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...

"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...

"You treated us like dirt then taught us to fight as a unit. That is the mark of a professional military officer," Metie stated. "Last night you became a spirit and walked among the soldiers. Now you leave sacrifices for their dead and thank your Goddess for sparing us. That is very priest like...

In the seven years since he crossed the Alps and began his war against the Roman Republic, Hannibal Barca stood unbeaten in battle. However, maintaining a large army was a costly proposition and the government of Carthage proved stingy with its coins. To intercept the supplies destined for...

Welcome to summer 258 B.C.

A clash of deities . . . "You claim to speak for the Sky Father. That must give you an amazing feeling of power," Alerio suggested. "But Priest of Jupiter, the Goddess Nenia speaks through me. And it is not a feeling of power. In fact, the voice of death creates a sensation of hopelessness."...

In war, there are no easy choices. The Second Punic War made gamblers of the Mediterranean world. Declare for Carthage or declare for Rome? The odds are 50/50 for life or death. Apollonides of Syracuse observed, "No city has ever had a brighter prospect of permanent security or a stronger chance...

Challenges, oaths, and prophecies Cornelius Scipio and Jace Kasia were passionate about their missions, but on a collision course. Unfortunately, one would have to lose for the other to accomplish his goal. As a staff officer, Tribune Cornelius Scipio had experienced more combat and defeat than...