Battle of Aquileia - Summer 69 AD
Saturninus entered the northern Italy plain from the passes near Aquileia. There he met Trebellus The Great, the general loyal to Vindex leading the britannian legions.
Trebellus had the maximum number of legionaries avalaible, while Saturninus relied more on distant shooting, fielding 2 Art and 6 RBwO.
Saturninus, on the right in the picture, rested his right wing on rough hills, planning to attack with his left wing cavalry.
Trebellus, defender, approached in column to manouver in the best possible position
The speed of Saturninus cavalry attack took Trebellus off balance
The balcanic legions deployed in echelon and pressed home the attack, while Trebellus halted his troops to better deploy
The situation on Trebellus right was critical, for he was outnumbered and outflanked. He organized a counterattack in the center.
The troops on Trebellus right fought heroically, repulsing time and time again the enemy cavalry. Having gained this time, Trebellus was able to engage with his legion all along the line. Soon the superiority of the legion from Britannia was showed.
The tide was changing. Saturninus saw his losses steadily mount, and pushed harder the flank attack
With his center going down, Saturninus finally went behind the enemy line with his cavalry, facing just some psiloi
He duly charged them, trying to break the enemy wing, pressured from the start of the battle but standing there as a rock wall.
The attack was well coordinated, but Saturninus cavalry fighting Bd and Ax in the front line was everywhere repulsed. Trebellus infantry no more in TZ, would be free to move.
The Roman rebel wing commander was attacked in th flank while engaged frontally with a psilos on a 2-4 CF. The dice show the combat outcome
The general died and demoralized the corps
This was the classical last drop. Saturninus army, having suffered appalling losses, broke and fled. The rebel commander was fighting in the first line, alongside his legionaries, trying to stop the enemy advance. He was found later among the corpses.
Once again Trebellus has showed to deserve the title "The Great". He took full advantage of his army organization with maxed BdO, while his opponent could not risk to expose the archers, and could not again use in first line the artillery. Enjoying troops superiority, Trebellus slowly carved hole after hole in the enemy line until this collapsed.
Saturninus plan was a good one, but his cavalry did not prevail against the enemy infantry and after a long struggle, it was routed.