Titanic struggle betwen Rome and Palmyra (270AD)

After well-earned rest revisiting the former Habsburg Empire, our travel-stained reporter reported for duty in Egypt 270AD. With the chaos of civil war and barbarian invasions engulfing the Western Empire, the calculating Queen Zenobia of the desert city-state of Palmyra has made a land-grab to take over the East. The Levant has fallen to her armies under General Zabdas, and now they meet the pro-Roman forces of General Tenagino Probus close to the fortress known as “Babylon” to decide the fate of the Province of Aegytpus. Defeat would be a disaster for the Emperor and city of Rome as Egypt is the bread-basket of Italy.

Things got off well for the Romans as they somehow won the scouting and could choose the table edge plus force the Palmyrans to deploy first. The Palmyrans deployed with their archers covering the front of their cataphracts in the centre, a light cavalry left wing and a mixed cavalry right. The Romans deployed with an infantry-heavy centre and cavalry wings. The centre looked set for a titanic struggle.

The massed Roman legionaries started their advance across the table with the cavalry wings pushing up alongside. Only the light infantry archers seemed reluctant to move. The Palmyrans countered and soon there was desultory missile fire on both wings which left the Palmyran left virtually destroyed and the Roman left exposed.

The Palmyrans also saw a unit of lights evade off table never to return. The coin count definitely favoured the Romans. However, in the centre the Palmyran archers began to hit and although not scoring kills inflicted a worrying number of disorders on the Roman units.

Worryingly for Dave and Tony, due to the depth of the Palmyran central formation, a gap soon appeared in their line which the Romans began to advance into. Dave began to manoeuvre a cataphract unit to close the gap only for the Romans to play their stratagem and sent it in the opposite direction. A trick more worthy of devious Easterners than honourable Romans.

Despite the Roman tactical advantage, the losses were mounting equally on both sides with the Romans losing cavalry and an Auxilia unit. The Roman Legionary unit that had advanced through the gap in the line soon found itself out-of-control and unable to follow orders. With one or two coins remaining on both sides it became a charge for the camps.

However, a race between Roman light cavalry under the command of a General and a Palmyran cataphract unit was only ever going to end one way. The result was a bloody and close-fought Roman victory.

Back in the reality of 270AD Zabdas defeated Tenagino Probus who committed suicide after the battle. Egypt would remain under Palmyran control until the defeat of Zenobia by the new Emperor Aurelian and his General and later Emperor Probus.

Simon