‘You got a plan?’ Vindex asked, as they were issued with a couple of light javelins per man in the main camp.

‘Only an idea,’ Ferox told him. Half a dozen legionaries arrived, bringing three of the lightest of all the army’s engines, so small that they could be held and shot by one man, while another carried the bolts and helped to spot targets. ‘Something I learned from the Dacians back at Piroboridava.’

‘Oh bugger. Remember they lost their war.’

‘So did my folk, and I haven’t noticed the Carvetii rising to take over the empire.’

‘Biding our time, lad, just biding our time.’

The nearest Brigantes roared with laughter, and were soon chattering away as they moved out to take up their position, and still talking as they waited for things to start. Crispinus was planning to drive the enemy inside the city walls today. On the far side, Cerialis had instructions to do the same, that is if anyone came out to face him and the defenders did not simply rely on the strength of their position. If he got the opportunity, the prefect was to begin work on the first of the smaller camps.

On the western side, three legionary cohorts along with cohors II Galatarum formed the first line. Once again they were three ranks deep, backed by a fourth rank of archers, but today each century deployed separately with a wide gap on either side of its formation. Half of the centuries were held back thirty paces and positioned in the gap. As before, there were scorpiones in support and carroballistae were behind the formations, tasked with shooting over the men’s heads.

‘Is this not how the legions fought in the old days? Against Hannibal and King Philip?’ Arrian asked Ferox. The tribune sounded excited. Crispinus had put him in charge of the four cohorts in the first line.

‘Couldn’t say, sir. Wasn’t around then.’

The Brigantes were under Arrian’s command, along with a couple of centuries from other auxiliary cohorts ordered to fight in open order. On the main track the first cohort of the Hispana was formed in a column, with turmae from ala III Thracum on either side. For today, the task of screening any enemy horsemen was left to the cavalry of the cohorts. There were also a hundred men from each legionary cohort along with the sailors waiting behind everyone else and carrying tools and equipment instead of weapons. Next to them were Crispinus and the cavalry of the legion, as the true armed reserve.

Trumpets sounded the advance.

‘Right, lads, here we go,’ Arrian’s voice had grown louder with his excitement. ‘The line will advance. Listen for orders, keep silent, forward march!’

The first line stepped out, slightly ragged because it was harder to keep the dressing along such a large frontage, especially when they were acting as individual centuries, something rarely practised on this scale.

Trumpets and horns blasted from in front of Nicopolis, giving a harsher sound than the familiar calls of the legions.