Rasenna

later:

* Sardinia
* Balearic Islands
* Numidia
* Illyria

The  **Kingdom of Rasenna**, also known as the **Kingdom of Etruria** (359-319; 163-155 BCE; 237 CE-), was a theocratic, and by 314, a teutarist kingdom, located in central Italy. It was established after the Etruscans rose up against the Gallic Senonian Kingdom in 360 BCE. The Gallic army, and the Italian army, clashed together near Veia (OTL Veii), and the unorganized Gauls were defeated. The Rasennans and their Italian allies managed to push the Celts into retreat, and the former routed them. The already old Brennos of the Senones was killed a year later and his kingdom collapsed, leading the way for the Kingdom of Rasenna.

As the Celtic invasions constantly devastated the North, the Etruscans had to rely greatly on Carthage's protection. However, in return, the Phoenicians vassalized Rasenna in 319 BCE, in result of their dependency. The Etruscans shortly achieved freedom, this time as a Republic, during the Carthaginian Civil War from 163-155 BCE, before being assimilated once again. After betraying the Phoenicians, following the Padanian War (236-237 CE), Etruria managed to assert its independence in 237 CE.

After Shapur II, king of the Persian Empire, marched into the Carthaginian Levant in 327, Rasenna and the Gauls used this as a chance to assert dominace in Italy, as well as in the Adriatic Sea. That same year, their combined forces marched into the independent Samnite kingdom. Having no other choice, the Samnites asked the Carthaginians for help, who accepted, believing that they were only defending the kingdom against a minor Etruscan attack. By 329, all of Italy and Corsica, except Sicily were overrun as a result. Six years later, the Carthaginians only retained control over North Africa, Sicily, the Balearic islands and Sardinia. This weakness was used to their advantage by the Rasennan King, \*Larth Vulca, who naval invaded the North African heartland of Carthage, effectively founding the Etruscan Empire.

This campaign, however, was sabotaged in 346 by the Numidians who drove out the invaders, but did not ally with Carthage, leaving the remaining city of Carthago and the island of Sicily in an extremly tricky situation. The Numidians could not infiltrate Carthago, even after numerous attempts, because of constant supplies from Phoenician Sicily. On the other hand, Rasenna could not invade Sicily and allow the fall of the prosperous capital to their other rival, the Numidians. Nonetheless, both the Etruscan Empire and the Carthaginian Republic flourished during the next centuries of a European Dark Age.

## History

### Early Origins (900-388 BCE)

#### Villanovan Culture

The Rasennan, also known as the Etruscan civilization begins with the Villanovan culture, regarded as the oldest phase. The Rasennans themselves dated the origin of the Rasennan nation to a date corresponding to the 11th or 10th century BCE. The Villanovan culture emerges with the phenomenon of regionalization from the late Bronze Age culture called "Proto-Villanovan", part of the central European Urnfield culture system. In the last Villanovan phase, called the recent phase (about 770–730 BCE), the Rasennans established relations of a certain consistency with the first Greek immigrants in southern Italy (in Pithecusa and then in Cuma), so much to initially absorb techniques and figurative models and soon more properly cultural models, with the introduction, for example, of writing, of a new way of banqueting, of a heroic funerary ideology, that is, a new aristocratic way of life, such as to profoundly change the physiognomy of Rasennan society.

Thus, thanks to the growing number of contacts with the Greeks, the Rasennans entered what is called the Orientalizing phase. In this phase, there was a heavy influence in Greece, most of Italy and some areas of Spain, from the most advanced areas of the eastern Mediterranean and the ancient Near East. Also, directly Phoenician, or otherwise Near Eastern, craftsmen, merchants and artists contributed to the spread in Southern Europe of Near Eastern cultural and artistic motifs. The last three phases of early Rasennan civilization are called, respectively, Archaic, Classical and Hellenistic, which roughly correspond to the homonymous phases of the ancient Greek civilization.

According to legend, there was a period between 600 BCE and 500 BCE in which an alliance was formed among twelve Etruscan settlements, known today as the *Rasennan* *League*, *Rasennan Federation*, or *Dodecapolis.*

#### Expansion

Rasennan expansion was focused both to the north beyond the Apennine Mountains and into Campania. Some small towns in the sixth century BCE disappeared during this time, apparently absorbed by greater, more powerful neighbours. However, it is certain that the political structure of the Etruscan culture was similar to, although more aristocratic than, Magna Graecia in the south. The mining and commerce of metal, especially copper and iron, led to an enrichment of the Etruscans and to the expansion of their influence in the Italian peninsula and the western Mediterranean Sea. Here, their interests collided with those of the Greeks, especially in the sixth century BCE, when Phocaeans of Italy founded colonies along the coast of Sardinia, Spain and Corsica. This led the Rasennans to ally themselves with Carthage, whose interests also collided with the Greeks.

Around 540 BCE, the Battle of Alalia led to a new distribution of power in the western Mediterranean. Though the battle had no clear winner, Carthage managed to expand its sphere of influence at the expense of the Greeks, and Etruria saw itself relegated to the northern Tyrrhenian Sea with full ownership of Corsica. From the first half of the 5th century BCE, the new political situation meant the beginning of the Rasennan decline after losing their southern provinces. In 480 BCE, Etruria's ally Carthage was defeated by a coalition of Magna Graecia cities led by Syracuse, Sicily. A few years later, in 474 BCE, Syracuse's tyrant Hiero defeated the Rasennans at the Battle of Cumae. Rasenna's influence over the cities of Latium and Campania weakened, and the area was taken over by the Samnites.

In the early 4th century BCE, Etruria saw a Gallic invasion end its influence over the Po Valley and the Adriatic coast. The Kingdom of Senonia was founded in 388 BCE by the Gallic war-leader Brennos, after he sacked and subdued most Rasennan cities, taking in massive amounts of loot. It controlled most of the Etruscan territory, stretching from north of the city of Sena, all the way to Veia.

After the Rasennans rose up in 360 BCE, under the leadership of \*Rasce Hathisna, the magistrate of Veia, numerous Italian tribes joined the revolt. The Gallic army, and the Italian army, clashed together near Veia, and the unorganized Gauls were defeated. The Rasennans and their Italian allies managed to push the Celts into retreat, and the former routed them. The already old Brennus was killed a year later and his kingdom collapsed. Most Senones retreated to northern Italy, where they continued living as a tribe. Etruria asserted dominance in the region, and \*Rasce Hathisna (r. 359-326 BCE) reformed the government into a monarchy, elected himself as the first king, after stating that the republic had failed to protect its homeland.

### Kingdom of Rasenna (359-319 BCE)

The Rasennans, after pushing the Gauls out of central Italy, established trade with those that lived in the foothills of the Alps. Gold, silver, amber, wool, and iron weapons were among the many things traded between the two. Indeed, soap was introduced to the Etruscans by these Celts, and an uneasy alliance formed. Both were hungry for expansion, and both valued the other's goods, but both were too preoccupied with subduing the many Italian tribes in and around their territories to launch such an invasion. Not yet, at least.

In the 340's BCE, Italy was divided between three main forces. The Gauls in the North, the Rasennans in the center, and the Greeks in the south. The Etruscans, for a long time, had an alliance with the Phoenicians to work together against the Greeks. With Carthage's maritime power and Rasenna's field army, they were a huge problem for the Greeks. Still, the Greek cities of Neapolis and Syracuse continued to prosper.

In 343 BCE, Etruria brought the last of the Sabines under their dominion. To win over the Sabine nobles, the Rasennans gave them Gallic women from the remnants of the Gallic invaders.

In 336 BCE, a Greek scout reported the movement of a Phoenician army stationed in Sicily. The army was moving quickly to the east, towards Italy. Syracuse sent its army to meet the Carthaginians. However, it was too late for Syracuse to withdraw its army when they heard of the sacking of Neapolis, a fellow Greek colony. The Etruscans to the north were responsible, and they were on the move. When the army of Syracuse finally met the Phoenicians, near the city of Messene, the army of Carthage stalled. They dug in at a local village nestled in the hills. The Greeks were confused, and demanded that the Phoenicians either fought, or left. The Carthaginian army did neither.

It was the sixth night of Gemini (ca. 26th May 336 BCE) when the Phoenician army finally moved. The Carthaginian general, \*Gisco, split his force in half, and sent one half, under the leadership of his son, in the dead of night to the beach. They were to move without the light of fire to guide them, and any man who spoke would have his tongue cut out.

When the Greek army rose the next morning, they saw Carthaginian ships on the beach, and a Rasennan army pouring out, with a Phoenician army meeting them. The following battle is considered the turning point in Greek control of Sicily. The Greeks, now fighting an enemy twice the size as the one they met prior, were utterly crushed. In the heat of the battle, \*Gisco's forces flanked the Greek phalanx, and broke it apart. The Greeks were routed, and pushed back to Syracuse.

The Greeks sued for peace, and a treaty was signed between Syracuse, Carthage, and Etruria by the end of the year. Greek hegemony over the island was reduced to the city of Syracuse, and a few surrounding towns. The rest of the island was now Phoenician.

In 335 BCE, the Samnites were invaded by Rasenna, with Carthaginian forces attacking from the Adriatic. The two forces caught the exposed defenders in a profitable situation, and soon they were annihilated. The Samnites, except some guerillas in the hills, were completely subdued by the Etruscans in 332 BCE, after the Samnite War (335-332 BCE). They would remain a rebellious sect in Italy, refusing to be ruled by those men who "spoke like dogs." The phrase in Greece caught on, and the term "to speak like a Rasennan" became an insult, denoting a lack of education, or being too stupid to speak.

Meanwhile, the Celts to the North were growing restless, and civil unrest drastically increased in 326 BCE, when king \*Rasce Hathisna was assassinated by the wealthy and powerful aristocrat, \*Pesna Feluske (r. 326-319 BCE). However, he had made himself unpopular, as he demanded his people to be treated like a god, unlike the more rational previous leader.

By 323 BCE, the Kingdom of Etruria had consolidated almost all of Italy, except for the lands ruled by the Celts and Veneti in the North, some Oscan tribes in the South, along with a few Greek settlements. The new "God-King" of the Rasennans, \*Pesna Feluske, lived in a luxurious palace in the capital, Veia. According to Etruscan belief, the king was humanity’s connection to the divine because of the order he gave them. The many Italian tribes he ruled did not adhere to this belief, but they were forced to worship his statue along with the icons of their other gods.

Meanwhile, Rasennan soldiers were spread thin, and in 321 BCE, the Cisalpine Celts struck again. The combined force of the Boi, Salassi, Senones, and Celticized Ligurians, along with other tribes rushed through, terrorizing the Etruscan cities in Central Italy. At first, the Rasennans met the Celts victorious in battle. However, at the battle of Aritim, the Etruscans suffered a crushing defeat, and were routed. The God-King \*Feluske called on his old friend and ally, Carthage, for help and asked for protection.

During all this time, the Republic of Carthage had not been stagnant. The Phoenicians had begun to colonize southern Iberia, and coastal Libya. They had opened trade with the Lusitanians and the Celtic Iberians. Carthage was in sight of a golden age. So, the Phoenician Senate sent an army, and they sent a plan with them.

The Carthaginian fleet sailed across the Tyrrhenian Sea, and made port in Fufluna. There, they were received graciously, though the Phoenician general \*Himilco had a mission. He explained to \*Feluske what this Phoenician army would cost him, but he didn’t listen. The king was eager for war. In 319 BCE, the Carthaginian force, combined with the Rasennans, met the Celts outside a small town near Mantua, which had become a base of operations for the invaders.

The Gallic leader, whose name was never recorded by the Etruscans, rode into battle with his chariots, using chainmail armor, that was new to the Rasennans. According to inscriptions dating to this year, the Celtic war-horns howled demonically, and their deep, low drums "made the earth shake with each blow." However, the Phoenician army completely crushed them.

One of the Gallic tribes, the Boii, retreated over the Alps to Pannonia, where they then resettled. The Celts that remained were taken prisoner. Among the captured was the Gallic leader of the Senones. Many of the men were sold into slavery. The tribal chieftains were put to death. The captured Gallic leader was forced to swear fealty to the Etruscan God-King before he was crucified outside Veia. The Rasennans retook all of their former land, and even gained territory formerly held by the Veneti, who were also terrorized by the Second Gallic Invasion of Italy.

The Etruscans wanted to continue the war and invade further north, but the Carthaginian senate refused. \*Feluske, outraged, demanded why. So the legend goes, general \*Himilco calmly walked to the Rasennan king, handed him a scroll, and said, "This is the price of your victory."

### Satellite State of Carthage (319-281 BCE)

The Etruscans had asked for Phoenician protection, the cost of which was severe. The Rasennans owed Carthage mass amounts of gold and riches, which Etruria could not pay. If the weak Kingdom of Rasenna was to survive, it needed to have Phoenician protection. The only way to do this, \*Feluske knew, was to vow loyalty to Carthage. The "divine" Etruscan government essentially became a puppet to the Phoenicians, with \*Feluske being allowed to continue his rule as a client king. It was independent to some degree, but certainly not free. This political move would set the pattern for Carthaginian foreign affairs for centuries to come. Now, Rasenna is a satellite state of Phoenicia, far from powerful.

In 309 BCE, suffete Bomilcar of Carthage, who wanted to overthrow the government and restore the monarchy to full power, hired an army with mercenaries from across the realm of the Empire and beyond. Suffetes, were essentially kings, however, they were dependent on the senate. He hired Iberian horsemen, Nubian light cavalry, Libyan light infantry, and 30 war elephants. Bomilcar's army of 40,000 was bolstered by the support of the people when he offered to extend citizenship to all free men in the realm who pledged allegiance to him. The Etruscans backed him with what they could spare. After all, their ideology favored monarchy, and their promise was to pledge loyalty to the Crown and the Senate. When it came down to the choice, they chose the Crown. Bomilcar promised land to his generals, and reform to the corrupt Senate if it were to survive at all. Indeed, the Senate did not like this last part. The suffete succeeded, and reestablished the monarchy to full power, crowning himself as Bomilcar I.

In 297 BCE, Rasenna had put down a small Samnite rebellion.

### Pyrrhic War and Carthaginian Conquest of Magna Graecia (281-275 BCE)

The Greek colony of Taras, built by the Spartans, was the most powerful city in all of Italy and provoked the **Etruscans**, a satellite state of Carthage, by attacking their ships and humiliating their envoys. Now worried about **Rasenna** and the Phoenicians, the Tarentines, who governed democratically at this point, voted to send an embassy to Epirus, asking for assistance in 281 BCE. Pyrrhus, the king of Epirus, agreed, but demanded that Taras must pay the costs of the war and give him supreme command of the allied forces.

Pyrrhus, being a skillful general, was encouraged to initiate a major offensive against Carthage, mainly its client state of **Rasenna**, in the Italian peninsula and Sicily, known as the Pyrrhic War (280-275 BCE). Due to its superior martial abilities, the Epirote army defeated the Rasenno-Phoenician forces in the Battle of Heraclea (280 BCE). Subsequently, Pyrrhus's forces defeated their enemy near Neapolis and captured the city, however he suffered a costly victory, and had to retreat to avoid an unequal conflict with a more numerous Carthaginian army.

In 277 BCE, Pyrrhus captured the Phoenician fortress in Eryx, Sicily. This prompted the rest of the Carthaginian-controlled cities to defect to Pyrrhus. Meanwhile, he had begun to display despotic behavior towards the Sicilian Greeks and soon Sicilian opinion became inflamed against him. Though he defeated the Phoenicians in battle, he was forced to abandon Sicily. At this point, Samnite and Tarentine envoys reached Pyrrhus and informed him that of all the Greek cities in Italy, only Taras had not been conquered by Carthage.

Pyrrhus's Italian campaign came to an end following the inconclusive Battle of Maloenton (OTL Beneventum) (275 BCE). Having lost the vast majority of his army, he decided to return to Epirus, which finally resulted in the loss of all his Italian holdings.

### Satellite state of Carthage (275 BCE-235 CE)

In 272 BCE, upon hearing the news of Pyrrhus's death, the Tarentinians and later Syracuse, surrendered to Carthage.

#### Short lived independence (163-155 BCE)

Main Article: Carthaginian Empire#Reconquest of Greater Carthage (159-154 BCE)

With the death of the Carthaginian king \*Gisco III in 162 BCE, Aspar Barca established a republican government, depriving the rich pro-monarchy politicans from all their power and influence, as well as even exiling some of them. The Hannonian Dynasty was thus replaced by the Carthaginian Republic, with Mago electing himself as the first Consul.

However, these political reforms came for a certain price. During the civil war, multiple client states and provinces had split off from Carthaginian rule and established their own independent government, which were Lusitania, Mauretania, Numidia, Umbria as well as and the Samnites and the Rasennan Republic, with Etruria and Lusitania in 163 BCE, and the other states one year later.

Unlike in Lusitania, a civil war was not the case in Central Italy. Because the region was greatly self sufficient, the Etruscans not only neglected Carthaginian occupation but even expanded northwards, establishing a frontier at the Po River and gaining access to the Adriatic Sea, back in 161 BCE. Though Carthage did not ignore this region and in 155 BCE, under the command of consul Aspar, began to march into the Samnite kingdom, which fell that same year. However, Rasenna and Umbria faced greater resistance and it was only at the Battle of Reate (155 BCE), the ancient capital of the Sabine tribe, that the Italian allied forces were annihilated, suffering losses of 50,000 men. A final encounter between Etruscans and Carthaginians was near the Rasennan capital, Veia, which resulted in the collapse of independent Etruria. The last Umbrian resistance was crushed at the Battle of Ikuvium, one year later.

#### The Volcanic Eruption of 44 BCE and aftermath (44-40 BCE)

in 44 BCE, written sources describe a period of unusually cold climate, crop failures, famine, disease, and unrest in the Mediterranean Region. These factors caused food scarcity in Rasenna and Carthage. The reason for this is a volcanic eruption in Okmok, Alaska.

Climate models suggest that seasonally averaged temperatures may have been as much as 7°C (13°F) below normal during the summer and autumn that followed the eruption of Okmok in 44 BCE.

The cooling effects lasted more than two years, resulting in the second and eighth coldest summertime temperatures of the past 2,500 years in 43 and 42 BCE, respectively, based on the European tree-ring climate proxy records. This short "dark age" lasted until around 40 BCE.

### Independence and Alliance with the Gauls (235-327 CE)

In 223 CE, the Cimbrian and Teuton Kingdoms in southern Gaul, including Massalia, had fallen to the Teutarist Arvernian Empire. Carthage now feared an invasion into its own territory, including Etruria. By 236 CE, the Gauls had attacked the Carthaginian satellite state of Rasenna, starting the Padanian War (236-237 CE). However, the Carthaginians were defeated at the Battles of Felsina (236 CE) and Sena (237 CE). All land north of Aritim (OTL Arretium), was now controlled by the Arvernians. However, the Etruscans, under the command of general \*Aranthur Meclasia, as well as the Umbrians and the Samnites used this as a chance to rise up and assert independence, annihilating the just defated Carthaginian soldiers and chaotically pushing them back to southeastern Italy, after occupying Corsica as well. The Carthaginians then attempted to reconquer Italy during the Italian War (238-240 CE), however, were unsuccessful and retained southeastern Italy. The Umbrian capital Ikuvium at the border with the Arverni, was victim to numerous Gallic skirmishes in the following years.

The rule of \*Aranthur Meclasia lasted from 237-278 CE, and was followed by his son, \*Teucer Meclasia (r. 278-309). The son of \*Teucer, \*Metie Meclasia (r. 308-312), continued the dynasty for four more years, but was assassinated in 312 by the ambitious young general, \*Larth Vulca, who at that time, was only 25 years old.

With the reign of King \*Larth Vulca (r. 312-346 CE), who was far more ambitious than his predecessors, Etruscan power expanded. Two years after he ascended the throne, \*Vulca offered the Arvernian King, \*Samorix I, an alliance and their adoption of Teutarism. In return the Rasennan king, needed help for the following invasion into Umbria. The Gauls accepted, and the alliance was forged. In 315, their combined force overran Umbria, and only a few months later, the kingdom was subjugated. Most of the territory was transferred to Etruria, while the northern border town of Ikuvium, the initial capital of the Umbrians, was annexed by the Arverni.

In 320, \*Samorix I died, and his son \*Dumnorix I ascended the throne, who supported an alliance with Rasenna, but only as long as it profited Gaul.

Meanwhile, in 322, the interest of \*Vulca slowly shifted to the east, into the Illyrian kingdoms. The most powerful of them, the Ardiaei and the Dardani, were conquered by the Gothic King Cniva, back in 250 CE. Thus, hostilities between the two were used as a tool for Rasenna, to offer an alliance, if they adopted Teutarism. The Illyrians accepted. During the next years, the three kingdoms raided and pirated Gothic and even Carthaginian trading ships, as well as harbors.

### Geat Mediterranean War and Etruscan Empire (327-335 CE)

#### Italian Front

After Shapur II, of the Persian Empire, marched into the Carthaginian Levant, Rasenna and the Gauls used this as a chance to assert dominace in Italy, as well as in the Adriatic Sea. In 327, the Etruscans, together with a few thousand Gaulish reinforcements, after the refusal of an alliance from the Samnites, began to siege their capital, Aeclanum, with a force of 50,000 men. Having no other choice, the Samnite king, \*Cassius Papius, sent an envoy to Carthage, asking for help. The Phoenicians accepted, and shortly after, a 60,000 strong army, commanded by suffete \*Mastanabal, was sent to Italy. After the Carthaginians disembarked, the siege was succesfully lifted, as their enemy was completely taken by surprise, and retreated, after suffering 15,000 casualties. This act of protection, slowly but surely vassalized the Samnite kingdom.

Meanwhile, king \*Larth Vulca asked for more reinforcements, and thus, 35,000 Gaulish soldiers, under general \*Eburo, were sent to Etruria. At the same time, the Illyrians, planning to distract the Carthaginians, naval raided the city of Barion (OTL Barium). This turned out to be effective, as around 15,000 Phoenician troops were respositioned to deal with the Illyrians.

##### Second Battle of Aeclanum (328 CE)

In early 328, the Etruscans once again besieged Aeclanum, together with 70,000 men. However, as the Gaulish force was kept invisible behind the Rasennan vanguard, their Carthaginian counterpart underestimated their enemy, and thus, \*Mastanabal charged into the invaders with only 45,000 soldiers. However, before the impact, the Arvernian troops were moved to the front, widening the army. When \*Mastanabal noticed the full might of the Etruscans, it was already too late, and the outnumbered Phoenicians were defeated utterly. The general managed to escape with 15,000 troops, and later met with the victorious detachment in Barion, but now lost the Samnite capital, forcing king \*Papius to flee into Carthaginian territory.

Simultaneously, while the Phoenicians were reinforced in Barion, Vulca's army laid siege on Neapolis, while their enemy hastily followed. When the Carthaginians tried to defend the city, and were about to enter it, the Etruscans blocked the gate and defeated the outnumbered Phoenicians once again, killing 10,000 men, who demanded more troops. Neapolis fell shortly after, followed by the nearby cities of Capua, Cumae, as well as Poseidonia.

\*Mastanabal was then resupplied by 30,000 fresh soldiers, and engaged the advancing invaders near Metapontion.

##### Battle of Metapontion (328 CE)

The Carthaginian army consisted of 15,000 Phoenician veteran units, 10,000 Samnite infantry commanded by \*Papius, 8,000 Numidian cavalry, as well as 12,000 Balearic slingers. Their counterpart numbered 65,000 men; 35,000 of which were Gaulish skirmishes, 5,000 Gallic cavalry, as well as 25,000 Etruscan infantry. The Phoenicians began their formation in an inverted crescent shape, that slighty exposed their army center, while the flanks were kept behind. When king \*Vulca charged, the vanguard of the Carthaginian army slowly retreated, while their flanks advanced.

As the center was fighting head on against a force almost double their size, the Numidian cavalry, that was kept in reserve and directly commanded by \*Mastanabal, was now charging forward, allowing them to encircle and defeat parts the enemy army. With their opponents flanks unprotected, the Phoenician troops could now surround the Rasennan force, while the Balearic slingers inflicted even more damage, using hit and run tactics.

The Etruscan defense slowly began to collapse, and only a few thousand men, including king \*Vulca, managed to escape the massacre, while the Carthaginians only lost about 17,000 troops.

\*Vulca, now realizing that the Gauls needed all of their own troops to defend the Iberian front, scrapped the barrel and raised a force of 40,000 men, comprised of his best trained Etruscan soldiers; and desperate for victory, he even implemented his royal guard into the army.

Meanwhile, in 329, the Carthaginians were reinforced by another 10,000 Samnites. However, when \*Mastanabal sent an envoy to Carthago asking for reinforcements, the senate replied:

> *"We have less gold in reserve, than we have men. Our precious homeland has fallen to the Persians once again, and so did our breadbasket Egypt. Even though we are winning in Iberia against a Gaulish invasion, this will not hold for long, and all other fronts came to the cost of uncountable casualties and loss of wealth. We are in a state of emergency and have moved our last reserves to defend Africa. Either fight to the end or retreat to safety."*
>
>

Confused by this message, and overwhelmed by the situation, in order to sustain the high morale of his army, \*Mastanabal decided to keep this message secret, which would later turn out to be a huge mistake.

Even though the Carthaginians were penetrating deep into southern Gaul, that same year, a disastrous famine had struck Africa, Italy, and Iberia, as Egypt, the main food exporter, had fallen to the Persians, while trading goods, and thus gaining wealth, was almost impossible, due to the war with the other main commercial powers and restrictions in regions of warfare. To worsen the situation, Numidian raids, lootings, and burnings of Carthaginian farmlands inflicted a crippling damage to the country.

At the same time, the newly assembled Etruscan army was marching to Poseidonia. The Phoenicians followed them, meeting the enemy near the city.

##### Battle of Poseidonia (329 CE)

Before the battle began, the now desperate and paranoid general \*Mastanabal held a speech, where he stated that reinforcements from Carthago will arrive soon. This was a lie. However, his second-in-command general, \*Azdrubal, had stolen the letter from the envoy, and spread the truth through the army. The general then directly ordered to arrest him for treason. But by that point, \*Mastanabal, even though being a successful general, had lost all respect from the soldiers. He was arrested, and the leadership of the forces was granted the young \*Azdrubal. Unfortunately, he had only little experience in combat.

However, it was this key moment, that before \*Azdrubal considered a full scale retreat, another envoy arrived, but this time from Gaul, stating that the Carthaginians were currently laying siege to the prosperous city of Massalia. This skyrocketed the morale of the army, who even partly believed that the first message from the senate was a fabrication.

As the 38,000 strong Carthago-Samnite force, met the 40,000 Rasennans, both began preparing their formation. Though, likely blinded by their high morale, things did not go as planned, as one of the factors was the lack of communication. The Carthaginians, Balaerics and Numidians, could not understand the Samnite language, while the Samnites could not understand the Carthaginian language, which forced both parts of the army to use interpreters. Once again reusing the inverted crescent formation, \*Azdrubal, having no other choice, decided to wait for the enemy to attack first.

When the Etruscans charged, as usual, the Carthago-Samnite army center slowly retreated, while the Numidian cavalry moved forward. However, this time, \*Vulca was smart enough, to not make the mistake once again. So he slowly advanced, but did not attack yet, waiting for the enemy cavalry. When the Numidians reached the front, confused where the Rasennans are, \*Vulca ordered a full scale assault onto \*Azdrubal's forces, completely annihiliating his unorganized army, and slaughtering every single soldier, inculding \*Azdrubal, and the Samnite king, \*Papius. Meanwhile, \*Mastanabal escaped imprisonment, and after rescuing a few thousand Phoenician garrisons from capture, he hopelessly fled to Carthago, where he was ordered to naval command the defense of the Balearic Islands, Sicily, Corsica, and Sardinia, while the rest of Italy was overrun.

#### Aftermath

Leading an insufficient ground army, now the Carthaginian fleet showed its first signs of ineffectiveness, after losing dozens of ships to raids on Corsica, which fell in 331. The island was initially captured by the Etruscans; however, this enraged \*Dumnorix, and thus, Corsica was split in half.

Meanwhile, the Gauls penetrated far into Iberia, plunging it into chaos, and shattering the region into various kingdoms, namely: Lusitania, the Gallaeci Confederation, the Astures, Cantabri, Vascones, Vaccaei, Celtiberians, Carpetani, Vettones, Celtici, Turduli, Turdetani, Bastetani, Oretani, Constestani, Edetani and the Ilercavones, after being sacked and looted by the invaders. To avoid total annihilation, \*Atarbas managed to evacuate with his 20,000 men at Carthago Nova, leaving the peninsula to its own fate.

With the Arverni annexing the north eastern coastal region between the Ebro River and the Pyrenees, the Phoenicians gathered every man they could to defend their homeland.

In 333, the commander of the Carthaginian navy, \*Mastanabal, was defeated during a naval battle against Etruscan and Gaulish warships, near the coast of Bocchoris. After constant incursions into naval facilities, the Phoenicians were forced to retreat from the islands and the Arverni occupied it.

However, the Carthaginians managed to strike back, and one year later, they launched an amphibious assault into Corsica, capturing the key town of Ourkinion (OTL Ajaccio), as well as around half of the island. Nonetheless, in 334, the Gauls and Rasennans landed in northern Sardinia, and the Carthaginians were forced to withdraw their forces from Corsica yet again, successfully defending Sardinia.

By this point, the war turned into a war of attrition, and in 335, a peace treaty was finally signed. However, Carthage had to pay massive war reparations, that drained out their economy even further.

### Sardinian Wars (338-342 CE)

In 338, the situation on the divided island of Corsica escalated, after years of skirmishes. On June 14th, Etruscan troops crossed the border and marched into the Gaulish territory, encircling the island with their superior navy in the process.

Meanwhile, the population of the Carthaginian Empire was extremly discontent with the war reperations they had to pay, and began revolting. The war of Corsica appeared to be the chance to recapture Southern Italy, and so in 339, they went for it, crossing the channel under the command of \*Atarbas, and advancing northwards to the city of Sybaris.

By this point however, Corsica already fell, and after subjugating the isolated Balearic islands from the Arverni, a two sided naval attack was carried out on Sardinia, overwhelming the local forces. The Italian front began to stagnate, and slowly but surely the Carthaginians were pushed out of Italy.

One year later, the Gauls launched an offensive into Rasenna from Northern Italy, and \*Vulca swiftly made peace with the exhausted Phoenicians, agreeing on Sardinia being divided in half.

However, \*Dumnorix I was heavily defeated at the Battle of Aretim (OTL Arretium), after failing to command the army properly, giving completely unlogical orders, like placing the phalanx behind the archers, which made him suffer casualties of over 70,000. It is believed that by this point he had developed a disease similar to Alzheimer, and after he was sent back to the court, his son was now in command. The problem was, that his son, \*Dumnorix II, did not want a full war scale with the Etruscans, especially after the humiliation they had just witnessed, so he made peace with \*Vulca in 341, shortly after his father died from the illness.

The Carthaginians did not reach the news yet, and that same year an invasion into Northern Sardinia began. The Rasennan king swiftly defeated the Phoenician navy at the Battle of Olbia (342), and captured the entire island, during the Second Sardinian War (341-342 CE).

### Carthaginian War (344-372 CE)

With Sardinia secured, in 344, the Rasennans began assaulting Sicily, and so the Carthaginians concentrated their naval forces and infantry on defending the island, under the command of \*Mastanabal. However, this turned out to be a false flag attack, while the main enemy force began landing near the city of Utica, with a force of 60,000 men, striking directly into the heart of Carthage. This caught the attention of Numidian king, \*Hiarbas, who intervened in the war by raiding and looting Phoenician cities. After Utica fell, general \*Atarbas, alongside 50,000 soldiers, met \*Vulca near the city of Zama.

#### Battle of Zama (345 CE)

Before the battle started, \*Atarbas was shocked of how the Phoenicians were tricked so easily. However, he had a decisive advantage: War elephants, and even sixty of them. So he placed those in reserve for later, while charging forward, clashing with the Etruscans. \*Atarbas was about the gain the upper hand, until everything changed drastically. \*Hiarbas was directly charging into the Carthaginian formation from behind, using an army of 15,000 troops, that almost completely consisted of the famous Numidian cavalry. When they attacked the elephants from behind, the animals panicked, and while \*Hiarbas penetrated from behind, casualties heavily increased, and having no other choice, \*Atarbas ordered a retreat, suffering losses of 30,000 men, while their counterpart lost only about 10,000.

Communication with any African territory west of Carthago and its surrounding cities quickly broke away, placing the capital in an extremly vulnerable position.

#### Uneasy Peace with Carthage (346-372 CE)

However, in 346, when \*Vulca made plans with \*Hiarbas on how to besiege Carthago, the Etruscan king was betrayed and stabbed in the back. He died of his wounds, and the Rasennan army was routed, forcing Etruria, now under king \*Marce Vulca (346-378 CE), to abandon its African campaign, allowing them to capture the important cities of Utica, Hippo, and as far west as Cartenna.

One year later, Carthago was besieged. Nonetheless, the city managed to stand firm, thanks to its constant supply from Sicily and extremely dense fortifications made from concrete. \*Hiarbas besieged it for 9 years, until he died. In 358, another siege was laid by his son, \*Gauda, which lasted for another 14 years. He then gave up his efforts, when the Phoenician population in Northern Africa began to revolt, forcing his army to disperse.

Fortunately, Sicily was not attacked by Rasenna anymore, as this would cause the Numidian capture of Carthago, which \*Marce Vulca could not let fall into the hands of their enemy.

### African and Italian Expansion (378-383 CE)

#### Numidian Conquest (379-381 CE)

The ascension of king \*Sethre Vulca (r. 378-415 CE), followed an increasingly expansionist policy. He aimed to continue the legacy of his grandfather, \*Larth Vulca, in contrast to his more peaceful and commercial father, \*Marce Vulca.

\*Sethre began to improve his army as well as his navy, and in 379, he sought revenge against the murder of his grandfather, and so the Rasennan king invaded the Numidian Kingdom. Their leader, \*Missibsen was utterly crushed at the Battle of Zama (380 CE), followed by another disastrious defeat at the Numidian capital, Cirta (381 CE). After storming the palace of \*Missibsen, the region was fully assimilated into an Etruscan province.

#### Second Padanian War (382-383)

However, Rasenna also had some unfinished business with the Arverni. Fortunately, the Gauls were currently suffering from rebellions, most notably in Albion, and civil unrest, due to a corrupt and unpopular king named \*Dagorix I. Shortly, before he declared war, \*Sethre changed aspects of the Teutarist Religion, to promote more Etruscan, as well as Italian based, nationalistic beliefs, claiming that Italy is superior to all regions. Thus, in 382, \*Sethre crossed the Arnus River with a gigantic force of 75,000 men. This was the same year, \*Dagorix was assassinated by \*Tenorix I. Meanwhile, the Rasennans completely annihilated 25,000 Arverni garrisons guarding the cities of Sena, Bononia and Genoa, and managed to push the Gauls behind the Po River by 383, before agreeing on peace.

#### Venetic War (386-388 CE)

The Kingdom of the Veneti, lied in a strategically important spot, and invading it would strengthen Etruscan control over the Adriatic Sea. And this is exactly what \*Sethre did in 386. The capital, Este, fell that same year, though it took them another two years to fully subjugate the more rural areas north and eastwards at the border with Illyria and Raetia.

### Encounter with the Vandals (415 CE)

In 415 CE, only months after the death of \*Sethre Vulca, and the subsequent ascension of his son, \*Mamarce Vulca (r. 415-439), Germanic Vandals pushed the Etruscans out of Africa, and even the Numidians themselves, west and southwards out of their homeland, yet could not storm the Carthaginian capital. However, even though by this point most of Europe was completely devastated from Hunnic and Germanic invasions, the Rasannan Kingdom, still remained the center of European civilization, alongside the Carthaginian Republic, as Italy and Carthago were effectively untouched.

## List of Etruscan Kings

These are the names and reign dates.

- \*Rasce Hathisna (359-326 BCE) - Born 387 BCE; Died in 326 BCE, with 61 years. Assassinated by the aristocrat, \*Pesna Feluske.

- \*Pesna Feluske (326-319 BCE) - Born 362 BCE. Continued to rule as a client king after 319 BCE, despite being unpopular.

*Integration as a client state into the Carthaginian Empire in 319 BCE.*

*Short lived Republic from 163-155 BCE, ruled by a senate.*

*Independence from the Carthaginian Republic in 237 CE.*

**Meclasian Dynasty**

- \*Aranthur Meclasia (237-278 CE) - Born 206 CE; Died in 278, with 72 years. Initially an Etruscan general serving in the Carthaginian army, however deserted.

- \*Teucer Meclasia (278-309 CE) - Born 239 CE; Died in 308, with 70 years.

- \*Metie Meclasia (309-312 CE) - Born 267 CE; Died in 308, with 45 years. Overthrown by the young and ambitious general, \*Larth Vulca.

**Vulcan Dynasty**

- \*Larth Vulca (312-346 CE) - Born 287 CE; Died in 346, with 59 years. Murdered by Numidian King, \*Hiarbas.

- \*Marce Vulca (346-378 CE) - Born 315 CE; Died in 378, with 63 years.

- \*Sethre Vulca (378-415 CE) - Born 341 CE; Died in 415, with 74 years.

- \*Mamarce Vulca (415-439 CE) - Born 371 CE; Died in 439, with 68 years.

## Source

This page uses content from **Wikipedia**. The original article was at **Rasenna** (view authors). As with Sine Roma - What if Rome never existed? Wiki, the text of Wikipedia is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike License 3.0 (Unported).
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Etruscan\_civilization

https://www.alternatehistory.com/forum/threads/barbaria-a-world-without-rome.169251/page-1 (Thank you for inspiration).

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-8447745/Massive-volcanic-eruption-Alaska-43-BC-triggered-global-climate-shock.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2QBA6ZPmj3Q

## Flag credits

This flag was NOT made by myself. Credits to https://www.reddit.com/r/vexillology/comments/g5iihh/a\_flag\_for\_a\_game/ for making this beautiful flag.