[AAR]Taking Power in the West, Constantine's Battle for Rome

[Sétanta]

Author: Horton III
Original Thread: Taking Power in the West, Constantine's Battle for Rome

Chapter I: The Securing of Gaul

Constantine ate his breakfast quickly. Word was coming in every day from his agents in Italy, and all of them revolved around the latest threat to Rome herself; the Goths. The hordes had crossed the Rubicon, sweeping aside the armies of the Empire. Honorius had ridden from Rome to observe their advance, and his spies and townspeople said that the Goths were headed straight for the Roman Capitol.

The Capitol was garrisoned by crack Roman Troops, but these were so few in number that the city's walls would not even be manned fully when the attack came. Valens was marching as fast as he could with a sizeable field army to try and Relieve Rome, and Honorius himself had taken refuge in Ravenna with two cohorts of the Auxilia Palatinae Guard and a large body of heavy cavalry. It was rumoured that should the Goths turn on Ravenna, he would sneak out with these horsemen and dash for Illyria. Valens, after all, was the general, not Honorius; he was just Augustus, responsible for the affairs of state.

Constantine was older and wiser that Honorius. He had his demons, no doubt, but cowardice was not one of them. How could a coward claim to be Augustus in an empire built on courage, discipline, and honor? Constantine leaned back in his chair and for a moment lost himself to the recurring daydream of his triumphal entrance to Rome.

He was knocked back out of it when another courier entered.
"My lord," he said, out of breath, "Honorius' soldiers are encamped just north of here. They arrived this morning, no more than a thousand, but all good troops."

Constantine had been dormant for a while now; he was trying to make money and raise and army, but his coffers had gone almost dry. He had started with a large fortune three years ago, and now had a mere twenty-thousand denarii to take Rome with.

Eldobich, his most trusted general other than his son, and by far his best field commander, was now in central Gaul, where he had just put down a large uprising of Honorius supporting locals. The Franks were about to pour in from the north, but he needed Eldobich's troops to take Rome. Now, the troops of Honorius were camped outside the port town in southern Gaul that Constantine had made his headquarters. How they could afford that Constantine had no clue. Barbarians were pouring into Italy and by the droves at that.

"Prefect Castus," Constantine said to an officer behind him, "Gather my Comitatenses and the Foederati, and meet me at the northern gate in an hour. Ready for battle. I shall meet you with the cavalry. Make haste."

The prefect left. The courier was still there. "What is your name, courier? I've not seen your face before."

"I am Giaus Valentinian Patricius. I am a Briton who came over with my father, a Centurion in your legions, when you evacutated the legions there. I have recently come of age and Eldobich made me an officer of cavalry, with my first duty being riding dispatches."

"An officer of cavalry riding dispatches eh?" Constantine asked rhetorically. "Well you may not like it, but that's how Eldobich got his start. It gets you used to the danger and of riding alone. Makes you quick to think. Now, I will have you ride these to my son in Lugdunum." Constantine wrote a quick note on a piece of paper. "When he begins his march south, ride with his cavalry and learn what you can. Cassius Julens is his magister equitum, and you will learn much in the art of cavalry tactics with his command."

"Thank you, my lord," Giaus said, bowing and retiring with the dispatch. Within a minute Constantine could hear the horse's hooves clatter the cobblestone road as the young courier made his way out of the city for Lugdunum.

Constantine donned his armor as soon as the courier left. He met the prefect at the north gate with the cavalry, and the little army of 600 marched out.

He had a plan. It was simple, really; the Romans were, according to Constantine's intelligence, camped in two places. This allowed them to live off the land, but in the case of attack one could come to the aid of the other. They had been sent by Pothsumius Dardanius to cut Constantine's communication with the rest of Gaul, and the idea was that the troops of Constantine would be too busy fighting the Franks in the north and Honorius's Spanish army in the south to bother with such a small little force. Then, when Constantine least expected it, a naval force would land a legion and these men would storm Constantine's capitol.

Constantine had another plan. His plan was to march his little force to a plain and there he would build a fortified encampment that threatened Pothsumius's supply lines. With nowhere to go, the Romans would have to either attack him or march deeper into Gaul, where Constantine would attack them with troops from Lugdunum, Narbo, and his force of six hundred. The Romans would be smashed, and the only field army of Honorius in Gaul would be destroyed entirely. If they decided to attack Honorius, troops from Lugdunum would come to his relief, and he still had a plentiful reserve at his headquarters to come to his aid in a pinch.

So the force marched out of the town, and with their armor and accoutraments wrapped in cloth to silence the clatter of an army on the march set out for the pass in the Alps that the troops of Pothsumius would have to pass through to go home.

That night was the most harrowing part of the march. The troops had to pass within a mile of the enemy camps, and so no torches could be lit to light the way, and noise had to be non-existent.

Constantine sent his personal courier to scout the enemy camp nearest him, to alert the army should the enemy sally forth to combat them. The courier returned to the alarm of Constantine within an hour.

"My lord, they are all asleep. There are a few dozen guards posted, but most are unsuspecting of anything. We could suprise them and nobody would offer resistance." Constantine looked at him with suprise. "No guards? It must be a trick." "My lord, I promise you, they are asleep. I was within a stone's throw of their camp and nobody saw me. I was able to climb an old oak tree and overlook the camp, and the men are drinking wine or are already passed out."

Constantine rode back to the prefect's place in the column. "Castus, we are going to attack. Have the men-silently-don their battle gear. We are going to stirke now."

The army formed for advance. The Romans were, as the courier reported, disgustingly asleep or drunk. Constantine was excited, for the first time in over a year he was about to meet someone on the field of battle.

They advanced quietly. It was cloudy and a coastal fog had moved in, so the enemy couldn't see them. The camp had been poorly built, and the walls were only three feet high with earth and another two feet with palisade. An archer shot the guard on watch at the nearest point in the throat. Another arrow whizzed into the next guard, and the next, and so on, until the souther wall was void of them altogether. By the time the alarm was raised, the army of Constantius was over the walls and cutting down soldiers as they came. There were only five hundred men in the camp, and the eastern gate was opened by a group of Comitatenses and the cavalry came thundering in, ending the fight within five minutes. The majority were taken prisoner, but over a hundred fell, most without a sword in their hand.

The next morning, Pothsumius in his camp to the west looked over the walls and saw the banners of Constantine flying over his eastern camp. He was now the one that was under siege, effectively.

By nightfall, the sound of another force from the north was heard, and as night fell Constantine and his son wrapped around Pothsumius's camp and 500 combatants with over 1200 men. By morning, the entire camp would be dead or slaves.

Two weeks had passed by when Giaus returned with another dispatch from Eldobich. As he entered, Constantine was leaned over a table laden with maps and lead figures. The Prefect Castus was using a stick to show a group of officers and senators the various locations of Roman Armies under Honorius, and of suspected movements of these armies. Giaus heard Castus speak as he neared the table.

"...and here is Eldobich's encampment. He has, right now, the only field army we can muster. Northwest Gaul is secure, no doubt about it. However, the troops of Honorius are also being kept busy with the Vandals, Goths, and Alamenii."

Constantine spoke up, "And to make this matter clear, we have two forts established at the Rhine to keep the Germans out. However, we were approached by a chief of the Alamenni a month ago, and he promised peace and trade with his people. We are invaluable to them in the amount of pressure we are putting on Honorius, and I hope that in the future we can ally ourselves with this people. They will not at this time, since we are not yet in control of Rome. They think that when I gain control of Rome, I may wish to pick up the conquests of Honorius's puppets."

"And how about the Franks?" Castus said again, "They are..."

Giaus broke in. "They are laying siege to our northernmost fortess. Eldobich has sent me to gain permission to march north to relive the garrison before any of our cities are threatened."

A gasp arose; the Franks had finally crossed into Roman land, and were now a threat just when it seemed there would be time to rebuild.

"Tell Eldobich to march will all due haste. The Franks have been repulsed time and time again. This time they will be destroyed."

----------------One Month later, Northern Gaul: Eldobich's encampment-----

The riders were coming in hourly. The governor of one city was sending small detachments, the governor of another refused aid. Constantine himself was marching with a legion as fast as he could north, trying to make it to the fight. Eldobich, however, knew that the time for battle was emminent. There would be no sizeable reinforcement, it was up to him to relieve the garrison of the fort.

Giaus was now in command of a detachment of Equites Saggitari, and was spending his days in endless patrols of the Frank's siege lines. Prodding here, prodding there, drawing sketches of the line and troops placements, writing detailed accounts of troop movements, etc.

This sometimes led to brief but fierce skirmishes with the Franks, but the Romans came out on top and were able to withdraw safely every time. Eldobich was suprised at how quickly this young man had learned not only cavalry command skills, but how to properly conduct reconisance operations, and skillfully extract his command from hairy situations. Letters reached Constantine from Eldobich, and included in the reports of the situation he mentioned how invaluable the help of young Patricius was. Though he did not know it yet, one day he would become a landowner in Italy thanks to his loyal service.

But that was not yet to come. The Franks had to be dealt with. Every day the Romans didn't attack the siege lines, the garrison of the fort was getting closer to surrender. Eldobich, in late September, finally decided to make his move.

The legion under his command was a motley array of troops from all over Britain, Gaul, and Spain; there were two cohorts of Comitatenses, two of Psuedo-Comitatenses, and four of limitanei Milites from the frontier garrisons. There were three Foederati companies, and three cohorts of archers. Two troops of heavy cavalry and three light cavalry troops made up the rest of the Army; Eldobich's bodyguard brought up the rear of the center.

The army was deployed in an echlon, with the Comitatenses in the front/right, followed behind and to the left by the Auxilia Cohorts, then the Milites of the limitanei, and then the Foederati troops were to the rear of the whole line to provide a good reserve. The heavy cavalry were placed under a newly promoted Patricius on the left, and the light cavalry were placed in support of them on the far left under a man named Graccus Pelonius.

The Franks had very little heavy infantry or cavalry. However, they had plenty of soldiers lightly armed and armored, but with javelins and shields that could wreak havok if they were allowed to close in on the legion's infantry.

The advance began, and Eldobich rode to speak with Patricius. "Those light infantry will decimate us. Take your cavalry and as they advance to meet us, cut them down. But retire before their spearmen and heavy infantry get into a melee with you; you will be bogged down. I am confident in your ability, don't let me down and I promise, you will be rewarded."

Giaus Valentinian Patricius was on the verge of fame. Constantine, Constans, and Eldobich had all taken a liking to the lad, and were all impressed at how sharp he was. However, that was the farthest thing from his mind now; he was watching closely on his right as the infantry advanced. He drew his sword and circled it over his head, then pointed forward. The cavalry advanced. On his left the light cavalry followed his lead, and in support of the infantry they came on.

Meanwhile, Eldobich was watching the woods to his right. No franks had been seen there, but he was ever wary of ambush; he prided himself on the fact he had always caught the ambushes placed for him and repayed double the trouble they were meant to cause. he sent forward his nearest company of Foederati to investigate, and at a brisk run they entered the woods. There were no Franks, but a runner returned with word that the woods were perfectly situated to take the franks in the flank by suprise.

Eldobich didn't hesitate a moment. With the remaining reserves in tow, he ran to the woods. As it had been stated, the place overlooked the Frank's flank, and as the legion neared the enemy line and Patricius advanced on their other flank, the Franks could no longer maneuver. Now, the fort's garrison of 300 men had sallied out and were advancing on the Frank's rear; all their reserves had been dispatched to deal with that threat, and Eldobich had command of the field.

As he had assumed would happen, the Franks had deployed their heavy axe-wielding infantry in the center behind a shield wall, and the lighter spearmen on the flanks. The skirmishers and their javelins had come out of the line to the front, and were being chopped up by the Roman's archers; as the legion neared, Eldobich could see Patricius speed the canter of his command into a gallop, and rush down on the skirmishers. The Roman Archers now concentrated on the lines of infantry the Franks had on the hill, and the light infantry was being decimated. The line was about to buckle, and the infantry hadn't even engaged yet!

Then Eldobich saw something peculiar; Patricius, although not threatened, retired his cavalry back to the flank. This did allow the legion's infantry to advance in perfect order, but most young cavalry officers had the habit of at least advancing with the infantry, if not rushing their troops headlong into the enemy. Patricius was retiring at a brisk trot, as if he cared not that the enemy's army was right on top of him. Had they rushed down upon him, the heavy cavalry would have been destroyed. The Franks were yelling curses at the cavalry, the line waving as men ventured forward, then fell back as arrows hailed down upon them. The Frankish King could only watch as the cavalry retired; meanwhile, the light cavalry were galloping around, and had almost made it to a hill that commanded the rear of the Frankish line.

The moment was epic; the Legionares in the front/right of the advancing line stopped a short distance away from the Frank's left flank and loosed javelins and plumbartii, wreaking havok among the Frank's ranks. Their missles expended, the men charged in a tight formation, using shield to block the light spears of the Franks, and their swords to cut the poor wretches down. The Auxilia Cohorts now did the same to the Franks' center, where the heavy infantry was; Eldobich now sounded his horn, and the Foederati rushed from the woods upon the flank, rolling it up into the center.

The Milites were now engaged on the left, and they adn the Auxilia Cohorts were not making it as easy as the men on the right. Eldobich had lost track of Patricius; but he and Petronius had linked up now, and came thundering into the Franks rear in wedges, breaking them up in many places into groups of ten or twenty, which were cut down easily. The Frankish King threw his bodyguard and himself into the fray, and fought like a lion for a while; then, the garrison of the fort, having broken the enemy's reserve, came into teh fight.

It was over. The king rallied his heavy infantry around him, as well as the little cavalry he had; they fought on, surrounded, for a period of time that seemed like an eternity; but within five minutes it was over. The Frankish King laid down his sword, and his remaining twenty men with him. Eldobich came into the circle that had formed, and ordered the Comitatenses to take the men, bind them, and send them to Lugdunum as slaves. The Frank King stood among his men as they were searched, tied up, and led away. Then he was taken to the Roman fort, stripped of his kingly armor, and beheaded.

For the first time since the legions of Gaul and Britain had proclaimed Constantine Emperor, Constantine's forces were on the offensive. The Franks would soon learn that Roman power was very much alive, if unstable.

Chapter II: Constantine's campaign in Germania

Constantine's Camp, 5 miles outside Augusta Trevororum, Winter, 410-11 AD

Patricius and five catafractarii galloped into the walled camp of Constantine. They were coming from Eldobich's camp, positioned only a mile from the city of Augusta Trevororum, the Frank's walled stronghold recently aquired from Honorius's troops. He had just been inducted into the cabinent of Constantine's government as Sub-Magister Equitum and Master of Scouts.

Once the command tent was reached, he dismounted and went inside. Constantine was there, bent over a table strewn with maps. Eldobich looked up from the table where the officer's of both armies were gathered, and greeted passivley the young man. Constantine, however, shook the trance off himself to recieve him.

"Salvette, young Patricius. What new news have you brought?"

Without speaking, Patricius dashed forward and placed the roll of paper under his arm onto the table. On the paper was a diagram of the city. The air instantly changed in the room, the officers pressing forward to see the exciting new chart.

"How, young friend, have you aquired this?"

"Several ways, my lord. First, there is a Roman fort loyal to Honorius twenty miles east of the city. Their commander served with my father in Britain years ago, and he's happy to see Romans this far north; no matter their loyalty. But let me get on to the subject. I was able to gain entrance to the city with a young member of the Foederati contingent of Eldobich's army. I was there for a week, and I have made some observations that may be helpful. First, there are no more than a thousand soldiers in the city. The walls, too, are not as stout as they appear to be; and to top it off, the citizens are Romans. So we can be sure they will not rise against us and bolster the Franks' numbers when we attack."

If the officers were doubtful of the young man's capabilities, they were now laid to rest. If they had been excited about the new information, they were now enthralled. Constantine himself was now glowing with excitement.

"Young Patricius, everyone who's unaware, is the son of Marcus Patricius, one of my fellow veterans of Britain and one of my loyalest centurions. He is also now the newest member of my war council. And," he patted the young man on the back, "He's made me proud of my judge of character."

The council went on for some time, but at the end a decision was made that everyone knew would be the end result; Eldobich was to attack at once, before a large Frank army composed of all their elite heavy infantry and the dead kings three sons, was able to arrive to the relief of the city.

As the meeting adjourned, the officers rode back to their posts. Patricius was ready for the coming battle; for the first time he would command the entire cavalry wing on the field, and would only have to answer to Eldobich himself.

MIDDAY, two days later; Augusta Trevororum

The battle had started slowly; the lower tier troops had advanced on the walls with rams, and the gates had been broken down. The walls in another place were under extreme duress, and would soon fall; this would affect a double breach, where the army could take two places along the walls and spread the defenders thin. The comitatenses had advanced and the archers were now at a safe distance from the walls, but were pouring arrows into the defending infantry. The Franks were scrambling about, and many were falling victim to the missles of the archers by the droves.

Patricius hadn't seen a lick of action. From his station on the left flank of the army he could see the comitatenses advancing towards the broken gates, and the Foederati behind them making their way to the place where the ram was cracking the walls, slowly but surely. The army was snaking its way into the city, and the Franks were falling back; some were running to the choke points in the city, and some were trying to escape the hail of arrows. Now that the Comitatenses were in range, they were flinging plumbarti, javelins, and even stones over the walls into the fleeing ranks of the Frankish army.

Before the heavy infantry could escape, though, the sound of battle was interuppted by the crashing of wood and stone-they were through the walls! This was the Foederati's moment; mostly green troops, they were eager to prove themselves in combat, and rushed into the breech upon the Heerban troops trying to fall back. All in a moment the Franks' found themselves surrounded and pressed up against the closly packed houses.



Patricius and his cavalry were second through the breach; at once they joined the fray, and Eldobich himself was in the middle of the fight. The comitatenses were now through the gates; a group of Frankish light infantry strayed too close, and as the last Axemen were slaughtered, the entire force closed in on them.



The Frankish commander fell soon after in one of the roads; a once rich and powerful man was lost among the bodies like a dead rat. Patricius, riding close in with Eldobich, saw him fall; The army turned the corner to the street leading to the forum, where the last stand of the Franks was going to take place. A small detachment was now blocking the road, and a group of Foederati Nobles, richly attired for battle and made up of mostly cheiftan's second sons and banished men, were the only ones to ignore the threat and break through and dash for the forum.



Patricius watched them run into the first group of Franks, slaughtering them to a man; then the nobles charged on, into the forum, where the last few franks were waiting. Now, the nobles had more than they had bargained for. These men were desperate, and there were two hundred to combat twenty nine. Patricius, seeing the threat in the road destroyed, ordered his men back to the main road that made a circut of the town, and at a gallop they rode as hard as they could to get to the forum from the other side. The enemy had placed themselves at the mercy of the Romans by way of desperation, and as the nobles wavered and fell, Patricius led his men into the rear of the enemy formation. Almost at once, the fight was over.





The Franks were crushed. The remnants were all to eager to surrender, and though 300 Romans were killed in the fierce fighting, Frankish power in Gaul was over.




But there was still one last army to deal with. The last of the Franks were advancing; Constantine, now advancing to meet them, would soon sweep them clean of Gaul once and for all.

Chapter II Part 2: Last stand of the Franks

Constantine advanced right away towards the Franks' army approaching from the north. It was still unaware of the capture of the city, and all the scouts reported that they were marching with 1200 troops at all due haste. Hence, the security of the column was comprimised; the Frankish warlords, sons of the late king, were eager to erase the shame incurred by their father's defeat.

Constantine ordered Patricius with the cavalry wing to join him, while his army's lower tier troops were sent to garrison the city and engage in rebuilding the walls.

The battle was brief to say the least. Patricius and his cavalry started the fight with an advance into the enemy left flank. The army, consisting of mostly axe or sword wielding heavy infantry, was ordered to fall back and Patricius advanced into the enemy rear, destroying the baggage train. From there, they started at a nice canter again, as Constantine advanced with the infantry.



The Franks panicked; This was going to be mostly a cavalry engagement on the part of the Romans, as the Franks were now scattering before the ballistae bolts and missles of the archers and comitatenses. A brief skirmish with the infantry took place; then the dashing heavy cavalry wing broke from a canter to a gallop! Horses were spurred to their fastest, lances and swords were levelled, adn the cavalrymen's arms were locked forward-and in the next moment, they were upon the enemy! The ground was shaking, the blood and empty helmets flying into the air, and along the whole line the Franks routed and were pursued to their ends. For ages the bards sang songs of that charge; even Patricius, the revolutionary young cavalry leader, was amazed at the epic, noble charge's outcome.





That day was doomsday for the Franks. Their last leaders were dead; their last city was now ruled by petty nobles and struggling to survive Saxon invasions;



Within two years it, too, would fall- to Saxons from the North.

Now Constantine could plan his invasion of Rome herself.

Chapter III: Constantine's Gaul on the brink of collapse

Constantine and his army marched into Lugdunum tired, dirty, and in need of rest. His son, Constans, watched from the family's villa as Constantine walked up the steps and through the garden to the door. Eldobich, Patricius, Jovinius, and some other staff officers followed behind him. The group changed into bathing attire and retired to the baths, where the doors were shut and, as had always been comon among Romans, the highest of the government discussed state matters over cleanliness.

As they settled into the warm waters, Patricius could but marvel. In Britain, there were public baths as nice as this, but there was something more here. An air of royalty. There were also more luxuries; female servants brought wine, clad only in loincloths if even that. Eldobich, a barbarian by birth, loved these bathing sessions as the servants were not only wine servers, but also provided the men with services that relieved their tensions brought from months of fierce fighting. Patricius abstained from these services at the moment; women were his fancy, but he was not one to spread his seed like other Romans.

He was also, apart from that reason, too intriged at what was going on. Eldobich had two of them in the water with him, but was talking to Constantine without distraction. Patricius had never seen these customs of Romans in play before. Although a citizen, he was a briton, and had his hole life been quite out of the way of Roman royalty and their customs. Jovinius was a "True" Roman, born and raised in the eternal city, and was the most promscuous of all of the group. Patricius could not bring himself to look at the corner where he was with some of the servants, even though he was putting in information for the discussion.

Constantine was the only other one not becoming settled with one of the servant girls. His mind was far too deep in thought, and as ideas for the coming campaign in Italy were thrown around, he was silent. Finally he spoke, "Silence! I have some news for you all. I was hoping to wait and break it to you all tomorrow, since we have just only returned from Northern Gaul. But I want to stifle this talk of a campaign in Italy. It may be delayed."

The men all waved off their girls, and the room was emptied of all but the officers themselves and one manservant of Constantine's that was there in case a dispatch needed written at once, or one came in that was more urgent than most.

Constantine waited for the door to be shut by his manservant and locked, and as steam reclaimed the air lost by the open door he spoke again.

"The Alamenni have crossed the river and laid siege to our frontier garrison there. It is a very poor garrison, and won't hold out long. We will have to march at once."

Eldobich started to speak, "My men can leave now. They have rested in Colonia Aggripina, and are only tired from the march here. I will..."

"Never mind that now, let me finish!" Constantine thrashed out, angrier than his staff had seen him in some time. Even Constans was suprised at his father's outlash. "That is not the only threat. The Goths have finished ransacking Italy and lower Gaul, and have crossed into my territory. My headquarters at Arelate is threatened, and I leave tomorrow with two cohorts to reinforce the depot there. They are in full force, with more men in their army then I have in my field armies and garrisons combined. So I will now give you what may possibly be my last orders. Eldobich will march at once to relieve Augusta Treverorum and the frontier army from the Alamenni. Jovinus, you too will march north and fight in support of Eldobich. Patricius, you will not fight this one. You are to go from Narbo, Avaricum, Burdigala, and Durocorturum, then to all the other cities in northern Gaul along the channel. In every city oversee the construction of cavalry stables, the purchase of mounts, and the recriutment of each regions best horsemen. I am giving you power of Magister Equitum en full, as Marcus is about to retire adn take up the life of a diplomatic emmissary. You are granted permission to offer anything in return for horsemen, citizenship to Foederati horsemen, anything short of a throne. Keep a record of your expenses, and I will reimburse you accordingly. Choose a unit of horsemen made up of your most trustworthy, intelligent men and promote them all; I want 200 to ride with you, and leave a detachment in each town to train the new recruits, and when you leave, to take care of purchasing remounts and speak on my behalf. The men you choose will reflect upon you, so choose wisely. Constans, you are to remain here. Train as many comitatenses as you can muster. The Foederati will jump at the chance for citizenship, and I will need these troops at once. These are your orders, gentlemen; God be with you."

The officers exited the baths, and somberly redressed and dined together for what they thought may be their last time. Eldobich left at once, before night was gone, to his army's camp outside the city. Patricius awoke early the next morning to go on an inspection of the cavalry, and choose his men. Then the rest were dispatched to join Eldobich and Jovinus. Before riding out the next day, he observed army officers at tables enlisting anyone who would come, from young men of the Foederati to old veterans, farmers, smiths, as long as they had all their extremities they were accepted. In the forum a man posted a decree that taxes had been raised. Such was the nessecity of empire.

Constantine did as he said and marched to Arelate. He reached it just in time to avoid the outriders of the Gothic army. Before the week was out, he was blocked in, under siege in a miserable little port depot town.

Eldobich and Jovinus had better luck. They marched north as ordered, and Jovinus took his little army into Augusta Treverorum to reinforce it and prepare for the coming of the Alamenni. Eldobich offered battle to the army laying siege to the frontier fort. These men retired and for a week Eldobich's army was able to rest and refit with supplies from Augusta Treverorum.

It seemed that Gaul was on the brink of temporary peace until a Roman army, marching all through the night and through Eldobich's picket lines, came into sight north of Lugdunum. Now both father and son were under siege.


Part Two; Invaders repulsed-----------------------------------------------

Patricius was busy as a bee with his new assignment. The numbers of cavalry swelled, and from his pocket he payed for infantry recruits as well when men who couldn't ride, but were stout men good for war, presented themselves. From city to city he rode, until at the end of the month he arrived in Durocotorum. Here there were already the facilities to train cavalry, and horses were cheap here. In recent years the steeds of migrating barbarians, britons, Romans, foederati troops, and farmer's work horses had had a population boom. All Patricius had to do was find ones that were good for battle. There were already many men in the cavalry here, and though they were not up to Patricius's standards with their training, they at least had some knowledge of horse mastery and use of lance, spatha, and shield.



And here is where he was when Patricius learned of the Siege of Lugdunum. The fight was apparently short and quick; the Romans under Honorius were poor soldiers of the Liminetii, and some light cavalry. They had been under the orders of Honorius's uncle. Constans had sallied out from two gates, encircled the besiegers, and killed them to a man. supporting units on the hills surrounding ran away, and an eagle was paraded through the streets of Lugdunum. This, however, had set back Constan's plans to relieve his father.

In the east, Eldobich's men were refitted well, and camped on a hill overlooking the river ford where the Alamenni were massing. Finally, towards the end of the month, they crossed under cover of night and camped outside Augusta Treverorum. Jovinus was ready, and the gates were shut and sentries doubled. Eldobich was right on their tail, and overcame and captured their supply train.

Their chief, Hortar, finally was ready to fight; but a last minute reinforcement from Patricius to Jovinus sealed his fate.

The battle was lost before it began. The Germans were caught in a ravine inbetween the city and a hill occupied by Eldobich. Hortar had assumed his lager wagons would hold back an attack on that hill, but was wrong; dead wrong.



Eldobich deployed his Auxilia Palatinii in the center, supported by comitatenses and auxilia psuedo-comitatenses. The cavalry swept into the German's ranks from two sides, and the heavy infantry of Eldobich's army crushed the germans' center. A few spearmen tried to rally, but were forced into a circle and there they were slain.



The entire Alemenni command structure faltered. They fell one by one, three chiefs, all trying to get away like dogs. The Romans were full of pent-up anger and revenge, to a point of bloodlust; many were natives of Germania, displaced by hordes of Germans migrating or political banishment; some were Romano-Gauls who's fathers, brothers, or cousins had been slaughtered by the Alamenni's wars with Rome; others were soldiers of fortune, bent on killing and looking forward to the spoils of the dead germans.

One by one, all three chiefs present were cut down in the last stand.







The day was Rome's. And try as they may, the Alamenni never again crossed that River into Gaul. They had learned their lesson, and unlike the Franks knew when to stop.




Attention was now turned to the south, where Constantine had, for a month, been under siege. Constans sent a rider to Eldobich and Jovinus explaining the Roman incursion, and that he was going to be delayed in his march south. So, without a moment lost, Eldobich and Patricius marched southwest. Jovinus was left to restore order and reinforce the frontier fortesses peppering the eastern borders of Gaul.

The Goths had a huge army that was not planning on leaving Gaul. Italy had been ransacked, but they were still hungry for spoils and thirsty for blood.

Constans recieved good news, finally. For one, the family had gone into great amounts of debt to raise their army and equip it properly to one day fight Honorius. The family's steward came rushing in to tell him that the raises in taxes and the revenue from Colonia Aggripina was now pouring riches into their coffers. They not only paid their army in gold, but were able to have excess for the first time in a year. All their debts from loans by rich Romans had been paid off, and Constans was enthralled. Then Marcus, the retired Magister Equitum, sent word from the Steppes that an alliance had been made with Rome's most formidable enemy, the Huns.





They had agreed to establish trading routes with Constantine's Gaul, and with their power thriving in the Steppes and eastern Germania, none of the German states were going to get in their way. The Britons, under the King Vortigern, a Roman Citizen, had also promised renewed trade with Constantine; they had once been centurions in the same legion, and there were still British legionaries in Constantine's legions. Some suspected Vortigern had plans of his own; some took his gesture for what is was worth, rich trade with Briton. The Vandals had just kicked the last Romans from Spain, and were now sending envoys of peace and alliance to Constans.

Yet still Constantine was trapped...

Eldobich made a temporary camp for the army north of Lugdunum. He spread scouts through the alps, and all through southern Gaul, to find the best route to take in attacking the Goths. That he would be vastly outnumbered he knew; and that he would probably lose the battle he also knew. With such a vast army, there was simply no way of attacking the acctual siege lines around Arelate. He could not count on a joint sally from Constantine to relieve him. And Constans... well, Constans was a good man, but was too busy trying to train new troops to march south to join him. It may come to that, though, he thought to himself as he looked over the vast array of maps before him.

Then Patricius came in with on of his scouts. "Eldobich, I think we have a winner," the young man said with a contagious grin.

"Tell me, please," said Eldobich. He needed the good news.

The scout spoke. "At the River Rhone there is a place where we can bottle the enemy up. If they are rash enough to attack us there, we can hold the bridge and the ford." He placed a map on the table, then pulled it aside momentarily. Pointing to a place on a large map of all southern Gaul, he said "We can do it here. This map I have is right around here somewhere," and as he placed his smaller map down started again. "I have drawn up this sketch of the place. It is commanded by a mountain to the north and the sea to the south. The Rhone is now full, and the fords flooded, so that a man cannot cross anywhere but this. The one ford is only a few hundred yards from the Bridge; one army can defend both."

Eldobich didn't hesitate. He uprighted himself, and spoke to the young officer that acted as his aide. "Tell the army to break camp. We march at once. I want the entire Army formed for the march in an hour." The man left, and Eldobich spoke to Patricius. "Your man here has done well. Send him to Constans, and tell him to supply me with every spare cohort or century he can. Durocortorum is to send me their comitatenses garrison at once as well. They must catch up to us within the day."

The army marched for three days straight. Hour long rest intervals every five hours allowed the men to rest their feet and shift their loads. On the morning of the fourth day, the army reached the bridge at the Rhone. Gothic cavalry guarding the bridge were repulsed by Patricius's cavalry, and the army set up a fortified camp a half mile from the bridge. The archers, artillery, and cavalry set up an un-fortified camp right at the bridge. The point of this was to provide a first response when the enemy arrived, and a camp that could be taken down at once to allow the army to maneuver into place.

Eldobich was enthralled at his success, and at the legion's rate of arrival. out of his own purse he gave a bounty to each man, and then, after the camp was constructed, fell the majority of the men out to sleep. Most slept for the entire two days it took the Goths to attack.

And they did attack. Three waves of them. Leaving the siege lines intact, the main Goth force marched to meet this new threat, and seeing only light infantry and cavalry, lost no time. Instead of massing for an assault, the first chieftan to come over the hill into sight attacked.

Eldobich marched the comitatenses and the psuedo-comitatenses into place from the camp. The Goths, seeing this, only responded by louder shouts and brazen displays of hostility. They came on, some crossing the bridge, and some trying the ford. Patricius's cavalry cut the ones at the ford to bits, and the Comitatenses finished off anyone who crossed the bridge alive; most were dashed into the river by the balistae darts or fell to archer's arrows, and those who almost made it were then lucky not to fall to the plumbartii of the Comitatenses. The battle lasted just over an hour, and only fifteen Romans fell dead.

The next force, however, was made up of the best Goths under the Goth's high king. He at least had a plan; his heaviest cavalry would dash across the bridge and hit the Roman center. This was made up of young nobles and second sons, all finely equipped with rich armor and arms from the campaign in Italy.

The lighter, faster cavalry would cross at the ford and engage the cavalry wing under Patricius. They would be supported by a contingent of the heavy infantry, who would use the light cavalry's action as a delayment to swim the river.

The missle troops, light infantry and other half of the heavy infantry would cross directly behind the heavy cavalry on the bridge. The longest ranged missle troops would remain on the far side of the river to provide a hail of arrows to cover the heavies, and the bridge infantry would wedge into the hole made by the cavalry and cut the Romans in two.

They had defeated the Romans before, countless times. This would be no different. So with light hearts the Goths prepared to make mincemeat of the Roman army.

The plan worked without a hitch for the Goths-right up to the point they acctually had to cross the river. The light cavalry was still in the river when the Roman light infantry started pelting them with missles, and when they finally made it to the west bank Patricius and his heavy cavalry dashed into them with a fury.



On the bridge, the heavies made it across. But that was only the beginning of their problems.



The darts of the comitatenses felled the entire front rank; the Goth's infantry was caught in a crossfire, from the missles of the archers and skirmishers to the bolts of the balistae. The only success on the Goth's part was to get light infantry across the river and kill the crew of the artillery; but the ones on the bridge were already broken.

Those that made it across were skewed onto Roman spears, and a mass of Goths fell so that it almost made a wall, from which the Romans mounted and from above thrust their spears and spatha into the Gothic infantry. The Goth king was killed in the melee, and as Patricius's cavalry crossed the river to chase away the fleeing enemy, the men on the bridge were forced to retreat; most were cut to pieces by Eldobich's bodyguard and the arrows of the archers.

After the battle was over, the enemy were utterly beaten. The siege had been lifted and the Goths forced to retire northeast. The battle had cost the Romans 91 dead; The Goths had lost their entire army.

Patricius walked through the carnage later that evening.



The amount of bodies in the river was worst; the Rhone was pink with blood after that day's battles from the bridge to the sea.





The Romans were again victorious.

A small triumph was held in Arelate, but there was no time to celebrate. After only one night of feasting the staff officers were ordered together for a coucil of war.

Constantine was going to attack Rome. The cat was out of the bag, pandora's box opened; Honorius's days seemed numbered.