Commands & Colors: Ancients: Expansion #4: Imperial Rome

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Commands & Colors: Ancients: Expansion #4: Imperial Rome

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Cibalae (314 AD)
In the years after Milvian Bridge, Constantine gradually consolidated his military superiority. Licinius emerged as Constantine’s chief rival. After defeating Daia, Licinius gained control over the entire eastern half of the Roman Empire. Relations…
314

Milvian Bridge (312 AD)
While emperor Diocletian’s “Tetrarchy” system of shared power maintained calm for 20 years, eventually rivalries took over again. In 306 Maxentius proclaimed himself emperor, setting off another confused civil war. He gained great power when F.V…
312

Immae (272 AD)
The Palmyrene Empire (260–273) consisted of the (former) eastern Roman provinces of Syria, Palestine, and large parts of Asia Minor. This breakaway kingdom was ruled by the famous Queen Zenobia and had won many victories over the Sassanids, while…
272

Pavia (271 AD)
After the victory at Fano, Emperor Aurelian sent his troops in pursuit of the defeated Alemanni horde, which was racing back to its homeland. Aurelian had the mountain passes blocked and then proceeded to destroy almost the entire Alemanni army. …
271

Fano (271 AD)
After his serious defeat at the Battle of Placentia at the hands of the Alemanni, Emperor Aurelian rallied and re-grouped his troops and started in pursuit. The Alemanni were moving towards Rome, producing great fear in the city. Rome had …
271

Placentia (271 AD)
Aurelian became emperor in 270, and is remembered as one of the “soldier-emperors” who restored the empire after its near collapse. During his five-year reign, Aurelian re-united the empire after two-thirds of the provinces had broken away from…
271

Naissus (268 AD)
The Goths, a Germanic people, were migrating southward and crossed the Roman frontier in the province of Pannonia. The emperor Gallienus, fresh from his victory over another Germanic tribe, the Alemani, managed to check the Goth’s advance early in…
268

Edessa (259 AD)
The Battle of Edessa was another round in the on-going Roman- Persian Wars. In 258, Shapur I, King of Sassanid Persia invaded Roman territory, overrunning Armenia and continuing into Syria. In order to stop his repeated plundering, In 259, Emperor …
259

Abritus (251 AD)
After repeated incursions into Moesia and Dacia by the Goths under Cniva, the Roman Emperor Gaius Messius Quintus Decius (often called “Trajan Decius”) moved to confront the barbarian invaders. Accompanied by his son Herennius Etruscus and his…
251

Carthage (238 AD)
In 235 AD, the Roman army in Germany mutinied and murdered the last Severan emperor, Alexander Severus, after a reign of fourteen years. This led to another succession crisis and civil war. The legions in Germany acclaimed a professional soldier, …
238

Hormuz (226 AD)
Around 220 AD Ardashir I, a Persian vassal, considered the state of the Parthian Empire. Ardashir knew about dissensions in the Parthian royal house and reasoned that the losses which Artabanus had sustained in his battles with the Romans and …
226

Nisibis (217 AD)
For centuries, Rome and Parthia contended for dominance in the Middle East. Nisibis 217 AD was a three-day battle with the Romans led by their new emperor Marcus Opellius Macrinus against the Great King of Parthia, Artabanus IV. On the …
217

Lugdunum (197 AD)
The civil war that began with the “year of the five emperors” continued. Septimus Severus, after defeating Pescennius Niger at Issus (194), now turned on his other rival, Clodius Albinus, governor of Britain. Albinus took his legions east and added …
197

Issus (194 AD)
The Roman Empire lacked an accepted institutional system of succession whenever an emperor died. This typically led to multiple claimants to the throne and civil war. So, when the erratic and eccentric emperor Commodus was murdered in 193 AD, it …
194

Mons Graupius (84 AD)
After years of campaigns in northern Britain, Gnaeus Julius Agricola subdued all the tribes except the fierce Caledonians. Agricola maneuvered to bring the Caledonians to open battle. Determined to restore the security of his Highland home, the…
84

First Bedriacum (69 AD)
The “year of four emperors” (68-69 AD) began when Nero, the last member of the Julio-Claudian dynasty, committed suicide to avoid execution. Servius Sulpicius Galba, governor of Hispania, was proclaimed emperor, but did last long, for Marcus Salvius…
69

Boudica's Revolt (61 AD)
While many of the tribes of Britain resisted Rome until they were conquered and crushed, a few tribes, like the Iceni, formed pacts with the Romans to remain semi-independent. The Iceni client-king Prasutagus died while the Roman governor, Gaius…
61

Medway (43 AD)
In 43 AD, Aulus Plautius led an expedition of four legions to Britain. His army advanced with only minor skirmishing as far as Rutupiae on the coast of Kent. Late in the season, Roman scouts finally found the enemy camped …
43

Anthony's Siege Train (36 BC)
Fresh from his dalliance with Cleopatra, Antony set out to conquer the Parthian empire, following a battle plan he discussed years before with Caesar. Avoiding Crassus’ mistake of striking directly through Mesopotamia, Antony took his massive army…
-36

Cilician Gates (39 BC)
After his victory at Philippi, Mark Antony was intent on waging war against the Parthians and avenging the defeat at Carrhae. Anthony sent Pubulius Ventidius Baussus ahead to pave the way. Ventidius was one of the most successful Roman generals …
-39

Philippi II (42 BC)
After the first battle of Philippi, a fleet bringing supplies to Anthony and Octavian’s army was destroyed and supplies for the Triumvirate legions began running out. Brutus was content to watch the army of Antony and Octavian starve. However, the …
-42

Philippi I (42 BC)
Caesar’s assassination plunged the Roman world into chaos and civil war. On one side was the Second Triumvirate of Mark Anthony, Aemilius Lepidus, and Octavian, Caesar’s nephew, which aimed to avenge Caesar’s murder. Opposing them were the assassins…
-42

Carrhae (53 BC)
Along with Pompey and Julius Caesar, Marcus Licinius Crassus formed the secret “Triumvirate” which all but controlled Rome. Reputedly the richest man in Rome, Crassus lacked any great military achievement to compare with Caesar’s conquest of Gaul and…
-53

Tigranocerta (69 BC)
Mithridates VI of Pontus challenged Rome for control of Asia Minor and Greece while the Romans were distracted in the Italian War. Although Rome defeated Mithridates in the First and Second Mithridatic Wars, he was allowed to maintain his kingdom …
-69
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