The Swabian Affair Read online

  THE SWABIAN AFFAIR

  Also by Ray Gleason

  From Morgan James Fiction

  The Gaius Marius Chronicles

  De Re Gabiniana: The Gabinian Affair (2015)

  De Re Helvetiana: The Helvetian Affair (2016)

  Also

  A Grunt Speaks: A Devil’s Dictionary of Vietnam Infantry Terms (2009)

  The Violent Season (2013)

  THE GAIUS MARIUS CHRONICLE

  BOOK III

  THE

  SWABIAN

  AFFAIR

  De Re Suebiana

  Ray Gleason

  NEW YORK

  NASHVILLE • MELBOURNE • VANCOUVER

  THE GAIUS MARIUS CHRONICLE BOOK III

  THE SWABIAN AFFAIR

  De Re Suebiana

  © 2017 Ray Gleason.

  All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, scanning, or other‚—except for brief quotations in critical reviews or articles, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

  Published in New York, New York, by Morgan James Publishing. Morgan James and The Entrepreneurial Publisher are trademarks of Morgan James, LLC.

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  ISBN 978-1-68350-179-4 paperback

  ISBN 978-1-68350-180-0 eBook

  Library of Congress Control Number: 2016912730

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  Interior Design by:

  Bonnie Bushman

  The Whole Caboodle Graphic Design

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  To “Sock,”

  Jacqueline Frances Marmion Nohilly,

  30 March 1936 – 3 October 2016

  My darlin’ “Big Sister” and “Little Mom.”

  “So long as men can breathe, or eyes can see,

  So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.”

  I miss you evey day, sweetheart!

  TABLE OF CONTENTS

  Dramatis Personae

  Praefatio

  I. Pro Contubernalibus Valete

  A Farewell to Comrades

  II. De Fine Belli Contra Helvetios

  The End of the Helvetian Campaign

  III. Massalia Quod Cognovi

  What We Learned in Massalia

  IV. De Reconciliatione Gabinia

  My Reunion with Gabinia

  V. De Proposito Novo Caesaris

  Caesar’s New Ambitions

  VI. De Bello Novo Caesaris contra Ariovistum

  Caesar’s New Campaign against Ariovistus

  VII. Comites Caesari

  Caesar’s Companions

  VIII. De Legatione Caesaris Ad Ariovistum

  Caesar’s Embassy to Ariovistus

  IX. De Iternere Ad Ararem

  The Journey to the Arar

  X. De Iure Galliorum

  Gallic Justice

  XI. De Itinere ad Vesantionem

  Our March to Vesantio

  XII. Vesantio

  Vesantio

  XIII. De Itinere ad Castrum Bellum

  Our March to Belfort

  XIV. De Calamitate in Colle Pecorum

  The Debacle at the Hill of Flocks

  XV. De Nece Reducitur Amicus

  A Friend Brought Back from the Dead

  XVI. De Caesare et Ariovisto

  Caesar and Ariovistus

  XVII. De Proelio ad Silvas Vosagonis

  The Battle near the Forest of Vosago

  XVIII. De Fine Belli Primi Mei

  The End of My First Campaign

  Post Scriptum

  DRAMATIS PERSONAE

  Gaius Marius Insubrecus Tertius, our hero, known variously as follows:

  • Arth Uthr, “Fearsome Bear,” by his Gallic comrades

  • Pagane, the “Hick,” by his Roman army mates

  • Gai, by Caesar, Labienus, his family, close friends, and his few girlfriends

  • Insubrecus by his army colleagues and casual associates

  • Prime, “Top,” but that’s much later in his military career

  Gaius Iulius Caesar, Imperator and commander of the Roman legions in Gaul; Proconsul of Cisalpine Gaul, Transalpine Gaul, and Illyricum; ex-Consul of the Roman Repubulic and Triumvir with Gnaeus Pompeius and Marcus Licinius Crassus; Patronus of our hero, Gaius Marius Insubrecus

  Caesar’s Legates in Gaul:

  Titus Labienus, a professional soldier and Caesar’s right-hand man; second in command of the army who saved Caesar’s bacon at Bibracte

  Publius Licinius Crassus, Iunior, one of the two sons of Caesar’s colleague and fellow triumvir, Publius Licinius Crassus, Senior; appointed to Caesar’s staff as a favor to his father and sent to Gaul by his father to keep an eye on his partner, Caesar

  Publius Vatinius, served Caesar in Rome as his pet tribune of the Plebs, a political appointment

  Caesar’s Military Tribunes:

  Tertius Gellius Publicola, a laticlavus, the senior tribune of the Ninth Legion; the younger son of an ex-consul, a member of the Optimates in the Roman Senate

  Lucius Vipsanius Agrippa, an Italian from Asisium; an equestrian, a social and political nobody, but a good officer, serving as Caesar’s quartermaster; older brother of Marcus, who eventually makes it big

  Tertius Nigidius Caecina, an angusticlavus, a junior tribune, serving as Caesar’s adjutant; the nephew of the Senator Publius Nigidius Figulus

  Quintus Porcius Licinius, the laticlavus assigned to the Eleventh Legion; allowed to stay at Bibracte during the Swabian campaign; no relation to Cato the Younger, so considered by Caesar to be politically safe

  The Centurions:

  Quintus Macro, our hero’s mentor, with the rank of centurio ad manum Caesari; serving as the commander of the Roman military port in Massalia

  Tertius Piscius Malleus, the “Hammer,” Centurio Primus Pilus of the Tenth Legion

  Spurius Hosidius Quiricus, Quercus, the “Oak,” Centurio Primus Pilus of the Ninth Legion

  Volesus Salvius Durianus, known as Durus, the “Hard Case”; commander of the Second Century, First Cohort of the Tenth Legion; Malleus’ “number one”

  Other Roman Officers:

  Manius Bruttius de Castris, Tesserarius of the Third Century, Second Cohort, Tenth Legion; a mus castrorum, army brat; called Risulus, “Chuckles,” by his mates because of his sunny disposition

  Appius Papirius Cerialis, head engineer of the Ninth Legion

  Manius Rabirius, aka, Mani Talus, Mani “Knuckle Bones,” because of his uncanny luck at dice, especially when using his own; serves occasionally, when not occupied with his gambling career, as a decurio in the cavalry detachment of the Ninth Legion

  Gah’ela, the Gauls

  The Aedui, the Aineduai, the “Dark Moon” people:

  Duuhruhda mab Clethguuhno, Uucharix, tribal king of the Aedui, and Pobl’rix, clan leader of the Wuhr Blath, the Wolf clan of the Aineduai; known to the
Romans as Diviciacus

  Deluuhnu mab Clethguuhno, brother of Duuhruhda; Dunorix of the Aedui, commander of the garrison of Bibracte; known to the Romans as Dumnorix

  Cuhnetha mab Cluhweluhno, Buch’rix or “Cattle King” of a small settlement east of Bibracte; Pobl’rix, clan leader of the Wuhr Tuurch, the Boar Clan of the Aedui; a pretender to the throne

  Morcant mab Cuhnetha, leader of ten in the Aedui cavalry; a prince of the Boar Clan; oldest son of Cuhnetha

  Tegid mab Davuhd, Morcant’s shield bearer and cousin; brother of Rhonwen

  Rhonwen merc Gwen, niece of Cuhnetha; a sassy redhead who caught Insubrecus’ eye in the previous tale and whose memory clearly lingers on in his mind

  Rhuhderc mab Touhim, a veteran warrior in Morcant’s troop who chances only to play a murder victim in this story; hoped to marry Rhonwen, but never quite managed to, hence the ancient Gallic proverb, “A quick death is preferable to a long marriage with a redhead.”

  Teguhd, one of Morcant’s warriors and a plot device

  The Sequani, the Soucanai, the people of the river goddess Soucana:

  Athauhnu mab Hergest, Pencefhul, leader of a hundred, commander in the Auxiliary Sequani Cavalry; known as Adonus Dux to the Romans

  Emlun, Athauhnu’s nephew

  Guithiru, a troop commander in the Sequani cavalry with the Roman name of Caeso

  Rhodri, a Sequani scout

  Ci, the “Hound,” a troop commander in the Sequani cavalry; known also by the Roman name of Caius

  Idwal, a friend of Emlun; a rider in Athauhnu’s troop

  Aneirin mab Berwuhn, a leader of a hundred serving under the Cadeuhrn, the Battle Lord of Vesantio

  Dai mab Gluhn, Aneirin’s lieutenant, a leader of ten.

  Arion mab Cadarn, one of Athauhnu’s new recruits who is accused of Rhuhderc’s murder

  Nuhnian mab Seisuhl, Buch’rix or “Cattle King” of a small settlement at the confluence of the Arar and Dubis; self-styled gouarcheidouad uh cresfannai or “Keeper of the Crossings”

  Bearach mab Nuhnian, eldest son of the senior wife of Nuhnian mab Seisuhl

  Drust, a member of Athauhnu’s fintai; a scout

  Bran mab Cahal, the Cadeuhrn, or Battle Lord, of Vesantio

  Duglos and Ewuhn, scouts in Dai mab Gluhn’s troop

  Dramatis Personae Aliae, the Other Players:

  Gaius Valerius Troucillus, Caesar’s envoy to Ariovistus; a Roman citizen and member of the order of knights; a prince of the Helvi, a Gallic tribe in the Roman Provincia

  Marcus Metius, a shifty Roman who claims to be a merchant and who has had dealings, shady and otherwise, with Ariovistus and the Suebii

  Bulla, a sicarius, hitman from Rome, who travels with Metius but whose allegiance lies with someone else altogether

  Aderuhn mab Enit, Barnuchel of the Helvi, whose Roman name is Gnaeus Curtius Helvius; travels in the comitatus of Caesar’s emissary to Ariovistus, Gaius Valerius Troucillus

  Gabinia Pulchra, “Gabi,” the daughter of Aulus Gabinius and our hero’s putative “one-and-only”

  Rabria Vesantionis, the “Lady of Vesantio”; Roman wife of Bran mab Cahal, the Cadeuhrn of Vesantio

  Grennadios, the “Trader,” a Greek merchant from Massalia, who seems to lead, at least, a double life

  Evra, Grennadios’s woman, from a mysterious island west of Britannia; not a redhead, but formidable nonetheless

  Crocius, the “Croaker,” a Roman trooper in Manius’s ala from the Eighth Legion, with a bit of a soft spot for Dido, the former queen of Carthage

  Roscius, another sicarius from Rome who works for. . . oh . . that’s a surprise for later

  Aulus Gabinius, Senior, a senatorial mid-bencher who does well and is elected consul

  Aulus Gabinius, Iunior, Gabinius’s oldest son and political heir, who backs the wrong triumvir

  Cleopatra VII Philopator, The Cleopatra, whom Gai refers to as the “Macedonian”; appearing in this story only as part of Gai’s guilty conscience

  Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus, a triumvir, a partner of Caesar, and an eminence grise in this tale

  Marcus Licinius Crassus, a triumvir, a political partner of Caesar; too intent on going off to conquer Parthia to pay much attention to what Caesar’s doing in Gaul

  Ebrius, the “Drunk,” Caesar’s head military clerk and self-appointed taster of Caesar’s wine and posca collection

  Clamriu, a horse

  Beorn, another horse who, as his German name suggests, may be in cahoots with the enemy

  PRAEFATIO

  My people, the Gah’el, have a saying, pediooch buth eithigeth choth: never challenge a gift. Apparently, the ancient ones of my people knew nothing of Romanitas, the Roman game.”

  Romans never seem to grant gratia, gifts, without strings attached. Every ostensible act of generosity has some obligation attached to it. And, so it is with Augustus, our exalted one down in Rome, granting me the position of praefectus municipii mediolani, the prefect of his little experiment in the extension of Roman citizenship to Mediolanum.

  The Gah’el also say, mai chufeloor wasanaitoo canoo dau penai: no warrior can serve two chiefs, which is exactly where I find myself.

  Octavius expects me to keep a lid on things in Mediolanum. He wants a smooth, peaceful transition from Medhlán, the conquered Gallic city, to Mediolanum, his new shining light of Romanitas in the midst of savage Gallic Insubria. He also expects me to submit detailed monthly reports on crime, violence, sedition, and the gratitude of the “natives” for the generosity of his “gift.” I sometimes fear he doesn’t even recognize the incongruity of his own expectations.

  In theory, however, I am also responsible to the triumviri that Octavius appointed to govern his newly minted Roman municipium. They insist that I go through them in all matters, especially when it concerns Rome and Augustus.

  That, of course, can never happen.

  Also, the triumviri also insist upon the rule of Roman law in the streets of Mediolanum but are unwilling to part with a single brass as to make it happen, which just goes to show that squeezing funds out of rich men is about as easy as squeezing wine out of a raisin.

  So, most of my time as prefect is spent discussing irresoluble logistics in budget meetings. Where are we going to get enough public slaves to man the fire brigades? How do we feed said slaves? What equipment is needed, and where will it come from? Where do we establish the stations in the town? Do we use the urban cohort to patrol the streets at night, or do we hire freedmen?

  Each meeting seems to be a repeat of the last. Nothing’s solved; nothing’s decided; no funding is allocated. If the Roman army operated like this, the Romans would still be deliberating what to do about the Sabines.

  The only good news for me is that my old comrade, Macro, has agreed to serve as one of my tribunes. He and Rufia, who has retired from active participation in her many “interests” around the town, are now living together in their town house, a whole city block really, in “snob hill,” the northwest quarter of the town.

  They are raising their adopted teenaged son, whom they named Gaius Macro. When Macro was establishing a military harbor at Salamis on the island of Cyprus to support Octavius’s final campaign against Antonius around Alexandria, he found Gaius. The boy was part of a Roman refugee community who had fled Iudea when the Parthians tried to establish a client kingdom in Syria under Antigonus during the chaos of the Roman Civil War. Gaius claimed he was the only survivor a Roman merchant family, a Roman father and a mother of the Iudaioi people, slaughtered during anti-Roman riots in the port city of Iapho.

  Macro hired my old tutor, Dion, known as Aulus Gabinius Dionysius since his emancipation, to tutor young Gaius, so he no longer speaks Latin with “that horrible Greek twang,” as Macro puts it. I don’t think Macro fully undertsands the irony in his hiring Dion to do that.

  While the various triumviri, praetors, quaestors, aediles, priests, sacred virgins, and the merchants who pull their strings, are running around in cir
cles, trying to decide how to satisfy Octavius’s expectations without spending any of their own money, I am concentrating on my journals of Caesar’s compaigns in Gaul.

  After Bibracte, we expected that the campaign was over for that year. We had crushed the Helvetii, destroyed the Boii, and put Duuhruhda mab Clethguuhno and his Aedui in their place. More important, we had fought a brutal battle that had killed or wounded almost a quarter of our mates. We were certain Caesar would withdraw the army south of the Rhodanus. There in the Provincia, we would spend the rest of the campaign season, collecting rations and preparing for the long Gallic winter.

  Caesar had other plans.

  De Bello Caesaris contra Ariovistum Charta

  Ann Cons L Calpurnii Pisonis Caesonini et A Gabinii

  (Map of Caesar’s Campaign Against Ariovistus, 58 BCE)

  I.

  Pro Contubernalibus Valete

  A FAREWELL TO COMRADES

  Ex eo proelio circiter hominum milia CXXX superfuerunt eaque tota nocte continenter ierunt nullam partem noctis itinere intermisso; in fines Lingonum die quarto pervenerunt, cum et propter vulnera militum et propter sepulturam occisorum nostri triduum morati eos sequi non potuissent.

  “About a hundred thirty thousand Helvetians survived the battle. In the darkness of the entire night, they fled without stopping. By the fourth day, they had arrived in the territory of the Lingones, but our troops could not pursue them; we were held back for three days by our wounded and the funeral rites for our dead.”

  (from Gaius Marius Insubrecus’ notebook of Caesar’s journal)

  After the fight with the Boii, Emlun brought me back “to feed the crows.”

  The nearest aid station was that of the Seventh Legion, where Madog’s body still lay, but I didn’t want to put myself at the mercy of the crow whose nose I had smashed, so we found the medical station of the Tenth Legion near the Roman right flank.