Under the Eagles

Another two team campaign ideated to be played and finished in a single session. This time late republican legions will face the many enemies that tried to stop the roman expansion.

As with most ancient civilisations, Rome's military served the triple purposes of securing its borders, exploiting peripheral areas through measures such as imposing tribute on conquered peoples, and maintaining internal order. From the outset, Rome's military typified this pattern and the majority of Rome's campaigns were characterised by the territorial expansionist campaign, normally begun as a counter-offensive.

Roman armies were not invincible, despite their formidable reputation and host of victories. Over the centuries the Romans "produced their share of incompetents" who led Roman armies into catastrophic defeats. Nevertheless, it was generally the fate of even the greatest of Rome's enemies, such as Pyrrhus and Hannibal to win the battle but lose the war. The history of Rome's campaigning is, if nothing else, a history of obstinate persistence overcoming appalling losses.

The teams will play individual games, each one representing a different roman campaign.

The Roman armies will be selected from II/49 list, with special options picked no more than once by the roman team. This means there will be just one Caesar's or Silia's army, as example.

The barbarians will pick one of the following nations, with the army using the 105-25 AD time span options:

1/7-Lybians

1/47-Illiryans

1/48-Tracians

2/11-Gallic

2/14-Kappadokian

2/20-Ptolemaic

2/23-Pre islamic Arabs

2/28-Armenian

2/30-Galatian

2/37-Parthian

2/39-Spanish

2/40-Numidian

2/44-Commagene

2/45-Slave revolt

2/47-German

2/48-Mitridathic

2/51-Judean

2/52-Dacian

2/53-Britain

The score will be calculated by team, adding all the individual battles. The team scoring higher will be the winner.

As usual, the losing team will offer a drink to the winners.

Report of the games

Rome vs Parthian

Romans invaded the asian plains, and tried to protect a flank marching beside a stream. The Parthian host deployed their cataphracts facing the legions center, supported by a very large number of horse archers

The gallic cavalry on the right wing advanced to engage the parthian horsemen and to protect the infantry center

The parthian general had problems to control his large army, and let the initiative to the romans, that charged

Also the Numdian entered the fray on the left. Both the cavalry wings were fighting. The Parthians were starting to take casualties now.

The Parthian wings were both under heavy pressure, so the general decided to charge with his cataphracts. Again the asian army had coordination problems

The Roman legions grabbed the initiative and charged hard. The iron clad horsemen took heavy casualties and this, added to the already high tally of losses on the wings, broke the barbarian army. 25-0 to Romans

Rome vs Gaul

Crassus with a very large army invaded Gaul. The barbarians, fearing such an enemy, gathered all the troops and allies they could. The hiberians joined the gauls just before the battle, fough in an hilly country.

The Gauls advanced fast, brushing aside the roman skirmisher screen in the center. Crassus, not used to lead such a large army, had problem to manouver his wings. The hiberians on the left took advantage of this

The combat in the center between Gauls and Romans was bloody. The Hiberians were gaining ground.

The Spanish broke the roman corps exploiting numerous gaps that the inert roman commander was not able to seal.

Also the roman center broke under the gaul pressure. A Gaul victory for 23-2

Rome vs Numidian

The pompeian traitors led their army, supported by many numidian mercenaries, to the shores of Sicily. The Roman legions were there, waiting for them

The numidians took the initiative to seize a rough hill dominating the battlefield

The Romans, unwilling to attack head on the stong enemy position, tried to outflank it

The Numidian then attacked the roman center, with Elephants and skirmisher leading the way before the rebel legions

The attack was successful. In the meantime the superior numidian cavalry had destroyed also the right roman wing, breaking the army. 23-2 for the Numidians. The Roman troops sent to outflank arrived too late to restore the balance.

Rome vs Dacian

Silia led his elite legions in the Danubian region, to face the Dacian multitude.

The Roman general sent his light cavalry on a wide outflanking manouver, keeping some reserve because part of the enemy army was hiding somewhere. The dacians advanced fast to attack the invaders

Suddenly a group of concealed falxmen run out of  a wood attacking the roman right wing and engaging too the Numidians

The roman skirmishers chased away dacian javelinmen, letting the legionaries to deliver the first charge. Soon in the center the carnage started

The elite legions hacked the poor dacians, who broke. The Dacian general was able to keep them under control avoiding they melted away

On the right wing the falxmen proved much more solid, and after a series of fighting, they disordered the enmy lines. In an hectic sequence of combats, they were able to kill Silia. This broke the roman right wing. In a series of tough combats, the demoralised dacian warbands in the center killed enough enemy foot to destroy the proud romans. 16-9 for the Dacians

The barbarians won 62-38. Rome expansionism was stopped, but just for a while.....