Curia Iulia, Consulate of Brvtvs\Eqvestris (II)

[Gaius Julius Civilis]

Congratulations Consul. May the rest of the conquest be just as easy.

[Xavier Dragnesi]

Wonderful work Consul. That's another 2 battles and another city captured with the loss of no more than 200 men.

[Winter]

Congratulations on the success of your strategy.

However, Consul, I am concerned that you are allowing the looting of cities. These cities will be important to the Republic in years to come, and we cannot build a trust between them and us if we steal their goods and rape their women. I would go so far as to say that if this legate were under my command I would have disciplined him for such an action.

[Maxinius Scipio]

"Yes, congratulations friend Brute. That was another brilliant victory. Hopefully, our enemies will not learn from their mistakes in future battles and deploy their troops in one, organized group.

I cannot say that I am completely in favor of your Legate's actions, though. Were it Syracuse itself that was just conquered, I would've agreed to mass looting and enslavement. But Catana, on the other hand, was probably conquered by Syracuse in war. The people of Catana would've hailed us as liberators if Legate Balbus hadn't sacked the city. We would've gained an ally and a loyal group of civilians in Sicily; something that we'll probably need once Sicily is completely subjugated. Yet, I wouldn't punish Legate Balbus -- he was doing what he thought was good for the Republic."

[Winter]

I sincerely doubt Balbus was thinking of the republic at the time. It seems to me like a situation where he wanted to give his men something to come home with, or a woman to 'use'.

Either way the decision was a wrong one, but we must move on. It is the Consul's decision how his campaign is run.

[We shall fwee...Wode]

greeting countrymen, I apologise for my absence these last years, I have been away in the pursuit of knowledge and education at the academy in Camolodunum(hope no one catchs me out here). And I see that this great city (and the senate) have changed just as profusly. But it is good to see old faces once again.

OOC: I'M BACK!

OOC2: apparently Marcvs Ativs Balbvs is back and up to his old tricks too!

[Kritias]

"Senators, I think that Legate Balbus did only what he thought best for his men morale; because of this, I believe that the Consul will not punish him as Lepidus suggests though I understand the reason for such an action.

In other news, I have recently got word from the Consul; he told me that he plans to move the refitted Legio II towards Panormus where the Sicilian King has taken refuge. He wishes to tell you that this campaign will be over shortly and that he will be returning back home as soon as he is able."

OOC: Holy Crap! Wode's BACK... again! I trust this time your comeback will not be as short lived as the previous, eh?

[The10thLegion]

the act is passed for the consul to put the legion from corsica in sicily

[We shall fwee...Wode]

I shall remain my friend until the next time I need to visit academy(summer exams). May I ask a rough number of senators(bar myself) without an allegiance to a party, because it seems as if there is no moderate party, and instead 2 expansionist(one which is very large) and 1 small and insignificant populist.

[The10thLegion]

i have my domini party.

[We shall fwee...Wode]

I did include that under expansionist, if you feel the label unfair, come fight me in my parties chamber, (not hand to hand, for I use my tongue, not a blade of cowardly steel).

[Winter]

WODEWICK!

ehem, erm I mean, yes, lets do senate stuff and such type things...

[We shall fwee...Wode]

Pvblivs strides in to the senate and announces to the senate

I am proud to announce to all who are hear that the Mollis and Populares Party are now allies, pending on the populares voting in favour. May our alliance serve ourselves,the Republic, and the people of Roma!

[Xavier Dragnesi]

So Consul Brutus, I believe it is now time to implement your agricultural upgrades and increase our economy?

ooc: I don't really know you Wode, but you seem to be very well recognised, so welcome back. I didn't know there were any universities in Camulodunum at this time... unless you mean the current name Colchester?

[Kritias]

Fourth Consular Report, Part I:
Prelude to Battle of Panormus

-----------------------

The war with the Sicilians is reaching it's end for some weeks now; the Greeks have retreated from all fronts and now their Capital, Panormus, with their King Paterinos is besieged. Consul Brutus arrives from his headquarters in Messana with the sole purpose of leading this last, as it seems, battle. The Senior Consul holds a military session with his Legates and the Legion II Leader, Gaius Mamercus, discussing matters of strategy...

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Consul Brutus


Legate Quintus Pompeius


Legate Cornelius Dollabela


Legate Marcus Piso


Legate Gaius Fidena


Legate Cornelius Messala


Legate Gaius Mamercus


Legate Servius Labienus

"... If we attack from three different sides, we will limit down casualties, will we not?" asked Brutus.

"Sir, if we attack from different sides, we give the enemy the local superiority; we need to have them always outnumbered to be victorious with little casualties..." said Gaius Mamercus.

"Nonsense! Consul, our troops should be ordered forward and crush them from different directions; we may lose some men during the initial charge but imagine the psychological blow for the Greeks when they see they are surrounded! They'll break up ranks and we will hunt them down across the city!" answered Messala.

"I agree with Messala, sir." said Fidena "it will be a fine victory with low expense of life..."

"I agree with Mamercus, my lord;" said Piso "we will batter them into submission, killing their few hundred men as we march forward. There's no need for strategies here; kill them all, I say!"

"Sir, if I may" said Dollabela "you promised to limit down the death ratio; if we charge head on, you will have to answer to the Senate for this needless expense of Roman lives."

"That is so..." said Brutus. Suddenly though a young man, nearing his thirties, entered the Consular tent. "Ah, Servius Labienus! Salve! I hope you have a pleasant trip here? Gentlemen, this is the son of Senator Labienus. He has come to join us in our battle."

"It was as good as any trip, I suppose, sir" said Servius saluting the Consul.

"Well, back to business... Pompeius, what is your opinion?"

"Sir, I believe it would be best to surround our foes instead of a head on attack; the less the dead, the less the fuss with the Senate, nay?"

"Indeed." said Decimus Brutus. "I have made my mind; we'll surround the wretches... Piso, Fidena; you'll lead the hastati line. It will be your job to make your way into the city from the right side of our formation - use one of the rams. Once you are inside, kill any bystanders and make your way to the central plaza. Dollabela, Messala; you'll lead on the cavalry. You won't have much role today but if we need you to break a phalanx, you'll come in handy, as always. Mamercus, you alone will lead the Principes; the heavy battle is on your shoulders today. I need you to rally through the streets as soon as the Triarii have captured the gates and dispatch any troops guarding the plaza; your mission is simple: capture the plaza as soon as you are able and hold any enemies returning to the governor's palace away for us to win. Pompeius; you and Servius Labienus will lead the Triarii. Your mission is to break the troops defending the gates and walls for our Principes and Hastati to make it inside. Servius, this will be tough; stay with you men and don't try to be a hero, you hear me?" said Brutus. "The man to kill the Greek King will get the golden crown! Dismissed!"

[Kritias]

Fourth Consular Report, Part II:
The Panormus Assault

---------------

"ADVAAAAANCE!" said Brutus, initiating the decisive battle. The Roman army was put into formation for some time now, awaiting for the Consul to give the order to begin the assault. As soon as Brutus ordered the advance, the whole army was mobilized under the sounds of horns passing the order through; the first men to begin the assault were Servius Labienus leading one Triarii unit and Legate Piso who lead the Hastati line forward.

"Alright men! Let's move out! Remember your training and follow any order as it comes. We'll make it..." said a terrified Labienus. This was his first real battle so any amount of fear and anxiety were forgiven by his men. Piso, in the contrary was absolutely calm, having fought the entire campaign; he ordered his men to move instantly, waving his gladius with grace in the air. The lines begun to approach the city; the battle begins...



Once the first ram begun moving its snail like move forward, Fidena, Pompeius and Mamercus ordered their men to begin the advance. As usual the Romans, picked up their battered shields and with excellent coordination moved forward...





"They make me shiver every time..." said Brutus ironically. "Oh, they are truly the glory of Rome, my boys!" he screamed with joy to boost the morale of the men; in return he got a happily cheer from every man and a bang of the shield. The battle continued as planned...



First to arrive the walls was Legate Piso; he had his men pushing the ram forward double time, compared with the other Legates. Piso had a reputation for a harsh trainer and commander but this time his exercises got him to the walls as fast as Mercury.

"Forward, brave Romans! Tear these walls apart! For Rome!!!" said Piso, motivating his men to give their all to the cause. His Hastati were from the most experienced in the whole line and soon they would prove their worth into battle. Labienus, seeing Piso reaching the walls already, took it personally and aided his Triarii to push the ram forward. He wouldn't let that arrogant Patrician get the golden crown;



"Faster men! Faster!" Servius ordered having the Triarii breaking down the gates with fury. "Break it down!" he screamed.




"Good job; now, into the city, men!" Servius commanded drawing his gladius with excitement; any sigh of fear the youth had before entering the fray was now transformed into excitement.

"A little bit fast, isn't he?" said Pompeius to one of his Centurions. "Well, I certainly wouldn't like to miss the battle. Would you, men?" Pompeius asked his veteran Triarii. "NO!" was the answer he got, the answer he expected. "Double time then, soldiers! Let's show the Consul our worth!"





The battle in front of the main gate was raging on; the Greeks, lacking proper troops had the gate guarded by Sicilian Hamippos, some good news for the Triarii; even the elites weren't enough to cause the best Roman soldiers harm. Some minutes later, the Triarii were not alone any more; the rest of the Roman soldiers, Hastati, Principes and Pompeius's men were by their side. The Greeks had no chance keeping the Romans out...













The Hamippos were routed from the main gate. However, Piso was in trouble to the right; he was too fast reaching the gates and he caught his hastati up with a Hoplite unit. His hastati, while excellent soldiers were poorly a match for the well trained Hoplites; Piso was in danger of losing his entire battalion. To his salvation run Fidena with his own Hastati and Pompeius with his Triarii. After a while the tides of the battle were turned around and now the Greeks were the ones facing obliteration;







In the meanwhile, Labienus and some of Pompeius's men were travelling inside the city's streets when they run into the Greek King's bodyguard. The fight was lost from the start. The Triarii, excelling in dealing with cavalry cut down the Greek Hippeis; even Paterinos was seriously injured from one of Labienus's men...















The battle was reaching it's climax; the Greeks were surrounded in the Agora with the Roman army closing in for the kill. That was the time when Mamercus ordered his men to attack the Agora and the last Greek defenders...













The battle became one huge playground for personal one to one battles. No formations were held, no one could tell where starts the friends lines and where were the foes formations... A huge mess where the Romans showed their virtues on single combat; many Legates such as Piso, Labienus, Pompeius and others have personally joined the battle and were killing their own share of Greeks...















Finally, after many hours of brutal fighting, the Romans were clearly prevailing and victory was near;







After a good five hours from the initiation of the battle, the Romans had, at last, victory....

[Xavier Dragnesi]

ooc: Awesome pics Fabius!

ic: Quintus Marius applauds the efforts of the Consul:

The Syracusan power has been crushed! They no longer have the strength or will to fight any longer. We have captured their capital yet again, and the Consul's losses have been less that 200 men. Rejoice Senators, for the end of the war is in sight!

[Winter]

ooc: That was way to many pictures, even if they were awesome! Just kidding, great report!

Well done to legate Mamercuis, I am glad to see he is still performing so admirably after I left him there. And congratulations to the consul for the successful execution of his strategy!

[Kritias]

Fourth Consular report, part III:
The Sicilian Campaign ends.

---------

Caius Cassius enters the Senate happily, holding a little letter with him. Once in the Curia and demands the floor to address the Senate, Caius begins;

"Senators, friends! I have news from the Consul. I am going to read you this letter he sent me just yesterday with a courier of his straight from Lilybaeum....

"My dear Caius, I hope you are well as I am right now. I write to inform you of my latest victory in Sicily, which will be the last one as it seems. You see, Caius, after the victory in Panormus which I am sure you'll have heard by now, the remnants of the Greek army pulled back into the fortress of Lilybaeum.

As you realize, I left some troops to safeguard Panormus and moved the mass of Legio II, which is becoming a true veteran legion, against the last Greek stronghold. While I imposed a siege on the citadel instantly, the Greeks had one last die to throw; they gathered, Jupiter knows from where, 1000 men with the garrison of the city and sallied forth to meet us.









So, I fielded the Legion against the reinforcements awaiting for that last battle which would settle the score between me and the Greeks. Our legionaries were weary from the continuous battles of this campaign, however they wanted as much as I did to finish the Greeks off. And the only way we could succeed that was by battle.

Once the Greek army was in sight, I sent my velites forward to harass their advance and kill of anyone foolish enough to let his guard down when faced with my boys. As usual in this campaign, my Velites did a sound job as they not even managed to kill off several infantrymen but they also managed to drag the full host of the Greek reinforcing army against my own line;





Then, I ordered my heave infantry to open fire. You would have loved this, Caius; whole ranks were ripped away by the deadly pilla -- the enemy was wavering without even reaching my first line.







Seeing that the Greeks were ready to flee, I ordered the full army to break formation and pick an enemy battalion. The charge was so devastating that many enemy units routed instantly, dragging others with them. My boys had a full day slaughtering these subject creatures...









Only the garrison offered some resistance but even these men where ultimately driven and cut to pieces.













Victory, the city; everything was ours. Caius, my brother, I have never lead such a short campaign -- I tell you, these Syracusans were unworthy opponents.

Anyhow, I'll be coming back to Rome soon, since my task here is done. Kiss my children for me, will you?

Decimus Iunius Brutus

[Xavier Dragnesi]

Consul, you are as much a true Roman as I can think of. That is another magnificent victory for us. Thanks to you, Sicily is now ours.
Basic campaign statistics:
Cities captured:4
Men lost in total: just over 600
Enemies killed in total: over 3400
Generals/leaders killed: 7

Who thinks this deserves a triumph of sorts?