congratulate the two Legates and Manius for preparing these men for what lay ahead.

  Before departing Italy for Sicily, Scipio managed to raise two Legions who arrived by ship at Messana two weeks after Scipio’s arrival. He immediately sent them to Lilybaeum to be trained by Manius. They arrived on January 2nd 205, 36 days after the first class graduated.

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  Hannibal meanwhile was trapped at Bruttium desperately short of food and other supplies necessary to maintain an Army in the field. He faced multiple Legions and had little or no chance of breaking out into Italy. His freedom of movement no longer existed.

  The Legates facing Hannibal devised a plan to attack the fortified town of Locris (modern Locri), which had sided with Hannibal and still provided him with material aid. The town was strongly fortified and actually lay outside the Carthaginian defenses and within the Roman lines.

  The Legates sailed to Sicily to discuss their plan with Scipio. They proposed to send their Legions against the city, but anticipated that Hannibal might try to disrupt the Roman attack. They petitioned Scipio to sail around the southern tip of Italy, and attack Locris from the sea. They hoped that Scipio’s presence would dissuade Hannibal from counterattacking.

  Scipio agreed and readied about 3,000 men from Legio V to participate in the attack, if needed. The remainder of Legiones V and VI would stay on the east coast of Sicily to guard against possible Carthaginian raids across the straits.

  Locris was only 40 miles from Messana in a straight line, but since that route was blocked by Hannibal, the Navy would have to ferry the Legionaries 90 miles.

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  With Scipio’s promised support, the Legates initiated the attack, but were repulsed. The Legions made repeated assaults to take Locris without success, but each fresh attack weakened the defenses of the city. In one last attempt, the Legionaries scaled the walls and were inside the city where the defenders fought even more desperately. Sensing that Locris was about to fall, Hannibal ordered an attack on the Roman besiegers. Scipio was notified and sailed to Locris to attack the walls on the seaward side of the city. When Hannibal was informed of Scipio’s approach, he recalled his men to their defensive position, and Locris fell to the Romans.

  That evening, Hannibal assembled his staff to assess their situation. Copious quantities of wine allowed the group to speak freely. The tone was somber and defeatist, and Hannibal made no attempt to paint a rosy picture. “After 12 years of war,” he said, “we have destroyed 400 Italian towns and killed over 300,000 Romans and her allies. We have fought, at least, 11 major land battles with more than half of them in Italy. We won most of the time, but winning battles doesn’t necessarily mean winning the war. We have now lost Spain and Scipio seems to be making preparations to invade Africa and attack Carthage. Scipio is a worthy opponent and I think one day I shall meet him in battle.”

  Hannibal continued, “If only our Senate had sent me reinforcements; if only Hasdrubal had been able to link up with us instead of being defeated at the Metaurus; if only Rome would give up the fight and negotiate; if only Rome did not have unlimited manpower to call upon. The list of ‘if only’ is long and full of disappointments, but doesn’t alter our circumstances today. I’ve been informed that Mago has been ordered to land his Army at Genoa and attempt to join his forces with ours. I don’t believe he has much of a chance to do that, and I fear he will end up dead like my other brother, Hasdrubal.”

  “If Scipio invades Africa, the Senate will be forced to recall us to fight him. I know we can defeat him and look forward to that day. In the meantime, our primary concern is to feed our Army by continuing to raid Roman supply wagons and sending smugglers to Greece to purchase grain. We can hold out here for a while longer, but our time remaining in Italy is growing short.”

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  When the Roman Senate was informed of Locri and Scipio’s involvement, they were incensed. Senator Quintus Fabius, who detested Scipio, called for his arrest. According to Fabius, Scipio had violated his Consular assignment by going outside Sicily and into Italy, which belonged to another Consul. Additional charges were made that Scipio allowed his Army to grow lax and were without discipline. He alleged that Scipio was living an extravagant lifestyle while his Legions did as they pleased. Q. Metellus, another Senator, pointed to the favorable outcome at Locri and tried to downplay this minor breach of protocol. A compromise was reached whereby 10 Senators would travel to Sicily to assess the status of Scipio’s Army and Navy to determine if the rumors of a poorly managed army and Scipio’s extravagances were true.

  When Scipio heard that the Senate Investigative Team was enroute, he planned to demonstrate that his Army and Navy were competent and thereby prove that the rumors were false. He called for the multi-talented Tribune Laelius who had served previously as Naval, Cavalry, and Infantry Commander. He also sent for Praetor Manius Tullus. When Manius arrived, after a long ride across Sicily, Scipio met with Laelius, Manius, and his entire staff to plan a surprise for the Senators. He needed to impress them and show what his Army and Navy could do. “Laelius, I want you to figure out how to demonstrate our naval capabilities. I want the Senate Team to see the navy in action. Use the staff to help you do the planning. Once you’ve rehearsed a mock battle
a few times, call me so I can observe. Praetor Tullus, I want you to do the same for Legiones V and VI.”

  When the Senators arrived on February 15, 205 BC, Laelius was aboard a newly built quinquereme with its 90 oars on each side and 120 Legionaries on the deck. He directed the ships in various maneuvers, and conducted a mock battle in the straits between Italy and Sicily to prove their seaworthiness and expertise. The following day, Manius had Legio V and VI deploy for battle on-line and execute numerous battle maneuvers. For a finale, he maneuvered them so they faced each other and engaged in a Legion-on-Legion mock battle in full view of the Senators. The Team was highly impressed with Scipio’s Navy and Army and could see for themselves that he lived the life of an ordinary soldier. They returned to Rome, filed their report, and the incident was forgotten.

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  Laelius raids the African coast

  Scipio was in constant motion as he drove his staff towards the ultimate goal of invading Africa. Nothing escaped his attention, and he entertained any idea that would further his aims.

  At the end of February, he summoned Laelius. “My good friend, I’ve got a mission for you I think you’re going to like. I want to you to raid the African coast to prove we can do it, and cause the Carthaginian Senate to consider the consequences of a full-scale Roman invasion of their homeland. They know it’s coming eventually. If they are convinced that we can do this whenever we wish, they may recall Hannibal and end his occupation of Italy. If nothing else, pillage the countryside and return with your ships full of loot. Plan your raid and try to be underway by mid-March. I will alert Masinissa of your arrival. I understand that when Hasdrubal gave Sophonisba to Syphax, Masinissa switched sides and declared for Rome. Talk to him to confirm that this is true, and find out what he can offer us in terms of troops and cavalry.”