Chapter 95: Each One's Trick Caesar recognized the growing fear of the Germans spreading throughout the legion and knew he had to act swiftly.
Just as he was about to take action, Marcus visited his headquarters and proposed a clever idea.
Caesar combined Marcus' suggestion with his own plan and decided to execute it.
He immediately called for a commanders' meeting.
Typically, only the legionnaires, the cohort leaders, and the first centurion of the first cohort were allowed to attend such meetings. However, this time Caesar summoned all the centurions, even those not normally eligible, so his message could reach all the soldiers as quickly as possible.
The centurions exchanged nervous glances, sensing an ominous atmosphere.
Caesar singled out one centurion and asked, "I've heard there has been some unpleasantness in the army lately. There's a ridiculous rumor going around that soldiers are reluctant to go to war. Do you know why?"
The centurion hesitated, "Uh… No, not exactly…"
"It's unacceptable for Roman soldiers to refuse battle out of fear of the enemy," Caesar continued, his voice growing firm. "But it seems that some among you have been harboring such unacceptable thoughts! It's one thing to be afraid when facing an enemy too powerful for us. Being fearless doesn't equate to courage; it's recklessness. But who are we afraid of? Some barbarians from the north who lose their nerve before even engaging us? It's a disgrace to our great ancestors."
The centurions, along with the cohort leaders, fell silent, unable to offer any defense.
Caesar scolded them for their cowardice, while also reinforcing that there was no reason to fear their opponents.
"Rome has long feared the Germans due to their size, and that fear led to our humiliating defeat in the past. But what happened the last time we fought them? Marius utterly destroyed the Cimbri and Teutoni tribes who dared to invade Rome. Now, those tribes are no more. Their foolish decision to oppose Rome cost them everything. You are now afraid of enemies no different from those who were wiped out by our ancestors."
Caesar's gaze swept across the room, and he continued, "Think about how easily we crushed the Helvetii, who fought fiercely with the Germans. And let's not forget we have a warrior in our ranks who has never lost to a German. Spartacus, the centurion of the 12th legion!"
Spartacus stood up from his seat, and all eyes turned to him. Some admired his impressive performance in the battle with the Helvetii, while others recalled his time as a gladiator.
Even those who hadn't witnessed his fight with the Helvetii had heard of his deeds. His reputation preceded him.
Caesar, feigning earnestness, asked, "Spartacus, you never lost in dozens of gladiator fights. How many times did you face German gladiators?"
"I don't recall the exact number, but I believe it was more than five times," Spartacus replied.
"Tell us what it was like. I know there's a difference between fighting one-on-one and in a group, but any insights on fighting the Germans would be helpful. Were there any particularly memorable or dangerous opponents among the German gladiators?"
Spartacus responded, "The German gladiators were generally tall and strong, with a fierce presence. They were confident in their strength and endurance. But I didn't have any particularly memorable foes. I don't recall exchanging more than ten blows with any German gladiator."
The centurions gasped in surprise at Spartacus' calm explanation.
Spartacus' gladiator record was well-known, and his words carried weight.
One young centurion, a fervent fan of Spartacus, whispered to a colleague nearby, "It's true. I saw his fight. It ended in just three exchanges. The German gladiator was huge, but he passed out without even realizing how he lost. The Gallic gladiators actually put up a better fight."
"Wait, so the Germans are just big but weak? Did we get scared for nothing?" the other centurion whispered back.
"As the Imperator said, we easily crushed the Helvetii, who fought alongside the Germans. When you think about it, the Germans might not be as formidable as we've been led to believe."
Caesar let the murmurs continue, allowing the noise to grow, as it shifted the atmosphere and helped dissipate the unnecessary fear.
Finally, he smiled, pleased with the effect, and addressed the room once more.
"Have you all regained your composure? The Germans were annihilated by us in group combat, and they couldn't even stand up to our Roman gladiators in one-on-one duels. Their size and strength are advantages, yes, but what truly matters are our skills, our will to win, and the favor of the gods."
Caesar paused, looking around the room at the centurions, who now seemed steadier.
"You, all of you, have undergone the most rigorous training. You are the pride of Roman soldiers. And we've already proven that we have the gods' favor by easily defeating the Helvetii."
He continued, "But I know that some of you may still feel uneasy. For those of you who are still unsure, I make this declaration now: Before we engage Ariovistus, I will propose a one-on-one duel between our best warriors. The Germans claim to be superior to anyone, but soon they will see how hollow that claim really is."
The words lifted the spirits of the commanders. The confidence of their supreme leader spread through the ranks.
In less than a day, the speech reached all the soldiers. Those who had been downcast the day before were now filled with renewed enthusiasm.
All eight legions sent representatives to apologize for their previous hesitance and swore to fight with everything they had.
With morale at its peak, Caesar wasted no time. He immediately began moving the Roman legion out of Bibracte, heading northeast to confront Ariovistus.
The marching route was flat, and supplies had been pre-arranged with four tribes, ensuring a smooth journey.
Throughout the march, Caesar occasionally asked Marcus for his opinion, though it seemed more like a confirmation of his own thoughts than a genuine request for advice.
For Marcus, this was not a bad arrangement. He got a rare glimpse into Caesar's strategy beyond the Gallic Wars and had the opportunity to share his thoughts openly.
Marcus knew he had to guide events to unfold exactly as history dictated. He couldn't afford any mistakes. If Caesar failed to subjugate Gaul, it would spell disaster, not just for Rome but for Marcus's own future plans.
His ultimate goal depended on Caesar's success, and Marcus knew that everything could fall apart if Rome didn't secure Gaul's resources.
'I have the Gallic Wars as my guidebook,' Marcus thought. 'There's no need to change history.'
It was easier for Marcus to impress Caesar by letting things unfold as they should. But he also planned to use small adjustments to gain benefits, without altering the overall course of the campaign.
One such opportunity was in the region now occupied by Ariovistus's Suebi tribe, located northeast of Bibracte, in what is now Alsace.
This area contained a unique iron ore deposit, a fact unknown at the time but one that could prove valuable in the future.
Marcus's primary goal in following the Gallic expedition was to secure the Alsace and Lorraine regions.
He had already obtained Caesar's approval to take control of the resources in this area. However, once Ariovistus was driven out, the Sequani tribe would be the ones exercising control over Alsace.
So, Marcus had already struck an agreement with them during his time in Bibracte.
The terms of the agreement were as follows:
Marcus would develop the Alsace region in exchange for the Sequani tribe ensuring the safety of the trade routes. In return, Marcus would help influential members of the Sequani tribe obtain Roman citizenship.
The Sequani tribe would also handle the transportation of resources from Alsace for a fair price, since they lacked the technology to mine iron in the region on their own.
If they could drive out the Suebi tribe and gain some monetary benefits, the Sequani had no reason to refuse.
To implement this agreement, Marcus needed to decisively defeat Ariovistus and show overwhelming power, ensuring that the Sequani tribe would have no second thoughts.
While Marcus was focused on the future, the Roman army continued its march.
Soon, the distance between the Roman army and Ariovistus's forces shrank to a day's march. Caesar ordered the army to halt and set up camp.
As the camp neared completion, Ariovistus sent an envoy.
Though the move seemed delayed, Caesar decided to hear what the envoy had to say.
"What did he say?" Marcus asked.
"What do you think he said?" Caesar responded with a slight smile.
"Probably something like, 'You've entered my territory, so now we can talk.'"
"That's right. But we should still listen to what they have to say. I agreed to meet him on a hill between our camps in five days. He also insisted that cavalry would be preferable for escort."
"He's being too obvious," Marcus remarked.
There was a common belief that the Roman army was vulnerable to cavalry. On the other hand, the Germans were well known for their experience with horses.
While the Romans had Gallic cavalry reinforcements, no Roman commander would show up for a meeting with Gallic soldiers as an escort.
Ariovistus likely expected Caesar to bring troops unfamiliar with horses.
But he had overlooked one key factor.
The Roman cavalry had greatly improved, thanks to the stirrups introduced by Marcus.
Pompey had also planned to train archers using stirrups, so the Roman cavalry was in a completely different league than before.
The Gauls and Germans, having not fought the Romans in recent years, had not realized this change. Even in the battle with the Helvetii, the cavalry was not heavily used due to terrain issues, so the news hadn't spread widely.
This was why Caesar could confidently accept Ariovistus's proposal.
"If you don't mind, Marcus, would you join me? Of course, Spartacus will come too."
"I was about to ask you. I want to see the leader of the enemy I'll be fighting soon."
"The enemy you'll be fighting... Do you think the meeting will go well?"
"Do you have any hope for that, Caesar?"
Caesar smiled bitterly and nodded. Both men were certain that a fight was inevitable. However, they agreed to the meeting for appearances' sake.
Rome had always sought to improve relations with its neighbors, but this time the Suebi tribe had plundered and demanded submission from the Haedui tribe, allies of Rome. This was something Rome could not tolerate. Ariovistus's demands were clear: release the Haedui hostages and stop expanding into Gaul.
The interpreter translated Ariovistus's words verbatim.
Ariovistus scoffed at Caesar's words, tapping his staff in irritation.
"You speak as though we invaded Gaul on a whim, but that's not true. We crossed the Rhine at the request of the Sequani tribe. Now they say they can't handle it and want us to leave? Does Rome really think that's fair?"
"And you claim I've chosen to be hostile to Rome, but... if I kill you here, wouldn't the Senate be happy and try to strengthen their friendship with me?"
This caught Caesar by surprise. He hadn't expected Ariovistus to be aware of his conflict with the Senate. It showed that Ariovistus understood Roman politics better than Caesar had anticipated, making him a more dangerous opponent.
'It would be better to deal with him now.'
Caesar glanced at Marcus, who nodded in agreement.
They had never intended to resolve the situation through negotiation. Caesar saw the opportunity to break off the talks when a group of ten cavalrymen escorting Ariovistus started throwing stones at the Roman cavalry.
Though it seemed trivial, Caesar saw it as a provocation by the Suebi tribe.
"They provoked us with violence after requesting a meeting. This is an unforgivable act that will anger the gods."
"Violence? How ridiculous! Are the Roman soldiers complaining about being hit by a few pebbles? If they're such weaklings, they're not qualified to negotiate with us," Ariovistus retorted.
Though Ariovistus underestimated the Roman army's strength, he saw through Caesar's intentions but decided to go along with it. He had no intention of securing his position through negotiations with Rome.
Ariovistus had fought hard for fourteen years since crossing the Rhine to reach his current position. He had no intention of giving it up easily. Defeating the Romans would give him control over the territories of the Haedui and Sequani tribes, and he could claim dominion over both Gaul and Germania.
As both sides braced for battle, the ten cavalrymen guarding the meeting drew their weapons. Ariovistus felt a surge of anger and was tempted to strike Caesar, but he restrained himself.
The sight of the Roman soldiers, steady on their horses with their strange new devices, made him pause. Attacking at the meeting would be dishonorable.
With a final harsh word, Ariovistus turned his horse around.
"Now that we've returned to our camps, there is nothing left but war. I will make you regret your recklessness for challenging us."
"Wait!" Caesar called out, halting Ariovistus.
He made an offer that Ariovistus had never expected. Upon hearing it, Ariovistus laughed loudly.
"Hahaha! Are you insane? Fine. I accept. We have no reason to refuse."
The area Marcus intended to take control of was Alsace.
The Roman army, having left Bibracte, now moved toward the Suebi tribe, poised for the confrontation that would decide the region's fate.
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