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Preparation for War
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The death of Emperor Tiberius would not, as it turned out, significantly slow the Roman invasion plans for Thracia. Praetor O. Justius Vitellius had been vehement, "The invasion goes on Dio. Don't let this slow you. I support Sarius Honorius and I know you do to; there isn't a military man in Rome who doesn't respect the man. I'm returning to Rome, but you know the plan. Execute it!"

Now some months later, Legio XIX was preparing to invade Thracia. They had landed yesterday on the southern coast of Macedonia, just west of the Thracian boarder. The XXXVI had been there to greet them. Generals Rufus Actius Dio and N Publius Crassus were in Crassus's tent, looking at maps.

"Actius, I see how the first stage of the campaign is dictated by the course of the Hebrus River and the position of the Rhodope Mountains. The Rhodope range runs west to east parallel to the southern coast. The Hebrus has its source in western Thracia, north of the Rhodopes; it flow eastward past the Rhodopes and then turns south into the Mediterranean Sea. There's a big city, Philippopolus up north near the source of the river; it's bound to be held by the Asians."

"But Actius, I still don't see how this plan will work. I understand that our two armies will sweep the coast eastward to the mouth of the Hebrus River. I also understand that the VII and XV will be north of us over the Rhodope Mountains pushing the Asians eastward along the river. Won't the Asians just flee eastward toward Byzantium and make a stand there?"

"Yes indeed, Publius, that's what Praetor Vitellius thinks and I agree. Their idea will be to mount a defense on the ridges west of Byzantium. But we won't let them."

"How do we stop them, Actius?"

"My XIXth will drive east with your XXXVIth until we reach the mouth of the Hebrus, then while you turn north on the West Bank of the river, I'm to cross the river and quick march eastward and get between the Asians and Byzantium. The XIX will take those ridges and cut off the Asian retreat."

"Ah, Actius, now that makes sense. Then I'll join up with the VIIth and XVth and we'll drive them into your elevated position. Not bad, it should work. But Actius, your timing will be important. You don't want to get onto those ridges too far ahead of our arrival or you could be trapped between the Asian army and the Asians in Byzantium."

"Yes, Publius, you're right. Timing will be important; but these Asians don't really want to fight anymore. Praetor Vitellius thinks they'll run if they can. They have a new King and would like to be friendly with Rome. Their problem is that Rome wants to take Asia; we'd rather destroy their army here where it cannot be so easily supported.


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On the Southern Coast
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The eastward sweep of the coast had gone as expected. Resistance had been light, the Asians made no attempt to resist at the border. Evening was approaching and Dio's XIX was stretched out on the coast, ahead of the XXXVI. They were approaching the mouth of the Hebrus, and Dio expected resistance soon. The Asians would probably have some protection for the mouth of the river. It was their shipping link to the interior. This was a dangerous time in the campaign; the XIXth could not afford a delay.

The vanguard had just chosen a site for the evening's fortified camp. They were busy digging the perimeter ditch. The rest of the legion would complete the camp as they marched into it. Each man carried two large stakes that were used to form the perimeter wall just inside the ditch. Any enemy attacking the camp would be faced with crossing the ditch while being fired upon from behind the wall.

Later that evening the legion was safely behind the stockade walls. Dio and his officers were listening to the scouting reports.

"The Asians have a fortified post just two day's march ahead. It's on our side of the Hebrus and it guards the mouth of the river. I would say they have roughly 7,000 men and several triremes beached there to give their force some naval coverage sir."

"What do the fortifications look like scout?" asked one of the officers.

"Their walls look solid sir, nearly as good as our own stockades, except they haven't dug as deep a Velum, as we would, around them."

"Scout," said Dio, "How many ships could you see? How many men could they evacuate quickly?"

"I saw three triremes sir; they could probably load 100 infantrymen on each. There might have been one or two more, sir; I couldn't see everything."

Dio looked at his officers and raised an eyebrow. None of them had any more questions so he turned to the scout himself. "I'm going to write a message for General Crassus of the XXXVIth Legion. He's just a day behind us on the shore. You go get some food and take a short rest. Then you will ride back to Crassus and deliver my message."


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Mouth of the Hebrus
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Two days later General Crassus and the XXXVI were at the mouth of the Hebrus. He stood gazing at the Asian fortification on the river. He knew that Dio and the XIXth were headed up the Hebrus, but the Asian commander did not know it.

Nine cohorts of the XXXVI were encircling the fort. Based on Dio's information Crassus had already sent his own first cohort upriver to cross and guard the east bank.

"Spread out and let yourself be seen. Fly this banner that General Dio gave us." Crasus had told his Primus Pilus. "I want them to think the XIXth is over there not just one of our own cohorts."

O. Justius Vitellius' doctrine was clear on matters like this. You did not fight a pitched battle when a siege would do the job. Soldiers were too valuable. The cost and time to train them would not be thrown away lightly. Crassus could take nearly two thirds of the Asians with no battle at all. If this little deception worked, he might even do it quickly.

Inside the fort, the Asian commander watched the Roman deployments closely. Yesterday he had seen the XIXth legion march past in the hills beyond his fort; he had hoped that the Romans would pass him by. Now one of his trireme captains had seen the flags of the XIX on the east bank. There were Romans seemingly everywhere. He could not now easily ferry his men across the River. Damn that Alujah for delivering them to this fate, it would have been infinately more desirable If only he had been assassinated sooner. King Pontus was a man action, but even such a dynamic leader needed time to remedy years of complacent inactivity

Here, the Asians had four triremes to defend the shipping lanes of the Hebrus, in addition to about 7,000 soldiers. These were men who were trained well enough, but equipped in the manner of the Medes and Persians of old. Namely they were "light", not "heavy" infantry like the Romans. The defences were essential to allow his men to fight without being simply slaughtered like cattle. those defences, would allow the garrison to buy King Pontus time to prepare the main army.

This was now taking shape on the other side of the Bosphurus, that would be the real core of the Asian efforts to resist the Roman advance. He had received confirmation by dispatch, that King Pontus was even creating "legions" of his own. They would be drawn from the land of the Galatians. So those Celts would now provide not just their cavalry, but Heavy Infantry, that it was expected would be equipped to a level comparable to that of the Romans themselves.

of course the majority of his heavy troops would be "Macedonians", along with the untold numbers of lighter troops that Asian commanders had marched to victory with, for generations past!

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By Rufus Actius Dio and O Justius Vitellius


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