The Will of the Senate - Battle reports

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My Consul Lucius,

I write to you now by the light of my candle as I sit within my tent and look out upon the river. The stench of blood is still strong and the moonlight sparkles over the dulling swords and shields and spears and helms that litter the pass. We have abandoned the western shore as it is too dangerous. The Gauls are known for their tricks and ambushes and I would not risk an envelopement of my forces during the third watch. But I digress as I write to you to tell you of the battle and what occured.

The Gauls arrived on the western shore early before noon. My scouts had reported their movement and I knew that two forces were converging here, the single ford on the length of this river which you have tasked me to protect and defend at all costs to keep our new lands in italy safe and unmolested by the ravages of war and Gauls.

Indeed, the men had a splendid time when we arrived. Having marched through the night immediatly following the sacking of the town of Massilia without rest we arrived at the ford and then men bathed and swam in its waters. We had arrived a week ago.

I suspected the Gauls to rest for the upon their arrival as I was very surprised. I had not expected them until the evening or the next morning but it seems they forcemarched through the night to reach the ford. Whether or not they knew of the defenses of the third legion I know not but seeing as they marched hurriedly and without rest for well over a day I assumed them to set up camp until the evening or next morning when they would launch the attack. I was mistaken however and it seems completely defying human stamina after an hour or so of preparation they formed ranks for their attack.

I quickly called my men, a much smaller force by several times, and they formed ranks as I had instructed them to upon our arrival. My triarii, my rock, I placed in my center with my principes on the right flank and my hastati on the left. Being that the shield is carried on the left arm it is clear that a man will charge to his left before he will charge to his right so that he may have the full protection of his shield. For this reason I placed the principes on the right flank because I knew they were more capable to handle the additional men than were the hastati. These men I placed directly on the shore as I would not concede an inch of the eastern side unfought. Directly behind them I placed my skirmishers and I placed my funditores on the left flank. As cavalry has little role in such confined areas I stayed behind along with my good friend, the brave Luca, and the remainder of the cavalry.



These preparations made the Gauls wasted no time in cahrging into the water. Only after they had reached the eastern shore did I order the skirmishers to begin their fire along with the hastati and principes. Hails of javelins rained down upon the charging Gauls but soon I realised that the Gaulish general had sent in the inexperienced fresh recruits first to bear the brunt of my missile fire and our swords. Regardless, as the bulk of the enemy host entered the waters I commanded my funditores to begin their fire and they proceeded with a certain relish to hurl their stones into the midst of the gathered and waiting enemy. So many Gauls were killed in the river by the funditores and the skirmishers that a veritable bridge of stones and bodies formed across the river allowing a man to cross without ever touching water.

For a time we held the horde contained in the small box of shields which my men constituted but soon small gaps began to appear at the joints in the formation and seeing this I ordered the skirmishers (their javelins expended) to hurry and seal them before they grew any worse. Unable to join the battle, I and Luca rode the battle lines and encouraged our forces and they fought the fiercer for it.

It was at this moment that I spotted the Gaulish general moving swiftly with his cavalry escort to the front line. He personally charged the ranks of triarii which up to this point had remained intact and undaunted. He charged with his escort, throwing their ranks into disarray and laying low men on all his sides but his foolish charge into the spearpoints of the triarii quickly took its toll and his escort was quickly reduced to only a few men. Sensing the complete collapse of the line under the weight I personally charged with my own escort through the ranks of triarii and pushed back the enemy horde along with its commander. The triarii knew such a tactic could not hold the enemy at bay for long and quickly readdressed their ranks and prepared to accept the charge of Gauls. With a signal of their readiness I and my escort withdrew from the battle and as the Gauls fell back on the triarii. Quickly questioning my men I found that none had slain the enemy general but they had accounted for all of his elite escort. Perhaps not realising he was without an escort, the Gaulish general again charged the triarii line and again broke it but this time, alone, he quickly found himself surrounded and cut down.

Word of his death spread quickly and the Gauls fled the field of battle back into the river. Calling forth my cavalry, I and Luca side by side and eager to account for some kills of our own, we charged through the infantry line after them into the river. Immediatly before I gave strict orders that no infantryman should break rank and pursue as well and this was egnerally followed until to my horror I realized it had not in only one instance later.

Riding over the bridge of corpses our cavalry had reached the opposite shore before we realized that the rout had been a trick by the clever Gauls. Unable to distinguish between the enemy fleeing and the enemy standing firm our cavalry unexpectedly met stiff resistence. After a few minutes of feverish fighting I realized that this enemy was not quite so ready to flee and so I retreated to the riverbank when suddenly from behind me charged my funditores. I can only guess as to what brought them to charge across the ford against my orders. Perhaps it was because I had purposely kept them from battle and now they wished to use their swords. I cannot say but they had passed me before I could call them back and those that could perhaps hear me ignored me. They almost instantly enveloped in the Gaulish mob and I lost sight of them completely. Knowing their tactical importance to the defense of the ford I called for all my infantry to cross the river and engage with all haste and this they began to do but time was against me. The funditores could not survive long surrounded by Gauls eager to enact revenge. I again personally charged the Gaulish mob with my escort in the hopes of breaking the line to reach the funditores. I got withing sight of them but the Gaulish line held and I was repulsed. By the time my infantry led by the principes charged the Gaulish lines the few funditores left were fighting to the death. The Gauls only began to flee after every last of the sixty funditores was slain.

Enraged I called all the cavalry to me and we rode hard after the Gauls who fled. Passing the mound of dead funditores where those last men fell upon eachother and fought literally upon their fallen comrades I let up a cry that was echoed by even the horses and we rode all the harder.

The Gauls it seems, having seen how well their trick worked the first time, attempt to pull the same trick again and rallied and assembled to charge us. My cavalry broke upon them and swept them ahead of us in our steel furry and none of those men were left alive. We ran our horses raw the rest of the day hunting down any of those Gauls who managed to escape the field alive.

Tomorrow we shall bury our dead and burn theirs but tonight the men rejoice the victory and those brave men who have fallen. I rejoice with them.

I have heard a rather humorous and pleasing story from a few of the scouts who I dispatched immediatly after the battle. Infiltrating several Gaulish settlements those witnesses of the battle have begun to spread stories and rumors about the third legion and myself in particular. It is true that I allowed the heat of battle overtake me at times but some of the stories they whisper are simply absurd. One in particular states that I rode out and met the fornt ranks of the Gauls in the middle of the river and there fought and slew men as I was surrounded. The rumor claims my horse stood perfectly still for the length of the battle as I fought men on all sides until my infantry line could push back the Gauls to meet my position. I laughed heartily when I heard this.



I have compiled the relevent lists of men and casualties. It seems that I and my escort personally accounted for over 400 enemy dead. Luca showed his bravery many times and he has given me the figure of about 100 enemies slain by his hand though I believe this figure to be excessively modest on his part. I personally saw him slay more men than he claims.

The sixty funditores cut down accounted for nearly half of all of our casualties.





Your faithful commander,

Publius Laevinius