Fall of the West: An AAR from Rise and Fall of the Roman Empire

It has been one hundred long years since the reign of Sol Invicti Comites, Constantine, Companion of the Unconquered Sun died. It has been 600 years since Carthage was brought to its knees. Where is that same power? The one Roman Empire has been split in two on the death of Theodosius the Great, who left his idiotic child Honorius as Emperor of the western part of the Empire. Gone are the days of glory where the Emperor would rise to the purple on the top of shields to the aclaim of the army and to the cheers of the populance. Those days of glory are gone. We are not even true Romans any more. In the east, the court in Constantinople is more akin to the satraps of the east, with the incense, silks, and damask. We cannot even claim to be the real Roman Empire, and we are ruled by a child from Ravenna. We have recieved word from barbarian chieftans in the Barbaricum that the great lord of the Huns, Uldin is readying his horde. These will be dark days for the Roman Empire. Flagellum Dei! Deus lo vult!-The historian Taulas Marcelianus


The Imperial Court at Ravenna


Hadrians Wall

In the year of our Lord 402, a great horde under the Hunnic warlord Uldin marched into the Ducate of Pannonia and laid waste to the area. The local Roman forces were unable to resist the tide and retreated to the fortifications.


The greatest part of the Hunnic host moved toward the important garrison fort and administrative central; Pannonia in an atempt to take it by storm. The garrison comander Stilicho Flavius gathered stores of food for the city and prepared his army to meet the Huns.


Two alae of Batavian Cavalry were the first to meet the Huns. The engagement was over fast, and the results inconclusive. Fortunatly the Hunnic cavalry were to take no further part in the battle while the Roman cavalry retired to the relative saftey of Pannonia.



Despite subduing numerous barbarian tribes, the Huns were unable to make much headway on Pannonia due to their almost complete lack of siege equipment. Due to this, the Roman Comitatenses were able to keep the walls.


Despite the Huns focusing their efforts on Pannonia, some tribes of the Hun confederacy did not follow Uldin to the Siege of Pannonia, instead they tried to sieze other Roman cities in the Balkans to little avail.


The Hunnic Warlord Uldin knew that if he failed in the Siege of Pannonia, he would loose political influence in his confederation, and might possibly face a civil war, so he threw everything he had into taking Pannonia.

As Uldin saw his troops getting slaughtered trying to take Pannonia, doubt gnawed at him. What if he were to fail? Would the Romans exploit that as they always had, buying spineless leaders with their gold? He pushed that thought from his mind. Pannonia will be taken.


As the Hunnic assault retired to its camp for the night, the Roman garrison saw its chance to ambush a group of Hun cavalry, they first ordered their archers to sally out of the city and ambush the Huns. The ambush failed and the archers were slaughtered almost to a man.


To try and cover the flight of the archers, the injured Roman cavalry sallied out of the gate and charged the Huns. The charge broke the inital line of Hun Cavalry who fled, colliding into and disrupting the advancing cavalry.


To take advantage of the confusion in the ranks, the Roman Comitatenses charged into the wavering Hun line. Despite the fierceness of the Huns, cavalry can not stay in a thick melee with fully armoured and well disciplined footsoldiers. The Huns fled and the Roman cavalry pursued and cut them down like wheat.


Upon seeing their cavalry flee, the rest of Hun horde decided they might as well leave the siege. To help convince the Huns to leave, Roman gold was 'captured'. With their pockets full of gold, the Huns began leaving in droves. A few Hun warbands Rome managed to bribe to fight as Foederati, allies.


By the time the year 406 came around, the Hun threat in Pannonia was all but gone. A few Hun chiefs set themselves up as petty warlords in minor outposts scatter througout Pannonia, but they were soon crushed by the might of Rome.​

However, Rome could not find peace. In that same year as the great triumph in the Balkans, the great Rhine river froze, allowing numerous Vandals and Alan barbarians to cross into Roman territory. This was no mere raid like the Allemanii staged. This was a full fledged armed migration through the heart of Europe. With most of its troops and its able generals away in Pannonia, the European part of the empire would have to face the Vandal horde alone.

In the Balkans, mop-up operations were proceeding well, and in that part of the Empire at least, there was peace.


Unfortunatly the majority of the Vandal horde had rampaged through Gaul, and had arrived in Hispania. Further adding to the disasterousness of the situation, the military governor of Hispania, Plainarius; had been appointed there due to sheer nepotism by one of the court officials seeking to elevate his drunkard of a nephew. Because of this, he had made no preparations to resist the Vandals.


Back along the frontier of the Barbaricum (the land not in the Roman or Sassanid Empire), the Rhine Invaders had been stopped by the Limitani forts and the city of Kimberi. The Vandal vanguard was caught unaware in an ambush and the city settled down into a siege.


In Hispania, the Vandals began their conquest by siezing the minor port city of Iruna. The small garrison of Auxilia Palatina fought bravely, but the Vandal heavy cavalry managed to storm the city.



In northern Britain, despite the constant incursions of Pictii raiders, the Emperor Honrius was considering recalling the legions to help deal with the crisis developing in Gaul and Spain. The defense of Britain was tying up nearly a full tenth of the Empires field army. The legions there were becoming an expensive denense.


All across the empire, barbarians were raiding it. Even the usualy peaceful Numidians tried raiding Leptis Magna, despite a full contingent of Batavian cavalry being present. The raid failed, but the governor of North Africa, Boniface; was now worried about more Numidian incursions, but he could not call up troops as he had no money.


Back near the Barbaricum along the Rhine, the Rhine Invaders were still trying to take the city of Kimberi. Although the garrison consisted of only a few comitatus, it had been reinforced by contingents of Alemanii cavalry.



Despite the fact that the Siege of Kimberi was going well for the Romans, it was met with dark news back at Ravenna. In Hispania, the Vandals had been sieging the city of Albacete. Initialy the Vandals made no progress, but the garrison comander was half-Vandal, and under bribes he opened the gates to the Vandal horde. The remaining men of the garrison were forced to take refuge in the citadel where they were starved out.

With the fall of Albacete, the Vandals had a central position in Hispania from which to raid the surrounding areas, which they did with gusto. The main target of their raids, including the city of Malaga, which was to become a key point in the Vandal War.


Finaly forced to action, the military governor of Hispania, Plainarius; reluctantly gathered a small army and marched out to meet the Vandals and Albacete. The force was completly inadaquate compared to the Vandal force, but it was hoped it would be enough.


While Plainarius was marching out to meet the Vandals, the Siege of Kimberi was over with a Roman victory. It was further increased as many Vandals were bought by the Romans and enlisted as Foederati.


Despite the increase in the Roman morale after hearing about the victory at Kimberi, the Vandal army in Hispania managed to crush it, mainly because of the idiocy of Plainarius. The king of the Vandals, Geiseric; had no wish to stay in Hispania as even now Roman forces were moving against them. When Geiseric heard Plainarius was nearing Albacete, he marched his army south toward the city of Malaga, enabling him to cross to North Africa. Farther away from the might of Rome. To keep Plainarius from immediatly storming the city, he left many of his banners on the walls making it seem as though the Vandal army was there, delaying Plainarius's attack. Only later did he learn that it was a trick. With this final humiliation, Plainarius's wife, Helena sized command and usurped him as military governor of Hispania. The soldiers and the officials back in Ravenna were surprised by this but had no real problems with it reasoning that anyone had to be better than Plainarius. Besides, Constantinople was in effect being ruled by the Empress Eudocia as opposed her husband the Emperor Arcadius.


Despite the forced march mandated by Helena, they arrived at Malaga just in time to see the city fall. All they were able to do is destroy their siege engines and settle down into a siege, which developed into a stalemate.


However dark it seemed at Malaga, a treaty had just been signed between Ravenna and the Burgundii, allowing them to settle inside the Empire near Vienne in exchange for military service as Numeri. Fleeing from the Huns, the Burgundians agreed.


The Burgundian Numeri were summoned to Ravenna, where they were armed and put under the command of Constantine Julianus and they were marched toward Malaga where it was hoped they might be able to turn the tide and break the stalemate.

Part 3

Despite the Vandals abandoning the city of Albacete, the Roman Army of Hispania did not sieze the city, as they were trying to itercept the Vandals before they got to Malaga. This unfortunatly left the city open to conquest by any barbarian tribes wandering through. A detachment of Burgundian soldiers serving as mercenaries in the army defected, and siezed the city for the newborn Burgundian state. Not wishing to antagonize his allies, Honorius let them keep the city without a fuss.


Another key reason Honorius let the Burgundians keep the city, was that he had a complete crisis on his hands. The Vandals had crossed the Straits of Gibraltar and were pillaging a conquering their way across North Africa. The troops stationed in North Africa barely qualified as a Field Army, but the governor of North Africa, Boniface; called up every reservist to help him fight off the Vandals.




The Vandal horde moved far faster than Boniface had anticipated, and soon they were besieging the city of Hippo Regius, only a short way from the suburbs of Carthage. It was here that Boniface decided to meet the Vandal horde.



By the end of the battle, Boniface had realized he had made a terrible mistake. He had allowed himself to be drawn into a position that allow him no chance of retreat. His remaining troops were not strong enough to sally out and break the siege. The way to Carthage was almost completly open, except for the city of Uticia.



Meanwhile, back in Hispania, the Numeri Burgundii under the command of Constantine Julianus finaly arrived at Malaga. Desperate to break the siege, the commander there, Helena; quickly ordered them into the fray.


The Numeri Burgundii were slaughtered completly, but they had served their purpouse admirably. They had weakened the Vandals enough to allow the Comitatenses to take the city with minimal losses.



Despite the victory at Malaga, the situation in North Africa was deterioratine fast. And for the first time in many, many, years, Romes lack of an offesive navy showed through when the Vandals began raiding shipping, ports, and making it completly unsafe to ship any troops across the Mediterainian. Yet hope still exists. Hippo Regius still stands, and there are no hostile barbarian settlements on the continent at all.​

With Boniface's full army in Hippo Regius, it held out for a while, but surrounded on all sides, it eventualy fell. With the fall of Hippo Regius, there was no real army in North Africa able to oppose the Vandals. Pilliaging and burning as they went, they made their way toward Uticia.



The sole remaining cavalry regiment in North Africa was sent to Uticia to try and hold it from the Vandals. Usualy tied up defeating barbarian raids, it has hurridly sent to Uticia where it performed its duties well, completly smashing two divisions of Vandal cavalry and wounding a third. Despite this sucess, the Vandal infantry were unharmed, and they began the siege in earnest.


The situation in North Africa was fast deteriorating, and in Rome she was under pressure to marry a new General who would be more able than Boniface. She had no doubts that the next general she would marry would likely force her to abdicate. She appealed to Constantinople asking for military help. When her diplomats got there, they were met by the Emperor, Theododius II. He made it clear that over a dispute involving Armenia, the Eastern Roman Empire and the Sassanid Persians were at war, and Persia had just invaded the empire near Trebizond. No help would be coming from the east. With that statement he had condemned Uticia to be sacked by the Vandals.


Back in Uticia, the city was showing true Roman valor and courage, having repelled numerous Vandal attacks. Perhaps the city might hold? was the thought in Rome. Taking advantage of this lull, Galla Placedia hurridly gathered troops to meet in Rome to relieve Uticia.


When all the troops had been gathered in Rome, Galla put them under the command of Boniface and bid him to sail back to Carthage and relieve Uticia. Unfortunatly the Vandal navy was in the area around Corsica and sprang upon the unsuspecting Roman fleet. The fleet was annihilated and Boniface barely escaped back to Carthage in shame. He had brought with him no new troops. Uticia would fall, and then next Carthage. Soon, all of North Africa would be under Vandal rule.


Back in Rome, Galla Placedia had lost all political support. The leading statesman, Petronius Maximus, had pressured her into divorcing Boniface and marrying the young Dux of Pannonia, a Flavius Aetius. There was some initial discord about marrying Flavius Aetius. He was half barbarian for one thing! Despite that, Galla married him wishing to avoid another barbarian Kingmaker like Arbogast and Stilicho in the previous century. She appointed him Magister Millitum per Occidentalis, or Master of Soldiers of the West. He marched west to recapture the city of Iruna which had recently been recaptured by a rebel who joined the Vandals. The Siege went without issue, and he marched back into Rome in triumph. Cemented in his popularity he sent Galla Placedia to a monastery, adopter her son Valentian III, and gave himself the title of 'Advocate and Protector of Valentian III. Galla Placedia had expected more of an outcry, but the people of Rome wanted no more child emperors or aging Regents. They wanted a military strongman and they got one.


Throughout all of this, the Vandal navy was raiding the suburbs of Rome, burning and pillaging through rich farmland and villas.


Back in North Africa, the city of Uticia was holding out well, although it could not be expected to hold out much longer.


Back in Hispania, ships were being made around the clock to ferry the Hispanian army under Helena to North Africa where it would fall upon the Vandals rear.


In addition, Flavius Aetius had recently concluded a treaty with the Visigoths in exchange for military aid in the ensuing campaign against the Vandals. The Visigoths, in exchange for land in the empire, had agreed to supply 3 regiments of Numeri Visigothi.


But at what price was the military aid bought at? The Visigoths knew the empire was in dire need of military support, and the Visigothic people had grown tired of wandering around like nomands. They decided, southern Gaul would do nicely as a homeland.


In Rome, many were wondering if the military aid was worth having a large, cohesive barbarian state deep inside Roman territory. In rich farmland too. Is this how Rome will go, they wonder? Invite barbrians into the empire as allies, and then have them turn on you? That happened with the Vandals, and the Burgundians who were brought into deal with them were getting more uppity and doing some sabre-rattling back in Rome. Is this how Rome will fall? Eaten away bit by bit and bled white, until all thats left of that mightly empire is barbarian warlords tussling over her corpse?​

Unfortunatly, the city of Uticia could not hold out forever. In 448 AD, the Vandals breached the walls. In reparation for holding out so long, the Vandals held nothing back in their rampage. Everything of value that was moveable in the city the Vandals carried off. By the time they were done, half the city was up in flames. Later, this would be seen as an example of Vandal restraint, in the view of their capture of later cities. (Thats actualy how the term 'vandal' came to mean destruction of property. The Vandals were nottorius for holding nothing back when sacking a city. Case point, the historical capture of Carthage.)


Rome was not as shocked by this as usual, for in the year 450 AD, a great Hunnic horde under Attila the Hun invaded the Balkans. Attila the Hun, Flagellum Dei, The Scourge of God, has crossed into the land of the Empire after buring and pillaging in Thrace for many years. Deus lo vult.



Taking advantage of the crisis beyond crisis's in the Balkans, the Burgundii greedily choose this time to make a demand to the Empire. If they do not recieve more land, they will rise up in revolt and join the Huns. Wishing to avoid this at all costs, Flavius Aetius grants them their wish.​

Desperate now, Flavius Aetius appeals to the east for military supplies. The new Emperor, Marcian is unable to as he has to spread his forces very thin to cope with both the Persians in the east as he has already lost Trebizond and the cities of Carrhae and Sarmias are being threatened. In addition, he had cut off all peace gold to Attila, and in response, Attila has threatened to raze every city in the Balkans to the ground. No help will be coming from the east.


In the year 452 AD Attila the Hun lead his armies into Gaul and wherever he went he was unopposed and burned whatever he could find. He sacked the city of Gallia Belgica and devestated the area around the city of Aurelianum. Nothing could stand before the might of The Scourge of God.



In the Balkans Flavius Aetius was granted what appeared to be a bried respite. Attila the Hun apparenly is marching south to make good his threat to the Emperor Marcian. If that is true, the west may be able to repulse Attila in Gaul, and then be able to deal with him in the Balkans.


In Gaul, there was nothing that the local governors could do. All reserves had been sent to Hispania to deal with the Vandals. Troops were being recalled from Britain, but they would take nearly a month to get there. Flavius Aetius and his troops were away in the Balkans. Troops were also being recalled from the Allemani border in the Upper Danube, but those might not get there in time to counter Attila. People were fleeing, there was panic throughout the while province. In the East, far stronger than the West, had been unable to repulse the Huns, and only survived due to the Theodosian Walls. The west has no such defense. How can they repulse the Huns? Nothing could stand before The Scourge of God.


The Western Roman Empire has one able general left, Flavius Aetius. He is marching the Huns in Gaul, but he cannot leave the Balkans, the path to Rome, undefended. It is on his shoulders the fate of the Western Roman Empire, rides. Will Rome triumph once again over the barbarian hordes? Or will they be subdued by the hordes of uneducated, illiterate barbarians whose sole goal is in plunder and destruction? These are surely the last days of the Roman Empire.