Legio XVII: Battle of Zama

by Thomas A. Timmes

  Andreas carefully explained the mission given to Manius by the Senate, the seven Legions tasked with preventing Mago from moving south, Scipio’s impending invasion of Africa, and then focused on the size of the expected mercenary army and their expected arrival dates. He was careful not to immediately ask the Chief for troops to help hold the blocking position.

  Segovesus and his advisors asked numerous questions as the gravity of Andreas’ words slowly sunk in. Segovesus and his people were facing an impending disaster. His small army of 20,000 warriors mostly faced west towards Mediolanum (modern Milan), the heart of Insubres territory, a mere 56 miles (91km) from Brixia. He had managed to negotiate an agreement with their Chief, and the peace was holding. A handful of mercenaries passing through his land was one thing, but 40,000 to 50,000 would have a severe and lasting impact on the people and the land. This was, indeed, cause for alarm.

  “What do you want from us?” asked a clearly worried Segovesus.

  Elitovius picked it up. “We would not ask you for anything unless the future of the Cenomani was in jeopardy. By helping Rome, you can also help yourself and spare your people from devastation and want. I believe it is in your best interest to support Rome and stop these killers before they reach Brixia.”

  “Segovesus,” said Andreas, “Rome has only assigned 11,000 men, two Legions, for this important mission. We need warriors who are willing to fight to protect their homeland. Manius has asked me to implore you to give us 10,000 men, who are led, if possible, by the able Taluric. He also suggests that you should consider an evacuation of your people to the north in case the mercenaries break through our blocking position.”

  Segovesus looked at his Advisors. They looked back. No one spoke. After a long pause, Segovesus said, “We will discuss this matter in private. I will give you my answer tomorrow morning before you leave.”

  Andreas and Elitovius thanked the Chief again for his hospitality and for any help he could provide the two Legions facing 50,000 mercenaries. They returned to their hut and went to sleep.

  Segovesus looked at his two Advisors. “Well?” They talked long into the night.

  Andreas, Elitovius, and the cavalry escort were in the process of packing their gear to depart when Segovesus and his Advisors met them by their horses. Segovesus looked like he hadn’t slept.

  “Good morning Chief,” said Elitovius.

  “I see you’re still an early riser,” replied Segovesus. “The Cenomani will give you 10,000 men to aid in our common defense. They are stationed mostly in the west to guard against the Insubres, but we now face an even greater threat. I will have them recalled and sent to Benacus. When do you think Praetor Tullus will arrive?”

  “He thought at the end of May or the first few days in June,” answered Andreas.

  Segovesus said, “That gives me about 10 days to assemble the men and send them. I plan to arrive with my men, so I can speak with Manius,” Segovesus informed them. “Have a safe ride back. We all have much work to do.”

  Andreas, Elitovius, and the cavalry completed their packing and rode out of Brixia. Andreas turned to Elitovius, “I think we did fairly well.”

  “Tribune, we did indeed.”

  *******

  Still sluggish from the heavy dinner the previous night, the three Tribunes began their separate tasks. Vitulus and Servilius assembled their cavalry escorts and rode in opposite directions out of the camp. Vitulus went east to the bridge over the Mincio, and Servilius west towards the settlement to talk to the men who had joined them for dinner.

  Blocking Position on the Mincio River. The bridge and three islands are visible. (Google Maps)

  Tomaeus had a few more things to do before he could leave. He called all his engineers together. Some of the men were highly skilled surveyors and builders and the rest were experienced helpers. “I plan to ride along the river’s edge to ensure we can build palisades all the way south to the swamp. When I hit the swamp, I’m going to ride around it. I’ll probably be gone for four or five hours. While I’m gone, I want the rest of you to start setting up markers for the wall along the river. Leave enough space for a ditch between the river and the wall. I might even want to connect the ditch and the river at some point to make a bigger obstacle. Just follow the contour of the river.”

  He looked at his master builder, Decimus Nepos Atius, a man in his early forties and childhood friend of Tomaeus. The two had shared many an adventure together, some of which they would rather forget. “Decimus, you seemed to enjoy the fish last night. How’d that fish sauce sit with your stomach?”

  “I paid for it all night, but it was good going down.”

  “I had the same, but drank a cup of chamomile tea before turning in, and it helped. Decimus, you saw the three islands at the mouth of the river? Get a boat from the locals and check them out. The Praetor mentioned that we may have to fortify them. Find out how deep the water is and if we can connect all three islands with bridges. If we can connect the palisade running along the river with the eastern most island by extending the wall into the water that would be ideal.”

  Tomaeus rode along the river with five of his engineers and a small cavalry escort. He stopped periodically to test the river’s depth and the soil composition along the banks. When he reached the swamp, he sent a few men into it at separate points. “Just walk your horses in until it gets too difficult to go any farther.”

  After about 45 minutes, they returned and all had the same story. “It starts off fairly shallow with firm ground, but the water get deeper as you go. Trees and brush are all intertwined; you’d have to cut your way through it. With all the fallen trees in there, it’s like an obstacle course. An army could come through, but they would be in no shape to fight afterwards, and I’d pity the condition of their feet.”

  “Let’s ride along the edge of the swamp. I want to see how far west this thing goes. The locals say it’s about three miles deep and extends along the river for another two miles. Let’s check that out.”

  *******

  Tribune Vitulus and 10 cavalrymen crossed the bridge and began to explore the east side of the Mincio. In his mind, he was now the enemy commander looking for ways to overcome the Roman roadblock. He could see a number of huts and people on the southeast portion of the lake. Boats and fishing nets dotted the water’s edge. When they reached a cluster of huts in a settlement called Lazise, they dismounted to talk to the villagers.

  They learned that there was a road that ran around the edge of the lake that was wide enough for horses and wagons, but it stopped about half way up the eastern side of the lake. At that point, the mountains came down to the lake’s edge and it was impassable from there on. Vitulus looked across the lake and could not see the other side. The villagers told him that this was the widest part of the lake and that it was about 10 to 11 miles to the far side. Vitulus then turned around with his back to the lake. Stretching out before him was a relatively clear plain that continued in the direction of Verona; ideal terrain for maneuvering a large army. The villagers said that the mountains, which began to ascend about 10 miles from the mouth of the Mincio, were six to seven miles wide and continued all the way to the northern end of the lake.

  “Tell me about the mountains,” he asked.

  “Very steep, very rugged, and windy most of the time. They extend from the north of the lake to within 10 miles of here. They are of no value to us; we rarely venture up there.”

  Vitulus said, “I’m familiar with the road on the east side that parallels the mountains. Does that road go around the lake?”

  “Yes. Once you reach the top of the lake and turn south to come down the western side, you’re stopped immediately by sheer cliffs, hundreds of feet high that drop right into the water. Horses and people can get around the cliffs by following trails on the back side. It’s not easy, but it can be done. The road along the water’s edge picks up again south of the cliffs and continues the rest of the way to the south end of the lake.”

  Vitu
lus thanked them for their time and the information and mounted up. He rode in the direction of Verona for about five miles and turned around. He wanted to approach the Mincio and the blocking position to see it as the mercenaries would on their way to join Mago.

  He turned in his saddle to face two cavalrymen. “I want you two to ride to the river and follow it down stream. Test the depth periodically and measure its width. My question is: can troops ford it, and where can they do it? I understand the river widens as it goes farther south. When you reach a point where it’s obvious that crossing would be too difficult, I want you to stop and come back. I’ll see you back at camp.”

  He led the rest of the group straight down the road to the river, which he couldn’t see yet because of the thick belt of trees and brush that lined its banks. Vitulus made a mental note that as long as those trees stood the Romans would be unable to see the approaching mercenaries or how they were deployed. He passed through about 50 feet of trees and brush. When he reached the narrow river and looked at the other side, he envisioned a palisade and ramparts manned by troops stretching south down the river as far as he could see. He dismounted, walked to the edge of the river, stared, and thought.

  After a few minutes, Vitulus walked from the river up to the lake’s edge. He was trying to develop a scheme to possibly use the islands to get behind the Roman wall and attack them from the rear. He concluded that with the help of a diversion farther to the south, he could infiltrate men at night to get on the islands and behind the walls. That approach had possibilities.

  He then went back to the river and waded on foot across the thigh deep Mincio. In his mind, he could see the Roman ditch and walls looming up in front of him. Determined men with scaling ladders assaulting the walls at night all along the front could possibly break through, he thought. They would take a lot of casualties, but combined with a diversionary night attack against the islands, they could succeed. If they have a 5 to 1 manpower advantage at the point of attack, they’d get over the wall. We are going to need a mobile reserve that can respond anywhere along the wall to change the odds at the point of attack, he decided.

  He then backed away from the river and began riding up the road that led to the mountains. He rode at a fast pace until he came even with the mountains. When he could no longer see the lake because of the mountains, he exited the road and rode over to the base of the hills. He and his escort dismounted and began to climb. He was looking for a spot where the mercenaries could post lookouts to look down into the Roman defenses. They climbed until the three islands were visible. The area along the river where the wall would stand was visible, but too far way to make out any details. However, any large movement of troops that marched out of the west wall to come around the western side of the lake would be instantly spotted. If Manius wanted to do such a thing, he would have to move the troops during the night.

  Vitulus called to his cavalrymen who had walked up the hill with him. “I need younger eyes to look out there. Do you see the three islands?”

  “Yes sir.”

  “Do you see where we made camp? Can you see anyone walking around?”

  “No sir, it’s too far.”

  “Good, let’s climb farther up the hill.” He was now looking for a safe spot out of sight of the possible mercenary outpost as a suitable place to site a Roman observation post. The ground was very uneven. It rose and fell, and large boulders and rocky outcrops dotted the hill side. After climbing for about half a mile, Vitulus found the spot he was seeking. It was invisible to the mercenary site and looked down on the Verona plain that would soon be occupied by the enemy. He could clearly see the road coming from Verona and the road that went north towards Trento. If the Illyrians tried to move north to go around the lake, this outpost would spot them immediately. He piled up a few rocks to mark the site. “Let’s go back down; I’ve found what I was looking for.”

  Vitulus and his escort arrived back at the camp after dark.

  Tomaeus greeted him and asked what he found. Vitulus told him, “The brush and trees across the river need to be thinned out, so we can see the enemy as they approach the river. I think the palisade and ditch will be a strong deterrent, but could be scaled by a determined foe in conjunction with a diversionary attack farther south, or against the islands, or both at the same time. I also found a spot where we can position an outpost up in the mountains to give us an early warning of any movement towards the northern part of the lake. Tomorrow, I need to look at the western approach to the camp in case Mago sends men to attack us from that direction.”

  *******

  When Tribune Servilius arrived at the western settlement, he asked to talk to Postumus, the Latin speaker. After exchanging greetings, Servilius asked, “Can you provide a guide to lead me and my men around the lake? I will pay him well.”

  The man said, “I must ask the Chief, but yes, we have a number of young men who have walked around the lake.” After a few minutes, the Chief came out of his hut. His son was helping him to walk. He was old, and his right leg was deformed from an accident. Postumus explained the situation to the Chief and the promised payment. The Chief mumbled something, and his son set him gently down on a wooden stool and ran off to one of the nearby huts. When he returned, he was followed by a strong looking lad about 17 years old. Postumus explained, “This is Emil. His mother is from an area south of here. One day the two of them just showed up. He’s strong and brave, and he can guide you.”

  Servilius told a cavalry man to give the Chief 10 sesterces, and, with Postumus’ translating, said to the Chief, “I will give you another 20 when we return.” Then turning to Emil, he said, “Go pack your bags. Do you know how to ride a horse?”

  “Yes.” Emil was lying. He had never been on a horse in his life.

  “Good, we have an extra horse for you.” When Emil disappeared to get his gear, Servilius said to his escort, “I think he’s lying. When he comes back, help him mount up, and stay with him.”

  Postumus suddenly spoke, “Tribune, I’m going to have to go with you. Emil doesn’t speak Latin, and you’re going to run into a number of settlements along the way. Give me 15 minutes to pack a bag and tell my wife where I’m going.”

  When Emil returned carrying a shoulder bag, bow, and quiver, Servilius said, “Mount up.” Emil was helped into the saddle, and the cavalrymen showed him how to hold the reins. They walked the horse in a circle, so Emil could get the feel for maintaining his balance. When Postumus returned, the group began their ride up the western side of the lake. Servilius turned to Postumus and asked him, “Do you know how to ride?”

  “Not at all; I’m just hanging on and hoping the horse doesn’t take off.”

  They passed through numerous fishing settlements on the road north: Padhenghe Sul Garda, Solarolo, Pieve Vecchia, San Felice del Benaco, Salo, and eventually stopped for the night at Gardone Riviera. At each settlement, the people waved and shouted greetings. Servilius waved back and instructed his men, “Wave to the people and smile, or next time we come through here the people will ignore us and probably harbor ill feelings.”

  That evening, Servilius made a note in his journal: “Starting at Salo, the road narrowed considerably to 50 to 75 feet, and the mountains draw ever closer to the lake. Ideal place to ambush forces marching along this road. Have to block the front and rear of the enemy column, and assault down the hill while the enemy is strung out.” He recalled that this was exactly what Hannibal did to the Romans at Lake Trasimene in 217, the year before Cannae. He also noticed that at Salo there was a road that went west into the hills. “Postumus, where does that road go?”

  “It winds around quite a bit and eventually goes south and ends up on the main east-west road leading to Brixia,” he replied.

  Returning to his journal, Servilius, “Mercenaries could take the road from Salo, bypass the southern portion of the lake, and enter the main road about eight miles east of Brixia. If they wanted to avoid a fight with the Romans, they could take this route and
join Mago unscathed.”

  Gardone Riviera was a poor village, but they managed to put on a feast of fish, vegetables, and bread. The Legionaries added their fare to the mix, and everyone thought the dinner was exquisite. Postumus relayed Servilius’ questions about the road ahead and translated the response. Emil kept to himself and didn’t talk to the Romans. In fact, he appeared to be angry about something. Servilius pulled Postumus aside and said, “I’ve been watching Emil. For some reason, he not talking to us, and he’s showing signs of being very angry. If we didn’t need him, I’d send him back.”

  “I also see what you see,” replied Postumus. “Something is wrong. I’ll talk to him tomorrow.”

  *******

  When Andreas and Elitovius left the Cenomani settlement, Segovesus told his aides, “Assemble the Council in the Meeting Hall; I need to tell them what’s going on. Let’s meet at 10:00 A.M. That’s two hours from now. Make sure Taluric is there.”

  The Hall was full of men all talking at once trying to guess the reason for the meeting and the visit by the Romans. They already knew that Mago had landed at Genoa and was recruiting men for his army. They knew something big was happening. Segovesus had been their Chief for years and was trusted. He would sort this out.

  Segovesus entered the Hall and looking very grave. He had strapped on his sword and armor. This was serious.

  He raised his hand for silence. “Members of the Council, we have important business to discuss today. Most of you know that yesterday I was visited by Elitovius and Tribune Andreas who is an honorary member of this tribe. I have grave news for you. The Romans expect that about 50,000 mercenaries from Illyria, and from tribes north of Illyria, will arrive in our area in July on their way to join Mago’s army. That’s about 40 days from now.”

  “Our dear friend Manius Tullus is leading two Roman Legions to Lake Benacus to establish a blocking position to halt their westward movement. He is outnumbered 5 to 1 and is asking for Cenomani warriors to help him. He is requesting 10,000 men. He is also trying to get troops from King Timo and Queen Bethica at Innsbruck.”