Legio XVII: Battle of the Danube by Thomas A. Timmes Read Free Book Online

The animals were also drawn up close to the wagons initially, but moved with the people to the center when the fighting started.
    As soon as the approaching Semnones were spotted while still some two miles (3.2km) away, riders raced to alert the rest of the column.  Teuton warriors and archers began running to the attack site and arrived as the arrows were still flying into the wagons.  They stopped to form up on the far side of a hill and were undetected by the Semnones.
    As the Semnones infantry of 5,000 men began to close in on the wagons, the Teuton Army of 30,000 men walked to the top of the hill in plain sight about 400 yards from the wagon and on the flank of the Semnones’ Army.  They could see the Semnones’ archers on the right side of the infantry firing into the wagons and the infantry walking towards the wagons.
    The Teutons filled the top of the hill and announced their presence with battle cries and horns.  The Semnones stopped their advance on the wagons; surprised faces turned to face the hill. Arrows rose up from the field below in a great cloud as the Semnones’ infantry reformed to face this large angry host threatening to sweep down the hill.
    As the air filled with arrows, the Teutons infantry instinctively crouched down behind their shield for protection and tilted their helmeted head in the direction of the oncoming storm.  Each man held his breath and hoped he would not be struck.  Waiting was excruciating.  Fear of wounds was stronger than fear of death.  Wounds meant a lingering and painful death.  The arrows, fired from about 400 yards (365.7m) away, began landing.  Their impact was followed by shouts of pain; the sharpened points easily penetrated the Teutons’ wicker shields.  The Teuton archers fled to the back side of the hill as soon as they saw the arrows coming up from the field below.
    Teuton leaders began shouting to the men to charge downhill and get away from the impact area.  Men scrambled to the feet and began running at the Semnones.  All semblance of order was lost.  The leader of the Teuton archers yelled for his men to get back to the top of the hill and return the fire.  They did so reluctantly as arrows were still striking the hill, but then the Semnones aim shifted to the onrushing Teuton infantry.  Two thousand Teuton archers stood atop the hill and fired at the Semnones’ archers.  Even at this extreme range, Teuton arrows found their targets.  Taking casualties, the Semnones archers fled the field.  Now, the full fury of Teuton arrows flew into the Semnones’ infantry and easily penetrated their wicker shields.  Men holding the shields started dropping.
    The Teuton infantry charged, threw their spears, and smashed into the Semnones with a fury.  Even the defenders in the wagons stormed out and joined the slaughter.  The Semnones, who could, ran for the distant woods and safety, but were vigorously pursued by the horsemen and cut down.  The Semnones’ attack was an utter failure.  Only the archers and a handful of the infantry managed to escape; a few prisoners were taken for questioning to learn more about any further Semnones attacks.  These prisoners held nothing back and explained that the eastern column is the main target and that both attacks were supposed to occur simultaneously.
    The Teuton/Cimbri infantry suffered about 50 killed and over 400 wounded.  Their shields proved marginally effective against arrows fired at 400 yards (365.7m).
    As soon as the fighting stopped, anxious people from the wagons ran out to the field to see if their sons or fathers were among those killed or wounded.  Soldiers helped carry the wounded back to wagons for treatment.  It did not matter if they were relatives or not.  The people pitched in and provided care.  The Commander decided to bury the dead in the field. Family members would be notified later.  The Commander compiled a list of names and a single trench was dug.  The bodies were stripped of