Crusader Kings: Prisoners of War.

Chapter 102: The Story of Germanicus

By the standards of this era, Tia's thinking is undoubtedly very advanced. If her thinking is not advanced and her heart is not strong, it is impossible for her to gain a foothold in the military as a woman, but all this comes at a price.

She usually trained and improved herself with an astonishing intensity, and lived an ascetic life during the war. Her extraordinary talent and high-intensity training enabled her to surpass most men of that era and become a leading figure in the army. This example was not universal at all, and she was well aware of it.

Therefore, Tia has always been very conflicted about Domitia's attitude, not knowing what path she would choose. Now that she has taken the initiative to propose it, Tia has calmed down.

Since the boss had spoken, Domitia and Berenice were temporarily accommodated in a nearby temporarily requisitioned villa, waiting to set off with the army tomorrow.

After she left, Orville said bluntly, "I have to say that I don't agree with your approach this time. If your sister has no talent, you can let her do business or handle household affairs, but you should never let her go into politics or the military. You know the reason best."

Tia just glanced at Orvel and said, "I know all this. She is also your sister. I am not crazy, and I will not let her go to the front line now. I just moved my family to a place closer to us."

Orville also knew that Tia had a stubborn temper and it was difficult to persuade her to do something she had decided on, so he could only give up for the time being. After all, there was precedent of bringing female relatives on expeditions, but this precedent was very strange.

General Germanicus also brought his family with him when he fought on the front lines, including his wife and sons. The most famous among them was definitely the future Emperor Caligula, a notorious tyrant and incompetent ruler.

Nero's bad reputation in history was to a certain extent due to the smear campaign by Christians and the Senate. Domitian (Domitia) had a bad reputation more because he offended the Senate and later Christians. Caligula more or less deserved his reputation.

It was obviously inappropriate to bring up such an example of incompetence, so Orville said nothing and let Tia arrange things this way.

In fact, the current Gaul region is not a purely barren and wild place. Especially near the defense line of the Germanic Legion, the construction is quite good. Cologne (Colonia Agrippina) was a colonial fortress built by the Romans a hundred years ago. It has developed for a long time and is not uninhabitable.

Tia has many good aides around her who can serve as Domitia's teachers. The difference between Rome and here is not very big, and everything that is necessary will be there.

After convincing himself with this idea, Orville calmed down. After confirming the storage status of military supplies with Tia, he returned to his tent to rest and prepare to set off for the front line early tomorrow morning.
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What happened in the evening was at best a minor episode, and Tia would not inform the entire army about her family affairs. The three legions, with a total of tens of thousands of people, set out in the morning and headed for the Germanic Legion’s base.

This was an activity within the empire, and they could take the Roman Road directly to their destination, but the marching speed of this era was limited, so it was difficult for them to move very fast.

There are a large number of baggage trains, and the physical fitness of some auxiliary soldiers is also worrying. Their marching speed is only about 15 kilometers per day. In fact, it sounds not low, but the avenue here is a frequently used main road, well maintained, and the terrain is very flat. It can still go out at this speed. It is conceivable that the marching speed of the troops will drop to single digits when crossing the Alps in the future.

The normal marching speed of the legionnaires fluctuates between 20 and 25 kilometers per day. When necessary, they can march quickly and run at an incredible speed when maneuvering within the country. However, since they are carrying so many burdens, they will definitely not be able to march fast.

Orville was not in a hurry either. He just frequently sent messengers between the army and the front line of Narbonne Gaul to learn the latest news about Aurelian.

After that great victory, he was full of pride and declared that he would completely resolve the Gaul issue within three months, but he misdefined the nature of the war. This war would definitely not be completed in three months.

If it was a civil war among warlords within the Roman Empire, a few months would indeed be more than enough time. Once the main force was annihilated, the rest would be defeated and scattered. After all, it was a civil war rather than a full-scale war. It would be enough to determine the winner. The Romans did not want to fight to the death with their compatriots and bleed to death. Even if they had the energy to conquer other nations, they would not be able to conquer them.

But this was a national uprising of the Gauls, and the Gauls had fought almost with all their might for this war. They would not become discouraged and surrender after losing one or two major battles.

In fact, strictly speaking, the Palphic War has not yet ended completely. In some remote areas, there are still some diehards occupying small fortresses and holding on for three years. In the end, they could not hold on any longer and thousands of people in the strongholds committed suicide. Not a single prisoner was left for the Romans. In the end, when the Romans rushed in, they saw corpses everywhere.

This was the siege of Masada Castle. To this day, Israelis are still promoting the so-called Masada spirit. It is difficult to judge whether it is good or bad, but their will to resist was indeed very firm from beginning to end.

The Gauls' will to resist was no less than that of the Parphians. They were also generally much more adept at fighting than the Parphians. Gaul was also a vast and complex land, and it was impossible to achieve success in a single battle, Aurelian took it for granted.

After advancing into the heart of Gaul, he inevitably fell into the quagmire of security warfare. The Gauls refused to confront his army head-on, and either stayed in the city or harassed Aurelian's rear supply stations. Occasionally, they would ambush Aurelian's scattered troops, causing him considerable losses.

The Gauls were not bad in terms of war wisdom. After losing the battle, they quickly changed their tactics and clung to the Roman army like a piece of taffy. Aurelian had no particularly good method to deal with this annoying opponent who was both unreachable and unbeatable. He could only advance slowly and steadily, looking for the right opportunity to fight another big battle.

He was not very merciful in fighting. He showed no mercy when it was time to strike. He took measures such as collective responsibility and denunciation to deal with the conquered Gallic villages, gradually blocking the guerrillas' space for activities. At the same time, he personally led the cavalry to cruise near the supply lines, hunting down any Gallic guerrillas he encountered. The two sides fought back and forth and the battle was very lively.

(End of this chapter)