Another victory like this one... - A Pyrrhus of Epirus Timeline (Chapter II)
At first, it seemed successful enough, unwilling to let Pyrrhus enjoy his natural barrier, Laevinus had woken his army at the crack of dawn, sending them to cross the river as soon as possible, and if the Gods would have it, before Pyrrhus got his pants on, or his troops he supposed. Valerius was determined to win a great victory for himself, in Rome, the great military man thrived, and Publius indeed, meant to thrive and win the respect of his peers. He was Consul, but he could be far more.
The battlefield was a clear and large plain in the lands of Lukania, cut through by the river Siris a narrow though quick stream, and a forest on the north and south, between the towns of Heraclea and Pandosia, Greek colonies the both of them.
The army the senate had given him the command of was the model of Roman legions. Under his leadership, he had been entrusted some two Legions of Roman citizens, with two alae of allies, Etruscans, Umbrians and Campanians, the Lucanians and Samnites were absent, having thrown in their lot with the invader. Twenty thousand men in all, with six hundred Equites, and a thousand more allied riders.
The Equites and Socii cavalry crossed the river Siris first galloped forwards and advanced to the other side of the stream, Pyrrhus' light infantry and riders fleeing before them, off to warn their king, doubtlessly he had thought. The main maniples then attempted to cross the river themselves, first the Leves and the Rorarii to find and harass the enemy, then the Hastati, in cloth and bronze and armed with swords, followed close behind with the spear-armed Principes. Then finally, the Hoplite-like Triarii formed the last line, red banners and standards strewn around his host, golden eagles sewn on them fluttering in the wind, proclaiming Rome's glory to all that saw it.
He saw the first sign then.
Pyrrhos was not a stupid man, he had ordered his men up and running at the same time as Laevinus had, the Phalanx was formed and ready, dozens of squares of men, sixteen shields across, sixteen shields deep, looking like a hedgehog of wood, iron and death. Hypaspists and Tarantine hoplites guarded the flanks, their larger shields much more conspicuous.
Heralded by a flight of birds, Thessalian and Tarantine riders, armed with javelins and spears and armoured in bronze and leather or not at all charged out of the woods and ambushed the Roman cavalry. The Equites seemed near impotent, unable to catch the quicker enemy horsemen, while the Greeks themselves had little trouble killing the Equites with their javelins. Finally, the Equites were routed, some drowning in the river, or cut down by the Greeks.
That was not the worst it got, unfortunately.
Archers (who Laevinus recognized as Cretans by their shield) Rhodian slingers and peltasts ran out of the Epirote phalanx and pelted the front-line with arrows, javelins, spears rocks and lead bullets, the unarmored Rorarii and Leves stood no chance, and a great many of the Hastati as well were slaughtered while the rest ran back to the main line, regrouping behind the Triarii.
Furious, he ordered the Hastati forward. Pyrrhos' skirmishers fleeing behind the Greek line. The young Hastati charged the Phalanx, in order and discipline, throwing their pila, and while the Greeks reeled from the impact, threw themselves into the teeth of the Epirote iron hedgehog.
The Hastati attempted to get inside the pikes, but the Phalangites held. Any time some poor soul got in among the spears, he was stabbed by the three other pikes behind that one. Showing no progress, he then ordered the Principes forward, the Triarii and the Socii infantry to the flanks. Whilst the Principes and Hastati engaged the Phalanx, the Triarii and the alae would force out the flanks and envelop the Epirotes.
Seven times the Principes charged, seven times they were thrown back, the Triarii were giving a hard fight, and it looked like the Greek flanks were giving way. Pyrrhos' Hetairoi reinforced them however, the King of Epirus' presence alone seemed to reinvigorate his men, who must hold great admiration for him.
Then his defeat was sealed.
Rejoining their King, the Tarantine and Thessalian cavalry returned, charging the rear of his line, with his own cavalry routed, Laevinus could do little against them, they cut a bloody swath through the back of his maniples, getting in among his men and seeding great confusion, their javelins flying high, and when they ran out, the pulled out their swords and continued the slaughter.
But that was not the worst.
Out of the murky shadows of the forests surrounding the battlefield, twenty great shapes formed, magnificent grey beasts, taller than any man or horse, and much heavier than either charged his line, throwing up men like playthings, killing them or stabbing them with their tusks while the archers, mounted on towers on their back loosed arrows into the Roman formations. The Greeks pushed forward now, with the Roman host thrown into disarray by Pyrrhos.
Publius Valerius Laevinus was shocked into silence and horror, his heart thumped in his chest, sweat drippled down his forehead. One of his officers advised him to return to Rome while he had the chance, “A man who flees lives to fight another day, a man who dies, does not.” he told Laevinus. Publius did not need to be told, he turned and fled, his army, then passed from fear to open terror, they too fled and deserted the line, the Phalanx pushing them to the river where most of them drowned or died by the spearpoints of Greek pikes.
Laevinus lived to fight another day, perhaps. But his army would not.
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Excerpt from “Pyrrhos Megas, Greatest Commander of the Ancient World” by Arrian.
The Battle of Heraclea was perhaps the greatest victory Pyrrhos had won in his lifetime. On the fields of Lucania, Rome had its back cracked open by the Alexandrian/Pyrrhan Phalanx, setting the latter forever above the Manipular legions Rome had employed at the time of Pyrrhos Megas. The Commentary of Pyrrhos claims the Romans lost thirty thousand men, while Dionysus claims only twenty thousand died on the Roman side, with a further ten thousand taken prisoner while the Greeks took less than a thousand casualties according to Greek sources and five thousand according to Latin ones, although modern estimates put the dead on the Greek side at a thousand and a half at best.
---------------------------
I've always found Pyrrhus a fascinating character, and someone who had great potential, obviously a very good commander and perhaps the last chance for the Greeks to abort Roman supremacy. IRL, the only reason the Roman army wasn't destroyed completely OTL was because of one of the elephants panicked and charged the Phalanx, buying time for the Romans to GTFO, in here, Pyrrhus' cavalry enjoy greater advantage and the one elephant doesn't run amok, which brings the consequences I illustrated above.
I'll include History-Book and Narrative sections both, as you can see, so if you don't like one you can read the other.
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Death on the Siris
Publius Valerius Laevinus watched his army shatter and die before his own eyes. In truth, he suspected he should have seen it coming. Underestimating your enemy was perhaps not the best way to go about fighting a battle.
At first, it seemed successful enough, unwilling to let Pyrrhus enjoy his natural barrier, Laevinus had woken his army at the crack of dawn, sending them to cross the river as soon as possible, and if the Gods would have it, before Pyrrhus got his pants on, or his troops he supposed. Valerius was determined to win a great victory for himself, in Rome, the great military man thrived, and Publius indeed, meant to thrive and win the respect of his peers. He was Consul, but he could be far more.
The battlefield was a clear and large plain in the lands of Lukania, cut through by the river Siris a narrow though quick stream, and a forest on the north and south, between the towns of Heraclea and Pandosia, Greek colonies the both of them.
The army the senate had given him the command of was the model of Roman legions. Under his leadership, he had been entrusted some two Legions of Roman citizens, with two alae of allies, Etruscans, Umbrians and Campanians, the Lucanians and Samnites were absent, having thrown in their lot with the invader. Twenty thousand men in all, with six hundred Equites, and a thousand more allied riders.
The Equites and Socii cavalry crossed the river Siris first galloped forwards and advanced to the other side of the stream, Pyrrhus' light infantry and riders fleeing before them, off to warn their king, doubtlessly he had thought. The main maniples then attempted to cross the river themselves, first the Leves and the Rorarii to find and harass the enemy, then the Hastati, in cloth and bronze and armed with swords, followed close behind with the spear-armed Principes. Then finally, the Hoplite-like Triarii formed the last line, red banners and standards strewn around his host, golden eagles sewn on them fluttering in the wind, proclaiming Rome's glory to all that saw it.
He saw the first sign then.
Pyrrhos was not a stupid man, he had ordered his men up and running at the same time as Laevinus had, the Phalanx was formed and ready, dozens of squares of men, sixteen shields across, sixteen shields deep, looking like a hedgehog of wood, iron and death. Hypaspists and Tarantine hoplites guarded the flanks, their larger shields much more conspicuous.
Heralded by a flight of birds, Thessalian and Tarantine riders, armed with javelins and spears and armoured in bronze and leather or not at all charged out of the woods and ambushed the Roman cavalry. The Equites seemed near impotent, unable to catch the quicker enemy horsemen, while the Greeks themselves had little trouble killing the Equites with their javelins. Finally, the Equites were routed, some drowning in the river, or cut down by the Greeks.
That was not the worst it got, unfortunately.
Archers (who Laevinus recognized as Cretans by their shield) Rhodian slingers and peltasts ran out of the Epirote phalanx and pelted the front-line with arrows, javelins, spears rocks and lead bullets, the unarmored Rorarii and Leves stood no chance, and a great many of the Hastati as well were slaughtered while the rest ran back to the main line, regrouping behind the Triarii.
Furious, he ordered the Hastati forward. Pyrrhos' skirmishers fleeing behind the Greek line. The young Hastati charged the Phalanx, in order and discipline, throwing their pila, and while the Greeks reeled from the impact, threw themselves into the teeth of the Epirote iron hedgehog.
The Hastati attempted to get inside the pikes, but the Phalangites held. Any time some poor soul got in among the spears, he was stabbed by the three other pikes behind that one. Showing no progress, he then ordered the Principes forward, the Triarii and the Socii infantry to the flanks. Whilst the Principes and Hastati engaged the Phalanx, the Triarii and the alae would force out the flanks and envelop the Epirotes.
Seven times the Principes charged, seven times they were thrown back, the Triarii were giving a hard fight, and it looked like the Greek flanks were giving way. Pyrrhos' Hetairoi reinforced them however, the King of Epirus' presence alone seemed to reinvigorate his men, who must hold great admiration for him.
Then his defeat was sealed.
Rejoining their King, the Tarantine and Thessalian cavalry returned, charging the rear of his line, with his own cavalry routed, Laevinus could do little against them, they cut a bloody swath through the back of his maniples, getting in among his men and seeding great confusion, their javelins flying high, and when they ran out, the pulled out their swords and continued the slaughter.
But that was not the worst.
Out of the murky shadows of the forests surrounding the battlefield, twenty great shapes formed, magnificent grey beasts, taller than any man or horse, and much heavier than either charged his line, throwing up men like playthings, killing them or stabbing them with their tusks while the archers, mounted on towers on their back loosed arrows into the Roman formations. The Greeks pushed forward now, with the Roman host thrown into disarray by Pyrrhos.
Publius Valerius Laevinus was shocked into silence and horror, his heart thumped in his chest, sweat drippled down his forehead. One of his officers advised him to return to Rome while he had the chance, “A man who flees lives to fight another day, a man who dies, does not.” he told Laevinus. Publius did not need to be told, he turned and fled, his army, then passed from fear to open terror, they too fled and deserted the line, the Phalanx pushing them to the river where most of them drowned or died by the spearpoints of Greek pikes.
Laevinus lived to fight another day, perhaps. But his army would not.
---------------------------------------------------------------
Excerpt from “Pyrrhos Megas, Greatest Commander of the Ancient World” by Arrian.
The Battle of Heraclea was perhaps the greatest victory Pyrrhos had won in his lifetime. On the fields of Lucania, Rome had its back cracked open by the Alexandrian/Pyrrhan Phalanx, setting the latter forever above the Manipular legions Rome had employed at the time of Pyrrhos Megas. The Commentary of Pyrrhos claims the Romans lost thirty thousand men, while Dionysus claims only twenty thousand died on the Roman side, with a further ten thousand taken prisoner while the Greeks took less than a thousand casualties according to Greek sources and five thousand according to Latin ones, although modern estimates put the dead on the Greek side at a thousand and a half at best.
---------------------------
I've always found Pyrrhus a fascinating character, and someone who had great potential, obviously a very good commander and perhaps the last chance for the Greeks to abort Roman supremacy. IRL, the only reason the Roman army wasn't destroyed completely OTL was because of one of the elephants panicked and charged the Phalanx, buying time for the Romans to GTFO, in here, Pyrrhus' cavalry enjoy greater advantage and the one elephant doesn't run amok, which brings the consequences I illustrated above.
I'll include History-Book and Narrative sections both, as you can see, so if you don't like one you can read the other.
-----------------------------
Summary
Act I: Italy
Chapter I: Death on the Siris
Chapter II: Venusia
Chapter III:
Part I: Campania, Oh Campania
Part II: Battle of Neapolis
Act II...
Act I: Italy
Chapter I: Death on the Siris
Chapter II: Venusia
Chapter III:
Part I: Campania, Oh Campania
Part II: Battle of Neapolis
Act II...
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While Pyrrhos is played by an obviously experienced human player?
