Expedition into Central Belgica



Gaius Quintillius Julianus - **Chief of Staff** by appointment of the Emperor, Anaeus Pertinax Veno, AD 57.


Gaius enters the Headquarters of his Legate, commander of the V Ferrata.


“Hail!”
“Hail Rome!”
“I have received reports of locals in Central Belgica resisting Roman authority. Such an insult to our great Empire!”

“Yes sir…I too have heard such rumors.”

“Hmm…disturbing as they, we cannot allow Roman law and authority in Central Belgica to fall an lower. I have letter here from the Emperor with permissions of Pro Consular Legate Thrax as well. As such I am sending you on an urgent mission to Central Belgica to find a solution to this problem. Take Antonius Augustus Nervae with you as well, just in case. His knowledge of the locals will be invaluable Tribune Gaius.”

“I agree. I’ll set out immediately sir.”

“Good man, I knew you wouldn’t let the Legion down. Perhaps I can get some rest tonight then, knowing that this problem is in safe hands.”

“I wouldn’t rate my negotiation skills that highly sir.”

“Don’t be silly! You’ll be fine. I’m sending you with 10,000 sesterces in this here iron chest.” He handed the heavy box to Gaius with ease. “What you don’t spend bring back please, the Gods only know how much Rome demands her legates keep track of their annual funds.”

“I agree sir, and don’t worry; I’ll be as prudent as possible in my expenses.”

“Right, well get going then Tribune, and don’t forget to ask Antonius Augustus Nervae to join you.”

“I won’t sir.”

“Good luck Tribune”

Tribune Gaius exited the building and assembled not only enough supplies and baggage to last a month on the road, but a full century of legionaries under Centurion Marcus Sextus to guard such a long an obvious trail of horses and carts. The camp quaestor, assigned to the Legion V Ferrata by Rome, also joined the traveling party, which consisted mainly of local Belgican chiefs allied with Rome and a party of Roman citizens assembled from the nearby Roman Town. Carpenters, Brick Makers, Locals who could speak the language, legionaries, ox-drivers, farmers, engineers and tax collectors assembled just outside the Castra.

Centurion Marcus cast his gaze across the assembled party.

‘It’s quite the army you’ve got here sir!” His gruff voice sounding across the damp dew soaked fields.

“Indeed, I intend to restore loyalty with the spade and shovel, rather than the gladius.”

“In my opinion sir, if I can speak plainly, the best solution would be to burn the lot of em’ in their homes. That’ll teach the buggers to resist Roman law!”

“And that’s why you’re the Centurion, and I’m the Tribune!” Gaius said turning to the Centurion.

Marcus looked a bit embarrassed, and a soldier’s instant reaction in such a situation is to pick on someone smaller than yourself. Marcus trudged off, barking orders at his men to get the column on the road and moving.

Gaius saddled his horse and the column made pace for Central Belgica, too where the trouble had started.


***Central Belgica - two week’s time***


Gaius halted the column just on the outskirts of a Belgican village. The village elders emerged from the Chiefs Hall and began negotiations with Gaius, with the aid of a translator. Gaius learned from his Gallic translator that the village saw no need to pay Roman taxes or allow Roman merchants safe passage through the village when Rome failed to do anything to meet their needs. The village leader, Gaius suspected was a very outspoken, tall strong individual with a fiery Red beard that occasionally erupted in a flare of enthusiasm every time the Gallic equivalent of Rome was mentioned. He stepped forward and glared down at Gaius. Un-intimidated he asked the translator to tell the man Rome would build his village a well, and everything the village required they would get. The man stepped back and nodded his head. The Village elders returned inside and emerged some time latter, accepting Gaius’ proposal.

Military Engineers were ordered to dig out a well, while stone masons and carpenters finished off the well. With their work done here, Gaius ordered the column onwards to the next village, where he was asked to solve their food shortage problems. He noticed their fields, rotting crops everywhere, and dry fallow land with patches of wet mud. Gaius ordered the farmers from the Roman settlement to show the Belgian villagers how to farm using crop rotation techniques. To solve their immediate food problems he ordered the engineers, carpenters and stone masons to begin construction of a granary, while the architects began planning out a more efficient food storage system. After a week or so Gaius ordered his soldiers to begin stockpiling food stores brought from the Legion’s Granary into the newly constructed granary. During this time Gaius learned of a Germanic warband that had crossed into Central Belgica, ambushing Gallic merchants and farmers in their fields. He sent out friendly villagers from all across Central Belgica to report back to the Tribune the location of the warband. After another week, a boy working in the fields nearby to the first village the column had reached spotted the Warband crossing a river some miles from Gaius’ main encampment.

“Marcus! Assemble the century” Shouted Gaius, emerging his tent, the boy trailing behind.

“But it’s almost dark sir!” called Marcus, getting up from his seat beside the fire, close to Gaius’ tent.

“We march at night, attack at dawn.” replied the Tribune.

“Yes sir!” The Centurion turned and barked orders to his men, assembling just outside of the encampment. Gaius saddled his horse and led the marching column of legionaries toward the last known location of the warband.


***Before dawn, the river crossing***


Gaius crawled through the grass and peered across the river, Marcus beside him. The warband had made camp beside the river; their night fires now extinguished and left smoking. ‘How convenient’ thought Gaius. “Get the men to split up into sections of four and move stealthy across the river into their camp.”

“You want to slit their throat while they sleep sir?” Marcus whispered.

“Exactly, but do it quietly, wont you?” whispered Gaius.

“Don’t worry sir, leave it too me. Your night march idea worked then. I’ll be damned after all.”

“Why?” inquired Gaius.

“Because at the beginning of our little expedition you said we wouldn’t need the use of the sword, rather the hammer and chisel.”

“Yes, but I wasn’t planning on a warband of Germanic tribesmen pillaging across Central Belgica when I said that!” chuckled Gaius, keeping a quiet whisper.

“Don’t worry sir, leave it too me.” Marcus said again and crawled back through the grass to the men.

The century broke up into section of four and cross the river. One legionary fell, but was caught by a comrade before he hit the water. Gaius wasn’t pleased, but it couldn’t be helped. He counted thirty possibly forty warriors sleeping among filth and smoking fires. The smell was terrible, like walking into a pig sty, remarked Marcus under his breath. They slit their throats one by one as they sneaked toward the centre, to where the chiefs of this warband slept. Gaius glanced back behind him, at the mass of 20 or so bodies, blood spilling onto the ground as they lay twitching, unable to scream out for help. Suddenly the central encampment erupted in a furry of swords and warcrys as the chiefs and close band of warriors jumped out from underneath their wool blankets and rushed the legionaries. No longer in tight formation, it would be a man on man battle, just the way the Celts liked it. The largest of the foes, presumably the chief charged Gaius, swinging his long sword blindly. Gaius easily dogged his attacks, and parried the one’s that came too close. Ducking down as the chief swing his sword horizontally, he lunged forward with his gadius and stabbed the hairy man once in the soft belly. Collapsing in a pile Gaius turned to assist his men, parrying and thrusting into the backs of enemy warriors. Marcus suffered a leg wound but was otherwise unharmed, and only eight legionary lay dead, against the remaining fifteen or so warriors, heaped around the central encampment. The fight was another victory for Rome, as the survivors fled across the river back to the Germanic village they came from. Gaius inspected his men, and praised them for their courage, strength and honor.


***Back at the Castra of Legion V Ferrata***


Gaius entered his Legate’s headquarters and reported on the events that had unfurled back in Central Belgica.

“Congratulations Tribune, you’ve done a fine job, we should be able to start collecting taxes from those not so hostile villages as soon as possible. Not so hostile, no thanks to you Gaius.”

“Thank you sir.”

“And what of the money?” inquired the Legate.

“Money sir?”

“The money I gave you at the start of this mission.”

“Oh that! Well don’t worry about that sir, it’s all here, save for a few hundred sesterces I paid the members of the civilian party.” He handed the Legate the money chest.

“Well, not only have you shown good civilian governance and military skill but also extreme prudence. That’s something I find uncommon in most soldiers. You will go onto to become a good commander one day, perhaps even this Legion. Proconsular Legate Thrax and the Emperor will be most pleased of your success. Rome thanks you for your service Tribune.”

“Thank you sir!”

“Hail Rome!”

“Hail Rome!”

Gaius departed the building and returned to his quarters, pleased with the month’s activities.


--------------------------------------------------------------------Acknowledgments:

Legion V Ferrata
Tribune - Gaius Quintillius Julianus (author)
Imperator – Anaeus Pertinax Veno (for his support)
Pro Consular Legate – Gaius Curtius Thrax (for his support)

AD 57 – Southern Belgica