How the Pavo Family Changed the World (Rome AAR)

[MarcusAureliusAntoninus]

Nvmerivs Longvs Pavo Gallicvs
The Battle of Oltis


(Gaul c219BC)

Dearest Mother,

This is the first time I've been able to write you in quite some time. I hope
the gods find you, Honoria, and the baby all well. I still quietly greave father,
but know he would be proud of me now.

I have been assigned to the Seventh Legion and escaped the fate of the
Eighth Legion. Consul Asina seeks glory in the wastes of Iberia but I fear
that neither he nor the Eighth will ever be seen again. There are madmen in
those dark places. And no good civilized person knows anything about those
wild peoples. But that is not my fate

But the Seventh is a good group of men. The young men, like myself,
make up the Hastati, who fight in the first line. In the few months away, I
have already made good friends. Caivs, Titvs, Vibivs, Gneo, and I have
sworn an oath of friendship and swear to protect eachother in battle. Gneo
is a bit odd, but a good man. Perhaps he's had too much sun, farmer's son
after all. Our centurion is Tiberivs Alleivs, and he is quite the grizzled
soldier. Expects a lot from us too, sometimes pushing us to near breaking.

Our General is Nvmerivs Longvs Pavo, who leads LegioIII and LegioVII. He
is a pleb, but of high standing. They say he spends much of his time in the
company of mercenaries and barbarians. He even has a celtic 'prophet' who
knows the way of the woods. The stories I heard, of a pleb who defies the
ways of the world and rose to high standing, before I got here and the
stories I heard, of this wild man, total controdict eachother. The one time I
saw him, he rode with Germanics horsemen and was bearded. They say it
was a rarity to see him bearded, but for any Roman to go out like that is
indeed odd.

We assembled in Mediolanivm, but soon marched east toward Gaul.
General Nvmerivs Longvs Pavo didn't want to risk supply problems so he split
us up when crossing the great Alps. The general took the Third over the
mountains and the Seventh was sent along the coast. We followed the
coast and passed the mountains. As soon as the mountains began to shrink
away we beheld a strange sight. There in this barbarian land was a walled
Greek city.

I knew Massilia was a Greek city and Arverni protectorate. And that both
Massilia and Arverni were allied to Rome a few years ago. But I had no idea
that there were civilized people, though Greek, in a place like this. As we
neared the city, we began to see people travelling on the roads, to and from
farms. The people reminded me of the civilized Gauls near Mediolanivm but
with smug Greek attitudes. Outside the city walls stood the camp of the
Fifth Legion. About the time we were setting out on our campaign, General
Cotta had taken the city with little effort. Keep in mind this is not the one
everyone calls "Mad Cotta", who started this war, but his young cousin.

We spent a month near Massilia and Arelate, where we rejoined by General
Pavo and the Thrid Legion. Titvs nearly lost his entire ration in a game of
chance with a local Greek one day. Caivs claimed the Greek was cheating
and was ready to kill him, but Titvs stopped him, saying he was stupid to risk
his bread and it was not the Greek's fault he was out done. Caivs gave in
and the Greek ran off as fast as his old legs could carry him. I think he
needed that bread, and I think Titvs thought so too, most of the city's
stores were going to the Legions and the locals seemed to go wanting. I
expected to only encounter savage barbarians and didn't expect to see good
folk suffer as well.

We had planned to spend more time in the area and then have all three
Legions march on Gergovia, capital of the Arverni, but there was no time.
General Pavo received word that an Arverni army was gathering and about to
march on Narbonensis. So General Pavo took LegioIII and forced marched
east with LegioVII lagging behind.

And so near the Oltis river, General Nvmerivs Longvs Pavo met the armies
of the Arverni. LegioIII fought in open combat, both side not giving an inch.
The battle was a going nowhere and both sides tired. Then General Pavo
saw the right moment. He reenforced the line with the Triarii, fresh and
strong. Then he personally led the cavalry into the Arverni right flank. The
right flank broke and ran. Then the Gauls slowly peeled away until the whole
army was fleeing. The Third gave chase but were tired and many Gauls
escaped. When the Seventh arrived, it was all over and thousands of Gauls
and Romans lay dead or dying in the field of battle.

This next part I write you with hesitation. After the battle, devisions of
the Seventh were sent to find any lingering Gauls who had fled. Due to
Caivs' loud disturbances in camp the previous night, the five of us were
assigned to a group of five Germanic horsemen to scout out routed men.
The horsemen scouted on a tacking path while the five of us walked
straight. We had been at it most of the night and it must of been near
morning when the horsemen came to us. They said they had seen a fire and
believed it to be a dozen or so Gallic spearmen from the battle. So we
sneaked up, Germans on foot as well, and surrounded the small camp, where
nine hairy men huddled. Only one man had a shield, another a spear, but
they all seemed to have at least a blade. One man was on watch, but his
eyes looked like they had long since glazed over in deep thought or
regret...or maybe it was a deep fear like nothing I can amagine.

On the signal of the head scout, we jumped into the small clearing and
charged the huddle of men. A German on the other side threw a spear and I
saw the spearhead come out the back of one of the Gauls. I saw another
Gaul fall to a German just before a blade came down at my head. I was quick
enough and raised the small cavalry shield I carried to block. Then, without
thinking, I followed my training and stabbed. I could hear the Gallic blade
slide off my shield and to the ground. Slowly I lowered my shield and saw
the man's face. He looked directly into my eyes, blinked, and fell to the
ground...motionless...

I must finish now, for tommorrow we take down the camp and march north
to Gergovia. The Third is depleted and will say in Narbonensis, but General
Pavo will lead the Seventh north and I will get my first taste of true battle.

General Pavo says that he will endevor to keep mail routes open as
often and as long as he can, so please write me back and tell me of home.
And of what you will name the baby.

Your son,
Servivs Placidvs, 2nd Cohort, Hastati, Seventh Legion



EDIT: Small change. I got the time of the Gallicvs naming wrong. One battle too early.

[alatar]

Great read. I like the varition of the story telling.

[CaesarAugustus]

I was worried for a while that you weren't going to update this anymore, Marcus. I like how you vary the perspectives of the story each entry.

P.S. Why don't you turn off the green arrows?

[MarcusAureliusAntoninus]

Thanks, I was planning to make each entry different. I had a plan for the third entry, but it fell apart after a couple paragraphs and ended up being like the first one.

I usually don't like turning off the arrows since I use it as a way to tell who's who in a huge fight with similar colors. Though I was thinking about loading some old saves and doing some reenactements to get some generic Roman on Gaul action for screenshots. If I do that, I'll deactivate arrows and banners for effect.

I'm currently having difficulty with my campaign and ended up getting a CTD bug in 122BC. Here is a screenshot of the previous autumn:

I took the picture to show my new defended border. I can guard against all kinds of barbarians with only five forts (plus two near Mare Pontica). Since that picture, I took Gintaras-Ostan (source of my bug) and Pavo Germanicvs has marched on Gawjam-Rugoz (last Sweboz holding in Germania).

EDIT: I got past the bug.
EDIT2: Added 120BC expansion map to the first post.

[MarcusAureliusAntoninus]

Nvmerivs Longvs Pavo Gallicvs
The Battle of Gergovia



Dearest Mother,

I write you from a village just outside of the city of Gergovia. The Seventh
Legion has been given a measure of downtime and we are resting in this small
abandoned village. It is a nice, mild summer day here. It reminds me of the
summers of my youth when I would tend the fields with father.

I have just recieved your letter. I am glad that you, Honoria, and young
Gaivs are all well. Though, your talk of the farm worries me. Are you sure
there is enough labour to ensure a good harvest? I should have argued that
I was needed at home and not so readily joined the legion. And what of your
mention of the Dexivs farm? Who has purchased our neighbor's land? Please
write me more details. I worry that you live safely and well. I may be
young, but it is now my duty to lead our family.

Centurian Tiberivs Alleivs tells us to be ready to leave in the morning every
night, but has not said so the last couple days, which leads me to beleive
that will in fact be leaving soon. If we leave, and march against the Arverni
king, I don't know when I will be able to write again. I must therefore finish
this letter. I must tell you of what has happened since my last letter. I
have seen my first battle!

With the bulk of the Arverni forces defeated, General Nvmerivs Longvs Pavo
decided to march on their capital before they could raise a new army. We
didn't even wait for LegioV. And with LegioIII depleted and heading back
home, LegioVII stood alone. And so, we marched deep into enemy lands.

I expected an ambush in every dark wood or from every sharp cliff. But an
ambush never came. In fact, we didn't see a single person other than
ourselves and General Pavo's Germanic horsemen. We saw a few farms,
though the only inhabidants were stray dogs. And there was one small
village we passed, but it was empty a well, a large building in the center
burned down. But then we saw it, ahead of us stood a small plateau, on top
was a fortified city with a large wall made of rocks with a thick wooden
pallisade buillt atop. To one side was a smaller, unwalled, part of the town,
as empty as the rest of the coutryside.

Immediately we set up camp to the south-west of the town and started
felling lumber. We assembled a wall of spikes around the city, just out of
their missile range. Then we went to making seige equiptment to knockdown
their walls. But the equiptment wasn't built for use. An engineer I spoke to
said that the equiptment was only to mislead and frighten the soldiers in
Gergovia. We would only use it if we were pressed to assault the town,
otherwise we would wait them out. And so we waited, for months.

One day a Germanic rider came charging through the camp, passed the
guards, and straight to General Pavo's headquarters. Soon after, General
Pavo gathered the troops and announced that an army of Arverni was
approaching. The next morning, we lined up on a field a few miles from
Gergovia, myself in the second rank, and watched the Gauls slowly walk out
of the woods. I heard Caivs yell, "Finally! Here they come!" I couldn't see
him, but I looked over at Vibivs. I believe the same unnerved look in his eyes
were shared in mine.

The Gauls marched slowly forward. As everything was silent, I noticed
Centurian Tiberivs Alleivs look up into the sky. At first I thought he was
talking to the gods or was deep in thought, but then he squinted and raised
his sheild. There was a noise and I saw an arrow sticking from the near
center of his shield. He yelled out a command and everyone readied for
arrows and stones. Soon after, I saw stones fly over my head and far
forward, our Gallic allies were returning fire.

I'm not sure how much time passed, but before I knew it, I saw our Velites
running toward us. As the last of the ranks of Velites filtered through our
ranks I noticed the Gauls. They were now close. I thought, "How did they
get here already?" But before I could realize that much time had passed
since Caivs had yelled out, the Gauls were apon us. I hadn't even thrown a
pilum, though most of the rest around me had. I threw the one in my hand
quickly over the head of the man in front of me and drew my blade. As the
Gauls hit our line, the man in front of me fell immediately, with a spear to the
belly. Now, in the forward position, I stabbed at my comrade's killer, and he
fell to the ground.

Soon I was replaced in the forward position and I took the time to note that
the men we fought wore no armor. They did not even wear leather or cloth.
The majority had only a shield for protection. But behind them and toward
the center, I saw better equipt soldiers.

I got lost in the battle, even now I don't recall what happened. At some
point Alleivs gave the order and we broke rank to envelope the enemy. It
was at this point I noticed that there were older men fighting by my side. I
believe I even saw a Triari amongst the fighting. By noon, the Gauls in front
of me turned and ran, only a few stood and died. We gave chase, but soon I
saw General Pavo ride by, yelling orders to halt just before chasing after
them with the cavalry.

I had seen no Gallic cavalry in the battle. I was later told that General Pavo
lead an attack on them and chased them from the field. And after that, with
news from a scout, turned and ran down the men coming out of Gergovia to
reenforce the battle. That is where he came from when I had seen him on
the battle. He didn't even return to camp until the sun had set, chasing
after those who had fled.

But even fighting, himself, he had been giving orders to the rest of the army.
I believe all my previous aprrehension about him was misplaced. He is truly a
great man. The Senate agrees with me, aswell. As you have probably
already heard, General Nvmerivs Longvs Pavo was granted the title of
Gallicvs, defeater of the Gauls.

The next morning, we marched to the walls of Gergovia. The gates opened
and a two men walked out. The man in front kneeled and presented himself
for surrender and honorable death. A Roman officer quickly granted him his
death. But before the other could be killed, General Gallicvs intervened and
the man ran back into the city.

After the battle, I found all of my friends. They had all managed to survive.
We greeted eachother and exchanged tales of our fates in the battle. I
believe Caivs may have changed a bit in that battle, but then again we all
might have.

And so here I sit, in a little village, within sight of Gergovia. Those Gauls who
had been inside were sold into slavery and sent back toward Rome. A month
after the city was taken, LegioV reinforced us. But Cotta was not in
command, governing Massilia instead. Now the Legion was commanded by
General Gallicvs' cousin Manivs Placidvs Pavo. Apon their arrival, their
engineers emidiately went to rebuilding the lower city. General Gallicvs
announced that this city will serve as the north point in Roman control to
counter the Aedui Confederation. And so, now I watch as they build a
proper wall around the newly refounded city.

If we move out again, I will write you as soon as possible. But since we may
not, please write me soon. I have arranged that my pay be sent home, as I
shall sell my spoils of the battle and use them for any need of my own not
provided by the army.

Your Son,
Servivs Placidvs, 2nd Cohort, Hastati, Seventh Legion



(Generations later, the site of the Battle of Gergovia is still remembered.)

[CaesarAugustus]

Wow those Gallic cities certainly look Romanized......

[MarcusAureliusAntoninus]

Again, thanks! Though I didn't really feel that great about that entry. For one thing I was planning on it being short and it was not. I had to cut out the last couple planned story points (that were irrelevant to the gameplay) and it was still too long.

Wow those Gallic cities certainly look Romanized......

Yeah, that picture was taken nearly an hundred years later. Generations later, the site of the Battle of Gergovia is still remembered.

I found my own plot hole though. The Arverni had only had access to archers for about three years at the time of that battle, so I don't think there were any there. I don't remember the enemy's army composition in most battles and very little of the battles themselves. That paragraph about the Pavo's cavalry was the only thing that I remembered from gameplay.

The next entry, if and when I get time: "The Fall of a People".

[Shifty_GMH]

Excellent AAR! Keep up the good work.

[Warmaster Horus]

Great update! And what's better, is that you can keep on playing, if I understood correctly.