by C.Iulius Caesar

translated by Tanaquil Sergius

Introduction

In the HBO series "Rome", in the military around Caesar, we encounter two centuriones, Pullo and Vorenus, who play a lower plebeian role in this series, next to leading Romans, like Caesar, Pompeius and others. These two men are followed along the row of episodes in the series and viewers have already asked (e.g. on the boards discussing HBO-Rome in AncientWorlds) who these two men are and whether they have a historical background. Yes, they do, but not to the extent presented in the series. Pullo and Vorenus occur only once in Caesar's "Commentarii de Bello Gallico" as two centuriones of the 11th legion, whose story Caesar tells in book V, caput 44, to bring some variation into the usual story line of strategies and war actions, as he like to do now and then, telling a story about some brave men in his army, mostly centuriones, or among the enemy. To get an insight into the "real" Pullo and Vorenus, i.e. the original men in Caesar's work, I have quoted and translated the passage which tells their story:

Caesar, Bell. Gall. V, 44:

Erant in ea (1) legione fortissimi viri centuriones qui iam primis ordinibus adpropinquarent, Titus Pullo et Lucius Vorenus. Hi perpetuas inter se controversias habebant, uter alteri anteferretur, omnibusque annis de loco summis simultatibus contendebant. Ex his Pullo, cum acerrime ad munitionibus pugnaretur, 'quid dubitas' inquit, 'Vorene?' Aut quem locum probandae virtutis tuae expectas? Hic dies de nostris controversiis iudicabit.' Haec cum dixisset, procedit extra munitiones, quaeque hostium pars confertissima est visa, inrumpit. Ne Vorenus quidem sese tum vallo continet, sed omnium veritus existimationem subsequitur. Mediocri spatio relicto Pullo pilum in hostes immittit atque unum ex multitudine procurrentem traicit. Quo percusso exanimatoque hunc scutis protegunt hostes, in illum universi tela coniciunt neque dant progrediendi facultatem. Transfigitur scutum Pulloni et verutum in balteo defigitur. Avertit hic casus vaginam et gladium educere conanti dextram moratur manum, impeditumque hostes circumsistunt. Succurrit inimicus illi Vorenus et laboranti subvenit. Ad hunc se confestim a Pullone omnis multitudo convertit; illum veruto transfixum arbitrantur. Vorenus gladio rem comminus gerit atque uno interfecto reliquos paulum propellit; dum cupidius instat, in locum inferiorem deiectus concidit. Huic rursus circumvento subsidium fert Pullo, atque ambo incolumes compluribus interfectis summa cum laude intra munitiones se recipiunt. Sic fortuna in contentione et certamine utrumque versavit, ut alter alteri inimicus auxilio salutique esset neque diiudicari posset, uter utri virtute anteferendus videretur.

(1) ea legione: i.e. undecima legione (B.A. van Groningen: tertia legione; commentarium in facsimile scriptum)

Translation:

In that [i.e. the eleventh] legion were [two] very brave men, centuriones, who were very nearly to be promoted to the highest level of their rank, Titus Pullo and Lucius Vorenus. These two men had continuous controversies among eachother, who would be promoted before the other, and all these years they were keeping up their rivalry about the matter with the utmost enmity. So, when the fight at the entrenchments grew extremely heavy, Pullo said: 'What are you waiting for, Vorenus? For which possibility to prove your bravery are you waiting? This day will bring the judgement on our controversies.'