In Spain, archaeologists recovered an entire town’s worth of remains. The bones were left where they were slaughtered around 300BC.
The town’s inhabitants were killed without regard; skeletons of men, women, and children were scattered throughout the area. Some display traits consistent with fighting back against their attackers, while others were charred, burnt inside their homes.
The bones from a severed arm were found with bracelets still attached.
The Roman empire didn’t conquer Spain until ~200BC, suggesting the attack came from a land-hungry neighboring population.
A story idea, similar to Gates of Fire by Steven Pressfield: what if a young man survived the attack by managing to escape, and returns as a Roman soldier?
Of course, nobody could live the required timeline. But with a little research, I’m sure a pillaged town could be found in Spain that fits the requirements.
The young man, maybe early teenager, travels until he encounters Roman settlements. There, he conscripts into the army, working his way up the ranks, never forgetting where he came from.
Eventually, he steers the Roman eye towards Spain and plays an instrumental role in acquiring the land for the empire.
The villain in the story, besides the overarching villain of the opposing Spaniards, would have to be a fellow soldier who stands in the young man’s way. Allies would be easy to come by since the army would be filled with young men his age.
Various battles would set the stage for the upcoming fight against the Spaniards, specifically those orphaned him. The strength of the Spanish forces would need to be significant enough that victory isn’t guaranteed.
This could be a series of historical novels set in the same period, since the technology would be the same. One could take place in Asia, also set up by an orphan event; this time, the main character could be an assassinated nobleman’s son. Another could be in the Germanic lands, the hero forced from his home by the army.
I’ve never written historical fiction before, but at this current moment am about to undertake a fictional account of Diego de Landa’s destruction of the Maya culture in the Yucatan. Writing a story in ~200BC would require research into the technology, fighting styles, and way of life of the people alive in that period.
