"Mare Nostrum" Ancient Campaign Kicks Off

After a lot of intense diplomatic manoeuvring, the first turn orders were in and the first battles fought tonight.

The campaign is set around the Mediteranean ca 200 BC.  Peter Collidge is the umpire.  The players are:   In Hobart: Mike = Rome, Mark = Seleucis, Chris = Ptolemy, SteveJ = Macedon, James = Greece, Jim = Gaul.   In Canberra: PeterW = Carthage, SteveD = Spain, Dale = Pontus.   Carthage & Spain have formed a block in the west.  Rome, Gaul and Greece have formed an alliance in the middle.  In the east Ptolemy & Pontus seem to be ganging up on Seleucis, while Macedon is playing a waiting game.

The first moves have generated land battles in the east as Seleucis faces two enemies and combined operations in the west where the Carthaginans and Spanish are invading northern Italy by land and sea.

Naval Battle off Parma
While their Spanish allies advance overland, the Carthaginians have sent their fleet from Gades to clear the sea lanes for an army to be transported by sea.  The Roman fleet had moved from Syracuse to intercept the Carthaginian fleet.

The Roman commander on the far side was somewhat at a disadvantage in fighting his first ever ancient naval action while the Carthaginian's stand-in admiral, SteveJ has had a couple of practice matches. A run of hot Punic dice at the start compounded his problem and the Roman fleet was soundly beaten, losing 3 ships to 1 (out of 5 each).  This result both allows the Carthaginian army to land and cuts off sea transport for Roman reinforcements to the Parma force - leaving it significantly outnumbered. 

Ptolemy attacks Seleucis
Meanwhile on the big table Jim umpired the battle between Ptolemy & Seleucis.

 Ptolemy is on the left, Seleucis on the right.

Seleucis' phalanx has angled left to attack Ptolemy's centre. On the near flank, Seleucis' cavalry is advancing on Ptolemy's right. On the far flank, Ptolemy's cavalry has refised to move.

Seleucis is concentrating most of his army against Ptolemy's right while Ptolemy's cavalry is taking far to long in their attempt to sweep around the hill into Seleucis's right flank.

Ptolemy's cavalry has finally got moving, but one phalanx has forced it go even wider & it plays no part in the battle while Ptolemy's right & centre crumble to give Seleucis a decisive victory.  His reward is to fight the Pontic army moving down from the north.