Macedon

It had taken four weeks to get King Philip where they wanted him. They could have forced marched to Pharsalus in just days, but the real feat of genius was forcing Philip V to commit to battle on the terms that Jason wanted. Across the plain before him the host of Macedon was formed. He could see a retinue of mounted commanders on the closest hillock. Jason assumed it was the king of Macedon.

Two small rivers ran west to east north of the city. He had deployed Legios XII, XIII, and XIV in line between them. The frontage was nearly two miles. Skirmishes and the inherent damages of camp life had cut the number of legionaries he commanded, but it had also diminished the Macedonian forces. Jason estimated that he had lost roughly five hundred men to battles between the four legions and at least that number if not more to desertion and disease. That left him just twelve and a half thousand legionaries on the line, supported by nine thousand auxilia. Reyna's 4,300 legionaries and nearly a thousand cavalry were currently executing their maneuver. On his orders she had left her archers and peltasts with his three legions and replaced them with most of the cavalry.

Across from him was an army that his scouts reported to have started with 20,000 hoplites, 10,000 supporting infantry and archers, and nearly six thousand horse. Philip was no fool. Even if the king had brought his army directly into the location needed for Jason's plan to work. No plan would survive the first contact with the enemy. Lupa and New Rome had drilled that into him. The Macedonian line was six miles away and beginning to move forward. The center of the line was nearly a thousand phalangites across and he expected no fewer than fifteen ranks deep. Flanking the phalanx were the light infantry and archers, with the remaining cavalry divided between the extreme flanks. Philip outnumbered him, and Jason was counting that Philip would decide to not hold men in reserve in order to crush the legions now.

Legio XII held the center of the line and would take the brunt of the phalanx's power. Each of the Gemini legions flanked him. The Eagle of their commands stood in front next to the flapping purple banners bearing the S.P.Q.R. in gold. Individual cohorts were spread for across on the first row with a two rowed stack of three cohorts behind them. The archers and velites were arrayed in front of the legionaries but they would fall back to the protection of the legionary ranks when the enemy approached. The limited cavalry was committed to Hazel's Legio XIV, she was easily the best cavalry commander he had. Frank and Hazel had ridden their horses to the center to meet with him. It would be their final conference before the battle was met.

"Tell your legions, if a cohort breaks the punishment will be decimation, via crucifixion."

"Jason!" hissed Hazel. Frank nodded, as much as he hated the idea the voice of Mars was thundering approval in his head.

"Hazel, this isn't New Rome and our 12th Legion. These aren't monsters we're facing. It's an army who wants to kill us to a man. We can't afford to break. We have to buy Reyna the time she needs to close the door." He paused. "Scipio taught me the need for it. He saw what happened at Cannae and was determined his legions would never do the same."

"Hazel," Frank whispered, "He's right. The threat of discipline will keep them in line." The approaching army had covered a mile of the distance.

"Go, return to your legions. And the gods be with you."

"And with you, Jason." They responded in sync.

"Marcus Lucinius." The Primus Pilus of the legion stepped forward. He was the senior man in the senior cohort. The tribune and prefects may have out ranked him but Lucinius was a veteran of North Africa, Spain, and Syracuse, they outranked him but did not question him. "Pass the word, any cohort that breaks will be subject to decimation." The centurion took the order with supreme dignity.

"It shall be, Praetor." Jason's eyes moved to the string of low hills three miles away on his left flank. Reyna's legion would be behind there. Mars, please let her be there. The Macedonians, sensing the lack of cavalry had sent forward their horse. Each flank now waited as over five thousand cavalry, lances extended spurred their steeds into a trot. The horsemen were still over three miles away, they would not speed into a gallop until the last half of mile in order to make the most of the horse's force into the Roman lines. On the far right Hazel was ordering her prefect equitarius to the river with the three hundred cavalry he had remaining. They would not attempt to brunt the Macedonian horse, but a well timed counter might route them. Two miles between the horse and flanking legions. Three miles between the infantry formations.

Orders rang out from both legates. "ORBEM FORMATE!" The frontline cohorts rapidly reformed into squares, while the rear line of cohorts stepped forward to reinforce the second line. The archers that had been in front of them retreated to the interior of the squares. The squares closest to his own legion, per specific instructions, formed themselves in more of a loose endcap of each of his lines. It allowed his legion to maintain a solid front to the approaching phalangites.

"REPELLERE EQUITATES!" The horseman were just under a mile away. The archers were preparing their arrows. The gallop had started, the large horses straining to accelerate toward the formations. The distance had closed to just four hundred yards. The archers drew back on their bows, but waited for the command.

"Solvite sagittis!" Four thousand arrows rose in unison towards the enemy. Not nearly enough struck their targets to kill the advance. The cavalry gave a cry as they closed with the final hundred yards of the square formations. The infantry line was just a mile and a half from the frontage. "Iacite pila!" the cry was echoed by every centurion and the inner ranks of each square hurled their spears toward the approaching horsemen. Many of the horses attempted to avoid the squares and as they veered away their riders became easy targets for the second and third rows of legionaries. The waiting soldiers were eager to drag down the horsemen and butcher them as their comrades sacrificed themselves to break about the horse formations.

Frank stepped forward from his second rank. "Secunda acie! Contendite vestra sponte!" Without hesitation the second row of legionaries began to push forward, Frank leading them into their aggressive stance and the bloodbath began. The disorganized horsemen were no match for seven disciplined cohorts. Jason let a wolflike smile appear on his face as Legio XIII pressed forward with brutal efficiency. He looked to his right flank.

Hazel's soldiers were still in their double line with only the front cohorts in square. There the cavalry was harassing the Macedonians and preventing any of them from forming large groups. Movement occurred with her third line and he knew she had just ordered them forward with "Tertiam aciem progressus." The slaughter was beginning on the right flank now. He turned back to the approaching infantry. They were just four hundred yards away now.

"Solvite sagittis!" he ordered and the archers in the center of the line began to fire. The slow moving hoplites were a much easier target than their mounted brethren. But their armor and their raised pikes protected them better. The lighter infantry on the flanks were more vulnerable, but also not as potent a threat as the pikemen. Even pila would not outreach the pikes, the best the legion could do against the phalanx was to cut through the spears or out flank it. Until the cavalry was routed or Reyna was in position, the second option was not available. The phalanx was barely a hundred yards away.

"Ciringite frontem," he kept his voice level. He had to fight to do it. Despite the many fights against monsters and deities, the battles in Africa against Carthage, this was his first as a commander and despite the pride at how the legions were performing, he was also watching hundreds of his legionaries fall. The order was repeated up and down the line. The first Macedonian arrow fell upon them.

"Reversusque agmine facto, scutis!" shouted Marcus Lucinius. The troops did as ordered. Jason drew his gladius and pointed at the mass of Macedonian archers. A bolt of lightning struck the earth near them. A wave of exhaustion swept across him. Shit, he thought. I wish I could use powers like Percy used to. He never seemed to tire as easily as me. The Macedonian front was just twenty yards away.

"Iacite pila!" The front row of soldiers hurled their spears toward the enemy and then picked up their second. Reyna's legion had left pila with Jason's, she would rely on the sword. She can't move into position until the whole of Macedon is committed. TheMacedon front was not fully manned, but there were more than enough pikes forward to begin the bloodletting. The first of the pikes had reached his lines. Pila could not outreach them. Romans screamed as the first of the sarissa plunged through flesh and armor. The phalangites had marched across the known world under Alexander. Now they marched on his legions.

He watched as most of the first rank was dead within seconds of contact. The sarissa was an efficient weapon with only one true purpose. Ending human life. The screams of the dead and dying were growing in volume. The forward cohorts were holding the line, but just.

"Secundo acie iactu tela signaque." The three cohorts of his second line hurled their pila and advanced to reinforce the first row. Jason looked to his right and left. The Gemini full might had been deployed to repel the horses, and the Macedonian cavalry was falling back in disarray. Two miles behind the line of Macedonian soldiers a column of dust was rising. But Jason could not tell if it was moving fast enough to help. The sarissa were still tearing through his soldiers. Then the horn sounded. His eyes shot to where the column of dust was rising. Behind the Macedonians and approaching quickly was Legio IX. Without pila to slow their advance the legion was approaching at a near run across the mile and half distance. Two columns of cavalry were advancing parallel to the river. Jason knew they had been ordered to advance until parallel with the Macedonian infantry and then sweep the flank. None of that mattered if the 12th fucking broke though. The flanking legions had committed their totality of forces in order to reverse an enemy attack. Jason ordered the same in order to save his legion.

"Tertiam aciem progressus." He joined them as they walked forward. The front two rows were being forced back and the casualties mounting. Jason found himself at the center of the formation. The Macedonian light infantry had peeled back to face the approaching ninth. Now, son. He heard the voice in his head. Part of him believed it Scipio, the other part said it was Jupiter.

"CUNEUM FORMATE!" he screamed and began sprinting toward the Macedonians. Behind him the men of the third row, three cohorts, over a thousand legionaries formed themselves into a wedge as they fell in behind him. Marcus Lucinius heard their advance and quickly ordered a gap in the line. As it formed the Macedonians rushed forward. But to do so broke their line of pikes. With a whip of his sword, Jason called the lightning again. The slight bulge in the line had essentially been a blister. The lightning popped it and revealed the soft skin underneath.

The third line began to carve their way into the phalanx. The long sarissa was useless to the Macedonians now. Jason had lost sight of the 9th Legion in the maelstrom of the battle. A Macedonian swung at him with a xiphos, he countered the strike with a flick of his hand and thrust his sword forward. A spray of blood erupted from the wound in the man's chest and Jason pushed him away. Pain flared in Jason's left side as a second sword sliced through the leather of his epaulettes. With a snarl he recovered from the wound and the gladius in his hand took off the man's head. He could hear screams of panic as the 9th struck the rear of the phalanx and the Gemini legions closed off the flanks. The Roman cavalry had diverted to attack the remnants of the Macedonian light infantry and horse. Jason saw the banner of King Philip V in front of him and made for it.

On the opposite side of the Macedonian formation Reyna's eyes were also fixated on the king's banner. A panicked Macedonian had dropped his sarissa and swung wildly with a xiphos at her head. With practiced ease she deflected the strike with her shield and thrust forward with a gladius. The sword was designed as a stabbing weapon and penetrated the man's armor beneath the rib cage and sliced into his kidneys. Even as he fell, attempting to use his hands to hold his blood in his body, Reyna was moving past him to the first of the king's guards. The soldiers were the most loyal to their king, willing to die for him. Reyna and on the other side of the group, Jason, obliged them.

Two of the guards rushed her. Both carried the older Greek hoplons and kopis swords. The first bashed her scuta with his round shield. It took her a step back but she kept the second at bay with a wild swing. Reyna blocked a sword thrust with the gladius and smashed her shield into the man's throat. He collapsed, struggling to breath. His companion had dropped his shield and delivered a heavy two handed blow. With a half step back the majority of the blow's force was avoided. The tip of the sword managed to cut through the face shield of her helmet and through the skin along the outer edge of her right eye. Reyna stabbed him through the throat and turned to his companion still choking on the ground. A swift sword thrust ended his suffering. She spun on the Macedonian king, blinking blood from her eye. Or what was left of him.

In the time she had killed three of the king's guards, Jason had struck down seven. King Philip V was no match for his skill. The king was staring at his arms, both of which ended well above the wrist. The two offending hands were laying on the ground in front of him.

"Rome has come," hissed Jason and thrust his gladius through the man's ribcage into his heart. The king was dead, the slaughter was not over. By the time Jason called off his legions barely five hundred of the phalangites remained. Larger numbers of cavalry and light infantry had escaped, but the true weight of the Macedonian army was gone, as was its leadership. The survivors would flee to Pella, the capital of Macedon and where the new king would be crowned. Perseus was just a child but would be crowned king. Children made good puppet rulers.

Their casualties had been heavy. Legio IX was the least affected. Legio XII was the hardest hit. The threat of decimation would have been useless. Of the front seven cohorts, over three thousand legionaries, over one thousand were wounded. The burial mound for the fallen held over a thousand bodies. Over five hundred were from the 12th. Reyna looked at the carnage. Yes, they had killed many times their losses, but these were their men. She had been studying their praetor. He was different.