The Triumvirate Falls- The Year of our Lord 436
True to his word, Gundulf and his regiments of spear masters camped at their fort for two nights to recuperate, while the other half of his army took anything of value to a decimated army from Caesaraugusta. All of the grain-stores of the rich farmlands of Tarraconensis were plundered for porridge for Gundulf’s haggard men. The march to Tarraco would take another season, leading into the summer of 436. The torrential rains and thunderstorms continued, and it was not until he reached Tarraco that they abated, if only for a day. The Lombards saw this as an omen that old pagan Donar was in action through God almighty, when thunder would rumble and herald the arrival of the two armies. God was bowling, they said.
As had been mentioned, the closest legion to the crisis in Italy was that of Gundemar in Aquiae Sextis, near Massalia. The allowance of the Caledonians to settle in norther Gaul, had spurred invasions by other Celtic groups such as the Picts, who had taken up residence in Belgica and Frisia. The legion of Gundemar was marching east to reinforce Milano from the Hun armies that had broken through, when scouts reported that the inheritors of Roman Britain, led by Dux Bellorum Servius Favonius Strabo had crossed the channel and had marched through Pictish and Caledonian territory into Gaul, and finally Narbonensis, putting Aquiae and it’s fabled stables at risk.
Their motivation, was, of course, the trespasses of Gundulf against their Romano-Gallic brothers, and the alliances with the Celts, notably the Ebdanians, which had gone sour during this collapse. Gundemar defended the province from the Romano-British, who ruled from a round table, albeit with heavy casualties to the Celtic allies of the Romans that had joined the army in it’s trek from Britannia. Hermenegild was turning to reinforce on the main front, but without Gundemar’s numbers, Segusio, perhaps even Aquiae Sextis was doomed to the plundering legion of Archon Arxa, who struck west across Liguria toward Milano, as Gundulf delayed.
Consumed by the taste of vengeance, Gundulf realized the consequences of his actions, but sent a letter to the Emperor that he would sail from Tarraco and that the fate of the weakened Tranquilus was of no consequence, with the Alemanni now becoming hostile to them. He also had a legacy to maintain. His sons Eraric and Vithimiris were growing older, and the conquest of the most powerful port in the western Mediterranean would be an excellent gift to their names and stature within the empire. Gundulf was already one of the strongest tacticians, but he had been relying on coin much too often for victory of late, as stressed as his army was, and wanted the ends to justify the means.
After the defeat of the British expedition, Gundemar could do nothing but hold his forces at Aquaie, waiting for Arxa, who was free, along with Bastarnians and Burgundians, to lay siege to Milano.
Dux Bellorum Servius Favonius Strabo- The Wishes Round Table of Britain
Chlodovech, the headstrong eldest son of Fastida meant to assert his authority in Hispania. With all of Baetica, Lusitania, and Carthaginensis long being lands of the Alamans since the days of the migration into Spain by groups such as the Jutes, the Alemanni would have none of the Lombards expanding from their boon-town at Elusa into Tarraconensis. To strike fear into the Lombards, Chlodovech joined with Gundulf’s army as it marched south. His numbers were truly diminished, relying on mercenaries from the breadth of Iberia, and had only two regiments of heavy horse with his army.
He was confronted by a much larger force of Tranquilus who demanded his surrender, upon which time he would be freed and sent home with his surviving men to Italy, very much as he had intended, from the port of Taracco. Gundulf maneuvered through the hills for many weeks, evading patrols of the larger Roman army, picking up mercenary bands as he went, using the campaign finance first afforded by Eutharic to bankruptcy.
Finally, out of options, he met the secondary Roman force, cornered, but it was Chlodovech who came to his aid. Together, the Alemanni and Gundulf destroyed the force led by Structus, which retreated south to Tarraco, and the march south could continue. Forever in the debt of Chlodovech, Gundulf made several promises to him, that he would never be able to keep, regarding lavish rewards from Ravenna.
Prince Chlodovech and the Alemanni versus Gallica
On a clear day bright day, a lull in the dreadful weather of the entire campaign, as Gundulf and his besieging army stood before Tarraco, with the Legio X Gemina prepared to enter the city, a negotiator was sent into the city to demand it’s surrender.
Tranquilus scoffed at the notion of surrender, at first comparing Gundulf to a stubborn wayward boy, about to be scolded by his master. But then inviting the negotiator up to the palace in Tarraco for several glasses of wine.
Tranquilus beckons for peace with Gundulf
The negotiator’s name was Janus Josephus Phocas of Benevento, a Roman, who could speak the Latin of the empire, as well as that of the church well, and had large, honest eyes and a white smile and expressive cheeks. He was welcomed into the palace by Tranquilus personally, who turned his calm, dopey eyes to his guest and beckoned him in, past the Cyclopean walls that helped make Tarragona famous.
He walked through the marbled halls, in awe of how peaceful and Spartan a place of authority could be, with none of the trophies or decorum of a Gothic warlord’s hall. He finally came to the King’s quarters, and there he saw the decorum, a simple marble bust of Honorius at age fifteen, and Saturninus at age seventy. Tranquilus’ weapons were upon the wall, along with a mannequin with a cuirass of armor. Tranquilus whistled a fifing tune, and poured a glass of wine for Janus.
‘You still cherish the memory of Saturninus?’ The negotiator said cautiously.
‘Yes, a great man. I could think of no wiser ally to preserve the Western Empire. Perhaps if Vithericus had not been such a cruel conqueror, I would have never joined the splinters of Honorius’ wayward sons, and stayed in the service of Saturninus, the true emperor, after Stilicho’s death, rather than be a petty Rex. I was a a young man, then. And the world was young, and now it is nearing it’s end. The Thuringians have been destroyed, soon the Germanic hordes who took our homes will have none of their own.’
‘Foolish words. Do not despair. The Roman and Gothic guardians of Italy endure, King Tranquilus. If Honorius had been a bit kinder to the foederati of Vandals and Goths, and had not ordered the massacres in Illyria, perhaps we would, some fifty years earlier, still served the empire faithfully till now, against the Huns all the same. As it stands, Gesalec is a stalwart steward of the west. Attila will be defeated by Magister Miletum Trapstilicus and Strategon Sigericus.’
‘Ah, Trapstilicus, savior of the Roman people, or champion of his own cunning? To have married Gaatha, cousin of Vithericus, and arranged himself to such lofts. And Sigericus, a daft drunk with brutish ways, most of all in the bedrooms of Savva and Eutharicus, when the frightened boys lived.’
‘Sigeric is married, sire.’
‘And Eutharicus died bravely at the hands of the Uar, Burgundians, and Heruli. I've had my spies roll with him. These things are not the sum of a man’s character.’ Tranquilus said softly.
‘ Then show your character, and permit my lord Gundulf Yellow-Beard to enter your city and ensure your intentions are peaceable.’ Janus said. He could tell the man was at peace with God, and would have no disturbances to his sucre here, or the rich trade lanes that plied to the Attian Pilate or the Vandals across the Mediterranean, or Naples itself.
‘I will do no such thing. I offer him peace, nothing more. This city has stood for fifty years in the domain of Gallica, with I as it’s King. Now that King is an ally of Gesalec, an ally of this savior of Italy, Trapstilicus, and Gundulf, Gundulf is in renege of his liege lord’s orders. Walk from this sanctum, and offer him the olive branch. Tell him he may use our port to sail and serve the city of Rome, with my blessing, and the blessing of Christ, but by Christ he has coveted his neighbor’s joy, this my capital, and coveted vengeance and wrath.’
‘You are a peaceful man,’ Said Janus Josephus Phocas. ‘ I will relay your word, but unfortunately Gundulf believes hostilities between our domains have re-commenced.’
The skies grew dark and thunder was brewing. The shadows of the brooding sky crept into the formerly bright chambers, and their open windows.
‘Indeed they have. Which is why I sent a negotiator to his camp as well, with the same offer, and the armies of Orangius Cotta and Bruttius Structus at their back.’
THE BATTLE OF TARRACO
Captain Mundus, one of the heroes of the bloody battle, the eventual first conqueror of the port of Tarragon
The final battle took place near the magnificent aqueduct outside the city of Tarraco. The survivors of the clash against the Alemanni had joined with Orangius Cotta and Bruttius Structus. Gundulf first led with his heavy horse, which charged across the storm amidst lightning and booming thunder. The battlefield was muddy which did not help the weight of the horses, but they were fresh, and inflicted early casualties to the depleted ranks of Structus’ force, he forced some of the Comitensis into route when the horses spun and entered a second charge. The Comes of Cotta’s force rode hard and joined the skirmish that heralded the sure march of the schiltrom of Spear Masters. Despite their losses to the Lombards and later the Alemanni, the Roman ranks were still heavily composed of cavalry, and this is why Gundulf was hoping for a siege, in fact on his way to encircle the city when he was confronted by the negotiator.
The charge is met
The mercenary captains distinguish themselves
The spear masters in their heavy armor and woven cloaks formed a wide wall of spears and marched slowly, knowing that the rainfall would only add to their exhaustion.
Gundulf would keep his head, and bellow orders to hold the line from behind, while the spears confronted the palatina and light infantry in their chainmail. The modern Roman legionary was much more equipped to the heavy rain fall than those of centuries past, including the third century.
The Comes lancers are confronted by the spear masters
The spear masters began skewering the heavy horse of the Roman Comes, including the Royal guard with their purple cloaks. Bruttius Structus was the first to die, brought down by a javelin thrown from the tight ranks of spears. Each of the spear master was equipped with a quiver of them, and they hurled them again and again, bringing down the horses.
Seeing that Bruttius had finally been brought down, after two previous clashes with him, Gundulf became eager, and ordered his Gothic nobles and Saiones to enter the fray, to break the remaining horses. In the pitched battle he did not notice the size of the force levied in the impressive barracks of Tarraco, and the Roman legionaries began to encircle the Goths. The spear masters fought valiantly, entering frenzies and being ordered to hold steady while the Gothic heavy cavalry could charge again and again against the flanks of the wide and smothering Roman line.
Soon enough, the Romans began to break at the edges, more-so from the javelins hurled into their cluttered bulk than actual melee.
Gundulf, his instincts going for the jugular of the faltering Romans, orders a charge.
Gundulf, see the edges beginning to fray entered battle himself, and was shocked to see a man behind him to his left, speared, spattering blood over the Commander. He fought on desperately trying to reach Cotta. Cotta had his own plans for Gundulf. ‘For your folly, Goth oath-breaker!’ He shouted, instructing his men to focus on attacking Gundulf’s boyguards and the nobles who served him. The Saiones began to fall from the javelins hurled by the remaining Romans, and the Legio pushed through the center of the spears, focusing on the head.
Gundulf could see the aqueduct, he swore he could see the distant walls of Tarraco itself in the distance, and kept his glare on Septimus Cotta in the foreground, high on his horse. ‘Spears, schiltrom, we have killed Structus, push on against this last respite of Tranquilus, scour this eye-sore from the battlefield! Slay Septimus Cotta, and his meek offer is for naught!’
The spears followed his bellowing instructions and made for the Roman general, only to leave the Gothic nobles and Gundulf behind, in melee with the legionaries. Gundulf fought fiercely, his blonde beard swaying slack in the rain and dark blue skies crying upon the men and the turmoil.
Gundulf blocked a spear-point and grinned savagely as he dealt the offending Roman soldier and piercing stab to the liver with his longsword. And in that motion, another spear split straight through Gundulf’s beard. In caught in the beard, and snapped Gundulf head back and forth as the soldier desperately tried to free his spear so he could defend himself. With one jerking heave, Gundulf’s head was torn from his shoulders, and blood spouted across the battlefield, with the renegade General’s head hanging by it’s beard upon the spear. The soldier was soon thereafter cut down. Perhaps the last thing Gundulf had seen, was his troops overpowering Septimus Cotta and bringing him down from his horse!
Both sides chase one another from the field.
The aftermath of the battle was a phyrric one. Both armies left the field, with the Romans in no position to defend Tarraco for an extended period of time, and the Gothic forces ill-suited to live out their own siege, and all of the participating commanders slain in the battle. Only Tranquilus remained, and the captains who had distinguished themselves in the doomed legion of Leon, the X Gemina, the legion of Widimir the Heir, from decades past. The captains of Gundulf promised each-other that Gundulf’s mission would not be in vain and that the port of Tarraco would be secured.
Sigeric and Trapstila, in Italy, were running out of allies fast. Attila and Arxa were bringing their own brand of terror to the north of the peninsula.
The renegade general has met his doom. Whether the Romano-Gothic Empire can compensate will be covered in our next part- face to face.