The Arminius Chronicles I: Fighting in the Roman Legions by Eulenspiegel Dr

Author:Eulenspiegel, Dr
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Historical Fiction Media
Published: 2024-04-07T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 8: Tiberius makes Arminius a Roman Citizen

Summer 7AD-Winter 7/8AD

Arminius crashed his lance into the rider closest to him. The man had his side exposed as he was busy turning his horse. The spear hit the Illyrian in the throat, the broad blade half decapitating the man getting stuck in the skull. Arminius let go and pulled his axe to attack his next target. The enemy rider had his shield up and a lance in his hand. While hacking down on the enemy’s shield, Arminius shortened the distance to the rider. Now their horses touched, both beasts trying to bite each other. At this short distance, the Illyrian could not utilise his long cavalry lance effectively. Yet, instead of dropping it in favor of his close quarter weapon, he held on to the spear, a mistake.

“Pull it down,” Arminius heard a voice behind him, and he hooked his axe over the enemy’s shield to pull on it. As soon as the defenses opened, the tip of Bear’s lance disappeared into the enemy’s eye. When the dead enemy slumped backwards, Arminius’s axe, still caught in the shield, got ripped out of his hand. He reached for his long sword as he looked over to Marcus Claudius on his horse about 50-feet away.

His prefect looked at him with a surprised face, a look that felt odd, out of place to Arminius given the chaos of the battle, the noise and the screams, the thundering hoofs and the dying fighters all around them. Then he noticed the arrow through Marcus Claudius’s neck. Blood was coming out of his friend’s mouth and the ala commander slumped forward onto his horse’s neck. Arminius looked to where the arrow had originated from. He saw the archer, who had climbed up on a cliff, about 60-feet away.

“1st on me, on me,” Arminius screamed and pushed his horse in the direction of Marcus Claudius’ lifeless body, the men around him following. Ignoring the arrows fired at him, Arminius pushed the Illyrians far enough for Germund to grab the reigns of their commander’s horse.

“Retreat. We are retreating,” Arminius ordered his men. Marcus Claudius’s horse with his lifeless body was being led away. Arminius and the 1st Turma broke contact and retreated. With dozens of new Illyrian riders having pushed up to the action, the retreating ala was immediately pursued by the enemy.

The Roman infantry had already fallen back about 300 yards, where Flavius with the 2nd waited to repeat the maneuver while the remains of the Roman infantry formed their line. They did not expect the enemy to fall quite as badly for it a second time, but still, horses hate shield walls.

With the Illyrians knowing what was coming, Flavius’ 2nd took heavy losses. While the 4th was holding the line with the exhausted legionarii, Arminius called a meeting with his three centurions.

“How much longer for the civilians to reach safety?”

“Still a few hours,” Flavius answered, his face smeared in Illyrian blood, a dressing on his shield arm covering a deep cut.

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