Hello this AAR covers Senior Centurion Marius Septimus Metellus, from being a green recruit to one if his legion's best officers.

It was a warm morning in the fortress of the Legio I Italica, the duty centurion sighed as he took another sip of wine and yawned. After a about an hour or two however, he spotted a column, riding at the head was his senior centurion, a medium man with a muscular physique, standing up at the gatehouse, the duty centurion shouted a challenge "password! Identify yourself" "For Jupiter's sake! Have you forgotten me Antonius?" Responded the man below the gatehouse "Password is fortuna." "Open the gates! Antonius shouted from above and then 4 legionaries came and drew the locking pin and another 2 pulled the gates open. "Sir, 200 fresh recruits joining the legion from Greece." "They came by ship then centurion?" asked their legate, Gnaeus Scipio "Yes sir, landed at the harbor this morning sir." "Ok then centurion, get these men trained, news from Rome, apparently we are going to war with the Seleucid rebels, but instead we have been ordered to go to war with Parthava." "Yes sir." politely answered the centurion, saluted and then left.


After a week...

"Let's go ladies!" bellowed Lutorius, the cohort's commanding officer, the recruits have been training for a week now, every day seemed to mark an improvement in their military life. "Good one Marius, and stop!", This boy, Marius was tall and lanky compared to his other comrades. The heat scorched over them and most legionaries should be under their barracks to shield themselves from the searing Syrian sun. The men looked tired from their training and were given a break by the training officers. "Lunch! Come on now to the mess hall, legionary Marius Metellus, report to Centurion Lutorius after lunch, the rest of you will resume training. "You asked for me sir?" "Ah Marius, I have observed you and based on your performance, you will serve as optio under centurion Antonius." "Sir? A promotion? But I haven't even experienced being in combat before." "Yes yes there will be combat for us, our legion will campaign against the Parthava in a week."

Another week later...

"Get your backs of those bunks, armor on kit up and helmets strapped!" bellowed centurion Antonius to his century, groans and heavy moving sounds filled their barrack block as he and his optio, Marius woke the sleeping legionaries, at 19, Marius was one of the youngest optios in the army. "Centurions, we will march from Antioch to Palmyra and then wait for reports, then when we have enough intelligence, we will attack. Forming lines and cajoling men with his staff was harder than what Marius thought, most were to sleepy to tie the straps of their armour correctly and had to be helped by their more livelier comrades. After the second cohort moved, the second century of the third cohort advanced after the first century into the eastern sun which made their eagle shine and made all the men stand tall with pride and admiration for their legion, the First Italica, serving since the Punic wars and into the invasion of The Seleucid lands.


Next update will contain combat thanks for reading.