Blood of the Brutii: My RTW Campaign Chronicle

[Nerdymidgetkid]

Prologue

Okay, so what I’m planning to do here is sort of a historical account of one of my campaigns. I’ll be pausing every now and again to record events pretty much as they happen, so I don’t have to write loads in one go and the events are fresh in my mind. However, I’ll probably post these things in pretty big blocks. Criticism is welcome and appreciated. Also, feel free to tell me what a noob I am at playing RTW, and please also find it in you to tell me what I’m doing wrong and how to correct it.
I usually like playing Europa Barbarorum but Vanilla campaigns move along a lot quicker and will probably be easier to write a chronicle about. Hope you like it!

Part 1

In the summer of 270 BC, Tiberius Brutus, Imperator of the house of Brutii received orders from the Senate: Take the Settlement of Appolonia for the Glory of Rome. Though he had been given a five year period to carry out this Mission, he immediately responded by sending his son Amulius to board a fleet docked in the port of Tarentum and cross the Aegean. The ships were under the command of Admiral Marcus. Amulius had a clear grasp on battle command and tactics and was accounted one of Rome’s greatest generals. He ordered Admiral Marcus to land within sight of Appolonia, and proceeded without delay to take the town.
Appolonia was a small settlement without walls, defended by a crude local militia. Amulius stormed the town only losing 10 men in the quick but decisive battle that followed; most of the enemy defenders surrendered.

Later that year, a rebel army was spotted between the cities of Tarentum and Croton. Aulus Brutus, heir to the house of Brutii was promptly sent to destroy them. Aulus was no military man but nevertheless as the heir of his house he was out in the field with an army, endeavouring to gain some glory and this ragtag force of Brigands presented him with a golden opportunity to do so. He led a small but well organized force of Romans against the brigands, who promptly fell back. Amulius pursued and met them in battle soon after. Though he lost more men than was desirable to well aimed enemy javelins, he won a decisive victory to say the least, leaving only one enemy survivor.

Late that year, a Macedonian envoy came to Appolonia and requested trade rights with the house of Brutii. This deal was accepted.
New orders also arrived in Tarentum from Rome, asking Tiberius to send a fleet to blockade the port of the Greek city state of Syracuse. However, Syracuse traded with Tarentum and so Tiberius was rather reluctant to directly cut off this source of income. He also had the safety of Appolonia to worry about, since it was situated not far north from the Greek city of Thermon. However, since he knew that the house of Scipii were attempting to take control of the city themselves, and that the rest of Rome was ready to aid them, he decided to comply with the Senate’s wishes, sending Admiral Marcus and his fleet to do so. The fleet reached the city later that year, arriving not much later than the Scipii army which had moved to besiege the place.
The blockade continued until the beginning of the following year, when the Senate deemed that it had gone on long enough and promised to consider appointing a member of the house into its ranks. They then promptly sent new orders to Tarentum, asking Tiberius to seize the settlement of Salona, which was situated to the north of Appolonia.

In order to do so, Tiberius resolved to send Aulus to take command at Appolonia, allowing his younger, more talented brother Amulius to march north with his army.
Admiral Marcus was sent North to the port of Tarentum, which suited him well since a fleet of pirates which matched his own strength had recently appeared close by. Deciding not to engage in an evenly matched battle, he immediately complied and set sail for Tarentum.
It was at this time that Cassius, son of Amulius came of age in Appolonia. Cassius was ill and completely lacking in talent for command, yet he was appointed captain of the Garrison in Appolonia.
In the latter part of that year Admiral Marcus arrived at the port of Croton, having not been pursued by the pirates, who clearly saw the port of Syracuse as a much easier target. Aulus rode to meet him and arrived in Appolonia that winter. Amulius left immediately, taking his son Cassius with him and leaving Aulus to raise a local militia to keep the populace under control himself, without his guard captain.
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Amulius reached Salona early the next year and immediately attacked. The rulers of the city had recruited local mercenaries and pirates to defend them, but it was not enough to stand against a professional Roman army. In the ensuing battle Cassius distinguished himself, riding with his father and leading the equites into battle. The Roman army took light casualties, but they weren’t very severe.
When news of the battle reached Tiberius, he sent Admiral Marcus to pick up Amulius’ army and bring them to Tarentum to be bought back up to full strength, meaning that Amulius also now needed to keep the city under control without the help of a garrison.

Part 2:

When news of the battle reached Tiberius, he sent admiral Marcus to pick up Amulius’ army and bring them to Tarentum to be bought back up to full strength, meaning that Amulius also now
needed to keep the city under control without the help of a garrison.

The Latter part of that year though, bought a few surprises for the house of Brutii. The Scipii had failed in their siege of Syracuse, as the city had strong stone walls and adequate defenders. In response, the Senate once again ordered Tiberius to blockade the city’s port. Admiral Marcus, however, had his own problems. The pirates who had threatened him near Sicily had returned and were now poised to attack once more. The pirate fleet was experienced, and Marcus decided to fall back to the safety of the port of Tarentum, where he could order more ships to be built to aid him. However, a small Greek navy had also appeared in the southern Aegean. Marcus outnumbered them three to one, yet he was not such a fool as to discount them, despite the fact he had no real talent for command.

There was also a new cause for concern in the new Greek provinces of Appolonia and Salona: A small Macedonian force had crossed the Roman border between the two towns. The army was under the command of the 17 year old Macedonian prince Aloeus. Aulus and Amulius decided to wait and see what these Macedonians would do next, rather than meet them in force immediately.
[This is one of those times I’d really like to be able to send a Transgression message]
By the next year, the Macedonians had left Brutii lands, causing Tiberius to surmise that they had either been forced to retreat into his territory, or (as was more likely) they had been a scouting party.

Tiberius had also approved Admiral Marcus’ request for more Biremes, and so now the Admiral prepared to sail against the pirates, who had come to the coast of southern Italy and were within striking distance of both the ports of Tarentum and Croton. However, Marcus decided to only sail to block the pirates, not to attack them. The reason for this was that a Scipii navy had been spotted off the coast of Southern Italy, and he hoped that they had come to aid him in the coming battle as fellow Romans.
However, he was mistaken. The Scipii did not come to his aid, though he still came out victorious when the Pirates assailed him in his first naval battle. The Scipii had in fact come to land a small army in Brutii territory. However, this did not concern Tiberius, as they were of course fellow Romans and allies, and as such they had access to his lands, and he to theirs.
Aulus, however, had a more worrying case of intrusion. A Macedonian army had once again been sighted close to Appolonia, and it was larger this time.
Admiral Marcus, having defeated the pirates in the winter of the previous year had arrived with his ships to take Amulius’ army back to Tarentum. Before much more time passed Amulius would have to decide whether it was safe to leave Appolonia and Salona at Macedon’s mercy...

Part 3

The year continued and bought bad news for Amulius. A second Macedonian army had marched into Brutii territory and now both were heading towards Salona. Both armies outnumbered Amulius’ and the threat to the city was dire.
Whatever happened next, it was clear to Amulius that war was upon him, and that it would take a great feat of strategy by the house’s finest general if he was to stand victorious. Luckily though, it seemed he didn’t stand alone. Aulus was poised to march, (though he only had a local militia at his disposal) and Admiral Marcus could bring reinforcements from Italy when they were needed. Word was sent to Tiberius that Macedonia had committed an act of war and Amulius set his mind to the task of defending his city.
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However, the Macedonians then made a surprise move. The two armies joined up and then marched north, back to the edge of Brutii territory. This presented Amulius with an opportunity. Reinforcements had arrived from Italy (comprising of the army Aulus had faced the brigands with as well as more troops who had been stationed in Tarentum) Amulius rode to take command of them, leaving Cassius in command of his father’s old army and Salona.
The Macedonians were marching north through a mountain pass. Amulius marched north behind them, so that they would not be able to cross back into Brutii territory. Amulius did not seek open war with Macedon, so he did not attack and was content to keep them from returning.

The Macedonian army left the mountain pass and Brutii territory; however the now marched westwards, making for another, wider pass which they could take to emerge only a few miles north of Salona. Amulius once again moved to block them; stationing his army on the road which led to Salona from the north.
However, with all the war preparations Admiral Marcus had been required to ferry troops from Italy to Greece and had been unable to blockade the port of Syracuse as had been scheduled.
It was now early in the new year of 264 BC. It was at this time that Aulus’ son Titus came of age. Titus had no talent for command but was slightly more likely to develop one than Cassius. As it had been with Cassius, Titus was promoted to captain of Appolonia’s guard.

At the same time, Aulus’ 18 year old daughter Paulina was betrothed to a 21 year old Garrison commander named Herius Pompilius. Pompilius had a small talent for command and governorship; skills that Tiberius recognized could be developed if he was accepted into one of the ruling families. For this reason, Tiberius gave his approval for the marriage to be scheduled. As a member of the Brutii house, Herius was given the position of guard captain in Appolonia alongside his new half-brother Titus.
In the latter part of that year the Senate gave orders for Tiberius to send ships to blockade the port at Sparta. Tiberius was hardly content to do so, as an impending war with Macedon had caused him to consider a truce with the Greek city states. As such, Admiral Marcus was not immediately sent.

The Scipii army which had landed in Brutii territory over a year ago was contending with a rebel army which was marching south into Tiberius’ realms. Admiral Marcus had recently arrived from Greece bringing with him the army which had been stationed in Salona. It was now in Tarentum being bought back up to full strength, so Tiberius resolved to send them to aid the Scipii once the retraining was completed.
Presently Admiral Marcus had been sent along with a Roman diplomat to negotiate peace with Greece. (Negotiations were to begin after Marcus and a Scipii fleet had dealt with the scattered Greek ships in the area and then proceed to blockade the port at Sparta as had been requested by the Senate) a small contingent of Marcus’ ships though were sent back to Tarentum to pick up a Roman spy, for the purpose of finding the strength of the Macedonian army which still lingered in Brutii territory. Amulius knew they outnumbered him greatly, but he needed to know if they could outfight him too...

In the winter of that year a Greek diplomat arrived in Salona and demanded that the house of Brutii became protectorate to the Greeks. Cassius refused, and when word of this got to Tiberius he sent word to Admiral Marcus that the blockade of Sparta may need to go on for longer than had been planned.

As far as the near future went, though, there would be no blockade at all, nor any engagement with a small rebel army to the north. When Cassius had refused to have his house become vassals of the Greeks, the Greeks had responded by besieging Appolonia. The ships Marcus had sent to bring a spy to the Macedonian camp was diverted to take Amulius’ old army from Tarentum to Appolonia, and Marcus himself decided to prioritize and use the large amount of ships under his command to stop any Greek reinforcements from reaching the besieged town.
The onset of that year saw two naval skirmishes with Greek ships, Marcus being the victor in both due to his superior numbers. The Macedonians had finally retreated, leaving Amulius free to march south to the aid of Appolonia.

The reinforcements from Tarentum also arrived under the command of General Nero, and the stage was set for the Battle for Appolonia.
The ensuing battle was the largest the house of Brutii had yet faced, involving many hundreds on both sides.
Nero came to the battle with a squadron of equites, (who served as his guard) and several hundred Brutii heavy infantry (who fought in the style of Hastati) Seeing the number of light cavalry the Greeks had bought to the battle, Nero made the first move, charging home against them. However, he got more than he bargained for when his squadron was cut to pieces by enemy slings and javelins. The survivors of the charge broke and fled, but Nero himself was slain by an enemy javelin trying to escape with his men.
Things looked bleak for the Romans when hope was restored by the Arrival of Aulus and his two sons and captains Titus and Herius leading the town’s militia. Aulus knew that his militia were capable of fighting in battle, but he and his two captains were accompanied by a guard of the finest horsemen of their house. Coming up swiftly behind the Greeks, they charged home and first decimated the Rhodian slingers, then split up and moved on to the Greek light cavalry, who fled. The Roman horsemen were too swift for them though, and they eventually caught them and forced them to fight hand to hand. In this they were no match for the mail armed horsemen and fell to the Roman lances. The survivors of the Roman onslaught broke and routed.
All that was left now was the militia phalanx, which had broken apart to deal with both the cavalry behind and the infantry in front. Using cavalry tactics of the Macedonian fashion, the three squadrons charged at the rear of the hoplites, who not being better trained than Aulus’ militia quickly fled. The Roman infantry never engaged in hand to hand combat, for by the time the survivors of the Greek phalanx reached their line, they were severely weakened and unable to withstand the hail of Javelins that met them. The battle was a decisive victory, though it can be speculated that Aulus wept afterwards, as his firstborn son Titus perished charging a Greek phalanx.
Amulius now sent a small part of his army back into Salona where Cassius was now governor. He then marched south with the rest of his force to Appolonia, where he would take command of the late General Nero’s army.

Meanwhile, the Imperator Tiberius ordered the garrison of Croton to be mobilized and sent to aid the Scipii army up north. In the battle that followed many were lost, though the combined Scipii and Brutii forces prevailed.
Later that year the Senate gave the house of Brutii a new mission: take the northern settlement of Segastica. The settlement was poorly defended to say the least, yet Tiberius had bigger problems. Namely, the Greek settlement of Thermon, where their king was governor. If Tiberius could take Thermon and kill the king of Sparta in the process, he could deal a terrible blow to the city states. Clearly, the best man to do this was Amulius with his new army; the largest the Brutii houses had ever seen, for the greatest campaign yet attempted.
Amulius knew the city to have sturdy wooden walls and an amount of defenders to match his own force in numbers if not in skill. Therefore, he planned to besiege the city and starve the defenders out. Wasting no time, Amulius marched south.
The city was almost in sight when Amulius detected the trap. Being well versed in the arts of warfare he had sent scout out to watch the flanks of his column. There he discovered a massive Greek army lying in wait. Amulius formed his men up for battle, but now he was faced with a choice. Was he to meet this superior Greek force in battle, so to clear the way to Thermon? Or would retreating be the wiser course?

[Nerdymidgetkid]

Okay, that'll be it for episode one methinks! I'll wait for some reports before I post any more; if you like it I'll keep going with it, if you hate it I'll spare you more pain and discontinue it, and if you have any suggestions please tell!

[johnhughthom]

I have to admit, I find it difficult to read AARs without nice pictures breaking up walls of text, though that says more about me than your AAR. Europa Barbarorum is actually a fantastic basis for an AAR, there have been some superb AARs based on it, check them out here.

[Nerdymidgetkid]

I didn't actually think to do screenshots...Mine is a bit like a wall of text. That's definitely something I'll include methinks. And in this one doesn't take off, maybe I'll do an EB one... It's a really cool game and more like a R2TW than a mod.

[Jack50]

Well as a fellow who is looking to write an AAR for Medieval : Total War, I would first off say thanks for the great effort! My impression of the first post is something of the following: The GOOD : Great pace, strong images of the "leaders", ALOT of ACTION. I enjoy the quick and dirty details of the encounters. Great job! The BAD : As someone who has only played M2TW and it's mods I'm lost. Give me a map at least so I know where the battles are at. Pictures are good BUT it's hard enough to write interesting text that will hold the attention of readers. Also give me a better sense of time. Has 1 year passed? Five? I don't know really. The UGLY : Please a couple of pictures please! What I said earlier is true BUT get pictures from the Internet to break up the blocks of texts. Even if it is just a scutum or a pair of nobbed sandals

Options or opinions : Please continue with the AAR I find it very good! Your grammar is fine as is the spelling. Something you may want to do (an idea of what I will do with my AAR), take 1 leader each post and flesh them out. I usually do this for the newer Generals until the grandsons come of age. The starting leaders and heirs are usually well entrenched in history or in the minds of those that have played them. By making the others come to life; so to speak, allows your unique view on how the empire is run and is built.

I hope this gives you something that you can use in the future And more importantly, if you would like to do an EB (I beleive I know what that is) then do it. The AAR is for you, we just get to critique it

[johnhughthom]

The AAR is for you, we just get to critique it

Exactly. You should only write an AAR because you enjoy doing it, trying to write for other people is rarely enjoyable.

[Nerdymidgetkid]

Wow, thanks for all the great advice!!! I've actually really wanted to sort of 'storify' this thing; give characters personalities and the like. I know I'll definitely need pics this time as well. I'll make sure to also give a bit more of a sense of time in my next post, just so you know I left off at 260 BC. I will be doing a second episode and I'll post it part by part like the last. However, I played a few years into it and now can't remember the events of those years, so it'll now start off a bit later. Maybe I'll recall them when I get back to playing. Most of all, thankyou to both of you for giving me some support!!!

[Nerdymidgetkid]

Does anyone know how I can get screens from RTW?

[johnhughthom]

Personally, I use FRAPS to take the shots, then use GIMP to convert to JPEG before uploading to photobucket from where you can link the shots. FRAPS and GIMP are free and pretty simple to use.

[Jack50]

True, FRAPS and GIMP easy and free! Start FRAPS up before R:TW and assign a folder for your shots. Just hit f10 whenever you want to capture anything. After you are done then send to GIMP to switch to JPEG. You can also do other things like writing what this shot is about. However for the beginning just use the shot and don't worry about the extras

[Nerdymidgetkid]

Thanks guys, but haven't got any room to download any new stuff until next month, so until then posts will not have pics :(

[Nerdymidgetkid]

Prologue: Amulius’ Decision

Amulius knew that the fate of his house now rested on his shoulders. He was commanding the largest army the Brutii had ever fielded against an enemy who had the advantage of superior
numbers. If he was defeated, Appolonia was sure to fall, and beyond that Salona. Then, nothing would stand between the Greeks and their old colonies of Tarentum and Croton.
If Amulius was victorious, he could continue on to face his next challenge: the defenders of Thermon.
Amulius was loath to give ground against his enemies, and disinclined to fight them with his back against the walls of Thermon. Therefore, he resolved to march against the Greeks.

The following battle asserted Amulius as one of Rome’s greatest ever military leaders, and perhaps the first of the true greats to be produced by the house of Brutii. Using cavalry tactics common of the Macedonians, he quickly outflanked his enemies, riding in behind the Greek phalanx and disposing of the light troops who had been marching in behind the hoplites, leading the charge as ever. Amulius then ordered the full force of his infantry to attack; whilst he harried the phalanxes from behind, Weakening so that they were unable to withstand the storm of Roman infantry now coming forward. The Greek advantage in numbers (which had originally stood at over 400) was now rapidly falling, and the battle swung into Amulius’ favour.

The second half of the battle bought a tactical error from the Greek general, who divided his phalanx to defend against the cavalry onslaught. Amulius quickly seized the advantage, swiftly bypassing those who had been sent to block him and smashing headlong into the backs of the Greeks who were engaged with his own infantry. The Greek line was swiftly broken. The remainder of the enemy force was now at the mercy of the Roman army. Sending his lighter equites off in pursuit of his fleeing enemies, he ordered his infantry in to close the battle, leaving too few survivors to ever return to Thermon in arms. The city and its defenders were now at the mercy of Amulius’ victorious army.

In the latter half of 261 BC, Amulius arrived at Thermon. With its field army crushed, Amulius saw no reason to hurry to take the city. He laid siege to the place; a siege which he maintained for the next year and a half, by which time the cities’ food reserves had finally depleted. Now faced with the choice between sallying to meet the Roman army and surrender, the Greek king and his army threw open the gates of Thermon and marched out with what defenders they had left (a force which still matched Amulius’ in size) and marched to break the siege, or die in the attempt.

Amulius formed his men up in battle formation as soon as the trumpets blared, but he did not desire a head on encounter with the Greek forces; not on even terms. He knew that the defenders were already exhausted. If the king of Sparta fell, they might give up. With his usual skill in cavalry command he rode in behind the enemy line as it marched out to confront his main army. Faced with the full force of Amulius’ horsemen, the Spartan king and his bodyguard were surrounded. They fought bravely but were quickly overcome nonetheless. When their king fell the Greeks were shaken but held their line still, though when the Roman infantry came from in front and the Roman cavalry from behind, they soon broke and ran to regroup at the city’s central plaza. Amulius and his equites were too fast for them though. The Roman cavalry rode after them, cutting them down as they ran in terror. However, a substantial number of the Greeks made it inside, and the gate was shut. They now rejoiced: for the moment they were safe.
However, Amulius was a prudent commander and had anticipated such a situation. Though he had never intended to storm the city he now ordered the battering ram he had built against the gates, which soon fell.

Now the walls of the city were taken, Amulius ordered his infantry inside. The Greeks rushed to stop them but were quickly overwhelmed.
What was left of the Greek army now prepared to make a brave last stand at the centre of the city, but with the loss of their king and of their walls, they did not have the resolve to put up much of a fight. After a brief engagement the survivors (who were few) surrendered.

Okay, that was a quick little post detailing the Battle of Thermon. Thought it might be a nice little feature to write an account of my most epical battles, and that being the first major capaign against the Greeks I thought it would be appropriate. More to come, though still won't have screens for a bit!

[Nerdymidgetkid]

Part 1

It was now the winter of 268 BC, and trouble was afoot in Southern Italy. The Sammnites, Rome’s oldest enemy, had once again taken up arms and had set up their camp in their old homeland: the territory of Aulus Brutus, Imperator of the house of Brutii of the Roman Republic.

Rebels were also afoot in the lands to the North of Appolonia, on the edge of Brutii controlled territory.
Of even greater concern was the kingdom of Macedon, which had made several incursions into Brutii territory, coming within sight of the Brutii settlement of Salona. Though these incursions had been considered acts of war according to the policy of the Roman Senate, the greatest general of the house, Amulius Brutus, had never attacked their numerically superior armies. However, the Macedonians, blocked each time by Amulius’ tactics, had also failed to engage...
The Senate had also ordered Aulus to seize the settlement of Segastica, which was situated to the Northwest of Salona. Aulus realized that the next year would be a time of several campaigns...

With the advent of the New Year, Amulius, greatest of the house’s commanders (and indeed perhaps the greatest general in all of Rome) dispatched a small contingent of equites and Infantry to rendezvous with Herius Pompilius, captain of the guard of Appolonia. Herius was to lead this squadron against the rebels who had manifested themselves north of his younger (and yet far more talented, charismatic and generally promising) Cousin Cornelius. Amulius wished for his nephew (Herius being the son in law of Aulus) to gain honour and glory for himself on the field of battle, so he might be held in such esteem as is befitting of the son of the Imperator. It is a mark of Amulius’ dedication to his house that he chose his rather unremarkable Nephew for this command instead of his own son Cornelius. However, it cannot be said that Cornelius himself was unhappy with the arrangement, as commanding a small sortie against rebellious slaves hardly compared with the importance of a job such as governing a city, as was his post. (This is especially remarkable, as Cornelius was only 19 years old at the time; an age when most Romans of a ruling house study and train in their family’s capital)

At the same time, Admiral Marcus was ordered to the port of Thermon, so that he could ferry a larger detachment from Amulius’ army to aid Aulus and Vibius (Vibius being the finest of the family’s governors and ruler of the city of Croton) in the inevitable conflict with the rebels whom they stared at across the sloping hills of their realms.
Aulus had decided that he himself would command the Brutii troops at that battle (or at least be present while Amulius’ commanders busied themselves with trivialities such as tactics, orders and fighting.) His father Tiberius (who had died two years previously, as Amulius had beset Thermon) had once been a great general (though not of course as great as his second son Amulius.) Aulus, on the other hand, had spent the most part of his life safe within city walls, seeking (yet failing) to be elected into the Senate.

Now though, Aulus was adjusting to his new position; the ruler of his house and of Tarentum. And though he had not nearly the talent for command as his brother Tiberius, nor the knack for governorship as his brother Vibius, (and probably due in no small part to these factors which he no doubt wished to improve) he had decided that he needed the kind of distinction that his father had won in the days before his birth.
The year turned. It was now early in 267 BC which turned out to be (as Aulus had planned) a year of war. Herius rode north to meet the rebel menace with his equites, beginning the battle with the words “By night time we’ll be building the enemy funeral pyres, so cheer up and fight!”

The odds were against Herius as far as numbers went, and his men felt “that defeat was a distinct possibility” as Herius’ lieutenant had quaintly put it after the battle. However, the enemy were poorly armed and most certainly not equipped or trained to fight horsemen (the finest troops in the Brigand band being armed with throwing spears designed to combat infantry)
Arrayed in what the most skilled observers may have called some sort of formation, the brigand army advanced. At the front stood the men who had the least equipment; with each of them only carrying a knife and wearing no armour of any kind. Herius decided to charge them head on, knowing that they would soon break and flee and hoping that the rest of his enemies in seeing this would also run. What followed was the shortest battle in the history of Rome, as the brigands turned out to be even more poorly trained and disciplined than Herius had reckoned. The rebel front line crumbled in seconds; with the enemy front lines crumbling almost immediately as the Roman charge drove through their untidy ranks.
Seeing their comrades break so easily caused the remainder of the rebel force to join them in their rout. Herius pursued them mercilessly. He may not have had much talent for command in a full scale battle, but his efficiency in this skirmish could not be forgotten, as no enemies were left unaccounted for, (or indeed alive) and only two of his own men had perished.

Part 2:

It was said in the time immediately after the battle that “Herius had no real aura for command, but made up for it with a good loud voice and a small talent for instilling fear” Hearing these words spoken, his father Aulus was hardly pleased, as it was likely that Herius would one day rule his house. However, Amulius was pleased with his 27 year old nephew’s progress, and as Herius (along with most others) secretly though Amulius a much wiser man than Aulus, he himself was hardly worried about the future of his career.
At the time of Herius’ battle with the rebels, Aulus’ own son Oppius (being Aulus’ second born child and the younger brother of Titus,) became 16 and so came of age. It was whispered of Oppius that he was “lily livered” and “discreet” but as Aulus had become ever more protective of his second born since Titus’ death, these things were never said aloud.

Even Aulus though knew that his son had no real talent of any kind that would be useful in one of the ruling houses, but he also knew that Oppius was likely to be destined for rule, (or at least great importance,) so Aulus resolved to develop his son’s nonexistent talents while he could. Herius, meanwhile, had returned to his post as chief captain of Appolonia.
He was soon occupied there, as his subordinates reported that they suspected a spy was within the city walls. Up until that point they had not had any success in detecting the spy, and had neglected to inform the governor Cornelius (whom, despite his young age they greatly admired for his competence in governorship) Herius though had returned from his first battle, if a battle it may be called, a confident commander. He resolved to take control of the situation and uncover the spy, as befitted his position. In this endeavour he was successful, and after extracting all the information he could, Herius turned the Macedonian spy over to his Cousin.

The spy was promptly bought before a crowd, hung by his wrists, stabbed in the side by a spear and left until upon the verge of death, and then beheaded. Cornelius, as any good Roman governor should, was already developing some unorthodox methods of execution, and (being a true Roman) he had no love for secrecy or espionage.
Herius had been amused by the execution of the man who had exploited Roman honesty in such a manner, and was surprised when soon after, a detachment of Amulius’ infantry arrived in Appolonia, bringing with them orders from Amulius, (who was now the official heir to the Brutii house, and so had command of the Brutii territories in Greece.)
Herius was to sail with his band of equites and these new reinforcents to Tarentum, where he would accompany Aulus to battle with the rebels there. He would then sail to Segastica, take the city, and assume command there. Zeus, it seemed to Herius, had great plans for him, though he was not of Brutii lineage.

If this was so, then Amulius was indeed Zeus in disguise, though this was not a possibility that was discounted by the Plebeians of Tarentum. Amulius, whether he was truly Zeus or no, saw great potential in Herius, and a man that was, in any case, a better candidate to rule the family than Oppius.
Herius now acted swiftly. To be the chief guard captain of a city was of course a position of great importance, but Herius now felt that it was his time to move up the social ladder of his family. He took his forces south to the city’s port, where Admiral Marcus had recently arrived. However, in Herius’ absence disaster struck Appolonia: another Macedonian agent had escaped! Cornelius hoped that the spy had been foiled before he could recover any useful information to give back to his cowardly masters.
Herius on the other hand continued on, untroubled by the news (as it had not yet reached him.) By early 266 BC, he had arrived at the port of Appolonia.
As Cornelius was busy in Appolonia building himself a grand villa to replace his old house, Herius set foot on Italian soil for the first time since he had married into the house.

Meanwhile, Oppius had gotten married. His bride was a twelve year old girl named Magna, a woman who had made Oppius the subject of detrimental rumours. (It detracts from one’s influence when stories circulate around one’s wife about said wife and her lovers...)
Aulus was by now getting rather fed up with his son whose reputation had only plummeted since the stories about his new wife had begun to circulate. Roman law dictated that if Aulus was to leave Tarentum, Oppius would be left in charge (a rather frightening prospect to both Aulus himself and the plebeians.) Still, Aulus planned to go to battle for the first time in over 10 years and unfortunately for all that would mean Oppius would now be in charge of the Brutii house’s capital.

However, Aulus was loathe to give Oppius command until it was absolutely necessary, so the winter came, Herius approached the rebels, and still Aulus did not leave his city. Things were rather more exiting though on the high seas, upon which Admiral Marcus sailed to attack Greek ships which had been sighted in the Aegean. The Greek fleet was scarce in number and was easily defeated. Marcus now returned to the port of Tarentum to replenish his own fleet.

As the year continued to wear on a Greek ambassador came to Herius requesting a ceasefire. With his father’s approval, Herius accepted, as he knew that the Macedonians were the bigger problem, and it would be preferable not to have to worry about the Greeks if conflict broke out. He also reasoned that the Greeks would do their part to weaken the Macedonians for they had been blood enemies for over a century. They would do this better if they did not have Rome to worry about, so both states were happy with the new arrangement.
It was now time for Aulus to make his decision. Possibly it was the most terrible decision he had ever had to face. However, his political drive swayed him. Despite his position as Imperator of one of the ruling houses of Rome, he only held the lowly office of Quaestor in the Senate. So, after much careful deliberation, he decided to leave his incompetent son Oppius in charge of his city. He hoped that the gods would forgive him if he earned glory in the battle to come.

The Battle of Apulia was hardly a remarkable one, but it proved Herius as a man of worth. The Brutii army consisted of 345 men whilst their enemies numbered 349. Aulus sought a quick victory and so, mimicking Amulius, he ordered Herius’ equites to ride behind the enemy’s lines to take on the rebel general and his bodyguard. In the cavalry engagement that followed, the rebel general emerged victorious and the equites who had been victorious under the command of Herius were utterly routed.
Herius was not a man to suffer this sort of failure in an important sortie. Riding out with his personal bodyguard he flanked and charged in to finish the job. The rebel general’s guards crumbled and their commander was slain. He had though issued on final order to his men; charge the main Roman line. This they did, and Aulus, taken off his guard, was not sure what to do about the battle that was now being fought in front of him.

If it hadn’t been for Herius’ precautions the Roman line may have broken, but it was not so. Prior to the battle, Herius had recruited a band of mercenaries who fought in the hoplite fashion. These sturdy men regrouped and held the Roman line together, fighting with their short swords and sturdy shields to drive the enemy back. The Sammnites retreated and the Roman line reformed under the direction of Aulus. When the Sammnites attacked again they were broken against the Roman lines, which had been strengthened by the return of Herius.
Herius now rode out once more to ensure that the survivors would not return. Once the enemy had been reduced to about 20 terrified rebels, he halted to take some well earned rest.
After the battle, Aulus was considered a good commander, which was a great improvement from his previous level of ability. He now returned to Tarentum which (thankfully) had not been destroyed by Oppius’ regime. Herius now prepared to sail to Segastica, and his first true command.

Part 3:

Herius now marched his men to the port of Tarentum, whilst what was left of his squadron of equites had been sent into the city to be bought back up to strength with new riders. It took 6 months to do this, but when the squadron (which now comprised mostly of fresh recruits) was ready to leave, they joined Herius. The army now boarded Admiral Marcus’ ships and set sail for Segastica, which was the stronghold of the Illyrian people.

Meanwhile, another Macedonian contingent had crossed the Brutii border near Salona, and Amulius was getting impatient. Presently he was building a barracks in Thermon so that he could bring his army back up to full strength, but until then he was unwilling to move. Luckily though, the Macedonian army was small and Amulius judged that it could be held off by Cassius’ militia if necessary.

Aulus began to realize that he may have been approaching the greatest was his house had ever faced; a war against the heirs of Alexander. If so, he reasoned, then he may well need an army to bolster Amulius’. He resolved to create a new army for the war which he now believed was inevitable. Armed and armoured with the wares of the Brutii heartlands (which surpassed any in any other Brutii controlled city due to the government employed blacksmiths who Tiberius had employed there.) Aulus also had plans to construct a full legion barracks in Tarentum to create a new kind of Brutii soldier.

It remained to be seen whether Aulus could successfully implement this idea, but in the meantime he began training up a force of cavalry and light troops which would compliment his superior heavy infantry.

The new year of 254 BC came and bought with it good news for Aulus. He had been elected to serve as Adelie, the next step up from Quaestor on the political ladder in Rome. After all, being in command of the food supply in Rome is no small honour. His participation (or as he called it “command”) at the battle of Apulia was clearly paying off...

Meanwhile, another Macedonian detachment had arrived in Brutii territory; and this was enough to convince Amulius to move sooner than had been planned. Leaving a small part of his force there as a garrison he left the city to once again attempt to block the Macedonians.

Further north Herius had arrived in Illyria, and now moved to engage the Illyrian army which blocked his path to the city. However, Segastica held no real military might and Herius was confident he could crush his enemies quickly and with few casualties.
The summer solstice passed and still Herius marched North, though it was too late to complete the Senate’s mission, which Aulus had failed to complete during the allotted time.

Perhaps this was a blessing though as Herius was now needed elsewhere. A Macedonian fleet had blockaded the port of Appolonia, making the war official. Of even greater concern was the large Macedonian army which had now crossed the border under the command of the heir to the Macedonian throne. If the three armies combined they would nearly outnumber Amulius two to one. Amulius did not find these odds favourable, and so instead sought to divide and conquer.

Admiral Marcus now sailed south to break the blockade of Appolonia whilst Herius marched in the same direction to aid Amulius.
Unfortunately he would not arrive for some months so once again it looked as though it was all up to Amulius.
The two small Macedonian forces which had entered Brutii territory first had now joined up, but still they posed little threat to Amulius’ army. Amulius purposed to destroy them first before moving on to do battle with the Macedonian prince.

As Amulius advanced upon them the Macedonians force marched until the road led them to Appolonia. With their backs to Appolonia they prepared to face Amulius, though their plight had only worsened since Amulius had first marched against them, as they now had their backs turned to the most promising young member of the Brutii house...
Meanwhile in Salona, blissfully unaware or untroubled by less important affairs to the south, Cassius (now being aged 30) had married a 24 year old woman named Marciana.

Amulius would have no time to celebrate his son’s marriage just yet. Employing the help of some mercenary hoplites and Cretan archers, and using his own brand of textbook cavalry tactics, he utterly routed the Macedonian army, leaving only about 30 survivors. Cornelius was not required to enter the battle, though he arrived all the same with his militia and personal bodyguard, perhaps to cheer his father on and watch from the cover of a grove of trees as the first Brutii engagement with the kingdom of Macedon ended in a decisive victory.
Now though, he would have to face the Macedonian heir, and his army, which turned out to be ever larger than Amulius had originally reckoned. (It seemed to outnumber Amulius’ force 2 to one without the reinforcements that Amulius had recently destroyed. Time was running out for Amulius, who would have to employ some quick thinking to emerge victorious.
Matters were even worse though in Thermon. Two more small Macedonian detachments were approaching the poorly defended city...

As the year drew to a close a Macedonian ambassador arrived at Thermon, saying that if the Brutii did not attack the Macedonians, then the Macedonians would not attack them. The terms were agreed to by the local guard captain. The Macedonians retreated out of Thermon’s territory, only to move in again a short time later, this time going as far as to besiege the city.

It was now early in the year 264 BC, and it seemed that Amulius would now have to face the numerically superior Macedonian army in battle, as they had advanced up to Amulius’ army. Scouting and skirmishing ensued, though Amulius knew that it would not last. The odds had never been more unfavourable for him, nor had so much ever been at stake.
Meanwhile, the Macedonian fleet which had been blockading the port at Appolonia had for some mysterious reason left the port and moved out into the Aegean, towards Admiral Marcus’ superior force. Admiral Marcus was more than happy with this new development, and proceeded to crush them immediately.
The standoff continued between Amulius and the Macedonian prince Euneus. Amulius decided to leave the first move to his enemy.

Part 4

This turned out to be his worst mistake in many years. 6 months passed, and still the Macedonians did nothing. However, the reason for their waiting now became clear. A second Macedonian army approached through the same path, meaning the Amulius now had to face twice as many Macedonians as he would have. Now, the usually calculating head of Amulius was filled with fear, as he did not know whether more enemy armies would come. Despite the unfavourable odds, he called for his son Cornelius and prepared to attack.

As it turned out, the quality of Euneus’ army was poor, and if Amulius had attacked earlier the odds may well have been in his favour. He knew that his first tactical error since anyone could remember could cost him dearly. Nevertheless, he marched out to defend Appolonia and meet his enemies in battle, but not before hiring some local Illyrian mercenaries, hoptlites and Cretan archers.

Before the battle, with all of his forces arrayed in battle formation, he told his men that though they were greatly outnumbered, each one of them was worth 10 of their enemies. All knew that Amulius to be the wisest ever to grace his house, but it can be guessed that many of the young men who stood listening to that speech may have questioned it. Could even Amulius win this battle?
The battle began in earnest, with Euneus ordering his phalanxes straight in to attack. Whatever words of encouragement he had spoken, Amulius knew that he would be hard pressed if the phalanx managed to engage him head on at his current strength. Once again he was relying on his trademark cavalry tactics to give him the upper hand. However, in his plans he either failed to remember the second Macedonian army which was coming up behind, or had no plan for them...

Most likely he was hoping to deal with Euneus first and then move on to the reinforcements. Riding to the flank of Euneus’ army with his personal squadron of equites his immediately engaged the Macedonian light cavalry and skirmishers there along with his son Cornelius and his bodyguard. Eventually though he came up against some tougher Macedonian heavy cavalry. However, that squadron was small and Amulius overcame even them with the power of his initial charge.
However, even Amulius could not plan for all eventualities and the number of Macedonians who now surrounded him, peppering his cavalry with missiles. The casualties began to mount.

From what is known of Euneus he was as good a commander as Herius, and as such he kept his phalanx moving towards Amulius’ infantry, rather than split his line as Amulius had hoped would happen. Meanwhile, the Macedonian prince had sent all his light troops to surround Amulius’ horsemen.

To break the trap Amulius now split his forces, ordering Cornelius and his squadron to go after one enemy formation whilst he rode to meet another. It is hard to say whether Euneus had been planning for this, but if he hadn’t he certainly saw the opportunity when it presented itself; perceiving his foes’ weakness and exploiting it. He now rode in with his one personal guards; an entire squadron of the finest riders in Macedon; his companions.

Deciding quickly that his son would have to take on all the enemy skirmishers, he ordered Cornelius and his squadron to do so whilst he and his guards now rode to meet the companions in a head on clash.
But Amulius was now being forced to alter his plans to counter his enemies’. Either Euneus was a far better commander than the Romans had though, or the superior numbers under his command were giving him the flexibility he needed to outmanoeuvre Amulius. Given what happened next, the former seems more likely.
Amulius was now facing the heirs of Alexander, who had written the book that he had studied his entire military career; namely the art of using tactics. Now he had met a man who (it seems) knew how to command horsemen as well as Amulius did. On the other hand, the Macedonians had perhaps three times the amount of cavalry that Amulius did.

Now Amulius saw what had either been his enemy’s plan or along, or his captain’s perception. Whether this was all part of a plan that Euneus had conceived or whether the general of his reinforcements was apt enough to take it, it will probably never be known. For now the second Macedonian army had sent in its own huge force of Lancers, who were now charging into the rear of Amulius’ guards. Now, Amulius yelled for his son to come and join him to hopefully defend against the onslaught. It can be surmised that he had by now either lost his cool completely, or he sought to strike down the enemy prince as he expected the Macedonians to flee at the sight. Regardless, Cornelius and his squadron charged in to the centre against the enemy companion cavalry, leaving both squadrons open to the charge that now thundered over the last few metres which it had to cover before colliding against the Roman lines...

The Macedonian cavalry hit the Romans like a thunderbolt. In the short ensuing mêlée Amulius, greatest of the Brutii’s generals, finally fell, alongside his son Cornelius, who had promised to be just as great a commander if not a greater one, if he had lived.

Though the Brutii infantry were close enough to see it, they probably wouldn’t have believed it at first. Amulius was the wisest, the greatest general his family had ever seen. He had developed a close bond with his men, as he did not refrain from doing everything and more that he asked of them. His son Cornelius had been well liked by all and had been considered most likely of all the house to eventually become the finest general in Rome; perhaps, some had thought, he would have even surpassed his father. Amulius himself had been the one who had spoken this thing loudest. It did not take long, though, for the Brutii troops to realize that both of their commanders had just died heroically but perhaps in vain. They would all die. Appolonia would fall. Then, Thermon and Salona were easy targets. After that, what would stop Macedon from coming to Italy itself? What would stop them from seizing Tarentum?

The Macedonians must have been elated. Their enemies were leaderless. Euneus though was not a man to allow his men to celebrate before the battle was won. After all, they had only defeated a small part of the Brutii army.
The Macedonian light cavalry now rode behind the Brutii lines. The few Roman survivors from the cavalry sortie regrouped and attempted to lead the Macedonians away. The Macedonian horsemen followed them, giving the Cretan archers time to fire. When the Cretans fired the Macedonians felt it, again and again they were subjected to hails of arrows but they kept riding. In the end the Roman cavalry turned and met their deaths, though they took many Macedonians with them. Now the Macedonian cavalry rode in to kill the archers; however they were met with a storm of Illyrian spears. Reeling, they broke and fled. Now though the Macedonian phalanx had arrived, with Euneus and his companions leading them. Seeking to avenge their general, the mercenary hoplites advanced, but the Macedonian phalanx intercepted them. Now, the Romans had no choice but to charge forth as one, but it was in vain. About 40% of the Macedonian army had been destroyed.

[Jack50]

Glad to see new stories of the Brutii! Like what you have done with the suggestions given! To me the story flows alot better and I am able to see where one starts as another leaves off! Continue forward you are doing a great job! I'm enjoying reading this!

[Nerdymidgetkid]

Final part of episode 2 (part 4) to come, detailing the Battle of Appolonia!!! Anyone wanna guess who wins? (Can Amulius emerge victorious against his greatest foe yet, or will he finally fall???)

[Nerdymidgetkid]

Okay, that was part 4! Episode three may be a little while as I'm hoping to include pics for the first time. Criticism, comments and ideas welcome.

[Nerdymidgetkid]

Having some trouble with photobucket: I upload, it goes to 37 %, then back to 31%. Keeps going like that. Anyone know why?

[Nerdymidgetkid]

Ok, I'm sorry to say that since my image uploading issues remain unresolved, I will be continuing this AAR without pics until I find a solution. I think I'll play a bit more into it soon.

[Jack50]

Fine I'll be waiting

[johnhughthom]

Having some trouble with photobucket: I upload, it goes to 37 %, then back to 31%. Keeps going like that. Anyone know why?

What file type are you trying to upload? You could perhaps try saving the image as a different type and see if that uploads, it would at least let you narrow down the problem. I've uploaded hundreds of images to photobucket, virtually all JPEGs, without encountering an issue like this once.

[johnhughthom]

Double post. Org is laaaaggy tonight. Sort it out Secura!!!

[Nerdymidgetkid]

Author’s Notes: Sorry it has been so long; I’ve been pretty busy lately (playing video games and other such important things) and haven’t gotten around to continuing this story. Throughout the course of this thread there will probably be groups of posts that come really close together and then a long gap. Also, I am sorry to report that I have not been able to include pics in this latest edition: I started it a while back and have only played the end today, and by now I think it is important that I post another one. (I hate incomplete AARs myself.) On the other hand, if you think this is boring and it is not worth me continuing it, please say so. I personally have no objection to rubbish incomplete AARs!!!

The few survivors from the battle now retreated back into Appolonia, where the army captains took command.
When the news reached Aulus of his brother’s death, he was devastated. He had no particular affection for his brother and even less for his nephew, but with both of them gone the prospects of the Brutii house holding Greece seemed slim. He could however see two distinct positives in this development; the first being that he would no longer be overshadowed by his brother and the second being that maybe his own son Herius would now replace Amulius as the greatest general of the house. It was unlikely, at any rate that Cassius would.

It was now all up the Herius and Cassius, the latter of which would serve little use. Perhaps the people of Appolonia, Thermon and Salona could take a little comfort in the fact that Amulius had trusted Herius as much if not more than he had trusted his own son. Perhaps this trust would be justified in the dark days to come.
All knew that these would be dark days for the house of Brutii, whether they ever ended in revival or not. Whatever happened it seemed now that Herius, son of Aulus was the only hope for the House’s survival, or in any case its current prospects in Greece.
Aulus himself had not neglected to act. He had been able to raise some reinforcements for his son, consisting entirely of horsemen and light troops. They now sailed with Admiral Marcus to meet Herius, who had now reached Salona. He would reach Appolonia by the New Year, which would be 252 BC.

As Herius marched to defend the now besieged Appolonia, Admiral Marcus came up against pirates in the Eastern Aegean and suffered a Decisive defeat. Gathering his surviving ships, he sailed for Croton.
Happily for the Brutii though, Herius had had some success. Managing to get between Euneus and his reinforcements, he had cut the Macedonian prince off. With the support of the survivors from the earlier battle, as well as Appolonia’s militia force (who were there mainly for moral support,) he now moved in for the kill.

Euneus arrayed his forces for battle, but seeing the advance of Herius and his equites across the flat plain which the Roman commander had chosen to fight on, the prince of Macedon was quick to judge that staying would not be prudent. The siege was broken, with not a Roman life lost. However, as they fled the Macedonians did come within bowshot of the Cretan archers, who delighted in taking revenge for their former commander. 9 Macedonian infantry fell to their arrows.
Euneus, now seeing the full force of his enemies, abandoned the other Macedonian general and fled into Macedonian territory.
Meanwhile in Tarentum, Oppius had followed his father Aulus in developing a tendency to have sudden outbursts of rage, and had such earned the title “the wrathful” as his father had.
Taking advantage of the wars, a huge band of brigands had gathered in the countryside of Brutii-controlled Greece. However, they were hardly Herius’ main concern. As the year drew to a close, he prepared to do battle with the remainder of the Macedonian force, in the hope that he could reach Thermon in time...
____________________________________________________________

However, before the year’s end the Macedonians assaulted the city, with Herius still far away. The Romans made a brave last stand, but were unable to keep the Macedonian ram from the enemy gates. The Macedonian pikemen plunged into the city, decisively winning the opening engagement with the Roman heavy infantry. The survivors fled to the city centre, with the Brutii general holding the walls with his light infantry and cavalry, but from that point it was only a matter of time for the city. When it looked like the Velites were close to repulsing the Macedonian infantry, another unit came in, forcing the Brutii to split their forces. Heart now left the defenders and, though they eventually managed to destroy almost half of the Macedonian force, they surrendered to the attackers with half of their own men slain. How they fared afterwards is not recorded by history; if the Roman historians did know, it would probably have been a topic too shameful to write about or be allowed to write about.
And so it was that the year began with the battle of Thermon; and as news of it reached Herius it could hardly be an encouraging sign. It would be his duty to free the city or die trying, but first he had to get through both masterful Macedonians and bloodthirsty brigands.

Part 2

It was now the latter part of 252 BC, and the time for battle had finally arrived. By the summer solstice Herius was already marching to rid himself of his Macedonian enemies; the last remainder of Euneus’ invasion force. Herius was outnumbered, but the Macedonian force, beleaguered and weary from their long stay in hostile territory were clearly outmatched.

They still, however, posed a great force of cavalry, the same horsemen who had killed Amulius. Herius though was bolstered by his own cavalry from Italy. If he could rout the enemy horsemen, his victory would be assured.
The battle of Epirus was Herius’ greatest military triumph yet. Though the Macedonian horsemen outnumbered his own, they were poorly armed and armoured. Charging in with his main force, Herius broke the Macedonian left flank in record time. The Macedonian general now hoped to overwhelm the Roman horsemen in a melee with sheer numbers, but he had grossly underestimated the fighting skill of these battle-hardened equites and their commander. No matter how many Macedonians poured into the fray, the Romans did not falter, cutting down their enemies in droves. The Macedonian general, who had been sure his counter charge would break the Romans, had foolishly rode with his men. As his formations crumbled, he fled before most.

The fleeing Macedonians were hunted down mercilessly by the Roman cavalry; Herius made no exceptions in avenging the one who had been like a father to him. The Macedonian infantry tried to flee when the cavalry was broken, but the Roman horsemen quickly dispatched them. The only Macedonian survivors were the ones who Herius had been unable to kill. Herius’ army took 53 casualties during the battle, 45 of which were fatal. 624 Macedonians were killed.

Herius came now to Appolonia, where proper celebrations could be arranged. Still, his victory was not yet complete. The citizens of Thermon were under Macedonian rule, and it was Herius’ part to free them, or die trying.
It was now early in the new year of 251 BC, and the time had arrived for Herius to leave his residence in Appolonia and finish the task. Yet he still had to beat the brigands that barred his way before that could happen.
Meanwhile, Aulus was making his second attempt at raising a better trained and equipped force. Admiral Marcus sailed to nurse his wounds and while Vibius was tasked with beginning to raise the new force in Croton, The port of Tarentum busied itself with building Triremes, courtesy of its updated naval facilities.

As Pompilius advanced, the Brigands realized that they were outmatched and withdrew. They retreated to Appolonia, but though the Macedonians were the enemies of the house of Brutus they would not grant the brigands passage. Drawing up their army but a few miles from the city, the brigands prepared to do battle.
The rebel commander was a man named Perseas. He had started off as a prominent nobleman, building up his power by hiring local pirates and mercenaries to do his bidding. Eventually, he had been able to amass an army and equip them with rudimentary weapons and armour. They had been living out in the countryside ever since, making their camp on the only road that ran from Appolonia to Thermon. The raids had quickly spiralled out of control and become a fully-fledged rebellion, but since Thermon had been captured neither city was in any position to do anything about it. Now though, the rebels were about to go up against a fully trained Roman army, and the wannabe captain Perseas’ chances of success were looking slim.