“Comrades,” he began in his customary style, but his next words felt like a lash. “Why do you stand here looking so downcast? Why are you acting as if we are defeated? Is this the army that I have led these many years to victory after victory, that they would let one minor defeat take their courage?”
I could feel the ripple of surprise and dismay pass through the ranks, along with some muttered exclamations.
“Silete!”
I could see that Primus Pilus Crastinus was genuinely angry, not just putting on a show like he normally did. “The next man to utter a word I’ll flay the skin off myself, damn you!”
His words had the desired effect, and I was thankful that Caesar acted as if he had not heard anything and was merely waiting for his words to be repeated. Then, he continued.
“We have conquered Gaul; we have conquered Hispania; we have conquered Italia, and we crossed through stormy seas to land here without losing one man, yet you still doubt that I am unable to overcome even such a slight setback? I have done all that a general can do to ensure our success.”
He paused, and I sensed that there was more to it than just waiting for his words to be relayed, and the moment he began speaking again, I knew I was right because his voice became harsh.
“It was not me who turned and ran; it was not me who turned on his general and threatened his very life!”
This was the first I had heard of what took place the day before, and I shot a glance at Crastinus, who looked as puzzled as I did, but there were men who obviously knew what he was talking about, because the character of the murmuring was different. To my ears, they sounded ashamed and Caesar glared over my head in the direction of where the men of the 8th and 9th were assembled. For several seconds after the Centurions relayed his last words, Caesar said nothing, instead just maintaining his scowl and glaring at the men who had turned on him. Finally, his expression softened, and his tone became, if not conciliatory, at least softer.
“But what is past cannot be undone, and as you and my enemies know, I am not one to bear a grudge. And the service you have rendered me in the past outweighs this one lapse in your duty to me. In truth, it matters not whether this setback was due to a lack of fortitude on your part, or if it is simply a matter that the gods did not favor us this day. What does matter is that I, your general, will not allow this to stop us from achieving our goal.”
There was an audible sigh of relief while we waited for his next words, but as quickly as it came, the sense of having escaped further punishment blew away like smoke before a strong wind. “However, while I can forgive your lapse in your duty, I cannot forgive the loss of so many standards. Therefore, I now call on the signifer for each Century and Cohort that surrendered their standards to the enemy to step forward and receive punishment.”
There was another commotion as the men Caesar had named made their way to the front of the formation. Some of them came, if not willingly, at least on their own power. Others among them had to be shoved forward by their comrades, and I felt my lips curl in contempt at the naked fear shown by some of the men. These were veterans, acting like they were raw tirones, quaking in fear as they stood at some semblance of intente in front of Caesar. Is this what happens when a man finally loses his nerve, I wondered, and I was troubled by a fleeting thought that if it happened to men charged with carrying the standard, it could happen to anyone. Immediately, I dismissed the idea from my mind and turned my attention back to the rostrum, where Caesar stared down at the miserable specimens in front of him.
“You have failed in your duty, not just to your general, but to them.” He swept his arm over the rest of the army. “Your comrades, men you have marched with for many years. And it is your failure to them that I must punish, not your failure to your general. I hereby reduce you all to Gregarius, and sentence you to 60 days on barley and water. I further order that each of you be given ten lashes, which I will suspend for the time being until such time as I deem appropriate. You are dismissed.”
The humiliated men turned stiffly about, marching on unsteady legs back to their respective Centuries to take their place in the ranks. After they had resumed their spots, Caesar turned his attention back to the matter at hand.
“Now, my comrades, we must move on to the next phase of this campaign. This position is no longer tenable, and I have decided that we must move to a new position. .”
“Nooooooooooo!”
“Caesar, do not shame us this way! Let us stay and fight!”
The roar of protest swelled as Caesar stood, listening impassively to the men shouting at him to let them fight. He listened for a moment, then lifted his hand, but it took the Centurions a moment to quiet the men down before he continued.
“I understand your feelings, my comrades. Believe me, I do. We are leaving many of our friends behind; their blood has soaked this ground. But my responsibility is to put this army in the best position to win, and that is what I must do now by moving the army to a better location. I ask you to show the same zeal that you are displaying now in preparing to move. And I swear to you on Jupiter’s Stone that you will have the opportunity to avenge your fallen comrades!”