Re: New Town (Carthage AAR) [updated May 6, 2018]
Chapter 16: Don’t Kill Archimedes
Famous writers described the city-state of Syracuse as a marvel. Their best inventors impressed even the scholars of Athens. Their temples rivalled those of Corinth. Their picked hoplites were equals of the warriors of Sparta. During the last two centuries, brave warriors of Syracuse fought many wars against Carthage and her client kingdom of Libya. Again and again, ships from Syracuse had landed armies on African shores, occupying Libyan cities and towns until they were driven away. These expeditions enriched Syracuse with gold, jewellery and slaves.
Before, the alliance between Syracuse, Rome and the Celtiberians had made the people of Syracuse feel secure. However, overcrowded ships began to arrive from Iberia. The ships carried wild-eyed Celtiberians who reported that Carthaginian armies were pushing relentlessly north across their lands. With rumours of the fall of the Celtiberian kingdom in the west, and reports of Roman legions sailing away to fight Athens and Macedon in the east, the people of Syracuse began to feel isolated and vulnerable. They turned to their gods for protection. Some Celtiberian refugees found work on farms, others helped to build ever-grander temples.
The day came when it was the turn of the people of Syracuse to watch an enemy fleet approach. The watchers in Syracuse’s lighthouse reported that the attacking ships had divided into two groups. The first group of warships landed hoplites on the shore half a mile from the city’s outskirts.
The second group formed a line of ships facing a beach next to the city’s edge, as if they had come to observe the battle. A few of the second group of ships began landing men on the beach. The watchers in the lighthouse saw that these men were only javelin-men, not heavy infantry. The Carthaginian attackers must be over-confident! After the watchers sent a messenger to the city, they watched with pride as cavalry, pikemen and picked hoplites emerged from Syracuse, marching to destroy the invaders before they could emerge from the beach.
Hoplites, peltasts and archers of Carthage had marched from the landing area and they reinforced the skirmishers. There were so many of them – more than the ships could have carried. The troops landed by the ships must have combined with a Carthaginian army! The defenders were outnumbered and they were under fire from ballistae on Carthaginian warships. Horsemen of Syracuse struck hard with a charge, but they were caught by hoplites in between the shoreline and the outskirts of the city. Pikemen and picked hoplites of Syracuse fell under a relentless rain of javelins and arrows. The wall of defenders became a thin line of desperate men. Their commander took a blow from a spear and sank to his knees.
The Carthaginians halted at the sound of a horn. Their hoplites stepped aside and a man with a fine cloak rode through their ranks. He dismounted and spoke to the wounded commander; the watchers in the lighthouse could not hear his words.
Author's Note |
Thanks to Darkan for inspiring the title of this chapter with one of your comments:
Originally Posted by Darkan
A great AAR so far. Hopefully Carthage can restore its fallen empire and then send an expeditionary force to the Italian Peninsula. Who knows, Rome may control it, but the Samnites and Etruscans might just help the "liberators". Just please remember to not kill Archimedes. Keep up the good work!
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Last edited by Alwyn; May 13, 2018 at 11:40 AM.