The Puniceus Paludamentum

[Chirurgeon]

The Puniceus Paludamentum
A History of the Roman Empire

Introduction:
Much legend surrounds the founding of Rome. What is known is the eventual destiny of this city. The early history of Central Italy is a tumultous one. Countless wars, broken alliances, and faltering agreements resulted in several centuries of nearly continual warfare. Whether the Etruscans, Samnites, or Gallic tribes the battle for Central Italy took a long time to sort out. In the end Rome stood over her enemies and became the undisputed ruler of Central Italy. At the time of the start of this historical portrayl Rome controled five major cities with their respective ports. Capua, Rome, and Arretium were the most advanced of the five. Arriminum and Apri in the south had been recent additions and were not quite advanced enough to be granted citizenship. Under times of crisis the three forementioned advanced cities could raise troops to defend Rome and her interests. One of the things that allowed Rome to be an acceptable yoke over a defeated foe was that the Roman yoke, in many cases, did not abolish local traditions. Many cities became allies of Rome with the agreement that they would send troops to defend the "homeland". Roman arguments apparently worked well for if allied cities did not send troops all the members of that alliance would suffer defeat. Rome and her city subjects maintained a symbiotic relationship that would endure for a very long time.
This is not always the case however. Many times throughout her history Rome took extreme measures to guarantee her security. If a culture was unwilling to accept Roman rule they were conquered. Rome in her history has been paranoid of being invaded and sacked like so many cities of the ancient world. In fact in 390 BC the Gauls stormed south out of the alps, having been displaced by migratory Germanic tribes, and settled in northern Italy. Eventually the Gallic presence in northern Italy would lead the Gauls to a conflict with old enemies of Rome the Etruscans. Although Rome delighted in the Etruscan defeat, they feared the eventuality that Gallic armies would soon be at the gates of Rome. In fact the city was sacked and only survived when the Gallic chieftain Brennus agreed to depart the city for 1000 lbs of gold. It is a plausible argument that the Roman empire would have never existed had the Gauls refused and simply destroyed what was remaining of Rome. How the world would look without Rome is an interesting topic alone but one that will not be discussed here.
Roman persistance and paranoia helped forge an empire. Her greatest challenges yet lie ahead. Enemies surround the fledling republic. In 272 BC Rome is rather secure in Central Italy, but to the south the Greeks from Epirus have had colonies for many years. Epirus wants the Roman Peninsula and is determined to conquer it for themselves. Off the coast of the toe of Italy lies the rich fertile land of Sicily. Occupied partially by the Carthiginians and by Greek sympathizers it could be an explosive area. North of Rome, in the northern reaches at the foot of the Alps the Gauls have settled in rather comfortably. Although the Gallic tribes are quiet it is inevitable that they will be on the move again and a likely direction is south.

[Chirurgeon]

Chapter I - Romanization of Southern Italy.
Beginning in 270 BC Rome appointed a consul to deal with the Epeiorite entrenchment in Southern Italy. Cnaevs Cornelius Blasio assembled an army and set out for the Capital of Kalabria, Taras. After a nearly two year siege the garrison inside the city charged out and desperately tried to dislodge the besiegers. The result was a slaughter of the Greek garrison and the gates of the city were thrown open and Roman rule welcomed. The battle itself was initially played out by the missle troops of both sides and eventually the Greeks decided to engage the lines of the Romans only to be thrown back. The garrison commander tried a flanking charge into the Roman lines only to be killed by a countercharging Roman Cavalryled by the military tribune and nephew of Consul Blasio. The victorious Equites turned their attention to the skirmishers in front of the Roman lines and subsequently destroyed them. The cavalry managed to get inside the city cutting down all the fleeing Greeks. It was quickly over as the last remnants of resistance melted away. Consul Blasio led the army back to Capua to refit and rest and then put down a small rebellious group of Samnites before returning to Southern Italy. After wintering in Rome the Legion loaded themselves onto waiting vessels and sailed to Rhegium in Bruttia. Rhegium was besieged for slightly more than a year where upon they surrended without a drop of blood being spilt. By 265 BC Central and Southern Italy were united under Roman Rule.




Battle of Taras Video Highlights
http://s67.photobucket.com/albums/h3...tleofTaras.flv
***
In central Italy progress was being made on a road system designed to open up new trade routes with southern Italy. Regional governments were established in the two new provinces acquired. Diplomats from Rome finally worked out a peace treaty with the Gallic tribes in North Italy and managed to establish trade. As of now the tribes are not united and do not represent a threat to the republic. Trade into north Italy will allow the Senate to further monitor the situation. A side effect of the acquisitions in the south was the introduction of thousands of slaves. Sanitary improvements throughout Italy has led to a population boom and with that an ever increasing demand for Grain and other food stuffs. The Italian peninsula is not ideal for vast tracts of farming. However adjacent to the Italian Peninsula is the fertile Island of Sicily. The black volcanic soil supports a seemingly endless tide of grains. The city of Messana has been contested by Greece and Carthage. Estimates that the population of the peninsula had doubled since 280 BC would certainly put pressure on the Senate to find a reliable source of grain. Egypt supplies grain as well as Carthage but both of those exact a high price to the republic. Mainly because Rome is powerless to stop it. A great debate roared in the senate for several days before an army under Consul Blasio was to pressure the city of Messana to join the Republic. In exchange for Rome's protection against the independent city, Messana would ship Grain to Rome for nearly half the price that Carthage and Egypt charged. Egypt was not overly concerned and was confident that they would find other markets. However Carthage was greatly offended and felt betrayed. In a desperate move Carthage ceased grain shipments to the Republic. Although Messana supplied some grain, Carthage still supplied almost a quarter of all the grain consumed in the Peninsula. The vast majoritiy of it was grown right in Sicily. After failed attempts to renegotiate, an army from Rome was sent to Sicily to secure as much grain as possible to supply the quickly growing Republic.

^Territory as of 265 BC

[Chirurgeon]

Alright im back!

[Jesus_saves]

Yay!

BTW; your videos are getting much better.

[Chirurgeon]

There is a learning curve involved with the video editing thats for sure. Thanks for watching :)

[Wolfman]

Roma Invicta!!!! Good to see you up and running again.

[Chirurgeon]

Thanks wolfman I will have an update tonight

[Chirurgeon]

Chapter II - Campaigns of Corsica, Sardinia, and Sicily
In 264 a Roman Consular army under Consul Cotta arrived at the gates of Messana in Sicily.


^The Eques Legionis in charge of the Cavalry of the consular legion

After failed attempts to convince the garrison to leave, the Romans promptly surrounded the city and slowly choked off the inhabitants. After a year and a half the city surrendered and Roman government institutions established. The priority was to increase the grain flow to Rome. Through slavery, rebuilding of the port, and expanded farming that goal was achieved. For the moment the republic had secured enough grain to continue feeding its ever growing population. Food for the people would be a motivating cause in other times of the Republic as well. After the fall of Messana an envoy from Africa arrived declaring war on the Republic.

It was largely a symbolic gesture as Carthage never really actively resisted Roman involvement in their island provinces. Lilybio fell after a year long seige and then after a 2 1/2 year seige of Syracuse it too fell to Roman forces. After placing governors and garrisons in the major cities of the island the Consular army returned to Italy. Consul Cotta arriving in Rome was impressed with the changes to the city. "Everywhere there were people. The streets were choked with a huge populace that had a voracious appetite for grain. Grain is the gold of this city. With it we prosper...without it we suffer. We are inexorably tied to this substance." - from Consul Cotta's memoirs.
The wealth of Sicily was flowing into the coffers of the Republic and an unprecedented building boom was ongoing. Archeological evidence suggests that every major city in Italy was erecting walls, Baths, sewers, administrative complexes, grain storage, and many other civil structures. Visitors to Rome in particular were impressed with the improvements.
After a brief respite the Consular army resumed its march and sailed to Corsica which quickly fell. Sardinia also fell without too much of a fight. During the invasion of Corsica the Romans had found a new addition to their forces. Balearic slingers offered themselves as mercenaries during the seige of Corsica.



http://s67.photobucket.com/albums/h3...ndSardinia.flv

^Video of Slingers and Skirmishers in Action
Singlehandedly they nearly eliminated an entire unit of militia. Combined with skirmishers the small groups of militia were hunted down with only a handful of Roman casualties. This is incredibly significant because it meant that Citizen troops (hastati, princepe, Triarii) would have less work to do in battle. In his memoires Consul Cotta remarked: "These slingers hurl stones so fast they are scarcely visible. Upon impact they cause much mayhem and death. Every stone that brings a man down is a man I dont have to kill later." Consul Cotta hired more slingers and sent them to Arretium where they would be employed against other enemies.
By 252 BC Rome had emerged as a major power in the Western Meditereanean. In 20 years the city had gone from insignificant to instrumental. The power of Rome was beginning to be felt. Carthage had experienced this first hand and others would also feel the sting of Roman might.

^The Republic as of 252 BC

[Chirurgeon]

Chapter III - Pacification of Northern Italy
With Romes attention in the islands that extend along its length to the West in the north potential trouble was brewing. The Aeudi tribe had sacked Massaleia. Massala was a Greek colony that traded extensively with the Romans. Word of its demise scared the senate into action. Celts and other barbarians had migrated far to the south of the Po River. In fact Gallic villages had popped up less than a days ride from Etruria. Etruria is the province north of Rome, in which Arretium is its capital. Peace had been achieved with Carthage and its wake new actions could be taken against the north.

A new Consul was dispatched to subjucate the area between the Po River and Central Italy. This Consul, Lucius Cornelius Scipio, would be one of many of a family that would influence Rome for some time. The Scipio's had arrived. Consul Scipio would make a name for himself and together with his sons would take war to Northern Italy.

From 251 BC to 243 BC a large swath of northern Italy would be pushed in submission. Often the villages or cities that resisted would be sold into slavery. These slaves would be sent to Sicily to work the large farms that had sprung up after the Sicilian invasion.
Three major battles took place in this time frame. The battles of Segesta, Bononia, and Patavium would be th only major engagement that the Romans would be involved in. Most of the time was spent Beseiging various resistant cities. A second legion was raised to protect the consular legion against any possible movement by the Aeudi tribe.
During the Campaign the use of Samnite infantry was heavily relied upon. Rome had called upon the cities of Arpi and Capua to provide these stalward troops. Making up the front line in front of the hastati these spear wielding soldiers stood their ground and almost never broke rank.

They stopped enemy cavalry charges and allowed the skirmishers to operate safely behind them.

If they were on the verge of breaking they would be withdrawn to behind the Triarii and allow the Hastati to fight for a while. As the Samnites ran between the hastati and retreated the hastati would unleash a punishing barrage of javelins into the face of the enemy. The Samnites knew their role in the consular legion and it was very important. Many Samnite maniples gained quite a name for themselves and were handsomely rewarded. The style of fighting that the Romans employed meant that the enemy always had the grim reality that they would be fighting fresh troops. As soon as the Troops in the front were tired or exhausted they would be withdrawn to the rear to rest. Each time the Romans withdrew a line the enemy would be facing better trained and rested troops. If the battle went long enough the front line troops( samnites/hastati) could be redeployed for flanking maneuvers. In the seige of patavium for example, the Samnites were redeployed on the flanks of the enemy pressing the hastati and boxed the enemy in on three sides. This is terrible for the enemies morale and they subsequently ran for the city. Exhausted and surrounded the enemy would almost always flee.




^Scenes from Battles in Northern Italia
http://s67.photobucket.com/albums/h3...hernItalia.flv
^Video of various battles
The Strict organization of this system meant that communication had to be perfect. Consul Scipio used his eldest son to help him with this. His son was in charge of the cavalry.

Known as the Eques Legionis, Gnaeus Presentius Scipio, would perform cavalry maneuvers to prevent enemies from flanking or destroy isolated or demoralized units. In the battle of Bononia he employed the Calvary Extroidinaire to take down the enemy general which had managed to get isolated from the rest of his army.

Consul Scipio was considered a hero back in Rome for his actions against the tribes in the north. These tribes were independent and small however. To the west lay the plentiful members of the Aeudi tribe who have no love of the Republic. Peace in northern Italy would ultimately depend on these tribes submitting to Roman rule.

^Extent of the Republic as of 243 BC

[Marcus Cornelius]

Looks like you're almost back to where you were on your last one. Keep up the good work!

[Chirurgeon]

Yep! I only lost a few days it would seem. I live just north of Orlando. Where do you live?

[Marcus Cornelius]

Just a bit South of Orlando. Opposite ends I guess. Nice to meet a fellow Orlandoer? Orlandoinian? What do you call someone from here anyways?

[Chirurgeon]

Orlandonean i think...Orlandite sounds weird. I live near DeLand in Orange City..you live in like Kissimmee? Update tonight :)

[Chirurgeon]

Chapter IV - Pacification of the Aeudi and Unlikely Alliances
In 243 BC the Roman Republic found itself in an uncomfortable position. To its west and north a great war was underway between three "barbarian" nations. The Sweboz, Aeudi, and Arverni tribes were battling it out over land on the other side of the Alps. Getting involved with expelling the Aeudi tribe might invoke the wrath of the other two nations. It was a Gamble but one that Consul Scipio made anyway.

Consul Scipio attacked the city of Mediolanum and would result in a bloodbath of the Aeudi.





After two years the Aeudi had had enough and retreated to their stronghold of Masalla. Naturally Consul Scipio followed them there and with another legion keeping the peace in Northern Italy, laid seige. The King of the Aeudi, Divicoi, had rallied his men in his homeland and crossed the Rhone river in a great attempt to dislodge the Roman tumor. The Romans justified the move saying they were responding to Masallas call for help. Historical perspective is needed here because what one must realize is the fact that the Masalla residents had all been put to the sword several years previous to the Roman response. In all liklihood it was a justification for continuing the fight against the Aeudi. What is now apparant is that despite repeated attempts to stop the Arverni from attacking them the Arverni were apparantly pleased at the recent turn of events and renewed their offensive against the Aeudi homeland. This meant the Romans would not have to fear the Arverni joining in the fight against them. In a giant battle that involved hellenistic mercenaries, gallic troops, and the Roman formations, a clear winner would not be known for some time.

The Aeudi threw their men against the Roman lines pushing the Romans backward. The Samnites and hastati found themselves fighting next to each other after several hourse of charges and pushing forced them backwards. With King Divicoi encouraging his men the Aeudi fought like animals and only relented when they were completely exhausted. The Romans were tiring too as they had withdrawn their first two lines of infantry after taking quite a beating for most of the day. In the afternoon the Principe had to hold the line while the hastati and Samnites recovered in the relative safety behind the Triarii. The Triarii were not sure if they would see fighting so they rested on one knee awaiting the call to battle. It never came. The death of the Aeudi King shattered the resolve of his men and they fled.

Some of the wounded made it to Masalla where they stayed for another month before the city fell to the Roman forces.
Battle scenes from the Aeudi Campaign:
http://s67.photobucket.com/albums/h3...diCampaign.flv

Consul Scipio sent emissaries to Gergovia in order to secure an alliance with the Arverni.

The area west of the Rhone would be theirs. In exchange however they were to stay out of the Iberian Peninsula. Consul Scipio seeked to add the riches of Iberia to the coffers of the Republic. Already a hero for his actions against the hated gallic tribes, Scipio was on the verge of a triumph for his achievements. The senate declared him Princep and approved his consulship for a second time. At the age of 30 Consul Scipio had achieved what no Roman could have dreamed possible: Peace in the whole of Italy. So in less than six years the Romans had evicted the Aeudi, secured all of northern italy and sealed an alliance with the Arverni. That meant the Legions of Rome were free to operate wherever they wanted with no enemies on their borders.
The war with the Gauls had changed Roman approaches to combat and the limited contact with the Iberians had encouraged a military evolution. New pedigrees of troops were being pressed into service from the great cities of the empire. A new legion with different weapons, armor, and training would join Consul Scipio in Iberia. Iberia was a land of great promise and a familiar nemesis.

^Extent of Roman Republic, 237 BC

[Owen the Mighty]

Three cheers for Samnite Spearmen!

Roman Legions in Combat + Barbarian Enemies = FUN!

[Marcus Cornelius]

Polybian reforms already? Nice. And you're video skills are getting better. What are you using to record them anyways?

Yeah, I live around Kissimmee. Or as the tourists like to call it, "Kissisisimee".

[Chirurgeon]

Owen: Yes the barbarians are fun to play against but they are not pushovers. The sheer press of men against my lines shoves guys everywhere. The battles are long and brutal. Thank god the Romans have better discipline. The samnites are awesome. Too bad i cant recruit them from Iberia. I have to ship them over there.

Marcus: I use a program called FRAPS which captures stills and videos. I actually bought the lisensed version so i could make videos longer than 30 seconds. Ah Kissimmee. Long ways from me but were still both close to orlando...tells you how big that city is getting.

Thanks guys for following the story. Chapter five has started out rough. I will give an update in the next few days!

[Chirurgeon]

Update tonight :)

[Redmeth]

Great AAR!

Thanks guys for following the story. Chapter five has started out rough. I will give an update in the next few days!

Let me guess the Arvernii made peace with the Aedui and attacked you?

[Chirurgeon]

No not quite that bad..I hope they never make peace...Im depending on them to keep fighting while i snatch Iberia away.

[Chirurgeon]

Chapter V - Disaster at the hands of the Aeudi
In 237 BC the InterGallic war reached a new level when the province of Narbo Martinensis and its capital of Tolose fell to Aeudi armies. The senate of Rome had decreed that the Aeudi could not share a border with the Republic and their presense cannot be tolerated. Any successful invasion of Iberia could not occur till the Aeudi Tribe was forced back into northern Gaul. Consul Marcus Flaminius Scipio, the hero who conquered northern Italy, was dispatched to evict the Aeudi Tribe from Tolosa. A huge army was hold up inside the city of Tolose and some very capable Chieftains of the Aeudi were less than a seasons march.

The victories at Mediolanum and Masalla had given the legion under command of Consul M. Scipio great confidence. Scipio took one consular legion to beseige the city and left a second behind at their fort guarding the crossing of the Rhone River into northern Italy. Military historians agree that he should have taken the second legion. During the Seige of Tolosa about six months into it a massive relief force engaged the Consular legion. M. Scipio deployed his men in a less than favorable environment. Basically he deployed them in the bottom of a bowl. Unable to find better ground before the battle commenced Scipio was convinced that he could use a large rock formation on his right to guard the right flank and then press the enemy on his left flank. His plan was to turn the enemy so that they would be pinned between the rock and the legion. Things were dicey from the get go. The great Aeudi Chieftain, Lugort oi Aurvaritaea, who essentially was there king and had never lost a battle showed up with his best men. War hardened veterans of countless engagements with the Arverni had made morale something of a no factor in the battle. It was clear that the spirit of the Aeudi was particiluarly high on this day. Add to this the fact that the Gallic tribes could run down a hill and smash into the lines added to the prospect of victory. The key to this fight was not the melee fighting infantry but rather the slingers that the Aeudi had brought with them. Five lines of slingers would take their position on the hill and rain stones on the Romans all day during the battle. The slingers would be able to hurl the stones further and with more accuracy from their high vantage point. This created carnage on an unprecedented scale. Nearly half of the army was destroyed in the subsequent barrage. The Romans in trying to deal with the press of men and the barrage of stones caused the samnites to flee the field. Its the first time the Samnites would flee a battle. Normally this would not be a problem as the Hastati/princepes/Triarii would be able to hold the line. However the lines were at about half strength and had great difficulty holding thier own. Even the cavalry were not immune to the slingers. In desperation the cavalry were employed to try and break the Aeudi's left flank. It worked. However more gallic troops were marching down the hill and the Romans, having given chase, ran headlong into the reinforcements. This was more than the legion could bear. Systematically each maniple began to rout until the entire army was fleeing the field. The losses for the legion were immense. Only about 25% of the legion survived and made it back to Masalla.
Scenes from the Battle of Tolose:






Video of the Battle:
http://s67.photobucket.com/albums/h3...atatTolose.flv
During the rout, M. Scipio fell from his horse and was seriously injured. He had to be placed with one of his body guard units until he could make it to Masalla. Scipio in his anger sent the second legion with a clear mission to destroy the city of Tolosa at any costs. The second legion was also beaten and forced to withdraw. M. Scipio would never again command because of his injuries and because of his utter failure. The other hero of the Northern Italia campaign would be the new Consul. Gnaeus Scipio, who served as teh Eques Legionis, would assume the Consulship and before he could attack the Aeudi city of Tolose it fell to forces from the Arverni. However he achieved several victories agains that Aeudi, Including one against the previously undefeated leader of the Arverni.

Four years of campaigning against an enemy that had been underestimated spelled disaster for the Republic. It took another four years for new legions to be trained and brought to Masilla for deployment to Iberia.
In northern Italy the German tribe, the Sweboz, would make their entrance. They attempted to sack the city of Patavium but fortunately the legion based in Northern Italy under the command of Consul Cotta, threw the Germans back over the Alps. The loss of the two legions at Tolose clearly motivated the Germans in their thinking. The republic having been weakened by the loss of 50% of their military were vulnerable. By 229 BC however the Republic had recovered and were employing better trained and equipped troops. Commonly called the Polybian reforms these changes would clearly benefit the legions.

Having learned various techniques from their enemies the Romans have demonstrated their flexibility in warfare. The ability of the Roman war machine to adapt to changing conditions is what made it so successful. The consular armies still relied heavily on allied troops. About 25% of the army would be non-citizens in formations that work best for whatever area they are from. In the Spring of 228 the War for control of Iberia would begin. The Senate approved Gnaeus Scipio for another Consulship and with a total of three legions set about on a grand campaign to put Iberia under the thumb of the Roman Republic.

^Extent of the Roman Republic, 230 BC

[Wolfman]

Excellent update!!! Roman discipline was crushed by celtic feroucity on this sad sad day. Hopefully those brave men that died can be avenged in the near future. Roma Victa!!!

[Chirurgeon]

Thanks wolfman. This was a hard update for me. I still cant believe five units of slingers nearly destroyed my army.

[Chirurgeon]

Update tomorrow...Chapter VI

[Chirurgeon]

Chapter VI - Securing Coastal Iberia
Although Iberia offered much promise it was also a land divided. The entrance of Rome into the Iberian scene in 229 BC meant that there were four factions vieng for control over the peninsula. In addition to Rome there is Carthage along the Mediterraenean coast, The native Iberians occupying the Interior, and The expanding Arverni confederation. The latter had been warned not to enter into Iberia in agreement with the alliance. However Rome's spies in Gaul had revealed that the Aeudi tribes had reached an agreement with the Germanic Sweboz to attack the Arverni.

In ten years time the Arverni would go from powerful to desperate. Once again it appeared that the Republic was destined to have another collision with the Aeudi.
The one city, Emporion, that had not fallen to any of the factions fell to Roman forces in the fall of 229 BC. This gave the Romans a secure port on the upper right hand corner of the peninsula. Consul Gnaeus Scipio led his forces south across rough terrain and met a small force of native Iberians which were quickly scattered.
Expecting a Carthiginian garrison, Consul Scipio found instead native Iberians occupying the town of Arse. After a nearly two year Seige the Iberians surrendered and a small garrison was left with Consul Scipio in the city. G. Scipio would oversee the reconstruction of the city and the completion of roads to the north in order to better secure suppllies. The Roman fleet was spending alot of time avoiding the Carthiginian fleet and it was costing the Consul much needed supplies. Consul Scipio awaited a new legion in city of Arse which were enroute from the city of Masilla by land. During his stay in the city the Native Iberians were growing restless. With most of his legion marching north to meet up with the fresh recruits, Consul Scipio would be left with a skeleton Garrison. It was during this vulnerable time in the winter of 228 that the Carthiginians apparently encouraged the native Iberians of the city to revolt. Led by Carthiginian agents the people of the city turned their attention to Scipios villa in the center of the town and attacked it. Eventually after several days of fighting they broke through and killed much of the garrison and Consul Scipio fell amongst the defenders.


His corpse was paraded through the streets and the Iberians found themselves with renewed confidence in defending their homeland. Obviously this paralyzed the efforts of the Republic in conquering coastal Iberia. The senate met in emergency session and named a new consul. The new Consul, Appius Vagienius Cotta, was the current governor of Masilla.

At the age of 46 he was not young but did have considerable influenced and was generally respected. He marched to connect with the main force that was now encamped on the Ebro River. After reforming the army he marched the men and brutally sacked the city of Arse putting the rebelious natives to the sword. Any confidence the Iberians had gained was now shattered in the face of two full consular legions. For the moment Consul A. Cotta ignored the Iberians and instead focused on the Carthiginians in there city of Carthago Nova.

After several months of beseigement the Carthiginians sent a relief force under command of , Aderbal, who was in all purposes a King.


Having trekked from Gader it took a while for them to reach their city. The Romans deployed themselves on a large hill in which the Carthiginians were clearly at a disadvantage of trying to wrest them away from. Although the Carthiginians fought well they did not have the numbers to dislodge the Romans and after Aderbal was killed the entire army fled back to Gader.

Carthago Nova fell into the hands of the Romans but would be a difficult province to manage due to the natural unrest of the area. Consul A. Cotta stormed west along the southern coast of Iberia finally arriving at the important and last city of Carthage in Iberia. Gader withstood the besiegement and in a large battle the new leader of the Carthiginians,Yutpan , emerged to relieve the city of the Roman attack.

A grand battle took place in which the Romans had much difficulty in stopping the Carthiginian's superior cavalry. Again Carthage was undermanned and although they had great discipline the Romans began to wear down the Iberian troops that the Carthiginians were using. After about two hours of fighting the Carthiginian center broke and the hastati gave chase. The Samnite spearmen had been withdrawn due to heavy casualties on their flanks. With the center collapsed the Romans pivoted their lines and attacked the units on their flanks. The remainder of the Carthiginians fled and ultimately made it back to their fleet where they sailed back to Africa.

Battle Scenes from the Iberian Coastal Campaign:




Video of the two battles with the Carthiginians:
http://s67.photobucket.com/albums/h3...stalIberia.flv
Gader had fallen and now Rome had complete control of all the Mediterannean ports that Iberia had to offer. Having this control however was somewhat deceptive. The vast interior of Iberia was untamed and without that properly subjucated it would only be a matter of time until the Native Iberians ( or the emerging Arverni) would contest Roman holdings. A decision was made to press into the Iberian Interior. After taking a year to rest troops the Romans had impressed the Iberian locals and many villages offered their own warriors to help fight. Apparently the Iberians that lived in the former Carthiginian held territory were so impressed with the effectiveness of the Roman military that they began to offer themselves as mercenaries. Although skeptical, the Consul had no choice due to the fact that his main front line troops were running thin. The Samnites had performed admirably but there numbers had dwindled to the point that new units had to be called from Italy or he could use native Iberian Troops. In 222 BC Consul Cotta made the decision to press into the Interior of Iberia.

^Extent of Roman Rule, 222 BC

[Wolfman]

Excellent choice of expansion! Iberia has 2 reputable forms of income: Mines and Trade. Be warry of the Sweboz to the north their expansion is alarming. I've heard many people say that they stopped their Roman campaign because of Sweboz hordes.

[Chirurgeon]

Thanks for the advice with the Sweboz. I am using two legions in Northern Italy to stop their advances. About 225 BC they started to really focus on Patavium. I am going to try to be sneaky and become allies with the Aedui, declare war on the Arverni, and make peace with the Germans. Hopefully it will work out. After Iberia I might take a hard look at north Africa. Carthage is weak and could be a good avenue for the Republic to expand. Its a necessary thing because Carthage is only 3 days sail away :). Anyways I will likely have another update tomorrow. Thanks for watching :)

[Redmeth]

In order to make peace with the Aedui make sure you are not bordering them first capture and offer any next to border province and give it to the Arvernii. Then they might agree to peace also map info and trade rights and ~10000 mhai always sweeten the deal.

[Chirurgeon]

The Arverni are almost dead at this point. The Sweboz and Aeudi have ganged up on them.

[Marcus Cornelius]

Wow, you had a general get killed in rioting? I've never seen that happen. Your AAR is still great. Can't wait to see the next update.

By the way, what does your title mean? I'm assuming it's Latin, but I haven't started my Latin class yet, so I can't read it.