These were arrayed about a quarter of a mile distant, sufficiently near to appreciate the enemy’s superior numbers of cavalry, and the threatening outlines of at least two dozen elephants. The blare of horns and carnyxes carried through the air, an alien noise compared to the familiar Roman trumpets. It was clear that Hannibal retained fewer troops than Longus, but his host still made for a fearsome, if unusual, sight.
At length Quintus began to feel quite exposed. Fortunately, he didn’t have to wait much longer. They passed the four regular legions, spotting Longus and his tribunes at the junction between these and the allied troops of the right wing. Finally, Fabricius’ unit reached the Roman cavalry, which, with their arrival, numbered just under a thousand. There was more ribaldry as the assembled riders demanded to know where they had been.
‘Screwing your mother!’ shouted a wit among Fabricius’ men. ‘And your sisters!’
Angry roars rose from the joke’s victims, and the air filled with insults. A smile twitched across Fabricius’ lips. He glanced at Quintus and registered his surprise. ‘Many of them are going to die soon,’ he explained. ‘This takes their minds off it.’
The mention of heavy casualties made Quintus feel nauseous. Would he survive to see the next dawn? Would his father, Calatinus or Cincius? Quintus looked around at the familiar faces, the men he had come to know over the previous weeks. He didn’t like all of them, but they were still his comrades. Who would end the day lying bloodied and motionless in the cold mud? Who would be maimed, or blinded? Quintus felt the first fingers of panic clutch at his belly.
His father took his arm. ‘Take a deep breath,’ he said quietly.
Quintus shot him a worried glance. ‘Why?’
‘Do as I say.’
He obeyed, relieved that Calatinus and Cincius were deep in conversation with each other.
‘Hold it,’ Fabricius ordered. ‘Listen to your heart.’
It wasn’t hard to do that, thought Quintus. It was hammering off his ribs like that of a wild bird.
His father waited for a few moments. ‘Now let the air out through your lips. Nice and slowly. When you’ve finished, do the same again.’
Quintus’ eyes flickered around nervously, but nobody appeared to be watching. He did as he was told. By the third or fourth breath, the effect on his pulse was noticeable. It had slowed down, and he wasn’t feeling as scared.
‘Everyone is frightened before battle,’ said his father. ‘Even me. It’s a terrifying thing to charge at another group of men whose job it is to kill you. The trick is to think of your comrades on your left and right. They are the only ones who matter from now on.’
‘I understand,’ Quintus muttered.
‘You will be fine. I know it.’ Fabricius clapped him on the shoulder.
Steadier now, Quintus nodded. ‘Thank you, Father.’
With his army in place, Longus had the trumpeters sound the advance. Stamping their numb feet on the semi-frozen ground, the infantry obeyed. Loud prayers to the gods rose from the ranks, and the standard-bearers lifted their arms so that everyone could see the talismanic gilded animal that sat atop the wooden poles they bore. Each legion had five standards, depicting respectively an eagle, Minotaur, horse, wolf and boar. They were objects of great reverence, and Quintus wished that his unit possessed them too. Even the allied infantry bore similar standards. For reasons unclear to him, the cavalry didn’t.
Victory will be ours regardless, he thought. Urging his horse on with his knees, he rode towards the enemy.
It was imperative that their enemies marched beyond Mago’s hidden position. Consequently, the entire Carthaginian army had to stay put as the Romans approached. It was a nerve-racking time, with little to do other than pray or make last, quick checks of equipment. Imitating his father, Hanno had given his men a short address. They were here, he’d told them, to show Rome that it could not trifle with Carthage. To right the wrongs it had done to all of their peoples. The spearmen had liked Hanno’s words, but they cheered loudest when he reminded them that they were here to follow Hannibal’s lead and, most importantly, to avenge their heroic comrades who had fallen since their departure from Saguntum more than six months before.
Their racket was as nothing compared to that of the Gauls, however. The combination of drumming weapons, war chants and wind instruments made an incredible din. Hanno had never heard anything like it. Musicians stood before the assembled warriors, playing curved ceramic horns and carnyxes at full volume. The tribesmen’s frenzied response was to clatter their swords and spears rhythmically off their shields, all the while chanting in unison. Some individuals were so affected that they broke ranks, stripped naked and stood whirling their swords over their heads, screaming like men possessed.
‘They say that at Telamon, the ground shook with their noise,’ his father shouted.
But they still lost, thought Hanno grimly.
The tension mounted steadily as the Roman battle line drew closer. It was immensely long, stretching off on both sides until it was lost to sight. The Carthaginian formation was considerably narrower, which threatened immediate flanking. Hanno’s worries about this were forgotten as Hannibal ordered his skirmishers forward.
The Balearic slingers and Numidian javelin men bounded off, eager to start the battle proper. A vicious and prolonged missile encounter followed, from which the Carthaginians emerged clear victors. Unlike the wet, tired velites, who had been fighting for hours and had already thrown the majority of their javelins, Hannibal’s men were fresh and keen. Stones and spears whistled and hummed through the air in their hundreds, scything down the velites like rows of wheat. Unable to respond in similar fashion, the Roman light troops were soon put to flight, retreating through the gaps in their front line. Hannibal immediately recalled his skirmishers, whose lack of armour made them vulnerable to the approaching hastati. As they trotted back through the spaces between the various Carthaginian units, they received a rousing cheer.
‘A good start,’ Hanno yelled to his men. ‘First blood to us!’
A moment later, the Romans charged.
‘Shields up!’ Hanno yelled. From the corner of his eye, he was dimly aware of their Iberian and Gaulish cavalry, as well as the elephants, charging at the enemy’s horsemen. He had literally an instant to pray that they succeeded.
Then the Roman pila, or javelins, began to arrive. Each hastatus carried two of the weapons, which gave their front line fearsome firepower. The missiles were thrown in such dense showers that the air between the two armies darkened as they flew. ‘Protect yourselves!’ Hanno screamed, but it was only those in the front rank who could do as he said. The phalanx’s formation packed men together so tightly that it prevented the rest from raising their large shields. As the javelins came hammering down, they gritted their teeth and hoped not to be hit.
Topped by a pyramidal point, the pila were fully capable of punching through a shield and piercing its bearer’s flesh. And they did exactly that: killing, wounding, cutting tissue apart with ease. Hanno’s ears rang with the choking cries of soldiers who could no longer talk thanks to the iron transfixing their throats. Screams rang out from those who had been struck elsewhere. Wails of fear rose from the unhurt as they saw their comrades slain before their eyes. Hanno risked a look to the front and cursed. While their first volley flew, the hastati had continued to advance. They were now less than forty paces away, and preparing to release again. He couldn’t help admiring the legionaries’ discipline. They actually slowed down or even stopped to throw their pila. As he already knew, it was well worth the effort to make an accurate shot. Lesser foes would have already broken and run beneath the rain of iron-tipped terror. Hanno was grateful that he was commanding veterans. While his men had suffered terribly, their lines remained steady. His father’s phalanx looked rock solid too.
To his left, the Gauls were also suffering heavy casualties. Hanno could see some of them wavering, a worrying sign so early. But their chieftains were made of sterner stuff, shouting and exhorting their followers to stand fast. To Hanno’s relief, the tactic worked. As the second shower of javelins was launched, the Gauls swiftly lifted their shields. While their response reduced the number of wounded and killed, it stripped many of the warriors of their main protection. Few things were more useless than a shield with a bent pilum protruding from it. Weirdly, this looked more to the Gauls’ liking. Shouting fiercely, they prepared to meet the hastati head on.
Many of the men at the front of Hanno’s phalanx were also now without shields. He cursed savagely. The gaps would provide the legionaries with opportunities too good to pass up, but there was nothing Hanno could do to remedy the problem. ‘Close order!’ he shouted. As the command was repeated all along the line, he felt the shields of the men on either side slide against his to form a solid barrier. ‘Front two ranks, raise spears!’ Scores of wooden shafts clattered off each other as those in the second row shoved their weapons over the shoulders of the soldiers
