The scrolls of Rome

[Nescitus]

Earth 18 Civs, Prince, Epic speed. Story starts in 200 BC, in medias res, as the ancient rethoricians would want it. Some of the past events will be related as "history", as there was not much drama in them.

Chapter I. Road to Damascus

Caesar was not too pleased with the recent military reports. On the other hand the messenger, a simple, square-shouldered legionary, was visibly overjoyed. The courtiers, too, tried not to chuckle, seeing his pale face and swollen eyes, unmistakable signs of the good time he has spent in the Roman taverns last evening. Yet his tale of the siege of Mecca unfolding before them was not clear-cut at all. The desert city has fallen, as did Damascus a couple of months ago, but at a tremendous cost.

At first all went well, though not exactly according to the plan. Praetorians from the three elite units nicknamed “Greek Legions” (not because of the soldier’s origin, but in memory of the glorious victories form over a century ago – battles of Sparta, Athens and Corinth) did their job respectfully. Before the siege they dispatched several counterattacking units, mostly peasant’s militias and chariots fielded by the local Arab nobles. This was the first thing that worried Caesar. Seeing through the futile actions of Saladin’s soldiers, he sensed a danger. Uncoordinated attacks, even though doomed from the outset, seemed to convey a threatening message. There was a hell of a difference between the enemies merely “fleeing like chickens” and “being slaughtered like cattle” (like the boasting messanger used to put it). In short, they wanted to fight.

And there was something more. Caesar was disturbed by the very notion of The Greek Legions running after desert warriors. From the training, they were supposed to be city raiders, siege experts, and not the field units. It’s true that they had learned the basics, and learned them well – after all, the historical name of The Greek Legions was an obligation to reckon with. But then, they were expected to excel at something else – breaking walls, shielding against enemy archers, wreaking havoc amongst the city defenders. And they simply weren’t ordered to do it this time.

After a long thought, Caesar asked:

- So general Licinius wanted The Greek Legions to go after, ekhem, the locals wanting to be slaughtered like cattle, and thrown the rookies against the city itself?
- Sire – the messanger’s face for once turned grave – I was in the first legion that attacked Mecca. I don’t know if we had a proper training before the battle, it’s not my job after all, as a corporal I only yell at the soldiers to stay in the line, nothing more. But right now we aren’t rookies, I dare say.

Now it was Ceasar’s turn to smile:

- Well said, if slightly too verbose for a simple soldier… – and reflecting briefly on corporal’s genuine affection for his unit, he added – …of a Meccan Legion. So be it, I might as well honour Your unit with a name. But let’s go back to business. You and your people attacked Mecca first, made a breach in the wall, lost two thirds of manpower regrouping under the shiver of arrows, but managed to retain formation and withdraw. Not bad for a field unit, not bad at all. But what was the field unit doing there in the first place?
- Obeying orders, sire – corporal clearly took the comment about the verbosity to his heart.
- And so were the soldiers of the 7th and the 8th Legion, that went into the battle just after you, never to return. Soldier, do you understand what I am getting at?
- That they were rookies?
- No. They were your fellows from the field units thrown against a city on a hill – less fortunate, less prepared, perhaps even less valiant, I may admit that… But equally out of place during the siege.

It was clear now. Licinius wanted to protect the legendary units. In other words, he expected severe casualties in the battle against dark-skinned Arabian archers defending their own city. To put it yet another way, old general’s decision ruthlessly exposed the fact that the whole offensive against Saladin was ill-conceived. Or even more simply: it shown that Caesar was wrong.

Most of that was probably beyond the grasp of the corporal. He’d defend Caesar’s decisions wholeheartedly, if someone questioned them in his presence. Similarly, he felt obliged to say something in favour of Licinius. At last, he ventured to murmur:

- The Athenian Legion conducted the last storm – he ventured.

Caesar smiled at that.

- Wouldn’t the 6th, akhem, that is The Meccan Legion, win that last debacle as well, depleted as it has been?
- Yes, sir, in all probability we’d cope with that. But who am I to question the wisdom of general Licinius?
- You are a good man… - ekhem, what’s your name? – Caesar asked.
- Marcus, Sire.
- I must leave now, but let it be known that You are much to my liking. Marcus of The Meccan Legion, uh? Ask my servants to fetch You some wine.
- I’d prefer them not to – the corporal said in a shaky voice. The courtiers, and even Caesar himself, broke into a hearty, good-mannered laughter.

 

[dot]

Hey, nice story. I'll subscribe to this and suggest to add one or the other screenie.

 

[Nescitus]

noted. the next installment will be with screenies.

 

[Nescitus]

Chapter I. Road to Damascus (2- contd.)

For the rest of the early afternoon, Caesar wished to remain alone. He had an awful lot to think about. The war wasn’t going as smoothly as he expected. The attack on the relatively unknown territory has proven to be strategically unsound – in fact, in the grand scheme of things, Damascus would have been enough. Caesar, as a self-professed historian, knew that very well. Barring the early period of capturing the rich French and Spanish lands, Roman armies tended to move eastwards, securing ever larger chunks of seaside, as if trying to secure The Mediterrean all for themselves. In fact, slogan “Sea is power” has been constantly repeated in the Roman military academies. It has been a little bit strange, since it directed the strategy primarily based on the land conquest – armies marched on with their tired eyes focused on the dusty roads, civilians came later and harvested the riches of the seas.

It must be admitted: Romans had a thing for the sea. Their empire started as a half-starved fishing village, whose thin and pale inhabitants used to repeat a proverb “Take my bread, but leave my boat”, showing what they really lived on. Things were much different now, but strategy of securing the shore has been alive and well, only the means changed. Gone were the carpenters wielding their axes and considering war an unwanted distraction from their primary job. Now everything rested on the shoulders of fully professional soldiers, the praetorians.

Taking all of this into account, the correct strategy would be to stop at Damascus, sue for peace and turn against Egypt, securing its fertile delta and ensuring that ever planned colonization of the African shore would go on uninterrupted for a long time (that is, until the Malinese would pose a significant threat).

On the other hand, all that could be gained even from the complete annihilation of the Arab empire, would be a strip of desert and long border with the warlike Persians. Damn it, if Cyrus had guts, it would be like inviting him to strike even right now.



The war, as always, had also its internal consequences. Ordered to turn the troops back, Licinius might have presented it like taking a victory away from the worthy general and turn his favourite Athenian Legions against Caesar himself. In fact, years ago Caesar did the same thing, when his grand plan of taking on Russia was halted. His coup d’etat has proven successful, people loved him, and over the course of years he has proven himself to be much more than a renegade general. Ironically, someone who managed to cross the thin red line between a traitor and a man of destiny, devoted much of his early efforts to law and order. Courthouses flourished in just about every Roman city, and the considerable effort was taken to train a new breed of clercs and office workers, styling themselves “civil servants”. Also the military strategy that was presented as the reason of overthrowing the old governement has been discarded. Instead of battling for Russian forests, Caesar vowed to follow the usual mediterraenian policy. But all of that - re-shaping of the society, new-old strategy and even the very the position of a good and fortunate ruler that has been expected to take a notable place in history - stemmed from his frustrated military ambitions.

That matter directed Caesar’s thoughts to Licinius and his unusual orders. They showed one thing for sure – the general was a real man, capable of acting on his own behalf, just like rebellious Caesar years ago. He was a force to reckon with, be it as an opponent or an ally. If someone asked the ruler of Rome for an opinion – if someone dared to ask that question in the first place, not caring for the consequences either to Licinius or to himself – the leader would be forced to admit that he had no definite answer at hand. Licinius came as close to violating marching orders as it has been possible without actually doing so. In fact, Caesar might have blamed himself for his usual laconic style:

“Concentrate at Corinth. Capture Damascus. Regroup. Attack Mecca. Prepare for the siege of Medina, if feasible. Greek Legions take cities.”

And there was a minor issue over which he paused briefly – that Marcus and his comment about Athenian Legion conducting the last attack – the comment that has been more to the point than most of the things Caesar usually heard from his advisors. He concluded that it would be advisable – just in case – to collect some information about the background of the corporal: place of birth, career, political views, if any.