At that moment, someone stepped forward and told the crowd that he had found another way to escape the city. Since the enemy was busy looting after entering the city, the breach in the east wall was unguarded. They could reach there through secluded alleys and then escape.
The Canossa people saw hope and immediately took action. As he said, they successfully escaped outside the city, but were soon discovered by the enemy who entered the city afterward, forcing them to flee desperately eastward along the riverbank...
With the enemy constantly trailing behind, the Canossa people fled day and night. They passed through a village in Canne, once the place where Hannibal from Carthage annihilated eighty thousand Roman Army soldiers. Hearing of the rebel army's arrival, the villagers fled with them. The fleeing group grew larger but was never caught by the enemy. When they reached the mouth of the Ophidus River, the enemy finally gave up the pursuit and retreated...
