Of savage tribes and glorious empires - An Arverni AAR

[SwissBarbar]

Of savage tribes and glorious empires

Chapter 15 – Galatia

The great Gallic war was over. The Celtic tribes in Gallia formed the Gallic Confederation, whose council regularly converged outside the city of Cenabum. The victorious tribes invested men with power over the tribes they had defeated, so also these new tribes were present in the “Ogmioteriam Odemorix“. The Confederation consisted of the tribes of the Arverni, Segusiavi, Sequani, Treveri, Haedui, Aulerci, Veneti, Pictones, Bituriges and Volcae-Arecomici. Also the Aquitanian client kingdom of the Tarbelli, the Graeco-Celtic client kingdom of Massalia, the tribe of the Liguri who represented the Italic allies and the governor of Mediolanum and Bononia were members of the council. Therefore the Gallic Confederation ruled the fate of over 1.1 million people .

After eight years of war, the Celtic tribes managed to bring peace to their lands. Under the eyes of the council, they travelled to Britannia and established trade with the Casse, who had brought large parts of the Island under their control during the last decades.

To construct greater ships and manage the increased amount of trading goods, the tribes at the coasts built larger harbours. In Gergovia, the original city of the Arverni, the high king of old Aneirin oi Lugos, who once had transformed the Arverni into the greatest power in Gallia and defeated the Haedui, became revered as a semi god and his tomb was transformed into a shrine. Now the war was over, people had time for rituals and religion.

In Tolosa the Massalian client king, Tincommios moc Gobannitio, brought the construction of the temple of Teutates to completion, as he promised to the war god before he had subjected the Volcae-Arecomici.

In Bibracte Riankiadoc married his daughter Bergo off to a young man called Berdic moc Ceanatis, who had proven himself to be worthy of this honour during the last campaign Riankiadoc had led against the Bituriges.

And also in Ivomagos d’Aler’s family the next generation’s time had come. Epasnactos, his son, had come at age. Ivomagos was very proud of his son, who was a prime example of what the Celts deemed to be a true man. Not only was he intelligent, well built and vigorous, he also was unselfish, optimistic and loyal to his people. Furthermore Epasnactos’ appearance was an image of his father. Everyone who knew him was sure, that he would become a very powerful and wise man.

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Far in the east, the Celtic village of Morgandy prospered. Jewellery produced by the skilled hands of the Celts were the height of fashion in the great cities of Hayasdan. The Hay ladies were mad on these adornments as the men were on Celtic long swords. Many people who had lived in small and poor villages in the mountains moved into this town. Even from the lands in the south many people of Celtic origin, whose fathers and grandfathers had served as mercenaries in the armies of Makedonia, the Arche Seleukeia or the Ptolemaioi found a new home in Morgandy. For over two years the Celts lived in peace with the neighbouring peoples, so this was the right time for young Cunobelin oi Lugos to get married and thus start a family.

But in the year of 236 BC the Celts received a message from a nobleman of the Hay, in which they were told that it was about time to discharge the debt. The Celts could settle down in Hayasdan for years and the Hay wanted the Celts to do them a favour in return now. Apparently the Arche Seleukeia had sent an assassin to kill the king of the Hay, who has been an enemy of the Seleukids for ages. He would take the main trade route and pass the Celtic village soon. The Celts were told to find and to kill him. And this was exactly what they did.

Unfortunately this Seleukid assassin turned out to be a noble Statesman who was on the way to Armavir to make peace with the king of the Hay. The Hay nobleman who entrusted the Celts with the assassination of this man was one of those, who loathed the Arche Seleukeia and wanted to keep the status of war at any cost. Now the Celts were in a dilemma. Of course the king of the Hay didn’t know anything about the assault and held the Celts liable for this misdeed. At the same time the elder brother of the Seleukid nobleman, one of the most powerful and respected men in the whole empire, led his army to Morgandy without hesitation, in order to exterminate the assassins of his beloved brother.

Once again the Celts had to leave their homes. Led by Calpornos moc Ollovico, who had been elected to be the leader by his people during the last years, the inhabitants of Morgandy migrated southwards. When the Seleukid general had destroyed the small village, he sent a part of his army to chase them. Just before they caught up to the Celts, they reached the Seleukid city of Karkathiokerta, which was besieged by the Kingdom of Pontos.

After ousting the Arche Seleukeia from Mikra Asia, the King of Pontos had planned a great military campaign against the Arche. After taking Mazaka, Karkathiokerta, a great city protected by high walls but only a few warriors, now was his main target.

The king of Pontos promised the Celts to become client rulers over Galatia, where many people with Celtic ancestors lived and thus was not easy to control by non-celtic rulers anyway, if they took the city for him, so he could let the main part of his army rest. Furthermore, as his client rulers, in the time to come they had fight for him whenever he called. Calpornos moc Ollovico had no option but to agree and so the Celts joined the siege of Karkathiokerta.

The Seleukid army that followed the Celts was surrounded by the army of Pontos, but many men could escape to the city of Karkathiokerta. Now, with no hostile army in their backs, the Pontic and Celtic armies started the attack.

The Celts stood in the first battle line, while the Pontic soldiers used their highly developed siege equipment to open the gates of the city. Never had the Celts seen such massive walls in their lives.

The allied soldiers started to batter down the gates of the city, permanently pelted with arrows from the city towers. At the same time the Pontic siege tower had reached the walls and the soldiers took them without meeting with resistance.

When the gates were battered down, the Celts, led by Fergalos moc Lannildot, Faros oi Lugos, Calpornos moc Ollovico and Cunobelin oi Lugos, stormed the city and drove the enemy back to the city center.

There they were received by some of the best warriors the Arche Seleukeia could field at these times. The fierce Shipri Tukul. Originally from Babylon, the Seleukid kings stationed these troops in many of their endangered cities at the borders to hostile territory.

Babylonian Shipri Tukul

In addition the Seleukids deployed heavy cavalry. Protected by iron and bronze, just like the Sauromatae in the steppes, the shiny metal of these horsemen frightened many a Celtic warrior. At the same time these Seleukid soldiers never had seen real Celtic warriors before. Especially the ones armed with longswords and fighting naked were bloodcurdling.

In the end the Celts crushed the enemy by sheer number and won the day.

As promised, they were now allowed to travel the kingdom of Pontos and settle down in Galatia. This time the Celts had definitely found a home, but still they knew that it would not take long until the marching orders from the king of Pontos would arrive, for he already hinted to have great plans with them.

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With the end of the second Gallic war, northern Europe was at peace. But the south of Europe continued to be an inferno. The kingdom of Epeiros and the Koinon Hellenon still fought an unbelievably cruel war against each other. Now that Epeiros had to fight three opponents, the Romans, the Carthaginians and the Koinon Hellenon, they started to get into a tangle. In an expensive campaign the Koinon Hellenon managed to take Illyria Hellenike and the city of Epidamnos. Epeiros had made huge efforts in order not to lose this province, pulled out troops from Italia and sent them to Illyria. Weakened by this measure and though the Epeirotes could defeat the Carthaginians on Sicilia, they could not withstand the Roman armies, who conquered all of southern Italy within two years.

But now the Roman armies deployed at the edge of the Italian peninsula and were ready to take the last city of Epeiros on Sicily, which was exactly what the Carthaginians intended to do too.

Rome knew that Carthage had claimed the rule over Sicily, but the Epeirotes had to be thrown out of Italy and Sicilia, so the Romans conquered the city of Messana too and declared the Carthaginians claim for Sicily to be illegal. The Kart-Hadastim could not let them get away with that, deployed an army near Messana and started, what the Romans later will call the first Punic war.

235 BC, after one year of war and several defeats, the Romans managed to lay siege to the city of Lilibeo and were not far from throwing the Kart-Hadastim out of Sicily.

It was in the same year, that the peace in northern Europe was on a knife-edge again. The Celtic Confederation had recovered well from the great war and flourished. But there was a people, that started to bother the Celts more and more……

Known territory in 235 BC

[Mjolnir]

And they finally make it to Galatia, that should give you some fun recruitment options. I can't wait to see who the next war will be fought with.

[Olaf Blackeyes]

Dont u DARE touch the Sweboz!

[machinor]

Absolutly fantastic as always!

[Tyrfingr]

I'll say "into the boats and over the channel!"

[Chirurgeon]

Excellent update! Some great twists and turns there. I like what you have done with Rome, Epirus, and Syracuse.

[machinor]

After having taken a closer look at your map I must say that I really like the Getai and Pontic AI expansion.

[I of the Storm]

Great chapter and interesting development. Who will be next? Those Belgae? Sweboz? Casse?

[SwissBarbar]

Absolutly fantastic as always!

Thank you very much

Excellent update! Some great twists and turns there. I like what you have done with Rome, Epirus, and Syracuse.

Thank you! The Romans, Carthaginians and the Hellenic Factions will play important roles in the chapters to come.

Great chapter and interesting development. Who will be next? Those Belgae? Sweboz? Casse?

I'll say "into the boats and over the channel!"

Dont u DARE touch the Sweboz!

Hehehe, who knows ^^ Maybe one of them, maybe it's another faction you don't expect? You'll see.

After having taken a closer look at your map I must say that I really like the Getai and Pontic AI expansion.

Yes, I have to say the AI expansion is really great in this campaign, also the Saba, which you don't see on this map expand as I have never seen it before. The Saba and the Getai have expanded completely without my help. Pontos on the other hand was given many, many Mnai, for it was important for my "eastern chapters" that they took Mikra Asia from the Seleukids. Also the war in Greece was sponsored by "Mediolanian Money" (well, of course I gave it to them, but as I mentionned in a chapter, the rich Mediolanians took influence and let the KH/Makedonia and Epeiros start a war, so I roleplay that it came from Mediolanum). Both Factions got money from me, so they could throw fullstacks against each other, which was exactly what they did

[Hotseat_User]

wow, a really good one! I thought of an own east-celtic kingdom but client-govenership fits much more in the place. Just keep this.
And I'll also roger that:

And they finally make it to Galatia, that should give you some fun recruitment options. I can't wait to see who the next war will be fought with.

[SwissBarbar]

Thanks Hotseat_User :-)

Ups, I forgot to quote Mjolnir

And they finally make it to Galatia, that should give you some fun recruitment options. I can't wait to see who the next war will be fought with.

Thank you, my friend ^^ Also in the east the Celts will have master great challenges in the Service of Pontos.

[Andronikos]

Great AAR, story, moding and this:

awesome

[SwissBarbar]

Thank you I hope to post the next chapter this weekend...

[Ruepelheinz]

Until the start of this AAR, I remembered the Averni only as the victim of my Adui "blitz" in version 1.1. I even decided that I would not play this faction at all. Now, due to your fascinating story-telling I might reconsider.

[Vasiliyi]

I just sat down and read your entire AAR and it is EPIC. Awesome story and you seem to keep the details in still. Very cool stuff. That, and Arveni are my favorite Celt faction.

[SwissBarbar]

Of savage tribes and glorious empires

Chapter 16 – Masterly Moves

After the great war, the Gallic Confederation swiftly recovered from its wounds. The Celtic cities constructed many buildings for public amusement and religion. Also trade and economy very much have been promoted and especially maritime trading routes to islands like Korsim, Sardinia and of course Britannia have been expanded and increased.

Especially the people of the Veneti, who were the most skilful seafarers of all Celtic tribes, started to become one of the major trading partners of the Casse in Britannia. But this new flood of Celtic trading goods, which caused a crumbling of prices on Britain’s markets, alienated foreign merchants, who had become very rich trough the trade with the Casse and intended to maintain this state of affairs. Especially the Iberian coastal tribes tried to fight the competition, cut prices, denigrated Gallic commodities and even went so far to hire Nordic pirates, who boarded and plundered many merchant vessels of the Gallic Confederation.

To counteract these adverse effects on trade, the leaders of the Gallic Confederation decided at the Ogmioteriam Odemorix of the year 235 BC, that the Iberian peninsula be invaded and the coastal tribes be brought under control. The responsibility for this operation was delegated to Riankiadoc moc Drappes, who was the most experienced military commander the Gallic Confederation could deploy.

Since the military reform of Belenos oi Lugos, king of old, had remained valid after his death, still all young men of noble birth had to be on active service in times of war. The idea behind this decree not only was, that the future leaders of the Celtic tribes would have recourse to a profound knowledge of warfare in cases of emergency, but also that they would prove their courage and trough that gain the unconditional respect, trust and loyalty of their subjects. So it was beyond debate, that also Riankiadoc’s son-in-law Berdic moc Ceanatis and Ivomagos’ eldest son Epasnactos d’Aler would join the campaign and fight under Riankiadoc’s command.

In winter 235 BC massive conscriptions have been made and an army of almost 29’000 warriors was levied. This army was composed of 1’200 Gaesatae, 3’200 Uirodusios and 3’600 Solduros as a core of heavy infantry, 6’000 Gaelaiche and 7’200 Lugoae represented the ranks of the light infantry, the missile troops consisted of 1’200 Iaosatae and 2’400 Sotaroas, and 2’000 Leuce Epos acted as light cavalry and skirmishers. The personal bodyguard of Riankiadoc and his young officers made up the heavy cavalry of about another 2’000 men.

Uirodusios Gaesatae Solduros

Gaelaiche Lugoae Iaosatae Sotaroas

Leuce Epos Brihentin

Riankiadoc intended to conquer the western coast of Iberia quickly and didn’t want to give the Iberian tribes the chance to organise resistance, so this invasion was meant to be performed at one stride. Therefore Riankiadoc mustered a second huge army, composed of 29’000 Lugoae and 8’500 Iasosatae, all veterans who were primarily specializing in supportive operations. That army was not designed for participation in battle except for cases of emergency, but for marching some miles distant from the main force in order to maintain and protect supply, secure bridges, mountain passes and conquered cities and to cover the flanks or unexpected strategically important retreats of the main force.

In spring 234 BC the invading army of the Gallic Confederation, composed of altogether over 66’000 men, set foot on the Iberian peninsula.

The first region that had to be brought into subjection was Cantabria, which was the gate that led from Aquitania into Iberia. The independent tribe of the Cantabri not only was famous for its excellent axemen, the Clona Tekonac, but of course primarily for its light cavalry, which was considered to be the best skirmisher cavalry in Europe. Riding small and shaggy horses, though in plain land not as fast as lager breeds, these men could outride any other mounted soldiers in the rugged hills of their homeland. Armed with a multitude of javelins and a falcata sword, but protected by naught but their caetra shied, they fought in the armies of many Iberian tribes. Famous among even foreign peoples they got for their signature formation, which was the „Cantabrian Circle“.

They were one reason, why Riankiadoc had planned a surprise attack. These horsemen were able to wear down a whole army in the hills of Cantabria, without even showing themselves longer than a minute. But they were not made for defending towns and cities and that’s why Riankiadoc led his army to the Cantabrian center of government and culture, the small town of Vellika, before the Cantabri were prepared for war.

In a swift but bloody battle, in which he lost over 3’000 men, Riankiadoc occupied Vellika, which was not even protected by a wall and took hostages from the noble Cantabrian families. By this measure he ensured save passage for his army. In Vellika itself he stationed 9’500 soldiers from his supply troops, who even outnumbered the inhabitants of the whole town, to protect the hostages and keep up peace.

Without hesitation Riankiadoc marched forth towards Asturia and their capital city Pallantia. The Asturi were subject to the strong tribe of the Lusitani, also called Lusotannan, who controlled the whole northern and western coast of Iberia. Of course the Lusotannan did not intend to give up a rich region like Asturia, for from there they supplied important trading routs to Britannia. So when the Gallic Confederation laid siege to Pallantia, the Lusotannan deployed two armies, one of their own of over 18’000 warriors and led by their king himself, and another of over 4’000 men recruited from the tribe of the Astrui.

Riankiadoc decided to array his 25’000 men in an improved variation of the formation he developed during the second Gallic war, the “Head of the Boar”. Back then he had one main battle line and just positioned his wedge-formation in front of it. Nowadays he forwent the main battle line, instead divided his army into three parts and formed three wedges. He also refined the composition of the formations by stationing his naked warriors at the very front and his heaviest soldiers right behind them. This way, by willingly sacrificing their lives, the fanatic naked warriors would breach a gap into the enemy’s formation, in which the heavy infantrymen would throw themselves in order to extend it. The light infantry behind the heavy soldiers would push as forceful as they could, like a hammer striking on the wedge, and split the enemy’s formation.

In order to decimate the enemy formation and to ease the breakthrough, Riankiadoc stationed his light skirmisher cavalry in front of the infantry and the archers and slingers behind it.

The right division was commanded by Berdic moc Ceanatis, while the left flank was entrusted to Epasnactos d’Aler’s care. Riankiadoc himself commanded the formation in the center. The Asturi attacked from the south while the Lusotannan approached from the west. Riankiadoc had to split up his army and decided to face the Lusitani together with his son-in-law. Epasnactos d’Aler had to deal with the Asturi alone, as long as the Lusitani were not defeated. Unlike his companions, Epasnactos had the advantageous possibility to attack downhill, so Riankiadoc was sure he would master the challenge. Nonetheless he left the light cavalry under young Epasnactos’ command, just to be sure. It was this light cavalry to engage the enemy and open the battle.

While the Leuce Epos skirmished and held the enemy up, Riankiadoc and Berdic didn’t hesitate and attacked the enemy. Just like Riankiadoc had supposed, the fierce Gaesatae and Uirodusios threw themselves at the enemy without caring for their own lives. Drugged to the eyeballs some of the Gaesatae even ripped javelins that had struck them free from their bodies, and hurled them back. Almost within a blink of an eye even the smallest gap in the enemy’s formation was taken advantage of by the heavily armoured Solduros. The ulterior ranks of the enemy could do naught but just watch their comrades in the front tremble and finally break.

This breakthrough happened so quickly, that not even the Lusotannan king could turn back and escape. He fell aside his warriors.

At the right flank, the general of the Asturi and his fierce, iron-masked bodyguards fought bravely, but after the break of the Lusotannan army, the Asturi started to panic and were crushed too.

In the end the enemy was defeated. The army of the Asturi was even destroyed to the last man, so the city of Pallantia was defenceless and had to surrender.

In order to secure the region on this side of the mountains, that separated Asturia from Galaeccia, Riankiadoc left the major part of his supportive army in Pallantia and headed for the Galaecci city of Tyde with his 23’000 men strong army, only accompanied by 9’600 warriors of his auxiliary force. Before he reached the mountains, Riankiadoc hired 1’600 Dunaminica to reinforce his main army. These men originally came from Celtiberia and could be trusted, for the Celtiberi were one of the last tribes that had not been subjected by the Lusotannan or Carthaginians, and were not at all considerate towards the Lusitani.

Celtiberian Dunaminica

Due to his fast advancement and the extermination of their main force in northern Iberia, the Lusotannan could not send an army to Tyde in time. Faced with 33’000 battle-tested Celtic warriors, the city of Tyde surrendered without even defending itself. Riankiadoc stationed his 9’600 auxiliary forces in the city and proceeded southwards along the coast at once.

After some days, the army of the Gallic Confederation finally met the Lusotannan force of over 20’000 men, that originally had been sent to defend the city of Tyde. The two armies arrayed for battle and the Lusotannan advanced without hesitation, in a remarkably disciplined formation, which indicated that the Iberians finally deployed experienced veterans and no green recruits. Riankiadoc recognised, that these enemies not easily were breached like those before and in addition his heavy infantry, especially the Gaesatae and Uirodusios had suffered from many losses recently, so he decided to use another strategy to deal with this enemy and to take advantage of the terrain.

Led by his son-in-law Berdic, the heavy infantry with the archers and slingers deployed in the center, while Riankiadoc himself commanded 4’800 Lugoae and 2000 Gaelaiche at the right flank, which he didn’t array on the same line like his centre, but a little bit displaced backwards. Protected by the sea, the right flank could not be outflanked. The left flank, commanded by Epasnactos, was given a special task. Hidden in the small forest at the left, 4000 Gaelaiche, 2’400 Lugoae and the whole contingent of light cavalry waited for the right moment to surprise the enemy.

The enemy first sent forth his light cavalry in order to skirmish, but they were driven back by the slingers and archers in the center. The enemy recognised the Gallic center formation to be protected by only a few light infantrymen on the right flank, to their general decided to break the center and then turn left to the right flank of Riankiadoc’s army. This was exactly what Riankiadoc had intended to provoke.

When the enemy dashed against the shields of the heavy infantry in the center, Riankiadoc and his light infantry advanced at the right flank in order to outflank the enemy. At the same time the hidden army broke cover, and while the light infantry attacked the adversarial flank, Epasnactos himself and his cavalry circled around the enemy’s formation and crashed into their rear.

Shocked by this sudden surprise the enemies’ morale was corrupted, the whole formation broke and the soldiers sought refuge in flight.

Not many of these soldiers survived that day. They were hunted down by the cavalry and killed. Over 18’000 men have been killed, while Riankiadoc’s army lost less than 2’000 warriors.

After this great victory, Riankiadoc sent word to the city of Pallantia, where the major part of his auxiliary force still was stationed. When they arrived, he crossed the river Tagus, and laid siege to Oxtraca, the capital city of the Lusitani, while his auxiliary troops secured the bridge and ensured the maintenance of supply over the river.

At the latest from this point in history on, Riankiadoc moc Drappes was recognised as one of the most brilliant tacticians of his time.

Riankiadoc gave the citizens of Oxtraca the choice. “Surrender and hand over the city, and I will spare your lives. If not, may the gods be merciful, for I won’t be.” Not long after this ultimatum, the new king of the Lusotannan approximated with an army of over 11’000 men, mostly infantry like the Gestikapoinann and elite shock troops like the fearsome Ambakaro, to free Oxtraca. One had to admire, that the Lusotannan kings obviously didn’t let their generals fight for them, but did the work themselves. Together with the 19’000 warriors from Oxtraca itself, the Lusitani could field over 30’000 soldiers. The soldiers from Oxtraca left the city singing with joy, accompanied by their wifes and children who wished them luck and waved farewell. They were sure that the enemy soon will be destroyed, now that their king had arrived.

Heavily outnumbered indeed, Riankiadoc moved his army away from the city walls and deployed his force on a little hill, so the hostile king’s army admittedly could attack on plain terrain, but the larger force from the city would have to attack uphill.

Lusotannan Ambakaro Lusotannan Gestikapoinann

Riankiadoc arrayed his heavy infantry at the very front, in a rectangular formation, while his light infantry formed a battle line behind them and as usually the archers and slingers were stationed behind the infantry. Riankiadoc concentrated his light and heavy cavalry further behind the missile troops, so he not only could overview the front, but also could keep his horsemen out of the fray until the right moment would come. This time Riankiadoc did not intend to use his heavy infantry as a wedge and his light infantry as the hammer, this time the whole infantry should act as an anvil and his cavalry would be the hammer. Though this tactic was popular among the Hellenic peoples, to the Celts in Gallia it was a new kind of warfare. Though Celtic cavalry was feared and famous all over Europe, the infantry, be it the strong and heavily armoured Solduros or the fierce and naked Gaesatae, had taken the part of the hammer stroke until this time.

The enemy intended to take advantage of his superior numbers and to heckle Riankiadoc’s infantry. The king of the Lusitani let his infantry attack the right flank of the Celtic rectangle formation, formed by their heavy infantry, and the right flank of the light infantry’s battle line at the same time, while the troops from Oxtraca attacked the left flank. Through the heavy infantry in front of them, the light infantrymen in the center of their battle line were not involved in the combat, only their flanks were under attack. Thereby, when the enemy had outflanked and surrounded the right flank of the Celtic heavy infantry, and tried to attack their rear, these light infantrymen could charge, crash in the enemy’s back and coerce them to a deadly close combat from all sides themselves. Through this cunning array, the enemy automatically let himself being outflanked by trying to outflank the Celtic heavy infantry, and so the combat in the center was dominated by the Celts.

While the infantry was fighting in the fray, Riankiadoc circled with his fast cavalry around the flanks, turned, attacked the enemy infantry and their king, who had attacked the right flank of the infantry, in the rear and rolled up their line.

Seeing their battle line being rode down, the enemy’s light infantry turned and sought refuge in flight.

Their king was not even given the change to decide whether he should run or not, for he was among the first to fall to the Celtic cavalry’s spears.

Though the Celtic Confederation lost almost 6’000 men in this bloody encounter, the enemy’s armies were destroyed and the victory was Riankiadoc's. Out of six hostile soldiers only one survived the battle.

But also these soldiers did not survive the day. When the women of Oxtraca saw their men routing and fleeing towards the city, they knew that their enemies had won the battle, though they were outnumbered. In their frustration the citizens of Oxtraca bursted out from behind their walls and killed their own homecoming soldiers. Many a man was killed by his own wife this day. None survived.

As announced before the battle, Riankiadoc let his soldiers pillage the city.

With that, Riankiadoc had achieved his first war aim and intended to overwinter his army outside Oxtraca. He had conquered the whole northern and western coast, that was controlled by the Iberian tribes and established the Celtic Confederation as the major trading partner of the British tribes now. But this was not the only acquirement Riankiadoc brought to his people. Due to his ingenious art of war, the Celts recognised the tactical value of disciplined soldiers marching in battle lines and their advantage over simple hordes of warriors, who only fight for themselves and not as a team, and therefore reorganised their military system.

The combination of fearsome and wild warriors fighting in disciplined battle array and the incredible wealth the Celts had achieved through trade and territorial expansion, turned the Celtic Confederation’s military juggernaut into the most capable force in Europe.

The Celts in western Europe prospered further and didn’t get to know the awful event that happened to their distant relatives in the east….

Known territory in 233 BC

[machinor]

Unsurprisingly awesome!!

This pic is fantastic!

[WonkoTheSane]

Awesome, as always.

I especially like the screenshot with the fleeing skirmishers.

[SwissBarbar]

Thanks a lot I thought describing different battle-tactics might be an interesting passage to herald the start of the time of the soldiers and would appeal to those readers who usually prefer "non-barbarian" factions

[Mjolnir]

Well it looks like Olaf's Sweboz get to live a bit longer. Great update as always.

[Chirurgeon]

I wonder what Castulo would think of all this...sad but good update

[Lovejoy]

Wow! I most say I really like your screen shots! They are AMAZING! This one was really good:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

But I like em all. Enter one in the screen shot competition if you haven't already. Keep it up!

[Tyrfingr]

The awesomeness are just building up! Wash that brown stain off the Iberian peninsula!

[I of the Storm]

An excellent update! I really enjoy this AAR.

[SwissBarbar]

Well it looks like Olaf's Sweboz get to live a bit longer. Great update as always.

I wonder what Castulo would think of all this...sad but good update

Wow! I most say I really like your screen shots! They are AMAZING! This one was really good:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

But I like em all. Enter one in the screen shot competition if you haven't already. Keep it up!

The awesomeness are just building up! Wash that brown stain off the Iberian peninsula!

An excellent update! I really enjoy this AAR.

Thank you all very much

[Hotseat_User]

wohoooo - I've just clicked on your spoiling signature but O_o; it spoils quite alot - I'll never try it again, so the excitement stays even longer. Nevertheless, it seems to become the more aweful the further it grows.

and errr, can some native englishspeaker correct my grammar

[SwissBarbar]

thanks, but why spoils it something, all the things described already occured. The Celts are in Galatia, treason has ben made, the first Punic war is going on and Syrakousai is an independent city in the middle of the mediterranean and trading with the hellenes, whose great war is going on since 5 or 6 chapters

Don't worry, I have plans for chapters you would never expect "exactly like this".

[SwissBarbar]

Of savage tribes and glorious empires

Chapter 17 – Unleashed

In the year of 281 BC, a Celtic warlord only known as “Brennos” – which actually is the title that Celtic warlords kept in times of war – invaded Greece and just in time could be inhibited from plundering the temple of Apollo at Delphi. After being defeated, Brennos commited suicide and thereby put an end to his story.

At the same time another story just was about to begin. A second group of Celts, men, women and children likewise, were migrating trough the lands of the Getai and Thracians. 279 BC they had separated from Brennus’ people and appeared in Mikra Asia a little more than one year later, at the invitation of Nikomedes I of Bithynia. They should help him defeating his usurping brother, which was exactly what they did. Furthermore they supported him in fighting the Seleucid king Antiochos I Soter.

After the Celts had pillaged many cities in Mikra Asia, who were allied to the Arche Seleukeia, Antiochos managed – though outnumbered - to defeat the “Galatai”, how the Celts were called in Greek, by using elephants in battle. Never before the Celts had seen such huge beasts and due to the shock, their whole line was broken within a blink of an eye.

After this great battle, Nikomedes and Antiochos made peace and the Celts were rewarded for their services as mercenaries with the permission to settle down in the north-eastern part of Phrygia. As time drew on, this region got renamed after their new residents into “Galatia”.

Over the course of the great Pontic expansion between 272 and 265 BC, Galatia formally fell under the rule of Pontos. But in fact the Galatians still governed themselves, for these wild men could not easily be controlled. Various attempts of investing Pontic governors in Ankyra resulted in the poor men’s homicide.

So the kings of Pontos altered their tactics. By making the amenities of Hellenic Culture palatable to the wild Galatai, they tried to make them susceptible to Pontic governors. But though gradually influenced by Hellenic lifestyle, especially in matters of language, many Galatai still held onto their ancestors’ religion and culture and some almost started to worship the old Celts.

Therefore, when in the year of 236 BC Calpornos moc Ollovico, Fergalos moc Lannildot and their families appeared in Sophene and helped Pontos to take the city of Karkathiokerta, the Pontic king took the chance, and gave them the rule of Galatia. Though some Galatai still didn’t accept those new rulers, many delighted in having some “real” Celts as their leaders. For the newcomers it was no big deal to learn the language of the Galatians, for they spoke a Graeco-Celtic mixed tongue, mostly similar to the language also spoken back in Europe, in the city of Massalia.

As mentioned, the Hellenic peoples called the Celts simply “Keltoi” or “Galatai”. The Celts from Galatia called themselves “Milnaht Soldouroi Galatias”. Milnaht is a Celtic word and means great men. The word Soldouroi comes from the Celtic word Solduros, which means “devoted ones”, and is Hellenised. “Milnaht Soldouroi Galatias" therefore means broadly translated “great men devoted to Galatia”.

Though Pontos was at war with the Arche Seleukeia again and waged a promising campaign to the east, the Galatians themselves lived in peace. Especially Fergalos moc Lannildot excelled in reorganising the state and it was him who more than once could avert marching orders from Pontos, due to his diplomatic skilfulness. But at the end of the year 234 BC fortunes of war seemed to change sides. Not only did the Arche Seleukeia defeat one of Pontos’ greatest armies, but also the Ptolemaioi supported the Seleucids with great amounts of money and threatened the southern part of the Pontic kingdom. Now Pontos desperately needed the Galatians to join its armies.

The king of Pontos decided to send the Galatians to the south of his empire, where he intended to let them protect the border. But first he had to give them a good reason to wander from the path of peace. In the year of 233 BC the king of Pontos found a way to kill two birds with one stone. He let Fergalos moc Lannildot, the man who could influence his people more than anyone else, and always militated against going to war, murder in cold blood by one of his master assassins.

Of course the Galatai were told, that it’s been a Ptolemaic assassin, who intended to cause dispeace in Galatia, which at this time was located exactly in the heart of the Pontic empire.

But the king of Pontos completely underestimated the effect this event would have. He only wanted the Galatai to protect his broder. But full of rage, the Galatians cried out for revenge. Less than four month later an army of almost 30’000 men, led by Cunobelin oi Lugos, left Galatia and marched trough the lands of Pontos towards Antiocheia, the most northern city controlled by the Ptolemaioi. One has to understand that this army was a huge mix of different kinds of soldiers. Some of the Galatians were armed according to the custom of their forefathers, some even fought naked. Others armoured themselves in Hellenic style, fought like Thureophoroi, Hoplitai and even makedonian Phalangitai, though a bit clumsy looking.

Hellenic Thureophoroi

Of course the king of Pontos had no way to stop them, for in their rage they most likely would have pillaged his lands, which would have broken the supply for his armies in the east. This way, without having planned it, the king of Pontos had started a war between the Galatians and the Ptolemaioi.

In the year of 232 BC the Galatians appeared near the city of Antiocheia. This invasion caught the Ptolemaioi off guard, for actually it was not them who had murdered Fergalos moc Lannildot. So they did not expect to be attacked and Antiocheia was guarded by only somewhat over 5’000 men. But due to the civil commotions in the lands along the seacoast from Syria to Ioudaia, many Ptolemaic noblemen and their armies were present in this region in order to stifle the insurrections.

When he heard the news about an enemy force at the gates of Antiocheia, the Ptolemaic nobleman Krates Kleopatrites, accompanied by his cousin Stolos Salaminios, immediately moved his army of 15’000 men to this region. He intended to face the enemy before he reached the city. Therefore he commanded the Satrap of Antiocheia, Demokrates Aradou Syriakou, to join his army with 5’000 men of his garrison. He only left a few hundred men back in Antiocheia as city ward.

Ptolemaic Klerouchikon Agema

The Ptolemaioi didn’t know exactly how many Galatians had invaded their lands and very likely underestimated the enemy army. Krates Kleopatrites trusted his elite Klerouchikon Agema to deal with any hostile force anyway. Cunobelin oi Lugos, on the other hand, did not underestimate the enemy at all. In a vast forced march his army advanced faster than any enemy could expect and set a trap.

Cunobelin hid his army on two tree covered hills, between which the enemy force had to march through. When the last man of the Ptolemaic army had entered the valley the Galatians rushed forward and attacked.

In their eagerness many of the Galatian Phalangitai dropped their Sarissa and attacked with shortswords. If the situation would not have been so cruel, it would have been quite a funny sight.

The three Ptolemaic noblemen were among the first to fall, before they even could think of defending themselves.

Shocked and surprised the whole Ptolemaic army began to rout. But it was to late. They could do naught but watch their comrades fall and wait for death.

Within two hours the Ptolemaic army was slaughtered.

More than 18’000 enemy soldiers fell. The Galatai only lost about 2’000 men, which quite equalled the number of how many Ptolemaic soldiers could escape the bloodbath.

Having destroyed the whole protection of Antiocheia, the Galatians breached the gates of the city and sacked it. As a revenge for the alleged assassination of their beloved leader Fergalos moc Lannildot, the Galatians killed every man of fighting age and sold the rest of Antiocheia’s citizens into slavery, all in all almost 165’000 people, many of them women and children.

A young Galatian noble - whose father and grandfather once had come with Brennos to Greece, went further to Mikra Asia and fought for Nikomedes I of Bithynia - was invested with the governorship over Antiocheia. His name was Teutomatos moc Brycham.

Due to his effort, the young man could establish a good relationship to the Malek of Saba – the king of the Sab’yn. Once a small people beyond the ocean of sand, the As’Sab’yn wal’Jau now governed a huge territory that reached from Maryab to Palmyra and controlled a great part of the trade routs between India and Afrika.

Meanwhile the Galatian army marched further southwards towards the city of Sidon, where already another Ptolemaic force waited, consisting of the 24’000 men strong army of mostly young recruits led by Hippomedon Krokodilopolites, enforced by the 7’000 men strong garrison of Sidon, led by its governor Demosthenes Terenuthites. This time the Galatai had to face the Ptolemaioi in open field. In winter 232 BC the armies met. In these lands winter was quite warm, so wars also were fought in this season.

Like it was tradition back in Gallia, the light Cavalry started the battle by skirmishing. But the decimating effect they had against the bare-chested fighting Celtic warriors back in Europe failed to appear.

Quite different from the Iaosatae, whose projectiles even could hit through the armour of the Ptolemaic heavy cavalry. Killed by one of the stray projectiles of these slingers, the governor of Ipsos was among the first to fall.

The Ptolemaic army advanced as a deadly wall of spears. Though this time the Celtic Phalangitai held their formation intact, they were not to compare to the disciplined Machimoi Phalangitai of the enemy.

But Calpornos moc Ollovico had reckoned with that. He didn’t intend to let his Celtic Phalangitai compete with the Machimoi. Instead he sent his light infantry, the Kluddolon, forward. The concept of these soldiers came from the Celts who emigrated to Galatia and once had to fight Seleukid phalanx formations many times. The Galatikoi Kluddolon were specialised to get under a phalanx and gut it before heavier soldiers would enter the breach.

Galatikoi Kluddolon

And this is exactly what they did this time again. Thanks to their light equipment, the Kluddolon could outmanoeuvre the inflexible enemy phalanx formation. Where they were repulsed by the enemy, they retreated behind their own phalanx formation, but where they could create a gap, immediately heavier units entered the breach and cut down the spearmen from within.

When the breaches got larger also the Celtic Phalangitai advanced, of course not in formation, but still as a wall of spears.

The young and green enemy soldiers started to rout, when their formation was broken. This was the moment where the light cavalry yet still could be of use. Now they hunted down the routing enemies and caused a blood-bath among them. When the enemy General saw his army break, also he sought refuge in flight. But in the end he had to share the fate of over 26’000 of his soldiers.

Though the Galatians had won the battle, they had lost almost 5’000 men to this army of inexperienced young recruits. It was no secret, that the Ptolemaioi, who were at the height of their power, could field many more armies consisting of much heavier soldiers.

Calpornos moc Ollovico intended to make the Ptolemaioi fear the Galatians. They should tremble if they only heard a rumour of a near Galatian force. Therefore he let his soldiers deal with Sidon the same way as they did with Antiocheia.

And again he gave the governorship over the city to a young Galatian noble in order to make himself even more popular among the Galatai. The new governor of Sidon was named Tincommios oi Bregonae.

When the year of 231 BC began, the Galatian army advanced further southwards and laid siege to the city of Hierosolyma. Due to their fast movement and by surprising the enemy, the Galatians had advanced so far without being held up by naught but inexperienced troops, who never had seen battle before. But this time was over now. The Ptolemaioi intended to strike back and prepared...

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Meanwhile in Europe great changes of power had happened. The Romans emerged victorious in the war against the Karthadastim and gained control over their former property on Korsim, Sardinia and Sicilia in 234 BC. But though they had broken the unbreakable Carthaginian navy, the Romans were no maritime nation and bequeathed a power vacuum in the Mediterranean.

This situation was taken advantage of by the rich city of Syrakousai, whose fleets now controlled the main part of the Mediterranean trade. Within two years, Syrakousai brought the cities of Kyrene in Afrika, Emporion in Iberia and the island of Krete under its control and established trading bases at these important key locations all over the Mediterranean sea.

Syrakousai arranged strong trading alliances with rich nations all over the world, including the prevalent forces in Iberia. One of them were the Carthaginians, who had concentrated on Iberia after having lost the war against the Romans and had conquered the whole eastern coast of the peninsula and defeated the Lusotannan. The other major force in Iberia was the Gallic Confederation, who controlled the western shores of the peninsula. Only one Iberian tribe was not yet under foreign control. The Celtiberi could defend their lands against the Carthaginians and could prevent the Celtic Confederation from invading their lands by serving in their armies.

The tyrannis of Syrakousai got incredibly rich very fast, especially due to the trade with one nation. To face an ominous invasion of wild and fearsome men from the north, the wealthy Ptolemaioi imported Celtic weapons, Greek armour, Iberian horses and foodstuffs from the well stocked granaries of Carthage – all through the trading fleets of Syrakousai.

The Ptolemaic war preparations truly were beyond compare. Supplied by an endless stream of goods from Europe, their armies marched soon. From Alexandreia they sent a force of 35’000 men, led by the 10’000 Klerouchikon Agema of the Royal Guard.

From Memphis an army of 40’000 men crosses the river Neilos and headed northwards in order to unify with the force from Alexandreia.

And from the lands in the south the Ptolemaioi arrayed a 10’000 men strong army of their Ethiopian and Nubian subjects.

Due to this threat the Galatians sent diplomatists to their new allies, the Sab’yn, who were at war with the Ptolemaioi for ages. If they joined the Galatians, they could challenge the Ptolemaic armies together. One fact was clear: Soon the sandy soil of Ioudaia would redden from the blood of thousands of soldiers...

Known territory in 231 BC

[Chirurgeon]

Thank the gods this has been updated. ten days is way too long! Awesome job and your screenshots worthy enought to be in an art gallery, continue to amaze me. That is quite the map you have there at the end of the chapter. I thought the Galatians had spread south? It looks like they still only control Galatia. Otherwise great job and can't wait for the next one...

[Cyrus]

Wow,great story man!