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Most definitely. Their timely arrival turned the tide without them knowing it at first.
I know I promised a long update for the 100th chapter so I will do it for this chapter. I hope you will enjoy.
Chapter 128
Following the death of General Vestranio, General Domitian was selected to lead the Roman forces in what was formerly Illyrian territory. Upon hearing the aggression from Etruscan, General Domitian ordered his men to march double time so they could protect the capital from the vile Etruscan cowards who dared to launch this sneak attack, no doubt fearing the true might of the Roman military.
He and his men finally arrived a month after the Etruscan forces withdrew from the battle. It was a great relief to see the capital safe but the war was far from over. The sneak attack just showed how untrustworthy the Etruscan were and the only solution to this problem was their annexation. Emperor Galba gave General Domitian clear orders to completely occupy the Etruscan so they could annex the nation once and for all.
General Domitian allowed his men to rest for a few days because the march back to the capital saw them absolutely fatigued. He had no doubts they would be fighting at their top form while defending their home but fighting on enemy territory was different. He wanted his men to be in top shape so they could face any surprises the Etruscan might throw at them. After all, they were facing cowards who weren't afraid to use any underhanded tactics.
The Roman army soon marched to the border where they had an Etruscan army waiting for them. General Domitian was naturally skeptical about what the Etruscan general was plotting but he was going to at least hear the man out. With bodyguards flanking him, the Roman general met with the Etruscan general who seemed very pleased to see his arrival. They both sat down under a tree to speak about an offer the Etruscan had.
After the death of the previous Etruscan ruler, his sons were fighting over who should control the throne. The situation quickly escalated into internal conflict where each son commanded an army. The conflict got to a point where the Etruscan nation was divided up with no real apparent winner. The Etruscan general therefore waited for the Roman army so they could negotiate a deal benefiting both sides.
The Etruscan general would get the assistance of the Romans and, in return, he would swear allegiance to the Romans much as how the Samnites were vassals of Rome. General Domitian wasn't too thrilled to hear the offer knowing that, with his enemies so divided, he could easily divide and conquer with all of Etruscan soon belonging to Rome. The offer seemed to benefit the Etruscan more than anything.
Yet, the Roman general decided to take a chance by agreeing to the offer. While his enemies were divided, he could greatly limit the losses of his side if the Etruscan general could provide them with valuable intelligence. The war against Illyria had cost many Roman lives so, if he could lower the overall casualties for his side, the general felt he would be benefiting Rome more in the long run.
The Etruscan general, with the Romans backing him, easily crushed all of his oppositions. Etruscan was once again ruled by a single man but this man had a different agenda to the one he told General Domitian. He decided to assassinate the Roman general during a feast he prepared for the special occasion. Once the Roman general was dead, he could use the chaos to deliver a devastating blow to the Roman army.
The assassination attempt was leaked out to General Domitian who wasn't surprised one bit. He had been busy, during the short campaign, finding allies in Etruscan who would assist him once the inevitable betrayal happened. One of his new allies shared this assassination attempt which told General Domitian that it was time to end the threat known as Etruscan once and for all.
The Roman army descended on the unsuspecting Etruscan army which saw minimal resistance before the capture of the Etruscan general. The man was executed for his betrayal and Etruscan was properly annexed into Rome. There would still be some resistance over the next few years but, with the sons of the former Etruscan ruler all dead, none of the rebel leaders posed as a serious threat.
Just changing up the style because I don't enjoy writing this AAR as much as I did before. I'll still reach the end but we'll be reaching it much faster.
Chapter 129
Rome enjoyed a few years of peace before she was at war once again. This time, Magna Grecia was the main target as the nation controlled the southern portion of the Italian Peninsula. This war also brought in nations like Syracuse, Phoenicia and Chaonians. The ruler of Magna Grecia also managed to convince Raeti, a small nation north of Rome, to declare a separate war to force the Romans into a two front war.
Raeti stood little chance and was annexed in a few months. Only the mountainous terrain made that conflict stretch out as long as it did. By then, Roman troops were already making serious progress in Magna Grecia territory with some closing in on Sicily. Syracuse, being in a separate conflict, fought Carthage and was forced into vassalage with the nation. This slightly complicated the matter when Emperor Galba wished to vassalize the nation.
The only solution to this problem was the annexation of Syracuse which gave Rome a solid foothold in Sicily. Carthage was the only other nation to be in control of provinces in Sicily once Phoenicia agreed to cede their lone province in Sicily. Before the war could be concluded, Emperor Galba died from illness leaving Rome in a regency council. The transition did little to change the outcome of the war.
Magna Grecia was eventually fully occupied and completely annexed into Rome. The Italian Peninsula was more or less unified under one nation but the regency council made declaration of war rather difficult. The regents chose to let the reputation of their nation improve while they focused on the internal affairs for a bit. Conquering so much territory in such a short time did overextend the nation somewhat.
Several years passed as Rome grow internally. The regents had been busy governing the various regions and establishing effective administrations across the growing nation. Tried as they may in going a more peaceful path, Rome was never destined to enjoy peace and prosperity when she had ambitious neighbors. The nation of Carthage, a nation known as the rival of Rome, declared war for Verona starting the First Punic War.
Carthage also brought many of her allies into the mix. Rome was suddenly up against six other nations with Phoenicia and Mauritania being the most notable. Even without the entry of those nations, Carthage alone was a powerful opponent. The war goal of Carthage was Verona but no one held the illusion that Carthage would feel suffice until she crippled the rising Roman Empire.
The First Punic War began with numerous naval engagements where the Romans surprisingly held the edge. Emperor Galba, when he was still alive, had put a heavy emphasis on shipbuilding and sailors because he saw the importance of naval dominance in the Mediterranean. His investments were finally paying off as consecutive victories saw the Carthaginian fleets decimated.
The land battles were mostly focused in Sicily and Northwest Italy where Carthage held a number of holdings. The local resistance were fierce but, lacking reinforcements due to ship shortages, the defenders eventually capitulated leaving Carthaginian provinces bordering the Roman Empire completely occupied. The fight was slowly transitioning over to other parts of Mediterranean since Carthage had yet to capitulate.
Roman troops were soon transported to the Greek region where they laid siege to provinces formerly belonging to Sparta and other Greek states. The Greek garrisons fought desperately but they too were unable to halt the advances of the Romans. With complete naval dominance in the region, the Roman troops could strike and withdraw whenever they pleased to most effectively occupy the region.
Phoenicia was the first nation to exit the conflict but Rome was still facing some overwhelming odds. The enemy still controlled too many provinces to count and they had managed to establish many strongholds in their remaining provinces. North Africa would be very difficult to land troops given that the defenders were definitely ready. There were also the rebellions with Roman territory which required the constant attention of the Roman armies.
Chapter 129
Rome enjoyed a few years of peace before she was at war once again. This time, Magna Grecia was the main target as the nation controlled the southern portion of the Italian Peninsula. This war also brought in nations like Syracuse, Phoenicia and Chaonians. The ruler of Magna Grecia also managed to convince Raeti, a small nation north of Rome, to declare a separate war to force the Romans into a two front war.
Raeti stood little chance and was annexed in a few months. Only the mountainous terrain made that conflict stretch out as long as it did. By then, Roman troops were already making serious progress in Magna Grecia territory with some closing in on Sicily. Syracuse, being in a separate conflict, fought Carthage and was forced into vassalage with the nation. This slightly complicated the matter when Emperor Galba wished to vassalize the nation.
The only solution to this problem was the annexation of Syracuse which gave Rome a solid foothold in Sicily. Carthage was the only other nation to be in control of provinces in Sicily once Phoenicia agreed to cede their lone province in Sicily. Before the war could be concluded, Emperor Galba died from illness leaving Rome in a regency council. The transition did little to change the outcome of the war.
Magna Grecia was eventually fully occupied and completely annexed into Rome. The Italian Peninsula was more or less unified under one nation but the regency council made declaration of war rather difficult. The regents chose to let the reputation of their nation improve while they focused on the internal affairs for a bit. Conquering so much territory in such a short time did overextend the nation somewhat.
Several years passed as Rome grow internally. The regents had been busy governing the various regions and establishing effective administrations across the growing nation. Tried as they may in going a more peaceful path, Rome was never destined to enjoy peace and prosperity when she had ambitious neighbors. The nation of Carthage, a nation known as the rival of Rome, declared war for Verona starting the First Punic War.
Carthage also brought many of her allies into the mix. Rome was suddenly up against six other nations with Phoenicia and Mauritania being the most notable. Even without the entry of those nations, Carthage alone was a powerful opponent. The war goal of Carthage was Verona but no one held the illusion that Carthage would feel suffice until she crippled the rising Roman Empire.
The First Punic War began with numerous naval engagements where the Romans surprisingly held the edge. Emperor Galba, when he was still alive, had put a heavy emphasis on shipbuilding and sailors because he saw the importance of naval dominance in the Mediterranean. His investments were finally paying off as consecutive victories saw the Carthaginian fleets decimated.
The land battles were mostly focused in Sicily and Northwest Italy where Carthage held a number of holdings. The local resistance were fierce but, lacking reinforcements due to ship shortages, the defenders eventually capitulated leaving Carthaginian provinces bordering the Roman Empire completely occupied. The fight was slowly transitioning over to other parts of Mediterranean since Carthage had yet to capitulate.
Roman troops were soon transported to the Greek region where they laid siege to provinces formerly belonging to Sparta and other Greek states. The Greek garrisons fought desperately but they too were unable to halt the advances of the Romans. With complete naval dominance in the region, the Roman troops could strike and withdraw whenever they pleased to most effectively occupy the region.
Phoenicia was the first nation to exit the conflict but Rome was still facing some overwhelming odds. The enemy still controlled too many provinces to count and they had managed to establish many strongholds in their remaining provinces. North Africa would be very difficult to land troops given that the defenders were definitely ready. There were also the rebellions with Roman territory which required the constant attention of the Roman armies.
Chapter 130
Roman progress in Greece had been a slow one with the few rebellions in the region but none could halt their advances. The Carthaginians, being unable to transport their troops freely after losing all their ships, could only remain in a defensive stance until the Romans appeared on their shores. What caught them completely off guard was the Roman soldiers who marched from Northern Italy into what was formerly Illyrian territory.
There were many uninhabited provinces but the Romans were able to get guides to traverse through them. Losses happened along the way but they arrived relatively healthy and attacked the Carthaginians from the rear. This was a devastating loss for Carthage as she lost one of her larger armies in the region while her vassal, Illyria, couldn't fend off the ferocious Roman assaults. Emperor Trajan had risen to power by then and his rise further boosted the morale of his men.
Mauritania soon exited the war seeing little could be gained from the conflict. Thessaly, one of the Greek state that dared to side with Carthage against Rome, was fully annexed giving the Romans a huge foothold in the region. Meanwhile, huge progress was made in the Illyrian region as no armies could even slow the Roman advance slightly. A few Illyrian colonies further inland were also seized since Illyria couldn't offer them proper protection.
The Romans then systematically occupied Carthaginian and Illyrian provinces outside of North Africa save for a few islands. The peace deal to end the First Punic War was signed with a devastating loss for Carthage. Not only did she lose a significant number of provinces but Carthage also ended her vassalization of Illyria. This was the first conflict between the two rising powers but it wouldn't be the last one.
Months after the conclusion of the First Punic War, the Carthaginian king died from shame and his throne was suddenly ruled over by a Mycanae king, a ruler who once only ruled over a small island. This mattered little since, a few years later, Rome declared war on Messinia and Carthage joined without the permission of Mycanae. It was clear that the nation, despite her loss, wasn't about to let a small island nation rule over her.
Achaea and Ambracia both joined with Carthage against the Romans but their coalition stood little chance. Emperor Trajan still maintained his father's policies of a strong navy which continued to outshine all of his enemies. Achaea and Carthaginian armies even combined forces to fight the Romans but they were simply outnumbers and outclassed as all their Greek provinces were soon occupied by the Roman soldiers
The lone Achaea province in Sicily was also occupied as Rome was only a province, the one controlled by Achamenids, from controlling all of Sicily. Ambricia was the first to be annexed for opposing Rome but she wouldn't be the last. Veneti, an insignificant nation, declared war a month later thinking Romans were too busy fighting in other parts of Europe. Ligures, Lemovices and Volcae all came to her aid but they couldn't turn the tide one bit.
When Ligures was annexed by Rome, there were Roman troops landed in North Africa as the Carthaginians failed to stop them from landing. The Carthaginian capital of Tunis was threatened for the first time in decades. Veneti was annexed next while Romans continued to make progress in North Africa. Meanwhile, Phoenicia inherited all of Mauritania making her one of the stronger powers in North Africa.
The situation in North Africa was further complicated when Odrysians defeated Mycanae when Carthage was still a lesser partner to the Mycanae king. Some Carthaginian provinces were ceded in the peace deal so Odrysians had gotten themselves in a region they had no reason to be part of. Emperor Trajan then declared war on the Illyrians who were secretly preparing a sneak attack on his armies.
While the Illyrians were crushed repeatedly in battles, the war between Rome and Carthage had finally came to a close. Carthage would be converting to the religion, Greco Roman Religion, and cede a handful of provinces. Emperor Trajan saw no point getting provinces in North Africa which were not only worthless but difficult to govern as well, especially when Rome was enormous at this point.
Achaea was completely annexed in the war with all of her provinces belonging to Rome. The new provinces helped move the Romans a step closer to connecting all of her Greek holdings. Boeotia, a nation that joined Illyria to attack Rome, was also annexed which finally connected all of the Roman Greek holdings. This small victory alone was worthwhile to celebrate.
Colchis, another nation aiding the vile Illyrians, was forced to cede a province. They were spared from annexation because one of her provinces was somewhere near Black Sea which the Romans never even heard of. Massilia also joined Boeotia and Colchis for antagonizing Rome but their annexation was largely overshadowed by the new Roman war to vassalize the Chaonians.
At this point, Mauritania had broken free from Phoenicia and they were exerting their dominance by being the war leader against Rome. Chaonians swore vassalage to Rome a few months later while Mauritania agreed to a white peace due to a dispute for succession arose in the nation. A year later, the war with Illyria finally ended and even Roman generals admitted the Illyrian soldiers fought bravely and never backed an inch without spilling the blood of Romans.
Roman progress in Greece had been a slow one with the few rebellions in the region but none could halt their advances. The Carthaginians, being unable to transport their troops freely after losing all their ships, could only remain in a defensive stance until the Romans appeared on their shores. What caught them completely off guard was the Roman soldiers who marched from Northern Italy into what was formerly Illyrian territory.
There were many uninhabited provinces but the Romans were able to get guides to traverse through them. Losses happened along the way but they arrived relatively healthy and attacked the Carthaginians from the rear. This was a devastating loss for Carthage as she lost one of her larger armies in the region while her vassal, Illyria, couldn't fend off the ferocious Roman assaults. Emperor Trajan had risen to power by then and his rise further boosted the morale of his men.
Mauritania soon exited the war seeing little could be gained from the conflict. Thessaly, one of the Greek state that dared to side with Carthage against Rome, was fully annexed giving the Romans a huge foothold in the region. Meanwhile, huge progress was made in the Illyrian region as no armies could even slow the Roman advance slightly. A few Illyrian colonies further inland were also seized since Illyria couldn't offer them proper protection.
The Romans then systematically occupied Carthaginian and Illyrian provinces outside of North Africa save for a few islands. The peace deal to end the First Punic War was signed with a devastating loss for Carthage. Not only did she lose a significant number of provinces but Carthage also ended her vassalization of Illyria. This was the first conflict between the two rising powers but it wouldn't be the last one.
Months after the conclusion of the First Punic War, the Carthaginian king died from shame and his throne was suddenly ruled over by a Mycanae king, a ruler who once only ruled over a small island. This mattered little since, a few years later, Rome declared war on Messinia and Carthage joined without the permission of Mycanae. It was clear that the nation, despite her loss, wasn't about to let a small island nation rule over her.
Achaea and Ambracia both joined with Carthage against the Romans but their coalition stood little chance. Emperor Trajan still maintained his father's policies of a strong navy which continued to outshine all of his enemies. Achaea and Carthaginian armies even combined forces to fight the Romans but they were simply outnumbers and outclassed as all their Greek provinces were soon occupied by the Roman soldiers
The lone Achaea province in Sicily was also occupied as Rome was only a province, the one controlled by Achamenids, from controlling all of Sicily. Ambricia was the first to be annexed for opposing Rome but she wouldn't be the last. Veneti, an insignificant nation, declared war a month later thinking Romans were too busy fighting in other parts of Europe. Ligures, Lemovices and Volcae all came to her aid but they couldn't turn the tide one bit.
When Ligures was annexed by Rome, there were Roman troops landed in North Africa as the Carthaginians failed to stop them from landing. The Carthaginian capital of Tunis was threatened for the first time in decades. Veneti was annexed next while Romans continued to make progress in North Africa. Meanwhile, Phoenicia inherited all of Mauritania making her one of the stronger powers in North Africa.
The situation in North Africa was further complicated when Odrysians defeated Mycanae when Carthage was still a lesser partner to the Mycanae king. Some Carthaginian provinces were ceded in the peace deal so Odrysians had gotten themselves in a region they had no reason to be part of. Emperor Trajan then declared war on the Illyrians who were secretly preparing a sneak attack on his armies.
While the Illyrians were crushed repeatedly in battles, the war between Rome and Carthage had finally came to a close. Carthage would be converting to the religion, Greco Roman Religion, and cede a handful of provinces. Emperor Trajan saw no point getting provinces in North Africa which were not only worthless but difficult to govern as well, especially when Rome was enormous at this point.
Achaea was completely annexed in the war with all of her provinces belonging to Rome. The new provinces helped move the Romans a step closer to connecting all of her Greek holdings. Boeotia, a nation that joined Illyria to attack Rome, was also annexed which finally connected all of the Roman Greek holdings. This small victory alone was worthwhile to celebrate.
Colchis, another nation aiding the vile Illyrians, was forced to cede a province. They were spared from annexation because one of her provinces was somewhere near Black Sea which the Romans never even heard of. Massilia also joined Boeotia and Colchis for antagonizing Rome but their annexation was largely overshadowed by the new Roman war to vassalize the Chaonians.
At this point, Mauritania had broken free from Phoenicia and they were exerting their dominance by being the war leader against Rome. Chaonians swore vassalage to Rome a few months later while Mauritania agreed to a white peace due to a dispute for succession arose in the nation. A year later, the war with Illyria finally ended and even Roman generals admitted the Illyrian soldiers fought bravely and never backed an inch without spilling the blood of Romans.
Well that was some rapid expansion. The Etruscan conflict seems minor and insignificant compared to these recent wars.
Definitely, the pace I'm doing the latest updates also matter.
Chapter 131
The historical records had never been clear how Rome, only days following the conclusion of war with Carthage, got into a conflict with Thesprotians, another small Greek state. The conflict ended with the Greek state becoming another vassal of the Roman Empire. A year later, the Samnites were finally integrated into the Roman Empire seeing all of Italy unified by the Roman Empire, a feat unheard of until now.
Rome enjoyed another year of peace before she found herself in a series of wars. The Odrysians and the Illyrians would both face the might of the Romans. The Odrysians had recently defeated Mauritania resulting in more territory in North Africa which was alarming for Emperor Trajan who didn't want a second Carthage to rise. Against Odrysians, the Romans also had to fight the nations Nice, Ionians and Agrianes.
The battles were very one-sided as none of the enemies of Rome could come close to challenging the might of Rome. Then, the unexpected happened when the Achaemenids Empire declared war. This was the first clash between the two mighty empires and, for the first time in Roman history, Rome found herself fighting an empire whose strength and might was unheard of in the known world.
If the Romans didn't have their naval dominance, then the Achaemenids would have a lot easier time invading Roman soil. By controlling the seas between Anatolia and Europe, the Romans could focus on their other wars before dealing with the Persian menace in the east. However, a few engagements were already taking place in Greece where Achaemenids managed to get a few holdings.
A number of large scale battles with total soldiers of sixty thousand men involved took place with heavy casualties inflicted on both sides. The Romans were victorious in the end because they were able to cut off the reinforcements of the enemy who tried to sneak to Greece by boat. Following those critical victories, the Romans would avoid engagement with the Achaemenids until much later.
One of the wars finally ended with Illyria completely annexed by Rome. The annexation ensured that Rome was the sole owned of the Adriatic Sea which was a small victory in itself. Afterwards, Agrianes was annexed before a peace deal was agreed upon with the Odrysians with their lone provinces in Western Europe ceded over to Rome. Only the war with Achaemenids remained.
The Romans then turned their attention to Cyprus which was also under the control of the Achaemenids. Isolated, the garrisons there could do little to fend off the Roman assaults. Cyprus was soon occupied by the Romans. By this time, the Achaemenids was experiencing internal unrest. The empire encompassed too much territory with too many different ethnicities.
Following the news of numerous defeats at the hands of the Romans, the rebel factions all took advantage and rose up against the empire. Achaemenids was being destroyed from within and there was little she could do about it. Before the collapse of the empire, she signed a peace deal with Rome which saw her ceding all of her territories in Europe and parts of Cyprus.
The collapse of the Achaemenids Empire only meant the Roman Empire would prosper in the decades to come. There was no nation capable of challenging her might as she looked to expand to all part of Europe and even parts of North Africa. The Roman Empire had grown to enormous proportions when she entered her golden age. Afterwards, only time will tell if Rome could remain atop the known world.
That concludes this AAR. At this point, I got bored because it was a lot of microing with little actual fun. I could take on any nation at this point and, if I were a perfectionist, I would at least conquer/colonize all of Europe. Thank you everyone for joining this ride as it was a fun one. Feel free to join my other AARs in the signature as they take a different approach at a very different era in history.
I can only assume that this AAR losing momentum was due to sabotage by Carthage, who were slighted by being replaced by Rome as the subject of this AAR.
At least you managed to secure the Adriatic before it came to an end.
At least you managed to secure the Adriatic before it came to an end.
Made it to chapter 127. A tense siege but it looks like the reinforcements have turnednthe tide for now.
You are almost there! I had sadly lost interest so the AAR came to an end earlier than expected.
A great campaign of expansion, it appears that nobody in the vicinity is left capable of challenging Rome.
Finished the AAR, well done once again. It was great fun to follow.
Looking at the map, perhaps if you want to give the mod another go, a game in India would be fun? Loads of small nations for early wars and an eventual showdown with Persia and the Mongols?
Finished the AAR, well done once again. It was great fun to follow.
Looking at the map, perhaps if you want to give the mod another go, a game in India would be fun? Loads of small nations for early wars and an eventual showdown with Persia and the Mongols?
The AIs weren't too difficult to defeat once I had naval supremacy.
Thanks for following in a forum section that's practically dead by now. I'm currently doing a CK2 AAR which will transition into a megacampaign. Not sure if it's something you might be interested in.