Pomponius sat atop his horse, regaled fully for battle in armor, helm, cape, and the distinctive wolf pelt that ever adorned his shoulders. The morning sun was rising above the distant sea, casting a bright highlight off of the thousands of legionaries arrayed before their Legate in the lowlands south of the Simeto river. The Legio Sexta Ferrata was set in a classic manipular formation, with the ranks of hastati, principes, and triarii formed into the distinctive triple battle order that was the signature of the Roman legions. Off some distance from the first offset maniples of hastati, the velite skirmishers formed their own loose battle line as the whole of the VI Legion marched towards the looming might of the Carthagian army. From his vantage point among the triarii, Pomponius could clearly see the shining symbol of the [i]Aquila[/i], and the roaring wolf banner of the Legio Sexta Ferrata that fluttered beneath. The sight of the honorific standard filled Pomponius with pride, and the sentiment managed to dull the sharp edge of his anxiety. Yes, fear was present in the Legio legatus’ heart, and the man would never deny that such existed at a time such as this. To do so was folly, and an insult to the courage of men who overcame such fear. No, Titus Pomponius Philo was not a man without fear, he was simply a man accustomed to harnessing it. Pomponius looked to the left of the main formation of the VI Legion, and he could see the organized lines of the equestrians advancing in time the triarii. The Ironclad cavalry’s primary purpose was to defend the Roman left flank. The VI Legion’s right flank was set against Legate Aelius Horatius Servius’ Legio V Almeria, and thusly Pomponius feared little for any threat to his right. [i]That is,[/i] Pomponius thought with a scowl, [i]if the V Legion doesn’t decide to ignore their orders, and stop to rest.[/i] In the scant weeks since the arrival of the Legio V Almeria in Syracuse, and the shock that Horatius had not led his men to meet the Carthaginians as Pomponius had understood them to be tasked, the relationship between the two legate had been strained. On some level, Pomponius understood the misinterpretation of the Consul’s orders as they had been relayed to Horatius, but the miscommunication now put the hard won gains of the Legio Sexta Ferrata at risk. Not to mention the possibility of losing the entire island of Sicily to Rome’s enemies. In the end, when scouts had located Hasdrubal’s army, and the Alae arrived to reinforce the Roman fighting force, there was nothing left to be done but relinquish the past, and face the reality of the moment. If the two legions did not band together to fight, they would most assuredly perish. --- The Legio Sexta Ferrata’s involvement in the Second Battle of Syracuse began in classic Roman fashion. Arrayed facing the northwest, the VI Legion advanced with the higher ground of the Sicilian interior upon their left flank, and the formidable force of the Legio V Almeria upon their right. Pomponius’ velites opened the battle with volleys of javelins before retreating between the maniples of hastate, and moving to form a rearguard for VI Legion. Continuing their advance, the VI Legion engaged the large Carthaginian army fully. The overwhelming size and ferocity at first pressed back the lines of hastati and pricipes, forcing them to retreat and reform with the ranks of the triarii. With his infantry organized, Pomponius again threw the VI Legion against Hasdrubal. When the two sides met once more, the battle developed into a pitched engagement, and maneuverability on both sides became extremely limited. This was exactly what Pomponius had been waiting for. With the main body of the Carthaginians engaged with the Roman legions, Pomponius ordered the light and maneuverable cohorts of the Etruscan Alae to advance from their hidden position in the higher ground to the southwest of the battle, and strike at Hasdrubal’s exposed right flank. The Etruscan horsemen, supplemented by the equestrians of the VI Legion, pressed with audacious fervor into the ranks of the Carthaginians. So effective was their attack that the untested ranks of Sicilian traitors capitulated, and either fled the battlefield or were destroyed outright. Lacking a means to effectively maneuver to meet the attack upon his flank, Hasdrubal’s heavily armored force was obliged to fold and retreat, lest they became fully enveloped by the Roman units. --- Consul Tiberius Sempronius Longus, I write to you from the field, as the great legions of Rome pursue the villain of Carthage, Hasdrubal. It is with pride that I inform you that the Legio VI Ferrata and the Legio V Almeria were successful in rebuffing the attack of the Carthaginians, and are even now giving chase to utterly destroy them. The Senate’s wise deployment of the Alae to reinforce Rome’s holdings in Sicily proved to be an invaluable asset upon the field, and without their assistance, I fear many Roman sons would have been lost in the pursuance of their duty. Toxilus Maecenus of Vulci is to be commended for his valor and astute command of the Etruscan ranks, and I pray the Senate remember him in the coming years. I have taken it upon myself to separate the ranks of the Alae, and deploy the Etruscan infantry to maintain order and security over Syracuse. Toxilus Maecenus, along with his slingers and cavalry, remain with the Legio VI Ferrata, and aid in the hunt of Hasdrubal. Further, though I cannot speak to the disposition of the Legio V Almeria, I must also extol Legate Aelius Horatius Servius for his prude actions during the battle. His shrewd style of command, and selfless courage, surely allowed Rome to win the day. I will keep you well appraised, as best I can, of our unrelenting mission to destroy Hasdrubal and the Carthaginian aggressors. With the continued grace of Mars and Disciplina, we will surely succeed, and return Sicily to its rightful place beneath the banner of the Republic. Humbly and sincerely, Legatus Titus Pomponius Philo