Consulate of Aventinus and Poplicola - 542AVC

[Pontifex Maximus]

The Gauls are indeed an opportunist bunch. We would do well to ensure our northern holdings are walled and defensible. Sending forth an agent to gauge their strength would also be advisable.

[dragoon47]

The allied legion has been allotted for the Macedonian campaign. However, a new legion is being formed of allies that can be used to support the campaign or for local defense while the Roman legion reforms.

[Maiar93]

A messenger walked inside the Curia, carrying a scroll with the seal of Corvenii.

I am sorry for interrupting you, senators. I carry a letter from Flavius Julius Corvenus, governor of Hispania.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Flavius is seriously ill. He cannot run Hispania like this. He proposes that someone is to be send to replace him, and he wants a good man, not some giftless arguer he has seen in the past. He said this to me, himself, before grinning of pain.

Yours sincerely, doctor Spurius Camillus Cetos.

[Pontifex Maximus]

Drusus rose

What are our Spanish holdings?

[Crozimodo]

And the state of the North? It is disappointing that Corvenus has taken ill, it seems that we do not have enough active Senators to send one to replace him and still effectively run Rome. What are our options in this case conscript fathers?

OOC: Will someone please access the save at let us know what the state of things are? Whether you have a position or not just let us know. I would but I'm running my laptop in safe mode and have been for a while now.

[chaplain118]

Scaurus stood

Our Spanish holdings are in a state of peril due to Septimus' illegal war into Africa. We've been forced to abandon Tingi only to have the settlement buy their way back into Carthaginian influence. I recommend that our second consul be sent to Spain to consolidate our holdings there while Pallas continues his efforts in the East.

Though Pallas' lack of response deeply worries me. It isn't like him to simply wait outside a city wall. I fear that perhaps he has usurped his position and instead chose to become a simple lackey to a Greek king. I suggest someone contact him in Macedonia, wherever he may be.

Unless, of course, another man is willing to take up Corvenus' position?

ooc: still in Hawaii. Will be back on Monday night EST.

[War lord]

So Corvenus has suddenly taken ill and a Roman Consul has disappeared into the wilds of Macedonia with our main body of troops?

I think this an odd coincidence,we should call Corvenus back to Rome to hasten his recovery from whatever aliment plagues him.

[Pontifex Maximus]

I think Spain should be evacuated and all spare legions sent to Mecedonia.

[Crozimodo]

In the sense of our military? I disagree Senator Drusus, Carthage is still strong in Africa and they have reclaimed Tingi, it is highly possible they will seize upon your proposed evacuation as a sign of weakness and attempt to occupy the peninsula. Tingi's swift return to Carthage shows their desire to remain outside of Roman rule, for now I still believe that there are elements in Spain that would do the same. As for Corvenus I fear that attempting to bring him back whilst stricken with such an ailment would be tantamount to murdering him ourselves, let him recover in Spain.

As for the lack of contact from Pallas, I am sure many of us know how hectic things can be whilst attempting to assert ourselves in hostile territory. The memory of Septimus no doubt still hangs in all of our minds and I am sure that we can trust in Pallas to do what is best for our noble Republic. I say that we give him the benefit of the doubt until the next term.

[chaplain118]

Conscript Fathers.

It seems that words of malcontent towards the way that I am conducting this war in Macedon has reached your ever astute ears. Recognize that I have neither absconded my post as consul nor have I chosen to become a vassal to a lowly Greek king. Instead, I am still currently beside the walls of Edessa. These Greeks have proven more than capable of repelling us. Though no frontal assault has been attempted, our raiding parties have been reporting back with disproportionate resistance met by the local populace. I have begun what is considered a basic measure of anti-resistance amongst the local farmers. Those who dare to oppose our raiding parties will be executed. Pure and simple. Hopefully this siege will come to an end soon and I can continue on the quest of ending Macedonian hegemony on the mainland of Greece.

Most troubling are, however, some of our own men's behaviors towards the locals. While looting, rape, and other acts of violence is acceptable when performed against the inhabitants of a settlement that has resisted us, the fact that many of the soldiers are carrying these out almost at will is frankly, distressing to me. At this rate, I will almost have to resort to forcible relocation of the settlement's population once the settlement falls. And believe me, Conscript Fathers, the settlement will fall.

But I write to you now to ask what I should do with the unruly elements of my army. It is, of course, no desire of mine to enact a decimation amongst our ranks. But the sheer brazen attitude some of these more calloused youths display must warrant punishment. I ask you now, Conscript Fathers, send me information as to what I should do to continue ensuring that our soldiers maintain a professional attitude both on the battlefield and off. If I do not receive a response soon, I may be forced to resort to more... drastic measures.

And finally, I have been deeply ingrained with the cultures and stories that have been privy to the Greeks and utterly stolen by the Macedonians. And one such story that I have garnered from this extensive siege is one that I'm sure you will find quite interesting. You must all be aware of our legendary founder, Romulus and how he could trace his lineage all the way to a man named Iulus. It so happens that from my time spent here in the East, I have come across another interesting name: Ascanius, the son of the Trojan prince Aeneas. That man Ascanius has been ascribed many names by the locals, including the name of Iulus, which has not been seen anywhere else in Greece.

This can only mean one thing, Conscript Fathers, that we are the rightful heirs to the proud Teucrians that the Dana'ans waged the bloody war over. That the blood of Priam and Dardanus flows in our veins. We are the children of Troy, and I will see to it, no matter how long it may take me, that the descendants of the House of Atreus, the men who sprang from the loins of Achilles and Ulysseus die by the sword of the children of Troy. Senators, if the various Graecian cities should choose to war against us, I humbly ask for you permission to bring forth the wrath of Troy upon proud Argos, to raze it to the ground, and strewn salt upon it so that the insult upon our ancestor race be forever avenged for.

But until that joyous day of vengeance and exultation should arrive, I shall await your orders at the walls of Edessa.

I remain your faithful servant.

Pallas Rutulus AVentinus
Consul of Rome

[War lord]

The man hasn't even breached the walls of Edessa and he starts looking for an excuse to start a war with the City states we have sworn an oath to protect!

The Men are getting restless only because of the continuing delays in destroying the Macedonian threat.
Therefore I propose that the Senate order Consul Pallas Rutulus Aventinus to assault the walls of Edessa immediately.

[chaplain118]

Conscript Fathers,

I have taken your city. But before even that, I had achieved something that will further our goals in the region: the death of the Macedonian king, Philip.



As I had previously surmised, a Macedonian army was sent from their heartlands towards us as of last year. The sheer size of the army meant that it took them the better part of the year to march to us. Of course, this meant that we were outnumbered almost two to one. Uneven odds for the Macedonians.

To my delight, and to the delight of my officers, the majority of the Macedonian army consisted of poor levy citizens who could not fight as their feared phalangites. Though they did serve their roles well as simple skirmishers who would prove frustratingly difficult to combat if I had no cavalry.



Deciding to not risk massed formation being subject to missile fire, I ordered the first line of allied and Roman infantry to take up a looser formation than usual. Rather than the standard space of three feet per man, they were ordered to take up a space of eight feet per man. This made the formation much more susceptible to letting enemies through, but lessened the prospect of casualties from skirmishers.



And as I predicted, when our battle lines first clashed, it was an exchange of missile fire rather than hand-to-hand fighting. This resulted in a stalemate as the enemy hurried to regroup.



However, to our wings, I spotted that enemy horses were approaching. Unable to discern whether they were heavy or light cavalry, I sent forth the allied wing of horses to eliminate the threat. Their reports were promising: the enemy had no true heavy cavalry to tip the balance of the forces in their favor.



As such, the Latins managed to beat back the enemy horses and had free rein to wreck havoc upon the field as they chose. Which was fortunate, because the enemy phalangites had closed in on our loosely packed infantry. Thus, I decided to employ the very strategy of Alexander: using our own infantry to pin the enemy infantry, and then smashing into their rear with our cavalry. A devastating tactic, even if both we and the Latins are not the superb horsemen as the Macedonians.



Having engaged one wing of the enemy with my cavalry, I then ordered the other to watch the flanks for any maneuvering the Macedonian generals would attempt. Either due to their own pride, or simply wishing to know the situation, the enemy general exposed himself to us. This time, it was our own Roman knights who charged them.



The general panicked and his horse shied from under him. I ordered the men to capture it if they could, and slaughter both men and horses if they could not.



Realizing the dire situation that his army was in, Philip himself attempted to charge my center. By then, the Roman knights have already swung to the rear of his entire army. A simple charge will do.



It turned out precisely the way I had imagined: the enemy king - dead



Their phalangites could only press forward helplessly as our cavalry rounded to their backs once more, splitting apart their ranks.



In the end, the battle before the walls of Edessa ended in a victory for us. The few ragged men retreated when they could, and others died on the battlefield. Some begged for mercy, but others fought on, even as they lay wounded. I had thought of keeping some alive, but the memory of the stories told by the Greek poets about the Trojan war gave me newfound resolve. As such, while I did not pursue the survivors who fled before, those who remained on the field, I killed.



Macedon's power was broken. Her greatest king was dead, and with him went their might army. There was only one thing left for me to do: breach the walls of Edessa.

The battle itself was simple. I chose to attack the walls at night, to not only give an element of surprise but also to strike further fear into the hearts of the Macedonians.



I proposed the attack just after sundown. I knew then that the defenders would be tired from not only the slaughter from the previous day but also tired from the flight that they took.



So demoralized were the enemy that the number of men left defending the city was laughable. We took it with no casualties.



I saw how the men were eager for loot, for vengeance, and to enjoy themselves after a great victory from the day before. I ordered the entire town's womenfolk to be gathered in the town square and let the soldiers have their pick of the litter. The men I slaughtered. The children put to slavery. Edessa's Macedonian heart ceased to beat after eight nights of rape and pillage. Having gathered the remnants of my army as well as putting the reinforcement army in Edessa, I proceeded to siege the enemy capital of Pella.



Discipline was restored quickly after the men had their fill of women and rest. Though as insurance, I pressed many of the women captives into a supply of mobile brothels for the men to enjoy. The prospect of a similar orgy of destruction to be enacted in Pella filled the men with further zeal to fight. I promise you, Conscript Fathers, that soon the Macedonians will be broken, and we will keep them as a mere shadow of their former self to the norther regions to buffer our newly conquered territories from the barbarians further north.

While I did burn the temples of Edessa, I left their libraries intact so that I may peruse through the scholarly works there. From these works I have discovered the designs to a machine called the Helepolis. It is truly a monstrosity to behold: standing well over ten stories tall and equipped with ballistae at the very top. This machine will be used to tremendous effect against Pella.

I remain your faithful servant.

Pallas Rutulus Aventinus
Consul of Rome

[Pontifex Maximus]

Consider my previous statement retracted! It would seem our Pallas is a most able commander indeed. Philip V slain, surely this is an omen of fortune. Let us continue to pressure them. It may even force them into a situation most favorable to the Res Publica. Macedon is a ric land from which we could extract a tribute.

[War lord]

That is,of course unless Pallas burns it to the ground first.

[dragoon47]

Lucius entered the Curia, back from a minor visit to the province of Sardinia et Corsica to assess provincial income and send correspondence to a few minor tribal leaders in Spain. He took up position in hi Consul's chair after looking through the past weeks' discussions and was almost annoyed that there was nothing that required his attention while he was gone. In fact, he may have even gone unnoticed if he gave into that kind of melodramatic thinking.

I have arrived back with some disturbing news. I know, most of you must be horrifically shocked to hear that yet another revolt will occur in Spain, in the settlement of Sugunton that never seems to leave the edges of our minds. Lucius chuckled to himself at that poor excuse for dark, sarcastic humor.

From: Quastorial Office

It appears that the governor in Spain has intended to impose new controls over our Spanish allies. Rather than simply letting them take care of their own business, he has taken steps to infringe upon their sovereignty. This will lead them to take up arms against us and with a low-military presence in Spain as it is that could very well create a unified, independent Spain that could force us out. Quite ironic given the immense strain we've put ourselves through to even keep Sugunton part of the Republic. I propose that the infringement on their sovereign rights be canceled and formally condemned by the senate to provoke them no further.

On to other matters, Lex Valeria De Re Militari is now in full effect. Any legions not following the codes of military orders of battle implied to within the law will be recalled to Rome on suspicion of sabotaging military discipline and conspiring with the enemy. The Allied Army units under Pallas will be forced to reform after the taking of Pella, with Roman units sent to the coast in order to be brought home to Rome so they may tend their farms once again.

The fleet has been sent to Sardinia and will be making its pass towards the Baleares soon before continuing to Cathargo Nova, where the Roman units previously under Gaius Julius Septimus will be brought back to Rome for reorganization into the reformed Roman force already training and equipping themselves in the Campus Martius.

It would also appear that my co-consul has besieged and taken Edessa in my absence, good. It would also appear that the units under his command raped and pillaged their way through the city. Normally I would condone this but our allies in Greece would look down upon the way Pallas' soldiers attack phalangitai after they have given up the fight, let alone the mistreatment of civilians. I propose that should the same thing happen in Pella that all units involved will be summarily crucified and placed outside the Campus Martius for 2 weeks in order to teach the men training what happens when they do not adhere to Roman disciplinary doctrines and fail to control themselves.

Were there any other matters that warranted discussion?

[Maiar93]

OOC: I didn't order that building to be built, but for roleplay purposes, keep it like that i like the idea.

[Nota']

Hmm. How strange, Pallas puts forward a motion to force the worship of the god at cost to Rome's treasury. He then goes to burn the temples of the macedonians, who are arguably almost the very image of our own gods. All this from a man with a decidedly greek name, perhaps he is over compensating. Never mind, it is not of importance.

Speaking of the building of temples, Ive noticed all building projects have haulted, why is this? Why do we make laws only to chuck them away once the debate dies down.

And finally, I would like to congratulate you senators, the wars in Spain are finally paying off. Taxes are coming in from abroad filling our coffers, there is now no shortage of metal, and the average pleb has more coins in his pouch, as our soldiers are coming home with loot and pay, and boosting our economy. The merchants are doing well selling all the foreign imports, and are improving areas of the city as we speak with the money they have earned. My apologies to the quaestor for taking the honour of bringing the good news.

[Maiar93]

Perhaps Corvenus wasn't completely useless while in Spain..

Anyway, Pallas has done a great job in the war against Macedon. Perhaps burning the temples was too outrageous - while we could still loot the city, there is no reason why should we anger the gods. He was sent to pillage and raid, to pay back the macedonian crimes, yes, but bringing a complete disaster and carnage to any land, slaughtering thousands of people, is not the way of a roman.

[Marcus Licinius]

graceful senators
i am wondering on our current diplomacy with the greek city states, i am only concerned because if they find the overall area of land under our wise control, as soon as they are aware then we must send a legion to their Syaculusian allies, we must then hold our war in the east when this happens in the hope that the greeks in the east will hold their cities and not be foolish enough to attack.

and Pallas needs to take away the Macedonian temples, for do you think they would be any kinder to ours.

ROMA VICTOR

[chaplain118]

A dispatch arrives from Macedonia

Conscript Fathers,

The construction of our new war machines have neared finish. I foresee the army storming the citadel of Pella within just a few more weeks. This war will deliver a crippling blow to the Antigonid Kingdom and will be instrumental in both the expansion as well as the guardianship of our Republic. At the same time, though, Conscript Fathers, I have heard certain grumblings within the Senate about my conducts in Macedonia.

Let this fact be known to you: these men worship false gods, they place their faith in entities whose very existence is doubt. This is sacrilege, blasphemy, and greatest transgression a mortal can make. What, must we further anger the gods? The continual existence of what I have come to term as Danaan religion, the very beliefs so hostile to our ancestors, is a black blemish upon our own beliefs. As such, we must strive to erase this blemish. Raze their temples and their customs, destroy a reason for them to band against us, and we will achieve pacification beyond any sweetly veiled words.

Poplicola may demand that our soldiers be held to a conduct more appropriate to that of women, but I say otherwise. The Macedonians have sown the seeds of war against us, and now they must reap the fruits. If Poplicola is so adamant on rejecting my decision, then let him personally come and enforce his opinion. But as I stand, I will not deter the men from their acts. Poplicola has made his decision, so let him enforce it.

This war will end soon, and once Macedon's power is broken, I will bestow those lands to Rome as the proud Jewel of the East.

Macedon's destruction is inevitable. The gods will it.

Pallas Rutulus Aventinus
Consul of Rome