Heart of the Republic - A Rome: Total War AAR
Part Twenty-Nine
The House of StevieJey II
216BC
The opening battles of the Iberian war were over, and StevieJey could be happy with its success. Since the Battle of Osca, Republic armies had been strengthened, giving greater options for the Generals. In addition, the landings at Carthago Nova had proved a success, with Killyouallus easily taking the city, though at the expense of most of his horse units. Cavalry tactics were still an underdeveloped school of warfare in the Republic.
Roman troops dont need a gates to enter a city
More concerning though, was the increase of naval attrition on the Mediterranean. Attacks continued from the navies of Gaul, Sarmatia, Iberia and an increasingly growing Carthaginian navy (where were they building them from, if their cities were still blockaded by the Roman fleet?) At present, the shipyards of Sicily were on full production, and replacing losses as a fast rate. Rome still ruled the western Mediterranean.
But that wasnt the only bad news, as the Republic was devastated by the loss of two of her generals. In the north, Captainus II was ambushed and killed while on a standard patrol of the Iuvavum province. His killers were Sarmatian, reminding the Senate that the northern borders were still not secure, even after the recent glorious victories there. As a Hero of Rome, Captainus was returned to the eternal city and placed alongside the other legends of the Republic. Any future heir would have a lot to live up to.
The other casualty was no less of a blow, though it was under more glorious circumstances. General Killyouallus, after conquering Carthago Nova and a large Iberian army at the River Guadiana, was finally halted at the city of Arse. A brave Iberian unit held their ground far better than expected, destroying any enemy that came too near. It took three cavalry charges and a final one on one with an elite Roman infantry division to finally dislodge and destroy them, but the General was among the casualties. Leaderless and seeking retribution, his soldiers burned the city in anger, killing any Iberian citizen they could find.
The new western coast of the Republic
These losses were slightly blunted by the falls of Emporiae by Thrawnus and Burgidala by the new General Tbus, and Killyouall could be easily replaced by his Lieutenant, Civvergus. However, it cant have escaped even the Consulars attention that the people of Rome were worried at what such deaths meant. Were the Gods angry at the decision to go to war with Iberia, a nation that had never threatened Rome, and had assisted in the Punic War against Carthage? If so, the blame lay directly in the hands of the man who had chosen to defy them! For now such musings could be easily ignored, all it would take to dispel them would be more victories in Iberia, victories that could be easily achieved with the powerful armies already there, and a new one being produced in Italy. What StevieJey failed to see however, was that the threat to his rule was a lot closer to Rome than he thought