Rome Must Fall-Chapter 64: Vorenus Proposal

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Maximus understood the implication behind the words. Although his memory of Spartacus’ rebellion was clear only regarding the Vesuvius raid and the final battle, he lacked detailed knowledge of the entire campaign. However, he knew one thing: from the Vesuvius raid to approaching the Alps, Spartacus’ rebel army had virtually remained undefeated. Now, with his assistance as a reincarnated individual, it was unlikely that the rebel army would suffer defeats. Thus, he confidently stated, “Don’t worry, if ever Spartacus and his men encounter the Roman army, they will definitely win!”

After speaking, Maximus scanned the members of the military advisory group and noticed some were quite unconvinced.

“Ahem…” Frontinus interjected timely, “Among the over 300 slaves who joined today, 67 were former phalanx pikemen in the Pontic army, each with at least three months of military experience.”

Upon hearing this, Maximus felt a surge of joy, dispelling his earlier displeasure. Excitedly, he said, “This is good news. Our logistics camp often suffers from personnel distribution issues, but this time we finally got lucky. However, with so many veterans in the newly formed centuries, it might be difficult for the new officers to manage them.”

“It’s a test for them as well,” Frontinus replied.

“You’re right.” Maximus laughed heartily and turned to the scribe on the other side, “Vorenus, what about the remaining 91 slaves? Any good news?”

Scribe Vorenus stepped forward, looking at the roster in his hand, and said, “Among the 91 slaves, there are 37 women, 8 children, 25 elderly or disabled men, 10 injured men, and three injured women who were sent to the medical team for treatment. Additionally, there are three carpenters, one stonemason, one bricklayer, two potters, and two young slaves who can read and do arithmetic. I have separated them according to our usual practice.”

“Oh, quite a few talents indeed,” Maximus’s smile grew wider, yet he was still not satisfied. He asked, “How many of the women can weave or do straw crafts?”

“According to their own introductions, there are about 20 people,” Vorenus said, flipping through the roster. “But we’ll have to wait until Shemeret (the head of the weaving team) completes the assessment before I can give you a detailed report.”

Maximus nodded and asked, “Why are there so many children this time?”

“Mostly because there are five married couples among the slaves.”

“Oh, then make sure their accommodations are properly arranged. And the two potters… can they make blast furnaces?”

“Blast furnaces?…” Vorenus looked puzzled. He was knowledgeable in agriculture but not well-versed in industrial crafts.

“Forget it, I’ll ask them later,” Maximus waved his hand. “Assign those carpenters, stonemasons, bricklayers, and potters to the construction team. The two literate slaves will work under you. Start arranging the education for those eight children immediately.”

“Yes, Sir,” Vorenus responded respectfully. He was now fully devoted to Maximus.

The young leader had appointed him as scribe, putting him in charge of all literate and numerate individuals in the logistics camp. Vorenus managed personnel statistics, material consumption, and all significant and minor affairs of the camp. Everything had to be reported to him before he relayed it to Maximus, who then made decisions that Vorenus would see executed. This role, similar to his previous position as a steward under his former master, involved even greater power and required higher capabilities. It felt like a resurgence in his career, making him highly motivated each day.

“With so many new members today, do we have enough supplies?” Maximus asked again.

“Every new slave will receive a set of pots, outer garments, straw sandals, linen sheets, and bags, but ten new recruits lack wooden shields and swords,” Vorenus answered.

Maximus instinctively glanced at Capito.

Capito immediately complained, “It’s not our fault. My men and I cut trees and laboriously make these items every day. But with so many new recruits, all our hard-earned wooden shields and swords are gone. Our weapon warehouse is still understaffed!”

The armory is so empty now that rats could run around in it. While Maximus thought this, he chose not to voice it, because he understood Capito—although he was a retired veteran soldier, his personality was more like that of a scholar, somewhat proud and with quite a bit of self-respect. So, he responded in gentle tone, “You’re right. It was my oversight. Vorenus, assign two of the remaining 25 slaves to the armory.”

“Yes, Sir,” Vorenus stepped forward again and whispered: “We’re running low on pots and linen. If more people join in the coming days, the logistics camp won’t be able to supply these items anymore! Sir, about my previous suggestion——”

Though Vorenus didn’t finish, Maximus knew what he meant.

The rebellion had only been underway for less than half a year, and the rebel army had no production capabilities. All their supplies were seized or plundered. In the fertile lands of southern Campania, there were many farms but few craft workshops like pottery or weaving workshops. These might be found in towns, but the rebel army lacked the strength for sieges. Thus, with the rapid expansion of the army, consumables like pots and linen from the farms couldn’t be sufficiently replenished, leading to a shortage.

Vorenus had previously identified this issue and proposed his own solution: the logistics camp’s warehouses stored large quantities of wine and olive oil, highly sought-after goods throughout Italy. The rebel soldiers rarely used these supplies (only consuming some wine during celebrations and adding a bit of olive oil to soups to increase their fat intake). Instead of letting these goods occupy valuable storage space, it would be better to sell them to Italian merchants in exchange for urgently needed supplies. In other words, Vorenus suggested trading with Italian merchants.

It was a military tradition in Mediterranean countries for armies to engage in trade while on a campaign, and Rome was no exception. However, when Maximus presented this idea at the military council meeting, it was ultimately rejected. The reason was simple: the other rebel leaders worried that allowing merchants into the camp to trade could lead to them taking the opportunity to spy on military intelligence or secretly sabotage operations, which would cause trouble for the rebel army’s upcoming battles. After all, the rebel army was still very weak and surrounded by enemies on all sides, so they had to be extremely cautious and careful.

Maximus chose not to mention to Vorenus that his proposal had been rejected at the military council meeting. Smiling, he said, “Once Spartacus and his men return, I’ll bring this up with them. Don’t worry, since the benefits outweigh the drawbacks, I believe they will eventually agree to it.”

“If it gets approved, we won’t have to worry about running out of supplies anymore. We might even secure additional weapons and tents for the soldiers!” Vorenus whispered excitedly. As someone akin to the logistics camp’s steward, he naturally wanted his camp well-stocked with food and materials.

“What proposal?” Capito, with sharp ears, immediately asked.

Maximus didn’t want to spread the idea before it was settled. As he pondered how to deflect the question, he saw Hagueux riding towards them. He quickly called out, “Hagueux, do we have any enemy activity?”

“Sir, no enemy troops were found around the camp, but we’ve spotted a few scouts from Naples.”

“It seems the Neapolitans have learned about our main force’s departure and are trying to gauge the camp’s defenses. Given their timid nature, they won’t likely send troops unless they hear of our defeat,” Frontinus said softly.

Maximus felt more composed this time while defending the camp, unlike the tension he felt two days ago when he camped at the farm away from the main force. Perhaps it was because he had gained experience, or perhaps because the strength at his disposal had increased. He appeared quite calm. After some thought, he said, “Since that’s the case, let’s not have our three centuries sit idle. Have them conduct armed marching drills circling the camp, and make a bit of a spectacle out of it.”