Only just read: Ealiest Roman historian...

Finally it is time to continue the story.

Books 28-32 are sadly very damaged and thus we have little insight into what happened after the destruction of the army near Arretium. But we know that shortly after ambush Adymos moved his forces nearer the adriactic coast to the east, there he was engaged by two Roman armies in a battle where they attacked front and rear. Somehow he had seen through this and just managed to defeat them in detail, a passage mentions how the phalanx had only just leveled their pikes when the second army's legionaries came into their range.
Because Adymos after this battle withdrew entirely from the Italian peninsula we have a good basis to suspect that he had indeed won a pyrrhic victory. He is later mentioned campaigning in Illyria, so he was obviusly not broken, no was his army destroyed. Perhaps he was just recalled by his king?

Anyway Aeson, the uncle of Adymos and a very senior member of the Seleucid court had moved up as seen earlier.
He fought a few smaller battles with garrisonforces near Rome until he too ventured near Arretium. There he too managed to ambush a large Roman column. After this ambush we enter book 33.

Book 33.
"Aeson, experienced as he was would not be surprised, that our brave leader Cnaeus the Censor knew. He had also understood that our tactics and will was not strong enough as long as the experienced armies fought in Greece against Phillip. He had in his dreams seen how to defeat the enemy host plauging our lands. "He will not leave and we can't push him! The phalanx is terrible, nay a sight one wants to face. I have seen it in battle, and I have seen men fall, heard them scream and felts its push. But I have seen how it becomes but a mere wood. Seeketh we not victory? Learn from the Iberians!"
Cnaeus took his army, the remains, and harried the Greeks, attacked them from camp, they never got a free moment. Our men learned quickly from devasting experienced. The entire force of militia from Arretium were caught and forced to surrender, other units like the legion raised the previous year were not heard from again. But Aeson felt the impact as well, his mercenary army began to melt away and his own men were demoralized.
Cnaeus bided his time and kept a tight ring around the Greeks as they were forced in a southwards direction. By virtue of our men the Greeks had been thinned critically as the leaves began to fall. Cnaeus took his army, now stronger than ever and finally intercepted the hated enemy.
The enemy set up between two woods, his numbers down to less than 10000 but with almost 3000 Cretan archers his troops were strong. By now only the strongest mercenaries remained. Cnaeus army contained large numbers of recently raised levies and militia, but a large core of experienced legionaries held the center.
Aeson struck out hard with his own men, attacked our equites and routing them, but Cnaeus had foreseen the rout and placed them far out, meanwhile he urged his men ahead. "Lets attack men! They are weak and few, tonight Mars will rejoice from our victory. The harvest is near and should we really let it pass? Nay, we should do our jobs, we should harvest all we can and do away with what we need not." Cnaeus himself led the charge to inspire his men, but that was a bad choice as the charge became a mess of individual men that the enemy phalanx could deal with in detail. Our men recoiled from the line of enemies, meanwhile the Cretans pelted them from above and mercenary thureophoroi harried their retreat. The phalanx held its ground and let our men retreat, it seemed they would not give up their position for anything. Aeson returned to the position, only to once again charge out at our cavalry, his few elite bodyguards in a very precarious position, always needed everywhere.
Cnaeus attacked again "Be not disheartened men, these are the strongest enemies left, but they are not going anywhere, they know this is the end for them. Let us help them on their way!" This time the charge was followed through in order. The terrible sight of the pikes was the last many a good man saw as they tried to force the Greeks to retreat, but they never gave a step backwards, they fought our brave men, they killed them, they beat them, they did everything they could to win. Cnaeus seeing how the Greeks were strong and not giving in to his strong army sent his reserves to attack the flanks. The phalanx is always weak on the flanks and our men enjoyed success there, slowly breaking the formation letting the other get to grips with the enemy pikemen. But the enemy determination was great and every Greek had to be killed where he stood and fought. Aeson returned again and thre himself at our men from the rear causing the entire left flank to shamefully rout. Meanwhile our equites had attacked into the rear of the Greeks and were now attacking the Cretans desperately running away. It should never be forgotten that our equites are dashing and strong men, fighting hard, but this time they had underestimated the enemy and they were grappled to the ground and killed. But they had also been facing the sun and could not hope to understand that the Cretans were prepared.
Old Aeson fought like a lion, striking out at enemy Roman he could see and reach, many fell to his sword and lance. His great plumed helmet was soon a sight of significant peril. But finally as our lines had begun to bend the Greeks in on themselves Aeson charged out for one last time. Centurion A. Maxentius Called to him "Man of men! Seeketh you not victory? Come here for we are the gate to it, but it is closed and we would like to hear you knock it, for it will sound so hollow. It will be like the leaf falling to the ground, silent and slow." "But victory is mine, should We really be coming to you? Nay thyne men are but gnats and We seeketh Our victory elsewhere. Go now, for You are not needed." Maxentius lunged at Aeson but he was struck down before he could reach his target, but he did wound the horse that threw off the old man. Maxentius' men attacked, shedding their fear, though Aeson manage to get to his feet and fight he was soon dead. So strong had his fight been that he was standing on top of dead Romans, it was finally realized that the man had died when a legionary threw his helmet at him and hit him in the chest so he fell over. When the pikemen saw their leader die they let out a common mourn. They gave up trying to win and our men could finally get to grips with them.
Our victory had been costly, far too costly. We had lost far more men than the Greeks, but now Italy was free of enemies and the Senate planned a vigorous response to the Seleucid attack. But the plebians were tired of war and they forced a period of recuperation."

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Heheheeee! From minute one I was aware of your little Wilbur Smith trick. ~;)

Nice story indeed! :medievalcheers:
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I was going to ask if you are continuing the story, but you are already busy. Keep up the good work! On both Interactive history as on BI! ~:thumb:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Ludens

I was going to ask if you are continuing the story, but you are already busy. Keep up the good work! On both Interactive history as on BI! ~:thumb:

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It would also have been impossible to continue the story since it ended up beginning to conflict with the real historical line. And that was a major important point for me.