The Greeks also ceased their pursuit, began to regroup, and slowly moved forward.
Besides Picoxis and the Vigetians, there were also wounded warriors from the other three cities. The forces deployed from the camp numbered over nine thousand. Stretching from south to north, the line was several miles long, belonging to the various tribes under Grummentum, Niuentum, and Laos, hence the slow pace of deployment.
Compared to the behemoth that was the Lucanian tribal coalition, the two thousand Greek mercenaries seemed too small. However, as they slowly advanced to within a hundred meters of the enemy formation, they suddenly accelerated and moved to the left.
Before the Lucanian leaders could react, the Greek army had quickly approached the far right flank of the coalition. The Lucanian warriors, still in chaotic formation, watched in terror as the Greeks threw javelins at them and then launched a fierce assault...
In the blink of an eye, the far right flank of the Lucanian coalition collapsed...
"Those despicable Greeks violated our agreement! They launched an attack before we even finished forming our lines!" Severus cursed in anger.
Akbilu realized he had made a mistake by deploying such a massive army against the small, elite Greek force. It was like a lumbering ox facing a nimble mouse, appearing bulky and unwieldy.
"Sound the horns! Order the warriors to attack immediately!" As the Greek army continued their attack to the left along the far right flank, Akbilu quickly issued orders: "Surround them! Don't let them escape!"
At the same time, the other leaders issued similar orders.
The Lucanian warriors, freed from restraint, rushed towards the Greek army like unleashed hounds, eager to tear apart the Greeks who had repeatedly tricked, humiliated, and deeply resented them.
The Greek army immediately turned and ran east. As they ran, they discarded their round shields, spears, and swords to ensure they wouldn't be caught by the furiously chasing Lucanians.
The Greeks desperately ran ahead, with the Lucanian coalition hot on their heels, gradually forming a dense line stretching for several miles...
The Greeks rounded a ridge, following the gradually descending mountain path eastward. After running about ten miles, the soldiers were starting to gasp for breath. Looking back, they saw the Lucanians still closely following.
At this point, the Greeks left the mountain path and approached the banks of the Tino River... Then, they ran down a gentle slope to the large riverbank area opposite the famous hot spring swamp: Although the soil here was moist and soft, kicking up clumps of earth with each step, the terrain was flat, making it easier, more relaxed, and faster to run compared to the uneven, rocky mountain path. The Lucanians, of course, followed closely down to the riverbank, otherwise, they would lose sight of the Greeks...
"Brothers, hold on a little longer, we're almost... almost there!" Philistius, running in the lead, encouraged the surrounding soldiers with a hoarse voice, also encouraging himself. As a veteran general over forty, this long-distance run had nearly exhausted all his strength.
The Greeks finished running across the riverbank and climbed over a gentle slope, with the Lucanians close behind. However, as they were about to step onto the top of the slope, they were shocked to find rows of fully armed Greek hoplites lined up, ready to meet them.
"Ambush!" Before the lead warrior could shout the words, the Greek spears pierced his chest.
The Lucanian warriors, already exhausted from running, completely lost their ability to evade. Under the constant thrust of countless Greek hoplite spears, they fell like dumplings into a pot, while the warriors behind, unaware of the situation ahead, continued to rush forward...
Meanwhile, behind the Tarentine reinforcements responsible for the frontal interception, the soldiers of Deiphobus's mercenaries, who had been responsible for luring the enemy, were eating still-warm bread and drinking hot water. The women and slaves of the baggage train brought new round shields, spears, and swords, quickly equipping each soldier. The mercenaries knew their time was short and had to replenish their food and water as quickly as possible.
Melsis also knew his time was short. After completing the replenishment for the mercenaries, he had to lead the fully armed guards of the baggage train, the slaves, the slaves of Thurii, and dozens of mercenary soldiers serving as squad leaders for the slaves, a total of about a thousand people, including a dozen pack animals, to the narrow point in front of the mountain road to establish a defensive line and block the Lucanian coalition's reinforcements.
Dracus, Adriacus, Sesta, and others led about fifteen hundred mercenaries, ambushing along the side of the two-mile-long riverbank, where the line was relatively weak. Fortunately, behind them were about seven hundred light shield bearers and light infantry forming an attack line, as well as seven hundred armed mine slaves. Between the two forces were Deiphobus and his guards.
"Chief!" Asistius rode up, excitedly saying: "Our troops have begun to move quickly towards the western mountain road!"
Deiphobus nodded, trying to suppress the excitement and tension in his heart: The initial luring operation could be said to be very effective. Looking at the dense mass of enemies below, there were at least eight or nine thousand. More than half of the Lucanian tribal coalition's forces were concentrated here. Excluding the warriors killed and wounded yesterday, the enemy's camp probably had no more than five thousand. Eliminating the enemy in front of them would prevent the Lucanians from causing further trouble on the Sibari Plain. They should take advantage of the chaotic situation on the riverbank to launch an attack and take them down as soon as possible.
"Light infantry, attack!" Deiphobus decisively ordered.
Upon receiving the order, Epithenius and Zipetes led the light shield bearers through the mercenaries in front, while Alpunis ordered the slingers and archers to begin loading ammunition...
Obstructed in front, the Lucanian warriors behind were still charging forward due to inertia. Soon, countless Lucanian warriors were densely packed together, crowded in this riverbank area, about half a mile wide and two miles long. Many people already sensed something was wrong and were anxiously shouting at each other...
At this moment, countless Greek soldiers appeared on the slope to the side.
"Enemies!"
"We're ambushed!"
...
Accompanied by the panicked shouts of the warriors, javelins, arrows, and stones rained down...
The warriors were so crowded together, and most had discarded their shields and helmets to facilitate the pursuit. Some had even removed their breastplates. Lacking protection, the mercenaries' light infantry did not need to aim, and every javelin, every stone, every arrow easily hit its target.
"Retreat! !" As his companions fell screaming around him, terrified warriors wanted to escape. However, in the crowded and narrow space, the more than nine thousand people were dodging arrows and stones, trying to retreat, or angrily trying to kill the Greeks in front and break out... Each had their own ideas, running around like headless flies, disrupting the entire army, making it chaotic and disorganized. A smooth retreat was extremely difficult; on the contrary, it was more likely to cause a stampede. Faced with death, the terrified warriors unconsciously pushed down the tribesmen in front of them, who instantly died silently under countless feet...
The tribal leaders and warriors were extremely anxious at this sight. However, in the surging and noisy crowd, any shouting and obstruction were futile. Unfortunately, the coalition's horn blowers were far behind the army and could not be relied upon.
"Break out! Follow me and break out! ..." Relying on his strong body, Severus pushed aside the panicked tribesmen, holding a spear, constantly roaring, and glaring angrily as he charged towards the gentle slope on the side of the riverbank...
His daring action attracted the attention of both sides, reminding the warriors who were dodging arrows and panicking. Some warriors began to follow him, braving the enemy's ranged attacks, and ran up the slope.
Zipetes drew a javelin and wrapped a narrow strip of cloth around the middle of the shaft, with the leather loop on the other end around his finger. He stretched his body, like a fully drawn bow, staring intently at Severus, who was getting closer and closer, but remained still. When he saw Severus use his round shield to deflect a javelin thrown by a light shield bearer, and then slip because he used too much force, he suddenly threw the javelin at Severus. The leather loop in his hand pulled the javelin along with the cloth, causing the javelin to rotate while carrying strong kinetic energy, and in the blink of an eye, accurately pierced the linen breastplate Severus was wearing.
Severa staggered back a few steps, wanting to hurl the spear in his hand in retaliation, but his already exhausted body suffered another heavy blow. His strength completely depleted, he collapsed, sliding down the slope…
Severa's death did not deter the warriors who followed. The belief in survival temporarily granted them courage and strength. Warriors fell one after another, shot, but others continued to charge forward. The Lucanian warriors were closing in on the crest of the slope…
The bronze horn sounded urgently at the opportune moment. The light shield infantry quickly retreated through the gaps in the mercenary heavy infantry formation, while the heavy infantry stepped forward, forming a long, thin, dense phalanx, standing at the top of the slope, determined to use a wall of steel to destroy the enemy's hope of escape. Behind them, the light infantry, ignoring their aching arms, continued to launch javelins, arrows, and stones, sending them in perfect arcs over the heavy infantry in front, landing on the slope below, continuously inflicting casualties on the advancing enemy, preventing them from forming a continuous charge. The slaves in the rear had already brought bundles of arrows and javelins to replenish the light infantry's depleted ranged weapons.
Dracos stood at the forefront of the line, facing the enemies who were starting to charge up the slope. Instead of feeling nervous or afraid, he was filled with fighting spirit: "Brothers, drive the enemy back down!"
"Roar!!!" The soldiers, infected by his enthusiasm, raised their shields and spears, roaring in unison.
… … … … … … … … … … …
As the great chieftain of Grumentum, the leader of the Lucanian tribal coalition, Akepiru, over fifty years old, could not impulsively join the pursuit like the young warriors. He did not pursue, and the four hundred Grumentum warriors who formed his security guard would certainly not abandon him to pursue alone. The same was true for Neutum and Laos. The warriors from the three teams totaled about seven hundred people.
They advanced at a relatively fast pace. As they approached the hot spring swamp, they heard the earth-shattering sounds of fighting and screams ahead…
The great chieftains' expressions changed.
"Increase speed and rush over there!" Akepiru urgently ordered.
The rapidly advancing team encountered Daevus's mercenaries, who were also rushing to complete the encirclement.
Felicius's heart skipped a beat when he saw the enemy troops on the mountain road. Fortunately, his extensive experience allowed him to quickly make his deployments: the first, second, and third companies, under the command of Capys, would block the encircled enemy; the fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh companies would follow him to attack the enemy in front.
At the same time, Felicius summoned a messenger: "Quickly inform Melsis to lead the slaves to arrive quickly!"
Akepiru saw that the Greeks dared to divide their forces in the face of his approaching army, and he felt even more uneasy: if there wasn't something more urgent, would these timid Greeks dare to do this?!
He immediately issued the order: "Give me a full-force attack!"
Two fully armed teams, both elites, collided directly without forming ranks or deploying…
… … … … … … … … … … …
Capys led his troops to the west side of the large river beach and ran head-on into the Lucanian warriors who had just climbed out of the slope, their spirits shaken.
They were immediately struck a heavy blow, leaving dozens of corpses behind as they rolled down the slope. The mercenaries immediately blocked the gap.
Now, the east side of the large river beach was occupied by the Tarentum reinforcements; the north side was occupied by Dracos and his mercenaries, all the light infantry, and the slave soldiers; the west side was occupied by Daevus's mercenary heavy infantry; and the south side was occupied by the hot spring swamp and the Tinos River, which were flooded with spring rain.
More than nine thousand Lucanian tribal coalition soldiers were surrounded in a narrow, low-lying area about two miles long and half a mile wide, while the total force of the encircling side was only more than seven thousand (including slave soldiers). Their blocking line was weak, especially on the west side, where there were only six hundred of Daevus's mercenaries, almost only a single line of infantry, extending to Dracos's mercenaries on the north side, connected to their formation, like a dumpling with a thin skin and a lot of filling, in danger of being squeezed and broken at any time.
Fortunately, the Lucanians in the encirclement were temporarily chaotic and disorganized, bumping around like headless flies, unable to form a combined force.
In Daevus's plan, the ranged firepower of the light infantry was the main factor in weakening the enemy's strength, and his Persian Expeditionary Force was not only to complete the encirclement, but also his most trusted attacking force. Now, due to an accident, the strength of this expeditionary force was dispersed. After Daevus learned of this emergency situation through scouts, although he was anxious, it was still one of several possibilities in his pre-planned contingencies, and he had backup measures.
He immediately sent out cavalry to urge Melsis to lead his troops to advance faster, rush to where Felicius's troops were fighting, join forces with Felicius, concentrate their forces, and annihilate the unexpectedly appearing enemy in one fell swoop, before re-engaging in the encirclement and annihilation of the Lucanians.
Time, now, was the key to the Greek army's victory.
Akepiru also knew its importance.
Two elite troops fought a bloody battle: one side was the warriors selected from the entire Lucanian tribal alliance, who had not undergone fierce fighting and still had plenty of physical strength; the other side was the Greek mercenaries who had expeditioned to Persia, who were experienced and skilled, but the non-stop running had left them extremely lacking in physical strength. However, the course of the battle greatly surprised Akepiru. He originally thought that the Greeks had not formed a phalanx, and that such a melee should have been dominated by the Lucanian warriors, who were accustomed to this fighting style, but the Lucanian warriors were gradually beginning to retreat…
Akepiru, standing on a high place in the rear, observed that the Greeks often gathered in groups of dozens (in fact, they were the unique squads of Daevus's mercenaries), which were not only very organized, but also flexible, with very tacit cooperation and more lethality. The Lucanians, on the other hand, were cut into pieces, like a plate of loose sand…
This made him realize the seriousness of the situation, and he quickly sent a small team of warriors, ordering them to return to the camp immediately and notify Chief Picoxis's lieutenant, Sinnag: immediately lead the remaining warriors to come and help him defeat the current enemy, and further crush the enemy's conspiracy!
The warriors who went back to report were attacked by Lydes's cavalry (last night, Daevus took the opportunity to temporarily borrow ten warhorses from Bulcos, allowing the mercenary cavalry squad to be rebuilt). Due to the rugged mountain road, the cavalry's speed could not be fully utilized. Several wounded warriors escaped the cavalry's pursuit and ran wildly into the Lucanian camp.
"Quick… quickly notify Chief Sinnag! We've been ambushed, send reinforcements quickly!" Under the astonished gaze of the warriors who were preparing to dismantle the camp, they cried out urgently, collapsing to the ground.
However, the expressions of the surrounding warriors began to become somewhat strange.
"Damn, it's the Velians!" Only then did the warrior who reported the news realize the difference in these people, and he couldn't help but be shocked.
But he saw a person squat down and ask in a deep voice: "What ambush?! What happened?!"
The warrior seemed to remember that the person speaking was a leader from the city of Velia, named Salu…
… … … … … … … …
Akepiru had tasked Picoxis and Velia with the task of dismantling the camp, but Sinnag had delegated all of this chore to the Velians, while he and his son, along with several leaders, were discussing in the main tent how to "guarantee Picoxis's interests after occupying the Sybaris Plain".
A guard suddenly rushed in, shouting in panic: "Great Chieftain, it's bad! The Velians have suddenly attacked us!"
What!! Sinnag was suddenly shocked, and then angrily cursed: "Damn Velians, do they not want to live!!"
He hurried out of the military tent, and the scene before him far exceeded his expectations: thick smoke billowed everywhere in the camp, countless tents were burning in the fire, the Velians, armed with spears, were divided into countless small teams, chasing and killing the unprepared Picoxis warriors everywhere, and the Picoxis people fled in disarray…
Sinnag's ears were filled with the miserable screams of his tribesmen, making him almost go mad: "Ah!! … I said long ago that these despicable Bruttians should be killed, but Akepiru wouldn't listen! … Grenat, hurry! Quickly organize the warriors to counterattack! Counterattack! Repel them! Kill them all! And destroy the city of Velia!! … Ah!! …"
Without him saying more, Grenat and several leaders had already rushed out anxiously.
But for Picoxis, the situation was very bad. The Velians had come prepared, while the Picoxis people had suffered too many casualties yesterday (more than a thousand people, mostly wounded), and most of the warriors stayed in the tents to take care of their comrades. The Velians set fires everywhere, causing many Picoxis people to be burned alive in the tents…
For a time, the camp was in chaos. Gnannat and the others were simply unable to gather enough warriors to repel the riot that the Vigg people had launched for revenge...…
"Captain, look!" A mercenary cavalryman, observing the movements outside the Lucanian camp, shouted excitedly.
Ledes was originally annoyed that he hadn't completely stopped the Lucanian warriors from reporting the news, but he didn't expect the enemy's camp to catch fire. Then he saw the people inside start fighting each other, and he simply couldn't believe his eyes.
"Captain, it's infighting! The enemy is infighting!!" The cavalryman next to him continued to shout excitedly.
Ledes suppressed the excitement in his heart and observed for a while. After confirming that there was no doubt, he said, "Quick! Go back and tell Chief Davos that the enemy camp is experiencing serious infighting and has no ability to send reinforcements for the time being!"
… … … … … … … … … …
Davos didn't know that infighting had broken out in the Lucanian camp. He was currently worried about the stalemate on the battlefield in front of him.
Although the Lucanian warriors were poorly equipped, lacked physical strength, and were slipping underfoot (because the river beach had become muddy from frequent trampling), they still surged like the tide in the sea, wave after wave, impacting the Hellenic army's defense line. Their ferocity was also stimulated by the screams of their compatriots: even if they were stabbed by spears, they would hold onto the spears tightly until death; if they were knocked down by round shields, they would desperately grab the feet of the Hellenic soldiers before sliding down the slope…
The Hellenic army's northern defense line was on the verge of collapse.
"Report, Chief Drakos has fallen!"
"What?!" Davos was shocked. In the rear of the heavy infantry line, he could already feel the commotion of the mercenaries in front, and this commotion was spreading.
"Have Archytas withdraw three hundred men to support the north!" Davos said anxiously.
"Chief, you already gave this order before. Tarentum has no soldiers to spare. They are also in difficulty!" Asistes reminded him.
"Is that so." Davos rubbed his face with his hands. This was the first time he had independently commanded such a large battle, and it was related to his and the soldiers' future fate, so he was a little nervous. He took a deep breath, tried his best to calm himself down, and then decisively ordered: "Order the slave team and light shield soldiers to join the battle!"
Then, he looked back at Maltius: "It's our turn!"
"Ho!" Maltius excitedly patted his round shield with his saber. The guards also put down their spears, drew their sabers, and shouted loudly. Experienced, they knew that in such an extremely crowded battlefield, long weapons were useless.
Davos took the lead and rushed up. Maltius's guard followed closely behind, quickly protecting his left and right. Asistes raised the military flag high behind Davos.
The high-flying military flag made the mercenaries who were beginning to collapse hesitate, and also allowed the Lucanians who were rushing around to find a target, gradually surging towards Davos and the others, slightly relieving the pressure on other defense lines, but making the impact Davos faced suddenly increase…
At this time, the sound of the bronze horn continued to sound.
Although the light shield soldiers were already sore from frequently throwing javelins, they did not hesitate to raise their leather shields and long-handled reverse-edged knives under the leadership of Epitenes and Zipetes, and rushed up to plug the gaps in the mercenary defense line.
The slave soldiers had long been impatient, because Davos had promised them that as long as they won the battle, they would gain their freedom. So as soon as the order came, they shouted: "For freedom!!!"
Relying on their abundant physical strength and high morale, they actually forced the part of the enemy that had broken through the defense line back down the slope, and at the same time, some mercenaries were squeezed down by them…
… … … … … … … … …
Also shouting "For freedom" was the team led by Mercis. Under the leadership of the mercenary veterans, these thousand slaves not only quickly arrived at where Felicius was, but also bypassed the front of the two sides' teams that were intertwined and fighting, like a hammer, hitting the enemy's side and rear with all their strength.
Archipelus and the other two great chiefs, who were worrying about the battle situation in the rear, were the first to bear the brunt. The few guards around them could not stop the fierce attack of the excited slaves.
"Why?! Why hasn't Sisinagus arrived yet?!" Archipelus shouted angrily.
"Great chief, retreat quickly, it will be too late if you delay any longer!" His subordinates anxiously advised.
Retreat? Leave nearly ten thousand warriors here?! How could Archipelus be willing? He still wanted to persevere, but he heard a mournful cry not far away: "Great chief! Great chief!…"
It turned out that Chief Nium Udrle had been hit by several spears, seriously injured and collapsed to the ground.
Archipelus finally no longer hesitated. Under the desperate protection of his subordinates, Archipelus and Chief Laeus Tula fled westward in panic with dozens of people. The remaining five hundred Lucanian warriors were all surrounded.
At this time, Ledes's cavalry happened to return to the battlefield and shouted loudly: "Infighting has broken out in the enemy camp, and reinforcements will not arrive for the time being!"
This good news greatly boosted the morale of the mercenaries, and the Lucanian warriors who could understand Greek were shocked (as neighbors of the Greek city-states, the Lucanians, although hostile, also had trade exchanges, and many people knew Greek). In addition, with the chiefs fleeing the battlefield, morale plummeted…
The mercenary soldiers and slave soldiers attacked from the front and back. The five hundred Lucanian warriors were either killed or fled. Then the combined team did not rest. Felicius ordered the slave soldiers led by Mercis and the mercenaries to quickly reinforce the western defense line.
At this time, the situation on the western defense line was even worse than on the northern defense line. The troops led by Capus were limited and stretched thin. The thin defense line was broken through in many places by the surging flow of people.
Capus, Antonius, and Alexis, together with the soldiers, held shields and spears and went into battle (according to the military law formulated by Davos: under normal circumstances, company commanders are not allowed to personally fight the enemy, in order to prevent the loss of control of command).
At this moment of crisis, Felicius arrived with his team, and the addition of nearly two thousand people finally stabilized the defense line…
… … … … … … … … …
The battle lasted for more than an hour, and the Lucanian tribal coalition's impact on the defense line began to weaken…
The entire river beach was covered with warriors who had been injured by spears, javelins, arrows, flying stones, and even trampled by their own clansmen. Groans, wails, and cries were endless, and the sounds became louder and louder, but there were fewer and fewer tribal warriors still fighting…
More and more warriors, seeing that there was no hope of breaking through, turned to wade across the Tino River and fled towards the hot spring swamp, but either they were washed away by the river or their feet sank into the swamp mud and they could not move…
At this time, Davos judged that the time was ripe and resolutely issued an order to attack.
The sound of the bronze horn rang out sharply and urgently. The extremely exhausted Hellenic soldiers, stimulated by the imminent victory, under the leadership of generals such as Davos, Archytas, and Felicius, launched a final attack from the east, west, and north like tigers pouncing on their prey, on the enemies below the slope who had almost lost their ability to resist. The Lucanian warriors could not resist and retreated again and again… In the end, except for a small number of warriors who surrendered, the rest were either killed or forced into the Tino River and the hot spring swamp, perishing under the long-range attacks of bows and arrows and javelins…
The first large-scale battle independently commanded by Davos in his long military career: the Battle of the Great River Beach (later known as the Encirclement and Annihilation Battle of the Hot Spring Swamp), with about seven thousand five hundred mixed troops (including slaves) against more than nine thousand of the Lucanian tribal coalition, the final result was that the Hellenic army suffered more than a thousand casualties (half of whom were slaves), and all but four hundred of the more than nine thousand of the Lucanian tribal coalition were annihilated. Davos won a great victory.
The entire Great River Beach was piled high with corpses, and blood flowed like a river…
… … … … … … … … … …
The efforts of Sisinagus, Gnannat, and others were ultimately in vain. Picosis's defeat was irreversible. They finally led more than two hundred people and fled the camp in embarrassment, watching helplessly as the fire burned the camp, which stretched for several miles, to ashes…
And the mortal enemies—the Vigg people—entered the mountain road to the west intact under the leadership of Sedorum and embarked on their journey home.
"Great Chieftain, when Akbiru returns and sees this scene, he'll probably go crazy!" Salu stood at the mountain pass, looking at the burning camp, a sense of indescribable joy in his heart.
"So what! Even a crazed Akbiru can still command the army and break through Vigg City!" Sedolum said worriedly, harboring resentment towards Salu for his unauthorized attack on Picoxis, which forced him to take action.
"Vigg City isn't that easy to conquer. As long as we build defenses on the mountain road, their uphill assault will make it difficult for them to even reach the city walls!" Salu also held resentment: "We shouldn't have easily succumbed to their threats and joined this damned alliance in the first place!"
"Salu, you make it sound easy! The Laos people are very familiar with our terrain, and we have no reinforcements. Every warrior who dies is one less, and we don't have enough food. We can't afford this battle! ..." Sedolum lamented his helplessness.
"Great Chieftain, don't worry! I don't think the Lucanian tribal alliance will be coming back!" Salu reassured Sedolum with confidence: "Didn't you hear what that Akbiru guard who brought the news said? The Lucanians were ambushed and even had to return to call for reinforcements, which shows the situation is very bad!"
"Let's hope so." Sedolum sighed and said solemnly: "What we need to do now is immediately return to Vigg City, gather the tribesmen to strengthen the defenses, and send people to Cosentia to ask for their help!"
"Ask Cosentia for help?!" Salu was very surprised.
"I've been thinking about it these days... If the Bruttians continue to fight each other as before, the Lucanians and Greeks will always oppress us!" Sedolum said in a deep voice.
"Yes, we should unite with Cosentia, just like the Lucanian tribal alliance." Salu was still young and didn't harbor such deep hatred for the other Bruttian tribes.
Sedolum didn't speak, lost in thought.
At this moment, Salu excitedly said again: "Great Chieftain, now that we've become enemies with Lucania, shouldn't we take the opportunity to plunder Laos as we pass by?!"
"I think you've lost your mind! If you don't cherish the lives of your tribesmen, are you worthy of being a chieftain? Is Laos's Avinogis easy to deal with? It's already a problem for us to pass through the lower Lao River without arousing their suspicion, and you're still thinking about looting! ..." Sedolum scolded him severely, finally causing the excited young chieftain to lower his head. After the group walked for a while, he couldn't help but say again: "I didn't expect Turi, after suffering a great defeat, to still be able to ambush the Lucanian tribal alliance. Could it be that they received further reinforcements from Tarentum or Crotone?"
Sedolum didn't respond, but looked back at the sky filled with thick smoke, and couldn't help but excitedly think: If the Lucanian alliance really suffered heavy losses in the Greek ambush, then the situation in this area will greatly change! What should the Vigg people do? ...
........
Sinnagag led the surviving tribesmen eastward, his heart filled with grief and indignation, with only one thought in his mind: find Akbiru, lead the army to destroy Vigg City, and avenge the dead tribesmen!
On the way, they met Akbiru's defeated soldiers.
Akbiru hoped to quickly return to the camp, bring reinforcements, and reverse the defeat. When he learned from Sinnagag that the Vigg people had rebelled, Picoxis suffered heavy casualties, and the camp was burned to ashes, he was so overwhelmed with anger that he fainted on the spot.
And Sinnagag learned the devastating news that more than nine thousand warriors had been ambushed by the Greek army and their fate was unknown. He was immediately stunned...
........
The generals of the Turi city hall received reports from the sentries on the city walls in the morning: a large force was suspected to be moving outside the city.
After the morning mist cleared, scouts went out to investigate and quickly returned with reports: there was nothing unusual around Turi City,
but the mercenary camp was almost empty.
The generals were shocked: Last night, Bulcos returned and said that the mercenaries were willing to stay. Turi City was busy all night preparing the supplies that these greedy mercenaries demanded, but they didn't expect these untrustworthy mercenaries to flee overnight?!
The generals cursed the mercenaries, and some even suggested sending warships to search for their traces at sea and give them a severe beating to force them to return.
At this moment, the scouts who went to investigate westward returned.
"What?! The mercenaries joined the Tarentum reinforcements and went to attack the Lucanian alliance?!" Cunogolata couldn't believe his ears.
The generals in the city hall were in an uproar.
Neonsis cursed: "Davos is a madman, trying to bury the hope of Turi!"
"Yes! After losing the protection of the mercenaries, Turi City will face the Lucanians' attack alone. What should we do?!" Polyxis said worriedly.
Cunogolata decisively said: "Immediately send Bulcus, at all costs, to persuade the mercenaries to return! Turi will not allow them to act recklessly!"
........
However, Bulcus returned without success. Davos, who had always been friendly to him, strongly rejected his request and sent people to drive away the still pleading Bulcus, telling him to return to the city and wait for the news of victory.
"I think Davos is very confident in defeating the Lucanians. Should we believe him?" Bulcus comforted the generals, but he himself was very doubtful about this.
His words immediately provoked the generals' scolding.
Cunogolata criticized him for not being able to recognize people clearly.
Polyxis, based on friendship, didn't directly say it, but complained that the mercenaries were ungrateful wolves who didn't keep their promises.
Neonsis angrily accused him of wasting the treasury's money, food, and supplies, hiring a group of mercenaries, but not playing any role, and threatened to propose a trial against him at the council meeting.
...
The generals of Turi spent a whole morning in complaint, scolding, and anxiety, but they didn't have the courage to send out Turi City's only two thousand citizen soldiers to help in the battle.
In the afternoon, the sentries on the walls of Turi City once again heard the rumbling of footsteps. The scouts who were sent out saw the returning mercenary army: although they looked battered, covered in blood, and supported their wounded comrades, they didn't have the decadence of defeat. Instead, they were in high spirits, laughing and talking loudly all the way. Among the team, a dozen or so packhorses were loaded with armor and weapons, and many slaves, each holding several sets of armor, carrying shields, spears, and helmets, also held their heads high, looking proud. At the rear of the team, hundreds of naked men were being escorted by soldiers, obediently trudging towards the mercenary camp. Looking at their messy long hair, one could tell they weren't Greeks...
The scouts' hearts were pounding wildly. They guessed a possibility! An almost impossible possibility!
At this moment, a mercenary cavalryman galloped towards them. He raised his hands to show that he was not carrying a weapon, so as not to scare away these few Turi people.
The Turi scouts stood still as expected. The mercenary cavalryman came to them, reined in his horse, raised his head, and said proudly: "Our leader Davos asked you to tell the generals of Turi that our mercenaries and Tarentum reinforcements completely wiped out the main force of the Lucanian alliance on the Great River Beach. They have been driven out of Turi's territory by us!"
"You... you really defeated the Lucanians?!" The scouts asked in disbelief, their voices trembling.
"Of course it's true, do we need to lie!" The mercenary cavalryman proudly pointed to the prisoners in the team, and said: "Also, our leader asked me to remind you Turi people that the Great River Beach is now full of corpses. I hope you can deal with them quickly, otherwise it will easily cause a plague after a long time!"
...
Before the scouts even reached the city, they waved their hands and shouted excitedly: "Victory! We have won! The Lucanians have been wiped out!!! ..."
...
In the city hall, the generals' strength was exhausted after a long period of anxiety.
At this moment, cheers came from outside the house, louder and louder, waking up the drowsy generals.
"What's going on?" Nionsius asked, puzzled.
With a loud "bang," the door was pushed open, and a guard rushed in, his face filled with elation: "Reporting to all generals, the scouts have returned! They say… they say… they say the mercenaries won! The Lucanian coalition has been destroyed!!"
"Is that true?!" The generals could hardly believe their ears, asking in unison.
"The scouts are just outside the door! They even went to the battlefield where the mercenaries fought the Lucanians—the Great River Beach—to investigate. They say it's covered with Lucanian corpses!!"
"Unbelievable! Truly unbelievable! They actually won!!" Nionsius murmured, as if in a dream.
"How did they do it?!" Cunnogolata had been on the battlefield yesterday; the ferocity of the Lucanian warriors still filled him with fear. Moreover, he knew the disparity in troop strength between the two sides, so the news of victory was nothing short of a miracle to him.
"What kind of person is Davos?" At that moment, Anysitas was filled with interest in understanding this miraculous mercenary leader.
Polykseus immediately remembered the smiling young man he had seen on Bulkos's ship in Burkos. He never imagined that this seemingly harmless young man had actually destroyed the Lucanian coalition, which Thurii regarded as a monstrous flood, and saved the city of Thurii, which was on the verge of collapse.
"He is a young man, but rumors among the mercenaries say he is favored by Hades! They also call him the Miracle Creator! On the way back from Persia…" Bulkos, who had been criticized by the generals and had been staying in the city hall, proudly spoke loudly about the heroic deeds of Davos that he had heard, with only one voice surging and boiling in his heart: He did it! He really did it!!
The generals did not laugh at these seemingly absurd rumors, nor did they face Bulkos's extremely excited gaze, and they all strode towards the outside of the hall.
On the city hall square, countless women, children, and old people wearing black veils and mourning, who were originally full of sorrow, were now loudly cheering for victory. Some people even cried, but they were tears of joy. The haze that had shrouded the hearts of the Thurii people had completely dissipated at this moment.
The scouts also brought a message from Davos: he hoped that Thurii would send people to clean up the battlefield, bury the corpses, and prevent a plague from occurring.
Out of caution, the generals decided to send people to the battlefield to investigate first. This time, Nionsius personally led the team. When they arrived at the Great River Beach, the scene before them made him gasp: the Great River Beach area, including the hot spring swamp, had become a red river of blood, filled with naked corpses in the blood (the mercenaries had stripped off the armor and weapons of the dead), completely like a living hell…
"This is truly a terrifying miracle!" Nionsius trembled all over: "A terrifying favorite of Hades!…"
… … … … … … … …
To thank Davos, Akheitas, as well as the leaders and generals Drakos, Adriankes, and Sestus for their contributions to Thurii, the generals and the council decided after discussion: to send Bulkos to accompany Anysitas to the mercenary camp to invite them to Thurii to participate in the victory celebration and receive the gratitude of the Thurii people. At the same time, they also brought a hundred jars of wine and fifty jars of olive oil to reward the soldiers.
The group arrived at the camp excitedly, but was stopped by the gatekeepers, who claimed: after a day of fierce fighting, the leaders and soldiers were extremely tired, and most of them had already fallen asleep to recover their energy, so the guards were notified not to let anyone in to prevent accidents.
Bulkos repeatedly persuaded, but the gatekeepers remained firm. Bulkos had been to Davos's camp several times before and knew that the military rules here were very strict. In addition, the camp was indeed unusually quiet, so the Thurii group had to leave in disappointment.
Then, they found Akheitas.
Akheitas happily received them, but when they explained their intentions, Akheitas looked embarrassed and said: "To be honest, this victory is entirely due to Davos's brilliant planning. The Tarentum reinforcements only assisted from the side. If Davos doesn't go, I certainly can't go either, lest I be ridiculed!"
Anysitas had no choice but to decide to invite him again tomorrow.
… … … … … … … … …
The mercenary soldiers were indeed forced to rest, but the mercenary officers, as well as Adriankes and Sestus, were now gathered in Davos's tent.
After receiving the guard's report, Davos smiled and said: "Thurii used to be as wary of us as if we were thieves, but now they want to curry favor with us. Isn't it a bit late!"
"Yes, I hate the faces of the Thurii people. We didn't annihilate the Lucanians for them," Amyntas said with disdain.
"It's just a bit of a pity to miss the Thurii celebration. Maybe many beautiful Thurii girls are looking forward to the leader going!" Oliver's words caused a burst of laughter from everyone.
Davos looked at him amusedly: "Or should I give you this opportunity?"
"I can't do it." Oliver shook his head vigorously: "Thurii invited Davos, who is famous in Lucania, not a nobody like me. I'd better continue to sleep in the camp!" Oliver's deliberately funny appearance caused another burst of laughter from everyone.
"Leader, we still have to maintain a good relationship with Thurii, after all, it will become our neighbor in the future," Philius reminded.
Davos nodded. His gaze fell on Adriankes and Sestus, and he asked with concern: "How is Drakos doing?"
"Under Herpus's treatment, he is much better. He also told us to listen to your command!" Sestus said gratefully, and Adriankes also nodded aside.
Davos certainly heard that Sestus was using Drakos's words to express his obedience to Davos. He immediately said: "That's great. We don't want to lose a warrior like Drakos! If he hadn't stood at the front of the defense line, resisting the enemy's attack and boosting the morale of the soldiers, the northern defense line would probably have been breached!…" After praising Drakos, he looked around at everyone and said in a deep voice: "I will reiterate tonight's battle plan!"
Everyone immediately stopped laughing and stared at Davos with focused expressions.
Davos picked up a wooden stick and pointed to the wooden table. On the wooden table, there was a city model made of clay: "Tonight at two o'clock in the morning, the entire army will move to Amendolara. After crossing the Sisno River, Hilos!"
"Here!"
"Don't let us build that stone wall for nothing. I hope your training for more than ten days will be effective."
"Leader, don't worry!" Hilos said confidently: "The soldiers will use ropes and hooks to climb the city wall in the shortest possible time and open the city gate!"
Davos nodded, and then said: "In case the enemy discovers us and the sneak attack is blocked. Capus, Antonio, your two companies carry ladders, and Alexius, your company carries battering rams to rush to the city as quickly as possible and launch a strong attack!"
"Yes!" The three answered crisply.
"After the city gate is opened, Amyntas, your company will act as the vanguard and break through the enemy's defense line and enter the city as quickly as possible!"
"It's finally my turn!" Amyntas grinned.
"After entering the city, all troops will follow my previous arrangements, led by the Amendolara guide, and quickly attack the top of the mountain along these two mountain roads." Davos pointed to a certain place on the city model with a wooden stick: "According to the Amendolara people, there are not many large, flat places in this mountain city, only the Senate, the square, and the temple on the top of the mountain, so these three places are most likely where the Lucanians are holding the Amendolara people and their own barracks. You must occupy these places as quickly as possible, is that clear?!"
"Clear!!!" Everyone shouted in unison.
At this time, Alexius asked: "When can we light the torches?"
"Good question!" Davos realized that he had overlooked an important matter. After a little thought, he said: "You can light them when the city gate is opened, or when the sneak attack fails and a strong attack is launched! Everyone—" Davos emphasized: "By tomorrow, Thurii may ask us to help recapture Amendolara, or the Lucanians may escape from Amendolara, so we only have tonight! Only if we rely on ourselves to recapture Amendolara from the Lucanians can it become our spoils of war, and we can reduce a lot of trouble and truly become the masters of Amendolara! So tonight, only success is allowed, no failure!!!"
Vespas had absolutely not expected things to take such a tortuous turn.
Yesterday afternoon, when his envoy rushed to the Sibari Plain, the Lucanian tribal coalition had already retreated, and fearing an attack by the Greek army, they had to retreat back into the city.
Today, Vespas was anxiously waiting for the Lucanian coalition to arrive at the Sibari Plain, but waited in vain for a long time.
Unexpectedly, in the afternoon, a scout hurriedly reported: The Greek mercenaries annihilated the Lucanian coalition on the great river beach of the Tino River!
Vespas was stunned, he felt fear, and wished he could leave this terrifying mercenary army immediately, the farther the better!
The severe damage suffered by these powerful Lucanian tribes would inevitably weaken their control over the surrounding tribes.
Vespas' tribe returning to the Lucanian mountains should not be oppressed again for the time being.
However, he was reluctant to leave empty-handed, as he couldn't bear to part with the mountains of captured supplies in the city; his tribesmen were all terrified of poverty.
At this moment, another sentence from the scout calmed him down: The Greeks also suffered considerable losses, with at least a thousand casualties.
Yes, after a great battle, wouldn't the Greeks need to rest and recuperate?
Vespas cursed himself for being muddle-headed, and ordered his tribesmen to start packing their luggage and loading supplies, to be transported away in batches depending on the situation.
After a busy afternoon, by the evening, the tribesmen were all exhausted and fell into a deep sleep.
This delay of Vespas became a small regret in his life.
But decades later, when his tribesmen and descendants talked about this day, they all rejoiced that they did not leave immediately…
… … … … … … … … … …
Late at night, a full moon hung in the sky, bringing a ray of light to the dark night.
The moonlight was like water, quietly Sprinkle on the Sibari Plain, and a long dragon was seen quietly advancing towards the northern coast, crossing the Sibari River, passing the abandoned vineyard, passing the Saraceno River, and the speed not only did not decrease, but became faster and faster, until it crossed the Sistino River, the entire team stopped abruptly.
Every warrior looked into the shadowy Amendolara city under the moonlight, and their hearts were very excited.
Davos took a deep breath to calm himself down, and then waved vigorously at Hilos.
The attack began!
… … … … … … … … … …
This night, Vespas had a good dream, dreaming that he did not leave Amendolara, but lived here for many years, inspecting his herds of cattle and sheep every day, wandering in the olive groves full of fruit, and drinking sweet wine…
"Great chieftain, something is wrong! The Greeks have invaded the city!" A guard rushed in in a panic.
"What did you say?!!" Vespas woke up in shock.
… … … … … … … … … …
The next morning, Archytas, who had just woken up from his sleep, received a strange message from a guard: The mercenaries who lived next to them had disappeared!
He immediately went to check, and it was indeed empty.
Archytas immediately felt something was wrong.
He rushed to Davos' camp next door: There were people in the camp, but they were all Davos' baggage train, medical corps, wounded soldiers, women, and a large number of slaves (mainly from Thurii), and they were all loading their luggage, preparing to leave…
Archytas strode forward and grabbed Melchis, who was yelling and directing the slaves: "Melchis, where have Davos and his soldiers gone?"
Melchis stammered and did not respond, making him even more suspicious.
Just then, a familiar voice came from behind: "Archytas, I'm really sorry, I'm late and made you worry."
Archytas turned around and saw Davos with a smile on his face, looking a little tired, but looking very happy: "Where have your soldiers gone?"
"I'll tell you good news."
Davos jumped off his horse, handed the reins to Asistentes, and then said calmly: "We have retaken Amendolara!"
"When?" Archytas was taken aback.
"Last night."
Took a mountain city in one night?!
Seeing that Davos' expression did not seem to be fake, it should be known that sieges are a major problem for any city-state army.
Yesterday's battle had already amazed Archytas with Davos' grand spirit, creative battle planning, extremely strong command ability, and ability to integrate different troops.
And the fact that he conquered a mountain city in one night made Archytas, who had experienced many battles, completely convinced.
He smiled wryly and said: "Davos, you have completed another difficult task, I am really jealous!"
Archytas' straightforwardness made Davos laugh: "In fact, we are also blessed by the goddess of fate.
The Lucanians were lax in their defense and were completely unprepared."
"Oh, is that so."
Archytas curiously wanted to hear him continue, but Davos changed the subject and said solemnly: "I have something I want to get your and Tarentum's support for."
"What is it?" Archytas looked at Davos' serious expression and was immediately stunned.
Davos stared at him and said, word by word: "Our mercenaries want to become citizens of Amendolara!"
Archytas was stunned again, and he asked uncertainly: "All the mercenaries?! Are you serious?"
"This is the wish of all the mercenaries!" Davos said loudly in an unquestionable tone.
Archytas' expression became serious.
He looked around, and whether it was Melchis, Asistentes, or the guards who were busy, they all stopped what they were doing and looked at him with expectant eyes.
Archytas quickly turned his head, looked at Davos, and said in a deep voice: "It seems that taking Amendolara was not a temporary move for you."
Davos did not answer directly, but said emotionally: "Archytas, you were born into a Tarentum noble family and live a comfortable life.
You cannot understand the situation of our mercenaries wandering around and not being able to control their own lives and deaths.
Having a home is their greatest desire!"
Archytas was silent for a while and asked: "Does the governor of Amendolara, Marcellus, agree?"
"The day the Lucanians occupied Amendolara, he was seriously injured and died a few days later.
The other governor, Grattabafflo… Last night, when we attacked Amendolara, the Amendolara people who were imprisoned in the Temple of Zeus on the top of the mountain launched an attack on the Lucanian guards under the leadership of Grattabafflo before we even reached the top of the mountain.
As a result, a fierce battle broke out between the two sides.
By the time we arrived, Grattabafflo had already died in battle, including some senators…" Davos said in a heavy tone.
Archytas stared at Davos, while Davos continued to say frankly: "According to our statistics, there are now about a thousand Amendolara people alive, and their physical condition is not good.
Nearly half of them are elderly, and many are injured.
Even if we leave, I am afraid they will not be able to maintain the normal management and labor of Amendolara, let alone guard this mountain city."
Archytas understood that Davos not only wanted the mercenaries to become citizens of Amendolara, but also wanted to become the master there.
He was surprised by Davos' ambition and said evasively: "You should first seek the opinion of Thurii, after all, Amendolara is its ally."
"Archytas, let's be frank, Thurii has now suffered two Failure and its strength has been greatly damaged.
It is probably not capable of taking care of Amendolara.
And although the weak Amendolara is not rich, its location is still very important, and it may also attract the covetousness of other forces.
At least in our hands, we can defend it and are willing to form an alliance with Tarentum to maintain the security of this area and ensure that Heraclea will no longer be threatened by the natives!" Davos solemnly promised.
Archytas was a little moved after hearing this.
After all, Thurii performed too badly in this war with Lucania, almost causing a disaster to this area, so he said cautiously but frankly: "I don't have the right to decide whether you can own Amendolara.
This needs to be approved by the Tarentum Senate!
I will immediately send someone by boat back to Tarentum, and I hope you will also send someone to go with them to express your wishes to the Tarentum Senate!"
"Thank you very much, Archytas!" Davos said excitedly.
"My only regret is that you can no longer become a citizen of Tarentum," Archytas said sincerely.
Davos was greatly moved and hurriedly said: "But we will be allies, maybe one day we will fight side by side again!"
Without obtaining the consent of the Amendolara people or consulting its ally Thurii, the ownership of a city was decided in the laughter of the two.