Read Online Legio XVII: Roman Legion at War by Thomas A. Timmes - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Thomas A. Timmes
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slashes cut into their tops and the helmets of the men holding those shields were also split in two. He could see that the heavy Gallic slashing sword when swung overhead easily cut through the shield and helmet. He would mention this to the Legate.
As he entered deeper into the slaughter stepping carefully to avoid the dead, the Gauls left no wounded, he saw his brother. He was face up and covered with dried blood. Manius stood there and looked. He felt his throat tighten and his eyes filled with tears. Like so many others, Gaius’ shield had been cut and his helmet split. As he bent down and gently removed the helmet from his dead brother’s head, memories of the two playing as children in the river flooded his mind. He silently wept for his brother and for their youth. He thought of his dead father and still living mother. She would have to be told. He touched his brother’s cheek as a farewell gesture, tucked Gaius’ helmet under his arm, and walked on. This was death and life for a Legionaire. He had a job to do and would mourn later.
Manius spotted a group of Tribunes and Centurions talking excitedly and huddled around a clump of bodies. When he joined the group, they made way for him and pointed to a 9’ long 4” thick pole that had impaled three soldiers. The pole had penetrated the first man’s shield and chest, the second man’s chest, and the third man’s groin. The iron tip of the pole was clearly visible as it extended out the back of the man’s leg. He had evidently bled to death struggling to break free of the barbs. Manius shivered when he realized that this was a ballista arrow fired by the Gauls. One of the Tribunes spotted another ballista impact, then another, and another. As the group turned and surveyed the battlefield, they spotted numerous ballistae strikes.
A Centurion on the hillside overlooking the site, suddenly called the group to come up and see what he had found. From the impressions left in the ground, it was clear that five ballistae had been lined up and dug in on this hill. They had been carefully camouflaged from the amount of dried branches and leaves scattered about. One of the ballista had evidently broken apart under the enormous tension of the drawn sinews and scattered its parts over a 20’ area. One of the pole arrows was lying broken on the ground and showed that the Gauls had inserted lead into the sides of the shaft to weight it and give it more penetrating power. The weighted arrows worked exceedingly well based on the evidence lying clumped together in death at the base of the hill.
Discovery of the Gauls’ ballistae convinced the Consuls not to attack the Gauls in a defensive position where they would have time to employ these new weapons. Word of the Gauls’ use of mobile ballistae was immediately sent back to Rome along with the broken parts and pole arrow. The Legions needed this type weapon immediately.
Manius requested a meeting with the Legate to tell him about the power of the Gallic slashing sword and its impact on the Roman shield and helmet. The Legate was immediately alarmed when Manius briefed him and walked with Manius back to the battlefield to see for himself. He them summoned his head blacksmith and engineer. The resulting discussion sent the engineer and blacksmith into a frenzy of activity. The Legate had ordered them to affix whatever iron could be gathered from the battlefield to the top of the Hastati’s shields to blunt the force of the Gallic sword.
This was a monumental assignment and required three Maniples to gather iron and firewood, and to assist the blacksmiths with the alteration. They worked for two days and nights to accomplish the task. Regulus followed suit. Testing showed that it took an iron bar at least 1” thick to stop the Gallic sword from splitting the shield.
Manius also suggested to the Legate an individual tactic for each soldier to minimize the
As he entered deeper into the slaughter stepping carefully to avoid the dead, the Gauls left no wounded, he saw his brother. He was face up and covered with dried blood. Manius stood there and looked. He felt his throat tighten and his eyes filled with tears. Like so many others, Gaius’ shield had been cut and his helmet split. As he bent down and gently removed the helmet from his dead brother’s head, memories of the two playing as children in the river flooded his mind. He silently wept for his brother and for their youth. He thought of his dead father and still living mother. She would have to be told. He touched his brother’s cheek as a farewell gesture, tucked Gaius’ helmet under his arm, and walked on. This was death and life for a Legionaire. He had a job to do and would mourn later.
Manius spotted a group of Tribunes and Centurions talking excitedly and huddled around a clump of bodies. When he joined the group, they made way for him and pointed to a 9’ long 4” thick pole that had impaled three soldiers. The pole had penetrated the first man’s shield and chest, the second man’s chest, and the third man’s groin. The iron tip of the pole was clearly visible as it extended out the back of the man’s leg. He had evidently bled to death struggling to break free of the barbs. Manius shivered when he realized that this was a ballista arrow fired by the Gauls. One of the Tribunes spotted another ballista impact, then another, and another. As the group turned and surveyed the battlefield, they spotted numerous ballistae strikes.
A Centurion on the hillside overlooking the site, suddenly called the group to come up and see what he had found. From the impressions left in the ground, it was clear that five ballistae had been lined up and dug in on this hill. They had been carefully camouflaged from the amount of dried branches and leaves scattered about. One of the ballista had evidently broken apart under the enormous tension of the drawn sinews and scattered its parts over a 20’ area. One of the pole arrows was lying broken on the ground and showed that the Gauls had inserted lead into the sides of the shaft to weight it and give it more penetrating power. The weighted arrows worked exceedingly well based on the evidence lying clumped together in death at the base of the hill.
Discovery of the Gauls’ ballistae convinced the Consuls not to attack the Gauls in a defensive position where they would have time to employ these new weapons. Word of the Gauls’ use of mobile ballistae was immediately sent back to Rome along with the broken parts and pole arrow. The Legions needed this type weapon immediately.
Manius requested a meeting with the Legate to tell him about the power of the Gallic slashing sword and its impact on the Roman shield and helmet. The Legate was immediately alarmed when Manius briefed him and walked with Manius back to the battlefield to see for himself. He them summoned his head blacksmith and engineer. The resulting discussion sent the engineer and blacksmith into a frenzy of activity. The Legate had ordered them to affix whatever iron could be gathered from the battlefield to the top of the Hastati’s shields to blunt the force of the Gallic sword.
This was a monumental assignment and required three Maniples to gather iron and firewood, and to assist the blacksmiths with the alteration. They worked for two days and nights to accomplish the task. Regulus followed suit. Testing showed that it took an iron bar at least 1” thick to stop the Gallic sword from splitting the shield.
Manius also suggested to the Legate an individual tactic for each soldier to minimize the
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