“Thank you both for coming,” said Bethica warmly. “We’ll think about what you said.”
Once outside, Elitovius said, “That was brilliant, truly brilliant. Aren’t you glad you didn’t have that second cup of beer!”
Couriers from King Timo arrived at Innsbruck the following day. They heard that the Suevi did not plan to fight the mercenary army and that they were sending Manius 5,000 men. A rider immediately departed for Trento to pass this information to Sethre and King Timo.
*******
Tomaeus was alerted that 10,000 Cenomani were approaching, and they were right on schedule. He mounted up and rode to talk with Taluric, their Commander and an old friend. As they rode to the blocking position, Tomaeus explained the defensive set-up and asked Taluric to have his men camp to the west of the river until the legion camps were built. He then asked that Taluric’s men cut the trees and brush along the eastern side of the river all the way to the swamp. “After they cut the foliage, have them gather it in clumps and place them about 50 feet apart. We may want to light up the piles to see what the mercenaries are doing.” Taluric confirmed his men would begin in the tomorrow and would probably take three days to complete the job.
Ten thousand Raeti warriors led by Lugano entered the camp two days later on June 3rd. Tomaeus, as the ranking officer, again took charge. He had Lugano march them to the southern end of the camp by the swamp, and had them start digging the ditch. He assigned engineers to direct the effort. Three days later, when the Cenomani completed clearing the brush on the far side of the river, he had them start on the ditch closest to the lake. It was staked out, and Roman engineers guided the effort. Twenty thousand men working together with a purpose can move a lot of dirt very quickly; the Cenomani ditch continued to move south and the Raeti ditch moved north.
Manius and the Legions arrived on June 5th just after the Cenomani starting digging. Tomaeus directed Legates Calvus and Caile to put their men in the vicinity of the first two Legion forts closest to the lake. Since the forts were already staked out by the engineers, they set up their tents in their approximate final location. The men were allowed to rest for one day and then immediately began digging the ditch between the Cenomani and Raeti. By June 7th, the ditch was completed and everyone was given a two day rest.
Andreas and Elitovius stopped at Trento to inform King Timo of Queen Bethica’s decision and continued south on the Trento to Verona road. When they got closer to the Mincio River, they could see hundreds upon hundreds of wagons, livestock, and people traveling west. They were focused on crossing the bridge over the Mincio and going on to Brixia to escape the coming Illyrian scourge. When Andreas arrived at the bridge, he was greeted by Tomaeus and his engineers who were busy shoring up the trembling structure. They arrived at the camp on June 8th to a beehive of activity and went straight to Manius’ tent to speak with him. He listened intently to their report, thanked them, and asked them to brief the staff at the evening meeting.
Andreas and Elitovius went to Legio XVII’s encampment to clean up and rest. That evening, they gave their report to the full staff. It was delivered factually, accurately, and with no emotion or embellishment.
When they finished and answered a few questions, Servilius stood up to speak. “Sir, an additional 5,000 Suevi here will make little difference to our defenses, but they would make a big difference if they fortified and manned that area at the top of the cliffs, I mentioned, while you were still on the march.”
Manius turned in his seat to face Servilius. “You may be on to something. Go on.”
“I propose that we send riders to intercept the Suevi Legion and redirect them to the north end of the lake,” said Servilius. “I believe that the Boii, Eravisci, and Taurisci will come down the Brenner road to our position initially, but, at some point, a sizable force will try to go around the lake to attack us from the rear. The Suevi at the top of the lake should be able to stop or delay them for some time. Sir, if I may speculate?”
“Go on,” said Manius.
“I think Queen Bethica will eventually bring her army across the Brenner to join us. She’s a fighter and will want to punish the mercenaries for all the destruction they will inevitably cause in the valley. If she does, the mercenaries will have to move from opposing us to face her. When they do so, we could cross the river and catch them between our two armies.”
“That’s a plausible theory, Tribune. Thank you. I agree that we need to redirect the Suevi to the top of the lake. I want you to ride with the cavalry and a few engineers to direct them into their new position. Servilius, after the Suevi are in their position, return here and show me the ambush sites north of Salo. I believe this is a sound plan. Any comments from anyone?” There were none. “Tomorrow, we need to start our detailed planning on how to hold this position.”
When the meeting ended, Servilius went up to Elitovius and said, “I think we have a problem, and I need your help.”
“What is it?”
“Walk up to the lake’s edge with me. I want to show you something.” When they got to the lake, Servilius pointed, “See that hut next to the lake with a stack of grain by the doorway?”
“Yes.”
“There’s 17 year old boy who lives there named Emil. He was our guide to get around the lake. Our interpreter, Postumus, said he and his mother arrived here from Ariminum where they had been slaves on a Roman farm. Years earlier, after the battle of Telamon, their Boii village was raided and Emil and his mother were carried off. His father was killed. After many years, they escaped from the farm and made it up here. Emil is bitter and very angry at all Romans. He even hid the fact that he speaks Latin. As you can see, everyone has evacuated to Brixia, except him. I rode over there the other day and spotted him outside his hut. I don’t trust him. I think he’s watching us so, he can eventually join the mercenaries or Mago and tell them how we’re set up. I suggest that he be taken to Brixia, under guard, and turned over to Segovesus. We’ve got to get him out of here.”
Elitovius thought about it for a few moments. “Brixia is in total chaos. Roughly 200,000 people are streaming there from as far away as Verona and Bononia. Segovesus and his Council have more than they can handle. If we send the boy there, he will certainly escape. Either we kill him now, or you must keep him here.”
“I see your point. I’ll talk to Manius.” Servilius walked to Manius’ tent, and explained the situation, and told him what Elitovius had advised.
Manius said, “Go get the boy, and bring him here. Let Elitovius talk to him and then we’ll decide what to do.”
So Servilius led a small cavalry detachment to Emil’s hut. They found him inside eating. “Emil, I want you to come with me. Leave your bow. We have a horse for you.” Emil looked puzzled at first, then turned defiant. The Romans hadn’t drawn their swords, but their hands were on their hilts. Emil knew something was afoot, but compliantly walked out of the hut.
Before mounting the horse, he yelled, “Where are you taking me? And why? Are you going to kill me like you killed my father?”
“Calm down, Emil,” said Servilius patiently. “No one’s going to harm you. We’re taking you to our camp; I want you to talk to another Cenomani. His name is Elitovius.”
Emil mounted the horse and rode to the camp with the escort. He could see thousands of men, but they weren’t all Romans which puzzled him. He thought, why are these men helping the Romans. They’re butchers and murderers.
Elitovius stood waiting near the entrance to the camp. He and the boy walked off a ways for privacy and sat together on the ground. Servilius and the guards watched from a distance. After only a few minutes, they could hear Emil raise his voice. Then he quieted down again only to erupt in another outburst a few minutes later. After a while, Elitovius signaled for a guard to come, and requested some fruit and cheese for him and Emil. They continued talking for an hour and a half. Servilius eventually went off to do other things, but was curious as to what they could have discussed for so long.
Eventually, Elitovius found Servilius and related the details of his conversation with Emil. “First, I asked him if he wanted to speak in the Boii language, Latin, or Cenomani, since I’m fluent in all three. Emil informed me that is part of the problem. He feels he has no identity. He was raised speaking the Boii tongue, then learned Latin, and for the last five years has spoken only Cenomani. He settled on Cenomani.”
“I explained to Emil that, yes, what the Romans did to him and his mother was terrible, but they did it for a reason. They had come to his village after a terrible battle where they had lost thousands of men to Boii warriors, among others. They were punishing the Boii for the battle, and his family got caught up in it. They were wrong to take out their anger on his village and family.”
“I then told him that 50,000 mercenaries were coming into the area for no other reason than to loot, rape, and kill. I clarified that the Romans are here to protect people like his mother and all the other generous Cenomani families that accepted him and his mother into their settlement. I asked him if he’d noticed all the wagons passing by, and explained that those people are desperate to escape the mercenaries. They see the Romans as their only hope. I agreed he had a reason to resent the Romans for something that happened years ago, but to look at what they are doing today for him, his mother, and all the Cenomani people. If the mercenaries cannot be stopped here and prevented from going on to Brixia and Bononia, everything that he has come to know will disappear.”
Servilius asked, “How did he react?”
“I think he’s had a genuine change of heart. He’s now worried for his mother’s safety. I think we can safely send him on to Brixia to be with her. I don’t think he’ll betray us.”
“I hope you’re right. I’ll tell Manius and see if he wants us to release him.”
The next day, Manius said to send the boy to Brixia and added, “The Cenomani Army is going to block any westward traffic to Milan. So even if the boy has another change of heart, he shouldn’t be able to get through to tell Mago about our presence.”
Chapter V: The Mercenaries 205 BC
On April 20th, Mintho, Bostar, Sirom, Haggith, Tendao, Merbal and 20 horsemen arrived at Venetiae. It had been 18 days since they left Genoa. They had recruited at each of the major settlements they passed: Brixia, Verona, Vincentia, and Patavium and received only empty promises.
Each of the 26 horses carried 500 silver Dishekel coins in leather bags strapped to their backs. Collectively, they carried a fortune worth $650,000 USD. The plan was to pay King Scerdilaidas, and Chiefs Sirium and Magimarus $10 for each soldier they provided. The troops would probably get $3 each from their leaders. The mercenaries’ primary pay would be the loot they could gather from the settlements they passed through and from the dead bodies of their slain opponents.
Since Mintho’s goal was to hire 20,000 soldiers from Illyria, he took 4,000 coins, and Haggith took 6,000 to hire 30,000 men from Ptuj and Posonium combined. The remaining 1,500 coins were divided evenly for expenses along the way.
Salicar, Mago’s Deputy, told them to split up at Venetiae. Mintho, his two men, and the 10 cavalry escorts were instructed by Salicar to hire a boat to take them to Scodra, Illyria, about 425 miles down the east coast of the Adriatic. Haggith and his 12 men were told to ride to Ptuj and Posonium.
Mintho and his group rode to the port and began visiting the local taverns to find a ship’s Captain willing to make the long trip to Scodra. Each man carried his heavy bag of coins and never let it out of his sight. They were a tough looking band. It was obvious by their dress, weapons, and Phoenicio-Punic language that they were Carthaginians. Many bore facial scars, wore dirty clothing, and were overbearing in dealing with the tavern help. The locals either left or gave them a wide berth. These men were not to be trifled with.
Eventually, Mintho began a serious discussion with a Captain who had a boat with horse stalls and was willing to depart within a day or two. The issue came down to money. He was handed one Dishekel with a promised payment of 20 for the trip. The Captain looked at the coin. Tanit, the Carthaginian goddess was on one side and the horse and eight pointed star on the other. It looked legitimate. “Double it, and you’ve got a deal.”
Mintho stood up and drew his dagger. “Robber!” he yelled.
The Captain smiled. “Alright, 30 Dishekels,” he said. He clearly wasn’t afraid of Mintho.
Mintho sat down heavily and said, “I’ll give you 25,” he sneered. “Take it or leave it.”
“Thirty and we have a deal; we’ll leave tomorrow at 9:00 A.M. Have your men at the dock at 7:00 A.M. and be ready to load.”
“Fifteen when we leave,” challenged Mintho, “and the other 15 when we arrive.” Mentally, he had been prepared to pay 50 Dishekels; 30 seemed like a good deal.
“Let’s drink to it!”
The next morning, Mintho went to the docks and found the Captain and his ship, a sleek looking galley. “How many days until we reach Scodra?” he asked as he boarded.
“Depends on the weather,” replied the Captain, “but the trip normally takes about 13 days. With luck, we should reach port by May 4. Are you in a hurry?”
“No, just get us there in one piece.”
*******
Haggith meets with Chief Sirium of the Taurisci Tribe
Haggith, Tendao, Merbal, and his 10 horsemen went to a tavern on the outskirts of town. They drank too much, talked too loudly, and intimidated everyone with their bluster. They planned to spend the night and begin their 12 day ride to Ptuj the following morning.
While there, Haggith asked about buying fresh horses. They’d ridden their current horses pretty hard, and he wanted fresh mounts. After the usual haggling, a price was agreed upon, and. the next morning, Haggith and his men mounted up and headed northeast. Each man had packed his coin bag with hay to prevent the coins from making noise. In addition, they were hidden under bags of clothing and slung across the horses’ backs. The group travelled about 25 miles a day and stopped at taverns for the night or slept in the fields. They rode through Latisana, Palmanova, Ajdovscina, Postonjna, Ljubljana, Cedlje, and finally arrived at the outskirts of Ptuj, the capital city.
Red marker is Ptuj. Also shown are Bratislava, Salzburg, & Innsbruck (Google Maps)
They were stopped at a road block manned by 20 fierce looking Taurisci warriors. They were immediately identified by their clothing and weapons. “Carthaginians, what brings you so far from Africa?”
“We have important business with Chief Sirium,” said Haggith. “Hannibal’s brother, Mago, sent us.” One of the guards rode off, and Haggith and his men dismounted while they waited. After 30 minutes, the guard returned and told them to follow him. They were led to a large oppidum (fortified settlement) about a mile away bristling with guards, sharpened stakes, and a formidable palisade wall. Several severed heads decorated the top of the wall. The gate opened, and Haggith and his party rode in. As the gates shut behind them, Haggith briefly wondered if they would get out alive. They were led to a corner of the fort and brought to a halt in front of a large wooden hut where they were told to go inside and wait. Taurisci guards appeared out of nowhere and stood watching them. Haggith led his men into the structure which was spacious, reasonably clean, and had enough beds for everyone. “I guess this is where we will be staying for a while.”
Later that evening, large pots of food were brought to them, but still no word on when they would meet with Sirium. They ate and went to sleep. Haggith posted two guards by the door for two hour watches. He and his men were carrying a lot of money, and the Taurisci had a sketchy reputation. They were great fighters when focused, but drank heavily and often fought among themselves.
The following morning, two men from Sirium’s inner circle appeared at their hut and said, “Chief Sirium will see you at 9:00 A.M. Leave your swords here.” That did not sit well with Haggith, but he had no choice and complied.
An hour later, they were led into a large, smoky room lined with guar
ds. At the far end, Sirium sat imposingly surrounded by more men who silently watched Haggith and his men approach. Sirium was well acquainted with Carthaginians and knew Hannibal and Mago personally. Sirium had joined Hannibal in northern Italy and participated in many of his battles. He led his men back to Ptuj in 212 BC when the Romans began to tighten the noose on Hannibal and looting all but ceased. He had killed his share of Romans on and off the battlefield and saw no profit in continued fighting.
As Haggith walked over the creaking, wooden floor towards Sirium, he was mindful that he and his men were being treated disrespectfully. Sirium had kept them waiting almost an entire day and had not invited them to dine with him. Neither did Sirium rise to greet him. When Haggith was about 20 feet from Sirium, his guards lowered their drawn swords to block him from getting any closer. There were no chairs.
In a flat voice, Sirium said, “You are a long way from home; why are you here?”
“Chief, I’m sure you know that Mago has landed in northern Italy with a fairly large army. He is increasing that army now with the help of the Ligurians and Gauls.”
Sirium cut him off. “And I assume he will try to do what his brother failed to do in 207 BC! Hannibal is currently completely contained in Bruttium, and the Romans have more Legions in the field now then thought possible. Spain has fallen to Scipio, and he is threatening to invade Africa. What can Mago accomplish?”
Haggith smiled. “I see your spies have kept you well informed, and I won’t try to deny the truth of what you’ve just said, but Carthage hasn’t conceded the war by any means. The Senate is sending Mago and Hannibal reinforcements. When Mago’s army is strong enough, he will, indeed, march south to link up with Hannibal who will simultaneously renew his offensive. The fleet is being rebuilt to once again control the Mediterranean. Our battle with Rome is not over.”
Legio XVII: Battle of Zama Page 17
