-
NOW LIVE! Into the Woods--new character species, eerie monsters, and haunting villains to populate the woodlands of your D&D games.
Reading Group--Caesar's Legion
- Thread starter SHARK
- Start date
No photos, no illustrations. Caesar's Legions -- note the "s" -- by Sekunda is full of pictures though.
My copy of Caesar's Legion by Dando-Collins is a red hardback with gilt Times-Roman all-caps print on the binding. The dust jacket is a burgundy red with a painting of a barbarian on horseback approaching a seated Roman surrounded by his men. Amazon's site has an image of the cover:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0471095702/
Chapter XIV -- The Power of a Single Word (continued)
While Caesar's away, the 10th Legion, "bored, frustrated, and increasingly angry," begins looting the homes of the rich back in Rome. The 8th and 9th Legions join in. When Antony orders the loyal 7th to guard the city, the looters turn to the wealthy Campagnia region to the south.
Don't these soldiers sound like D&D adventurers?
Anyway, Caesar returns and has the "7th Legion surround and protect his own house on the Sacred Way in the heart of the city -- the official residence of the pontifex maximus, high priest of Rome, which he'd occupied since his election to the post for life in 63 B.C."
Note that there's no separation of Church of State.
While Caesar's away, the 10th Legion, "bored, frustrated, and increasingly angry," begins looting the homes of the rich back in Rome. The 8th and 9th Legions join in. When Antony orders the loyal 7th to guard the city, the looters turn to the wealthy Campagnia region to the south.
Don't these soldiers sound like D&D adventurers?
Anyway, Caesar returns and has the "7th Legion surround and protect his own house on the Sacred Way in the heart of the city -- the official residence of the pontifex maximus, high priest of Rome, which he'd occupied since his election to the post for life in 63 B.C."
Note that there's no separation of Church of State.
Last edited:
Chapter XIV -- The Power of a Single Word (continued)
Sallust, whom Caesar would make a major general in the new year, was authorized to promise the men four thousand sesterces each to return to their standards and march to Sicily for the next stage in Caesar's war against the Pompeians, an invasion of North Africa.
But when Sallust couldn't come up with these four thousand sesterces on the spot, along with the money Caesar had promised them at the start of the war, plus the vague rewards he'd mentioned after the Battle of Pharsalus, including grants of land, he was rejected by the angry legionaries, most of whom wanted to go home just as much as they wanted their money.
Caesar sends a deputy to do his dirty work, but he's still up to the same old tricks -- promise them everything, at some vague point in the future, for risking their lives today.
According to Appian, Sallust was to claim he only just escaped from the Fields of Mars with his life.
Caesar realizes he needs the 8th, 9th, and 10th Legions, and he has to go to them personally.
"What is it you want?" Caesar began. "State your demands."
No one answered at first. Appian says that none of them had the courage to ask for money and so one or two men began to call out for their discharge. They had been detained in the legions illegally, they said, and they wanted to go home. There were loud choruses of agreement.
"Very well," Caesar responded, "I discharge you. All of you."
There was stunned silence.
"And," he went on after a judicious pause, "I will pay you everything I promised you, after I win this war with other legions, and after they have had their just rewards."
Smooth...
The men looked at him in stunned astonishment, waiting for him to say more. But he didn't. He just looked at them, his face expressionless. The strained silence was painful, so painful that his staff officers standing beside the tribunal begged Caesar to say something more, not just dismiss with a few harsh words these troops who had been through so much with him over the years.
The men he's manipulating are men who've seen it all, men who've fought with him for years. These aren't boys fresh off the farm. But Caesar's that damn smooth...
Caesar nodded slowly, then began, with a single word: "Citizens..."
The thousands of upturned faces were expectant. The men waited for him to continue, but Caesar paused, and waited. And as he paused, the true effect of that lone word sunk into his troops. Normally, generals began addresses to their troops with "Soldiers" or "Fellow soldiers." Caesar habitually began with "My soldiers." And now he was addressing them as citizens, as if they were no longer soldiers, just men off the street.
"No!" men began to cry out. "We're still your soldiers, Caesar!"
I guess it's a simple formula: compare soldiers to civilians, and they'll do anything to prove you wrong.
By the way, imagine being one of Caesar's girlfriends. The mind games this guy could play...
Sallust, whom Caesar would make a major general in the new year, was authorized to promise the men four thousand sesterces each to return to their standards and march to Sicily for the next stage in Caesar's war against the Pompeians, an invasion of North Africa.
But when Sallust couldn't come up with these four thousand sesterces on the spot, along with the money Caesar had promised them at the start of the war, plus the vague rewards he'd mentioned after the Battle of Pharsalus, including grants of land, he was rejected by the angry legionaries, most of whom wanted to go home just as much as they wanted their money.
Caesar sends a deputy to do his dirty work, but he's still up to the same old tricks -- promise them everything, at some vague point in the future, for risking their lives today.
According to Appian, Sallust was to claim he only just escaped from the Fields of Mars with his life.
Caesar realizes he needs the 8th, 9th, and 10th Legions, and he has to go to them personally.
"What is it you want?" Caesar began. "State your demands."
No one answered at first. Appian says that none of them had the courage to ask for money and so one or two men began to call out for their discharge. They had been detained in the legions illegally, they said, and they wanted to go home. There were loud choruses of agreement.
"Very well," Caesar responded, "I discharge you. All of you."
There was stunned silence.
"And," he went on after a judicious pause, "I will pay you everything I promised you, after I win this war with other legions, and after they have had their just rewards."
Smooth...
The men looked at him in stunned astonishment, waiting for him to say more. But he didn't. He just looked at them, his face expressionless. The strained silence was painful, so painful that his staff officers standing beside the tribunal begged Caesar to say something more, not just dismiss with a few harsh words these troops who had been through so much with him over the years.
The men he's manipulating are men who've seen it all, men who've fought with him for years. These aren't boys fresh off the farm. But Caesar's that damn smooth...
Caesar nodded slowly, then began, with a single word: "Citizens..."
The thousands of upturned faces were expectant. The men waited for him to continue, but Caesar paused, and waited. And as he paused, the true effect of that lone word sunk into his troops. Normally, generals began addresses to their troops with "Soldiers" or "Fellow soldiers." Caesar habitually began with "My soldiers." And now he was addressing them as citizens, as if they were no longer soldiers, just men off the street.
"No!" men began to cry out. "We're still your soldiers, Caesar!"
I guess it's a simple formula: compare soldiers to civilians, and they'll do anything to prove you wrong.
By the way, imagine being one of Caesar's girlfriends. The mind games this guy could play...
Chapter XIV -- The Power of a Single Word (continued)
At the end of Caesar's speech to his no-longer-mutinous troops, he makes an interesting point about the land they'll be granted:
"And the land I distribute to my soldiers will not be confiscated property, but public land, and my own land, and land bought for the purpose of distribution to my veterans."
Obviously, in the past, veterans were given confiscated land, and weren't retirees so much as they were a buffer between Rome and whoever Rome had taken the land from.
At the end of Caesar's speech to his no-longer-mutinous troops, he makes an interesting point about the land they'll be granted:
"And the land I distribute to my soldiers will not be confiscated property, but public land, and my own land, and land bought for the purpose of distribution to my veterans."
Obviously, in the past, veterans were given confiscated land, and weren't retirees so much as they were a buffer between Rome and whoever Rome had taken the land from.
Chapter XV -- The North African Campaign
With Pompey dead, the exiled senate elected Scipio, Pompey's father-in-law, the new commander in chief of their military, and Scipio assembled an army in North Africa.
Caesar could wait for them to invade Italy, or he could take the war to them by invading North Africa. As always, Caesar would take the initiative.
With Pompey dead, the exiled senate elected Scipio, Pompey's father-in-law, the new commander in chief of their military, and Scipio assembled an army in North Africa.
Caesar could wait for them to invade Italy, or he could take the war to them by invading North Africa. As always, Caesar would take the initiative.
Last edited:
Chapter XV -- The North African Campaign
Caesar had lost faith in Mark Antony, particularly after the inept way he'd handled the mutiny of the 10th, 9th, and 8th Legions at the capital. Antony's high and mighty attitutde annoyed Caesar and many others. Typically, Antony had contracted to buy Pompey's former house at Rome after it ahd been confiscated by Caesar, but complained bitterly when required to pay up -- he thought Caesar should make a gift of it to him.
Human nature doesn't change.
(The house, in the "Keels" district, would subsequently come into the possession of the emperor Augustus and become an imperial residence used by, among others, Tiberius prior to his becoming emperor.)
Must've been a nice house...
Caesar had lost faith in Mark Antony, particularly after the inept way he'd handled the mutiny of the 10th, 9th, and 8th Legions at the capital. Antony's high and mighty attitutde annoyed Caesar and many others. Typically, Antony had contracted to buy Pompey's former house at Rome after it ahd been confiscated by Caesar, but complained bitterly when required to pay up -- he thought Caesar should make a gift of it to him.
Human nature doesn't change.
(The house, in the "Keels" district, would subsequently come into the possession of the emperor Augustus and become an imperial residence used by, among others, Tiberius prior to his becoming emperor.)
Must've been a nice house...
Maldur
First Post
he, Im back.
If any of you guys ever plan on going to egypt: DONT !!! (nasty country) but the buildings and monuments from before christ are VERY impressive. It seems the people from that era know how to do stuff on a grand scale. temples and monuments are HUGE, very impressive.
When im back in my "normal" modus Ill return to ceasars legions.
If any of you guys ever plan on going to egypt: DONT !!! (nasty country) but the buildings and monuments from before christ are VERY impressive. It seems the people from that era know how to do stuff on a grand scale. temples and monuments are HUGE, very impressive.
When im back in my "normal" modus Ill return to ceasars legions.
If you can ignore the KFC across the street. (I haven't been to Egypt, but that's what I've been told, that touristy nonsense has taken over.)
Very true. The Egyptian and Assyrian sections of the British Museum were awe-inspiring -- and those were all small parts of larger monuments. The Romans and Greeks weren't too bad either...
Maldur
First Post
Its not just the touristy stuff. Its also the smell (to quote Henry Rollins: "Its like inhaling a buick"), the dirt ( the streets are a place to dispose of your garbage, the oppresive heat ( drinking over 3-4 extra bottles of water a day, so your kidneys wont freeze up is not fun), the haggeling ( I have never haggled over the 6 cents I had to pay to use the bathroom) but the hassle is the worst!! you are bothered every two meters for taxies, horse and camel rides, restaurants, souverniers, sigarettes, etc etc etc
but yes, the monument are nice. the british museum is a pale comparisan to the real deal.
but yes, the monument are nice. the british museum is a pale comparisan to the real deal.
Similar Threads
