Battle at the Gates of Rome AD70

 

As your correspondent sits to compose his latest report the scene has shifted from the dunes of Africa to the bucolic countryside surrounding Rome.  A peaceful rolling countryside of vineyards and villas; but not for long!  The victorious army of Adrianus Africanus advances on Rome to confront the army of Emperor Paulinus.

Adrianus’ loyal Tribune Rickonius Rogerus commands the rebel left wing.  Reinstated to the rank of Tribune the renegade Malchus Bonitus has been appointed to command of Adrianus’ right wing.  The fanatically loyal Johnialis Daybellus stands firm on Paulinus’ right flank and Davidianus holds the Paulinian left.

The armies find themselves deploying in rolling terrain dotted with a scattering of small woods.  Broken hilly terrain occupies the South West corner of the battlefield

Despite having an advantage in light cavalry Emperor Paulinus was outscouted by the rebels. 

The dawn of battle found Legionaries arrayed against each other on the east and centre of the battlefield while on the west Adrianus’ auxiliaries faced off against Paulinus’s cavalry.  The Paulinian ballista were given a wide field of fire in the centre of the field and faced off against Adrianus’ veteran archers.

 Adrianus’ plan was to attack hard on the right and centre while feinting on the left before adopting a defensive stance in the face of Johnialis’ superior cavalry.

Paulinus planned to attack on his centre and right and advance his left wing in support of his centre hoping for a cavalry strike against Rickonius’ left.

No stratagems were played as the battle began.

Despite delays on the Western side of the battlefield both armies advanced cautiously and in good order.  The Paulinian artillery opened hostilities but with little effect. 

Rickonius’ light infantry veterans moved into the rolling and wooded terrain ahead of them from where his archers scored the first kill of the battle destroying Johnialis’ light cavalry.

Johnialis’ remaining cavalry did not respond.

As the battle lines closed Malchus’ cavalry charged Davidianus’ light cavalry causing it to evade towards the Paulinian baseline. 

In the centre Adrianus’ legionaries swept down off their hill and destroyed the first of Paulinus’ cohorts opening a gap in the Paulinian line.

In response Paulinus disordered Adrianus’ veteran legion and proceeded to push his Praetorians deep into the centre of Adrianus’ line pursuing the disordered cohort as it attempted to withdraw.

Johnialis’ right wing cavalry failed to move!

Davidianus’ legionaries now got into action charging Malchus’ opposing cohort.  The main combat was preceded by an exchange of pilum and despite doing little damage to the cohorts involved Malchus was forced to withdraw from the battlefield with a serious wound and Davidianus was struck stone dead.  In the ensuing combat Malchus’ raw cohort Mac/IX was disordered. 

Under continuing pressure from Malchus’ cavalry Davidianus’ light cavalry were forced to evade off the board.

A period of retrenchment followed.  Malchus advanced his right wing cohort Mac/VIII to cover the front of his disordered legionaries destroying Davidianus’ praetorians in the process.  To their left cohort Mac/VII advanced from the low hill they had occupied to threaten the woods in front of them. 

In danger of being outflanked by Malchus’ cavalry Davidianus withdrew from the woods and threw his auxiliaries against Malchus’ leading cohort disordering it and allowing the light infantry skirmishing in the high ground on Davidianus’ left to attack and destroy them.

In the centre Adrianus’ archers pressed forward threatening and then attacking Paulinus’ ballista only to see them swept away by a flank attack by Paulinus’ legionaries.

Johnialis maintained pressure on Rickonius’ auxiliaries scoring a hit on Rickonius himself and triggering an attack by a traitor within Rickonius’ staff.   Rickonius’ bodyguard acted swiftly thwarting the determined assassination attempt.

Johnialis’ right wing cavalry failed to move!!

Despite disorder amongst his auxiliaries Rickonius was successfully holding Johnialis at bay.  Johnialis was making steady progress through the woods and rolling hills in front of him and turned to offer support to Paulinus in the centre.

Johnialis’ cavalry moved towards the centre of the battlefield (hurrah!).

On the West of the battlefield Davidianus’ light cavalry briefly returned to the table moving to skirmish Malchus’ cavalry.  Sadly their intervention was short lived as they were destroyed by Malchus’ cavalry javelins. Davidianus’ auxiliaries smartly about faced and attacked Malchus’ cavalry disordering them

In the centre of the battlefield both lines of legionaries were now fragmented and the swirling melee resulted in the loss of Paulinus’ overextended cohort. 

The Paulinian centre was now in bad shape but luckily nightfall came to their rescue.  Both armies stood bloodied but undefeated.  Despite significant disorder within his ranks Adrianus had heavily punished Paulinus’ army who was a single unit away from total defeat.

A second day of battle is inevitable.