Legio XVII: Battle of Zama Read online

  Legio XVII: Battle of Zama

  Published by Thomas A. Timmes at Smashwords

  Copyright 2015 Thomas A. Timmes

  This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to your favorite ebook retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

  Also by Thomas A. Timmes

  Book I - Legio XVII: Roman Legion at War

  Book II - Legio XVII: Battle of the Danube

  Customer reviews for Books I, II, and III

  “I'm 62. I've been reading about Roman Military history since I was 8. This book trumps them all! Fantastic read!”

  “Excellent book that is rich in detailed strategy, weapons development and battlefield maneuvers. One of the best I’ve read of the dozens concerning the Roman Legions and their role in Rome’s expansion. A must read!”

  “I am an avid reader of Roman history - both fact and fiction and consider this title one of the very best I have found. The narrative, the characters have been treated in a manner that are totally engrossing. The battle scenes are graphic and I would certainly enjoy a similar offering from this author.”

  “I am an avid reader of historical fiction, especially of Roman and British military expeditions. This is one of the most interesting books that I have read in the past thirty years. As a former Captain of Marines, I was especially impressed by the detailed description of the preparations of both operations and logistics. Too many writers focus on just the battles and totally miss the critical issues of preparation that leads to success.”

  “Thomas A. Timmes has written a fascinating insight into the Roman Legions....I was afraid that this book would read like a bland history book. It was instead a very interesting, educational read. I would highly recommend this book to anyone interested in reading about the early BC Roman Empire.”

  “Thomas A. Timmes knows how to write history fiction books. thoroughly enjoyed reading Legio XVII - Legio at War. The author displays superior characterization skills in this book. I enjoyed the way the story unfolded and how it concluded. The Introduction was a priceless gateway to the story and the Epilogue was a treasure chest of ah-ha moments. I would wake up in the middle of the night just to read a couple more paragraphs. I honestly could not put the book down. Thank you for turning me into an addict of your work.”

  “Good, enjoyable reading by a sound author”

  “Best book of its kind”

  “Excellent series with good historical and accurate assessment of the Roman Legions and battle strategy”

  “I found it a fascinating and an extremely entertaining read”

  “Rates as one of my top authentic Roman factual books, excellent keep them coming”

  “Absorbing in detail, gripping in action and had the feel of real history”

  “Well written book on the operations of a legion and how it works”

  “Keeps you reading all way to the end very enjoyable good read”

  “....new and refreshing style... very interesting and exciting read”

  “Good exciting book with plenty of action”

  “We'll worth a read, couldn't put it down. We'll researched, didn't want it to end. Look forward to more books”

  Table of Contents

  Table of Contents

  Preface

  Prologue

  Chapter I: Battle of Ilipa 206 BC

  Chapter II: Sicily 206 - 205 BC

  Chapter III: Mago Barca 206 - 205 BC

  Chapter IV: Legio XVII Deploys 205 BC

  Chapter V: The Mercenaries 205 BC

  Chapter VI: Prelude to Battle 205 BC

  Chapter VII: Battle of Lake Benacus 205 BC

  Chapter VIII: The Assault 205 BC

  Chapter IX: After the Battle 205 BC

  Chapter X: Scipio in Africa 204 - 202 BC

  Chapter XI: Battle of Zama 202 BC

  Epilogue

  About the Author

  Connect with Tom

  Preface

  The Legio XVII series, Roman Legion at War, Battle of the Danube, and Battle of Zama are historical fiction novels that take place during Rome’s Second Punic War with Carthage (218 - 202 BC), the other Mediterranean economic and military super power of that era. In addition to presenting a summary of authentic Second Punic War history, I added a fictional Legion to represent the typical activities of Roman Commanders and Legionaries of that period.

  The exploits of Legio XVII are impacted by the Punic War, and its military operations are conducted in support of the overall war effort, but do not intrude into or alter actual historical events. My challenge was to present Punic War history that is accurate and entertaining, while maintaining a separation between fact and fiction. Together, the three books present a complete summary of that ancient War.

  Like my other books, the Battle of Zama is not written in a purely linear fashion, but rather describes the many moving parts of conflicting forces and events that occur simultaneously. Eventually, the parts come together in a violent collision.

  I salute those historians of antiquity, Livy, Polybius, and Appian, among others, who had the interest and took the time to record Rome’s early history. Those deserving equal credit are the many scholars who preserved their writings over the years and translated their works. Without these authors, copyists, and translators, we would all be the poorer.

  Since Livy, Polybius, and Appian differ on the number of troop and cavalry engaged in the battles used in this book, I present a range of numbers or use Livy’s account as the most acceptable. Similarly, historians debate many aspects of Zama such as its location, the number of elephants employed by Hannibal, if any, the role of the cavalry, and the date the battle was fought. This book presents the generally accepted version of events.

  Authors have a variety of resources available to them to discern the facts of events that happened so very long ago. Besides the ancient sources, there are many books, both old and new, that try to piece together the differing accounts of the same event. The Internet is invaluable in this effort and hosts several very good Roman-oriented websites. The ones I am most familiar with are UNRV, Roman Army Talk, Classical History, and Historum. The members of these sites are extremely knowledgeable about antiquity, and more than happy to discuss issues or to answer questions.

  In book one, Roman Legion at War, I incorrectly stated that Queen Teuta of Illyria sent Agron and his Ardiaei warriors to join Hannibal. She was the Queen from 231-227 BC. The correct Illyrian ruler during Hannibal’s rampage through Italy was King Scerdilaidas who ruled from 218 until his death in 205 BC. Similarly, the Gestates tribesmen who fought Rome at the Battle of Telamon in 225 BC disappeared from history after the battle and are presumed to have settled in modern Slovenia. There is no record of their supporting Hannibal as stated in Roman Legion at War. I apologize for these and any other errors of fact.

  I owe a sincere debt of gratitude to my wife for reading and commenting on the drafts of all three books and my grown children, especially Bethany and Andrew, for their invaluable assistance in helping me to edit the series.

  Prologue

  When Proconsul Manius Tullus returned to Rome from Regensburg, Germany with Legiones XVII and V Etrusci in September 206, he was anxiously looking forward to seeing his wife, Lucia, and his two children, Flavia and Titus. He had been gone from Rome for about a year. First, he made sure his two Legions were secure in their camp on the outskirts of Rome; that they were prope
rly paid, and given a two-week vacation. Then he confirmed with Army Headquarters that his returning Legions would be ineligible to deploy again for another six months. Barring any emergencies, they would be held in reserve to support the defense of Rome, should the need arise.

  After taking care of his troops, he returned to his villa and family. Lucia greeted him at the vestibulum (entrance hall) and had a lot to say. “We all missed you terribly,” she said as she embraced him. “I hope you are home for good, and will now retire from the Army. You’re 53; let younger men take up the fight. And you seem to be limping more. Does your leg hurt?”

  “We’ll see about retiring,” Manius said in a noncommittal way, “and, yes, my leg hurts. I think the cold weather at Bad Tolz affected it. You look so good to me,” he said as he looked deeply into her eyes. “I couldn’t get you off my mind.” Titus then rushed at his father and clung to him. The almost 15 year old had grown considerably in a year and loved his father. Flavia, now 17, gave her father a polite hug, and said she had missed him. It was obvious her mind was elsewhere. Manius quickly added, “I have a few gifts if anyone is interested.” He then presented Titus with a Teuton sword and scabbard of fine craftsmanship. To Flavia he presented a pair of silver brooches and glass beads used by Cimbri/Teuton women. She was obviously pleased and disappeared to try them on.

  Titus went outside to practice swinging the heavy sword. Manius and Lucia smiled at each other and walked hand in hand to the bedroom.

  Manius’ deployment and success against the Cimbri/Teutons in support of Bethica’s Suevi Tribe was recognized and appreciated by the Senate and Army; however, all eyes were on Scipio and his success at Ilipa, Spain six months earlier. Manius had never met Scipio, but heard he was returning to Rome shortly to run for Consul. He hoped to meet him and tell him that he had successfully used his Ilipa tactics against the Cimbri/Teutons at the Battle of Regensburg.

  When they finally did meet, Manius was impressed with the 31 year old no-nonsense Commander. Within a few months, Manius found himself working for Scipio in Sicily.

  New Army orders for Manius and his Legions would cut that assignment short, and Manius would once again lead Legiones XVII and V Etrusci into the Cisalpine Gaul. This time, he would face battle-wise mercenaries enroute to join Mago Barca who had travelled by sea in 205 BC from Spain to Genoa, Italy after his defeat at Ilipa, Spain. With Hannibal successfully contained in Bruttium (modern Reggio Calabria) at the very tip of the Italian peninsula, the Roman Senate declared a Mago-Hannibal link-up their greatest threat.

  Manius’ new mission was to prevent 50,000 mercenaries from joining Mago. This was the Roman Senate’s number one priority and a critical piece of the Senate’s overall war strategy. Failure would prevent Consul Scipio from invading Africa and facing the Great Hannibal on the battlefield at Zama.

  Chapter I: Battle of Ilipa 206 BC

  Ilipa (modern Alcala del Rio) is10 miles north of Seville and 122 miles (197km) north of Gibraltar

  (Google maps)

  The Centurions moved from tent to tent quietly rousing their sleeping men. “Wake up, cook your meal, and be ready to march in two hours. Keep your fires low and no noise.” This had been the routine for the Legionaries for the past three days, but today the wakeup call was not sounded by trumpets and it was only 3:30 A.M. instead of 5:30 A.M. The men looked at each other knowingly as they moved quietly and efficiently about their routine. One man started the fire while another mixed the water and wheat. The rest assisted one another in adjusting their armor. They knew today was going to be different.

  Yesterday, they were told to put a fresh edge on their swords, replace any missing hobnails on their sandals, and fill their water skins. “Lights out” was called at 8:30 P.M.

  For the last three days, they had marched out of camp to face the veteran Carthaginian Army across the large, dry, dusty plain of Ilipa. The Roman Commander, Proconsul Publius Cornelius Scipio, did not vary his formation. He always placed his heavy Roman Legions in the center of his line in a triplex acies and his Celtiberian allies on the two flanks. Half a mile away, the Carthaginian Commanders, Hasdrubal Gisco and Mago Barca, put their experienced Carthaginians in the center and their weaker Celtiberian mercenaries on their flanks to face their countrymen.

  Both Armies had their most experienced troops in the center. The 32 Carthaginian war elephants were placed in front of the first line. A few of them had a wooden box strapped to their backs with crenellated towers to protect the four or five javelin throwers inside the box. After watching each other for most of the day, the two large armies would turnabout and march back into their respective camps.

  The temperature was a balmy 73F degrees (22C) during the day and dropped into the low 50s (11C) at night. The Legionaries were comfortable. While they stood facing the Carthaginians, the men were allowed to drink, urinate in place, move a foot in all directions, and talk in low voices. They rested their heavy shields and pila on the ground. Sick men stayed at camp, and those with diarrhea were given permission to walk to the rear of the formation to relieve themselves. By the third day, the troops were complaining among themselves and wished they were walking or fighting instead of simply standing.

  If a Legionary passed out, no one moved until the Centurion checked the man and assigned two men to take him to the rear. Once he recovered, he was questioned to determine what he had eaten, how much water he had drunk, what time he went to bed, and if he was flexing his legs or standing too rigid. Usually, a man passed out because he was standing too stiffly and not flexing his knees. For that, he would be reprimanded and sent back to the camp to recover.

  Each day, the Legionaries quickly scanned the enemy lines to see if the elephants were in their attack position in front of the first line. They always preceded the Carthaginian army out of their fort, and the army followed. These large beasts were known to plow through Maniples like a scythe through standing wheat. They were more feared than a cavalry charge, and were almost unstoppable. Stories of charging elephants with dozens of pila sticking in them with no apparent effect spread among the men. They also frightened the cavalry’s horses and thwarted many a charge.

  During the afternoon of the third day, after the Legions had marched back into camp, Scipio’s trumpets sounded the call for his Legates to assemble. The meeting tent was spacious and easily accommodated the Commanders and their aides. Other than camp stools, maps, and a few small field tables, a visitor would never guess that this was the tent of Rome’s most successful General. Proconsul Scipio was an intelligent Commander who didn’t believe in a lot of pomp.

  It was common knowledge among his Legionaries that at the young age of 17, Scipio led a successful cavalry charge to rescue his father at the Battle of Ticinus (modern Vigevano, Italy) in 218 BC. He went on to participate in the battles of Trebbia, Lake Trasimene, and Cannae. In 211 BC, at just 24 years old, the Senate elected Scipio Proconsul of Spain. He assumed command of all Roman Armies in Spain after his beloved father and uncle were killed fighting Hasdrubal Barca, Hannibal’s brother. It was also common knowledge that when Scipio heard that his father had been killed, he wept uncontrollably for days. But rather than seen as a sign of weakness, this story enhanced his reputation and endeared him to his troops.

  When the Commanders were seated, an aide pushed aside the privacy flap of Scipio’s adjacent tent and informed him that the Legates were assembled. The Proconsul stepped into the tent with a rarely seen yet guarded smile on his face. His smile accentuated his strong aquiline nose, high cheek bones, and perfect teeth.

  “Gentlemen,” he said, as the smile faded and his normal gravitas returned. “Tomorrow we attack! It’s clear to me that Hasdrubal and Mago are matching our troop formation and will not expect us to change ours. I want to deploy the Legions on the flanks and our allied Celtiberians in the center. I expect our Legionaries to crush the enemy Celtiberians facing them and then to attack Hasdrubal’s center. I will hold back our Celtiberians from attacking Hasdrubal’s cente
r until we’ve destroyed his flanks.”

  “We can’t allow Hasdrubal to see our new formation until it’s too late for him to adjust his formation to match ours; therefore, tomorrow morning we will march out of camp in the dark at 5:30 A.M. My intent is to cause his army to panic and rush out of the fort before the elephants can be deployed, and before his men have a chance to eat breakfast.”

  “At first light, our cavalry will attack his cavalry and our skirmishers will attack his flanks.” Turning to his Celtiberian Commander, Scipio said, “You must hold your men back until I give the order for you to attack the center. If you fail to hold your men back, our entire plan is in jeopardy. Do you understand?”

  The Commander responded, “Yes sir, we will wait for your signal and then make you proud of us.”

  Scipio added, “Commanders, I expect this information to remain in this tent. You may inform your Centurions, but no one else. I’ve instructed the Praefectus Castorum, (Camp Commandant) to post additional guards around the camp to prevent anyone from wandering off.”

  That evening, the Proconsul walked among his troops checking to see if they had eaten, had received their pay, and had any complaints that he could resolve. Occasionally, he would beseech the gods to protect a particular Maniple to bolster their courage. He had a reputation as a pious man, and the men respected that. As he passed a group of men, a Legionary stood up and said to him, “Sir, we would appreciate it if you would ask the gods to protect us from the elephants. There’s just no easy way to kill those beasts.”

  Scipio looked at him, reached out, and put his hand on his shoulder. “I know they can be frightening and they don’t go down easy.” He then looked at the other men standing by the fire. “If my plan works, you and your comrades won’t have to worry about elephants. Listen to your Centurion and follow orders. You’ll be fine.”