Trevedunum (Titelberg)

The Treviri is a Gallic tribe with some Germanic blood living W of the Rhine. They speak Gallic, but are proud of their mixed heritage, believing that it makes them superior warriors.

They have taken to your ways since you first encountered them, but upheld independence until the time of Caesar's invasion.

The Treveri have a strong cavalry and infantry, and during the Gallic Wars would provide Julius Caesar with his best cavalry. Under their leader Cingetorix, the Treveri served as Roman auxiliaries. However, their loyalties began to change in 54 BCE under the influence of Cingetorix' rival Indutiomarus. According to Caesar, Indutiomarus instigated the revolt of the Eburones under Ambiorix that year and led the Treveri in joining the revolt and enticing Germanic tribes to attack the Romans. The Romans under Titus Labienus killed Indutiomarus and then put down the Treveran revolt; afterwards, Indutiomarus' relatives crossed the Rhine to settle among the Germanic tribes. The Treveri remained neutral during the revolt of Vercingetorix, and were attacked again by Labienus after it. Since they have been peaceable under Cingetorix and continue to provide their patron Caesar with fine Leuce Eupos cavalry and Rome with tribute.

Trevedunum, their main oppidum, is the seat of the chief and main administrative centre. About 5- 7000 people live in the Oppidum behind a Murm Gallicus and it is the main centre of trade and production in northern Gaul, Roman traders mingle here with a multitude of Gauls and Belgae colleagues, some of whom even venture into Germania.

Gaul is very peaceful these days. The Legions in Central Gaul and the subject rulers in the north generally keep the peace, and anyone remotely hostile to Rome has been killed in Caesar’s eight years of slaughter. It too is in a sort of vacuum, for only 15+ years later does new Roman forts and cities spring up.

These are the words of Caius Cominius Dolabra on the Suebi and Ariovistus

Well, it was much like Gaius Julius says in his book you know, except that there was only about twice as many of the Germans as of us and there when they isolated us to squeeze our supplies we thought they had us. Until Gaius Julius revealed that they were waiting because of some omen, then we were happy and wanted to fight them.

So you know, we lined up the army as usual, we were on the left, facing the Suebi themselves strengthened by selected warbands from the other tribes. That was no fun, those irrumatores are huge and fierce, and their blows shatter helmets and splits shields if not warded off right. We were hard pressed. Normally there would be skirmishing first and we would have time to throw our Pila, but not this time. They could not be restrained or they hoped to overwhelm us with their sheer size and force. First a wave of warriors charged with sword and shield, bare-chested and with incredible force to try and break our line. They almost succeeded, our line has never wavered such, but it held and then their second wave formed into Phalanxes as I am told Alexander and Pyrrhus used and pressed on. It was incredibly frustrating, for we could not reach them and they kept pushing. Some of us, myself included dived under the spears or jumped over them in an attempt to reach the wielders, but again our line wavered under the pressure, and again new warbands hurled themselves against us through gaps opening up in the phalanx for it. This time the bodyguards of the chieftains; huge, fierce men in chainmail and with long swords and shield. Some few of them used huge axes in two hands and others threw away their shield to chop better with two hands on their long swords. They towered above us and broke into our ranks in many places. I tell you, I almost wanted to flee then, I have never as an adult been so afraid, not even at Dyrrachium when Pompei beat us so bad and we fled with our tails between our legs. No, I was afraid, and some of the others even wet their pants. But then, when all looked worst, the reserves came streaming and saved our asses while the German left had broken so our cavalry was moving behind and the Legions flanking the Germans. That broke them and they routed, having committed their last reserves to break us. But contrary to what Gaius Julius says, the bodyguards that had not fallen stood their ground to the last. I saw none of them flee; they all had to be cut down to the last man. Not that many slaves were taken even from the fleeing, for they too would turn and fight when we came up, none surrendered. All those camp followers, wives and such that could not get away killed themselves as well.



There was a rumour that the Haerudes/Haerudi robbed loads of gold from the Aedui by, but none knows anything.

What you know of Germans.

You can read more details in Caesar’s Gallic Wars; look in the Links section and folder. Gaius Caecilius probably has them, so it is appropriate.

The Germans are the tribes living west and north of the Rhine. They are a savage, barbaric and disorganised people resenting any authority from Kings and government. According to the Gauls the Germans (Gallic “Neighbour”) values freedom over everything else and will rather plunder than till the land. They rely on livestock (mostly cattle) as their prime, and only grow the barest necessity of crops to supplement their husbandry.

Germany is a wild, forested and road-less wilderness, the weather is horribly rainy and cool in summer and cold during winter, hardening the people to such an extent as no others.

Every German tribe is ruled by a council of old men who are possibly also priests. These will sometimes be lead by a First-amongst-equals, a chief, and in case of war the best suited ise chosen as warlord.

Germans are men of huge stature, of incredible valour and practice in arms, and ofttimes the Italian traders in Germania, on encountering them, cannot bear even their countenance, and the fierceness of their eyes. Caesar’s Batavi bodyguard has been known to make senators quaver from fear by even looking at them. Not least of Caesar’s achievements is to defeat Ariovistus, cross the Rhine, and to make allies of the Batavi and Ubii.

Chimbri Chersonesos and the Cimbri;

All that is said of the Germans in general holds even truer for the Cimbri Chersonesos and its peoples. The largest defeat of Res Publica Romana, almost twice as bad as Cannae, was inflicted by these at Arausio and in total Rome lost more men in these wars than in the Punic wars.

Battle of the Vosges;

Caesar led his forces forward in the standard three line formation. Seeing that the German left was the weaker part of their line he concentrated his forces there. The Germans attacked in several columns, moving so swiftly that there was not time for the Romans to hurl their pila and battle was joined with swords. A fierce struggle occurred in which the German left was broken after a stiff fight.

On the other flank, the Roman left nearly cracked under severe pressure until reinforced by Publius Licinius Crassus. In command of the reserve cavalry, Crassus had the opportunity to move around the battlefield. Seeing the left wing in peril, Crassus led forward reserves from the third line, which first blunted and then broke the German attack.

Overwhelmed on both flanks, the Germans then fled for the Rhine closely pursued by the Romans. Slaughter in the 15 mile pursuit was heavy. Ariovistus was driven back over the Rhine and no Roman knows what happened to him. He was dead by late 54 BC, when his death caused indignation among the Germans. How he died is unknown.

Guard/Mercenary Prices in Rome

Classical historians regularly say that in the late Roman Republic and early Roman Empire the daily wage for an unskilled labourer and common soldier was 1 denarius without tax.

1 gold aureus = 2 gold quinarii = 25 silver denarii = 50 silver quinarii =100 bronze sestertii = 200 bronze dupondii = 400 copper as = 800 copper semisses = 1600 copper quadrans

Denarius: 3.9 gr. silver, drachmae 4.3 gr. silver, but worth x2.

Roman talent = 32.3 kg A talent of silver is thus app. 4150 denarii.

An aureus weighs 8 gr., but Caesar is revising its weight to 6 gr., again its worth is denoted as equal to about 15 gr. of pure gold bullion.



Scipio can raise 5000 denarii fast, Rufus 8000

We will assume that supplies are included in the price.



Mercenary and camp follower prices in denarii, they bring their basic kit.



Rome

Evocatus (5) 1750

Shepherd (6) 500

Slave (100+) 300

Slave Shepherd (10) 400

Gladiator (20) 1000

Bandit (10) 500

Eques (2) 3500

Commoner (100+) 350

Commoner Guard (10) 400

Toxatai Kretikoi (Cretan Archer) (1) 1750

Qala'im Balearim (Baleric Slinger) (2) 1500

Thrakian Falxman (1) 1500

Brihentin (Gallic Noble) (1) 3000