The Will of the Senate - Battle reports

[Braden]

We had faced the foe, the mighty Seleucid Empire. We had faced them and found them wanting. Now, one of their Generals had the insanity to pit his meagre force of nearly 500 against not only our fortifications but also my seasoned army.



The river of Galatia flowed freely through the place where we cornered Antaeus of Gadara. Initially, I believed he would face us at the river and try to take us as we crossed, but no such sanity prevailed here. He awaited us a fair way away from us, atop a hill on the other side. So it was that we made the river crossing unhindered.



He remained, stolid in that if he kept the high ground his army would not be defeated. Such a fool is only more reason why the Seleucids fail in war. Height is good, but it is not everything, movement and sense outweigh such factors.

Thus we moved up the hill on its most gentle of slopes to engage him on his right flank.



The results were quite predictable, I advanced my skirmish troops ahead as normal and took his phalanx’s apart piece-meal. They held for longer than I expected and losses were higher than I’d wanted on this day but we held the field and destroyed Antaeus and his army.



28 Roman lives for 449 Seleucids….perhaps a “fair” trade, but our numbers dwindle again and more friends perish.



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