Chapter XCIII: Mars and Minerva
(20 July 571/182 BC to 2 December 574/179 BC)
Foreword
Consul Quintus Aemilius Papus, a charismatic Religious politician with a famous name, had been elected to the senior Roman magistracy on 2 December 570 AUC (183 BC). He had inherited the long war in the East, now just against the Seleucids, that had begun back in March 564.
The war had so far seen Macedon annexed and Pontus forced to make a separate peace with the loss of territory, including the rich and strategically important province of Bithynia. A new generation of elite Roman generals – ‘the Children of Mars’ – had risen and come of age. Now it was time to see if the war could be brought to a satisfactory conclusion.
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Part I: The Seleucid War - 20 July to 9 December 570 AUC
On 9 August, the Seleucid province of Adiabene fell to Gaius Fabius Licinus after 305 days of siege – a firm base to which S.C. Primus’ Legio II could retreat after its heavy loss in the Second Battle of Atropatene, to the 1st Stratos of Seleukos Apollonid on 20 July.
That same day, Titus Aemilius Barbula
[Martial 9] led the 22,000 men of Legio I in an attack on just under 5,000 Seleucids commanded Mitrodoros Vardanid
[also Martial 9] in Artashat. The battle was won by Rome in just three days, with relatively light casualties (319 Roman and 550 Seleucid)
[warscore to +78%].
On 1 September, A.I. Dives' new legion (15,000 men) was formally named Legio VIII. It was then in Bithynia and heading east, to help finish off the Seleucid War. This was a calculated risk, as it left the whole Danube frontier undefended against possible barbarian incursions. Roman manpower stood at 47,762 in reserve with 36,791 replacements needed.
On 8 September, the situation in the east saw Rome conducting sieges in the north and the Seleucids looking to retake Armenia. But in the south, Legio II was being pursued back to Adiabene by two Seleucid armies. The first of these would arrive three days after Legio II, but the second was not due to arrive for another month. Both the Roman legions in Adiabene were severely under-manned as they braced for the Seleucid attack. They prepared to retreat to Rebel-held Kirkuk in case things went against them.
The numbers were roughly even when the two armies clashed on 15 September, but Primus got the upper hand in the opening exchanges against a Seleucid army that had still not recovered its morale and was overwhelmingly made up of light infantry militia. No Roman retreat would be required: Primus had a measure of revenge for his savaging in Atropatene the month before.
The loyalty of Licinus, long-time commander of Legio IV, was once again called into question in late September, after the victory at Adiabene. This time it took a 50 gold talent bribe
[+19% loyalty] and appointments as both an Augur and a Pontifex
[+5% each] to assuage him.
On 8 October, the Rebels were advancing on Atopatene from Kirkuk, but more perplexing (and not a little frustrating) was the defection of Roman-held Sophene to the Rebels (Rome’s allies) after a small Rebel contingent arrived there
[warscore reduced to +74%].
If this kept happening, Roman bargaining power might erode before more new Seleucid provinces could be occupied to offset the effects.
Legio V (G.F. Gurges, 20,700 men) joined the other Roman legions in Adiabene on 14 November and headed north straight away: both to invest Gelae and escape the effects of the attrition so many troops gathered in one place was causing.
From 29 November to 7 December, Legio VIII (I.A. Dives, 15,000 men) engaged a Seleucid force of only 5,768 troops in Armenia, after completing their long approach march from Thracia. It was a tough fight but ended in Roman victory (1,865 Roman and 2,423 Seleucid casualties).
However, with Rebel troops moving towards other Roman-occupied Seleucid provinces now prompting fears of more defections and the likelihood of a total
[ie 100% warscore] victory receding, on 8 December 571, after more than six and a half years of grinding and bloody warfare, Rome finally put comparatively ambitious terms to the Loyalist leadership.
Which were accepted: the Great War in the East was over. Rome finally acquired Sparta and expanded its foothold in Asia Minor into Pergamon and Phrygia. The Seleucid civil war continued; the Rebels were Roman allies and the Loyalists a much-diminished force, though they would now receive the other Roman-occupied territory back – if they could hold it.
The seven Roman legions in the east now started to make their long way back home. But due to having no access through now-restored Loyalist territory, they all had to march to Rebel Syria for repatriation by sea. This would take time and attrition, on land and then at sea
[NB I’m simply not going to move so many troops in four-cohort packets to avoid that.] At that time, Roman manpower stood at 43,467 in reserve for 35,472 vacancies.
It was soon discovered that key generals were not impressed with peace being struck! Not only the recently-bribed Licinus, but also Dentatus and Ptolemy (both in Gaul) were suddenly discontented. Another 50 gold went to Licinus, while Ptolemy qualified for a triumph
[+50% loyalty]. But Dentatus was not of sufficient calibre to warrant such largesse: he was ‘retired’ and replaced with one of the Young Lions, L.A. Barbula, in Legio III in northern Gaul – for which there were new plans.
And to begin the replenishment of military commanders, M.O. Crassus was made Pontifex Maximus, with a military talent once more replacing a man of administrative genius and good charisma to oversee the omens.
Thus sat the East as the dust settled on 9 December.
The Rebels are marked by the darker yellow provinces and green flags.
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Part II: Rome and the West - 20 July 571 to 2 December 572 AUC
The West had remained quiet until 1 September 571, when the Luggones warband fleeing from an earlier defeat by Rome in Hispania was spotted in Vascones, heading towards Roman Volcae in southern Gaul. Legio XII (Ptolemy Ptolemy, 19,500 men) was in nearby Ruteni and marched west to meet them: they would arrive 12 days before the barbarians.
On 26 September, four new previously ordered temples and four stockades were completed in provinces around the Republic, mainly in Gaul and Hispania. Then in early October, Vaccaei, Cantabri and Helvetii all became core parts of the Roman patrimony.
The battle in Volcae was quick and merciless, with the Roman victory on 23 October seeing all 2,767 Luggones warriors killed for the loss of just 54 Roman legionaries. No gold was taken, but 5,000 slaves were.
Then the day peace was declared in the East, the Helvetii remnant province in Ligones was the new conquest target L.A. Barbula had been brought over to deal with. An easy war was anticipated – the unfortunate envoy may indeed be the only Roman casualty suffered!
Records from the time show the difference in wealth, population and supply capacity between the recently acquired rich provinces of Greece and Asia Minor compared to the newly colonised lands of the West.
Note: Information prompted by the earlier question from @El Pip regarding the relative value of eastern and western provinces. The manpower contribution sits at zero until the culture of the province becomes Roman.
For example, Bithynia had a total population of 41 (pops), 75.8% civilisation level and a tax base of 10.4 gold. Aquitani had just four ‘civilised’ pops, 38.7% civilisation and three barbarian pops still lurking around, with a tax base of only 0.4 gold.
The situation in the West as at 15 December 571 AUC.
The year ended well, with the successful colonisation of Arevaci in Hispania.
The advantages of a Religious Consul at omen time were clear when Minerva was again invoked in January 572.
By the time Legio III arrived in Ligones, the small Helvetii army had retreated north to Remi. They would never have the strength to confront the Roman invaders.
But over in Hispania, in early February the Amaci tribe had stirred in Astures and were making for Cantabri with 15,000 warriors. Legio X would leave one detachment in Lusones, but pick up 7,000 more troops in the recently settled Arevaci on the way through. And with the end of combat operations in the east, ‘Young Lion’ M.J. Bubulcus was appointed to command the legion: as the numbers would be even and the talents of the Amaci warband’s leader were unknown, while A.C. Caudex was only moderately competent.
The passage through Lusones stirred up 2,000 local Bastetani tribesmen: useful for pacifying the province, but a delay for the march of Legio X, which was taking some attrition on the way through. The battle was fought from 2-10 March, Rome losing 226 men and the Bastetani 680.
Shortly afterwards, on 14 March the Amaci reached Cantabri, which fortunately had a stockade to protect it. The Amaci assault lasted until 19 March, being beaten off with the loss of 565 or the 2,000 man town garrison, the barbarians losing quite a few of their own and all their morale. On 28 March, Legio X was in Arevaci and, reinforced to 14,581 men, began heading north to relieve Cantabri.
In Lingones, the short siege ended on 9 April: the last Helvetii stronghold was soon annexed into the Republic. Naturally, a stockade was immediately begun. And on 25 April, it was noticed Remi was available for colonisation so settlers were soon on their way there.
The Roman attack on Cantabri started on 6 May: and the wisdom of having sent a top commander was soon born out. Bubulcus found himself attacking over a river, against a brilliant barbarian war chief. Fortunately, he had a few more and much better troops, while barbarian morale had not yet fully recovered. Caisaros Culchid got off to a savage start and the result might still have gone differently had Bubulcus not recovered by 11 May. Rome won the battle in the end, though at a steep cost. Cantabri was saved, but the Amaci would be back – more than once.
The latest barbarian remnant to flee to Volcae only to meet with destruction was the group of 1,320 Bastetani tribesmen who blundered into Ptolemy and Legio XII on 2 June. All were killed the same day, for no Roman loss, with 2,000 slaves sent to the markets. The very same day, a revolt broke out in Lingones, where L.A. Barbula's Legio III took just two days to wipe out all 3,000 rebels for just 87 Romans killed.
By 5 July, the Roman manpower reserve was down to just 13,804 men, but recent attrition (especially in the east – more in the next section) and combat had increased the replacement requirement to 42,912: a deficit of around 30,000 men that would (at 2,236 current monthly recruitment) probably take years to remedy.
And savage fights like the latest battle in Cantabri in August 572 did not help: The wily Culchid maintained a tactical edge for the whole battle, with the Romans becoming worried until Bubulcus managed to almost match him on 17 August, which soon led the Amaci to retreat once again.
The new colony in Remi was established on 24 August, extending the northern border of the Republic in Gaul all the way up to the tributary Parisii buffer state – and of course seeing a new stockade begun immediately.
By this time, the monthly Roman budget surplus was around 40 gold, with the treasury back up to 1,853 after the enormous infrastructure spending of the last year (see more below). Most of those projects would be completed by October 572.
The last battle of 571 in the west was another fight in Cantabri, but this time Bubulcus maintained a modest tactical edge for its duration (4-12 November). And it made all the difference in the casualty count. The Amaci would return again, but they had been broken as a major force.
Infrastructure. From September 571 to December 572, Consul Quintus Aemilius Papus had overseen a massive investment in the Republic’s infrastructure. In October 571 alone, 61 new projects were commissioned at a cost of 2,900 gold talents, including 11 temples, 20 forums, 22 stockades (which were built even in ‘secure’ provinces, to help slow down rebellions or invasions that might make it that far) and eight irrigation projects. All told, and including a couple of buildings funded by local governors, 78 new projects were commenced in a little over a year.
2 December brought the two-year Consular term of Q.A. Papus to an end. His replacement was a close relation from the same Religious party: his brother Publius.
The ruling Religious party was once again supreme, led by the Aemilii, with the Populists dropping back again in influence.
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Part III: The East – 10 December 571 to 2 December 572 AUC
Q.A. Papus’s incumbency had still witnessed some action and events in the east after the end of the Seleucid War, both from barbarian incursions and in the diplomatic sphere, where it remained a hotbed of action.
All the eastern legions were still on their way to Syria when a large invasion by the Hermunduri rose in Eravisci on 29 January 572, with 15,000 warriors heading towards the Roman border province of Autariatae. Leaving the Danube frontier undefended had proven too great a temptation to barbarian plunderers. This outbreak was unrelated to but coincided with the Amaci rising in Hispania.
The Hermunduri invasion struck Autariatae on 21 February and the walls were assaulted. The garrison held after a four day battle, but had lost half of their 2,000 man strength as the barbarians settled in for a siege.
It wasn’t until 10 March that the first troops arrived in Syria for repatriation: a little over 20,000 men in 23 cohorts of Legio VIII, led by A.I. Dives. They began boarding ship for the long voyage to Scodra, weighing anchor on 16 March. They would sail direct: “Damn the attrition – Autariatae needs us!” was Dives’ order of the day.
As Classis IV made its way back to the Illyrian coast, the latest venture by Colchis was (predictably) unravelling. On 1 April they made a separate peace with Pontus, but remained at war with the Seleucid Loyalists.
Note the barbarian incursion east of Rhoxolani.
The next development was an unexpected declaration of war by Egypt on the Seleucids. They currently shared a border with the Loyalists in Mesopotamia and through their enclave in Asia Minor. Of course, this would bring Pontus into the conflict, as their alliance with the Loyalists still held. Rome had a fresh treaty with the Loyalists and had no wish to revoke it so soon after its conclusion.
With no Roman relieving force yet in sight, the Hermunduri assaulted the walls of Autariatae again in early May – and this time succeeded, causing significant damage, though the province survived under barbarian occupation.
In mid-May, old Licinus once again got restive and waited for another bribe to be sent his way. But this time, with no major war in prospect, the Consul’s patience ran out: Legio IV got a new commander and Licinus, still leader of the Military faction, stewed in angry resentment
[ie to 0% loyalty], but did not rebel when relieved.
Legio VIII finally made landfall in Scodra on 29 May: and their voyage had reduced its strength to 17,180 men. Dives would pick up some replacements on the way to Moesi, where the Hermunduri were also heading after their storming of Autariatae.
A couple of days later, T.A. Barbula, commanding Legio I, was the next to show signs of disloyalty. Papus decided he was too skilled
[Martial 9] and young (age 46) to alienate, so handed over the ‘traditional’ 50 gold to appease the former Consul
[+24% loyalty].
The Hermunduri arrived in Moesi on 20 June, but did not have the strength to assault the walls, investing them instead as Legio VIII approached from the south-west.
Then on 28 June, an Egyptian envoy arrived in Roma bearing a call to arms to join their war of aggression in the east. Nicodemus Philonid had made sure the Senate was informed of his mission before he met with Papus. The bloodthirsty Senators were all for another adventure.
But Papus was not. He had consulted with Humphronius before admitting Nicodemus.
“I’m not sure what the
Gods may be advising you, Consul,” opined a self-assured Humphronius. “But we still have a large manpower deficit, our troops are out of position and we are fighting off two dangerous barbarian invasions, one in Hispania and the distraction on the Danube. Breaking the recent treaty with the Seleucids may be tempting, but Pontus is fresh and well recovered by now. I believe it would be a
very courageous move to accept this call to arms, Consul.”
“So you think I should listen to Minerva rather than Mars, in this case?”
“Precisely, Consul. We have the Seleucid Rebellion now as allies, and this Egyptian declaration should ensure they win. So breaking the alliance with Egypt is a price we can afford. And this may sap Egyptian strength somewhat, which may be in our longer term interests.”
“Very devious, Humphronius. I approve! Show in the Egyptian envoy.”
“Yes, Consul.”
Just two days later, Colchis made yet another humiliating peace with the Seleucid Loyalists. The wonder was they still had any territory left to concede.
And the new order in the east continued to shake out, with a new Bosporan Kingdom being proclaimed two days later, starting off with war on the Rhoxolani.
On the Danube, Dives fell upon the Hermunduri on 10 July, having picked up a couple of drafts of replacements on their long march from Scodra.
Despite having to attack across a river and being caught exposed, the superior skills of Dives and his more heavily armed if unbalanced (no archers had been in Syria when they left in such haste) scratch force were enough to win the battle in six days. He chased the barbarians back to Autariatae.
The follow-up battle was over as soon as it began on 30 August. All 9,171 Hermunduri warriors were slaughtered for no Roman loss, with 10,000 slaves and 21 gold taken as plunder and Autariatae liberated. The east would remain peaceful for Rome for the rest of Q.A. Papus’ consulship, as the slow repatriation of troops continued.
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Part IV: Consulship of P.A. Papus December 572 to December 574 AUC
Things settled into a slower pace during the magistracy of the generous and contented Publius Aemilius Papus. Much of this was dictated by the parlous manpower situation: in mid-December 572 the reserve was empty with 41,292 replacements required in the legions as attrition and barbarian attacks slowed its reconstitution.
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A. Barbarian Campaigns
While the barbarian threat persisted, it was far weaker over the next two years. A barbarian revolt in Histri by 7,000 Pentri tribesmen broke out on 18 December. Legio VIII was sent across from Autariatae to deal with them. Battles followed in Histri (19-24 February 573) and Maezaei (23-26 May and 17-27 August) before they were finally wiped out, costing a total of 1,416 Roman battle casualties.
In Hispania, two more battles were needed in Cantabri (29 January-3 February and 23 April-5 May 573) to extinguish the Amaci invasion, with 732 more Roman lives spent to kill the remaining 3,578 ably led but doomed warriors.
A barbarian revolt in Turones (northern Gaul) on 22 December 573 by 4,000 Veliocasses warriors was brutally extinguished by L.A. Barbula’s Legio III in a one-sided battle between 28 February and 2 March 574. Despite attacking over a river, only five legionaries lost in slaying the lot of them
[Rome 7+3-1 v 0 die roll].
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B. Eastern Affairs
By late December 572, the Egyptians were fighting the Seleucids in Lydia, a battle they would win, with the province being occupied by March 573. The Seleucid civil war continued in parallel, with a major battle observed in Artashat (25 Rebel attacking 27 Loyalist regiments) in early February 573.
The overly ambitious Bosporan war against Rhoxolani ended in early April 573, the upstarts losing the province they had taken from the Rhoxolani at independence and also paying a hefty indemnity.
A year later, the two main wars in the east continued. By late April 574 the tide had turned somewhat against the Egyptians: they still held Lydia from the Loyalists, but Pontus had occupied Caria and Lycia in Asia Minor. The Rebels now occupied Mesopotamia, cutting off any direct land avenue from Egypt to Loyalist territory. Egypt still commanded a 166,000 manpower reserve, Pontus a healthy 69,000, the Rebels 26,000 and the Loyalists still with none in reserve and an unstable government
[-3 stability]. At that time, Rome's manpower reserve also still sat at zero.
By 1 May 574, Pontus and the Seleucids were besieging Lydia, while the Rebels had defeated a much smaller Loyalist army in Gelae.
C. Roman Politics and the West - 573 AUC
P.A. Papus continued his brother's good run of omens, Minerva once again smiling on the Romans and their policy of (relative) peace in January 573.
T.A. Barbula required another ‘loyalty commission’ of 50 gold in February 573:
“Ah, Consul, here is the authorisation for another ‘expense reimbursement’ for General Bribula,” misspoke a nervous Bernardius. "Er
Barbula, sorry Consul."
Humphronius glared at his colleague, but Consul Papus was rather tickled. “Oh,
very droll Bernardius, well done. Here, I’ve signed it.”
“Yes, Consul.”
[This bribe yielded an excellent +33% loyalty boost – the range being 5-35 each time.]
It was just as well ‘Bribula’ was being kept on retainer, because yet again a leading Roman general was murdered in a wanton act of vengeance. Apparently some disgruntled lover poisoned T.O. Crassus’ watered wine one day in March 573, ending the life of one of Rome’s best ever (though less frequently used) commanders while still in his prime.
A.C. Caudex
[Martial 5] was brought back onto the active list to take over the now quiet garrison duty of Legio VII in Ikosim.
In April 573, an opportunity arose to colonise Pictones, on the west coast of Gaul north of Santones. But first, the local barbarians would have to be provoked and dispersed. Ptolemy’s Legio XII was marched north from Volcae to complete the task. A small detachment would eventually be left under his command in August to stir up the Pictones, while the rest of the legion waited in nearby Bituriges (to avoid attrition).
In October 573, former Pontifex Maximus M.O. Crassus
[age 30, Martial 8] was promoted to Censor to replenish the slowly diminishing stock of talented generals. The remainder of the year passed quietly in Roma and the West.
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D. Roman Politics and the West - 574 AUC
1 January 574 marked 100 years since the beginning of the events described in this chronicle about the leading Citizens of the Roman Republic. Much had changed since that time. But many of the famous family names remained familiar.
Ah, those were the days!
The latest famous Aemilius Barbula (Titus ‘Bribula’) received his loyalty payment on 29 January
[only +13 loyalty this time]. He was becoming an expensive indulgence. At least the omens remained propitious.
After a little over a year of relative quiet (though some continuing attrition from troops returning from the east), by 2 February 574 the manpower deficit was down to 12,944 with a 2,265 gain each month. That day, recently colonised Remi was assimilated as a fully Romanised (religion and culture) province in near record time.
In May, Consul Papus was reminded that the Senate still required Pontus to be ‘ended’ (ie the capital province to be occupied in a war), but the mission still had another 12 years to run. A worthy goal, without doubt, but there would be plenty of time for that later. Especially if their stalwart allies, the Seleucid Loyalists, lost the civil war.
Greedy generals demanded more bribes in June, Bribula again
[+31% loyalty] and Ptolemy
[+17% loyalty]. Even after the handing over of 100 gold talents and all the previous expenditure on infrastructure, there was still over 2,000 gold left in the
Aerarium.
On 12 July, the lack of recent action led one of the auxiliary cohorts trying to stir up trouble in Pictones to disband into the countryside – a replacement was sent from nearby Bituriges. This was a sign of the more peaceful times that had fallen on the Republic of late – Minerva now ascendant over Mars.
On 29 August, Ruteni became the next colony to attain fully Romanised provincial status. Then as September drew to a close, the Roman manpower reserve finally rose above zero to 1,938 – though 2,871 replacements were still needed out in the deployed army, with the monthly gain now up to 2,288.
However, on 26 September, old Ptolemy Ptolemy, the former Macedonian leader turned veteran Roman general, died at the age of 74 whilst commanding Legio XII in Pictones. A replacement would need to be arranged, but could not be appointed directly as the legion was in foreign territory – it would take a little time and the Romans hoped the local barbarians did not rise until a new commander could be sent over from Bituriges with a detached cohort.
Another Roman launched a murder plot on 11 October 574, when the young Pontifex Maximus S.F. Fundulus tried to have a former lover killed. But she turned the tables on him and Fundulus wound up dead himself. He had been a brilliant administrator and fairly charismatic
[2 Martial, 6 Charisma, 10 Finesse], both important talents for a peacetime Pontifex. A like replacement was sought, with the 28-year-old P.V. Laevinus
[2 Martial, 6 Charisma, 8 Finesse] getting the nod.
By 11 November, a very large number of Egyptian troops was moving through the western provinces of the Republic,
en route to the east. This was because all Egyptian land contact had been cut off to Pontus and Seleucid Loyalist territory, but the mutual military access agreements between Rome and Egypt still held. So they were taking the long way around to try to revive their fortunes in the east. For some reason, they were not using their fleet to do it more quickly.
As P.A. Papus prepared to hand over the Consulship to his successor – another man of the Religious faction, from the Cornelii – just three more building projects (all temples) had been initiated during his magistracy, all initiated in the previous year.
Gnaeus Cornelius Scipio had traits that would end up cancelling each other out in terms of their effect on the research rate. But he was a righteous man and staunchly against corruption.
“Against corruption? A good thing, surely, Humphronius,” remarked an eager-looking Bernardius as he waited with Humphronius to conduct the usual handover brief.
“To a certain extent, Bernardius, to a certain extent.” The older bureaucrat was less enthusiastic – and not a little worried. To him, such lofty principles had no place in the cold, hard and calculating world of ‘good government’. This new Consul may need a bit of extra ‘handling’, he thought to himself – but said nothing to Bernardius.
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Finis
