The Will of the Senate - Battle reports

[econ21]

[This thread is for write-ups of dramatic battles in the Will of the Senate thread. Please only post write-ups - comments or questions etc should be raised in the out of character thread. Tables listing all battles under each First Consul will also be posted here.]

A list of battles in the reign of First Consul Quintus (aka econ21), 280 BC - 275 BC


v=clear victory
cv=close victory
hv=heroic victory

[econ21]

The Battle of Agrigento, autumn 276BC

From Quintus's journal...

In the same season as I secured Messana, I marched our Consular army quickly back to strike the Carthaginian field army outside Agrigento.




The climactic battle of my consulship. It will be a fair fight.




Fortune favours us - we find the enemy army deployed on the plain as we advance downhill from the heights around Mount Etna.




The enemy place their African elephants at the head of their army and the velites who screen our advance make short work of them.




One of the beast survives, maddened by fear and goes crashing into the Carthaginians own ranks, sowing chaos.



A unit of caetrati cavalry charges the velites on our right, but our equites counter-charge and the matter is decided when our Italian spearmen approach in support.




In the centre, the enemy general bravely charges our infantry, but falls to our spears.


Roused by fury, the main body of Carthaginian infantry and cavalry press forward to attack our advancing line. Our infantry halts, fires pila and javelins, and then a general melee breaks out. But the enemy's heart is not in the contest. Gradually our cavalry moves in from both flanks and the Carthaginian army dissolves in flight.





We pursue the fleeing Carthaginians into Agrigento where we trap and kill the one elephant and two generals who survived the field battle.

[econ21]

A list of battles fought in the reign of First Consul Lucius Aemilius (aka DDW).


Roman casualties : 1339

Gaul casualties : 8555
Carthage casualties : 3662
Rebel casualties : 250
---
enemy casualties : 12467

[econ21]

[An account of a dramatic intervention in the Senate by Tribune Augustus Verginius, as faithfully recorded by a Senate scribe]:
*The Senate doors are thrown open and a man appears in the entrance, his face pale, his body covered in blood.*

Conscript fathers! It was an ambush! I know not how, but they fell on us... Gauls, thousands of them! We had been trudging through a blinding snowstorm to meet up with Consul Aemilius when we heard a mighty roar from the left...



I do not know how it happened, I barely had time to think. The rearguard was still inside a small copse of trees and I ordered the rest of the men to rally around them. In truth, I had little to do with it, it was the centurians who reacted fastest. We had only just formed some semblance of a line when the mass broke upon us!



I... I cannot describe the horror of the sound of that impact. I have seen war before, but not like this. It was like the Underworld, I tell you! Our line bent back on itself as their mass overwhelmed us, pushing us back. For a while it seemed as though the men would break. The Legion, they stood their ground, they made the Gauls pay for every inch of soil, but we had not enough men... not enough...

They flanked us! Bypassed the right wing and turned upon us from the rear! There were no reinforcements, no rescue, no one to fend off the deathblow... so I looked to my men. The seventeen brave souls who have served me on this campaign; it was to them I looked. We all knew it would be our deaths, but it was an end we gladly accepted in defense of the Republic. We charged, oh... what a glorious charge...



The Gauls though would not break, would not let up their relentless assault. My men were too few, their bravery outweighing their numbers. We charged again and again until we were but a scattered few. My men... my brave men... it seemed only a moment had passed, yet I could see not a single one of my companions. The Gauls remained though, the Legion still in crisis and I still drew breath... so I charged again alone.



I took down three of the beasts, but they swarmed up at me without end. I saw my end in a spear thrust to the face, when suddenly a sword caught the deadly point and turned it. I wiped the blood from my eyes and saw Luca Mamilius, the foremost of my guard and a personal friend who had ridden with me since he left the Academy. He had gathered with him the four other survivors of my guard and they had cut their way through the Gauls to aid me. He looked at me hard and gestured to the left flank. I followed his arm and then I saw him... the demon of hell himself, Lucco! He had turned the other flank and was viciously cutting through the unarmored Velites. They were falling quickly, no match for the heavily armored Gallic demons.

I fear... I fear I failed my men. Rage overtook me. The sight of brave Romans falling to a Gallic horde brought back nightmares I have had since childhood... nightmares of Brennus and the sack of Rome. I abandoned my men on the right and rode at Lucco, not caring if I lived or died. I neglected my duty, neglected my men...

It seemed like an eternity that we sparred, he and I. I screamed in his face and spat blood on his armor as our swords clashed. In truth, I remember little. I do not know how it happened, how it ended. My men tell me that he fell, struck by a fatal blow...



...and horrible things. I do not remember, but they say I leaped from my saddle and severed his head in a single blow, screaming wildly and throwing the bloody mass into the melee. As if a witch's spell had been broken, the beasts turned as one and ran...



In a rage, I submitted once again to my rage and ordered my men to pursue. I must have personally ridden down and butchered 50 of the things before I came to my senses. In the end, one Gaul was spared. To him was given the severed head of Lucco, to take back across the Alps as a warning and as a testament to the bravery of my Legion.



Senators... I submit to you as a failed man. I failed my men, failed the Republic. At the moment of greatest crisis, I let my anger overcome me, overcome duty. I abandoned the most threatened part of the line and rode against Lucco. The success of the battle does not counteract my shame at the action. It was the Legion that won the battle, not I. When I let emotion take over, they held true to discipline. I will never be as worthy of praise as the most low-born of soldiers on the field that day. I beg of you, Senators... honor my men for their bravery and forgive me for my failures.

[econ21]

Marcella walks quietly up to the desk where the Senate scribe keeps the First Consuls's reports. She takes out a letter from under her cloak, kisses it lightly and places it with the documents in the box...

Later, an irritated scribe retrieves the letter and angrily files it in the correct box.

Dear Marcella,

I must be the first to tell you - your father is fine, as am I. The battle was won and neither of us was hurt, although our poor horses were run into the ground.

You were right to tell me to vote for the First Consul - he was most wise. He warned your father that there was a chance a landing on Sardinia would be met by a Consular sized army. But your father did not believe it. The old man said that, even if Carthage did mount a seaborne landing, it was better that they do it in Sardinia, where we have no settlements to lose, than in Sicily where we have many.



The Carthaginian army (its two mercenary peltasts are not shown)

First Consul Aemilius was also considerate - he told your father we did not need to fight, that we could withdraw. We looked at the size of the enemy ranged against. We looked at the great heights we were forced to deploy below. We looked at each other, but had no need of words. Your father is a proud man. Twice a Consul, to withdraw from battle after his triumph in Sicily would have been a dishonour he could not bear.

Our ambush had failed, so we were forced to deploy at the bottom of a steep incline, with the Carthaginians above us. Your father decided to set up our battle line as far up the slope as he could, in the hope of wrong-footing the enemy. Some luck was with us, as the enemy appeared some distance away from us and not on the heights overlooking our position. So your father gave the order to the army - we had to race the Carthaginians to the top of the slope.



Quintus orders his army to march for the heights to try to deprive the Carthaginians of their advantageous position.

But the Carthaginians had no intention of racing us. They simply wanted to kill us. They marched straight for us and their cavalry reached us before we could gain a significant height advantage. Fortunately, your father had deployed the legion to the right of the alae, so it was true Romans who bore the brunt of the Carthaginian charge. We beat off the initial attacks by their three troops of cavalry, but the Principes were left exposed on our right flank and soon engulfed in a mass of Carthaginian infantry.



The Carthaginian cavalry leads the assault on the Roman legion. Quintus just manages to extract his escort from a melee with one troop of enemy cavalry before mercenary hoplites can pull off a charge to his rear. But the principes enveloped on the right flank can have no such quick escape.



Ashtzaph charges the surrounded principes in their flank but still they hold.

The principes faught valiantly, but were gradually surrounded on all sides. Then the enemy general, Ashtzaph, charged his escort into their rear. The battle was now at a critical stage - if the principes broke, it would have unravelled our line and caused a chain rout.

I was fighting on the left flank, driving off another cavalry troop. Your father had given me command of that wing. My job was to use the small height advantage our forced march had gained us and try to turn the enemy's right. But it was slow work. We had no numerical advantage and our men were already exhausted by the climbing they had done. The principes had to hold on. Their job that day was to buy me time at the cost of their lives.



Tribune Titus Vatinus gets into a dangerous spot. Again and again, the Roman generals must use their mobility in hit and run tactics. Against so many Carthaginian spears, to be stationary would be suicide.

Gradually, the brave principes fell. They were utterly surrounded and whole cohorts of Carthaginian came up behind them to march on my forces. The only support available for the principes was your father’s escort and with so many enemies falling upon our poor infantry, your father could not directly charge to their aid. He could only charge around them, trying to drive off harassing skirmishers.



The mid-point of the battle. The Romans have gained the ascendancy on the left but the cohort of principes is being overwhelmed on the right. The white horses of Quintus’s escort charge some peltasts but dare not engage the mass of spearmen who are mobbing the principes.

Your father’s efforts to support the principes attracted the attention of Ashtzaph, who fortunately had a much smaller escort and by now had squandered the three troops of cavalry he started the battle with. The two generals and their escorts duelled for a while and again your father had to withdraw when the fighting attracted the attention of the enemy infantry.



Quintus extracts his escort from the melee but the over-eager Carthaginian general pursues

His men say your father personally slew Ashtzaph. Your father refuses to say whether this is true. He says it was like a frenzy, like hounds tearing at a fox and it is impossible to know who struck the fatal blow. Whatever the truth, the old man was certainly in at the kill.



Quintus’s horse rears up as that of his rival falls.

With the death of their leader, the tide had turned. Ashtzaph was an outstanding commander - in his way, as good as your father, and his presence inspired his men to fight fiercely. But with his death, their resolve began to falter. I led my wing to overrun the Carthaginian right, while slowly our men began to move down to where a lone principes fought doggedly on.



The turning point of the battle. With their leader dead, the Carthaginian morale is fragile and units begin to rout. In the distance, the white horses of Tribune Vatinius's escort start to envelope the enemy right while in the foreground, the velites move to support the heroic last principes on the enemy's left.

Now, with their resolve wavering, it was safe for your father and I to charge the enemy infantry. Your father moved to support the brave velites who had drawn their swords and were fighting in close order like heavy infantry.



As the Carthaginian right dissolves, Quintus charges their left. But his targets, although exhausted, are still steady and the charge will not be enough

Again and again, your father charged until eventually the enemy broke.



Quintus, on the mid-left of the picture, leads the charge against the last unbroken Carthaginian infantry

After that, my dear, it was slaughter. We let only twenty of the enemy escape. My escort claim they killed 221 of the enemy. Your father’s boast of 511 kills. But the best news was that the chirurgeons did their work wonderfully. Although 181 of our men fell, the chirurgeons were able to revive 92 of them. These included 60 of the brave principes - the Carthaginians had so respected the bravery of these men, they had spared the wounded and these were rescued when the battle was over.



What happens next, my dear, is up to the First Consul. The worst of it is, we have spotted two more Carthaginian armies near Caralis, both of full Consular size. While we could probably triumph over another, it would be folly to risk attacking two. Your father is requesting that the Consular I Army be restored to full strength, with another legion and alae sent to our aid. But whether Aemilius chooses us to lead the inevitable confrontation is a decision only for him.

I am sorry to write so impersonally to you my dear. But I know your interest in our campaigns and I suspect that you will wish to show this account to others of our friends in the Senate. I will write a private letter to you soon, but for this now, I must take my leave and wish you every happiness in these troubled times,

Your loving husband,


Titus Vatinius

[shifty157]

My Consul Lucius,

I write to you now by the light of my candle as I sit within my tent and look out upon the river. The stench of blood is still strong and the moonlight sparkles over the dulling swords and shields and spears and helms that litter the pass. We have abandoned the western shore as it is too dangerous. The Gauls are known for their tricks and ambushes and I would not risk an envelopement of my forces during the third watch. But I digress as I write to you to tell you of the battle and what occured.

The Gauls arrived on the western shore early before noon. My scouts had reported their movement and I knew that two forces were converging here, the single ford on the length of this river which you have tasked me to protect and defend at all costs to keep our new lands in italy safe and unmolested by the ravages of war and Gauls.

Indeed, the men had a splendid time when we arrived. Having marched through the night immediatly following the sacking of the town of Massilia without rest we arrived at the ford and then men bathed and swam in its waters. We had arrived a week ago.

I suspected the Gauls to rest for the upon their arrival as I was very surprised. I had not expected them until the evening or the next morning but it seems they forcemarched through the night to reach the ford. Whether or not they knew of the defenses of the third legion I know not but seeing as they marched hurriedly and without rest for well over a day I assumed them to set up camp until the evening or next morning when they would launch the attack. I was mistaken however and it seems completely defying human stamina after an hour or so of preparation they formed ranks for their attack.

I quickly called my men, a much smaller force by several times, and they formed ranks as I had instructed them to upon our arrival. My triarii, my rock, I placed in my center with my principes on the right flank and my hastati on the left. Being that the shield is carried on the left arm it is clear that a man will charge to his left before he will charge to his right so that he may have the full protection of his shield. For this reason I placed the principes on the right flank because I knew they were more capable to handle the additional men than were the hastati. These men I placed directly on the shore as I would not concede an inch of the eastern side unfought. Directly behind them I placed my skirmishers and I placed my funditores on the left flank. As cavalry has little role in such confined areas I stayed behind along with my good friend, the brave Luca, and the remainder of the cavalry.



These preparations made the Gauls wasted no time in cahrging into the water. Only after they had reached the eastern shore did I order the skirmishers to begin their fire along with the hastati and principes. Hails of javelins rained down upon the charging Gauls but soon I realised that the Gaulish general had sent in the inexperienced fresh recruits first to bear the brunt of my missile fire and our swords. Regardless, as the bulk of the enemy host entered the waters I commanded my funditores to begin their fire and they proceeded with a certain relish to hurl their stones into the midst of the gathered and waiting enemy. So many Gauls were killed in the river by the funditores and the skirmishers that a veritable bridge of stones and bodies formed across the river allowing a man to cross without ever touching water.

For a time we held the horde contained in the small box of shields which my men constituted but soon small gaps began to appear at the joints in the formation and seeing this I ordered the skirmishers (their javelins expended) to hurry and seal them before they grew any worse. Unable to join the battle, I and Luca rode the battle lines and encouraged our forces and they fought the fiercer for it.

It was at this moment that I spotted the Gaulish general moving swiftly with his cavalry escort to the front line. He personally charged the ranks of triarii which up to this point had remained intact and undaunted. He charged with his escort, throwing their ranks into disarray and laying low men on all his sides but his foolish charge into the spearpoints of the triarii quickly took its toll and his escort was quickly reduced to only a few men. Sensing the complete collapse of the line under the weight I personally charged with my own escort through the ranks of triarii and pushed back the enemy horde along with its commander. The triarii knew such a tactic could not hold the enemy at bay for long and quickly readdressed their ranks and prepared to accept the charge of Gauls. With a signal of their readiness I and my escort withdrew from the battle and as the Gauls fell back on the triarii. Quickly questioning my men I found that none had slain the enemy general but they had accounted for all of his elite escort. Perhaps not realising he was without an escort, the Gaulish general again charged the triarii line and again broke it but this time, alone, he quickly found himself surrounded and cut down.

Word of his death spread quickly and the Gauls fled the field of battle back into the river. Calling forth my cavalry, I and Luca side by side and eager to account for some kills of our own, we charged through the infantry line after them into the river. Immediatly before I gave strict orders that no infantryman should break rank and pursue as well and this was egnerally followed until to my horror I realized it had not in only one instance later.

Riding over the bridge of corpses our cavalry had reached the opposite shore before we realized that the rout had been a trick by the clever Gauls. Unable to distinguish between the enemy fleeing and the enemy standing firm our cavalry unexpectedly met stiff resistence. After a few minutes of feverish fighting I realized that this enemy was not quite so ready to flee and so I retreated to the riverbank when suddenly from behind me charged my funditores. I can only guess as to what brought them to charge across the ford against my orders. Perhaps it was because I had purposely kept them from battle and now they wished to use their swords. I cannot say but they had passed me before I could call them back and those that could perhaps hear me ignored me. They almost instantly enveloped in the Gaulish mob and I lost sight of them completely. Knowing their tactical importance to the defense of the ford I called for all my infantry to cross the river and engage with all haste and this they began to do but time was against me. The funditores could not survive long surrounded by Gauls eager to enact revenge. I again personally charged the Gaulish mob with my escort in the hopes of breaking the line to reach the funditores. I got withing sight of them but the Gaulish line held and I was repulsed. By the time my infantry led by the principes charged the Gaulish lines the few funditores left were fighting to the death. The Gauls only began to flee after every last of the sixty funditores was slain.

Enraged I called all the cavalry to me and we rode hard after the Gauls who fled. Passing the mound of dead funditores where those last men fell upon eachother and fought literally upon their fallen comrades I let up a cry that was echoed by even the horses and we rode all the harder.

The Gauls it seems, having seen how well their trick worked the first time, attempt to pull the same trick again and rallied and assembled to charge us. My cavalry broke upon them and swept them ahead of us in our steel furry and none of those men were left alive. We ran our horses raw the rest of the day hunting down any of those Gauls who managed to escape the field alive.

Tomorrow we shall bury our dead and burn theirs but tonight the men rejoice the victory and those brave men who have fallen. I rejoice with them.

I have heard a rather humorous and pleasing story from a few of the scouts who I dispatched immediatly after the battle. Infiltrating several Gaulish settlements those witnesses of the battle have begun to spread stories and rumors about the third legion and myself in particular. It is true that I allowed the heat of battle overtake me at times but some of the stories they whisper are simply absurd. One in particular states that I rode out and met the fornt ranks of the Gauls in the middle of the river and there fought and slew men as I was surrounded. The rumor claims my horse stood perfectly still for the length of the battle as I fought men on all sides until my infantry line could push back the Gauls to meet my position. I laughed heartily when I heard this.



I have compiled the relevent lists of men and casualties. It seems that I and my escort personally accounted for over 400 enemy dead. Luca showed his bravery many times and he has given me the figure of about 100 enemies slain by his hand though I believe this figure to be excessively modest on his part. I personally saw him slay more men than he claims.

The sixty funditores cut down accounted for nearly half of all of our casualties.





Your faithful commander,

Publius Laevinius

[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.

[econ21]

A list of battles in the reign of First Consul Augustus Verginius (aka TinCow), 270 BC - 265 BC


Roman Casualties: 1463

Gallic Casualties: 9126
Greek Casualties: 5108
Rebel Casualties: 971

Total Enemy Casualties: 15,205

v=clear victory
hv=heroic victory
hd=in-game victory (timer), but historical defeat

[econ21]

The Diary of Quintus

Summer, 267 AD

609 men

So, we are in. I have only recently come to realise what a sharp operator that Verginius is. Not only does he play Senators - and indeed the whole Senate - for fools, he has an uncanny way with assassins and spies. I feel uneasy in this place, with his agents lurking in dark places. But for now, they have served me well. The gates were ready opened for us when we arrived.

Half the Greek garrison were camped in the fields outside the settlement, so I had to choose whether to fight them as well as those inside. Instead, I decided to sneak my army past in the night and slip into Apollonia undetected. Once through the gates, my men made short work of the few defenders.



A gladius to the back - always reliable.

When the settlement was taken, I ordered my small army back out of the gates and we silently march under the moonlight to where the Greeks had made camp in the fields. The surprise was complete and hastily arraigned Greek hoplites did not have time to withdraw. We used our missiles to infuriate them and then I drew one unit out of line in pursuit of my escort, before swinging back to hit the rear of their brothers.



A lance to the back - even better.

We returned quickly to the settlement. My army has been blooded and the experience of battle is starting to make the men more confident. But the reports of the locals identify large Greek forces in nearby Thermon and Scodra. Surely it is only a matter of time before they mobilise to confront us?



Quintus enters a hornets' nest

How many seasons until help arrives? Let us call this:

Season 1.

588 men


Autumn, 267


...Quintus wanders round the gardens of the Provincial Palace in Apollonia. He stumbles and falls. A man from the shadows runs up to him and grabs him roughly. The ex-Consul's body is still and lifeless.

"Not yet you don't!" The shadowy figure raises his fist and crashes it down on Quintus's chest. Quintus coughs and starts. "Chirurgeon!" the unknown figure calls out loudly, before gently placing the old man on the grass and disappearing back into the undergrowth...


I don't know who will kill me first - the Greeks or my frail heart. At least it seems unlikely to be one of Verginius's agents, for now anyway. The incident in the gardens seems to prove that.

As for the Greeks, I am starting to doubt if they are serious or not. For their first expedition to retake Apollonia, they sent a brash young noble, Theras of Sparta, to besiege us. A mere boy of 18, lazy and careless. He came with only 454 men - less than my garrison - and proceeded to begin constructing fieldworks outside the town. The sheer gall of the boy! By the gods, I swear he was trying to bring me low by inducing another heart attack!

I waited patiently for the cover of darkness and then mustered our small army, leading them out of the gate at the double. Slowly, the Greek phalanxes turned and started to move off. I knew then that they would escape unless drastic action was taken. I led my escort in hot pursuit. I did not mean to engage the phalanxes themselves - I may be an old fool, but not so great a fool as to charge my escort into three steady phalanxes. Instead, I bypassed the hoplites and charged the peltasts accompanying them. My aim was to induce the phalanxes to halt so that my infantry could catch up with them.



Quintus's horse overtake the retreating phalanx and charge the peltasts

After I had run down the peltasts, the phalanxes stopped and turned to face my infantry who were puffing up the road from Apollonia. Two phalanxes charged our Italian spearmen. Our triarii was held back, to counter-strike at their rear after the Greeks were engaged. This went well until the third phalanx appeared out of the darkness and in turn charged the triarii in the back.



The crisis of the battle - hunters become the hunted.

Fortunately, our other infantry arrived in time to aid the brave triarii. Theras of Sparta himself died well, in a manner fitting of his proud city. He fought my escort single-handed for nearly as long as his hoplites engaged our infantry. His inevitable death demoralised the Greeks and brought to a swift end to the battle. If only young Theras's acumen had matched his courage. I wonder if his countrymen will seek to avenge their proud young general?

Season 2

582 men

to be continued

[econ21]

Winter, 267

595 men

The arrival of Pleminius has raised my spirits, although this is more because of the small reinforcement it provides than the conviviality of the fellow. He is an austere chap, not given to small talk. His pithy pronouncements of personal duty and honour are admirable, I suppose, but at my age, I find them hard to take. Does he not realise his job is not to die for his country, but rather to make the other fellows die for theirs? Still the man's sword arm is just as steely as his speech, so I welcome his presence. I have assigned my previous Military Tribune to Pleminius, so that the two can be accustomed to working together in the event that my heart should fail again. Overtime, I may assign more of my ancillaries to him, if he does not object, but for now, I need them under my control.

The Greeks came again. A tall red-cloaked Captain Diadumenus approached under a flag of truce. "I have come for the body of Theras" he solemnly declared, much in the manner of young Pleminius. Indeed, I saw Pleminius scrutinising the Spartan with scarcely concealed admiration. Of course, I gave the Captain Theras's coffin and told him his Prince had died well. The Captain thanked me but then said he could not leave until we have surrendered Apollonia. I shook my head, telling him to go back to his men and that the next time we met, one of us would fall.

Again I had no intention of letting an inferior force blockade us inside the town, so I marched the army out at night. The Captain pulled back his hoplites from the gate and at first, I thought he was going to exit the field without giving battle. A foolish thought. That is not the Spartan way.

Gingerly, I spread our men out into a U-shaped formation, hoping to work our skirmishers and cavalry around the flanks of the enemy hoplites.



As the Romans seek to envelope the Greeks, the hoplites advance in the centre.

I ordered our funditores to target the Spartans but they made little impression. Before the battle was half over, our slingers were out of lead and only two of the Spartans had been shot down. I knew the Spartan hoplites were our most dangerous foes and so ordered our own triarii to charge them. The two elite formations remained locked in combat for most of the battle.



The Spartans and the triarii face off together

By good fortune, we managed to surround and break one enemy phalanx on the right, so I ordered young Pleminus to hunt down the routers. The headstrong tribune pursued too impetuously and ran into another phalanx moving in support. He fought bravely, before my messenger reached him ordering him to pull out at once. If I should fall, whether in battle or due to infirmity, it is essential that Pleminius survive to take command.



Pleminius's pursuit of the routers nearly ends in disaster.

The critical phase of the battle was now reached. Our heavy infantry sought to encircle and defeat the phalanxes, while our skirmishers targeted the lightly armoured Spartans - although it must be said, not with any visibly greater success than the funditores had enjoyed.



The height of the battle. The Roman cavalry is kept out of the action until all the hoplites are committed.

When the time was right I signalled to Pleminius to charge the rear of one of the enemy phalanxes, while my escort brought up the rear in support. The shock of the charge was decisive, breaking the enemy's morale and causing a chain rout. Most of the Spartans already lay dead at the feet of the triarii but half a dozen fled. The lances of Pleminius's escort spared these individuals the indignity of returning to their city in disgrace.



This time, Pleminius's charge is unstoppable and decides the outcome of the battle.

After the battle, a shadowy figure approached me with a message from the First Consul. The enigmatic chap said that he had been assigned to watch over me and would accompany me with my escort from now on. I think I recall his thick rasping voice from my accident in the gardens. Somehow this heroic saviour makes me fear more for my life than the Greeks or my bad heart. But the news the agent brought from Verginius was most important.

Season 3.

573 men

[econ21]

Summer, 266

576 men

"Now it is time"

I awoke to the sound of a rasping voice whispered into my ear. Waking gradually, I looked around the room, but could see no one. Slowly, I rose.

A veteran centurion entered my quarters: "The enemy are deployed for battle, sir."

I nodded curtly. I found it hard to raise my eyes and my chest had an empty hollow sensation, more to do with the circumstances in which we found ourselves than my own frail constitution.

Seventeen hundred Greeks had arrived outside Apollonia. Seventeen hundred. Mainly hoplites and frankly quite superior to the still rather inexperienced men of Legio IV. They were commanded by a general called Kallinos of Gonni. I knew little of him, but the way he had deployed for the assault revealed him to be a fine general, easily my match. Five battering rams had been constructed and positioned at different points along the north wall. Each were backed by several other units of heavy infantry or missile troops. The general himself remained at the rear of his army, with his escort and two small troops of cavalry. While we could perhaps obstruct one or two rams, there were simply not enough of us to stop all five from breaching our walls.

Somewhere inside me I knew this was Verginius's work. Exactly how he had done it, what toils or tribulations he had gone through to pull it off, I did not know. But somehow his agents had conspired to move the Greeks to muster this large, fine army and march promptly for Apollonia. How else to explain the switch in Greek tactics from sending small armies to besiege us, to concentrating such a large force to crush us?

Why had the First Consul done this? Was it to punish me for staying his hand from eradicating the Gauls he hated so much? Or was it his revenge for my besmirching his honour in the Senate? Was it to provide a demonstration of the folly of Pleminius's motion to send a small army into the heart of the enemy's lands? Or to laugh at my own foolishness in mistakenly voting for the motion? Or was it to provide a high drama for the Senate, so that Verginius could come charging in at the end of his period in office and rescue our beleaguered force with the Consular Army? I do not know. Could you ever know with a man such as Verginius?

Pleminius came to see me as Legio IV took up position. I smiled sadly at him, but he just stared back, his face nonchalant and fixed with a sense of duty. While I wished to be anywhere but here today, this - the chance of glorious battle - was why Pleminius came to Apollonia. I patted him affectionately on his shoulder, as a master might reward an alert and eager guard dog. Then I explained my plan of battle.

Our only advantage over the Greeks lay in our cavalry - the men of my escort and Pleminus's own bodyguard of equites. Sadly, this force would be next to useless in the narrow confines of Apollonia's streets. We could not charge and the massed hoplites would cut us down easily with their spears. Therefore, we had to sally out of the city even as the enemy marched their battering rams towards us. But Kallinos was no fool, he would not halt his assault to fight outside the town. While we might distract some of his men from assailing the town's pallisades, others would still batter their way through. There were four entrances to the town's central forum. I could only afford to post guards on two - the triarii were assigned to guard the north entrance; while the Italian spearmen covered the east, where the enemy battering rams were disporportionately deployed. All the other infantry were to join the cavalry in sallying out of the town gate.

Pleminius nodded eagerly when he heard the plan. Clearly its boldness appealed to him.

"Who do we charge first?" he asked.

"We begin the battle with decapitation. My men will make for Kallinos. You will cover my back in case his other cavalry try to interfere."

A faint trace of a smile passed over Pleminius's pursed lips. Apparently this brutal opening gambit appealed to him even more than the idea of a sally had.



The battlelines are drawn: as the Greeks prepare five assault columns, the Romans prepare to charge out of the north gate, with their spearmen left behind to guard the central forum.

As the five Greek battering rams began shambling forward towards Apollonia's pallisades, I led our men out of the north gate, all moving at the run. We had little time to deploy outside the walls before the many Greek phalanxes pinned us to them. Face to face, even the best Roman infantry had little advantage over hoplites. Our only chance was to flank them. Unfortunately, that called for numerical superiority, something which would be hard - if not impossible - to achieve that day.



The first action of the day - Pleminius (on the near left) and Quintus (centre) together ride for General Kallinos, hoping to render the Greek army leaderless and demoralised.

The ride to reach Kallinos seemed like an eternity. We bypassed the many phalanxes marching towards Apollonia, and the peltasts and Cretan archers deployed behind them in support. Finally, we reached the Greek cavalry, who bravely interposed themselves between us and their general, allowing Kallinos to counter-charge with his superb hetaroi. The fighting was brutal, but the outcome inevitable. Every second we were delayed, however, left our infantry leaderless outside the north gate and left the Greek battering rams elsewhere free to smash down the pallisades without interference.



The first Greek battering ram, on the far east of the northern pallisade, breaks through.

Eventually, General Kallinos was cut down and I urged our horse to return to the north gate to assist our infantry. When we arrived, we found the sallying force had suffered such heavy casualties, it was scarcely functional. In my absence, Greek peltasts and Cretan archers had poured fire into our brave infantry as they struggled to overcome the enemy phalanxes near the gate. Pleminius and I avenged the fallen without mercy, but it was too late. Four parts of the pallisade had been breached and at least eight enemy phalanxes were inside, racing to the central forum.



The Roman cavalry return to allow the Romans to triumph near the north gate. But it has become irrelevant: the walls have been breached in force to the east.

It was now up the spearmen to hold; to hold against quite insurmountable odds. They fought magnificently. I ordered Pleminius to take his escort and the cohort of Italian swordsmen and hunt down any routing Greeks. I hurried the remnants of our sallying force back to the forum. A phalanx of pikemen attempted to intercept us but it fell out of formation as it tried to catch my escort while my infantry harried it from the rear. When it finally turned to face our infantry, it was so disordered, the Greeks had thrown down their sarissas. I seized the moment and charged it in the rear, breaking it within seconds. If only the hoplites with their shorter spears could be so easily disposed of, I thought ruefully.

Our sallying force was now safely back within the pallisade. But the battle had shifted to the central forum and we had to get there quickly. The northern approach was blocked by at least four Greek phalanxes, so I directed only our funditores to take that path. They could fire into the rear of the massed Greeks and perhaps even induce some of them to break off and pursue the skirmishers.

"What do we do when our lead runs out, sir?" the small funditore captain asked me.

I could only shake my head sadly. The captain saluted and turned to lead his men, already at half strength.

Three phalanxes were trying to force the eastern approach to the forum, blocked by our Italian spearmen. So I directed our sallying force to take that path and try to hit the Greeks in the back.

But it was too late. Unobserved by us, one Greek phalanx had taken the western approach to the forum. This allowed it to bypass the spearmen guarding the north and eastern entrances. It occupied the town centre unopposed, before charging the Italian spearmen guarding the eastern approach in the rear. Our Italian allies died bravely, the last spearmen seeming to fight off hundreds of attackers for minutes before he too fell.

When I arrived at the east of the forum, we were faced with four phalanxes of hoplites, while another four pressed against the triarii guarding the north entrance. It was hopeless. Then I saw, racing up the west entrance, Pleminius and his horse. He had chased the Greek routers off the field and was returning to assist in contesting the forum. Taking heart from Pleminius's sudden appearance, I charged my escort into the Greek hoplites guarding the eastern approach to the forum, while Pleminius charged them from the rear.



Quintus attempts to force a way through the east entrance to the forum, while Pleminius charges the rear of the hoplites in support. The many Greek banners in the distance are the hoplites who have forced their way through the northern entrance and have pinned the brave triarii to the wall.

It was not enough. To be honest, not if every Roman horseman and every Roman general in the entire Republic had thrown themselves at the hoplites would it have been enough to break them. They were too many, too brave and too solidly packed. Only a large force of Roman infantry could have moved them from the forum and I had less than fifty such men left from the sallying force. Slowly, inexorably, Legio IV fell. Soon we were down to less than twenty infantry men in the sallying force. The same number of brave triarii were fighting at even more hopeless odds in the north approach.

Through the corner of my eye, I saw a small group of lightly armed, quick moving men dash across the forum towards us. They were the funditores I had sent to the north approach. They had run out of ammunition. As the push of the Greek hoplites had swept the triarii up against the wall, an opening had been created in the north approach and they had managed to rush past the melee. (Although one or two could not resist plunging their daggers into the backs of unfortunate hoplites whose attentions were fixed on the heroic triarii!)

The funditore captain ran towards me and called out ironically:

"You never told us what to do when we were out of ammunition, sir!"

I could have kissed the little fellow. Instead, I merely waved a proud salute in honour of his men. Then, the admirable chap led his men gamely in a charge into the rear of the hoplites massing around the east entrance, while Pleminius and I again spurred our escorts into the melee.



Surely it is all over now? The funditores join the Roman generals in a futile charge against the Greeks on the east of the forum. Out of sight, a larger body of Greeks relentlessly wears down the triarii fighting near the north entrance.

Pleminius always was too fine a man, too brave, too strong. He cut his way into the centre of the Greeks, slashing and stabbing. He was too far in. He had to get out. I shouted to him.

"Pleminius, get out of there!"

But the young man just looked at me, reared his horse in salute and then disappeared beneath a seething mass of stabbing spears.



Vibius Pleminius, a second before his death.

"No!" I moaned inwardly, "Not you! I was supposed to die here, not you! Not you! Me! Not you!"

With the young man's death, the spirit went out of me. It was over. Slowly, our infantry fell away, until there were just three triarii still pinned against the wall to the north entrance. The Italian infantry that had assisted Pleminius in chasing the routers had still not arrived at the forum. But at less than half strength, there was no way they could dislodge eight strong phalanxes of hoplites.

Only one of my escort remained beside me - a veteran centurion, who had earned distinction fighting with the hastati of the Consular Army and so had joined my escort. I turned my horse towards the Greeks at the east entrance and approached cautiously.



Quintus and a lone equite, a veteran centurion, confront the victorious Greeks

In truth, I was unafraid. I had no will to live. I looked only at the many dead and wounded around the forum, at the chirurgeons and a few brave citizens among them, tending to the fallen.

"Brave sons of Zeus!" I called out loudly to the hoplites facing me. "You have fought well today and won a deserved victory! You have killed my army, my own brave boys. Even my own Tribune, Vibius Pleminius, has fallen. Theras of Sparta is avenged. You may leave now, having restored Greek honour. March out now, as the victors, with your heads held high and I will salute you.

But know this. You are leaderless. I have slain your General. You have no cavalry. No archers or javelins. They are all dead, like my own fine infantry. I will ride out of here and you will be powerless to stop me. You know my First Consul approaches with a mighty Consular army. If you stay here, you will fall as surely as my brave warriors fell before you. And I swear this, on the body of Vibius Pleminius, if you refuse to leave, if you stay to die, your deaths will be cruel and merciless. I will personally see that everyone of you is crucified. What is worse, I will lay crosses along the road to Athens, and set every captured Greek man, woman and child upon them.

Brave Greeks, the choice is yours. Leave now, with honour, and know that we Romans will fight you as men of honour, showing you all the consideration and respect you deserve. Or stay and die as foolish trapped rats, knowing your people will forever be hunted as such by us. That is the choice I lay before you. Now, speak, what say you?"

The exhausted hoplites looked impassively at me, until one large captain stepped forward and took off his helmet. He looked at me defiantly and then spat a large dollop of phelgm into his helmet, before running forward and hurling the helmet at me. With that the rest of his men raised a loud cheer and I had to ride for my life out of the forum.

Of the rest, there is little to tell. The dutiful Italian swordsmen eventually arrived, exhausted and bewildered at the eastern entrance to the forum. The reinvigorated hoplites pursued them and cut them down with enthusiasm. Finally, a few of the swordsmen broke and ran, one even making it to the forum.



The last Roman infantryman dies bravely.

There, he came to his senses and looked around at the piles of dead and wounded, the blood and carnage. I had managed to escape my pursuers and break back into the forum, where I saw the lone red figure.

"Run!" I shouted. "Save yourself, get out! Run for the north gate!"

The path was clear, the swordsman could have made it. But he was exhausted. The horror and the futility of what he saw overcame him. He turned to face the hundreds of Greek hoplites eagerly pursuing him, raised his shield and prepared to strike.

I could not look, I turned away and headed out of the forum. Riding along a side street, I heard a rasping voice call out:

"Sir! In here, sir!"

I halted my tired horse and peered into the gloom from where I heard the voice call out from. It was Verginius's agent, the man who had saved my life in the gardens when I had suffered a heart attack.

"Sir, you will be safe in here, sir!” the man urged.

Something about his tone unnerved me. I saw a flash of steel in the darkness and thought "No!". If Verginius really had conspired to bring this Greek army crashing around my head, would he really be happy to see me crawl out of the ruins of Apollonia? It was time, the agent had said this morning. It was not my time in the garden. It was my time now, here. But Pleminius had fallen this day, not me. If I succumbed to an assassin's blade now, Pleminius's death would have been in vain. His family would never hear how bravely he had fought. Songs would never be sung in his honour. Verginius may have thought it my time now, but no, I would not die. Not now, not after so much blood. I would not die for nothing.

Just then, I heard the faint sound of a horn in the distance. Then more calls. I looked at Verginius's agent. He looked back at me and considered the veteran centurion mounted beside me, lance held at the ready. The agent sheafed his danger and smiled a toothy grin, rasping out:

"My master is here. You are saved."

The agent bowed and disappeared into the shadows.

Excitedly, I turned my horse back to the forum. The Greeks were leaving - proudly, in good order, but they were leaving. I saw the large hoplite captain still in the forum; he was picking up his helmet. He wiped it inside and then waved it at me in a casual salute.

"Remember your words, general!" he called, almost happily and then he turned to join his men.

Around the forum, as the Greeks left, the chirurgeons and compassionate townspeople rushed to aid the wounded. Prisoners were released by the magnaminous Greeks. They included many of the brave funditores, who some hoplites had preferred to capture, scorning to kill such weak fighters. The brave triarii were all dead, however. The hoplites had made sure of that, each one fatally pierced through the heart or trampled to death in the earlier scrummage. I gathered together a group of the walking wounded and waited for the Greeks to leave Apollonia before hastily attempting to repair the breaches in the pallisade.

The battle was over. By rights, the Greeks had won. But thanks to the arrival of the Consular army, we still held Apollonia and so history will accord it a close victory for us.



For me, victory or defeat was irrelevant. All that matters to me is the heroic sacrifice of our men, symbolised by the brave Pleminius, a true Roman.



Season 5

260 men

[TinCow]

Consular I Army broke camp when it became apparent that the Greeks would not engage us on our own ground. We moved south and brought battle to the strongest of their forces, including two elite hoplite units and a full group of Spartans.



Much care was needed to confront such a formidable force. I arrayed the men into an unusual formation, with the Funditores in front of a center line of Italian Spearmen and Triarii, flanked on each side by Principes, Hastati, and Italian Swordsmen, and backed by Velites.



The Fundatores were used to harass and infuriate the enemy, so that they charged, enraged, into the center of our formation.



When they closed, the Fundatores would retreat behind the spearline and the surrounding men would hurl their javelins at the oncoming Greeks. Upon realizing the trap, the hoplites would then retreat, to resume their place in the line of battle. We had infinite patience though, and the constant hammer of lead bullets on Greek skulls broke their discipline again and again. Eventually, the General himself charged. To his credit, he did not retreat as the others, though it resulted in his death on the spears of the auxilia.



When the slingers had exhaused their ammunition, the line advanced and split to engulf the foe.



The encirclement was completed quickly.



The Spartans, flanked by the elite hoplites, fought for a long time, but in the end they died like the rest. Eventually, even their will was broken and the last fled for their lives. This was not a second Thermopylae.

[TinCow]

Summary of Battles Fought Under First Consul Tiberius Coruncanius, 265-260 BC






*non-real ratios such as those resulting from a division by zero are not included.

The Battle of Antigonea Pass
Spring, 264 BC

"Hold the high ground!"

The Triarii came at a run, responding to their commander's frantic gestures. Lagging slightly behind and on either side of them, Consular I Army rushed forward as well. The men had barely arrived at the summit, the lines still ragged, when the first of the phalanxes crashed into them. Steel scraped on wood and mail and bit into flesh and bone.



Pilia, javelins and lead flew in all directions, dropping men and horse alike. The Greeks were closing quickly and in force, across the entire front. The Roman lines bent back on themselves to protect their flanks and prevent a complete envelopment. The armored hoplites outnumbered the Roman and Italian men two to one and had skills to match.

Tribune Amulius Coruncanius rode up next to his commander and long-time friend, Legate Augustus Verginius.

"I thought we were supposed to be attacking," he said dryly.

Verginius frowned and looked at the field. "It seems we need to remind the Greeks of that fact."

Having left many of the auxilia behind to garrison Antigonea, Consular I Army had moved forward to confront the last sizable Greek force in the area. Led by Philotas of Pharsalus, it was a large and formidable group of soldiers from many different nations. The bulk was, of course, Greek hoplites, but intermixed were Illyrian skirmishers, Thracian infantry, and Gallic swordsmen.



As the armies had approached each other, a high hill become the focul point of their desires.



Almost immediately, a rush began to attain the heights. The Romans had arrived first, but the Greeks had reached a great momentum and did not cease their advance. The Roman and Italian spears deployed in a long, thin line to hold the center, backed by Velites to bleed the Greeks in the rear. They had held firm since the melee had begun.

Verginius turned to Coruncanius, "Shall we remind them of the proper order of things?" He turned his horse and raised his sword. "Left wing, forward!"

At a rush, the Hastati and Italian Swordsmen, faster than any other infantry on the field, moved past the Greek right flank, scattering Illyrian skirmishers before them. After a short distance, they turned to take the phalanxes and supporting units from the rear.



"Amulius, take the cavalry and guard the right flank. The center of the Greek line is pinned on our spears. Order the Principes into their flanks and then protect them from a similar fate."

The Tribune nodded and rode off with his men.

Verginius moved to the top of the hill, where he could see over the main line to the Roman light infantry fighting in the distance. A group of Thracian infantry had stopped both cohorts of Hastati and were inflicting serious losses on them. The Italians, having finished off a small group of hoplites that had been devestated by pilia, rushed forward to aid their comrades.

Yet, even as the battle seemed to be turning in their favor, the Greeks responded. First two, then three... four... five Greek phalanxes turned from the main battle and charged into the lightly armored Romans. In an instant the flanking movement had been surrounded and they began to drop.

"Gods curse them!" shouted Verginius. He galloped forward to the lead Centurian of the Triarii. "Break them! Break them! We must aid the Hastati!"

The man grimaced, his face spattered with blood. "Sir, they won't budge. We've killed dozens of them, but they never seem to waver!"

Verginius spat on the ground. If something wasn't done soon, a third of the army would be gone and the rest would surely be surrounded. He quickly recalled Tribune Coruncanius and, with the full force of the Roman cavalry, rode to the rear Greek hoplites opposing the Roman center. They charged home with leveled spears. A shudder went through the enemy force as the impact ripped and tore at the rearmost ranks, but they held. The Romans with drew and charged a second time. A third time. On the fourth, the Greeks finally broke and scattered.

"Forward! To the Hastati!"

The strength of the Roman infantry moved at a rush, with the hardened Triarii leading the way.



Both armies convered in force on this point. The Hastati and Italians were holding, but barely. One group of the Roman light infantry was at half strength while of the other, only seven men could be seen, fighting back to back amidst a sea of Greeks. In desperation, Verginius ordered the Velites forward to extend the lines but there were still too many of them and there was no one left to commit.

No one... except the Fundatores. With their ammunition exhausted, they stood on the peak of the hill watching the carnage before them. They would not last long against armored infantry, but there was no one else...

A runner was sent to them to tell them of the dire situation and Verginius' orders. Without question they obeyed. As one, the Fundatores charged into battle... engulfing Philotas and his men, as they sat unawares observing the main melee.



The struggle was desperate, but the unarmored Fundatores were fast and their daggers sharp. They hamstrung the enemy horses and swarmed over their fallen riders, ripping off helmets and slitting throats. Philotas suvived the longest, but he too was brought down by the overwhelming mass of men.



Word spread quickly amongst the Greeks of their General's death. Many broke and ran, leaving the hardened few trapped in the center.



It was bloody work, but eventually the last of them were cut down and the field was quiet.

Verginius rode through the men, taking in the carnage. Nearly half of Consular I Army was dead or injured... but for every dead Roman, there were six fallen Greeks.

As Verginius dismounted and began to walk amongst his men, a Centurian began to shout. Soon all who could spare breath had joined in.

"Roma Victrix!"
"Roma Victrix!"
"Roma Victrix!"

As Verginius gazed out over the battlefield and his men, his mouth opened and he breathed a single line. "This is nearly as good as killing Gauls." Verginius smiled.

[TinCow]

Autumn, 264 BC



Half a league, half a league,
Half a league onward,
All in the valley of Greeks
Rode the twenty-three.
"Forward, the Praetoria!
"Charge for the flanks!" he said:
Into the valley of Greeks
Rode the twenty-three.

"Forward, the Praetoria!"
Cried the man called Oratoria.
Not tho' the soldier knew
The Legate had needed a pee:
Their's not to make reply,
Their's not to reason why,
Their's but to hold the fly:
Into the valley of Greeks
Rode the twenty-three.



Spears to right of them,
Spears to left of them,
Spears in front of them
Waver'd like trees;
Assault'd with odor and yell,
Boldly they rode and well,
Into the view of Greeks,
Into the vile smell
Rode the twenty-three.

Flash'd all their spatha bare,
Flash'd as they turn'd in air,
Slashing the hoplites there,
Charging a phalanx, while
All the Legion could see:
Plunged in the enemy-joke
Right thro' the line they broke;
Epirote and Spartan
Reel'd from the spatha stroke
Turn'd to flee.
Then they rode back, but not
Not the twenty-three.



No spears to right of them,
No spears to left of them,
No spears behind them,
Waver'd like trees;
No longer assault'd with odor and yell,
No more horse and hero fell,
They that had fought so well
Came thro' the view of Greeks
Back from the vile smell,
All that was left of them,
Left of twenty-three.

When can their die their euphoria?
O the wild charge of the Oratoria!
All the Legion could see.
Honor the charge through historia,
Honor the Praetoria,
Noble twenty-three.

[Death the destroyer of worlds]

Near Patavium, Autumn 262 BC

Finding myself leading the Legio I Italia Victrix in an attack on a Macedonian army outnumbering my men and so well suited to defense, I had to disorganize the enemy somehow.
I accordingly split my army into two halves, one led by myself, Lucius Aemilius, and the other one led by the tribune Gnaeus Hordeonius (Silver Rusher).
My half of the army tried to tempt the Macedonians into attacking me, while the other half marched through the forest to outflank the Macedonian line. My troops killed a lot of peltastai, but the Macedonians were not inclined to attack and so my men were eventually forced to attack the Macedonian phalanx line in order to pin them down. When the lines clashed and the Macedonians were committed, Gnaeus Hordeonius and his troops charged out of the forest on their flank.


Ambush force charging out of the forest

The Macedonian general countered well, ordering a countercharge of this attack with his remaining peltastai units, while the phalanx line desperately tried to reorganize to meet this new threat.
With the ambush infantry force held up it was now up to the cavalry, which I had joined by now, to take the point and charge the now undefended Macedonian flank.


Lucius Aemilius leading the charge

Just as the Macedonians were about to crack their general countercharged and restored the Macedonian's flagging courage. Now the battle was beginning to move against us, but the ambush infantry finally arrived to complete the encirclement of the Macedonians and both the captain and general of the Macedonian force were slain. The battle became very disorganized, but eventually the enemy routed and was wiped out.

[TinCow]

Legate Verginius,

You have been tasked with preventing the Macedonian armies invading from the north from entering Epirus. The lead invading army has entered the place known as Valley of Greeks with the intention of moving south into Epirus. You have intercepted it.

The Macedonian army is about 1000 men strong and is led by a captain. You command Legion II, slightly understrength. I am sure you will be able to annihilate this army, but, and I can't stress this enough, there are two more similar armies trailing this one, with similar intentions, and our reinforcements out of Italy are at least two or three seasons away. Do not take any unnecessary risks; your primary objective is preserving your force. Any delay or annihilation you can impart upon the Macedonians is a bonus. Good luck.

Tiberius Coruncanius.

So read the letter and so it was. The first of three invading Macedonian armies was before me, and it was to be stopped by a single Legion with few losses. Easier said than done.



Upon sighting us, the Macedonian captain spurred him men after us. Though we had made the first aggressive move, their superiority in numbers gave them confidence enough to sieze the initiative. In response, I urged my men to the top of one of the high hills surrounding the valley. They men quickly tired, but they would get a chance to rest before the fight, while our enemies would not.



As the Macedonian wave closed on us, we darkened the skies with pilia and lead and many an enemy fell. But for each man that died, nine more marched on.



Their approach was slow and tedious. Their energy sapped from the strong climb. Well before they reached our lines, I ordered the charge. The Triarii, Italian Spearmen and Principes rushed directly into the middle of the enemy, to anchor them in place and hold, while the Hastati, Velites and Italian Swordsmen caught the flanking troops. I personally led the cavalry charges with Secundus Salvidienus by my side. First we ran headlong into a group of Hypaspistai who were attempting to countercharge our left flank. Though not routing them, we killed two-thirds of them in a single charge, before moving off to engage the main body.



From there we charged, again and again, into the foe. Breaking their spirit and churning their exhausted bodies to pulp beneath the hooves of our horses. The Italian horsemen suffered greatly and all but two fell in the melee, but the Praetoria stood strong and inflicted great hurt upon the Macedonians.




At the same time, the Velites found their way around the enemy's left flank and put their light infantry to the rout.



With both flanks broken, the enemy turned to flee and we cut them down with ease. Yet, one in five of our men had been injured and one in ten would not rise again. We are weakened and two more armies yet remain.

[x-dANGEr]

Summer, 263 BC, West of Athens.

I, Publius Pansa enter the horizon of the battle from a high hill.. Shyly; since it is my first battle as the first commander, I order my men into formation. I put the two units of Italian Spearmen in the front, backed up with a unit of Hesitati, Principals and Italian Swordsmen each. I deploy the Velitas on the right flank. The tops aren't that far, and that will give the army a bonus to benifit throughly.

The enemy forces appear on sight. Surprisingly, the general of the enemy army rides alone, daring the whole legion to kill him. And his wishs are carried out. I, with my tribune and a unit of Italian Cavalry charge through at him. Strangely, his army doesn't dare to step one foot in the direction of my units.. It seems the fame of Romans have has trembled their morale.

At all costs, I carry out my charge on the enemy general, and his brave -though weak- escort. They all die as the tip of our spears hit their chests. Only the general is alive still:


I give the order to disengage and fall back, for I want the enemy general to be litterly slaughtered, to install more fear into the Greek warriors, and make them ponder with no avail. As soon as I retreat, I give the order to the Hesitati, Principals and Italian Swordsmen to rain him with Javelins, and they do. The greek general falls down with dozens of Javelines into his body.

After that scene, the army that came with the general froze still, and came the other army from the south, which was running up the hil, ranting, to better describe them.

I order my legion into formation again, to face the incoming shivering masses of Hoplitais. The enemy Hoplitais charge my infantry, after being weared down by the many javs into their necks. After the initial charge, I gave the orders to my tribune, and the Italian Cavalry unit to sway around the enemy backs causing fear into their soul, and when I order to charge. A well corporated charge leads to a wave of screams that finally led to the whole greek army fleeing off the field.

And now, remained the enemy general's army.. And it timidly standing there, with no desire to move.

In a desperate try to stirr them up, I sent in the Velitas, to rain some death on them, with no avail.

I tried to march one of my units up.. But I couldn't, the passage was so narrow, close to impassable.

And so, I kept on surrounding, maybe they will attack sometime.

The battleground is brutal. Too many gree bodies, no wonder they don't dare to come down.



I don't blame them.. Just look at their general.



Battle End:


Statistics:


P.S. Do you guys have any idea why non of my men got healed !!! It is really annoying!

[x-dANGEr]

Autumn, 262 BC, North east of Corinth


I order my men into formation, and fast they arrange. The men, so confident; for they intimidated the enemy last battle, march uniformly to the incoming army. Just another battle, another bloodshed near the beautiful river..

The 2 armies approach each other. The main enemy army is formed of 3 Hoplitai units and 1 Peltast unit, led by a man in one of the Hoplitai units, the assising army is formed of 1 Hoplitai unit, with it's captain in it. I send my Velitas unit to the right flank, in the rear of the enemy. And advance along with my tribune, and the Italian Cavalry unit, and stand still in the rear of the enemy, too. Bringing them fear, whole masses of fear. The enemy sends 2 Hoplitai units to the Roman mass of infantry, sends another Hoplitai chasing the Velitas unit and one last Hoplitai chasing me, and my companions.



I manouver the Hoplitai unit, and strike down the enemy Peltasts unit, then order my tribune to charge it in the rear, causing it's men to flee in panic. I order the Italian Cavalry unit to chase it, and go along with my tribune to charge one of the Hoplitai units engaged with the infantry in the back, and we do so, causing it to flee, too. So, I chase it along with my tribune. The numbers of the other Hoplitai unit go down fast, considering it is surrounded from each side by brave Romans, and so it flees, as well. Now, the enemy 2 captains charge my infantry. Of course I haven't spotted this, as I was away mobbing up the runners, and after I did, I went back to the scene along with all the cavalry, and managed the army closely.



Now, I wait for the right moment, and then order my tribune and the Italian Cavalry unit to charge the captain on the left, while I charge the one on the right. One second before our charges reached, both the captains died, and their men were dazzled for a second, allowing for an easier job for me, and all the cavalry. At all cost, as soon as the charge hits, all the enemy men rout.



I start chasing those runners along with all the cavalry.. One unit almost had fled, but I managed to catch it at the last moment, before it went out of the horizon.

Battle end:



Statistics:

[x-dANGEr]

Winter, 262 BC, Corinth.

The filthy Greeks dared and attacked us.. A thing I haven't imagined, not at all..



The battle starts, and I order all my men out of the town, at once. I first go and attack the weaker army, or in the other words, the one with Levi Hoplitais and a regular Hoplitai unit.

I first order the Spearmen to engage, and order the Principals and the Hesitati to charge in the rear, and the enemy routs. I chase the routers along with the other cavalry.



Then, I order the re-depolyment to face the other army, that was formed of a Spartian Hoplitai unit, and a regular Hoplitai unit.



The enemy army rattles our way..



The engagement is soon.



The Spartan Hoplitai unit tries to charge me, and so I retreat; along with all the cavalry of the army, and drag it away of the main event.



So, I order my men to encircle the Hoplitai unit. And you know what happens next..





After that, I go back with the cavalry behind our now re-deployed infantry lines and wait the Spartan Hoplitai unit.



You know what happens next..










Game End:



Statistics:

[TinCow]

Spring, 261 BC

The garrison of Scodra was besieged by a force many times their size which formed a solid ring of steel around the city walls. Without the aid of Legio II Sabina Quintia, they would surely die.



And so, we marched on them, to save lives by taking them. Great efforts were made to get a message to Marcus Laevinus in the city, but the Macedonian pickets were too cunning. None of our attempts succeeded and we were forced to attack without a coordinated sally from the garrison. Legio II, heavily understrength, but with skill and pride enough for an entire Consular Army, formed up and prepared themselves for what was to come.

As the lines were drawn, the Funditores began harassing the enemy formations.



After a prolonged bombardment, some of the Macedonians lost their discipline and deserted the main line in an attempt to rid themselves of the painful lead rain. This was exactly what I had hoped for. Legio II quickly enveloped the exposed Macedonians and slew them before their comrades could react.



As the sounds of battle grew ever louder, a runner came to report that Marcus Laevinus had arrived with the Scodra garrison. His presence was most welcome, but the chaos of the scene prevented me from speaking with him personally and thus our forces operated independantly of one another. The Macedonians saw the new arrivals as well, and quickly sent a force of light cavalry to delay their progress.



The garrions's Italian Skirmishers took many casualties in the initial charge, but held firm and eventually repelled the enemy horse. Seeing this, the Macedonian general himself led a charge on the garrison. His impact was vicious and men all over the field shuddered at the horror of the blow. The Italian Swordsmen melted before him and the survivors fled for their lives.



Seeing his force in danger of collapsing against this onslaught, Marcus Laevinus orded the body into formation with Legio II and then went to cover their flank personally. He was intercepted by the Macedonian second in command and a great melee ensued. Many a foe was felled, but I fear that Marcus' inexperience in battle was his undoing. A shudder went through the Scodra garrison as news of his death spread.



Seeing the Scodra garrison about to break completely, Legio II's Tribune, Secundus Salvidienus, took the initiative and charged the men who had slain the brave Laevinus. With revenge formost in his mind, Salvidienus plunged his sword into the Macedonian's chest.



With their commander avenged, most of the Scodra garrison regained their composure and returned to the fight. I joined Salvidienus and together we trapped and slew the commanding Macedonian general. Yet, for all that the main enemy line held firm. We surrounded it and they began to fall, but they inflicted a heavy price.



Every man on the field was called on to ensure that the Macedonians were finally broken. The Funditores, their lead long since exhausted, were led into the melee while the two Italian Cavalrymen who had survived the previous battle were sent after the enemy skirmishers. In a remarkable feat of bravery, they single-handedly routed and slew in excess of forty of them.



Eventually the Macedonians fell, until but a single group of spearmen remained. With one last, great effort, these men were surrounded and eliminated.



The battle had been won, Scodra had been saved, but at a high price. A Senator has fallen in the line of battle and Legio II is less than half the strength of a full Legion.





The Macedonian armies continue to flood the passes with no end, yet we have received no reinforcements and the situation is growing dire. I can only hope that the next report the Senate receives from Legio II does not recount my own fate.

[econ21]

A letter from Numerius Aureolus to his wife:

Dear Lucilla,

If this letter reaches you, then our courier has managed to evade the Macedonians besieging us at Pella. Do not panic, my beloved, although the Macedonian army outside the walls is formiddable, the First Consul is well prepared and if so ordered, Legio VI is can reach us within a season. Your father, ex-Consul Verginus, is safe in Scoda although I fear somewhat for your uncle Decius Laevinus, who is besieged in Corinth with only a band of mercenaries as an escort.

My main reason for writing, however, is to pass on news of Legate Publius Pansa's capture of Athens. I know that you are interested in military matters and believe this victory is significant. The Athenian garrison, led by a general of the highest calibre, Damiskos of Hestiaeotis, sallied out of the city when they heard of the arrival of a relief forces. Publius, with 496 men, outnumbered both the sallying force of 260 and the relief force of 361, but it was imperative to defeat them in turn rather than allow them to combine forces. Perhaps the greatest obstacle to this, aside from the calibre of the enemy general, was the presence of two phalanxes of elite hoplitai in the sallying force.

The battle opened with the elite hoplites forcing their way into the centre of the Roman line. Publius met them with Greek spearmen and hastati, while working principes and mercenary Gallic warriors around their flanks.



Publius himself drove away a few Greek light cavalry and then assisted the Italian swordsmen in fighting a phalanx of levy hoplites. That particular fight was nearly over when the Greek hetairoi arrived - a small contingent assisted the levies:



A larger body of hetairoi, led by Damiskos himself, charged towards the backs of the principes who had encircled the elite hoplites. Fortunately, the centurion commanding the principes had seen the threat and ordered his men to disengage from fighting the hoplites and to advance to meet the hetairoi.



The clash of hetairoi against principes was brutal, but by good fortune, Damiskos was slain in the initial impact - taking something off the bite of the Greek counterattack. Soon after Publius was able to assist the principes in destroying the hetairoi. The elite Greek hoplites then broke, already surrounded and now demoralised by the death of their general.

Publius's focussed on running down the fleeing elite hoplites before they reached the safety of the city walls. However, the relief Greek army turned, making as if to exit the field of battle. Hurriedly, the Romans began a pursuit and then the relief force turned about once more, resulting in a messing initial engagement.



Slowly, the Romans began to encircle the three levy phalanxes in the Greek relief force. Publius himself returned from pursuing the routers, to charge one phalanx in the flank:



and then another in the rear:



Unsure whether Athens would fall after the defeat of the two Greek armies, Publius led his own escort alone on a raid into the city's central forum. Pursuing routing Greeks through open city gates, they braved the arrows and boiling oil coming from the towers. They then made their way through the streets of the great city, riding over the few Greek levees who tried to obstruct them and claiming the settlement for Rome.



Not a single Greek from the combined force of 621 survived the battle. Publius's own casualties totalled 106 and he claimed a heroic victory.

My dear, the war in Greece and Macedon rages like a great forest fire. Everywhere Roman armies are outnumbered and besieged. But if our men fight as well as at Athens, I have no doubt we will prevail.

Your husband,

Numerius Aureolus

=========================================================================

Sparta, Summer, 261 BC



My speech to my men:

"We are outnumbered, for every man in our army there are 2 in the greek's. BUT! Fear not
great soldiers, for we; Romans are worth 10 times the Greeks, and by that, we outnumber
them 5 men to one. YES! Romans, we are ROMANS!"

The sound of the sword clashing with the shiels echoes into the horizon. Fear grows in
the greek's hearts. Shivering they start, wheeping they do..

"TO THE BATTLE!!!"

I order my men into formation. As usual:



A brave, rather foolish greek comrade dares to challenge my legions. His brothers' fate
will be no bettter, nonetheless.



I order my men to advance into the city plaza, and they do so hastly. I move forward to
distract the timidated camping units of Hoplitais, and even Spartian Hoplitais.



My men are put into formation, and are ready to engage the city plaza. My goal now
is to keep the Spartian Hoplitai unit away of contact with my men till the already
'being dealt with' Hoplitai unit dies.



As soon as the Hoplitai unit dies, I engage the one and only greek unit left in the city:
The Spartian Hoplitai unit.. The legends of the greek world. My men surround them and
soon their general is cut down to pieces.



Battle End:



Statistics:

[x-dANGEr]

The battle of Massila ford, Winter 261

The man and his army:



The enemy army:



The enemy general:



The first wave of Gauls attacks:



The Gauls make it across the ford before the Romans can deploy:



Manius enthusiastically throws himself into the Roman counterattack, slaughtering the isolated Gallic lead elements:



The battle soon develops into a confused affair, with Manius pushing on deep into the first wave of the Gallic attack. For some reason, half the Gallic army remains on the other bank with their general:



Ultimately, the Roman defenders rout the first wave of the Gallic assault, thanks to the Roman infantry acting as an anvil and Manius’s own cavalry being the hammer:





However, the battle is not over yet: the second wave of the Gallic army advances across the ford:



and throws itself against the hastati:



On the Roman right, a lengthy duel begins between the Manius and the Gallic general:



Gallic slingers charge into the rear of Manius’s escort and for a moment, he thinks he is done for. But then he realises - those are his slingers; mercenaries!



Now, it looks like Manius will surely prevail over the Gallic cavalry:



However, Manius withdraws from the melee and the Gallic cavalry massacre the mercenary slingers:



The Gallic general then pursues Manius and engages him in hand-to-hand combat:



Manius is severely wounded and unhorsed, assumed dead by the Gauls and Romans alike:



Flush with their triumph over Manius, the Gallic cavalry charge into the flank of the Roman infantry holding the centre against the Gallic warbands:



The Gallic flank charge, so soon after the news of the loss of their general, causes a chain rout amongst the Roman centre:



Soon, the Roman army is falling back in disarray with only a handful of brave triarii protecting the eagle:



The Gallic general is filled with bloodlust and wades into the triarii, slaying them left and right around him:



Until the triarii too, run, desperately trying to take the eagle back to safety:



In the distance, a strong cohort of principes can be seen. They are the only formed Roman unit left on the battlefield. These are fine troops - among the best heavy infantry in the entire ancient world.



By their delaying action, they buy time for the some of the rest of the army to rally and regroup:



However, the principes themselves are isolated and soon surrounded:



The morale of the rallied Roman units in the centre remains fragile and they slowly dissolve. The triari defending the eagle rally but then are cut down, with the eagle being claimed by the Gallic general:



The principes on the Roman left are surrounded and outnumbered:


Shamefully, they break:



With the flight of the principes, the heart goes out of the Roman army and it dissolves in a general rout:

[Death the destroyer of worlds]

hv = heroic victory
v = clear victory
ad = average defeat
d = clear defeat
cd = close defeat

Factions destroyed :
- Illyria
- The kingdom of Macedon
- Gaul
- The Greek Cities

Illyrian casualties : 757 men
Roman casualties : 62 men
Average kill ratio : 12.2 - 1

Macedonian casualties : 5316 men
Roman casualties : 1598 men
Average kill ratio : 3.3 - 1
Macedonian ships sunk : 0 ships
Roman ships sunk : 0 ships

Gaul casualties : 1489 men
Roman casualties : 297 men
Average kill ratio : 5.0 - 1

Greek casualties : 1782 men
Roman casualties : 280 men
Average kill ratio : 6.4 - 1
Greek ships sunk : 5 ships
Roman ships sunk : 1 ship

Thrace casualties : 8965 men
Roman casualties : 1489 men
Average kill ratio : 6.0 - 1

Carthage casualties : 1846 men
Roman casualties : 1103 men
Average kill ratio : 1.7 - 1
Carthage ships sunk : 9 ships
Roman ships sunk : 1 ship

Ptolemy casualties : 1544 men
Roman casualties : 260 men
Average kill ratio : 5.9 - 1
Ptolemy ships sunk : 8 ships
Roman ships sunk : 2 ships

Seleucid casualties : 1376 men
Roman casualties : 582 men
Average kill ratio : 2.4 - 1

Rebel casualties : 705 men
Roman casualties : 225 men
Average kill ratio : 3.1 - 1
Rebel ships sunk : 1 ship
Roman ships sunk : 0 ships

Total enemy casualties : 23780 men
Total Roman casualties : 5896 men
Average kill ratio : 4.0 - 1
Total enemy ships sunk : 23 ships
Total Roman ships sunk : 4 ships

[Death the destroyer of worlds]

After the news of the capture of the legionary eagle of the Legio III Sicilia Aemilia, the soldiers of the Legio I Italia Victrix were demoralized and reluctant to sally forth from camp. I, Lucius Aemilius, ordered the centurions to assemble the men on the parade ground and I noticed that here and there threats had to be made to compell the troops to obey. Once they formed up in cohorts and in formation they quickly regained their composure when their natural discipline reasserted itself. I rode up in front of them in battle armour and spoke to them :

Soldiers of the Legio I Italy Victrix ! You have heard the terrible news about the Legio III, but there is some good news also. The senate has seen fit to appoint me consul in this dark hour. You all know me, some of you have fought under my command for twenty years already. I'll turn this twist of fate right round. Our brothers of the Legio III need our help against the Gauls, but we have to hold off these damn Thracians. So I have ordered for Augustus Verginius to travel to the West and to teach those Gauls the meaning of Roman wrath ! They still tell horror stories each night of his last visit. I sent a messenger to that goat-raping king of theirs to warn them and he pissed his pants right there and then ! They shall not have the eagle for long, Jupiter will see to that !
As for you sorry lot, moping and whining like these Illyrian camp women. It's disgusting ! You've got some making up to do ! You, you call that standing at attention ? If Mars saw you like this he would send down the furies to take our eagle away as well ! We'd better show good old Mars what kind of men we really are ! We are the elite ! Who are we ?

Legio Italy I Victrix, sah !

What do they call me ?

Lucius the Victor, sah !!

Are you ready to give me another victory ?

Yes, sah !!!

Roma Victor !

ROMA VICTOR !!!!!

And so the the legion marched out of town, in perfect formation I might add, singing a sordid marching song. The Thracians were so appalled by this show of fearlesness that they almost forgot to attack. We managed to position ourselves well before they dared to move.

Terrified by my cheerful men only a small force dared to charge us outright and were promptly enveloped and routed. I and the italian cavalry followed in hot pursuit.



The second wave was a more serious attack, including a force of powerful bastearnii, but Gnaeus Hordeonius was there to smash them in the flank.

This second attack routed it was time to launch the counterattack. My men quickmarched in formation and formed up close to the remaining Thracian forces, who still outnumbered us. The moment the line was reformed I ordered the charge.


A charge by my praetorians folded their left flank, closely followed by a charge by Gnaeus Hordeonius on their right flank. His charge was like a drill on Mars field. If you look closely you can see a Thracian been catapulted through the air.


Still the remaining Thracian troops, surrounded now, doggedly fought on, but they broke after one more charge by me and Gnaeus Hordeonius.

After the last Thracian was slain, my troops looked around dazedly and bewildered, as men will do after a battle with no one left to kill. Then the cheering began.
ROMA VICTOR !
LUCIUS THE VICTOR !
ROMA VICTOR !

The cheers on the battlefield were so loud the must have been heard in all the nearby Thracian towns and villages. It went on for quite some time.

[Death the destroyer of worlds]

Our watchtower at the Danube had reported more Thracian forces moving southwest towards Aquileia. Having left Gnaeus Hordeonius in charge of the occupation of Segestica, I, Lucius Aemilius, commander of the Legio I Italia Victrix, intercepted the largest of the Thracian hordes. The terrain was not very favourable, but we could hardly let the enemy pass by and so I decided to offer battle. The Thracians are very adept in fighting in the woods and I found myself on a forested hillside where my cavalry would be useless. Accordingly I tried to lure them into the open by placing my battle line in the unforested area.


This seemed to succeed at first, but just before their usual charge en masse they retreated and Thracians appeared running from the woods on our right flank, which was held by a unit of Italian swordsmen. It was an excellent move on their commander's part, and I quickly responded by sending another cohort of Italian swordsmen from my left flank to help them out. I held the Roman troops in reserve untill the commander's plan was clear.


Then I heard the hardpressed Italian swordsmen centurion shout out : General, Flanking manouver !!!
Using their natural stealth in the forest, the Thracians were attempting to circle round our right flank and attack the embattled Italian swordsmen in the back. I immediately reacted by ordering the orginal reinforcements to attack the Thracian ambushers instead. This still left the orginal right flank without reinforcements and so I ordered another cohort, of hestati this time, to rush to the aid of our beleagered auxilia.


The lightly armoured auxilia had taken severe losses against the heavy Thracian infantry, slashing away at them with their deadly falxes, but our men doggedly stood their ground. As the battle was a stalemate I ordered the Principes to break formation and encircle the Thracian right flank. The other cohort of Italian swordsmen, fighting the Thracian ambushers, were also in need of assistence. I sent in my skirmishers to outflank the Thracian ambushers.



Now our forces were evenly matched and the Thracians were becoming encircled. Still the Thracians were not about to give up. Then they broke trough at our right flank, creating a dangerous situation. If the Italian swordsmen, encircled now, panicked, my entire right flank might fold. Accordingly, I send in all the remaining troops, the triarii to attack the Thracians in the rear and the Italian spearmen to block the gap and save their brothers, the Italian swordsmen.



The spearmen attacked with gusto and rescued their friends and this setback was the straw that broke the Thracian morale and they routed, pursued by the legion.
Our cavalry had meanwhile been luring the Thracian commander away on a wild goose chase. When he saw his men running from the woods in terror he realised he had lost and attempted to withdraw. This was the moment to strike and I ordered the charge.


When I cornered them against a cliff, they bravely turned and fought, but we ground them under the hooves of our horses.

I beheaded their commander's corpse and ordered the sole cowering surviving Thracian to carry it back to their King, with the warning that such will be the fate of all Thracians who set foot on Roman soil.


Of the Italian swordsmen, who were at the center of the fighting, only 14 men were still standing. If they had broken, the battle might have been lost. I commended them in front of the rest of the troops and they did not want for drink or fellowship in the camp that night. Truly, this is the Legio I Italia Victrix !

Roma Victor !

[TinCow]

Legate Augustus Verginius gazed at the city that lay before him. Its architecture was heavily influenced by the Greek style and, from a distance, it appeared to be a civilized and peaceful place.

"Civilized..." Verginius sneered, "there is no civilization here."

He looked back at his men. All of Legio II was forming up for battle behind him.

"Nor shall there be peace."



The Illyrian people had been shattered by decades of war. First with the Macedonians, then with the Greeks, then with the Romans. They had stubbornly refused to allow any encroachment upon their homelands. They had won great victories against the mightiest armies that civilization could throw against them, but those victories had cost many lives and Illryria's veterans watered the fields with their blood. Now, in the end, there were only untrained warbands and slaves left to oppose Rome.

Still, these men fought with passion and rage. As Legio II approached the city, a great mass of men poured from the streets to engage in one final gesture of defiance.



They were met in the streets by the Roman infantry, whose skill and discipline held the enemy charge almost effortlessly.



The last Illyrian king, Temeia, joined in the melee with the last handful of trained Illyrian warriors. The Roman Equites could not be restrained at the sight of him. There had been rumors circulating amongst the Legion that the loss of the Eagle of Legio III had been partially due to a mistake made by the Equites of that Legion. Whether true or not, their counterparts in Legio II felt they had to prove their worth. The Illyrian king's men were the veterans of countless battles. Tough, battle-hardened warriors who had faced the best armies that the Greeks and Macedonians could field. Yet the Equites, in their determination to wipe clean any doubts about their abilities, cut through them with ease. Soon Temeia was surrounded by Roman horsemen and cut down.



The remaining men of the Illyrian battleline attempted to flee after this loss, but there was no where to go. They were cut down in the streets and the occupation of the city began. Yet, in the town square a mass of Illyrian slaves had gathered, rallied to the cause by the whips of their masters. Yet, even with the Illyrian nation broken and their overseers dead, they fulfilled their vow and fought. It was a glorious charge, the last of an entire nation.



Their ferocity inflicted a few casualties on the Hastati who received them, but they were only slaves. Soon the entire Illyrian nation was reduced to a few poorly armed slaves encircled by an entire Legion of Roman soldiers.



And so ended the independant Illyrian nation. For the first time in history, a non-Italian people had been completely and totally conquered and subjugated by the might of Rome. It would be the first of many.

[Mount Suribachi]

With Legio VI I was approaching the Macedonian town of Bylazora and was making plans to assault it. However the Macedonians, seemingly gathering their entire army together and led by as fine a general as they possesed were determined to drive me back.



Outnumbered by 2.5 to 1 (1635 Macedonians to the 650 men of Legio VI) I decided to make a fighting withdrawal. Sending the baggage train on ahead, I made a stand at a wooded mountain pass. My plan was to use my archers & pelasts to inflict casualties on the Macedonians as they advanced, then pull back into the woods and retreat knowing that their slow, plodding Phalanxes would be unable to pursue me.



Down in the plain below I could see the 3 Macedonian armies forming up and advancing





As the battle lines closed my missile units concentrated on their more lightly armoured troops and inflicted more than a few casualties. As their line approached I could see the possibility of envelopment and ordered a withdrawal. Unfortunately panic at the large numbers of enemy overcame my men and many of them ran every which way except the way they were meant to. My cohort of Roman cavalry ran straight at the Phalanx in their panic, my Thracian infantry ran down the hill (teach me to use barbarian mercenaries), my archers just stood there and refused to obey orders.

Eventually I managed to to the legion off the battlefield and into the mountain but our losses had been unacceptably high, though we had also given them a bloody nose. My anger at the refusal of my men to obey a simple order to withdraw has barely subsided as I write this report from my headquarters in Pella. Thankfully most of the 150 odd casualties were mercenaries rather than sons of Rome.



Not long after, I got a chance for a small measure of revenge when a unit of Macedonian reinforcements - a single unit of slingers - attempting to head north and rejoin their main army passed too close to Pella and was spotted. Riding out with all 46 of my horsemen I killed all 61 of them for the loss of 1 cavalryman.

[Mount Suribachi]

"Right then lads, this is it, no going back this time. Too many bloody armchair generals in Rome questioned my decision to withdraw last time. Said I didn't have the guts! Said the 6th didn't have what it took to beat the Macedonians!

GAH! What does some snotty nosed little teenager in the scriptorium know about fighting, eh? I've killed more Gauls than he's had hot dinners!

But still, this is your time, the time when the 6th writes its own story. Its days like today, victories like today, where a legion achieves immortality. Win the battle, and your children, and their children, in decades to come, will say with pride in their voice and a twinkle in their eye, 'yes, Paionia, my ancestors fought there!"

The plan is simple. We are vastly outnumbered, but the enemy is split in three. We must take advantage of this and defeat his armies one by one. The first engagement will be decisive. We must rout their first army before the other 2 arrive. Do this and the day is ours!


Amulius marshalls his troops for battle





The first Macedonian army is close, the other 2 are in the distance




The lines clash.




Under pressure, the Macedonian line begins to waver, but their Chalkispedes stand firm




Amulius chases away 3 units of Peltasts from the rear of Macedonian line, but he can only fight one at a time. The other 2 stand back and pepper his bodygaurd with javelins. The result is inevitable...




His surviving bodyguards try in vain to escape the waves of javelins




Over on the right flank Herennius Genucius also suffers at the hands of the Peltasts whilst charging into the rear of a Macedonian Phalanx




Despite being surrounded, and repeatedly charged by the Roman infantry and under a hail of missile fire, the Chalkispedes have managed to hold on long enough for their 2nd wave to arrive. The heavy cavalry have a dispersed and tired enemy to charge into




Legio VI breaks and runs




The result. Note the decisive effect the arrival of Argeos of Pharsalus had









The situation on the Roman - Macedon border following the defeat

[Dooz]

Galerius Vatinius hands a young boy a message.

"Yes, ride on ahead and take this to Rome. Those damned senators would perhaps rather have me dead, but I want them to get the report of my victory even before I arrive there myself."

The boy gallops ahead, full speed towards Rome.

The message reads:

Lucania, Summer 259 B.C.
"Greetings, my beloved senators. I thought perhaps you should be informed of my adventure this beautiful summer day. As I was already on my way to Rome, I was given command of two cohorts of regional infantry by Consul Aemilius to bring up as reinforcements. Along the way, we recieved news of a small rebel force having assembled near the border of Campania, threatening a little village in the area. I was given the order to attack."


"My first battle. Standing against me, the suicidal Captain Herennius had gathered up a small force of rebellious Samnites from the area and awaited our attack."


"As I rode towards the soon-to-be-dead rebel scum, Mount Vesuvius bellowed out smoke almost in anticipation for the battle ahead."


"We approached to within 10 meters of the enemy. They dared not move. I ordered the swordmen on the right flank to release their pila into the sides of the men ahead."


"Immediately after those were depleted, I ordered the spearmen in the center to charge, as I rode forward on the left flank and the swordmen advanced on the right to get behind Herrenius' force."


"I ordered a charge by the swordmen into the rear/left flank of the enemy. I watched on as the Samnites were enveloped.


"I was feeling a bit ill this day, so I waited a little while till their numbers were thinner before I lead the decisive charge into the exposed rebel rear/right flank."


"Captain Herennius was immediately killed, and the remaining Samnites fought to their bloody deaths as they were surrounded with nowhere to run. The men cheered after the destruction of the enemy under my leadership."


"I will be with you by the Autumn, senators. I see Senator Servius has been sent away to fetch the legionary standard somewhere... how fortunate, just before my arrival."

[flyd]

In the summer of 259, the Roman army camp at Pella was in a state of confusion. Troops had converged there from many different places; some were the survivors of Legion VI, some were from the I Field Army coming from Thessalonica, and yet others were from various garrisons. Some of them were combat ready, some were not. Many nations were represented; in addition to Romans and Italians, there were Greeks, Thracians, Gauls, and Illyrians. Consul Lucius Aemilius had promised to organize this mess under the I Field Army, to being operations in Autumn, but the senior commander at Pella, Tiberius Coruncanius, could not wait that long, for there was a Macedonian army, under Argeos of Pharsalus, passing nearby. Tiberius took it upon himself to mobilize the army, but this proved difficult. Some units were truly not ready for combat, while some commanders falsely claimed combat unreadiness of their units. Others refused to follow orders because they had not recieved an official order instructing them to be attached to the I Field Army. Some had to be dismissed, a few threats had to be made, but the army marched from Pella, 688 strong.



The enemy army was weak. It consisted mostly of skirmishers, peltasts and slingers, along with some Thracians, cavalry, and a few phalangites. Tiberius didn't complain much, as Argeos and peltasts were exactly the sorts of people he wanted to kill, although he did occasionally remark on how stupid the Macedonians were to actually allow this army to enter Roman territory.


The opposing armies deploy.

The Macedonian army deployed on the side of a hill, and Tiberius decided to attack the hill from the right, where a small ridge offered the shallowest approach.


Roman army stands before the hill.

Flavius Pacuvius, the army's Tribune, was a little worried.

"We will take many casualties charging up that hill at that many peltasts," he said.

"Indeed so," Tiberius responded, "better send in the Greeks, Gauls, and Thracians first."

"And the rest?"

"Yeah, they'll get up there too. No hurry, though."

The merecenaries charged up the hill as ordered and attacked. The Romans followed at a relaxed pace.


The Thracians engage on the left flank, the Gauls in the center, and the Greeks and Italians on the right, as the Romans look on.

As most of the Macedonian army committed to the battle with the first wave, the Roman troops moved around and through the gaps to attack the flanks.


The Macedonian center breaks as the Hastati enter the battle. On the right, another unit of Hastati charge from the flank.

The Macedonian center broke first, followed quickly by the left and right flanks. At this point, Argos of Pharsalus with his bodyguard and some Thracian cavalry entered the battle on the left side (bottom of hill). Tiberius, along with most of the Roman army, charged at him down the hill.


The entire Roman army charges at Argos.

This he could not take, and began to flee. Tiberius gave chase personally.


"COME BACK HERE YOU COWARD!!!"

But Argos flees better than he fights, and he could not be caught. So, Argos escaped, as did many of the peltasts. Still, Tiberius was not very upset. If this is the army the Macedonians were able to deploy, he reasoned, then no Macedonian has a very long life expectancy. Only 14 Romans died that day, and many mercenaries.