293 B.C.
Battle of Aquilonia
by Robert Richardson
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In the year 219 B.C. after many years of war the Samnite Army had been gathered together at the town of Aquilonia. There under the auspice of their priests 16,000 of these men took stringent vows to their priests and gods through as ancient form of oath. In the center of that camp extending 200 feet in the four directions of the compass was fenced about with wickerwork and hide and roofed with linen. There was sacrifice offered and following the words read from an old linen scroll a priest by the name of Ovious Paccius, an aged man, who claimed to have derived from an ancient religious practice those rites. There through an attendant all those of the highest rank in birth and feats of arms were summoned and brought in one by one. There were several ritual objects about and in the middle were altars. There they took fearful form of oath, when the leaders of the Samnites had bound themselves then they were chosen to choose another man until their numbers reached 16,000. These men were called the linen legion. The other 24,000 men of the Samnites made up another army. Lucius Papirius the Roman Commander assembled his legions of 2 Roman and 2 Ailied for about 19,000 men. When Papirius encamped nearby the city he encouraged skirmishing with the Samnites while avoiding a direct battle. These tactics of harassing the enemy when they were quiet and retreating when they offered resistance. While some twenty miles further away another Roman Army under Carvilius numbering the same amount of legions of 20,000 men were laying siege to Cominium. Papirius sent word to his colleague that tomorrow he meant to engage the Samnites at Aquilonia and for him to put pressure on the Samnites at Cominium so they could not send help. As the Roman Army took the field a deserter from the Samnites reported that 8,000 Sammtes had set out for Cominium. Whereupon Papirius sent a messenger to warn Carvilius.
While held command of the army. He ordered Spurius Nautius to take the pack mules and put 3 cohorts of allied troops (1,200 men and mules) on them and make a wide detour on to a nearby hill which was in full view and at the height of the battle to show himself and raise as much dust as possible as if the Roman Army of Carvilius was coming from Cominium. The Samnite positions are not clearly defined but several things are hinted at. The Linen Legion of the Samnites, numbering some 16,000 men occupied the center of the line, 8,000 other Samnite troops were on their way towards Cominium, this left some 16,000 others who were probably evenly divided with 8,000 men on either side of Linen formation with perhaps 1,000 cavalry on each flank though number of cavalry is not mentioned. The Romans and Samnites both advanced their standards with the Romans showing much more fury and spirit in the attacks. It appears that the Romans pressed the Samnites hard but they, to their credit, stood transfixed and rooted to the earth. The carnage had now nearly reached the standards (or rear ranks where the standards were moved for safe keeping) when a great dust cloud arose coming on obliquely. It appears to all that it was a great army approaching. But this was no more than Spurius Nautius who had the men riding the mules drag leafy branches along behind them on the ground. The Romans at this point even deceived themselvesinto thinking it was the other Roman Army from Cominium.
At this point the Samnites routed with the infantry who survived the battle driven into their camp Aquilonia and their nobles and cavalry sought refuge in Bovianium. The Roman cavalry pursued the Samnite cavalry while the Roman right wing pursued them to their camp and the left to the city. The Samnites lost nearly 20,340 killed with 3,870 prisoners and 97 standards. The Romans' loss is estimated at 4,000 - 6,000 killed. Wargaming the Battle of Aquilonia Here's one where you can dust off your Greek Hoplites and have them do double duty as the Samnites against your Roman Republic troops. The Saxnnite formations would be about (2 figures or) 8 actual ranks deep to the standard Republic Roman deployment of their legion. I would do the initial setup with the historical places occupied as per map. But here is where you can throw a few twists into the game. Why not have the Roman 2nd Army have a possiblity of showing up, remember they were only 20 miles away and the Roman commander had informed his colleague he intended to give battle against the Samnites the next day. How about the Samnite 8,000 men who marched out at night towards the other town why could they not have lain in ambush and when the armies were hotly engaged in battle they could have sprung from their ambush and played a decisive part in the battle. Needless to say the original Roman plan of the 1,200 pack mules should be kept, but what if they became lost. Remember they took a wide detour to the hill all of these ideas can be done with a six sided dice roll. Examples
Roll of 3: The Samnites attack the mules Roll of 4-6: Samnites proceed to other town A second die roll for the 2nd Roman Army
Roll of 5: Roman Army appears 4 turns into game Roll of 6: Roman Army appears 6 turns into game Roman pack mule unit
Roll of 2: Becomes lost is delayed 8 turns Roll of 3: Becomes lost is delayed 6 turns Roll of 4: Becomes lost is delayed 4 turns Roll of 5: Becomes lost is delayed 2 turns Roll of 6: Is at the disposal of the Roman commander on the reverse slope of the hill from the enemy Well these are just a few ideas, one more before closing to allow the reserve Roman cavalry through the legion's in the center would be just a pass through move if the legions remain stationary that turn and are not engaged with the enemy in melee battle. The following turn after the cavalry has moved through the legions mmay move and melee as normal. The above has no effect on missle fire received or given. Another way to reflect it is to move the cavalry directly behind the Roman Legion touching bases and announce the unit is moving through open files then the Roman Legion fights at half value and the cavalry for full value for one turn. Next turn of the Roman movement the cavalry is placed to the front of the unit of the Roman Legion with the legion behind. Only the cavalry fights then. Back to MWAN #63 Table of Contents Back to MWAN List of Issues Back to MagWeb Magazine List © Copyright 1993 Hal Thinglum This article appears in MagWeb (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. Other military history articles and gaming articles are available at http://www.magweb.com |
The Roman Army was drawn up with Lucius Volumnius on the right flank with Lucius Scipio on the left. The legates Gaius Caedicius and Titus Trebonius were in charge of the cavalry on either flank.
At this point the Roman cavalry charged against the enemy with all the force they could. (This appears to have about 1,000 cavalry in reserve behind the main line). Ways were opened through the files which the cavalry dashed forward through and rode at the enemy's center with leveled spears and broke the Samnite ranks wherever they attacked. Close behind the cavalry came the infantry of Volumnius and Scipio to strike down the disorganized ranks of the Samnites.