killed. He thought of all the hours and days of difficult training the Maniple had undergone to prepare for this moment. He knew they were ready and would give a good account of themselves.
Manius’ Legion and another were immediately assigned to Consul Lucius Aemilius Papus for the coming fight. At last, he and his brother Gaius would be serving in the same Consular Army. He wished they were in the same Legion, but this assignment would put them closer than they had ever been before.
Papus would command two Legions [equivalent to a US Army Division] through the Legions’ two Legates. The Legions assembled on the outskirts of Rome and began to prepare for the arduous task that lay ahead. Replacements streamed into the camp; mules, oxen and donkeys were quartered everywhere to transport the Legions’ gear. The goal, rarely achieved, was to have one pack animal for every eight soldiers or roughly 570 animals per Legion. Huge quantities of grain, fuel, and fodder were gathered and stored. Commanders established the chain of command among the Consul’s staff and those of the Legion’s and practiced maneuvering the two Legions in concert. Additional engineers, blacksmiths, and medical personnel were also assigned to the Legions.
The other Consul, Gaius Atilius Regulus, the Plebian Consul, was fighting with his two Consular Legions in Sardinia , which the Romans received in 238 BC as part of the settlement with Carthage following the 1st Punic War. His task was to further Roman domination of the island by subduing the mutinous mountain tribes led by Carthaginian mercenaries. The task proved easier said than done. Now, the immediate threat to Rome took precedence. Regulus was ordered to assemble his Legions and row at top speed [7-8 mph] the 180 miles from Sardinia to the Italian coast near Liburnum [Livorno/Leghorn]. Upon landing, he was to fortify his position and be prepared to march his two Legions the 15 miles north to Pisae [Pisa] to link up with Consul Lucius Aemilius Papus and his two Legions
Figure 4 Leghorn, Pisa, Florence (Google Maps)
It took Regulus three days to relocate his Legions from the interior of Sardinia to the two ports where ships were already at anchor. The remaining ships would arrive in three days. It took another two days to prepare all the animals and equipment for the movement by sea and four days to actually load the ships. Once the Legions were loaded, it took the Navy just 24 hours to row from Sardinia to Leghorn.
Immediately upon landing, Regulus off loaded his cavalry and ordered them to find the Gauls. He feared a surprise attack while his command was half on and half off the ships. After an eight hour ride throughout the countryside, the scouts reported back that they found a hostile population, but no hostile army. Greatly relieved, Regulus ordered the off loading to continue. It took another five days to off load the men, animals, and equipment due to rough sea conditions, which forced them to frequently stop, wait, and then restart the effort.
Once safely on land, Regulus rested his sea sick men and reorganize his army. Two days later, they advanced on Pisa in good fighting order. In just 18 days, Regulus moved two full Legions and all their equipment and animals over 200 miles of sea and land. It was quite an accomplishment.
The Gauls had not been inactive. Their cavalry spotted and reported Regulus’ landing to the Gallic chieftains, Concolitanus [con-co-li-TANus] and Aneroestes [Ana-REStes].
Meanwhile, seventy thousand Roman auxiliaries comprised of tribesmen from the Sabini [Sabine] , Samnis [ Samnite ] , Etrusci [Etruscan], Umbros [Umbrians], and men from the Campania Felix [South of Rome] answered the general alarm to meet the common threat. They knew their land, houses, family, and farms were at stake. Roughly a quarter of this huge force, 17,500 men from the Sabine and Etruscan tribes were organized into three
Manius’ Legion and another were immediately assigned to Consul Lucius Aemilius Papus for the coming fight. At last, he and his brother Gaius would be serving in the same Consular Army. He wished they were in the same Legion, but this assignment would put them closer than they had ever been before.
Papus would command two Legions [equivalent to a US Army Division] through the Legions’ two Legates. The Legions assembled on the outskirts of Rome and began to prepare for the arduous task that lay ahead. Replacements streamed into the camp; mules, oxen and donkeys were quartered everywhere to transport the Legions’ gear. The goal, rarely achieved, was to have one pack animal for every eight soldiers or roughly 570 animals per Legion. Huge quantities of grain, fuel, and fodder were gathered and stored. Commanders established the chain of command among the Consul’s staff and those of the Legion’s and practiced maneuvering the two Legions in concert. Additional engineers, blacksmiths, and medical personnel were also assigned to the Legions.
The other Consul, Gaius Atilius Regulus, the Plebian Consul, was fighting with his two Consular Legions in Sardinia , which the Romans received in 238 BC as part of the settlement with Carthage following the 1st Punic War. His task was to further Roman domination of the island by subduing the mutinous mountain tribes led by Carthaginian mercenaries. The task proved easier said than done. Now, the immediate threat to Rome took precedence. Regulus was ordered to assemble his Legions and row at top speed [7-8 mph] the 180 miles from Sardinia to the Italian coast near Liburnum [Livorno/Leghorn]. Upon landing, he was to fortify his position and be prepared to march his two Legions the 15 miles north to Pisae [Pisa] to link up with Consul Lucius Aemilius Papus and his two Legions
Figure 4 Leghorn, Pisa, Florence (Google Maps)
It took Regulus three days to relocate his Legions from the interior of Sardinia to the two ports where ships were already at anchor. The remaining ships would arrive in three days. It took another two days to prepare all the animals and equipment for the movement by sea and four days to actually load the ships. Once the Legions were loaded, it took the Navy just 24 hours to row from Sardinia to Leghorn.
Immediately upon landing, Regulus off loaded his cavalry and ordered them to find the Gauls. He feared a surprise attack while his command was half on and half off the ships. After an eight hour ride throughout the countryside, the scouts reported back that they found a hostile population, but no hostile army. Greatly relieved, Regulus ordered the off loading to continue. It took another five days to off load the men, animals, and equipment due to rough sea conditions, which forced them to frequently stop, wait, and then restart the effort.
Once safely on land, Regulus rested his sea sick men and reorganize his army. Two days later, they advanced on Pisa in good fighting order. In just 18 days, Regulus moved two full Legions and all their equipment and animals over 200 miles of sea and land. It was quite an accomplishment.
The Gauls had not been inactive. Their cavalry spotted and reported Regulus’ landing to the Gallic chieftains, Concolitanus [con-co-li-TANus] and Aneroestes [Ana-REStes].
Meanwhile, seventy thousand Roman auxiliaries comprised of tribesmen from the Sabini [Sabine] , Samnis [ Samnite ] , Etrusci [Etruscan], Umbros [Umbrians], and men from the Campania Felix [South of Rome] answered the general alarm to meet the common threat. They knew their land, houses, family, and farms were at stake. Roughly a quarter of this huge force, 17,500 men from the Sabine and Etruscan tribes were organized into three
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