A Puny AAR
The time for war has finally come. In preparation two new armies are raised, one 27,000 man strong in Africa that includes elephants, and 20,000 men in Southern Italy. The Italian army will invade Achaea, have decided to attack them as that would (likely) bring in the Seleucids while the Macedonians will be left out of the war. I could just declare war against the Achaeans and then do nothing at all against them, but that would just feel silly. The other army will obviously be used in the invasion of the Seleucids african provinces supported by the army we already have in the area if need be. Well as our armies are being trained the Ptolemies are further reduced in size, they now only hold Alexandria and Pelusion. As our armies are ready war is declared. As our army lands in Messenia the Achaeans have called in the first of their allies, the Aetolians.
The next month they ask Crete to join and finally after two months the Seleucids join the war. Which does prompt the Carpetani to stop paying their tribute. And our brave army in Africa invades the Seleucid provinces there. Then Rome decides that this is the time to attack us!
That war last for a few months, but in the end Rome is forced to pay tribute. Before that peace though, the Massyli stop paying tribute and a 16,000 man strong Seleucid army is completely destroyed in a single battle, only lost 2000 men. Unfortunately the Achaeans manage to strengthen their army enough to face ours, and our invasion force is destroyed. Worse is that the Seleucid fleet catches one of ours and destroy it, could have been saved if not for it fleeing in the wrong direction, away from friendly ports. 50 ships gone, slightly more then one third of our naval forces, this kind of thing is why I generally act defensively with my fleet and rarely ventures away from the coastal areas I do control.
Another Seleucid army is destroyed in Africa, took more then one battle this time though, and the Seleucids send in their best general, one Selagus Seleucid. Luckily I have an equally great one to face him. The fighting is fierce and in the end my great general dies heroically in battle while theirs is captured. Unfortunately they find a reasonably good replacement for Selagus (I also have generals a general of similar skill so leadership remains fairly equal with 1 or 2 good each, and the rest mediocre, unfortunately they do have a slight tech advantage, which is something that can really decide things at sea, and considering how decisive naval battles can be my fleet spends most of it time in port, which is what the Seleucid navy also seems to do).
Unfortunately their army can't be crushed and more Seleucid armies are arriving at Barca (after marching along the coast, luckily they do not try any landings, while I do keep reasonable armies defending the different parts of my country, their army is still larger then mine, and I prefer being able to focus on one area. And my local generals tend to be mediocre (not that theirs are much better)). The fighting is fierce, and although they slowly drive my armies back towards Leptis Magna and further, it is not without losses. As the fighting shifts from initially just around Corniclanum to Leptis, and later Oea and Sabratha their manpower is finally depleted. Unfortunately mine is going the same way and will be depleted shortly anyway. And their armies are still fairly sizeable.
Our Massilian allies decide to start a war with invading Lusitani. Well as the Lusitani is busy being beaten up by the Allobroges (who have reduced the Aedui to one province) I don't really need to do anything in that war, my local armies act defensively as to avoid attrition which would be experienced if I went to the offensive against the Lusitani. My navy is unfortunately caught and nearly destroyed, was careless and left it outside Leptis long enough for the Seleucids to respond with their navy. Rome goes to war again and is promptly beaten and forced to pay tribute again.
After seven years of fighting Carthage is hardly in a position to fight anymore. Leptis has fallen, there is no manpower and a Seleucid army has landed on Corsica, the remains of the Carthaginian navy not enough to discourage such actions, and I have even been forced to send my Sicilian army to Africa, luckily the main army in Italy has been enough to deal with the Romans. The Seleucids are not in any great shape either, with no manpower of their own, but their armies are still larger, and while large number of mercenaries could be hired and thrown into battle, further fighting would just increase the risk of invasion by the Allobroges or Insubres, while there isn't anyone that could be expected to invade the Seleucids, as their neighbours are all either too weak, or just too friendly with them(like the Macedonians). 50 gold is paid to get peace.
Peace is also signed with the Lusitani who having been beaten up by Massilia agrees to cede Ceretani to us. There is peace and the new mission is one I agree with. Recover from the war. Carthage needs some peace, and hopefully will be able to get it.
So what of the rest of the world in 670 AUC?
The Ptolemies was in another war with Macedonia but got away with just paying them, maybe Pelusium ended up occupied by some Macedonian ally. And the Allobroges have almost unified Gaul under their rule. Good for them.
