Of savage tribes and glorious empires
Chapter 5 – Alea Iacta Est
“Never will we leave Mediolanum, NEVER!”, the young Roman diplomat yelled. “They lay claim to Patavium, but its ours!”
“Yes I see, but they were there first. You took it from them”, the Arverni responded. He’s been on diplomatic mission for years, but such a stubborn fellow never crossed his path.
“I don’t care. They did not conquer the city, right? They negotiated. But we did conquer it. Leave it to them, what, are you nuts, Barbarian?” He spat the last word out, and drew a sword. “Look at this sword! Roman quality! With that we will stab everyone to cross our border! Remember that, Barbarian!!”
The Arverni took a look at the sword, and responded calmly “My friend, this is a Celtic sword. And a bad one too, look at this…” A dapper wave of his hand, and his bodyguard slow-flowing drew his Celtic longsword and described small circles with its point in front of the diplomats nose, who anxiously looked at the huge, muscular man in front of him.
Usually diplomatic discussions were done unarmed, but since both sides did not trust each other, the Romans and the Arverni agreed, that every diplomat may be escorted by a bodyguard.
The Arverni bodyguard sheathed his sword. “What say you, Roman. How can we come to a conclusion?”, the Arverni diplomat asked.
“You better watch not to come too close to Roman territory, or maybe it will be your lands that will belong to us next”, the Roman responded. The time when the Romans feared the Celts obviously was over. This young fellow showed no respect. A bad diplomat he was. “Let us take Mediolanum too, and we will leave the rest of Gaul for now.”
“I cannot allow this, Mediolanum is a valuable trading partner to my people.”
“In that case there’s nothing more to say. Alea iacta est!” The Roman diplomat snappishly turned his head, stood up and went away.
The Arverni smiled. Alea iacta est. What a stupid phrase, even if a famous person would’ve said that, this would never enter the history books.
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But to know, how it came to this conversation, lets go to the chronological beginning of this chapter. In the year of 264 BC, when the new client ruler of Massalia sat on his throne, a time of peace dawned all over the lands of the Arverni. Cities grew and flourished. Instead of war, the Arverni cared for trade and culture. Markets were built and branches of trade opened up.
The Principality of Mediolanum was the most important trading partner of the Arverni. Not only they paid tribute to keep peace, they also bought and sold all kinds of trade goods for very good prices. Mediolanum evolved into one of the richest city states in the known world.
Due to this progressively improved trade, the Arverni constructed more and more markets and their wealth grew further.
But the Gods always keep the world’s balance, so just when things were going very well, ill luck came to the Arverni. Their leader’s wife died at the venerable age of 61 years in 262 BC.
Though she was very old, it was quite a shock to Aneirin oi Lugos. Though he fought many battles and was a strong man, he could not absorb this loss, and died just a few weeks later broken hearted.
Oh what sad day! The Arverni lost their greatest leader ever. He was the one who defeated the Haedui. He was the one to unify many Celtic tribes. As it was ancient tradition, it was not the eldest son who inherited the leadership over the tribes, but the people elected their new leader. Belenos oi Lugos was the saviour of the tribe of the Saluvii from extermination through the Archon of Massalia, and conqueror of the oldest and one of the greatest port cities in western Europe. This made him the most influential man.
So it happened, that though the sons of Aneirin all were great men and honourable warriors, he of all people, the youngest son of Aneirin, was elected by his people to become the new high king of the Arverni. More than once such a situation caused a civil war between brothers, but fortunately Aneirins sons loved each other like the brothers they were, and accepted the new leader.
Although they suffered a great loss, the Arverni continued to strengthen their economy. Other tribes tried to keep up with them, but they began to contract debts and owed the Arverni many goods and much money. With the election of Belenos as high king, a new age of Celtic culture began.
Belenos oi Lugos developed a new kind of Celtic military system. Still all tribes had their own armies and defended themselves. But besides that, every tribe had to contribute a certain amount – between 1’000 and 3’000 – of soldiers, to be under Belenos’ command. So when the year of 262 BC ended, messengers were sent to every tribe in the League of the Arverni to requisition those warriors.
In spring 261 BC, outside Gergovia, warriors from all tribes assembled. The tribe of the Aulerci contributed 1’200 Iaosatae. The client king of the Haedui sent 2’000 Bataroas and the tribes of the Treveri and Sequani sent 1’600 Uirodusios, while the Segusiavi contributed 1’600 Caturige Gaedann from the Alps. The client king of Massalia sent 2’000 Bataroas and from the Arverni themselves 2’400 Lugoae have been sent. All in all 10’800 warriors gathered. This was the first kind of “royal army” the Celts ever had.
Caturige Gaedann
Furthermore, Belenos let it be known, that every new son of the leading families had to serve in this army for at least five years or until he proved to be a hero. Also the army had to be accompanied by at least 2 diplomats and 2 spies wherever it went.
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In the year of 260 BC word reached Belenos’ ear, that the Principality of Mediolanum and the fast expanding Roman Republic argued about who had the right to claim Patavium. The rich Principality of Mediolanum tried to get Patavium earlier, but after some lost battles against the Veneti, they tried diplomatically to get access to the city. During this procedure, the Roman Barbarians invaded Patavium. They also have been beaten back several times, but in the end they managed to capture Patavium, since the Veneti already were weakened by the war they fought against Mediolanum.
Mediolanum, former ally of the Romans too, dismissed the friendship with Rome.
The Romans threatened Mediolanum and tried to force them to submit. Mediolanum didn’t, and asked the Arverni for help. The Arverni sent a diplomat to the Romans, and asked them to leave Mediolanum alone. They rejected in a very, very impolite way.
The Arverni diplomat returned to Belenos oi Lugos and reported the facts. Rome declined to cooperate.
“How dare those Barbarians!” , Belenos yelled.
“They call us Barbarians too.”, the diplomat answered.
Silence. Belenos doubtfully looked at his diplomat and doubted his sanity.
“Impossible!”, he said. “They don’t even have own gods but worship the ones of the Greeks, but dare calling us Barbarians?”
“Yes. And they say, we should be happy, if they didn’t claim our lands too.”
Belenos’ jaw dropped.
“They sent a maniac instead of a diplomatist?“
“Well, I could not maintain the contrary”, the diplomat said, and started to laugh.
“Why do you laugh?”, Belenos asked.
“Because of the last sentence he said to me.”, he chuckled again and dramatically and theatrically repeated the words: “Alea iacta est!“
Belenos and his stuff laughed with all their hearts. “My god, what a stupid phrase, haha”.
From now on, this sentence became a running gag among the Arverni.
But also more serious business has been done that day. The Principality of Mediolanum had to be saved from Roman harm. They were just a too important trading partner. So Belenos decided to march to Mediolanum with his army and defend it, should the Romans invade. So he gathered the Army and marched when winter ended.
Since it was early spring, and the mountains still could not be crossed, the only way there would lead through Liguria, that has been captured by the Romans. But Mediolanum was too important, and so the army marched, and reached Liguria a few weeks later. Belenos led the army himself, accompanied by Erbin moc Custennyn, a promising young man, who had been adopted by one of his brothers, and had to serve in the army now.
For a few days, the Arverni could cross Ligura, but then they were detected by a Roman spy. Immediately the Romans demanded, that the Celts would turn around and go home, but when they didn’t the Romans did not hesitate to declare war upon them and gather an army.
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In 260 BC, when the Arverni almost reached territory of Mediolanum, at the border between Mediolanum and Patavium, a Roman army of 16’400 men attacked the Arverni. The Arverni could field 15’500 men, since the Samnites took the chance to rebel against Rome again, and supported the Celts with 1’600 Hastati Samnitici and 1’600 Samnitici Milites.
Samnitici Milites
Never before the Arverni fought an adversary like the Roman Barbarians. It was quite impressive, how disciplined their army advanced. The ground seemed to shake under their constant cadence. On the other side of the battlefield, the Romans were quite impressed by the naked warriors in the first battle line of the Arverni. But finally they remembered, that they were better equipped and started to underestimate the Arverni. They thought Roman discipline would succeed over Celtic bravery, and even attacked uphill.
The Romans advanced strategically very sophisticated, while the Celts only had one strategy. Their leaders fought in the first battle line, and they would swoop down on the enemy and bash them up. Yes. That’s the way war is fought! The only ones, who fought quite disciplined on the Arvernis side, were the Samnites.
When the Romans advanced, the Arverni attacked with all their might. A cruel and bloody battle started. The Romans turned out to be quite hard-edged enemies.
Also on Roman side Samnites fought. They really were good value and slaughtered many men! They gathered round their military standards and defended them with their lives.
The Roman Triarii fought like the Greek Hoplitai. This kind of warrior Belenos knew very well from his campaign in Massalia. He knew their weak points. Soon they routed off the field or got slaughtered.
It was a tough fight. The Roman general also routed with the last two of his bodyguards, when he saw his Triarii run. Belenos pursued the general, but he could escape.
Among the Arverni, another version of the story went around: Just before the Roman general turned and fled, Belenos rode to fight him and yelled at the top of his voice “ALEA IACTA EST, YIIIEEEAAAH”.
However, when this bloody battle ended, many men were dead. A river of blood streamed downhill and the crows would be fat and plump this year.
The Romans would never have bargained for that they could lose against those, who they called Barbarians. But when evening came, their army was scattered to the four winds.
Though the Arverni lost over 5’000 men and another 4’000 were injured, the victory was complete and worthy of the gods. Belenos led his Army to Mediolanum and decided, that they went home in summer across the mountains, and replaced their losses. While his army camped near Mediolanum, he sent his spies to scout the way through the Alps and his diplomats to assure, that they were allowed to march through the lands of the Helvetii.
An example has been made, and the Romans did not dare to attack Mediolanum – at least not this year. Belenos knew, that hard times were upon the Arverni. A decisive time. Though the Romans were Barbarians, he respected their military skills. Their warriors were quite skilled and well trained. Maybe not as courageous as the Celts, but they made up for that with their discipline and good equipment. Belenos had the feeling, that this conflict was nowhere near an end. The Romans were well known not to give up quickly. He was sure, that this would not have been the last battle he fought with the Romans. Maybe he roused a sleeping giant.
However, this war started very good! The Romans would never forget this defeat. And also among the Arverni warriors who fought bravely that certain day, when Celtic courage triumphed over Roman generalship, there would be no single man, who could ever forget the historic moment, when the last Roman was slain and the warriors stood around their king and clamoured their cheer of triumph.
Known territory in 259 BC
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