Britain, AD 44. Roman supply lines are under attack and the army’s local allies remain unreliable. Macro and Cato are ordered to train two cohorts of British warriors, the Wolves and the Boars, in Roman discipline and use them against neighbouring resistance. The task places Roman weapons in the hands of men whose loyalty cannot be assumed, forcing the officers to judge whether cooperation can survive old tribal rivalries and the realities of occupation.
The locally raised cohorts reveal Rome’s dependence on conquered or allied communities. Training British warriors to fight in Roman formation may strengthen the invasion, but it also gives arms and discipline to men whose political loyalty cannot be assumed. Macro and Cato must therefore build an effective force while judging whether Roman methods are creating soldiers, hostages or future rebels.
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