Chapter CI: Mars and Horus
(1 January 595/158 BC BC to 18 April 596/157 BC)
Introduction
By the time Consul Titus Aemilius Barbula took the senior magistracy in April 594 AUC(159 BC), the tide of the war against Egypt had just taken a turn for the worse in Africa. A defeat in Barca on 29 March, followed by a catastrophic defeat in Cyrenaica in June were the beginning of a string of six consecutive defeats that threw the invasion of Egypt back across the border By the end of the year, Rome had stabilised their withdrawal, but had lost its two easternmost African provinces.
A similar pattern developed in Hispania, with a series of three defeats following the seeming decisive Roman victory in Gadira in June, as the indomitable Egyptian 9th Army was able to defy the odds, defeating a series of piecemeal Roman attacks from August through to October, as Rome tried to marshal its forces and return to the offensive. The Egyptian Western Fleet remained bottled up in Gadira, blockaded now by two Roman Classis – I and IV.
The northern border had remained comparatively quiet, while in the East, the long sieges of Caria and Lycia dragged on in Asia Minor. But the Egyptian Navy remained active due to the reduced Roman presence there after L.A. Barbula took Classis IV west.
At home, many Senators, who had moved on from their demand to seize Nassamones from Egypt, now muttered that perhaps a limited peace, with a gain of a province or two, might be sufficient. The Consul however was not for turning. In the background, Humphronius was looking to feather his post-retirement nest and would soon receive a mysterious caller…
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Part I: January-April 595 AUC (158 BC)
The West
In early January 595, Legio XII remained in Gadira, where the siege was still in its early stages of progress. The Egyptians were trying to retake Cynetes, which they assaulted from 3 to 6 January, but were unable to defeat the now much-reduced garrison. To the east, Legio III and X, consecutively defeated in Turduli and routed to Carpetani to recover, heard news of this failure and started to march to Cynetes, together this time, for yet another showdown.
The Massilians joined the siege of Gadira later in January and by 6 February it had fallen to Roman occupation after 286 days of resistance. This of course flushed out their Western Fleet, while Legio XII (just under 6,000 men in seven cohorts) marched north in company with the Massilians as their colleagues were in Turduli and approaching Cynetes.
The long-awaited naval battle in Herculis Columnae started on 13 February, lasting for eleven days. This time, the brilliant Egyptian Admiral Ankhmachis Philonid was almost matched by Rome’s L.A. Barbula, with a massive 186 galleys under his command. The winds turned in Rome’s favour from 18 February and their numbers proved unstoppable. Philonid broke off with most of the 3rd and 4th Navies still floating, but they now had no safe port in the west to flee to. Barbula would hunt him down mercilessly.
Proconsul N.F. Pictor surrendered his command of Classis I on 24 February, retiring back to Rome, while Barbula took 150 ships to chase Philonid, sending 36 damaged vessels back to Tingis for repairs.
By 7 March, a small contingent of about 4,500 Egyptian troops had entered Roman Olissipo, the rest now attempting to follow behind them: Cynetes was now safe, the siege broken.
On 8 March, there was a naval skirmish in Mare Ibericum where Egypt got the jump
[+4.5 net die roll], sinking three Roman ships and losing ten of their own before fleeing after a week – back to Herculis Columnae. Once more, Barbula sent the most damaged ships back to port (21 to Rusadir this time), going on with 126 in Classis IV to chase the 66 ships remaining to the Egyptians.
On 16 March, M.J. Bubulcus (commanding Legio X) and D.L. Tertulus (Legio III) with 31,639 troops caught 16,802 Egyptians in three armies commanded by Manetho Omirid
[both commanders Martial 8] in Cynetes. There was no mistake this time and Rome won a brief battle by 20 March (1,090 Roman; 1,204 Egyptian casualties) and pursued the enemy north to Olissipo.
At sea, the long chase continued, with another naval skirmish fought in Herculis Columnae from 28 March to 1 April, with just one ship being lost by the Egyptians (captured by Rome, not sunk) before they fled east again, doubling back to Mare Ibericum, followed by Barbula.
On 15 April, a collection of four Egyptian armies was attempting to flee Olissipo for Lusitani, but the Romans would intercept them first – in fact the next day. The Massilian 2nd Stratos approached from the south-east, but was five weeks away. From 16 to 21 April, a short but savage fight saw two Roman legions up against the Egyptian army group, who were by now significantly outnumbered. The Egyptians fought well, extracting a high price before retreating once more.
The Egyptians retreated south back to Cynetes, chased by both Roman legions, while Legio XII (M.C. Rufinus) approached Cynetes from Turdetani and would arrive there 12 days before the Egyptians and their pursuers.
The next sea skirmish from 20-24 April in Mare Ibericum saw none of Classis IV’s 127 ships sunk, but the Egyptians lost ten of their dwindling fleet, which once more turned west in a futile bid to escape. In the West at least, Rome was once again firmly in the ascendant as April 595 came to a close.
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Africa
In Africa, the Romans remained largely on the defensive. Legio XIII still approached from the west, the three main legions were recovering in Oea after their many defeats in the second half of 594. However, an eight cohort detachment of Legio IV had landed unopposed in Leptis Magna and was now besieging it to reclaim it for Rome. Sabratha remained in rebel hands, though also besieged, while the enemy appeared to be moving an army back into occupied Roman Laguatan. By mid-month, the situation was essentially unchanged.
By February, the Egyptians had changed direction and were advancing on Leptis Magna instead. The Legio IV Det (S.A. Barbula, 8,000 men) had tried to flee, but were caught by 26,860 Egyptians on 23 February. It seems all it took was the start of an advance by all three legions in Oea the day the battle started to scare off the enemy, plus a good start by Barbula
[Rome 7 v Egypt 1+1.5 die rolls] as they surprisingly broke off their attack on 27 February. Barbula enjoyed his most unexpected victory (Rome 1,305, Egypt 1,217 killed) and halted his own withdrawal.
Legio XIII (22 cohorts, down to 20,900 men due to attrition in enemy-occupied Laguatan) finally finished its long trek from West Africa on 25 March, S.C. Maximus taking up a defensive position in Laguatan and commencing a siege. The Egyptian 17th Army was soon advancing on them from Nassamones, due to strike them in around five weeks
[warscore 36% in Rome’s favour at this stage].
The unlikely victory in Leptis Magna clearly went to Barbula’s head: once more he was making disloyal mutterings. This time, he was eligible for a triumph, which assuaged his concerns – for now.
“There’s
always a Bribula,” noted Humphronius mournfully when the news reached him. “I prefer sinecures, management overheads, facilitation payments and gifts in recognition of diligent service, myself. Never anything so crass as an outright
bribe.”
[More on his murky post-retirement dealings can be read in a later section.]
The 1st, 7th and 11th Legions arrived together in Leptis Magna on 18 April. Legio I (M.C. Maximus, 25,899 men in 38 cohorts) kept marching south to reinforce Legio XIII in Laguatan, where they should arrive on 16 May. The hope was that S.C. Maximus could hold out until then against the unknown strength of Amyrteos Zagreid’s 17th Army.
But when battle was joined on 29 April, it was discovered the enemy’s army was almost 35,000 men strong, which even the now full-strength Legio XIII was badly outnumbered by. While the two generals were of equal skill, Zagreid’s opening move devastated the Roman ranks. Maximus reasserted and maintained the tactical advantage in the following days, but the terrible damage had already been done, while Egyptian moral was barely dented.
By the time the battle was over on 14 May, just a couple of days before Legio I could arrive, yet another savage defeat had been administered to a previously unvanquished legion.
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The East
The Seleucids took Damascus on 3 January – they now occupied that and Phoenicia, while Egypt still held Dumah.
Classis II (T.A. Barbula, 54 ships) was ordered out from Rhodes to Syrtis Maior on 3 January, as the Gallic Flotilla which had landed the troops in Leptis Magna was being threatened by a larger Egyptian fleet. On 8 January, the Gallic Flotilla was attacked, before they could escape or be reinforced. They lost seven ships (including one captured) before the survivors could flee back to Malta.
Judea fell to the Seleucids on 20 January: this second front may well have distracted the Egyptians from following up on their earlier successes on their western front with Rome in Africa.
Then on 22 January, Lycia finally fell to Rome after a siege that was well into its third year. The loss to disease and attrition in Legio V had been terrible over the period, exacerbated by large Seleucid formations passing through (even if their numbers
may have helped with the siege in recent months): almost 19,000 men had died, without a land battle having been fought. Caria still held out.
On 1 March, malcontents rose the flag of rebellion outside Rome’s naval base at Rhodes – 10,000 militia were besieging its walls. In response, Classis II was summoned back from Syrtis Maior (where it had failed to intercept the Egyptians) to Asia Minor and the much-depleted Legio V marched west to Caria. They would relieve Legio VI, which would embark on Classis II to deal with the rebels.
Just as the 20,540 men of Legio VI (S.C. Primus, 24 cohorts) were embarking after Legio V relieved them on 1 April, Rhodes revolted
again, adding another 10,000 locals to the throng outside the walls. This would make the naval landing far more difficult than Primus had been hoping for.
A few days later, word came from Seleucia that the Egyptians had retaken Judea: they were indeed a worthy and resilient foe.
Attrition had reduced Legio VI to under 20,000 men by the time they disembarked in Rhodes on 9 April, fighting at a distinct tactical disadvantage. But Primus got the initial jump on the rebels and, despite some later setbacks, managed to win a very bloody battle by 26 April, dispersing the remaining rebels. These were casualties Rome could ill afford, given the drain on manpower of the wider war.
Naval activity continued in the east, with Classis II (54 ships) trying but failing to intercept an Egyptian fleet of 25 galleys at Mare Aegyptiacum in late April.
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Rome and the North
Pictones (Gaul) became a fully Romanised province on 23 January.
By early February, the Roman manpower reserve stood at 57,975 with 69,918 replacements needed, around 13,800 more due to reach the legions that month (and thus further draining the dwindling reserve and increasing the overall net deficit). At this time, agents estimated Egyptian manpower reserve stood at 84,000.
[A more detailed manpower analysis is included at the end of the chapter.]
On 9 April, an invading Anglii warband of 13,000 men arrived in Treveri and immediately assaulted the walls. That assault failed, but the nearest Legion in Marcomanni had quite a long march ahead to relieve the town – a price of having earlier stripped a legion out of northern Gaul to reinforce the troubled campaign in Hispania.
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Part II: May-August 595 AUC (158 BC)
The West
The pursuit of Egypt’s dwindling western fleet continued with another naval skirmish from 7-11 May, once more in Herculis Columnae. Once more the Egyptians found the better winds, losing just two more ships before breaking contact and heading west – beyond the Pillars and into the open ocean. But the biggest coup for Lucius Barbula was not the sinking of ships but the capture of Egypt’s brilliant Admiral, 3rd Nay commander Ankhmachis Philonid
[Martial 10].
As he awaited the arrival of the Egyptian Hispanic Army and their Roman pursuers in Cynetes, M.C. Rufinus (Legio XII – age 35)
[Martial 8], got a dose of the ‘Bribula complaint’ and required two bribes of 50 gold to assure his loyalty
[+33 and +32 to 91.4% loyalty]. He would soon have to earn his ‘management overhead fees’!
The battle of Cynetes (16-21 May) was another short battle where the enemy fled as soon as they could, this time getting a thorough beating leaving behind over 4,300 casualties and the commander of their 11th Army, Nakhthoreb Helladid, captured on the field (Rome 222/34,529; Egypt 4,376/12,011 killed). Egyptian power in Hispania was now on its last legs. All three Roman legions (III, X and XII) now chased the remnants of Egypt’s Hispanic Army to Turdetani. The Massilians would never catch them up.
At sea, things were equally grim for Egypt in the West. The next battle in Mare Externum saw 124 Roman and 49 Egyptian galley fighting from 23-27 May. The new enemy admiral was also outstanding: Naravas Senuid was Barbula’s match tactically
[Martial 9], but he could not prevent another four galleys being lost.
This time, the Egyptians split up: the 3rd Navy (Senuid, 8 ships) went north to Sacrum Promontorum, while the 4th Navy (39 ships, no commander after the capture of Philonid) headed east back to Herculis Columnae. Barbula chased Senuid north with 116 ships after sending eight back to Mauretania for repairs. All eight were sunk in a single day on 5 June: Barbula then headed east to chase down the 4th Navy.
One of the repair fleets 13 ships (no commander) was in Herculis Columnae on 6 June when the enemy (who had somehow managed to procure a new commander, while at sea) attacked them with their 39 ships – though all were carrying extensive damage by then. No Roman ships were sunk but two were captured by the time the repair fleet broke off the engagement on 10 June.
This had delayed the Egyptians long enough for Barbula to catch them on 19 June and by the 13th it was all over: the enemy’s Western Fleet had been completely destroyed after a long chase, with one ship captured.
On land, the battle of Turdetani (18-22 July) was little more than a skirmish (Rome 598/34,485; Egypt 604/5,787 killed). The pursuit went on back north to Turduli, the Romans suffering attrition all the time, where another skirmish was fought from 28 August to 1 September. Again the Egyptians got a tactical advantage and once more escaped to continue their fighting withdrawal (Rome 694/31,437; Egypt 249/4,038 killed). And by then, their 28th Army (just two regiments) had slipped off north to Carpetani but were being ignored for now.
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Africa
The main African front now became the key focus of the land war. But first, there was some good symbolic news, with Leptis Magna adopting Roman culture on 8 May, despite the town still being under Egyptian occupation.
As we saw earlier, on 14 May Legio XIII had been beaten badly in Laguatan and was now retreating to Oea, as Legio I approached. Also, Legio VII and XI (over 26,000 troops between them) had also set out to Laguatan on 30 April and would arrive on 28 May to reinforce Legio I.
M.C. Maximus attacked the 17th Army on 16 May, with somewhat fewer troops but a slight tactical advantage through his superior generalship. However Zagreid seemed in no mood to wait around for those Roman reinforcements, withdrawing quickly on 21 May back to Nassamones (Rome 2,858/27,903; Egypt 3,766/31,603 killed). The long series of major Roman defeats in Africa had now been halted, at least, if not decisively.
By 24 May, the now battle-worn Legio VI had finished its work in Rhodes and by the 27th were all aboard Classis II and bound to reinforce the African campaign, even as Legio V still maintained the siege of Caria.
In Africa, the complicated choreography following the two battles in Laguatan played out. Legio VII stayed back to begin a new siege, while M.C. Maximus took Crassus’ Legio XI with him to pursue Zagreid to Nassamones. Whether this would end up maintaining the hard-won change in momentum or contriving another battlefield reversal remained uncertain.
Egypt offered a peace deal on 13 June but only on the basis of a white peace. The lily-livered Senate would have approved it (62/99 votes in favour) but Consul Barbula would have none of it. The fight would go on to the bitter end: he was determined that Mars would triumph over Horus in this desperate conflict.
Legio XIII arrived in Oea on 23 June and headed straight back to Leptis Magna and a chance to redeem themselves in battle in due course. The next fight came from 4-8 July in Nassamones, where the Egyptians once more fell back as soon as they could – after extracting another sever blood payment, though both sides suffered (Rome 5,878/43,698; Egypt 5,099/30,792 killed).
After the battle, Legio I absorbed all the troops from Legio XI and consolidated the cohorts, then left a detachment of around 7,000 men to conduct a siege, while Maximus took over 30,000 men to chase the enemy into the Egyptian interior.
The same day (8 July) Legio VI (now down to only 13,685 men after more attrition) began landing in Barca, which it found unoccupied. The siege began on 14 July.
The next engagement in the Egyptian rearguard action came in early August at Corniclanum, another close-fought and bloody battle, with all of Legio I chasing this time but managing to arrive just before the Egyptians and therefore coming under attack. Following units would have to conduct the siege, as attrition continued to bite and the Romans ventured deeper into the enemy’s heartland.
Leptis Magna was regained for Rome on 16 August after a 169 day siege. At that point, Legio XIII arrived and S.A. “Bribula’s” detachment was merged into S.C. Maximus’ command. The cohorts were consolidated, with 18,819 troops now organised in 21 rather than 30 cohorts. They headed onwards to Corniclanum.
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The East
By 27 May, the progress of both wars against Egypt was gauged, where the Seleucids had recently taken Arabia.
On 23 June, following L.A. Barbula’s final naval victory in the west, he started back east with Classis IV, but only the undamaged vessels – 32 galleys. Another 85 joined those already undergoing repairs in the western ports and would come along when ready.
Caria finally fell to Rome on 10 July – after 949 days, easily the longest siege in Roman history. It had seemed like it would never end.
On 21 August, three different Egyptian navies were patrolling around in the Eastern Mediterranean (73 ships in total). 26 Seleucid ships were lurking near Cyprus. Classis II (54 ships) remained in port at Crete while a detachment of 11 galleys was up in the Propontis dealing with five pirate galleys
[I’m generally not reporting those engagements, which have continued throughout the war]. The same day, another 47 fully repaired ships set sail from Rusadir to the east.
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Rome and the North
In early June, with the manpower reserve was almost exhausted and the net replacement deficit growing rapidly, the Senate authorised over 200 gold to start recruiting auxiliaries once more. Six cohorts of
velites were raised in west and central Africa, their purpose being to conduct sieges behind the front lines, releasing higher quality troops for battle at the front. In the north, the beginning of a new legion to replace the troops that had been diverted to the Egyptian War began.
On 4 June, the Proconsul N.F. Pictor died: it is believed it was from natural causes, though at 48 he was still comparatively young.
Maybe his death helped to appease the Gods though, as the national omen was conducted the same day and met with success.
In July, the manpower reserve was finally exhausted, with (even after recent consolidations) over 83,000 replacements still required. From on, only the 2,600 recruits produced each month would be available to reinforce the cohorts in the field. The Egyptian manpower reserve was still estimated to be 89,000, though they had little left in their treasury (19 gold).
On 10 July, the recently recruited African
velites began their separate marches to Sabratha, which was still rebel-held
[though at 100% siege progress].
But on 5 July, disastrous news was received from northern Gaul. Treveri had fallen to the Anglii and been plundered, just 17 days before the relief column of Legio IX could reach them. The province was not destroyed, but was badly damaged.
T.C. Maximus
[Martial 7] beat the poorly led Anglii
[Galat Galatid, Martial 2] from 22-26 August (Rome 225/13,000; Anglii 1,666/9,883 killed) and waited for their inevitable return. But not before assaulting the 100 man garrison and retaking the town in a day, for no further troop loss.
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Part III: September 595 AUC (158 BC) to 18 April 596 (157 BC)
The West
The next engagement came in Cynetes (9-13 October), another skirmish and another retreat by the exhausted Egyptians, back to Turdetani (Rome 625/28,293; Egypt 792/3,341 killed).
It wasn’t until mid-October that Legio VIII finally arrived in central Hispania – a month or two too late to materially affect the outcome! But they did have 19,000 fresh troops under P.V. Falto’s command available for tasking. They made for Oretani via Belli, in case the Egyptians fled that way. On 18 November, they were in Oretani and then marched to Turduli as the end of Egyptian resistance in Hispania approached.
The meagre remnants of the once-mighty and feared Egyptian army was trapped and destroyed in Turdetani on 10 December. The small 28th Army still held out, currently besieging Vettones. Their elimination would be Legio VIII’s little task: at least they would get to bloody their swords after such a long and ultimately unnecessary march.
Three repair fleets, with 45 ships in total, set out from Gadira, Mauretania and Tingis the same day. They would rendezvous in Heculis Columnae and then transfer to the east as a single fleet.
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On 29 January 596, the still-wasted Legio III set out on a long march back up to the detachment they had left behind all that time ago to guard Pictones.
The final afterthought of the Hispanian Campaign came on 17 February, the few remaining troops of the 28th Army succumbing without a fight o in Vettones. The same day, Legio XII set out to complete a task long-delayed: the pacification of Astures.
By 18 April 596, the Hispanian Campaign had completely reversed in fortunes since the dark days of December 594, with total Roman victory at sea and on the land.
Africa
The last six and a half months of Barbula’s consulship saw the focus of the war shift entirely to Africa and the East. Legio XIII reached Corniclanum on 22 September, though attrition remained high as other troops moved through.
Three days later, Legio I was attacking the Egyptians in Cyrenaica and once more Zagreid fell back after the minimum engagement (25-29 September) had been fought out (Rome 658/22,630; Egypt 1,879/15,322 killed). The pursuit went on next to Marmarica, back on the coast and just one province short of Alexandria.
After this success, Legio VI left a small detachment to continue the siege in Barca on 30 September, Primus setting out with 10,400 men in 18 cohorts to Cyrene, which remained unoccupied by the enemy. S.C. Maximus did the same in Corniclanum, leaving 4,500 men there and going on towards Cyrenaica with 12,200 to follow up Legio I.
On 14 November, the first 4,000
velites arrived in Sabratha, where the rebel scum still held out, relieving D.C. Otho’s full-strength seven cohort detachment who were sent off to the main front in Egypt.
Legio XIII arrived in Cyrenaica on 16 November, still losing men to attrition (10%, as neither Legio I nor the 17th Army had yet left the province) and started a siege.
The Battle of Marmarica lasted longer than some of the previous engagements during the long Egyptian withdrawal and the numbers (after attrition had thinned Roman ranks in particular even further) were nearly even. But Egyptian morale remained low and after a slow start M.C. Maximus gained a decisive advantage, victory coming on 31 December. This time there would be no pursuit, to Alexandria: Rome was concerned about the tip of their spear in Egypt becoming separated from its shaft.
Nassamones fell to Rome on 21 January after 197 days
[55% warscore]. The running sore of Sabratha was healed on 19 February, with the siege detachment moving on towards Laguatan, which was still in Egyptian hands. But that too fell eight days later. Legio VII, well recovered by then, was now free to be sent up to the front.
On 25 January, a new Egyptian army – the 2nd, with 46 regiments of unknown strength – was spotted in Alexandria and heading for Marmarica. The 17th, with 35 regiments, was still sitting and recovering in Alexandria. Fortunately, Marmarica fell to Rome two days later after only 85 days of resistance.
Legio I soon retreated south-east, to Libya, and would make it out with a month to spare. They hoped to be joined there by Legio VI, which finished its siege of Cyrene on 17 April. By that time, the war situation was well progressed. The Egyptians had reorganised up their armies in Alexandria by then, with the 2nd now just with 23 regiments still advancing on Marmarica, leaving 23 more behind in the new (re-raised) 5th Army. The 17th had also been split in two, with the 4th Army re-formed.
Therefore, after a slow start, in the last year Rome had turned the tables on Egypt and had penetrated deep into their territory. But both manpower restraints and diplomatic developments in the East meant Horus could again be on the rise to challenge Mars, as evidence of their forces massing in Alexandria indicated.
The East
September remained fairly quiet in the East: it wasn’t until late October that things began to hot up again – principally at sea. On 24 October, Classis IV was off Sparta after their long voyage back from the West. They were about to pounce on a small Egyptian flotilla in Ardanis Promontorum while Classis II was at sea and looking to block the same fleet’s retreat to Hermaeum Promontorum. Other Egyptian and Seleucid fleets were also patrolling in the general vicinity.
L.A. Barbula attacked on 28 October – only to find yet another Egyptian naval prodigy in command and the winds set against him. He wrested back tactical parity on 2 November, only to have the 2nd Navy slip away the following day, with no ships sunk.
The enemy fled to port in Marmarica (still in Egyptian hands at that stage, with Legio I approaching from Cyrenaica in pursuit of the 17th Army), evading the trap set by Classis II. Classis IV was reinforced by one of the repair fleets and now numbered 43 ships, blockading Marmarica.
The Seleucids were gaining ground to the east, liberating Dumah and taking Tabuk by 29 November.
On 30 November, Classis III (47 ships, no Prefect) – the new fleet formed by one of the repair fleets from the west – was in mare Ionium and sailed on east to try to reinforce Classis II (49 ships), which on 3 December engaged the Egyptian 5th Navy (20 ships) in Mare Carpathicum. Neither side had lost any ships by the time the Romans won on 10 December, both sailing north to Mare Icarium: a bad choice of direction by the routing enemy ships, away from the safety of their southern ports.
By mid-December, a series of complex linked sea battles had begun in the eastern Mediterranean which would not end until 12 January. In two weeks of fighting in mare Icarium, Consul Barbula’s Classis II defeated the able Aratos Senuid, sinking two of his ships. The 5th Navy fled south-west to Mare Myrtoum, but found Classis III already there, with the two Roman fleets joining forces.
The wily Senuid slipped away on 1 January but was chased back to Mare Icarium – where the puirsuit ended with his whole fleet being sunk between 8-12 January.
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There was no more naval action in the coming weeks. On 4 March, the Seleucids added Nabatea to their occupation of Egyptian territory, which was now five provinces in total.
The war at sea resumed on 20 March, when the leaderless Classis III plus a small repair fleet attacked Manetho Omirid’s 4th Navy at odds of four-to-one. Classis IV broke their blockade of Marmarica to try to reinforce Classis III, but they were too far off to intervene in that fight. The same day, Classis II attacked the 5th Navy in Mare Carpathicum at similar odds.
The battle in Mare Carpathicum was soon over with no ships sunk on either side, but the fight in Mare Myrtoum lasted until 29 March. Technically, the Romans won, but they lost one galley and the Egyptians none. But both the Egyptian fleets were headed to Mare Icarium, with a total of 140 Roman galleys closing in on them.
It was at this point that heralds announced the Seleucids had concluded a peace with Egypt, extracting Arabia and an indemnity as the price. It was now back to a one-on-one between the earthly followers of Mars and Horus.
The initial fight in Mare Icarium was just between Classis II and the 5th Navy starting on 4 April. Aratos Setnid lost just one ship and fled south again on 8 April. There he joined up with the 4th Navy on 16 April, which had changed course there earlier, hotly pursued by Classis III.
The same day, the 2nd Navy was spotted heading west along the African coast, so with Consul (for two more days) T.A. Barbula having things well in hand, L.A. Barbula took Classis IV west again to chase them. The Battle of Mare Carpathicum was still unresolved on 18 April, but Egyptian morale was completely gone and they were again outnumbered by four-to-one.
The Eastern Campaign saw a large rebellion quashed in Rhodes and Lycia fall in January, Caria taken in July and a range of naval actions (only those with where ships were sunk being recorded). But Egypt still had other fleets abroad and no longer had to concern themselves with Seleucid interference.
Rome and the North
Funnily enough, a temple fire in Rome brought
good luck with the expenditure of a little cash in October 595.
Things were quiet until 3 January 596, when the Anglii returned for another crack at Treveri, but T.C. Maximus and Legio IX savaged then very badly by the 7th (Rome 5/12,775, Anglii 5,436/7,737 killed).
The new Danube auxiliary garrison legion had begun to form in Scordisci on 6 March. I had yet to be named or assigned a commander, but had five cohorts of
principes, two of archers and two regiments of cavalry.
Then 18 April brought the Consular election. T.A. Barbula had overseen the waning and waxing of Roman fortunes as he handed power over to Gnaeus Servilius Caepio of the dominant Religious party. Though his scepticism offset the advantage for calling omens this should have provided. In the Senate, the Religious group was as strong as any faction had ever been in that body, controlling an absolute majority of seats. The Military and Civic groups were almost invisible, the Populists not far ahead of them. Only the Civic faction held any significant alternative power base. It was no accident they and the Religious faction had provided the last five Consuls.
Two senior Egyptian prisoners of war were being held. Of them, Philonid would certainly not be released any time soon!
In his handover report, the new Senior Adviser, Bernardius, handed over a table tracking the erosion of Roman manpower reserves since the Egyptian War began back in late 592. More than three years on, the Roman manpower deficit would take very many years to return to balance, let alone a decent surplus.
Humphronius had chosen to stay on for a while and retire with the outgoing Consul. In the last year, he had met a mysterious Roman ‘businessman’ – literally one of the plutocrats, whose interests ranged from Spanish silver mines to, races in the Circus Maximus and trade arrangements in the Balearic Islands.
“Pippus Lucretius Pluto, at your service,” that worthy oozed as he introduced himself. “My dear Humphronius Obscurus, I have a few lucrative appointments that would be just the ticket for such a distinguished public servant as yourself.”
“I see, that sounds very interesting indeed,” replied Humphronius with a knowing smile. “I think the more apposite question may be how can
I be of service to
you. Purely in the public interest, of course.”
“Well, quite.
You’re a member of the public, aren’t you Humphronius?”
“
Yes, Pippus,” beamed the freshly retired adviser as the two strolled out of the Consular
tablinum, arm in arm.
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Finis