Crusader Kings: Prisoners of War.

Chapter 229: The Roman Army: Strong Branches and Weak Trunk

In short, Astolfo wanted Orville to get him a license, which was not difficult. Out of personal friendship and a favor owed to him, Orville took Astolfo with him and prepared to return to Rome.

In fact, the handover work on Orville's side was completed long before Vespa's official order came down. He waited for Tia for two or three weeks, and only after he was sure that the new Governor of Gaul sent by Vespa was capable of performing various tasks did he set off with confidence and prepare to rush to Rome.

Including the Viking "auxiliary troops" and the Palphi army that had completed their mission and was preparing to return home, the entire team had about six or seven thousand people, which was already a considerable size, and they could only return slowly along the provincial highway.

Orville wanted to go back quickly because the situation in Egypt was still waiting for him to deal with, but the marching speed was really slow. Even though Orville's professional army was accustomed to forced marches, the auxiliary soldiers following the army could not bear it. In order to take care of them, Orville could only slowly crawl back to the Roman mainland at a speed of twenty to thirty kilometers a day.

According to the previous situation, this march is expected to last two or three months. This is probably an important reason why the ancients did not travel much. In order to speed up, Orville can only find another way.

Since this was a safe maneuver within the line and there would be no encounter with the enemy, Orville temporarily lowered the standards for building the camp, allowing the army to spend more time marching instead of camping.

At the same time, the inn system that Auville had previously set up in various parts of Gaul also came into play: they used horse-drawn or ox-drawn carts to transport food and unused excess weapons and equipment first, and Auville led his army to chase behind. The army only carried the necessary three days of food with them and did not have to wait for baggage wagons. In this way, the marching speed was greatly improved.
-
It was originally estimated that it would take more than two months to reach Rome from Britain. Orville and his companions traveled day and night, using various methods to speed up the journey. In just one and a half months, they crossed the Alps and arrived in Italy. The road ahead was flat and well-developed, and the march would be quite smooth. The Eternal City was already within reach of them, and they would reach the vicinity of Rome in about a week or two.

At this time, the Palfi auxiliary soldiers who followed them separated from them and were stationed in a military station north of the Po River. They were auxiliary soldiers of foreign races and were not eligible to go back to participate in the triumphal ceremony and enjoy various honors, so Orville could only place them in a safer place first.

The auxiliary soldiers certainly had no objection to this arrangement. They didn't care much about the honor and praise given to them by the Romans. Orville had distributed the bounty on his return journey, and it was no problem to arrange them in this place now. Anyway, they had food and drink and no danger, so it didn't matter where they were.

Among the entourage, needless to say, those who came from Rome and Orville were used to the prosperity and wealth of their homeland, and even this place was barely acceptable to them compared to Rome. Alfred had studied in Rome before so it was okay for him. The rest of the people were mostly amazed, as they had never seen the construction and civilization of the Mediterranean world. They often walked around something with their eyes wide open along the way, as everything was new to them.

Ivar inherited Ragnar's curiosity, and often asked Ptolemy and others questions. Moreover, he had a significant advantage over Ragnar - although his cultural level was not high, he could still read and write. Ragnar could not only read and write Germanic, but also took the initiative to learn Latin during this period. Although his language skills were not very good, he could barely apply them to life.

He is not only curious about things themselves, but also about the principles behind things, which can help him understand more. Orville noticed that he always carried a notebook with him, often writing and drawing on it some symbols that Orville could not understand. It is estimated that this is his "research notes" or "study notes". This spirit of inquiry deserves Orville's attention, but he does not think it is a big deal. If the other party wants to learn and imitate, the blockade cannot lock it. Instead, it is better to show it to the other party openly. Ivar will not foolishly ask the Romans about the specific principles of those key technologies, and the rest of the things will be left to the other party.

Orville wanted to slowly digest these northerners. Cultural and technological communication was a prerequisite, and he was not opposed to it at all. Anyway, the Romans also got different shipbuilding techniques and some metallurgical ideas from the northerners. Whether it was output or exchange, it was generally beneficial to a large-scale rising civilization.

After wandering around and walking a long distance in Italy, the group arrived near Rome, where they were stopped by the Guards who received them and asked them to rest and prepare to rehearse the triumphal ceremony.

The Central Plains dynasties in the East almost always had a powerful central guard, whose number was not much different from that of any border army. As for the Romans, although they also had a central force, its number could not be compared with that of the Eastern dynasties.

During this period, the emperor's guards had about 10,000 people, plus the capital's defense force of 3,000 people. This was the number of troops that Rome could mobilize at the first time. In fact, it was not a lot, and it could only deal with some crises within a certain limit. At least it could not maintain an advantage in front of the three powerful border legions.

Especially the Romans believed that their city would be an eternal city and did not need city walls to protect itself. Therefore, the city had no city walls, and it was very easy for foreign armies to invade, which required even more vigilance.

So according to the rules set by the Romans, foreign border troops could not enter the Roman mainland and approach the city of Rome unless under special circumstances. However, such restrictions on rules could not bind everyone. For example, the previous tyrants Galba, Otho, Vitellius, the Danube Legion that helped Vespa become emperor, and even Vespa's own army, actually broke the rules.

Therefore, during this period, the Guards system and the elders of Rome might inevitably be sensitive and suspicious, worried about another accident, and asked Orville to stay far away. This was understandable, and Orville followed their wishes.

As for the triumphal ceremony, it was performed for millions of Roman residents to show off their military power and glory and to enhance the people's confidence in the country. This kind of ceremony was very costly and of great significance, so it was necessary to prepare and rehearse in advance. When Orville had nothing to do on the march, he thought of the process and pomp of the triumphal ceremony, compiled it into a booklet and presented it to Vespa, who was satisfied and asked him to follow it.

Finally, about two weeks later, Tia, Orville and their army officially entered the city of Rome, accompanied by a grand triumphal ceremony.

(End of this chapter)