Last night I continued my campaign...

After 3 turns after the previous post, Greece gathers another 15 armies near the border. 4 family members with full stack armies, the rest captains with minor forces. I was still retraining and recruiting troops so I couldn't quite afford to go into mass scale battles. However...

I sent a diplomat to the area and bribed 8 armies to return to their homes. Costed me 120.000, but it lifted the pressure, for now.

The next turn my main army was back to full strenght, still facing 7 armies including 4 Greek family members with their full stack armies. Meanwhile my faction leader passed away and the heir was now faction leader while only 28 years old. I noticed 1 5 star family member, and found out he was merely 25 years old. So I bribed him as well and made him faction heir. Gave him command of my main army and sent back my faction leader to the capitol. Another family member of me aged with 3 stars and I replaced my Legionary cavalry with him.

Also, the army I raised to secure the empire, holding the bridge area in nothern Italy was finished. 6 Urban Cohorts, a 2 star general, 4 Ballista units and 8 Auxilia archer units. This force would be able to hold that key chokepoint.

Greece decided to attack, but the land I was forced to fight on, wasn't what I hoped for. I started on flat ground with Greece coming from a hill. I build my line as best as I could but I knew my casulties would be high, and even worse, I could loose this battle because Greece learned from previous battles and brought more ranged and cavalry.

The battle commenced and the worst thing happened. Greece's 2nd army arrived as well, coming directly on my flank. I had a small piece of woods on that flank and I hid my elite units in it. Luckely, with good manouvering of my cavalry, tough resistance of my Legionary Cohort and the waves of arrows, pushed off the 1st wave.

Now I still had some time to change my lines. The 4 elite units I pulled off as far as possible but still in the woods. The 8 Legionary Cohorts I formed in a 120 degree angle with the ranged behind it. The 2nd Greek army smashed into my left. But...they did not notice the 4 elite Cohorts in the woods that were now behind them. I let them advance, throw their spears and charge into the Hoplites. They kept up good fighting and 1 of my Legionary Cohorts fled the line, leaving a gap open in my lines and direct acces to my archers. At this point there was no more threat on the right as my cavalry routed all units that had some men left after stranding on my Legionary line. So the 4 Cohorts on the right were available to move. 3 of them wheeled to the left, keeping the battle line attached but now able to hit the Greeks in their flank. Cohort 4 rushed into the gap. Greece was again defeated and massivly called retreat.

This battle caused severe losses on both sides. Julii lost approx. 1000 men against 3000 Greeks. So I had to move my army away from the front to be able to retrain. At that point Greece laid siege on Patavium again. My battered army attacked the 3 Greek armies that laid siege, and with the 2000 Romans in Patavium, another heroic victory was gained.

Greece retreated back into Greek territory. Only 3 armies left, none of them more than 10 units left. Now finally Greece has been made weak. However, I am considering disbanding my plans off invading Spain and turning on Greece as these could again in the near future provide a danger. And...Scipii has joined the fight with an invasion of the Spartan isle.