Yeah,Britain isn't even useful to Rome so they'll just leave it there.Although it's probable many priests will go there to Christianize the population.
Roma Renovata est: A Roman TL
- Thread starter FLAYvian1310
- Start date
personally I would like Rome to expand and push the frontier to the Dneiper River. After this the empire reaches a point where it focuses almost solely internally. This gives nations like Britain and Scandinavia the chance to grow and to establish their hegemonies. When the America’s are discovered Rome doesn’t really colonize much but instead establishes relations with Native states. Perhaps Inca and Maya (converting them to Christianity) and supports them against colonizer such as Britain, Scandinavia, some African power, etc.
Rome could be a behemoth but sadly a comatose one that ends up like China in the 19th century, with outside nations nibbling and taking concessions with perhaps anti-concessionists using Christianity as a unifying factor as well.
Rome could be a behemoth but sadly a comatose one that ends up like China in the 19th century, with outside nations nibbling and taking concessions with perhaps anti-concessionists using Christianity as a unifying factor as well.
Yeah, but China is a super power now, They will catch up, and centuries of rule of the roman lands should make it easy too keep the land or retake it.
Yes, I could imagine modern Rome would be a great superpower!
Of course that would make the British Isles the Japan to Romes China.
That would be interesting, and it would give Rome a power to compete with
So, I've been trying to write Chapter 56 for a while, but due to writer's block, my regular life and it getting deleted a couple of times it will probably be a bit long, and for that I am sorry.
In the meantime, before I restart work I want to take the time to answer some people's questions.
As for Britannia, they are pretty much unchanged for right now, though I do have plans for them.
That's the main ones I wished to answer. Hopefully the next time I see all of you will be when I release Chapter 56. See you all next Chapter!
In the meantime, before I restart work I want to take the time to answer some people's questions.
Well, Majorian will be involved in the battle against the Rugii on the Alemanni front, through the like won't be fighting too much longer due to his progressing age and that injury of his.Nice detailing, looking forward to see what Majorian does, or if he manages to even live long enough
I haven't quite thought that far ahead, this series will only cover over a century at best, if that. But the idea of Rome becoming like a European version of China is certainly an intriguing one.
Glycerius won't really be involved in this timeline, though Anthemius might, though he would only be involved in a limited capacity.
As for Britannia, they are pretty much unchanged for right now, though I do have plans for them.
Majorian probably won't retake all of the West back, though he has done more than enough, having successfully stabilized the west (at least for the time being) and allowed for the potential of future reconquests.
Possibly, I have thought of the possibility, though that would be MUCH later down the road, going into Majorian's grandchildren.
That's the main ones I wished to answer. Hopefully the next time I see all of you will be when I release Chapter 56. See you all next Chapter!
I'm back baby!
I have restarted on Freedom's Roar, as well as two new TL, The Immortal Sol (Aurelian) and Through Light and Ashes (Ostrogoth).
Now I am getting back to this TL (for real this time). Chapter 56 will finish up the War of 471, then 57 will cover the aftermath and finish up 471.
Forgive me for the wait, but no more.
See you next Chapter.
I have restarted on Freedom's Roar, as well as two new TL, The Immortal Sol (Aurelian) and Through Light and Ashes (Ostrogoth).
Now I am getting back to this TL (for real this time). Chapter 56 will finish up the War of 471, then 57 will cover the aftermath and finish up 471.
Forgive me for the wait, but no more.
See you next Chapter.
56: The War of 471 Part 3
A/N: Hello all, I am back again with another Chapter of Roma Renovata est! I'm sorry it has taken me so long to get to this point, but so many factors have gotten in the way. I am here now, with another chapter of this TL, as we finally finish up the War of 471.
The War of 471 Part 3
In Early May of 471, Julius Nepos would resume his attack on the Rugii state, planning on trying to draw the remaining forces of Feletheus into an open battle. He wanted to use this superior numbers to try and encircle Feletheus, to finally put down the Rugii forces for good and avenge his uncle.
Feletheus had other plans. He wanted to stall the Roman forces as long as needed. He knew that he would not be capable of defeating the combined Roman/Ostrogoth force as it was now, with only half the men of his enemies. Just as the Franks were, he employed Fabian tactics, not allowing the Romans to use their forces.
This would not be all that Feletheus would do however.
On the 7th May, Feletheus would launch the first of his raids on the enemy camp. Taking a force 100 strong, he went systematically around the Roman camps, hacking at Roman men and stealing Roman valuables, before disappearing into the night. The fact it was ONLY the Roman camps was the trick of the raid. By attacking only the Roman camps, he could sow paranoia in the enemy forces, making the Romans believe that the Ostrogoths were in alliance with the Rugii, and preparing to turn on them.
The raids continued over the next few weeks gradually sowing the seeds of division. Though the two leaders of Nepos and Theodemir attempted to ease these divisions, the rumours began to spread like wild fire through the Roman forces. Though the raids were risky, yielding few physical results, it's results on the psyches of the soldiers and the distrust between the Romans and Ostrogoths could not be understated. Almost two to good to be true
This would reach such a boiling point by the end of the month that the forces had to be split in two. This was not ideal, but it was preferrable at this stage to the two sides tearing each other apart before even getting another chance to fight the Rugii.
As Feletheus had been conducting raids on the Roman forces, he had also been gathering up people from the countryside to fight, gaining a further 1.5k over the month in defense of the Rugii kingdom. He knew that this might further stretch the food supply of the Kingdom, but would mean he would have more of a chance of his plans succeeding, having them in reserve as procaution.
The army was now divided between 12,000 Romans and 11,000 Ostrogoths, Feletheus was now able to draw into open battle. But which would he choose, Ostrogoths or Romans?
Feletheus decided on attacking the Ostrogothic forces, as they were the smaller army, as well as the lesser equipped. On the final day of May, as the Ostrogothic forces were settling near to the small town of Simae, the Rugii forces launched their full scale assault on the Ostrogothic forces, catching them by surprise, beginning the Battle of Simae.
Feletheus and his Rugii forces seized upon the oppertunity, quickly taking initiative of the battle, driving the Ostrogothic forces back. Theodemir rallied the Ostrogothic forces, preparing to push back. Though this halted the advance of the Rugii, the Rugii still held the initiative.
Theodemir tried to take control of the battle by leading his cavalry around to the exposed left flank of the Rugii, however Feletheus was able to counter with his own cavalry, driving the Ostrogothic forces away, as not before knocking the Ostrogothic prince Theodoric off of his horse. The Ostrogoths were able to rescue their prince, but only just, as he was nearly killed in the retreat.
Eventually, the Ostrogoths broke under the pressure, many cut down in the ensuing rout. It was a decisive victory for the Rugii, as 3,000 Ostrogoths perished compared to only 1,000 for the Rugii. The Rugii now appeared set to take back control, as they begun their persuit of the Ostrogoths.
As Feletheus was battling in the Kingdom, Flaccitheus was in stalemate with the Roman/Alemanni forces.
Neither side had done much to attack, not wanting to put themselves at a disadvantage by having the cross the river. As a result, they had been mostly stationary, with only minor skirmishes between scouting parties. However, as this waiting game was going on, Majorian had a bridge constructed a few km north away from the battle field, setting his plan into motion.
On the 3rd June, the stalemate would finally be broken, as Majorian and Barodur set their plan into motion. Under the cover of night, 10,000 soldiers led by King Barodur slipped out of camp, and crossed over the bridge. The approaching soldiers were spotted by the Rugii night patrol, who sounded the alarm. The Battle of Malthan had begun.
Barodur's contingient clashed with the Rugii forces, fighting viciously in order to keep the Ruggi at bay. As Barodur fought, Majorian began to lead the rest of his forces across the river. Seeing this, Flaccitheus sent half of his force led by his other son, Ferderuchus to halt Majorian's advance.
Majorian used the number advantage by stretching out his army, allowing for at least a portion of his army to gain a foothold onto land. The Rugii tried to push back as much of the Roman forces, but were unable to stop some of the forces from getting on to the other side. From there, a domino effect took place as the soldiers forces their way onto the other side.
The Rugii now found themselves surrounded on two sides, trying to hold off the combined Roman/Alemanni forces. The battle continued over the next few hours, as the two sides continued to joust for supremacy. Majorian was able to finally turn the battle against the Rugii by leading a cavalry charge into the open flank of the Rugii forces.
At seeing this, the Rugii broke, trying to force their way out in a desperate frenzy. Chaos ensued on both sides as the Rugii broke into a rout, cutting through the Romans and Alemanni whilst they cut down any retreating Ruggi to be found.
It was a decisive victory for the Roman/Alemanni alliance, though not one without a high cost. 9,000 Rugii and 7,000 Romans/Alemanni died over the course of the battle, with an equal number injured. This began the Rugii retreat, as the Romans and Alemanni persued, determined to finish the job.
The Frankish front had remained mostly stable for most of the war. Aside from light skirmishes, the casualties up to this point were rather minimal.
Iunian was growing worried at this, the lack of proper battle worried him, especially as this was land that had been claimed by the Franks. To him, it felt as if they were planning on something. He knew that Divodunum had devastated their forces, but it did not seem to him that the Franks would give up so easily, especially as they had not declared official surrender.
On the 13th June, Iunian and Syagrius camped his forces near Colonia (modern Cologne), preparing his forces to march on the city of Bagacum (modern Bavay). It was here were the Franks would finally take a stand.
Appearing over the horizon the Frankish army marched on their position. Childeric had finally recovered from his hand being removed, now fitted with a golden prostetic in its place. Iunian, alongside Syagrius,prepared his soldiers for the ensuing battle, keeping them at their current position, weary of any traps the Franks were preparing to pull.
The Franks and Roman/Alemanni forces soon engaged. It seemed to be going well, as the Roman began to push the Frankish forces back. Iunian was not convinced,pushing forward gradually, so as to now fall to any surprises that could be made.
Falling right into Childerics plans.
By the time they realised however, it was too late. 5,000 cavalry came up from behind, taking the Roman forces completely by surprise. Childeric had split his 15,000 strong army into 10,000 infantry and 5,000 cavalry. Taking advantage of Iunian's caution, he kept the enemy forces in place long enough for the cavalry to charge in.
The Romans and Alemanni were now beginning to be encircled by the Franks, they had to retreat before two many were lost. In the ensuing brawl, most of the Roman and Alemanni forces were surprisingly able to make it out alive though most were severely injured, unable to keep fighting for the time being.
One of the casualties of the battle was unfortunately Iunian. To make sure most of the soldiers got out, Iunian rallied the front and back lines to hold whilst the others escaped. To keep them their he chose to stay and fight. When these lines were overwhelmed, it is said he led one last suicidal charge through Frankish lines, being cut down alongside many of his soldiers.
The Battle of Colonia was a crushing victory for the Franks, though not so much physically as it was spiritually. The Roman/Alemanni forces lost 1,500 men to the 500 lost by the Franks, but the loss of commander Iunian was a major loss for the forces, especially the Alemanni, who had come to see Iunian as something of a leader.
All was not lost though, as Syagrius, the Magister Militum per Gallias still remained to lead in these dire times.
As June progressed, things had begun to look dire for Rome and her allies. They had won at Malthan, but had lost at both Simae and Colonia, with the Rugii and Franks beginning to gain initiative.
But then news came from the east. After months of waiting, the 20,000 Eastern Roman forces had set off, soon to arrive to the frontier.
This was a major boost to the National Triumvirates efforts, as they now only had to stall the Franks and Rugii long enough for the Eastern soldiers to arrive.
It was not just the National Triumvirate that recieved the news. Feletheus heard the news of the oncoming ERE soldiers. This forced him to hasten his plans to eliminate the Ostrogothic forces, or at least pressure them into surrender. To be honest, Feletheus was not sure of why they had not surrendered already, as to him, they had the least to gain out of all the emeny forces.
On the 24th June, whilst the Ostrogoths camped near the village of Imenia, the Rugii launched their attack. The Ostrogoths were exhausted by this point, seeming close to giving up, only being kept in by their king. He just needed to land one more decisive blow.
He quickly seized the initiative, trying to drive the Ostrogoths out once and for all. The Ostrogoths held firm as the Rugii continue to slowly drive them back, with the Ostrogothic force beginning to bow out as a result
But in Feletheus' haste to defeat the Ostrogoths he made a fatal mistake by being unaware of what was happening around him. From behind the Roman forces crashed into Feletheus back lines, taking the Rugii by surprise.
Unbeknownst to Feletheus, Theodemir had been able to send a message to Nepos informing him of his position. They had set up a place to go to for battle, essentially luring the Rugii into a trap.
All animosities and grudges between Romans and Ostrogoths were tossed to the wind in heat of battle, unleashing their veangence upon the Rugii forces. Trapped and with nowhere to go, Feletheus surrendered to the Nepos and Theodemir, being taken hostage for the rest of the war.
In the Battle of Imenia was another victory for the Roman/Ostrogoth forces, casualties estimated at 3,500 Rugii to 1,000 Ostrogoths and only 360 Roman
With the news of Feletheus' capture, Flaccitheus also began to get desperate. Hoping to drive off the Roman forces before the situation got too dire. Knowing that his enemies would not be kind to him if he lost, he tried to push back defeat for as long as possible.
Hearing that Majorian has sent 5,000 soldiers to the Frankish front in the wake of Colonia, Flaccitheus now prepared to make a stand.
On the 29th June, Flaccitheus set up near the Polonian Fields. 21,000 Rugii prepared to fight 18,000 Roman and Alemanni soldiers
The two forces clashed head on, trying to establish dominance over the other, clashing over the course of 3 hours. Flaccitheus then gave the signal to retreat. Once Majorians forces were comitted to chasing the seemingly routed Rugii, Flaccitheus ordered his forces to turn back and charge. It was a feigned retreat. The Rugii forces crashed into their disorientated enemies. The Romans and Alemanni held their ground for around an hour longer, but were unable to regain the intiative, ultimately forced to retreat.
The Rugii had won a narrow victory, around 2,000 killed on either side. With this breathing room established, Flaccitheus made haste to reach the forces of Nepos, both to relieve the pressure by eliminating one of the Roman armies, as well as possibly rescue his son.
Nepos, knowing that the hostages would be a problem, had them sent back to Rome, led by a contingent of 6,000 soldiers. Nepos knew he would not be able to take on this force without either the Eastern Roman forces or those he sent with the hostages, not without serious casualties. As a result, he planned to keep his forces away from Flaccitheus, so as not to engage the enemy forces.
On the Frankish front, Syagrius and his forces had spent the rest of June, trying to avoid direct confrontation whilst waiting on reinforcements.
When Majorians reinforcements, led by Barodur arrived, the Romans set up near the town of Illypa, near to a forest where the Alemanni reinforcements could hide, before setting up for the night.
On the night of July 5th, the Battle of Illypa began, as Childeric intended on launching a night attack against the Roman/Alemanni forces. The Romans and Alemanni formed up, quickly, despite being tired from the journey. Using the forest to cover their back, Syagrius held his forces in their defensive position. Childeric was also trying to use the forest, using it as a way of either trapping them or forcing them to scatter.
When Syagrius was sure that the Franks were committed to the assault, he sounded the horn. Barodur and his Alemanni charged from the forest, wheeling around and smashing into the Frankish flank. Due to it being at night, the Franks were unable to see what had happened and begun to panic. Whilst Childeric has heard of the incoming enemy reinforcement, he had not heard of their arrival, so had not factored this into his plans.
The sudden attack caused chaos to quickly break out within the Frankish ranks, quickly turning into a full on rout.
The battle of Illypa was a much needed victory after Colonia. 2,000 Franks perished along with 1,000 Romans and Alemanni. Despite this, the Frankish front wasn't quite finished yet.
After a while of avoiding the Rugii forces, Nepos was successful in linking up to the Eastern Roman forces led by the general Anthemius, Nepos set up at Iuvavum (modern Salzburg), feeling he now had the forces necessary to take on Flaccitheus.
On the 12th July, Nepos and Flaccitheus's forces clashed at the Battle of Iuvavum, i what would prove to be the final battle on the Rugii front, roughly 19,000 Rugii to 23,000 made up of Romans (both Eastern and Western) and Ostrogothic forces.
Both sides had grown tired not having the energy left for complex tactics, the battle was essentially a bloodbath, as the two sides tried to establish dominance, pitting the Roman number advantage against the Rugii desperation.
After 3 hours of fighting, the Romans won out. Flaccitheus heard of Majorians forces soon approaching. Knowing the battle was lost, Flaccitheus withdrew his forces. The Romans and Ostrogoths won, but at great cost, as 6,000 Rugii and 7,000 Romans/Ostrogoths fell in the battle.
The remaining Rugii forces then withdrew to Lauriacum, whereafter they would be seiged by the Romans and Ostrogoths. The Seige of Lauriacum was a long drawn out affair, that drained both sides even further. By mid September however, the Rugii had finally surrendered, bringing this portion of the war to a close.
The Frankish frontier would end similarly to that of the Rugii.
Syagrius/Barodur's forces met Childeric's at the Battle of Tunarii on the 21st July, where the armies clashed furiously to try to gain control, eventually resulting in the Roman/Alemanni forces breaking through and routing the Franks.
The Franks would then take refuge in Noviomagus, where they would be besieged for the rest of the war. On the 3rd October, after the rest of the Roman forces arrived (the Ostrogoths withdrew from the war following the end of the Rugii frontier), the Franks finally surrendered, bringing the war to an end.
The War of 471 was a brief yet brutal war, costing thousands upon thousands of lives in the span of only six months, and would take decades to recover from, some of the nations never recovering from this war.
Though this war was reletively small in the grand scheme, it would set in motion the chaos to ensued in the nect couple of decades that would nearly bring Western Europe to it's knees.
A/N: And that is all for the first chapter back! It was so rough to write this, so sorry if it does feel rushed at points, as I have jusy been trying to finish this thing. The War of 471 is finally finished, now we go to the end of 471 and thw years to follow. What will hapen next? Only time will tell. See you next Chapter!
The War of 471 Part 3
In Early May of 471, Julius Nepos would resume his attack on the Rugii state, planning on trying to draw the remaining forces of Feletheus into an open battle. He wanted to use this superior numbers to try and encircle Feletheus, to finally put down the Rugii forces for good and avenge his uncle.
Feletheus had other plans. He wanted to stall the Roman forces as long as needed. He knew that he would not be capable of defeating the combined Roman/Ostrogoth force as it was now, with only half the men of his enemies. Just as the Franks were, he employed Fabian tactics, not allowing the Romans to use their forces.
This would not be all that Feletheus would do however.
On the 7th May, Feletheus would launch the first of his raids on the enemy camp. Taking a force 100 strong, he went systematically around the Roman camps, hacking at Roman men and stealing Roman valuables, before disappearing into the night. The fact it was ONLY the Roman camps was the trick of the raid. By attacking only the Roman camps, he could sow paranoia in the enemy forces, making the Romans believe that the Ostrogoths were in alliance with the Rugii, and preparing to turn on them.
The raids continued over the next few weeks gradually sowing the seeds of division. Though the two leaders of Nepos and Theodemir attempted to ease these divisions, the rumours began to spread like wild fire through the Roman forces. Though the raids were risky, yielding few physical results, it's results on the psyches of the soldiers and the distrust between the Romans and Ostrogoths could not be understated. Almost two to good to be true
This would reach such a boiling point by the end of the month that the forces had to be split in two. This was not ideal, but it was preferrable at this stage to the two sides tearing each other apart before even getting another chance to fight the Rugii.
As Feletheus had been conducting raids on the Roman forces, he had also been gathering up people from the countryside to fight, gaining a further 1.5k over the month in defense of the Rugii kingdom. He knew that this might further stretch the food supply of the Kingdom, but would mean he would have more of a chance of his plans succeeding, having them in reserve as procaution.
The army was now divided between 12,000 Romans and 11,000 Ostrogoths, Feletheus was now able to draw into open battle. But which would he choose, Ostrogoths or Romans?
Feletheus decided on attacking the Ostrogothic forces, as they were the smaller army, as well as the lesser equipped. On the final day of May, as the Ostrogothic forces were settling near to the small town of Simae, the Rugii forces launched their full scale assault on the Ostrogothic forces, catching them by surprise, beginning the Battle of Simae.
Feletheus and his Rugii forces seized upon the oppertunity, quickly taking initiative of the battle, driving the Ostrogothic forces back. Theodemir rallied the Ostrogothic forces, preparing to push back. Though this halted the advance of the Rugii, the Rugii still held the initiative.
Theodemir tried to take control of the battle by leading his cavalry around to the exposed left flank of the Rugii, however Feletheus was able to counter with his own cavalry, driving the Ostrogothic forces away, as not before knocking the Ostrogothic prince Theodoric off of his horse. The Ostrogoths were able to rescue their prince, but only just, as he was nearly killed in the retreat.
Eventually, the Ostrogoths broke under the pressure, many cut down in the ensuing rout. It was a decisive victory for the Rugii, as 3,000 Ostrogoths perished compared to only 1,000 for the Rugii. The Rugii now appeared set to take back control, as they begun their persuit of the Ostrogoths.
As Feletheus was battling in the Kingdom, Flaccitheus was in stalemate with the Roman/Alemanni forces.
Neither side had done much to attack, not wanting to put themselves at a disadvantage by having the cross the river. As a result, they had been mostly stationary, with only minor skirmishes between scouting parties. However, as this waiting game was going on, Majorian had a bridge constructed a few km north away from the battle field, setting his plan into motion.
On the 3rd June, the stalemate would finally be broken, as Majorian and Barodur set their plan into motion. Under the cover of night, 10,000 soldiers led by King Barodur slipped out of camp, and crossed over the bridge. The approaching soldiers were spotted by the Rugii night patrol, who sounded the alarm. The Battle of Malthan had begun.
Barodur's contingient clashed with the Rugii forces, fighting viciously in order to keep the Ruggi at bay. As Barodur fought, Majorian began to lead the rest of his forces across the river. Seeing this, Flaccitheus sent half of his force led by his other son, Ferderuchus to halt Majorian's advance.
Majorian used the number advantage by stretching out his army, allowing for at least a portion of his army to gain a foothold onto land. The Rugii tried to push back as much of the Roman forces, but were unable to stop some of the forces from getting on to the other side. From there, a domino effect took place as the soldiers forces their way onto the other side.
The Rugii now found themselves surrounded on two sides, trying to hold off the combined Roman/Alemanni forces. The battle continued over the next few hours, as the two sides continued to joust for supremacy. Majorian was able to finally turn the battle against the Rugii by leading a cavalry charge into the open flank of the Rugii forces.
At seeing this, the Rugii broke, trying to force their way out in a desperate frenzy. Chaos ensued on both sides as the Rugii broke into a rout, cutting through the Romans and Alemanni whilst they cut down any retreating Ruggi to be found.
It was a decisive victory for the Roman/Alemanni alliance, though not one without a high cost. 9,000 Rugii and 7,000 Romans/Alemanni died over the course of the battle, with an equal number injured. This began the Rugii retreat, as the Romans and Alemanni persued, determined to finish the job.
The Frankish front had remained mostly stable for most of the war. Aside from light skirmishes, the casualties up to this point were rather minimal.
Iunian was growing worried at this, the lack of proper battle worried him, especially as this was land that had been claimed by the Franks. To him, it felt as if they were planning on something. He knew that Divodunum had devastated their forces, but it did not seem to him that the Franks would give up so easily, especially as they had not declared official surrender.
On the 13th June, Iunian and Syagrius camped his forces near Colonia (modern Cologne), preparing his forces to march on the city of Bagacum (modern Bavay). It was here were the Franks would finally take a stand.
Appearing over the horizon the Frankish army marched on their position. Childeric had finally recovered from his hand being removed, now fitted with a golden prostetic in its place. Iunian, alongside Syagrius,prepared his soldiers for the ensuing battle, keeping them at their current position, weary of any traps the Franks were preparing to pull.
The Franks and Roman/Alemanni forces soon engaged. It seemed to be going well, as the Roman began to push the Frankish forces back. Iunian was not convinced,pushing forward gradually, so as to now fall to any surprises that could be made.
Falling right into Childerics plans.
By the time they realised however, it was too late. 5,000 cavalry came up from behind, taking the Roman forces completely by surprise. Childeric had split his 15,000 strong army into 10,000 infantry and 5,000 cavalry. Taking advantage of Iunian's caution, he kept the enemy forces in place long enough for the cavalry to charge in.
The Romans and Alemanni were now beginning to be encircled by the Franks, they had to retreat before two many were lost. In the ensuing brawl, most of the Roman and Alemanni forces were surprisingly able to make it out alive though most were severely injured, unable to keep fighting for the time being.
One of the casualties of the battle was unfortunately Iunian. To make sure most of the soldiers got out, Iunian rallied the front and back lines to hold whilst the others escaped. To keep them their he chose to stay and fight. When these lines were overwhelmed, it is said he led one last suicidal charge through Frankish lines, being cut down alongside many of his soldiers.
The Battle of Colonia was a crushing victory for the Franks, though not so much physically as it was spiritually. The Roman/Alemanni forces lost 1,500 men to the 500 lost by the Franks, but the loss of commander Iunian was a major loss for the forces, especially the Alemanni, who had come to see Iunian as something of a leader.
All was not lost though, as Syagrius, the Magister Militum per Gallias still remained to lead in these dire times.
As June progressed, things had begun to look dire for Rome and her allies. They had won at Malthan, but had lost at both Simae and Colonia, with the Rugii and Franks beginning to gain initiative.
But then news came from the east. After months of waiting, the 20,000 Eastern Roman forces had set off, soon to arrive to the frontier.
This was a major boost to the National Triumvirates efforts, as they now only had to stall the Franks and Rugii long enough for the Eastern soldiers to arrive.
It was not just the National Triumvirate that recieved the news. Feletheus heard the news of the oncoming ERE soldiers. This forced him to hasten his plans to eliminate the Ostrogothic forces, or at least pressure them into surrender. To be honest, Feletheus was not sure of why they had not surrendered already, as to him, they had the least to gain out of all the emeny forces.
On the 24th June, whilst the Ostrogoths camped near the village of Imenia, the Rugii launched their attack. The Ostrogoths were exhausted by this point, seeming close to giving up, only being kept in by their king. He just needed to land one more decisive blow.
He quickly seized the initiative, trying to drive the Ostrogoths out once and for all. The Ostrogoths held firm as the Rugii continue to slowly drive them back, with the Ostrogothic force beginning to bow out as a result
But in Feletheus' haste to defeat the Ostrogoths he made a fatal mistake by being unaware of what was happening around him. From behind the Roman forces crashed into Feletheus back lines, taking the Rugii by surprise.
Unbeknownst to Feletheus, Theodemir had been able to send a message to Nepos informing him of his position. They had set up a place to go to for battle, essentially luring the Rugii into a trap.
All animosities and grudges between Romans and Ostrogoths were tossed to the wind in heat of battle, unleashing their veangence upon the Rugii forces. Trapped and with nowhere to go, Feletheus surrendered to the Nepos and Theodemir, being taken hostage for the rest of the war.
In the Battle of Imenia was another victory for the Roman/Ostrogoth forces, casualties estimated at 3,500 Rugii to 1,000 Ostrogoths and only 360 Roman
With the news of Feletheus' capture, Flaccitheus also began to get desperate. Hoping to drive off the Roman forces before the situation got too dire. Knowing that his enemies would not be kind to him if he lost, he tried to push back defeat for as long as possible.
Hearing that Majorian has sent 5,000 soldiers to the Frankish front in the wake of Colonia, Flaccitheus now prepared to make a stand.
On the 29th June, Flaccitheus set up near the Polonian Fields. 21,000 Rugii prepared to fight 18,000 Roman and Alemanni soldiers
The two forces clashed head on, trying to establish dominance over the other, clashing over the course of 3 hours. Flaccitheus then gave the signal to retreat. Once Majorians forces were comitted to chasing the seemingly routed Rugii, Flaccitheus ordered his forces to turn back and charge. It was a feigned retreat. The Rugii forces crashed into their disorientated enemies. The Romans and Alemanni held their ground for around an hour longer, but were unable to regain the intiative, ultimately forced to retreat.
The Rugii had won a narrow victory, around 2,000 killed on either side. With this breathing room established, Flaccitheus made haste to reach the forces of Nepos, both to relieve the pressure by eliminating one of the Roman armies, as well as possibly rescue his son.
Nepos, knowing that the hostages would be a problem, had them sent back to Rome, led by a contingent of 6,000 soldiers. Nepos knew he would not be able to take on this force without either the Eastern Roman forces or those he sent with the hostages, not without serious casualties. As a result, he planned to keep his forces away from Flaccitheus, so as not to engage the enemy forces.
On the Frankish front, Syagrius and his forces had spent the rest of June, trying to avoid direct confrontation whilst waiting on reinforcements.
When Majorians reinforcements, led by Barodur arrived, the Romans set up near the town of Illypa, near to a forest where the Alemanni reinforcements could hide, before setting up for the night.
On the night of July 5th, the Battle of Illypa began, as Childeric intended on launching a night attack against the Roman/Alemanni forces. The Romans and Alemanni formed up, quickly, despite being tired from the journey. Using the forest to cover their back, Syagrius held his forces in their defensive position. Childeric was also trying to use the forest, using it as a way of either trapping them or forcing them to scatter.
When Syagrius was sure that the Franks were committed to the assault, he sounded the horn. Barodur and his Alemanni charged from the forest, wheeling around and smashing into the Frankish flank. Due to it being at night, the Franks were unable to see what had happened and begun to panic. Whilst Childeric has heard of the incoming enemy reinforcement, he had not heard of their arrival, so had not factored this into his plans.
The sudden attack caused chaos to quickly break out within the Frankish ranks, quickly turning into a full on rout.
The battle of Illypa was a much needed victory after Colonia. 2,000 Franks perished along with 1,000 Romans and Alemanni. Despite this, the Frankish front wasn't quite finished yet.
After a while of avoiding the Rugii forces, Nepos was successful in linking up to the Eastern Roman forces led by the general Anthemius, Nepos set up at Iuvavum (modern Salzburg), feeling he now had the forces necessary to take on Flaccitheus.
On the 12th July, Nepos and Flaccitheus's forces clashed at the Battle of Iuvavum, i what would prove to be the final battle on the Rugii front, roughly 19,000 Rugii to 23,000 made up of Romans (both Eastern and Western) and Ostrogothic forces.
Both sides had grown tired not having the energy left for complex tactics, the battle was essentially a bloodbath, as the two sides tried to establish dominance, pitting the Roman number advantage against the Rugii desperation.
After 3 hours of fighting, the Romans won out. Flaccitheus heard of Majorians forces soon approaching. Knowing the battle was lost, Flaccitheus withdrew his forces. The Romans and Ostrogoths won, but at great cost, as 6,000 Rugii and 7,000 Romans/Ostrogoths fell in the battle.
The remaining Rugii forces then withdrew to Lauriacum, whereafter they would be seiged by the Romans and Ostrogoths. The Seige of Lauriacum was a long drawn out affair, that drained both sides even further. By mid September however, the Rugii had finally surrendered, bringing this portion of the war to a close.
The Frankish frontier would end similarly to that of the Rugii.
Syagrius/Barodur's forces met Childeric's at the Battle of Tunarii on the 21st July, where the armies clashed furiously to try to gain control, eventually resulting in the Roman/Alemanni forces breaking through and routing the Franks.
The Franks would then take refuge in Noviomagus, where they would be besieged for the rest of the war. On the 3rd October, after the rest of the Roman forces arrived (the Ostrogoths withdrew from the war following the end of the Rugii frontier), the Franks finally surrendered, bringing the war to an end.
The War of 471 was a brief yet brutal war, costing thousands upon thousands of lives in the span of only six months, and would take decades to recover from, some of the nations never recovering from this war.
Though this war was reletively small in the grand scheme, it would set in motion the chaos to ensued in the nect couple of decades that would nearly bring Western Europe to it's knees.
A/N: And that is all for the first chapter back! It was so rough to write this, so sorry if it does feel rushed at points, as I have jusy been trying to finish this thing. The War of 471 is finally finished, now we go to the end of 471 and thw years to follow. What will hapen next? Only time will tell. See you next Chapter!
The same one who was the last Western Emperor worthy of the position IOTL, I assume?
57: The Curtains of Europe
A/N: Hello all, I am back with another Chapter of Roma Renovata est! The War of 471 is over! Now it is time to see how the aftermath will play out, as the curtain rises over Europe.
The Curtains of Europe
With the War of 471 at an end, it was no time for the victors to decide on the spoils. The Treaty of Curia was settled on the 4th November.
The Burgundian kingdom was divided between the Burgundians, with the south-western parts being Roman vassels, whilst the north-eastern parts are given to the Alemanni. The Alemanni also gained parts of the Frankish and Rugii Kingdoms, gaining Augusta Treverorum (modern Trier) and Augusta Vindelicorum (modern Augsburg) as a result. Majorian also seized the chance to gain territory, seizing Samarobriva (modern Amiens) and Gesoriacum (modern Boulogne-sur-Mer). Ostrogoths also seized some land from the Rugii, though not any major cities.
In addition to the land, the Rugii and Franks kingdom were to pay tribute to the Alemanni, Ostrogoths and Rome.
With that settled, Majorian then made an offer to the Alemannic King Barodur; to take is son and heir Baromar to Rome in order to train him on leadership and provide him with the best education that could be offered at that time. Majorian had met the young Alemanni Prince whilst shortly before he went to reinforce Barodur at Fort Malthus. Baromar shared his father's enthusiasm for Roman culture, having read tales of the Punic War and Julius Ceasar, and having read on Emperors like Vespasian, Domitian and Trajan. Majorian wanted to help secure the alliance after his death, as well as Barodur's death. To him, it seemed like the most simple option. It could also act as leverage, should the Alemanni turn on Rome at some point.
Barodur thought on the idea, but ultimately came to agree with the idea. It was settled that Baromar would stay in Rome for 5 years in order to be educated in Rome. It could also help to form a friendship with the Roman heirs, as Baromar was of a similar age to Honorius (8 at this point in time). Barodur would then place his official capital at Augusta Rauricorum, renamed Iunia, after the general Iunian.
During this time, Majorian would issue Novella Maioriani 16: On Citizenship. In it, Majorian stated that how Citizenship was awarded would be returned back to the way it was originally, with citizenship being earned rather than simply gained automatically. Those who were considered citizen in 471 would remain citizens, but any people after that point would be subject to the new law.
To commemorate the new law, Majorian would welcome many of the Foederati in as official Roman citizens for all of their hard work. Most important of these was the youngest of the soldiers to recieve the honour, a 17 year old Visigoth-Vandal soldier who fought under Syagrius during the War of 471. He recieved the honour for saving Syagrius's life at the Battle of Divodurum. Syagrius, at the request of the young soldier would also bestow him with a new Roman name, to show him as an official Roman. The boy would now be under the Legio V Gallia, under the name Ballio Luccius.
With this the year of 471 drew to a close. But whilst peace appeared to return, the storm clouds had begun to gather over Europe, as the First Act began to draw to a close.
A/N: And that is all for this Chapter! It also finally wraps up 471, as we now go into 472. The old guard is beginning to draw to a close, as Majorian nears old age, and his children begin to grow up. Also, a character I have been building since Chapter 14 finally makes his way onto the stage, under the name of Luccius. Remember that name, it'll be important for later. Thank you all for reading, any feedback on this series is greatly appreciated. See you next Chapter!
The Curtains of Europe
With the War of 471 at an end, it was no time for the victors to decide on the spoils. The Treaty of Curia was settled on the 4th November.
The Burgundian kingdom was divided between the Burgundians, with the south-western parts being Roman vassels, whilst the north-eastern parts are given to the Alemanni. The Alemanni also gained parts of the Frankish and Rugii Kingdoms, gaining Augusta Treverorum (modern Trier) and Augusta Vindelicorum (modern Augsburg) as a result. Majorian also seized the chance to gain territory, seizing Samarobriva (modern Amiens) and Gesoriacum (modern Boulogne-sur-Mer). Ostrogoths also seized some land from the Rugii, though not any major cities.
In addition to the land, the Rugii and Franks kingdom were to pay tribute to the Alemanni, Ostrogoths and Rome.
With that settled, Majorian then made an offer to the Alemannic King Barodur; to take is son and heir Baromar to Rome in order to train him on leadership and provide him with the best education that could be offered at that time. Majorian had met the young Alemanni Prince whilst shortly before he went to reinforce Barodur at Fort Malthus. Baromar shared his father's enthusiasm for Roman culture, having read tales of the Punic War and Julius Ceasar, and having read on Emperors like Vespasian, Domitian and Trajan. Majorian wanted to help secure the alliance after his death, as well as Barodur's death. To him, it seemed like the most simple option. It could also act as leverage, should the Alemanni turn on Rome at some point.
Barodur thought on the idea, but ultimately came to agree with the idea. It was settled that Baromar would stay in Rome for 5 years in order to be educated in Rome. It could also help to form a friendship with the Roman heirs, as Baromar was of a similar age to Honorius (8 at this point in time). Barodur would then place his official capital at Augusta Rauricorum, renamed Iunia, after the general Iunian.
During this time, Majorian would issue Novella Maioriani 16: On Citizenship. In it, Majorian stated that how Citizenship was awarded would be returned back to the way it was originally, with citizenship being earned rather than simply gained automatically. Those who were considered citizen in 471 would remain citizens, but any people after that point would be subject to the new law.
To commemorate the new law, Majorian would welcome many of the Foederati in as official Roman citizens for all of their hard work. Most important of these was the youngest of the soldiers to recieve the honour, a 17 year old Visigoth-Vandal soldier who fought under Syagrius during the War of 471. He recieved the honour for saving Syagrius's life at the Battle of Divodurum. Syagrius, at the request of the young soldier would also bestow him with a new Roman name, to show him as an official Roman. The boy would now be under the Legio V Gallia, under the name Ballio Luccius.
With this the year of 471 drew to a close. But whilst peace appeared to return, the storm clouds had begun to gather over Europe, as the First Act began to draw to a close.
A/N: And that is all for this Chapter! It also finally wraps up 471, as we now go into 472. The old guard is beginning to draw to a close, as Majorian nears old age, and his children begin to grow up. Also, a character I have been building since Chapter 14 finally makes his way onto the stage, under the name of Luccius. Remember that name, it'll be important for later. Thank you all for reading, any feedback on this series is greatly appreciated. See you next Chapter!