Hunting the Eagles (53 page)

Many of the characters in the book were real people; these include Aulus Caecina Severus, Germanicus, Lucius Seius Tubero, Stertinius, Publius Quinctilius Varus, Arminius, Drusus, Caedicius, Segestes, Segimundus, Thusnelda, Flavus, Agrippina, ‘Little Boots’ (the future emperor Caligula) and Bato. Even lowly soldiers such as Marcus Crassus Fenestela and Calusidius existed. Scylax is the name of a dog in a Roman play. Centurion Tullus is my invention; so too are Maelo, Degmar, the soldiers of Tullus’ century, and Sirona and Artio. The last two names belong to ancient Gaulish goddesses.

It’s frustrating that almost no ‘real’ German tribal names of the time survive. I had to invent Osbert and Degmar. Because I used name stems from the Dark Age era, I hope they sound authentic. Arminius, Inguiomerus and Segimundus are clearly Romanised versions of German names. Arminius may have been called ‘Armin’ or ‘Ermin’ – we are not sure. When writing
Eagles at War
, my editor persuaded me to use Arminius; I hope this doesn’t make him sound too Roman.

Widespread conscriptions into the legions were made following the Teutoburg Forest disaster. Soldiers who were ransomed from the Germans by their families were banned from returning to Italy – it is my invention to have the same apply to other survivors. During the legions’ mutiny in 14, a Centurion Septimius was executed in front of Caecina, and the other centurions died as I have described. The incredible nickname ‘Bring me another’, or ‘Cedo alteram’ in Latin, belonged to a centurion at this time.

I never saw Siamese twins when working as a vet, but an old friend delivered dead conjoined lambs in early 2015. They were grotesque, and people two millennia ago would have regarded such oddities as a mark of the gods’ ill favour. Germanicus’ speech to the mutineers, and their response – showing him their toothless gums and Calusidius offering his own blade, etc. – were real events. Germanicus’ letter to Caecina, demanding the rebellious soldiers’ leaders be killed, is attested. So too is the brief hostage-taking of Agrippina and Caligula. Suetonius’ words describing Augustus’ reaction to the news of his legions’ massacre in
AD
9 were so dramatic that I had to work them in somewhere.

Germanicus’ campaigns into Germany are recorded, as is his talk of ‘fire and sword’ and how his legions could turn ‘guilt into glory’. The Marsi were massacred in their thousands in the autumn of
AD
14, and the Chatti suffered the same fate in spring
AD
15. Drusus’ old camp was reoccupied for a short time by Germanicus’ army. Although there’s no evidence that Segimundus was involved, the mission to rescue Segestes is true; so too is the unexpected capture of the pregnant Thusnelda, although we have no idea how large a Roman force was involved. Flavus is not recorded as having been present, but I thought it apt to include him in the chapter. Segestes’ words when freed, and Arminius’ reaction to the devastating news, are in the ancient texts.

The military campaign of
AD
15 happened as I’ve written it. Although you won’t find it in any textbook, my brief mention of a type of heavier Roman armour with broad plates is not invented. I can’t say any more on the matter! Germanicus ignored convention to visit the site of Arminius’ ambush; he was guided there by veterans of the disaster. My descriptions of the site is as accurate as I can make it after researching how human bodies, clothing and weapons decay and degrade.

Caecina’s disastrous journey along the ‘Long Bridges’ road took place, as did the second mutiny by two legions. Arminius’ followers destroyed the road and attacked the army, almost killing Caecina. It was my invention to have Tullus save the general’s life. Varus is purported to have appeared to Caecina in a dream, and the Roman legionaries were panicked at night by a runaway horse. We’re told that Caecina stopped the soldiers from leaving the camp by threatening to lie down in the gateway, but I preferred to have Tullus use the eagle to win over the mutineers.

The Romans’ pretence of remaining inside their encampment, terrified, is recorded, as is the disastrous German attack. Both Arminius’ speech to the chieftains and Caecina’s to his soldiers took place. We have no idea how Roman legionaries would have dealt with the death of a close comrade, but an emotive scene in
Quartered Safe Out Here
, George MacDonald Fraser’s excellent account of the last days of the Second World War in Burma, describes what happened in the mid-twentieth century. Because I believe such things do not change with time, I had Piso and the other legionaries divide up Vitellius’ kit just as MacDonald Fraser and his fellows did. It’s reported that Agrippina stopped the panicked sentries from chopping down the bridge over the Rhine as Caecina’s army came marching back – this detail was another historical gem I could not leave out.

There are so many other things to mention. I want you, the reader, to know that the richness of archaeological finds means that many of the objects referenced in my books are real. The items include wine strainers, shield covers, glasses with gladiators on them, folding knives and spoons, manicure sets, whistles (although it’s not known if they were used in combat), the stakes carried by marching legionaries, and the timber guttering on barracks.

Centurions are recorded as having called their soldiers ‘boys’ as well as ‘brothers’. After an animal was sacrificed, it was butchered and the meat given to the poor. Despite what some people believe, Romans cursed a lot – a lot! The plentiful, lewd graffiti in Pompeii and the bawdy poetry that survives is proof of this. The ‘C’ word was one of the most common swear words used. So too was the word ‘cocksucker’. ‘Fuck’ is less well attested, but there is a Latin verb
futuere
, which means ‘to fuck’. My more frequent use of the ‘F’ word compared to the ‘C’ word is nothing more than an attempt to spare blushes.

In spite of its many inaccuracies, I enjoyed the
Spartacus: Blood and Sand
TV series. I was taken with its archaic-sounding language, hence my use of ‘Gratitude’. The phrase ‘into the mud’ is a nod to a great author of dark fantasy, Joe Abercrombie. The expression ‘shoulder to shoulder’ may well have been used by Roman soldiers, but my intent in this book was also to honour the modern-day warriors who play rugby for Ireland. The hashtag #ShoulderToShoulder is used on social media when showing support for the Irish team. In
Eagles at War
, I also used the expression ‘Stand up and fight’, the Munster team’s call to arms. Leinster – my province – will get a mention in the next book, with their more difficult to place ‘Come on, you boys in blue’!

As far as I’m aware, there is no evidence of the Suebian tribe’s involvement in any of the fighting in Germany in the years 9–16, but every textbook on this period has Suebian tribesmen in the illustrations, which amuses me no end. I think the artists involved can’t help but draw the famous ‘Suebian knot’, which is the only ancient German hairstyle we know of. I put in the Suebian warrior in the final battle as a bit of fun.

Although we know how legionaries were trained, and some of their fighting methods, much remains unknown. Wedge formations
were
used; so too was the ‘saw’. I’m grateful to Garry Fitzgerald of Legion XX Deva Victrix for telling me of the theory about how men might have slipped from the front rank to the second without exposing themselves to the enemy – I had Arminius use the move in the ambush on Caecina’s position. Later on in the book, Arminius holds a spear in the same hand as a shield – I’m not mad, this can be done at need.

When trying to recreate how life might have been, it helps to travel to the places, or the general areas, where the historical events took place. I have now been to northwest Germany three times. There are so many museums to visit, foremost among them the wonderful archaeological park at Xanten, historical Vetera. I cannot recommend enough a visit to the park, which has accurate reconstructions of a three-storey gate to the town, a sizeable section of its wall, as well as workshops and a guesthouse. There’s even a Roman tavern and restaurant where you can eat food prepared using ancient recipes. Not far to the east is one of the best Roman museums I have visited, in the town of Haltern-am-See. Some hundred kilometres further inland is the Kalkriese battlefield, thought by many to be the actual site of the battle of the Teutoburg Forest. Cologne, Mainz and Bonn, cities with more great Roman museums, are only a short drive further down the Rhine.

The ancient texts are another route to the past. If it weren’t for Tacitus, Florus, Velleius Paterculus, Cassius Dio and Pliny, writing this book would have been much harder. Their words, often rather ‘Rome-aggrandising’, have to be taken with a pinch of salt, but they are nonetheless of great value when it comes to picturing life two thousand years ago. Bill Thayer, an American academic at the University of Chicago, has to be thanked here. His website, LacusCurtius, has English translations of almost every surviving Roman text. I would be lost without it. You can find them here:
http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/home.html
.

Textbooks are also indispensable. A bibliography of those I used while writing
Hunting the Eagles
would run to pages, so I will reference only the most important, in alphabetical order by author:
Handbook to Legionary Fortresses
by M. C. Bishop;
Roman Military Equipment
by M. C. Bishop and J. C. N. Coulston;
Greece and Rome at War
by Peter Connolly;
The Complete Roman Army
by Adrian Goldsworthy;
Rome’s Greatest Defeat: Massacre in the Teutoburg Forest
by Adrian Murdoch;
Eager for Glory: The Untold Story of Drusus the Elder
,
Germanicus
, and
Roman Soldier versus Germanic Warrior
, all by Lindsay Powell;
The Varian Disaster
(multiple authors), a special edition of
Ancient Warfare
magazine. I’d like to mention the publishers Osprey and Karwansaray, whose publications are of frequent help, and the ever-useful
Oxford Classical Dictionary
.

Gratitude, as ever, to the members of
www.romanarmytalk.com
, for their rapid answers to my odd questions, and to Paul Harston and the legionaries of Roman Tours UK/Legion XX Deva Victrix for the same, and for providing men and materials for the covers of this and the other volumes in the trilogy. I want to thank Adrian Murdoch and Lindsay Powell, named above, for their patience, knowledge and generosity with their time. They have also been kind enough to read both this book and the previous one, and to provide corrections and words of wisdom. You are both true gentlemen.

I am indebted to a legion of people at my publishers, Random House. Selina Walker, my wonderful editor, mentioned at the start of this book, possesses an eagle eye quite like no other. She has also taught me a lot about writing. Thank you, Selina. Rose Tremlett, Aslan Byrne, Nathaniel Alcaraz-Stapleton, Caroline Sloan, David Parrish and Lizzy Gaisford, thank you! You all work so hard to ensure that my books do well. I’m also grateful to my foreign publishers, in particular to the team at Ediciones B in Spain. Other people must be named too, and thanked: Charlie Viney, my exceptional agent; Richenda Todd, my copy editor, a real star; Claire Wheller, my ever-present sports physio, who keeps my RSIs at bay; Arthur O’Connor, an old friend, for his criticism of, and improvements to, my stories.

Heartfelt gratitude also to you, my wonderful readers. You keep me in a job, for which I am so thankful. Anything not to go back to veterinary medicine! Your emails from around the world and contacts on Facebook and Twitter brighten up my days: please keep them coming. I often give away signed books and Roman goodies via these media, so keep your eyes peeled! I’ll also mention here that reviewing my books after you’ve read them, whether it be on Amazon (preferably the UK site), Goodreads, Waterstone’s, iTunes or other websites, is
such
a help. The reviews don’t have to be long or complicated.

All reviews of
this
book in the twelve months post UK publication (March 2016) are entitled to a signed, limited edition
Hunting the Eagles
postcard direct from me. If you’d like one, email me at the address below once you have left your review. Please supply your username, the site you’ve left it on, and your mailing details. I’ll do the rest. Thank you!

Last, but definitely not least, I want to express gratitude to Sair, my lovely wife, and Ferdia and Pippa, my beautiful children, for the boundless love and joy that they bring into my world.

Ways to contact me:

Email:
[email protected]

Twitter:
@BenKaneAuthor

Facebook:
facebook.com/benkanebooks

Also, my website:
www.benkane.net

YouTube (my short documentary-style videos):
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCorPV-9BUCzfvRT-bVOSYYw

acetum
:

sour wine, the universal beverage served to legionaries. Also the word for vinegar, the most common disinfectant used by Roman surgeons. Vinegar is excellent at killing bacteria, and its widespread use in Western medicine continued until late in the nineteenth century.

Adrana:

the River Eder.

Aesculapius:

the Romano-Greek god of medicine.

Ahenobarbus, Lucius Domitius:

the general who succeeded Tiberius as governor of Germania sometime between 6
BC
and
AD
2–3. He campaigned further into Germany than any other Roman leader, building an altar on the east bank of the River Elbe and receiving a triumph for his efforts. His army also built the Long Bridges (see relevant entry).

Albis:

the River Elbe.

Aliso:

a Roman fort on the River Lupia; possibly modern-day Haltern-am-See.

Amisia:

the River Ems.

amphora
(pl.
amphorae
):

a two-handled clay vessel with a narrow neck and tapering base used to store wine, olive oil and other produce. Of many sizes, including those that are larger than a man, amphorae were heavily used in long-distance transport.

Andretium:

Muć, a village in modern Croatia.

aquilifer
(pl.
aquiliferi
):

the standard-bearer for the
aquila
, or eagle, of a legion. The images surviving today show the aquilifer bare-headed, leading some to suppose that this was always the case. In combat, however, this would have been too dangerous; it’s probable that the aquilifer
did
use a helmet. We do not know either if he wore an animal skin, as the
signifer
did, but it is a common interpretation. The armour was often scale, and the shield carried probably a small one, which could be carried without using the hands. During the early empire, the
aquila
was made of gold, and was mounted on a spiked wooden staff, allowing it to be shoved into the ground. Sometimes the staff had arms, which permitted it to be borne more easily. Even when damaged, the
aquila
was not destroyed, but repaired time and again. If lost in battle, the Romans would do almost anything to get the standard back, as you have read in this book. (See also the entries for legion and
signifer
.)

Ara Ubiorum:

Cologne.

Arduenna Silva:

the Ardennes Forest.

as
(pl.
asses
):

a small copper coin, worth a quarter of a
sestertius
, or a sixteenth of a
denarius
.

Asciburgium:

Moers-Asberg.

Augusta Treverorum:

Trier.

Augusta Vindelicorum:

Augsburg.

aureus
(pl.
aurei
):

a small gold coin worth twenty-five
denarii
. Until the early empire, it had been minted infrequently.

auxiliaries (in Latin:
auxilia
):

it was common for Rome to employ non-citizens in its armies, both as light infantry and cavalry. By the time of Augustus, the
auxilia
had been turned into a regular, professional force. Roughly cohort-or double-cohort-sized units, they were of three types: infantry, cavalry or mixed. Auxiliary units were commanded by prefects, equestrian officers. It’s possible that Arminius may once have been such a commander – and that’s how I chose to portray him in
Eagles at War
.

Bacchus:

the Roman god of wine and intoxication, ritual madness and mania. Dionysos to the Greeks.

ballista (pl. ballistae):

a two-armed Roman catapult that looked like a crossbow on a stand, and which fired either bolts or stones with great accuracy and force.

barritus
:

the war chant sung by German warriors.

Bonna:

Bonn.

Capitoline Hill:

one of the seven hills of Rome, at the top of which was a vast, gold-roofed temple dedicated to the triad of Jupiter, Juno and Minerva.

centurion (in Latin,
centurio
):

centurions were the disciplined career officers who formed the backbone of the Roman army. (See also the entry for legion.)

century:

the main sub-unit of a Roman legion. Although its original strength had been one hundred men, it had numbered eighty men for close to half a millennium by the first century
AD
. The unit was divided into ten sections of eight soldiers, called
contubernia
. (See also the entries for
contubernium
and legion.)

Cerberus:

the monstrous three-headed hound that guarded the entrance to Hades. It allowed the spirits of the dead to enter, but none to leave. Circus Maximus: the enormous arena for chariot racing, found between the Palatine and Aventine hills in Rome, and first built in the sixth or seventh centuries
BC
.

Civitas Nemetum:

Speyer.

cohort:

a unit comprising a tenth of a legion’s strength. A cohort was made up of six centuries, each nominally of eighty legionaries. Each century was led by a centurion. The centurion leading the first century was the most senior (this is Tullus’ rank); the centurions were ranked after him, in order of their century: second, third and so on. The cohorts followed the same line of seniority, so that the centurions of the First Cohort, for example, outranked those of the Second Cohort, who were more senior than those of the Third etc. (See also the entries for centurion, century, legion and legionary.)

Confluentes:

Koblenz.

contubernium
(pl.
contubernia
):

a group of eight legionaries who shared a tent or barracks room and who cooked and ate together. (See also entry for legion.)

Danuvius:

the River Danube.

denarius
(pl.
denarii
):

the staple coin of the Roman Empire. Made from silver, it was worth four
sestertii
, or sixteen
asses
. The less common gold
aureus
was worth twenty-five
denarii
.

Donar:

the German thunder god, and one of the only tribal deities attested in the early first century
AD
.

Drusus:

more correctly, Nero Claudius Drusus, brother of the later emperor Tiberius. Born in 38
BC
, he began campaigning at the age of twenty-three. Three years later, Augustus entrusted the conquest of Germany to him. From 12 to 9
BC
, he led consecutive and successful campaigns over the Rhine, dying after a fall from his horse during the final one.

equestrian:

a Roman nobleman, ranked just below the class of senator. It was possible to move upwards, into the senatorial class, but the process was not easy.

Fates:

Greek goddesses who determined man’s destiny. The notion of a universal power of fate was less evident among the Romans, which is why I have the characters deride the goddesses as Greek.

Fectio:

Vechten.

Flevo Lacus:

the Zuiderzee, now the IJsselmeer.

Fortuna:

the goddess of luck and good fortune. All deities were notorious for being fickle, but she was the worst.

Forum Romanum:

the main public square in ancient Rome, surrounded by huge buildings and overlooked by the temple of Jupiter on the Capitoline Hill. The Forum was the beating heart of Roman religious, commercial and ceremonial life.

frameae
(sing.
framea
):

the long spears used by most German tribesmen. They had a short, narrow iron blade and were fearsome weapons. Used in conjunction with a shield, they were used to stab, throw or swing at an opponent.

Gallia Belgica and Gallia Lugdunensis:

these were two of the four Gaulish provinces delineated by Augustus. The other two were Gallia Aquitania and Gallia Narbonensis. Three of the four were part of Tres Galliae (see relevant entry).

Germania:

in the years 9–16, the Romans regarded the lands along the Rhine as two provinces, Germania Inferior and Superior. The territory east of the Rhine could have been known as Germania Libera, or ‘free’ Germany, or simply ‘Germania’.

gladius
(pl.
gladii
):

by the time of the early principate, the Republican
gladius hispaniensis
, with its waisted blade, had been replaced by the so-called ‘Mainz’
gladius
(named because of the many examples found there). The Mainz was a short, steel sword, some 400–550 mm in length. Leaf-shaped, it varied in width from 54–75 mm to 48–60 mm. It ended with a ‘V’-shaped point that measured between 96 and 200 mm. It was a well-balanced sword for both cutting and thrusting. The shaped handgrip was made of ox bone; it was protected at the distal end by a pommel and nearest the blade by a hand guard, both made of wood. The scabbard was made from layered wood, sheathed by leather and encased at the edges by U-shaped copper alloy. The
gladius
was worn on the right, except by centurions and other senior officers, who wore it on the left. Contrary to what one might think, it is easy to draw with the right hand, and was probably positioned in this manner to avoid entanglement with the shield while being unsheathed.

Hades:

the Roman underworld.

Illyricum (or Illyria):

the Roman name for the lands that lay across the Adriatic Sea from Italy: including parts of Slovenia, Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia and Montenegro. Illyricum included the area known as Pannonia, which became a Roman province sometime during the first half of the first century
AD
.

intervallum
:

the wide, flat area inside the walls of a Roman camp or fort. As well as serving to protect the barrack buildings or tents from enemy missiles, it allowed the massing of troops before patrols or battle.

Jupiter:

often referred to as ‘Optimus Maximus’ – ‘Greatest and Best’. Most powerful of the Roman gods, he was responsible for weather, especially storms. Jupiter was the brother as well as the husband of Juno.

latrunculi
:

a two-person strategic Roman board game. Little information about its rules survive, which makes playing it as the Romans did rather difficult.

Laugona:

the River Lahn.

legate (in Latin,
legatus legionis
):

the officer in command of a legion, and a man of senatorial rank, most often in his early thirties. The legate reported to the regional governor. (See also the entry for legion.)

legion (in Latin,
legio
):

the largest independent unit of the Roman army. At full strength, it consisted of ten cohorts, each of which comprised 480 legionaries, divided into six centuries of eighty men. Every century was divided into ten sections,
contubernia
, of eight men. The centuries were each led by a centurion, each of whom had three junior officers to help run the unit: the
optio
,
signifer
and
tesserarius
. (See also the relevant entry for each.) Every century and cohort had their own standard; each legion possessed an eagle. The legion was commanded by a legate, whose second-in-command was the most senior of six tribunes, the
tribunus laticlavius
. The camp prefect, a former
primus pilus
(see entry below), was third-in-command; after him – we are not sure in what order – came the five junior tribunes and the
primus pilus
. One hundred and twenty cavalrymen were attached to each legion. (See entry for
turmae
.) In practice, no legion was ever at full strength. Sickness and detachments on duty in other places, and, in wartime, losses due to combat, were some of the reasons for this.

legionary:

the professional Roman foot soldier. A citizen, he joined the army in his late teens or early twenties, swearing direct allegiance to the emperor. In
AD
9, his term of service was twenty years, with a further five years as a veteran. He was paid three times a year, after deductions for food and equipment had been made. Over a tunic, most often of white wool (and occasionally red), he probably wore a padded garment which served to dissipate the penetrative power of enemy weapons that struck his armour. Next came a mail shirt or the famous segmented iron armour, the so-called
lorica segmentata
(a modern name). Neck scarves are depicted on Trajan’s column and a few other friezes, but none have survived, so their frequency of use is unknown. Military belts were always worn, and for the most part covered by small tinned or silvered plates. It was common to suspend from the belt an ‘apron’ of four or more leather, metal-studded straps; these served as decoration and to protect the groin. Various types of helmet were in use during the early first century
AD
, made of iron, bronze or brass, sometimes with copper, tin and/or zinc alloy decorative pieces. The legionary carried a shield for defence, while his offensive weapons consisted of
gladius
,
pilum
and dagger (see entries for the first two). This equipment weighed well in excess of twenty kilos. When the legionary’s other equipment – carrying ‘yoke’, blanket, cooking pot, grain supply and tools – were added, his load came to more than forty kilos. The fact that legionaries were expected to march twenty miles in five hours, carrying this immense weight, shows their high level of fitness. It’s not surprising either that they soon wore down the hobnails on their sandals.

lituus
:

the curved bronze badge of office carried by soothsayers. Take a look at a modern bishop’s crozier to see that nothing changes!

Long Bridges:

the ‘Long Bridges’ wooden road over an area of bogland in northwestern Germany. (See also entry for Ahenobarbus, Lucius Domitius.)