THE INVASION OF GAUL Read Online Free PDF Page A
Author: S. J. A. Turney
OUT!”
Arius, a recent addition to the officer class and the most junior optio of the legion, jumped at hearing his name and dropped the huge, half-folded tent into the mire that was the result of so many pairs of hobnailed boots. The tent fabric landed in the brown liquid with a sucking sound and Arius turned to face Priscus, his face slowly turning purple. The other soldiers laughed raucously as they went about their own efficient business.
Priscus’ eyes flashed momentarily and he held his vine staff, one of the centurion’s badges of office, in the air. “There’s a vicious battering with this awaiting the next man who laughs at an officer. D’you understand, you swine?”
The soldiers immediately went quietly back to work, and Priscus looked down at one of his helpers.
“ How many does that make so far, Nonus?”
The legionary drew the stylus down the list and looked up. “Twenty eight down and stowed, seven in progress sir.”
As Priscus opened his mouth again, he noticed Fronto standing next to one of the supply wagons with an amused look on his face. He glowered.
“ With all respect sir, if you think this is funny, perhaps you’d care to have a try?”
Fronto grinned and stepped forward.
“ I’ve had my fair share of this, Priscus, don’t you worry. Oh, and I think you can relax the pace a little. I’ve just been past the Ninth and they haven’t struck a single tent yet. I daresay the Tenth will be eating a hearty breakfast and relaxing on the grass while the other legions are still working. They may complain now, but they’ll be happy in the morning.”
“ It is the morning. Do I take it you’d like the others rounded up sir, for a briefing?”
Fronto nodded. “I’ll be at the bath house on the edge of town. No one else here will have time to use it at the moment, and the locals don’t go at this time of night, so it seems a good place for us to have our little meeting. Get them rounded up and in the changing room in about thirty minutes.”
Priscus returned the nod. “Nonus, you take charge of this rabble for the time being. I’m going to find the other officers and go meet the legate.”
Ten minutes later the officers and senior NCOs of the Tenth met at the changing room of Cremona’s secondary bath house. The main baths were in the centre of town, in constant use by the citizens and closed late at night, but a secondary baths had been constructed outside civic limits largely for the use of the military when they came here during the summer months. This one was never closed and rarely visited by civilians, staffed only by soldiers in need of extra pay. Fronto was already lounging in the hot bath when his officers entered. At the sound of their arrival, he raised himself from the steaming water and, wrapping a towel around his waist and shuffling his feet into wooden sandals, made his way through to the steam room, beckoning to Priscus as he did.
Priscus gestured in return with the small amphora of wine he carried. “Didn’t bring any goblets sir. I presume there are some hereabouts?”
“ On the table near the entrance, next to the strigils.”
The officers stripped out of their uniforms, none of them wearing armour due to the nature of their current labours and, each pouring himself a goblet of wine, made their way into the baths. No urban complex this; no perfumed Greeks here to scrape the day’s dirt away with a strigil. Three of the officers collected the scrapers from a table on their way into the steam room. Within minutes all were present among the clouds of steam, seated around the walls, with their eyes on Fronto.
“ Gentlemen, you are all aware that we are about to break camp. All the legions and support units will be on the march in a couple of days. I realise that this is relatively short notice after such a prolonged period of inactivity, but it is the intention of our illustrious general to meet the Helvetii, who are of a mind to cross the borders of
Arius, a recent addition to the officer class and the most junior optio of the legion, jumped at hearing his name and dropped the huge, half-folded tent into the mire that was the result of so many pairs of hobnailed boots. The tent fabric landed in the brown liquid with a sucking sound and Arius turned to face Priscus, his face slowly turning purple. The other soldiers laughed raucously as they went about their own efficient business.
Priscus’ eyes flashed momentarily and he held his vine staff, one of the centurion’s badges of office, in the air. “There’s a vicious battering with this awaiting the next man who laughs at an officer. D’you understand, you swine?”
The soldiers immediately went quietly back to work, and Priscus looked down at one of his helpers.
“ How many does that make so far, Nonus?”
The legionary drew the stylus down the list and looked up. “Twenty eight down and stowed, seven in progress sir.”
As Priscus opened his mouth again, he noticed Fronto standing next to one of the supply wagons with an amused look on his face. He glowered.
“ With all respect sir, if you think this is funny, perhaps you’d care to have a try?”
Fronto grinned and stepped forward.
“ I’ve had my fair share of this, Priscus, don’t you worry. Oh, and I think you can relax the pace a little. I’ve just been past the Ninth and they haven’t struck a single tent yet. I daresay the Tenth will be eating a hearty breakfast and relaxing on the grass while the other legions are still working. They may complain now, but they’ll be happy in the morning.”
“ It is the morning. Do I take it you’d like the others rounded up sir, for a briefing?”
Fronto nodded. “I’ll be at the bath house on the edge of town. No one else here will have time to use it at the moment, and the locals don’t go at this time of night, so it seems a good place for us to have our little meeting. Get them rounded up and in the changing room in about thirty minutes.”
Priscus returned the nod. “Nonus, you take charge of this rabble for the time being. I’m going to find the other officers and go meet the legate.”
Ten minutes later the officers and senior NCOs of the Tenth met at the changing room of Cremona’s secondary bath house. The main baths were in the centre of town, in constant use by the citizens and closed late at night, but a secondary baths had been constructed outside civic limits largely for the use of the military when they came here during the summer months. This one was never closed and rarely visited by civilians, staffed only by soldiers in need of extra pay. Fronto was already lounging in the hot bath when his officers entered. At the sound of their arrival, he raised himself from the steaming water and, wrapping a towel around his waist and shuffling his feet into wooden sandals, made his way through to the steam room, beckoning to Priscus as he did.
Priscus gestured in return with the small amphora of wine he carried. “Didn’t bring any goblets sir. I presume there are some hereabouts?”
“ On the table near the entrance, next to the strigils.”
The officers stripped out of their uniforms, none of them wearing armour due to the nature of their current labours and, each pouring himself a goblet of wine, made their way into the baths. No urban complex this; no perfumed Greeks here to scrape the day’s dirt away with a strigil. Three of the officers collected the scrapers from a table on their way into the steam room. Within minutes all were present among the clouds of steam, seated around the walls, with their eyes on Fronto.
“ Gentlemen, you are all aware that we are about to break camp. All the legions and support units will be on the march in a couple of days. I realise that this is relatively short notice after such a prolonged period of inactivity, but it is the intention of our illustrious general to meet the Helvetii, who are of a mind to cross the borders of