Reading Group--Caesar's Legion

[mmadsen]

Chapter VIII -- Broken Promises (continued)

Caesar and the 10th arrived at Marseilles in early October, just as the city finally capitulated to General Trebonius, and after the Pompeian commander, General Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus, had escaped by sea. This was the same Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus who had commanded at Corfinium, the same man Caesar had let go free after accepting his word he would take no further part in the war.

As we were saying...

...the 9th Legion...was demanding it overdue discharge and a bonus Caesar had promised it at the outbreak of the civil war, and had gone on strike, refusing to obey its officers until its demands were met. The 7th Legion, influenced by the 9th, had then followed suit.

Mutiny!

 

[Maldur]

yes, broken promises on both sides.
Not that smart in a civil war. Now everyone starts disliking each other, and the legions get the short end of the stick.

Getting paid less, not being discharged after a long service.

Ceasar act like he is wearing blinders. He can only see his goal, ruling rome! I wonder what would have happened if he kept on th good side of his legions?

 

[mmadsen]

I wonder what would have happened if he kept on th good side of his legions?

The Senate and Pompey would've ruled Rome?

 

[mmadsen]

I loved Black Hawk Down. My only complaint is that it's a bit hard to follow a story with that many characters.

I just watched a documentary on Black Hawk Down on the History Channel, and certain elements reminded me of D&D. Mogadishu certainly has that "wild west" lawlessness we expect of D&D border towns, including powerful weapons (RPGs and AKs, not Vorpal Longswords) for sale in the market.

 

[mmadsen]

Chapter VIII -- Broken Promises (continued)

"My soldiers," he began, looking stern...."You swore to follow me for the whole war, not just part of it," he declared. "And yet now you abandon us in midcourse and mutiny against your officers. No one can doubt how much regard I have held you men in up to now. But you give me no choice. I shall put into practice our ancient custom. Since the 9th Legion chiefly instigated the mutiny, lots will be drawn for every tenth man in the 9th Legion to die."

How brutal is that? It's staggering! Interestingly, when you finally learn that "decimation" means one in ten men are killed, it's almost a let down. "Just one in ten? I thought it meant almost everyone!" Then you think about standing in line and getting counted off. "1...2...3...4...5...6...7...8...9...You die...1...2..." Or drawing names out of a hat. "Please don't call out 'mmadsen', please don't call out 'mmadsen', please don't call out 'mmadsen'..."

...Caesar relented a little. He ordered the 9th Legion's centurions to name the 120 ringleaders of the mutiny. These 120 were then required to draw lots. One in ten of them drew the death card.

It's like a reverse lottery. The army only loses a dozen soldiers, but every man in the legion feels like he could be one of the unlucky ones next time, so he'd better follow orders.

When it was proved that one of the final 12 condemned men hadn't even been in camp at the time of the mutiny, the vindictive centurion who gave in his name was dragged forward to take his place.

Ooh! Now that's dramatic!

How exactly were they executed? I'm glad you asked.

After the 12 men were beaten to death by their own comrades using wooden staves, or clubs...

Beaten to death. By their own comrades. Creepy. Obviously you don't want to get beaten to death -- what a terrible way to go! -- but imagine having to beat your friend to death to prove your own loyalty! Really creepy.

Caesar then hurried down to Rome, where he briefly used the title and powers of Dictator, originally a temporary appointment in times of emergency for up to six months.

So that's where "dictator" comes from...

 

[Maldur]

Very creepy indeed!

Legion disipline is very scary.
Death when not in armor when building a fort, Crucifixion for sleeping on watch. And getting beaten to death by your own comrades when mutineering ( or beating your mate to death).

Damn, I am glad in not in a legion.

harsh times ask for harsh methods but this is shocking.

 

[boer]

I'm also a lurker on this tread, very interesting, please continue.

For those of you who wonder about the fortifications and how they could build them so fast, there was a roman general, can't remember his name, that stated that the most important weapon of a legionair was his shovel.

 

[mmadsen]

Legion disipline is very scary. Death when not in armor when building a fort, Crucifixion for sleeping on watch. And getting beaten to death by your own comrades when mutineering ( or beating your mate to death).

The good news is that I'm sure most of those punishments were rarely meted out. I can see why you'd need the threat of death though. If you were digging a trench or putting up a wall, and you had to wear full armor -- the equivalent of football or hockey pads -- in the hot sun, I'm sure you'd think, "Oh, c'mon, what are the odds that we get attacked right now?"

 

[mmadsen]

I'm also a lurker on this tread, very interesting, please continue.

Welcome, boer. I'm glad you're enjoying the thread.

For those of you who wonder about the fortifications and how they could build them so fast, there was a roman general, can't remember his name, that stated that the most important weapon of a legionair was his shovel.

I can certainly imagine a WWI general saying that!

 

[mmadsen]

Chapter IX -- The Race for Durres

The same malady that had affected Pompey's troops at Brindisi in February and March had reappeared in southern Italy in the autumn with a vengeance, and now gripped Caesar's army, laying low his men in their thousands and making the embarkation camp on large melancholy hospital. Few if any tents would have been without a man or two lying, moaning, perspiring, coughing, in his bed. In an era when there were no antibiotic drugs, the sickness had reduced the legions to less than half their normal numbers of able-bodied men.

I can't imagine thousands of soldiers camped on one place would lead to the most hygienic living situation. This, of course, is a common problem during wars, and here we have an example of thousands of men sick, half the men of eleven legions (each a few thousand strong). And they're not sick in a modern hospital, or even a nice bed at home; they're sick in their tents.