Chapter IV - VaE victis
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The Senate's Demands
"Woe to the Vanquished" - Subjugate 13 factions |
The Senate's Ambitions
"Carthage Must Be Destroyed" - Subjugate Carthage "To Ashes" - Loot or Raze Carthago "The Fall of Macedonia" - Subjugate Macedon "Transalpina" - Hold the entirety of Provincia |
173 BC
Rome
Breuci
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Athens
Veneti
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Macedon
Carthage
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Rugii
Libya
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Suebi
Gaetuli
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Pictones
Edetani
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Arverni
Knossos
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Scordisci
Pergamon
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Spring 173 BC – On the coast of Africa, at the Pillars of Hercules, the Gaetuli defeated the Carthaginian garrison at Tingus. The Gaetuli, a powerful desert tribe that had been on bad terms with Carthage for many decades, were welcome neighbors for the Roman settlers in Hispania. The Roman commanders did not believe they could stand for long against the might of Carthage without assistance, but with the ink on the peace treaties still fairly fresh and skirmishes erupting in Greece, Roman legions entering Africa soon was an unlikely scenario.
The peace with Carthage was difficult to promote among Romans, patrician and plebian alike. A century of anti-Punic rhetoric would not be washed away, and proposals to assist the Gaetuli were already being heard in the Senate. The focus of Roman foreign policy, imperceptibly to people at the time, had shifted slightly away from expansion of control over land and resources to control over people. Truly believing they were a blessed and superior race, the Latins could not abide the idea of independent Carthaginians, Greeks, Celts, and Germans influencing and interfering with Roman aspirations. If Rome was to thrive unchallenged, the sovereign rule of these cities and kingdoms must be removed. If a neighbor could not be brought into the Roman fold as puppet or ally, then it must be destroyed and its people taught the ways of Rome.
This harsh stance against coexistence was a product of the endless cycle of war with the foreign powers of Macedon and Carthage. In their current war against Macedon and its vassal, Athens, the Republic would not be happy with a truce. The V, VII, and X Legions, supported by the new XIII Fleet, were sent to Greece with instructions to conquer and subjugate the kingdom. Roman power had spread, and trade across the Mediterranean funded new legions and fleets, while in Thrace, Germanic barbarians had invaded the Macedonian kingdom and won surprising victories. Determined to take advantage of this reversal in fortunes, Rome was no longer content to share power with the former empire of Alexander. And the voices in the forums did not stop there, because after Macedonia, there was still Carthage.
The peace with Carthage was difficult to promote among Romans, patrician and plebian alike. A century of anti-Punic rhetoric would not be washed away, and proposals to assist the Gaetuli were already being heard in the Senate. The focus of Roman foreign policy, imperceptibly to people at the time, had shifted slightly away from expansion of control over land and resources to control over people. Truly believing they were a blessed and superior race, the Latins could not abide the idea of independent Carthaginians, Greeks, Celts, and Germans influencing and interfering with Roman aspirations. If Rome was to thrive unchallenged, the sovereign rule of these cities and kingdoms must be removed. If a neighbor could not be brought into the Roman fold as puppet or ally, then it must be destroyed and its people taught the ways of Rome.
This harsh stance against coexistence was a product of the endless cycle of war with the foreign powers of Macedon and Carthage. In their current war against Macedon and its vassal, Athens, the Republic would not be happy with a truce. The V, VII, and X Legions, supported by the new XIII Fleet, were sent to Greece with instructions to conquer and subjugate the kingdom. Roman power had spread, and trade across the Mediterranean funded new legions and fleets, while in Thrace, Germanic barbarians had invaded the Macedonian kingdom and won surprising victories. Determined to take advantage of this reversal in fortunes, Rome was no longer content to share power with the former empire of Alexander. And the voices in the forums did not stop there, because after Macedonia, there was still Carthage.
Summer 172 BC – As the Roman armies moved into Greece, they were forced to proceed blindly. The spies Rome had placed in the Macedonian countryside were unable to locate the enemy forces and their visiting dignitary had been wounded by an assassin, further hindering Roman intelligence. The Athenians were much closer and easier to watch, but that proximity was also proving to be a problem. From Athens, The Brave Companions marched to secure Sparta for the Greeks and the VII Legion was unlikely to arrive in time to defend the city.
Winter 170 BC – The Athenians had retreated behind their walls instead of racing the VII Legion to Sparta. General Servius Aelius Aculeo followed the Brave Companions and set siege to the city. Athenai was well stocked and well defended. Even after the XIII Fleet arrived to blockade the port, the city could have held out for the better part of a decade, but this was not to be the case. Confident in their numbers and in their general’s ability, the Brave Companions led the garrison out to confront the VII Legion. Fortune favored Aculeo in the field. After nearly losing his own life leading a botched charge into the Greek pikemen, the inexperienced Roman commander still proved able to control the battlefield and carry the day. After the Brave Companions were routed, and their leader captured, Aculeo secured Athenai for the Romans with the assistance of the XIII Fleet. Fortunately for the Romans, the Macedonian forces were still engaged in the north, fighting a large invasion of the Germanic Suebi tribe. No men could be spared to help their client state, or else the barbarians might soon reach Pella itself.
Spring 169 BC – After many years holding out on their own, the Gaetuli succumbed to the might of Carthage. Reduced to pirates and raiders, the desert tribe fled Tingus, unlikely to return. Despite their success, Carthage seemed to be having internal problems. Slave revolts had been reported and a civil war had begun between Carthage and some of its own colonies. Roman spies watched and waited for the best time to reignite the Punic Wars.
Summer 168 BC – Returning from Anatolia, where they had finished conquering the lands of Bithynia and securing peace with the Galatians, the Macedonian forces that were not fighting back the encroaching Suebi began to return to Greece. Not wanting to come between the Macedonians and the Suebi, the Roman legions followed a defensive strategy in Greece that they hoped would allow the two foreign nations to further weaken each other. While the Roman spies continued to incite unrest in Greek and barbarian holdings alike, the legions stood ready to react to Macedonian movements.
Autumn 167 BC – Without support from their beleaguered overlords, the Athenians were brought entirely under Roman dominion. After installing his authority in the city of Larissa, Aelius Aculeo, senior member of the House of Junia and commander of the VII Legion, knew the next step would take him beneath the walls of Pella, capital of Macedon. Unfortunately, the recent changes the VII Legion had brought to the Hellenic provinces had left them in a state of significant unrest. In order to maintain what Rome had gained, Aculeo’s glory would have to be delayed.
Spring 165 BC – In Alexandria, Roman envoys were successful in ending hostilities with the Egyptians before any serious conflict had ensued. Neither nation – each having their own unassociated issues – had wanted to test their strength against the other, and the subjugation of their Athenian allies had ended Egypt’s obligations to pursue such a course. To their west, however, the Libyans, allies of Carthage, had begun attacking Roman traders and settlements. Possessing a bloodlust that the Egyptians had lacked, peace with the Libyans would not be reached as easily.
Outside of Pella, the X Legion began the construction of rams and towers. With Aculeo and the VII Legion camped close enough to reinforce them, the X Legion prepared to assault the Macedonian capital.
Outside of Pella, the X Legion began the construction of rams and towers. With Aculeo and the VII Legion camped close enough to reinforce them, the X Legion prepared to assault the Macedonian capital.
Autumn 163 BC – The siege of Pella dragged on, and the Romans were unable to maintain a blockade of the city. With supplies sailing into the port unimpeded, the Legions camped outside decided that they must assault the walls or retreat until a stronger naval presence could be created in the Aegean. The priests’ augurs were favorable, and the commanders ordered the attack despite the heavy toll the task would require. The X Legion led the assault, pushing their ladders and towers up to the walls under heavy fire from the Macedonian archers and slingers, and the first wave of Romans on the walls was turned back. In Pella’s harbor, the XIII Fleet fought and bled with the marines of Macedon as they strived to gain access to the landings inside the city. With the spearhead of the X Legion breaking, the VII Legion’s veteran troops arrived to fill in the gaps and redouble the assault on the walls. The rams of the X Legion had broken the cities gates, but the wall of spears and pikes behind them were unyielding so the Roman soldiers continued to fight for the walls. The XIII Fleet were miraculously able to gain control of the harbor with every ship of Macedon either sunk or having retreated to the shore. The Roman marines landed in the port and were able to open the beach level gates to the second approaching spearhead of Roman soldiers from the VII and X Legions. The majority of Pella’s defenders were intensely engaged with the initial Roman assault, and the soldiers approaching along the beach sustained only minor casualties as they entered the city. Soon word spread along the walls that all the defenses had failed and the Romans controlled the city center. The defenders, seemingly implacable mere minutes before, collapsed and those who thought they could flee left their brothers to die.
When all the dead were counted, the Romans had lost almost one half of their men in the assault to injury or death. The Macedonian Kingdom still existed, but its heart had been ripped out. The legion commanders occupied Pella with care, preserving all that could be used by the city’s new masters, and edicts promoting Romanization in the province were immediately established. The military and financial potential of the province was not unappreciated by the Romans.
When all the dead were counted, the Romans had lost almost one half of their men in the assault to injury or death. The Macedonian Kingdom still existed, but its heart had been ripped out. The legion commanders occupied Pella with care, preserving all that could be used by the city’s new masters, and edicts promoting Romanization in the province were immediately established. The military and financial potential of the province was not unappreciated by the Romans.
Winter 162 BC – The Roman legions pushed further into the Balkans, carving a realm of martial order out of a landscape covered in barbarians, rebels, and pirates. The kingdom of Macedon, ravaged by the invading Suebi and the upstart king of Tylis on their eastern side, and subdued by the Romans on their western side, were regrouping their government at Pulpudeva in the mountains. The Suebi, an unstoppable force sweeping through Macedon, were interested only in loot and destruction. They did not appear to seek to govern the land they conquered, and new powers soon filled the void they left in their wake. Their fury was finally defeated after one last great victory. Catching the Hellenic kingdom unawares, they sacked Pergamon itself before that kingdom’s vast armies could surround and eradicate the invading force. Pergamon then assumed control over all of Macedon’s former holdings in Asia Minor. In the Black Sea cities of Odessos and Anthei, also former possessions of Macedon, the local Celts, invaders themselves from over a century ago, declared independence from both Macedon and the Suebi, officially reforming the kingdom of Tylis.
On the far western frontier of the Republic, blood would soon be spilt around the feet of the Pillars of Hercules once again. With their Libyan allies attacking Roman trade and landing raiding parties in Sicilia, the Republic declared war on Carthage and ordered the VIII Legion to retake Tingis. The Roman settlements in Hispania were progressing well and, as long as peace could be maintained with the Averni to their north, the legions were free to prosecute war in Africa.
On the far western frontier of the Republic, blood would soon be spilt around the feet of the Pillars of Hercules once again. With their Libyan allies attacking Roman trade and landing raiding parties in Sicilia, the Republic declared war on Carthage and ordered the VIII Legion to retake Tingis. The Roman settlements in Hispania were progressing well and, as long as peace could be maintained with the Averni to their north, the legions were free to prosecute war in Africa.
Winter 158 BC – At the Pillars, the VIII Legion and the VI Fleet met the armies of Carthage. The Africans brought deadly war engines and elephants to the field, striking fear through the Roman ranks, and many fled the field before the day was done. Both armies were effectively destroyed in the ensuing carnage, but the Romans held the fields with what little remained of the legion. Hiring Iberian mercenaries to bolster his decimated ranks, the commander of the VIII Legion settled in to besiege Tingis.
In the mountains of Greece, the V Legion was forced to confront the regrouped army of Macedon in order to assert Roman authority over the province. The victory was costly, but removed Macedon’s final hope and secured Rome’s dominance in the eyes of the local populace.
In the mountains of Greece, the V Legion was forced to confront the regrouped army of Macedon in order to assert Roman authority over the province. The victory was costly, but removed Macedon’s final hope and secured Rome’s dominance in the eyes of the local populace.
Spring 157 BC – When the X Legion surrounded Pulpudeva, they besieged the doomed city for a year in order to construct the engines that would help them gain the walls. By the time the legion was ready to assault, a large army of Celts from Tylis had arrived with a similar goal in mind. Seemingly content to allow the Romans to take the city, they offered only to assist in the attack on their former masters. With the two armies outnumbering the defenders many times over, the city fell quickly. Unfortunately, for the Celts, Tylis would prove very short lived. Macedon’s allies, the Greeks of Pergamon, were quick to move into the fallen kingdom’s lands. Using veils of liberation or assistance, they quickly conquered Macedon’s former domains on the coast of the Black Sea for themselves.
Winter 154 BC - In the Alps, a Roman spy had helped instigate large scale revolt among the Raeti against their Germanic overlords. As soon as the Raeti had seized control of Koria, their traditional home, the IV Legion moved in to support the weak tribe against the return of the Rugii. Citing Rome’s failure to protect their lands in past, the Raeti refused their traditional client status. Licinius Silanus, well aware of Rome’s desire to keep the Germanic tribes out of the mountain passes, was forced to advance the IV Legion on Koria and attempt to subjugate the Raeti by force.
Off the coast of Lilybaeum, the outpost on the western tip of Sicilia, the IX Fleet was sunk while attempting to slow a massive invasion of Libyan troops. The few survivors of the IX Fleet were later assembled at Syracuse where the Fleet would have to be rebuilt, while the VII Legion faced the invasion alone. When the Libyan’s landed, the Roman’s did not give them time to organize their forces after disembarking. The VII Legion was able to take advantage of the staggered and far-strung landing of their enemy to eliminate them piecemeal, never allowing them the chance to use their superior numbers in concert. Realizing the futility of their enterprise, the Libyan pirates and raiders retreated to their boats and fled back into the sea.
Off the coast of Lilybaeum, the outpost on the western tip of Sicilia, the IX Fleet was sunk while attempting to slow a massive invasion of Libyan troops. The few survivors of the IX Fleet were later assembled at Syracuse where the Fleet would have to be rebuilt, while the VII Legion faced the invasion alone. When the Libyan’s landed, the Roman’s did not give them time to organize their forces after disembarking. The VII Legion was able to take advantage of the staggered and far-strung landing of their enemy to eliminate them piecemeal, never allowing them the chance to use their superior numbers in concert. Realizing the futility of their enterprise, the Libyan pirates and raiders retreated to their boats and fled back into the sea.
Summer 152 BC – Rome responded to Pergamon’s expansion into the former kingdom of Macedon with a declaration of War. The kingdom of Pergamon immediately sent two large armies into Roman territory as their rebuttal: The Sons of Ares and the Children of Tyche. One marched directly on Pella, and the other travelled north to follow the banks of the Danube. At the Danube, the V Legion masterfully ambushed the Sons of Ares, and destroyed the army with minimal casualties, but the X Legion was still recovering from the assault on Pulpudeva and did not have the numbers to confront the Children in the field. Neither Pulpudeva nor Pella had established a proper garrison yet, and whichever city the X Legion chose not to man would surely fall to Pergamon, negating years of the legions’ progress. However, Rome had heavily invested in Pella and the surrounding towns for the exact purpose of raising and training armies in Greece. The Senate authorized the creation of a new legion in Pella, the XIV Legion, and fighting units were quickly assembled to defend the city. The X Legion remained at Pulpudeva, but when the Children marched past the city, toward Pella, they followed. The newly trained XIV Legion advanced on the Children from Pella and the two legions caught the enemy between them. The resulting melee was fierce but the Romans emerged with a decisive victory.
Another legion had arisen on the opposite side of the Mediterranean, at Karalis. The XV Legion was also being assembled in extremis, as the island of Sardinia was being threatened by Libyan and Carthaginian forces. The new legion would hopefully be instrumental in bringing the conflict home, to Carthage.
Another legion had arisen on the opposite side of the Mediterranean, at Karalis. The XV Legion was also being assembled in extremis, as the island of Sardinia was being threatened by Libyan and Carthaginian forces. The new legion would hopefully be instrumental in bringing the conflict home, to Carthage.
Winter 150 BC – With the XV Legion and the restored IX Fleet taking responsibility for the defense of Lilybaeum and Sicilia, the VII Legion sailed for Africa to begin the invasion that Rome’s politicians had been demanding for decades. The attacks of the Libyans and Carthaginians had been uncoordinated and spread thin from Hispania to Magna Graecia, and the commander of the VII hoped that they would prove vulnerable to a strong and focused advance. From correspondence with his counterpart in the VIII Legion, he knew that the primary forces of Carthage were currently in far off Mauretania, and so his most urgent concern was making landfall before the superior African fleets could respond.
Meanwhile, the V Legion was regrouping and recruiting in Epidamnos after being routed from Thracia by a third army sent from Pergamon directly on the heels of the first two. It was obvious that the Greek kingdom was devoting all of their resources to maintain their foothold on the western side of the Aegean, but they would have to hold against both the Romans and the Germanic Suebi. As of yet, the Romans had managed to avoid all conflict with the Suebi, but Roman agents were actively attempting to destabilize their authority in the region and hamper their armies.
Meanwhile, the V Legion was regrouping and recruiting in Epidamnos after being routed from Thracia by a third army sent from Pergamon directly on the heels of the first two. It was obvious that the Greek kingdom was devoting all of their resources to maintain their foothold on the western side of the Aegean, but they would have to hold against both the Romans and the Germanic Suebi. As of yet, the Romans had managed to avoid all conflict with the Suebi, but Roman agents were actively attempting to destabilize their authority in the region and hamper their armies.
Summer 148 BC – Still in poor shape from their costly victory over the V Legion, the last army of Pergamon was wiped out by the Suebi. The X Legion finished driving Pergamon back across the Sea of Marmara and was able to occupy the Black Sea settlement of Antheia. The legion commanders were not favorably disposed towards their new Suebi neighbors in Thracia, but they concurred that it would be unwise to open hostilities at this time when Rome was fighting on so many frontiers.
The VII Legion, aware of how well Carthage would be defended, landed to the south at the Libyan base of Thapsus. With the assistance of the IX Fleet, they assaulted the town and razed it to the ground. If the Romans could maintain their foothold in Africa, the town would be rebuilt to suit Roman needs.
The VII Legion, aware of how well Carthage would be defended, landed to the south at the Libyan base of Thapsus. With the assistance of the IX Fleet, they assaulted the town and razed it to the ground. If the Romans could maintain their foothold in Africa, the town would be rebuilt to suit Roman needs.
Spring 145 BC – On the Atlantic coast, the combination of the VIII Legion’s raiding and the unrest caused by Roman spies led to the resurgence of the Gaetuli nomads. When the nomads seized control of Migdol on the Atlantic coast, they happily agreed to become Roman clients in return for their continued autonomy, and joined the war against Carthage.
Summer 144 BC – The siege of Carthage had now been going for three years. Unable to maintain a blockade of the city, the Romans could not prevent the Carthaginian general, Abaddir, from feeding his people by sea. Stubbornly, Servius Aelius Aculeo kept his hold on the roads to the city even when Carthage’s navy retook Thapsus, effectively trapping Aculeo’s legion between the port and Carthage itself. As the head of the house of Junia, Aculeo had already decided he could not retreat.
The Junii were the second most influential house of Rome, and saw themselves as guardians of the Republic’s traditions. After watching the Julii slowly consolidate further power through fame and gold over the decades of his career, Aelius Aculeo had come to resent the imbalance that the rival family was fueling. Now, as he found himself outside the walls of Rome’s most hated enemy, he knew this was an opportunity he could not allow to slip past. With his life on the line, Carthage must fall to him and, therefore, to the House of Junia. Rome would be reminded who its true protectors were.
The Junii were the second most influential house of Rome, and saw themselves as guardians of the Republic’s traditions. After watching the Julii slowly consolidate further power through fame and gold over the decades of his career, Aelius Aculeo had come to resent the imbalance that the rival family was fueling. Now, as he found himself outside the walls of Rome’s most hated enemy, he knew this was an opportunity he could not allow to slip past. With his life on the line, Carthage must fall to him and, therefore, to the House of Junia. Rome would be reminded who its true protectors were.
Autumn 143 BC – With the arrival of the XV Legion under his cousin, Faustus Pontidius Marcellus, and the IX Fleet under Publius Cornelius Scipio, Aculeo decided that it was time to take his glory. While Scipio kept the Carthaginian navy engaged at sea and allowed Marcellus to land the XV Legion in Carthage’s harbor, Aculeo led the VII Legion over the walls. Having had little else to do for the past years other than construct siege engines and raid the countryside, the legion was well prepared for the assault. The Carthaginians took a heavy toll but were unable to repel the Romans from the walls. The VII Legion unleashed a century of Roman hate upon the great city of their enemy and few escaped the ensuing destruction. Aculeo meant to ensure that Carthage could never again regain its glory.
Winter 142 BC – The fall of Carthage was celebrated throughout the Republic for months, but the legions took no time to rest. In Africa, they moved quickly to uproot the remaining Carthaginian nobility. Aculeo immediately sent Pontidius Marcellus and the XV Legion south to regain Thapsus, and he accomplished this with little bloodshed. Despite his nagging suspicions, it appeared to Aculeo that the Punic threat may truly be vanquished.
The legions in the East still fought a slow and bloody campaign against the might of Pergamon. The remnants of Macedon’s nobility had fled to Asia Minor and hid behind Pergamon’s armies. The Roman senate and its generals were determined to eliminate all trace of these claimants to Greek imperial rule and saw Pergamon and Macedon as one united threat. As the Romans moved into Asia Minor, they assaulted Nicomedia in order to gain their first foothold and a fortified base. The seemingly insignificant defenders of the city caused great losses for the X Legion and the city only fell after the XIII fleet landed soldiers behind the defenses.
The legions in the East still fought a slow and bloody campaign against the might of Pergamon. The remnants of Macedon’s nobility had fled to Asia Minor and hid behind Pergamon’s armies. The Roman senate and its generals were determined to eliminate all trace of these claimants to Greek imperial rule and saw Pergamon and Macedon as one united threat. As the Romans moved into Asia Minor, they assaulted Nicomedia in order to gain their first foothold and a fortified base. The seemingly insignificant defenders of the city caused great losses for the X Legion and the city only fell after the XIII fleet landed soldiers behind the defenses.
Summer 140 BC – Progress in Asia Minor was proving slow and torturous as the Romans found the entire population to be working against them. The X and XIV Legions had met with a constant string of set-backs, including sabotaged supplies and ambushed patrols, that had prevented reinforcement and any hope of further prosecution of the war against the Greeks. While only facing one open attack from a Greek army, the Roman invaders felt that the entire province was fighting them every step of the way. Back across the Propontis, the V Legion was able to quash a growing force of Odrysian pirates at Odessos that had formed out of the power vacuum in Thracia. With Odessos occupied by the legion, the border of Roman influence in Thrace was brought north to the Danube River.
On the North African coast, the VIII Legion caught up with the last vestiges of the Carthaginian army at the shipyards in Iol. Capturing this last refuge left the scattered Punic warriors homeless and they soon regrouped as pirates that harried trade between North Africa and the various Mediterranean islands. The fleet of raiders proved surprisingly formidable and the IX Fleet, docked at Lilybaeum, would have to be reinforced before hunting them down. Meanwhile, the Libyans, Carthage’s former allies, accepted a tribute of gold in exchange for the cessation of harassment and piracy along the rest of the African coast. The Libyans would never be trusted by the Romans, but with the legions stretched thin and Thapsus threatened, the gift of gold was far cheaper than the cost of further conflict with these other Punic pirates.
On the North African coast, the VIII Legion caught up with the last vestiges of the Carthaginian army at the shipyards in Iol. Capturing this last refuge left the scattered Punic warriors homeless and they soon regrouped as pirates that harried trade between North Africa and the various Mediterranean islands. The fleet of raiders proved surprisingly formidable and the IX Fleet, docked at Lilybaeum, would have to be reinforced before hunting them down. Meanwhile, the Libyans, Carthage’s former allies, accepted a tribute of gold in exchange for the cessation of harassment and piracy along the rest of the African coast. The Libyans would never be trusted by the Romans, but with the legions stretched thin and Thapsus threatened, the gift of gold was far cheaper than the cost of further conflict with these other Punic pirates.
Autumn 139 BC – From Iol, Tiberius Sabucius Brocchus attempted to negotiate with the neutral tribes of the Sahara. Brocchus had assumed the various African clans would grudgingly accept Roman hegemony after witnessing the fall of Carthage, but the clans turned away all offers of client status and claimed independent control over the Saharan trade routes. Unable to accept any resistance to Roman rule so close to Carthage, Brocchus led the VIII Legion to the Saharan market town of Dimmidi, where the warriors of the ruling Masaesyli tribe were gathered and where he encircled the town to test the nomads’ resolve. Similarly, the independence of the resurgent clans of Iberia would no longer be tolerated in the former domains of Carthage. The I Legion sailed south from Cisalpina and landed in Hispania where they marched further south into the lands of the Edetani.
The Edetani had been granted their independence while the war with Carthage was at a perilous point, but now their control over the Iberian coast was no longer acceptable. The Senate’s ambitions demanded that Rome subjugate its smaller neighbors and bend their resources towards the Republic’s competition with its stronger neighbors. Among the ruling houses, this political philosophy had become the standard and the patricians were often personally funding campaigns to this end. There was great glory and profit to be gained from claiming new lands for the Republic.
Moving towards Arse, the I Legion, led by Gaius Silius Quadratus, encountered an Edetani army assembled to resist the Romans. The I Legion routed the barbarians but would not have been able to move on to Arse without reinforcement. The XII Legion had marched north to meet Silius Quadratus and was there to spearhead the assault on the coastal town of Arse. The Edetani had obviously spent their years of freedom in preparation to resist any further subjugation and were determined to stand and defend Arse with sling and shield wall. In the ensuing assault, the Iberian swords and spears held their ground against the infantry of both attacking legions, but the Roman heavy cavalry crushed the barbarian skirmishers and wwas able to conduct staggering charges into the Iberian flanks. Roman discipline carried the day, and the Edetani dreams of freedom were ended.
The Edetani had been granted their independence while the war with Carthage was at a perilous point, but now their control over the Iberian coast was no longer acceptable. The Senate’s ambitions demanded that Rome subjugate its smaller neighbors and bend their resources towards the Republic’s competition with its stronger neighbors. Among the ruling houses, this political philosophy had become the standard and the patricians were often personally funding campaigns to this end. There was great glory and profit to be gained from claiming new lands for the Republic.
Moving towards Arse, the I Legion, led by Gaius Silius Quadratus, encountered an Edetani army assembled to resist the Romans. The I Legion routed the barbarians but would not have been able to move on to Arse without reinforcement. The XII Legion had marched north to meet Silius Quadratus and was there to spearhead the assault on the coastal town of Arse. The Edetani had obviously spent their years of freedom in preparation to resist any further subjugation and were determined to stand and defend Arse with sling and shield wall. In the ensuing assault, the Iberian swords and spears held their ground against the infantry of both attacking legions, but the Roman heavy cavalry crushed the barbarian skirmishers and wwas able to conduct staggering charges into the Iberian flanks. Roman discipline carried the day, and the Edetani dreams of freedom were ended.
Winter 138 BC – In further pursuance of Roman hegemony, mutually beneficial relations had been broken off with the Veneti tribe on the Adriatic coast and the IV Legion subsequently moved in to assert Roman authority in the region. The outraged Veneti sent their fleet to assault Epidamnos, but the VI Fleet where able to handily defend the port. Within the year the IV Legion had occupied their lightly defended stronghold at Iader.
The eastern war, and the pursuit of Macedon, continued to drag on at great expense in men and denarii. In the Aegean, the III Fleet earned a great naval victory over Rhodos and their admiral, Servius Vibius Cotta of the Cornelii began fabricating plans to assault the island kingdom along with the VII Legion, who had recently arrived in Greece from Africa.
The eastern war, and the pursuit of Macedon, continued to drag on at great expense in men and denarii. In the Aegean, the III Fleet earned a great naval victory over Rhodos and their admiral, Servius Vibius Cotta of the Cornelii began fabricating plans to assault the island kingdom along with the VII Legion, who had recently arrived in Greece from Africa.
Spring 137 BC – In Mauretania, the Masaesyli assaulted the VIII Legion in the deserts outside Dimmidi. The starving nomad army inflicted respectable damage upon Sabucius Brocchus and his legion but were unable to break the siege. When the defenders capitulated, Brocchus spared them little mercy. He enslaved all captives and pillaged the market town as an example. Rome and their Gaetuli allies now controlled the western desert.
Far away, in the hotly contested Aegean, the III Fleet had barely left the harbor in Athens when word arrived of an approaching threat. The kingdom of Pergamon had raised an army on Crete that was now sailing towards Athens from the south. The attack on Rhodos would have to be postponed. Fortunately, opportunities for the Romans in Bithynia seemed to be opening. Tullia Balba, a scout turned spy for the Roman legions, had succeeding in persuading the famed Biton of Pergamon to turn against his former masters. The Greek hero had been a persistent thorn in the Romans’ side, and his campaign of guerilla warfare had been extremely effective at keeping the Roman army ensnared around Nicomedia. Hopefully the legions would soon be on the offensive.
Far away, in the hotly contested Aegean, the III Fleet had barely left the harbor in Athens when word arrived of an approaching threat. The kingdom of Pergamon had raised an army on Crete that was now sailing towards Athens from the south. The attack on Rhodos would have to be postponed. Fortunately, opportunities for the Romans in Bithynia seemed to be opening. Tullia Balba, a scout turned spy for the Roman legions, had succeeding in persuading the famed Biton of Pergamon to turn against his former masters. The Greek hero had been a persistent thorn in the Romans’ side, and his campaign of guerilla warfare had been extremely effective at keeping the Roman army ensnared around Nicomedia. Hopefully the legions would soon be on the offensive.
Summer 136 BC – Hunting for the Macedonians, the XIII Fleet was attacked by their quarry off the coast of Pontus. The fleet had been reinforced in Nicomedia and was well prepared for battle with a large boarding force of marines and two huge ballistae ships. This was Admiral Spurius Papius Maximus’s first fleet command but he was well aware of the dangers involved with his incursion into hostile waters. When Papius Maximus soon found himself confronted by a much larger fleet of Macedonians he calculated that the opportunity was worth the risk. The Greek ships were inferior to the new Roman designs and Maximus knew that a defeat here could leave the Macedonians unguarded on land. The battle ended up claiming the lives of hundreds of Romans, including Maximus himself, but the Roman fleet emerged victorious and proceeded to blockade the Pontic coast.
Autumn 135 BC – The Roman agents in Asia Minor had turned the tables against the Greek alliance and the legions were now finding the roads to be clear and the local resistance less organized. When the XIV Legion arrived at Sinope on the Pontic Coast, they found the city blockaded by the XIII Fleet and the walls lightly manned. The city fell quickly to the Romans while the V and X Legions marched into the Anatolian interior towards Ancyra.
Meanwhile, the armies of Pergamon were far from idle. The VII Legion, protecting Athens, was unable to prevent the Greeks from landing in the Peloponnese and marching on Sparta. When news of the invasion reached Athens, Tiberius Atilius Regulus led the VII Legion south to encircle the enemy in the captured city. Having inherited command of the VII Legion from the esteemed Servius Aelius Aculeo upon his recent and sudden death from natural causes, Atilius Regulus had been adopted into the House of Julia by their patriarch, Silius Quadratus, to the chagrin of the Junii. The new member of Rome’s most powerful family had much to prove in the oncoming confrontation.
While Italia seemed safe and far away from the bloody conflicts raging across the Mediterranean, the Senate realized that the only way to ensure the fighting stayed on the frontiers was to provide a steady stream of supply and reinforcements to the legions deployed there. Two new measures were taken by the Republic to ensure the necessary infrastructure was maintained: a new fleet began construction at Qart Hadasht to support the western legions, and the capture and control of Provincia was ordered to allow land access to Hispania from Italia. To complete the latter, the I Legion occupied the olive groves at Tolosa village, a region that the Averni claimed. The western legions had been without opposition for the last few years but that would now change…
Meanwhile, the armies of Pergamon were far from idle. The VII Legion, protecting Athens, was unable to prevent the Greeks from landing in the Peloponnese and marching on Sparta. When news of the invasion reached Athens, Tiberius Atilius Regulus led the VII Legion south to encircle the enemy in the captured city. Having inherited command of the VII Legion from the esteemed Servius Aelius Aculeo upon his recent and sudden death from natural causes, Atilius Regulus had been adopted into the House of Julia by their patriarch, Silius Quadratus, to the chagrin of the Junii. The new member of Rome’s most powerful family had much to prove in the oncoming confrontation.
While Italia seemed safe and far away from the bloody conflicts raging across the Mediterranean, the Senate realized that the only way to ensure the fighting stayed on the frontiers was to provide a steady stream of supply and reinforcements to the legions deployed there. Two new measures were taken by the Republic to ensure the necessary infrastructure was maintained: a new fleet began construction at Qart Hadasht to support the western legions, and the capture and control of Provincia was ordered to allow land access to Hispania from Italia. To complete the latter, the I Legion occupied the olive groves at Tolosa village, a region that the Averni claimed. The western legions had been without opposition for the last few years but that would now change…
Winter 134 BC – Atilius Regulus and the VII Legion were confronted on the field by the Heralds of Thanatos at Sparta and the Greek army was destroyed. Sparta was retaken, but the coastlines of Greece were not secure. More legions were raised from the cities of Greece and Italia as the Senate decided to redouble efforts in Asia Minor. Meanwhile, Sinope was lost to an army sent by the Macedonians and the other legions in Anatolia remained idle as the war continued to be fought more by the subterfuge of spies and nobles than by soldiers in the field.
Summer 132 BC – The Averni had finally decided that the Roman challenge must be met and two armies were soon spotted marching toward the Roman held lands. The I Legion had been raiding into Celtic territory but quickly marched to Massalia to meet the advancing warband in Provincia. In the Alps, the IV Legion prepared the defenses at Octuduron. Meanwhile, the XII Legion launched a crushing ambush against the Averni’s Iberian allies in Hispania, but the unfortunate commander of the legion was fatally wounded by a well-aimed javelin.
In Asia Minor, Nicomedia had been besieged for two years by the Champions of Olympus, an army from Pergamon. The X Legion, finally mobilized after being caught up in Greek politics and guerilla warfare for the past two years, retreated to Bithynia and routed the Champions. In order to push the war against the Greeks past the current stalemate, the XIV Legion, previously wiped out by the Macedonians at Sinope and reformed in Brundisium, was on the move towards Asia Minor along with the VII Legion. This unprecedented concentration of Roman military power was not without risk but would hopefully force a conclusion to the conflict.
In Asia Minor, Nicomedia had been besieged for two years by the Champions of Olympus, an army from Pergamon. The X Legion, finally mobilized after being caught up in Greek politics and guerilla warfare for the past two years, retreated to Bithynia and routed the Champions. In order to push the war against the Greeks past the current stalemate, the XIV Legion, previously wiped out by the Macedonians at Sinope and reformed in Brundisium, was on the move towards Asia Minor along with the VII Legion. This unprecedented concentration of Roman military power was not without risk but would hopefully force a conclusion to the conflict.
Spring 129 BC - Sinope was proving to be a dangerous liability. The Anatolian coast was not an easy route for the legions and they found it difficult to coordinate the defense of Sinope with Nicomedia. Not willing to risk losing their foothold on Nicomedia, Sinope remained manned by the much smaller and newly organized XIV Legion. Through the years of 130 and 129 BC, the XIV Legion would quickly become experts in Greek warfare while repelling multiple offensive campaigns from Macedonian, Rhodian, and Cypriot armies.
Autumn 127 BC – The Roman Republic had been at war with the Macedonians for almost 50 years, although historians would divide this war into different phases. Initial conflict had arisen over Roman control of the Adriatic coast and had, at length, led to war in Macedonia and the capture of Pella by the Roman legions. Most had thought this would be the death knell for the Hellenic kingdom, but the senators in Rome were well aware that the Macedonian nobility had survived and relocated to recently captured holdings in Asia Minor. Fearful of the Macedonians’ ability to rally the Greek nations around dreams of restoring the Greek Empire, the Senate demanded the war be taken across the Aegean. In pursuance of their security, the senators were likely the cause of the very circumstance they were trying to avoid. Seeing a common threat from the encroaching legions, the various Greek kingdoms and satrapies had banded together to destroy the Romans. After decades of fighting in the Anatolian country side, with cities like Pessinus and Sinope changing hands multiple times, the X and XIV Legions finally cornered the remnants of the Macedonian nobility in Ancyra. The assault and subsequent pillage of the city ended with the death or capture of all the highborn Macedonians that could be found but it would remain to be seen if this would bring an end to the Greek alliance. Nevertheless, the momentous battle was an important fulfillment of Roman political ambitions and felt like the beginning of the end of Greek hegemony.
In Rome, the news of the successful mission came as much relief to the Senate and people. The immense costs of the campaigns were seemingly validated and a magnificent triumph was held. While most legions could not yet return to Italia to participate, the young commanders of the X and XIV Legions were especially celebrated and Tiberius Atilius Regulus, commander of the VII Legion and newly prominent member of the Julii, was presented the title of Aedilis for his leadership in both the campaigns against Carthage, where he served under the recently departed Servius Aelius Aculeo, and then against Macedon and Pergamon. The House of Julia continued to wield the largest share of influence within the Republic’s government, but enough power was in the hands of other major families that a precarious balance continued to be accepted among the patricians.
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The Senate's Demands
"Woe to the Vanquished" - Subjugate 13 factions (Complete) |
The Senate's Ambitions
"Carthage Must Be Destroyed" - Subjugate Carthage (Complete) "To Ashes" - Loot or Raze Carthago (Complete) "The Fall of Macedonia" - Subjugate Macedon (Complete) "Transalpina" - Hold the entirety of Provincia (Complete) |
127 BC
Rome
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Egypt
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Cyprus
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Rhodos
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Pergamon
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Cimmeria
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Armenia
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Libya
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Celtici
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Arevaci
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Arverni
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Breuci
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Marcomanni
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Scordisci
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Suebi
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Royal Scythia
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