Campaign Events

Hot on the heels of a grand duel between Germans and Gauls comes a listing of what has been happening in the overall scheme of things:

Autumn 109

• In North Africa, Metellus moves into Byzacium. Jugurtha skirmishes a bit and withdraws to Numidia proper. Metellus proclaims a great victory.
• The Parthians consolidate in Sind.
• Great battle between the Teutones and Sequani.

Spring 108

• The Tigurini of Tolosa ally with the Teutones.
• Metellus consolidates in Byzacia.
• Marius leaves the army in North Africa and becomes Consul in Rome. He raises four new legions from the Capite Censi. Shocking behaviour, especially for a Novus Homo.
• Parthia raises a new army.

Summer 108

• Metellus celebrates a triumph in Rome, being surnamed Numidicus even though Jugurtha is very much still alive and well, along with his army. 
• Marius takes his new-fangled army to North Africa.
• The new Parthian host arrives in Babylonia.

Autumn 108

• Marius trains his legions in North Africa, fully expecting a hard campaign against Jugurtha.
• The Parthians move into Palmyra, which at the moment is neutral territory between the Parthian Empire and the Ptolemies of Egypt.
• Caepio attacks the Tigurini.

So next up is another encounter between Gaul and the forces of mighty Rome. Sharp-eyed observers will have noted that we are still broadly following historical events, although the damage inflicted upon the Germans is greater than was historically the case. The Cimbri have suffered at the hands of the Romans, while the Teutones have had a bad time courtesy of the Sequani. In North Africa, Jugurtha still has an army, but it won't be much of a threat to Marius, ably assisted by his Quaestor, Lucius Cornelius Sulla. They know that the war against Jugurtha will be a gruelling guerrilla contest, but are confident of victory in the long run. Marius is too much of a vir militaris to dismiss Jugurtha as Metellus has done, and is prepared to wage a long campaign to gain a permanent victory. In the meantime, his surprising choice of Sulla as Quaestor has been more than justified. It turns out that the dissolute aristocrat has real military talent, something that only Marius perceived.