*** Legion XX, Western Germania Superior ***

It was a chilly morning in Germania when Praetor Tacitus Sarius Julianus received a sealed message from the emperor. He read it carefully several times. The message was short and succinct and left no room for misinterpretation. Sarius tossed it into the fire. He knew the man for the job the emperor had assigned him. Sarius sat back and watched the note burn and wither away, disappearing amongst the ashes, dust and embers. That wasn’t all that burned that day. All around him, Germania was on fire.

After he heard about Marcellus, the young man who was almost burned alive by Germanic barbarians, the praetor was determined to exact his revenge on the Germanii people. Vengeance, however, would not satisfy Sarius. He wanted more. Praetor Julianus ordered the destruction of Germania.

Legions XIX, XX and III marched north. It was where the main strength of the Germanii was believed to lie after the heavy losses sustained by Legion XIV there several weeks earlier. Legion XIV had lost half of its strength when General Julianus disobeyed orders and advanced into the Germanii heartland. That is where Legion XIX now marched, supported on the left by Legion XX and on the right by Legion III. In the south Legion XIV defended the army’s lines of communication.

The army advanced north far quicker than Praetor Julianus had expected. The Praetor advanced with Legion XX along the east bank of the Rhine. Few Germanii appeared, and those that did posed no trouble to the advancing legion. Once detected the average Germanii survived no more than a few minutes. By the praetor’s orders every Germanii fighting against Rome was to be killed; Every Germanii village was to be destroyed; All Germanii food stores were to be captured and their livestock slaughtered. All those who resist were to be killed or enslaved. If anyone protested about this harsh treatment they were soon reminded that the Germanii would treat them no better. The story of Marcellus, now known by nearly every man in the army, gave the Roman soldiers a sense of purpose as set out on their cruel mission. After reading reports from the advancing legions Praetor T. Sarius Julianus rode to the top of a nearby hill. From his vantage point the could see puffs smoke rising to the east. Germania was on fire but the Germanii resistance was virtually non-existent. The barbarians seemed to be retreating before the Roman advance. Why weren’t they fighting? As his army continued their advance that was the one question that troubled him.

*** Legion III, Western Germania Superior ***

Ten thousand Roman soldiers were on the march. The IIIrd legion was probing into the northern reaches of Western Germania Superior. An officer, not quite young anymore, stood thoughtfully on the swell of a hill and looked down into the broadening valley of the Rhine. Once, he had feared for his legion. Not because Germans threatened their lives, but because easy duty might have dulled their fighting edge. Worse this legion was green as spring wheat; the ranks were full of untested soldiers and centurions. Nearly ten years they had spent in Tuscany, doing little more than protect rich merchants from occasional bandit attacks. Now that had all changed. They were on the move. The month marching north had toughened these troops and the officer too. High alpine passes develop your wind better than any training exercise; this was four times as hard as marching in Tuscany. Boredom was gone and bodies were hard. They were as ready, he mused, ready as any untested legion can be.

Off to his left he could see the right flank of the XIXth. Farther still to the east was the Rein river. Somewhere over there, past the XIXth, the XXth Legion swept the land right up to the river. The three legions were ordered to probe the region, clean out any resistance and destroy it as a base for further German resistance. That’s how his commander, General Nero Publius Crasus, had put it last night. “Officer Dio”, the hard old general had said “this is a perfect mission for the IIIrd. We have men that need to be blooded. Kill some Germans, burn their villages, take slaves. Make this sector useless as a base of support for resistance. Rome must control Germania.”

“We don’t expect stiff resistance. The men will fight and kill a few Germans, but won’t be pushed too hard. It’s always good to start with a win. That said, be careful. I want you personally on the far right flank. There’s not a single Roman west of our right flank. They probably don’t have the men for a flanking attack, but keep your eyes open anyway. I’ll stay with the center.”

Rufus Actius understood exactly what the general meant. A concentrated German force was unlikely to be present, but if one should materialize it could sweep behind the right flank of the stretched out IIIrd. A good General never depended entirely on spies or luck. So, here was Rufus Actius Dio, watching the right flank of the IIIrd descend into the valley. He swung his gaze eastward. Nothing. Rolling hills, forest, clearings, no Germans. With a satisfied grunt he mounted his horse and rode down the hill. Two days later, Dio sat in his tent stunned and shaken. He was dictating his report to a scribe. Praetor Julianus must be informed.

His advance on the right flank of the IIIrd had gone exactly as expected. The four centuries under his command had burned five villages, captured two hundred forty-seven soon-to-be slaves and killed sixty-three German warriors. Truth be told, only half of the dead were really warriors; they had simply defended their wives and cattle. Tough. Rome was in charge now; they would either submit or die. In only one spot had resistance formed. It had happened as they approached the second village. About a hundred Germans had formed around the road to ambush the Romans. It was a pitiful attempt. They were bunched in the forest on both sides of the road, but had not posted advance scouts. Dio’s own scouts had spotted them and alerted him. Dio had order both his flanking centuries to advance while retarding his center and holding one century in reserve. They had ambushed the ambush, encircling them all. As it became obvious they had won, he sent in the reserves to help mop up. No Germans escaped. Those that hadn’t died were captured.

So, his four centuries were blooded. Not a glorious battle against a worthy foe, but they had been given orders and had carried them out against real enemies. They had faced men with swords and had seen how Roman discipline paid off. Only three Romans had been killed. Low casualties, real action, confidence, tougher men. The IIIrd would be a better legion for this action. Still, it troubled Dio.

Surely the Germans could have mounted more of a defense. After the one action no Germans had resisted as the Romans burned four more villages. Only the odd old man or boy had foolishly stood in there way; butcher one and the others fled. No warriors and no organized resistance, strange. The spies must have had it right. General N. P. Crasus had expected light resistance, predicting that the warriors had withdrawn to the north.General Crasus. Dio wanted to think about the general, but forced himself to continue dictating to the scribe.

The IIIrd had reformed and pitched a camp. Pickets, tents, guards. It was all done according to Roman doctrine. They even had a tent in the center of the camp for the standards. The standards did not just represent the honor of the legion, in some sense they were the honor of the legion. They meant more than any soldier, centurion, officer, or general. To lose them in battle was to be shamed for eternity. Even the loss of a general did not compare.

Finally, Dio completed his report and dismissed the scribe. Other officers would report for the rest of the legion; and, except for one stunning event, it had gone much the same as on Dio’s right flank. The III Consular legion had seen action and had performed honorably. But great Jove! That one event was a thunderclap.

General Crasus was dead; stabbed in the neck by a peasant woman. Those present said he had dismounted after burning a village, apparently to relieve himself. The woman snuck up and stabbed him from behind. Evil fortune. Dio would miss the old general, he had learned much from him. He had been dignified, even stiff, but still friendly in his way. He felt guilty, but couldn’t help thinking of his own future.Who would replace Crasus? Would General Julianus of the XIVth take over? One centurion said it would be General Terpus; but Terpus was embroiled in Hispania. Oh well, the Praetor and the emperor would decide. Dio would do his duty.

In one week the Roman army in Germania lost two of its generals. The Romans,
who were expecting trouble in the north, were threatened by a major attack in the south. Officer Borae Castus and his cavalry, sent to notify Praetor Julianus of this threat, was missing. To the north Germanii villages were being burned and destroyed.

***News of Strife!***

Even as the Roman Army was spreading destruction in Germania, new came that The Emperor had branded the Praetor S. Marius Manus a Criminal. The Dispatch also commanded the immediate redeployment of Legio III (c) Latium.

The news Vexed Praetor T. Sarius Julianus greatly. He decided immediately that the safety of his command demanded that he cease operations to "pacify" the various Tribes of the Germanii. As it was, they had been very badly mauled in the now suspended campaign.

The Praetor decided that he would retire to a point where he was sure of his Lines of Communications and could await both events and Orders from the Emperor. Consequently Legio XXIX was ordered to the West bank of the River Rhine in Southern Lugdenesis Gaul and Legio's XIV, XIX and XX were to take up a fortified camp on the East bank of the river facing that of the twenty Nineth Legion. In the camp of legio XIV Agrippa Augustus Vitellius sat and thought pensively about the events his life was about to embark upon

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Written by:
Tacitus Sarius Julianus, Agrippa Augustus Vitellius and Rufus Actius Dio.