Legio XVII: Battle of Zama (55 page)

He had one more trick.  Since his greatest concern was Scipio’s superior cavalry, Hannibal instructed his horsemen to flee the field when the enemy charged and draw the Roman and Numidian cavalry away from the battlefield.  Once they were a good distance away, they could turn and fight.  He didn’t want the enemy cavalry to return and attack his third line in the rear like his cavalry had done to the Romans at Cannae.

Scipio watched Hannibal deploy his men and was puzzled at the large distance that separated his first two lines from his third.  He turned to Silanus.  “What do you make of that?  Why is that third line so far to the rear?”

Silanus looked across the field and said, “I think Hannibal expects his first two lines to eventually break and run to the rear.  He could be trying to spare his third line all that chaos.”

Scipio thought for a moment.  “If the first two lines do, in fact, run to the third line, Hannibal’s third line will extend well beyond our flanks with all those extra men.  We’ve got to be prepared to extend our line to match his.”

The two armies stood facing each other in what they both knew was a historic battle to the death.  Hannibal gave the signal and the elephants that were positioned in front of Mago’s men began to run at the Roman line.  The Romans sent up a great shout mixed with horns to scare the elephants.  Some did turn and ran into Hannibal’s Numidian cavalry.  When they scattered, Masinissa saw his chance and led his 4,000 horsemen in a charge at the disorganized Numidians.  They retreated.  Laelius who commanded the other wing of Scipio’s cavalry also charged at his Carthaginian opponents.  They also retreated and led the Romans away from the battle, as Hannibal had planned.

Most of the elephants ran in a straight line at the Romans.  The Maniple shifted left or right to avoid them and the light troops opened the gaps.  They elephants chose the easy path and ran down the lanes inflicting minimal damage on the Maniples.  Scipio’s plan had worked.  Once the elephants passed, the Roman lines surged forward.  Hannibal charged with his first and second line.  The Hastati and first line of the Carthaginians rushed at each other.  Pila and spears were exchanged and bodies began to litter the field.  Soon it was close combat with shield and gladius.  The Hastati pushed Mago’s men back and they tried to pass through the second line to escape.

Hannibal told his second line not to let them pass.  Some fighting broke out between the two lines, but most of Hannibal’s first line ran to the flanks of the second line and continued to fight.  Hannibal rushed his extended second line forward and drove back the Hastati with heavy losses.  Scipio sent the Principe forward to help the Hastati restore his battle line.  The Principe and Hastati drove Hannibal’s untrained second line back until they ran into the veteran third line.  Like the second line had done earlier, the third line would not allow the men to run through their ranks and disrupt their cohesion.  Survivors from the first and second lines went to the flanks of the third line.

Scipio and Hannibal needed time to reorganize their formations and a strange pause in the battle occurred.  Scipio was waiting for his cavalry to return, and encouraged the pause.  He instructed the Legions to drink water and put a fresh edge on their swords.

He was now facing Hannibal’s third line of 14,000 veterans and several thousand survivors from Hannibal’s first two lines.  As a result, Hannibal’s new battle line extended beyond Scipio’s flanks.

Scipio hastily divided his Principe and his Triarii each into two parts.  He sent the two halves of the Principe to the left and right of the Hastati who still stood in the center. The two halves of the Triarii then moved alongside the Principe.  The length of Scipio’s battle line now matched that of Hannibal’s.

When Hannibal saw that Scipio’s best fighters were now on the flanks, he divided his veterans and sent them to the flanks so they stood opposite the Triarii and Principe.  The survivors of Hannibal’s first two lines now faced the Hastati in the center.  Hannibal held his position waiting for Scipio to attack.  Scipio’s extended line surged forward and smashed into Hannibal’s men.  The struggle was bloody with neither side gaining an advantage.

Then, just as it had happened at Cannae many years earlier, Masinissa and Laelius raised a huge cloud of dust as they rode to rejoin the battle.  When Hannibal’s cavalry stopped retreating and turned to fight, they were quickly overwhelmed and defeated.  Now the Romans rode straight into the rear of Hannibal’s line and caused immediate panic.  Hannibal and his aides knew it was over and planned their escape.  The veterans were trying to fight the Roman infantry in the front and the cavalry’s long spears in the rear.  It was impossible and there was nowhere to run.  The slaughter went on for hours.

Soon it was quiet and the battle of Zama was history.  Scipio’s Legionaries and superb cavalry had beaten the great Hannibal on the field of battle.  Hannibal had lost 20,000 killed and another 20,000 captured.  Scipio lost 2,500 men from the Hastati and suffered 4,000 wounded.  Scipio’s cavalry and the quality of his Legionaries had carried the day.

After the battle, Manius’ couriers rode hard to tell him the good news.

*******

Souk Ahras in the west, Sakiet in the center, El Kef in the east
(Google maps)

That evening the couriers arrived from Scipio’s camp with breath taking news.  Scipio had defeated Hannibal near El Kef and he was sending Tribune Cnaeus Octavius with two Legions and a cavalry force of 5,000 to intercept Vermina.

The following day, Octavius arrived at Manius’ camp at Sakiet with his cavalry.  His two Legions were still marching.  Manius and Octavius devised a plan to trap Vermina between their two forces.  Octavius said, “When the Legions arrive, I will place one Legion south of Haddada and conceal them in the hills overlooking the Souk Ahras-Sakiet road.  The other Legion will conceal itself north of Haddada.  I will circle my cavalry behind Vermina’s army after they pass by and come at him from the west.  I propose that we initiate the attack at dawn tomorrow at the sound of my trumpets.”

Manius said, “That sounds like a good plan.  Before dawn, we will form up and begin marching the two miles towards Haddada in battle order.  We will extend on both sides of the road with my cavalry on both flanks.”

It took Vermina three days to march his army and cavalry the 37 miles from Ouled to Souk Ahras.  The following morning he led his army east in the direction of Sakiet, which lay 28 miles in the distance.  Two days later he stopped his advance at Haddada.  He could see Manius’ two Legion camps blocking his way east, but had no idea that 20,000 Legionaries and 5,000 cavalry would attack his army the next morning.

Manius led the Legion out of camp at 3:00 A.M.  Five hundred yards short of Haddada, he had the men lay down to await the signal to attack.  The Legions in the hills began to silently move down hill closer to Haddada.  Octavius had his horsemen in position about a mile from the enemy camp.  At 5:00 A.M. the cavalry began moving forward.  Octavius pulled up about 400 yards from the sleeping Numidians and signaled his trumpets to sound the attack.  The low pitch trumpets rumbled ominously in the night’s stillness and were soon echoed by the trumpets of the four waiting Legions.  Manius’ men jumped to their feet and began trotting forward. The Legions in the hills scrambled to get down on the flat ground around Haddada.  The vice was closing!

Vermina’s men knew immediately they were under attack, but didn’t know which way to face.  Romans were coming at them from all directions.  Vermina’s cavalry tried to escape west and ran into Octavius’ experienced horsemen.  They were cut down to a man.  The four Legions unleashed their deadly pila at the confused Numidians and they dropped throughout their camp.  Thirty minutes later, it was over.  Like Zama, it was a decisive Roman victory.  Twelve hundred Numidians were captured and the rest killed, including Vermina.

*******

After taking care of their dead, Proconsul Scipio ordered his Legions back to Utica.  The Carthaginian Senate asked for Scipio’s terms.  They had no more options.  All their Commanders were dead or on the run.  Scipio presented his terms:  Carthage was to surrender all but 10 of its warships; fight no wars without Rome’s approval; recognize Masinissa as King of the Numidians; and pay Rome 5,000 talents of silver.  The terms were accepted.  The 16 years war between Carthage and Rome was over.”

Epilogue

Rome was overjoyed with Scipio’s victory and rewarded him with a Triumph upon his return to Italy.  He was also given the agnomen “Africanus.”  He refused many other honors that were offered such as Dictator for Life.  Scipio avoided politics, but accepted an assignment in 193 BC to go to Africa to help settle a dispute between Carthage and Masinissa.  Scipio eventually retired to the town of Liternum, 150 miles south of Rome, and died in 183 BC at the age of 53.

Rome disbanded many long serving Legions from active duty, but maintained a sufficient number to address problems that had been put on hold during the war with Carthage such as the ever fractious Gauls in northern Italy, Philip V of Macedon, and Antiochus of Syria.

With Scipio’s approval, Hannibal was allowed to live in Carthage and even became a civic leader before moving to Tyre and Syria.

The two Legions that had been banished to Sicily after the Battle of Cannae were allowed to return to Rome following their honorable service in Africa with Scipio.

Masinissa was under intense Roman pressure to send Sophonisba to Rome.  She refused to go and be humiliated.  In order to avoid breaking favorable relations with Rome, Masinissa sent her a vile of poison and asked that she take her own life.  She complied.  Syphax, her first husband, died in 201 BC while a prisoner in Rome.

Hamilcar and his fellow Carthaginians who stayed behind in the Cisalpine when Mago sailed for Africa in 203 BC spent the next three years coercing the Gauls, Insubres, Ligurians, Boii, and even the loyal Cenomani to rebel against Rome.  In 200 BC, 40,000 rose up and sacked Cremona and Placentia.  Rome responded and crushed the uprising in the same year.  The Cenomani were spare any reprisals because they deserted Hamilcar before the Battle of Cremona.  For the next nine years, the Cisalpine was the scene of many more such uprisings and battles.

At the same time, from 200 BC to 197 BC, Roman Legions fought Philip V of Macedon and won a decisive victory at Cynoscephalae.  Legions that had fought at Zama were exempt from this war.

Titus and Mincia were married in 204 BC had a son the following year whom they named Segovus in honor of her father.  They returned to Rome in 202 BC shortly after Scipio’s victory at Zama.  They would have stayed at Brixia longer, but Mincia’s father, Segovesus, had been replaced by a young firebrand who befriended Hamilcar.  Hamilcar had no problem convincing him to rebel against Rome.  Fearing for their lives, Titus and Mincia left Brixia in the middle of the night and fled south.  Shortly after they arrived in Rome, Titus entered Legionary Basic Training and was a stand out among the young recruits.  He had trained with the Cenomani army and had added muscle and fighting skills.  Upon graduation, he was assigned to Legio XVII.

Levi died in 205 BC while Manius was in northern Italy.  His wife Rivkah moved in with the Tullus family.

Praetor Manius Tullus brought his two Legions back from Africa and retired from the Army at age 57.  He kept busy by adding new rooms onto to his villa for Rivkah, Titus, Mincia, and Segovus whom he thoroughly enjoyed.

Calvus assumed Command of Legio XVII and led the Legion in battle against the Gauls in 200 BC. Titus fought with the Hastati at Cremona and was awarded battle honors for his bravery.  Manius was overjoyed with his son’s success.

Titus followed his father’s career path and was promoted to Centurion.  He and Mincia moved into a villa provided by Manius and had another child whom they named Lucia, after Titus’ mother.

Osi, the Suevi cavalry Detachment Commander, who found Imma and reunited her with her mother Agna and her two sisters, Kirsa and Odila, took all three under his protection and care.  Odila was pregnant and gave birth to a son.  She loved the little boy and named him in honor of her father. The three girls eventually married and stayed in Innsbruck.

Kai, the Suevi scout who walked all night to Ainring to look down on Salzburg, was decorated for bravery by Queen Bethica and provided a monetary reward.  He continued to serve in the Army.

Alina, wife of Kuno, who led the survivors from Bad Tolz to Innsbruck, was appointed by the Queen to the Tribal Council.  She was the first woman to serve on that governing body.  A year later, she led a delegation to Bad Tolz to honor those who died.  While she was there, she gathered the bones of her beloved Kuno and buried them near Innsbruck.  Over time, Bad Tolz became a shrine of national resistance to invaders.

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