I hope you will like it. This is the english version of my tale to present my City of Rome in Chronicles of Elyria.
LEGION X INVICTA - HISTORY OF THE CITY OF ROME
54 BC Deal and Sandwich, north coast near Dover. South of the British Isles.
Eight Hundreds square mast with the symbol of the Eagle is silhouetted against the horizon. The Sun is now eclipsed by multitude of ships that are going to reach the shore. Two figures wrapped in mantles of raw wool look at the unfolding events with concern. The tallest and most powerful of the two, a Noble called Cassivelanus, his face is imparted with an expression of anger, the other one much more smaller with an expression wiser is called Alphunis.
The vessels quickly start to anchor on the beach with an enormous amount of legionaries. They start disembarking with diligence (improved with years of service under the command of Caius Julius Caesar in Italy, Spain and Gaul) and form a line of defence at 500 meters from ships.
The first Legion to land was the Tenth (X) called Invicta. It was never defeated in battle.
Between the general noise due to all landing operations the powerful voice of Legatus Legionis of the Tenth Gaivs Philippvs shouting for “Battle formation and..... forward”, and at the instant 5,000 soldiers of the best ever seen in the then known world sprint forward as to protect the ships from any attacks from the local tribe.
Before dusk the anchoring operations had already finished. The ships were secured to the moles constructed in the blink of an eye on the shoreline thanks to the experience of the expedition of the previous year in Gaul.
The legions of Gaius Julius Caesar found little resistance and assured the South-East of the island Britannica in just six months of campaign. Despite everything a numerous group of local tribes still had the dominion on some key areas. A Noble, Cassivelanus, Chief of the tribe of Catuvellani command with boldness and intelligence, he managed to avoid a direct contact and was engaging the Roman troops in small and very bloody skirmishes using hit and run tattics with Chariots.
One day in March in the year 54 DC Gaius Julius Caesar forced him to fight in the vicinity of the town of Salisbury, west of the small Roman village Londinium, they forced him to face a battle over an open field.
It was the second week of the month of March and the sounds of the enemies drums echoed in the starry night. The auspices of priests were positive and the legions began to position on the battlefield. Five legions awaited in silence the speech of beginning Battle of the Supreme Gaius Julius Caesar.
GGC, we finally forced Casivellanus and all his barbarians to face us, counting their fires I can say that they are almost 3 to 1, but this must serve as an incentive because we are better then them, we are lions. They will charge us frontally trying to use the numeric advantage on us.
We will respond with 3 legions in line. The Tenth will be positioned in the middle and on the sides the III and the IV Gallic. The other two Legions of Legatus Legionis, Marco Aurelio and Ottaviano will remain in reserve and try to encircle them at the right moment. The Equites will run to the rear of the locals and that will close they way out. The auxiliaries will cover us from behind with the catapults and the Scorpions. Strength and honour legionaries in this battle we demonstrate to these toga lifters the power of Rome.
Romans…..only those men separate you from glory. We are at the boundaries of the known world, we will return to Rome victorious with the sun behind us under the Arch of Triumph and the streets of the city that he loves us. It is our dream, the dream of Rome and we will become a reality, today and on this field.
Romans are you ready?
(25,000 gladius began to hammer on the scutum )
GGC: AUXILA,unleash the hell!
The fury of the Romans is stopped towards dusk when on the field of battle remained just ash and smoke. The charge of the locals stopped on the Romans lines and the two legions of Marco Aurelio and Ottaviano took the British on the sides that they grouped all around Casivellanus trying to disengage from the intelligent trap used by Cesare, they closed the only escape route, only a few including Casivellanus and his personal guard. They managed to escape.
Gaius Julius Caesar ordered to chase the few fugitives remain and capture Cassivellanus. The order was given to the Legatus Legionis of Tenth Gaivs Philippvs. Gaivs choose
his best 3 cohorts start chasing the fleeing enemies.
Thanks to better local knowledge, the Britannic managed to escape the Romans. The locals march South-West from the field of battle, among the hills and woods. The three Roman Cohorts remained on track of their enemies with a forced march until they reached them. Casivellanus and the Druid Alphumis were at the top of the hill surrounded by two stone circles ( one inside the other) very large. A construction very strange never before seen by the Romans that had no meaning at first.
The Legatvs Legionis Gaivs Philippvs ordered to encircle them and once gave him them the chance to yield. They refused so he order the attack to begin. The Romans rank quickly to create a shield wall while approaching the hill top. The rebels answered them with a last and fierce charge that ended ' on the legionaries shield wall. The screams of the dying Britannic were covered by the cry of Gaivs Philippvs :
"Finished them all no prisoners"!
The laugh of Casivellanus was repressed in blood and Druid Alphumis fell on to the ground pierced by SPEARS, but not before he launched a powerful spell on the Romans.
A raucous noise coming from the subsoil began to shake the ground, from the circle of stones realising a blinding light which formed a dome light which are enclosed all Roman cohorts in the trap.
It seemed as if the ground beneath the feet of the Legionaries disappear , then suddenly after a few seconds which seemed hours everything became silent, light and left the place to darkness.
The stunned Romans woke up from a trance with anguish discovered that the stone circle had disappeared and that there were not more on the hill and that the bodies of the rebels and Casivellanus not to being seen. The world was totally different, the green hills of Britain had left the place to a vegetation richer and more dense.
The 3 cohorts controlled by Gaivs Philippvs didn't panic.
Where are we?
Where is this place?
Is this a punishment from the Gods?
The dying Druid words were a spell that took them to that strange place. Those two circles of stones on top of the hill contributed to this disaster.
Gaivs Philippvs reacted readily and ordered "Troops, Square" ready to respond to any attacks.
Nothing dangerous happened that night. The Romans erected the night camp and the night guard was doubled. The discipline of the Romans helped them to overcome their fear of the unknown. The routine to build the camp every night gave them a reason not to think too much about what jest had happened to them.
The constellations were different from those of the Britannia, by comparing the stars with those of Rome or of Syria, the legionaries were unable to orient themselves.
The following days Gaivs Philippvs sought a place less mountainous and sent messengers at the local populations. The response to all Gaivs questions did not delay to arrive.
Only 5 days from the explosion of energy a strange squad of soldiers formed by 5 knights in armour is facing the gate Principalis of the Roman camp. The sentinels stop the new comer and Gaivs was informed promptly. They started to talk each other, but nobody could understand what the 5 knights were trying to say.
At that point the older of knight descended from the horse and drew on earth the small camp of the Romans, then a road that turn 6 times and a circle with houses that meant the proximity of a city and gesture them to follow them over there.
Gaivs Philippvs intuited that the offer of the man was sincere and that was not a British disguise and decided to remove the camp and follow the knights until the city where he could have more news about that place so far from Rome.
The Romans managed to keep the pace of their guides and soon were accompany from the rest of the cavalry about 1500 cavalry on each side.
Gaivs observed that the brackets of the saddle were connected of the rods and of the laces of leather that departed from the saddle it self and practically gave the possibility of directing the horse and use the bow at the same time, or to use the shield and sword standing firmly in the saddle.
During the journey they noticed that the vegetation was becoming similar to the one in Greece, farms and animals all over the countryside. The unpaved road made Gaivs assume that their army was mostly cavalry based to be very mobile on this type roads. Everything made Gaivs think of an organization similar to that which the Roman Empire was used in the provinces well within the imperial territory.
After 7 days of travel they spotted the first houses and in the background a city surrounded by very high walls.
The Legion made camp outside the walls and a representation of the Romans was brought to the presence of the Duke known by the name of DarioZ.
It was clear that the Romans did not look like foreigners, they were greeted well in similarity with the local population. The Romans came to know that the nation in which they arrived was called Arkadia and the King name was Raziel. They understood that Arkadia wasn't at war with anyone. The thing that mostly worried them was that nobody knew anything of a City called Rome.
After the first friendly reception,it was permitted to the Romans to build their camp outside the city walls. Clerics with a tunic similar to Roman's priest came every day to teach them the local language. They learned a little of the language and realized that Rome was anywhere to be found in the world and the legion was all that remained of their civilization.
The explosion of light that caught in the Druidic stone circle had teleport them who knows how far from Rome, in another world that is totally different from the one they knew. King Raziel realize the quality of the soldiers in front of him and that their only way to utilize them was to make them join the Arkadian army.
With the passing of the time the Romans asked and obtained the permission to build a new city on the borders of the Kingdom of Arkadia. King Raziel gave him the opportunity to protect the Kingdom borders in the Duchy of Lyrhia of Duke DarioZ so they could continue their glorious history. The Legion X Invicta joined the ranks of Legion IV Italica of Duke DarioZ. In their hearts and souls they always remain part of the Legion X Invicta.
With help of the locals population Gaivs Philippvs and his legionaries they build a city and call it Rome. Their dream is to make Rome in this world even more famous.
Gaivs Philippvs realize finally that not even his beloved Gaius Julius Caesar commanded all the Romans in the world like him. This idea unsettle him a lot, but he knew he would give his own life to protect and serve all the remaining Romans and their culture. Even in this strange world Rome will rule.
Rome IMPERAT !
Written by Gaivs Philippvs.
"Fictional story created using some real historical facts. Any names, dates and locations do not represent any complete accuracy"
