Why not keep going? A Roman Britain TL:

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V- Agricola's Memory
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    • Parmenion

    Vacomagi Territory, September 11th, 140​




    The brilliant blanket of starts that stretched over the Highlands was of little comfort to its new inhabitants. On a patch of sparse grass and lichen-covered rocks, thousands of refugees huddled around peatfires. Some stood watch, on the surrounding hills or among their families, ensuring order was kept. Surrounding one fire near the center of the camp, the head chieftains of nearly all the major Caledonian tribes sat with eachother. There was little to talk about while they waited for the last of them to arrive, the state of their peoples, a few informal trades between them, but the mood was grim. "Took you long enough old timer!" One of the chieftains called out, as the long sinced grey haired, seven fingered leader of the who the the Romans called the Cornavii wearily took his place at the fire. Drest, as his people called him, had ruled the Northern edge of Britain for 40 cold years. More significant, Drest was one of the last Briton survivors of Agricola's grand victory another 20 years prior. The man may have lost his physical prowess, but the man knew the Roman ways of war better than any other there.

    He gave a cold stare to each of the other men around the fire "So... you're the men who wish to kill themselves." A chorus of outraged platitudes rang out, only to be silenced as the old chief stood. "How many spears, how many chariots can you hope to put against these red demons?" Talorc, leader of the Vascomagi stood to speak "30,000 spears and swords, 3,000 riders, and 50 chariots." He informed his peer sternly. Drest laughed "Not bad, they may actually send in the legions this time." "Keep your voice down damn yo-" Drest jumped up "None of you can understand! You'll never stand a chance! These Roman soldiers are a people within a people, war is a way of life to them!"

    Another chief stood, furious "So tell me Drest, what would you have us do, roll over and kiss their pricks while they destroy us!? You've gone soft old man!" Drest shook his head, as he tried to throw off the memories of cold iron and wood smashing around him on that old terrible day "They don't care for us, they just want tribute, and after a generation they'll have some other rubbish to deal with, and they'll forget they ever came this far, all we have to do is hold out until then." "And be at their mercy?" Talorc asked "When they get hungry, they'll take our crops. When they lust for war, they'll take our sons. When they lust, they'll take our daughters." Several chiefs hollered in support "We'll accept your neutrality Drest, but we're going down after them in three days." Drest gave his counterpart a pitying look "May you triumph then. I have 500 spears with me, they can guard the women and children for a week after you leave." "Thanks for that." Talorc said genuinely "It's nothing, I don't want you to have to have them come along, and trust me, neither do you." Talorc wouldn't sleep well that night...
     
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    • Yeiro

    So the conquest of Caledonia is nearing, I don't want the civilians to suffer but this is antiquity and the Romans so e:perservingface:
     
    Lord Hogmeister

    Lord Hogmeister

    I like the potential of this, bringing the northern tribes into the empire could over time could create a tough manpower pool to raise new legions from, though please no bagpipes.
     
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    Andristan

    Andristan

    More Brittonic names include: Edern, Corotic, Rhun, Rhydderch, Dumnagual, Caw, Hueil, Cai, Kentigern, Mungo,
    There is some slight evidence that the Damnonii around Glasgow/Dumbarton were friendly with the Romans/sided with them against the Dicalydones/Verturiones so might be friendly now, would explain the Selgovae and Novantae enmity towards the Romans, as friends of our enemies.
     

    Henry III

    I suppose in the long run the legion's that would have been in Britain would be instead moving to the German borders and the border with the pathian empire

    In the future
     
    VI- Victorium
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    • Parmenion

    Castra Durnum, September 20th, 140​



    Decanus Titus Flavius Metellus had risen early that morning, though there was little to do but contemplate his misery. His undertunic and wools socks did little to make up for the thin blanket, he could hardly blame Gaius and Quintus for sharing a cot so often, even if it was one more headache for him to deal with. Suddenly he was jolted out of his half-slumber by a rap on the door to their room, he already knew it was the Centurion. Jumping up to get the door as the rest of the Contubernium began to stir "Dominus?" He greeted his superior grogilly "Get the kids up, sounds like its on today." "Will they feed us?" He hoped to at least go into the fight with a belly full of horse meat and shitty bread "Oh you won't believe the spread the Governor has for us, now get them up, no big hurry." Metellus nodded and turned to the men.

    "Arise shitbags!" He called out "Todays the day to earn your silver!" The blearly eyed men were soon stumbling out to the camp, suprised to see plenty of roaring fires fueled by the odd grass and the coal the locals used, untill that morning doing so had been a flogging offense. Those who'd woken earlier were already stumbling out of the pantries, arms stuffed with goods. Metellus saw one soldier carrying a heap or bacon like it was his firstborn child. Minutes later, Metellus and his contubernium were crouched around their fire, the cold air and their isolated position quickly forgotten "Eat your fill, you rankers! Orders from the Governor!" The Centurion called, Metellus intended to ensure his men followed the order to the letter...

    Urbicus had received word from scouts before dawn that the Caledonian army was approaching, and had hours to prepare the men. Leaving one legion and some archers to protect the camp, the Romans marched to a ridge just South of Durno, and close enough for the fort to provide support. Urbicus had the army form up in a style typical of the age, skirmishers in front, auxiliaries behind them, cavalry on the left wing, with legionary forces in reserve. By noon the Caledonian army began to arrive, quickly realizing suprise wasn't on their side. Nonetheless, as the Caledonians saw barely half their number of enemy on the ridge, they had reason to be confident. Talorc first had his chariots try to probe the Roman right, but they were driven off by skirmishers and scorpion fire.

    Seeing no other option, Talorc ordered a general advance, and 30,000 Caledonian warriors began their advance. As the mass of spears and swords neared the Auxilia, the skirmishers unleashed a hail of arrows, javelins and stones at the enemy line. Undeterred, the Caledonians broke into a sprint, most of the arrows in the first volley falling short. The skirmishers loosed a few more missiles, then withdrew in their own time behind the infantry. Both lines now became ragged, as some auxilia formed shieldwalls and braced, while others drew their swords and countercharged. Within seconds, the gap had closed, and nothing could be heard but the sounds of clashing wood and iron, and the shouts of the men. The auxiliaries were generally better equipped, but Caledonian numbers and ferocity soon took their toll.

    The Roman line was gradually pushed back, and Urbicus, who'd been content to let the cohort commanders handle tactical decisions, now acted. He ordered his final non-legionary units, two cohorts of Tungri infantry, to charge the Caledonian right. Their push stopped the Briton advance cold, even as some parts of the center and right were worn down. Desperate to tip the balance, Talorc led all his cavalry and chariots against the Roman left, only for Urbicus to order his auxiliary cavalry to do the same. Outnumbered, the Caledonians were once again checked. Urbicus let the situation play out another half an hour, before he gave the decisive order of the day, the 15,000 uncommitted, rested legionaries were to advance.

    The exhausted Auxilia fell back, a few units broke, but these would regain composure once they were clear of the enemy. Caledonians would be forgiven for thinking briefly that they'd done it, before they laid eyes on the steel clad, iron disciplined Romans. With droning of horns and tubas signalling, the legions walked forward until they were 30 paces from the enemy, and they loosed their pila. 15,000 javelins tore into the already bloodied Caledonians, who still didn't waver, even as the legionaries broke into full sprint. The Caledonian line withstood the charge for a moment, before the almost robotic sequence of slashes and thrusts took their courage, and the Northerners tried to flee.

    Not only did the Auxiliady cavalry assist in rounding up the routing enemy, but the 600 strong legionary cavalry was still completely fresh. By days end, only around 3,000 Caledonians remained free, with another 15,000 captured. Among the dead were Talorc, several other chieftains, and most of the remaining leadership of Caledonian. The Auxilia did suffer in the battle, with around 3,000 killed and as many wounded. The legionaries meanwhile were essentially untouched, with only 150 dead and wounded in total. With scarcely a citizen lost, Urbicus had destroyed the last organized resistance in Britannia...
     
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    • Henry III

    The Roman Empire could have conquered Scotland. Politics in Rome prevented this.

    Also, the Romans had issues with the Saxons and other Germanic and Scandinavian tribes, proto-Vikings moving to Britain, and an island nation needing a strong fleet and coastal defences.
     

    Yeiro

    well it seems like Rome has conquered a territory that isn't going to be forced to leave when the empire start to collapse! this is going to have interesting effects in the future
     
    Xenophonte

    Xenophonte

    Yeiro said:
    well it seems like Rome has conquered a territory that isn't going to be forced to leave when the empire start to collapse! this is going to have interesting effects in the future
    Click to expand...
    AFAIK, the military victory while necessary, it would still leave the likely years' effort, for it is organizized/urbanized and like the rest of Britannia in the south of the wall, it would need to be garrisoned and settled, put into exploitation in the traditional Roman way.
     

    Dragonboy

    Xenophonte said:
    AFAIK, the military victory while necessary, it would still leave the likely years' effort, for it is organizized/urbanized and like the rest of Britannia in the south of the wall, it would need to be garrisoned and settled, put into exploitation in the traditional Roman way.
    Click to expand...
    Hope that after it's up to speed and pacified Rome can then turn it's eye on Hibernia, it would be a great boon when britannia is on it's own
     
    VII-Cleaning up
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    • Parmenion

    In the aftermath of the great Roman victory at Durnum, Quintus Lollius Urbicus secured the surrender of almost every surviving leader. Those who had escaped the slaughter one way or another were forced into humiliating terms. Massive tributes in whatever they had on hand, much of which was simply burned as it wasn't worth transporting to be sold. Worst still, many of the families of those killed or captured at Durnum now had no protection from the cohorts that fanned into the highlands. The luckiest of them were killed or managed to escape deep into the mountains where they froze or starved. Many more were at the mercy of the legions, and found themselves sold into slavery. The Cornavii along with some other small tribes that hadn't taken up arms against Rome were allowed to keep their lands, on the condition their forces were used to help keep order in Caledonia.

    Urbicus had known that holding Caledonia would be much more important, and difficult, than defeating them in the field. Through the rest of fall he had the legions do several "Camp marches" establishing fortified settlements at regular intervals to keep the area secure. The plan had been for any legionaries completing their service terms to settle Caledonia, but this rapidly fell apart as many of them refused to live in what was to them, a frigid, barely inhahitiable hellscape. Luckily Urbicus had anticipated that. Several of the Brittonic nobles who'd followed the Romans were now rewarded for their loyalty, they were given large tracts of upper lowlands to settle, again on the condition they defend it. A few of the Auxiliary cohorts were also (With the consent of the Emperor) given citizenship early, so that they too could settle the North.

    As the long winter began to settle over Caledonia, Urbicus had the legions withdrawn back to Eboracum, as he turned his attention west. The navy had thoroughly scouted the Hibernian coast, and no raiders had attempted the crossing that summer. What information could be gleaned from afar on the island was minimal, the number of Roman citizens who'd set foot on Hibernia could likely be counted on two hands. What Urbicus and Rome weren't fully aware of however, is that Hibernia had already been much changed by the Roman presence. With the British villas always hungry for slave labor, many Hibernian tribes had been warring sporadically for decades not for land, but for captives to sell across the sea. This meant the Hibernians were a hardened, seasoned people, who knew exactly what lay in store for them should they fall under the eagle...

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    • Xenophonte

    Xenophonte

    I'd suppose that also, in a Roman fashion, may be bring for resettle people from places with rescent rebellions or from questionable loyalty, like some Dacians or Germans from Roman territories.
    Parmenion said:
    he plan had been for any legionaries completing their service terms to settle Caledonia, but this rapidly fell apart as many of them refused to live in what was to them, a frigid, barely inhahitiable hellscape. Luckily Urbicus had anticipated that. Several of the Brittonic nobles who'd followed the Romans were now rewarded for their loyalty, they were given large tracts of upper lowlands to settle, again on the condition they defend it. A few of the Auxiliary cohorts were also (With the consent of the Emperor) given citizenship early, so that they too could settle the North.
    Click to expand...
    Would be probable that if as seem probable that among the Auxilia, would be those Cohorts like the II (2ed) Asturum et Callaecorum (equitata), they would be the ones mores comfortable with settling there and/or to also to brough there their relatives back from their tribal homes. Given that these cohorts were recruited from the 'Asturians and Callaecer/Callaecns' that were the Hispanic-Celtic tribes from the northwestern mountainous area of Roman Hispania.
     
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    Parmenion

    Xenophonte said:
    I'd suppose that also, in a Roman fashion, may be bring for resettle people from places with rescent rebellions or from questionable loyalty, like some Dacians or Germans from Roman
    Click to expand...
    Actually they'd mostly be local Brittonic units, Brigantes and the like, since they're more familiar with the area and have gotten the opportunity to skip a rung or two on the local social ladder
     

    Henry III

    In the long it Britannica going to be something of one of the remaining lights of Rome civilization like the Eastern Roman Empire in otl ?

    What made British able to over come France in the late 17th 18th and early 19th century which had a population of around 25 million compared to Britain 6 to 8 million by the early 19th century

    The British the king successful due to the mercantile tradition and liberties with the British isles company to what was in France

    Also the British council match the French and even succeed and financial due to having a much wealthier population and banking reforms

    As for this if Rome still falls and New Kingdoms rise in the long term

    Something of Rome could exist but it would have gone through a lot on changes
     
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