Marching With Caesar: Conquest of Gaul (53 page)

“Hold, men!” This came from Rufus, who was in charge of our detachment, and I remembered Caesar’s words, realizing that this was exactly what he had warned about.

These Germans were trying to provoke us, and it was only our discipline that kept the situation from getting out of control. Seeing that they were not succeeding in baiting us, the Germans increased the fury of their provocation, if not the style, continuing to throw rocks at us, while we did our best to dodge them. I heard a grunt of pain as one found its mark, striking a man in the ribs and he reeled in the saddle for a moment before regaining his balance, his horse turning in aimless circles as it looked to the other mounts to see what to do. The air was full of rocks whizzing by as all ten of the Germans now joined in, forcing me to unlash my shield, bringing it up to a protective position. Caesar said not to fight back, but he had said nothing about defending ourselves, and the other men followed suit, using their shields to block most of the rocks thrown at us. A couple more struck our mounts, causing them to jerk in pain, yet even as we were absorbed with this problem, one of our men saw that a fairly large group of Germans had materialized from somewhere and seemed to be headed in our direction. Calling out in alarm, he pointed out their location to the rest of us, increasing our concern about the situation. Rufus turned his mount and trotted to Caesar to report what was happening. Caesar turned to look, saw what was taking place, then turned back to Ariovistus and said something to him in a sharp tone of voice, but he was answered only with a shrug. Clearly angry, Caesar jerked his mount around, cantered to us and called for us to withdraw from the mound, which we did, the jeers and taunts of the Germans ringing in our ears.

The ride back to camp was an angry one, a mood that Caesar shared with us. We had acted in good faith, and the arrogance of the Germans, along with their disdain for the normal protocols of events like this talk rubbed us all very raw indeed. Each of us swore that we would have vengeance, and Caesar assured us that we would have the opportunity, but only when the time was right. When we entered the camp, the men who gathered to greet us could instantly see that things had not gone well, and I had barely returned my mount to the enclosure before I was swarmed by my friends wanting to know what happened. When I relayed what transpired, their anger was soon added to the original ten men who went with Caesar. Before dawn the next day, the whole army was spoiling for a fight, and took every opportunity to let Caesar know that they were ready for battle the moment he commanded it. For two days nothing happened before Ariovistus sent another envoy requesting another talk. This time Caesar was not about to expose himself to their treachery, instead choosing two men, an interpreter named Procilus and a man named Metius who Caesar believed would be safe from harm, since Metius was not high ranking and he knew Ariovistus. I do not know if Caesar calculated that Ariovistus would do something provocative and made his choice accordingly, picking someone whose loss would not do great damage to the army or his prestige, but it still worked out that way. On arriving to speak with Ariovistus both the interpreter and Metius were accused of spying and slapped in chains. That same day, Ariovistus moved his whole army, which as was the custom of their people, included all the women and children, to a spot at the base of some mountains some six miles to our north. The threat could not have been clearer; he was challenging us to come and fight him. Nevertheless, we stayed in camp. On the next day, he moved his host right past us, in plain view of our walls, to a spot about two miles to our south, cutting off our supply route from the Aedui and Sequani, although there were still supplies coming from the west from other tribes. Regardless, it was a threat, not to mention disconcerting, to have such a large host effectively in our rear. Still, we did nothing for five days, short of sending out cavalry patrols that skirmished with the Germans every single day, always coming out the worse for it. One reason for the effectiveness of the German cavalry was that a man on foot was assigned to every rider, this man riding into battle behind the cavalryman, then dismounting and running alongside once they got close to the fighting. Whenever they needed to move rapidly once dismounted, they would grab onto the horse’s mane and lift their feet off the ground, being transported in this manner much more quickly than if they were on foot alone. It was effective, and made defeating their cavalry very difficult. Finally on the sixth day, Caesar mustered the army, arraying us outside the camp walls facing south to challenge Ariovistus. He deployed our artillery on the rampart of the camp walls to provide cover and we stood there for the better part of a day, challenging Ariovistus to come and fight, which he refused to do. This boosted our morale even more; as our Centurions pointed out to us, no doubt at Caesar’s orders, if the Germans were as invincible as we were told, would they have ignored the chance to destroy us? The logic was irrefutable, although we were also a receptive audience, and it made us all the more eager to face them. For four more days, dawn would find us arrayed for battle, the 10th always on the right, waiting for Ariovistus, yet every day he refused to face us, causing us to lose our last vestiges of fear for the Germans, beginning to think of them with contempt, with each day fueling our resolve to make them suffer not only for the insults that they had borne us, but for the bother of having to stand in formation for five days in a row. It was the sixth day that saw a change, as instead of being arrayed for battle, we were ordered to form three columns in parallel outside the gate, two Legions to a column. We were ordered to be prepared to deploy into line for battle, the idea being to pull the same trick as Ariovistus by marching right past their camp, where Caesar planned on making a new camp a short distance away from the Germans, albeit smaller than the one we currently occupied. Marching south, we passed by Ariovistus’ camp to a spot about a half-mile further south, where the
exploratores
had marked out the boundaries for a camp for two Legions. Our new Legions were tasked with constructing the camp, with the rest of us standing in line of battle, daring Ariovistus to try and stop us. This was a challenge that he could not ignore, so he sent a large force out to try disrupting the construction of the camp, but his men were repulsed with heavy losses, and the camp was erected despite their efforts. The 11th and 12th were left at the new camp, while the rest of the army marched back to our original camp. The threat to our supply lines was now answered, so that all that was left was to fight the Germans and send them to Hades.

The next morning, Caesar led the four Legions in the big camp out to challenge Ariovistus, this time venturing farther away from the camp and the protection of our artillery, but despite standing there the whole day, Ariovistus still refused to send his army to meet us. Finally, about mid-afternoon, we were ordered back to the camp, and it was only then that Ariovistus made a move, except this time it was against the small camp. Watching from our rampart, we observed the Germans as they made several attempts to storm the walls, and it was clear that the fighting was fierce as the new Legions fought desperately to hold the fort. They suffered heavy losses, but they gave better than they got, and the heaps of bodies piled around the walls were clear evidence of the price the Germans paid. Ironically it was the living Germans that were taken prisoner who provided the most value, since it was through them that Caesar learned what was keeping Ariovistus in camp. The Germans are a superstitious lot, which is saying much coming from a Roman, and they considered their old women to be the seers and soothsayers of their people. Not surprisingly, Ariovistus and his sub-chiefs went to these old crones for counsel on the best times to wage war. These women told Ariovistus that he had to avoid battle before the next full moon. This was all that Caesar needed to know; it was three days before the full moon, so there was no time to waste.

Marching out at dawn the next morning, we repeated our actions of the previous days except that instead of standing in front of our camp, we moved across the plain to join with the 11th and 12th from the small camp, about midway between the two. In order to make our numbers appear larger than they were, Caesar ordered the auxiliary troops marching with us to form up in front of the small camp, giving the impression that we were keeping all six Legions in the big camp instead of sending the 11th and 12th to the small one. Drawing up before the German camp, we did so close enough so that they knew there was no way to avoid battle, with Caesar arraying us in the
acies
triplex
and us on the now-customary right wing, where we would be led by Caesar himself. With the sun climbing in the sky, it promised to be a fine day with just a few clouds. It was getting close to autumn, and we there were already mornings where we were greeted by frost on the ground, but this day was shaping up to be a fair one, if we lived to see it through. After perhaps a third of a watch, the wagons that served as the main gates of their camp were pushed aside, whereupon the Germans came streaming out. Because the walls of their camp were merely the wagons drawn in a huge circle, their sides served as the ramparts, and was where the women and children of the Germans now crowded, sitting on the top of the wagons, their arms outstretched as they urged their men on to destroy us.

“At least we have an audience,” Rufio remarked. “Let’s be sure and give ‘em a show boys.”

This drew a laugh from us, though it was short-lived as we watched the Germans continue coming out of their camp, and coming and coming. There seemed to be no end to them, as they formed up in seven different groups, according to their tribe. They were the Harudes, Marcomanni, Triboces, Vangiones, Nemetes, Sedusii and Suebi, the last wearing their hair in a knot either on the side or the top of their head. Regardless of their tribe, they were all bristling with weapons, mostly spears and long swords, and it appeared that perhaps little more than half wore some sort of armor, while perhaps a third of them were wearing both helmet and armor of some type. During their deployment they were chanting their war cries, the sound rolling over us as they worked themselves up into a frenzy. Just as with the Helvetii, they were fighting for their women and children, who would watch them either win or die, and we all knew that we were going to have to fight our very best this day. I will give them this as well; they were certainly large and well built, most of them looking to be around my height or a bit less, so I certainly would have been no giant the way I was among my own people, and it flustered me a bit to see a whole army of men my size, although I tried to hide it as best I could. There was a brief pause once the Germans finished forming in their groups, and it looked like we were outnumbered by at least six or seven to one. Finally, after what seemed ages, a horn sounded and with a mighty roar, the Germans launched their attack.

It would not be right to say that we were caught by surprise, but what did startle us was the speed at which they advanced, coming at us at a full run, covering the gap between us so quickly that we had no time to throw our javelins.

“Draw swords!”

Immediately dropping our javelins, we were just able to draw our blades before the Germans came slamming into our lines, knocking our front rank back, causing such a shock that I felt it ten rows back, causing my heels to dig in as I pushed hard against the back of the man in front of me. Even so, I felt my feet sliding backwards, while around me I could hear the grunts and gasps of the men as they felt the same strain. Up front, the Germans threw themselves into our lines with such fervor that their back ranks pinned the men in front against our shields so that both lines were standing, shields pressed tightly against the other, neither side giving the other enough room to use their weapons. For several moments, the battle was little more than men looking into the eyes of their enemy, inches away, snarling, spitting and cursing at them in impotent rage. In such a case, it is no longer a contest of skill but of weight and number, meaning it would not be long before our strength failed and our line collapsed under the sheer mass being forced upon us. Even as this thought crossed my mind I could feel my legs beginning to shake from the strain, the sweat dripping freely from my face and I glanced over at Scribonius, whose face was twisted with the effort he was putting into providing support, except he was clearly slipping backwards, then began to churn his feet in an attempt to gain a purchase in the ground.

“Something better do something quick, or we’re all dead!” I am not sure who said this, but it was the truest thing said that day, and my mind began whirling with the idea that we might be finally facing defeat.

Then, the deadlock was broken by one man in the second rank, soon joined by others following his example, as these men leapt over the crouched figures of the men straining in the front rank to come crashing down onto the shields belonging to the men in their immediate front. The weight of the first man’s body wrenched them from the grasps of both the Germans and the Legionary opposite him, that momentary gap freeing enough space for the man next to the Legionary in the front rank to use his sword. Darting out like the silver tongue of a serpent, he stabbed quickly before retracting a blade covered with blood. The German who had his shield wrenched from him went down in a heap, landing on top of the Legionary who started the whole thing by making his leap and who had not yet scrambled to his feet. In the momentary space that the dead German provided, more Roman blades lashed out, striking two other men before any of the foe could think to plug the gap. Finally, the Legionary on the ground extricated himself, rolling out from under the body of the larger and heavier German, albeit with some difficulty, then on hands and knees crawled back to his place in the second rank, covered in the blood of the dead man. Others who saw his example began to follow suit so that soon there were bodies leaping into the deadlock, crashing into the Germans and forcing gaps in the line that gave us room to use our swords. Within a few moments, bloody holes were opening in the tightly packed mass of Germans and before our very eyes they began changing from the fierce, snarling killers we had been warned about to just a large bunch of scared men who see their doom approaching. By the time it was my turn in the front, their ranks were considerably thinned by the tactic of leaping onto their shields, giving me plenty of room to work. In the space of just a moment, I was able to dispatch three Germans and I thought with grim satisfaction that they died just as easily as the Helvetii, or even the Gallaeci back in Hispania. My fourth and final opponent this first shift was a man who bested my height by at least two inches, and was perhaps twenty pounds heavier, with a huge barrel chest that was bare and laced with scars. He carried a weapon I had yet to face, a double bladed axe, which he swung wildly above his head as he came at me, his eyes wild with fury, the spittle hanging in long strings from the corners of his mouth. With a beard and yellow hair like the German I saw at the mound, that detached part of my brain wondered if they were related, even as he swung the axe downward in a clear attempt to cut me in half. Jumping to the side, I plainly heard the wind whistling as the blade sliced through the air to land with a thud in the turf. I’ve got you, I thought, except he was damnably quick, so that before I could make a lunge, he freed the axe and with contemptuous ease, parried my blade with the head. Despite the fact he did it as if swatting a fly, the shock carried up my arm, jarring me so badly that I thought I would lose my sword, but the grip Vinicius had taught me saved me again that day. Before I could recover, he swung the axe again, this time at waist level, in a horizontal stroke that was meant to disembowel me, and I moved my shield just in time to block the blow, but the blade of the axe cut all the way through the wood so that it came protruding through the back, inches from my hand. This time, however, the axe stuck for a moment, except a moment was all I needed, and I gave a quick thrust that he only partially blocked with his own shield, the blade of my weapon glancing off the edge to jab into his upper chest just below the collar bone. It was not a clean blow, but it was enough to cause him to roar in pain, his face contorted with rage as he finally wrenched the axe free from my shield, almost jerking it from my grasp. The German took a step back, then we both stood there for a moment, gasping for breath and staring at each other, completely oblivious to what was going on around us, locked in our own private battle. This man was by far the strongest man I had ever faced, yet I could tell by the look in his eyes that he had been unprepared to meet someone who matched him as equally as I did. Once he began to close with me again, it was with more caution, and I swallowed a glimmer of satisfaction at the sign of respect he was showing, telling myself to save my self-congratulations for later because I was not the victor yet. As he closed, he began weaving the axe back and forth, and despite knowing better I found my eyes following the double-bladed head moving sinuously in front of me. Then he leapt forward with astonishing speed, and I realized that this was exactly what he wanted me to do, my heart sinking with the knowledge that I was bested. In desperation, instead of taking a step back to try opening the gap between us back up, I made my own leap forward, so that now it was his turn to be surprised as our bodies crashed into each other, and I ignored the feeling of the shaft of his axe slamming into my shield. Feeling the breath rush out of my lungs with the impact, I understood that I would have to fight through that and dropping my shield I reached up with my left hand, grabbing the German around the throat to squeeze with all of my might. His eyes widened in shock as in turn he immediately let go of his axe, grabbing me to try wrenching my hand off his throat, so that my wrist felt like it was being crushed by a horse stepping on it, yet I knew that if I lost my grip on his throat he would regain the initiative, and I ignored the pain. His face, inches from mine, turned a bright red, his eyes bulging out as they stared at me wildly, his mouth opening and shutting like a fish out of water, then he began flailing at me with his shield, slamming it into my back and forcing a grunt from me with the pain of every blow, yet I grit my teeth, refusing to give in. His face was purple now, and I could feel his grip on my wrist weakening, then I sensed his knees begin to buckle, facing me with a choice I did not care to make. If he collapsed, I was going to have to either release my grip or go down with him to finish him off, and in battle the absolute worst place to be is off your feet for any reason. But he had almost bested me and I could not afford the risk of letting him go while he still held a breath in his body, so as he began to topple backwards, his eyes rolling back in his head, I fell with him, landing heavily on top of him. Hearing a couple of his ribs crack, he nevertheless gave no reaction and finally his grip on my wrist loosened, his hand falling limply by his side. Regardless, I was not willing to let go until I was sure that he was dead, so I continued to lie on top of him, still squeezing his throat until I smelled his bowels release. Only then did I accept that he was finally gone, except I remained on top of him, gasping for breath, but before I could regain my senses, I felt a hand grab at my harness as someone tried to pull me up. I was much too heavy, so I staggered to my feet to see Vibius standing there, his sword in his sheath while keeping his shield up in a defensive position as he came to my aid.