The Will of the Senate - Battle reports

[econ21]

A short account of the battle of Aleria, 271 BC

The battle for Aleria was not particularly dramatic but it is the largest battle yet fought by the Republic. It also serves as an illustration of how a large army defending an unwalled settlement can be defeated in detail without great loss.



The two sides are evenly matched.


Stage 1: Defending elements attack precipitously

Due to the size of the defending army, it could not all be deployed in the centre of the town. Some defenders on the outskirts of the settlement impetuously advance to meet the attackers. They suffer heavily to the Roman funditores and velites. Massively outnumbered, they are easily broken.



A unit of 120 Liby-Phoenician spearmen have been reduced to a mere 23 men before a Centurion of the hastati leads his men in a flank charge.



The hastati move on to neutralise the threat from the lone Carthaginian cavalry unit. The four enemy Generals and their escorts remain safely in the forum for now.

The defenders lack a solid battle line and come on piecemeal, allowing them to be easily defeated.



Quintus leads his escort into a charge against another unit of Liby-Phoenician spearmen. In the distance, Poeni infantry can be seen trying to intercept, but the slowness of their phalanx formation is fatal in this open stage of the battle.


Stage 2: The defenders emerge from the side streets.

Quintus then divides his army into four - each arm a legion or alae - aiming to approach the town forum from each side. However, the defenders move out of the city centre to challenge the attackers approaching from the front and the right flank. Now there is less room for manoeuvre, but by letting the defenders leave the sidestreets, the Romans are able to surround them and slowly destroy them in hard fighting.



The height of the battle on the right of the town. Three large Carthaginian infantry units are slowly enveloped and destroyed by a legion and an alae.


Stage 3: The battle for the town forum

By now, the Carthaginians are left with only a last unit of spearmen and their four generals. The Romans approach the forum from three sides - the centre, the left and, belatedly, the right. As the left alae advance, the Sacred Band escorts of the generals launch a combined charge.



The Carthaginian heir and his three relatives launch a charge on the Romans approaching Aleria’s central forum. The Italian spearmen are caught off balance, trying to redress their ranks.

The remaining Carthaginian spear unit is lured off the town forum, pinned by Roman infantry approaching from the centre. Triari and other troops race to hit the Scared Band cavalry in the rear.



The end approaches - all the Carthaginian units now lack the morale advantages of being in the central forum.

Belatedly, the Roman right wing approachs to occupy the uncontested town forum. The battle is soon over.



The last Carthaginian soldier in Aleria - a general - dies bravely duelling the indomitable hastati Centurion. After the battle, Quintus will choose this veteran to join his staff as an valuable ancillary.

The presence of Roman surgeons lowers the figure for Roman dead, but the losses still appear modest given some of the fierce infantry fights in the centre and right of the town.



The final tally

Note that for some reason, Quintus’s escort remains fighting despite all their enemies being dead. In fact the unit had become totally unresponsive ever since its rear charge described above.