Summer
Publio's fleet defeats two more Aiakid navies, including one headed by
Aeson, their top admiral. In that battle Aeson had slightly heavier vessels(quinquiremes against Publio's quadquiremes), but the advantadge of numbers could not be overcome. However, attrition has now reduced Publio's flotilla to 18 ships from the original 40. Another 20 will be built at Capua eventually, but it will take some time to save up the funds for them and another year after that for construction.
Meanwhile, Roma's upgrade to the Urbs was completed.
Autumn
Carthaginian and Aiakid armies continue to grow in northeast Sicily -- another large army for Carthago gives them probably around 35,000 men in the vicinity of
Messana. Not a good situation for us, but there are more pressing matters.
Battle of Lokris Epizefiroi
Finally. Having been chased off before, it's time to kick the Aiakid Dynasty out of Italy completely. With both consuls present, the sizeable garrison is outnumbered roughly 4:1. Still, there are three enemy generals here, including overall commander
Dionysios who is a worthy adversary. Initially all went according to plan. Only about 1600 toxotai were committed to defending the walls, and
Mus had no problem getting his siege towers in position.
And then the unexpected happen. Apparently challenging their inner stupid far too well, some of
Laevinus Coffeium's men, hastate specifically, decided not to wait and charged around the corner to take their place by the siege towers -- making themselves sitting ducks for the archers inside the wall towers. A suicidal and impetuous move, and one the Aiakids were all too happy to oblige were their rapid deaths.
** Note: I screwed up here, abetting this foolishness. Namely, I accidentally left the reinforcement armies under AI control(as is the default), and if there's one thing the AI sucks at it's co-ordinating multiple armies in a siege. But few battle plans survive contact with the enemy. The report here is an attempt at RP-ing this out. This proved costly, but not catastrophic thankfully.
The disease of undisciplined initiative spread, and soon cavalry mounted an idiotic charge straight up the city streets, the walls having been captured by this time, straight into the waiting spears of the agema(skilled phalanx formations).
Mus made the most of the fact that much of the enemy was otherwhise occupied, marching his men around to the thoroughfares east and west of the centre plaza, while the north street was blocked, as with the hoplites seen here. Once they penetrated the city further, there was nowhere for the Aiakids to hide, surrounded and outnumbered despite the poor execution of the assault.
With that, resistance was officially ended -- at least for now -- in southern Italy. Except the very northern reaches, the entirety of the peninsula now lies under Roman control -- albeit with Rhegion under constant threat. The casualty bill was high, with over 9,500 lost here. Most of those were from
Laevinus command which is now down to under 5,000 for the moment, though reinforcements will be imminent.
In the aftermath, there was little the consuls could do but move to support Rhegion in case of an attack.
Publio's fleet was too far away to provide immediate transport, even had they wished it. True to its word, the Senate held games at their own expense in Capua shortly thereafter to honor the victory.