It was around 13 June 278 and 10 cloaked figures were seen in the distance. The sun was bright and the men decided to use their hooded cloaks to block the sun’s rays.
It was a calm and warm day but they marched in a straight line with a purpose in mind slowly reaching the huge estate of a former senator and known wealthy merchant living outside the outskirts of the great city of Rome.
The estate was huge and surrounded by plush fields full of grass and managed by well-dressed slaves of the best quality available.
When the 11 men reached the estate entrance, the first man of the group was stopped by a master of the slaves who politely asked about the men and their business. Taking his hood off his head Crassus demanded to be taken to the head of the Lucan family so he can deliver a message. Despite protesting about the unannounced visit the slave master relented and went inside the estate to summon his master.
After some time an old but well-built man who was starting to have grey hair on the sides of his head stepped out of the house and moved towards the unknown visitors. Reaching the men outside his estate, Calvus Lucan glanced at the men before saying.
-Salve citizens, who are you, and what is your purpose here?
Taking a step forward and making a nod with his head in a sign of respect Crassus reached behind his cloak to reach a sealed parchment and said.
-I was instructed by my general Decimus Rufus Sextilius to come and bring you this sealed parchment!
Raising his eyebrow Calvus said :
-I know no Decimus Rufus Sextilia ..Sextilius, what message does the parchment contain?
Crassus extending his hand with the parchment towards the old man said:
-I don’t know the content inside the parchment sir but I insist that you read it.
The old man took the parchment ripped the seal and started to read and after finishing it looked straight at Crassus with some hate in his eyes.
-I don’t care what your master demands, trowing the parchment on the ground and stepping on it with his expensive sandal.
-The loan I have taken was from Quintus Trebellius Ralla not from Decimus Sextilius!
-So by Roman Republic Law I owe him nothing, my debt was to Quintus, and when he died my debt became void.
I strongly recommend you leave my estate now before I take your master’s threat and use my self-defense against you and your men.
The Tribune listened attentively to what Calvus said and reluctantly directed his gaze straight into the old man’s eyes
-I was authorized to use any means necessary to retrieve my ‘Master’ money.
-Don’t force me to use violence to achieve my goals, showing his sword inside his cloak
-Surrender the money now and this is the last time we will see each other ever again!
Seeing the sword and the coldness in the soldier’s eyes, Calvus relented his steadfast resolve.
-Shame people act this way and in such a manner threatening someone for a debt they don’t own.
-It will take some time to count the money please take a seat at the table on the far end of the field and il have my servants bring wine and food while you wait as I suspect you are exhausted from your journey.
As time passed and passed some more Crassus and his men started to become important but in the end, 4 men were seen leaving the estate with a crate and 1 bag in their hands. Reaching them the 4 men threw the crate on the ground and placed the bag in Crassus’s hand.
-What is this? Said Crassus feeling the wait of it.
-500 Denarii, my master instructed me to give it to you and your men.
-He said that you had 2 options!
-Take the money and leave intact
-Or insist on the debt, while opening the crate reviling daggers and swords.
Looking straight at the leader of the 4 men Crassus noticed Calvus Lucan on one of the windows on his estate watching the discussion taking place.
-And if I refuse to leave? Said Crassus!
Taking a sword from the crate and signaling 12 more men to join them the leader of the group said
-I will chop off your head and use it to scarecrows on the fields.
While listening to the leader make his treats, Crassus put his hand on his sword and with a split second spin sliced the head of the leader. The unexpected move caught the estate guards by such surprise that before they managed to regroup Crassus’s men were already on them killing them before they could counterattack or defend themselves properly.
Taking a moment to look around he ordered his men to kill the rest of the guards and to round up all the mansion slaves and family members. When all the people were before him he addressed all :
- I give all of you a chance to help me find Calvus Lucan money, help me and I will spare you from a quick death.
- Defy me and I will slaughter you all to the last man, woman, and child.
As no one told him anything he ordered his men to start killing slaves until one scared for his life promised to take him to his master’s money location.
After the money required was counted and taken Crassus ordered his men to set the fields and mansion on fire.
Calvus started to curse and insult everyone for what they did to him and his family and that he would have his revenge in this life or the other until Crassus hit him in the back of his head and knocked him out cold. He also ordered his men to put a bag over calvus head and tie up his mouth so he could be transported back to the Roman army camp.
After his men finished burning the estate and put Calvus on a horse he asked what to do about the remaining slaves and Lucan family members alive :
- There needs to be no evidence that could link us to this ‘accident’.
- Kill them all and make it seem like pirates or thieves attacked them!
Turning to the slave who helped him threw him a bag with 500 denarii :
- As you helped me I decided to spare your life, there are 500 denarii.
- Take the money and leave Rome and go as far as you can so that we never meet again.
Taking the bag of denarii the slave promised he would leave as far as he could and that he would never speak to anyone about what happened there today.
Giving the slave a cold stare Crassus said some parting words :
- For your sake, I hope that you don’t as the man I serve would make you suffer in a way you could never imagine!
As the night was showing in the sky the military Tribune and his men left the Lucan estate with huge flames showing behind them as they burned the last remnants of this once proud and old family.
The group took 8 days to reach Legion III Vulcania who was marching orderly towards a possible position of the Epeiros army. During Crassus’s absence, he found out from briefings that the Legion furthest Collums had low clashes with the enemy army who attempted to march towards Beneventum and who also tried several times to ambush the Roman army but failed every time thanks to Rufus’s new movement method.
This cat and mouse movent kept going for almost 20 days until the Epeiros army made some mistakes and managed to give the Romans a chance to attack their rear and destroy their supplies and supply lines. Cornered into a situation with no return King Pyrrhus of Epeiros decided to stand and face the superior numbered Roman army in battle here rather than face both Legions in Taras in a siege where he could not use his war Elephants.
The king decided to give battle on a large area covered with 3 steep hills on his side and with few forests around him so he could have time to react if the enemy army had any intention to surround him as their superior numbers would be a problem in this situation.
In the Roman temporary camp inside the main command tent, the officers and sub-officers gathered to be briefed on the battle plan. Rufus joined them all and having a map made by his scouts of the area they will give battle the next day said :
- The Epeiros army chose a very good position, 3 steep hills on their position and almost no forest near them.
- So a surprise attack or envelopment is out of the question but I think this could work to our advantage in the end!
- The main problem is those Elephants, I suspect Pyrrhus will likely keep them in reserve and deploy them only to break our cohesion or to smash units who are isolated on the field so had a discussion with Tribune Crassus and made this plan.
- 3 units of Triarii will move on the left flank and join 3 units of Equities.
- The equities will harras the enemy flank and try to draw the elephants out during which the 3 triarii units will form a 2 unit block and engage the elephants and pin them into place while the 3rd unit of Triarri will engage the pinned Elephants from the rear while the equities will hit their flanks to keep them in the middle until we destroy the unit.
- When the elephants are engaged our entire mainline will advance on the enemy main line and attack them head-on.
- By this time the phalanx will be deployed but we will have to attack them head-on despite their advantage in terrain and position.
- I want no reserve units to try to encircle the enemy army until I have received orders that our left flank has destroyed their right flank.
- When our cavalry is free to join the main battle I will give you the go-ahead to advance and encircle the enemy.
- Last part of the plan is the Javelin units, which will be kept in reserve and used only after we encircled the enemy army.
- Do you have anything to add men?
As no one said anything and agreed with the plan they started to leave the command tent to discharge their orders to their sub-officers.
The next day on 15 July 278 in the early morning both armies started to deploy to their positions. The Epeiros army as expected by Rufus deployed on the hills and was formed of around 14000 phalanx units, 2000 mercenary swordsmen, 2000 cavalry, and 80 war elephants.
Legion Vulcania positioned itself on the base of the hill some 2 miles away from the enemy army. The Roman army was formed of 20000 Triarii, 5000 Equites cavalry, and 4750 Javelin men.
III Legion deployed in the specified formation, on their left flank 3 units of Triarii 6000 strong positioned themselves behind 3 units of Equites 3000 strong.
In the center, the mainline was formed of 5 units of Triarii 10000 strong followed by 4750 Javelin men and 2 units of Triarii in reserve. Rufus’ guard unit and 2 units of Equites 2000 strong positioned themselves on the right flank