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Anyone notice the pewter color crossed swords on your campaign map? I wondered what they were, and when your hold the mouse pointer on them they show the date and victor of your biggest/important battles. Nice 
Yes, I thought that was a great touch. I can't tell how the program decides that a battle merits such commemoration though. In my current campaign, I can't remember the battle for the only one involving my faction, but I didn't get one for thoroughly gutting an large assaulting force on one of my cities.
I have had three so far, two I thought were deserved and one 
. The two deserved:
1) The first battle I ever fought with (relatively) large number on both sides. My commander in his speech stated that "one in four of our soldiers is here today" or something like that, indicating I had an unusually large number of my total units in the fight. The enemy had an equal number (though definitely smaller overall %). I won with a heroic victory.
2) I ventured an attack force out of a border fort towards an enemy city to engage a nearby smaller force. When I reached it, I found to my dismay that it had a MUCH larger army directly behind it, both of which would have participated in the battle, thus outnumbering me by 4 to 1. I didn't like those odds, so I abandoned the battle and fell back towards the fort as far as I could. The next turn, both enemy armies engaged me. First, the small one attacked solo and was beaten easily. Then the large one attacked, outnumbering me about 3 to 1. I fortified my position on a hill, defeated two flanking attempts with some rapid shifting of my cavalry and routed the enemy with my own follow up flank. 90% of the much stronger enemy force was destroyed with only the loss of about 25% of my small army.
The undeserved one:
4 units of rebel brigands popped up near one of my towns. I attacked with 4 blacksmith upgraded principes units and easily massacred them. I could have attacked with 8, but I didn't bother because I knew it would be an easy fight.
. The two deserved:1) The first battle I ever fought with (relatively) large number on both sides. My commander in his speech stated that "one in four of our soldiers is here today" or something like that, indicating I had an unusually large number of my total units in the fight. The enemy had an equal number (though definitely smaller overall %). I won with a heroic victory.
2) I ventured an attack force out of a border fort towards an enemy city to engage a nearby smaller force. When I reached it, I found to my dismay that it had a MUCH larger army directly behind it, both of which would have participated in the battle, thus outnumbering me by 4 to 1. I didn't like those odds, so I abandoned the battle and fell back towards the fort as far as I could. The next turn, both enemy armies engaged me. First, the small one attacked solo and was beaten easily. Then the large one attacked, outnumbering me about 3 to 1. I fortified my position on a hill, defeated two flanking attempts with some rapid shifting of my cavalry and routed the enemy with my own follow up flank. 90% of the much stronger enemy force was destroyed with only the loss of about 25% of my small army.
The undeserved one:
4 units of rebel brigands popped up near one of my towns. I attacked with 4 blacksmith upgraded principes units and easily massacred them. I could have attacked with 8, but I didn't bother because I knew it would be an easy fight.
I think Captain Fishpants or one of the other CA guys gave the criteria for these famous battles in one of the other famous battle threads. IIRC it has to do with the size of the army relative to your total strength. If your army contains a certain high percentage of your total strength, it ranks as a famous battle. So your famous battles at the beginning of the campaign won't be as spectacular as those later on.
That explains it then. It must have happened right after I landed in Greece & before I began building up my total forces. Thanks, Gregoshi.
That's definitely a major factor, but it can't be the only one. When I got my 'undeserved' historic battle, those 4 units (maybe it was 5) were a tiny part of my total forces.
I got my first Famous Battle, 1000 roman vs 1000 gual army, it was a seige battle, so i just rushed my mercenaries first and then the romans. After i exterminated the populace of the town ( i don't usually do that, but needed that Dinarii) 2 crossed swords were on the map, but weirdly enough, they were placed on the shallow river pass, and not on the town 
i've gotten the feeling that you'll get a "historical battle site" every time you have a heroic victory...at least that's what happened to me. I don't recall if I got it without having a heroic victory, though...
I think that may be a prerequisite, but it can't be every time because I've had plenty of heroic victories but only four or five famous battle markers. Great fun to run across one though and think, "Yes, back in '45 there was that one with Amulius..." 
Not got the game yet, but I am sure I read on one of the forums that you can get these markers for battles you have lost too....
The markers are neat. I have seen them for battles between AI factions too.
The battle markers are but one of the multitude of little things that help make Rome such a great game.
I first noticed the crossed swords battle marker early on in my current Julii campaign. The Gauls (who still owned Mediolanium and Patavia in northern Italy) were at war with the Senate and myself and were doing their usual 'trickling over understrengthed armies into enemy territory' strategy until one turn the AI got a clue and sent their ~5 star faction leader with a full 20 unit (Large sized units) complement of troops straight for my capitol. Finally, some real action! I anticipated this move and got my own 20 unit, faction led army in the field to intercept him. Up until now the Senate was doing a great job of helping me watch my borders and now was no exception. The Gauls attacked me the next turn and slammed into my army and were close enough to the fully stocked Senate army nearby that they became involved as well. Given the 2:1 odds the outcome really wasn't in question but I was tickled to get the opportunity to fight such an epic struggle right outside my capitol so early in my campaign! Unfortunately the ensuing battle was not as exciting as it should have been, the Gauls divided their army to meet both of us and were subsequently mauled. Afterwards, I was royally pissed that I couldn't save a replay of the battle but once I saw that crossed swords marker on the campaign map the blow was softened somewhat...
I will say this was the only instance I've seen where an AI controlled reinforcement army did a decent job. Then again with the Gaul army splitting up to face both our armies there was little doubt as to the outcome.
I first noticed the crossed swords battle marker early on in my current Julii campaign. The Gauls (who still owned Mediolanium and Patavia in northern Italy) were at war with the Senate and myself and were doing their usual 'trickling over understrengthed armies into enemy territory' strategy until one turn the AI got a clue and sent their ~5 star faction leader with a full 20 unit (Large sized units) complement of troops straight for my capitol. Finally, some real action! I anticipated this move and got my own 20 unit, faction led army in the field to intercept him. Up until now the Senate was doing a great job of helping me watch my borders and now was no exception. The Gauls attacked me the next turn and slammed into my army and were close enough to the fully stocked Senate army nearby that they became involved as well. Given the 2:1 odds the outcome really wasn't in question but I was tickled to get the opportunity to fight such an epic struggle right outside my capitol so early in my campaign! Unfortunately the ensuing battle was not as exciting as it should have been, the Gauls divided their army to meet both of us and were subsequently mauled. Afterwards, I was royally pissed that I couldn't save a replay of the battle but once I saw that crossed swords marker on the campaign map the blow was softened somewhat...
I will say this was the only instance I've seen where an AI controlled reinforcement army did a decent job. Then again with the Gaul army splitting up to face both our armies there was little doubt as to the outcome.
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