Rome. Legion X Fretensis - The Swabian affair: de re Suebiana

Also by Ray Gleason

From Morgan James Fiction

The Gaius Marius Chronicles

De Re Gabiniana: The Gabinian Affair (2015)

De Re Helvetiana : The Helvetian Affair (2016)

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A Grunt Speaks: A Devils Dictionary of Vietnam Infantry Terms (2009)

The Violent Season (2013)

THE GAIUS MARIUS CHRONICLE

BOOK III

De Re Suebiana

Ray Gleason

NEW YORK

NASHVILLEMELBOURNEVANCOUVER

THE GAIUS MARIUS CHRONICLE BOOK III

THE SWABIAN AFFAIR

De Re Suebiana

2017 Ray Gleason .

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To Sock,

Jacqueline Frances Marmion Nohilly,

30 March 1936 3 October 2016

My darlin Big Sister and Little Mom.

So long as men can breathe, or eyes can see,

So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.

I miss you evey day, sweetheart!

Gaius Marius Insubrecus Tertius , our hero, known variously as follows:

Arth Uthr , Fearsome Bear, by his Gallic comrades

Pagane , the Hick, by his Roman army mates

Gai, by Caesar, Labienus, his family, close friends, and his few girlfriends

Insubrecus by his army colleagues and casual associates

Prime, Top, but thats much later in his military career

Gaius Iulius Caesar , Imperator and commander of the Roman legions in Gaul; Proconsul of Cisalpine Gaul, Transalpine Gaul, and Illyricum; ex-Consul of the Roman Repubulic and Triumvir with Gnaeus Pompeius and Marcus Licinius Crassus; Patronus of our hero, Gaius Marius Insubrecus

Caesars Legates in Gaul:

Titus Labienus, a professional soldier and Caesars right-hand man; second in command of the army who saved Caesars bacon at Bibracte

Publius Licinius Crassus, Iunior , one of the two sons of Caesars colleague and fellow triumvir , Publius Licinius Crassus, Senior; appointed to Caesars staff as a favor to his father and sent to Gaul by his father to keep an eye on his partner, Caesar

Publius Vatinius , served Caesar in Rome as his pet tribune of the Plebs, a political appointment

Caesars Military Tribunes:

Tertius Gellius Publicola , a laticlavus , the senior tribune of the Ninth Legion; the younger son of an ex-consul, a member of the Optimates in the Roman Senate

Lucius Vipsanius Agrippa, an Italian from Asisium; an equestrian, a social and political nobody, but a good officer, serving as Caesars quartermaster; older brother of Marcus, who eventually makes it big

Tertius Nigidius Caecina, an angusticlavus , a junior tribune, serving as Caesars adjutant; the nephew of the Senator Publius Nigidius Figulus

Quintus Porcius Licinius , the laticlavus assigned to the Eleventh Legion; allowed to stay at Bibracte during the Swabian campaign; no relation to Cato the Younger, so considered by Caesar to be politically safe

The Centurions:

Quintus Macro, our heros mentor, with the rank of centurio ad manum Caesari ; serving as the commander of the Roman military port in Massalia

Tertius Piscius Malleus, the Hammer, Centurio Primus Pilus of the Tenth Legion

Spurius Hosidius Quiricus, Quercus, the Oak, Centurio Primus Pilus of the Ninth Legion

Volesus Salvius Durianus, known as Durus , the Hard Case; commander of the Second Century, First Cohort of the Tenth Legion; Malleus number one

Other Roman Officers:

Manius Bruttius de Castris , Tesserarius of the Third Century, Second Cohort, Tenth Legion; a mus castrorum , army brat; called Risulus , Chuckles, by his mates because of his sunny disposition

Appius Papirius Cerialis , head engineer of the Ninth Legion

Manius Rabirius , aka, Mani Talus , Mani Knuckle Bones, because of his uncanny luck at dice, especially when using his own; serves occasionally, when not occupied with his gambling career, as a decurio in the cavalry detachment of the Ninth Legion

Gahela, the Gauls

The Aedui, the Aineduai , the Dark Moon people:

Duuhruhda mab Clethguuhno, Uucharix , tribal king of the Aedui, and Poblrix , clan leader of the Wuhr Blath , the Wolf clan of the Aineduai ; known to the Romans as Diviciacus

Deluuhnu mab Clethguuhno, brother of Duuhruhda; Dunorix of the Aedui, commander of the garrison of Bibracte; known to the Romans as Dumnorix

Cuhnetha mab Cluhweluhno, Buchrix or Cattle King of a small settlement east of Bibracte; Poblrix , clan leader of the Wuhr Tuurch , the Boar Clan of the Aedui; a pretender to the throne

Morcant mab Cuhnetha, leader of ten in the Aedui cavalry; a prince of the Boar Clan; oldest son of Cuhnetha

Tegid mab Davuhd , Morcants shield bearer and cousin; brother of Rhonwen

Rhonwen merc Gwen , niece of Cuhnetha; a sassy redhead who caught Insubrecus eye in the previous tale and whose memory clearly lingers on in his mind

Rhuhderc mab Touhim , a veteran warrior in Morcants troop who chances only to play a murder victim in this story; hoped to marry Rhonwen, but never quite managed to, hence the ancient Gallic proverb, A quick death is preferable to a long marriage with a redhead.

Teguhd , one of Morcants warriors and a plot device

The Sequani, the Soucanai , the people of the river goddess Soucana:

Athauhnu mab Hergest , Pencefhul , leader of a hundred, commander in the Auxiliary Sequani Cavalry; known as Adonus Dux to the Romans

Emlun , Athauhnus nephew

Guithiru , a troop commander in the Sequani cavalry with the Roman name of Caeso

Rhodri , a Sequani scout

Ci, the Hound, a troop commander in the Sequani cavalry; known also by the Roman name of Caius

Idwal , a friend of Emlun; a rider in Athauhnus troop

Aneirin mab Berwuhn, a leader of a hundred serving under the Cadeuhrn , the Battle Lord of Vesantio

Dai mab Gluhn, Aneirins lieutenant, a leader of ten.

Arion mab Cadarn, one of Athauhnus new recruits who is accused of Rhuhdercs murder