Marius' Mules XIII: Civil War by S.J.A. Turney

Author:S.J.A. Turney [Turney, S.J.A.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Caesar, Rome, Roman, Legion, Marius
Publisher: Victrix Books
Published: 2020-08-31T16:00:00+00:00

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Uzitta, 1st March 46 BC

Fronto sat on the hill and watched the newcomers arriving. With no gaps in the defensive lines near the town now, the defectors had crossed the river higher upstream, beyond Uzitta and come down the eastern bank to Caesar’s lines. Their intentions were clear, for they rode slowly and with their weapons sheathed and shields slung on their mounts. Four wings of cavalry, each perhaps twice the size of a Roman Ala, each led by an officer, accompanied by his attendants and slaves. Not the panicky Numidian cavalry that Galronus kept terrifying but a better force, stronger and armoured in bronze, bearing sharp spears and colourful shields.

Gaetuli. Surely this had to represent the last of their number in Scipio’s army, given the sheer scale of desertions over recent weeks. A thousand Gaetuli horse, approaching Caesar’s lines, each led by a tribal nobleman. Fronto wondered how Galronus felt about acquiring a new unit of that size of whose skills and abilities he remained in the dark. He turned to see the other new forces moving into temporary camp in the gap between the twin fortifications behind the hill. Five legions were now gathered within spitting distance of Scipio’s camp, and they were all legions to be reckoned with.

The Fifth were here as usual, the veterans who had been with Caesar since they left Lilybaeum, but they were joined now by the feared Ninth and Tenth, each of which had been given an entirely new senior officer staff from the men who’d been serving here since December, and who had proved themselves. Moreover, early that afternoon, the Twenty Ninth, who had raced to the defence of Acylla, had marched back into camp looking pleased with themselves. Messius had consolidated that vital coastal city once the siege had been lifted, had even brought several other local small townships into the fold, and had decided that an entire legion was unnecessary to hold the region now. He had kept a single cohort as garrison and sent the rest of the legion back to Caesar.

Now the Twenty Ninth, along with the Twenty-Eighth, had joined the three veteran units at the hill. The standards and vexilla of all five legions were gleaming and flapping openly on the hill in full sight of Scipio. Three legions who had conquered Gaul, and whose reputation would make most enemies sweat, and two others, one of which had seen off Scipio’s forces at Acylla and the other who had denied him Leptis. It was a threat and a provocation at once, for their names and numbers would be spreading fear and uncertainty throughout the enemy camp.

Caesar now had nine legions in Africa, including many veterans, and an extra almost-legion formed of the Gaetuli deserters from Scipio’s army. His cavalry had grown overnight, too, with more strength and more variety in their makeup and capabilities. Barring the elephants, and Juba’s royal force, the numbers were becoming much more even now, and Caesar’s army had the lion’s share of the experience.

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