Chapter VI: Battle of Pelusium

Summer, 1102

Word of the large Republican army quickly spread to Pomerlane and he decided to recall Pomupius and prepare for the coming engagement. After hiring some mercenaries, his army now totaled 20,000 men. 15,000 Infantry and 5,000 Cavalry. His prediction that the Republic would be demoralized by his victories had been proven wrong, he had underestimated the resolve of the common man to die for the Republic and certainly the oratory skills of the Doge. "No matter" he said to his cousin Pomeclius "These men marching to meet us shall meet their maker regardless." His confidence was not unfounded, almost the entire citizen army that was coming to face him was made up of men who had never seen battle before. Sure, they were trained and practiced for such times, but had not actual seen the horrors of battle themselves. But what made him more confident was not that the men were greenhorns, but that their commanders were as well. While the higher command had seen some action in the past, usually as part of the navy or fighting as mercenaries themselves (A proud tradition of Feeshland), the lower ranks had no such experience. In Pomerlane's mind, they would be reckless and disregard the orders of high command, seeking glory and revenge before anything else. He gathered his army at Pelusium, a town on the main road between Atalanta and Aquileia. He woudn't have to wait long for battle to come.

In the early morning hours of August 6th, the Republican army arrived on the field. It was quite the spectacle, with the banners, standards and the gleaming armor and weapons of the Republican army causing one of Pomerlane's soldiers to remark that the army seemed to be the most glorious the Republic ever field. Quickly, they would make a fortified camp and rest for the upcoming battle the next day. Pomerlane took this lull to his advantage by harassing them throughout the day, sending small squadrons of fast cavalry to fire arrows into their camps, launch sudden strikes on the supply train which was still comes up and raid against those sent to collect water. Pomerlane also made sure that the Aquileian battalions under his command got a bit of a laugh in at the enemy, by marching out and mocking them with insults and even using a catapult to launch manure into the enemy camp. The Republicans could do nothing but watch, as Florus ordered that strict discipline must be maintained. To counter the annoying wasp-like Cavalry, he had to use his own to guard against their attacks and made sure that everything would be ready for the next day. When the sun set, both armies rested and prepared for the coming bloodbath.

On August 7th, both armies arose and took formation across from each other. The terrain was flat across the battlefield, and it was a hot summer day. The Republican army drew up in typical fashion, in the triple line. The main problem was that the second line, which in theory should have been seasoned veterans, was made up of the same raw recruits as the first line. All of the veterans would thus be in the third line. Florus placed himself with the third line of infantry and had the Tribunes Quintilius and Maximus command the first two lines respectively. His son, Probus commanded the cavalry on the right while Opimius Tarquinius commanded the Cavalry on the left.

Pomerlane drew up his army in dramatically different fashion. He had one line of infantry but made his left flank extremely deep. He planned for his center and right to give ground while his left utterly destroyed the forces before it. Knowing he had the superior cavalry, which he would command personally on the right while Pomupius commanded the left, he planned to rout the enemy cavalry from the field and come back around to envelop the enemy from the rear. With the left crushed and the Cavalry encircling, the center and right would then turn around and entrapped the Republic army.

The battle would start at 9 am with trumpets from both sides signaling advance. Soon, the cavalry battles would begin on the left and right flanks as the infantry approached each other. It did not take long for the cavalry battle to turn against the Republicans. Pomerlane himself would kill Probus after lancing him during the initial charge, breaking his lance in the process. At 9:15, the Republican cavalry was in full retreat on Pomerlane's side and would do the same 10 minutes later on Pomupius' side. In the meantime, just as predicted, the weight of the left flank of Pomerlane's army utterly demolished the Republican forces before it, sending them fleeing from the field while the overeager commanders on the center and right pursued what they believed to be a defeated enemy, only to find themselves outflanked and now exposed. It was now noon, and Pomerlane had held back his cavalry at the rear and on the right flank for now just for this moment. He now ordered his cavalry to charge the rear and flank of the Republicans while his infantry which had been falling back slowly now suddenly pushed forward. Florus, who had been coordinating veterans to try to stop the left, turned around to see the charging cavalry and in the middle of shouting "MEN, TURN ABOUT AND HOL-" He was lanced. Many Republican forces tried to flee the encirclement, but most ended up cut down by the Light cavalry Pomerlane held in reserve.

No prisoners had been ordered to be taken, and the result was a complete bloodbath, not seen for many years in history to this point. It took until dusk for every man trapped in the encirclement to be put down and some of Tamerlane's men reported having to pick up weapons from the ground because their swords had become blunt from all of the killing. Others reported that there was so much blood, that some slipped and fell over it. When it was all said and done 40,000 Republicans lay dead on the field, 10,000 managing to escape somehow. Pomerlane, had merely lost 1,500 men, mostly in the center and right. He ordered the bodies of the Republicans to be beheaded and their skulls made into towers for all of the world to see. At the same time, his own dead were given proper burials and he did give a proper burial to Florus and his son, but not before beheading Florus and sending his head to Atalanta; and stripping them of their armor.

Sketch of the battle, Pomerlane riding horse in the center

The gruesome aftermath of the battle

One of The Tower of Skulls Pomerlane became notorious for

The Republican baggage train had been abandoned by the fleeing soldiers, and Pomerlane found in its vast riches and goods that he would make good use of. He personally would pay his men 10 times their normal pay for their efforts in this battle before sending the rest back to Aquileia. The republican army was no more, but the question was "now what?" Should he march straight on Atalanta, and see if the whole republic kneels before his in a coup de grâce? Should he focus on taking the other cities before moving on Atalanta?

To be continued.