J. Clifton Slater

Three battles into the second war between Carthage and Rome, the Republic was reeling. Hannibal Barca moved through the countryside burning, looting, and attracting recruits and supplies from disgruntled city residents and tribesmen. Cornelius Scipio remained with the forward Legions, taking any...

"When this is over, you and I are going to have a short talk over a pair of long blades." The Senior Tribune did not care for Centurion Alerio Sisera and the feeling was mutual. Welcome to 259 B.C. By law, all debts must be paid by the Ides of March. For men like them, sharp steel was the only...

"I've heard Cretan archers are good bowmen but weak skirmishers," a Tribune offered. "It has something to do with the teeny, tiny shields they wear like jewelry on their left forearms." "They wear jewelry into combat," Tribune Scipio moaned. "What have I done?" Set in the desperate years of the...

Infantry tactics at a sea battle offer dangerous options. Run the boarding ramp into the tips of the enemy's blades. Or fall into the gap between warships. Welcome to 260 B.C. Death waits at both, but if you make it to the enemy's deck you have a fighting chance. With the sea, you are doomed by...

When a Legionary pushes the boundaries, he draws a crowd. Either to watch him collect a medal or collect lashes. And if it's really bad, an eighty-foot drop from Tarpeian Rock. Welcome to 261 B.C. There are anxious words to describe being in unfathomable trouble. A feeling of pressure, an...

The heart and life of a battle is the center of the combat line. A dark, throbbing, and terrifying place. A place where death prowls between enemy shields, waiting for sharp blades to carve out an advantage. Welcome to 262 B.C. A single Legion is rushed into combat to stop a fortified army. The...

The two Legionaries appeared to be locked in an embrace. They flew off the top of the slope. Their plunge, however, wasn't voluntary. They were pinned together by a long iron barb protruding through their stomachs. Welcome to 263 B.C. Between clashes of the Qart Hadasht Empire and the upstart...

Alerio hurled the spear. Immediately regretting the loss of his second weapon, he prayed. "Nenia, Goddess of Death, if it's my time, come for me quickly." Welcome to January 263 B.C. Attacking a pair of long spears with his short dagger was going to hurt and add to Alerio's collection of combat...

A tale of war, tactics, subterfuge, and luck. And one man's struggle to resurrect his reputation. Welcome to late 264 B.C. The Legion is a machine of war. When the gears are turning, those not in sync with the machine get pulverized in the cogs. Most of the time, it's the enemy. Unfortunately...

The tide of soldiers washed over the Legion shields. Buried, the ranks of Legionaries sagged. "Push!" the Legion NCO yelled. Welcome to 264 B.C. Over the grunts and cries of men struggling against the mass of bodies pressing down on them, the Optio bellowed again, "Push!" And the Legion shields...

A battlefield covered with dead Legionaries An Empire encroaching on the Republic A Senate in turmoil Welcome to 265 B.C. Alerio Sisera will need all of his skills as a heavy infantryman, a scout and a weapon's instructor to survive. Standing with two gladii in a river of blood, the Legionary...

A gladius is a short sword. A prodigy is a talented youth. Put them together and people die. Welcome to 271 BC This is not the full-time professional Legion of Imperial Rome. This is the levied Legion of the mid-Republic and it is messy. If you like Roman adventure and 3rd Century...

Orphan Jace Kasia might have found a home in the green hills and golden valleys of the Insubri. But several things prevented him from relishing his new life. He didn't know his name, he couldn't recollect his training, and he lived like a dog on a farm outside a border town.

"Jealousy is but one road to the preordained," Hektor offered. "Are you a seer, now?" Alerio challenged. "No, sir. I'm a youth who worries about how you're being treated." "Colonel, we're all apprehensive about what fate their jealousy is driving you towards," Centurion Pelle added. "I've sworn...

Once the Carthaginian forces were removed from Iberia, the reinforcements and supplies for Hannibal Barca dwindled to a trickle. Even so, Hannibal held onto the southwest quadrant of the Italian peninsula and remained a danger to the Republic. Although made rich from his conquests, the architect...

It's been said, "You may not think you're at war. But a surprise attack by an enemy means they are at war with you, so you'd best prepare." Metaphorically, the same can be said of an apprentice of war. There was no doubt, Hannibal Barca was a master of war. Since he came down from the Alps and...

Savage Birthright is the plight of Princes, usurpers, and those who inherit the burdens of powerful fathers. When extortion draws Alerio Sisera to an Illyrian capital, the Legion officer finds an old adversary who needs his help, a poison kiss from a masked woman during a street festival, and a...

The line of war elephants scattered the lightly armored Velites. In retreat, the skirmishers filtered through the Legion ranks. Not that it made a difference, but the First Maniple wore heavier armor and grasped bigger shields. But like the Velites, the Legionaries were no match for the enormous...

"Fresh hate is fuel," Alerio whispered. Groaning with agony from the pain in his tortured body, he struggled to get the tunic over his head. Reluctantly, Hektor handed him the armor and Senior Tribune Sisera added. "They wanted someone to die this night. I'm only fulfilling their wish." Outside...

When a military commander makes a bold move, it can fail, making the situation worse. Or, the tactic can succeed, but create lackluster results. Yet rarely, the outcome is so dramatic, it changes the complexion of an entire campaign. Cornelius Scipio marched his outnumbered Legions south, and in...