Hadrian's Consolidation - reboot

[Dathi THorfinnsson]

They can't do anything besides crush the incursions themselves. The scythians will always be more mobile than the Romans, and can simply melt back into the endless steppe once beaten.

I agree that classic Roman armies couldn't. I also agree that it would be tough. Indeed, steppe nomads only ceased to be a major problem when gunpowder arrived.
OT3H, I suspect that if these, more inventive, Romans put their minds to it, they could wipe out the tribes that took part in the attacks. Bribe OTHER steppe groups to attack the ones you're focussed on. That's an easy first step. See if you can attack the herds and camps. A tactic the US Cavalry found very effective, although given the mobility of the steppe people's, and lack of gunpowder, they're not going to do as well.
The nomads herds and flocks. Directly kill the ones you can, burn the steppe so they starve, maybe even poison them.

Would it be hellaciously expensive? Yep. Would it involve genocide, and be morally abhorrent? Yeah, but that rarely stopped the Romans iOTL, let alone iTTL. Wouldi it deal with the steppe nomad problem permanently? Nope, not at all. Could it let you crush specific groups into extinction? I'll bet it could.

By extinction, I don't mean killing every last member, I mean killing the tribe - with the survivors being swallowed by other groups.

 

[Glyndwr01]

I agree that classic Roman armies couldn't. I also agree that it would be tough. Indeed, steppe nomads only ceased to be a major problem when gunpowder arrived.
OT3H, I suspect that if these, more inventive, Romans put their minds to it, they could wipe out the tribes that took part in the attacks. Bribe OTHER steppe groups to attack the ones you're focussed on. That's an easy first step. See if you can attack the herds and camps. A tactic the US Cavalry found very effective, although given the mobility of the steppe people's, and lack of gunpowder, they're not going to do as well.
The nomads herds and flocks. Directly kill the ones you can, burn the steppe so they starve, maybe even poison them.

Would it be hellaciously expensive? Yep. Would it involve genocide, and be morally abhorrent? Yeah, but that rarely stopped the Romans iOTL, let alone iTTL. Wouldi it deal with the steppe nomad problem permanently? Nope, not at all. Could it let you crush specific groups into extinction? I'll bet it could.

By extinction, I don't mean killing every last member, I mean killing the tribe - with the survivors being swallowed by other groups.

What if a roman archer comes up with this?

 

[Timmy811]

While I agree with that at this time, there will be a time when this Rome can start projecting power out. Losing a legion or more is bad but replaceable in a year more or less the Empire can handle that. Losing a steppe army stands to destroy that alliance/people as they have others under them or behind them. The steppe is vast but not endless.

It's endless enough. Even the Nazis couldn't advance fast enough into and the steppe, and they were fighting a settled enemy, not a mobile one.

 

[Hecatee]

Eblana, Hibernia, April 248


Eblana was now in sight after a short and uneventful crossing from Britannia. The small settlement was set on the shore of what the locals called Dubh Linn, the black pool, a well protected bay-like body of water on the side of the local river. For the six men of the crew it was the promise of drinks and whores, like every other port, although for their captain it was profit that was now in sight…

The town had about a hundred buildings, including four taverns and two temples, and was protected by a wooden wall that was being replaced by a stone wall that would make it the best defended place in all of Hibernia, a necessity for it was also the biggest target for every opportunistic bandit lord from the interior of the island.

While its population was mostly hibernian, about two dozen roman citizens also lived in the town, merchants who sold pricey such as metal objects, ceramics or richly dyed fabrics items to the tribesmen and bought what they had to export, mainly wool and some grain.

This year however trade was more interesting than usually because the romans had sent a vexilation of four centuries from the XX Valeria Victrix legion to help with the fortification work. The men were worked hard for building the new walls and towers and work on the

Rome’s power did not formally expend to Hibernia, but the sending of the vexilation was sign enough that it was more due to a lack of formal interest than to any technical impossibility…

--

The ship had landed and the formalities accomplished with the dock official. Half of the sailors were already gone to the nearest tavern, but the captain was still onboard when he was hailed from the shore. Going to the bridge, he saw a group of local. One seemed a chief, with four men as his escort, although two of them were actually guarding seven other persons covered in chains, a man, two women, a teenager and three children.

The man who seemed to be the leader saluted the captain : “When sailed, man. I understand you are a merchant come from the Empire which rules the large island of the Britons and lands further than the mind can imagine ?”

“True enough, I’m a trader born in Gaul, but plying my trade in the waters of Britannia. My name is Iodocus, son of Bricius. What can I do for you ?”

“Two things actually. Buy me those slaves and promise me to only sell them to those that would take them to the furthest border of the empire, so I never see them again. And sell me some good wine to celebrate their disparition from this island.”

On this base negociations started, soon concluded to everyone but the slaves’ satisfaction. Another warchief had managed to usurp his laird’s position, until he too would get murdered, succumb on the field of battle or, although very unlikely, die in his sleep…

 

[Hecatee]

A short update to celebrate my trip in Dublin this week-end. Now I just have to start writting my Saturnalia bonus chapters so that I may not have to write them while in Rome in 12 days...

 

[Wolttaire]

is this just happening in hiberina or is this being mirrored in many border regiosn with roman influence slowly creeping in and slowly growing gradually taking over a area?

 

[Hecatee]

is this just happening in hiberina or is this being mirrored in many border regiosn with roman influence slowly creeping in and slowly growing gradually taking over a area?

This level of intervention is unique to Hibernia, because the romans see it as a foothold for any future containgency while not being a threat to any of their operations, they would not help build up a town on the other borders because they don't wan't local stronghold with modern defenses that could serve as bases for hostile forces able to raid them.
On the other hand this kind of slave trade is very common on all borders, because all the neighboors know that Rome pays well and can be make someone disapear without blood being shed...

 

[Hecatee]

Somewhere in Northern Mesopotamia, May 248


The men of the turma were exhausted, as were their horses. They had been fighting for close to a month now, and had already lost a third of their comrades in arms. Yet each life had been paid dearly by the Scythians who’d come down from the Parthian lands.

The Romans, familiar with the lay of the land, used every water channel or rise of the ground to sneak on the invaders, showering them with arrows or falling onto smaller foraging parties, trying to kill the men and capture the horses.

Today was no exception, although it would be the last day on patrol before falling back to the legionary base in Antiocheia Mygdonia for rest and introducing replacements. At least if any were available… The turma was part of the Cohors Parthorum Veterana, one of the oldest units on the Eastern border of the Empire, and was attached to the XVI Flavia Firma legion, the main defensive unit in the 3 borders area between Parthia, Armenia and the Empire..

Earlier in the conflict the cohort’s cavalry had provided security for smaller infantry detachments which had consolidated to give their parent’s units full strength, before starting those small units hit and run tactics that had allowed them to slow down the barbarians and prune them at the edge, although it mainly seemed to be pinpricks enraging them...

However angry they might be, the Scythians seemed in no hurry to go deep into Roman territory, leisurely pillaging on as large a front as possible, obviously attempting to bait a larger defense force. Yet many of the civilians had fled to the fortified cities, bringing their most precious belongings with them, and the Scythians seemed unwilling or unable to lay a proper siege against walls that had been built with defense against the full Parthian strength in mind.

Singara in particular seemed to be the southern limit of the Scythians’ raids, although it might be due to the large Parthian force attacking in the south. In the North it was said more Scythians were invading Armenia through the Caucasus mountains, and the XV Apolinaris legion and its attached auxiliaries were rumored to have been dispatched toward Artaxata to help the allied kingdom repel them. The XII Fulminata had moved to Antiocheia Mygdonia, reinforcing the XVI Flavia Firma, although a number of auxiliary units from western Asia had been left in Samosata, Zeugma and Edessa to hold those key cities and prevent a breakthrough west of the Euphrates.

But all this was of no importance right now, as the enemy foraging unit was coming into range of the archers hidden in a nearby culvert… On a sign from their commander, the men rose, their short bows already drawn to full strength, ready to unleash a devastating barrage of arrows at short range against the fifty some enemy horsemen just as they went past the hidden Romans. The survivor of the initial barrage of twenty arrows looked disoriented and had no time to turn their horses around that already a second and a third flight of arrows were in the air, their near flat trajectory delivering powerful hits that went right through the clothing of the Scythians or the skin of their horses.

Not waiting for their foes to regain their senses, half of the Romans let their bows fall on the ground and took their spatha, rushing into the chaos while their comrades kept firing above their heads. Half of the Scythians had already fallen and none had taken a shot yet…

 

[Alessandro]

As always amazing new chapter @Hecatee!!! Good job!!!

 

[Cecil]

Seems "the short victorious war" has gotten somewhat offtrack and is getting stuck in in the mud.

 

[Hecatee]

Seems "the short victorious war" has gotten somewhat offtrack and is getting stuck in in the mud.

Well operations started only a month ago and while the northern Mesopotamia prong is suffering and the Caucasus attack faces troubles due to the strong defensive positions of the kingdom of Armenia, they do actually play their role : two legions are prevented from coming to the help of the two southern-most legions which are the main target of the Parthian...

 

[Hecatee]

As promized and by now traditional after three or four years of doing it, the first of a series of daily post from Christmas to New Year, enjoy the feasts season !

At sea near the island of Quesh, may 248


Lucius Annius Pulcher was sick of being at sea. He and his vexilation were onboard a ship bound for the southern coast of Mesopotamia, where they would reinforce the VI Ferrata legion and push the Parthians toward Babylon, where they were supposed to get crushed. This meant that they would mainly move on the eastern side of the Tigris river, but they had first to reach the damn place…

Not helping Annius Pulcher’s mood was the fact that his men were sharing ship with most unpleasant comrades : the camels of the I Ala Ulpia dromedariorum were nasty stinking beasts which he prefered to see as barbecue meat than as living, foul creatures with a temper…

Many men were also unnerved by the ship they were on, a large transport built in Alexandria in a hurry with a steam engine and large side paddles for propulsion, alongside two masts to catch the wind when possible and thus save on fuel.

This was the first time Annius Pulcher saw such an engine, although they had been created decades ago. As far as he knew it was the first time they were used for military operations, at least on this scale. The urgency need of sending troops to southern Mesopotamia meant that the Emperor’s domus militaris, the central headquarter in Rome, had ordered the experimental build of dozens of large barges as wide as the Pharaoh’s canal would allow and with shallow bottoms, designed to work near the coast and transport troops and supplies without caring for the wind patterns and seasons.

The equivalent of one legion and a half made by vexilations of the two Egyptian legions and of Annius Pulcher’s own X Fretensis had been sent under command of the legatus of the XXII Deiotariana, alongside with a large number of auxiliaries. A large proportion of those auxiliaries were cavalry and dromedary, and they were not going all the way to Mesopotamia, at least not on ship.

Indeed, as Annius Pulcher had discovered the day before during a halt on the island of Quesh, most of the cavalry was to disembark at the nearby port of Hormirzad and from there head directly for Persepolis, with order to make Alexander’s firing of the city a small thing next to Rome’s vengeance…

 

[Ramontxo]

And retribution is coming classic Roma style. Swift and very very hard ...
Delenda est Persia?

 

[Alessandro]

Indeed, as Annius Pulcher had discovered the day before during a halt on the island of Quesh, most of the cavalry was to disembark at the nearby port of Hormirzad and from there head directly for Persepolis, with order to make Alexander’s firing of the city a small thing next to Rome’s vengeance…

Ohh boy, here we go! Roman counterstrike in 3...2...1

 

[Hecatee]

Vulture’s keep, Armenian Kingdom, May 248


Mynasian was still alive. Exhausted, hurt, but still alive. Only he did not know for how long… The fortress had been under siege for more than two weeks now. After their failure to take in the first days, most barbarians had left, probably to attack through another way, but they had left enough of them to prevent any move by the garrison.

Now the siege had fallen into a routine of false alarms and tiring, nerve racking stillness broken by the demonstrations of some Scythians who would either burst on horseback to shot a few arrows or try to approach the walls at night to kill a sentry.

While the fortress still stood defiant, it had failed in its strategic goal as it had not prevented the Scythian invasion of the country. Yet its very defiance was also a victory in and of itself, at least for those who still fought for its defence.

Those were fewer than originally, and in fact Mynasian had been promoted following the death of too many of his companions. He commanded a group of ten, one also a soldier, the rest strong civilians who had proved their worth during the previous days.

Together they were held as the commander’s reserve, to be sent to any potential breach in the wall. They got slightly more food and, more importantly, had all been equipped with armor from the fallen, making them a potent force able to repel any Scythian that would make it to the top of the wall.

But even this elite force had its breaking point, and Mynasian was not sure it was not close at hand. He sported two cuts to his sword arm and his shield arm was broken from an axe which had struck the metal ombos without going through, a small mercy given the pain the hit had caused. At least his mobility was not impaired… Now his arm was encased in splints to keep it straight and a new small round shield had been nailed to the splints, as much to hold them in place as to hold the shield…

Still he would keep on fighting. He had nothing else to do or to hope for until the Scythians left, so why not ?

 

[Donald Reaver]

A good update, glad to see Mynasian still alive.

p.s. should be splints not splinters.

 

[dunHozzie]

Happy holidays my neighbor. May the future bring you happiness, good health and fortune. And Roman kick ass

 

[Neko Tamo]

Awesome stuff @Hecatee

Now you only need to honor us Orthodox and extend the holiday season until our Christmas (7th Jan) or even New Year (13th)

 

[Hecatee]

Awesome stuff @Hecatee

Now you only need to honor us Orthodox and extend the holiday season until our Christmas (7th Jan) or even New Year (13th)

Ahah good try ! but given that I'll be in Rome starting tomorrow and back to work on january 2 I'm afraid I won't have the opportunity, I only got today's update ready and have to write the rest today because I won't have much time before New Year to do much writting as I'll be (once again) touring the Colosseum, the Forum, the main museums, visiting the exhibits "da Pompei a Santorini" and "Carthago", and possibly visiting an exhibition in Bologna and spending an afternoon in Firenze...
(Also initially I started the tradition for the Saturnalia, although practical elements led me to do it between the feasts of Sol Invictus and Janus Bifrons)

 

[Hecatee]

A good update, glad to see Mynasian still alive.

p.s. should be splints not splinters.

Corrected, thanks As for Mynasian I won't say anything more to avoid spoilers

Happy holidays my neighbor. May the future bring you happiness, good health and fortune. And Roman kick ass

Dank u, prachtige feesten voor u and uw familie ook ! As for romans kicking butts don't worry, it is planned. In fact here is the latest update...