Last week on Reunion in Legio I: As the first legion prepares for battle Legionary Aeneas Flavius prays for excitement.

And now episode two: “Testudo”

As the sun began to rise over the valley, Aeneas and his
cohort enjoyed the last few moments of peaceful silence. When the sun finished chasing the moon below
the horizon a Roman war trumpet sounded its low mournful call. It was followed
by fifty-nine of its brass brethren. The haunting calls of the Roman horns
filled the valley. After a pause they were challenged by a Celtic war horn. The
opposing calls chilled the valley with the fear of battle.

The ninth and third Roman cohorts were ordered to advance and make preparations for the attack. One detachment rolled a battering ram out the front gate of the Roman fort and stopped, waiting for the rest of the soldiers to assemble behind them. Hundreds of soldiers formed line after line behind the battering ram, preparing to make up the testudo formation. This closed shield assault formation, named after the armored tortoise, would incite panic in the Celts. However, using this formation would be no easy task. The cumbersome testudo provided powerful protection against projectiles but was useless in close combat. The cohorts would need an escort of quick and nimble cavalry to support them in case of a counter attack. Aeneas had requested to be stationed in the foremost formation of the testudo column. He wanted a chance to prove himself in battle. 

By midday the third and ninth cohort plus a hundred horsemen had gathered outside the walls of the legion’s palisade. The legionarys were standing in line and began to beat their shields with their swords. The ground rumbled with terror. The senior centurions shouted “Forma testudine!” The legionarys raised and locked their shields. The senior centurions gave the command to advance. The cohorts started moving. A few Celtic warriors shot arrows and threw spears at the Romans, but the projectiles ricocheted harmlessly off the legionary’s testudo barrier of shields. 

Suddenly a few dozen Celtic skirmishers came out of the bushes and charged towards the legionarys in the testudo. The Roman cavalry swiftly moved to intercept the Celts. Leading them was the commander of Aeneas’s cohort. The fearless officer charged into the swarm of barbarians. Aeneas watched as the imposing/powerful/impressive/heroic Senior Centurion engaged the band of ragged skirmishers, destroying them as if they were ants on a wall.

One of the Celts got lucky. He reached up and gave the Centurion a blow to the side of his body. The Centurion fell off his horse and dropped his spear. The Celt was about to hew him down when Aeneas’s instincts kicked in and he did the one thing he was ordered never ever to do; he broke rank and ran to his commander’s aid.