Don’t Count Them Out : War against Rome I Story By Ishaan
‘Don’t Count Them Out : War against Rome’ written by Ishaan Jain, a 15-year-old from Bangalore, this thrilling story follows a small empire that defies the mighty Romans, proving that strategy, courage, and willpower can overcome even the strongest enemy.
Don’t Count Them Out : War against Rome
The Small Empire that defeated Rome
A World at War – Rome’s Relentless Conquests (217 BC)
The year was 217 BC. The age of colonialism, of emperors, of war. A Roman general, his emperor and all of their troops were on the return from acquiring new territory. The land they had just left showed clear signs of the death and destruction that had just occurred there.They left behind a barren wasteland with nothing but bloodshed and tears to be seen. Despite this, the Romans were celebrating their victory by now, immune to the anguish and misery they caused. And so they returned to their homes and slept soundly, not sparing a thought for their fallen companions or the slain enemy. They were greeted by the parade throughout Rome as was customary for any war in the era. As soon as this ended, while the whole city slept, the Emperor summoned all his generals and military advisers to his chambers to plan their next target to expand their empire.
A Small Empire in Danger – Prince Ethan’s Discovery
Meanwhile, the residents of Pittsville, a small town within a small empire, not too far from Rome, were also fast asleep. All of them but one, it seemed. Prince Ethan, higher to the throne of his father, had just received word of the most recent expedition of the Roman Emperor. He checked his map and knew instantly that they would be the next target, and their feeble army of a thousand would stand no chance against the 8000 soldiers that had just emerged victorious, with the battle lasting barely a few hours. Frustrated, the Prince cleared the table violently and let out a cry of anger. He decided to sleep on it and plan his defensive strategy in the morning, together with his father, the King. However, the King was infamous for his business and complacency which came to the fore, when the Prince approached him the next day completely down playing the threat and calling the Prince paranoid. Later that day, the Prince’s spies reported to him exactly what he had feared. The Roman Juggernaut would be arriving to capture their land before the end of the week. And if there was one thing everyone knew, the Romans left no survivors.
Three Days of Urgent Preparations
What ensued over the next three days was the most extreme battle preparations and evacuations that this small and young empire had ever experienced.All homes were emptied and people sent into hiding, and all the military were at the ready. Despite the seeming inevitability of a defeat, Prince had a few strategies up his sleeve. He himself was a fearsome warrior with little interest in the day-to-day running of a Kingdom and was therefore a polar opposite of his father.
The Roman Arrival – A Shocking Ambush
The next day, the Romans arrived.The Emperor was shocked to find the town and palace completely empty and began to suspect a spy in their midst. Once all the soldiers had their guard down, the prince’s army struck. Leaping into action from their hiding spots or even from underground they used the element of surprise to the best of their ability to defend their town. Then the Archers struck. All the normal people of the empire had been trained within days for this, and from higher ground they began picking off the Roman soldiers.An incredible battle followed the lasting multiple days. The Romans truly paid the price for underestimating the empire, with the Prince in particular fighting like a man possessed.
Victory of the Underdogs
Somehow, they defended their land and pushed back the formidable army and then celebrated for days on end. The joy was evident on all the people’s faces, and they revered the Prince thereafter, for he had found a way to defend the empire, with barely any soldiers lost. He went on to become king and over the next decades expanded his empire a hundredfold. But his favourite victory always remained the ones where the underdogs not only came out on top, but dominated.
Note : The article was submitted by Ishaan Jain as a part of Bookosmia’s writing workshop conducted by Reshma Joel at Vaishnavi Terrace, Bangalore
FAQ’s Don’t Count Them Out
What is “Don’t Count Them Out” about?
It is a historical fiction story set in 217 BC, where Prince Ethan of Pittsville leads an underdog army against the powerful Roman Empire using strategy, bravery, and surprise attacks.
Is the story based on real historical events?
The story takes inspiration from ancient warfare and Roman expansion, but the characters and events such as Pittsville and Prince Ethan—are fictional.
What is the central theme of the story?
The core theme is underdog strength showing how intelligence, preparation, and courage can overpower even the strongest enemies.
Why were the Romans so confident?
In the story, Rome had just won a major battle and underestimated Pittsville, assuming their small empire would fall easily.
How did Prince Ethan prepare his people?
Within three days, he evacuated the town, trained civilians as archers, positioned ambush teams, and used tunnels and high-ground tactics to surprise the Romans.
What makes the battle unique?
The entire victory hinges on strategy, deception, and unity rather than the size of the army showcasing brilliant wartime planning.
What happens after the victory?
Prince Ethan becomes a celebrated hero, later the King, and eventually expands the empire massively but his favourite victory remains this underdog triumph.
Who should read this story?
Readers who enjoy historical fiction, war strategy, epic battles, and heroic underdog stories will especially love it.
Where can I buy books?
You can buy books at Bookosmia website’s Shop section and Amazon.
Here are some related books (on teamwork, friendship) that you can buy:
- How Magic Found Us — A children’s book (6+) from Bookosmia; while not strictly about teamwork, it’s a magical story with themes of friendship and cooperation.
-
Gift Books On Inclusion — A package of 5 books on inclusion, empathy, and working together.
***
This article is published by Bookosmia, India’s #1 publisher for and by young people. Bookosmia publishes stories, books, podcasts, events, TED-Ed talks, workshops, bedtime stories and more related to kids and young adults.
Photo Credit – AI generated images from Chat GPT and Magic Media from Canva .
Want to publish your articles, reviews, stories, audio stories, bedtime stories and poems ?
Did you know that children can submit audio stories to be turned into Bedtime Stories and published on Bedtime Stories – A Podcast by Bookosmia?
Write to us at sara@bookosmia.com or submit your article at the link below
Read More
- 217 BC story, ancient Rome fictional story, ancient warfare fiction, courage and strategy story, Don’t Count Them Out story, epic war short story, heroic prince story, historical fiction battle story, inspirational war fiction, Pittsville empire battle, Prince Ethan Pittsville, Roman conquest fictional tale, Roman Empire war fiction, small empire vs Rome, strategy vs strength story, surprise attack battle story, underdog army victory, underdog wins war, war story for students, young writers historical story
