Life of a Roman: An AAR

My name is not important, what is important is that I am a Roman, a citizen and my duty is to defend the Republic. My father was moderately wealthy, a farmer with land of his own, slaves and freemen working for him. He was also a hero of the Republic fighting against Pyrrhus at Heraclea, Asculum and Beneventum, giving his life at Beneventum. What was my families reward? A senator, a man who sat out the battles against the Greek tyrant, took our land, our slaves, everything. My mother took my sisters to Rome to live with relatives, while I worked for a neighbour. My father had helped this man set up his farm, loaned him slaves to work his fields when he was ill and what help did he give my family in it's hour of need? A job paying me half of what he paid his freemen, despite the fact I knew more about farming than him and his entire workforce put together. After 6 months of labouring to enrich somebody else I couldn't take it anymore and went to Rome to find my family and perhaps my fortune...

No, I'm not that naive or that much of a fool. I knew I was more likely to find starvation and isolation in Rome than my fortune, but I had no idea what else I could do. I had a tiny amount of money, enough to survive on for a few days while I found something to do. I am only fifteen, but tall and strong for my age and I can easily pass for eighteen, surely somebody would take me on as an apprentice.

Rome was a disappointment, I hadn't expected streets paved with gold and talking birds on street corners, but I had expected more than street after street of filthy tenements, waste poured out of upper storey windows and beggars and cut-throats lurking around every bend. If it wasn't so clear I could handle myself I doubt I would have made it alive through my first night. I did though, and found my family the next day. I wished I hadn't. My eldest sister was working as a whore, my mother didn't even try to hide it from me. Not only had my fathers death taken her husband and wealth, it seemingly took her self respect. I left, vowing never to visit again. As far as I was concerned I was now an orphaned only child. I would grieve for my father, but the rest of my family had never existed as far as I was concerned.

As I left the house a crowd of people rushed passed. I grabbed a straggler from the group and asked what was happening. The legions for the year were being recruited and all citizens had to register. I followed the group and saw a huge mass of men in a large open area with lines formed in front of tables. I joined the shortest line and waited my turn. Two men in front of me were discussing their hopes for the registration. "I have had a particularly good year, rent has doubled and I managed to buy another building. I am a cert for the Triarii." "Indeed," his colleague replied "I expect you will be fighting alongside me this year, killing Greeks and Tarentines and perhaps even those scum in Rhegion."

After most of the day had passed my turn came at last. The offices asked for my name and any deeds to property or slaves. I told him I had nothing but the clothes on my back and two sesterces in my pocket. He looked at me carefully and asked was I an escaped slave to which I angrily replied I wasn't and my father had fought Pyrrhus. He smiled and told me that was a very nice story, I couldn't join the army however as I was one of the capite censi, and too poor to be assigned a rank. "I can hit a rabbit at fifty paces with a sling, my father trained my with pilum and gladius. I have trained to join the legion, you can't turn me away just because i have no money!" "Yes I can," he replied "how can you buy a gladius, a pilum, any armour? Do you intend to throw your two sesterces at the Greeks?" "I have my sling in my pocket and the last time I checked the ammunition for it was free, I can fight."

He looked at me for a long moment then took a sheet of paper from under the one he had filled my name and details in. "You could join the irregular skirmishers, but I warn you it will not be easy. You will be the lowest of the low, beneath even the velites and the allies. You will be fodder, if sacrificing the whole lot of you will save one Hastati it will be done, you will probably be dead within the year. It is your choice though, you will be fed, you may get to sleep in a tent if you are lucky and you get to kill Greeks. You might even get paid something if the signifer is feeling particularly generous."

What did I have to lose? I signed up and was told to report for duty the next day. We are to march south within the week. My life as a citizen soldier is just beginning and I want to make my father proud and one day say my name without feeling shame for my loss of status.

YAY!!!!!!!!!!! U 1S B4CK!!

ok on a serious note nice start:2thumbsup:

Thanks. I have tried to play a few campaigns without writing an AAR and I have found I just can't.
I still want to do a proper Pahlav AAR but I need a break from playing them so I decided to try a Romani campaign. I'm going to try to follow the life of a single man, hopefully follow his rise through the legion. I'm reading Goldsworthy's "The Complete Roman Army" and I want to try to get the day day life of a Roman soldier, right through the ranks, across in this AAR. The book seems to deal more with the Principate, but I'm sure most of that could be used for the Republican era.
Hopefully this will be slightly different from the other Romani AARs we have seen. It's using RTW.exe, H/M with an unmodded EB 1.2 for anybody who cares about such things.

Yay, back!

Nice one mate, hope to see some good Roman expansion here. Mainly for competitive reasons, hehe.

Nah, seriously dude, good luck with it:thumbsup:

Maion

ROMAOI BARBAROI~~~!!!!111oneoneone111!!! =P

Quote:

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Originally Posted by satalexton

ROMAOI BARBAROI~~~!!!!111oneoneone111!!! =P

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:laugh4: Still have a grudge against those guys? Don't blame you mate:sweatdrop:

Maion

I am two years older, though I feel I have aged ten. I am taller, stronger, fitter, healthier. I am still just as poor. I am a man though, and I am a Roman. Two years have seen me take part in two epic battles, first against the Greeks in Tarentum, then the rebels in Rhegium. The man who recruited me to the legion told me I wouldn't last a year, I have lived through two and quitting now would leave me no better off than if I had remained in Rome. I may as well stay, and if I'm honest, killing is it's own reward sometimes.

At least the recruiter was honest. I have been fed, muck not fit for dogs but I was still fed. I have slept under a tent, one that I stole from a house in Tarentum and had confiscated by a Principe halfway through my first night under it. I haven't been paid though, the recruiter didn't guarantee that so I can't hold it against him.

Anyway I guess anybody reading this cares little for my life, what you want is stories about killing Greeks, what I saw when we captured the rebels in Rhegium. Well, I have little to say about that. In Tarentum we threw our stones over a wall and didn't even see if we hit anybody. The real soldiers then took to the city and the killing began in earnest. I didn't see it, but I smelt it and I heard it. Two days after the battle I snuck into the city, we weren't allowed out of the camp, and saw the aftermath. Bodies piled up like bricks in a wall, men picking through the corpses for money, jewellery, whatever. The locals crept threw the city if they had essential work, if not they cowered at home.

Rhegium was little different, although this time we were allowed into the city afterwards. We stayed for a few hours then went back to camp. None of us had any money so what was the point of watching the other soldiers visit the alehouses and brothels?

What of the leaders of the Legions? The consuls, tribunes, centurions? How the hell would I know, I keep out of their way. My last meeting with a centurion ended with me cleaning horse crap off his boots with my tunic, I was lucky he was in a good mood or it could have been my tongue. Perhaps you are thinking that the men in charge aren't as bad as the recruiter made out? No the only reason we are still alive is we are beneath notice, we have been forgotten about as we are almost useless in a seige. I have yet to experience a field battle and who knows if I will live to write about it if I do...

Bloody Gauls. What is the point in their existence? Are they a joke of the Gods? At least the Greeks have "culture" and the Carthaginians bring wealth wherever they go, all these barbarians bring is devastation and cruelty. I have spent most of the past three years sitting outside cities belonging to these creatures, it's cold, wet and miserable. By the Gods how I want to kill them all.

Right now I'm sitting outside the city of Segesta, a pathetic hovel. We need to take it however to show the Gauls in this region who's boss. Apparently these people aren't actually Gauls, they are dirty, smelly and have long hair so if they aren't Gauls they are the next worst next thing. The rumour around camp is we will go to battle in the autumn, thats six months away and we've already been here nine. We are already here longer than we were at Bononia, I guess these people actually have the intelligence to store food, perhaps they are a step above Gauls after all.

The march to Bononia was long and hard. We left Rhegium and travelled up through Campania, then Latium, finally through Etruria into Gaul. It was hard travelling through Latium, wanting to go home. I have no home though, so I had no choice. Some men did desert, and an unlucky few were captured. They were crucified and the entire legion was made to watch. We had to stand for an hour and listen to them beg for mercy before we were allowed to return to camp, a few stayed behind to taunt them before retiring for the night. We left the next morning and the deserters were very much alive, we marched for hours before their screams were too far in the distance to be heard. Life in the legion can be hard, but I doubt any man who saw or heard that will contemplate desertion any time soon.

https://i405.photobucket.com/albums/.../Bononia-1.jpg
When we reached Bononia a few of us looked at each other in surprise. It was a dump, and I feel I'm insulting the camp latrine to call it that. A few huts huddled together behind a pathetic palisade. The local leader had gathered his warband in there and we needed to eliminate him to pacify the region. Well, thats what the rumour around the camp was, we certainly weren't told why we did anything just what and when to do it.

We were set to work knocking down trees and bringing them back to build a wall around the settlement so nobody could get in or out. For three months, sixteen hours a day we did this before it was finished, then we waited. For six months we waited. Then they came out, tired, starving, pathetic, outnumbered. The fearsome Gauls came out to attack us.

https://i405.photobucket.com/albums/.../Cadarmy-1.jpg

https://i405.photobucket.com/albums/.../Bononia-2.jpg

We were better armed, better fed, better trained, better led and more numerous. Cnaevs Cornelius Blasio, who had been legate at Tarentum and Rhegium, led our army. He was not a consul, but led with pro-praetor authority. I was told he gave up the chance to go to Rome to run for Consul that year in order to lead the attack on Bononia.

https://i405.photobucket.com/albums/...n/Blasio-1.jpg

https://i405.photobucket.com/albums/...dwalador-1.jpg

The Gallic leader was a waste of his fathers spunk called Cadwalador, or some similar mouthful. He led his army out fearfully and didn't join the fight himself until near the end. He didn't last long when he did arrive, cut down by an equestrian.

As for me, my unit was in front of the regular skirmishers. We pelted the enemy until they got too close then legged it behind the lines.
https://i405.photobucket.com/albums/...man/Hail-1.jpg
The Gauls ran away when the heavy infantry moved forward so we returned to the front and pelted some more. Then the naked men arrived, we moved back again and the Samnites engaged the nudists. The Hastati managed top punch a whole right in the middle of the Gallic line and flanked the naked guys while the Principes marched straight on and attacked the Gallic skirmishers who had held back. The Gallic leader then arrived but was instantly flanked by Blasio and the tribune Cotta and cut down. This sent the whole Gallic army to flight and they were cut down. Most of the army didn't even bother going into the town as we could see there was nothing to loot and all the food had been eaten during the seige.

https://i405.photobucket.com/albums/...noniawin-1.jpg

One of those executed for desertion had been our "signifer" although he didn't really hold that title we just called him that for want of a better word. He was simply a Roman citizen who was in charge of the irregulars and was supposed to sort out our pay. Of course nobody cared what he did with the money and if we complained we would be ignored, if we were unlucky we would be beaten. Since his death we had been left to our own devices and simply followed the army and did what we were told when we were told. During the battle I had taken charge, it hadn't been a concious decision it just kind of happened. I told the unit to move forward, they did. I told them to retreat, they did. We managed to kill quite a few Gauls and all of us came through the battle unscathed, which was something of a minor miracle.

My efforts had been noticed, and tribune Cotta came to our resting spot the next day. Wrinkling his nose at the stench from the nearby latrine he pointed at me and called me over. "What's your story?" he asked me. So I told him of my father and my loss of status and why I had joined the legion. "For some reason I actually believe you, but it doesn't matter if it's true or not you impressed me today. You are now in charge of this unit, speak to one of the legates clerks, they will tell you your responsibilities." Without another word he marched off leaving me standing alone, with my bare feet in a puddle of urine.

I imagine that this AAR will turn out like Berkeley Boi's Spear and Shield; this guy will eventually rise through the ranks to become a major senator and/or consul. Maybe even dictator.

I thought I may as well post my house rules for a Romani campaign:

A legion is raised for 16 years and no retraining allowed, at the end of the 16 years it is disbanded in different cities across the Republic to simulate land grants. If I'm in a war it can be extended to 20 years, 25 at an emergency but no more. I'm aware this is not really historically accurate but it's as close as you can get in RTW I feel.
My Camillan legion consist of one Leves, one Hastati, one Principes, one Triarii and one Rorarii. There is one accensii shared between two legions (as I believe they are too powerful for what they represent) and FMs are used for the cavalry wing.
An allied ala is raised for each legion. these generally consist of a unit of light skirmishers, light infantry, heavy infantry, pedites extraordinarii, archers and cavalry. I may add a unit of heavier skirmisher if available and sometime two cavalry units.
I start with 2 legions, then one more is added every 16 years depending on expansion. Light expansion may see none added, large gains may need 2 more.
One legion and one ala are used in the same stack. They can be separated, to attack a small enemy or to attack from different directions but generally travel together.
I don't recruit mercs, this allows the AI to recruit them giving a greater challenge. It also simulates the greater uniformity of the Roman army when you are fighting such diverse armies.
I don't accept adoptions. I don't know why, I just don't like it. Daughters allow you to diversify your family tree anyway.
When a region is conquered it starts at level 4 govt. When the client ruler dies it becomes level 3(whether natural death or otherwise). The approx 30 years later level 2. Another 30 years or so for those regions able to become level 1.
Absolutely no reloading, I reloaded a battle I lost once and it was my biggest mistake ever in EB. I totally lost all interest in a campaign which I had been playing for 6 months and was near the Marian reforms. I have never got close to them since.
FMs go to Rome (or another big city with a school) between 16 and 20, then with the army for 10 years, then back to Rome for a political career. Only Senators can govern cities, preferably at least former Praetors but former Quaestors can govern small towns. Certain cities, like Syracuse, Tarentum etc can only be governed by somebody with Consular authority. Obviously this doesn't apply to type four govts.

Very nice :2thumbsup:

I'll be following this one, keep it up.

what will happen if disaster strikes and all the ascensi die in batle?

Then he will have become a Rorarii just before that battle.:idea2:

It has been an eventful five years, the Gauls are virtually pacified and Romes authority south of the Alps is unquestioned. The Ligurians in Segesta sallied forth to attack us after nearly two years of seige.
https://i405.photobucket.com/albums/.../Segesta-1.jpg
They were led by a barbarian named Conan, he wasn't quite the pathetic specimen we faced at Bononia but he was nothing to be feared.
https://i405.photobucket.com/albums/...an/Conan-1.jpg
Blasio still led the armies, the consuls for the year seemingly had no interest in facing a horde of Gauls.
https://i405.photobucket.com/albums/...n/Blasio-2.jpg
We outnumbered them about four to three but there was a less distinct advantage in training, arms and morale this time. It would be an actual battle, not a slaughter.
https://i405.photobucket.com/albums/...onanarmy-1.jpg
https://i405.photobucket.com/albums/...egesta-2-1.jpg
My unit fought as we had at Bononia, in front of the leves hurling our stones at the enemy until they got too close then withdrawing. This time Blasio used slightly different tactics in the battle, at Bononia there had been five long lines in the army. This time the lines had gaps within them, I was confused at first thinking this was suicide-surely the Gauls would fill these gaps and overwhelm us. It actually worked the other way, the gaps allowed the men behind to come forward and engage the enemy from either side. They were quickly routed and we took the city.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

I wish I had taken screenshots, the triplex acies worked brilliantly in this battle

https://i405.photobucket.com/albums/...gestawin-1.jpg

We didn't stay long in Segesta, just long enough to install a local loyal to Rome in charge. We marched under the shadow of the Alps to another Gallic town, this time called Patavium.
https://i405.photobucket.com/albums/...Patavium-1.jpg
The enemy army here was smaller than those we had faced before, hopefully a sign of weakening Gallic resolve to defy us. It was also mainly levies, none of these men were to be feared.
https://i405.photobucket.com/albums/...tawcarmy-2.jpg
https://i405.photobucket.com/albums/...Caratawc-1.jpg
Blasio led us still, his fame was growing and despite not yet being of consular rank he was probably the most influential man in Rome.
https://i405.photobucket.com/albums/.../Blasio2-1.jpg
Tha result was inevitable and achieved with little tactical finesse. I was quite disappointed as I had hoped to see something like what had happened at Segesta, Blasio obviously thought such strategems were unnecessary here. We lost fewer men but that was due more to the level of opposition here than any failure on our part in Segesta.
https://i405.photobucket.com/albums/...aviumwin-1.jpg

My life has changed quite a lot over these past five years and conditions for my unit have greatly improved. When I called on the legates' clerk to discuss my units payments I was told I could either have the cash to distribute or some of it could go towards extra rations or supplies. I decided to use some of it for tents, we paid the same as the regular legionaries but got the tents they gave back when they got new one. We simply repaired them with rabbit skins and the like. I also arranged for slightly better rations. There was a small amount of money left over which I kept for myself. Why shouldn't I? The man previously responsible had done a lot less than I for my colleagues, so I had no reason to feel guilty. It wasn't a great deal of money, probably less than a single man in the Hastati got, but it was an income and built up.

We spent most of the past five years in the north as a deterence against any Gallic rebellion. When rebellion did come it came from a town in the south of Italy, a small Greek town had rebelled against Roman rule with the support of some Samnite nobles. Cotta marched south with one legion to face them. It was a battle even in numbers, training, arms and morale. It started as most battles did with my unit skirmishing and withdrawing before the heavier infantry clashed. This time, though, we were needed in hand to hand combat. A heavily armed Samnite noble was leading his unit against the Principes and a small detachment of Hastati. I was able to lead my men to their rear and we charged them. With our little knives we used for eating. If they hadn't been occupied on two other sides it would have been suicide, but we managed to shock them with our charge and killed quite a few. I killed the Samnite nobleman.
https://i405.photobucket.com/albums/...samnites-1.jpg
After the battle a Principe centurion came to me with a bundle wrapped in a cloak. "I saw what you did today. Here, the arms and armour of the man you killed. They are in good condition and will serve you well. You have earned them"

Lovely!

The past three years will go down as uneventful in the annals of roman history. The Gauls to the north have largely stayed pacified, a small rebellion was extinguished with diplomacy rather than warfare. A group of slaves were terrorising farms and villages in Umbria, they were destroyed rather easily - an even more one sided battle than any of our Gallic encounters. Travel from one end of Italy to the other has become much easier, a fully paved road from Tarentum right up to Arretium has made travel much safer too as the legions can get from one place to another in days, rather than weeks.

Little has changed in camp life though, drills, marches, parades still happen on a daily basis. And we still clean the latrine. Sometimes when others are still using it...

My life though has taken a turn for the better. The income from my "embezzlement" has allowed me to purchase a small home in Arpi. I have also married. I was leaving for camp one day in the armour I had won from the Samnite noble and happened to bump into another citizen. We got talking and he invited me to dinner, obviously thinking I was wealthy. There I met his daughter and a few weeks later we were married. He still thinks I'm one of the Hastati... She doesn't really understand the difference so keeping them fooled should be easy, she is living on my money so can't really complain. She is also pregnant so I will soon be a father.

Nice AAR. This perspective is very rare so I really like it:beam:.

Keep up the good work:2thumbsup:.

Epic john TRULEY epic. I want M04R of this.

Well it seems my life is back on track and I am a proper Roman. I am with the legions as a member of the Hastati, at thirty one I am the eldest but I am still one of the heavy infantry a true citizen soldier. I spent two years out of the legions living near Arpi. I had my house converted into flats and rented them out and used the last of my money from the irregulars to buy a farm. I hired a number of my former unit as labourers, telling them I had won the money to buy it in a game of dice! The rent money from my flats mean I was able to live a good life for two years, the freemen did all the work and I even managed to buy a few slaves. My child was born, it was a boy who I named after my father. I know he will grow up to do me proud.

A recruiter came by the farm to check on the status of all within. I told him I had spent fourteen years with the legions in the irregulars, unfortunately my service didn't count. There was no record of my serving as the unit was not an official part of the legion. I was registered as one of the capite censi for the previous sixteen years with no service. So I owed Rome sixteen years. Before I was forty six. Which unfortunately left me a year short, so I would have to serve continuously for the next sixteen years until I was forty seven. If there was a major war I could be forced to fight well into my fifties. To be honest I had been getting bored of my farmers life and was glad of the chance to get out of it. My wife would be comfortable while I was away and I would have something to come back to at the end of my service.

After Blasio's pacification of the Celts in the north Rome had only fought skirmishes with small bands of rebels and brigands, and the day I enrolled with the Hastati there was no prospect of war with a small power, never mind a major one. That all changed in less than a week, though. The camp was abuzz with news of Carthage' attack on Messana, just across the straits from Rhegium and Italy. Carthage had stayed in the west of Sicily for years, there was an agreement between Rome and Carthage that they would stay there. Their imperialistic ambitions were obvious now, first Messana, then Syracuse and they would dominate Sicily. In total contravention of all treaties between us. Rome could not allow such arrogance and we had to respond.

So now I sit on Sicilian soil, less than ten miles from the Carthaginian army, ready to help the Messanians. The Consul, Lucius Cornelius Scipio leads us. A second legion, led by former consul and the hero of Gaul, Cornelius Blasio is due to arrive within weeks.

Life as a Hastati is tough, but after being an irregular for fourteen years it seems like a life of luxury. I can't wait for the fighting to begin, I am properly armed, as are my colleagues. We have no need to run from anybody, we are the greatest fighting force in the world and Carthage will regret provoking us into action.

I'm writing this in a Messana brothel with a whore under the table s... well I'm sure you can imagine what she is doing, so please forgive any spelling mistakes or bad grammar. Anyway as I have already said I am in Messana after taking part in two successful assaults on the city. Yes, two.

We arrived in Sicily expecting to attack the Carthaginian army, so imagine our surprise when we marched to the city to help the Carthaginians take the city. Seemingly the reason they were assaulting the city was raiding from Mamertines inside in Carthaginian territory. All they wanted to do was take out the leaders of the city who supported the raids, install a friendly government, then leave. Scipio seemed satisfied with this and agreed to help the seige. We didn't do very much really, just distracted the Mamertines and enabled the Carthaginians to take the city more easily due to this. Unfortunately their general died in the assault, we are not sure whether this contributed to later events.

As I'm sure you have guessed the Carthaginians did not install a friendly local government then leave, they installed a punic puppet ruler and garrison and tried to fob Scipio off with stories of how they needed a few years to root out supporters of the old regime.
https://i405.photobucket.com/albums/...n/Scipio-1.jpg
Scipio is a Senator of Rome, Consular and current Censor. Not a man to be fooled by feeble excuses. So what did he do? Send a delegation with a message asking the Carthaginians to honour their agreement? Call the governer in Lilibeum for a meeting? Like Mars' left testicle he did. We were marched out of camp straight up to Messana and a message was sent into the city for every Punic man within to leave in the next six hours or we would come in and kill them all. Needless to say nobody came out, so we set to building our seige equipment.
https://i405.photobucket.com/albums/.../Messana-1.jpg
The equipment was ready in a few days and the assault began. The punic force in the city was small, I can only assume they were expecting reinforcements to help but Blasios' legion to the west meant none could get there. They were real soldiers though, properly trained, equipped, fed and led.

The fighting was brutal, cramped and long. Skill, strength and training could only go so far in such a battle. From street to street, barely enough room to swing your sword, men pushing you forward toward the enemy, the enemy pushing you back into your unit. No, luck was all could keep you alive in this hell. At one point two enemy spears glanced off the top of my helmet, I should have been killed but survived somehow.
https://i405.photobucket.com/albums/...an/hairy-1.jpg
I only had space to swing my sword properly once, but I made the most of it. A huge swing took one of the enemies heads off.
https://i405.photobucket.com/albums/.../cutdown-1.jpg

Eventually we heard a loud cheer, one of the Bruttians had killed the garrison commander and the enemy began to run. None got too far.
https://i405.photobucket.com/albums/...Bruttian-1.jpg

Scipio was true to his word, every Punic man in the city was killed. The city was taken in the name of the Senate and People of Rome. I had participated in the taking of the first Roman city outside Italy.

What next? There are rumours amongst the men Scipio wants to fight the large punic army to the west then go to Africa and conquer Carthage itself, leaving Blasio to pacify Sicily. I have to admit I was disappointed not to be posted with my old commander but it seems I had won the roll of the dice with Scipio. Whatever happened the next few years would not be dull.

Very nice! The perspective is great - I can't do things like that ~:( I like your house rules too, it seems challenging and realistic - although I don't understand why you don't accept adoptions (?) I'm not an expert of roman history but I think the roman nobles / senators etc. were not unfamiliar to adoptions?

Anyway, GL with your campaign! ~:)

wow, i just read the first post and i like it very much! it has somethink "desperate"...

edit: enjoyed the second chapter as well. this night i will read it all, it's really interesting!

Our glorious sailing to Africa and marching to the gates of Carthage never happened. Instead we seem to be stuck in a war of attrition, both sides watching the other ready to pounce on a single mistake. Unfortunately we made the only mistake so far. Cornelius Blasio had his legion camped deep in Carthaginian territory but wasn't happy with his position, so he left one of his tribunes with a detachment and moved the rest of the army to a position closer to Messana and more easily supplied. He believed he would be able to get back to the old camp to relieve the tribune if the Carthaginians attacked. He forgot about elephants. Little more than a decade after Pyrrhus brought them to Italy we had forgotten about them already. Only a few made it back from the camp and they told how the beasts were used as battering rams, knocking down a huge section of wall in less than an hour. The tribune was outnumbered twenty to one but fought on anyway. It didn't take long, most of our men were trampled under elephant feet and the survivors cut down by African savages.

They took our fort, obviously incapable of building their own, and now Blasio's legion sits in his and the Punic horde sit in the one they stormed. Neither army is willing to assault such a well constructed defence as taking it without huge casualties would be next to impossible. So stalemate in the north-west of Sicily, they hold the west, we hold the north-east, which leaves the south-east. Which means one thing, Syracuse. A huge city almost the rival of Rome and certainly as mighty as Athens, Carthage or any of those other "great" cities. They are no friend of Carthage, though they are no friend of Rome either. The ruler had been a general under Pyrrhus and Scipio decided that he could not be trusted, the city would have to be taken if we were to cleanse the island of Punic influence. After all they were Greek and who knows what treachery they would stoop to.

That's were I am now, looking at the walls of Syracuse. We have seiged the city as best we can, but there is a difference between cutting off supplies to a hovel in Gaul and doing so to a genuine metropolis. There are a number of bodies strung up on the walls, spies Scipio sent into the city in an effort to take it by surprise. It seems if we want to take the city assault is the only way, there are a huge number of men in the city, Syracusan Hoplites are famed the world over, and an assault will make Messana look like a training session. It doesn't look like we are going to assault any time soon though, a few men in the camp claim Scipio has messengers and spies coming from the west on an almost hourly basis, as if his mind is not here but in Lilibeo. Could this seige be a ruse to take the Carthaginians by surprise? If they lose Lilibeo the army occuying our camp will be leaderless and unable to resupply. Whatever, look what my speculation last time came to, I will wait here and go where I'm told when I'm told. Sometimes life seems to have changed very little from my time with the irregulars.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Obelics

wow, i just read the first post and i like it very much! it has somethink "desperate"...

edit: enjoyed the second chapter as well. this night i will read it all, it's really interesting!

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Nice to know a legend of AAR writing is reading :2thumbsup: :beam:

A year older, a year wiser and still looking at the walls of Syracuse. A ruse to take the Carthaginians by surprise! Shows how much I know, guess I'd better cut out the baseless conjecture and stick to the facts. OK then, I get up at first light, parade about a bit, repair a bit of fence, parade about a bit, patrol a bit of fence, parade about a bit, eat if I'm lucky, patrol a bit of fence, play a game of dice, have a crap, go to bed, rinse and repeat. How's that for a recruitment peice for the legions?

A familiar face is with the legion, Cotta the tribune who promoted me to lead the irregulars is here. I don't think he remembers me though, why would he? He is in charge of the allied ala. Nothing much else has changed here in Sicily, from letters from my wife it seems nothing much has changed in Italy either. The third legion is stationed in Gaul and it seems their very presence is enough to keep the savages in check. Pity this war couldn't be like that one, kill a few barbarians, install puppet ruler, move on to the next target. Proper Roman warfare, not like this sitting about waiting for the enemy to make their move. Two years we have choked off these Greeks, how much longer can they last?

Another year off the roll allotted to me by Jupiter and still I gaze upon the walls of Syracuse having never set foot within the city. Yet now the banner of the SPQR flies over the city and Scipio controls it from within. There was a coup a few months back and the Epirote commanding the city was overthrown, the gates were thrown open and Scipio marched in with a small contingent. The rest of the army were ordered to remain outside. I must admit I admired Scipios balls, had it been a trap he would have had no chance. Of course had it been a trap we would have assaulted the city, no matter how grievous our losses, and slaughtered every man, woman and child within, and the Syracusans knew that. Scipio is still arranging how the city will be governed when we leave, seemingly even more people call it home than Rome so it is a new problem for us. There are some in the camp who feel we must rule such a great city directly and only someone with pro-consular authority should be allowed to govern.

Still what do I care? The only reason I want to see the city is to sample their wine and women. Life for me has continued to improve, I am now signifer for our century. Our old one was invalided out after an infection meant his foot had to be amputated. I'm still amazed he managed to survive, still what use is a one footed legionary? A few days after he left , as we sat around our campfire, our centurion was talking to one of the tribunes. They were looking at us and shaking their heads, then nodding, obviously trying to agree on something. The tribune looked familiar but I couldn't quite put my finger on why. Cotta, the commander of the allied ala, rode up and dismounted before embracing the tribune. Then I got why he had looked familiar, he was obviously Cotta's son. The three of them then continued the discussion with Cotta looking over us. He looked past me, then his eyes returned to me with a hazy recognition. He scratched his chin, then pointed at me and asked the centurion something. He nodded and pointed again, smiled slightly, embraced his son, got on his horse and rode off.

A few days later the centurion called me over and told me the good news, "Cotta says you are a good man for the job, just remember you are not with the irregulars now. Any "creative book keeping" will be dealt with harshly." So now I am better paid, I actually have a say how the century is run and I don't have to sleep with my contubernium any more, I have my own tent. The one bad point is as the standard bearer I have no chance of getting out of parades now, and I will be a target when we go into battle. The best part is I get out of all the manual labour, no more road building, ditch digging, fence fixing or scavenging for me. It also seems a man of some import has his eye on me, perhaps signifer should not be the limit of my ambition.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

I had planned to make him a tesserarius first but I found little real info on what they actually did.

A tesserary (Latin: tesserārius, from tessera, a small tile or block of wood on which watchwords were written), was a soldier in the Roman army who was responsible for getting the watchwords from the commander and seeing that it was kept safe. They organized and had command over the nightly guard assigned to keep watch over the fort when in garrison or on campaign.[1][2] There was one tesserarius to each centuria Wilkes, 1972. They held a position similar to that of a non-commissioned officer in modern armies and acted as seconds to the optiones.

Tesserary pay was one and a half times (sesquiplicarii) that of the standard legionary pay.

A letter:

Dearest husband,

Congratulations on your promotion. I was very proud to hear about it, as was father. He says I will be married to a centurion before long! Things are going well here on the farm, there is little banditry nowadays as the legion may be north in Gaul but everybody knows they could be here in a matter of days. Sicily is only a few days away too.
There are rumours here that your friend Blasio has been recalled from his command due to drunkeness. Is this true? Father heard he couldn't get through a parade without falling over or shouting at an imaginary senator! Perhaps the new commander will be more bold and actually attack the Carthaginians like you want.
The farm is doing well, the harvest was good and that new punic slave you sent from Messana really knows his stuff. We made ten percent more money last year and the rent money from our flats means we can afford to buy that plot of land to the north. Father knows the man who owns it and thinks we can get a good price, or we could buy some new tenements in town if you prefer, the town is really growing and there will always be tenants. Let me know what you want me to do, you are my husband after all.
Our boy is growing all the time and constantly asks questions about you, what you are doing, where you are, how many men you have killed. I wish you could make it home to see him sometime soon.
Please write soon and let me know how you are doing, I hope you get a chance to see Syracuse or at the very least to kill some Carthaginians

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Jaertecken

A tesserary (Latin: tesserārius, from tessera, a small tile or block of wood on which watchwords were written), was a soldier in the Roman army who was responsible for getting the watchwords from the commander and seeing that it was kept safe. They organized and had command over the nightly guard assigned to keep watch over the fort when in garrison or on campaign.[1][2] There was one tesserarius to each centuria Wilkes, 1972. They held a position similar to that of a non-commissioned officer in modern armies and acted as seconds to the optiones.

Tesserary pay was one and a half times (sesquiplicarii) that of the standard legionary pay.

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Thanks, I thought that must be it but couldn't find anything that definatively said they organized guard duty, everything just mentioned the block with the nights password.