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Legio17

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Posts posted by Legio17


  1. I'm happy to announce that I  just published book #4 in the Legio XVII series on Amazon and Smashwords.  I think it's the best one yet!  Lots of action!  Here's the book's description:

     Following Hannibal’s defeat by Publius Cornelius Scipio at the Battle of Zama in 202 BC, Rome dramatically reduces the size of its Army and withdraws her Legions from Northern Italy.  Carthaginian General Hamilcar though had remained in Northern Italy after Mago’s defeat in 203 BC to stir the Gauls to rebellion against Rome, leading to the sacking of the Roman colony at Placentia and the siege of the colony at Cremona.  Rome responds to the threat by sending three Legions to the area who come face to face with 35,000 Gauls in the Battle of Cremona.  Shortly after the battle, Legio XVII is forced to take refuge on a hill and fortify it against repeated attacks by 13,000 Apuani warriors who arrive too late to fight at Cremona but still aim to do their part to destroy Rome.  This story follows Titus, son of retired Praetor Manius Tullus of Legio XVII, from the time he marries the daughter of the Cenomani Chief in 205 BC, through his military training, to his participation in the Battle of Cremona in 200 BC and its exciting aftermath.

     Here's the Amazon link:

    https://www.amazon.com/Legio-XVII-Strikes-Thomas-Timmes-ebook/dp/B01I8HH38S/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1468247842&sr=8-1&keywords=Legio+XVII%3A++The+Eagle+Strikes 


  2. They are all reasonably good, but a few had a noticeable design flaw.  Number 21 spelled the authors name incorrectly (Matiszak), and numbers 11 and 13 split the authors name in half, Philip M Atyszak.

     

    Of the designs shown, I would be most inclined to purchase number 38.


  3. Good call Viggen.  Too bad about the server problem.  I remember Mr. Walsh's question, so it's not lost. 

     

    This post addresses the missing question from the South African Armor officer.  First accept my congratulations for a long and distinguished career in the SANDF.  In the picture you posted, it appeared you were atop an Oliphant Mark Two tank?

     

    You asked an interesting question, which as I recall, addressed Roman Officer training vis a vis the use of mercenaries by the Carthaginians as a possible reason for Roman victories in Spain and at Zama.

     

    I scanned Vegetius and read several articles that discussed Roman Officer training.  Best I can determine is that there was no formal Roman Officer training and education programs like those that exist in most modern armies today.  There was no Roman equivalent of West Point, Officer Basic and Advance Courses, Command and General Staff College or Senior Service Colleges not to mention the innumerable shorter courses most Officers are required to attend.

     

    It appears that Roman leaders learned their skills via on-the-job training.  Fathers took their Roman sons on campaigns to begin the process and individuals were appointed to leadership positions to observe and learn.

     

    Despite this lack of formal training and education, the Roman Officer corps performed admirably.  I attribute this to the corps of professional officers in lower, but highly influential, leadership positions such as the Centurions.  A few intangible factors also contributed to Roman Army success.  The men were similarly trained and equipped.  They were disciplined and physically conditioned.  They had esprit de corps, knew the man on their left and right, fought for one another, trusted their leadership, and were subsequently honored for their service.

     

    Use of mercenaries presents a whole host of problems including language incompatibility, differing tactics and weapons, questionable loyalty and physical stamina, and lack of common command and control techniques, to name a few.

     

    For these reasons, I agree with your hypothesis that a homogenous army has the advantage over an army comprised mostly of mercenaries from several different cultures.


  4. Thanks to the author for this giveaway.

    My question would be why you choose to write your novels during the time period of ancient rome.

    Thank you for asking an excellent question.  I addressed this question in the Preface to my first book, Legio XVII: Roman Legion at War, but upon reflection, I realized that a complete answer goes much deeper.  Your question really got me thinking because, I believe, it speaks to the much broader issue of what drives our interests, hobbies, and, perhaps, even our choice of employment.  I'm not sure how widely this may apply, but for me, Personality is behind so much of what motivates me to do what I do.

     

    I like order, neatness, logical rules, an orderly progression of events, simplicity and justice, which is pretty hard to find in our world.  I found the order I was seeking by joining the Army.  We were a good match!  As I read about ancient Rome, I admired the Republican period as an era that shared my views.  To this day, I have little desire to read about the Imperial period or of Rome in decline.  I can't identify with it, too messy, whereas I feel comfortable with Rome in the 300-100 BC time period.  So, the short answer is that I'm more at home with Rome during the Punic and Gallic wars, than Rome of a later period.  Thanks for a thoughtful question!


  5. I'm very pleased to announced publication of my latest book.

     

    The Legio XVII series, Roman Legion at War, Battle of the Danube, and just published Battle of Zama are historical fiction novels that take place during Rome’s Second Punic War with Carthage (218 - 202 BC).  The fictional exploits of Legio XVII are impacted by the Punic War and its military operations are conducted in support of the overall war effort, but do not intrude into or alter actual historical events.  Together, the three books present a complete summary of that ancient War.  It’s available at Amazon, B&N, Apple, Smashwords, etc.  Here’s the link to Amazon:

    http://www.amazon.com/Legio-XVII-Battle-Thomas-Timmes-ebook/dp/B00ZDZONZ0/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1434061497&sr=1-1&keywords=legio+XVII%3A+Battle+of+Zama

     

    Hope you enjoy it as much as I did writing it!

    51B05vmCUzL._SL175_.jpg
    Legio XVII: Battle of Zama - by Thomas A. Timmes

    • Like 1

  6. I don't know if this helps, but I used to work in the music industry. If there's anything that presents adverse opinion, it's a pub goer who doesn't like your band. Most of the time they dismiss you because it's a cool thing to do, makes them look big to their girlfriends, and doesn't inflict insults on huge numbers of fans that aren't there. The internet is similar in that respect - the anonymity is as good as an empty space and encourages dismisals. Whilst this negative attitude is hard to bear, anyone who isn't the flavour of the month is going to come across it - it is unfortunately normal human behaviour, so really all you can do is grin and bear it.  If you believe in what you do, that matters more.

    Thank you Caldrail.  Sound practical advice.  


  7. Onasander,

    Wow!  I hardly know how to respond to such a stunning display of knowledge!  I had to "goggle-search" my way through your review to try to keep up with you.  You've written a master piece of analysis.  Calling it a "Book Review" doesn't do it justice.  It's a stand-alone history lesson that challenges the reader's curiosity.  Congratulation!  Exceedingly well done.


  8. Aaha!  Wasn't sure where you were going with this until I goggled "William Bell Scott."  Excellent research!  You not only identified the Centurion avatar for GhostOfClayton, but made an educated and interesting comment on the wall itself.  Kudos!

     

    You've earned the mystery prize!


  9. Indianasmith, Thanks for posting a response.  I looked at your book reviews on Amazon.  Should make you feel good that so many readers are enjoying  it.  Great ratings!  I also read the one 1-star review.  Strange how so many find the book extremely well written and interesting and yet one individual calls it terrible.   Your statement, "You're just never going to please everybody!" is the only reasonable explanation.

     

    Regards 

     


  10. GhostOfClayton,

     

    Thank you for a very practical solution:  "a days' march."  Would solve most of the problems.  I'll begin to use it although I'm addicted to stating precise distances, other measurements, and time of day.  It's probably very unRoman, but it's the way I think and without that information, the story seems incomplete.    

     

    I read several of your blog entries to become more familiar with you.  They are very entertaining and informative.  I promise I will never again recline my airlines' seat without first looking to see who's back there.  If it's a tall guy with an English accent, the seat will remain upright!

     

    Your avatar has to do with Rosemary Sutcliff's Eagle of the Ninth and your guide duties at Hadrian's Wall.  Naxos Audio Books cover art.

     

    Thanks for your comment.

    Regards


  11. Onasander, Nice to hear from you again.  One of your sentences caused me to pause and highlights your philosophical bent: "It's hard to untangle the product of our work with our sense of self, but we don't have to let others determine the latter..."

     

    I had to goggle "Talifan."  I've read some of their comments regarding other books, but haven't yet had to face their wrath.

     

    Good advice.  I'm grateful that you took the time to reply.

     

    Regards

     


  12. Sonic, I am truly pleased to receive a response from a noted author, historian, and gentleman.  I've read the link in your comment, your book reviews at UNRV, and your "About Me" at your websites.  Sorry to say I have yet to read your books, but will.  They look fascinating.

     

    I appreciate your practical, common sense response.  Your last line was particularly helpful: "Don't worry, after a while the criticisms begin to bite less deeply and you can focus on writing rather than worrying!"

     

    My two books are selling very well, thanks to UNRV.  The negative comment that I mentioned is the only one to highlight my use of standard U.S. distances and the equivalent metric distance.  I will assume that most readers do not have a similar problem until I hear otherwise.

     

    Viggen's response mirrored my own.  I'm mulling over his suggestion to publish two books: one for those who think in metrics and a second for all others.  Doing that may confuse readers.  At this point, I'll just carry on with writing and less with worrying!

     

    Thank you for taking the time to pen a very helpful comment.


  13. Hi, I am the author of Legion XVII: Roman Legion at War and Legion XVII: Battle of the Danube.  I just received a 1-star rating for Battle of the Danube because the reader was turned off that I put the metric equivalent in parentheses following a notation of yards or miles.  He stated that it was like watching TV and continually being interrupted by commercials.  He said it hurt the flow of the book for him.  Here's what it looks like in the book: ...17 miles (23 km)...

     

    I did not use this technique in my first book.  I used it in the 2nd because I read a book from the UK that only used metrics and I had to constantly convert distances and weights.  That made for a difficult read.

     

    I'm mid way into my 3rd book and I've been putting the metric equivalent in parentheses like I did in Battle of the Danube.  No other readers have posted a similar comment, so I'm unsure how big a problem it really is.

     

    I would appreciate reading your thoughts on this.  

     

     


  14. Actually I do have some texts (including a short novel, published by a free magazine, and a full lenght novel looking for a publisher) but they are in French, although I did sometimes play with timelines on alternatehistory.com. One such game, never finished though, was about a different Hadrianic reaction to the death of Trajan. So please forgive me the broken langage (you may say I did massacre your langage and I would not take offence), and if possible enjoy this piece : 

     

    Syria, autumn 117 CE

     

    As tired as Publius Aelius Hadrianus Buccellanus might be, he knows his day is far from over. He has just finished a tense meeting with his concilium, during which the fate of Lusius Quietus, the untrustworthy legate of Judea, has been sealed. With the orders sent earlier to Publius Aclius Attianus, the præfectus prætorio, Hadrianus is confident that his rule will not be challenged in the immediate future, which only leaves the question of what to do for the long term destiny of the imperium. 

     

    For now peace had been restored in the East. The Parthian had been severly beaten, their armies shattered, numerous cities taken and plundered. The Jewish revolts in Judea and in various other cities of the empire have been crushed, with many of those blasphemous deniers of the gods killed by the legions or the regional authorities.

     

    But peace is always fragile. The conquest of Dacia is still fresh, and there are other areas at risk from a barbarian invasion. Britannia, of course, is still partly free. Germania, as always, is a threat. Plenty of parts of the Danubian border are wide open to raids and even outright invasion, as he well knows since he did survey them in the name of the late imperator Trajanus.

     

    Augustus, be he blessed in his eternal glory, had said that the Empire’s borders where to be secured, conquest to be shunned. Well, that had not been the vision of Trajanus, conqueror of Dacia and of Parthia… But would it be his policy ? He had already ordered a withdrawal from many part of the newly conquered territories, to insecure with their rear in full revolt. But should he do more ? Fortify what he could, abandon what he could not hold ? 

     

    A cup of wine in his hand, the emperor lost himself in his thoughts before finally falling asleep from the wine and the exhaustion, but not without taking some decisions first…

     

    Oescus, Danubian border, autumn 117 CE

    Publius Aelius Hadrianus seats enthroned in all the imperial glory, the commanders of the Danubian armies seated around him. The praetorium is a huge wooden building first constructed to hosts the headquarter of Hadrian’s predecessor, Trajanus, during his second dacian war. 

     

    Here Hadrianus has been a general amongst many, but he is now the absolute ruler of the Empire. Many roads lay in front of him, and only he will make the decision on which one to take. 

     

    In front of the assembled generals, a large map of the empire stood up, small flags and colours showing the extent of the empire and its various forces with an estimation of their respective strengths. A huge concentration of force was still present in the east, leaving the Rhine dangerously under guarded. In some places the borders where on riverlines, as on the Rhine, but much too often they were not. Dacia was exposed to the Roxolani and to the Iazyges, and there was a huge gap between the Rhine and Danube garrisons where barbarian pressure could splinter the roman defenses. 

    The emperor rose from his throne and felt all eyes looking at him. Walking slowly, he approached the huge map, his purple mantle falling on his shoulders the only noise to be heard. He showed them. 

     

    Two large scale offensives, both in the Danubian area, using forces freed by the end of the campaign in the east. Four enemies they knew well, two of them who had been diminished by the recent wars of Trajanus. The Roxolani and the Daci would be attacked from across the Danube , from the east, and pushed toward the north and the tribe of the Carpi, where they would be all pushed to the other side of the river Porata. 

     

    The Legio I Italica and XI Claudia would sparhead the attack with some detachments from the XV Apollinaris and the XII Fulminata brought from Cappadocia. The legio V Macedonica would serve as anchor for this movement while the XIII Gemina would protect the eastern side of the lands taken by Trajanus. 

     

    At the same time, on the other side of Dacia, XIV Gemina from Carnuntum, the II Adiutrix from Aquincum and the IV Flavia Felix would attack across the Danube from the west and the south, the VII Claudia protecting Dacia on the western side, the forces crushing the Iasyges to push them toward the mountains held by the Osi and the Cotini. 

     

    The Quadi and the Marcomani had been quite enough those last few years to so diminish the forces protecting Noricum and Pannonia. It was a gambit, but a reasonable enough one. 

     

    Hadrianus himself would lead the Iazyges offensive, knowing the land well from a previous mission in the area. Those two operations would significantly diminish the total length of the border, with mountains and rivers to shore up the future defenses. 

     

    Two or three years of campaigning would probably see the border put on the Porata of even the Tyras, giving numerous lines of defense against future raids from the steppe peoples.

     

    His generals agreed. It was a sound plan, and would bring good agricultural land in the hands of the Empire, lands which would provide them with nice new estates. 

     

    And in three or four years they would be able to turn their sight back toward the east and Parthia with seasoned soldiers at their back. Yes, they liked the plan they were seeing.

     

    Apulum, Dacia, Spring 118 CE

    Caius Cassius Voltinius looked at the agitation in front of the door of his praetorium tent. His legion, the XIII Gemina, had been cut in two units : one had been left in the base of Apulum, along with an unit of auxiliaries, while two third of his forces and two cohorts of auxiliaries had moved south toward Romula Malva where they had set a temporary camp. Their task was simple, as they were to guard a river against any barbarian that would be pushed in front of them by the men of the I Italica coming across the Danube at Novae. 

     

    They would then go north toward the mountains where they would prevent enemy incursions, pushing them toward the forces of the reinforced XI Claudia and of the V Macedonica which would try to trap them as the cork on an amphora or the anvil where the hammer would be the combined forces of the I Italica and the XI Claudia. Simple and efficient, if the Roxolani cavalry was prevented to unite and destroy a legion in the plains… 

     

    Yet Voltinius was confident. The memory of their crushing defeat at the hands of Trajanus left the barbarian fearful of the power of the legions, and many would flee rather than suffer the wrath of the legions. Grain had been brought from Egypt and Africa to granaries of the bases at Novae, Durostorum and Troesmis through the ports of Odessus, Tomis and Istrus, ensuring a good provisioning of the forces of the eastern offensive. 

     

    On the other hand the plan to simultaneously attack on the western side of the province to beat the Iazyges seemed a bit risky to the veteran legion commander. Of course large forces were brought to bear against the enemy, and the land was rather suitable for the kind of operations planned by the emperor, but was it not tempting the Gods than to ask for two victorious major campaigns at the same time in such a small area ? 

     

    He was sure that wheat and oat had been brought in large quantities to the fortress of Viminacium, Singidunum and Aquincum, and that logistics would not be an issue, but would the forces deployed to defend Sarmizegetusa, Napoca and Porolissum be enough to serve as anvil for the western hammer ? He hoped he would not have to turn his forces in a hurry toward this area… 

     

    As a soldier led his men toward the parade ground for some exercises, Voltinius shrugged and turned his attention to the state of his forces. This century was not full strength, he would have to check on the day’s sick list…

     

    Somewhere between Aquincum and Porolissum, near the Tisia river, late spring 118 CE

    The campaign was going well and the emperor was pleased. Hadrianus was on his warhorse, relishing the good feeling that riding a powerful animal in company of a troop of mounted veterans always gave him. 

     

    The season had started in late march by the building of a large bridge across the Danuvius, actually two bridges to and from a small island in the middle of the river which allowed for much less efforts than initially planned for this step of the expedition. 

     

    He was followed by about twenty thousand men, mostly forces from legio XIV Gemina from Carnuntum and II Adiutrix from Aquincum itself and a large amount of auxiliaries coming from as far as Gaul and Britannia, recalled during the winter.

     

    A force of about ten thousand more infantrymen was coming from the south, starting near the panonian capital of Sirmium and the bases at Singidunum in two collums ravaging the lands between the Danuvius and the Tisia, funneling the barbarians toward his force while being supported by the Danubian fleet. 

     

    Barbarian villages burned, women and children were killed or sold into slavery, and nowhere the men of fighting age were given the opportunity to regroup. 

    Still, the Iazyges made up a powerful tribe, and he must not underestimate them. He suspected that many of their warriors would be able to retreat behind the Tisia, on the Dacian side of the river, and might try to launch an attack against Porolissum or another of the recently founded cities of the province… 

     

    A dispatch bearer appeared and went for one of his aide. Probably something about a village destroyed, or a site found for the night’s camp… The area was far less densely wooded than the northern Germania, a good thing too if his plan was to succeed and if he were not to succumb to the kind of trap that had killed le legatus Varus in the time of the divine Augustus. 

     

    Hadrianus idly wondered for the umpteenth time whether he had made a good decision to attack across the Danuvius instead of launching his forces from Dacia toward the anvil that the river would have been. It had been a hotly debated question in the previous year, when the plans had been drawn, and he knew many officers were still uneasy about it. 

     

    Yet Hadrianus found it the best way to proceed, Dacia not being strong enough yet to support so many legions at once. Besides, the new province being ravaged would not really be a major loss, and the area, settled as it was with recently retired veterans and guarded by two legions and various auxiliaries, would prove to be a hard nut to crack for the Barbarians…

     

    On the bank of the Tisia, early spring 118 CE

    The two forces were deployed face to face, between their two camps. On a rather narrow plain flanked by forests on one side and the river Tisia on the other, closed by the camps of the two armies, nearly eighty thousand armed men faced each other. On the roman side, three legions stood under their eagles, flanked by various auxiliary units. 

     

    In front, the Barbarian seemed to be three times as numerous as the Romans, at least forty thousand warriors, mostly warriors on foot armed with long spears, swords and shields or hunting bows. Behind them, on the walls of the makeshift camp made of chariots and barrels, many women and children looked at their menfolk. They knew it was all or nothing: the river was too wide to cross easily, and they were no boats available. Beside the Romans had put cavalry and a small infantry detachment on the other bank of the river, ready to kill anyone who’d try to escape. 

     

    It had taken some three months, but the legions had cornered a large party of Iazyges before they could escape to the northern mountains. Hadrian’s forces had closed the way and pushed people toward the south were two columns supported by part of the Danubian fleet were coming. 

     

    Finally the various forces had met. A night march had let the Romans regroup, the southern force coming to the Emperor’s camp. A complex, tricky manoeuver, but a successful one that could only succeed thanks to the complete dominance of the Tisia river by the fleet. 

    A tower had been built on the field of war, on which hung the imperial standard. Hadrianus wanted his men to see him, but he also wanted to keep some control on the battle. About two third of the Iazyges people was trapped and the day’s battle would decide their fate. 

     

    The Romans had arrived before the Iazyges, and the site was the one that best suited them in a four days of march radius. They had planted some traps on their flank to prevent an attack from outside the woods, and artillery had been carefully sited to help soften any barbarian charge in the front. The men were confident, after a rather easy walk into enemy territory. 

     

    The Iazyges had been completely surprised by the offensive, which had begun quite early in the year despite the rivers still being inflated by water from the melted snow. Boat bridges had been built in sections and quickly launched across the river, benefiting from experience on the rivers of Mesopotamia and Dacia in the previous years. 

     

    Loot had been plentiful, with many new slaves being captured and many golden ornaments found in the huts or on the bodies of fallen warriors. But now the time to pay for it all had come, and it would be settled in blood. Still, the favorable terrain and the roman discipline of the veteran forces would be more than able to cope with the undisciplined barbarian onslaught, or so hoped every roman soldier that day. 

     

    Silence reigned in the roman lines, except for the occasional bark of a centurion berating one of his men. The almost total lack of cavalry in this battle meant that no horses were neighing nervously, and most men simply waited for the battle to begin. The priests had made their sacrifices, auspices were deemed favorable. The Emperor himself was with them, which meant he might see and recompense brave deeds. His sight alone gave strength to his men. 

     

    On the other side of the field was a large body of men. Thousands upon thousands of warriors milled around, loosely grouped around their war leaders. Some men carried armor, brilliant chainmail and golden helmets decorated with strange devices in the shape of animals or with brilliant feathers, but most only wore a tunic and long pants. 

     

    The noblest warriors did also have golden armlets that would do fine as trophies for those who would slay them. Many carried a shield, either a small round piece of wood with a central metallic umbos or a larger whicker shield. Few carried shields made in the Gallic fashion. Tall spears and long swords where the weapons of choice of those men. 

    While the Romans were mostly silent, the Iazyges were rather noisy, loudly calling names at their enemies. Sometimes some men would go out of the crowd and call out for a duel, never answered by the legionaries. One man, braver or more insane than the other, approached the Romans before being speared by a ballista bolt than went through him and fell a few paces before the barbarian lines. First blood had been shed. 

     

    The barbarian answered by dressing their lines while beginning their war chant, hitting their shields with their blades. It was not the baryttus of the northern Germans, but it was similar. Behind them the women and the children took on the cry, adding their voice to the waves of sound that traveled the field toward the legions. 

     

    There it was met by the prayers of the soldiers, and then the hymn to Apollo was sung. The deep voices of the legionaries took the chant in Latin, each man with his own accent bearing witness to the size of the Empire. From Gaul as well as from Syria, from Mauretania as well as from Italy, from Achaia as well as from Egypt, they had come on this Danubian field of this day to fight for a city most had never seen, in the name of an Emperor which few had ever seen before this campaign. 

     

    The Barbarians began to advance toward the Romans, still chanting. Suddenly the noise of many cords suddenly released sounded in the back of the soldiers, followed by the sound of large projectiles rushing toward the enemy lines. 

     

    Ballistae shot their bolts which impaled many men at once, larger round shots falling from the sky and rolling on the ground, breaking bones and making men howl with pain. Still the great mass of the enemy kept coming, like a beast whose wounds would close as soon as they appeared. 

     

    Legionaries readied their heavy pilum, the throwing spear designed to break the shield formations of the enemies that was their trademark as much as their heavy lorica segmentata. Auxiliaries made sure their chainmail was falling correctly on their shoulders, checked their swords in their scabbard, prayed one last time to their native gods

     

    Taking a few steps to get more throwing power, the legionaries hurled their spears toward the enemy, unsheathing their blades while the dark cloud of iron and wood fell on the Iazyges, sowing death deep in their formation. Still they came, pushed forward by mass as much as by will. The legionaries kept going, their line an impeccable front of heavy shields and metal helmets, the points of their gladius visible in the gaps between the scutum of the men. 

     

    A huge noise resonated in the field when the two armies connected. Arrows flew above the first lines of each side, falling down onto the soldiers waiting to get into the meat grinder that was called battle. Men fell to the ground, some slain outright, others still screaming while their comrade in arms walked upon them or their enemies stabbed them so that they may not do any harm any longer. 

     

    In the tower where Hadrianus watched the fight, the tension was palpable. The officers of the high command were happy to see that the roman line had held to the shock. Not it was to be seen if they might last long enough to put the enemy in flight. Still, orders had to be sent. Flags from the top of the tower communicated them to the other side of the river, where a horseman saw them and began to run his horse toward the south. The trap was now sprung… 

     

    For Hadrianus had planned well and chosen his terrain while knowing that he had no room to deploy his cavalry in the normal way. For this reason he’d used his fleet to carry a part of it on a small island in the middle of the river, and he had now given the order that they cross again and fall on the back of the Barbarians, a party of auxiliaries following to secure the enemy camp while everyone was watching for the main action. Grinning somberly, the emperor kept watching the action in front of him. His infantrymen only had to hold for three hours…

     

    On the bank of the Tisia, early spring 118 CE

    Seven days had passed since the large battle that had seen the destruction of any coherent Iazyge defense had been won. All around the imperial tent wounded soldiers walked in order to carry some duty or just for the pleasure of walking and being alive. 

     

    While not so many Romans had been killed, only some four hundred men, the wounded were numerous, hundreds of men having lost limbs or been severely hurt in another way : eyes gouged by the iron of a spear, face cut by swords’ points, bones broken by the pressure of the bodies of the warriors behind and in front of them… 

     

    Still, they were much better off than their enemies. Thousands of their best warriors had died in the front line, unable to pierce the wall of wood and steel and flesh of the legions, unable to overwhelm the Romans despite the large numerical advantage they held. 

     

    The narrowness of the plain had constricted them, hampering their moves and limiting the number of arms they could bear against the legionaries and their auxiliaries, and the Romans’ discipline and almost mechanical way of killing had meant they could keep fighting much longer than the Barbarian. At one point they had even made a retreat of half a hundred paces in order for fresher men to take place on the front line, breaking contact for a few seconds before the stunned barbarians could react. 

     

    And then the cavalry had come. Not many men attacked the barbarians from their back, only about a thousand horsemen, but they were enough. They had spread enormous fear in the heart of their enemies who began to flee under the despairing calls of their women and children already being taken captive by a force of auxiliaries that had crossed the river with the horsemen. 

     

    Hadrianus had been remembered of the divine Caesar’s description of the final defeat of the Helvetii. Here too he’d captured a very large crowd making a full people, with many of their warriors killed or taken captive. But, unlike his predecessor, he did not intend to set them free and to give them a new land. The proceedings of the sale of the whole lot as slaves would greatly improve the Empire’s finances as well as his own. Or at least such had been his initial thinking…

     

    It had been one of his subordinate who had come with the innovative idea: why sell them all to others who would get rich from their labor when he could as well settle them on imperial lands currently unoccupied where they would be able to build cities and pay taxes forever, taxes that would go to the treasure instead of into the fortunes of the senators.

     

    Also they could be settled in distant places where they would cause no troubles and serve the empire, especially if they were to be isolated from their free brethren. Had not the divine Caesar done something somewhat similar when he had ordered the Helvetii back to their abandoned lands where they had served as deterrent to Germanic raids on northern Italia ?

     

    The debate following this novel idea had been fierce, to say the least. Yet a solution had finally been found, with all the captive without consort and all the couples without children being sold into slavery, the rest, being mostly the younger couples, to be split into about a hundred groups of some twenty families that would be sent to Syria, Mauretania and Britannia where each group would found a village to work the land and later to provide recruits for the local auxiliary forces.

     

    Those lands had all known recent unrest and could benefit from peoples that would be grateful for the opportunity not to end up in slavery… while also being loyal out of fear of being killed because they’d be the stranger taking good lands from the locals.

     

    Now that this issue had been resolved the emperor had also to plan his next move. He had not expected such a swift and crushing victory on his enemies in the west. He could probably begin the real work of settling the area with roads and fortresses as well as plan for more civilian settlements. But should he set the territories into a new province or simply add it to either Moesia or Dacia ?

     

    Near Piscul, Dacia Inferior, late spring 118 CE

    Caius Cassius Voltinius was furious. That stupid commander would see them all killed before this war would end, and it would not be Rome that would be the victorious party. First he’d wanted to wait for news of the imperial campaign to the west before beginning to move his forces. Then he’d gone with a slow, meticulous, cleaning of the area, instead of following the initial imperial plans.

     

    Instead of coming vigorously from the south with two legions and supports and push the enemy toward the forces launched from Troesmis, he’d decided to use the numerous rivers of the area as limits to sectors he wanted pacified before moving on to the next one. Thus had first the I Italica moved across the Danuvius, going toward the north east, alone in enemy territory, while the forces under Voltinius command had also gone toward the north. 

     

    The I Italica had suffered casualties in many skirmishes, it’s progress hampered by cavalry raids by the Roxolani, mainly horse archers darting in and out before anyone could react. The legion had not even received all the cavalry support it could have, so they were unable to retaliate. Then the XI Claudia had also launched its attack, about one month and a half after the garrison of Novae had left. From Durostorum they had gone north, meeting up with the I Italica neat the Dacian citadel of Piscul, well to the west of their intended march plans. 

     

    Voltinius himself had received orders to reinforce them there, traveling with his half legion and most of his auxiliaries. They were now some twenty thousand men, about a fifth of them cavalry, about to fight against a massive Roxolani army of some thirty thousand men, at least two third of them being cavalrymen. 

     

    Voltunius still remembered his shock when he’d learned, more than twenty five years earlier, how the legio XXI Rapax had been destroyed by the Roxolani. Possibly some of the men he was now going to fight had been present that day, sinking their iron into Roman blood. 

     

    The Romans were thus had about half the strength they should have been, and had been cornered in a place where they would have to give battle, unable to wait for the forces from Troesmis which had finally left their camp and were coming from the north-east toward their position, meaning that while they would probably not be able to help in the coming battle, they would probably be able to crush those victorious Roxolani left alive after Voltinius’ men death. And thus providing their commander with all the glory... and the loot !

     

    Voltunius chastised himself. Such way of thinking could only lead to defeat. It was not the Roman way. After all did not the legio III Gallica succeed in destroying a force of 9000 Roxolanian cavalry in the time of the cursed emperor Nero ?

     

    With those thoughts in mind, he went to the meeting organized by his fellow legati to plan for the next day.

    Wow!  That was fantastic!  Couldn't stop reading.  Thanks for posting such a stirring piece.


  15. Onasander, a few more thoughts, if I may.  History is replete with commanders who continue to repeat the same failed tactics.  Yes, the barbarian hordes, you mentioned, foolishly repeated the same mistakes and hoped for different results.  Cold Harbor in the Civil War.  At Kennesaw Mountain in Georgia, Sherman threw his troops against fortified confederate positions and failed.  In WWI, the Allies continued frontal assaults against the Germans and suffered horribly at the other end of machine gun barrels.  Sometime, we are slow to adapt.

    Hannibal was famous for his surprises.  He employed "new" tactics during his first three engagements with the Romans: Trebia, Lake Trasimene, and Cannae, and was successful.  Eventually, the Romans adapted, borrowed Hannibal's concept of including a surprise, but mostly kept to the basics.

    In my book, the basics are the main stay, but there are always a few Hannibalic surprises.  My book deals a lot with the mundane, but extremely important elements of logistics, troop morale and welfare, medical support, food and shelter, and training.  History tells us who fought, where (sometimes), and who won, but we rarely, if ever, listen in on the planning that takes place prior to the engagement.  That's the part I was going after.  How would a reasonable commander fight a particular battle. 


  16. I had Apraxia, and my spelling never quite has come out correctly myself. It would be silly of me to judge negatively.

     

    I haven't gotten that far into it, rarely read fiction these days, and yours is the first historic fiction I've read since Ivanhoe.... I have a fear of the underlining ontology of fiction writers writing on strategy or warfare is going to mess with my understanding unconsciously.... I'm getting rather good at predicting the course and methods used in wars.... I explain what will happen on philosophy sites at the very start, and with minor differences at best, it happens that way. Been covering the current Iraq ISIS campaign.... pissed alot of people off.

     

    I only trusted your work given your background. Like I said, I don't like fantasy to get mixed up.

     

    One thing I noted was in your book the initial battle was "taken" from a manuscript parchment discovered on a dig, taken from the perspective of the losing (Roman) side.

     

    It would be interesting, if you do it in this book or the next, find some fragments for a appendix of a greek historian who was captured by a barbarian tribe, who knew of the Roman reputation, and yet somehow came to the conclusion it was a swell idea to invade Italy anyway..... and what they made sense of regarding roman tactics and strategy up to the battle, why they stuck through it while losing, and how they felt psychologically afterwards making sense of it.

     

    Right now, ISIS in Iraq has lost it's momentum, is losing along three fronts, systemmatic attacks on any gatherings or convoy movements.... yet they still go on the offensive, despite losing a tenth of their total claimed forces the last few days.

     

    They are routing everywhere, but many are still like "No, this is a swell Idea, lets jump into a death trap and die like martyrs..... yippee". And they do just that.

     

    It makes sense to me what the Iraqi gov is doing, I can explain the underlining neurology that makes ISIS what it is, and in one sense can predict them..... but there is this severe sense of disbelief in knowing even in the best of times, this was the inevitable direction they were heading, just how on earth could their lead commanders not know it too? Why go forward with a losing strategy....

     

    Its a factor of mystification on my part. Everything in the west is aimed at studying the mistakes of the past, and how to overcone friction with very low lost of manpower.... I imagine one in a while colonels and generals talking in conference must one in a while just pause.... get existentialist, blink a few times and begin to have serious questioning doubts as to the enemies grasp of awareness and underlining insanity of their actions. It hurts my faith in humanity sometimes. Human beings shouldn't be that stupid, no matter what side they are on.

     

    I wonder if Roman commanders thought the same waiting for bandit hordes to come strolling out of the Alps for the umpteenth time..... concepts like discipline, honor, heroics fade away..... and your just looking at these gleeful fools numbly, walking into anbush. Afterwards, just staring at their warchief, your counterpart in their force wincing in a cage..... trying to find that which is you in them..... do they comprehend? Have they figured it out? Or is it just a hamster on a wheel running around in their head, completely oblivious to the underlining nature of events that lead to his loss and capture.

    Onasander, some pretty deep thinking!  I researched Apraxia.  Glad you are able to refer to it in the past tense.  Sure hasn't affected your ability to think and analyze.  I can understand what you said about getting a concept about a particular topic reasoned out in your thinking and concern that a false or untested related concept will undo everything.  That concern can apply to most topics: religion, geometry, strategy, tactics.  In the military, the maxim is two up and one back (reserve force).  Scipio introduced something new in Africa, which must have really upset the traditionalists.  He used the Triarii within the Triplex Acies as a separate maneuver element.  Your observations about persisting on with a losing strategy despite serious set backs is interesting and so human.  No more space!


  17. Yeah, I first started reading it last night, found four mistakes, like Goggle Maps.... but whatever, it is what it is.

     

    What happened to Carthage for book two?

    Onasander, thank you for your tolerant attitude, which I hope you can sustain because you will probably discover more editing issue as you continue reading. I know edits can be a real turn off.  Not that it will do you any good at the moment, but the latest version (republished a few days ago) should be clear of any problems.  I will be happy to send you another coupon to get the newest version.  I imagine many new ebook authors think they're good enough to do the editing themselves and save a few bucks.  Impossible!  Too close to the forest.

    My book two is underway, but only touches on the 2nd Punic War: defeat of Mago in northern Italy and perhaps Zama, depending on the length of the book.  The focus of book two is the migration of the Teuton/Cimbri Tribes out of the Jutland Peninsula through Germania to the Danube River.  Legio XVII, joined by Legio XVIII, the Rhaetian Tribe and the Suevi (the same tribe Legio XVII defeats in book one) are given the mission to push the Teuton/Cimbri back across the Danube River.

    I made a conscious decision to use Google Maps to enable the reader to place the battle site in relation to modern cities.  Ancient maps are interesting to look at, but can make it difficult to pinpoint the battle site in the modern world.

    please let me know if you would like another coupon.  Best regards! 


  18. UPDATE by UNRV.com:

    Win a free download of Legio XVII: Roman Legion at War, comment or asks the author a question below

    and stand a chance to download it for free Legio XVII: Roman Legion at War

    ##############################################################

     

    The purpose of this post is to tell you about an historical fiction ebook I just published, "LegioXVII: Roman Legion at War" and why I think you may be interested in reading it.  First, I want to mention that this is my first post here, but I have been a fan of UNRV for the last four years.  I used it extensively during my research.

     

    Why the book?  I wanted to create an image of Leg XVII beside that of Teutoburg Forest!  I first heard about 9 AD way back in 1960 and found it unsettling.  How did this disaster happen?  Fifty years later, I think we all pretty well know how it happened: poor Roman leadership and a very clever adversary.  Leg XVII only existed for 50 years.  It was never reconstituted after 9 AD.  My book gives the Legion a history that takes place during the 2nd Punic War, but is not involved with Hannibal.

     

    Another reason I wrote the book is because I felt I had something unique to add.  Now I love ancient battles as much as anyone, but, in addition to battle scenes, I wanted to describe the intense planning that underlies a successful outcome.  To do this, I drew on my 28 year active duty career in the U.S. Army where I served at the platoon, company, battalion, and brigade level.  I was also in the Pentagon for 24 years as a staff officer and civilian on the Army Staff, the Joint Staff, and Office of the Secretary of Defense.  Operational and tactical level planning has been my life.

     

    In the book, I tried to be historically accurate concerning the 2nd Punic war and with my characters.  Any errors are unintentional.  Let me know what you think!  I'd appreciate your perspective.    

    Hi UNRV, I am the author of "Legio XVII: Roman Legion at War."  Here's the current status of the book.  All along, I said to myself that simply counting the number of books sold is not my personal goal or measure of success.  Rather, I thought I had a story to tell and the ability to add a planning perspective to the story not usually found in Roman battle books.  If I could do those two things, I would consider the book a success.  The book is selling quite well thanks, in large part, to UNRV, but more importantly, I'm getting good feedback on the substance of the book, which is even better.  There is one items that has bothered me a lot.  Readers have reported finding editing errors such as a "build" instead of "built" and "keep" instead of "kept."  To fix this "turn off," I just had someone scrub the book yet again and have made several additional fixes.  I believe it is now free of those pesky and distracting errors.  I apologize to those readers who found them and were discouraged.  For my next book, "Legio XVII: Battle of the Danube River," I will hire a professional editor from the get go!  Thank you for your interest and continued success to UNRV!      

    • Like 1

  19. Onasander, I appreciate another great response.  Thank you for the additional information and link to the Classical History website.  I looked it over and it appears to be another site with much to contribute to my continuing education.  (No big deal, but I was promoted to Colonel and served in that rank for 3 + years on the Joint Staff in the Pentagon before retiring  Met a lot of bright people and future General Officers.)


  20. Onasander, I truly appreciate your message!  First, I knew Onasander was not your real name, but was unaware of the identity of your pseudonym.  Next, besides Onasander, you mentioned six other individuals from antiquity: Asclepciodotus, Aeneas Tacticus, Frontinus, Arrian, Belisarius, and Clitomachus  I looked them up and read a brief synopsis of their fame and accomplishments.

     

    Your knowledge of these men, and, I presume, their writings is truly praiseworthy.  Because of you, my list of must read books has just grown considerably.  I hope to use the stratagems of war that they write about as well as other applicable tidbits in my next book about Legio XVII.

     

    Thank you for sharing your extensive knowledge of history.  I am indebted.


  21. Just downloaded it a few seconds ago, thanks. 

    Onasander, first, I apologize for repeatedly misspelling your name in our earlier posts.  And secondly, you asked some really good questions and deserve to win a free book.  I hope my book is up to your standards.  The information about the 2nd Punic War is as accurate as I could get it.  You should like that.  I've just decided to attempt a second book, which builds on the first and will included the defeat of Hannibal at Zama in 202 B.C.  Manius will again lead Legio XVII to North Africa after a trip back to Austria and into Germany.  Should be interesting and, again, historically accurate.      

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