The Will of the Senate - Battle reports

[econ21]

The third battle of Maronia

“How the hell did he do that?!?” Numerius scratched his head. The report of the First Consul’s victory at Lepcis Magna both pleased and puzzled him. “How did he take a settlement with the loss of only one man?”

The captain of his Praetoria, Marcus Flavius, skimmed his eyes over the scroll: “Must have been javelins.” the young Roman drawled. “Peltasts are the nemesis of the phalanx.”

Numerius nodded - of course he knew that in theory, but it was quite another thing to read of such a powerful demonstration in practice. “Still, it’s a bit much to be taught such a lesson by a young man just out of the academy.”

“Is it any worse than being given orders by him?” Marcus interjected sharply, then laughed. “Still, the academy must have improved a fair bit since my day - bunch of old duffers running it when I was there. Not that you would know anything about that, would you, sir?”

Numerius shot him a barbed glance - the Legate’s absence of much formal schooling, along with his relatively plebeian origin, was a sore point with him. Marcus, his patrician Praetorian captain, knew this and enjoyed needling the wound.

“OK, enough banter, let’s review the situation. You’ve read the First Consul’s orders, yes?” The plan was a bold one. It was quite contrary to Numerius's own plan of withdrawing Legio V and the First Field Army to Philippi and Tylis, respectively, where they could be raised to Consular strength. The Consul's plan also overruled Praetor Coruncanius's proposal of a grand daylight battle, pitching both Roman formations against the two Seleucid armies that had marched north of Maronia. Instead, the First Consul had ordered a plan as aggressive as the Praetors and as a safe as Numerius's. Numerius was to join with reinforcements at Philippi, but they would meet not in the mustering fields of Philippi but at Seleucid held Maronia. Meanwhile Praetor Coruncanius would also be reinforced from Philippi and would get his wish for open battle, but it would be done at night so he could pick off the two Seleucid armies one by one.

“Are the reinforcements form Philippi all here?” Numerius queried.

“Yes.” replied Marcus, “Mainly heavy infantry, which is fine as Legio V is sorely in need of that. The only light troops are a company of Illyrian mercenaries. We have a full cohort of principes, a company of mercenary hoplites, two companies of Thracian infantry and a band of Gallic swordsmen.”

Good, thought, Numerius. Those additions brought up Legio V into something not far short of a Consular army, more than doubling Legio V’s strength from 437 men to 960.

“Right, this is the plan. We’ll attack at dawn. No point blundering about in the dark - both we and the Seleucid general are too savy to gain any benefit from that. Marcus, I am going to rely heavily on you and the Praetoria. I know it may not be proper for a Legate to expose himself to danger at the front of the line, but we still lack a chirurgeon and your men are our best counter for those damned Seleucid hypaspists. We’ll also try to emulate our Consul and make as much use of our javelins as we can before closing. Oh, and Marcus, one more thing ... the Consul says we are to enter Maronia as liberators, not enslavers, so make sure the men are kept under a tight leash after we win.”

There was loud clapping of hands. Numerius turned and saw his Greek assistant Isidor smiling sardonically:
“At last! You Romans are finally going to act as if you are civilised!”

Numerius frowned - with subordinates like this, who needed enemies?



The third battle of Maronia, Autumn 255 BC

So, here is where I begin to make good my promise to avenge the death of Co-Consul Publius Pansa, thought Numerius. Retaking Maronia was the first step towards redeeming Roman honour, although duty would not be satisfied until Molon himself was dead. Numerius had served under Publius Pansa, as his tribune, and the two had got on well. However, the relationship had soured when Publius had become Co-Consul. Publius seemed to resent his underling emerging from his shadow and acquiring an independent command at such a young age. Numerius could not quite understand the change in his former commander; it was as if Publius was a different person. Still, Numerius would avenge Publius, thinking of the happier times they had enjoyed in battle together rather than the later tensions.

The battle was fought under a bright Mediteranean sun. The Seleucids were deployed, half in and half out of Maronia. Still smarting from his encounter with them at Ratiaria, Numerius resolved to personally cut down the deadly hypaspists before tangling with the Seleucid phalanxes.



As the Principes prepare to fire, Numerius’s Praetorians charge the first unit of hypaspists...



...before moving to assist in bringing down the second.

Soon the Seleucid phalanxes had been stripped of their supports - the hypaspists and various small contingents of hoplites and skirmishers. Now, Numerius brought up his infantry slowly - trying to avoid contact the phalangists and giving his men time to lose their javelins and pila. The phalanxes were uncertain what to do in the face of overwhelming odds - advancing and retiring, exposing their backs to deadly volleys. Soon a killing zone had been created at the mouth of the settlement.



Inspired by the Consul’s bloodless victory at Lepcis Magna, Numerius creates a killing zone for the unfortunate Seleucid phalanxes.

Eventually, the Seleucids had had enough and two depleted phalanxes pushed on into the Roman right. Seeking to minimise the casualties among his rank and file, Numerius charged into the flank of the phalanxes.



Throughout the battle, Numerius uses his Praetoria as a shock force to bring the combats to quick resolutions. It is a reckless tactic and costs the Praetoria dearly.

When the phalanxes finally broke, Numerius pursued them down the streets to the city forum. Here, he made a costly error - allowing his infantry to pursue higgedly-piggedly. This was despite the fact that the Seleucid general was waiting for the Romans with his hetairoi in the forum.



In war, the bravest are the first to die. The bastarnae are the most eager to break into the forum and take the brunt of the charge of the defending hetairoi.

“Damn it!” cursed Numerius. “Why does this always keep happening to me?!” It seemed as if almost every battle, the enemy general's escort was able to reek havoc on Numerius’s army. The young Legate had earned the reputation of being a skilled infantry commander. Incompetent against cavalry would be more like it, he thought bitterly.

The hetairoi were supported by many peltasts in the forum, who used the opportunity to pour javelins in amongst the beleaguered bastarnae. Soon the brave warriors were down to half strength. Urgently, Numerius called for his Sarmatian cavalry to assist in the battle - but before they arrived, it would be up to the Praetorians to relieve the pressure on the bastarnae.



What is left of the Praetoria cut down the peltasts defending the forum...



While the Sarmatians strike down the brave Seleucid general and bring the battle to a close.

After the battle, Numerius took stock of the situation. The people of Maronia welcomed the return of the Romans, hailing Numerius as a conqueror while his men acclaimed him as a confident attacker. But the Seleucids had fought well and although Roman losses had been modest, most of the dead were the best men in the Legio V - the Praetorians and the bastarnae.



The loss of most his Praetoria was particularly troubling, given the reports of over 200 Seleucid cavalry patrolling in the area of the straits. But that was next season’s problem. The key question now was the fate of Praetor Corucanius and the First Field Army, about to do battle with a force four times as large as that which Numerius had just destroyed.