NOTE: This AAR is written following a Rome Total Realism campaign.
Romans, our great republic has finally united the peoples of Latinium under the eagle of Rome. Our people, the descendants of Aeneas, son of Dardanian Anchises and his divine mother Venus, and his sons, Ascanius Iulius, founder of Alba Longa, preserver of the Lares and Penates, the household Gods of Troy and now our people, the founder of a great dynasty of kings, and ancestor of those young lads, Romulus and Remus who were born to Rhea Silvia, daughter of Numitor, through her coupling with the war God Mars, suckled by a she-wolf and raised by the shepherd Faustulus, the man who saved the founders of our great city! And let us not forget Silvius, descended from the natives of Italy through his mother Lavinia, daughter of the great king of Latinium, Latinus' line.
With a people such as our, descended from the Gods Venus and Mars, how can any man hope to resist us? Our armies march with the blessing of Mars himself, our city is protected by Jove, father of the gods, and our ancestors whom we honor watch over us! We are ready for those barbarians who have wronged us! We shall have our vengeance on those Celts who took our city long ago and then turn south to challenge those Greeks who settled on our peninsula and believe themselves better than us, and finally, we will cross the Mediterranean and finally settle our vendetta with those Carthaginian swine who have wronged us most of all through their wholesale slaughter of our people, their raiding of our lands, and the siegeing of our cities! So I say, under Jupiter's Eagle we shall march, under my leadership we shall conquer, and through our combined efforts, WE SHALL RULE!
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The year is 280 B.C.
I, Qunitus, Consul of the Roman people am forty-seven years of age. I was unable to produce an heir so have adopted great men into my family through the marriage of my daughters. The first among them is my heir, Publius Cornelius Scipio (aged thirty-one) who married my daughter Poppea. Their children are the yound Fadia (age thirteen) who has just recently reached the proper age to raise children of her own, and their sons Decius (aged seven) and Marcus (aged three). My next son is Tiberius Iunius Brutus (aged twenty-nine) who married my daughter Alypia. They have a son named Gnaeus (aged thirteen). Finally there is my third son, Lucius Fabius Maximus (aged twenty-eight) who married my beautiful Claudia. They've raised a son whom they've named Manius (aged ten). I now have only one daughter left to me, my sweet Marcella. Still young at eighteen but it is an aging man's wish to see her attract suitable suitors and marry her off before I am called by Hades to join my ancestors in Elysium.
To more pertinent matters though. This shall be both a recorded history of our people and an account of military affairs. I hope my heirs and theirs after them carry on what I shall begin for the good of our family and that of our Republic, so that no man after this day shall wonder on the affairs of the past.
On the day I, Quintus, begin my account of the affairs of our great Republic, have I already found actions of note to be recorded. Our Hastati stationed in Rome are being re-outfitted as it seems their equipment is in severe disrepair and as such have begun to train a unit of Principes to join them in their garrison. As for military movement, on the day past, our spy Decius Apustius Fullo was sent to scout north whereupon he found Roma's first target, Ariminium. I have taken my men north to the gates of this city controlled by that rebel fool Amphimachos who has resisted us for years now. As I record these words, my men prepare to siege the city and have set to building battering rams so that sometime next season Arriminium shall join the Republic. My forces consist of two units of Hastati, one Principe, one Velite, and two auxiliary troops from Italia herself in the form of swordsmen and spearmen. I have ordered my heir Publius to station himself in Rome as he has proven to be quite adept at the day to day dealings of governing a city. Tiberius who has shown no exemplary skills in any one sphere be it command, influence, or governancen, I have sent south to deal with the rebel city of Corfinium. He is expected to arrive at its gates next season where he will buckle in and siege the city. It is my hope that I can refine his command skill enough to make a useful man of him yet. With him march two Hastati, one Principe, one Velite, and two Italian Spearmen. He should make short work of those rebel bastards either way though as no mob can stand up against Roman steel for very long. Finally Fabius I've stationed in Capua, the city closest to the rebels, with two units of Velite in the case that he is attacked. In a few seasons, I plan on having him join the war effort as well. The diplomat Sextus has been sent north to secure a temporary trade settlement with those barbaric Celts.
A season has passed... Winter is upon us and I've set Publius to training more Principe in Rome. I've decided to maintain the siege on Arriminium as long as possible to starve the dogs out. In the south the affair is quite the same as here. Although not the sharpest commander,Tiberius seems to grasp the idea of siege warfare. Build war machines, organize the troops, and wait them out. The boy may yet prove to be useful! Fadia has received a suitor but I quickly rejected Publius' inquiry to let her marry when I heard who the man was. A great Senator, from a good and noble family, but far too old. On the other hand though, Publius' appointment to Roma did not go without its rewards! He has quickly and efficiently turned the city from a drain on our resources to a great trading center which has begun to generate a positive revenue. Other than these trivialties, the Republic remained quiet this day.
The year is 279 B.C.
Another suitor has come for Fadia, and although much younger, the fool brings with him no loyalty. The glint of gold is in this ones eyes and despite his impressive skills in all fields of importance, the risk was to high. After all, it would not be fitting to have a Consul's granddaughter marry a future turncoat. Sextus has secured a trade agreement with the Illyrians today and is to move on further east in the hopes of reaching Asia and Egypt as quick as possible. Trade with those fertile regions will generate much wealth. The sieges in Arriminium and Corfinium continue to progress and the defenders are beginning to show signs of malnutrition and exhaustion from the constant threat of our battering rams. That thickheaded Tiberius has proven to be rather useful at doing nothing Gods forbid he'd try to impress his adoptive father.
The Republic bides its time still.