Poena Deorum

Poena Deorum EVENT LOCATION: Gaulic region EVENT DATE: 50 BC APART OF: 1.0

The Legio XI Fulminata and the Legio XII Gallica were two of the Roman Republic's Legions that were set to march through the tribal countryside where they beheld long-standing steel marches within the Gaul reigonin an admirable and well-organized effort from the Legions and the continued sustainment of their army. The first of these legions, Legio XI Fulminata known by the moniker as “Wolves of Mars” were led by Legatus Ætius Bursio, with the second of these legions, Legio XII Gallica offered the moniker “The Iron Banners” were led by Legatus Callistus Lactuca.

In the start, the battles had not been the easiest to win, with each legion heavily underfunded due to the general consummate and poor collective planning of the Roma Citizens. Their campaign had hit a halt due to the absence of reinforcements requested to replenish their stockpiles, and so, the battle outcomes began to rely more greatly on battles of attrition than large-scale confrontations.

The early months in their campaign had been greatly successful, the Exercitus Gallicus, a general army of legionnaires of the Celtae were able to maintain their firm hold upon their region, caste-system, and proto-feudal governance, alongside their advantage in cavalry, which had been the initial method by which they replenished their stockpiles and resources to sustain the legions.

Event

The battle, which had descended upon the two Legions at the most inopportune time, thoroughly defeated Legio XI Filminata and the Legio XII Gallica after both legions had inevitably used up all their resources to further progress their campaign.

Both legions had since lost their eagle standards, with either Legatus having been killed in battle. The encampments of either legions were overrun, and the shrine of Mars was destroyed–it was replaced by the Celtae god-of-war, a near-identical representation of the very same god said shrine was destroyed for: Mavorte. The Roman Legions were utterly decimated, leaving only a sparse handful of soldiers to flee; the bodies littering the outskirts of Gaul became an iconic war-sight; crows feasted on the corpses of roman legionnaires for the next few months, their corpses left unretrieved and without burial.

Aftermath and Legacy

Although their performance and resilience before their ultimate fall in the Poena Deorum was a feat that could be considered worthy of the Roman Empire, their devastating loss had mollified the Roman citizens in hindsight of their poor planning and support towards the legions that had ultimately contributed to their failure.