Officer Valens Vitellius, having been transferred from the Praetorian Guard to the 19th Legion, mused over what was going on. He was chief of staff for Prima Justius Vitellius, and so took day to day command of the legions on the front since the Prima needed to be at his headquarters in Thessalonica. When Valens had arrived with the 19th legion it had already seen action in Thracia. Having besieged a fort near the mouth of the Hebrus, it had taken few casualties and continued to push inland until finally Valens caught up with them.

Having gotten himself settled he now looked about the map and the unit placements before him. He knew though it would take some time to garner the trust of the men. He planned to make sure he showed them he could lead them. The 9th and 15th legions were already moving east from Philipopolis, flanking the enemy from the north and driving the Asians eastward toward Byzantium. The Rhopode Mountains and Hebrus River had thus dictated the route by which the 19th and 36th Dodona had taken to this point but now that was about to change. Officer T. Gaius Varro was making much progress on his front and had already met his goal for the current date. The 15th also had established a front that bisected with that of the 9th and so had completely cut off the Asians from any movement northward. Philipopolis had just recently been secured by Officer Varro. Thracian insurgents had allowed the Romans to enter the city with relative ease and leaving a small garrison force behind, Gaius continued pushing eastward until he reached his present location. Staring at the map Valens saw that the present frontline extended some 20 miles from the Black Sea to the Propontis with the walls of Byzantium some 5 miles away. Prima Justius told Valens to step up the pressure and to consult General V. Tiberius Julianus of the 12th Classis and his cousin General A. Tiberius Julianus on the seas to assist in strangling the lifeblood of the Asians, their connection to Asia Minor. Prima Justius, from his headquarters in Thessalonica, was on the move eastward to Philipopolis to be nearer to the front and wished action be commenced at once. He along with Emperor Honorius were growing impatient with the way the campaign had bogged down after the recent epidemic that had spread and claimed so many lives. Sending orders out with the Prima’s approval Valens sent word to Gaius to push southeast in conjunction with the 15th. They were not to stop until they reached the Bosphorus, and if events went according to plan the orders told them to push until they could spit on the very walls the Asians were hiding behind. Valens having sent the orders out and a request to A. Tiberius Julianus and the marines of V. Tiberius Julianus to wrest control of the surrounding seas from the Asians moved to prepare the 19th to advance with the 36th Dodona at its flank.

It was not long until both the 19th and the 36th Dodona were advancing adjacent one another. Pickets and small patrols set up along the whole front to make sure no Asians thought about trying to out maneuver the Romans and flank them in an ensuing snare. Valens hoped not to meet any resistance until coming to within range of archers on the walls of the town but those hopes were soon shattered. The Asians had mounted a defense before the town, preparing several lines of hasty fortifications surrounding Byzantium and had come out in force with reinforcements from Asia Minor, some of which included about a dozen elephants. It appeared the Asians numbered some 33,000, but only around 16,000 stood before him.

The Pontic Asians felt they should try and stop Gaius’ march southward separately from confronting Valens. Valens did not understand why the Asians would divide their troops or why they would challenge him in front of a town so easily defendable, he was now hoping they were not delaying his advance so another wave of reinforcements arrived. He now counted on A. Tiberius on the seas to make sure that did not happen. He knew his cavalry on the flanks would go crazy and become unresponsive once they smelled and heard the elephants. Other than his horse and several others whom he knew had already been exposed to elephants he could not count on his flanks to remain secure. The two armies faced one another other from each side of the valley. The Romans outnumbered the Asians but only by a few thousand and with the Roman cavalry in question and facing a dozen war elephants, the Asians could easily win this battle. Slowly the Asians moved forward toward them, they had several large Phalanxes of Peltasts forming the center of their battle line.

The Asians took their time advancing toward the Roman lines. They did not want to jumble their lines which they had prepared so well and with which they would have the perfect formation to strike. The war elephants were dispersed well enough across the whole line, but still only remained in the center of the formation. Valens was getting worried. He rode to the front of the line and gave his orders to the other officers and centurions, sending word to the 36th Dodona as well. The legions quickly fell into line and prepared to be assaulted.

Valens did not like allowing the Asians to draw battle and hit his lines first, he did not though know how to prevent them from dictating the pace of the battle the Asians had decided to bring on at this time. But he had little choice, his inexperience as a field commander was showing but he was going to give it his best. Unsheathing his Spatha he sat atop his steed and was about to order the 19th and 36th Dodona forward. The men of both legions who saw this thought he had lost his mind, they had never encountered to pachyderms and did not want to close with these giant beasts to rapidly. They thought that Valens had lost his mind and many would not fight let alone allow themselves to die under such a man, the centurions however knew Valens had little choice, but wished they had a general and not some young officer. They knew he had to either fight or run, and they would never run unless ordered.

As the Asians closed to within 100 yards the two lines braced for close combat the Elephants leading the way at several points on the Asian line. The Romans then began their final charge, and at the same time, a rain of pila began to sweep out from the Roman line. They fell on man and beast alike. The elephants were hit like their human comrades. Those that were slightly wounded made sudden movements away from the tormenting pila that hit them, causing the mahouts to lose control as the elephants ran widely away from the unfolding battle.

Roman legionaries were suddenly shocked and surprised at how they caused some of the elephants to rage out of control, others who only saw the elephants react thought it a sign from the Gods. But several of the elephants continued to doggedly plough forward ahead of the Pontic Phalanx. To avoid the risk of them trampling their own lines of men in close file, their drivers’ forcibly drove mallet and huge nails into their skulls. This nails went straight in to the Giant beasts’ brains and killed them where they stood, saving the Asian line from damage. Legions 19th and 36th Dodona delivered their final full charge into the Asians who were at a distance of 50-70 yards away. Most of the Roman cavalry stayed at a distance due to the roars and wails of the remaining elephants, the horses not wanting to get to close, so for the time being there was no cavalry as the legions moved forward. Valens charged with a few dozen other cavalry, those whose horses were not affected, into the Asian lines, and fought in close contact with the legionaries around them.

The Medium and Light Asian Horse had been trained with elephants so their horses were not affected and were able to dash into battle without issue. On both wings, the cavalry became locked in combat. The Roman cavalry were slowly pushed back, exposing the struggling infantry on both flanks. The Legionaries were doing well, as was the normal case when they had faced Hellenistic Phalanxes in the past. The Pila had broken up the "wall" of spear points that faced the legionaries, allowing them to close to gladius range. Being so close, the legionaries began to cut through the phalanx like a buzz saw.

From far behind the Pontic line, seeing the infantry wings now exposed, a large group of heavily armored cavalry ponderously moved towards each exposed wing of the Roman Army. The Asian commander, seeing his infantry being ripped through, had decided to commit his Clibanarii to the battle. The slow pace of the Clibanarii approach went unnoticed by the Roman infantry for several minutes. Only as the groups wheeled to face the exposed wings of the roman battle lines, did the danger become clear. Valens seeing the danger was able to get the 19th to 'refuse' its exposed wing. He could not hover warn the 36th Dodona, which was not so lucky. They had less warning, as the distance the Pontic Clibanarii had to cover was much less, and they were more closely engaged frontally.

Consequently, the attack on "Dodona" was that much more devastating when it unfolded. The Clibanarii cut through the Roman flank and the collapse of the roman battle line began here, and spread like wild fire. Valens, had neither the experience, nor had enough trust of the troops to control the situation and prevent the defeat from unfolding. The battle turned quickly to wild flight in moments as panic spread like a disease throughout the length and breadth of the 36th Dodona. The 19th too, now seeing their comrades flee lost heart and began to fall back as well. The entire Roman line was collapsing, and there was nothing Valens could do to stop it. As he tried to rally his men an arrow from an Asian archer pierced his right shoulder. The force sent him crashing off his steed, falling hard into the earth. Those legionaries who saw this thought that Valens had been killed, and now leaderless took flight. Valens in searing pain was pulled up by one of his cavalrymen and was helped to his mount. His wound would not be fatal but until it healed his fighting days were on hold. Together they retreated with the legions. Valens, holding his shoulder as blood trickled out, yelled for the legions to re-organize so that the battle would not turn into rout. Valens was able to get the 19th to reform and retreat from the field in order but could not for the 36th Dodona. It was now that the Romans received a devastating defeat. The troops, their backs to the Asians, as they fled, were easily slaughtered by their erstwhile victims.

The 19th retreated as fast as they could in some semblance of order, back towards their camp. The 36th Dodona in full rout; however, was cut to pieces as they fled to camp, which was a long enough run for them to lose it standards, (including its Aquila), as well as over 80% of its personnel. Defeat is a costly thing and this was the day that Rome bore the cost.

Results:
One Roman Legion Destroyed (Legion XXXVI Dodona)
PCs wounded: H. Valens Vitellius

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By: Hadrius Valens Vitellius, Otho Justius Vitellius, Others


AD 36