Life of Young Gaius
I am Gaius Calpurnis Bucco, born into the Senatorial class in Aleria in 635. I am 17 years old. Although I did well at school I had little time for it. It was always my desire to be a soldier, to fight for the glory of Rome. Life in Aleria was idyllic but dull, nothing ever happens there except news of great battles in Africa, Iberia or Gaul. How I yearned to swap the pretty views from the family villa for the din of battle!
My father isn't a soldier, he is a politician and has many connections in Rome. Using his influence he got me the thing I wanted most of all, a posting in a cavalry unit! I have four sister and I am my mothers only son, so she fusses over me and was very against me leaving for an army life but my father eventually convinced her. He said he is getting old now and he wanted to live long enough to hear of great victories his son had won over the barbarians. To this my mother finally conceded.
Despite my young years I was given command of a cavalry contingent composed of horse and men from my home town, most of whom I know well, and we departed to Genoa to join up with Titus Fulvius Nobilior. He is a friend of my fathers who will mentor me in my military career. We left by bireme and I have to admit I had a lump in my throat that I did not expect, it was the first time I had ever left the island and the ship had barely slipped from its berth and I was missing home already! But my nerves soon past and were overtaken by excitement and what lay ahead for me.
In Genoa I met with Titus Fulvius Nobilior. He is an outstanding officer and he excels in almost every possible science, from military tactics to oratory. He is also a very friendly and likeable man, not all military men are! I am very glad he is not of those coarse and bad tempered generals. Our section of Legio X is a mixed division with legionnaires of course but outnumbered by Italian auxiliaries. I'm told our Ligurian cavalry are of excellent quality, they certainly look fierce, and we even have some Celtic spearman attached.
I was familiar with the mountains of Corsica but they did not prepare me for the incredible Alps. They seemed to me to be a visual reminder that I am now far from home and that I have swapped an easy life for that of a soldier. Summer had almost passed so it was cold, rainy and misty during the crossing, and when we had passed the highest peaks and descended the other side we camped in pine forests on the lower slopes, by then it was freezing, with thick snow!
When the winter passes we will press on. Our mission is, if we can, cross over the channel that separates the Britons from the Gauls and establish Roman rule there. I wish away the days till summer and look forward to wetting my sword with the blood of British savages!
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Originally Posted by Gylippus
