Legio XVII: Roman Legion at War by Thomas A. Timmes Read Free Book Online Page B

attitude changed.  He developed a need to be appreciated for his talents and he wanted simple companionship.  Manius began to view his Legionaries as young men who wanted to do the right thing and just needed good leadership.  He began to care more about their health, comfort, level of training, and general wellbeing.   He was mindful they were citizens performing their required service.  In return, the soldiers were loyal to Manius and obeyed his commands without hesitation.  Unlike many other Centurions, Manius could no longer bring himself to employ harsh discipline when correcting troops.  Usually, just knowing that they had disappointed him was punishment enough.
    He often agonized over ways to lighten the 66 pound load Legionaries carried while on campaign, but without success.  The necessity for food, animal fodder, fuel, and fortifications could not be ignored.  Body armor, weapons, shield, food rations, water, shovel, two palisade stakes, a saw, pickaxe, sickle, rope, wicker basket, extra clothes, and kitchen utensils all added to the painful weight each soldier was required to carry.  Thankfully, pack animals carried the common items such as bulk food, leather tents, and spare equipment.  Manius often encouraged his soldiers to brainstorm ways to improve their individual lives and their equipment, and was able to use many of their ideas in one of his later Army assignments.
    Manius was paid 75 As [10 As bronze coins are worth US $21] when he enlisted and then earned another 1 As per day.  Thirty-five As were subtracted each year for food, equipment, and taxes, which left him 330 for the entire year.  Rather than spend it all each month, Manius always managed to send his mother 60 As a year.  When he was promoted to Centurion, his pay jumped five times to 1825 As [$3822] a year.  He felt like a rich man and still managed to save some of it.

Chapter III: The Gallic Wars 225-222 BC
     

The Battle of Faesulae 225BC (9 years before Cannae )
    M anius had only one year remaining before he was eligible to retire.  That option, however, was eliminated in the early months of 225 BC when a general call to arms was issued throughout central and southern Italy.  This was a first for Manius.  The entire country was mobilizing.  Was this 387 BC all over again?
    A 70,000 man Gallic Army was moving south from the Po and Adige River Valleys in the Cisalpine [Northern Italy].  The ever restless Insubres [in-SU-bray] and Boii tribes had hired Gaesatae [gay-SAY-tae] mercenaries from Taurisci [tau-RE-ski] [Slovenia] to loot Italy and rid themselves of Roman meddling in their affairs.  All of Italy was now at risk.
    Everyone was surprised by this development since Rome had been at peace with the tribes of Cisalpine Gaul for many years.  Indeed, when a nomadic tribe crossed the Alps into Italy five years earlier, Rome sent an army, but found it was not needed. The Boii did it for them.

Figure 3 Northern Italy
    Manius knew his Legion was ready to fight, but he had his doubts about the non-Roman population that would be mustered in as Auxiliaries for this emergency.  They had little formal training or equipment.  He assumed that in battle, they would be placed on the flanks or held in reserve while the trained Roman Legions did the hard fighting.
    He had worked with the Auxiliaries before and admired their bravery and willingness to fight, but he knew they did not have the physical conditioning, stamina, experience, armor, or knowledge of a Legionaire to fight effectively.  He expected they would die in greater numbers than his men if they were fully committed to the fight ~ and it strangely bothered him.
    Manius had mixed emotions when the Legate announced that the Legion would be moving north from Rome to Etruria [Tuscany] in about two weeks’ time to engage the Gauls.  He did not fear for his own safety, but for that of his men.  He prayed to the gods, which he often did, that few if any, would be wounded or