Winter, 489 A.U.C. Outside the walls of Patavium.
The three rams that had survived the relentless enemy sallies over the last few weeks all approached the western wall, manned by the II
nd, III
rd and IV
th Cohorts. Caivs Aemilii commands the left flank (II
nd Cohort and the Equites alongside his own cavalry), Avlvs commands the right flank (IV
th Cohort, the V
th Cohort and his own cavalry), and Cotta commanded the centre, attacking the gate house with the III
rd and I
st Cohorts and his own cavalry. The advance is covered by the slingers, who whip their lead and stone bullets over the top of the walls and onto the milling enemy.
The Legion awaits outside the walls, as the rams attack the weakend walls and gatehouse. The occasional missile whips over the walls from inside the city; mostly returning those shot over by our own men. The slingers continue to fire over the walls, and the waiting Cohorts occasionally loose a volley of pilums should the enemy wander into range. The wall on the left is the first to crack.
As the wall comes crashing down, the II
nd Cohort bursts through the gap. It quickly establishes a foothold within the walls, but almost instantly it finds itself being charged by enemy horsemen, who come on screaming inhumain war cries, and letting fly short javelins through the air. All credit to the Cohort; they simply hunker down behind their tall shields and brace themselves against the charge, hoping their short swords may find their targets in the exposed legs and bellies of the animals. The horsemen push heavily into the Cohort, sending the front few men toppling over their comrades heads. The screaming horses and their blood thirsty riders pound heavily into the II
nd Cohort, yet they fight on bravely, swords likcing out from behind shields, and darting back just as quickly. Casualties are heavy on both sides. However, despite their outrageous courage, the II
nd Cohort is pushed backwards against the wall. Their situation is perilous. There are no reserve cohorts on the left.
Caivs Aemilii controls the left flank. He knows something must be done, or the II
nd Cohort wil be destroyed. With no reserve cohorts to reinforce them, with the III
rd and IV
th Cohorts engaged as well, there is only one thing Caivs can do. Brandeshing his sword, he charges his horsemen through the wall and into the enemy. The odds begin to even, and then topple in favour of the Romans once again. Yet the enemy horsemen fight to the last.
Meanwhile, the III
rd Cohort is in trouble. After breaking through the gatehouse, they had found a vast host of enemy infantry, lead by the king himself, waiting for them on the opposite side. Given no chance to form a line, they simply received the enemy charge, and reeled dangerously under the assault. They were being forced quickly back towards the gatehouse, and the enemy was so numerous they began to also envelop the flanks of the III
rd Cohort as well. Legatus Cotta then ordered his ace into the fray; the First Cohort. Veterans of many battles and hard slogs, these men are the elite of the legion. Armed not with short sword but with stout spears, they thrus their way through gate and help the III
rd Cohort out, creating a hole in the enemy advance. protecting the III
rd Cohort's right flank, while the huts of the city protect their left. However, the enemy king personally leads two more units of blooded Celts into the fray, and soon the process is repeated; the Principes are dealt serious casulties in their defence of the III
rd Cohort.
Finally, the horsemen are driven off on the left flank, and the II
nd Cohort at last manages to come to the aid of the centre. However, this does not have the desired effect. More is needed. With the IV
th and now the V
th Cohort's still engaged on the right, Cotta orders the Equites through the gatehouse and into the enemy. This does create come momentum, and the enemy infantry around the gatehouse are pushed backwards. They leave behind many dead. The enemy general still leads from the front, and refuses to retreat. He rallies enemy infantry, who go for one final push.
Meanwhile, rather than throwing his horsemen into the tight press of men, Caivs Aemilus leads his horsemen along the walls away from the centre, searching for a gap in the buildings where he can get behind the enemy.
With the lines faltering once again, Cotta finally commits himself to the battle. Leading his heavier horsemen through the gate, the Romans throw themselves into one last effort to overcome the Celts. Both sides inspired by their leaders, the two find themselves face to face. Clashing swords with the enemy king, Cotta snarls, urging his horse closer. The King screams a war cry, brandishing his sword like an axe; swinging it over his head in a whirling motion. The press of bodies forces Cotta to turn his horse, and he see's a young legionary tossed to the floor by a giant of a Celt. Forced to make a decision between the two men, Cotta angrily rams his heels into his horse, thrusting his way towards the assailant. Moments before his huge longsword crashes down on the legionaries cowering body, Cotta's sword slices through the thick muscle of the neck, sending the giant crashing to the ground. The cowering legionary is lost in the fray.
Turning back to the enemy King, Cotta finds him surrounded. He swings his huge sword from left to right, felling allthose around him. Cotta again digs his heels into his horse, aiming to slash through the King's defences as he rode past. But a lunging spear from a Celtic infantryman sends his horse onto its hindlegs. Cotta killed the man mercilessly, but the delay had let one of the men of the I
st Cohort thrust in with his spear, sending the King crashing to the ground, where he was mercilessly dispatched. Angered that he had missed his chance, Cotta rode up to the man. However, the Celts, having seen their great leader felled, now streamed away from engagement, heading towards the central square in front of the palace; their last stand. Cotta, rather than rising to anger and jealousy, instead touched the man's shoulder, and praising him for his talent "A fine man, indeed, Gracchus, if you are able to rout all these men with one thrust of your spear!"
The remaining Celtic infantry now streamed back towards the centre of the city, to defend the Palace atop the hill. Only one small unit if spearmen held the rearguard, and without wasting time, Cotta led the charge of horsemen straight into them. The wavering line of spears flew in all directions, as the heavy horses barrelled into the foe. A few riders were unseated, their mounts’ chests punctured by a spear point or their legs breaking under the impact of the charge. But Cotta led a magnificent charge, and soon the last of infantry were either killed, captured or chased down by the cavalry. Only a few lucky ones, if lucky is the right word to use, made it back to the palace. Cotta then ordered the I
st, II
nd and III
rd Cohorts, accompanied by the auxiliary infantry, who had now packed their slings away, their missiles spent, and had drawn short swords. They would plug any holes found in the infantry line. Cotta meanwhile took his cavalry, with the Equites around the houses, in an effort to charge the infantry on the right from behind, freeing up those units on the right.
Now of the right flank, the loss of the enemy King had finally reached the ears of the Celtic infantry that had so far held up Avlvs’ infantry so well. Avlvs saw the line was wavering, and ordered one last push, thrusting his horse deep into the ranks of the enemy, his own horsemen and infantry cohorts charging forward with renewed vigour. The enemy could not compete with such ferociousness, and with no leader to rally them, they attempted to turn tail and flee. However they were hindered by the press of the buildings, walls, and Roman soldiers all around them. Hundreds died helpless, unable to defend themselves any longer. They had bravely fought to keep their flank from being overrun, using infantry to plug gaps, and horsemen to charge any exposed legionary. As they finally managed to break free, Cotta’s horsemen appeared behind them, and slaughtered all they could see. The right flank, all its infantry and horsemen, were completely annihilated. Avlvs ordered the IV
th and V
th Cohorts to march round to join the rest of the infantry cohorts, while Cotta and he would lead their cavalry, along with the Equites, along the south wall, capture the south gate, and surround the enemy palace.
Meanwhile, back in the centre, the few remaining horsemen had rallied, and now struck the approaching infantry again and again, hindering their advancement. Riding up, they let fly their javelins into the marching mass, which held up shields to block their efforts. Only a few unfortunate men tasted cold steel as javelin tips found their mark. Once the remaining missiles were spent, the cavalry charged sacrificially into the raised shields and spear tips of the I
st Cohort. Many horses were brought down, and with the II
nd an III
rd Cohorts flowing fluidly around their flanks, they were cut down, until the final few managed to flee back towards the palace. The infantry had been held up, though they were largely unaffected by the suicidal heroics of the enemy. It had given time for the IV
th and V
th Cohorts to catch up slightly, however.
On the left flank, Caivs had secured the northern gate, and had ridden his horsemen down the wall and round the buildings, until he could see the infantry massing at the rise of the hill below the palace. He watched as the Celtic infantry charged with defending the palace massed on the alter-type of structure in front of it, and saw how few enemies were returning to join them. A sense of joy and regret mixed and struck him at once; joy at their now inevitable victory, but regret that he had not managed to find a way through the press of houses. Securing the northern gate had taken a little of time as well. Still, he could make an impact, few though his number of horsemen were. He knew the infantry would be marching up the centre, and Cotta had planned on taking the cavalry round the flank. Avlvs was meant to be with them; however he had taken the opposite flank. He ordered his horsemen forward; they would be a bigger part of the final fight for the fight.
Meanwhile, Cotta was leading the rest of the cavalry (his own, Avlvs' and the Equites) to secure the southern gate. From there they would be in position to attack the last of the defenders from behind as they engaged the infantry. The infantry had by now almost crested the hill, and were beginning to form up too attack the last of the Celtic infantry on the steps of the alter.
As the infantry formed up, however, Cotta had reached the end of the wall, and was turning his horsemen into the street leading up to the palace. He was met with an interesting site. The survivors of the last cavalry attack on the infantry cohorts were galloping towards them, arms rasied back, javelins in hand. Cotta, sensing a chance to finish off these annoying pups before they caused any damage to their expensive horses, he led his men against them, shouting to Avlvs to gather the Equites and begin to surround the palace. However, the barabarian horsemen turned, dashing back the way they had come. Cotta gained on them, the leading horsemen stabbing their spears into the rumps of the retreating barbarians, sending them toppling.
However, as Cotta crested the rise, he realised with a sense of dread he had chased too far. Unable to slow down their mounts, fuelled with the excitement of the chase, they crashed into the waiting infantry, charged to protect the palace. Cotta and his few horsemen battled courageously, slashing with the swords and stabbing with their spears. They dispatched the few remaining horsemen, but were surrounded by the enemy infantry.
Knowing the infantry could only be just round the corner, Cotta battled on alone, thrusting his way deep into the enmy infantry to draw their attention away from the approaching infantry. Leaving most of his men behind, he galloped deep into the slashing Celts, stabbing and hacking at the press of naked bodies around him. A few of his men strove to keep up with him, to protect their general; however, they were eclipsed by his passion for the fight. However, his men were falling all around him to the numerous enemy, pulled from their horses, or the beasts themselves collapsing, bellies split or legs hacked away. Cotta knew he must do something. Yelling an order to his signal bearer, the shrill notes of the trumpets called out across the city. Avlvs, knowing his general wa sin trouble, began to lead the rest of the horsemen towards the palace, though he was still some way off. The infantry began to run to pass round the palace to engage the enemy on foot, though again they would not get there for a while. However, a hero was there to save the day.
After cresting the slope, Caivs Aemilii had heard the call for help from Cotta, and had led his few horsemen over the hill to the alter. He saw the infantry about to pass the palace and engage the Celts, though they would not get there in time. He ordered the chagre, and drove his horsemen into the backs of the enemy infantry, giving Cotta the time and distraction he needed to withdraw and meet up with Avlvs coming from the other direction.
Avlvs paused only to see that Cotta had not made it out, before following the rest of his cavalry in an all out charge into the enemy ranks to cover his retreat. Several Celts had surrounded Cotta, stopping his horse from following his men. Avlvs' cavalry barrelled into them as Caivs made good of this to pull his majorly outnumbered horses back before they took too much damage, his job done. As soon as Cotta had met up with Avlvs, the cavalry pulled out.
The Celts attempted to give chase; however, the Roman Cohorts chose this perfect time to break around the corner and smash into the Celts for the fourth time in as many minutes. Now the Celts faced attack from three sides. They could not form up enough men to combat each threat effectively, and the Cohorts mercilessly dispatched all those against them, clawing their way onto the steps of the alter, the Celts falling all around them, spent.
Now the time had come. Suficiently reordered, Cotta knew this would be the final attack. The trumpet bearer raised his instrument to his lips, and Cotta, Avlvs and Caivs all charged forward into the backs of the enemy. It was a quick and bloody end for a heroic and suicidal stand by the enemy.
Assault on Patavium, Winter 489 A.U.C.
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- from Tiberius Claudius Marcellus
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