The Ascent of the Julii - write-ups thread

[econ21]

Winter 233, the Pripet Marshes

So, we are back here for a third time, thought Publius Maxentius. Three battles against the Scythians - two infamous disasters; the third will be somewhat different. Publius was a man of extravagant taste, but made war in a simple way. Gather overwhelming force and confront the enemy. He had 1450 men; the Scythians a little over 600. This was the Roman way of war: whatever reverses are suffered, come back for more, but come back stronger, never give up - unrelenting, inexorable conquest.



Third time lucky?

In the wake of the disasters of the previous year, Amulius, the leader of the Julii faction, and Publius’s adopted father, had ordered a wholesale reorganisation of Roman forces north of the great city. He had arranged for all battleworthy Roman units to be concentrated into eight regional field armies: Iberia; Gaul; Britannia; Germania; Italy; Illyria; Dacia and Scythia. Seeking to test his adopted son, Amulius had given Publius the most challenging command - the army of Scythia. Publius knew he was being tested and the knowledge ate away at him. I can march my men as far as any general; I can squeeze my subjects as ruthlessly as any governor. Why does my father believe I am any less a man because sometimes I prefer snails to oysters? Does he not know a real man is a creature of strong passions and does not let petty social conventions dictate his will? Did not the great Alexander show this?

Still, there were some consolations to be had from Amulius’s reforms. Stung by the number of corpulent, indulgent governors in his jurisdiction, Amulius had ordered all leading Senators to join his field armies. Every army had to have two generals. No bad thing at all. thought Publius, eying the toned physique of his second-in-command, Manius Oppius. Manius returned his glance unashamedly. No bad thing at all/

The battle was short and brutal. Publius formed up his line and marched on the Scythians, who this time included only two units of horse archers. Even so, the Scythian heavy cavalry gave a rough handling to the Roman infantry. A cohort of hastate and principes were surrounded and smashed, with the intervention of both generals’ Praetoria required to stabilise the situation. After the battle, the Romans counted 281 men dead, but Scythian losses were nearly twice that. The same year, news came of a heroic victory of Marcellus Syrus wins heroic victory over the last vestiges of Gauls, who had taken refuge in Iberia, eliminating them as a faction.

Remorsely, Publius marched his army onto Vicus Venedae besieging it in the Summer of 231. Vicus Venedae was the objective of the fallen hero Manius Julius in both his ill-fated Scythia campaigns. Where Manius the Victor twice failed, I will not, thought Publius proudly. The Scythians responded fiercely, sending a relief force to break the siege.

The Scythians who fought that day were the veterans who had twice defeated full Roman armies. The majority were horse archers. Publius was cautious. He lacked sufficient cavalry to act aggressively against this kind of enemy. So he formed up his army on a gently sloping hill, arranging them in loose order - almost willing the Scythians to enter close combat. Unlike Manius, however, Publius had three full cohorts of Roman archers as well as a corresponding force of velites. The Romans would have to endure, but the Scythians would not remain unscathed either. The battle was a bruising one. By its close, the Romans had lost 423 men. But the Scythians had lost 789, as well as Vicus Venedae.



The battle for Vicus Venedae was a brutal, unglamorous affair as the Romans prove ill-equipped to fight horse archers.

The ruthless Publius considered exterminating the population of Vicus Venedae, but even he could not stomach such a vile act. His qualms were later a source of much irritation as the city remained restless and rebellious. Publius and his army of Scythia would have to remain at the settlement for a considerable time, stymieing the Roman offence. Impatiently, Amulius ordered the Roman field army of Dacia to join the campaign. Its commander, Decimus Domitianus, was instructed to leave Campus Lazyges and to march on the Scythian capital, Campus Scythii. Yet again, Publius’s feelings for his fellow man had managed to disappoint his adopted father.

[econ21]

Decimus’s Story.

My name is Decimus Domitianus and I am a simple soldier. I am no politician; I aspire to no high office. I care not for our popularity with the Senate, or even with the people. I look only to my command and my job on the battlefield. I believe only in duty, honour and loyalty.

I have fought three major battles against the Scythians en route to Campus Scythii and the fates decree I may well have to fight several more. My army of Dacia is a proud force, of stern men. Along with the Romans, it includes many Illyrians and some bastarnae and Sarmatians. It is a formidable force and one well matched to take on the Scythians.

While Publius Maxentius was trapped in Vicus Venedae, we began our own advance through the Pripet marshes. In the summer of 229, we fought our first battle against Scythia.



Our large force of foot soldiers confronted their own infantry…



…while our brave cavalry smashed round the enemy’s flanks.

We won a decisive victory and so we pressed on. In the Winter of 228, we fought our second major battle - assaulted by two Scythian armies. It promised to be a bitter contest between Roman infantry and Scythian archers, fought in the snow. But the Scythians had little interest in skirmishing - instead, they charged straight for our lines.



The hastati bear the brunt of the Scythian charge.

Fortunately, our infantry did not have to endure alone. Our cavalry, spearheaded by my own Praetoria, counter-charged. Together with our archers and skirmishers, we were able to defeat the many horse archers arraigned against us.



Decimus begins to earn the reputation of being a local hero.

Two years later, we finally reached Campus Scythii. The Scythians attempted to break our siege of their capital and so fought our third major battle. Again, it was a cold affair in the snow. I confess I took some risks that day, in my desperation to bring the Scythian cavalry to battle.



Decimus has to be rescued by his second in command…



… and later by his infantry.

But we prevailed and the Scythian capital was ours.

[econ21]

Summer, 224 BC

By the gods, he is a dull fellow, this Decimus, thought Amulius as he picked up his general’s report. A fine general, no doubt, but a crushing bore, nonetheless.. Still his report made for depressing reading. What little achievements the last ten years had brought now threatened to unravel. Decimus lay back in his chair and started to think how it had come to this.

In the summer of 228, jealousy in the Senate had further eroded the position of the Julii faction. Iberia had been taken - Gaius Lappius making a triumphant entry into Scallabis, on a mission from the Senate, six years after he had been so ignominiously routed from outside its walls.

In response to the demands imposed by their conquests, a new man had come to power in the Senate, Gaius Marius. His reforms were introducing a professional army with the potential to be more powerful than any the world had known since the time of Alexander.



Amulius had slowly been forced to embrace these reforms, in part because of the financial crisis Rome’s northern territories had entered. The vast treasury he had accumulated ten years ago had been almost completely eroded - by his eight armies inflated with expensive mercenaries and by his low tax policy. Reluctantly, he had imposed a high tax policy and disbanded all but the most elite mercenaries. But it was not enough to provide the funds to begin hiring the professional cohorts that could now be recruited in Italy. Amulius was forced to disband first his green pre-Marian cohorts and then, in a drastic move, all pre-Marian cohorts not in combat zones. With tensions rising with the Senate and other Roman factions, it was not the ideal time for the Julii to become effectively disarmed.



Yikes!

Still, the daring policy of disbanding the pre-Marian army seemed to be bearing fruit. A post-Marian army was slowly raised and gathered at Massilia. The Senate had called for a punitive mission to be undertaken against Carthage. Amulius saw it as the perfect time to give his favourite adopted son, Lentilus Flaminus, the chance to prove himself as the natural heir to the Julii faction.

But Amulius’s other adopted son, Publius Maxentius, had unwittingly scuppered that plan. Decimus Domitiatanus and his army were effectively imprisoned in a rebellious Campus Scythii. Riots in the former Scythian capital had already claimed the life of Julii general, Valerius Quadrigarius, and the whole of Decimus’ army was required to keep order. However, Publius had finally been able to leave the rebellious settlement of Vicus Venedae. By hard marching, he had come to Campus Sarmatae, which was believed to be the last Scythian settlement. Amulius had dreamed of completing the conquest of Scythia by 234 BC. It was not to be.



Publius cuts his way into Campus Sarmatae - hoping to end the war with Scythia.

On storming Campus Sarmatae, Publius was downcast to learn that the Scythians had at least one more province - far to the south, in the Crimea. But worse was to come. Again, Publius could not bring himself to exterminate the captured Scythian townfolk and instead merely enslaved them. Unfortunately, vast columns of slave made their way to rebellious Campus Scythii. The sight of the slaves further angered the Scythians in their former capital and their numbers made it possible for them to move from riot to outright rebellion. Working in secret, a substantial new Scythian army was formed and in a night of violence, drove Decimus’s troops out of the capital. The war with Scythia, far from being over, had erupted in full fury again.

Amulius threw down Decimus’s report. Oh, Decimus, you old plodder. You are normally so dull. Why did you have to bring me such “interesting” news! Amulius sank back in his chair. The last ten years had not gone well. He had hoped to install at least one of his sons as his heir, but neither had yet proved themselves worthy. This was all preparatory to overthrowing the Senate and declaring an Empire, but that secret ambition was far from completion. Still, he was beginning to create a new, post-Marian army capable of making a grab for power. He doubted that it would be ready in his lifetime, but the next ten years would be crucial if he was to lay the groundwork for one of his sons to rule Rome.