PART LI - A LAMB IS LED TO THE SLAUGHTER
In the Spring, Terasus, Dictator of Rome, decided to take a personal hand in events in Gaul. Fearing the Republican leanings of his general, Scipio, he led the reinforcing army to Gaul and occupied the area of Iberia to "protect" it on behalf of the Gallic people. Scipio and his forces were ordered to Avanticum to strengthen the Gallic troops there. In Terasus' absence, he left his elder brother Hadrius in the city of Rome to watch after his interests and keep the Republican party from becoming a threat to his Dictatorship.
The leading Republican Senator and Terasus' bitterest enemy was Fabio. Fabio constantly intrigued to unite the freedom-loving factions of the country against Terasus. He was handicapped in this effort by the unfortunate fact that his mental capacities in no way matched his Republican passions.
For the past two years, he had been scheming in his own inept way. His attempts to organize support in the city were thwarted by the efforts of Hadrius and by Terasus' popularity, which had risen as the victories of Roman arms in Gaul had grown. His clumsy efforts to recruit Scipio to his cause had only offended that highly moral general.
The best Fabio had been able to do was to plot with his son Messala. The Consul Messala was a brilliant admiral and in charge of the navy, but was no politician. He was willing to dream along with his father about the return of a Roman Republic and even planned how to bring over the men of the navy to their cause.
Messala had been ordered to sail to Iberia in the fall to transport Terasus and his troops back to their winter quarters in Neapolis. Fabio case to his son with a plot whereby Messala would arrest the Dictator during the voyage hose. Fabio claimed that his agents had approached several ships' captains and that the admiral could count on their help and loyalty.
The prospect of advancing their dreams to harsh reality was too such for the moral and dutiful Messala. He refused to participate in or endorse the plan. Fabio returned to Rome disappointed.
Tragically, Fabio had not been discreet. Rumor of the still-born plot travelled through the navy, eventually reaching the ears of Demosthenes. After having betrayed his Gallic protectors to the Romans, he now commanded the Roman fleet guarding the coast of Gaul. Demosthenes had been looking for a way to advance from admiral of a fleet to admiral of the navy. These rumors were his gift from the Bads. He soon embellished them and saw to it that they were spread throughout his fleet and amongst the soldiers in Iberia.
He then went to Terasus with the disturbing news of treachery. When Terasus refused to believe his, the admiral bade his talk to other Roman officers of the army and navy for confirmation. Terasus did so, and heard many wild and terrible stories.
Terasus neither trusted nor believed Demosthenes. However, with the story of a plot accepted by the soldiers and sailors, he saw this as a chance to deal a crippling blow to the Republican cause. When Messala arrived in Iberia in mid-Septeeber, Terasus invited his to a private meeting with Demosthenes and a few other officers. Here, Messala was seized and accused of terrible crimes by all present.
Terasus pointed out to his that he was already judged guilty by both army and navy. He offered him the choice of returning to Rome in chains to stand trial with his father or of committing suicide in Iberia. With the assurance of Terasus and the others that the affair would die with his, so that no disgrace or harm would fall upon his father, Messala agreed to return to his quarters and open his veins.
Thus, both Terasus and Demosthenes got rid of an enemy. Rome lost a fine citizen who was also a brave and brilliant admiral.
Terasus felt confirmed in his low opinion of the devious Demosthenes. He now mistrusted and feared him as a vicious, ambitious and dangerous man. He gave Demosthenes temporary command of the western navy and sailed with his back to its base in Neapolis. The Dictator wanted to get safely back to his power base in Rome before he decided on how to handle his new admiral. Scipio returned to winter quarters in Londinius, near his fleet. He sent Marcus with a small force to Turnacum to garrison the interior.
Thus ended the events of the third year of the general conflicts which engulfed all of the lands surrounding the Tideless Sea.
Rulers in Assyria, the Baleric Islands, and Vikingland had all met violent deaths. The martial efforts of Greece, Assyria, Crete, Carthage, Egypt and the Baleric Islands had cost much in human life and expenditures, but had yielded little in terms of permanent gain.
Gaul had managed to protect her territory, albeit at the price of allowing the hated Roman troops access to their country. Persia had regained such of the territory she had been forced to cede to Egypt. Carthage had narrowly staved off total defeat, but at the price of having Assyria and Egypt occupy over half of her territory.
Perhaps the major outcome of this third year of conflict did not occur until the winter had set in. It hid become obvious to even the dullest of the rulers that each was surrounded with neighbors who were greedy for acquisition of territory, plunder and glary. Everyone began to realize that war was likely to be a continuing state for years to come.
Thus it was that a great effort was begun in all quarters to actively recruit and train more soldiers and build larger navies. The following years would surely see war on a larger scale.
This brought to a close the first epoch of the Great Wars. This epoch was the Age of Innocence, as rulers, largely unskilled in the ways of international politics and wars, grappled with new concepts such as treaties, strategies and the marshalling of large armies for year-long war.
It was marked by generals and admirals who knew little about fighting with large forces and even less about how to organize and transport thee through enemy country. The future would see sore sophisticated rulers served by professional commanders who would lead such larger armies. The result of this "progress" was to be far greater devastation and loss of life.
EDITOR'S NOTE: This installment of Terry's "Conflicts of the Ancient World' will be the last to appear in the pages of SAVAGE AND SOLDIER. In 1977, when I took over the editing and publishing of S&S, one of the conditions was that I be able to include our local newsletter, "The Warrior" in S&S. With the recent "formal" creation of the Northwest Historical Miniature Gaming Society (NHMGS), and the decision to put out its newsletter, THE CITADEL, on a regular basis, Terry agreed to allow his series to be relocated to the more appropriate "local-oriented" publication.
I know same of you have been confused as to why an Ancients campaign has been included in S&S, others considered it a waste of potentially one or two more pages of Colonial material, and probably some of you at least got some enjoyment out of it. I'd like to take a brief moment to thank Terry for his regular contributions for the past 10 1/2 years... nobody else can match his record!
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© Copyright 1987 by Milton Soong.
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