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Thread: [EB AAR] ROMANI (A Historical Roman Campaign) [UPDATED 4/23/2013]

  1. #21

    Default Re: [EB AAR] ROMANI (A Historical Roman Campaign) [UPDATED: 9/24/2012]

    Hey guys,

    Before I get started, let me just apologize for the hiatus from the last update to this one (it was not intentional, let me assure you that). Work was... well... damn man, I'm glad I got a day off...until... internet problems (oh and the game crashed on me during one of my battles, but I wouldn't worry about it since I had just saved before the battle and I don't think that it should be an issue).

    Anyhow, sorry about that again... Without further ado, here is Captilvlvm III (Part II):





    CAPITVLVM III (Part II): The War on Sicily


    Roman Holdings on the Island of Sicily in the early part of 490 AUC

    490 AUC

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 
    Following the Roman victory at Messana and with the city being pacified, the Romani set their sights on securing the remainder of the Island of Sicily. That would mean dealing with the armies of Karthadastim in their entirety at some point or another, but first, many local cities and remaining opposing garrisons needed to be brought under the rule of the Res Pvblica:




    Initially, there wasn't much opposition to the Roman expeditionary army Commander Appivs Clavdivs Cavdex as he quickly disbanded any remaining Karthadastim garrisons within the region. The Roman legions were still fairly young, and consisted of many men brought up to fight through the hierarchical system which had been in place for quite some time. They were still soldiers enough, however, to be able to deal with many of the armies that the enemies of Roma would field. Such would be the case here as well:






    The early victories in favor of the Romani were very encouraging to the men of the Senate, and even more so to the man in command of the army. Appivs Clavdivs Cavdex had been one of the men who was responsible in finally convincing the Senate to allow for military action to be taken against Karthadastim and Syracvsae. With the support of many of the citizens behind him, he led the army to the city of Messana and helped lift the siege.

    Cavdex, however, knew that one victory for the Romani was not enough to make a name for himself as great as his grandfather's (Appivs Clavdivs Caecvs). With this in mind, he would lead his army south of Messana and around the base of Mt. Etna:


    Before marching south to the city of Syracvsae, Cavdex wanted to conquer as many low-lying cities as possible. This would be his undoing. While his early successes were encouraging, they did not make his army invincible. Not even to smaller cities with little to no support from the Karthadastim or Syracvsans.

    This crushing, but not terminal, defeat came at the siege of Echetla, a town located between the Roman controlled territory and the lands belonging to the Karthadastim. Appivs Clavdivs Cavdex led his army to the city in order to secure a larger amount of lands around the Roman stronghold of Messana. However, after suffering early and often, it became clear that the battle may not be one worth fighting:


    The Romani, however, determined not to be defeated and possibly show weakness to their enemies continued to push forth. This would only make matters worse for the Romani, however, as many of their men began to panic at the stalemate, and after suffering many casualties, Appivs Clavdivs Cavdex ordered his men to lift the siege and fall back to the city of Messana:




    The damage had been done, however, and the losses at the failed Siege of Echetla needed to be replenished. During this time, the Romani now saw a need to replace the expeditionary force with one which could withstand the prolonged warfare on Sicily. The Senate appointed Manivs Valerivs Maximvs Corvinvs Messalla (from now on referred to as Manivs Valerius Maximvs for obvious reasons ) along with Otacilivs Crassvs to command the two Roman Consvlar Armies that were to be sent to Sicily:


    After gathering the armies at Messana, Manivs Valerius Maximvs went for a decisive victory for the Romani and a massive blow to both Karthadastim and Syracvsae. With the best armies of Roma behind him, Manivs Valerivs turned south and besieged the great city of Syracvsae itself:







    Replies:

    Dejeyo: Thank you very much. Hope you stuck around through this week or so!
    Last edited by EdwinMerit; October 17, 2012 at 09:35 PM. Reason: I accidentally a word (or several...)

  2. #22
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    Default Re: [EB AAR] ROMANI (A Historical Roman Campaign) [UPDATED: 9/11/2012]

    This is a verry good,interesting AAR and i my advice is to go on with it as long as possible.
    Verry good so far.Rep for you.
    Cheers Predator!

  3. #23
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    Default Re: [EB AAR] ROMANI (A Historical Roman Campaign) [UPDATED: 9/11/2012]

    Again, nice work here.

  4. #24

    Default Re: [EB AAR] ROMANI (A Historical Roman Campaign) [UPDATED: 9/24/2012]



    CAPITVLVM III (Part III): The Siege of Syracvsae


    The City of Syracvsae and part of its northwestern defending garrison. The City would prove a challenge to take for the Romani, but would play a massive role in the remainder of the war.

    491 AUC

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 
    By the time that Manivs Valerivs Maximvs had reached the city of Syracvsae, the Karthadastim Sicilian field armies had pulled back all the way to Lilibeo to regroup. Heiro knew of this massive disadvantage, but prepared to defend his city from the Romani anyhow. Heiro understood that defeating the Roman Consvles (latin plural for consul) and their armies was near impossible given his current predicament, however, if he could hold out long enough, perhaps another army would soon come to relieve the siege.




    As time dragged on, however, Heiro, being the superb and capable leader that he was, decided that there was next to no hope remaining for an intervention by an outside force and prepared his troops to defend the city from the Roman attack. He had a new strategy in mind in order to stay in power and preserve one of the last Greek strongholds in the area known as Magna Graecia (Great Greece [Southern Italy and Sicily]).

    His plan would be put to the test shortly as the Romani began their assault on the City of Syracvsae. The two Roman Consvles moved their armies towards the city walls with the equipment constructed during the seasons prior:



    The Battle for Syracvsae had begun:




    The Siege of Syracvsae

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    The gates of Syracvsae as seen by the Roman Legions and their ultimate commander Consvl Manivs Valerivs Maximvs


    At dawn on the day of the assault, the Romani would begin to deploy their siege equipment with hopes that it would be enough to easily storm the city and win the day


    The Roman advance upon the walls would be greatly contested, however, with many men fighting to the death upon the great stone walls




    The fighting was fierce early in the day as nearly no advance was made by either side


    The Romani would actually be forced back upon the gate towers by the relentless Syracvsan defenders


    Many different 'pockets' of fighting would open up along the walls of the city...


    ...and around the base of the walls as well


    The initial Roman force at the gates of the city would fight back strong, however, and force a panic amongst some of the men stationed at the gate tower to defend it...


    ...and when a second force was ordered to scale the walls to relieve the first wave, the Romani began to push the defenders out of the northwestern portion of the city

    Following this advance were a chain of successes for the Romani:






    Capturing the gateway was key for the Romani as they could cycle in fresh troops to relieve those there since the early part of the day


    The Roman Consvl Manivs Valerivs Maximvs would move his bodyguard closer to the front to inspect the fighting and pace of the battle for himself.

    By this point in the day, it was already well past highnoon and the Romani had only captured a small segment of the city while taking relatively heavy losses. Understanding that he could not afford a Pyrrhic Victory at this stage in the conflict, Manivs Valerivs Maximvs ordered a final push before withdrawing his troops in order to send a bloody message to Heiro: Make peace with Roma or you and your city will fall.




    The Romani show their impressive strength within the city to many local Syracvsan levy garrisons. This would prove to be effective in the diplomatic talks that would ensue following the Siege.


    Many of Heiro's troops fell back to the center of the city to regroup and prepare for another Roman advance. Both Consvles had convened in this time and decided to withdraw from the city, however, sensing that night was going to be approaching shortly. They knew that the losses would be much too heavy to try and take the city by force entirely (and even if they did, many of the locals may not even respect their new conquerors).



    While the Romani failed to take the city by force in its entirety, they did manage to secure a large portion of it while still retaining much of their army. Knowing that there was still no help from the Karthadastim on the way and that the Romani could just as easily attack the city once more, Heiro sent a message to the Roman Consvles that he was ready for talks of peace between Roma and Syracvsae.




    The terms of the treaty were written so that it would be obvious to the remaining cities on Sicily that if you submit to Roma with dignity rather than fight an un-winnable battle, you would be treated relatively well by the Romani. This treaty would send shock waves throughout much of Eastern Sicily as close to 67 cities would proclaim themselves as either Romani or Allies of the Romani:


    The Romani would ensure that the local populaces were well treated, but first had to take action against any rebellious tendencies within the newly conquered lands:


    The Romani would also begin to quickly build up the infrastructure in many of these areas, and along with a new shrine in Arretivm and the opening of another new bath complex in Roma, the roads and governmental systems were upgraded in Eastern Sicily:


    A scout sent word back to the Romani, however, that a new Karthadastim force under the command of a new man also named Hanno (different man, same name [and same pic b/c I couldn't find any thumbnails of the Carthaginian generals )] was beginning to mass itself outside of Lilibeo and was heading for the city of Agrigentvm:




    The Romani would watch this closely as it seemed the next part of the war would be fought over the fortified Karthadastim town of Agrigentvm.



    The Situation on Sicily:


    Red= Romani; Orange= Syracvsan


    The current state of the SenatvsPopvlvsqveRomanvs:



    Plus the Allied city of Syracvsae:




    Replies:

    Predator1994: Thank you very much! I am glad that you are enjoying it and I can't believe the praise I am getting on my first AAR!

    The Kybrothilian: Thank you!

    Hopefully I get to update this again shortly (as in the next couple days), but with the weekend coming up work is going to be rough. Next update should be sometime early next week for sure though.
    Last edited by EdwinMerit; October 17, 2012 at 09:35 PM. Reason: I put 490 AUC instead of 491 AUC which is the correct date

  5. #25
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    Default Re: [EB AAR] ROMANI (A Historical Roman Campaign) [UPDATED: 9/27/2012]

    A beutyful new update.Your empire seems to be prospering and your victories are worthy of praise.This is a verry interesting and full of surprisrs AAR and it is among the best i have seen.Keep up this great AAR and hopefuly you'll go on for as long as possible.
    Good job.Predator!

  6. #26
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    Default Re: [EB AAR] ROMANI (A Historical Roman Campaign) [UPDATED: 9/27/2012]

    Onwards to Lilibeo then. Or will you land in Corsica first?

  7. #27

    Default Re: [EB AAR] ROMANI (A Historical Roman Campaign) [UPDATED: 9/27/2012]

    Predator1994: Thanks once again! I am really happy the way that this AAR is turning out and am glad that you seem to be enjoying it as well!

    The Kybrothilian: I'll probably head to Corsica to contest the control of the island as was the case sometime during the war. However, the next part of the war is kind of tricky being that a lot did in fact happen (The close to 2 year Siege of Agrigentum near southern Sicily, the sacking and enslavement of a few Carthaginian-allied towns, the raid on Africa (not to mention the naval battles; I really wish that I could show those, Rome II haha). I think that I will try and see if I can re-enact the Siege of Agrigentum, being that it occurred right around this time (262-261) BC, by having the large army under the command of Hanno attack me near either a village or fort that I build. It'll be interesting, but I'll figure something out in order to add a little more depth to the war rather than just taking the island through 3 siege battles.

    Last edited by EdwinMerit; October 01, 2012 at 12:16 PM.

  8. #28

    Default Re: [EB AAR] ROMANI (A Historical Roman Campaign) [UPDATED: 9/27/2012]

    Hey guys,

    Sorry for the lack of an update this week (insert typical busy excuse which happened to be the case once more...). I plan on having a small update tonight or tomorrow morning which sets the stage for the next few battles which occurred during the First Punic War between Rome and Carthage (actual pitched battles now ). Anyhow, I apologize for the wait once more.

    The next update (following the short introduction) will consist of the large battle which one could argue decided much of the course of the war, and as you know, the First Punic War decided much of who was to be in power: Rome or Carthage. So, in a loosely connected way, this next battle kind of decided who would be the one in power for the course of the two Empire's histories.

    Interesting...

    Anyhow, look for an update shortly and no this AAR isn't dead. Haha

  9. #29

    Default Re: [EB AAR] ROMANI (A Historical Roman Campaign) [UPDATED: 9/27/2012]



    CAPITVLVM III (PART IIII): The Siege of Agrigentvm


    Territory under the control of the Romani by 492 AUC when the Romani would besiege the fortified town of Agrigentvm


    492 AUC

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 
    The year of 492 AUC would see the consvles of Lvcivs Postvmivs Megellvs and Qvintvs Mamilivs Vitvlvs take control of the (now two) Consular Armies stationed on the island of Sicily. The situation on Sicily hadn't changed much since the two men assumed control of the army, however, more territory was added under Roman control through either a strong showing of force, or by small conquests.

    By the time the men assumed control of the Roman Legions, the Senate had voted to send now all four Roman Legions to Sicily organized into two Consular Armies which were to fight alongside the Socii Alae of the Res Pvblica. However, even with this large force, the Romani still found the situation they faced a bit of a challenge.

    The Karthadastim town of Agrigentvm was an important target for the Romani since the city's location made it not only easily defensible, but also a staging ground for any potential invading forces. The Mediterranean Sea was located due south of the town and made an attack from the south without naval support nigh impossible. On the west of the city was the Hypsas River which made an attack just as tough from there. On the eastern portion of the city was yet another river, the Akragas River for which the city was originally named. However, the city was protected on all sides except for the west by fairly steep terrain.

    The Romani saw their disadvantages, yet could not afford to allow the Karthadastim to continue massing their armies on Sicily. If they were able to pay for more mercenaries or bring additional troops in from Numidia, Africa, or any of the African-controlled islands, it could spell disaster for the Romani. In 492 AUC, the Romani would set their sights on the newly fortified town of Agrigentvm and besiege the city, hoping for a quick logistical victory.



    The location of one of the southwestern-most walls of the Karthadastim controlled town of Agrigentvm

    The Siege would last longer than both sides had expected due to the lack of will for one side to attack the other. On one hand, the Karthadastim garrison commander Hannibal Gisco continued to decline to attack the Romani unless it was within the city walls. The Romani saw this as a weakness and further continued the siege by setting up their camp about a mile away from the city and used this position to continue to receive their aid from the allied city of Syracvsae as well as from many crops surrounding the besieged city.

    Hannibal finally had enough of the Roman army picking through all of the crops so close to the city and sent out a decent contingent to fight the small Roman foraging group off. Protected by only a small palisade constructed a short time earlier, the Romani quickly fled back to the main army and started a small skirmish with the Karthadastim. Although the Romani looked to be unprepared for the sudden assault, they were able to fight off the Karthadastim force attempting to drive the Roman forces from their camp altogether. Hannibal suffered too many casualties in this attack to continue to hold out on his own and sent word to the Karthadastim base at Lilibeo to aid him with a large reinforcement army. In the meantime, the siege would continue as the Roman Consvles agreed that the only way to successfully starve the city into submission was to completely surround it and allow for no one to enter or leave the city. This meant that the Romani would have to not only build defensive structures for themselves (walls and ditches), but also had to divide their forces.

    The stalemate continued well into the late portions of 492 AUC. When supplies began to run short within the city of Agrigentvm, Hannibal sent out another plea for help. This time, the Karthadastim had an answer and sent an army, originally from Africa, to help lift the siege.

    493 AUC

    A new Karthadastim field army under the command of Hanno (popular name at the time) looked to break the siege of the city by using his large army with a massive cavalry component complete with elephants to destroy the Roman Army through 'guerrilla' warfare. His first plan was to cut off the Romani from their supply lines. Hanno moved his army into the Roman controlled town of Herbesos and successfully cut the Romani from their much needed supplies of Syracvsae and other allied towns. Hanno's second plan was also relatively simple: lure the Roman cavalry into a small skirmish with his cavalry, feign a retreat, and then use the improved terrain to quickly kill or rout any of the cavalry who were fooled into following the Karthadastim cavalry.

    For a while this tactic worked well for the Karthadastim commander, however, it was not long before the Romani, desperate due to lack of food and other vital supplies, decided to try and put an end to the siege themselves. The Romani offered to battle the Karthadastim force outside of the city. Hanno originally refused with hopes to starve the Roman army and cause them to surrender to his well-supplied troops. However, as desperate as the situation may have been for the Romani, it was far worse for the occupants of Agrigentvm. A final plea made by Hannibal forced Hanno to accept a pitched battle outside of the city of Agrigentvm.

    The Battle for Agrigentvm, and control of most of Sicily, was about to commence:




    Quick Notes:
    Following a very long siege at the hands of the Macedonian Army, Athens finally surrenders. Antigonus II Gonatas of the Antigonid Dynasty re-garrisons the city and proclaims it the philosophical and learning center of Greece.
    The new Seleucid King Antiochus II signs a treaty with the King of Macedonia, Antigonus II Gonatas, in order to defeat the Ptolemaic armies and fleet near the coast of the Aegean Sea.
    Last edited by EdwinMerit; February 26, 2013 at 11:03 AM.

  10. #30

    Default Re: [EB AAR] ROMANI (A Historical Roman Campaign) [UPDATED: 10/9/2012]

    Very nice update. I like your writing style and nice pictures with maps (I love maps!).

  11. #31

    Default Re: [EB AAR] ROMANI (A Historical Roman Campaign) [UPDATED: 10/17/2012]



    CAPITVLVM III (Part V): The Battle of Agrigentvm

    Ancient City of Agrigentum. Pierre-Henri de Valenciennes, 1787. This painting shows the rough and uneven terrain that surrounded much of the city.

    493 AUC (Cont.)

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 
    The biggest battle in the war thus far was to be fought over the strategic city of Agrigentvm. For years this city had not been contested by any outside power and remained in the hands of the Karthadastim. However, the city had been under siege by the Romani for months on end and was slowly beginning to wither. The Karthadastim commander Hanno was now attempting to relieve the siege by cutting the supply lines to the Roman Consular Armies under the command of the Consvles Lvcivs Postvmivs Megellvs and Qvintvs Mamilivs Vitvlvs. The fight for the majority control of Sicily was under way, but the actual battle was about to commence:

    The Battle of Agrigentvm

    The Roman Army lines up in the typical Roman Manipular formation on a small hill ready to face the large Karthadastim Army.


    The Karthadastim Army under the command of Hanno lines up with their superior cavalry numbers on either flank. Originally the Romani did not wish to fight Hanno because they had lost much of their cavalry in earlier attacks, however, with dwindling supplies, the Consvles agreed to accept a pitched battle outside the city.


    The cavalry battle on the left flank was about to begin as the elephants that the Karthadastim decided to field showed up along with the larger group of Karthadastim Cavalry.


    Meanwhile, the main armies began to come face to face as skirmishing began...




    ...some of the Roman cavalry managed to sneak behind the lines of the Karthadastim Army. This would be the start of a larger group of Roman soldiers coming from behind the Karthadastim lines.


    The main battle began with an attack on the left side of the Roman lines. Hanno hoped that a quick overwhelming of the left lines would cause a break which would allow him to drive down much of the lines of the Roman Army...




    ..this plan somewhat worked since much of the Roman cavalry had been driven from the battlefield. However, the Roman cavalry had put up a good fight and the losses to the Karthadastim cavalry were heavy enough to render much of their once large numbers useless:


    The Roman lines quickly dealt a deadly blow to any untimely cavalry charges:




    After this, the Romani were able to secure much of the left flank and with that, dispel the possibility of a large attack from behind.




    Many troops still wait in reserve for the Romani, and with their help, the Romani were able to push back much of the Karthadastim troops in the left-center of the lines:





    Meanwhile, the Roman attack from behind the Karthadastim lines proved catastrophic for their opponents. The Romani quickly took Hanno's Army from both the front and now the back as well, and with this, routed the majority of his troops (elephants included):










    With this, the battle was won and the remnants of the once powerful and large Karthadastim Army now fleed from the field of battle:





    Casualties were high on both sides albeit the Romani lost many more men from the siege alone (close to 30,000 foot soldiers):









    The result of the battle was very satisfactory for the Romani (the first attack in the game had reinforcements delayed for the Karthadastim, so the one which both sides ended up fighting was only between Hanno and the Romans. That is why there aren't the two Carthaginian names named):


    Following the battle, Hannibal and his garrison army managed to escape the city by filling much of the Roman defensive ditches with straw and debris. The Romani gave pursuit to the fleeing troops and attacked the rear guard:








    It wasn't long before the rear guard, exhausted and extremely under supplied from the siege, gave up and began to run for the Karthadastim fortifications at Lilibeo. The Romani decided not to pursue the remainder of the fleeing troops and turned back to re-occupy the city of Agrigentvm:


    The Romani enslaved the residents of the city of Agrigentvm as punishment for resisting the Roman Army which led to the elongated siege. The Romani were still bitter over the loss of many of their foot infantry to desertion and disease. This act of brutality, however, made many of the Sicilian towns angry and disgusted by the Romani instead of fear them. In time, this would mean that the Romani would have to conquer these towns and cities by force rather than by showing force or even by diplomacy. For the time, however, the Romani had won and now the city of Agrigentvm (as well as much of Sicily) was under their control:


    Supply lines were opened back up and troops were used to escort many of the prisoners, read slaves, back to the Roman Provinces as well as to their allies in Sicily:





    The situation on Sicily and the majority of the SenatvsPopvlvsqveRomanvs:



    Replies:

    Dejeyo: Thanks very much! Glad you're enjoying the maps as much as I am. I find them really helpful in explaining some situations that the game cannot.
    Last edited by EdwinMerit; February 26, 2013 at 11:06 AM.

  12. #32
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    Default Re: [EB AAR] ROMANI (A Historical Roman Campaign) [UPDATED: 10/17/2012]

    Nice work. The way seems to be paved for Roman victory in Sicily.

  13. #33
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    Default Re: [EB AAR] ROMANI (A Historical Roman Campaign) [UPDATED: 10/17/2012]

    You should use a major spoiler that holds all the update in order to facilitate the navigation on the page.Anyway a great AAR and a nice update.

  14. #34
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    Default Re: [EB AAR] ROMANI (A Historical Roman Campaign) [UPDATED: 10/17/2012]

    Quote Originally Posted by Predator1994 View Post
    You should use a major spoiler that holds all the update in order to facilitate the navigation on the page.Anyway a great AAR and a nice update.
    I agree. It makes it better for those whose browser doesn't load the images fast enough.

  15. #35

    Default Re: [EB AAR] ROMANI (A Historical Roman Campaign) [UPDATED: 10/17/2012]

    Quote Originally Posted by Predator1994 View Post
    You should use a major spoiler that holds all the update in order to facilitate the navigation on the page.Anyway a great AAR and a nice update.
    edit: fixed that
    Last edited by EdwinMerit; October 17, 2012 at 09:43 PM.

  16. #36
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    Default Re: [EB AAR] ROMANI (A Historical Roman Campaign) [UPDATED: 10/17/2012]

    Great.Looking forth for a new update.Would be interesting to see what other factions do.

  17. #37

    Default Re: [EB AAR] ROMANI (A Historical Roman Campaign) [UPDATED: 10/17/2012]



    CAPITVLVM III (Part VI): The Roman Navy (Early Naval Battles)


    The location of the first two naval battles between the seafaring nation of Karthadast and the Republic of the Romani.

    494 AUC

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 
    In late 493 AUC, the Romani began to advance westward from the captured city of Agrigentvm to the western portion of Sicily which belonged to the Karthadastim. Although the fighting wouldn't continue until the following year, the goal of the Romani had changed.

    For the first years of the war, the Romani had wished to control only a portion of Sicly, namely Messana, in order to secure a small passing known as the Straight of Messana and deny the Karthadastim a proper pathway into Italy. However, after the first victories on Sicily, the Romani quickly decided to further pursue more land in Sicily. The Senate still did not wish to fight a prolonged war in Sicily due to the issue of supplying the army without naval superiority. That all changed when Syracvsae joined the Romani and agreed to supply the Roman army. At about that time, the Senate withdrew the original expeditionary force from Sicily and replaced it with an army to be controlled by the Consvles of Roma (Consular Army).


    In fact, following their victory at Agrigentvm, many considered the Romani to be the dominant force in the Western Mediterranean, not the Karthadastim. The Romani knew that they had one major obstacle to overcome if they were to win the war: naval warfare. The Romani controlled the majority of inland Sicily and many areas along the coast, however, Karthadastim raids were becoming more frequent and some even began to threaten the mainland coastal cities of Italy:


    However, during one of these raids, the Romani are able to capture a qvinqvereme that had run aground due to the choppy waves. The Romani quickly begin to deconstruct the large ship in order to determine how to build it. The Romani begin to make many copies of the ship and implement them with their first major fleet alongside the Roman Trireme and their Qvadrireme counterparts (these ships would be quickly replaced by the superior qvinqvereme):








    The first test for these ships would be against the Karthadastim fleet near the Lipari Islands. THe Karthadastim commander was Hannibal Gisco (the general who was defeated at Agrigentvm) who wished to make sure to keep the naval advantage that he had enjoyed for most of the war. On the side of the Romani was Consvl Gnaevs Cornelivs Scipio who commanded the new Roman fleet eager to test its abilities:


    The Romani were headed for the Straights of Messana in order to allow for a large sum of reinforcements to cross over to Sicily. However, upon departure for Messana, the Romani heard of a potential defection of the island city of Lipara from the Karthadast to the Romani. Without hesitation the Roman Consvl Gnaevs Cornelivs Scipio decided to head for the city hoping to be able to capture a very important, strategic stronghold without any fighting:


    The Roman fleet (consisting of roughly 17 ships) entered the harbor of Lipara, however, they were quickly surrounded and blocked in by a Karthadastim fleet which had been informed of the potential treachery. The Karthadastim commander Hannibal Gisco had ordered 20 ships to quickly subdue the inexperienced Romani who, at their current situation, began to panic and surrendered almost immediately. The Roman Consvl was captured by the Karthadastim and his fleet either fled or was captured en masse.

    The defeat, embarrassing as it was for the Roman Consvl, did not mark the end of his career as the Junior Consvl Gaivs Dvilivs took control of the Roman fleet. However, before it was all said and done, Gnaevs Cornelivs Scipio was given the cognomen Asina (feminine form of 'donkey' or 'ass') for his complete failure at the Lipari Islands:




    It wasn't long before the Romani began to make adjustments to the ships so that they would benefit the Romani in battle. The major addition to the qvinqvereme were the corvi (corvus) that the Romani added to the prow of their ships in order to be able to lock ships together. This innovation would allow for the Romani to use their superior land-based military units and tactics against their opponents at sea:



    Courtesy of this graphic goes to mmdtkw.org

    Consvl Gaivs Dvilivs ordered his fleet to sail to the location just north of the coast of the city of Mylae. Here, Dvilivs could relieve the Siege of Segesta, a city which had just proclaimed its alliance for Roma, and he could also retreat to a safer location if necessary. The Karthadastim were expecting nothing short of a clear victory for themselves since they held superior numbers as well as experience in naval battles. The two fleets met just north of the coast of Mylae, and from here, the battle commenced:




    The Romani made full use of their new invention and quickly began to drop the corvi down onto any Karthadastim ships which were close enough for the Romani to board. The Romani were able to capture the first 30 Karthadastim ships who were close to the front of the Romani. Shocked by the early Roman success, Hannibal Gisco ordered his men to pilot the ships away from the front of the ships of the Romani and attack from the rear. However, the Romani had planned for such an occasion and pivoted their corvi so that they were able to grapple any oncoming ships and quickly capture another 20 Karthadastim ships. With 50 of his ships now captured, including the Karthadastim flagship, and the morale of his men wavering substantially, Hannibal Gisco ordered his remaining ships to retreat. This left the Romani with a shocking clear victory over their superior naval opponents:




    Consvl Gaivs Dvilivs decided not to pursue the remaining Karthadastim ships, perhaps because even in their depleted numbers they could still manage to defeat the Romani. Instead, he turned his attention southward to the besieged city of Segesta and took over control of the troops (originally he was intended to be the commander of the Consvlar Armies while Scipio took control of the navy, however, after Scipio was captured control of the army fell to the Tribvnes Militvm). With the much better suited man in command of the army, the Romani quickly dispelled the Karthadastim army under the command of Hamilcar (common name, not Hamilcar Barca).

    Due to his success at the Battle of Mylae, Gaivs Dvilivs received the first Naval Triumph of Roma. He also had paved the way for the Romani to pursue the Karthadastim fleet under the command of Hannibal Gisco to Sardinia where they again destroyed a large portion of the Karthadastim Fleet.

    This would be the last of Hannibal's unfortunate errors. He was arrested by his men in a mutiny and was later crucified back in Karthadast for his failures in battle.

    The Roman Consvl Gnaevs Cornelivs Scipio Asina was retrieved from the Karthadastim and returned back to Roma. His career, however, was far from over and he continued to play an active role in the military planning on Sicily.

    The victory at Mylae inspired the Romani to continue to advance westward to conquer more territory from the Karthadastim. In late 494 AUC, the Romani would advance to the city of Thermae and attempt to take it from the Karthadastim. However, the general who they had previously beaten at Segesta, Hamilcar, had just brought up some reinforcements and was able to drive the Romani back to their territory on Sicily. This Karthadastim victory would slightly shift the momentum and in the following year, Hamilcar would renew his attacks on the Romani.


    Here is the situation in many of the regions surrounding the SenatvsPopvlvsqveRomanvs:

    After a fairly long siege, Athens finally fell to the Makedonian King Antigonus II Gonatas as mentioned previously:




    In Asia Minor, the Seleucid king Antiochus II (with the help of his ally King Antigonus II Gonatas of Macedon) is beginning attacks on the Ptolemaic outposts:


    Karthadast is still prosperous and providing a challenge for the Romani on Sicily and the surrounding islands:


    They are also keeping a close watch on their colonies in Iberia, but have not began to expand due to their war with the Romani:


    The northern Gallic Tribes continue to fight amongst themselves and remain independent and divided for the most part:



    Replies:

    Predator1994: Thank you. Attached some world pics in this update for you so you can see what is going on. (I am trying to keep it as historically accurate as possible, but it still may have a few errors)

    Post Scriptvm:
    Hey guys, sorry for the wait in between updates. Hope you enjoyed this one since naval warfare was a major part of the First Punic War and there is only so much you can do with it in Rome Total War. Anyhow, thanks for reading and please provide any feedback that you think would help this AAR.

  18. #38
    Indefinitely Banned
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    Default Re: [EB AAR] ROMANI (A Historical Roman Campaign) [UPDATED: 10/25/2012]

    Nice work! Didn't you plan to try maintain status quo in other parts of the world for the purposes of the AAR? The Aedui usually become strong, so you might want to keep an eye on them.

  19. #39

    Default Re: [EB AAR] ROMANI (A Historical Roman Campaign) [UPDATED: 10/25/2012]

    Quote Originally Posted by The Kybrothilian View Post
    Nice work! Didn't you plan to try maintain status quo in other parts of the world for the purposes of the AAR? The Aedui usually become strong, so you might want to keep an eye on them.
    Indeed. I plan on using diplomacy to maintain a relative cap on how powerful, or weak, a faction can become. I also want to use my army to halt any rapid expansion into any other territories to keep my men occupied during times of peace. I have already had to send a legion to Epiros to stop them from spreading too far into Illyria.

    I will try and keep you guys updated on the Western Mediterranean more than other parts of the world both because I will be directly affecting it earlier in the game, and because I want to make this AAR as historically accurate as possible and that might be tough with some eastern regions. I'll see how it goes though, I may start to show a "whole world situation" every few updates.

  20. #40
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    Default Re: [EB AAR] ROMANI (A Historical Roman Campaign) [UPDATED: 10/25/2012]

    Great update.This is a verry verry good AAR and it is a pleasure to read it.(i liked in particular the details about roman navy).
    I only hope you'll pull it of and develop it (the AAR and your campain) atleast until the faction's victory conditions.
    P.S.No rep as i must spread but i'll give it as soon as it opens.

    Cheers Predator!

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