[FREE AAR] Ave Caesar, Imperator ( 58 BC AAR by Octavius vatco Azura)

[ReD_OcToBeR]

This is a fine AAR, with many great screenshots and storytelling. +rep

[stormer]

I would like to see how that played out.

[Octavius Vatco]

Thanks Red_OcTobEr... I hope you'll like my best recreation in the upcoming updates...

Dont. worry stormer, Caesar's legions are about to sweep the world..

[Octavius Vatco]

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

ALEA IACTA EST

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

On mid-night two days before the ides of Januarius, Caesar with his Legio XIII crossed the Rubicon and entered Italia. He takes the towns of Ariminum, Fanum and Ancona dispatching Antonius along with Curio to take Arretium and Iguvium, effectively gaining control of the two approaches to Roma, the via flaminia and via cassia. The lightning speed of Caesar’s advance caught Pompeius and the optimates off guard. Off balanced, they quit the city fled south. As Caesar continued his march south bypassing the city, town after town went over to him eventually chasing his opponents off Italia, almost catching Pompeius at Brundisium.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Caesar then returned to Roma, seized the treasury and moved north with the intentions of eliminating the threat from his rear in Hispania stopping only at Massilia which has declared for Pompeius and the senate and laying it under siege. Leaving his legatus Gaius Trebonius with three legions, the VIII, XII and XIII to continue the siege, Caesar went on to meet the rest of his legions en route to Hispania citerior where a force of five legions were mustered under the commands of Pompeius’ legati Lucius Afranius and Marcus Petreius. A third legati Terentius Varro was behind in Hispania Ulterior with another two legions.


Caesar met the legions under Petreius and Afranius at a town called Ilerda. The Pompeiani controlled the town and the bridge that spanned the deep, fast flowing Sicoris river. Making their position advantageous than Caesar’s. The two new bridges constructed by Caesar was unfortunately washout by floods caused by a storm.Caesar resorted to constructing another bridge 22 miles to the north of his camp. In order to secure both banks, in an area about three miles north of the town where the river was divided by an island, Caesar ordered his soldiers to dig several 30ft-wide trenches in the banks of the river and in the island diverting enough water into the flood plain to make the river fordable.

The Legati, aware that if Caesar succeeded, his cavalry which outnumbered theirs could use the east bank to cut them off decided to retreat to Octogesa, 27 miles to the south on the far bank of the River Iberus. Leaving a skeleton detachment to guard Ilerda and the bridge, they moved their forces to the east bank of the river.

Leaving a legion to guard the camp, Caesar stationed his pack animals in lines both above and below the ford which he soldiers created by diverting the river to slow down the current and marched his army across in pursuit of the enemy.

The rout to the Iberus led through a plain before rising into hill country then mountains. The legati struggled for several days trying to shake off Caesar’s cavalry constantly harassing their rearguard, slowing their pace until finally being brought to a complete halt. Pulling his legions out at dawn, Caesar circled back to the hills, slogging through the rough terrain unnoticed until making the high plateau behind the enemy’s camp effectively cutting them off from the passes leading to the Iberus.

Restraining himself from battle, Caesar settled down, letting thirst, hunger and desertion to do its work. With their army slowly melting away deserting to Caesar’s camp, the Legati Afranius and Petreius set out back to Ilerda. But their every move being checked, they were forced to surrender to Caesar. After accepting their surrender, he either disbanded their legions or incorporated them into his army. Varro and his two legions also surrendered. After consolidating Hispania, Caesar headed back to Massilia just in time to oversee its capitulation. Leaving two Legions to garrison the town, Caesar then continued to Roma.

[Octavius Vatco]

DYRRACHIUM


After spending eleven days in Roma, Caesar rode south to Brundisium, quickly assembled as much of his army as possible and set sailed for Epirus in northwestern Graecia on the fourth of the month Januarius. The Pompeiani were caught off guard. Caesar and seven of his legions were able to land at Palaeste while the Pompeiani fleet was napping at Corcyra. He then marched north, taking Oricum and Apollonia without bloodshed. Pompeius (now declared Imperator of all the forces of senatus) still in winter quarters when he heard news of Caesar’s presence was surprised and scrambled to intercept his enemy, overtaking him at Asparagium. Antonius was then able to follow with four legions landing at Nymphaeum. Pompeius quickly moved north to intercept but scrambled back to Asparagium when overtaken by Caesar now with eleven legions. Pompeius made camp at the north bank of the river genusus still blocking Caesar of taking the coastal towns of Epirus. But with a brilliant maneuver, Caesar slipped past Pompeius by appearing to move eastward and then suddenly crossing the river Genusus advancing northwest in doubled pace to Dyrrachium. Pompeius again caught off guard, scrambles raced north. Caesar beat him to the coast and set camp two miles south of Dyrrachium blocking Pompeius who now set his camp another two miles south of Caesar’s.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

With the enemy brooding behind, Caesar could not invest Dyrrachium and decided to build a line of fortifications to surround Pompeius cornering him with his back on the coast. Pompeius responded by constructing his own set of fortifications and the two sides fought running battles for the next several days. Pompeius struggling to stretched the other’s lines as far inland as possible while Caesar to keep Pompeius’ as hemmed to the coast. When all was done, Caesar had trapped Pompeius considerably and made his enemy’s position worst by diverting streams flowing down to the coast, depriving Pompeius of fresh water. Days later, Pompeiani livestocks began to die in their hundreds because of the lack of fodder having the grazing grounds depleted. Their rotting corpses enhance the prospect of disease. Pompeius was now at a disadvantage and needed to find away to break through. The first breakthrough attempt during a night attack failed when the Pompeiani planned to lure Caesar away in a trap while Pompeius attack his lines hoping that without their Imperator they would be disorganized but in contrary, Caesar’s troops held their ground well repelling the Pompeian attack by dawn, both sides taking heavy casualties.

A second opportunity came when two Gallic cavalry commanders of Caesar’s deserted to Pompeius, bringing with them a very useful intelligence by pointing out a weakness in Caesar’s lines. Pompeius quickly takes advantage of it. Despite Caesar’s efforts to stopped him, Pompeius successfully broke through and defeated Caesar’s counter-attack, inflicting heavy losses. Pompeius called off the pursuit. Caesar retreated inland where he could better regroup marching south to Thessalia. The situation has greatly swung to Pompeius’ favor.

[SonOfAlexander]

Some excellent updates there! Liked the portrayal of Caesar's being outcast as a traitor and how you showed the crossing of the Rubicon.

Easily a rep+, its even better than when I last saw it!

[Octavius Vatco]

Thanks SonOfAlexander.
Im hoping that the upcoming update would be the icing on the cake..

[Octavius Vatco]

BATTLE FOR ROMA









The two armies again met at a plain in Thessalia near a town called Pharsalus.
The plain was situated between the river enipeus and a group of hills. One of which Pompeius was encamped. The situation was still in Pompeius’ favor. Caesar is low on supply and he has nowhere else to go. It was only a matter of time before his army would be starved into surrender and Pompeius to win without shedding any blood. But it is now summer and crops from the surrounding countryside are ripening. Pompeius’ Fabian stratagem effects diminish as Caesar can now more easily find food and fodder. Caesar ‘s new stratagem was to constantly retreat with little distances until Pompeius will finally be forced to attack.


Allowing Caesar at large any longer might weaken Pompeius’ prestige back in Roma and insults his allies in the east. Yet still this could not turn the advantage away from him. But Caesar is still trapped with if not enough minimum supplies while Pompeius was in abundance. Patience would still win the war. The few advantages now available to Caesar still could not outweigh that of Pompeius’. But the real problem was one that has plagued Pompeius since they arrived at the plain. Caesar was entirely the master of his camp, Pompeius was not. Although he was Imperator of the armies, the tenets on which he had taken up arms with his old friend in the first place could not make him Primus inter pares.

The Senatus which appointed him had an investment on his performance as the protector of the res publica. Too eager to get rid of Caesar and return to Roma to begin the purging of Caesar and his supporters properties. Caesar constantly offering battle has only inflamed them more. They did nothing but critiquing their imperator day after day, accusing him of intending to prolong his extraordinary authority over his peers. Alas, the irritated Pompeius was finally convinced, assembled a council of war and made plans for battle.




On the morning six days before the ides of Sextilis. As Caesar was about to break camp when his sentries reported something unusual. Pompeius’ army has moved down the plain lining up in battle array. The opportunity Caesar had long awaited has now arrived. “We shall not easily get this chance for a second time!” Caesar tells his staff as he ordered the signal for battle, the purple standard to be displayed. The legionaries scrambled immediately to put down their packs and prepare themselves for battle. Caesar ordered the ramparts to be demolished and the ditch to be filled with its debris so his legions could march in full cohort formation, wasting no time. As he rode among his legionaries, Caesar spots one of his centurions, an evocatus named Gaius Crastinus, urging his soldiers. Caesar called on him by name and Crastinus turned and saluted his imperator,” We shall conquer nobly, Caesar; and I will earn your praises alive or dead this day!” he uttered in aloud voice.

As Pomepeius marhed out to battle, he left seven cohorts ti guard his camp and drew up his eleven legions in the classic Roman triplex acies divided vertically under three legati. On the right flank protected by the river enipeus Pompeius stationed the cilician and hispanic legions commanded by Lucius Lentulus along with Afranius who escape from Hispania. On the centre, under the command of Metellus Scipio Pius placed the Syrian legions some of them maybe veterans of the debacle at carrhae. And on the right stationed the I and the III legions commanded by Domitius Ahenobarbus.





Caesar drew his legions in the same manner of his opponent’s. With the IX legion greatly depleted after Dyrrachium the VIII legion was stationed next to it in such order as to make it a single legion out of the two. This flank being protected by the river opposite that of Pompeius’ left was led by the legatus Marcus Antonius. The centre was led by Domitius Calvinus with the rest of Caesar’s veteran legions and on the right, the X Legion led by Publius Sulla.


Pompeius’ force on the field consisted of eleven full legions as mentioned before numbering up to 47,000 legionaries and with some allied auxiliary forces opposite to Caesar’s nine under-strength legions numbering up to 22,000 legionaries also with very few auxiliaries. Although Pompeius’ infantry outnumbered Caesar’s 2:1, the majority of Pompeius’ legionaries were raw recruits who just saw battle at Dyrrachium while Caesar’s legionaries were battle hardened veterans of the Bellum Gallicum which certainly have the upper hand in a long pitch battle. But Pompeius' army is indeed formidable and his real strong arm was his 6,700 cavalry outnumbering Caesar’s 1,000.

Since the right and left flanks of both armies were protected by the river from any outflanking possibilities, both imperators concentrated all their cavalry on one flank. Pompeius stationed his superior cavalry on his left led by Titus Labienus the former caesarean legatus propraetore opposite Caesar’s heavily outnumbered cavalry. Caesar had already taken positive steps to bolster the evident vulnerability of his cavalry arm. When Caesar saw them amassing on the right, He detached several cohorts from his third line to form a fourth line and stations them at an oblique angle in reserve behind his cavalry and gave strict orders for them to be hidden at all times. Caesar urged the legionaries of his fourth line not to throw their pila at a distance but to trust at the eyes and faces of the horsemen telling them that those fine young dancers would never endure the steel shining in their eyes, but would flee to save their pretty little faces. Caesar’s last instructions to the tribunes and centurions of both his third and fourth line was to remind them they were not to charge until he gives the signal.



Both imperators each on horse back, took up station behind their lines on the flanks which they deemed where the battle would be decided. Having given passwords to their men - for Caesar Venus Venetrix and Hercules Invictus for Pompeius. The time for preparations is over, the time for battle has begun.





The battle was begun by the charge of Pompeius’ cavalry. In response, Caesar countercharge to meet them followed by the charge of his first two lines. Before they have advance further from their starting positions, it became obvious something unusual was happening on the battlefield. Contrary to centuries of Roman military tradition, Pompeius’ legions has not move within inches from their post. Rather than risk having them charge back only for the raw recruits to loose contact with their senior evocati which had been divided among them, opening gaps in his lines and allowing Caesar’s legionaries to pour through it, Pompeius had ordered each of his lines to remain in place and take the shock of the charge upon stationary formations. Caesar commented on this decision, which he believed Pompeius denied his men the inborn excitement and ardour of soul which is fired by the desire to fight and brought to its keenest edge in the impetus of the charge with trumpets blaring and cries in unison: this quality commanders ought not to repress but to encourage.


















Caesar’s first two lines charge. Discerning Pompeius’ lines are not moving, they halt half way, re-form and charge again.

















All three of Pompeius’ lines engage with Caesar’s first two lines.








Outmatched, Caesar’s cavalry withdrew and re-form further down the valley.










Having driven off their opposites, Pompeius’ cavalry re-forms to swing around the rear of Caesar’s lines.

Caesar gives the order for his reserve fourth line to charge Pompeius’ cavalry.




Crastinus the centurion mentioned before, switched from rank to rank like a mad man and performed many heroic deeds in the middle of the battle. But it was not his fate to witness the outcome of the battle. While performing his heroic deeds, he was slain by a gladius thrust full in the mouth.








Surprised and routed by Caesar’s reserve line, Pompeius’ cavalry flee for the safety in a nearby hill, disordering their own archers and slingers in their flight.




Caesar’s cavalry charge and wipe out Pompeius’ archers and slingers.








Caesar’s reserve line envelops Pompeius’ left and takes it in the flank.





















Caesar gives his third line the order to charge.

Pompeius flees to his camp.









Pompeius’ line begins to give way until they finally break and begins to rout back to their camp.




Caesar’s legions break through. Caesar urges them to chase the enemy and finish the war despite exhaustion. telling them to finish the battle completely and seize the chance to end the war.

Caesar’s legions pursue Pompeius’ fleeing legions.

Caesar’s legions overwhelm the cohorts and auxiliaries on guard and storms Pompeius’ camp.

Pompeius with a small escort, flees to the coast.

The remnant of Pompeius’ army flees to the hills.

Caesar pursues the fugitives and surrounds them.

Unwilling to be trapped on a slope with no water, Pompeius’ legionaries attempts to flee throught the hills, hoping to reach Larissa.

Taking an easier route throught the hills, Caesar sets out to cut Pompeius’ men off.

Pompeius’ men continue round the slopes. Caesar’s men join the road running north to Larissa and cut off the retreat of Pompeius’ army.

Pompeius’ army surrenders.


Caesar is now sole master of Roma.

[ReD_OcToBeR]

Holy Crap, huge battle much? LOL..loved it.

[bucellarii]

Hey buddy!

I have just spotted your latest epic commentarii

Salvor and the team are really appreciative of your fantastic AAR's

[stormer]

Excellent, now the world is at your feet.

[SonOfAlexander]

WHAT A BATTLE...

[Empedocles]

what difficulty are you playing at?
good story!

[Octavius Vatco]

M/M

recommended by the FRRE team of course.

[Octavius Vatco]

BELLVM ALEXANDRINVM




Caesar has defeated Pompeius Magnus in a great decisive battle at the plains of Pharsalus. Pompeius took ship seeking asylum in Aegyptus. While he was waiting offshore, the young king Ptolemaios’ advisers deliberated on weather to accept Pompeius into asylum, they risk making him master over them with Caesar as their enemy whereas if they reject him, they risk making him their enemy if the war should go against Caesar. They decided it was wiser to kill Pompeius and deliver him to Caesar and perhaps earning his gratitude in return. While being lured along in a small ferry boat on his way to the shore, he was stabbed to death by two of his former comrades employed by the aegyptians. Cutting off his head in front of his horrified family and leaving the body until a loyal slave cremated it. Upon arriving, Caesar was presented with Pompeius’ head. Horrified and infuriated, Caesar broke into tears. However, all of Aegyptus was brewing for civil war between the boy Ptolemaios and his sister Cleopatra. Both according to the will of the late Ptolemaios Aoletes were to rule jointly. Caesar cannot allow Aegyptus to slip into chaos or the annual grain supply for Rome would be inconveniently disrupted. However, Caesar must take considerable care, having only a few legionarii with him.

[SonOfAlexander]

Decision time for Caesar...

[Octavius Vatco]

[Octavius Vatco]

[Salvor Hardin]

I love this part of the Commentaries. Great job, Octavius!

[Octavius Vatco]

Great..tnx... what do you think of my recreation of pharsalus sal?