Heraclea and Metapontum had both sent troops to participate in the last siege of Brundisium, so both consuls and Eumachus shared the same painful lessons.
Davos agreed with this, although he vaguely felt that something was wrong, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. Because no traces of the enemy were found in the direction of Ugentum, at least the possibility of another pincer attack by the Messapian-Peucetian alliance was ruled out.
In order to catch up with the enemy, the entire army acted quickly. The baggage train was left in Manduria, along with 3,000 Mandurian garrison soldiers, bringing the total number of Tarentine troops to 13,000, and the total number of troops to more than 30,000.
The entire army increased its speed in the marching order of yesterday to pursue north, and after marching ten miles, they received a report from the scouts: the Messapian-Peucetian alliance had entered the northern mountains.
Such a large army, instead of going to Brundisium in front, actually drilled into the mountains?! Davos was a little puzzled. Eumachus, who was beside him, pondered for a moment, his face showing astonishment.
"They may be going to the Anellen Hills!" Deomilas, who had heard the news, said nervously.
After listening to their explanation, Davos learned that the area between the east and west coast corridors was not all thorny, overgrown with trees, and rugged mountains, but rather a hilly area between the mountains. The road was not too difficult to walk, and it could be used to reach the eastern part of Tarentum. In the early days, the Messapians often raided the Tarentines from there. Later, the Tarentines gradually became stronger, and they built defensive camps and outposts near the exit of the hills to strengthen reconnaissance, so that the Messapians, who were exhausted from crossing the hills, were often repelled by the Tarentines who were waiting for work. Later, the Messapians were influenced by the Greeks and gradually became civilized. They were no longer accustomed to mountain warfare. In addition, with the establishment of Manduria, they had a more convenient base for attacking Tarentum. For decades, the Messapians had never used the Anellen Hills to break into Tarentine territory.
"That is to say... the defensive camp there has been abandoned?!" Davos immediately realized this.
"Uh..." Eumachus was still considering his words, but Deomilas had already said: "The camp has not been abandoned, but after Archytas's army was completely annihilated, the Messapian-Peucetian alliance launched a large-scale attack. Most of the people outside the city have already taken refuge in the city, and the soldiers in the camp have certainly withdrawn, so the Messapians can easily enter our land, destroy our fields that are about to be harvested, burn our villages, and kill the people who have not yet left! We must catch up immediately, stop them! Repel them!"
Deomilas looked excited, and Eumachus also looked worried, but Davos remained unmoved. He paced back and forth, his brain thinking quickly.
"What are you still hesitating about! If we don't act, we won't be able to catch up!" Deomilas urged loudly.
"Why chase them!" Davos stopped, reminding them with a serious expression: "Don't forget what you said before, 'If the enemy retreats, we will immediately attack Brundisium, forcing the Messapians to fight us to the death.'"
Deomilas was speechless for a moment, and Eumachus hurriedly explained: "The situation is different now. The Messapian army will rush into our Tarentine territory and wreak havoc, which will cause panic among the people and may even attack Tarentum!"
"Although the Messapian-Peucetian alliance has a large number of troops, Tarentum is not easy to capture, but Brundisium can be easily obtained." Davos pointed to the front and said earnestly: "It is difficult for heavy infantry to catch up with light infantry. Instead of passively chasing the Messapian-Peucetian alliance and being led around in circles by them, it is better to take the initiative to attack and take Brundisium. If they still don't come, we will continue to attack Egnatia to the north! I don't believe they won't come to a decisive battle!"
Eumachus bit his lip, unable to make a decision for a moment. Deomilas stubbornly shook his head: "No! The enemy is not destroying your Daunian land, so of course you don't feel bad! But that is our Tarentine land, and I would rather take Brundisium later than drive them out of Tarentum first."
Hearing this, Davos also got angry: "Is this my fault! When we were discussing, you didn't mark it on the map yourself, and you didn't explain it, and there was also a damn Anellen Hills that could pass through the mountains! I didn't let you go because you said the road there was complicated and you were not familiar with the terrain, in case the enemy set up an ambush there—"
Speaking of this, Davos's mind flashed, and he grasped the fleeting inspiration: "I understand! I understand! Because of the cavalry! You said before that the Messapian cavalry wantonly intercepted and killed the Tarentine scouts, causing great losses to your cavalry. But this time, we have not been attacked by the Messapian cavalry since we set out, why? Could it be that all the Messapian cavalry have contracted the plague and died?"
Davos confidently looked around at the crowd, and said in a more serious tone: "No! The Messapians want us to know the whereabouts of their army, they want us to follow, because they must have set up an ambush in the Anellen Hills! So we cannot go to the Anellen Hills, we cannot bury the only army that can save Tarentum there!"
These words moved Eumachus and made Deomilas silent.
"I agree with Lord Davos's opinion! Let's go attack Brundisium!" Thracyas said loudly.
"I also agree." Tudeprestes also nodded in agreement.
The clear statements of the two army commanders made Davos's proposal pass.
Deomilas got on his horse with a reluctant expression.
"Lord Deomilas!" Davos shouted loudly: "Please remember that Daunia is here to help Tarentum, not to accept humiliation! As the consul of Daunia, and also elected as the commander-in-chief of this expedition, if there is any more bad phenomenon of disrespecting the commander and disobeying orders, I think the alliance will have no need to exist!"
Davos's words were sonorous and forceful, and the surroundings suddenly fell into a dead silence. Even Thracyas and Tudeprestes were shocked by the toughness of this seemingly gentle young consul.
Eumachus had to cough a few times and said: "Lord Deomilas is also because he is worried—"
Davos waved his hand to interrupt him and said coldly: "Why is the Daunian army always victorious? It is because of discipline and obedience! An army of more than 30,000 people will be in chaos if there is no unified command and if they do not obey orders! Since we knew it would be a failure, why bother to go on the expedition!"
Under Davos's coercion and under the gaze of the crowd, Deomilas's face turned red, and under the invisible pressure, he finally squeezed out a sentence: "Understood."
… … … … … … … …
In the Anellen Hills, Peucetian King Trimanius and the consuls of the Messapian city-states were looking forward to it, but the news reported by the scouts extinguished their enthusiasm.
"What did you say?! The Greeks didn't come here, but continued east... Brundisium, their goal is Brundisium!" Trimanius exclaimed. He cared more about that coastal city than the Messapians, because for the Messapian consuls, Brundisium was just an allied state, but for Trimanius, it was a newly acquired part of his territory, the source of his wealth.
"Don't worry, King Peucetian." Udiae Consul Pachymachus advised: "Our cavalry went to notify Brundisium yesterday. I believe that before the Greeks arrive there, the residents have temporarily left. Even if the Greeks enter the city, they will not get anything. If they dare to relocate to Brundisium again, we don't mind taking it back and getting another batch of Greek slaves! I think we should wait a little longer and let the cavalry make the fires burning the villages on the Tarentine territory burn even brighter! I don't believe that the Tarentines will still ignore it and continue to go east after learning this news!"
Pachymachus's words calmed Trimanius down. He thought for a while and said viciously: "Kill some of the Greeks captured in Brundisium and throw the bodies on the road to see how the Greeks react!"
… … … … … … … …
"Report! ... More than a dozen plumes of smoke have risen from the Anellen Hills, and the entire sky has been blackened. There are also many bodies of Tarentine people along the way, including women and children..."
"I only need you to monitor the enemy's movements and observe whether the enemy has come out of the hills!" Davos rudely interrupted the scout's words: "Go back and tell your captain to send a Daunian cavalryman back to report the situation next time!"
The Tarentine scout rode away angrily.
Davos just glanced at Eumachus, who was silent beside him, and reminded him again: "The Messapians are luring us to the Anellen Hills, we can't go!"
Eumachus frowned and remained silent.
Davos said no more. He turned around and whispered to the adjutant Tolmidius: "Notify the officers in the front row to speed up the march and stay away from that dangerous place as soon as possible."
Xanthippus's mercenary army had been fully converted into reserve citizens due to their repeated military exploits. Military Officer Philius incorporated them all into the vacant First and Second Legions. Xanthippus served as the acting commander of the Fifth Regiment of the Sixth Battalion of the First Legion. For a reserve citizen, this position was too high, but most of the officers and generals in the army were members of the Persian Expeditionary Force back then. On the contrary, they felt that Xanthippus's position was low. After all, he was one of the five leaders at the beginning. So once he becomes a full citizen, his position will probably be rapidly promoted.
Tolmidius used to have the reputation of "First Adjutant" in the mercenary army. He could handle the relationship with all parties well, transmit the leaders' orders in a timely and accurate manner, and make even the most stubborn officers accept and execute them, which was deeply trusted by the leaders.
Since Asystas took on local government affairs, Davos had not had a suitable adjutant. Moreover, with the expansion of the war and the increase in the number of participants, the situation became increasingly complex. He was gradually finding it difficult to handle and urgently needed assistance. Tolmid was undoubtedly a suitable candidate. Davos first appointed him as acting adjutant, preparing him to gradually develop a staff team under the commander to assist him in handling military affairs during the expedition to Syracuse.
… … … … … … … … … …
The scout from Tarentum did not immediately return to the Anlenian hills but ran to the Tarentum ranks and reported the situation to Diomilas in even more exaggerated terms.
Before Diomilas could respond, the surrounding soldiers clamored, "Lord, the Messapians are slaughtering our relatives and burning our fields! We can't ignore this! Those foreigners pretend not to see it because it's not their city-states that are suffering the losses!"
"That's right! We can't listen to the orders of foreigners! We must fight the Messapians and avenge our relatives!"
"Go to the Anlenian hills, catch up with the Messapians, and kill them!"
… …
The soldiers' roars gradually made more Tarentum soldiers aware of the situation. This collective frenzy infected every Tarentum soldier, which in turn intensified the commotion in the ranks, creating a risk of losing control.
Diomilas was also affected by it, but he thought more about it: he had promoted the war against the Messapians after being elected consul, but now the war had severely damaged Tarentum. Because the war situation was critical, the Tarentines had no time to settle accounts. Now, faced with the boiling public opinion, if he turned a deaf ear again, even if he regained Brundisium, the angry people would drive him out of the city-state, saddling him with a lifetime of humiliation!
Diomilas forcibly forgot the trace of fear that Davos had left in his heart when he was angry. Facing the army with high morale, he made up his mind: "Order the entire army to turn left and advance rapidly towards the Anlenian hills!"
The soldiers burst into cheers and immediately began to act.
The people of Metapontium, who were in front of them, were the first to notice the abnormality of the Tarentines leaving the ranks. Tudepreus was shocked and immediately sent someone to urgently notify Davos in front.
"Bastard! Damn bastard!" Davos lost control of his emotions after hearing the news and cursed loudly. The thing he was most worried about had still happened.
But after calming down a bit, he turned to another Tarentum consul who had been silent all along and said, "Lord Eumachus, the situation is urgent now. I need you to go immediately and dissuade Diomilas, and order him to return with his troops immediately!"
Eumachus shook his head: "I understand Diomilas. He is as stubborn as a rock. Now that he has decided to violate your orders, it is impossible to persuade him back!"
Davos stared at him, suppressing his anger, and said, "Are you saying you won't go?!"
Eumachus flickered his eyes: "I'm saying I can't persuade him back. It's useless to go."
"Tolmid!" Davos roared, startling the somewhat uneasy Eumachus.
"Here, Commander!" Tolmid replied forcefully.
"Go find that bastard yourself and tell him, 'If he doesn't come back, I will immediately lead the army back to Daonia.' Go quickly and return quickly!" Davos issued the order indignantly.
"Davos… Lord Davos, are you really going to—" Eumachus asked cautiously, but Davos roared impatiently, "Shut up!"
Davos's anger was hard to quell: Since he commanded the army, this was the first time that a subordinate general had disobeyed orders! These two Tarentum consuls were singing the same tune, completely a den of snakes and rats. In the future. Such a coalition army cannot participate again. From its establishment to now, he has never been satisfied. Most of his energy is spent on how to balance the relationship with the Tarentum army. Now he has to be burdened by them and face the danger of failure. Does he really have to return immediately?
… … … … … … … … …
"Lord, if the Daonians really leave,
our strength alone cannot withstand the numerous Messapian-Peucetian allied forces!" The adjutant of the Tarentum army said worriedly, looking at the departing Daonian adjutant.
"Don't worry, the Daonians will follow! Hasn't Daonia always claimed to be 'trustworthy'! Now they want to become the leader of the Greek city-states in southern Italy. If they abandon their allies and flee the battlefield before the war, who else will be willing to trust Daonia if other city-states know about this cowardly behavior!" Diomilas appeared confident on the surface, but he was still uneasy in his heart.
So, he ordered again: "Let the soldiers slow down their advance slightly."
… … … … … … … … …
When Tolmid told Davos about Diomilas's refusal, he had already regained his composure.
"Understood." Davos replied faintly.
"Lord Davos, what should we do now?" Tudepreus asked quickly.
Davos looked around at everyone, taking in Eumachus's concern, Tudepreus's unease, and Triphylas's casualness, and then resolutely said: "The entire army turns around and reinforces that idiot!"
Eumachus showed a grateful expression, and Tudepreus also relaxed. Only Triphylas asked anxiously: "What if there really is an ambush in the Anlenian hills?"
"Then we have to go even more, not to save Diomilas, but to save the thousands of Tarentum citizens!" Now that he had decided to go to reinforce, Davos of course had to say it more beautifully. In fact, the reason why he wanted to go to reinforce was not only for the reason Diomilas said, but also because Heraclea had already leaned towards Daonia, and Metapontium was also wavering. But if the Tarentines suffered a crushing defeat in this battle, then it would no longer be able to stop the Messapians and Peucetians. These ferocious natives could invade Metapontium along the coast to the north at any time, threatening Heraclea. At that time, Daonia would have to send troops to rescue again. It would be better to take advantage of the fact that they were already on the battlefield to rescue the Tarentum army, defeat the Messapian-Peucetian allied forces, and maintain the balance of power in this land. As the founder of Daonia, for the sake of the alliance's strength, what was the temporary tolerance of the Tarentum consul's hatred?
… … … … … … … … …
The Anlenian hills are actually the junction of two mountain ranges, so they are covered with hills of all sizes. Most of these hills are dozens of meters high, with rounded tops. Looking down from above, they look like green mushrooms, presenting a unique natural beauty.
But for people who want to pass through here, it is a disaster. Although the hills are not high, they are large in amplitude and steep in slope, making them difficult to climb. Moreover, the hills are one after another, continuous. To pass through with less effort, you can only travel on the gentle areas between the hills, which makes the originally not too far straight-line distance become tortuous. Moreover, few people have passed through here in decades, and it is covered with green grass, which has long submerged the once-opened path.
Fortunately, there were scouts who had tracked the Messapian-Peucetian allied forces leading the way in front, and there were smoke columns in the distance as markers, saving the Tarentum army a lot of trouble in finding the way. Along the way, the soldiers were only complaining about the difficult mountain road, and everything else was going smoothly. They did not even see the shadows of the Messapians and Peucetians.
And when they received the news from the scouts who had caught up that the Daonian army had also entered the Anlenian hills, Diomilas smiled: Naive young man, you are far from being able to fight me!
He let out a breath of bad air and looked into the distance. The distance to the soaring thick smoke was not too far. It was estimated that he would be able to reach it after bypassing a few more hills.
And on the grassland, the corpses of Tarentum people could already be seen, each with a tragic death. This stirred up the anger of the soldiers. They seemed to hear the helpless cries for help and screams of their relatives not far away. The originally tired bodies seemed to be filled with power again. They couldn't help but speed up their advance, making the entire column, which had been stretched out due to the narrow mountain road, even more scattered and weak.
"Woo! Woo! …" The Messapian bugle suddenly sounded between the hills, hitting the hearts of every Tarentum soldier like a heavy hammer. Diomilas, who had been proud of fooling Davos, turned pale instantly… …
… … … … … … … …
"Quick, catch up with them! Don't let them escape!" Sorikos shouted loudly at his subordinates anxiously.
Although the Daonian cavalry chased at full speed regardless of the danger, and teammates fell off their horses from time to time due to the rugged mountain road, the distance between them and the fleeing Messapian cavalry was getting farther and farther.
Those few Messapians skillfully manipulated the horses under their crotches, as if the horses were part of their bodies, running at full speed in the narrow mountain road without any hindrance, making Sorikos and the others sigh in admiration, and finally helplessly watched the Messapian cavalry go away.
At this time, the shout of "Captain" came from behind Sorikos. He looked back and saw Lydes riding over.
So, he grabbed the reins with one hand and saluted Lydes with the other. The Daonian cavalry was an independent arm of the military, with a total number of less than a thousand, and did not belong to any legion. Although Lydes was only a captain, his position was equal to that of an infantry legion commander.
Lydes looked at the receding backs of the Messapian cavalry with a solemn expression, turned to Sorikos and said: "There may be many Messapian and Peucetian cavalry attacking next. We must do our best to block them and prevent them from detecting the direction of the army's advance in a short time as much as possible!"
"Yes!" Sorikos responded immediately, but felt the weight of this task in his heart: It is said that there are thousands of Messapian cavalry, and they are highly skilled in horsemanship, which cannot be blocked by the more than two hundred Daonian cavalry who have come. Fortunately, there are hills everywhere here, which are not conducive to the deployment of troops and the maneuvering of cavalry, and the enemy cavalry's advantage in numbers cannot be brought into play.
Lydes saw his nervousness and added: "Commander-in-chief Davos has sent more than two hundred light shield soldiers to assist us, and they will be here soon."
Solis Kos breathed a sigh of relief. He knew how formidable the light infantry with shields of the First Legion's Seventh Battalion were. In the narrow mountain path without enough space to dodge, it would be difficult to evade the javelin throws of the light infantry.
… … … … … … … … …
The magistrate of Udine, Pasimelus, led the soldiers of the Messapian city-state alliance, charging down from the hills on both sides to attack the Tarentines in the mountain path.
The Peucetians and Iapygians soldiers did not join the battle because the scouts reported that the Daunians had also entered the Anren Hills.
Treemon hoped to see them rushing to reinforce the Tarentines so that even if their soldiers outnumbered the Peucetians, another ambush would wipe them all out.
However, the news brought back by the fleeing scouts shattered his wish.
"What?! The Daunians didn't advance towards us along that mountain path? They disappeared?!" Treemon jumped up and down, cursing loudly: "How dare you say you don't know! Don't think that just because you're a Messapian, I won't punish you! Where did the Daunians go? You must find out for me!"
"King of Peucetia, the Daunians suddenly sent out hundreds of cavalry to encircle and suppress our scouts. They were lucky to escape," the Iapygian magistrate, Timocrates, stepped forward to advise: "The Daunians will definitely come to rescue the Tarentines. The key is to know which direction they're coming from so we can intercept them in time, otherwise, the situation will be very dangerous."
"Send out all the cavalry and search for them as quickly as possible! An army of tens of thousands, I don't believe they can hide!" Treemon shouted angrily. The cunning Daunians were obviously prepared, ruining Treemon's previous arrangements. Thinking about how the Daunian army had ignored the Messapian-Peucetian allied forces' enticement and marched straight to Brundisium, Treemon realized that he had underestimated the Daunian commander.
"What's the name of that young Daunian commander?" Treemon asked seriously.
"It seems to be… Davos," Timocrates replied.
Treemon repeated the name several times, a glint of excitement igniting in his eyes…
… … … … … … … … …
With the place where the Tarentines were ambushed as the center, cavalry were fighting in every mountain path and on every gentle slope of the hills in the southern half-circle area. Davos seized the time to send out mountain reconnaissance teams to scout ahead, leading the army in the direction of the deafening battle cries under their guidance.
However, Davos didn't expect that although the hills here weren't very high, they covered a large area. Sometimes the hills were connected, and there were no small paths to pass through, so they could only pass through the low-lying areas between the hills. Therefore, the original plan was to simply detour east in a small circle, avoid the ambush of the Messapian-Peucetian allied forces, and quickly reach the enemy's rear to rescue the Tarentine army. But in fact, this circle became larger and larger.
The increasing distance made the soldiers of Heraclea and Metapontum groan with misery. Although the Daunian soldiers also had some dissatisfaction in their hearts, few people voiced it.
Eumachus was extremely anxious. The scout's report and the distant, deafening shouts of battle shattered the last bit of luck in his heart. The Messapians really had an ambush!
When he thought of Davos's previous warning, he was filled with remorse: he hadn't firmly believed in Davos before, and he hadn't resolutely stopped Diomede's unauthorized actions, and now he was tasting the bitter fruit.
At this moment, he pinned his hopes of rescue on Davos, but he didn't dare to urge him, lest he annoy this young military genius and affect the rescue of the Tarentine army.
Davos was equally anxious. The long march in the mountains also made him irritable. He saw the soldiers' exhaustion, and the battlefield should be not far ahead. The fighting and screams were becoming clearer and clearer, but he was not sure if there were any difficult hills ahead, forcing them to detour again.
"Commander-in-chief, Iezam is back!" Tolmid shouted from the front.
"Quick! Bring him over quickly!" Davos strode forward to meet him.
"Commander-in-chief, the front… the front doesn't need to detour, we can go straight through…" Iezam gasped for breath, saluted, and said eagerly: "We can reach the battlefield after passing two more hills. But my subordinates discovered that the enemy is also rushing this way!"
Davos calmed down at this time. After such a long time, it was normal for the Messapian-Peucetian allied forces to learn about his army's movements, and since they were on the inside line, there was no regret in intercepting him ahead. However, the other side was also rushing, so there could be no defensive measures, let alone an ambush. No one in the Daunian legions was afraid of a face-to-face fight, as long as they didn't have to detour!
At his request, Iezam drew a simple map of the front on the ground with a branch.
Davos pointed to the key points and asked for detailed information, and he already had a plan in mind: "Order the entire army to accelerate through this hill, and then spread out the formation. The First Legion on the left, the Second Legion on the right, and the rest of the troops as reserves!"
"Yes!" Tolmid answered excitedly.
… … … … … … … …
In fact, the Daunian reinforcements had made a big circle, and they were already approaching the exit of the Anren Hills, which was equivalent to reaching the rear of the Messapian-Peucetian allied forces. Here, the terrain gradually leveled out.
The Daunian army passed through the small paths between the hills, and continuous hills lay in front of them. Fortunately, these hills were no more than 30 meters high and easy to climb.
They could reach the battlefield after crossing it! The Daunian soldiers listened to the sounds of fighting coming from the other side of the hill, clearly ringing in their ears, and watched more and more foreigners appearing on the hill, and the fighting spirit in their hearts began to boil…
Finally, they caught up! King Treemon of Peucetia climbed up the hill, overlooking the Greek soldiers who were constantly pouring out of the mountain path in front of him, and breathed a sigh of relief.
"Your Majesty, look there!" A Peucetian general pointed down the hill, where several Greeks wearing brightly crested helmets were riding horses along the path in front of the hill, stopping from time to time to point at this side and discuss something. A team of soldiers followed closely behind them, with one person at the front holding a large, golden flag.
"Da—vos!" Treemon whispered the somewhat awkward name, took a few steps forward, and subconsciously wanted to see his opponent more clearly.
"Your Majesty, should I send some archers down to shoot them with a few arrows?" the Peucetian general asked.
"Of course not!" Treemon refused without thinking. He glanced at his subordinate and said with a slightly excited expression: "Let us have a real contest with that young Greek general and the Greek heavy infantry on the mountains!"
Davos carefully controlled his warhorse, running back and forth along the mountain path, observing the entire battlefield terrain.
"Where do you think is the easiest place for us to break through?" Davos asked suddenly.
"There!" The two legion commanders, Capys and Draco, pointed to the same place in unison.
It was the lowest point between the continuous valleys, no more than four or five meters high, not only gentle but also wide enough.
Davos nodded, but reminded: "The easiest place to pass through is often the most heavily defended place by the enemy!"
He stared at the two with bright eyes: "Now, the Tarentine army is being ambushed, and time is critical. I plan to let Amyntas's battalion attack there, and strive to break through the enemy's obstruction in the shortest time!" Antonios's First Battalion had the strongest overall combat power, but the brave Amyntas's battalion did have a stronger impact force, and what Davos needed most at this time was time.
Capys nodded to show that he understood, and Draco didn't say anything after listening to Davos's words.
"After the legion soldiers are ready, you can launch the attack on your own!" Davos decisively issued the order.
Capys and Draco hurriedly saluted and rode back to their respective legions.
"Let the armies of Heraclea and Metapontum spread out as much as possible in sequence on the right side of the Second Legion. After the Second Legion launches the attack, they can attack forward," Davos continued to order.
"Yes, Commander-in-Chief!" Tolmid immediately turned to the mountain path behind him with two messengers.
After Davos had arranged everything, Eumachus asked suspiciously: "Davos, why did you arrange Triphylius's and Tudeprestes's troops on the right? In this way, on the left side of the entire formation, won't the enemy's formation be longer than ours?"
"Each battle must be arranged according to the actual situation in order to seize the initiative in the battle. Our current goal is to break through the enemy's interception and rescue the ambushed Tarentine army, and the enemy's goal is to stop us from advancing. My right-wing forces are stronger than the enemy's, making it easier to form a breakthrough on the right wing. Even if the enemy blocks our left wing, the enemy's attempt will still fail if the right wing breaks through…" Davos, having finished giving the order, had some free time and patiently explained to Eumachus: "Moreover, haven't you noticed that the further to the right, the gentler the terrain (because it is close to the edge of the hills), allowing the weaker forces of Heraclea and Metapontum to exert their strength better."
"But the enemy can also see our formation on the top of the mountain and will definitely make changes," Eumachus reminded.
Davos smiled confidently: "They don't have time."
Eumachus curiously wanted to ask why there wasn't enough time when he heard Davos shout: "Matonis, why are you running here instead of leading your troops?!"
"Davos… oh, Commander-in-Chief!" Matonis became nervous when he saw Davos's serious expression: "I… I request… that my battalion attack there." Matonis pointed to the distance, the breakthrough point mentioned earlier.
"I guarantee my soldiers can kill their way through in the shortest amount of time!" Matonis, remembering the purpose of his special trip, mustered his courage and said loudly.
Davos' face darkened: "Nonsense! Do you think this is a game of rugby, that you can do whatever you want?! Get back to commanding your battalion, and if you affect the entire legion's attack, military law will not spare you!"
Seeing Matonis leave dejectedly, Davos turned to Tolmidius and said, "Go tell Amyntas that Matonis requested to replace his battalion, claiming that the Third Battalion can do better. Let him handle it."
Tolmidius immediately understood Davos' intention and rode away.
Youmakas watched Davos command the generals and soldiers as if they were his own limbs, a stark contrast to the officers temporarily appointed by Tarentum, and his heart was filled with complex emotions.
"Lord Youmakas, let's go to the hill." Davos led his guards towards the hill behind him.
"Huh?" Youmakas asked in astonishment, "Lord Davos, aren't we participating in the attack?"
"If I participate in the attack, who will command the battle?" Davos said with a smile.
"Once the battle begins, is there still a need for command?" Youmakas, who had participated in many battles in his youth, couldn't understand why a magistrate wouldn't lead from the front but instead 'hide' behind the troops. However, seeing the soldiers behind Davos with expressions of course, they obviously didn't think their magistrate was a coward.
Youmakas had no choice but to follow behind, full of doubts.
"Commander, what is the combat mission of my… my battalion?" Izam caught up and asked Davos directly. His men had completed their scouting mission and were returning from all directions.
"Your battalion…" Davos turned to look at the Mountain Ridge Reconnaissance Battalion gathering not far away, almost forgetting this important force. He thought for a moment and said, "Temporarily act as a reserve force. Let them rest in the narrow pass we came through."
"Ah… a reserve force?!" Izam was somewhat dissatisfied upon hearing this.
"Don't worry, mountain warfare is your specialty. You'll be needed after the battle starts." Davos reassured him.
Izam chuckled.
… … … … … … … … …
"How about it? I told you you'd fail! After following Davos for so long, you still don't understand him. Once a battle starts, it's like he becomes a different person. No matter how good your relationship is with him, he'll strictly demand your obedience, otherwise… humph…" Olivus said, half-jokingly and half-consolingly, as he saw the dejected Matonis return.
Matonis ignored him and walked straight to his battalion's banner.
"Battalion Commander, all companies are lined up!" The adjutant stepped forward to report.
"Call all the company commanders over. I have something to say!" Matonis said with a stern face.
Soon, the five company commanders arrived.
"Listen up, everyone. I have only one request. All soldiers must attack with all their might. Our Third Battalion must be the first to break through the enemy's lines!" Matonis looked directly at them and said decisively, "Any company, any squad, any team, any soldier who doesn't perform well, I will not only scold him! And don't even think about seeing a good look from me in the future!"
"Understood!" The company commanders replied loudly. They didn't feel any pressure; instead, they all looked excited.
… … … … … … … … … …
"Brothers, listen up! Remove your helmets!" The squad leader gave the order.
Although the soldiers obeyed the order and took off their heavy Corinthian helmets, some of the new recruits were puzzled: "We're about to go to war, why take off our helmets? Isn't that easier to get hurt?"
The veterans who had experienced the Persian expedition and many mountain battles would tell them: "We have to climb upwards, attacking with our heads up. Helmets are too heavy, making it easy for us to fall. Besides, the eyeholes of the helmets are small. When we look up, the helmet slides back easily, blocking our vision and hindering combat…"
"But without the protection of helmets, we're easily injured!" The new recruits were still worried.
"Don't we still have round shields?" The veteran struck a pose, holding the round shield over his head and leaning his body forward at a large angle: "See! With the round shield and the slope protecting your body, you won't get hurt!" Saying this, he sighed: "It's a pity we can't wear our newly made helmets this time. Otherwise, wearing them, climbing mountains and fighting would be no problem at all!"
… … … … … … … … … …
"Great King, look at the enemy's right flank!" Pullo, a general of the Peucetians, pointed down the mountain: Behind the rows of "square"-like Greek formations, there were still troops continuously moving towards the far end of the right flank…
"Their right flank clearly has more men than the left! Our army over there doesn't have that many people. To form a line as long as theirs, we must thin out the depth of our formation, which would weaken our defense. But if we don't do that, their soldiers will flank us from the outside of our left flank…"
Tremonius frowned, watching the changes down the mountain. He understood the enemy's intentions. Seeing that the enemy had only initially formed "small squares" and hadn't yet connected them into a large phalanx, he believed there was still enough time to adjust.
The Peucetian army was located on the hilltop, and Davos couldn't clearly see the approximate number of the Messapian-Peucetian allied forces. In fact, Tremonius' army was less than 12,000 men. Adding the more than 3,000 Messapian soldiers led by Igratia, the total number was only 15,000. On the other hand, the Daunian reinforcements consisted of 14,000 men from the two Daunian legions alone, plus 1,000 men from the Mountain Ridge Reconnaissance Battalion, and 3,000 men from Heraclea and Metapontum, totaling 3,000 more than the Messapian-Peucetian allied forces facing them.
Tremonius relied on the hill as his greatest advantage to fight more with less, and he must not lose the advantage of being high above. Therefore, he made a decisive decision: "Pullo, quickly take 1,500 men to reinforce the left flank!"
Just as the Peucetians were hurriedly beginning to transfer troops and preparing to rush to the left flank, the bugle suddenly sounded down the mountain.
Tremonius was very surprised: The Greeks hadn't even lined up their phalanx yet, and they were attacking in such a hurry?
In his puzzled gaze, the "small squares" formed by the Daunians had already begun to slowly move forward. Turning his head to look at his own army, although the Peucetians didn't have tightly packed phalanxes like the Greeks, they also had neat and orderly formations. But at this moment, because of the transfer of troops, the soldiers were completely in chaos.
"Pullo, quickly stop transferring troops!" He hurriedly ordered.
"Yes! But what about the left?"
Tremonius thought for a moment and said, "Immediately go and tell Timocrates to transfer all the cavalry idling in the rear to assist our left flank!"
… … … … … … … … …
Tryphias also didn't expect the Daunians to start attacking so quickly, while his army was still on its way to the right flank.
"Lord, what do we do?!" His subordinate asked anxiously.
"Let's get to our position first." Tryphias said, trying to appear calm.
Fortunately, because of the Daunian army's advance, the mountain pass became less narrow, making their march easier.
Hearing the bugle sound, Davos couldn't help but praise, "The First Legion is moving quickly!"
Then, the bugle sounded on the right side as well.
He nodded, "The Second Legion isn't slow either!"
"Commander-in-Chief!" Tolmidius rushed up from the foot of the hill, panting, "The troops from Heraclea and Metapontum haven't reached their designated positions yet and can't launch an attack."
"Don't worry, it's better for them to attack later." Davos said unhurriedly, as if everything was under control.
Tolmidius was also a clever man. After Davos reminded him, he immediately understood: the soldiers from Heraclea and Metapontum were weaker in combat. If they attacked at the same time, facing the fierce Messapian-Peucetian allied forces and being at a disadvantage by attacking uphill, they might suffer defeat and become a burden to the entire army. Their late arrival would confuse the enemy, possibly drawing them into the battle with the Second Legion, making the 3,000 men of Tryphias who arrived late an extra force on the battlefield!
Youmakas couldn't be as relaxed as Davos. After the bugle sounded, his heartbeat began to accelerate, and his eyes followed the movement of the army down the mountain. A battle involving nearly 40,000 people was about to begin, and the outcome of this battle would determine the fate of the Tarentine army…
… … … … … … … … …
And the Tarentine army whose fate was about to be decided was not far from this battlefield. On the narrow, winding mountain pass, their six-mile-long marching column was ambushed by the Messapians, plunging into chaos and panic, completely losing organization and command, and only able to fight on their own.
Dio Miles had no time to regret not listening to Davos's words. He shouted loudly, trying to encourage the surrounding soldiers to cheer up and fight bravely for survival. But in the boiling battlefield, his voice was like a stone thrown into a rapid stream, unable to have any effect.
The Messapians' pincer attack from both sides gradually squeezed them tightly on the narrow pass, making it difficult for them to even wield their spears.
Dio Miles' ears were filled with the soldiers' screams, and he gradually felt despair…
Just then, on the battlefield, there was a commotion, both among the enemy and among themselves.
"The bugle! It's the bugle! Our reinforcements are coming!!" The soldiers' cheers broke into Dio Miles' somewhat numb ears, causing him to be invigorated. He hurriedly listened carefully.
The sky-filled clamor still couldn't block the sharp bugle sound. It broke through numerous obstacles and faintly echoed in the valley filled with the sounds of battle…
Davos' image immediately appeared in Dio Miles' mind. At this moment, he no longer felt disgust but instead shouted with joy: "Citizens, hold on! The Daunians are coming!…"
Without him saying so, the soldiers had already seen the hope of survival, and their morale naturally rose. But the Messapians were intensifying their attack…
"Archers, ready!" Purlo ordered as the Greeks entered the firing range. The height difference of several dozen meters not only extended the archers' range but also increased the arrows' lethality. At the same time, it shortened the range of the enemy's archers. This back-and-forth gave the Mapo Allied Forces a significant advantage in long-range firepower. This was the benefit of being on high ground.
However, just as the Puchetii were drawing their bows and arrows, countless black dots came whistling down from the mountain, smashing into the poorly equipped Puchetii, causing the archers to cry out in pain.
The Greeks have slingers! Trelemoni thought with a shiver.
At this moment, what Davos regretted was that the two legions and two light infantry detachments—Epi Tinis and Zipit's men—only had about 400 slingers. This was not enough to suppress the enemy, who stretched for five miles. They could only disrupt their shooting rhythm.
Arrows continued to rain down. The soldiers held their round shields over their heads, advancing slowly, step by step. The terrain restricted them from using their heavy infantry's trump card—the charge. They could only endure the arrows pecking at the copper skin of their shields, producing a "clang, clang, clang" noise.
As they began to climb the mountain, javelins violently struck their round shields, causing some soldiers to be injured.
The injured soldiers fell to the ground, curled up, and used their round shields to protect their bodies, waiting for the medical team to rescue them.
In the center of the entire line were Igretia's heavy infantry, stationed at the lowest point, which was the focus of the Daunians' attack.
"Faster! Faster!…" Amyntas kept urging the soldiers. He was unwilling to lose to the mercenary junior—Matonis. Therefore, he defied the Daunian military law and took the lead, running at the forefront of the squad. This made the soldiers, who were already somewhat tired after a long march, roar like they had been injected with chicken blood, closely following behind.
When they charged to within 20 meters of the enemy, the entire squad suddenly stopped advancing.
"Defense!" Timogras ordered loudly. He thought the enemy was about to charge.
The soldiers extended their spears from behind their round shields, forming a terrifying spear formation. Even though the gentle slope here was only a few meters high, this height was enough to make the Greeks pay a heavy price!
However, what the Messapians awaited was not a Greek charge, but nearly a thousand javelins flying towards them. In the Messapians' horrified eyes, the javelins whistled through the air, forcefully piercing into the formation, causing a chorus of screams.
Timogras had not expected the Daunian heavy infantry to be able to throw javelins. Ignoring his surprise, he shouted in exasperation, "Raise your shields! Raise your shields for defense!…"
Amyntas quickly pulled out a second javelin and shouted, "Follow me!" After speaking, he held a shield in his left hand and a spear in his right, and charged towards the enemy first.
The soldiers followed closely behind.
Timogras was surprised to find that when ordinary Greek heavy infantry charged, their formation would scatter. However, the enemy in front of him was still able to maintain a roughly consistent formation, like a thick iron wall pressing forward rapidly, giving him a feeling of suffocation.
"Defense! Defend quickly!" He shouted in a panic, his voice hoarse.
Unfortunately, the javelin attack had not allowed the soldiers to recover from their panic. Amyntas's squad arrived in an instant, stepped onto the few-meter-high gentle slope, and with a few large steps, using the force of the charge, opened their left arms holding the round shields and thrust forward. "Clang!…" After a series of metallic impacts, they forced the Messapian soldiers in the front row, who were unable to defend together due to the chaotic formation, to retreat unconsciously to relieve the impact.
This retreat caused the dense Messapian soldiers to be unable to take care of their comrades who had been stabbed by javelins and fallen behind them, and they were tripped over. Behind them were panicked and shouting comrades, and in front of them were spears stabbing like poisonous snakes. They were momentarily flustered and continued to retreat, allowing most of Amyntas's squad to stand on the slope.
… … … … … … … … …
As the commander of the Seventh Battalion of the Second Legion, Zipit had a characteristic: before every battle, he would always pray first.
He not only did it himself, but also asked his subordinates to do it together. Previously, he prayed to the god of war, Ares.
After following Davos, his target changed to Daunia's patron god—Hades, the King of the Underworld. After devoutly singing the Hades hymn, he stood up and said, "Slingers, continue to strike the enemy here. Archers, follow closely behind the heavy infantry. Once you enter the firing range, shoot arrows at the enemies on the hillside. Light shield soldiers, follow me!"
Light Shield Soldier Centurion Satirus hurriedly advised, "Battalion Commander, you should stay and command. Just let me lead the brothers to attack."
Zipit glared, "Now is a good opportunity to prove our light shield soldiers! How can I hide in the back!" In recent months, such a view has emerged in the army: In the Daunian Legion, there are archers and slingers for long-range attacks, and heavy infantry throwing javelins for close-range firepower attacks. The role of light shield soldiers has become dispensable. It is better to cancel this type of soldier and replace it with light armor soldiers similar to the mountain scouts.
Epi Tinis and Zipit, who came from light shield soldiers, of course strongly opposed this view and have been expressing their views to Davos: Light shield soldiers must not be replaced, they are irreplaceable!
Now is the time to prove the value of light shield soldiers.
Nearly 500 light shield soldiers, led by Epi Tinis and Zipit, passed through the gaps in the heavy infantry's "fish scale formation" in pairs and groups of three.
Leotichides's squad was at the forefront of the line, and he himself was in the middle of the first row of the squad's formation. That day, he was confined for half a day for beating a comrade. He was originally going to be punished with military sticks, but the military judge considered that the war was about to begin, so he postponed the punishment until after the war and allowed him to atone for his sins.
At this time, Leotichides had already begun to climb the slope. Although he was not wearing a helmet, carrying more than forty pounds of equipment, and climbing upwards, he also had to carry weapons in his hands to stabilize his body, which was not easy. Fortunately, it was early autumn, warm and dry, and the hillside was overgrown with weeds. It had not rained for more than ten days, and the soil was soft. Stepping down hard would create a small pit. Leotichides and his teammates took one step at a time, slowly moving upwards.
The Messapians' attack on them became more violent. Javelins were thrown directly from a height of more than 30 meters, striking the round shields with great force. Most of them could pierce the copper skin, and the remaining force caused Leotichides to lean back. He quickly stuck the end of the spear into the mud to stabilize his body.
In the corner of his vision, he saw some soldiers who had lost their balance due to the impact, slipped and fell, and brought down their comrades behind them. Fortunately, Daunia's peculiar offensive formation was like a saw tooth, discontinuous and not dense, so it did not affect the orderly advancement of the entire line.
From the moment Leotichides entered the recruit training camp, he had been interested in Daunia's unique formation. He found that the setting of this formation was more complex than the traditional Greek phalanx, but it was very effective when running and was also suitable for various terrains. After analyzing it privately, he once believed that it was more ingenious than the Spartan left-wing tactics he had been trained in since childhood. Later, he learned that the chief executive Davos had invented this unique formation alone. He once had the impulse to confide to Davos some of his insights and opinions on this formation, but this was just a fantasy, because Davos was Daunia's highest authority, and his current identity was not the crown prince of Sparta, but only a freeman of Daunia, so he could only watch Davos giving instructions on the training ground platform from a distance in the recruit camp.
At this time, the Puchetii's javelins attacked again.
Leotichides put aside his distracting thoughts, while lowering his body and securing his footing, he opened his eyes wide, aimed at the direction of the javelin's flight, and tilted the round shield slightly. The tip of the javelin drew a string of sparks on the round shield, but most of the impact force was unloaded, reducing the impact on him.
Leotichides breathed a sigh of relief, and then he heard his comrade on the right shout "Ouch!" and his body swayed and was about to fall backwards. He quickly released his spear, and like lightning, he reached out his right hand and grabbed the man's arm.
That person was Hete Balus. After hesitating slightly, he immediately shouted sincerely, "Thank you, Prossus!"
Leotichides nodded vigorously at him. Although there were conflicts between them, the battlefield was the melting pot for forging male friendships.
At this time, he looked up and saw someone running to the front of the line.
Light shield soldiers! Leotichides blinked. He understood this type of soldier. In the Peloponnesian War, Sparta hired Thracian light shield soldiers many times as auxiliaries to the heavy infantry. However, in the Daunian Legion's battle sequence, light shield soldiers were regarded as an important force, and their status was not lower than that of heavy infantry.
He saw these light shield soldiers holding leather shields in their left hands and long-handled hunting blades in their right hands, wearing thin cloth robes, and quickly approaching the enemies on the hillside in skirmish formation. Most of the Puchetii's javelins were cleverly avoided by them.
Why could they be so fast and agile? Because they were holding long-handled reverse-bladed knives (actually, they were large sickles). This strange weapon with a blade arc similar to a semicircle was stuck in the soil, which could easily provide them with a strong climbing aid.
Zipit quickly approached the enemy, and five or six spears were thrust at him at the same time.
Zipit was very calm. He suddenly squatted down, and the softer leather armor allowed him to almost stick to the ground along the slope. The leather shield protected the top of his head, blocking the spears coming at him.
The Puchetii standing on the top of the mountain found that it was a bit difficult for them to stab the enemy who was almost sticking to the ground and at such a low angle, because the terrain sloped downwards too much, and it was easy to lose their balance and roll down the mountain when exerting force, so they had to move forward.
As soon as he said that, Zipit pushed hard with his legs backwards, and the whole person slammed up, quickly extended the reverse-bladed knife, hooked one of the Puchetii warrior's feet, and pulled it down hard.
The Peucetian warrior cried out, his body pitching forward, losing his balance, and tumbled down the hillside with a scream.
Tsipetes quickly rolled to the left on the spot, avoiding the thrusting spear…
Such scenes played out from time to time on the Peucetian line, forcing the Peucetians to retreat involuntarily, which naturally greatly reduced the number of javelins thrown at the Daonian soldiers.
"Seventh Battalion, well done!" Behind Leotychides, soldiers praised loudly.
"Speed up! Climb faster!…" Taking advantage of this opportunity, Parmanius, the commander in the center of his small formation, urged loudly.
The standard bearer waved the legion flag forward continuously.
Leotychides and his teammates, watching the light infantry show off their prowess alone, were unwilling to fall behind, so they cooperated with each other and climbed upwards with all their might. The height of 30 meters was quickly under their feet, and the light infantry had retreated to both sides of the small formation, leaving only the enemy in front of them.
"Hades!!!" The soldiers shouted the name of the league's guardian god and raised their round shields to meet the enemy…
… … … … … … … …
Trifias and Tudeprestes' armies arrived at their designated positions on the right wing. Usually, they would need to spend a considerable amount of time reorganizing their ranks before launching an attack, but with the Daonian army already engaged, they were spurred on to speed up.
Since there were no enemies in front of them, Trifias and Tudeprestes both tacitly mixed light infantry into the phalanx to increase the overall thickness of the phalanx, and hastily began climbing the mountain in a relatively scattered formation.
The empty, gently sloping hillside, only 20 meters high, was easy to ascend. They would attack the enemy's flank to decide the victory of this battle.
But as they confidently and easily stepped onto the hillside, a large number of enemies suddenly appeared at the top of the hill.
Messapian cavalry! Trifias was startled, but quickly calmed down: Although the Messapian cavalry was powerful, this was not a plain, and there was not enough space for them to gallop. They wouldn't dare to fight heavy infantry head-on, would they?!
The Heraclea-Metapontum allied forces continued to advance upwards.
The cavalry on the hilltop began throwing short javelins.
Just as the Greeks raised their shields to defend, many people began to exclaim: "Cavalry! Messapian cavalry behind us!!"
The soldiers only heard the rumbling sound behind them as a large contingent of Messapian cavalry detoured from a distance into the mountain path and began throwing javelins at the rear ranks of the Greek soldiers climbing the hill.
Faced with this sudden attack, the Heraclea-Metapontum allied forces were somewhat chaotic for a time.
In fact, there were not only Messapian cavalry present, but also Peucetian cavalry, totaling 1300 riders. At this moment, the cavalrymen on the hilltop began gently stroking the heads of their mounts, leaning down and whispering something to their beloved horses, with great reluctance in their eyes, but soon their expressions became firm.
"Lycaon!!!" The Peucetian cavalry raised their hands and shouted.
"Lycaon!!!" The Messapian cavalry also responded one after another. King Lycaon dared to mock the Greek chief god Zeus, and although he was turned into a wolf, most of his descendants considered him a hero, and they would shout his name before every battle to boost morale. Due to the influence of Hellenization, the Messapians had gradually abandoned this tradition, but now they were picking it up again.
The cavalrymen on the hilltop hugged their horses' necks tightly with both hands, and clamped their horses' bellies hard with their legs. Several hundred warhorses began running down the hillside in a loose formation, their speed increasing faster and faster. From time to time, cavalrymen and their horses tumbled to the ground, but this did not affect the cavalry's speed and fighting spirit.
"Raise… raise your shields to defend…" Seeing this situation, Trifias' mind went blank for a moment.
In the eyes of the Heraclea-Metapontum allied soldiers, it was like facing rows of boulders rolling down from the mountain. Who dared to block the powerful kinetic energy of the roaring charge! Just as they were terrified and wanted to dodge, the cavalry had already crashed head-on into the phalanx—instantly, horses neighed and people screamed, horses broke and people flew, and entire ranks of Greek soldiers tumbled to the ground, with almost no one left standing…
The Greek phalanx collapsed in an instant.
… … … … … … … … … …
Davos quickly received a report from Tolmid: A large number of enemy cavalry had suddenly appeared on the right wing.
He immediately felt somewhat uneasy and decisively ordered: "Izham, lead your battalion to immediately reinforce Trifias and Tudeprestes' troops! After repelling the enemy cavalry, continue to attack the enemy's flank!"
"Yes!" Izham finally got his mission. He excitedly punched his right chest with his left fist, gave Davos a military salute, ran down the hillside, came to the narrow path, and shouted to his men: "Brothers, follow me to kill the enemy!"
Amid cheers, the reconnaissance battalion soldiers, holding smaller leather shields in their left hands and short swords specially equipped for them in their right hands, briskly rushed to the right wing.
Yumacas did not understand why these Daonians were so enthusiastic about participating in battle, but he was still shocked by their high morale and secretly resolved: Unless absolutely necessary, Taranto should try not to clash with the battle-loving Daonians.
"Lord Davos, no matter how powerful the Messapian cavalry is, they are no match for Greek heavy infantry, especially since this is a mountainous area. There is no need for you to send troops to reinforce them," Yumacas couldn't help but advise.
"The Messapians, who are good at cavalry, must know what we all know, but they still sent cavalry. There must be a problem here," Davos said calmly.
Yumacas felt that what he said made sense and became even more worried.
Previously, the messenger Tolmid had compiled the information continuously sent back by the messengers stationed behind the two legions and various battalions and reported to Davos: "The battalion led by Amyntas is forcing the Messapian heavy infantry in the central valley to retreat step by step… The First and Second Legions on the left and right wings also have a slight advantage in their battles with the Peucetians who occupy the terrain. Furthermore, after withdrawing from the frontal battle, the two light infantry battalions have, according to your instructions, begun to combine into one unit and then detour to the left (because the right wing has the armies of Heraclea and Metapontum flanking), in order to attack the enemy's flank…"
With the entire line in a superior position, Davos had already realized that the enemy's forces were smaller than his own. This was the first time since he came to Greater Greece to lead troops in battle that he had numerical superiority in a battle, so he had the confidence to send reinforcements to nip any possible disadvantages in the bud.
… … … … … … … …
The Peucetian King, Climonis, never expected that the current battlefield situation would be completely opposite to what he had envisioned. Not only were the Messapians heavily stationed in the lower part of the valley being forced to retreat step by step, but even his proud Peucetian warriors, who occupied a clear geographical advantage, had failed to repel the enemy.
Although they were currently in a stalemate, judging from the actual battle situation, this stalemate could not last, because Tremonius knew very well that his warriors' equipment was poor and that he had fewer troops. He had almost transferred soldiers to aid the left wing in order to make his formation roughly equal in length to the enemy's formation, in order to prevent the flank from being attacked. But when the geographical advantage and the bravery of the warriors were not enough to stop and repel the enemy, the stalemate would only benefit the opponent. Now, the only good news was that the cavalry had defeated the enemy on the far left.
Tremonius hoped that after quickly dispersing the defeated enemy, they could assist the left-wing troops in defeating the enemy in front of them, thereby laying the foundation for victory in the battle.
At this time, Tremonius saw his scout approaching from afar, dismounting, and rushing up the mountain, and a trace of unease flashed in his heart.
"Your Majesty, more than a thousand enemies have reinforced the left wing, and our cavalry is caught in… caught in a bitter fight!"
In fact, saying it was a bitter fight was just a euphemism. In fact, the Messapian-Peucetian mixed cavalry charged down from the top of the mountain, attacking from both sides, and defeated the Heraclea-Metapontum allied forces, but when they pursued the routed soldiers, because the mountain path was narrow, the enemy and our forces were mixed together, causing some congestion, and the cavalry's speed advantage was completely lost. It was just that the Greek soldiers had lost their courage and only cared about running away, without resisting. But when Izham's battalion bypassed the mountain path and surrounded them from both sides of the mountainside, the Messapian-Peucetian cavalry's disaster arrived.
Riding on horses without saddles, fighting in place, the riders were unable to exert their full strength to fight against the Daonians. But to retreat immediately from the crowded road was almost impossible. And the soldiers of the mountain reconnaissance battalion, under the protection of their leather shields, could not only stab people with the short swords in their hands, but also injure horses. The fleeing Greek soldiers had assistance and gradually regained their morale, and began to join the battle… The Messapian-Peucetian cavalry had fallen into a death trap and was not far from defeat.
"What?! How could the Greeks still have troops who have not joined the battle!!" Tremonius stared at the scout. In this era, city-states did not have the habit of reserving reserves during warfare. All forces would be used together during a battle, so Tremonius dared to risk using cavalry to attack in terrain that was obviously unfavorable to cavalry. Now, his greatest hope for victory had been snuffed out.
He took a few steps forward and looked towards the top of the opposite mountain. He could vaguely see the towering, golden, shining flag, and he knew that the enemy's commander was there.
"The military genius who shakes southern Italy…" Tremonius murmured in a low voice, his mood depressed.
"Your Majesty, what should we do now?" Pullo asked anxiously when he saw that Tremonius was distracted.
What to do? Retreat? Now the two armies were entangled together, how could they easily retreat? That would only increase the casualties of the Peucetians. He had underestimated the Daonians! The combat power of this newly emerging city-state alliance army was very strong. In the future, if he could avoid fighting it, he should try to avoid it… A trace of fear even rose in Tremonius's heart, regretting that he should not have acted on a momentary impulse, but should have chosen to ambush the Tarantines and leave the task of intercepting the Daonian reinforcements to the Messapians…
"…Wait." After a long time, Tremonius uttered a word.
Pullo was stunned, but quickly understood that Tremonius meant waiting for the Messapians to solve the Tarantines and come to reinforce them as soon as possible. This was placing hope on others, which was not Tremonius's usual way of doing things!
Pullo thought worriedly in his heart: But what if the Messapians are late!
The messenger sent by the Peucetians to ask for help had already reached the battlefield where Tarentum was ambushed, but he couldn't meet with the Messapian city-state leaders, headed by Pacuvius, because everyone was engaged in encircling and annihilating the Tarentine army.
Greek hoplites were strong defensively, especially in close combat. Hopilites who only defended and never attacked were like a hard tortoise shell, and breaking it open would take time and energy. [Read the latest chapter]
The initial Messapian ambush had cut the long, serpentine Tarentine column into more than a dozen segments. When encircling each segment of the enemy, the number of Messapian soldiers seemed insufficient. However, as the battle progressed and the Tarentine casualties increased, each encirclement became smaller and smaller.
If they hadn't heard the signal horns of Daonia, the Tarentines might have already given up fighting. Now, the only thing supporting their continued resistance was the belief that they could survive. But as one small encirclement after another was gradually eliminated, the noose around the necks of the remaining soldiers began to tighten.
Haitabalus had heard that Prothous excelled in the recruit training camp, but he didn't expect that on the real battlefield, Prothous would kill people without any hesitation, not at all like a rookie (because he wasn't). His round shield defense, shield bash, and spear thrusts were well-coordinated and skillful. He didn't wave his spear around randomly, but whenever he struck, it would cause the enemy to scream. He was truly ruthless and accurate. Prothous's ruthlessness actually made the fierce Peucetians feel fear, and they subconsciously avoided his charge.
Under Prothous's leadership, his teammates all competed to be the first, and the Peucetian defense line was in imminent danger.
Matonis, who was supervising the battle in the center of the main force, saw this situation below and was overjoyed. He excitedly asked loudly, "Who is the warrior charging in the front?!"
Squad leader Parmanius quickly answered from the small square formation in front, "Prothous!"
"It's Prothous!!" The teammates also rushed to answer.
"Commander-in-chief, Matonis's third brigade has broken through the enemy's defense line!"
"Amintas's fourth brigade has also broken through!"
"The light infantry brigades of Epitenes and Czipit have defeated the enemy's flank!"
"Izamus's mountain reconnaissance brigade, together with the troops from Heraclea and Metapontum, has also defeated the enemy's flank!"
One good news after another followed. When Tolmid reported it to Davos, Eumachus couldn't help but exclaim excitedly, "Great! We finally won!"
Davos also showed a relieved smile: "Order, sound the attack horn again and defeat the enemy in one fell swoop!"
"Withdraw—retreat—" Treemonius looked desolate, but he was still calm. After all, he had experienced failure before. In the last war with the Daunians, he lost a lot of land, but he survived.
In fact, there was no need for him to give the order at all. The entire army had already collapsed, and the Peucetian warriors were scrambling to escape.
Before leaving, Treemonius did not forget to take another look at the opposite hilltop, as if to firmly remember that dazzling flag in his heart.
"Your Majesty, should we tell the Messapians?" Purlo reminded him.
Treemonius was in a low mood and didn't want to say more, but looking at the fleeing soldiers all over the mountains, how could the Messapians not know? He might as well do them a favor. He sighed: "Send someone to tell them that the Daonians' attack is fierce and we couldn't stop them. Whether to retreat or continue fighting, let them decide for themselves."
One soldier after another fell beside him, and Daomylas was also injured in many places. He felt that he was probably going to return to the underworld this time, but the Messapians surrounding them suddenly became agitated.
He heard the enemies shouting loudly, but unfortunately he didn't understand the Messapian language. However, someone in the soldiers had already shouted excitedly in a tired voice, "The Messapians said that the Peucetians have been defeated! The Daonians have won! We are saved!!"
The desperate soldiers immediately cheered up when they heard these words, shouting the news of victory to each other, and finally turned into the same voice: "Hold on! Hold on!! The Daonian reinforcements are coming soon!!!"
Time passed by with difficulty, and the Messapians' attack gradually weakened, eventually withdrawing their encirclement.
Faced with the Messapians' retreat, Daomylas had no intention of pursuing them. In fact, he couldn't command any soldiers at this moment. All the Tarentine soldiers, like him, had exhausted their physical strength and energy after more than two hours of continuous resistance.
He collapsed to the ground and didn't want to stand up at all. The joy of surviving a disaster turned into sorrow when he saw the soldiers' corpses and the wounded soldiers groaning on the ground. No one was happy.
In this battle, the Messapians suffered 1,200 casualties, mainly from the almost complete annihilation of the reinforcing cavalry and the casualties of the Iapygian hoplites.
The Peucetians suffered fewer than 600 casualties. The reason for their low casualties was that there were often few casualties in frontal battles during infantry battles, and the main losses were after the rout. Like the second battle between Daonia and Croton, relying on light infantry and cavalry to pursue and encircle most of the fleeing Crotonian hoplites, such a good opportunity did not appear in this mountain battle, because the Peucetians were familiar with the mountains and were equipped simply. These characteristics made it impossible for Daonia's light and heavy infantry to catch up with them during the rout, and Daonia's cavalry did not appear in the battle. Even if they appeared on the battlefield, they would not be able to do anything with the Peucetian rout in the mountains.
On the other side of the war, Tarentum suffered more than 4,000 casualties, nearly 1/3 of its army, and most of them were killed in battle; Daonia suffered 600 casualties, but most of them were injured, mostly from falling off the hillside; Heraclea and Metapontum suffered more than 800 casualties. Therefore, although it was the Messapian-Peucetian allied forces that eventually retreated, the Greek allied forces actually suffered more serious losses. It was just that the Messapians and Peucetians lost a large number of cavalry, and Daonia obtained nearly 400 high-quality warhorses.
When Davos met Daomylas, he did not put on the posture of a savior, but still treated him with his usual attitude. At the same time, he enthusiastically directed the medical team to rescue the Tarentine wounded soldiers, which made Daomylas feel ashamed.
The Messapian-Peucetian allied forces withdrew from the Anren Hills and entered the territory of Tarentum, quickly retreating northward.
The Greek allied forces, however, were unable to pursue due to fatigue and too many wounded soldiers. They stationed in several nearby villages to temporarily rest and reorganize, while sending people to report the battle situation to the city of Tarentum and escort the wounded soldiers back to camp.
And on this day, the Daonian Senate received a person.
His name was Mitrobates, and he was here to ask Daonia for help, but he did not come from any of Daonia's allied city-states, but from the Silus tribe in Bruttium.
It turned out that in the process of unifying and uniting the Bruttian tribal alliance of Cosenza, they began to accelerate the incorporation and merger of the large and small tribes within their territory. Under the general trend and the coercion of force, most of the tribes chose to obey, but a small number of tribes, headed by the Silus tribe, refused to integrate.
According to Mitrobates, they were Greeks, and most of them were forced to flee into the mountains to avoid disaster after Sybaris was destroyed. They had the pride of Greeks, so how could they be incorporated by barbarians and truly live a savage life.
The envoys from the Bruttian city of Cosenza had visited the Silus tribe several times to persuade them, but after failing, there was no movement. The people of the Silus tribe thought that the matter had passed. However, a few months later, after Cosenza completed its jurisdiction over most of the tribes in Bruttium and carried out effective management, they sent envoys to Silen again.
This time, the envoy directly and strongly demanded that the Silus tribe immediately submit and fully accept the governance of the tribal alliance, otherwise they would send a large army to eliminate them!
The Silus tribe panicked and hurriedly sent Mitrobates to Trina for help.
Trina admitted that he did not have the ability to intervene in this matter. Fortunately, he had already let Sipros communicate with Davos, the Daonian governor, in advance, so he let Mitrobates turn to Daonia for help.
On this day, the rotating chairman of the Senate was Cornelius. He looked at this envoy who claimed to be Greek but did not look like a Greek at all, with a puzzled expression on his face.
Mitrobates saw the senators' doubts and explained: "I inherited the appearance of my Bruttian mother. It is precisely because my appearance does not look like a Greek that the Silus leader chose me, because only in this way will it not arouse the suspicion of the surrounding Bruttians."
Cornelius muttered in his heart: Davos had mentioned the issue of Bruttium once before the expedition, but it was interrupted due to Tarentum's request for help before in-depth discussions could begin.
At this time, Polyxiss stood up and said: "What can we Daonians do now? Protest to the Bruttians and tell them not to annex this small tribe?! I am afraid that none of you adults present will believe that just with a word from us, we can stop the Bruttians from taking action that they have been preparing for a long time. Once the Bruttians reject us, what should we do?! If we give up here, we will only lose Daonia's prestige as Davos's strongest alliance! But if we want to take further action, then besides war, I can't think of any other measures that can be adopted.
But this year, the citizens of Daonia have experienced enough wars! Now our governor is still leading our citizen soldiers in Tarentum to fight against the powerful Messapians and Peucetians!" Polyxiss pointed to Mitrobates, with a compassionate look, and said in a deep tone: "And you look at this envoy from Silus, he said that they are rebelling because they are Greeks, but who knows if it is true! Are we willing to send our citizens to a strange and bloody battlefield again for a race that doesn't even look like us Greeks, and fight against the fierce Bruttians?!"