How the Pavo Family Changed the World (Rome AAR)

[MarcusAureliusAntoninus]

Nvmerivs Longvs Pavo Gallicvs
The Battle of Oltis


(Gaul c219BC)

Dearest Mother,

This is the first time I've been able to write you in quite some time. I hope
the gods find you, Honoria, and the baby all well. I still quietly greave father,
but know he would be proud of me now.

I have been assigned to the Seventh Legion and escaped the fate of the
Eighth Legion. Consul Asina seeks glory in the wastes of Iberia but I fear
that neither he nor the Eighth will ever be seen again. There are madmen in
those dark places. And no good civilized person knows anything about those
wild peoples. But that is not my fate

But the Seventh is a good group of men. The young men, like myself,
make up the Hastati, who fight in the first line. In the few months away, I
have already made good friends. Caivs, Titvs, Vibivs, Gneo, and I have
sworn an oath of friendship and swear to protect eachother in battle. Gneo
is a bit odd, but a good man. Perhaps he's had too much sun, farmer's son
after all. Our centurion is Tiberivs Alleivs, and he is quite the grizzled
soldier. Expects a lot from us too, sometimes pushing us to near breaking.

Our General is Nvmerivs Longvs Pavo, who leads LegioIII and LegioVII. He
is a pleb, but of high standing. They say he spends much of his time in the
company of mercenaries and barbarians. He even has a celtic 'prophet' who
knows the way of the woods. The stories I heard, of a pleb who defies the
ways of the world and rose to high standing, before I got here and the
stories I heard, of this wild man, total controdict eachother. The one time I
saw him, he rode with Germanics horsemen and was bearded. They say it
was a rarity to see him bearded, but for any Roman to go out like that is
indeed odd.

We assembled in Mediolanivm, but soon marched east toward Gaul.
General Nvmerivs Longvs Pavo didn't want to risk supply problems so he split
us up when crossing the great Alps. The general took the Third over the
mountains and the Seventh was sent along the coast. We followed the
coast and passed the mountains. As soon as the mountains began to shrink
away we beheld a strange sight. There in this barbarian land was a walled
Greek city.

I knew Massilia was a Greek city and Arverni protectorate. And that both
Massilia and Arverni were allied to Rome a few years ago. But I had no idea
that there were civilized people, though Greek, in a place like this. As we
neared the city, we began to see people travelling on the roads, to and from
farms. The people reminded me of the civilized Gauls near Mediolanivm but
with smug Greek attitudes. Outside the city walls stood the camp of the
Fifth Legion. About the time we were setting out on our campaign, General
Cotta had taken the city with little effort. Keep in mind this is not the one
everyone calls "Mad Cotta", who started this war, but his young cousin.

We spent a month near Massilia and Arelate, where we rejoined by General
Pavo and the Thrid Legion. Titvs nearly lost his entire ration in a game of
chance with a local Greek one day. Caivs claimed the Greek was cheating
and was ready to kill him, but Titvs stopped him, saying he was stupid to risk
his bread and it was not the Greek's fault he was out done. Caivs gave in
and the Greek ran off as fast as his old legs could carry him. I think he
needed that bread, and I think Titvs thought so too, most of the city's
stores were going to the Legions and the locals seemed to go wanting. I
expected to only encounter savage barbarians and didn't expect to see good
folk suffer as well.

We had planned to spend more time in the area and then have all three
Legions march on Gergovia, capital of the Arverni, but there was no time.
General Pavo received word that an Arverni army was gathering and about to
march on Narbonensis. So General Pavo took LegioIII and forced marched
east with LegioVII lagging behind.

And so near the Oltis river, General Nvmerivs Longvs Pavo met the armies
of the Arverni. LegioIII fought in open combat, both side not giving an inch.
The battle was a going nowhere and both sides tired. Then General Pavo
saw the right moment. He reenforced the line with the Triarii, fresh and
strong. Then he personally led the cavalry into the Arverni right flank. The
right flank broke and ran. Then the Gauls slowly peeled away until the whole
army was fleeing. The Third gave chase but were tired and many Gauls
escaped. When the Seventh arrived, it was all over and thousands of Gauls
and Romans lay dead or dying in the field of battle.

This next part I write you with hesitation. After the battle, devisions of
the Seventh were sent to find any lingering Gauls who had fled. Due to
Caivs' loud disturbances in camp the previous night, the five of us were
assigned to a group of five Germanic horsemen to scout out routed men.
The horsemen scouted on a tacking path while the five of us walked
straight. We had been at it most of the night and it must of been near
morning when the horsemen came to us. They said they had seen a fire and
believed it to be a dozen or so Gallic spearmen from the battle. So we
sneaked up, Germans on foot as well, and surrounded the small camp, where
nine hairy men huddled. Only one man had a shield, another a spear, but
they all seemed to have at least a blade. One man was on watch, but his
eyes looked like they had long since glazed over in deep thought or
regret...or maybe it was a deep fear like nothing I can amagine.

On the signal of the head scout, we jumped into the small clearing and
charged the huddle of men. A German on the other side threw a spear and I
saw the spearhead come out the back of one of the Gauls. I saw another
Gaul fall to a German just before a blade came down at my head. I was quick
enough and raised the small cavalry shield I carried to block. Then, without
thinking, I followed my training and stabbed. I could hear the Gallic blade
slide off my shield and to the ground. Slowly I lowered my shield and saw
the man's face. He looked directly into my eyes, blinked, and fell to the
ground...motionless...

I must finish now, for tommorrow we take down the camp and march north
to Gergovia. The Third is depleted and will say in Narbonensis, but General
Pavo will lead the Seventh north and I will get my first taste of true battle.

General Pavo says that he will endevor to keep mail routes open as
often and as long as he can, so please write me back and tell me of home.
And of what you will name the baby.

Your son,
Servivs Placidvs, 2nd Cohort, Hastati, Seventh Legion



EDIT: Small change. I got the time of the Gallicvs naming wrong. One battle too early.