North King
blech
- Joined
- Jan 2, 2004
- Messages
- 18,165
The situation in Constantinople was desperate. The Avars were besieging the city, of course. They had overrun the northern provinces, and knocking at the gates every second chance they got; the city would soon be starving. If the Avars were to get modern siege equipment, why, the city would probably fall in under a years time. What would happen then? Would the Eastern Roman Empire simply dissolve?
Heraclius seemed to think so. He had seriously considered moving his capital to the city of Carthage in faraway Northern Africa, and even now, he was contemplating wether he ought to give the command, and pack his bags. Perhaps it was better to go to that faraway land then die in this city; after all, Africa wasnt too bad of a place, it was said. South of the Atlas was desert, but the northern part of it was fertile enough. Yet it was no Constantinople, and in any other time, moving the capital would have been preposterous.
What made the emperor so distraught could be assessed by looking out a tower window across the Bosporus. There burned the campfires of a massive army, one far more sophisticated and deadly than the Avar host that gathered around the European walls of the city. These were the Sassanids, a Persian dynasty that had penetrated deep into the Eastern Roman Empire. In 613 they had taken Damascus, 614 Jerusalem. Egypt was lost to them in 616, and now their raids had reached Chalcedon, only a few miles away from the Roman Capital.
Heraclius had, admittedly, made reforms. He had formed the fuedal theme system, and he had marched back across Anatolia to invade Persia itself. But now, the whole war hung in the balance, as the Avars besieged Constantinople again, and a Persian raid came ever so close to reaching them. Ever so close...
******************
Alas, the weather makes jests of our best laid plans.
Heraclius had been sure enough of Constantinoples defenses, that he had been able to invade Persia itself, without worry for the capital. The Avars could not breach the defenses, and the Persians could not make it across the straits. The capital was safe.
Or was it?
The Mediterranean is not particularly known for its storms, especially not the sunny Aegean, but it is no stranger to them. The raging storm that roared up the Sea of Mamara, a caprice of the weather that was caused by nothing more than a butterflys wing, caught the Byzantine navy very much by surprise. Ships were turned and tossed in the great harbor of Constantinople, and much of the fleet was greatly damaged.
The night following the storm, the Persians managed to make a bridge of boats across the Bosporus, as Xerxes had done so many years before, and they gained the other shore. The siege engines were set up, and thus, in late 626, the city of Constantinople fell to combined Avar and Persian forces.
******************
Heraclius had been away on campaign in Colchis at that time, across the Black Sea from his fallen capital. But now he raced to come to their aid, along the coast. Part of the Roman fleet had fled from the fall of Constantinople into the Black Sea, and they supported him, but he did not have nearly the full strength; the rest of the fleet had scattered around the empire.
His army marched through Pontus, and came along the coast to nearly the site that the Persians themselves had been only a few months ago; near Chalcedon. Here, though, they met the Persian army, under their emperor, Khozrau II, along with Avar allies. And in their rear appeared the army of Shahrbaraz, a famed general of Persia, who had shadowed him from Colchis all the way to this site. The decisive battle of the war would be fought here, the decisive battle that decided the fate of the Byzantine Empire.
******************
Heraclius took position on a ridge towards the east of the battlefield. The troops from the Roman themes, drawn up in battle formation, arrayed in neat lines, waited for the Persians. Their spears glimmered in the rays of sunlight that streamed through breaks in the canopy of the dense forest that covered the slope of the hill. The Roman cataphracts and other cavalry were drawn up in the rear, ready to reinforce any part of the line, or protect the flanks from Persian attack. The Khazars, their mercenary allies, were to their south, protecting their flank from Persian assault.
The Persians and Avars drew up in a crescent formation, confident and impetuous. The Persian main guard, cavalry and infantry mixed protecting the emperor, was drawn up on a slope opposite the Roman main force, with a gully in between. The Avars were drawn up to the north, on flatter ground that lent itself to their mounted warriors better.
Meanwhile, to their south, Shahrbaraz aligned his forces also for battle, on a flat, forested plain. His men were rather impatient, as they had been following the Romans for a month now, but he bid them be calm, and screened his main force with cavalry to prevent the Romans from attacking him while he drew up, as they held the high ground above him.
The battle was set. The pieces had finished moving into place, and Chalcedon began.
******************
Khozrau had something of a mind to envelope the Romans from north and south, ala Cannae. He was a student of classical history, as much as Heraclius was. He had the numbers that Hannibal had not, and the superior position. Besides, he reasoned, Heraclius would stay on his hill, safe and sound. He would not abandon his protection.
Khozrau sent forth his Avar allies to attack the northern flank of the Romans.
Heraclius saw the cavalry of the Avars move steadily towards his right flank. He ordered the spearmen of that part of the line to hold steadfast, to lock their shields and defend like the Greek Phalanxes of old. He sent a small contingent of cavalry to guard their flank, but not the better part of his force. That he sent on another mission, one that would define this chapter of the Eastern Roman Empire. For good or for ill, Heraclius had thrown the dice.
The cataphracts of the Roman army led a charge, purple banners rippling with the white cross emblazoned upon them, thousands of cavalry, followed by a horde of heavily armored infantry. They plunged down the western slope of the hill, into the valley, and then they started to cross over, beginning the way back up. Up the western hill, towards the banner of Khozrau.
Meanwhile, the Khazars went south, to attack Shahrbaraz, and to hold him off. That was their only instruction, and initially, at least, they held true to that. But in the course of an afternoon, much can change.
Shahrbaraz sent an envoy to the Khazar leader. He promised something better than what the Byzantines could give him. He promised the Khazars an empire. They took the bribe, and just like that, nearly a quarter of the already outnumbered Roman force had changed sides.
******************
The Roman cavalry thundered up the western hill, but they suffered terrible losses before they made contact, with a rain of Persian arrows falling upon their cataphracts. Yet still they struggled onwards, and came onwards.
Khozrau lost his patience. He sounded the attack.
The Persian cavalry thundered down the hill, supported by their own infantry, and they clashed with the Persian lines, but only for a few moments. Then the tide turned, and the purple was sent falling back, across the valley. Their rout seemed complete, until the Persians came to the nadir of the valley and now up the eastern hill.
Then a thousand more Roman cavalry plunged down, having heretofore been hidden by the forests of that hill. They plunged through their own troops, and then led them on, punching through the Persian battle line. The Roman troops ascended the western hill.
Khozrau had the setting sun in his eyes; it was hard to see exactly what was going on in the valley. And then the sound of hooves reached him. Something was wrong; his forces could not have been victorious so soon. Then a banner covered the setting sun for a moment, and he saw that it was purple, with a white cross.
He panicked, and ordered his men forward in a reckless charge again. But the Romans tided over his army, and soon he was in the midst of the fighting himself.
Now, though, the Persians and the Khazars from the south flanked the Roman army themselves. Shahrbaraz led the troops himself, cutting down Heraclius and smashing into the rear of the Roman army. The battle line of the Romans began to collapse, and there seemed to be no end to the Persians that attacked them. Carried away from the actual fighting himself, Khozrau allowed himself a moment of peace.
He never saw the arrow that struck him in the eye. Nor would those who gave his body a royal burial after the battle realize that it was no Roman arrow, but a Persian one.
Heraclius seemed to think so. He had seriously considered moving his capital to the city of Carthage in faraway Northern Africa, and even now, he was contemplating wether he ought to give the command, and pack his bags. Perhaps it was better to go to that faraway land then die in this city; after all, Africa wasnt too bad of a place, it was said. South of the Atlas was desert, but the northern part of it was fertile enough. Yet it was no Constantinople, and in any other time, moving the capital would have been preposterous.
What made the emperor so distraught could be assessed by looking out a tower window across the Bosporus. There burned the campfires of a massive army, one far more sophisticated and deadly than the Avar host that gathered around the European walls of the city. These were the Sassanids, a Persian dynasty that had penetrated deep into the Eastern Roman Empire. In 613 they had taken Damascus, 614 Jerusalem. Egypt was lost to them in 616, and now their raids had reached Chalcedon, only a few miles away from the Roman Capital.
Heraclius had, admittedly, made reforms. He had formed the fuedal theme system, and he had marched back across Anatolia to invade Persia itself. But now, the whole war hung in the balance, as the Avars besieged Constantinople again, and a Persian raid came ever so close to reaching them. Ever so close...
******************
Alas, the weather makes jests of our best laid plans.
Heraclius had been sure enough of Constantinoples defenses, that he had been able to invade Persia itself, without worry for the capital. The Avars could not breach the defenses, and the Persians could not make it across the straits. The capital was safe.
Or was it?
The Mediterranean is not particularly known for its storms, especially not the sunny Aegean, but it is no stranger to them. The raging storm that roared up the Sea of Mamara, a caprice of the weather that was caused by nothing more than a butterflys wing, caught the Byzantine navy very much by surprise. Ships were turned and tossed in the great harbor of Constantinople, and much of the fleet was greatly damaged.
The night following the storm, the Persians managed to make a bridge of boats across the Bosporus, as Xerxes had done so many years before, and they gained the other shore. The siege engines were set up, and thus, in late 626, the city of Constantinople fell to combined Avar and Persian forces.
******************
Heraclius had been away on campaign in Colchis at that time, across the Black Sea from his fallen capital. But now he raced to come to their aid, along the coast. Part of the Roman fleet had fled from the fall of Constantinople into the Black Sea, and they supported him, but he did not have nearly the full strength; the rest of the fleet had scattered around the empire.
His army marched through Pontus, and came along the coast to nearly the site that the Persians themselves had been only a few months ago; near Chalcedon. Here, though, they met the Persian army, under their emperor, Khozrau II, along with Avar allies. And in their rear appeared the army of Shahrbaraz, a famed general of Persia, who had shadowed him from Colchis all the way to this site. The decisive battle of the war would be fought here, the decisive battle that decided the fate of the Byzantine Empire.
******************
Heraclius took position on a ridge towards the east of the battlefield. The troops from the Roman themes, drawn up in battle formation, arrayed in neat lines, waited for the Persians. Their spears glimmered in the rays of sunlight that streamed through breaks in the canopy of the dense forest that covered the slope of the hill. The Roman cataphracts and other cavalry were drawn up in the rear, ready to reinforce any part of the line, or protect the flanks from Persian attack. The Khazars, their mercenary allies, were to their south, protecting their flank from Persian assault.
The Persians and Avars drew up in a crescent formation, confident and impetuous. The Persian main guard, cavalry and infantry mixed protecting the emperor, was drawn up on a slope opposite the Roman main force, with a gully in between. The Avars were drawn up to the north, on flatter ground that lent itself to their mounted warriors better.
Meanwhile, to their south, Shahrbaraz aligned his forces also for battle, on a flat, forested plain. His men were rather impatient, as they had been following the Romans for a month now, but he bid them be calm, and screened his main force with cavalry to prevent the Romans from attacking him while he drew up, as they held the high ground above him.
The battle was set. The pieces had finished moving into place, and Chalcedon began.
******************
Khozrau had something of a mind to envelope the Romans from north and south, ala Cannae. He was a student of classical history, as much as Heraclius was. He had the numbers that Hannibal had not, and the superior position. Besides, he reasoned, Heraclius would stay on his hill, safe and sound. He would not abandon his protection.
Khozrau sent forth his Avar allies to attack the northern flank of the Romans.
Heraclius saw the cavalry of the Avars move steadily towards his right flank. He ordered the spearmen of that part of the line to hold steadfast, to lock their shields and defend like the Greek Phalanxes of old. He sent a small contingent of cavalry to guard their flank, but not the better part of his force. That he sent on another mission, one that would define this chapter of the Eastern Roman Empire. For good or for ill, Heraclius had thrown the dice.
The cataphracts of the Roman army led a charge, purple banners rippling with the white cross emblazoned upon them, thousands of cavalry, followed by a horde of heavily armored infantry. They plunged down the western slope of the hill, into the valley, and then they started to cross over, beginning the way back up. Up the western hill, towards the banner of Khozrau.
Meanwhile, the Khazars went south, to attack Shahrbaraz, and to hold him off. That was their only instruction, and initially, at least, they held true to that. But in the course of an afternoon, much can change.
Shahrbaraz sent an envoy to the Khazar leader. He promised something better than what the Byzantines could give him. He promised the Khazars an empire. They took the bribe, and just like that, nearly a quarter of the already outnumbered Roman force had changed sides.
******************
The Roman cavalry thundered up the western hill, but they suffered terrible losses before they made contact, with a rain of Persian arrows falling upon their cataphracts. Yet still they struggled onwards, and came onwards.
Khozrau lost his patience. He sounded the attack.
The Persian cavalry thundered down the hill, supported by their own infantry, and they clashed with the Persian lines, but only for a few moments. Then the tide turned, and the purple was sent falling back, across the valley. Their rout seemed complete, until the Persians came to the nadir of the valley and now up the eastern hill.
Then a thousand more Roman cavalry plunged down, having heretofore been hidden by the forests of that hill. They plunged through their own troops, and then led them on, punching through the Persian battle line. The Roman troops ascended the western hill.
Khozrau had the setting sun in his eyes; it was hard to see exactly what was going on in the valley. And then the sound of hooves reached him. Something was wrong; his forces could not have been victorious so soon. Then a banner covered the setting sun for a moment, and he saw that it was purple, with a white cross.
He panicked, and ordered his men forward in a reckless charge again. But the Romans tided over his army, and soon he was in the midst of the fighting himself.
Now, though, the Persians and the Khazars from the south flanked the Roman army themselves. Shahrbaraz led the troops himself, cutting down Heraclius and smashing into the rear of the Roman army. The battle line of the Romans began to collapse, and there seemed to be no end to the Persians that attacked them. Carried away from the actual fighting himself, Khozrau allowed himself a moment of peace.
He never saw the arrow that struck him in the eye. Nor would those who gave his body a royal burial after the battle realize that it was no Roman arrow, but a Persian one.
I'd say checking the list of available smilies would be a start 
. As for LINESII, I dunno, I kinda lost interest when my main plan in update 3 completely didn't happen and you never replied to my PM'd inquiry on why it didn't happen...plus the fact that I really didn't want to have to look after Dula-whatever (aurochs for gods sake 
) in the first place...I'll catch up on the thread tomorrow and decide if I want to stay in.
