Introduction

The refight took place at the Celebrate History Convention '99 in San Francisco. It was fought as a publicity device to inform the public with historical interest about the reconstruction society of Nova Roma. Nova Roma is a micronation that exists entirely on the Internet. It is a virtual recreation of the Roman Republic, with its offices, procedures and religion entirely intact. Members are Citizens. It is not a role playing game, but an actual living breathing Rome. People wishing more info can go to http://www.novaroma.org

The refight began with two suppositions. First the battlefield was 5 1/2 miles outside of Cremona as sources indicate (see accompanying article) along the Via Postumia and second that the sides were able to deploy before battle (though this seems unlikely.) I was fortunate to get a 1920s aerial survey map from my friend and fellow scholar in Italy, Vezio. This shows the area before all the major build up of Cremona happened in the '60s and submerged the site.

The terrain was installation Styrofoam cut and routed, then painted with Latex paint, yellowish green, to look like the field, which had many drainage ditches and small vineyards. To the south of the Via the ground was clear except for the occasional vineyard. To the north the area was congested with woods, vineyards, and the town of S. Savino. (See pictures and map.)

The sides were picked with care. I assumed that the Vitellians had Valens' army in the forefront with two alae of cavalry in advance, followed by 1st Italica, auxilaries, 21st Rapax, 5 th Alaudae, more auxilaries and then fartber down the Via, the vexillatii. Caecina had command of the army, Valens the center. Otho's side had horse in advance followed by I " Adiutrix, auxilaries, Praetorians, 13th Gernina and the vexillatii of the 141h. From the south we had the gladiators arrive (since they were such interesting troops) followed by the Batavians on the Vitellian side. Finally more horse brought up the Othoian rear of the column. Otho Titianus bad command, Praetorian Prefect Rufus Proculus had the center. I have ignored the competent commanders Paulinus and Celsus, since the Emperor had superceded them.

I assumed based on Plutarch's garbled account that the sides would have deployed with the Batavians and Gladiators in the south, Rapax and Adiutrix facing one another, the Praetorians facing Italica, Alaudae facing the 13th Gemina and the German cohorts facing the vexillatii of the 14th. (See Refight Map)

This is based on the garbled account of Plutarch in "Otho." Otho's side had horse in advance followed by vexillarii of the 14th Gemina, 13th Gemina, the five cohorts of Praetorians, auxiliaries, 1st Adiutrix, more auxiliaries, including the gladiators, (since they were such interesting troops) and more horse.

Battle was believed to have started before the rest of the vexillarii from Valens could intervene, so we planned to allow a vex. to enter the board every couple of turns. However, the battle was over as the second vexillarii entered the board.

The Battle

First Turn

The Vitellian Batavian horse on the right advance at the Othoi an horse. The Othoian horse moved up cautiously supported by its auxiliarii. The Vitellian 21st advanced in triplex acies (three lines) supported by its auxiliarii. The Othoian 1st, also in triplex, moved slightly forward, then wheeled to line up after crossing a drainage ditch. The Othoian gladiators protected the 1st's left flank, it's auxiliarii protected it's right. The Praetorians formed a unit of duplex (two lines) and with the south side Via covering its right flank advanced towards the Vitellian 1st which was in triplex. Also in triplex Vitellian 5th and Fabius Fabullus on the north side of the Via advanced towards the 13th and the 14th who were also on the north side. The legio closest to the road, the 13th, was in triplex, while the 14th was in duplex. The Vitellian auxiliarii protected the 5th's left flank. In the center, Lucius Otho Titianus advanced the guard horse.

Second turn

The Vitellian Batavian horse charge the Othoians. The Othoian Prefect elected to receive the charge at a halt so his infantry cohorts could throw javelins at the halt as well. (In S&E you may throw two stands deep if you are not moving.) The resulting javelin shower did not stop the Batavi. They crashed into the Othoian Alae. The 1st Moesian broke at once. The Pannonians, made of sterner stuff, fought bard even though they were at a tactical disadvantage. The 2nd Batavian ala advanced through the bole left by the fleeing Moesii and ran into the halted reserve, 2nd Pannonian cohort. The cohort stopped the advancing ala. Ala Gallian having no target, decided to bait and wait for his front to clear. The rest of the Vitellian auxiliarii cohorts were advancing fast towards the fight. The 21st continued it's slow advance towards the halted Othoian 1st. The Consul Flavis Sabinus decided to order the gladiators to face the fighting which apparently was not going the Othoian way.

Caecina at this point heard of his Batavians' success on his right flank. He ordered his reserve the ala of Turians from Lyons to reenforce the victorious right, and convey his orders to the Batavians to wheel and roll up the enemy's left. The Turians cantered off. In retrospect this was Caecina's one big mistake in the battle. He removed his reserve which would turn out to be important later.

In the center Titianus received word from his left, that the 14th was advancing into unfavorable terrain and needed more support against the auxiliaries. Titianus only had the civilian cohort available but he sent it off at once. The Praetorians continued to bear down on the 1st. The Othoian bow unit opened fire on the auxiliary line with no success. On the left Legatus Vedius Aquila saw that he was going to be outnumbered by Vitellian auxiliary in the coming fight. He ordered his Pannonians to dismount and operate on foot, protecting the 14th's vulnerable left flank.

Third Turn

On the Vitellian tight the Gallian ala decided to charge the halted cohort from Pannonia. The Gallians instead were disorganized by javelins, and failed to overrun the cohorts. By this time though the Batavian infantry entered the melee. One cohort hit the flank of ala II Pannoniorum. The dual assault was too much for the 2nd who broke. The Prefect's victorious Batavians pursued the routed Parmonians even though the latter were retreating. The Othoian Pannonian cohort, locked in melee with the 2nd Batavian ala, had Fortuna smile on them and through a prodigious run of luck broke the Batavians. The resulting rout dragged the disheartened Gauls with them. Even though both Pannonian cohorts were damaged, they now only faced infantry. Their spirits rose.

In the center the Vitellian Lusitianians showered shot on the Moseian cohort, which sheltered under their oval clipii and were unscathed. The Praetorians continued to advance at 1st Italica. The Guard horse wheeled and moved towards the north, with Titianus leading them personally. The Civii moved to catch up with the 14th and 13th in the north. The Vitellian vexillarii from IV Macedonica entered on the Via. The left saw the Othoian Pannonia ala advance and catch up to the slow moving 14th. Aquila observed that the 13th would be in charge range of the 5th soon. He was still worried about the rough ground and his lack of auxiliaries.

Fourth Turn

On the fight saw the auxiliary cohorts on both sides wheel toward one another. The Vitellian Prefect in command saw that the block of gladiators were close to intervening, so be ordered the cohort I Vindeliconim to block them. The unhappy, outnumbered Germans moved to do so. 21st Rapax charged the Marine legio. 1st Adiritrix countercharged, and in the ensuing pila exchange had the better, as both front lines crashed together with short swords at the ready. The Practorians led by their Prefect Rufus Proculus charged Italica. Knowing about the inflated reputation of the Guard, since Italica had been stationed with them in Rome in 67 during Nero's aborted Armenian campaign, the 1st easily countercharged, while exchanging a hail of pila. Both front lines intermingling, backing and stabbing. Titianus wanted to threaten the 5th's flank so that they would be halted when the 13th charged them. Caecina had the same idea, except he wanted the vexillarii of the 4 th's Tribune to advance up the Via, turn and flank the Praetorians. So to Titianus' surprise as the German Guard horse climbed up on to the via, he saw not Alaudae, but the straggling vexillarii of Macedonica.

On the left the Othoian 13th had attempted to avoid contact until Titianus' plan succeeded. The Vitellian 5th and Fabullus were not going to wait for that to happen. They charged the reluctant 13th. Aquila had not advanced the vexillarii of the l4th for fear of the large number of auxiliaries in the rough terrain. Now with no choice be ordered them forward to protect the 13th's left.

Fifth Turn

The gladiators had arrived and stabilized the fluid fi7ont on the right. The Vitellian Prefect had no choice but commit his last cohort, the German cohort I Mattiacorum, against the gladiators. The Batavians meanwhile were struggling with the Pannonians. Neither would give an inch. Rapax was in trouble. Its first line had taken heavy casualties from pila; those marines bad obviously practiced throwing. When Rapay entered combat, its line was already outnumbered from losses. So in the ensuing melee, like its historical counterpart, Rapax was at a huge disadvantage. It lost the fight and began to give ground.

In the center, Italica and the Guard were locked in a deadly struggle. Neither had shifted and casualties were even. Valens wasn't worried. He out numbered the Practorians 2 to 1, and be was about to relieve his hard pressed first line with his fresh second one. Titianus, upon seeing the disordered vexillarii to his front tightened up his column of guard horse and ordered a charge. The Germans caught the disordered column while attempting to change into a line and dispersed them. Caecina rode to the rear to rally the fugitives. No doubt at this time be wished be had not sent the Gaulic horse to the tight. No problem, he felt, he still had the vexillaiii Gallica just arriving and as he joined them to give orders, disaster struck. As the routers from the 4th rushed down the road they burst through the advancing 16th and carried them and Caccina off as well. Valens had just became the army commander, except be didn't know it yet. His focus was still on the Praetorians.

On the left, the "Larks" (5th Alaudae), shoved the 13th back. Aquila had no choice but to exchange lines. This stopped the retreat and stiffened resistance to the Vitellians. The 14th supported by the dismounted ala, had engaged the auxiliaries and as Aqulia feared, was taking the worst of it. Legionatii were not meant to fight in this type of terrain. He sent a message to the civii cohort "to speed up its advance."

Sixth Turn

The gladiators with their superior fencing ability were pushing the Vitellian Germans back. The Batavians finally broke a Pannonian cobort, the free cohort wheeled to take the remaining Pannonian in the flank. Rapax continued to falter. The legio sent in its second line against the tiring first line of the 1st but to no avail. Consul Sabinus continued to exhort his marines to do well and they did. They checked the onslaught of the second line and threw it back! Rapax continued to give ground. (The Minifigs that were representing Rapax were over 20 years old from the old PB series. I wonder if that had anything to do with it.)

Valens was still unaware he was the Vitellian supreme commander as he rotated his fresh second line in against the Guard. This did the trick. The firing Practorians retreated. Victorious Valens and the Italica followed up. By doing this he sealed Rapax's fate. Titianus had checked his pursuit of the vexillaiii of the 4th, and as he looked across the field he saw that rear of Rapax was quite exposed, and if he pushed his men, perhaps in reach since the Vitellians and Italica had advanced.

He set off, the guard in his wake, angling for Rapax's rear. Aquila was holding the Vitellian 5th back, but the 13th was taking losses and tiring. He knew once Fabullus relieved the 5th's first line, be would have to send in his fresh third line, which meant the end was in sight for a legio. Once the third line was defeated, the legio usually had enough and would retreat. The 14th , because of its glorious history, was holding the auxiliaries in check, but at a cost. The 14th's front line was ravaged, and he would have send his second line to restore order. He had faced Queen Boudicea once and won. Now he faced defeat, and like the Queen, he didn't like it.

Seventh Turn

The Batavians scored the last success of the Vitellians as they broke the last Pannonian cohort. Though they had taken fatalities, they were still strong enough to defeat the gladiators, with the help of the other two German units. It was not to happen. Rapax's exhausted 1st line was resting on its scutums, commenting among each other on how tough the marines turned out to be, when a blaring lituus call announced Titianus and the Guards arrival. The Getman horsemen scattered the hapless first line driving them into the third line who were awaiting their turn for combat. The second line, still engaged in melee with Adiutrix received this back pressure with ill grace. Pressed from the front and rear, they dissolved and what was a fine 3600 man combat formation became a tormented group of milling runaways, all trying to get to safety.

As Rapax disintegrated, Valens was finally informed of his new status as the Vitellian commander. Caecina had been found trampled, he was not expected to live. Fabius Valens had hardly any time to digest this bit of information, when an enormous groan from the unengaged lines of Italica advised him of Rapax's demise. Not only did he have enemy horse in his rear, but now be had 1st Adiutrix on his flank as well! He might break the Praetorians soon, but not before Sabinus and Adiutrix wheeled and rolled him up from the flank, while Titiatrus' cavalry took him in the rear.

And where was Vitellius? Still somewhere in Gaul. No, his men had suffered enough, it was important to salvage their lives, and his reputation. As he ordered his signalers to blow the truce, be was already figuring how to shift the blame onto Caecina and Vitellius. With fortune he might come out of this with enhanced distinction. Now all he had to do was convince the Praetorian Prefect Rufus Proculus that he had not fought that hard against him!

And so ended the refight of Cremona. Mistakes had been made on both sides, and the side with the better fortune had carried the day. The battle took three hours to fight. We gave out 300 Nova Roma flyers to the people who dropped in for in for a look at the field and the miniatures so we had to say the event was a success.

More Battle of 1st Cremona

The Campaign
The Battle
Scenario and Special Rules
The Tabletop Refight