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The Eastern Roman Empire
363 AD
the year is 363 AD, Emperor Valens Flavius looks at the map laid before him, it contains the entire known world, from the steppes to the piramides in Egypt, from Sassanid held lands to the realm of his long time allies -and long time country men- the western half of the Roman Empire.
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Valens Flavius is facing some difficultr choices in the near future; prepare for an assault against his long time enemy the Sassanids or Prepare for the Huns and the Vandals, the most vicious warriors the world has ever seen...:
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However , before he makes his choice , some domestic isuess need to be taken care of..
With the comming of the Hordes , there also came a thing called paganism, a faith which spread like the plague...
Emperor Valens's first major decision was the destruction of all the pagan shrines and temples in the empire.
So it was , that all of the Pagan shrines were destroyed, and in their place were constructed Christian ones.
The Emperor also decided it was time to assault the Sassanids, a large force was mobilised under the command of faction heir Theodosius Flavius.
It was his job to take the city of Hatra the following year.
The Emperor also ordered the building of ports , shipyards and dockyards for the following winter, after the completion of the Christian shrines.
364 AD
Theodosius, who had reached city of Hatra a half year ago, and laid siege to it, was attacked by a fairly large Sassanid force;
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Of course the Sassanids fell before the Roman spears and swords and were beaten back , losing 2 of their generals in the process:
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In the winter of that year , Theodosius attacked the City of Hatra and tooke it easily, the Zararostrian populace was massacred followed by the building of a christian shrine.
The campaign in the East is going as planned.
In the west part of the empire the various field armies are merged , to fend of any attack from the North, also taxes were put on low in certain city;s such as Athens, because of the riots due to the destruction of their beloved Pagan temples the year before.
365 AD:
In this year the Emperor Valens Flavius became sick, no one knew how long he would survive the illness.
But life went on, in the East Theodorius settled in Hatra to keep the populace happy and order the construction of a stone wall.
In the West a revolt broke out , the Western Roman Empire didn't manage to reduce the corruption in it's empire...
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A force was also mobilised to take the city of Petra. In the south, consisting of 2 comitatenses, 2 eastern archers and a limitanei unit.
366AD
The Emperor, died of the illness that fell over him the year before.
So a new faction leader was appointed, and who could do this better than the conqueror of the east, Theodosius Flavius.
But time to enjoy his new titel was short, for a Sassanid army chose to Siege Hatra.
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Would Emperor Flavius, survive to govern the empire ?
367AD
In the west the Huns had decided they should wage war on Sarmatians, they kicked the Sarmatians out of their land.
Who was their next victim going to be ?
The Emperor decided to attack and try to lift the siege, he attacked at night , to surprise the enemy.
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The Emperor was victorious !
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368 AD
Plans were made for an other campaign to destroy the Sassanids once and for all , an army was mobilised in Ceasaria.
Petra was taken easily, but the popultion didn't like the sudden change in goverment, and proved hard to please.
In the West, an army captain led , eliminated some peasant rebels.
And In constantinople, the captial , the construction of legion barracks was ordered.
Allong some Lanciarii infantry, for the protection of the northern border.
A force was mobilised to take the most south eastern province of the map, captain led, there was no resistance on the road , the captain was told by a faithfull spy.
In Antioch, comitatenses were trained to support the invasion of Sassanid lands, led by the Emperor himself.
The Emperor , knowin hte importance of sea-control and naval trading ordered the merging of the fleets ,and attack of any nearby pirates.
So it was that the seas were rid of all the pirates, at least for now.
369AD
Due to some minor Sassanid incursion , the stone walls of Hatra were not yet finished, to the anger of hte emperor, who decided to wait just a little bit longer with the second campaign against the Sassanids.
The army led by camptian Ammianus had to wait a little bit longer...
Because of the Hunnic horde, Diplomats were sent out to get trade rights and alliances with other nations.
These were the political relations in the year 369AD
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The Huns however weren't planning on attacking our lands yet , so it seemed.
Only God knows what they are planning...and he sure as hell hasn't told us yet...
370 AD
Finally captain Ammianus get's the order to march, he however encounters a Sassanid army, he retreats to the nearby bridge, but hte Sassanids attack anyway...:
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The battle goes well , untill the enemy general shows exeptional bravery by charging the Limitanii headlong.... whereas Ammianus routs...
The second invasion of Sassanid lands is brutally defended..:
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Not just the our Nation was suffering from bad luck, our former country men , should fear these Vandal scum... who are besieging the Franks.
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Who are apparently heading right through Europe.
371AD:
The forces of Ammianus are retrained in Ceasaria , and eagerly await the order to march to the east once more, to better fortunes this time .
The Emperor himself , after making sure Hatra is safe and the rest of the kingdom is revolt free , decided to enter battle once more.
This year was also the year that the building campaign the emperor decided upon a couple of years earlier had finally reached it's end.
resulting in lot's of new and improved roads and trading networks throughout the NAtio.
372AD
The Franks have apparently lost all their lands and are now a horde themselves, we can just hope they don't seek to make hte journey east...
https://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b...ksinFlight.jpg
Meanwhile in the East, the emperor tooke care of some minor Sassanid armies , who all were destroyed.
The army once led by Ammianus also started on it's second and hopefully more succesfull campaign into Sassanid lands.
This time with an even better army than before.
The second major assault agianst the Sassanids was a fact.
373AD:
The Sassanids seemed to have retreated to their homelands , they are running before the Theodosius the emperor, who had decided it was time to rid the earth of these barbaric heathens.
In the south the plague hit the city of Alexandria, killing thousands, and infecting the local governor, it doesn''t look to good...
In the East all is going well, and it should be a matter of time before the Sassanids crumble before the mighty Roman armies.
In the West, the Goths are at war with the Sarmatians, and the Huns seem to now want to enter our lands.... it will prove difficult to keep them out...
We shall see how it goes...and what the future will bring.
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Here begins the record of the career of Toadius Assistum Secretarii. Having begun my service to our most divine Augustus Theodosius Flavius in year 373, I do set in writing those events which have occurred during my tenure. It is my hope that this chronicle will be of use to my successors, so that they may better understand the history of the glorious empire that they serve.
When I first had the honor to be called into the presence of Augustus Theodosius Flavius, I was struck by the innate majesty that seemed to flow from him. His massive intellect was surpassed only by his total confidence in the Empire's superiority and his own divine mandate to lead it further glory. Not a single lie passed his lips, for he had no need to utter such. His word was more than just wisdom, it was law. Those who were not won over by his supreme abilities in all areas of earthy importance were converted by his regular expressions of power. Woe be to those who did not sufficiently acknowledge our most wondrous Augustus, for he had little mercy for any who doubted him. Such was the force of Theodosius' will that even his father Julius Flavius, Governor of Thessalonica and son of the late Augustus Julius Flavius, did not dare to protest being passed over in the line of succession. Even more pity was due to his foes, for Theodosius had developed a fondness for the sight of blood and he often entertained himself with enemy prisoners or the occasional misbehaving servant.
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My service began as a request by Theodosius for an individual to make a complete survey of the Empire, so as to provide a reckoning of all assets, military forces, governmental positions and other such information as may be found useful to Augustus in exercising his divine will. This information was compiled in a massive tome known as the Noonday Book, for it was ordered that it be finished by noon on the following day. This deadline was as final as judgment day, so I summoned all my strength and exhausted five pairs of sandals and thirty-seven quills in collecting the information and transcribing it by the deadline. The results showed an empire in flux.
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Theodosius had completed his grandfather's work to convert the entirety of the Empire to the light of Christendom. As of 373, all provinces acknowledged the irrefutable nature of Christ as our Lord Supreme. Some areas still held small Pagan minorities, but these were being converted at a steady pace and a complete union of peoples under the one true God would follow within the decade.
In the West, the provinces south of the Danube were peaceful and prosperous, but the rampaging hordes of Hunnic, Gothic and Sarmatian barbarians threatened to bring chaos and bloodshed to our realm. The Danube Border Legion, under the command of the talented general Manius the Mean, had balked before the seemingly endless flood of Huns to the north. The general had abandoned his position at the eastern crossing of the Danube and allowed the Huns to enter our territory unmolested. Now, with fully half of their peoples in our territory, a conflict was feared inevitable.
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In the East, the heretical Sassanid masses had fallen back before the military might of the Empire. A large army, headed personally by Augustus Theodosius Flavius, had struck a great blow and taken Harta from the enemy. He was now poised to march on the Sassanid capital of Ctesiphon after a short campaign to clear the remnants of the defeated enemy forces from the area. A second army stood guard at the main river crossing north of Harta, to blunt any enemy counter-attack that might emerge from this region. A third Eastern force of small size, but high quality, was besieging the independent town of Dumatha and was expected to gain control of the region promptly.
Despite the successes the Empire had experienced, it was in a state of disorder and suffering from massive economic inefficiency. When Theodosius first examined the records of the Noonday Book, he ordered the immediate execution of his previous advisor and appointed me in his stead. I swore to enact his majesty's every command and to assist him in any way he saw fit. Within weeks, the reorganization of the Empire had begun. Theodosius found himself in control of an Empire that turned a mere 6,000 denarii profit per season and whose military forces were scattered throughout the provinces performing garrison duty. No small nation, let alone our glorious Empire, could grow successfully on such a meager income. Augustus, in his divine wisdom, decided to devote fully three-quarters of seasonal income to economic improvement for the foreseeable future. He was determined to transform the Empire into the single most dominant economic power in the world. Taxes in each province were raised to the maximum that the population would bear and a systematic restructuring of the garrisons began.
In addition to the masses of Limitates, garrisons were even composed of Legio Lanciarii spearmen, Comitatenses heavy infantry, Eastern Archers and the supremely expensive Hippo-toxotai horse archers. This was bleeding vast sums from the treasury each season. Augustus personally examined each and every province under the control of the Empire. All garrison forces in non-threatened areas were to be replaced immediately with peasant militias. These forces were cheap and able to quell any local discontent on their own. Over the next four years, this reorganization would continue, with the stronger garrison troops being transported to Constantinople and Antioch for refitting and organization into front-line legions. All garrison troops unable to make such a journey easily, such as on Crete and Cyprus, were simply disbanded and replaced. The only exception to this rule was Alexandria, where nearly a third of a legion of Comitatenses and Eastern Archers were held in quarantine to prevent the spread of the terrible plague that was ravaging the city.
The effects of Augustus' most inspired reforms, the Empire was showing a profit of 9,500 denarii per season before the summer of 373 had even ended. Many reinforcing units were now on their way to assist in the war with the Sassanids and the foundations of the Second Danube Border Legion had been laid. This great internal movement of forces also revealed that many disloyal Romans had taken up arms as rebels and were obstructing trade routes across the empire. All rebels would be crushed or expelled from the Empire's territory whenever the forces could be spared to do so.
As this momentous season came to a close, Augustus diverted his attention to the military situation and formulated his grand plan of conquest. If the Empire was to achieve its destiny as the dominant power in the world, its economy must flourish unmolested. With most of the eastern provinces under control, Augustus decided that this area would best serve as the financial breadbasket of the Empire. The Danube border was to be held at all cost and the Balkan provinces strengthened, but there would be no expansion west or north. The east must be pacified first, so as to supply the resources for the mighty struggles that would undoubtedly be required later. With the first blow already struck upon the Sassanids, Augustus set out on an ambitious two-pronged assault on the enemy. He would personally lead the main Harta force towards Ctesiphon while the northern river blocking force would advance north to Artaxarta. So he decreed and so it was.
Good news and bad news reached my ears as winter fell in 373. I decided to give our most divine (and harsh) Augustus the former first in an attempt to lighten his mood for the darkness that would surely follow. The Huns, it seems, had decided that the lands north of the Danube held richer pickings for their hordes and had moved all of their forces out of the Empire's territory. Manius the Mean returned to his post guarding the eastern Danube crossing and he was ordered to stand his ground, even if all seven mighty Hunnic hordes decided to assault him at once. Under no circumstances was he to abandon his post without orders. Following upon I gave Theodosius the first trinkets to arrive from the newest acquisition of the Empire, Dumatha. The small garrison had sallied in a last-ditch attempt to save themselves, but they were cut down by Eastern Archers and Comitatenses with little loss to our own forces. Pleased beyond measure, Augustus ordered this force to remain in the province while order was established and a garrison was trained.
Seeing that my most supreme Augustus was content with this information, I then told him of the tragedy that had befallen Captain Nepos and the northern force destined for Artaxarta. While encamped on the main road, they had been assaulted by a very large force under the command of the Sassanid general Narses.
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Outnumbered two to one and with inferior troops, Captain Nepos fell back but to no avail. Narses followed and forced battle upon the brave captain, who formed his men into a strong defensive formation on the barren plains.
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He personally positioned and encouraged every single man in his force, but his hopes were dashed instantly as the enemy began the battle with a simultaneous charge by cavalry units into the sides of his position. While the brave Limitates on the left flank were able to throw back their light cavalry attackers, the right flank suffered cruelly under the hooves and blades of fearsome heavy cavalry, whose horses themselves were clad in armor.
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As the main enemy force closed, Captain Nepos threw all he could spare at the immovable foe in a desperate attempt to restore order to the front rank. As Romans fell before the cruel Sassanid blades, he led his own small force of Hippo-toxotai to assist in the desperate effort. Alas, after a brave struggle he was cut from his saddle and trampled, causing most of the men nearby to flee in despair. As half of the army broke and ran, the enemy infantry appeared before the remnants. The storm of arrows and blades that followed was too much for the men and they fled almost instantly upon contact with the enemy. A full two-thirds of the northern force had been slain or captured while a mere sixty foul Sassanids had fallen. Not only had the northern thrust on Artaxarta been stopped, Narses now had an open road to Harta.
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I feared that I would not long outlive Captain Nepos, but my concerns were unnecessary. Augustus bowed his head and chastised himself for his arrogance. He stated that he had underestimated the Sassanid people. The march north had been ordered under an air of total Roman superiority over the smelly desert dwellers. Theodosius Flavius vowed never to make such a mistake again. He sent word back to hurry on the reinforcements coming from their former garrison posts and vowed to stand before Harta until a second force was ready to hold the region. He retired to the scant luxuries that the desert city of Harta could offer and continued his economic reforms, determined that his idle time would not be wasted. In this, he showed supreme again, with seasonal income now rising to the entirely satisfactory level of 14,000 denarii, a full two and a half times increase over the previous winter.
As Emperor Theodosius passed time in Harta waiting for the reinforcements to arrive, I was given the difficult task of breaking good and bad news to him. Since my previous experience had not resulted in the removal of any body parts, I decided to use it again. The plague in Alexandria had passed and the garrison there was now free to travel. Augustus was ecstatic and ordered that the Comitatenses and Eastern Archers be immediately refit and then marched north to assist in the war with the Sassanids. The prospect of more well-armed and well-trained Roman soldiers on their way to his forces pleased him greatly. It was then that I had to break the news of the folly of the diplomat Valerius Atilius. He had been dispatched with a small fleet to establish contact with the barbarian tribes north of the Western Empire and to observe any conflicts that might be on-going in Gaul. Upon landing in southern Gaul, it seems that this foolish patrician had decided to take it upon himself to raise some extra coin for the Empire. He had attempted to sell maps of our provinces to the Western Empire for the outrageous price of 5,000 denarii. Not only had the Western Empire refused, but they were so insulted by the offer that they cancelled their Alliance with us. This unprecedented division between the glorious Roman Empires put at risk the provinces south of the Danube and threatened to disrupt trade income. I was fortunate once again that Theodosius once again did not blame the messenger for the message. He ordered the immediate execution of the diplomat and decreed that every effort be made to regain the Western Empire as an ally.
As a temporary measure to secure the Danube region, an alliance was made with the Sarmatians who had occupied Aquincum. Interestingly, the diplomat in Gaul never seemed to receive word of his death sentence and Augustus continued to receive bi-annual reports on the situation in the region from him. While this information was useful, Augustus Theodosius continually mentioned how he hoped the diplomat's next message would be delivered along with his head.
As the seasons turned cold again, the expected offensive from the Sassanid General Narses finally arrived. Unfortunately, our scouts were caught and slain before they could report back on the advancing enemy. As a result, they surrounded and besieged Harta with Augustus Theodosius Flavius still inside, but with the strength of his forces still outside! Despite the panic that soon started to spread throughout the city, the supremely wise and confident Augustus barely even acknowledged the situation. Reinforcements, he assured us, were close at hand and when combined with the army camped outside the walls, they would surely break the siege when the weather warmed.
Through the use of runners slipping through the enemy camp, Augustus was remarkably able to continue managing the affairs of the Empire during this short ordeal. He had spent a great deal of time thinking over the diplomatic situation in the west and had decided that the Sarmatians were the wrong allies to have. While they had conquered and plundered with success, they were at war with the Goths and the Huns, both tribes of great strength. He ordered that the Sarmatian alliance, barely half a year old, be broken and a new one forged with the Huns and Goths. While the latter rudely refused, the massive Hunnic armies agreed to the deal. It was hoped that this agreement would secure the Danube from the worst threat in the region and distract the Western Empire, where the increasing strain on relations was showing. If conflict were to be inevitable, better to let the stinking barbarians bleed instead of good Roman soldiers. The now refitted forces that had been relieved from garrison duty in the west were assembled and dispatched to deal with an extremely strong rebel force outside Thessalonica. While this battle was successful, the inexperienced legion took many casualties and was forced to return to Constantinople for a second refitting before setting out a second time to take its place as the Second Danube Border Legion, guarding the western crossing.
As the snows melted and the year 375 began, Theodosius' decision to ally with the Huns proved to be the right one. The Hunnic horde had turned on its former allies, the Goths and besieged them inside their new homeland. While the prospect of a newly roving Gothic nation was worrisome to the Empire, it was a better alternative than a hostile Hun nation and it gave the Second Danube Border Legion more time to reach its post.
In the east, the time came to break the siege on Harta and resume the offensive against the Sassanids. Despite his expertise in warfare, Augustus Theodosius chose to allow Captain Oppius, commander of the main relief force, to determine the battle plan. This was a humble, yet wise decision since the Emperor was only able to exercise direct control over peasant militia and several Limitates units.
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Oppius took the strength of the relief force under his personal command. This force numbered some nine units of Legio Lanciarii, five units of Comitatenses, four units of Hippo-toxotai and a few other assorted supporters. This army would attack Narses' force from the west. Simultaneously, the remained of the relief force, comprised of four Limitates, would attack from the north and Theodosius would sally forth with the Harta garrison from the south. Oppius chose only to command his own force, leaving control of the northern flankers to a Captain Flavius and letting the Augustus do what he believed best from the south.
As the main force closed, Oppius saw that Narses had chosen to draw up his army at the foot of an isolated mountain, protecting his rear from attack.
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This was a cunning, but fruitless effort though, since his northern and southern flanks were unprotected by natural boundaries and both reinforcing armies arrived at the battlefield exactly on time. Oppius formed up into a great double line of infantry, with spears in front backed by the swords of the Comitatenses. The Hippo-toxotai remained in the rear to fire volleys over the heads of the infantry at the enemy.
Seeing the three armies converging on his position at once, Narses made a desperate gamble to try and save the day. He diverted two small infantry forces to tie up each of the flanking armies and closed rapidly on Captain Oppius' main army with all of his cavalry and the remainder of his infantry and slingers.
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As the cavalry neared the first Roman line, they saw the gleaming spearpoints and their horses balked. Unable to charge home into such a mass of metal, they halted and the horse archers began raining arrows down on the steel clad enemy. Oppius knew that the enemy had misjudged their position however, as the hill's height have the spearmen the range to hit the enemy cavalry with their javelins. Once the rain of steel began, it was clear that Narses' gamble would fail. The Sassanid cavalry crumpled with increasing rapidity under the bombardment.
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Oppius unleashed the Hippo-toxotai upon the enemy as well and soon all but a single unit of slingers were running for the cover of the mountain.
With the main line broken, Captain Oppius split his force in three. The spear line advanced upon the retreating enemy while the second sword line swung north and the Hippo-toxotai moved off to the south, all as fast as they could move. Oppius hoped to catch the flanking forces from the rear and completely rout the enemy army. The Hippo-toxotai achieved with only a few volleys. Outflanked, with the majority of their forces running for safety, the southern Sassanids units broke too. The Comitatenses force sent north proved to be unnecessary as the Captain Flavius' Limitates routed their opponents unassisted. With the enemy in full flight, the Hippo-toxotai were ordered to charge home and slay the broken men, leaving a carpet of dead and dying in their wake.
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Though Narses himself managed to escape this slaughter, his army was gutted. A full three-quarters of the Sassanid force lay on the sand north of Harta for the loss of barely 150 Romans. As the peasants came out from the city to scavenge from the dead, Theodosius personally greeted Captain Oppius and gave him command of Harta's defenders. With Narses defeated and more reinforcements arriving in the area every day, the Emperor would not even wait a night to celebrate the victory; it was time to march on Ctesiphon.
As summer turned to winter, a messenger from the west arrived in the army encampment on the road to the Sassanid capital. Two significant events had occurred. First, with the Celtic conquest of Britannia complete, the Romanized natives had risen up against their new lords. The Romano-British had emerged and only the Lord knew who the victor in this struggle would be. While interesting news, Theodosius dismissed it with a wave of his hand, for he knew that the next message would change the course of history.
The downward spiral of diplomatic relations with the Western Empire had finally reached bottom. In a move obviously aimed to restrict the rapid growth of our economy, currently providing some 15,000 denarii per season, the Western Empire blockaded Crete. While only causing a minor decrease in income, this outright violation of free trade and infringement upon Theodosius' territory could have only one response: war. So it was that the brotherly alliance between Romans came to an end. On this day in the winter of 375, the Emperor in the East vowed that the Roman world would someday be re-united under one banner. The ignorant fools in Rome had sealed their own fate. It might take decades and Theodosius would likely not live to see it, but he declared then and there that the rightful heirs of Caesar and Octavian would someday command an empire from Iberia to Arabia.
The time for action against the West was not yet upon us however. With the Western Empire embroiled in war with the Vandals, Franks, Celts, Saxons, Alemanni and Berbers in addition to Theodosius, it would be some time before they posed a serious threat to Eastern security. For now, Theodosius ordered that the First and Second Danube Border Legions be strengthened and that a Third Legion be prepared to defend Roman soil in the west. With this done, he returned his attention to the war in the East. Once the Sassanids were conquered, there would be plenty of time to deal with the Empire's other enemies.
Camp was broken and the army was once again on the march to Ctesiphon. With the small Dumatha conquest legion on its way to assist, Theodosius expected to begin the siege of the Sassanid capital in the New Year.
Just before the Empire's finest legion finally arrived within sight of Ctesiphon, news arrived from our allies in the west, the Huns. They had taken the Goth capital and sacked it, forcing the people back into a roving horde. News from the governor of Sirmium reported that a significant number of these nomads had somehow slipped across the Danube and were in the mountains south of Sirmium. The Second Danube Border Legion, already on its way to the western crossing, was instructed to march to the area round Sirmium to deal with any potential hostilities with the unwashed mob.
Valerius Atilius, the diplomat with a death sentence, sent word that the Franks had agreed to an alliance. This pointless diplomatic gesture to a nation that had no meaningful interaction with the Empire further solidified Theodosius' desire to see a certain head on a certain stick.
As Augustus neared Ctesiphon, spies reported that while the Sassanid King was residing in the city, a sizable force of slingers and skirmishers were encamped outside, unaware of our approach. When informed of this, Theodosius immediately ordered a decisive action to eliminate this enemy force so that the slingers would not be available to harass our men as they stormed the city walls.
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A night attack was ordered, with the Emperor personally commanding the army. The cover of darkness hid our approach and allowed us to take the enemy force before the remainder of the garrison could come to their aid.
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As the legion neared the forest in which the enemy was camped, the Sassanid captain charged out at us with his contingent of heavily armored horse. The remainder of his men retreated in an attempt to escape while their leader bought time. While strong, the veteran Roman forces quickly cut him and his men to pieces. Once again the Hippo-toxotai were unleashed upon the unarmored enemy as they tried to retreat, cutting down all but a handful of the enemy.
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As dawn broke, I looked out upon the massive stone walls of Ctesiphon. I could see commotion on the walls as the sentries saw the force surrounding them. In the distance, hammering and sawing indicated that the siege engines were already being constructed. Now it was just a matter of waiting.
As the winter of 376 set in, preparations for two major battles were underway. In the east, the Emperor's own army was completing its seven massive siege towers. When the seasons turned he would unleash the might of Rome against the enemy King, cowering inside his capital. In the west, a significant portion of the Gothic horde had arrived outside the gates of Sirmium. While hostilities had not yet been declared nor the city besieged, it was clear that they intended to sack the Empire's western-most province. The First Danube Border Legion under Manius the Mean was ordered to abandon its post at the eastern crossing and proceed west with the Second Legion. While they would not arrive in time to prevent a siege of the city, they would ensure that it did not fall to the horde. If the Goths meant to fight, the Emperor meant for them to die.
The year 377 opened badly for the Sassanids. As the weather improved, the Roman siege engineers completed their work on the great towers that would carry their men over the large walls of Ctesiphon and into the heart of the enemy capital. As was tradition with the beginning of any season, the servants and messengers had lined my Emperor's royal campaign tent to bring him news of his lands. That day was different though. I could see the bloodlust burning in Theodosius' eyes and I could tell that his tendency to revel in the blood of his foes had overcome him. With a single barked order, the lackeys cleared the room without even giving their reports and the senior legionaries were brought in to plan the coming battle.
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The siege towers were arrayed in a great line to assault the entire length of the western wall simultaneously. Theodosius believed that his superiority in numbers would undoubtedly allow some Comitatenses to arrive on unmanned portions and from there take the enemy towers and flank the defenders.
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As the battle began, watchers reported the Sassanids had only poorly trained levies and a few groups of archers to hold their walls. Fire arrows rained down upon the advancing troops and the tower destined for the wall closest to the gatehouse was set aflame!
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However, the remaining six towers reached the walls and disembarked their troops on the top.
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Caught between highly trained Romans on both sides, the enemy bravely fought to the death, but to no purpose. The gatehouse was taken and the Sack of Ctesiphon began.
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When Theodosius saw the banners of the Sassanid king fall from the walls and the doors to the city open, he let out a scream of bloodlust and ordered the massed spearmen into the city, himself following close behind with his bodyguards.
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As the first spearmen entered the city streets, the Sassanid King Shapur tried vainly to stem the tide. His pathetic infantry were thrown back and his own bodyguard began to flee in panic. In the rush to escape from the mass of Roman steel, a single spear penetrated his armor, piercing his heart and throwing him from his horse.
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Theodosius did not even pause at this momentous event, but pushed him men into the heart of the city to kill all who remained to oppose them. As he passed, I saw his men ride their horses directly over the corpse of the fallen king, crushing his body into a meaty pulp.
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All discipline and order was lost and the troops went wild with blood, plunder and rapine. When dawn rose again over the Sassanid capital, two thirds of the population lay dead in the gutters and some 18,000 denarii worth of loot had been placed at the feet of Augustus Theodosius. That very afternoon, the burned and blood-splattered idols of the false gods were torn down and construction of a house of worship for the True Lord began. While some in the city whispered in dark alleys about this decision, the vast force occupying the city kept any from protesting the incident.
When the messengers from the previous morning were once again brought before Theodosius, they informed him that the Goths, had moved away from Sirmium and appeared to be returning to their homeland. As a reward for this good news, my master sent them away with vast amounts of gold to fund massive infrastructure and military improvements throughout the Empire. He then settled back to enjoy the comforts of Shapur's palace and to 'amuse' himself with the local populous while his army refitted and prepared to march north to Arsakia.
As the days past and it became obvious that the army would not be able to move until late in the following year, I fear my Emperor finally reached the limits of his patience. The palace was a primitive place in comparison to the luxury that existed in far away Constantinople and the dirty, dusty architecture of the city disgusted him. He took to viciously torturing enemy prisoners for entertainment and eventually turning to common citizens, abducted from their homes, when those ran short. From this time on the Emperor would be known, though only in dark rooms, as Theodosius the Cruel.
The sack of the city was prosperous for the Empire however and the funds had provided for the strengthening of the Harta Legion. The forces it would soon receive would allow it to eventually march north on Artaxarta, paralleling Augustus' own route to the newly named Sassanid capital of Arsakia. Messengers from the west confirmed the news from earlier in the year, that it seemed the Goths had indeed moved north of the Danube once again. The First and Second Danube Border Legions had resumed their posts at the east and west crossings and were once again holding the border of the western provinces.
When the winter of 378 came, the Emperor's Legion was at last ordered to march. Word was given and the newly strengthened Harta Legion, now under the command of Jerusalem's pathetic former governor Ustus "Useless" Flavius, moved out as well. Barely had we left the gates of the city when a runner caught up to us with an urgent dispatch. To his folly, the poor soul rushed right up to Theodosius and informed him that not only had it been discovered the one of the Gothic hordes had remained hidden in the western provinces, but that this very same horde had marched on Thessalonica and besieged the Emperor's own father! Knowing full well that the city was defended by a mere two units of Limitates and a handful of peasant militia, my master screamed in rage, grabbed a spear from a nearby honor guard, and impaled the wretched runner through the bowels. As the man lay dying on the ground, he barked orders for a runner to be dispatched to Manius the Mean and the First Danube Border Legion, ordering them to march to Thessalonica and raise the siege. This order was given not far from the small village of Insanatia and it is from there that the name of the 1,500 mile non-stop race called the Insanathon derived its origin.
In 379, word arrived from Manius that the First Danube Border Legion would reach Thessalonica by the end of the year. If the city could hold out until then, it could be be saved from the horde. Manius also gave word of a great victory over a second Goth force which had found itself trapped at the western Danube crossing. The commander of the Second Danube Border Legion, Captain Rufinius, had agreed upon an attack with the Hunnic leader, Tukhechjen, who was on the other side of the river. Together they determined to assault the trapped foe and eliminate them.
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The Legion arrived first and the Goths took up positions on the far bank to defend the bridge.
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Expecting this, archers were sent forward to bombard them from across the distance, while the strength of the Roman infantry crossed at a shallow ford downstream.
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No sooner had the battle begun than the mass of Hunnic cavalry appeared on the horizon behind the Goths and began a wild charge down to the river. The Goths spun around to face this new attack, exposing their backs to the rain of arrows from the far bank. As the rear ranks fell to the archers and the front ranks quaked at the approaching Huns, the Roman infantry formed up and crashed into enemy from the south; they broke almost instantly.
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While most fled to die in the fields, two cavalry units tried in desperation to swim the river and escape on the Roman side. They were easy targets for the Roman archers and soon the Danube was clogged with the corpses of dead horses and men.
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That night, Captain Rufinius and Tukhechjen, the Hun leader, drank and celebrated in common bond. In the morning the Second Legion assumed full control of the river crossing and once again waited for battle with any foe who desired to plunder the wealth of the Empire.
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Upon hearing of this victory, Theodosius urged his men to move faster. As they hurried down the road to Arsakia, two small delaying armies, one commanded by the four star General Syrus, were ridden down and crushed. Syrus himself escaped with a single bodyguard and was last seen riding at breakneck speed towards Arsakia.
As winter came, the Emperor's Legion reached the new Sassanid capital, dispersing a few small military encampments outside and preparing for a short siege. Theodosius ordered the construction of a large number of ladders to allow his men to assault the city as soon as possible the very next season. It had been some time since Augustus Theodosius had reveled in the rivers of blood that flowed from major battles and I believe that he was eager to view another one.
As the siege equipment was being prepared, Theodosius spared time to receive messengers bearing news from the other forces. The Harta Legion was nearing Artaxarta and was expected to lay siege to the city in 380. Following this was tragic news from the west. Despite the cooperation and fellowship experienced at the Battle of the Western Ford, the Huns had brazenly broken their alliance with the Empire and assaulted the small force of Limitates stationed at the eastern crossing while the First Border Legion was moving south to Thessalonica.
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The men had been quickly overrun and the bridge taken, opening the way for the vast steppe horde to ride into the heart of the Empire! Theodosius proclaimed that this betrayal would never be forgotten and proclaimed his intentions to return to the west and exterminate every last Hun, just as soon as he finished bathing in the blood of the Sassanids, of course.
The commotion that followed the arrival of the following news was so great that I confess I am unable to recollect how the information arrived or even the circumstances in which it was received. It seemed that the Goths had heard of the slaughter of their brethren at the Battle of the Western Ford and had decided to wait no longer to storm Thessalonica. With only two units of Limitates and five bands of peasant militia Julianus Flavius, son of one Emperor and father of another, was doomed. He spent his last night in solemn prayer in the small city chapel. It has been said that it was here that he received a vision from God. An angel appeared before him and told him to rely not on walls of stone, but upon walls of men and faith. To this end, Julianus ordered the walls abandoned except for those men manning the towers. All men were ordered to gather in the city square to pray for their salvation from the coming storm.
Quickly the enemy swarmed over the walls and broke down the gates.
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The tireless tower archers managed to pick off a sizable number of the poorly armored barbarians, but a full two-thirds of the force was intact and assembled around the chapel in the city for the slaughter that was to come. Julianus ordered the two Limitates units, the only professional soldiers in the city, to a position behind buildings that would shelter them from the enemy horse archers' arrows and allow them flank any force entering the square.
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As the first group of Gothic Chosen Warrior entered the square, they stopped dumbstruck by the mass of men calmly praying before them. Suddently, a hail javelins hit them from their left. They turned and charged the Limitates, inflicting horrible casualties on the brave men. Seeing their desperation, Julianus himself charged the Goths, hitting their rear with such force that men were thrown in the air a great distance before falling, crushed. The shock of this unexpected charge and the disconcerting prayers that continued from the peasants instantly broke the warriors and they fled back out of the square. Watching them go, Julianus was dismayed at the mass of cavalry and infantry that appeared in their stead. A flood of steel and horse entered the square and immediately charged the remaining Limitates. Seeing his men fall, Julianus spoke to the praying peasant mass and, with sword held high, led them in a charge to their deaths at the hands of the Gothic horde.
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Knowing their place in heaven was secured, the men charged fearlessly into battle with their pitchforks. When one fell, another took his place. Not a man wavered. Not a man ran. The absolute resolution of the untrained foe shocked the Goths, who were used to enemies routing instantly before their fearsome battle cries and barbaric fighting techniques. As time passed and the enemy refused to run, shock turned to fear and fear turned to panic. One by one the Goth warriors broke and ran from the town square.
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Seeing a chance, Julianus pursued them, riding over the packed masses in the street outside the square. With only twenty five men at his disposal, the swords swung freely in every direction without fear of hitting a friend. Soon all the men and their horses were bathed in blood. The remaining unbroken Goths, seeing these holy warriors cutting through the mass before them without fear, turned and ran. Julianus and his men followed and the streets ran red in their wake.
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When at last it was over and the defenders realized the city had been saved, they broke into a mighty cheer at this heroic victory. While they had lost many friends, the enemy, superior in quality and numbers, had been utterly destroy. Julianus and his bodyguards had themselves cut down 466 of the enemy. The angelic vision had saved the city and from then on, the battle would be know as "The Miracle of Thessalonica." A runner was quickly sent to Manius, on the road with the First Legion. With the city saved and their forces no longer needed, he turned and headed back to the eastern crossing to confront the treacherous Huns. They arrived in the summer of 380 and immediately stormed the bridge, killing the enemy general and routing the force stationed there. Once again they took their places as the guardians of the western provinces, knowing that their strength would almost certainly be tested and tested soon.
Theodosius, his blood up from the news of the great victory by his father, could wait no longer for the carnage and pain he now so craved. After supper one night he ordered the men assembled for a spontaneous assault on the city at that very instant!
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With torches in hand, the men grabbed the assembled ladders and rushed the walls.
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Horrible losses were taken from the many archers station atop them, but the men pushed through and slaughtered all in their way.
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With the gates taken, the spearmen poured into the streets. Five groups of massive armored Clibinarii horsemen inflicted staggering losses on the infantry, but urged on by a raging Augustus and a following group of chanting monks, they pushed forward through the carnage and slaughtered all before them.
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In a re-enactment of Ctesiphon, Theodosius turned his men loose on the city that had opposed him. He truly earned his nickname that night as yet another city was put to the sword by his order. Once again, blood-soaked plunder was piled at his feet, this time amounting to some 10,000 denarii. With the city pacified and his bloodlust sated for the time being, the Emperor settled down to enact vicious Roman 'justice' on the people who had opposed the Empire.
News came from the west of a large attack by a Hun force on the First Danube Border Legion.
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The enemy cavalry swam the river while the infantry and heavy cavalry stormed the bridge. They were dispatched with ease by Eastern Archers and Plumbatarii what was clearly the finest quality Legion in the entire Empire.
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The assault on Artaxarta came the following season. Ustus Flavius and the Harta Legion moved on the city from the west while a small force of Limitates under Captain Jovinus assaulted it from the east with their own ladders.
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This diversion succeed in drawing a full one-third of the enemy away from the western walls to which the main attack was destined.
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Comitatenses climbed the heights and took their tops with ease, massacring the levies and archers they found on top. However, upon descending into the city streets, they met a harder force.
Three full Comitatenses units were routed and destroyed by a prolonged fight with two of the enemy’s demonic Clibinarii. Reinforcements were rushed through the gate and three full units of spearmen along with Ustus Flavius himself and a secondary general rushed King Ardashir’s bodyguards, the man having stationed himself close to the main gate. The Roman fought fiercely, but Ustus “Useless” Flavius was a poor leader. His men were unable to bring down the mass of heavily armored Clibinarii Immortals. To his credit, Ustus tried to bring down the Sassanid King in single combat, but he received only a crushed skull for the effort. The spear units routed with horrendous losses.
Gainus the Wrathful, the remaining general, now took charge of the men. Ignoring the King still harassing the main gate area, he ordered all forces to the center of the enemy city. There they linked up with three of the six Limitates units from the diversionary attack which had managed to overcome their foes and penetrate the walls. Seeing his town falling, King Ardashir rushed at the mass of men gathered before his palace. Losses were again severe, but eventually the weight of men was too much and the King was slain.
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Gainus now redirected his wrath at the inhabitants of the city, who had caused so much death in the Harta Legion. The town was put to the sword. With high levels of unrest in both Arsakia and Artaxarta, the Emperor’s Legion and the Harta Legion were forced to make plans for a length stay. The Sassanids were doomed, with only the city of Phraaspa left to harbor them. The final assault could wait until the Empire’s newest provinces were fully under control.
As time wore on and Augustus amused himself with more cruelty, butchery and bloodletting amongst the inhabitants of Arsakia, a dejected messenger arrived from the west. He bore news of something he called “The Trials of the Crossing.” With a grim expression, he related to Theodosius what had befallen the First Danube Border Legion at the eastern crossing.
The Huns had decided to move in force on the Empire. In the winter of 380, a large force led by a Captain Atakam assaulted the First Legion.
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They were destroyed as efficiently as the attack the previous season had been. However, the victory was not without loss. Enemy horse archers helped bleed a full two-hundred men from Legion, including most of Manius’ skilled Eastern Archers.
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A refit was needed. However, before this could take place, a second large Hun force under Captain Mete pushed home an attack against those that held the crossing.
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They too contributed masses of corpses and horseflesh to the already corpse-clogged shores of the Danube.
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Again the First Legion sustained minor losses, though the cumulative toll was beginning to mount. The Legion was now desperately in need of strengthening.
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Seeing this weakness, a third Hun force under Captain Karaton moved on the brave men.
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Despite an almost complete lack of archers now, the First Legion stood strong and held against the onslaught. By the end, there were a mere 770 men left in the once mighty First Legion, the pride of the Empire.
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Finally, the hammer blow came. The Hun Chieften Tukhechjen, who had shared drink with Captain Rufinius at the western crossing, came with a mighty force of heavily armored horse led by no less than four other Hun warlords.
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Unlike in previous attacks, there was to be no flanking move. The armored horse drew up and charged across the bridge and into a desperate melee with the remaining defenders.
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The fight was long and bloody. One at a time the enemy warlords fell until only Tukhechjen remained. The Roman losses were horrendous though and the enemy fought like demons. They refused to break and run, even when their leaders died before them.
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At last, the remaining men of the First Legion could take no more. In panic they broke and ran for safety. The Huns had taken the eastern crossing and only 66 men, fortunately including General Manius, of the nearly 1,300 who had been stationed there in the summer lived to tell the tale.
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I was surprised at Theodosius’ reaction when he heard of the eventual destruction of the Empire’s finest legion and the entry of the Huns into the provinces. He considered the situation and recited the following facts. The First Legion had defeated four massive attacks in one year and had only been defeated by the fifth at the cost of much royal Hunnic blood. The 1,268 men of the First Legion had slain 4,158 of the enemy. There could be no dishonor in this defeat, the men had done their duties and died as heroes. The remnants of the army were falling back on Constantinople, where the First Border Legion would eventually be reborn.
When Augustus enquired about the availability of the Second Legion to come to Constantinople’s aid, he received more dire news. Two large Gothic armies, the remainder of that peoples’ strength, had gathered near them and were preparing to assault their position. They could not abandon the crossing even if they had wanted to. The situation was desperate and there were no longer enough trained Romans to hold the western provinces. Conscription of all available mercenary infantry was ordered, though few were available for duty. The fate of the west hung in the balance.
The Goths moved on the Second legion immediately after the New Year. The Gothic Chieften Vinithar personally led the attack.
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The Second Legion used massed archers, rushed to the area by the commander of the Sirmium garrison, to drive off the enemy attackers. Vinithar himself was slain as he ran like a coward from the fight. As at the eastern crossing though, the Legion suffered losses. A full 300 men, nearly a quarter of the strength of the Legion, fell at their posts.
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In a cruel re-enactment of the assault on the First Legion, another full Gothic army assaulted the Second Legion before it could reorganize and refit.
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Let by the heir of Vinithar, the new King Gesalic, the Goths contributed to what was now the seasonal flood of corpses down the Danube. This King’s reign lasted mere days and his army was massacred by the Roman bows, swords and spears. The Second Legion again suffered the loss of a quarter of its force, further diminishing its strength and provoking consternation amongst its men, who feared they would meet the same fate as the First Legion.
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This was not to be though, the crème of the Gothic warriors were already dead and the survivors were small and unconcentrated. Having gathered their forces to cross into the Empire, the Hun leader Tukhechjen realized the incredible price of his victory. He no longer had the massive Horde that had surrounded him the previous season and he could not replace his losses. The Romans would be reborn before the end of the year and would crush him. Undoubtedly knowing this, he abandoned his invasion of the Empire and returned north.
Theodosius was also informed that the despised diplomat Valerius Atilius had finally been dispatched by an unnamed loyal Roman. It appeared to all who knew him to be a natural death, but the whispering in the Emperor’s court indicated otherwise. Pleased with these happenings in the west, Theodosius decided to celebrate by tearing down the Arsakian temples and showing the people the true light of Christ. He also ordered the Harta Legion under Gainus the Wrathful, to begin the final move on Phraaspa.
Seeing the Roman army not far from their last bastion, the new Sassanid King Melchior the Harsh, an extremely powerful general, decided to engage our forces before they could pin him inside the city. He sallied forth along with the hated General Narses, the only living Sassanid who could claim victory over a Roman legion.
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Despite their leadership, the Sassanid forces were weak and tired from the long war. They easily broke against the strong line of the Harta Legion.
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In desperation, General Narses himself charged the front rank of Comitatenses, inflicting horrible casualties. He fought like a man possessed and after a lengthy struggle half of the line broke and ran before him. The rest held firm though and slowly surrounded the enemy of the Empire. With a final charge from General Gainus himself, the hated Narses was at last slain and the Sassanids fled from the field.
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The cowardly Melchior never involved himself in the battle, choosing only to fire arrows from safety at the brave Romans. He deserved the death that awaited him now.
In the west Manius the Mean with the partially restored, though still under-strength, First Danube Border Legion returned to the eastern crossing. It was held by a medium sized Hunnic army led by General Thorismund. Manius forced the bridge with massed infantry, slew Thorismund and returned the eastern crossing to Roman control. With both vital chokepoints now safe again, the depleted Legions sent back word to the provinces to send up reinforcements to replace those who had fallen in the previous years’ battles.
As summer ended and the winter of 382 began, a pathetic force of Huns under the powerful General Diggiz tested the Second Legion.
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They were repulsed with minor losses and Diggiz himself was slain.
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Showing their utter contempt for their own lives, yet another massive Hunnic army assaulted the Second Legion immediately after Diggiz.
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This further depleted the already hard suffering Second Legion, but they too were sent to visit Hell, so heavily clogged now with stinking barbarian warrior.
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The cream of the Gothic and Hunnic forces now choked the banks of the Danube for hundreds of miles. The strength of these people had been smashed against the immovable wall of the might Roman Empire.
In the east, at last the time for the assault on the last Sassanid stronghold was at hand. Theodosius himself was too busy torturing and bleeding the population of Arsakia, who were not converting fast enough for his tastes, and he missed the final battle. That honor was given to Crispus Flavius, a competent general who had arrived to take over from General Gainus.
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Spies had managed to infiltrate the city and open the gates, but Crispus assaulted the walls anyway to silence the tower garrisons. The defenses were quickly overrun and the Sassanid Empire fell in a fitting final battle. Melchior, a six-star general with a full forty-five Clibinarii Immortals reknowned for their “double silver chevron” status fought like demons, knowing their deaths were inevitable.
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Melchior’s unit took down a full 220 Roman soldiers before they finally succumbed to their wounds and crumpled to the ground. The Sassanid empire was no more.
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These past ten years have taken an incredible toll on this humble servant of the Emperor. I have lived during a time of much change and bloodshed. When I arrived, the borders in the west were weak and threatened by barbarian hordes. In the east, the Sassanids controlled mighty cities with large garrisons and threatened our control of the region. The Empire as a whole was poor with an empty treasury and a mere 6,000 denarii profit per season. The brilliant and terrible Augustus Theodosius changed all of this. I now find myself in an empire that retains undisputed control of all eastern provinces. The western borders are secured and the treasury now stands at the massive sum of 84,000 denarii and pulls in an additional 25,000 denarii each season. There is no doubt that the Empire is now secure and powerful. It is time to look west. It is time to reunite the Roman peoples under the true heirs of Caesar. This is a task for another though, for I am tired and aging. I go now to enjoy the fruits of my labors, leaving behind this chronicle in the hopes that it may assist that who come after me. Glory to Empire!
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Constantinople, 383 A.D. Summer
“For pity’s sake, relieve him of his command!” Constantine urged.
Honorius smiled at his friend ruefully. “He used to be a great soldier.”
“Used to be” replied Constantine. “Get him away from the First Danube Border Legion immediately, or the armies of the barbarians will be the least of our troubles. Nothing stands between Manius and this capitol, but a few thousand peasants. The Emperor is far away enjoying his triumph against the Sassanids. And that miserable defeatist Manius may just throw everything away by rebelling against us. Sack him now!”
Honorius looked admiringly at his younger friend. He swore, Constantine could persuade him to cut his own throat and that of his beloved wife too, if he put his mind to it. Constantine had persuaded Honorius to end his comfortable tenure as governor of Crete and return to the capitol to play politics with the Senate.
“Very well, I will do it. I will get my old friends in the Senate to give him an appointment that does not involve commanding troops - Manius would probably not turn down the post of Magister Scrinii.”
“Good idea. An honour such as that will probably make the gloomy pagan think he’s died and gone to heaven.” Constantine replied mischievously. Despite sharing Manius’s faith in the old gods, Honorius smiled, so the younger man continued. “It’s our time, you know.”
Honorius raised an eyebrow.
“The Emperor is far away. And quite frankly, I am not sure the Empire needs him back. Let him stay in the East. The work that we need to do lies in the West.”
“Constantine … do not disappoint me by doing anything rash…”, Honorius cautioned.
Constantine waved his hand dismissively. “My dear friend, you know me better than that. I would not have you chase off that wolf Manius just for me to sneak in and grab your lambs. Besides, you are the man of action. Not me. I am just going to point you in the right direction and watch your back, here in Constantinople.”
“And what is the right direction?”
“Rome.”
383 AD Winter, a bridge on the Lower Danube.
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The Hun faction leader heads a final desperate attempt to cross the Danube
“I was supposed to be enjoying life in the capitol!” Constantine moaned to himself as he hurriedly buckled on his greaves. A messenger had rushed to his temporary lodgings - the First Danube Border Legion was under-attack by none other than the Hun leader Tukhechjen himself. Tukhechjen was sixty-five, but still a terrifying presence even to his own people and a general of unparalleled skill. A few years before Tukhechjen had shattered the First Danube Border Legion and broken the spirit of its commander, Manius. The Legion had only partially recovered and had been left leaderless thanks to Constantine’s manoeuvres. Only after the Legion’s summer battle with the Goths had Constantine awoken to the danger of leaving it without a replacement. Wth no substitute nearby, Constantine had reluctantly come to take up the post himself.
But Constantine had arrived too late. The Huns were crossing the Danube and the Legion had deployed to face them without a leader.
“How bad is it?” asked Constantine of the worried looking equite who waited for him.
“The Legion has beaten off the first attack by a Hun general called Kandak. But it is awfully cut up. The mercenary companies you hired have virtually been wiped out. The only frontline unit up to strength is a cohort of plumbatari.”
Constantine shook his head. He thought the two cohorts of veterans and one of Bosphoran spearmen would last longer than that. But the Huns were formidable adversaries.
“Have you got a fresh horse?” Constantine asked the tired equite.
The man nodded.
“Then ride with me, we may need every sword.”
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Constantine Petilus, by his own account not a man of action, arrives at the bridge battle at a critical moment.
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And personally slays the Hun leader Tukhechjen. The bridge over the lower Danube is held.
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Soon the Huns follow their leader into oblivion.
387 AD Outside Salona
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Honorius and Constantine begin the long march towards Rome.
“By the Gods, Constantine! Where did you dream up that idea from?!” Honorius laughed in admiration as the legionnaires winched the ballista to the top of the siege tower.
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“My dear friend, you know I never fight fair.” Constantine replied with twinkle in his eye. “We’ll blast them off the walls and then attack the gate guards from both sides.”
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Honorius nodded his assent. He supposed the rumours about Constantine’s combat with Tukhechjen were true and that the young Roman had killed the old King from behind. But that did not dampen Honorius’s admiration for his young friend. In war, a sharp mind in command was worth a thousand strong sword arms.
Honorius looked up at the great walls of Salona looming above them. So this was the beginning of what Constantine had sketched out for them. A campaign to march right to the heart of Rome itself. The silver-tongued young man had sent the Emperor off on a wild goose chase to the north, campaigning against rebels in Kotais and beyond. He had arranged for half of the Emperor’s army to march south to Africa, but it would be many years before they arrived. In the meantime, it was up to him, Honorius, to begin the war of unification.
“The city gates are ours!” The cry roused Honorius from his reveries. He spurred his horse and shouted to Constantine:
“Last one to the forum buys the next round!”
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Honorius and Constantine trade blows with Samartian Auxiliaries defending Salona’s forum.
388 AD On the desert road to Lepcis Magna
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“Now, men, battles are just drills with some blood thrown in.” The legionnaires looked up at their general, surprised and smiling.
“Do not fear those traitors! You are the true Romans and today you will prove it.”
The approaching Western Roman Empire army was formidable - twice their number and with a far more balanced mix of cavalry and archers.
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“We fight in the old style. Legionnaires, side by side. Stand firm, fight hard and you will overpower them. Don’t worry about their cavalry. Our lanciarii will hold them on the flanks. And if any get behind, they will have me to deal with!”
The men cheered and Avitus Flavius smiled, enjoying the moment. Had he miscalculated? Constantine had told him half of the Emperor’s army was coming to Africa. But they would not arrive for several years. Avitus had looked at the four cohorts under his command already in Alexandria and decided to make a start on his own. Now, this small force had blundered into a large Western Roman Army, Avitus had no idea was near Lepcis Magna. Well, it was done now. There was nothing left to do, but do his duty.
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Avitus Flavius drives the Western Roman army from the field, but at great cost to his small force.
390 AD A field outside Mediolanium
Honorius opened Constantine’s letter.
Dearest friend,
You have repaid my faith in you with interest. I heard of your bold move to march on Mediolanium, despite two large Western Roman armies to your rear. That is the kind of audacity that will take us to Rome!
Good news from Africa. Avitus, the old fox, has taken Lepcis Magna. The Western Romans there are broken, although a large Berber army has been spotted in our new territory.
By the way, I’ve heard your hair has turned white. Such is the price of duty.
Good hunting,
Yours ever,
Constantine
Honorius smiled. He had been saddened to part from Constantine but his young ally had needed to direct the First and Second Danube Border Legions in punitive expeditions north of the Danube. Under Constantine’s directions, the legions had trapped the Ostrogoths in Colonia Dacia, but wisely turned away from war with the Lombards when they had spied their full strength.
Now Honorius had to face the first of the two Western Roman armies he had bypassed to get to Mediolanium.
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It was a calculated risk, breaking free from his supply lines. But the quality of his army convinced him that it was right. Let the traitors come. He was ready for them.
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Honorius sees off one pursuing WRE army
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And a year later, takes the battle to the second
393 AD Sirmium
Constantine suppressed his shock at seeing the white hair on his old friend.
“Honorius! It is so good of you to find the time to leave Mediolanium and come to visit me.”
Honorius nodded agreeably “I fear we are both old has-beens. We have little better to do than administer over-crowded cities, while other men lead our armies to victory.”
Constantine shrugged his shoulders, ambivalently. “I have told you, I am not a man of action. As it is, I have had more than enough blood and battle to last me a life time. You… you are different, but I fear you are more useful keeping the good citizens of Mediolanium in order than besieging Rome.”
Honorius smiled ruefully. “I got a letter from the Emperor, you know. It came all the way from Campus Alanni. He was most displeased that I had not put the pagan traitors of Mediolanium to the sword.”
Constantine shook his head. “The man is a monster. And unfortunately, most of our generals seem to model themselves on him. But our job was to unite the Empire, not slaughter half of it.”
“And have we completed our job, Constantine?”
“Not yet, my friend, but we have made a very good beginning.”
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Spurius Flavius was sitting comfortably in his tent, in sight of the gates of Rome itself.
He had gotten word from he old emperor himself - who was getting older still in the far northern province of Campus Allani - to attack Rome this very summer.
At first Spurius had not believed his luck that he, and no other would get the honour of sacking Rome itself, but now that he saw the immense gates of the city of which he had so long ago when he was still a child heard so many great stories of, he wasn't going in to battle as enthousiasticly as he had done in the past.
It was probably around mid day when Spurius ordered his men to pull the siege equipment to the gates.
His men had been working many hours on these Towers, made to withstand the many arrows sure to be fired at them.
He had also added some ballistae to the top of the towers - silently thanking Constantine for the idea.
So it was that Spurius ordered his army to march on the city of Rome, once the greatest city in the known world.
He ordered 2 of his best cohorts - every single man hand picked - to scale the walls next to the main gate.
And open the gate for the other soldiers to enter.
The towers reached the walls, and were pleasantly surprised to find no enemy troops on the walls.
The Plumbitarii fired hail after hail of darts towards the enemy below - causing many of them to die.
After that they openend the gate for the rest of the army to march in.
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Spurius himself also participated in the attack, and bravely fought against his Western Rivals.
He himself lead the charge breaking the Western Roman peasant on the center plaza.
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Rome was conquered.
At the same time the attack of Rome was ordered Avitius Flavius ordered the march on Carthage.
He had already sent the main body of the forces ahead, but planned on catching up just in time for the attack itself.
However he needed to move fast, since his brother Sextus also started his march for Carthage.
Both of the brothers knew there was only one general who would go down in history as defeater of the Western Roman forces in Carthage, and both of them wanted to be that one man.
Sextus's force was larger than Avitius's army.
Sextus's problem was that Avitius had a great headstart, and he could never catch up before he reached Carthage.
His only hope was that his brother would fale in the task to take the city...he even caught himself thinking of his pleasure at his brothers untimely death...
Around this time, the winter of 393 AD, the Emperor sent another rider to order the building of an immense fleet in Constantinople.
When the rider was asked why the fleet was to be built he was only able to vaguely tell the governor that it was meant to ensure the transportation of constantinople's main garrison al the way to the Island of Britania...when asked if this was some kind of joke, the rider shifted uncomfortably in his sadle and shook his head.
The poor governor of Constantinople was left to decide how he could possibly realise these insane plans...
The summer and winter of 394 AD
Avitius Flavius, finally sees the grand city of Carthage on the horizon.All in all he was in a good mood ; the morale of his troops got better and better as they approached the city and his messengers had reported that Sextus's army had to deal with some Berbers and thus were delayed.
Avitius was looking forward to the time - not so far in the future he reconned - when he would welcome his brother in the palace in Carthage itself.
As the city was rapidly getting closer, he ordered his men in charge of the siege equipment to move foreward, to the front of the battle line.
He watched as the Romans, no His Romans marched to the walls of Carthage and halted about 50 meters from them.
He decided not to delay the attack and ordered his men, pushing the towers, forwards.
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The enemy archers were however not idle, and the relentlessly fired fire arrows at the towers.
Deep down Avitius had know it might happend, but he had hoped not today....
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both of the towers caught flame and in a matter of minutes were completly useless..
Avitius called the men pushing the now destroyed towers back and prepared to retreat. Since there was no hope at victory this day...
He was about to give the order when he overheard one of the hired mercenary Bucelarii talk to one of his companions how glad he was that they had not been ordered to dig- and use the sap point.
Avitius froze and quickly ordered the soldier to repeat and explain wat he had meant...the day was not lost after all.
He wasted no time and ordered the moving of the whole army , towards the section of the enemy wall which was going to be sapped.
Once the sapper were finally done with digging their tunnel under the enemy wall, Avitius wasted no time in ordering the bulk of his army to move forwards.
Rank upon rank of Comitatenses and Lanciarii cohorts moved to the gap in the wall.
The enemy Limitanii guarding the gap could only be amazed at the exeptional display of disipline in which the enemy soldiers moved, not showing any sign of turning back even when the Towers kept on shooting , and inflicting terrible losses on the advancing forces.
The limitanii quickly routed without the Eastern Roman cohorts sustaining substanial losses, and so Avitius ordered to march straight for the square, trying to minimize enemy tower fire.
No resistance was met during that march, but for the enemy general himself.
Avitius and his loyal bodyguard attacked the general himself and inspite of being outnumbered considereably he managed to slay the general.
And he triumphantly marched towards the now empty plaza.
He however did not now, that the back of the colum was being attacked by the enemy forces who were originally on top of the walls.
These enemy comitatentes were not going down without a fight. and managed to kill lot's of unaware Lanciarii and mercenari camel units , before they were eventually surrounded and destroyed.
Carthage was taken, the population decimated, and while that happened , Avitius enjoyed a well earned massage and a cool drink.
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A day afterwards Avitius was told that our troops had caught a Western Roman delegation, who said they were discussing matters of the christian church in the city at the time of the attack, and demanded their immediate release.
Avitius ordered their execution, of course not in his name , but in the name of his loving brother.
He was overjoyed when the populace demanded his brothers head when they heard that this ''council of Carthage'' was brutally interupted by Sextus Flavius. The Carthaginians never knew that it was not Sextus but their own Governor Avitius who ordered the killings.
Avitius was always fond of telling this tale in private company, when a little drowsy of the exesive use of imported Frankish wine,his company was always equally disturbed by this display of brutallity.
This was however not the only memorable thing to happen in the winter of 394 AD.
For a young ambitious Roman general was planning the conquest of Sarmatia...
:balloon2:
Back in the time when Valens Flavius was still the emperor of the at the time humble Eastern Roman empire, he had written his wishes for an empire which would have no rival, it would have to Hold Carthage, Alexandria, Constantinople and of course Rome.
Now Valens was a wise man, and he knew that at his age, it was nigh impossible to get it done before he died, with the Sassanids in the east, hordes in the north and the western Roman people in the west.
So it was, that when Valens died, he had written his wishes in his will, and they were to be completed by his succesor.
Quick work was made of the Sassanids in the east. More troublesome were the hordes in the north and the treacherous Western Roman people in the west.
However at the present time the empire was almost completed according to Valens's ideals, for all the major cities were in Eastern Roman hands, and including those cities the empire was now at record height of 33 provinces.
Already one ambitious general was planning the conquest of that final province in Sarmatia ; Campus Lazyges.
The Sarmatians were neutral at the time, however none may stand in the way of Roman glory, as Arcadius Orfella deemed.
Arcadius was in command of a great army, once commited soly for the defence of the lower danube. But the time when Roman power could still be challenged was a long time ago, now Arcadius rightly thought, was a time for expansion and war.
Without orders from the emperor he marched at Campus Lazyges, and besieged it immediatly.
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Urging his soldiers to build 5 rams as fast as possible.
About 6 months later, the rams were ready and he was about to attack, when it started snowing...
Arcadius however didn't heed the snow, and the warnings of his advisors that snow would only help Sarmatians, instead he attacked when hte rams were only a couple of hours old.
He attacked 5 different segments of the walls, around the main gate.
All of the rams were led by veteran plumbatarii cohorts.
When the rams hit the walls, he ordered his 5 eastern archer units forwards, so they could inflict heavy losses on the enemy horsemen, standing right behind the gates.
The walls and the gates soon fell, and Arcadius ordered his cohorts enter the city and hold the walls, for the horsemen to enter the city.
Soon a couple of herdsmen , teh Sarmatian light cavalry . decided to attack my plumbitarii, needless to say , they stood no chance.
The Roman army advanced to hte town square, on their way they met a 66 men bodyguard unit.
Eager to prove his skills as a swordsmen, Arcadius ordered his own bodyguard unit to enter the fray.
he urged his cohorts to fight even harder , and was filled with joy when he say the enemy general fall, at the hands of his plumbitarii.
At this moment he ordered all his units forwards to attack hte single remaining runaway slave spearman, still guarding the plaza.
He himself again joined the fight.
However Arcadius did not realise that he should have finished the remaining bodyguard men off first, it proved to be his downfall.
As he led his bodyguard unit at the slaves, he was charged by 5 men of the enemy generals bodyguard unit, Arcadius fell, and knew no more.
Both armies weren now leaderless, though the Romans had a significant advantage in numbers, and the superioir PLumbitarii made short work of the slave spearmen.
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The end of the battle:
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And so it was that hte last settlement needed for victory was taken, deep in the north , in campus Allani, the Emperor was thrilled with the news, and proclaimed to have decades of peace in the entire empire.
Certain generals however did not heed this command - they wished to expand the empire's borders to the end of the known world...
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:balloon2:
Bravo!
Great stories guys. :2thumbsup: