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Camp of Legion XL
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Tribune Darius Actius Julianus reached over his desk, picked up and a scroll from the Legate of Legio XL. Briskly reading the important letter, Actius was informed he would become the new Chief of Staff of the legion. He would maintain the legion's state of readiness and keep it prepared for combat. Rolling up the scroll and placing it back on his desk, Actius turned to the Junior staff assistant Hadrius “Send for all legion officers”. Briskly turning Hadrius runs out the tent.

Moment’s later, Actius tent filled with the various Tribunes of the legio XL. Standing up from his desk Actius loudly greeted them.He outlined the plans of the legion in the coming operations, that their Legate was ordered to execute as efficiently as possible.

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The March
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Actius knew the enemy was skilled at creating traps for Romans. Understanding this, he would set his sights upon a recently discovered Germanic village that lay only two miles east of the legion's camp. Roman scouts who had traversed the area on several occasions sighted this village and reported no major German activity. Confident that this location harbored enemy supplies, Actius was determined to destroy it.

The Roman column of all ten legion cohorts marched through the day and long into the night, taking a circuitous route to avoid detection. Just like with most things in Germania the weather turned on the Romans. It began to rain and pour upon the earth like a fountain. Legionaries became stuck in the mud falling and fumbled over each other to maintain balance. In a short time the whole formation was soon slowed to a snail's pace when a flurry of warm air kicked up a fog. Chief of Staff Actius could barely see what was in front of him. The Legate was looking silently across a meadow in front of the legion's line of march. His horse trembling with uncertainly began to nervously side step back and fourth with a cold breath blaring from its nostrils. Turning his horse around in a full 180-degree turn, The Legate shouted. “ Form ranks here I want ten cohorts lined up along the expanse of this field. I hear a disturbance in the forest, I highly doubt it’s a wild boar, the Germans are out there laying in wait.” In rapid uniformity the men moved about and formed a straight line six men deep. Tribune Darius Actius Julianus made sure that the required drill evolutions were completed as rapidly as possible.

As the air grew colder and made the their uniforms stick to the troops' skin. The Legate's suspicions were confirmed, a large formation of Germans began to step out of their hiding places. As if coming from Hades, the men were six feet tall and walked forward with a killers pace. The legionaries could barely believe these were the same Germans they fought before, for these men were not adorned with gold or cloths made from foreign dyes. But they were naked and with their skin blackened by the dirt and mud used to conceal themselves behind the forest foliage. Speaking in an unfamiliar German dialect, the men grouped themselves into half hearted line formation clearly similar to that of the Gauls.

Actius rode his horse to the front of the legion's battle line. Squinting his eyes closer, he tried to observe what tribe they are from, but they had no war paint or distinctive clothing depicting this. Fearing he may be up against an elite group of warriors, he sent down orders for the men to stand their ground and ready their pilum. Meanwhile, all forces stood across from each other with nobody making a sound, just a quiet stare down. All of sudden, from within the Germanic ranks a man stepped forward wielding a battle-axe that was 4 feet long with a curved blade inscribe with strange writings. Without a grand speech or self-identification the man waved his axe in the air and let loose a blood curdling war cry. “keerrrggggaa” Witnessing this Actius steadied his men with words of encouragement “stand fast and live men”. Behind the first echelon of five Cohorts, the legion's Tribunate commanders still struggled to bring up the remaining five cohorts and get them deployed for battle.

Several thousand Germans descended upon desolate plain, running a feverish pace they kicked up mud and earth. Realizing they would soon be too exhausted to carry out hand to hand combat, Actius ordered a volley of pilum to be thrown. Swoosh! The first charging Germans were cut down, but the remainder kept charging. This wasn’t what Actius expected, he thought they would simply try to retreat and run. To remedy this situation, he ordered the men to draw their gladius. Dismounting from his horse Actius took a deep breath pushing his way to the front line.

Running head long at the Roman ranks, the Germans threw their superior body weight into the nearest Roman they were matched against. Looking for the famed individual glory in battle, many Germans failed to plan a strategic attack but foolishly fought for personal gain. Darius Actius Julianus seeing the enemy form a wedge assault against one section of the ranks, as if to break it, ordered the left wing to wheel out and then towards the Germanic flank. Men of the first and sixth Cohorts commenced a wheeling movement. Undetected by the battle enraged Germans .

The cohorts engulfed the Germans from the flank. Tribunes yelled for the attack, hearing this a Centurion nearby relayed the message until a minute later it was received by all the legionaries. In an instant, the wild assault of the Germans was transformed in to precipitate flight. The caution that the German tricks of ambush had taught even the youngest legionary to never dash in to a situation without proper reconnaissance. In that light the Light troops of the Auxiliary force did not push the pursuit beyond the edge of the meadow battle ground.

The articulation of the Roman battle line had allowed them to crush the less well organized German warriors. This was an important test for the newly raised legio XL. This was its first battle and the soldiers had performed well.

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Meanwhile
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Legate Valens Cincinnatus sat in his tent in the repaired encampment of the old Legion XXXIX, now occupied by Legion VI. He was awaiting the arrival of one of his men and the arrival of a new man, Julius Hadrius Daia, an Adiuvator who was supposed to have proven his worth with Legio V Ferrata and had been transferred over to Cincinnatus' legion.

As Hadrius rode into the encampment, a man was standing by the entrance, leaning against a wall struggling to catch his breath. Hadrius greeted him and led him to get some water.

"Where were you heading/" Hadrius asked.

"To see the legate!" replied the breathless messenger.

Hadrius helped the messenger, whose name he learned to be Borius, to Cincinnatus' tent. When they arrived, Hadrius held the flap of the tent open so they could both enter. Once they got inside, Cincinnatus sat at his desk, with a brief nod he greeted both men.

Borius looked at his Legate, who had turned to him expectantly. The scout recounted that troopers under his command had reconnoitered a German village. They had been some distance away, to avoid being detected. However, one of the scouts thought he had seen an Imperial Eagle being paraded at some kind of German festival.

The Legate understood that this was important information, the loss of an eagle was no small matter. It recovery, by the same token, was no small matter either. This would be an operation that would need careful planning and execution. the legate stood and walked to the tent entrance and stared pensively at the Eastern horizon.


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By: Darius Actius Julianus, Julius Hadrius Daia

AD 48