Alis Aquilae - A Rome AAR

[Timmy]

"Historia est testis temporum, lux veritatis, vita memoria, magistra vitae, nuntia vetustatis."

"History is the witness of the times, the light of truth, the life of memory, the teacher of life, and the messenger of antiquity." - Marcus Tullius Cicero



Rome - The Eternal City. Everybody has heard of it, most have heard of the Roman Empire, many know of the Roman Republic that preceded it, few truly know how it came to be. How did a small Latin city state on the outskirts of the civilised world come to be known as the torch bearer of western civilisation? How did a backwards people such as the Romans come to dominate the entire ancient Mediterranean world?

This is the tale of that unprecedented rise to power and glory. It is a tale of heroes and villains, of high and low politics, of forgotten skirmishes and great battles. This is the story of the SENATVS POPVLVSQVE ROMANVS - The Senate and the People of Rome, a people that would truly soar 'Alis Aquilae' - On the wings of an eagle.


CHAPTER I - PRELUDE

The Seven Kings of Rome

The truly ancient history of the city of Rome is shrouded in mystery. According to myth, the city was founded in 753 BC, on seven hills overlooking an important crossing of the River Tiber by the twins Romulus and Remus. Rome was ruled for the first 240 years of its history by a succession of 7 kings, starting with Romulus himself.

Amongst Romulus' 'achievements' was the famous 'rape of the Sabine women', an infamous incident in which the Sabine people (a people living in the surrounding area of Latium) were invited to a feast dedicated to Neptune, only for the women to be taken captive and the men driven off. The women, who took Roman husbands, were eventually to end the war when they moved between the rival armies and implored both to lay down their arms.

Romulus was succeeded by Numa Pompilius, a Sabine and a very religious man that would see Rome enter no wars for the entirety of his reign. He ordered the construction of temples to Vesta and Janus, and was to see the first 'Vestal Virgins' enter Roman religious life.

Tullus Hostilius reigned for 31 years, and was far more warlike than his predecessor, waging wars against Alba Longa, Fidenae, and Veii. According to legend, Tullus was so disrespectful of the gods that when he called upon the blessings of Jupiter, his house and the king himself were engulfed by a bolt of lightning sent by the angry god.

Following the death of Tullus, the grandson of the old king Numa Pompilius was made king. Ancus Marcius was a peaceful man, who fought only to defend his people. Through diplomacy he completed the Roman annexation of Latium. He is also credited with the founding of Ostia, Rome's principal seaport , and the construction of the first bridge over the Tiber.


The gentle rolling landscape of Latium - prime farmland for a fledgling power

Tarquinius Priscus succeeded Ancus Marcius. Priscus was an Etruscan, a member of the dominant power in northern Italy at this time. He was to be a very successful king, waging wars against both the Sabines and the Etruscans, effectively doubling the size of Rome's area of influence. he increased the size of the Senate (at this stage effectivelt the Kings council) to 300, and began construction of the Cloaca Maxima, Romes great sewer system, that would drain the swampy area between the hills of Rome, clearing space for what would become Rome's Forum. Priscus is also responsible for the building of the Circus Maximus, a massive sports arena, primarily for the staging of races.


The Circus Maximus at the height of Rome's power

Servius Tullius was the next King of Rome; and was the son-in-law of Tarquinius Priscus, the previous incumbent of the throne. Servius fought successful wars with the Etruscans, and made extensive reforms of both political and military life, including the transfer of most voting rights to those that held the most power and wealth. His is most famous however, for the construction of the 'Servian Wall' - The first wall to encompass all 7 hills of Rome.


Parts of the Servian Wall survive to this day

Tarquinius Superbus was the seventh and final King to rule Rome. He was the son of Tarquinius Priscus, and son-in-law of Servius. Superbus was to rule Rome harshly, ruling through violence and repealing several older political reforms. According to legend, Superbus had allowed his son Sextus (also a Tarquinius) to rape a young Roman lady, of a powerful patrician family - Lucretia. Lucretia subsequently committed suicide, an act that drove a kinsman; Marcus Junius Brutus to call for the overthrow of Superbus. Supported by the Senate, the royal family had little choice but to flee into exile in Etruscan controlled Etruria.

The Republic of Rome

Following the overthrow of the monarchy, the kings power transferred to the Senate. This was a normal state of affairs, and the Senate would usually appoint the next King shortly after. However, the last of the Kings had been so hated, that the Romans vowed never again to bow to the will of one man. In order to ensure this would not happen, Rome became a 'Republic' (the word means 'Res Publica' or 'public business'). Under Rome's republican system, the state would not be ruled by one man, but by two elected magistrates, each holding power equal to the other. These men - the Consuls, would rule Rome for the better part of 500 years.

The First consuls to be elected were Lucius Junius Brutus, the man who had led the revolt, and Lucius Tarquinius Collatinus, the husband of the recently deceased Lucretia.

Over the next several centuries, Rome slowly expanded from its power base in central Italy, fighting major wars against all of its major neighbours.

In about 390 BC, an army of Gallic peoples, led by a man named 'Brennus' invaded Italy. At the River Allia, 6 Roman Legions stood to oppose the Gauls - some 24,000 men in total. The Gauls (a tribe named the 'Senones') routed the Roman flanks before surrounding and killing the elite centre of the Roman army. The Gallic army then proceeded to thoroughly sack the city of Rome.

During the course of one of these many wars (in this case the Second Samnite War) Rome came to abandon the military system it had used for hundreds of years.

The Army of the Republic

Rome had followed in the footsteps of the Greek colonies in southern Italy, forming its army around a core of 'Hoplites'. These men were generally quite wealthy, and could afford to equip themselves with the classic panoply of war for a Greek city state - A bronze helmet, spear (or 'Dory'), large bronze shield and linen armour (linothorax). Bronze breastplates and greaves were also very common.

These 'Hoplites' fought in dense formations, shields locked into an impenetrable wall, over which the men of the formation (refered to as a 'phalanx') would thrust with their spears. Key to this way of war was simple brute force, with battles rapidly becoming little more than huge shoving matches, in which the injured would be trampled to death by the men behind them, or by those in front advancing. Although brutally effective, this style of war was inflexible - more suited to flat plains than to the hilly countryside of Italy. The weakness of the Hoplite was demonstrated to the Romans both at the River Allia against the Senones, and in the Samnite wars, where the rough terrain of the Samnia region caused chaos in the densely packs ranks of the phalanx.


Hoplites - terrifying, but inflexible

Instead of this system, the Romans adopted the 'manipular' system from the Samnites. In this system, the soldiers were divided into smaller sub-units. These units would later be 120 men strong, though their strength at the beginning is unknown. These maniples formed the basic unit of the 'new model army'. This army though was still a far cry from the iron clad legions of popular imagination.

The Legion, or 'Legio' of this period typically consisted of between 4-6000 men (the size varies). Rather than being heavy infantry only, these early legions contained both light and heavy infantry, as well as a limited number (approx 300) of cavalry. The Infantry were subdivided, based upon wealth and class, as well as age and experience, into 4 basic subdivisions:

The first, the 'Velites' were light troops, often tasked with skirmishing and covering the main force of the army. Some 1200 men strong, they formed the front line of a Roman army - though they would withdraw in the face of 'proper' infantry.

Second came the 'Hastati'. Thse men formed the true front line of an army, meeting the enemy face to face. These men, having to equip themselves, and being of the lowest class of the heavy infantry, were probably equipped with linen and leather armour, large shield, bronze helmet, a number of javelins and a short sword.


Hastatus of the 3rd century BC

The third class of the army were the 'principes'. Forming the second order, these men were typically able to better equip themselves - usually in the form of chain (or 'hamata') armour in addition to the equipment mentioned above.


Principe of the 3rd Century BC

The third and final line was formed by the most senior and wealthiest of Romes infantry classes - the Triarii. These men continued to equip themselves in much the same way as the hoplites of the past.

The Roman cavalry formed a small elite to the army, being comprised of the wealthiest and most powerful of Rome's citizens. Being so small in number, the cavalry were rarely decisive, being used primarily as scouts and to guard the armies flanks.

In addition to this core, the Romans made extensive use of allied troops, usually in similar numbers to the Roman core of the army.

A typical Roman army commanded by a Consul would contain two Roman legions, in addition to an equal number of allies, divided into two 'alae'.

Italian Expansion and the start of The Pyrrhic War


Pyrrhus of Epirus

In 298 BC, the Romans again went to war. This time however they faced a coalition of all those Italian powers still able to stand up to Rome - The Samnites, the Etruscans, the Umbrians and the Gauls of northern Italy. The war lasted 8 years, and resulted in a decisive Roman victory. By the end of this war in 290 BC, Rome controlled most of Italy, with the exception of the Alpine north, and the Greek south.

In 282 BC, the Greek city of Thurii turned to its large northern ally to aid them in a war against another of the Greek founded city states in southern Italy. In response to this request, the ally - Rome - sent a fleet into an area called the Bay of Tarentum. The city of Tarentum, which had a treaty with Rome stating neither would enter the waters of the other, was enraged by this act. The Tarentines attacked and sank several Roman ships before the remainder of the Roman fleet withdrew.

In an attempt to diffuse the situation, Rome sent diplomats to Tarentum. However, the negotiation took a turn for the worse and by the close of day, Rome was at war with Tarentum. Although seemingly yet another small scale war in Italy, this would prove to be far more serious.

Tarentum had previously lent military aid to the King of a powerful Hellenistic power in the far north-west of Greece. When threatened with facing the full might of Rome alone, Tarentum sent desperate requests for aid to Pyrrhus, King of Epirus.

In 280 BC, Rome stood at a crossroads. On one side stood defeat and destruction by the gifted Pyrrhus, on the other stood the possibility that Rome could emerge victorious, and from there - who knew?

This then is where our story truly begins - as Rome emerges from the obscurity of Italy, and begins its rise to international superpower.

[Nevyn]

Nice read, looking forward to more.

Cheers
Nev

[Dr. Gonzo]

Excellent intro, can't wait for the first update

[FlyingFin]

Come on! Give us more already!

Cheers,
FF

[Timmy]

I do apologise for the delay - alas with work and a relationship to maintain I don't get much free time these days I am working on my first part, hopefully it'll do the intro justice, as I spent bloody hours on that!

[Jalex]

Thats great as I really enjoyed the intro, keep up the good work

[Gabriel SPR]

Looks like an history book, nice work
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