Legionary Read online

  LEGIONARY

  by Gordon Doherty

  Third Kindle Edition 2012

  © 2012 Gordon Doherty

  All rights reserved. This book may not be reproduced in any form, in whole or in part, without written permission from the author.

  www.gordondoherty.co.uk

  In loving memory of Patricia McDermott.

  Table of Contents

  Title & Copyright Page

  Historical Note & Pretext circa 376 AD

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  Chapter 35

  Chapter 36

  Chapter 37

  Chapter 38

  Chapter 39

  Chapter 40

  Chapter 41

  Chapter 42

  Chapter 43

  Chapter 44

  Chapter 45

  Chapter 46

  Chapter 47

  Chapter 48

  Chapter 49

  Chapter 50

  Chapter 51

  Chapter 52

  Chapter 53

  Chapter 54

  Chapter 55

  Chapter 56

  Chapter 57

  Chapter 58

  Chapter 59

  Chapter 60

  Chapter 61

  Chapter 62

  Chapter 63

  Chapter 64

  Chapter 65

  Chapter 66

  Chapter 67

  Chapter 68

  Chapter 69

  Chapter 70

  Chapter 71

  Chapter 72

  Chapter 73

  Chapter 74

  Chapter 75

  Chapter 76

  Chapter 77

  Chapter 78

  Chapter 79

  Chapter 80

  Historical Note & Pretext circa 376 AD

  The Eastern Roman Empire

  In the 4th century AD, the Roman Empire existed as two halves; the East and the West. Both halves were subject to an immense inward pressure from the people Rome once called barbarians. Now with armies equal to the once invincible Roman legions, these peoples amassed along the outer provinces of the Roman world, pressed by a massive population shift from the Far East.

  In the Eastern Empire, it was primarily the Gothic kingdoms to the north and the Persian Empire to the east who threatened to overrun Roman territory. Thus, the empire had to think defensively for the first time in centuries, forced to abandon territorial expansion and instead define permanent borders, to bolster forts, watchtowers and palisades and defend for their lives.

  In support of this new border system, Emperor Diocletian and latterly Emperor Constantine (the Great) reformed the army into two broad categories. The comitatenses were the descendants of the old legions, the mobile crack troops, shifting to meet threats where they penetrated these new borders. The limitanei were their poor relations, the men paid, armoured and armed relatively minimally. They were tasked with manning the patchwork of hastily constructed or old, crumbling forts, watchtowers and walls that marked out the limes, the limits of the Roman world, waiting and watching the mists of the lost lands beyond, knowing the next mass invasion was not a matter of if, but when…

  High Command Structure of the Eastern Imperial Army

  The Legions

  Evidence of unit numbers in the later Empire are equivocal as the flux in military organisation at the time meant vexillationes (small detachments from the traditional legions), morphed into new style comitatenses or limitanei legions in their own right. However, research suggests as follows;

  An average legion of comitatenses consisted of between one thousand and two thousand men. A legion was commanded by a tribunus, and a comes would command a collection of comitatenses legions as a field army.

  A legion of limitanei could vary hugely dependant on the extent of the limes they were stretched to cover, but evidence suggests they, too, averaged between one thousand and two thousand men. A tribunus commanded a legion, and a dux would command the various limitanei legions in a geographical region.

  The rank of primus pilus (chief centurion) of the first century of the first cohort of a legion was held in the highest regard as the most dangerous front line position available.

  The XI Claudia

  Julius Caesar originally recruited the XI Claudia (The Eleventh Claudian Legion) as far back as the mid-first century BC for the impending invasion of Gaul. It is likely that this original legion fought in the famous Siege of Alesia and the Battle of Dyrrhachium at Pharsalus before disbanding some twenty years later. The legion was reformed under Augustus and they went on to be based at various locations along the Rhine and in Dalmatia (modern day Croatia). However, by the late 4th century AD, the legion had migrated to settle on the lower River Danubius at the city of Durostorum in modern day Bulgaria. While camped at the city, as well as defending their stretch of frontier, some vexillationes would be despatched to fight around the empire.

  As to the structure of the legions, by the late 4th century AD, the Roman army had been in a state of flux for several years, and uniform command structures in the legions were hard to identify, but the senior posts of tribunus, primus pilus, centurion and optio were all thought to have been in place at this time. Underneath these senior posts, the classical legion structure was still in evidence; cohorts of four hundred and eighty men (apart from the double-strength first cohort), each divided into six centuries of eighty men.

  The diagram below gives an outline of the XI Claudia circa 376 AD, assuming a full complement of legionaries and discounting units of foederati and auxiliaries, who would often bolster this number.

  Religion

  Circa 337 AD, towards the end of his reign as emperor of a briefly consolidated Roman Empire, Constantine established religious tolerance of Christianity. However, even before this, and for the best part of the next century, the first major schism in the Christian church took place in the form of the conflict between Arian and Trinitarian beliefs. Concisely, Arius, a Christian presbyter from Alexandria in Egypt, taught that God (the father), and Jesus (the son), did not exist together eternally, and that Jesus was a mortal creation of God. This was in direct contradiction to the traditional Trinitarian teachings that God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit coexisted as one divine being. The Arians were seen as a minority sect, but several high profile figures, notably Emperor Valens, supported the Arian cause during his reign as emperor of the East.

  Despite this schism, the majority of emperors (with the exception of a few, notably Julian the Apostate) and their high-ranking subordinates embraced Christianity soon after Constantine’s edict of tolerance. However, the citizens of the empire and the rank and file of the army transitioned more gradually. Indeed, the old gods were still being worshipped some half a century after Constantine’s death, with the Persian god Mithras remaining a firm favourite of those in the legions.

  Key Landmarks in Legionary

  Glossary


  Ave; A reverential Roman salutation.

  Aquilifer; Senior eagle standard bearer of a Roman legion.

  Beneficiarius; Naval officer responsible for administrative duties on a ship.

  Buccina; The ancestor of the trumpet and the trombone, this instrument was used for the announcement of night watches and various other purposes in the legionary camp.

  Caldarium; A room with a hot plunge bath.

  Candidati; The personal bodyguard of the Roman Emperor and descendants of the old praetorian guard.

  Chi-Rho; The Chi Rho is one of the earliest forms of Christogram, and was used by the early Christian Roman Empire. It is formed by superimposing the first two letters in the Greek spelling of the word Christ, chi = ch and rho = r, in such a way to produce the following monogram;

  Classis Moesica; The fleet that controlled the waters from the Lower Danubius to the northwestern Pontus Euxinus as far as the Bosporus (modern-day Crimea) peninsula.

  Comes; Commander of more than one comitatenses legions.

  Comitatenses; The Roman field armies. A ‘floating’ central reserve, ready to move swiftly to tackle border breaches when they occur. See section entitled ‘The Legions’ for more information.

  Contubernium; A grouping of eight legionaries within a century (ten contubernia per century). These soldiers would share a tent and would receive disciplinary action or reward as a unit.

  Danubius; The modern River Danube.

  Dux; Regional commander of limitanei legions.

  Equites; Roman cavalry.

  Foederati; Broad term for the variety of ‘barbarian’ tribes subsidised from imperial coffers to fight for the Roman Empire.

  Follis; A large bronze coin introduced in about 294 AD with the coinage reform of Diocletian.

  Gladius; Short sword used as primary legionary weapon up until the mid 3rd century AD.

  Hunnoi; Huns.

  Imperator; Meaning ‘commander’ or effectively ‘emperor’.

  Intercisa; Iron helmet constructed of two halves with a distinctive fin-like ridge joining them together and large cheek guards offering good protection to the face. See the helmets worn by the legionaries in the cover illustration as an example.

  Kingdom of Bosporus; Modern day peninsula of Crimea, situated on the north coast of the Pontus Euxinus.

  Kithara; Lyre-like string instrument from Greek antiquity.

  Limitanei; Literally, meaning ‘frontier soldiers’. Light infantry spearmen. See section entitled ‘The Legions’ for more information.

  Lorica Segmentata; Broad, segmented iron body armour worn by the legions prior to the 3rd century AD.

  Magister Militum; Literally, ‘Master of Soldiers’. The man in this role would report directly to the emperor and command each regional dux and floating comes situated within the broad geographical grouping of provinces he presided over.

  Mithras; Mithras was the Persian god of light and wisdom. Many Romans worshipped Mithras, particularly soldiers. Followers of Mithras believed that he was born with a sword in his hand.

  Nummus; A low-value copper coin of late antiquity.

  Optio; Second-in-command in a Roman century. Hand-chosen by the centurion.

  Palatini; Literally, ‘Palace soldiers’ tasked with imperial escort and protection duties.

  Phalera; A gold, silver or bronze sculpted disk worn on the breastplate during parades by Roman soldiers who had been awarded it as a kind of medal.

  Plumbata; Lead weighted throwing dart carried by Roman legionaries, approximately half a metre in length. Each legionary would carry three of these and would launch them at their enemy prior to sword or spear engagement.

  Pontus Euxinus; The modern Black Sea.

  Primus Pilus; The chief centurion of a legion. So called, as his own century would line up in the first file (pilus) of the first cohort (primus).

  Propontus; The modern Sea of Marmara.

  Qin; The ancient Chinese peoples who waged war with the Hunnoi.

  Remiges; Oarsmen in Roman navy. Contrary to popular belief, they were usually free men.

  Spatha; A straight sword up to one metre long, favoured by the Roman infantry and cavalry.

  Strategos; Greek word meaning military general.

  Tengri; The Hunnoi god of the sky/god of the heavens.

  Testudo; Formation where infantry place shields around all sides and overhead of their unit, thus providing protection from missiles from all directions.

  Tribunus; Senior legionary officer. In the late 4th century AD, a tribunus was usually in charge of one or more legions of limitanei or comitatenses.

  Timpani; Also known as kettledrums, these instruments consist of skin stretched over a copper bowl.

  Vexillatio; A detachment of a Roman legion formed as a temporary task force.

  Via Egnatia; Highway constructed in the 2nd century BC running from Dyrrachium on the Adriatic Sea, all the way through Thrace to Constantinople.

  Wodin; The chief god of the Norse pantheon. Analogous to the Roman Jupiter or the Greek Zeus.

  Chapter 1

  Summer, 363 AD

  Constantinople stewed in the midsummer sun. The Augusteum writhed with squinting faces, basted in sweat and seasoned with dust; a thick tang of roasting garlic and the fuggy stench of drying horse dung permeated the air. Raised market stalls clad in vibrant fabrics pierced the throng, sucking the hungry shoppers in like swirling currents. Hemmed in by the towering grandeur of the Hippodrome, the Imperial Palace and the Baths of Zeuxippus, the market square was a surefire hotpot for moneymaking.

  Dead centre, with no respite from the midday inferno, one craggy-faced trader grinned as he scanned the eyes of his rapacious clientele; nobles, senators, businessmen and almost certainly all of them crooks. He could feel the weight of their purses – eager to be lightened. The trader’s gold teeth glinted in the sunlight.

  ‘Bring ‘em out!’ He bawled over the hubbub.

  Two incongruous figures dressed only in loincloths were pushed up onto the rickety timber platform; a towering Nubian, scarred on every inch of his charcoal flesh and a stumpy, pale Germanian. The crowd broke into a keen rabble.

  Without turning from his audience, the trader swept a hand back towards the platform. ‘Slaves are the foundation of any man’s business. An’ today, my friends, you’re boun’ for a bargain.’ He jabbed a finger at the Nubian. ‘Will it be the mighty warrior from the distant sands of Africa – a power’ouse who will serve as a brave bodyguard or a fine labourer,’ he shifted his hand towards the Germanian, ‘or the ‘ardy northern swordsman – this ‘un’ll fight for you till ‘is ‘eart bursts!’ He revelled for a moment in the rising hum of interest. ‘Or will it be the agile youth, a boy of legionary stock…’ His voice trailed off as the crowd began to mutter in confusion. Then he turned to the platform and the conspicuous space beside the Germanian and the Nubian. The crowd broke into a chorus of laughter.

  ‘Where’s the boy?’ He hissed to his trade hand.

  ‘I’m sorry, master,’ the scab-coated figure yelped as he swiped into the slave-cart parked by the platform. ‘He’s being…difficult!’

  The trader growled, thumping over to the cart. The laughter rose into a chorus of cheers as, with a snarl, he wrenched the wiry form of a boy from the cart, dangling him at arm’s length by the scruff of a filthy tunic. With a shaven head, a beaky nose dominating his gaunt face, and sharp, hazel eyes tucked under thick brows, he had the look of a malnourished hawk. The boy kicked and punched in a fury, spurring the crowd into raptures.

  ‘Only in ‘is seventh year,’ the trader fought to regain control, dumping the boy on the platform, while his trade hand clipped an ankle-manacle into place, ‘the boy comes as the son of a seasoned legionary. Don’t be fooled by ‘is frame. This lad has years ahead of ‘im, and a bargain at ‘alf the price!’ At last, the crowd seemed to be coming round to him once more.

  ‘C’mon – all three could be yours, let’s start the biddin’!’ He roared. ‘Who’ll be ta
kin’ ‘ome the bargain today?’

  Pavo gazed down at his torn and calloused feet. Tears blurred his vision and dropped to blot the filthy platform, where countless thousands of slaves had stood before, and would do so after him. The fight in him was dying, he realised, as the heckling grew ever more deafening. First, the Nubian was shoved down from the platform and off into the crowd as a deal was brokered. They hadn’t spoken since they had been thrown together in the trader’s cart three days ago, but last night the giant of a man had silently handed Pavo a piece of tangy root to chew, just when hunger had started to gnaw at his belly. A kind man. He didn’t look to see where the Nubian was being taken. Slaves didn’t look up.

  Now, the Germanian was being prodded from the platform by the end of a staff – a chorus of congratulations rang out from one of the nearby cliques of toga-clad businessmen. The previous evening in the cart, the Germanian had been still like a marble carving. The fight had already gone from him, Pavo reckoned. He could see it in the deadness of the man’s eyes.