Marching With Caesar~Birth of the 10th Legion by R. W. Peake

Author:R. W. Peake [Peake, R. W.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: roman legions, julius caesar, legionaries, ancient rome, rome, ancient warfare
ISBN: 1941226000
Amazon: B00HWG2MSS
Publisher: R.W. Peake
Published: 2014-01-14T00:00:00+00:00

It took two more rotations before we finished off the last stand of the Lusitani in the town, but that did not mean the fighting was over, as hundreds of warriors melted into the town, most of them hurrying to their families. That was where they were found; in their huts, weapon in hand, determined to protect their families to the death, which was what they did. While we rested in the town square, Caesar and his command group rode up and we were called to intente, the Primi Pili giving their report to him. Once they were finished, he addressed us, sitting astride his horse.

“Comrades,” he called us, the first time that he ever did so, explaining why with his next breath, “for that is what you have become today. We have shed blood and had our own shed. Undoubtedly, you will have comrades who have been killed, or may Fortuna smile, been wounded, and that is a bond that can never be broken. Today, we become comrades in arms, the most precious connection any man can share, even more precious than the bonds of family. As a salute to your bravery and as a gift, I give you this town and all that is in it, to do with it as you will!”

Finishing with a sweeping flourish of his arm to indicate the expanse of the town around us, we cheered him lustily before he rode away to address the other men scattered about the town.

The Pilus Prior stepped up to bellow in his command voice, “All right, boys, you heard Caesar. The town’s yours.”

Cheering again, some more loudly than others, for truly, we new Gregarii had no idea what that meant. Oh, we had been told stories around the fires by the veterans, but just like battle, describing it and living it are two different things.

“Here’s how it will work,” he continued. “You new veterans,” we cheered his acknowledgement, however faint, that we were no longer mere tirones, “will follow the older men’s lead. Do what they do. And you’re going to do it,” he indicated the path we followed into the town, “in that area we just came through. You take what you can carry and that’s it. And don’t forget,” he added in warning, “that you have to clear the houses before you can take anything. You can hear that the fighting’s not over; it looks like a fair number of their warriors are still about and in the houses, so be careful. And remember, the more you leave alive, the more slaves there'll be for sale.”

With that, we were dismissed and Calienus called us together, pointing to an area. “Let’s get going before these selfish bastards take everything worth taking.”

Then he started trotting towards the huts, with the rest of us tagging behind. Vibius and I exchanged a glance, to which I shrugged. I had no idea what to expect; Cylops never talked about this aspect of war to us. I soon found out why.

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