SPQR AAR?
Well seeing as i dont know where im supposed to post these and seeing one already an aar i saw in this area (i think) i will post my start here.
Here goes it probably wont be that good but i enjoy writing it so meh
Prologue
Flavius Julius left the town of Capua in the middle of a storm. He glanced back over his shoulder to see his men huddling through the gates, shields held above their heads to protect themselves from the lashing rain. It would be a long march south.
“Is the army ready Hadrian?” queried Quintus as he read through the message just bought to him.
“I believe so sir”
“Mobilise the army Hadrian.”
“Sir?” came the startled response. It was 3 weeks since the army had made camp and Hadrian did not see any reason to leave now.
“Hadrian this letter, do you see it? Good it is the order to move south from non other than my father Flavius Julius.”
The drillmaster’s surprise grew at the news of moving south.
South towards the Carthaginian army.
Hannibal’s Carthaginian army is terrorising the southern tip of Italy from his base in Taras. This action in the south is spurring the Gauls to greater activity in the north. Huge numbers of barbarians gather near the city of Genua our armies are overstretched. We pray to Mars for the strength to defeat our enemies. Roma Permanio.
–from the diaries of Quintus Julius 215BC
Chapter 1 First Blood
Quintus Julius marches south under orders from is father to join forces with him in the mountains east of Paestum as soon as the forces can be mustered. The dusty roads ring loud with the heavy tread of Romes armies and summer reaches its peak.
Not long after the end of the summer solstice the outriders of Quintus’s armies catch site of an army on the move north from the coast of Italy.
“Valerian!” called the general.
“Here sir” came the lilting reply. Valerian was the youngest man on Quintus’ staff, little over 15 years old but looking as small as a child much younger. He did however have a sharp mind and good eyes.
“Valerian, who comes over the horizon?” a pause then,
“Men of Carthage”
“How many” asked the general whilst glancing over the ground, clearly judging where he wanted to fight the battle that was sure to come.
“No more than we can handle General”
The general muttered, almost inaudibly
“I hope for all our sakes that you are correct.”
The ground was against us, gently sloping up from our positions towards with Carthaginians at the top of the hill. The Carthaginians were slowly spilling out of their camp sun glinting off of swords and spear heads.
All of the Romans in our camp at once stopped and looked towards the Carthaginian camp. Even at this distance the trumpeting of the Carthaginian elephants was terrifying the men. Hadrian, being the armies drillmaster was first to snap back into action with a kick at the nearest soldier and a shout at the rest to get into formation.
Hadrian rode up to Quintus’ bodyguard and slid easily into the second line. Quintus was cursing as Hadrian arrived.
“What’s wrong sir?”
“A message from Flavius just arrived, he has caught site of a second Carthaginian army threatening our flank and is moving to engage it.
“Are the men ready Hadrian”
“As ready as men who haven’t fought a battle in months sir”
“That will have to do, tell them men to throw all their pila, and hope the ground before them fills with Carthaginian dead.”
“Yes sir” Hadrian began to move away when Quintus spoke again
“Oh and leave out the elephants tell only the velites to throw as many javelins as they can into the beasts.”
In the minutes before the battle Quintus gave a speech, he’s good at them, rouses the troops every time. The end of it, ‘Roma Permanio!’ was met by a chorus of replies ‘Roma Permanio!’ ‘Roma Permanio!’ ‘Roma Permanio!’
-Quintus delivers his speach
The elephants were a terror. Our velites tried their best but lack of practice against moving targets, or perhaps fear caused at least half of the beasts to reach out line where they wreaked absolute havoc. Our left flank was hit hardest, and was held only by a grim Triarii regiment and a band of slingers. There had been hastate there but the elephants crashed into the densely packed troops and caused over half the unit to become casualties in the first strike. Seconds later the unit broke after many more casualties. Quintus issued another brilliant motivational speech to urge those hastate back into the fight, albeit reluctantly and as far from the elephants as possible.
-The left flank
The velites finally killed the remaining elephants, stabilising the left flank almost in sync with the routing of the Carthaginian right flank. The rest soon followed with the death of the Carthaginian general. And some well placed charges from the impetuous Equites.
With the Carthaginians driven off the field roman bodies were collected and cremated.
The general rode to where Hadrian was organising the proceedings
“How many?”
“Excuse me sir?” replied the drill master perplexed
“How many dead?”
“We count just over 1500 sir and 3500 Carthaginians”
“Then this victory has been costly indeed”
“Any word from Flavius, General?”
“No Hadrian, we must pray that he is victorious too or all might be lost”
Hadrian began to reply but Quintus had already ridden off. Hadrian shouted orders at the velites who were trying to take the horns from the elephants to sell them on. Hadrian set them to work building more funeral pyres for the higher ranking dead. The ferry man would be busy that night.
We were victorious against a Carthaginian horde larger than our own army today but the price was high for our roman men. We pray to the gods that Flavius has better luck than us and victory comes to him expediently so that together we can march on towards Taras. Roma Permanio – Quintus Julius
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