With Men's Lives at Stake: A Tale of Generalship. (Julii)

[Napoleon Complex]

270 BC, in an alternate timeline...

Flavius Julius was having a bad day.



Most of his days were bad since he and most of his immediate family had been sent up north into the arse end of the Roman Republic. Today, however, Flavius was to partake in the Senate's latest act of banditry. He was going to assault the nearly defenceless village of Segesta.

That made things a lot worse.

The Senate, as always, was in a warmongering mood. Plans were already being made to seize the independent city state of Syracuse. This was despite Roman promises to the Carthaginians and numerous friendly Greek City States that the city's independence would be respected. And this was after the Romans had seized the city of Messana. Seized the city despite promises to the citizenry that they were merely liberating them from the unpopular Mamertine regime.

The motive had been little more than armed robbery on a massive scale and this was no different. The idea that the Ligurian tribes were a threat to Rome was laughable. The local chieftain was peaceful and his warriors almost non-existent. The region, if anything, served as a useful buffer between Rome's northern territories and the more warlike Gallic tribes that lived to the north. But its farms were rich and that was enough for the kleptocrats.

Flavius couldn't criticise them too much though. He'd inherited his father's position as one of those kleptocrats a few months ago, even if it kept him awake at night. The army he was leading wasn't even a proper Roman army, but those allies in the north who were now personally loyal to the Julii.

Officially, Flavius was breaking the law.

Well no proper army would put its name to this farce of an invasion. But its role was more complicated than that.

The core of Flavius's rabble consisted of six "hastati" maniples. They really weren't hastati at all but local farmers that Flavius had bribed, cajoled and threatened into joining his defence force. None of the 80-strong formations had a breastplate that Flavius hadn't personally bought for them.

They had been drilled though, and Flavius trusted them not to stab themselves in panic. Standing up to a Gallic war charge, on the other hand...

Worthier were the eighty "triarii"... who again weren't really triarii. Made up of the sons of local "friends" of the family, they had actually brought their own equipment. As well equipped and armoured as they were however Flavius was terrified to actually use them. They were as green as the hastati and Flavius would probably wake up with a dagger in his side if anything happened to these spoiled scions of the north. You don't get the sons of your extensive network of patronage and corruption killed at war.

The infantry weren't up to much and Flavius had little faith in them. But his best soldiers were a rarity in a Roman army.

They were the archers, under Hortensius Junius, and the cavalry, under his son Vibius Julius and his own personal command. Flavius had studied the Peloponnesian Wars and Rome's defeats against Pyrrhus. He understood the importance of skirmishers and cavalry, a point almost none of his peers had grasped.

He'd scoured the borders of the provinces, finding hunters capable of reliably hitting a target. He'd then found Hortensius, a veteran of the Pyrrhic war, who was willing to lead archers as an officer. These archers were probably the best drilled soldiers in his army. He'd insisted that his wealthiest followers equip themselves in the manner of the old heavy cavalry of southern Italy, a tradition the southern cities had abandoned out of eagerness to win glory under the Roman way of war. So narrow-minded was the Senate that the only way to win recognition was to fit into their little club. That included the way you waged war. Even if it didn't make sense.

Flavius now probably commanded the best heavy cavalry in Italy. Again, he couldn't afford to throw them away.

Flavius had also gotten hold of some townsfolk. These weren't landowners and they technically weren't eligible to join the army, but they were of good standing. Of the six bands Flavius had tried to cobble together they were the only ones who Flavius actually trusted to withdraw in good order after throwing their javelins. All the others had made such a pig's breakfast of it that they would probably throw one set of javelins and then leg it back to Arretium... or possibly Rome if Arretium's fate was in any doubt. As it was they were as close a substitute for velites as Flavius was going to get.

It wasn't a very good army. Thankfully, or perhaps unfortunately, the Ligurians they were fighting were in a far worse state.



Most of them hadn't even turned up to fight. The Ligurians had received numerous assurances from Rome. The Senate hadn't even deigned to send a declaration of war. The sight of a Roman army was completely unexpected and as Flavius had traversed through several quiet villages the local feeling was primarily quiet shock. Even if there had been any will to resist prospective warbands would have been hard pressed to reach Segesta ahead of the Romans. Flavius let them be. His army, for the moment, was small enough to control.

The single warband that had turned up to fight were barely armed. Only half of them had spears and shields, the rest making do with knives. None of the Ligurian warriors had armour.

There was no point in waiting for the shock to wear off. Flavius advanced. He expected a bloodless victory.

Flavius hadn't brought the entire northern defence force with him for no reason. The village could have been taken by a handful of militia. Flavius knew his literature however and he knew that in order to surround the village he would need many times the number of men the defenders had. Flavius split his army into two halves which still greatly outnumbered the defenders.

The main part of the army was sent south and asked to do so in the noisiest, most intimidating manner possible. Flavius left this to his son however and had no intention of this half actually seeing combat. Their purpose was to distract the attention of the town defenders and ensure they were facing south. For this purpose the army consisted of three maniples of hastati and the triarii, alongside the velites and the smaller part of the cavalry.

In other words, the units that Flavius least trusted, or could least afford to take casualties, should things come down to melee. They made a good show though.



The southern half of the army Flavius led himself, and the greater part of the cavalry went with him. Hortensius's archers accompanied him, alongside the three remaining maniples of hastati under the command of Gordianus Atius, Quintus Laelius and Tertius Sergius. Each led the 4th, 5th and 6th hastati respectively. None of them had seen a battle before.



Of these Flavius only expected the archers to fight. His soldiers would have the drop on the unarmoured Ligurians. The Ligurians, for their part, were facing the full "might" of Flavius's army. Flavius would shoot at them until they surrendered, which would probably be immediate. There would be no need for great bloodshed today. That, at least, was what he imagined.

His father would probably have simply ordered the hastati to attack en masse from all three entrances to the town. That would do the trick. However, if subjected to an overly brutal attack the Ligurian warriors would have no means of surrender and would be forced to fight to the death. They probably wouldn't put up much of a fight, but it would lead to deaths. Anyway, Flavius's conscience was weighed down enough.

He gave the order.

"Archers will advance to the top of the hill and fire one volley. If the enemy surrender, seize them. If they attack, fall back. If they form up, fire again. Do not engage. I doubt they'll press the attack. Once they break off the charge, shoot at them as they withdraw. Then repeat."



It was a simple plan. Obvious even. Harass with arrows, intimidate with the infantry. Even the most stubborn defender would have to see the impossibility of the situation. Nothing could go wrong.

Less than five minutes later Flavius's prized archers were fleeing back down the hill and his infantry were panicking.



---

Hello folks.

Well you don't tread much older ground than a campaign as the Julii in an unmodded Total War in the battle of Segesta. I'm trying to take a slightly different approach here however. Essentially, I am trying to step into the shoes of a responsible commander. Rather than the usual approach of seeing how efficiently I can conquer the map, I am trying to achieve my faction's military objectives with as little bloodshed as possible. My responsibilities are as follows and Flavius, as a good commander, cannot fail in any of them.

1) I need to protect my lands. If I let a Northern Italian city get enslaved or exterminated the game is over. Occupied is a lucky break. That list will expand as my lands grow and Flavius's life becomes progressively more of a headache.
2) I need to minimise the damage to my soldiers and protect the lives of my commanders... my family and sons. The game is over for me if any of Flavius's relatives die in battle. The game is also over if I lose 50% of the maximum strength of any army I create that's greater than five units. Think of it like Total War Attila's army integrity on steroids. (I can disband units if I reach a friendly city and the army is at 75%+ integrity).
3) I'm bound to support the rest of Rome. If I have spare troops and the other houses are at war with a faction I am honour-bound to send support. Senate's orders. If a horde is just outside my territory or I have other errands that demand an army I am excluded from these obligations.
4) Due to interference from the other more powerful houses, Flavius is operating outside of the normal framework of the Republic for raising armies and funds. As a result everything he is doing is ad hoc. I cannot raise taxes above low in any of my provinces. I can raise taxes a level for every level of popularity I achieve above the levels of the other houses in the Senate. This disappears if I become Emperor.
5) I'm ultimately bound by direct orders of the Senate, however crazy they may be. If I fail to at least attempt to achieve objectives set by the Senate over five times then Flavius is declared an outlaw and the game is over. Failure results in merely shame, but Flavius must be able to present that he at least attempted the missions set.
6) This is where you guys come in. Flavius has to try to end any wars his faction is involved in quickly and prosecute fronts he is involved in. I'd like for the Senate of this AAR (AKA you guys!) to be able to decide after an update that I am not prosecuting a war at a reasonable pace. If so then Flavius will be prosecuted for cowardice in the face of the enemy by his corrupt colleagues. Again, the game is over. However, does this forum allow interactive AARs?
7) I'm banned from exterminating or enslaving settlements. I'm also banned from starting wars unless the enemy is already inside my borders or very close and obviously about to attack. I'm also not allowed to declare war against the Senate or my Roman allies unless given the ultimatum to commit suicide or face war.

Flavius is supposed to be the hero of this story! If for some reason I decide to ruin the entire purpose and challenge of this AAR then the game is, you guessed it, over.

(If I do fail then we can decide to continue, but the story will take a darker turn and I will have failed my objectives.)

[waveman]

Brilliant. THis looks very interesting, and I like the somber yet almost comical tone. It seems fitting for you "responsible" commander.

Segesta may just be the most-taken city in history...

[Napoleon Complex]

Brilliant. THis looks very interesting, and I like the somber yet almost comical tone. It seems fitting for you "responsible" commander.

Segesta may just be the most-taken city in history...

Thank you for your kind words, I hope not to disappoint your interest. We now move into the second half, where Segesta is taken one more time and we see how well Flavius's mob acquits itself.

---

The charge at Segesta was a charge that should never have happened.



"Archers, FIRE!"

Hortensius's orders had rung out loud and clear, and his men had done exactly what they were supposed to do. The arrows slammed into the backs of the distracted warband. Just as Flavius had planned, the warband tried futilely to charge out against the distant menace. Hortensius pulled back. It was textbook harassment.

Problem was the warband didn't stop running.



They chased the archers out of the village. Then they chased the archers down the hill leading up to the village.

Then they saw the massed infantry and realised they'd left the protection of the village. Faced with imminent annihilation, the warband panicked.

People have different ways of responding to panic. Some will run away, but others will fight all the harder as adrenaline surges through their veins. Instead of fleeing back to the safety of the village or scattering to the winds the warband launched itself straight at the massed hastati.



Flavius had foolishly not formed his men up at the start of the battle, leaving them relaxed at the bottom of the hill. He hadn't even considered the possibility of a sally. The seasoned commander had made the classic military blunder of assuming that the village defenders would react like regular military men; realise that their situation was hopeless and surrender.

But these weren't soldiers, they were panicking militia. They were acting in the moment. It was very clear that this was a leaderless army.

To their eternal credit, the 4th, 5th and 6th did in fact manage to get into crescent. The 4th in the centre even managed to get a few pilae off into the enemy ranks.

Then the charge impacted.



The 4th had not fully recovered from throwing their pilae, and a man was killed instantly as a Ligurian spear went over his shield and struck his face. The Ligurian responsible probably hadn't even aimed the spear properly. It was an unlucky fluke.

Casualties would continue to mount however as the desperate warriors bore down upon the disrupted Roman front line.

Worse, the 5th and 6th could see what was going on very well. The temptation to break ranks and charge at the Ligurian warriors must have been overwhelming.

Thankfully Flavius's subordinates prove to be up to the job. Flavius had drilled his men to attack enemy formations from only four directions, not from diagonals. This sliced off any encircling elements of the enemy from the main body of the infantry and ensured that the maniples did not interfere with one another's formations as the flanks collided and crushed up against each other. Quintus and Tertius had already preoccupied their men with swinging round to flank the engaged Ligurians, while Flavius, for his part, was already round the enemy rear. With clear instructions the hastati were too caught up in their orders to do anything rash.

The Ligurians were soon encircled on all sides.



There was no room for any restraint. Even pilae had as good a chance of hitting Gordianus's engaged hastati as they did the enemy. Flavius gave the only order possible.

"Charge!"

The 5th and 6th slammed into the sides of the Ligurians. The militia were so pressed together they couldn't even raise their spears to strike. Many dropped their weapons, and others had limbs and ribs crushed under the sheer pressure of the charge. But the Roman short swords were unaffected.

And then the best cavalry in Italy slammed into their backs.

This is what that looks like up close.



One horse stumbled on a rock going down the slope. His owner was sent back to Arretium with a broken leg. The rest exploded into the Ligurian formation.

The Ligurians disintegrated. Those who weren't run down by spears or butchered with short swords were simply trampled under the press of heavy armour and warhorse. Already half-hearted warcries turned to screams of terror as Flavius's army went into a state of panicked butchery. In the chaos, two more Roman cavalrymen fell from their horses. Or perhaps were pulled from them by panicking tribesmen who were looking for an escape as much as a means of fighting back.

The Romans could only go forward. The Ligurians couldn't go back. In desperation Flavius pulled his cavalry out of the fighting.

"Break off! Soldiers, break off! Give them room to flee!"

But this is where Flavius's drills broke down. The heavy cavalry, the most trained and militarily educated men in the formation, could obey Flavius's orders to break off. They had a procedure for it. It was normally dangerous, but their enemy was already shattered. It was not a complicated manoeuvre now.

The mobs of Hastati had no chance however. The pressure exerted upon the flanks of the Ligurians was the only thing between them and the end of a spear.

Worse, as the cavalry retreated they left space for the 5th and 6th to wrap around the rear of the Ligurians. Once again the Ligurians had nowhere to retreat, only now the hastati's formation was disrupted as well.

Flavius could only look on in shock as the peaceful surrender he'd envisaged turned into a bloodbath.



No more Romans died in the fighting, but several were wounded in the press of bodies. Medical attention for the men of the 4th incapacitated by the fighting was delayed by precious seconds. Only two would recover from their wounds after the battle.

The Ligurians were slaughtered to the last man. The last pleading farmer was silenced with a blade to his throat. His attempts to surrender were choked out by the screams of angry Roman militia. Even if he'd been heard there was the language barrier. It was a catastrophe.

Yet for Flavius, the most demoralising moment was still to come.

For a few stunned moments the entire Roman army stood in shaken silence. Men as young as twenty had blood on their faces and armour. Most of the 5th and 6th were standing atop a pile of human corpses. They had just taken part in a massacre.

Then the cheers started up.

Flavius watched in gobsmacked silence as an enormous roar of celebration rippled through the mob. What animals...



Then he realised what all the cheering was really about. What these men were experiencing for the first time.

They'd won. The raw and nervous Roman militia had won their first battle. That it was against a group of disorganised and panicked farmers didn't matter. They'd been attacked and they'd triumphed. Above all, the men of the 4th were alive. They were able to protect one another.

Shaken, the distracted Flavius had to be reminded by one of his surviving bodyguards that the battle wasn't over yet. Half of the remaining warband was still up on the hill. Reluctantly, he began to reorganise his army.



This time Flavius was leaving nothing to chance. The men were formed up into the crescent from the beginning.

This was the formation Flavius favoured for facing an outnumbered enemy army. As long as the crescent faced the enemy outflanking was easy. Thrown pilae could hit the flanks of the enemy as well as the front, and it was an intimidating object to charge. Even if the enemy opted to charge one or both sides, the middle of the formation could advance, becoming the new flanks. It was less useful against more numerous foes but for this situation it was perfect.

Flavius noted grimly that any charge would have to cross the dead bodies of the last group to charge. That more than anything else should have discouraged any attempt at heroism.

Again, Hortensius's archers advanced.

This time the archers were more aggressive. They fired into the massed ranks of the warband, men who had only knives to protect them. The effect was immediate.



Again, the warband charged out, but this time Hortensius didn't withdraw immediately. His archers fired a second volley.

The defenders charged out but this time they didn't press. There was hesitation. Yet every time they tried to flee back to the centre, Hortensius opened fire again. The defenders had no choice but to try to chase Hortensius, and Hortensius let them get closer this time.

Soon, they were coming down the hill.

Hortensius had worked out that the warband wasn't going to break from archer fire. Or if it did it would take longer and require more death. The Ligurians would need more of a shock before they surrendered.

So he lured them further and further down the hill... and towards the waiting hastati.



But Hortensius almost miscalculated. As the Ligurians came further and further down off the hill they grew closer and closer to the Roman archers. At the last second, just as they were almost at the infantry lines, the Ligurians surged forward. Hortensius screamed for his archers to fall back behind the Roman lines.

But his men were slow to respond. The Ligurians charged. Surely they would catch the archers now!

They wouldn't. But they would come within range of the Roman pilae.



To their credit, the Ligurians wheeled around at remarkable speed for a barely organised mob. Maybe it was the pile of bodies that put them off. Maybe someone saw the javelins. Or maybe the majority of warriors finally realised that they were all going to die if they came near that mass of angry Roman steel. Whatever the reason, it was still slow, and enough pilae connected.

It was over. Whatever heart the Ligurians had for the battle evaporated in an instant. The few survivors of the battle threw down their weapons to Flavius's bodyguard as it began to pursue.

The disastrous occupation of Segesta was over. Flavius was free to parade his army past the weeping housewives, orphaned teenagers and broken old men of Liguria's glorious "capital". Whoever was in charge had made for Cisalpine Gaul alongside a good chunk of the population.



What a glorious conquest. Welcome to the northern front! (Army Integrity: 99%)



Casualties amongst the Romans were light. Given the source and nature of the army the soldiers acquitted themselves well. The 4th, though caught slightly unready, had held firm and only taken seven casualties. Of these two recovered from their wounds quickly. Three soldiers were more seriously injured. They were paid their annual wage and allowed to go home. Two militia died in the fighting.

More surprising were the losses in Flavius's own ranks. The supposed best cavalry in Italy, the men who were supposed to carry out the bulk of the killing in Flavius's army, had lost four men charging into the unprepared enemy rear. Two men were injured from falls from their horses, one during the charge and another during the chaotic withdrawal. Another two men had been pulled off their horses.

They hadn't risen again, crushed under the carnage alongside their Ligurian foes. It was a disquieting fact that Flavius's prized heavy cavalry had taken worse casualties than the supposedly unreliable 5th and 6th hastati. All three formations had engaged under similar circumstances.

Casualties amongst the Ligurian militia were far grimmer. None of the 121 men of the first warband survived the fighting, so overzealous was the hastati's response.

Casualties amongst the second group were lighter however. 56 of them, a little under 50%, escaped unwounded. Many suffered arrow wounds but these were treatable, and another 25 men would survive the occupation. Almost no one who was hit by a pila survived. The big, heavy javelins were designed to pierce and then stick in shields. Anyone who was unarmoured stood little chance.

Flavius had successfully occupied Segesta.



Now, all he had to do was reconcile with the outraged population, deal with the inevitable influx of Roman and Italian colonists, mediate between colonists and locals, impose a working tax system and administration upon the already angered tribe and integrate the Ligurians into the rest of the Northern Italian defence forces. Oh, and somehow find a way to profit from the situation enough that he could keep paying his army. In a manner that wouldn't see him hauled before the Roman Senate for corruption.

Otherwise, he'd soon be defending Northern Italy with his bodyguard. The same bodyguard that had lost four men charging practically defenceless militia.

Time to prepare a speech...

---

I was going to finish this post with a few pictures of Northern Italy and move onto the strategic overlook. However I seem to be having trouble with photobucket. There's not much more to say here so I'll be back when I've sorted things out.

[Alwyn]

I am enjoying your AAR a lot. Seeing the Julii take Segesta brings back happy memories! I like how you tell the story of how Flavius put his army together, by bribing, cajoling and threatening the local farmers and assembling the sons of friends of his family. I particularly enjoyed Flavius' "most demoralising moment" and what follows - great story-telling!

[Philadelphos]

I am very amused by your ironic style and I like the idea of a responsible commander. He seems almost a pacifist to me. But I wonder how long he can stick to his values. Or will he eventually turn into a corrupt and heartless butcher like eveybody else?

[Napoleon Complex]

I am enjoying your AAR a lot. Seeing the Julii take Segesta brings back happy memories! I like how you tell the story of how Flavius put his army together, by bribing, cajoling and threatening the local farmers and assembling the sons of friends of his family. I particularly enjoyed Flavius' "most demoralising moment" and what follows - great story-telling!

Thank you. I'm glad you're enjoying this so far. This is where Rome Vanilla's lack of historical accuracy can actually work in a story's favour. The idea of three Roman families dominating the whole republic by 270 is an interesting ahistorical scenario on its own. How did things get that bad that quickly in a republic that historically took much longer to become that corrupt?

I am very amused by your ironic style and I like the idea of a responsible commander. He seems almost a pacifist to me. But I wonder how long he can stick to his values. Or will he eventually turn into a corrupt and heartless butcher like eveybody else?

Thank you. We'll see how the campaign plays out and what corners Flavius is forced into.

I do often try to play as I imagine "the good guy" would in any scenario I play. I'm often struck by the brutality of warfare and how ruthless it seems to make the major players (or perhaps it attracts ruthless figures in the first place... probably a little from A and B). A big question I often ask myself is "was it necessary? Could I do better given the same position? Can I still achieve victory but with a lower body count?" Often the answer, unfortunately, is no. Being nice means you can't take the same strategic opportunities as everyone else. I stand more of a chance in Rome Total War which I think is probably the easiest of the Total War games (Medieval II is possibly easier due to how powerful cavalry are). But it'll be tricky simply because of the number of artificial restrictions I put on myself.

Anyway, on with the story (finally).

---

Chapter 1: Shadows Over the North

The occupation of Segesta had ended in a humanitarian disaster. Over a hundred and fifty people were dead in what should have been a walk-in situation. Flavius was kept awake in the nights afterwards, replaying the disastrous events in his head. How could things have gone so wrong?

It was not the bloodshed itself that bothered Flavius. He was no stranger to war, and he was certainly no pacifist. He'd been on the front lines of the Pyrrhic war, fighting with the cavalry at Asculum and then again at Beneventum. During that war he'd certainly seen plenty of death.

What bothered Flavius was the needlessness of the entire business.

The Ligurians were no threat to Rome and the war contrasted heavily with its wars with Pyrrhus. Pyrrhus had been a genuine threat to the peoples of the Italian peninsula. Defeating the monarch had required the efforts of multiple armies in a coalition spanning much of the central Mediterranean. Pyrrhus had used Tarentum's overreaction to a Roman fleet as an excuse to set Italy ablaze, and Rome had been central in stopping him from threatening the entire Mediterranean.

Rome had won allies in that war. Pyrrhus, frustrated by lack of progress against the Romans, had turned on many of the Greek cities he had nominally sworn to protect. As the conflict intensified the Romans had struck an alliance with Carthage, winning the friendship of the most powerful civilisation in the western Mediterranean. Far from rebelling against Rome's domination, the Italian cities had remained hard and fast allies, sticking the war out. It had been a high-water mark in Roman prestige. The Republic had transformed from a small, warlike backwater distrusted by its neighbours into a respected regional power. Rome had become well regarded and it had even caught the eye of mighty Carthage. Treaties had been signed, promises made and trade began to flourish. It should have been a happy ending to a bloody chapter in the region's history.

But success had brought a curse to the Roman Republic. The curse was money, and that money was concentrated in the hands of a few unscrupulous individuals.

Julius, Scipio and Brutus. Three men who managed to profit enormously from the conflict. The methods they had used varied. Many citizen soldiers had gone deep into debt during the course of the war, and had come home to find their lands seized and their families in destitution. These new farms could be tied together into vast estates run by slaves, giving the families a competitive edge on efficiency. The new trade links that had sprung up between Rome and the cities of Magna Graecia had been rich with opportunity and those who already had money had a head start in exploiting that. An influx of displaced citizens to Rome had resulted in messy, fire-prone slums going up, so Julius had started up a fire service... and charged an outrageous price for the privilege. These various opportunities for coin had snowballed and soon the families had come to dominate Roman politics. The families had practically taken over Italy outside of Latium in a vast network of patronage and debt-blackmail, and even weaker senators became dependent on the families' approval. Those who tried to bring the gang of three to account often found themselves confronted with corruption charges.

Almost overnight, Rome had transformed from a state ruled by laws to one dominated by the money of three powerful individuals. The Julii dominated in the north, the Brutii the east, the Scipii the south-west and the Senate was curbed by a careful balance maintained between them. Rome was no longer a free Republic and the area of land actually controlled by the senate of Rome was miniscule. Even the sacred position of the land-owning soldier as protector of the realm was undermined as the three families could now depend on cash-stressed farmers and contacts amongst Rome's supposed "allies" for their own private armies. Armies that when taken together now rivalled the power of the true Roman army itself.



And those armies had seen combat. Just the year before Cornelius Scipio, the paterfamilias of the Scipii, had pushed through a declaration of war against the city of Messana. One of the two younger men of the triumvirate, he was unsatisfied with just ruling his criminal empire in Capua. The city of Messana had been seized by Mamertine mercenaries and Scipio used this as an excuse to break Rome's promise to Carthage to leave the island of Sicily alone. Scipio's allied mob had seized the city and, far from liberating it, had placed it under harsh martial law. Soon the city was essentially ruled by Cornelius, while his son, Julianus, managed his contacts in Capua and maintained order amongst any chafing senators in Rome. Men with consciences were dangerous.

Far from blocking the move, the Julii and Brutii had sanctioned it. It would set a useful precedent for their own planned expansions into mainland Greece and Gaul.



The invasions had ruined relations with Carthage, which was now moving onto a war footing itself. Rumours were that a Carthaginian army under a highly respected general had already disembarked on the Carthaginian side of the island. Syracuse's confidence was also shaken and the city had mobilised its hoplites... a move which only gave further excuses to Cornelius as Julianus continued to press for expansion.

In 270 BC his request was granted and Cornelius was given responsibility for a surprise attack upon Syracuse. No declaration of war was to be issued. No Roman legions were to be raised. It would be another "allied" exercise.



The Brutii were not idle either, though they at least had a kernel of legitimacy in their blatant act of expansion. Despite its victory in the Pyrrhic war Rome had never dealt the coup de grace to Pyrrhus's old Epirote kingdom. The state was left almost leaderless after Pyrrhus's death and Pyrrhus's heir had died childless. Alexander II of Epirus had died to a dagger in his sleep, a move possibly carried out by the leader of Macedon, who had reason to fear any resurgence in Epirus's fortunes. Epirus lay open to invasion and the paterfamilias of the Brutii, Tiberius Brutus, had sent his son Amulius out to seize the defenceless kingdom. Epirus was rich and it was no opportunity to pass up.

The depths Rome had sunk to were reflected in the invasion of Liguria. Flavius had been busy trying to assemble a defensive force against the Gallic confederation to the north. In doing so he had not been paying attention to events in Rome. Scipio and Brutus had pushed through the invasion of Liguria through the Senate, and placed far greater restrictions on Flavius's actions than they'd received themselves. They'd sensed weakness in the inexperienced paterfamilias and pounced.

Flavius was no saint. The whole reason he was in this mess now was that he had allowed himself to be dragged knee-deep into his father's corrupt dealings. More than anyone else, the elder Julius had been the one to instigate the change in the Republic. It was him who had contacted the other two family heads when they had been putting out their own feelers. The entire family had gone along with his schemes, pooling their significant resources to help.

Indeed, Flavius had only been able to raise such an effective army because he was familiar with the levers of power he held in the north. But equally, he could hardly have pulled out. The three families had enough dirt on one another and rival family members had enough dirt on individual members to bring down anyone in the collective who was getting dangerous ideas. Flavius was the head of a crime family and he was more or less trapped there. His faction would not tolerate the loss in gravitas and his rivals would see him in irons.

So he'd carried out the senate's wishes and butchered hundreds of innocent farmers in the process. The screams of that last warrior would haunt Flavius far more than any number of dead Epirote hoplites killed at Beneventum.

Still, as troubled as Flavius's conscience was, he had reason to feel increasingly secure in the north.



Despite the outrageous nature of the occupation the size of the army Flavius had brought with him had ensured little resistance amongst the population. Flavius had quickly ingratiated himself with the local leaders who remained. He gave them reassurances, promising that their lands and people would not be seized by Roman settlers. Flavius, the benevolent conqueror, the son of the number one man in Rome, would protect them. Provided, of course, that they supported him and the defence forces. Flavius slyly pointed out how readily the local chieftain had abandoned Segesta. Despite the battle outside Segesta Flavius's occupation had still been relatively bloodless for the province in general. If the leader of the Ligurians returned with a Gallic army the fate of the settlement was uncertain. Equally, if the Ligurians put up a fight they would attract the attention of the proper Roman army. Either way, Flavius knew that he had them. The local village heads needed Flavius and could be counted upon to support him.



Flavius then turned his attention to the Senate. Through his son Lucius, based in Arretium, he pointed out how quickly his army had secured the province and how little blood and treasure it had cost the state. Lucius and Vibius, unlike Flavius, were canny administrators, and realised that while the quality of Liguria's farmlands were good, they were limited in extent. Lucius pointed out that the senate could not expect a great deal of income from poor barbarian farmers. He cannily hid the true worth of the province and managed to secure a very favourable level of tax that his brother, Vibius, would be responsible for collecting.

The Brutii and Scipii protested, but while the Brutii senators were able to press for the Julii to turn over the settlement to state administration, Lucius was able to pin the Scipii in place. Lucius was ready to point out that the Senate and People of Rome had not seen a single denarius of tax from Messana and threatened to cast an eye towards exactly what Cornelius was doing in the province. The inexperienced Lucianus buckled, and Vibius got the job.




Flavius had managed to secure the loyalty of the Ligurians without resorting to brutality. With his new tax-raising powers he was able to siphon a considerable amount of wealth into his own pockets, more than enough money to maintain the defence force and invest in northern Italy, though it wasn't enough to raise new maniples. In a display of Julii largesse Flavius funded the construction of an entire new road network running north to south from the Gallic border to Rome, and from West to East from the western Mediterranean to the Adriatic coast. Each road ran through Arretium and Ariminum and because Flavius was building it he could charge the toll. It was an investment that could only pay off. Flavius also busied himself with setting up a competent administrative center in Segesta, with bureaucrats who could look after the province in his son's absence. The situation in the north was slowly improving.

This was just as well, because a powerhouse lay to the north of Arretium



This was the Gallic Confederation and it was a sleeping giant. The "civilised" powers were no longer the only players in the Mediterranean.

---

I'm breaking here because this is becoming very long. More to come.

[Napoleon Complex]

The north had not been idle while Rome was fighting for control of the Mediterranean.



Brennus. A name which struck fear into the heart of any Roman. In 390 his Gallic army had entered the Eternal City and plundered it. He'd extorted a ruinous sum from the Roman treasury, butchered its eldest senator and then, when the Romans were already destitute, Brennus had used crooked scales to extract even more gold from the defeated Romans.

When the Romans protested this Brennus threw his sword onto the scales. "Vae Victus" he cried.

Woe to the vanquished. It was a lesson that Rome never forgot. The Romans remembered the harsh nature of Brennus's terms and this was why they were so reluctant to strike any kind of peace deal. Rome never surrendered. They knew what could happen if they did.

It was ironic that another Brennus would create Rome's worst nightmare. By 270 Gaul had beaten aside a German invasion and a chieftain named Brennus had been named high king of all of Gaul. He ruled an empire that spread from the northwestern coast of Gaul to the gateway to the Balkans in Italy. It is difficult to overstate the scale of this new kingdom, a confederation of tribes that rivalled the mighty Seleucid empire. Gaul was a force to be reckoned with and a terrifying sight to any Roman with an eye upon the frontier.

And one particular Roman was keeping a very close eye.

Flavius had sent agents to spy on the Gauls of Northern Italy. To his relief, Brennus's attentions did not appear to be on Rome. The only Gallic forces in Northern Italy were local militia similar to the ones Flavius had raised around Arretium.

With the flight of the Ligurian chieftain that could change however. Worryingly, there was no sign of the refugees and word would surely be spreading throughout the Celtic world. Flavius had reason to not want to provoke the Gauls any more. He sent a dignitary named Sextus Antio up north to negotiate.



Sextus Antio had trade contacts with Patavium and Segesta and Flavius hoped that he could smooth things over with the Gauls. Sextus Antio had the difficult job of making Northern Italy out to be both not a threat and a hard target. The plan was to discredit the Ligurian regime, pointing out how quickly their leader had fled in the face of invasion. Sextus would point out how mild the Romans had been so far and then open up the subject of trade. The Ligurians were benefitting from trade opportunities within Northern Italy. Perhaps the Gauls and Romans could come to an accord too?

To Flavius's astonishment Sextus's trip was completely unnecessary. The Gauls, far from bearing down on Roman Italy with righteous fury, had sent a trade delegation of their own!



This was excellent news for Northern Italy, but it put Flavius in a very difficult position. The official Senate position was that Gaul, like all its neighbours, was a future target. The Brutii and Scipii in particular were no friends of Flavius, and were eager for any excuse to send him up north on a death march. On the other hand, if Flavius turned down this trade deal he could alarm the Gauls and put them onto a war footing. Flavius was very aware that the Gallic emissaries were probably concerned with forestalling further Roman aggression. It was an encouraging sign; Brennus was not looking to start a war either. Refusal of the trade deal however could force his hand.

Reluctantly, Flavius signed the deal. Trade between northern Italy and Gaul would open up. Flavius could not promise more; to promise any closer ties with Gaul would be tantamount to treason.



It could have been a historic occasion. For the first time Rome had trade access to the whole of Gaul. Wine was in enormous demand in the Gallic world and the Gauls had an abundance of gold and silver which could have enriched Rome's coffers. In 270 BC Rome only had silver coins because there wasn't enough bullion to make gold ones. It was a deal with endless potential.

Indeed, Flavius would have many reasons to celebrate over the coming months. He had successfully defeated his enemies in the senate. Northern Italy was under control, and the roads he was building expanded with every passing day. Flavius finished consolidating his new administration in Segesta and would soon be able to establish a defensible town with permanent fortifications, even if those fortifications were only a wooden palisade. And Flavius had more personal reasons to celebrate. He had a granddaughter.



It was exactly the kind of news that Flavius needed to forget the stresses of the past few months. He was able to depart for Ariminum to visit his middle son, Quintus.



Quintus was the middle son and the most like his father. An aggressive and confident general, he showed signs of military genius, although he had never had the opportunity to prove himself at the head of an army. For the moment, he managed the family's affairs in Ariminum, an important city due to its access to the Adriatic sea.

During this happy time however, Flavius was to make a grave error. In November, a letter arrived from one Asinus Sulla. He wanted to marry Flavius's granddaughter, Fadia.



The Sullas were a powerful patrician family. Marrying into them would cement the two families together in an alliance. It could have turned the Senate very firmly towards the Julii.

Furthermore, after talking with Sulla Flavius found the man to be a confident and capable military man. He was not a particularly talented general, but had some experience, and Flavius sorely needed another retinue of heavy cavalry. It was the perfect political match, with one small problem.

Fadia was thirteen. After considering the proposal, Flavius and Lucius declined and Asinus left disappointed.

At the time, it did not seem particularly ominous. Even by Roman standards thirteen was very young to get married and as her father Lucius was entirely within his rights to decline the marriage. No one knew that an unsuccessful proposal to a teenager would lead to the deaths of thousands. Rome and Gaul would soon be at war and Flavius would be the one to start it.

As the head of the Julii left Ariminum a messenger caught up with him in the road. His news was urgent and the message bore the senate's mark.

Flavius opened the scroll. When he fully comprehended its contents, he considered suicide.



The Senate, in Flavius's absence, had decided to go to war with Gaul. Worse than that the other patrician families had clearly decided to punish Flavius for outmanoeuvring them last time. Flavius was instructed not to take the cities of Patavium and Mediolanum in Cisalpine Gaul, but the southern coast of Transalpine Gaul. He had five years to accomplish this feat.




There weren't that many Gallic warriors in Cisalpine Gaul, but it was enough to force Flavius's army to deal with them first before he could even consider taking an army across the Alps. Flavius would have to take two cities and quell any Gallic resistance before he could start towards his objectives. Objectives which lay on the steepest side of Europe's most formidable mountain range!



His objective was not even a specific city or stronghold, but a vague geographical area that most Romans knew almost nothing about. "Narbo Martius" was the vague term for the invasion's proposed military colony, which was to be set up to control the area. Flavius had nothing to go on other than "go into unknown territory and try to establish some semblance of Roman civilisation there." The Senate might as well have told him to colonise America.

And the journey there was harrowing...



In order to reach Transalpine Gaul Flavius would have to cross the Alps. These were seen as being an almost impassible barrier. There was of course the sea, but that brought dangers as well, with pirates, rival fleets and the possibility of storms bedeviling the journey. All of this after subjugating the whole of northern Italy and securing it against counter attack!

Flavius had a barely battle-ready militia with which to do this with. He had less than a third of a full legion of infantry, a couple of turmae worth of horse, some archers worth their salt and some shaky javelins. This against the army of one of the most powerful civilisations in Europe, a power that could threaten Rome if it concentrated its might enough. This was a suicide mission.

Yet for all that, Flavius knew that he had to cross those mountains. Shaken, he nonetheless resolved himself.

He was not going to die in the north of Europe fighting a pointless war. One day, the corrupt men who sent him on this errand would see him return. And he would trouble their affairs greatly.

The Gauls, for their part, had at least assuaged Flavius's conscience slightly. It soon became clear that their intentions were not entirely honest. A Gallic spy was caught and executed while trying to start trouble in Arretium.

Whether or not the Gauls really were planning something is lost to history. Flavius had his casus belli. Roman troops would soon cross the Adda river into Gallic territory.

Conflict was inevitable. All because the Sullas were bitter over not being allowed to join the family. All because of a rejected marriage proposal.

---

And with that we're finally on the warpath to Gaul. I have to say I was not expecting to get orders to march on Narbo Martius! That was probably the single worst place the Senate could send me. I'm facing the Gauls in the north and I can barely support my own army, much less raise a second one to go west while I hold northern Italy! I'm also worried about Gauls coming through the passes while I sail to Narbo Martius.

This is going to be tricky.

[Alwyn]

Excellent chapters! Flavius is a great character, a general whose conscience is deeply troubled by needless killing (I prefer writing about 'good guys' too, which is why I tend to write about rebellions). I wonder how the conscience of Flavius will affect the choice he makes as he decides how to respond to the Senate's order. If an attack would cost many lives (which seems likely) then it appears that Flavius must choose between obeying his conscience and obeying the Senate. This will be tricky, indeed. (I enjoyed the way that you used the declined marriage proposal as the explanation for the Senate sending Flavius on a suicide mission.)

You previously asked if this forum allows interactive AARs - yes, it does. If I was a member of Flavius' family or one of his officers, I would suggest an immediate all-out attack on Mediolanum and then Patavium (or vice versa) with every available soldier. I would then to send the bulk of the army to Narbio Martius. To take Nabio Martius without first capturing those cities would force the Julii to fight on two fronts, divided by the Alps. The Julii cannot afford to raise two armies. If this means that the Julii cannot keep a strong enough garrison in Mediolanum and Patavium to prevent Gaulish farmers from rising in rebellion (while our army marches on Narbio Martius), so be it.

[Napoleon Complex]

Excellent chapters! Flavius is a great character, a general whose conscience is deeply troubled by needless killing (I prefer writing about 'good guys' too, which is why I tend to write about rebellions). I wonder how the conscience of Flavius will affect the choice he makes as he decides how to respond to the Senate's order. If an attack would cost many lives (which seems likely) then it appears that Flavius must choose between obeying his conscience and obeying the Senate. This will be tricky, indeed. (I enjoyed the way that you used the declined marriage proposal as the explanation for the Senate sending Flavius on a suicide mission.)

You previously asked if this forum allows interactive AARs - yes, it does. If I was a member of Flavius' family or one of his officers, I would suggest an immediate all-out attack on Mediolanum and then Patavium (or vice versa) with every available soldier. I would then to send the bulk of the army to Narbio Martius. To take Nabio Martius without first capturing those cities would force the Julii to fight on two fronts, divided by the Alps. The Julii cannot afford to raise two armies. If this means that the Julii cannot keep a strong enough garrison in Mediolanum and Patavium to prevent Gaulish farmers from rising in rebellion (while our army marches on Narbio Martius), so be it.

Thanks again for the encouragement.

That is roughly my plan. The idea will be to quickly take Mediolanum and Patavium and get rid of the Gallic armies there, before sailing to Narbo Martius. The extra income from Mediolanum and Patavium, particularly Patavium which is quite wealthy, may even allow me to field a few more infantry units, giving me more resources to take Narbo Martius and (far more importantly) hold Northern Italy.

Flavius can't really refuse to go to war. The thing is that this order is really a double whammy. By asking for Narbo Martius Flavius has not only been ordered to go to war (which means a front with the Gauls which Flavius has direct responsibility for) he's also been given a specific objective. Flavius could ignore the specific objective of Narbo Martius (at the cost of one of his five "lives") but he can't simply refuse to declare war on Gaul. He's not powerful enough to do that yet.

On with the story.

---



"What do we do father?"

Flavius, Lucius, Vibius and Quintus were inside the somewhat Spartan walls of Segesta's administrative villa. Huddled around a table in a small side office, they squinted over maps of Northern Italy and what little information they had about Gaul. Colourful circles dotted the map, highlighting the approximate locations of key targets in the offensive.

"Have you told the men?" Quintus asked. Concern laced his voice; this was clearly his biggest fear about the whole business.

Flavius miserably concurred. The militia were not prepared for this. As forceful as his recruitment had been, Flavius's men still believed their purpose was to defend their homes. They were not cut from the cloth required to invade a high king's lands. Would they even follow him north?

"Not yet" he murmured tiredly.

"Well we can't keep it a secret much longer." Lucius said darkly. "Word's already circulating around Arretium about the Senatorial order. The other families must be stirring things up."

"That means the Gauls will know about it too." Vibius added, resignation in his voice. "We already caught one of their agents snooping around the market for information."

"I've already sent the declaration of war."



Silence greeted Flavius's announcement. His sons hadn't been consulted on this. Nervous glances shot across the darkened table.

"So the Gauls already know we're coming." Lucius said, his head in his hands. Quintus developed a bleak fascination with the flickering candle in front of him.

The news was too much, however, for Vibius. The youngest son shot to his feet and slammed the table.

"Have you lost your mind father? The Gauls will be marching upon Arretium as we speak! We don't have the men to-"

"Vibius!"

That single sharp reprimand from Flavius was enough to stop the panicking Vibius in his tracks. As his son lowered himself shakily into his chair, Flavius calmly broke into an explanation.

"If we try to surprise the Gauls Rome's name will be dirt forever. They'll never trust us in any deal again, especially after a war on this scale. We have to keep the option of negotiation open."

"And if the Gauls use this time to build an army capable of taking Rome?" Lucius asked sardonically. But Flavius was ready for this.

"They won't."

The three sons stared at their father, wondering at how he could make such a bold prediction. Flavius pressed on with his explanation.

"The Gallic Confederation is massive, yes. If its entire potential strength was ever gathered in one place it would certainly overwhelm us. We certainly cannot afford to get into a fight with the army of a united Gaul. But..."

"...the Gauls cannot assemble an army like that overnight."

Flavius took a moment to let that message sink in. Then, he indicated to the map.

"Look at the places I've highlighted on the map."



"There's a small Gallic contingent here. Our spymaster, Decius Curtius, has scouted them out. They appear to be headed for Transalpine Gaul, but just in case they turn around we need to be aware of them."

The sons nodded, their quarrels temporarily settled as the solvable problem of strategy was presented to them. Flavius cast his finger over to the next point of interest. Lucius couldn't help but notice the cunning smile that was forming upon his father's aging face.



"Look at Mediolanum. It's practically defenceless."

"You could take it with a few maniples." Quintus remarked.

"Indeed. And they won't be able to assemble a defence force overnight. However..."

Flavius's face hardened as he moved onto the next highlighted area.




"In Patavium it's a different story."

The three younger generals examined the information closely.

Quintus gave a snort of derision. "That's it? That's a smaller army than we have."

"It'll grow as we advance." Lucius quietly pointed out. "By the time we reach Patavium it will outnumber us."

"They don't seem to be very well equipped." Vibius observed. "Spears, shields, javelins... a handful of cavalry, but it's not very good. No heavy infantry. Where are the Gallic long swords?"

"Vibius has half of the main point." Flavius smiled. "It's not a professional army. The Gauls haven't mobilised their armies yet and it will take them months if not years to bring warriors together from every tribe in Gaul. Then, they have to cross the Alps. We, on the other hand..."

Flavius swept his hand over the miniature flag pinned to Segesta.

"...already have our main army assembled. And it's on the right side of the mountains."

"So the plan is to strike hard and fast?" Quintus concluded.

"Exactly." Flavius thumped the table for emphasis. "If we can strike hard and fast at the Gauls won't have time to fight back. By the time the Gallic king has raised and organised his army we'll already be on our way to Southern Gaul. We'll fortify the passes of Northern Italy, avoid the Gallic army and then strike hard at our objectives."

All four generals took a moment to absorb that information.

"And when the Gauls realise they've been outmanoeuvred? When they turn their entire army round and march upon Narbo Martius?" Vibius growled this last point.

"By that point, we'll have a better army of our own. Our soldiers will have taken half of Gaul, seized three cities and defeated smaller Gallic warhosts. In addition, we'll be able to raise more soldiers from taxes upon Mediolanum and Patavium."

"You're planning on raising money from settlements we've only just conquered? Settlements we've butchered the defenders of?" Lucius wasn't convinced.

"That's why we need to win quickly and convincingly. The Gallic king hasn't held Northern Italy for very long and the tribes here aren't as loyal to him. If we can win a quick victory against a Transalpine Gallic general then at the least we can present ourselves as just another conqueror. If we're mild with the terms of our occupations, we can even present ourselves as the lesser of two evils. We'll be the liberator of the Cisalpine tribes, not the invader."

"They'd have to be insane to believe that." Quintus muttered.

"Maybe, but if we offer them a good enough deal they won't care." Lucius observed. Years of experience manipulating the network of family contacts came to the fore. "The Gauls of Northern Italy have no special connection to Transalpine Gaul. If they're better off under our rule they might grumble, but they're unlikely to rebel so long as we don't completely wander off and leave a power vacuum. We're closer to Mediolanum and Patavium and trade is much easier than trade sent over the mountains; especially since we took Segesta and the only non-Roman sea route to Transalpine Gaul. We'll be able to forge a closer relationship with local elites there than their current masters ever could."

"So it's settled then?" Flavius asked.

There were no objections. The plan was ambitious, crazy even. They were going to seize half of Gaul before its defenders were fully prepared and then use the power and experience gained from that half to fight off the wrath of the other when it inevitably descended. This was a war that counted on the Roman army getting stronger as the war progressed, as opposed to worn down over time as normally happened with armies kept in the field for multiple campaigning seasons.

But it was a plan and if things went perfectly, it could work. Hesitantly, all three sons nodded their assent.

"Excellent." Flavius remarked. Then, more grimly, he added "I'll go inform the men."

---

He wanted them to do what?

Gauls. They were expected to fight Gauls. The near-mythic supermen of the north, fierce giants who came charging down in hordes from the mountains for no reason better than a lust for violence. These were the men they'd be fighting.

And not from behind the safety of a town wall many of them had envisioned. There was, in fact, a wall going up behind them as Flavius gave his speech. But they were on the wrong side of that wall. If the madman in front of them had anything to say about it, they would also be marching far away from it.

This was not part of the deal. The defence force was for just that, defence. They weren't supposed to be storming cities!

All of this because of a stupid senatorial order from down south signed by men who would not send one soldier to help. And this Roman fop, however he presented it, was their enforcer. The same Roman fop they only served because he was providing half of them with the money to pay their interest payments.

The more senior triarii and bodyguards could read between the lines. They understood Flavius's position. Many of them had fathers who had personally benefitted from Julii largesse. More knew the Roman protected them from enough dirt to have them lynched in the streets for corruption. The upper echelons of Flavius's army stood firm, as did the archers and skirmishers who didn't have much to lose anyway. All of them stood to lose if the Julii's influence was broken up and other powers or, Gods forbid, the rule of law, moved into their place.

The mood amongst the allied citizen farmers, on the other hand, was mutinous. And they made up the bulk of the army. The people of Etruria had no stake in a war like this. It would be their cities that burned if the Gauls came south.

Flavius skilfully laid out the facts. Or at least his version.

The Gauls would come south one day. They were already planning to. Flavius had the spy to prove that. But the Gauls were not ready, and that, Flavius said, was why they had sent the treasonous trade delegation. The fact that Flavius had also signed that agreement in an attempt to tie the Senate's hands, and that he considered it to have been to at least some extent in good faith, was brushed over. The Gauls were preparing for war and if they were allowed to gather, would wash over Northern Italy in a violent storm. It was inevitable and the only chance the good people of Italy had was if they marched north and brought the battle to the Gauls before they were ready.

Flavius knew however that he was depending on those same Gauls for support later on however. If he villainised the Gauls too much he would struggle to control his armies and there would be bloodshed in the towns and villages of Cisalpine Gaul. It was here that Flavius pulled out a masterstroke of cynical political theatre. If he couldn't make a villain out of the Gallic people, he would make one out of their leadership.

The king of Gaul, he explained, was an unpopular and warmongering tyrant.

What kind of man, Flavius asked, could have taken over Gaul in such a short period of time? What kind of man would then, he asked, go on to invade Northern Italy and create this vast empire? Clearly, the high king was a dangerous conqueror bent on subjecting the world to his dominion.

This intimidated many of the infantry. Fighting Gauls was bad enough, but fighting their conqueror was a terrifying prospect. However, it also gave a purpose to the invasion. This was not some mindless powergrab for a Roman aristocrat. It was an action taken in defence of their homes that would be conquered if they did nothing. No, more than that, it was a liberation. That was certainly the line Flavius was eager to encourage, even if he never stated it outright.

And then Flavius made a remarkable promise.

Five years. That was how long Flavius's campaign would last. Five long years of pain and trouble. But, if after that time the entire army remained with him, all their debts would be forgiven and they could choose to go home. Flavius would pay off any creditors that pursued them and he would guarantee their lands during their period of service. For the many indebted landowners in the army it was a promise of liberation.

If anyone deserted however, the deal was off the table. Because, as Flavius now stated boldly, the remainder would probably all die in battle anyway. Flavius, at this point, stated that he would march upon Patavium alone if his army left him. He was going to see this out to the end.

The army swung round behind him.

The soldiers might have resented the Roman patrician, but they liked him a lot more than they'd liked his father. Flavius, as the new head of the Julii family, was less directly connected to his father's murky dealings. He had inherited them, but he was not seen as being directly linked. If the farmers had ever discovered just how much Flavius had actually been involved in their various indentures he would probably be lynched in the street. A fact the Roman general was very keenly aware. But for the moment Flavius had successfully portrayed himself as a hero and a liberator, turning the Senate's cynical land grab into a war for the liberation of Italy and beyond.

It was nonsense, but it was good sounding nonsense. So it was that Flavius set out north with an army of cheered militia behind him, an army convinced through lies that their cause was a just one.

Maybe, with time, Flavius could make the truth mesh with that lie. For now, however, he was simply glad not to be marching up into the north with just his horse, spears and archers.

A short victorious war. That ever elusive prize for a statesman. Flavius, however, didn't just need one to prop up his political regime. His very life was at stake. On the battlefield, in the courts of Rome and amongst the deceived blades of the very army he was leading.

He might have lined his throne of spears with silk, but he could still feel the points beneath him.

---

Page break. More to come.

[Alwyn]

Excellent chapter, you show clearly both the opportunities and the risks which Flavius is facing. I enjoyed the reaction of family members and farmers to Flavius' plan, particularly the line about the militia wanting to fight behind a wall (but being on the wrong side of the wall which is going up), the perception of the Gauls as terrifying mythic supermen (not surprising, since Brennus sacked Rome a few generations ago) and the line about Flavius protecting his senior soldiers from enough dirt to have them lynched for corruption (which fits nicely with your explanation of how Rome is dominated by three families, through corruption.) I look forward to seeing how your story progresses.

[Napoleon Complex]

Excellent chapter, you show clearly both the opportunities and the risks which Flavius is facing. I enjoyed the reaction of family members and farmers to Flavius' plan, particularly the line about the militia wanting to fight behind a wall (but being on the wrong side of the wall which is going up), the perception of the Gauls as terrifying mythic supermen (not surprising, since Brennus sacked Rome a few generations ago) and the line about Flavius protecting his senior soldiers from enough dirt to have them lynched for corruption (which fits nicely with your explanation of how Rome is dominated by three families, through corruption.) I look forward to seeing how your story progresses.

Thank you for the encouragement. I've recently been discouraged after a few setbacks in real life. Hearing something positive is good right now. Apologies for this taking so long to update, I did not intend to leave this for so long. I've had a bit of writers block.

Anyway, onwards.

---

Venetia. Town of Patavium. Chief's House, Main Hall.

"700 men. You're sure of this?"

A sea of quietened retainers lined the walls of Patavium's great hall. Every single one of them focussed on the conversation happening in the middle of the room. The young chief of the Italian tribes, youngest son of Brennus, tensely asked for confirmation of what could only be an approaching catastrophe.

The messenger's tone was steady, but sombrely quiet.

"Certain, Chief Lugotorix. Skirmishers, infantry and heavy cavalry. Men of the Aquitani confirmed it. The Roman column marched right past them as they withdrew over the mountains."

Lugotorix folded his arms and let out a deep breath. The atmosphere in the hall darkened with each molecule exhaled. He considered the situation.

The young warchief asked the question everyone was thinking. The mood only darkened further.

"How long until they reach Mediolanum?"

"Before the end of summer Chieftain. I'd expect they'll be able to besiege the Insubres by August at the latest."

"Then they'll be through the walls by September. There's almost nothing to stop them."



Lugotorix did his best to hide his own tension as he clenched his fist to his chin, his hand covering his mouth. Furiously, he tried to think of a way out of the mess northern Italy was now in.

He'd been expecting the Roman invasion. Flavius, dog that he was, had at least been upfront about that. Lugotorix had had to resist the urge to open the belly of Antio as he'd delivered the declaration, but he'd resisted. Murdering the dignitary would not help his cause.

Lugotorix had thought it would take time for the Romans to assemble their army. They, traditionally, relied on a citizen militia as well. Lugotorix had expected to have at least a few months, if not a year, to fully ready his forces. He also badly needed reinforcements from over the Alps.

Now, he had neither.

"This army, the army of Flavius..." Lugotorix pondered.

"Do we know it is Flavius, chief?" A warrior asked. Lugotorix considered that for less than a second.

"No other Roman army is in the area. They wouldn't have been able to move anyone else north so fast." Lugotorix's face hardened in frustration.

"Damn him, he planned this!"

A moment of poisoned silence. Every eye in the room was focussed upon the angry young man. The teenager who led them. Lugotorix was nineteen years of age and yet he was expected to command a warhost and lead it against Rome. The level of expectation could not have been higher.

"He was probably plotting his invasion since he took Liguria. Now he's coming for us!"

"Chieftain, surely this cannot be all Flavius's doing? The man has a handful of militia to his disposal-"

"Well it's a damn sight better than what we've got!" Lugotorix snapped. "He's probably hungry for glory!"

No one else offered comment.

Lugotorix knew he was probably not the man for this job. The youngest son of the king, he'd been sent south to manage the less stable tribes of Northern Italy, the Insubre and Veneti. Their conquest and disarmament had taken place within living memory. The seizure of swords and horses had stopped any question of rebellion amongst the tribes, and trade had since prospered, limiting any real chance of unrest. The Gauls weren't exactly welcome, but no one was going to make the effort to throw them out. It was a thankless job, but not a dangerous one. Brennus would not have sent Lugotorix had the region still been dangerous.

The side effect, however, was that Lugotorix now had almost nothing to defend the region. All of his father's best men were on the other side of the Alps, and even if they marched immediately the army they brought would be small. All Lugotorix had in the meantime was the ramshackle militia he'd managed to pull together, half of which were too unreliable to take out of the settlement with him.

But he had to do something. He knew enough about Romans to know what they did to their enemies. He could not be the one to lose Mediolanum.

As Lugotorix slumped down in his chair, lost in thought, one ageing bodyguard saw the dangerous direction his inexperienced chief's mind was moving in. Cautiously, he spoke up.

"Chieftain, we do not have the means to hold Mediolanum. You know in your heart that this is true."

Lugotorix was silent, still cradling his head in his right arm as he processed this information. But he did not argue. The soldier was emboldened.

"But we can still save Patavium. If we pull all remaining forces back to the city-"

"We can save Mediolanum."

Lugotorix interrupted the soldier abruptly, who clammed up. It was his turn to be taken aback by the young man's boldness. Despite a heavy sigh of resignation, he listened to the young chief's words carefully, as did every single soldier and servant assembled. Anything that could save the third largest city in the confederation needed to be heard.

"Flavius's army cannot be challenged. That is true. But..."

Lugotorix's voice rose as he realised what he'd stumbled upon. He'd outfoxed Flavius!

"...if his entire army is in the north, then the south is unprotected! All we need to do is march on Arretium!"

It sounded like a brilliant plan, but the soldiers clearly weren't convinced. Skeptical glances lined the halls.

"I do not believe that would work, Chieftain. The governor of the city will be able to raise at least some militia to defend it. Even if we took the city, Flavius would be upon us within-"

"We don't need to take the city Bricius. We need to threaten it."

Before Bricius could argue Lugotorix stood up. "The city of Arretium is Flavius's powerbase. He cannot let it fall! If we march upon Arretium Flavius will be forced to abandon his advance on Mediolanum and chase our army. We need to march on the city with every man we have and then draw Flavius south after us!"

As Lugotorix ended his speech, he expected enthusiasm. But all he got was nervous glances.

"Chieftain..." Bricius began "...that would buy us a season at most. And if Flavius attacks our army before we are fully ready, then our army will be-"

"We cannot abandon Mediolanum!" Lugotorix shouted.

Bricius fell silent, misgivings evident on his face. The young chieftain turned to his skeptical guards.

"We were sent south to defend the Italian tribes. We were not sent south to hide inside our walls! Not while an entire people are put to the sword and their women sold off as slaves at a Roman market!" Lugotorix turned to Bricius, passion and rage in his eyes. "Even if we are caught it will give my father time to send an army to protect the region! We will be able to assemble soldiers and men-"

"Your father may not come." Bricius interrupted.

The suggestion was enough to cut off a cheer that was beginning to ripple through the crowd. That was entirely possible.

It was not, however, what his chieftain wanted to hear.

"Are you suggesting the king means to abandon us?" Lugotorix questioned, poison on his lips.

This was a dangerous question. To suggest that the high king would not protect his people, in front of his son no less, was a deadly insult. Bricius chose his next words carefully. His head, not the plan chosen, was now on the line.

"I'm suggesting that it may be impossible to assemble a relief army in that time. Especially with the mountains between us."

Bricius took a step forward and, boldly, placed a hand on Lugotorix's shaking shoulders.

"Chieftain, we may be on our own down here for a very long period of time."

For a moment the words of the powerful, older warrior, and the stern grip he had on his charge's shoulder seemed to reach Lugotorix. He wavered, if only for a second.

Then he gave his final, foolish answer.

"I understand that, Bricius. But it remains that I will not allow Mediolanum to go undefended."

Lugotorix pulled out of his bodyguard's grip and left the older man to hang his shoulders in resignation as he marched towards the exit to the hall.

"Assemble in the market square. I'm gathering the warbands."

The heavy oaken doors swung open and Lugotorix marched out into the cold of the dying Italian winter.

"We cross the Arro by the time the snow recedes! Take only what we need! We'll forage for the rest..."

---

269 BC. Spring.

Lugotorix's advance across the Arro did indeed catch Flavius off-guard.

"The advance on Mediolanum's off."



This was a new experience for Vibius. As Flavius stared at the message informing him of the Gallic army's advance, it was the closest he had ever seen to his father sulking.

They were sitting on horseback upon the banks of the Arro river, watching their soldiers slowly wade across. Mediolanum was so close...

"It's not a great army father." Vibius pointed out. "Can't Lucius see it off?"

Flavius glared at his son, who wavered. The older man quickly put the younger right.

"There are over four hundred Gauls in that army. Vibius will have at most two hundred men with him in Arretium by the time it arrives. Would you wager your brother's life, and the focal point for the dignitas of our entire family, on an administrator's ability to hold off a Gallic warhost?!"

Vibius was silent. That was grievously unfair to Lucius, who had shown some aptitude towards raising, training and organising parts of the militias that Flavius depended on for his army. The man was not unversed in military matters.

Still, he could understand why his father was unwilling to gamble the family's fortune... and part of the family, on Lucius winning the day. The paterfamilias was clearly of the mindset that every crisis had to be dealt with personally.

"We don't have any choice." Flavius finished bitterly. "Help me get the men turned around. We march into battle."

"Understood, father." Vibius said quietly. He turned his horse away from his father and rode towards Tertius, who was busy bawling at a soldier who had lost one of his pilae in the river.

Flavius gave his son a head's start as he pondered the full ramifications of the change in circumstances.

If he took too long to reach Mediolanum, the city would be defended. Losses could be high, higher than the militia were capable of withstanding. He couldn't afford a mutiny.

If he took any longer, the city might be too strong entirely. Flavius needed a victory and, more than that, he needed money. The family coffers were slowly running dry...

...

Southern Venetia. South of the Arro River. Gallic War Party.



"Chieftain! The Romans approach! Flavius's army is upon us!"

Lugotorix pulled his horses round to respond to the panicking scout. He was incredulous.

"Already? We're not even fully across the river! How could he have got here so quickly?"

"Is his full army with him?" Brecius asked. "Or just the cavalry?"

Brecius was not nearly as surprised as his less experienced general was. But even his eyes went wide as the scout confirmed Flavius had his entire army with him. He growled.

"Southern tricks. I've heard the stories. They say the Romans are able to magic armies out of the morning fog, and that they travel on the mist, so quickly do they assemble and march. Commander, we cannot fight this army."

"We can lose him in the woods. Get the men to withdraw east. We'll make for Ariminum instead!"

"Commander, this is our last chance to withdraw behind the river." Brecius cautioned. "If we do this, we'll be cut off from home."

"We need more time! Flavius's army is heavily armoured and will be exhausted from marching so hard. The Roman knows that he cannot afford to lose time and his army will be demoralised. If we can keep him south for even six months it'll be another year before he can reach either city! We could have assembled a warhost by-

"General, are you asking every man in this army to die with you?"

Brecius cast his arm down towards the live flotsam as it drifted along the dirt track. Barely considered a road, it was nonetheless the best path the army could find down south. Rows of young men made their way hesitantly onwards, their torsos and heads unprotected by metal or even leather. Most only carried a canvas shield and wooden spear. It was not an inspiring army.

A handful were on horseback. But these were little more than militia on horses. Wealthy local landlords, or not particularly wealthy ones, who either owned or had managed to procure a horse. They were no more warriors than the infantry.

"Lugotorix..."

"Chief Lugotorix." Lugotorix warned.

"Chief Lugotorix..." Brecius corrected himself. "...these beardless youths and farmers are no match for a Roman army! But behind the walls of Patavium we would at least have..."

"What? A year? Brecius, do you really believe we can hold Patavium if Flavius gathered his full army and marched upon it? If the city was reached this winter?"

"We would seriously hurt him." Brecius promised. "And if we seriously hurt an army like the one Flavius has gathered, one bound by loyalty to a man, it could fall apart."

"And what of the city?" Lugotorix said. There was a definite ring of contempt in his voice now.

"These are times of war Chief. We cannot defend everywhere."

Lugotorix, to his credit, did take a moment to ponder the truth of that. For a moment, he considered leading what warriors and tribesfolk he could west of the mountains. Flavius would not be able to pursue him through the passes in winter, and if he retreated he would leave himself open to attack. Lugotorix's father would know what to do, and with the whole of Gaul behind them they could descend on Roman lands and avenge themselves wholly upon the Roman warlord. It was not an unwise plan.

But that would mean abandoning Patavium and Mediolanum to their fates. That was not ultimately an evil that Lugotorix could suffer. The Gallic youth made his decision.

"If we withdraw to Patavium we will simply lose Italy more slowly. We march east into the forests."

"Then, general, I fear we will march to our deaths."

Lugotorix paused and closed his eyes for a second as he turned his horse, his back to Brecius. Heavily, he pushed his horse into motion and walked it off towards the nearest warband.

"So be it, Brecius. We pray to the Gods for preservation this year."

Brecius watched his commander go, more than a little respect forming. For all the youth's foolishness, he had to respect that kind of bravery. Lugotorix was his father's son, that much was clear.

However, all that bravery could not change the fact that for the first time, Brecius felt truly afraid. This was not the correct course of action and it would surely lead to disaster.

---

"They're withdrawing. Damn it!"

Vibius shook his arms violently as he watched the last warband disappear into the forest. His father was more composed, but disappointment and frustration was also evident as he spoke.

"We outnumber and outclass their army. It was not unexpected."



"Father the men will not go any further! They're exhausted and if we march any longer we're going to start losing men to injuries and desertions! The infantry need rest!"

For a while Flavius pondered this.

"Jupiter curse the nerve of this boy commander! If we can't besiege Mediolanum this year the city will have time to raise an army and reinforcements could arrive from Gaul. We can't waste time chasing these raiders across the breadth of Italy!"

Flavius thought furiously. The worst part was it wasn't even a strong Gallic force! If he was able to catch it with even part of his army... the strongest part.

The cavalry. Flavius had a masterstroke.

"Vibius..."

Flavius pulled out a blank sheet of paper. Furiously, he started scrawling a message down on the paper. Vibius looked on nonplussed.

"Vibius, send word to your brother in Arretium that he is to ride north with every man on horseback."

"Father, what madness are you planning now?" Vibius asked worriedly.

"We can't catch the Gauls with the infantry. So we're going to do it with cavalry."

The alarm on Vibius's face was palpable, and it was clear he was wondering if his father had gone mad. But Flavius was smiling.

This was how a cavalry general thought. You didn't always beat an enemy by carefully guiding his chess pieces into a corner. Not every piece on the board was bound wholly by its assumed limits. You often won by doing something nobody at the time thought possible.

Flavius had not commanded in a proper campaign for some time. It was certainly his first time at the head of such a large force. Segesta not-withstanding. At times, he couldn't help but feel a little out of his depth.

But just his sons and him, at the head of a few bands of cavalry?

He would show the Gauls just what Roman cavalry could do when it was commanded and organised properly. Grimly, Flavius pushed his well-drilled cavalry east. He was a lot more comfortable with them than with this awkward mob of farmers.

---

Southern Venetia. Late August. Forest South of the River. Gallic Warhost.

"We've lost them for now Chief." Brecius said as they marched through the unfamiliar woodland. "Scouts say their main host has stopped pursuing us and has made camp just south of where we forded. But we're cut off."

"It will have to do for now." Lugotorix concluded. His men had been exhausted themselves from their rapid journey south, followed by the frantic dash for the safety of the forest. "Are you sure there aren't any signs of pursuit?"

"Their cavalry were seen heading east, but they stopped on the edge of the forest. They're just scouting."

"Thank Epona for tiring them then. We'll rest and then march towards Ariminum tomorrow."

"We're committed now chieftain. May the War Gods keep us-"

Just as Brecius was completing that prayer however a scout rode up beside them. The young man's face was pale.

"Chieftain, the Roman cavalry are approaching!"

"What? How many?"

"Over a hundred sir, split into three groups! They intend to attack our army!"



Lugotorix and Brecius looked at each other in disbelief, and then turned their heads to examine the astonished faces in the rest of the bodyguard.

"Commander, if this is true this could be the opportunity we've prayed for. If Flavius is in that army we can cut off the serpent's head!"

"Turn the army around." Lugotorix commanded. "Draw up into battle formation!"

---



"The Gauls are dead ahead father!" Vibius shouted over the roar of the hooves.

"Go to your men sons." Flavius ordered sharply. "Remember the plan; no frontal charges!"

"I can't believe we're doing this!" Lucius said. The inexperienced patrician's face was pale, but he turned his warhorse away regardless.

Flavius could already see the signs of disturbed wildlife and hear the shouts that signalled a great host was in front of him. He steeled himself for the confrontation.



The stakes were high. And battle was imminent.



---

That leaves us on the brink of our first battle. Apologies for the delay, I was in something of a slump. Hopefully I'll get the battle itself out soon.

[Alwyn]

An exciting chapter, I enjoyed the shift in perspective to Lugotorix and his brave decision to threaten a Roman city, as well as his authentic-sounding assessment of the Roman army (that, wearing armour, they will be tired after a long march). I'm enjoying the way that both Lugotorix and Flavius are men feeling out of their depth in a dangerous situation, brave commanders trying to surprise their enemies and doing their best to make the right decisions. The shift back to Flavius and the way that he thinks as a cavalry general, "You often won by doing something nobody at the time thought possible" is brilliant - I can imagine stirring music by John Williams or Hans Zimmer, if your AAR was a movie, accompanying this momentous decision. It seems that Flavius is capable of taking bold, risky decisions - can his small force of Roman nobles on horseback defeat a Celtic warband? Will the infantry arrive in time for the battle or will the nobles be forced to fight alone? Sorry to hear that you were experiencing a slump. You don't need to apologise for taking time to post chapters; I normally suggest posting a chapter a week (or so) and it's been a lot longer than that since I last posted a chapter of my AAR. As I see it, allowing time between chapters allows new readers time to discover our stories and avoids existing readers struggling to keep up. If you take my advice, I'm going to regret it, since I'd love to know what will happen in this battle! Even so, there's no need to apologise. If you would like to attract more readers, I previously suggested ways of doing that here.

[Philadelphos]

Alwyn is right: These long chapters take time to write and to read. So be easy with the updates. In any case, although the action was more or less what thousand of players have already experienced, your narration kept me interested.

[Napoleon Complex]

An exciting chapter, I enjoyed the shift in perspective to Lugotorix and his brave decision to threaten a Roman city, as well as his authentic-sounding assessment of the Roman army (that, wearing armour, they will be tired after a long march). I'm enjoying the way that both Lugotorix and Flavius are men feeling out of their depth in a dangerous situation, brave commanders trying to surprise their enemies and doing their best to make the right decisions. The shift back to Flavius and the way that he thinks as a cavalry general, "You often won by doing something nobody at the time thought possible" is brilliant - I can imagine stirring music by John Williams or Hans Zimmer, if your AAR was a movie, accompanying this momentous decision. It seems that Flavius is capable of taking bold, risky decisions - can his small force of Roman nobles on horseback defeat a Celtic warband? Will the infantry arrive in time for the battle or will the nobles be forced to fight alone? Sorry to hear that you were experiencing a slump. You don't need to apologise for taking time to post chapters; I normally suggest posting a chapter a week (or so) and it's been a lot longer than that since I last posted a chapter of my AAR. As I see it, allowing time between chapters allows new readers time to discover our stories and avoids existing readers struggling to keep up. If you take my advice, I'm going to regret it, since I'd love to know what will happen in this battle! Even so, there's no need to apologise. If you would like to attract more readers, I previously suggested ways of doing that here.

Thank you for the advice and continued support. I do tend to actually play music while I write these things, as it helps me get into the mindset. I've taken onboard your advice about update speed; I'm going to aim for a steady update schedule of one every weekend.

Alwyn is right: These long chapters take time to write and to read. So be easy with the updates. In any case, although the action was more or less what thousand of players have already experienced, your narration kept me interested.

The playstyle for this AAR actually started as just another campaign; I was getting back into Rome Total War and I decided to try playing the initial Julii campaign as a responsible commander under the constraints of the Senate, as opposed to the normal path of warmongering conquest, and also to play as benevolently as possible, with low taxes and a concerted effort to actually look after my citizens. The idea of turning it into an AAR came after I began the campaign and besieged Segesta with the mindset of trying to ensure minimal casualties during the whole campaign. I felt that would be an interesting concept for a story.

Anyway, onwards into the dark Venetian forests... or the small copse of trees that serves as dark Venetian forest anyway. (It's really less of a forest and more a light screen of pleasant woodland to break up the monotonous farms).

---

It is impossible to describe the fear the Roman soldiers felt as they approached the Gallic army.


They were fighting Gauls, from horseback, in a wood. Had this improvised band been led by someone who didn't know what they were doing, they would not even have gone forward. This ran counter to every doctrine in the Roman handbook. By the standard approach to warfare their commander was committing tactical suicide.

Flavius however was not following the Roman handbook. He had his own plan. One that he intended to make work.

He'd split his cavalry into three wings. Flavius held the left, Vibius the centre and Lucius the right. This gave the Romans an element of tactical flexibility the Gallic horse lacked, but far more important was the element of leadership. Each group of cavalry was independently led and this gave them agency of action. If the plan fell short, it could be altered.

What couldn't be altered was the fear his men felt as they watched the Gauls close through the woods towards them.



Lugotorix had every right to feel confident. He outnumbered his enemy four to one and had a mixed force of cavalry and infantry. The biggest fear in Lugotorix's mind was that Flavius would shy away from the fight. He couldn't let that happen.

Had Lugotorix thought about the situation more seriously, he might have considered what his crafty nemesis was planning with such a risky move. But all that Lugotorix could see was the scale of the opportunity. The cream of Flavius's army, the old warmonger himself, they would all would pay for the killing they had started.

Eagerly, he ordered his warriors forward. He would end the invasion of Italy in a day where his father had taken ten years to beat the Germans!

There was no advantage in hesitance for Flavius either. Without a second thought he ordered the advance. The Roman cavalry were going to confront this horde and they would do so alone.




Violence and death were now inevitable. Both commanders, the last men who could have prevented human catastrophe, had decided to engage one another. Had they shied away, had the two sides simply refused to clash with one another, the fighting could still have been avoided. Now even that last, slim chance for peace failed. As the two armies closed, a war began that neither the tribes of Gaul nor the citizens of Etruria could benefit from.

All for the schemes of criminals in togas.





The Roman cavalry advanced at a walk. At that agonisingly slow pace they advanced, their nerves building with every second.

They advanced until they could see the eyes of each angry Gallic warrior.

They did not get any closer. The Gauls charged.



The Romans stopped. At that last moment, with the entire Gallic warhost descending upon them, they wheeled around...

...and began to flee into the forest.

As Lugotorix saw the Roman cavalry flee, his heart leapt into his mouth.

No...

No, he couldn't permit that. This was to end the war and save the north of Italy... and his pursued army, from certain doom. Every man, woman and child in the Veneti and Insubre tribes depended upon him winning victory now and so did the men in his army. In desperation, the Gallic warlord abandoned his clever infantry screen and threw his cavalry forward.



It was not a smooth retreat or an ordered pursuit. On the flank, the indisciplined light cavalry rushed forward haphazardly as the Romans struggled to reorder from the speed of their about face. Lugotorix's own bodyguard was disordered as it pushed through the massed ranks of his own advancing infantry. As the Gauls advanced however, they missed an important detail.

Between the trees and their own headlong advance, no one in the Gallic force noticed that the Roman formation was mending. Lugotorix failed to notice that his light cavalry were dropping further and further behind his bodyguard. The Gallic cavalry had fallen into echelon, a very vulnerable formation.

Worse, in the confusion no one noticed the ominous way the Roman force split up.



As Lugotorix desperately chased after Flavius Vibius split his cavalry off from his father's guard. With Vibius himself pursued by the Gallic light, Lucius took his cavalry and split them off from Vibius. What had been one large mass of Roman cavalry became three divided elements and the Gauls could only focus on two.

The Gauls were charging straight into a trap.

"Charge!" cried Vibius. Just a few metres to his left he heard his brother cry out the same order.

As the Gallic cavalry each pursued their respective targets they ignored the danger that was gathering on their left. The Gallic cavalry thundered obliviously past newly drawn up Roman formations. After the rarity that was a Roman feigned retreat, the Roman cavalry descended...



But unfamiliar tactics breed unexpected results. Vibius and Lucius both miscalculated. As their horse thundered through the trees it became impossible to adjust the charge's direction and they underestimated just how quickly the Gallic cavalry were pursuing. Vibius shot past the back of Lugotorix's bodyguard.

The only fruit the charge yielded was a few scared warriors who just avoided the tips of Etruscan lances. Lucius fared no better.



Worse, the Roman charge had veered so violently that its formation had shattered. They were now completely out of formation, all their power and impetus scattered. Vibius was now right in the path of the Gallic cavalry!



Screams of men and horses. That was what heralded the impact of the Gallic charge. The Romans were barely able to about face and turn to meet the charging Gauls. Many were caught facing the wrong direction. The Romans were protected by their armour and the Gallic charge did not hit at full force. The Gauls had also been thrown off by the rapid change in direction. But there was no substance to the Roman formation and the Gauls were able to weave between the gaps in the Roman horse.

Soon, many of Vibius's bodyguards were surrounded, and the patrician himself was fighting for his life. The far more numerous Gallic spears closed in...



Lugotorix, meanwhile, was free to chase his father further and further away from the battlefield.

Vibius hacked desperately at the Gaul to his side, even with his terrifying awareness of the warrior in front of him, the man who was trying to kill him with a boar spear. As Vibius cut his target from his horse, covering his hands with blood, a terrific blow struck the side of his head. He reeled in his saddle, vaguely registering that he'd been struck on the side of his open helmet.

If he hadn't leant off to the side to strike the spear would have entered and killed him instantly.

Barely, the Roman patrician remained conscious as his assailant readied another blow. He'd almost been thrown off horseback by his own lance thrust.

The Roman bodyguard was winning. Despite their horrible surprise, the Roman soldiers were better armoured and far better trained than their Gallic counterparts. Yet Vibius had no spear to fight with. He barely dodged the next lance thrust, and if the battle continued like this Vibius would become one of the first casualties of the war.

But help was coming...



Lucius had wheeled his cavalry around from their failed charge. Now, they thundered into the back of the formation.



The Gallic cavalry broke almost immediately. The spear-wielding Gaul was hacked down by bodyguards just as he was about to strike Vibius in the shoulder, a blow that would probably have killed him. Despite their superior manoeuvrability the Gauls had suffered a terrible defeat against the tougher and more flexible Roman cavalry. It was a moment of vindication for Flavius, an ominous sign for Gaul and the very first blood of the war.

Half of the Gallic cavalry had broken off. But they were not completely defeated and many would rally later on. Worse...



Flavius was still being pursued by Lugotorix. With his cavalry turned in retreat he was at a great disadvantage. If the Julii paterfamilias fell then it was all over.

Pulling themselves together, and with Vibius's head still spinning, the two brothers abandoned chasing the Gallic light. They set out west to save their father.



But Vibius and Lucius were far behind. They would never catch up before Lugotorix caught Flavius. The Gallic pursuit had broken both commanders free of the forests and Lugotorix was now chasing Flavius over the open plains. It was time to turn and fight.



Lugotorix urged his cavalry on, eager to come to grips with the reorganising Roman cavalry. Yet it was his turn to be surprised as the Romans completed the complicated about-face in a few seconds. With surprise on their side, Flavius and his men pushed their horses into the charge.

The commanders met with a thunderous clash, as men, steel and horses collided with each other.




---

Apologies for mandatory cliffhangers.

[Philadelphos]

Yeah, that's already the second cliff-hanger!

They are 107 against 27, so I guess Lugotorix is dead. If the other Roman leaders catch up in time, they can even beat him at a minimum cost.

Still, I don't see how they are going to defeat the warbands without running a very high personal risk.

Btw, what is the difficulty level?

[Alwyn]

I like your cliff-hangers, I'm enjoying this. The combination of Roman training and horsemanship seem to be decisive, for now. I imagine that the Roman cavalry and their horses are tired after fast riding, turning quickly and fighting. If Lugotorix's infantry reaches the Roman cavalry while they're still tired, I wonder what will happen.

[knightofhonnor]

I must say, I like the story, premise and writing style! Here's hoping to your success!

[Napoleon Complex]

I'm gonna put my replies to comments at the end this time to avoid spoilers. Onwards we go!

---

The Roman cavalry barreled into Lugotorix's stunned bodyguard.



The Gallic cavalry were so surprised by the Roman turn that many didn't even have their lances down. Roman lances split chainmail, jammed in shields and drove screaming men from their warhorses in a maelstrom of noise and panic.

So fierce was the Roman charge that the Roman horses kept on going. They darted through miniscule gaps in the Gallic formation, shoving their Gallic rivals out the way if necessary and bringing their riders face to face with the second row of Gauls. Many in the first line were cut off from their allies, suddenly split off and surrounded by hostile men. Bricius, who had pulled ahead of Lugotorix before the moment of impact, disappeared into the fog of Roman soldiers. The first Lugotorix knew of what had happened was when a Roman soldier rode up beside him and swung at him with a sword.

The Romans had extended their line. They now partially enveloped the Gallic formation. To add to the chaos this created many men on both sides found themselves in the centre of the enemy formation, cut off from their allies. So limited was space in the end, and so jumbled the formations, that many warriors could not angle their spears to attack the enemies that sat right beside them. Fierce adversaries glared at one another but could do little more than lash out with shields and elbows. Horses could not turn, men could not prioritise their enemies, the line of battle was almost non-existent and many were unaware that an enemy sat right beside them.

Then those wicked short swords came out. The gladius might lack the intimidation factor of a spear, but in close range brawls its knife-like quality was terrifyingly efficient. It was a weapon that slid through armour's weak points, or found equal purchase in unarmoured necks. In its simple viciousness it was perfect for this battle.



What ensued was a brutal fight for survival. All thought of a glorious victory deserted Lugotorix. The Gallic general just tried to stay alive. He fended off his assailant with his own blade even as a second Roman challenged him to the front. All around, he could hear the screams of dying warriors. Far too many of them Gallic. Far too many of them familiar.

Bricius fell from his horse, covered in wounds and with a gladius lodged in his throat. He'd already been winded by a lance. His panicking chieftain just a few feet away did not even see him fall. The man who had counselled so strongly against the march south was cruelly one of the first to fall to it. Poor Lugotorix did not even know that he had fallen.

That story played out in miniature across the melee. The encircling Romans had already begun to hack the Gauls apart.

The third line of cavalry, the last soldiers in Lugotorix's tattered guard, managed to hold their own. They were still formed up. Several Romans were killed and wounded, outranged by Gallic spears and distracted as they struggled to kill the wounded and terrified men of the second line.

The Gauls were falling quicker however and soon even the men of the third line found themselves increasingly under pressure. The Gallic warriors stabbed viciously at one enemy only to be hacked at by the next. Sometimes the swords clattered off armour. All too often they found purchase in flesh, or penetrated a weak point. Sometimes those moments were punctuated by a scream. During others, there was merely a silent impact upon the ground.

Time was running out. Vibius's guard had broken ahead of his brother's detachment. Flavius's plan had been delayed, but the trap was closing.



Lugotorix fought desperately. He had no other choice. As the men around him perished the chieftain was increasingly surrounded. But he fought back. To his credit, he blocked and dodged a great many of his assailants blows, and many more glanced off his armour. For some time Lugotorix and a handful of bodyguards stubbornly anchored the left hand side of the formation. This would be the death of many Roman cavalry. The ordered third line was outnumbered, but it still put pressure on the encirclement. Lugotorix killed no Roman soldiers, but his resistance prolonged the battle and made his enemies suffer tragedies of their own.

A sword ripped through the back of his throat...



Somewhere in Venetia a young man slumped from his warhorse. Almost silently, his unconscious body impacted the ground below.The king's son was dead.

A cry of dismay rang out from the handful of Gauls who were close enough to witness the death of the chief. They were soon silenced however, and most of the Gallic warriors didn't even know that their leader was dead.

It didn't really matter now. Vibius's cavalry shot straight into the back of them. Their fate was sealed.

The majority of the killing had already been finished by the time Vibius arrived. The Romans had suffered heavy casualties themselves. Sixteen of Flavius's own precious bodyguards fell during the fight. Far from the chirurgeons most of them would perish. But the sheer size of the Roman bodyguard, the element of surprise and those brutal Roman short swords had proven decisive. The last charge into the back of the Gallic bodyguard was little more than a coup de grace, a morbid exercise in bloodletting as the handful of bloodstained survivors broke ranks and fled.



Most of them would not escape. Of the twenty seven men who had ridden out with Lugotorix hoping to end the war, a mere three would break out of the trap and into open country.

As they fled off into the distance Flavius desperately scanned the survivors. Despite everything, he still hoped to see Lugotorix amongst them.

His heart sank when he didn't.

In war the death of an enemy commander is a good thing. Unless, of course, he is incompetent. Sometimes even then. Lugotorix was more than a mere general.

He was the king's son. Flavius, a man with no justification for the bloodshed he had unleashed, whose objectives were at once both limited and already too grand in scope, and a man who was pursuing selfish survival, had slain the child of Gaul's national hero. An actual hero, someone who had fought German invaders for ten years in order to free his homeland. Whose veterans, incidentally, had also died protecting their saviour's son.

It was a horrific crime committed by an unworthy man and it promised a terrible reckoning.



Flavius had little time to dwell on the earthquake he had sent through the Gallic world. Those tremors would ripple out over months. Today's battle was only half done and most of the Gallic army was still on the field. As father and son shakily reordered themselves, both still trembling with adrenaline, Flavius could see Lucius was still being pursued by half of the Gallic infantry.

Flavius focussed. He still had to break this army. Grimly, he ordered the cavalry to split up once more. Flavius went left, Vibius right and Lucius ploughed straight on down the centre. The Gauls followed...



As the Roman cavalry ran to their positions they left a bloody trail of carnage in their wake. Once again their foes would have to cross a pile of corpses to get to the men they chased. A disturbing pattern was developing and there was nothing heroic about it.



The Gauls took the bait.



They were not complete fools however. Maybe it was the pile of corpses. Maybe it was the armoured giants that gathered at their flanks, towering over the Gauls on their horses. Maybe it was the fact that Lucius's guard had turned around, and his men now brandished lances not much shorter than the Gallic spears. There was certainly more than mere tiredness involved in the Gallic pause.

Whatever the reason the Gauls hesitated. They broke off the charge. It was entirely too late of course. There was no time to get back into formation.

The Romans descended, still bloody from the struggle before.



Flavius impacted first. The Roman horses drove deep into the disrupted Gallic line. Blood-spattered warriors towered high above the terrified Gallic militiamen, stabbing down upon them with their spears and spreading terror through the formation. So fierce was the impact of Flavius's charge that it forced the Gauls on the right side of the formation to turn and face it... leaving them defenceless as Vibius's own cavalry swept in.



The moment they slammed into the Gallic lines it was all over.



Chaos, panic, disorder and the screams of men. Two Romans fell as their horses stumbled, falling over the sheer mass of terrified humans before them. There was no heroic last stand here; the Gallic militia disintegrated.

It was a charge that could have been stopped by properly ordered spears. But that was a task beyond these farmers. Many Gauls simply flung themselves to the ground, praying they would be spared from Roman spears and hooves. Many did indeed survive the chaos that followed, but others were grievously hurt as the Roman cavalry trampled and stabbed its way through the Gallic formation. Flavius had had time to train his soldiers a little better, and many Romans switched to the butts of their spears as they knocked down fleeing Gallic warriors. But even those who surrendered or were incapacitated faced trampling.

Those who did survive were in no condition to get back up. Or were too terrified to. Those lucky survivors would be rounded up at the end of the battle, or liberated by their comrades, but their days of opposing the Julii family were done. The formation they were part of had been wiped off the planet.



The Roman cavalry celebrated. Half the Gallic army had not just been defeated but destroyed. Flavius grimly noted how the myth of Gallic invincibility was already beginning to disintegrate. There was nothing special about their enemy; even the veterans who guarded the royal family, heroes of another bloody chapter, had been bested. This was what he needed; the confidence of his men, a resource that had to grow and grow with every battle fought. The Roman general turned his attention to the rest of the battlefield.



At first Flavius saw nothing. He could have been forgiven for believing the rest of the Gallic army had disintegrated. It was the sight of dust clouds and the disturbed flight of birds which told Flavius where to go. The remainder of the Gallic army was retreating in near panic.

Most of the Gallic army had made it to a hill to the north of the battlefield, where they clearly intended to make their last stand. One band of Gallic warriors had fallen behind however, and was still deep inside the forest. Without a second of hesitation Flavius gave chase. He didn't even have to give an order; the cavalry followed.

To his men this was practically a hunt. The enemy was already running away! Flavius saw the danger however; if those Gauls reached the hill in time they could still pose a serious threat to his cavalry. The fleeing warband broke free of the woods and sprinted towards the hill as fast as their tired legs could carry them. The cavalry behind them darted through the trees.

[Napoleon Complex]

The Gauls ran quickly for men on foot. Desperation drove them on. They could not, however, quite run fast enough. With the hill in sight the Roman cavalry caught up with them.







The fleeing Gauls put up no fight whatsoever. Men tumbled to the ground, forced down by lances, horseflesh and sheer terror. The Gallic formation broke apart on contact.

Then the trampling began...



The cruelty was almost mechanical. As the Romans chased the Gauls at the front of the formation their unlucky comrades were literally ran over. Hooves drove into men's backs, killing some outright but leaving far more maimed with broken backs and ruptured organs. It was the true face of war. There was nothing glorious or glamourous here. Just relentless brutality that degraded both its victims and its perpetrators. Each and every Roman soldier was reminded of his crime by the haunting wails that ascended from below. At a young age, these men had killed others in hideous ways and left many more permanently maimed. You could not be the same person after taking part in something like that. Every man in Flavius's army was marked by the experience, not least the two younger Julii. Even for Flavius, this was a moment of pure horror. Yet not one man relented.

That was the other horror of war. How mechanical it was. Individuality was swallowed up. What was the line between an army and a mob?

At the top of the hill stood one final band of terrified men. Men who were barely out of childhood; the very youngest men in Lugotorix's unlucky band. Many had had fathers or older brothers amongst the more senior warbands. Some had just watched them disappear under the relentless fall of bestial hooves. Terror and nausea were all they felt now.



When Lucius turned his haunted men towards them, it was because he feared a shower of javelins. But to the youths on the hill, he might as well have been a lieutenant of death itself. There was no resistance. Most of these boys just wanted to go home. They didn't care what happened after anymore. Any fate would be better than enduring this hell for another second.



The Roman cavalry were shaken. Ancient battles were notorious for the after-battle slaughter but even by Roman standards this kind of systematic annihilation of an enemy army was almost unheard of. Lucius's formation was disrupted as individual cavalrymen futilely tried to keep their horses from trampling already broken infantry. Even the most callous Romans had turned their spears now; the focus was on taking captives, not further slaughter. It was plain to even the most paranoid that the Gallic army was no longer a threat.



The Gallic light cavalry, already bested by the Romans, did not even stand its ground. They broke the moment they saw the Roman cavalry turn. But they had nowhere to go with the rock wall behind them.

Except into the spears of the Julii cavalry...



The unrelenting horror continued as the Gallic cavalry were driven from their horses. No one was going to escape this battle.



The Romans wordlessly turned their attention to what few Gauls remained standing on the battlefield. With the cavalry subdued they went after the remaining skirmishers.



Those three remaining men. One has to question what point there was in tormenting these last three survivors. Still they were pursued...



...and captured. The last terrified man was thrown from his feet.

As the battle drew to a close the exhausted cavalry gave a sigh of relief. Some leant on one another for support, or slumped down upon the necks of their horses. Such gestures were more for emotional support than physical aid. A few men, overwhelmed, hid their faces in their hands as they wept. Not one man, Etruscan or Roman, celebrated.

With words kept to a minimum the broken and brutalised survivors were rounded up and forced into a column. Of the prisoners who could still stand most had to carry someone who was too wounded to walk. Some Gauls were so severely wounded that they expired when their allies tried to move them. There were no doctors present and even if there had been, they were not miracle workers. Many of the fallen were simply too far gone. The lucky ones had died immediately.

Each battle along the way, each macabre scene, was revisited as both sides repeated again and again the grim task of separating the living from the dead. A terrible cry of despair went up as the column reached where Lugotorix and his bodyguard had fallen.

It was a cry that was joined by grief amongst their enemies. Apart from the three who ran not one member of Lugotorix's guard survived the battle. Their armour had in some ways worked against them. With most areas covered by armour, the Roman swords had been directed into weak points, areas not covered or only partially protected. Areas like the neck and the joints; areas that bled profusely or that were critical to the body's functioning. Casualties amongst Flavius's bodyguard were grim too; of the sixteen men who had fallen, only two survived. They would return to Arretium crippled.

Finally, the grim procedure of treating the wounded and burning the dead could begin. Flavius sent for the chirurgeons and as many helping hands as could be spared from camp. The battlefield was soon visible for miles around as funeral pyres burned. The fuel for them was provided from logs from the forest, supplies from the Roman and Gallic camps and lumber donated by nearby villages that were contacted via riders for help. The fires would continue until next morning as the dead were slowly consumed. It was a horrific scene, but the alternative of leaving the dead to nearby predators was unthinkable to either side.

It was odd what strange bonds humans could form even after butchering one another.

The Battle of the Venetian Glades was not a tremendous battle in historical terms. It involved less than five hundred on both sides and in many ways it was little more than a skirmish. What marked it out was the sheer scale of the destruction inflicted upon both armies.



It was not a merciless slaughter. Of the 403 Gauls who marched into battle 234 were taken prisoner. Indeed the Venetian Glade was remarkable for the effort made to take prisoners during the battle. Most of those captured suffered wounds that varied from permanently incapacitating to merely painful. Of the formations that took part in the battle the skirmishers lost the least men, though even here some of them had fallen under the horses hooves. Casualties amongst the warbands were far more severe; approximately half of their number died, with casualties especially grim in the first warband. Survivors amongst the cavalry were extremely rare, a testament to just how bitter the cavalry combat had been.



Roman casualties by the scale of the battle were mild. Yet there were only a hundred and fourteen Romans on the field to begin with. Of these nineteen perished, and three were hurt so badly they had to return to Arretium. 19% of the Roman cavalry ceased to exist as a fighting force. It was a personal disaster for Flavius, who had lost many of his close contacts, or relatives of such men. It was impossible to replace such figures, not only militarily but also to provide stability at home.

The battle was at an end and Flavius now had an important decision to make. He now had to decide what was to be done with the two hundred and thirty four prisoners of war he had at his mercy.

---

Yeah, that's already the second cliff-hanger!

They are 107 against 27, so I guess Lugotorix is dead. If the other Roman leaders catch up in time, they can even beat him at a minimum cost.

Still, I don't see how they are going to defeat the warbands without running a very high personal risk.

Btw, what is the difficulty level?

The difficulty setting is VH/VH. I'm already dreading the Greek armoured hoplite spam, which is a thing that can happen if you leave them alone long enough and they get some momentum going. Hopefully the story will force me in that direction before that dire state of affairs develops. Otherwise pray I've got urban cohorts to counter them. Armoured hoplites are vicious even against praetorians at the highest difficulties. At least the AI tends not to spam Spartans, probably because they take two turns to train if my memory doesn't fail me. So I won't be re-enacting Plataea from the Persian perspective any time soon.

I took a perhaps unnecessary risk in this battle. I'm very aware of the risk to my characters in stunts like this; one unlucky charge and a character is dead; generals who aren't in charge of the army seem particularly vulnerable. Even charges into the enemy rear carry this possibility. Unfortunately, my bodyguards are the only heavy cavalry Rome gets until I hit the Marian Reforms, which I only get upon completing an Imperial Palace and upgrading to Huge City. One more reason I'm kind of glad to have an excuse to make a grab for Patavium early. Equites are kind of garbage, and mercenary Gallic cavalry are kind of garbage and also expensive. Come to think of it, you don't really get any good heavy mercenary cavalry in Rome I; some superb missiles, but no great heavy cav.

Once you kill the general however Gallic warbands tend to fall into chaos.Their morale is pretty fragile even on VH and I was surprised when the first warband didn't break instantly when Flavius's charge impacted. The second warband stood no chance; they were hit in the rear and perhaps more importantly they were tired. (I cannot be the only person to have lost a unit of light cavalry catching up with withdrawing infantry only to see the cavalry slaughtered when the infantry stood their ground and turned).

I like your cliff-hangers, I'm enjoying this. The combination of Roman training and horsemanship seem to be decisive, for now. I imagine that the Roman cavalry and their horses are tired after fast riding, turning quickly and fighting. If Lugotorix's infantry reaches the Roman cavalry while they're still tired, I wonder what will happen.

General's bodyguards are seriously hard to tire in Rome I. In fact, it's probably a viable strategy to lure the enemy army into running around the field after your general before sending in the rest of your army. The enemy will tire first. If you were to stoop to such cheesy tactics of course.

I must say, I like the story, premise and writing style! Here's hoping to your success!

Thank you! I hope this particularly grim chapter did not put you off the story. I didn't expect things to get this dark so fast.

[Alwyn]

I like your description of the effectiveness of the Roman gladius, Lugotorix's surprise and desperate fighting and the effects of this battle on how the Romans perceive the Gauls (I imagine that the shadow of Brennus, the Celtic leader who reached Rome, would have caused Romans to fear the tribes to the north). The contrast between the way that the Romans react to their initial victories against individual units and the way that winners react at the end of this battle is very effective. (I didn't remember that Roman general's bodyguard units are slow to tire; I do remember that Equites are weak even by the standards of light cavalry.) The account of the aftermath of the battle is a powerful one and it something often left out of AARs - the line about the strange bonds humans can form after butchering one another and the image of the defeated prisoners carrying the wounded are very effective. Things have gone dark indeed - and it sounds like the faction defeated in this battle will be very eager for revenge against the victors. I wonder if you would like to enter this AAR in the November Monthly After Action Report Competition (MAARC LXII), when a thread appears inviting people to submit AARs.