Blood of the Brutii: My RTW Campaign Chronicle

[Jack50]

Well as a fellow who is looking to write an AAR for Medieval : Total War, I would first off say thanks for the great effort! My impression of the first post is something of the following: The GOOD : Great pace, strong images of the "leaders", ALOT of ACTION. I enjoy the quick and dirty details of the encounters. Great job! The BAD : As someone who has only played M2TW and it's mods I'm lost. Give me a map at least so I know where the battles are at. Pictures are good BUT it's hard enough to write interesting text that will hold the attention of readers. Also give me a better sense of time. Has 1 year passed? Five? I don't know really. The UGLY : Please a couple of pictures please! What I said earlier is true BUT get pictures from the Internet to break up the blocks of texts. Even if it is just a scutum or a pair of nobbed sandals

Options or opinions : Please continue with the AAR I find it very good! Your grammar is fine as is the spelling. Something you may want to do (an idea of what I will do with my AAR), take 1 leader each post and flesh them out. I usually do this for the newer Generals until the grandsons come of age. The starting leaders and heirs are usually well entrenched in history or in the minds of those that have played them. By making the others come to life; so to speak, allows your unique view on how the empire is run and is built.

I hope this gives you something that you can use in the future And more importantly, if you would like to do an EB (I beleive I know what that is) then do it. The AAR is for you, we just get to critique it

[johnhughthom]

The AAR is for you, we just get to critique it

Exactly. You should only write an AAR because you enjoy doing it, trying to write for other people is rarely enjoyable.

[Nerdymidgetkid]

Wow, thanks for all the great advice!!! I've actually really wanted to sort of 'storify' this thing; give characters personalities and the like. I know I'll definitely need pics this time as well. I'll make sure to also give a bit more of a sense of time in my next post, just so you know I left off at 260 BC. I will be doing a second episode and I'll post it part by part like the last. However, I played a few years into it and now can't remember the events of those years, so it'll now start off a bit later. Maybe I'll recall them when I get back to playing. Most of all, thankyou to both of you for giving me some support!!!

[Nerdymidgetkid]

Does anyone know how I can get screens from RTW?

[johnhughthom]

Personally, I use FRAPS to take the shots, then use GIMP to convert to JPEG before uploading to photobucket from where you can link the shots. FRAPS and GIMP are free and pretty simple to use.

[Jack50]

True, FRAPS and GIMP easy and free! Start FRAPS up before R:TW and assign a folder for your shots. Just hit f10 whenever you want to capture anything. After you are done then send to GIMP to switch to JPEG. You can also do other things like writing what this shot is about. However for the beginning just use the shot and don't worry about the extras

[Nerdymidgetkid]

Thanks guys, but haven't got any room to download any new stuff until next month, so until then posts will not have pics :(

[Nerdymidgetkid]

Prologue: Amulius’ Decision

Amulius knew that the fate of his house now rested on his shoulders. He was commanding the largest army the Brutii had ever fielded against an enemy who had the advantage of superior
numbers. If he was defeated, Appolonia was sure to fall, and beyond that Salona. Then, nothing would stand between the Greeks and their old colonies of Tarentum and Croton.
If Amulius was victorious, he could continue on to face his next challenge: the defenders of Thermon.
Amulius was loath to give ground against his enemies, and disinclined to fight them with his back against the walls of Thermon. Therefore, he resolved to march against the Greeks.

The following battle asserted Amulius as one of Rome’s greatest ever military leaders, and perhaps the first of the true greats to be produced by the house of Brutii. Using cavalry tactics common of the Macedonians, he quickly outflanked his enemies, riding in behind the Greek phalanx and disposing of the light troops who had been marching in behind the hoplites, leading the charge as ever. Amulius then ordered the full force of his infantry to attack; whilst he harried the phalanxes from behind, Weakening so that they were unable to withstand the storm of Roman infantry now coming forward. The Greek advantage in numbers (which had originally stood at over 400) was now rapidly falling, and the battle swung into Amulius’ favour.

The second half of the battle bought a tactical error from the Greek general, who divided his phalanx to defend against the cavalry onslaught. Amulius quickly seized the advantage, swiftly bypassing those who had been sent to block him and smashing headlong into the backs of the Greeks who were engaged with his own infantry. The Greek line was swiftly broken. The remainder of the enemy force was now at the mercy of the Roman army. Sending his lighter equites off in pursuit of his fleeing enemies, he ordered his infantry in to close the battle, leaving too few survivors to ever return to Thermon in arms. The city and its defenders were now at the mercy of Amulius’ victorious army.

In the latter half of 261 BC, Amulius arrived at Thermon. With its field army crushed, Amulius saw no reason to hurry to take the city. He laid siege to the place; a siege which he maintained for the next year and a half, by which time the cities’ food reserves had finally depleted. Now faced with the choice between sallying to meet the Roman army and surrender, the Greek king and his army threw open the gates of Thermon and marched out with what defenders they had left (a force which still matched Amulius’ in size) and marched to break the siege, or die in the attempt.

Amulius formed his men up in battle formation as soon as the trumpets blared, but he did not desire a head on encounter with the Greek forces; not on even terms. He knew that the defenders were already exhausted. If the king of Sparta fell, they might give up. With his usual skill in cavalry command he rode in behind the enemy line as it marched out to confront his main army. Faced with the full force of Amulius’ horsemen, the Spartan king and his bodyguard were surrounded. They fought bravely but were quickly overcome nonetheless. When their king fell the Greeks were shaken but held their line still, though when the Roman infantry came from in front and the Roman cavalry from behind, they soon broke and ran to regroup at the city’s central plaza. Amulius and his equites were too fast for them though. The Roman cavalry rode after them, cutting them down as they ran in terror. However, a substantial number of the Greeks made it inside, and the gate was shut. They now rejoiced: for the moment they were safe.
However, Amulius was a prudent commander and had anticipated such a situation. Though he had never intended to storm the city he now ordered the battering ram he had built against the gates, which soon fell.

Now the walls of the city were taken, Amulius ordered his infantry inside. The Greeks rushed to stop them but were quickly overwhelmed.
What was left of the Greek army now prepared to make a brave last stand at the centre of the city, but with the loss of their king and of their walls, they did not have the resolve to put up much of a fight. After a brief engagement the survivors (who were few) surrendered.

Okay, that was a quick little post detailing the Battle of Thermon. Thought it might be a nice little feature to write an account of my most epical battles, and that being the first major capaign against the Greeks I thought it would be appropriate. More to come, though still won't have screens for a bit!

[Nerdymidgetkid]

Part 1

It was now the winter of 268 BC, and trouble was afoot in Southern Italy. The Sammnites, Rome’s oldest enemy, had once again taken up arms and had set up their camp in their old homeland: the territory of Aulus Brutus, Imperator of the house of Brutii of the Roman Republic.

Rebels were also afoot in the lands to the North of Appolonia, on the edge of Brutii controlled territory.
Of even greater concern was the kingdom of Macedon, which had made several incursions into Brutii territory, coming within sight of the Brutii settlement of Salona. Though these incursions had been considered acts of war according to the policy of the Roman Senate, the greatest general of the house, Amulius Brutus, had never attacked their numerically superior armies. However, the Macedonians, blocked each time by Amulius’ tactics, had also failed to engage...
The Senate had also ordered Aulus to seize the settlement of Segastica, which was situated to the Northwest of Salona. Aulus realized that the next year would be a time of several campaigns...

With the advent of the New Year, Amulius, greatest of the house’s commanders (and indeed perhaps the greatest general in all of Rome) dispatched a small contingent of equites and Infantry to rendezvous with Herius Pompilius, captain of the guard of Appolonia. Herius was to lead this squadron against the rebels who had manifested themselves north of his younger (and yet far more talented, charismatic and generally promising) Cousin Cornelius. Amulius wished for his nephew (Herius being the son in law of Aulus) to gain honour and glory for himself on the field of battle, so he might be held in such esteem as is befitting of the son of the Imperator. It is a mark of Amulius’ dedication to his house that he chose his rather unremarkable Nephew for this command instead of his own son Cornelius. However, it cannot be said that Cornelius himself was unhappy with the arrangement, as commanding a small sortie against rebellious slaves hardly compared with the importance of a job such as governing a city, as was his post. (This is especially remarkable, as Cornelius was only 19 years old at the time; an age when most Romans of a ruling house study and train in their family’s capital)

At the same time, Admiral Marcus was ordered to the port of Thermon, so that he could ferry a larger detachment from Amulius’ army to aid Aulus and Vibius (Vibius being the finest of the family’s governors and ruler of the city of Croton) in the inevitable conflict with the rebels whom they stared at across the sloping hills of their realms.
Aulus had decided that he himself would command the Brutii troops at that battle (or at least be present while Amulius’ commanders busied themselves with trivialities such as tactics, orders and fighting.) His father Tiberius (who had died two years previously, as Amulius had beset Thermon) had once been a great general (though not of course as great as his second son Amulius.) Aulus, on the other hand, had spent the most part of his life safe within city walls, seeking (yet failing) to be elected into the Senate.

Now though, Aulus was adjusting to his new position; the ruler of his house and of Tarentum. And though he had not nearly the talent for command as his brother Tiberius, nor the knack for governorship as his brother Vibius, (and probably due in no small part to these factors which he no doubt wished to improve) he had decided that he needed the kind of distinction that his father had won in the days before his birth.
The year turned. It was now early in 267 BC which turned out to be (as Aulus had planned) a year of war. Herius rode north to meet the rebel menace with his equites, beginning the battle with the words “By night time we’ll be building the enemy funeral pyres, so cheer up and fight!”

The odds were against Herius as far as numbers went, and his men felt “that defeat was a distinct possibility” as Herius’ lieutenant had quaintly put it after the battle. However, the enemy were poorly armed and most certainly not equipped or trained to fight horsemen (the finest troops in the Brigand band being armed with throwing spears designed to combat infantry)
Arrayed in what the most skilled observers may have called some sort of formation, the brigand army advanced. At the front stood the men who had the least equipment; with each of them only carrying a knife and wearing no armour of any kind. Herius decided to charge them head on, knowing that they would soon break and flee and hoping that the rest of his enemies in seeing this would also run. What followed was the shortest battle in the history of Rome, as the brigands turned out to be even more poorly trained and disciplined than Herius had reckoned. The rebel front line crumbled in seconds; with the enemy front lines crumbling almost immediately as the Roman charge drove through their untidy ranks.
Seeing their comrades break so easily caused the remainder of the rebel force to join them in their rout. Herius pursued them mercilessly. He may not have had much talent for command in a full scale battle, but his efficiency in this skirmish could not be forgotten, as no enemies were left unaccounted for, (or indeed alive) and only two of his own men had perished.

Part 2:

It was said in the time immediately after the battle that “Herius had no real aura for command, but made up for it with a good loud voice and a small talent for instilling fear” Hearing these words spoken, his father Aulus was hardly pleased, as it was likely that Herius would one day rule his house. However, Amulius was pleased with his 27 year old nephew’s progress, and as Herius (along with most others) secretly though Amulius a much wiser man than Aulus, he himself was hardly worried about the future of his career.
At the time of Herius’ battle with the rebels, Aulus’ own son Oppius (being Aulus’ second born child and the younger brother of Titus,) became 16 and so came of age. It was whispered of Oppius that he was “lily livered” and “discreet” but as Aulus had become ever more protective of his second born since Titus’ death, these things were never said aloud.

Even Aulus though knew that his son had no real talent of any kind that would be useful in one of the ruling houses, but he also knew that Oppius was likely to be destined for rule, (or at least great importance,) so Aulus resolved to develop his son’s nonexistent talents while he could. Herius, meanwhile, had returned to his post as chief captain of Appolonia.
He was soon occupied there, as his subordinates reported that they suspected a spy was within the city walls. Up until that point they had not had any success in detecting the spy, and had neglected to inform the governor Cornelius (whom, despite his young age they greatly admired for his competence in governorship) Herius though had returned from his first battle, if a battle it may be called, a confident commander. He resolved to take control of the situation and uncover the spy, as befitted his position. In this endeavour he was successful, and after extracting all the information he could, Herius turned the Macedonian spy over to his Cousin.

The spy was promptly bought before a crowd, hung by his wrists, stabbed in the side by a spear and left until upon the verge of death, and then beheaded. Cornelius, as any good Roman governor should, was already developing some unorthodox methods of execution, and (being a true Roman) he had no love for secrecy or espionage.
Herius had been amused by the execution of the man who had exploited Roman honesty in such a manner, and was surprised when soon after, a detachment of Amulius’ infantry arrived in Appolonia, bringing with them orders from Amulius, (who was now the official heir to the Brutii house, and so had command of the Brutii territories in Greece.)
Herius was to sail with his band of equites and these new reinforcents to Tarentum, where he would accompany Aulus to battle with the rebels there. He would then sail to Segastica, take the city, and assume command there. Zeus, it seemed to Herius, had great plans for him, though he was not of Brutii lineage.

If this was so, then Amulius was indeed Zeus in disguise, though this was not a possibility that was discounted by the Plebeians of Tarentum. Amulius, whether he was truly Zeus or no, saw great potential in Herius, and a man that was, in any case, a better candidate to rule the family than Oppius.
Herius now acted swiftly. To be the chief guard captain of a city was of course a position of great importance, but Herius now felt that it was his time to move up the social ladder of his family. He took his forces south to the city’s port, where Admiral Marcus had recently arrived. However, in Herius’ absence disaster struck Appolonia: another Macedonian agent had escaped! Cornelius hoped that the spy had been foiled before he could recover any useful information to give back to his cowardly masters.
Herius on the other hand continued on, untroubled by the news (as it had not yet reached him.) By early 266 BC, he had arrived at the port of Appolonia.
As Cornelius was busy in Appolonia building himself a grand villa to replace his old house, Herius set foot on Italian soil for the first time since he had married into the house.

Meanwhile, Oppius had gotten married. His bride was a twelve year old girl named Magna, a woman who had made Oppius the subject of detrimental rumours. (It detracts from one’s influence when stories circulate around one’s wife about said wife and her lovers...)
Aulus was by now getting rather fed up with his son whose reputation had only plummeted since the stories about his new wife had begun to circulate. Roman law dictated that if Aulus was to leave Tarentum, Oppius would be left in charge (a rather frightening prospect to both Aulus himself and the plebeians.) Still, Aulus planned to go to battle for the first time in over 10 years and unfortunately for all that would mean Oppius would now be in charge of the Brutii house’s capital.

However, Aulus was loathe to give Oppius command until it was absolutely necessary, so the winter came, Herius approached the rebels, and still Aulus did not leave his city. Things were rather more exiting though on the high seas, upon which Admiral Marcus sailed to attack Greek ships which had been sighted in the Aegean. The Greek fleet was scarce in number and was easily defeated. Marcus now returned to the port of Tarentum to replenish his own fleet.

As the year continued to wear on a Greek ambassador came to Herius requesting a ceasefire. With his father’s approval, Herius accepted, as he knew that the Macedonians were the bigger problem, and it would be preferable not to have to worry about the Greeks if conflict broke out. He also reasoned that the Greeks would do their part to weaken the Macedonians for they had been blood enemies for over a century. They would do this better if they did not have Rome to worry about, so both states were happy with the new arrangement.
It was now time for Aulus to make his decision. Possibly it was the most terrible decision he had ever had to face. However, his political drive swayed him. Despite his position as Imperator of one of the ruling houses of Rome, he only held the lowly office of Quaestor in the Senate. So, after much careful deliberation, he decided to leave his incompetent son Oppius in charge of his city. He hoped that the gods would forgive him if he earned glory in the battle to come.

The Battle of Apulia was hardly a remarkable one, but it proved Herius as a man of worth. The Brutii army consisted of 345 men whilst their enemies numbered 349. Aulus sought a quick victory and so, mimicking Amulius, he ordered Herius’ equites to ride behind the enemy’s lines to take on the rebel general and his bodyguard. In the cavalry engagement that followed, the rebel general emerged victorious and the equites who had been victorious under the command of Herius were utterly routed.
Herius was not a man to suffer this sort of failure in an important sortie. Riding out with his personal bodyguard he flanked and charged in to finish the job. The rebel general’s guards crumbled and their commander was slain. He had though issued on final order to his men; charge the main Roman line. This they did, and Aulus, taken off his guard, was not sure what to do about the battle that was now being fought in front of him.

If it hadn’t been for Herius’ precautions the Roman line may have broken, but it was not so. Prior to the battle, Herius had recruited a band of mercenaries who fought in the hoplite fashion. These sturdy men regrouped and held the Roman line together, fighting with their short swords and sturdy shields to drive the enemy back. The Sammnites retreated and the Roman line reformed under the direction of Aulus. When the Sammnites attacked again they were broken against the Roman lines, which had been strengthened by the return of Herius.
Herius now rode out once more to ensure that the survivors would not return. Once the enemy had been reduced to about 20 terrified rebels, he halted to take some well earned rest.
After the battle, Aulus was considered a good commander, which was a great improvement from his previous level of ability. He now returned to Tarentum which (thankfully) had not been destroyed by Oppius’ regime. Herius now prepared to sail to Segastica, and his first true command.

Part 3:

Herius now marched his men to the port of Tarentum, whilst what was left of his squadron of equites had been sent into the city to be bought back up to strength with new riders. It took 6 months to do this, but when the squadron (which now comprised mostly of fresh recruits) was ready to leave, they joined Herius. The army now boarded Admiral Marcus’ ships and set sail for Segastica, which was the stronghold of the Illyrian people.

Meanwhile, another Macedonian contingent had crossed the Brutii border near Salona, and Amulius was getting impatient. Presently he was building a barracks in Thermon so that he could bring his army back up to full strength, but until then he was unwilling to move. Luckily though, the Macedonian army was small and Amulius judged that it could be held off by Cassius’ militia if necessary.

Aulus began to realize that he may have been approaching the greatest was his house had ever faced; a war against the heirs of Alexander. If so, he reasoned, then he may well need an army to bolster Amulius’. He resolved to create a new army for the war which he now believed was inevitable. Armed and armoured with the wares of the Brutii heartlands (which surpassed any in any other Brutii controlled city due to the government employed blacksmiths who Tiberius had employed there.) Aulus also had plans to construct a full legion barracks in Tarentum to create a new kind of Brutii soldier.

It remained to be seen whether Aulus could successfully implement this idea, but in the meantime he began training up a force of cavalry and light troops which would compliment his superior heavy infantry.

The new year of 254 BC came and bought with it good news for Aulus. He had been elected to serve as Adelie, the next step up from Quaestor on the political ladder in Rome. After all, being in command of the food supply in Rome is no small honour. His participation (or as he called it “command”) at the battle of Apulia was clearly paying off...

Meanwhile, another Macedonian detachment had arrived in Brutii territory; and this was enough to convince Amulius to move sooner than had been planned. Leaving a small part of his force there as a garrison he left the city to once again attempt to block the Macedonians.

Further north Herius had arrived in Illyria, and now moved to engage the Illyrian army which blocked his path to the city. However, Segastica held no real military might and Herius was confident he could crush his enemies quickly and with few casualties.
The summer solstice passed and still Herius marched North, though it was too late to complete the Senate’s mission, which Aulus had failed to complete during the allotted time.

Perhaps this was a blessing though as Herius was now needed elsewhere. A Macedonian fleet had blockaded the port of Appolonia, making the war official. Of even greater concern was the large Macedonian army which had now crossed the border under the command of the heir to the Macedonian throne. If the three armies combined they would nearly outnumber Amulius two to one. Amulius did not find these odds favourable, and so instead sought to divide and conquer.

Admiral Marcus now sailed south to break the blockade of Appolonia whilst Herius marched in the same direction to aid Amulius.
Unfortunately he would not arrive for some months so once again it looked as though it was all up to Amulius.
The two small Macedonian forces which had entered Brutii territory first had now joined up, but still they posed little threat to Amulius’ army. Amulius purposed to destroy them first before moving on to do battle with the Macedonian prince.

As Amulius advanced upon them the Macedonians force marched until the road led them to Appolonia. With their backs to Appolonia they prepared to face Amulius, though their plight had only worsened since Amulius had first marched against them, as they now had their backs turned to the most promising young member of the Brutii house...
Meanwhile in Salona, blissfully unaware or untroubled by less important affairs to the south, Cassius (now being aged 30) had married a 24 year old woman named Marciana.

Amulius would have no time to celebrate his son’s marriage just yet. Employing the help of some mercenary hoplites and Cretan archers, and using his own brand of textbook cavalry tactics, he utterly routed the Macedonian army, leaving only about 30 survivors. Cornelius was not required to enter the battle, though he arrived all the same with his militia and personal bodyguard, perhaps to cheer his father on and watch from the cover of a grove of trees as the first Brutii engagement with the kingdom of Macedon ended in a decisive victory.
Now though, he would have to face the Macedonian heir, and his army, which turned out to be ever larger than Amulius had originally reckoned. (It seemed to outnumber Amulius’ force 2 to one without the reinforcements that Amulius had recently destroyed. Time was running out for Amulius, who would have to employ some quick thinking to emerge victorious.
Matters were even worse though in Thermon. Two more small Macedonian detachments were approaching the poorly defended city...

As the year drew to a close a Macedonian ambassador arrived at Thermon, saying that if the Brutii did not attack the Macedonians, then the Macedonians would not attack them. The terms were agreed to by the local guard captain. The Macedonians retreated out of Thermon’s territory, only to move in again a short time later, this time going as far as to besiege the city.

It was now early in the year 264 BC, and it seemed that Amulius would now have to face the numerically superior Macedonian army in battle, as they had advanced up to Amulius’ army. Scouting and skirmishing ensued, though Amulius knew that it would not last. The odds had never been more unfavourable for him, nor had so much ever been at stake.
Meanwhile, the Macedonian fleet which had been blockading the port at Appolonia had for some mysterious reason left the port and moved out into the Aegean, towards Admiral Marcus’ superior force. Admiral Marcus was more than happy with this new development, and proceeded to crush them immediately.
The standoff continued between Amulius and the Macedonian prince Euneus. Amulius decided to leave the first move to his enemy.

Part 4

This turned out to be his worst mistake in many years. 6 months passed, and still the Macedonians did nothing. However, the reason for their waiting now became clear. A second Macedonian army approached through the same path, meaning the Amulius now had to face twice as many Macedonians as he would have. Now, the usually calculating head of Amulius was filled with fear, as he did not know whether more enemy armies would come. Despite the unfavourable odds, he called for his son Cornelius and prepared to attack.

As it turned out, the quality of Euneus’ army was poor, and if Amulius had attacked earlier the odds may well have been in his favour. He knew that his first tactical error since anyone could remember could cost him dearly. Nevertheless, he marched out to defend Appolonia and meet his enemies in battle, but not before hiring some local Illyrian mercenaries, hoptlites and Cretan archers.

Before the battle, with all of his forces arrayed in battle formation, he told his men that though they were greatly outnumbered, each one of them was worth 10 of their enemies. All knew that Amulius to be the wisest ever to grace his house, but it can be guessed that many of the young men who stood listening to that speech may have questioned it. Could even Amulius win this battle?
The battle began in earnest, with Euneus ordering his phalanxes straight in to attack. Whatever words of encouragement he had spoken, Amulius knew that he would be hard pressed if the phalanx managed to engage him head on at his current strength. Once again he was relying on his trademark cavalry tactics to give him the upper hand. However, in his plans he either failed to remember the second Macedonian army which was coming up behind, or had no plan for them...

Most likely he was hoping to deal with Euneus first and then move on to the reinforcements. Riding to the flank of Euneus’ army with his personal squadron of equites his immediately engaged the Macedonian light cavalry and skirmishers there along with his son Cornelius and his bodyguard. Eventually though he came up against some tougher Macedonian heavy cavalry. However, that squadron was small and Amulius overcame even them with the power of his initial charge.
However, even Amulius could not plan for all eventualities and the number of Macedonians who now surrounded him, peppering his cavalry with missiles. The casualties began to mount.

From what is known of Euneus he was as good a commander as Herius, and as such he kept his phalanx moving towards Amulius’ infantry, rather than split his line as Amulius had hoped would happen. Meanwhile, the Macedonian prince had sent all his light troops to surround Amulius’ horsemen.

To break the trap Amulius now split his forces, ordering Cornelius and his squadron to go after one enemy formation whilst he rode to meet another. It is hard to say whether Euneus had been planning for this, but if he hadn’t he certainly saw the opportunity when it presented itself; perceiving his foes’ weakness and exploiting it. He now rode in with his one personal guards; an entire squadron of the finest riders in Macedon; his companions.

Deciding quickly that his son would have to take on all the enemy skirmishers, he ordered Cornelius and his squadron to do so whilst he and his guards now rode to meet the companions in a head on clash.
But Amulius was now being forced to alter his plans to counter his enemies’. Either Euneus was a far better commander than the Romans had though, or the superior numbers under his command were giving him the flexibility he needed to outmanoeuvre Amulius. Given what happened next, the former seems more likely.
Amulius was now facing the heirs of Alexander, who had written the book that he had studied his entire military career; namely the art of using tactics. Now he had met a man who (it seems) knew how to command horsemen as well as Amulius did. On the other hand, the Macedonians had perhaps three times the amount of cavalry that Amulius did.

Now Amulius saw what had either been his enemy’s plan or along, or his captain’s perception. Whether this was all part of a plan that Euneus had conceived or whether the general of his reinforcements was apt enough to take it, it will probably never be known. For now the second Macedonian army had sent in its own huge force of Lancers, who were now charging into the rear of Amulius’ guards. Now, Amulius yelled for his son to come and join him to hopefully defend against the onslaught. It can be surmised that he had by now either lost his cool completely, or he sought to strike down the enemy prince as he expected the Macedonians to flee at the sight. Regardless, Cornelius and his squadron charged in to the centre against the enemy companion cavalry, leaving both squadrons open to the charge that now thundered over the last few metres which it had to cover before colliding against the Roman lines...

The Macedonian cavalry hit the Romans like a thunderbolt. In the short ensuing mêlée Amulius, greatest of the Brutii’s generals, finally fell, alongside his son Cornelius, who had promised to be just as great a commander if not a greater one, if he had lived.

Though the Brutii infantry were close enough to see it, they probably wouldn’t have believed it at first. Amulius was the wisest, the greatest general his family had ever seen. He had developed a close bond with his men, as he did not refrain from doing everything and more that he asked of them. His son Cornelius had been well liked by all and had been considered most likely of all the house to eventually become the finest general in Rome; perhaps, some had thought, he would have even surpassed his father. Amulius himself had been the one who had spoken this thing loudest. It did not take long, though, for the Brutii troops to realize that both of their commanders had just died heroically but perhaps in vain. They would all die. Appolonia would fall. Then, Thermon and Salona were easy targets. After that, what would stop Macedon from coming to Italy itself? What would stop them from seizing Tarentum?

The Macedonians must have been elated. Their enemies were leaderless. Euneus though was not a man to allow his men to celebrate before the battle was won. After all, they had only defeated a small part of the Brutii army.
The Macedonian light cavalry now rode behind the Brutii lines. The few Roman survivors from the cavalry sortie regrouped and attempted to lead the Macedonians away. The Macedonian horsemen followed them, giving the Cretan archers time to fire. When the Cretans fired the Macedonians felt it, again and again they were subjected to hails of arrows but they kept riding. In the end the Roman cavalry turned and met their deaths, though they took many Macedonians with them. Now the Macedonian cavalry rode in to kill the archers; however they were met with a storm of Illyrian spears. Reeling, they broke and fled. Now though the Macedonian phalanx had arrived, with Euneus and his companions leading them. Seeking to avenge their general, the mercenary hoplites advanced, but the Macedonian phalanx intercepted them. Now, the Romans had no choice but to charge forth as one, but it was in vain. About 40% of the Macedonian army had been destroyed.