H31

Over the winter, we consolidated our gains in Italy and focused on preparing for the march on the city of Rome itself in the new year. Honestly, we had advanced far enough up the peninsula that I would have been shocked if Rome hadn't appointed a Dictator to coordinate the defense of the city of Rome and her immediate surroundings. What scouts I had sent out claimed that a trio of armies, each with forty-thousand men were being raised, equipped, and drilled in the immediate vicinity of Rome. From the reports I'd been given, it seemed as if Rome was pulling out all the stops in order to get quality troops in a last-ditch effort to defend the city. Their senate would have never paid for all that chain armor without being forced, and the remaining citizens would have never been able to afford that much chain armor without senatorial help.

They'd clearly elected a Dictator to get those armies raised, equipped, and drilled. There was no other reasonable alternative to squeezing blood from the stone that was the notoriously fractious Roman Senate. On the one hand, while that meant the next battles were likely to be the most difficult ones, it also meant that if we won, a favorable peace treaty was likely to occur soon afterward, though we might be forced to take the city of Rome to get it. Rome's walls were quite formidable for the period, but I had an ace up my sleeve in the form of a counterweight trebuchet design that I could build to better demolish the walls. Of course, we had to get to Rome first in order to do that. That meant field battles against Rome's last three armies.

The plan I'd put in place for that was simple. Both the Romans and my own forces had three armies in the field. One under myself, one under Kleon of Pydna, and one under Hortius Decius. I didn't know who was in command of the Roman Forces, but it didn't really matter at this point. We had the advantage of numbers, technology, and veterancy compared to the well-equipped, well-drilled, but unblooded Roman Armies. The fights might be more difficult, but the outcome wouldn't be in doubt. Kleon, Hortius Decius, and I would each bring one of the Roman Armies to battle, crush them, and then advance on Rome from three directions to put the city under siege.

It was a simple plan, a blunt force rather than a scalpel, but if it was the strategic equivalent of a bulldozer, it at least had the benefit of being an effective bulldozer. When spring of two-eighty-two dawned, we put the plan into action. I moved directly to the northwest, capturing the towns of Privernum, Suetia, and Suessa Pometia while skirting around the Pomptinae Marshes. Each Town had only a thousand or so green militia and garrison troops to defend them, many of whom chose to surrender when offered terms that were generous enough to avoid some of the worst fears of the militiamen.

Only Suessa Pometia chose to offer resistance, drawing up in a hopeless battle that lasted a mere hour and was relatively bloodless compared to previous massacres. The local garrison commander was a man named Gaius Marcius Hastatius, an old veteran captain, who had a decent head for tactics. Hastatius chose to fight only as long as it would take for honor to be satisfied before offering surrender after an hour of battle with only one-hundred-fifty-eight men killed or wounded on his side and a few dozen wounded on mine. I took his surrender with a nod and moved forward toward the major cities of Satricum and Antium.

Satricum was the site of the Main Temple of the Mater Matuta, a Latin version of Eos from back in Hellas. Her high priestess resided there and when the city had been sacked twice, the latest one having been sixty-four years ago, both times the attackers saw fit to spare the temple, ensuring the city would be rebuilt. Satricum had a larger garrison than any of the prior settlements I had attacked this year, some five thousand militia and garrison troops. It wasn't much, but the city's position, with the Pontine Marsh to one side and the River Astura on the other, meant that a siege would take a long time and it would be impossible to fully cut off water to the city.

Fortunately, we only had to besiege Satricum for three weeks before the City surrendered, apparently the High Priestess of the Mater Matuta had gotten an omen that if they surrendered then, they would have relatively generous terms and could avoid a third sack. I wasn't about to make the Goddess into a liar, so the terms I offered were quite lenient. With Satricum taken, I moved on to seize the smaller towns of Astura, Corioli, Polusca, and Longula before marching to Antium. It was there where I would meet my first true resistance.

Forty-thousand Roman Troops were drawn up between my forces and the city in a strategic position on the Promunturium Antium that precluded any ability for me to flank them without either falling off the cliffs into the sea or taking fire from the archers on the battlements of Antium. It was a good, solid, position meant to turn my numbers advantage against me and force a fight of attrition on their terms. Whoever the Commander was had a good head on their shoulders for tactics. I had to meet them. I would delay battle until a parlay could be arranged. It wouldn't happen for another day.

That night, I received dispatches from Hortius Decius and Kleon of Pydna. Kleon had widened his beachhead, taking the valuable salt pans inland of Ostia as well as the towns of Laurentum, Politorium, and Fregenae. He was currently skirmishing with a Roman Army on the plains northwest of the city of Rome itself, though his cavalry was using their hard tree saddles and stirrups to the hilt there, Tarantine Light Cavalry Skirmishers proving to be worth their weight in Drachmae. Kleon believed he could force a battle by the end of the Spring Campaign Season which he believed he could win. Then, in the fall, he would advance on Rome from the northwest.

Meanwhile, Hortius Decius had seized half the towns between the River Tolenus and the River Anio and was currently besieging the City of Gabii. Once Gabii fell, he would fall on Rome from the east, though the siege would likely last through the Summer. He reported that there had been scouts shadowing his movements, but they were Piceni light horsemen. Hortius Decius figured they were keeping an eye on his force in preparation for defecting from Roman Control. If we crushed Rome here, they might just be persuaded to revolt. I had no reason to doubt his assessment, as Hortius Decius was an expert in inducing Roman Socii to rebel.

It was late in the next day when the parlay was held. I rode out under a white flag of parlay as the Roman Legatus did likewise, each only taking a single bodyguard. My steel armor was chased with silver and glimmered in the fading light of dusk. Meanwhile, the Roman's armor was more austere, Lorica Hamata chain armor with embossed leather spaulders and pteurges. It painted a picture that even their commanders couldn't go into battle decked out in ornamented armor anymore. Samnicus' Lorica Squamata had been engraved with burnished bronze chased in gold, for instance. It had been a shame to see it hacked into during his demise.

At any rate, as I met up with my opponent, I removed my helm and offered him a greeting in Latin. If he was impressed that I had learned his language, though, he didn't show it. Instead, he removed his helm as well, revealing an aquiline nose, strong jaw, and intense eyes. Something was familiar about his appearance, but I couldn't put my finger on it until he introduced himself in Greek, in a parallel to my Latin greeting.

"Hail, Pyrrhus King. I am Legatus Publius Cornelius Rufinus, commander of this army. Have you come to offer terms of surrender? Because I must confess, I have no intention of agreeing to any terms whatsoever." Informed the Man.

Recognition dawned in my brain as I realized exactly who this was. In the original timeline, he would have brought a speedy and final conclusion to the Third Samnite War, much sooner than had happened here. He also would have captured Locri and Crotone. More importantly, he was the great-grandfather of Lucius Cornelius Sulla Felix, one of the two notable dictators for life that preceded Gaius Julius Caesar in the original history. This was a man who knew his business and was not to be trifled with. No wonder he'd adopted such a killer position.

"I could offer surrender if you wish to go through with the formalities of the parlay, but in truth, that wasn't why I called for a parlay." I admitted.

"Oh? Then why did you call for one?" Questioned Rufinus.

"In truth, I called for one to meet you. The other Romans I faced thus far did not show this much skill in army positioning. I had to meet my opponent face to face before we fought." I answered.

"Indeed? And your assessment?" Asked Rufinus.

"I think tomorrow will be an interesting battle, though one that poets will compose histories and songs about in the future. A worthy opponent." I nodded.

"I cannot say I feel the same way. For all your success on the battlefield, you call a parlay to waste my time and show up bedecked in silvered armor like a fop. We could have gotten to the engagement today if not for your egotistic curiosity." Scoffed Rufinus.

"I see. I suppose I shouldn't be surprised by your attitude. In truth, they said that you could be standoffish. I had hoped that the rumors were just that, but it appears I will have to beat mutual respect into you on the morrow." I sighed.

"You will try. We will see if you can. I predict not, however." Intoned Rufinus.

"Only the Gods may know what the future holds, Rufinus, and you do not strike me as a divine oracle." I cautioned.

"Perhaps, perhaps not. This parlay is over, we will see how you fare with that tomorrow." Sniffed Rufinus.

And with that, I returned to my camp for the night. Tomorrow would be the big day. If I could defeat Rufinus, I would have a clear shot at Antium which would likely fall in a month. Then I could start heading toward Rome. Only the towns and cities of Ardea, Aricia, Bovillae, and Appiolae would be left to take before Rome itself, which I could do before the Summer halt in hostilities. Once that step was taken, all that would remain would be to besiege Rome in Fall, if Hortius Decius and Kleon of Pydna did their jobs as well, of course. Tomorrow, the beginning of the end of this war would start.

It would be hard fought, but I was confident I could do it. . .

XXXX

AN: So yeah, a bit more campaigning, a bit of strategy, and we finally get to put a face to Pyrrhus' opponent. The Roman Army at Antium is forty-eight-thousand men strong split between Rufinus' forty-thousand-man army and the garrison of Antium of eight thousand garrison troops and town militia. Meanwhile, Pyrrhus has sixty thousand men with him.

Rufinus was noted as an excellent strategist in history, though one who could be stubborn and unnecessarily cruel at times. Both his strategy and his snub of Pyrrhus during the parlay are entirely in keeping with his IOTL description. He's also the great-grandfather of the Dictator Sulla, so if he dies here, then Sulla will never exist in the future. Even more butterflies flapping their wings if that happens.

At any rate, the next chapter will be the Battle of Antium and a bit of the aftermath.

Stay tuned. . .