Heart of the Republic - A Rome: Total War AAR
Part Five
At the insistence of the Senate, a campaign was launched deeper into southern Italy. Only the Greeks and a barbarian city controlled the region, and it was expected to be an easy campaign. General Tillus was to march south from Paestum and handover control of the garrison there to General PanzerKavalierus.
Meanwhile in central Italy a rebel force had risen near Ancona. They were a small force, believed to be guerrilla fighters who had formed after the capture of Corfinium. Now large enough to form an organised resistance, they announced their presence in the summer of 274 BC. They were wiped out within weeks.
Which, of course, boosted the morale of the southern armies, which quickly laid seige to the town of Rhegium. However they were quickly given new orders for an attack on the Greek city of Tarentum - a large Greek force under the command of famed general Phyrrus had attacked the Republic directly! Corfinium was under seige, and Consular Kan was furious. After spending so many years trying to smooth relations with the Greeks, they had thrown it back in his face! He declared that he would not rest until they had been kicked entirely out of the Italian peninsula. It was now a true war.
Greek scum!
As General Thrawnus gathered forces to defend the Republic, Tillus marched north - not to defend Corfinium, but to lay siege to Tarentum. He hoped that, at the very least, it would draw the Greek attackers away from the Republic. He was not wrong, as Phyrrus immediately attacked the Roman forces. The stage was set for the Battle of Tarentum - the first test of Roman strength against another civilised power.
It was hoped that it would be a very straightforward defence. All Tillus had to do was hold the lines against the Greek hoplites. However one factor made the situation very unstable - the enemy had war elephants. Very large war elephants, who were marching on Tillus right flank. As such, he deployed his strongest forces there to hopefully hold the elephants back from the central lines. He also ordered his cavalry to launch hit and run attacks to harass the enemy.
The lines collapse
It was a complete disaster. The elephants simply smashed straight through the Roman defenders as if they werent there. They pushed their way through three whole units before being bogged down by the first cavalry charge. As the flank crumbled, Tillus himself charged in, hoping to boost morale and help hold the line. He bought enough time for the troops to reorganise and beat off the first Greek infantry attack before being struck down himself. The General of Southern Italy was dead!
For the next hour the Roman forces continued to hold on, at first even forcing the Greek infantry to withdraw. However the strength of the war elephants and the arrival of Greek reinforcement sealed the Romans fate, and a full withdrawal was begun. The more organised units bravely held back the Greeks as others withdrew, and the cavalry even launched a final attack on the war elephants. Despite such a heroic effort, it was a retreat. Rome had lost the battle.
The war though, was to continue. As the remnants of the southern army returned to Paestum, Thrawnus own forces reinforced Corfinium. The Consular was determined to see through his plans to wipe the Greeks off the Italian map
Phyrrus must pay for this insult!
