The year is 55BCE, Julius Caesars first invasion of Britain was concluded and his legions were
sailing back to the continent, the one persistent factor during his expeditions to the Island
was the unpredictable and unstable weather and this instance was no different.
While almost all of Caesars ships had arrived safely back to their port, two ships failed
to reach their destination and were carried a little lower down the coast.
The isolated legionaries disembarked within the area of a Tribe named the “Morini”,
it was a tribe that was supposedly semi pacified by Caesar the previous years, a notion that
was to be disproven soon.
The legionaries about 300 in number, stranded into a relatively unknown area began marching
northwards back into allied territory.
But out of the woods a small contingent of local tribesmen appeared and stopped them
on their tracks, the tribesmen demanded from the Romans to lay down their arms and surrender
if they did not wish to be slain, excited by the hope of spoil.
Surrendering was not something that Caesars legions were accustomed with and in a display
of that characteristic Roman arrogance but also defiance the 300 legionaries formed a
protective circular formation and stood their ground.
Caesar noticed the absence of those two ships and immediately send his reconnaissance cavalry
to find out what happened to them.
Meanwhile, the 300 Roman legionaries surrounded by the tribesmen prepared to defend themselves,
a shout was raised and from the woods a large army of Celtic warriors, emerged.
Around 6000 Morini tribesmen surrounded the heavily outnumbered Romans and began “poking”
their formation for weaknesses, their stand against all odds must have shaken the morale
of the Morini attackers, they probably began having second thoughts while facing the defiant
resistance of the tiny Roman band.
The Romans managed to hold their ground and repulsed attack after attack sustaining minor
wounds while inflicting several casualties to the Morini.
Caesars reconnaissance paid off and he was informed about the predicament in which his
legionaries were in after a while.
Wasting no time Caesar, gathered ALL of his cavalry and rushed towards his cornered men.
The 300 hundred Romans cut off from any kind of communication with the rest of the army,
surrounded from all sides, stood valiantly and fought ferociously, withstanding the constant
harashement and attacks of the Morini tribesmen, they endured for four hours like this, covering
their comrades with their shields to protect them from the constant showering of arrows
while at the same time relentlessly striking down any warriors who closed in to brake their
formation.
And just as any hope of rescue seemed to fade away, deep from the woods the sound of thundering
hooves began to close in, it was Caesar together with the entirety of his auxiliary cavalry,
galloping to their rescue.
When the Gauls realized that Caesar had arrived they scattered into the woods, while the auxiliaries
chased and cut down a great number of them.
The legionaries were saved, without sustaining a single loss, it was one of those instances
that explained why Caesars legions would become so loyal and devoted to him in the near future.
The next day Caesar send Titus Labienus with those legions that were brought back from
Britain to punish the insubordinate Morini, he also send two of his legates to ravage
the countryside and burn down near by villages, despite Caesar’s successes Gaul was far
from being pacified and most of the Brittonic tribes omitted to send the hostages that he
demanded.
But Caesars conduct made one thing clear, no one of his soldiers gets left behind.