Last year, the Viggiani had already tasted bitterness, but clearly Sedorrum didn't tell the other Bruttii about their painful experience.
"There are traps ahead!…"
The Bruttii's charge came to an abrupt halt. Just as they stopped, Dracos on the wooden wall was already giving the order: "Archers, prepare!"
Bacilides next to him hurriedly shouted, "General, please don't attack yet! They are Bithynian warriors, let me try to persuade them to surrender!"
The Second Legion received reinforcements from Thurii, increasing its strength to 9,000 men. However, one-third of the soldiers remained in Bithynia to prevent unrest. At the same time, Dracos invited Bacilides to the fortress under construction.
Ostensibly, it was to help the Second Legion soldiers familiarize themselves with the terrain, so that they could better understand the attacking enemy when the Bruttii arrived; in reality, it was to remove this most influential leader in the city of Bithynia and ensure the safety of the newly occupied city.
Unexpectedly, this leader was able to play an unexpected role.
Dracos looked at Bacilides, who looked anxious, hesitated for a moment, and nodded.
Bacilides held onto the battlements with both hands, and shouted with all his might: "Bithynian clansmen, I am Bacilides! Although the city of Bithynia has changed masters, your families are safe!
Your parents, wives, and children are all looking forward to your safe return! Go home, Bithynians! The Daunians will not harm you, and will even accept you as Daunian citizens!
Go home, your relatives are waiting for you at home!…"
The Bruttian warriors outside the city, within fifty meters, who were helping their companions and cautiously advancing, clearly heard the affectionate shouts in the Bruttian language from the city wall.
"It's the voice of Chief Bacilides!…" For the Bithynians, this voice was all too familiar.
Because Bacilides had always been respected among the Bithynians, the shouts of the wounded soldiers gradually subsided, and the rescuing warriors also forgot about rescuing, listening carefully and whispering to each other.
Niccolo, in the rear, knew about this situation and was furious: "Bacilides, that damned old fellow! Why didn't I realize he was so vicious before!
It's him! It must be him who betrayed us! That's why the Daunians took my city! I want to skin him! Eat his flesh! Kill his whole family!!!…"
Niccolo could only curse. No matter how irritable he was, he knew at this moment that with the current state of the warriors, it was impossible to fight again, so he had to order a temporary retreat.
However, when the horn sounded, a small number of warriors lingered and refused to leave.
Niccolo was anxious and angry, and hurriedly sent warriors from other tribes to drive them away with spears, and it was not easy to withdraw them all from the battlefield, almost causing a conflict.
Niccolo didn't dare to stay any longer and quickly retreated several miles.
The warriors supported each other, sighing all the way, and their morale was low, as one could imagine.
Dracos saw this situation on the wooden wall and did not take the opportunity to attack, because Bacilides had given him a better idea.
The Daunians had turned the area within 50 meters outside the wooden wall into a trap, and the Bithynian warriors under his command were distracted by Bacilides' words. Niccolo was now somewhat helpless.
While ordering to set up camp here, he sent scouts to Cosenza to report the enemy's situation. After thinking it over, Niccolo decided to summon the Bithynian warriors' leaders and ask them to emphasize to the warriors: Do not believe the rumors of traitors, their families have all become slaves of the Greeks, only by desperately taking back the city of Bithynia can their families regain their freedom!…
Just as he was hoarsely ordering his subordinates to go back to boost the morale of the warriors, the guard came in to report: A group of Bithynian women had come to the military camp.
It turned out that Bacilides had gathered some wives of Niccolo's warriors. These women all had elderly parents and young children, the type who would not be able to return once they left. Then he told them: Your husbands are outside, if you don't want them to die in battle, you have to call them back!
Under the guidance of the Daunian soldiers, these women walked out of the trap area, trekked several miles, and came to Niccolo's camp in groups. The guarding warriors, seeing that they were their relatives, not only did not stop them, but opened the fence to welcome them.
Thus, soon there were touching scenes of husbands and wives meeting in tears. These women would tell their husbands: After the Daunian soldiers occupied the entire city, they did not harm a single Bithynian, they also sent doctors to help the wounded, put out the burning flames, and repair the damaged houses… Now the order in the city has gradually recovered.
A small number of Bithynian warriors learned from the women that their families had died in the battle, and they wailed loudly.
In a camp, the warriors were all gathered in one place, this scene of mixed joy and sorrow was both lively and somewhat comical. But Niccolo, who had just learned the news, felt terrified.
This is a conspiracy of the Daunians! In a fit of desperation, Niccolo even sent out his guards, attempting to separate these women from the warriors.
He originally wanted to prevent the situation from escalating, but unexpectedly, this action intensified the conflict. Seeing the women being forcibly dragged away and crying non-stop, some fell to the ground because of resistance, but the guards dragged them away without regard. The Bithynian warriors were furious, they surrounded this guard team from Niccolo's tribe, composed of his most trusted clansmen.
These guards, who usually relied on Niccolo's power to run rampant, saw that the situation was not good at the moment, and knelt down to beg for mercy. However, the angry warriors ignored their pleas and rushed forward, beating them severely. Gradually, some guards lost their breath under the countless punches and kicks. The warriors were frightened when they found out, and stopped their hands. The dying cries of the guards suddenly made some warriors feel afraid. Niccolo's tyranny and power over the years began to shroud their hearts.
"We killed Niccolo's clansmen, he won't spare us! Why don't we take advantage of the large number of people now to catch him, and then we go home!" At this time, a young Bithynian shouted loudly, and immediately became the direction of action for the confused warriors.
They went all the way, gathered together, and rushed towards Niccolo's tent.
Niccolo had already received this terrible news, and at this moment he had no time to regret it. He hurriedly rode on his horse and fled to the area where the warriors of other tribes lived, and demanded that they immediately send troops to quell the rebellion, but was refused.
How could they listen to the orders of Niccolo, the tribal elder of the alliance who was already alone, with a thousand warriors fighting against more than two thousand angry Bithynian warriors, and the order was not given by their own leader.
So, when the Bithynian warriors approached the camp, Niccolo, feeling the danger, rode out again.
Faced with the other tribal warriors waiting in battle, the gradually calmed Bithynians were afraid that Niccolo would bring troops back for revenge, and took the initiative to retreat.
"According to what Chief Bacilides said, return to Bithynia!" When the confused Bithynians were confused about where to go next, the young warrior shouted loudly again. In fact, now they only had this one way to go.
Outside the newly built fortress of the Daunian soldiers, Bacilides led several well-known Bithynian elders to welcome this group of uneasy warriors.
Dracos did not expect Bacilides' suggestion to be so successful, which made him both excited and troubled. How to deal with these more than two thousand returning Bithynian warriors was a big problem. If he simply released them all back into the city, Dracos himself would feel uneasy. Fortunately, this successful disintegration of the enemy's attack without using swords and soldiers gave him time again. He now urgently hoped that Davos would lead the army to arrive as soon as possible.
… … … … … … … … …
Synnax decided to lead 6,000 Picentine warriors to Grumentum with his son Gnaeus. As he expected, as soon as the army arrived, the tribes in the northern part of Grumentum came to join them, including the two tribes, Lute and Brina, that had ambushed Bagules.
Synnax learned from the past lessons and treated all the tribes who came to join him warmly, quickly winning over the hearts of these uneasy small tribal leaders, and also making his team quickly expand to tens of thousands of people, and continued to move south in a mighty manner.
The news reached the town hall of Grumentum, and Bagules, who was rumored to be "seriously injured", was now sitting safely on a wooden chair, with a slightly worried expression: "Although we spread the rumors that 'the Daunians and the Bruttii were fighting unfavorably' and 'I was seriously injured' in order to confuse the enemy, I didn't expect that these tribes in the north would join the Picentines so quickly. Alas! All the efforts we made before were in vain!"
Arsites sneered: "Just as Lord Davos said, 'Only in the face of danger can we see which tribes are truly loyal to Daunia? Which ones are traitors?!' In the past six months, we have spent most of our energy on mediating the territorial and property disputes of these tribes, they are all wolves that can't be fed enough! Now it's a good time to wipe out all the tribes that betrayed us, except for the few that have been arranged, and completely bring the territory of Grumentum under our control!"
"But they are all Lucanians!" Bagules knew that Arsites was right, but he couldn't help but sigh again.
Arsites was stunned, and then persuaded: "Brother, haven't there been fewer civil wars among the Lucanians before? Which one wasn't bloody, otherwise your tribe wouldn't have been forced to risk moving to Amendolara. Now, when we unify Lucania in the future, the Lucanians, as Daunian citizens, will never kill each other again, and their lives will get better and better! You say, right?!"
Bagules listened to his brother-in-law's words, his expression gradually becoming firm. He said loudly, "You're right, I am a Lucanian, but I am also a citizen of Daonia. We cannot let go of this good opportunity to unify Lucania!"
"Big brother, there's a problem now." Asistes, seeing that Bagules had come to a clear understanding, immediately asked, "Pikosis's strength is growing too fast. Do you think we need to reinforce Kesimas and their tribe?"
"We will do nothing. Only then will that cunning Sisinagus truly believe that we are in trouble." Bagules, after resolving his confusion, was completely invested in the upcoming battle. As the actual commander of the Third Legion's Grumentum, his decisiveness and composure were on full display: "Moreover, the tribes in the south have already received our notification and have long been prepared. Now everything is ready, waiting only for Legion Commander Hieronimus and Lizalus to lead their troops here. I believe Lizalus is eagerly looking forward to using a great victory to wash away the humiliation he suffered at the Isthmus Games!"
Although Asistes also hoped that the battle would come soon, as Bagules' assistant, he had received Daifus's instructions to 'assist Bagules in organizing and completing the Grumentum battle plan.' Therefore, he had to consider issues more carefully in order to help the rough and bold Bagules fill in any gaps: "Potentia hasn't made any moves yet. Is there a problem?"
"Don't worry, the Potentians have been frightened by their last defeat. They have to defend against the Samnites and can't afford a major loss. Moreover, as far as I know, their great chieftain, Puamot, is a very steady person. I'm afraid that by the time he wants to take action, we will already be launching an attack on Pikosis!" Bagules said with a confident smile.
… … … … … … … … … …
Nicuru fled back to Cosenza in a panic. Pianlan was greatly surprised. After listening to Nicuru's account of his experience, he was both shocked and regretful: the news that the Daonians had built a fortress so quickly shocked him. Knowing that Bisinia had been occupied by the Daonians, yet still sending Bisinian warriors to attack was indeed a foolish move made in desperation. With the Bruttian warriors already in short supply, more than two thousand elite soldiers were thus disintegrated, which really grieved him!
Although Nicuru assured him that as long as he shouted at the front lines during the battle, these Bisinians, even if they didn't immediately defect, would be unwilling to fight.
Pianlan didn't intend to completely believe his words. This Bisinian chieftain, who was hot-tempered and only knew how to act recklessly, was not very good at winning people's hearts. The Bisinian warriors' rebellion had a lot to do with him.
At this time, Pianlan could only suppress his anxious mood, while strictly ordering other tribes to send as many warriors as possible, and waiting for the arrival of the army led by Petalu.
By dusk, not only had Petalu led his army to arrive, but the great chieftain of Anbania, Bergham, also led his army to join forces, which slightly reassured Pianlan.
Early the next morning,
Pianlan, Petalu, Bergham, and Nicuru led 11,000 Cosenza warriors, 2,500 Anbaria warriors, and 5,000 warriors from other tribes, totaling nearly 20,000 people, plus two thousand slaves, and marched eastward together.
… … … … … … … … … …
"Great chieftain, it's bad! The enemy is about to attack the city!" Hearing his subordinate's report, Pangelu wasn't too nervous. After Nicuru and Bergham led their troops away one after another, the Daonians hadn't appeared for two consecutive days, which made him begin to believe what Bergham had said: Knepetia was not the Daonians' main target!
"What's the panic! The Daonians have attacked before, haven't they? Weren't they easily repelled by us? Don't worry, with the solidity of Knepetia's walls, the Daonians can't do anything to us!" Pangelu encouraged his subordinates.
"But, the Daonians' siege this time is a bit different. They are digging…"
"Digging?"
When Pangelu arrived at the city wall, the soldiers of the Daonian Fourth Legion had already paved the slope a hundred meters away from the city wall with earth and stone, creating a flat ground about 20 meters long.
Then, Pangelu saw the Daonians placing wooden frames, each about the height of a person, on it… The Bruttian warriors curiously guessed what those things were. Many people believed that these were tools used by the Greeks to sacrifice to their gods.
Pangelu stared at the front, watching the enemy laboriously carry wooden boxes, one by one, next to the wooden frames. The unease in his heart was gradually increasing…
… … … … … … … … … …
"Are you ready? Can we launch?" Hilos came to the front of this unit, which Daifus called the "Ballista Team," and asked the ballista team leader, who wore a red top hat, with some anticipation.
The ballista team leader replied embarrassedly, "We still need the spotter to position the ballista."
This spotter was a trainee from the Mathematics Research Institute established by Daifus. He was standing to the side and in front of the captain. After hearing Hilos's question, he turned around and said in a gentle tone, "We can, but we need to test-fire one shot first."
He pointed to the city wall in front and added, "Although this place is about a hundred meters away from the city wall, the terrain of Knepetia is higher, and it is not on the same plane as the ballista. It is difficult to judge the landing point. I need to see the results of the test before making corrections."
The captain nodded to show that he understood. Hilos was a bit confused. He knew that he could not easily learn various knowledge like Daifus and mingle with those knowledgeable scholars. He didn't understand, but he knew that since this spotter was selected by Daifus from his valued Mathematics Research Institute, his ability must be no problem.
"Put the elevation rod in the middle position, and pull the bowstring to the maximum scale," the spotter said.
Immediately, the captain loudly ordered all the ballista operators.
The ballista operators immediately rotated the multiple pulleys at the tail end of the ballista. The iron hook also began to pull the finger-thick bowstring outward (this was Matikliss's improvement to the Syracuse ballista after achieving certain results in the study of pulleys, making it easier for the gunner to pull the bowstring). As the bowstring moved further and further back, it drove a section of the two wooden crossbow arms fixed on the iron main beam by the torsion spring set to move backward as well. Not only did the two ballista operators feel a little strenuous, but even the torsion spring set connected to the main beam made a "creak, creak" sound. The crossbow arms even showed a slight curvature. The bowstring was pulled to the last scale position of the guide rail, and the ballista operators hurriedly jammed the rotating shaft of the pulley.
"Ballista ready!" the captain ordered. Then the ballista operators took out a stone ball the size of two fists from the wooden box next to them. (It was made of "Daifus cement" mixed with gravel, placed in a circular mold to solidify, and then polished by slaves, so it was both round and smooth in appearance), and placed it on the woven net bag in the center of the bowstring.
"Fire!" The captain gave an order, and the ballista operators pressed the catch. Two thick cowhide tendons tightly twisted together formed a spring set, driving the drawn crossbow arms to spring back suddenly. The huge force generated by the torsion drove the bowstring, and the bowstring drove the stone ball to roll forward like lightning on the smooth guide rail, and then pass through the circular hole in the middle of the main beam.
Only a "whoosh" sound was heard. Under Hilos's gaze, the stone ball shot out, and in a blink of an eye, it turned into a small black dot in the air.
In Pangelu's vision, the small dot in the air quickly became larger. Amidst the warriors' exclamations, it flew over the city wall, fell into the city, smashed through the roof of a house, and caused exclamations.
The warriors discussed in panic what that thing was.
Pangelu's face was gloomy: This was undoubtedly Daonia's new siege weapon, but why hadn't it been used before, but only started to be used to attack the city after Nicuru and Bergham left? Could all of this have been planned in advance?
"The elevation angle is too high, and the shooting distance is about 300 meters." The spotter observed the flight trajectory of the stone ball and made a rough judgment. He carefully looked at the comparison table of elevation angle, torsion scale, and range drawn by the Mathematics Research Institute based on the newly researched parabolic equation, and then said, "Move the elevation rod forward one grid, keep pulling the bowstring to the maximum, and fire another shot."
The captain issued an order, and while the ballista operators were busy, the spotter said to Hilos, "According to our research, the middle and upper sections of the general city wall are relatively weak. Our ballista should try to concentrate its bombardment on this area of the city wall…"
Hilos listened carefully and nodded.
The stone ball flew out again, this time accurately hitting the city wall. With a loud "bang," gravel splashed, and the enemy's exclamations could still be heard clearly across a hundred meters.
The spotter and the captain were obviously satisfied with the position of this bombardment, so they continued to order: "All ballista fire according to the previous settings."
More than a dozen stone balls flew out one after another, exploding a cluster of blooming "stone flowers" on the enemy's city wall.
"Continue firing, don't stop!" Hilos was obviously very satisfied with the power of the ballista, but he did not completely rely on this secret weapon. He had another plan: "Order the soldiers to start building causeways!"
The messenger received the order and left.
Hilos turned to Sipros, who had been following behind him, and said, "Lord Sipros, I hope your subordinates can also participate in assisting the siege."
"Don't be so polite, Legion Commander Hilos, please give the order!" Sipros said respectfully. His eyes did not deviate from the stone balls whistling in the air. Every roar that reached his heart was full of shock: the Daonians invented this kind of siege weapon and the four-meter-high engineering tower that was being made in the camp. Which city-state's walls could withstand the Daonians' attack? Could the era when the Greeks could withstand the attack of powerful enemies as long as they retreated into the city after losing a battle be coming to an end because of this?
… … … … … … … … … …
In the council hall of Bisinia, Third Legion Commander Dracos sat in the center, with seven centurions on the left, and Bagili and Brim, who had been persuaded by Bagili to surrender, on the right, as well as Krelus, who had been newly elected from Nicuru's clan (that is, the young man who led the four Bisinian warriors to drive away Nicuru).
"Everyone, the Cosenza army has entered the Bruttian camp two miles away. According to scouts, the enemy's strength may be more than 20,000," Dracos said to the crowd. Upon receiving news of the enemy, he not only did not feel nervous, but felt relieved.
Originally, two thousand Bithynian warriors had voluntarily surrendered, and Dracos was racking his brains on how to accommodate them. Bagiripi gave a suggestion that Nicurulu would soon lead the Cosenza army back for revenge. Except for a few wounded soldiers who could return to Bithynia to recuperate, everyone else should stay in the newly built fortress to assist the Daonian people in defending against Nicurulu's attack. In order to prevent Dracos from suspecting that he had too much military power, Bagiripi also took the initiative to propose that warriors of each tribe should be led by their respective tribal leaders.
Dracos was very grateful for Bagiripi's understanding, but after all, Daonia and Bithynia had not long ended their battle, and some Bithynian warriors' families had died at the hands of Daonian soldiers. The feud between the two tribes could not be eliminated so quickly. Conflicts between soldiers of both sides in the small fortress were inevitable. Dracos and Bagiripi were very worried about this. Dracos, who was never good at handling such matters, couldn't wait to shift the soldiers' attention to resisting the enemy's attack.
After Dracos finished speaking, Adepigis translated his words into Bruttian. The captains were all eager to try.
Although Clellus was nervous, he knew he had to assist the Daonians in stopping the Bruttian coalition's attack, otherwise Nicurulu would probably kill him first if the enemy attacked.
Bagiripi sat still, but what he was thinking was roughly similar to the young Krem.
Only Brim, with one hand covering his abdomen, which had been stabbed by a Daonian soldier with a spear and then tightly bandaged by a doctor, waved his other hand and said in astonishment, "Twenty thousand Cosenza warriors! Does Cosenza have so many warriors now?!"
"I think Pianlunn should have also gathered the warriors of Ambanians and other tribes," Bagiripi said.
Brim's astonishment diminished somewhat, but he was still exclaiming, "Twenty thousand warriors! This is the most powerful army Bruttium has ever had!"
"What's that! There are quite a few city-state armies with more than 20,000 people that have been defeated by my Daonia! Croton in the south! The Messapi and Puchetii people across the bay! … We are not afraid of the enemy coming too much, we are only afraid that the enemy will come too little!" Trotilas stood up and said Passionate ly. This son-in-law of "One-Armed" Anticoris was just a squad leader when he arrived in Thurii with the mercenaries, but now he is a captain commanding a thousand men.
His words were unanimously approved by the other captains.
Brim wanted to say more in dissatisfaction, but Bagiripi held him down with his hand.
The first captain, Adrianx, seeing this situation,
looked at Dracos and found that the legion commander did not seem to intend to speak. He knew his old friend's temperament well, so he came out to smooth things over: "Although the Cosenza team is huge, we also have tens of thousands of soldiers, and we have a fortress as a barrier. According to Lord Davos, 'It is difficult for the attacking side to easily take down the city if they do not have several times the strength of the defending side.' What's more, the army led by Lord Davos is coming soon!"
Obviously, the resounding name of Davos made Brim lose his desire to refute.
At this time, Dracos saw that the hall had returned to silence and began to speak: "Zipit, how is the training of the two thousand newly arrived Daonian freemen under your jurisdiction?"
Zipit said with satisfaction: "These freemen sent by the Senate seem to have been strictly selected. They have undergone multiple military trainings, can obey orders well, and are good at archery and javelin throwing. They can also resist for a while in close combat. I have already organized them into teams, and they can fully play a role in defending the city."
"That's good." Although Dracos was satisfied in his heart, there was not a trace of a smile on his face. With a calm face, he continued: "In view of the narrow walkway of the newly built wooden wall, it cannot accommodate too many soldiers. When the enemy attacks, Zhan, you lead the light infantry battalion and these two thousand freemen on the wooden wall to conduct uninterrupted long-range attacks on the attacking enemy until the enemy approaches the city wall. You immediately order them to retreat to the bottom of the wall, and let the archers continue to use parabolic shots to kill the enemy and disrupt their attack rhythm."
"Legion Commander, don't worry! Hades will bless my battalion. I'm afraid that before it's your turn to go into battle, the enemy will be defeated by my brothers!" Zipit said confidently.
Dracos was happy to see his subordinates have such fighting spirit, but he would not praise and encourage them like Davos, or even joke and liven up the atmosphere. He just nodded slightly, did not respond, looked around at the other captains, and continued to state his battle plan: "After Zipit's troops retreat to the bottom of the city, the first and second battalions and the Bithynian warriors quickly go up the city! The first and second battalions guard the south wooden wall, and the Bithynian warriors defend the north, and must not leave any gaps for the enemy's attack!
The third and fourth battalions serve as reserves, waiting under the city. Once a dangerous situation is discovered, immediately go to support!
The fifth and sixth battalions stay in Bithynia! … Everyone, do you understand your mission?!"
"Understood! With Brutus above, our Bithynian warriors will never let a Cosenza man climb the wooden wall!" The young and patriotic Krem responded first, and he also made a promise to Dracos on behalf of Bagiripi and the silent Brim.
"Legion Commander, this is unfair! We, the fifth and sixth battalions, also want to go to the fortress to kill the enemy!" Sixth Captain Trotilas shouted loudly.
Although the fifth captain did not speak, the expression of disappointment on his face also explained everything.
Dracos's face was unhappy, and he said sternly: "This is an order!"
"But—" Trotilas wanted to refute, but was interrupted by Adrianx: "Trotilas, you must understand that Bithynia is very important to us! In case the Cosenza people break through the fortress, the Bithynia city you are stationed in will be the last line of defense to prevent the enemy from blocking the mountains, and it is also the forward base to welcome the army led by Lord Davos!"
In order to awaken him, Adrianx did not hesitate to be a "raven's mouth". Trotilas was only impulsive for a while, not a fool. He immediately understood the meaning of Adrianx's words: If Bithynia did not have Daonian soldiers as proof, in case of a relapse, the Third Army's retreat would be cut off. Not only would it be in great danger, but it would also completely fail the attack plan formulated by Lord Davos!
"I… accept the order," Trotilas replied immediately.
… … … … … … … … …
"Woo! … Woo! … " The sound of Bruttian horns came from afar.
Zipit supported the crenel of the wooden wall and looked out: I saw that the originally yellow-green grassland in front was covered by densely packed enemies, like a black tide rushing towards the city wall…
It should be said that the Bruttian formation is still relatively neat and tight, unlike the Lucanians who are loose. Two hundred meters away from the fortress, the Bruttians stopped moving forward.
"Drive the slaves up and fill those traps for me!" Pianlunn ordered expressionlessly.
Two thousand slaves, mainly Greeks, who had been plundered from Magna Graecia by various Bruttian tribes over the years, came to the front of the formation under the coercion of the warriors' spears, carrying sacks filled with soil, and began to walk forward tremblingly…
"Captain, they have entered the trap area!" The soldier next to Zipit reminded him slightly anxiously.
Zipit looked at him, smiled, and said: "You are a recruit, don't worry, let more enemies enter the range."
A slave threw down the sack on his back and turned to run away. Another slave immediately threw the sack next to the gap… One after another, the scene was both tense and chaotic. From time to time, slaves would accidentally step on a trap, making a shrill scream, prompting the slaves to throw sacks more nervously.
However, the Bruttian warriors who supervised the slaves not only whipped the perfunctory slaves, but also directly stabbed them to death with spears.
Faced with the threat of death, the slaves did not dare to be lazy, and obediently ran to the rear of the formation, then picked up the sacks and continued to pave the way.
"Archers, get ready!" Zipit felt that the time was ripe and raised his right arm.
More than 500 archers from the Seventh Battalion and two thousand freemen stood on the four-meter-high wooden wall and drew their bows and nocked arrows one after another.
Eighty meters is within the range of bows and arrows! After Zipit silently chanted a few Hades hymns, he waved his right hand down forcefully: "Release!"
"Swish! Swish! Swish! … " The continuous sound of bowstrings, more than two thousand sharp arrows rushed straight into the sky, and in an instant they roared down, evenly scattered in the slave group, and suddenly a cloud of blood bloomed, and screams continued…
Seeing this scene, Pianlunn couldn't help but be moved. Not because of the deaths and injuries of the slaves, but because he did not expect that the Daonian archers would be so many, and judging from the landing point of the arrows, the level of the archers was not bad.
Could it be that the Daonian army here is not a haphazard patchwork, but a main force of the enemy?! You must know that the Bithynians who had previously fled to Cosenza told him that there were not many enemies attacking Bithynia, and it should not exceed a thousand people! Nicurulu, who fled back to Cosenza yesterday, increased the number of enemies by two thousand in his narration… All this information made him still have considerable confidence in "recapturing Bithynia". However, when he came here, a rudimentary fortress had already surprised him, and the Daonians' round of arrows made her wary.
"Great Chief, there are really a lot of enemy archers!" Petalu obviously realized this too, and said with some worry.
Pianlunn maintained his superficial calm: "Let these Greek slaves continue to consume the Daonians' arrows, even if they all die!"
The Bruttian warriors executed more than a dozen fleeing slaves, deterring the others. The slaves were forced to fill the soil again, while the ruthless arrows continued to shoot out from the city wall…
80 meters… 70 meters… 60 meters… The closer they got to the wooden wall, the more intense the attacks became. The number of slaves dwindled, most already lying on the grass, serving as stepping stones.
The fear of death caused several slaves to suddenly drop their sacks and frantically dash forward. Sharpened stakes, meat hooks… pierced their legs, leaving them bloody and mangled. They screamed, yet refused to stop their staggering steps: "Ah!… Ah!… I… I am a Greek!… I am a Greek!!"
The heart-wrenching cries stunned the soldiers on the wall, who all looked at Zipetes with pleading eyes.
Seeing this, Zipetes also hesitated.
Just then, a dozen Bruttian warriors, following their leader's orders, charged out from the ranks, stepping on the sacks on the ground, and hurled javelins at the slaves who were hindered by the deer fences and unable to advance.
The miserable screams of the Greek slaves before their deaths hardened Zipetes' resolve. He roared sternly: "Continue firing arrows!"
Countless arrows, filled with sorrow and rage, continued to rain down… finally sweeping away almost all of the remaining slaves and Bruttians within range.
Although these slaves were almost naked and without protection, the fact that two thousand of them were killed or wounded in the trap zone in a short period of time, without even reaching the moat in front of the wooden wall, made the Bruttian leaders gasp.
"Great Chieftain Pianren, look…" Bergam hesitated, looking at Pianren.
"Send other tribal warriors to continue filling the traps. We're almost at the city!" Pianren, with a fierce look on his face, spoke with a cold and firm tone. Having come this far, he had to test the enemy's strength no matter what, and would never retreat easily.
Several thousand Bruttian warriors, in pairs, one holding a shield and the other grabbing a sack, began to advance towards the city wall in a very loose formation.
Zipetes desperately hoped that the enemy's advance speed could be slower, so that his soldiers' sore arms could have more time to recover.
"Fire arrows!" He waved his arm again.
The Bruttian warriors clearly had more combat experience than the slaves. Seeing the arrows obscuring the sky, they immediately stopped advancing, squatted down, curled up into a ball, and used their shields to protect their entire bodies. The arrows rained down densely, and amidst a series of "Bang! Bang! Puff! Puff!…" impact sounds, the soldiers' screams were significantly quieter than before. But when they advanced to more than thirty meters from the city wall, the deer fence obstacles set up here caused them to stall in place. Not only were there archers on the wooden wall, but javelin throwers also joined the battle. For a time, javelins and arrows poured down, and the Bruttian warriors suffered heavy casualties and actually collapsed and retreated.
"Great Chieftain!" This time, even Petarus couldn't help it.
"Attack again!" Pianren ordered with a hardened heart: "Elder Petarus, you lead 4,000 warriors to attack the north side of the city wall! Elder Bergam, you attack the south side! Elder Nikuru, you lead people to take the middle road! Everyone, don't rush, follow the previous plan, first clear the obstacles on the road, fill the moat, and then start attacking the city…"
The soldiers on the wooden wall cheered at the Bruttians' retreat, but before long, the enemy's attack came again. This time, they divided into small groups of dozens of people, densely packed together, with several large wooden shields as large as doors in front.
And this road extending from the city gate was the only one without traps. It was the passage reserved by the Third Legion. At this time, there were also Bruttian warriors pushing a wooden cart, fully loaded with sacks filled with earth, pressing towards the city gate.
The experienced Zipetes knew that when the enemy's defenses were tight, blindly firing arrows would only waste arrows and consume energy, with little effect. Therefore, he forbade the soldiers from shooting wildly, waiting for the enemy to leave the large wooden shields before shooting.
But the wooden cart in the middle road was always the focus of the Daonian light infantry's attack. The hundred-meter distance caused the Bruttian warriors pushing the cart to lie all along the way, only Nikuru's angry roar urged the frightened Bruttian warriors to push the cart forward one after another, finally struggling to reach the moat, preparing to pour the sacks piled like a hill on the wooden cart into the moat.
"Oil jars!" Zipetes shouted calmly. A dozen slingers lifted the olive oil jars temporarily collected from Bithynia, and like throwing stones, they vigorously threw them accurately towards the wooden cart in front of the moat. The pottery jars shattered, and oil splashed everywhere, quickly turning the wooden cart into an oil cart.
"Fire arrows!" Zipetes ordered, while personally shooting an fire arrow.
Five or six fire arrows had just hit the wooden cart, causing it to quickly burst into flames, also affecting several Bruttian warriors pushing the cart. They were on fire all over, panicking and rolling on the ground.
"Idiots! Quick! Push it down! Push the cart down!!" Seeing the urgent situation, Nikuru roared angrily, threw away his shield, and braved the danger of being shot, pushed away the hesitant warriors in front, strode forward, and regardless of the burning flames, tightly grasped the cart handle with both hands, pushing forward with all his strength.
Under his inspiration, the Bruttian warriors also rushed to his side.
The wooden cart was burning, and javelins and arrows were concentratedly fired.
Under Nikuru's leadership, the Bruttian warriors desperately pushed the cart, and with a "Rumble" sound, the entire wooden cart overturned into the moat, and the sacks inside filled this three-meter-deep, three-meter-wide moat half full, suppressing the crisscrossing sharpened stakes in the ditch. The Bruttian warriors could completely step on the sacks in the ditch and cross to the opposite side of the moat with just one big step.
While the warriors were rejoicing in their success, Nikuru had already fallen in a pool of blood with two javelins in his body…
Nikuru is dead! Pianren felt a surge of sadness upon hearing this news. Although his relationship with Nikuru was only average, the loss of one is a threat to all…
At this time, the Bruttian warriors, after paying a considerable price, had already approached the edge of the moat and began to throw sacks into it.
Pianren finally issued the order: "The entire army attacks the city!"
Ten thousand warriors were divided into two groups, carrying long ladders and battering rams, and began to approach the city wall.
Just as the Bruttians blew the horn of attack, the Daonians also blew their horns, and the soldiers of the First and Second Battalions began to ascend the city.
Taking advantage of the opportunity when the Daonian soldiers were changing shifts on the city, the Bruttian warriors, stepping on the corpses of their companions, had already broken through to the edge of the moat. The Third Legion soldiers immediately threw a dense rain of javelins, and the Bruttian warriors who were hit directly fell into the ditch…
The Bruttian warriors who reached the bottom of the wooden wall looked up and secretly groaned. It turned out that the Daonians had built countless sharp wooden points extending outwards below the wooden wall's crenellations, making it impossible for the long ladders to directly lean against the crenellations. Even if the warriors climbed to the top of the long ladders, there was still a short distance from the wooden wall, which undoubtedly increased the difficulty of attacking the city.
As soon as this Bruttian warrior was distracted, a stone fell vertically, hitting him directly on the head.
"Good smash!" Kreulus patted the Bithynian warrior who had made the contribution and shouted loudly: "Tribesmen, kill them fiercely, don't let a single Cosentian go back alive!"
The battle was proceeding fiercely. Daonian soldiers and Bithynian warriors threw javelins, smashed with stones, stabbed with spears, pushed with pitchforks, and slashed with military knives… doing everything possible to stop the Bruttians from attacking the city.
In addition to using long ladders to swarm the city, the Bruttians also used battering rams to ram the city. A group of a dozen warriors held huge logs, and under the cover of Bruttian javelin throwers, they not only rammed the city gate, but also rammed the wooden wall. Because Pianren and the others believed that although the Daonians had built the wooden wall in such a short time, it could not be very strong.
In fact, this was indeed the case. The wooden wall built by the Daonian soldiers was a double-layered wooden fence, with mud taken from the trenches filled in the middle, and wooden planks were laid on top to build the walkway on the wall. However, due to the urgency of time, the mud in the middle was not completely compacted, and the wooden fence was not carefully reinforced.
After discovering the enemy's intentions, Dracos had to divide some of his forces to concentrate on attacking these unprotected "dare-to-die" warriors.
However, Pianren did not only have these two ways to attack the city.
"Battalion Commander, look, it's on fire!" The soldier loudly reminded Adrianus, who quickly looked down and saw that the bottom of a wooden wall had already caught fire. Several Bruttian warriors were carrying a pottery jar and pouring oil on the wall, and the fire was gradually growing.
"Quickly shoot that person!" Adrianus commanded the soldiers to throw javelins while also anxiously shouting: "Quickly pour the sand down! Pour it down!…"
Because of the limited time and lack of war materials, the wooden wall had not yet been fireproofed, such as by painting. Fortunately, Dracos had considered this aspect when discussing how to defend the fortress with the battalion commanders, and placed cloth bags filled with soil on the wooden wall walkway.
The fire was eventually extinguished, but Adrianus' expression was still serious. He reminded each squad officer and soldier to pay close attention to any enemies carrying pottery jars and oil bags under the city, and to do everything possible to prevent them from approaching the wooden wall.
… … … … … … … … …
The siege was bloody and cruel. Every time he saw a long ladder being pushed down and warriors falling from the city head, Pianren felt bursts of heartache. But as the commander of the entire army, he had to pay attention to the progress of the battle at all times. He moved forward again and again, just to see more clearly, and finally walked to the edge of the trap zone.
Perhaps the corpses all over the ground made the warhorse under his crotch feel uneasy. It snorted and kept pawing the ground with its front hooves.
Pianren really did not expect that the Daonians not only built a relatively complete fortress defense system in just three days, but also that the soldiers' experience and strength in defending the city were not weak.
Seeing the Bruttian warriors struggling and groaning under the wall one by one, Pianren's confidence was gradually weakening…
Compared to the densely defended, well-coordinated, and disciplined northern wooden wall, the southern section, which was guarded by Bithynian warriors, began to have Bruttian warriors climb onto the city head after an hour of continuous defense due to the lack of unified command, weak personnel combat effectiveness, and lack of fighting spirit.
Fortunately, behind the wooden wall, there was also the support of the sentry tower, more than a meter taller than the wall, and the arrows and javelins fired by the light infantry and free men led by Zipit under the city, which has kept the south section of the wooden wall basically safe so far.
Zipit shot an arrow, hitting an enemy who had broken through the wooden wall in the chest; the seemingly thick leather robe was completely penetrated, and the enemy slumped to the ground.
Zipit habitually reached out to grab an arrow, but found that the quiver was empty.
"Quick, bring a new quiver of arrows!" Zipit shook his sore and numb right hand and said to the guard next to him.
After a while, the guard hurried back and handed him the quiver filled with ten arrows, saying at the same time: "Captain, the quartermaster told you to use them sparingly, he doesn't have many arrows left."
"How could they be used up so quickly?!" Zipit said with some dissatisfaction.
"That's what I asked him, but he said that our light infantry plus the freemen have more than two thousand archers, and each person has a quiver of arrows, which is twenty thousand, and now almost all the archers have used up a quiver... He also said... he also said, 'Arrows are bought with money, and the price is not low. This time, because our Second Legion had the need for defensive operations in the prior plan, Melsis's enemy allocated us 30,000 arrows, otherwise, we would never have been allowed to waste them like this!'" The guard relayed the message somewhat aggrieved.
Although Zipit was also a little angry, the quartermaster of the supply team was now under the control of Melsis. Thinking of that stingy fat man, Zipit felt a headache. He shouted loudly: "Brothers, there's nothing to worry about if the arrows are used up. We still have reverse-edged swords and spears, don't we?!"
"Yes!!!"
......
The stalemate of the siege battle made Pianren very anxious. He turned to look at the warriors resting in the rear, hesitating whether to send the last 5,000 people up, but the narrowness of the battlefield made it too crowded under the wooden wall, and more people didn't seem to help.
Just then, he heard a "rumbling..." vibration behind him, followed by a burst of cheers.
"The wooden wall has collapsed! The enemy's wall has collapsed!!..." The warriors beside him cheered. Pianren turned around excitedly and saw a large gap in the center of the southern section of the fortress's wooden wall. Brutti warriors were rushing in...
"Don't panic! Don't panic!..." Brim shouted loudly, trying to appease the panicked Bithynian warriors. Bagiri Pi was too old, and the warriors in his tribe were led by Bagiri Pi's nephew. Therefore, among the three leading leaders of Bithynia, Brim was the oldest, the most qualified, and the most prestigious. Although he didn't really want to fight the Cosenza people,
But being on the battlefield, he had to work hard for the survival of his people.
"Hold your position, the wall won't collapse again!..." Brim shouted loudly. He knew very well that the gap was caused by the soldiers' negligence, which led to the wooden wall being burned by kerosene and hit by rolling logs, which caused that section of the wooden wall to be damaged and the earthen pit to collapse.
"Hold the front! Don't worry about these enemies rushing in, the Daunians in the back will take care of them!..." The reason he said this was because he had already seen fully armed Daunian soldiers lining up behind the gap in the wooden wall. The rapid and orderly maneuver of the Daunian army surprised him.
For the soldiers of the Third and Fourth Battalions of the Second Legion, the collapse of the wooden wall was a good thing. They could finally make up for the regret of not going up to the city to kill the enemy.
When the Brutti warriors stepped onto the collapsed earthen base, kicked open the broken wooden fence, and rushed behind the wall, they were shocked to find that they were facing an iron wall surrounded by countless bronze shields and countless sharp spears. In the rhythmic sound of war drums, the Daunian soldiers steadily thrust and retracted their spears. Every stab could take a life...
The Brutti warriors who rushed in could neither form an array with their companions nor were they organized by the team officers. Relying on personal bravery, they could not resist the group attack of the Daunian army, and they also had to guard against the arrows shot from the sentry tower above and the javelins of the Bithynian warriors.
In the short time after breaking through the wooden wall, the casualties of the Brutti warriors increased sharply. They wanted to retreat in fear, but the way back was blocked by the warriors who were excitedly rushing in from behind.
The Third and Fourth Battalions of the Second Legion steadily advanced, shrinking the encirclement, causing the Brutti warriors to crowd together, making it difficult to even wield their weapons.
Pianren first happily saw many Brutti warriors rushing into the gap, but soon the scene there seemed to stagnate. The warriors wandered at the gap, but could not enter, and he felt a little uneasy. Then, he was shocked to see the Brutti warriors there suddenly fleeing in all directions. Teams of Daunian soldiers in bright armor poured out from the gap in the city wall, taking advantage of the situation to attack other Brutti warriors who were attacking the city with all their strength. Soon the rout was no longer just a point at the gap, but evolved into the entire Brutti offensive line...
Seeing this scene, Pianren's heart cooled by half, extinguishing the fluke of victory. He could see that the Daunian army occupying Bithynia was definitely not just the non-main force of the Daunian army with only a few thousand soldiers as judged by the leaders, but most likely some legion claimed by the Daunians!
"Quick, retreat..." He shouted this sentence painfully.
However, just as he managed to gather the defeated soldiers and returned to the camp in frustration, he received even worse news.
"What did you say?! A riot broke out in Cosenza?!"
"Yes, Great Chief. Sedum, Sas, Buwa... More than a dozen tribes suddenly led their people to attack the inner city early the second day after you led the army away. If it weren't for Chief Kadulk leading the team to arrive in time, I'm afraid they would have attacked the inner city! Now they occupy the west side of the outer city. The High Priest sent me to quickly inform you, hoping that the Great Chief can quickly quell these rebels and restore peace to Cosenza!" The messenger said anxiously.
"Understood, go back and tell the High Priest, I will immediately lead the army back, tell him not to panic, and work with Kadulk to hold the inner city first!" Pianren quickly made a decision. In order to monitor and rule these disobedient tribes nearby, the "Council of Seven Elders" decided after discussion to force them to move to the outer city of Cosenza, which is why this situation occurred. This rebellion sounded an alarm to Pianren. The Daunian invasion had already affected the various tribes in the Brutti region, especially those tribes that were dissatisfied with the alliance and were forced to submit. He had to take action quickly to avoid worsening the situation.
He asked Petaru to execute the order to pull up camp.
Soon, Bergam broke into the tent and shouted excitedly: "Did I hear you wrong, Pianren, are you going back to Cosenza?! Letting these Daunians continue to build fortresses here, are we just leaving like this?!"
"Elder Bergam, in this terrible situation, what else can we do? Continue to attack the fortress?!" Pianren was no longer as anxious as he was when he first heard the news. He calmly asked: "There are probably six or seven thousand Daunian soldiers who have undergone rigorous training behind that city wall, plus more than two thousand Bithynian traitors who have defected to them, plus that heavily defended fortress. Do you think we can capture this fortress with just these people?! You must know that we lost nearly two thousand people in today's battle! Two thousand people! That's equivalent to most of the Ambarrian warriors you brought!"
After listening, Bergam slumped down... After a while, he raised his head and murmured in a dry voice: "Are we just going to watch the Daunian army pass through Bithynia and break into our homeland..."
"Then let them come!" Pianren roared, his eyes bright and piercing, staring straight at Bergam. He stepped forward and gave him a strong hug, saying decisively in a firm tone: "We will go back and gather all the Brutti warriors! We will fight the Daunians to the death on the Cosenza Plateau! This battle will determine the rise and fall of the Brutti people. The highland goddess Amara will bless us!"
"Highland..." Bergam was reminded by Pianren and regained his fighting spirit: "Yes, we have Amara's blessing! We also have the Cosenza Plateau!..."
......
The spirited Sincinnatus gained the allegiance of many tribes in northern Grumentum and marched smoothly south. After reaching the south, he finally encountered resistance.
Those tribes that had previously moved from Niuetum were the first to submit to Daunia. Compared to the Picentes far to the west of Grumentum, they identified more with Daunia and trusted Daunia more. They drove out the messengers sent by Sincinnatus and united to resist the Picentes.
Sincinnatus was furious and prepared to lead his troops to attack these disobedient tribes. But news came that there was a disturbance in the city of Grumentum to the north, and about two thousand Daunian soldiers had come out of the city.
This made Sincinnatus worry that when attacking the Lucanian tribes in the south, he would suddenly be attacked by the Daunians from the flank, so he had to withdraw his troops.
As soon as the Picentes' troops withdrew, the Daunians immediately shrank back into the city.
This happened for two days in a row, and Sincinnatus judged that the Daunians in the city were just putting on a show. They had neither the courage nor the intention to attack him.
So, he asked Gnaeus to take two thousand warriors to keep an eye on the city of Grumentum, and he himself led his troops to prepare to conquer the southern tribes.
At this time, the city of Picentia sent a messenger to tell him bad news: A thousand Elymians had invaded the territory of Picentia. They destroyed farmland and burned settlements. The city of Picentia did not dare to attack rashly due to limited troops, and asked Sincinnatus to rush back to support!
After listening, Sincinnatus was furious.
Sincinnatus grumbled to himself in anger: Elia, this small Greek state, which had always been oppressed by Pixis and was on the verge of destruction, actually dared to come to Pixis' territory to make trouble! Did becoming a member of the Daonian League give these Greek cowards, who only knew how to hide in the city, courage?! Didn't it know that after provoking Pixis, no one could save it!
He vowed in his heart: After conquering Grumantum, he would definitely destroy Elia!
But dreams are dreams, and the practical problems must be solved. Although the battle situation on his side was at a critical moment, Pixis had to go to the rescue immediately. Although 1,000 Elia people could not break through Pixis City, allowing them to wreak havoc outside the city would shake the clan's support for Sincinnatus. It should be known that although Sincinnatus had used various means over the years to make his tribe take an absolute advantage among the Pixis tribes, Pixis City was not just his tribe after all, and even in his tribe, the elders and priests were not completely of one mind with him. The last time, the disastrous defeat at Grumantum had already made the clansmen somewhat dissatisfied. And this time Elia's invasion, he must take immediate action, otherwise, if the warriors knew, their anger alone would give him a headache.
He had no choice but to terminate the imminent offensive again, and sent Pagnetes to lead 3,000 people (2,000 from Pixis and 1,000 warriors from other tribes) to return to Pixis City to try to wipe out all the invading enemies as soon as possible to relieve the anger in his heart.
At the same time, the postponement of the attack meant an increase in the pressure on military rations, so he also sent a team of warriors to collect food everywhere. The so-called "collection" was actually burning, killing, and looting, which forced those neutral tribes to either flee into the mountains or join the southern tribes of Grumantum, that is, the Daonian side...
.................
In Knapetia, the Daonian Fourth Legion fired crossbow artillery shells for most of the day, causing cracks in many parts of the city wall, and the splashing gravel also killed and injured some of the defending warriors, causing the warriors on the city to be frightened and their morale to plummet.
Great Chief Pangelu had no choice but to make up his mind: send troops out in the dead of night to destroy these terrible siege weapons!
In fact, the crossbow artillery itself was not heavy. Hilos, who had always been cautious, did not move it back to the barracks when the darkness fell, but only built an earthen base in front of the crossbow artillery group, precisely to lure the enemy out.
As a result, the Knapetia assault force was caught by the Fourth Legion soldiers ambushing around the crossbow artillery. After a fierce battle, they were almost completely annihilated.
After losing hundreds of warriors, Pangelu dared not act rashly again.
The next day, under the cover of the long-range firepower of the crossbow artillery and light infantry, the three causeways built by the soldiers and the people of Trina approached the moat in front of the city, and then they began to lay stone slabs on the causeways one hundred meters outside the city.
Then,
the Knapetia warriors were surprised to see three wooden towers slowly being pushed onto the paved causeways.
These wooden towers were five meters high, plus the one-meter-high causeway, they were two meters higher than the stone wall. The width at the top and bottom was the same, both two meters, and the width at the front and back was three meters. It was made of wood, covered with wet cowhide on the outside, and the bottom was a huge wooden wheel. The top was surrounded by wooden battlements, which could accommodate three or four archers. A drawbridge was hung at the top of the front, and a long wooden ladder was dragged at the back. When the siege tower approached the city wall, the drawbridge was lowered and placed on the top of the wall, and the soldiers could climb up the wooden ladder, pass through the tower body and the drawbridge, and directly attack into the wall, making the siege easier.
The siege tower designed by the Daonian engineers and carpenters was relatively simple, and its function was also very single. It could not be compared with the giant siege tower made by Syracuse. The only highlight was that it took good care of the safety of the laborers, because three wooden poles extended from the upper end of the wheels on both sides of the siege tower, and wooden sheds like eaves extended from the top of the wooden poles. The people pushing the tower stood outside the causeway, just able to stand and hold the wooden poles, and the wooden sheds shielded them from the arrows shot by the enemy, so they could concentrate on pushing the siege tower forward.
As the towering siege tower slowly advanced, the Knapetia warriors were stunned. Although siege towers had been used in the Mesopotamian Plain for a long time, they had never appeared in the Greek world, which was full of small countries and city-states. Dionysius, the tyrant of Syracuse, took the lead in making breakthrough innovations in Greek siege technology, but this had just happened and had not spread, let alone the closed Brutii people. They had never seen such a huge siege weapon, and arrows, rockets, and javelins could not hurt it at all, but throwing stones could not reach far. Perhaps the Daonian siege weapon that could launch stone bullets could destroy it, but Knapetia did not have it, and the warriors could only watch it approach the moat.
Then, archers in heavy armor drilled into the siege tower, climbed up the wooden ladder to the top of the tower, and began to shoot arrows at the warriors on the city wall.
Arrows flew back and forth between the two sides. The Daonian archers, who were high up, and protected by armor and wooden railings, were obviously at an advantage despite their small number.
Daonian soldiers took the opportunity to fill the moat with sand so that the siege tower could be pushed to the city.
The anxious Pangelu ordered his men to try their best to stop the enemy's attempt, while sending people to Cosentia for help. He knew in his heart that if there were no reinforcements, the fall of Knapetia would only be a matter of days...
.................
Although the bloody and cruel battle at the fortress took place yesterday, it seemed like a long time ago.
Early this morning, Delakos, the commander of the Second Legion, Adrianks, the captain of the First Battalion, and other officers stood guard outside the city of Besinia with smiles on their faces, welcoming the arrival of Davos, the Daolian consul and supreme commander of the entire army.
Also in the welcoming team were Bazili Pi, Brim, the former leaders of Besinia City, Krelu, the new leader, and some nobles from the tribes of Besinia. They were waiting for the highest authority of Daonian, either nervously, excitedly, or excitedly.
To prevent accidents, Delakos ordered the Fifth and Sixth Battalions in the city to make strict deployments and guards.
"Krelu, is Davos, the Daonian consul, really younger than us?!" Rodom, Bazili Pi's young nephew, couldn't help but ask Krelu beside him. In the past, the relationship between the two could only be said to be average, but after fighting side by side yesterday, the two young men quickly became friends.
"I asked Delakos, and that should be right! But don't think of him as a young man!" Krelu reminded him, and quietly pointed to the officers of the Third Legion: "Look at Delakos and those Daonian people, they usually look down on us, but now their appearance is completely different. How does it look like they are welcoming a young man?!"
"Of course I understand! I heard Uncle Bazili Pi say that Davos is a descendant of a Greek god. He has never been defeated on the battlefield. No one in Daonian dares to disrespect him!" Rodom replied.
At this time, a soldier ran hurriedly from the defensive camp in the east, shouting excitedly as he ran: "Lord Davos is here! He is here!"
Delakos immediately shouted: "Prepare!"
The officers began to tidy up their military uniforms, and the bugles and drums sounded together.
After a while, the neat footsteps came with the slight tremors of the ground, and a long column quickly appeared in front of everyone: the person at the front of the column was in full military uniform, leather sandals, bronze shin guards, and a linen breastplate were no different from ordinary heavy infantry, only the helmet was different. It was not a heavy Corinthian helmet, but a new type of iron helmet, with long red and purple plumes on the crown, which was very elegant. The front of the helmet had no protection, only the cheeks on both sides had chin guards, so the face could be seen clearly, with a wide forehead, thick eyebrows, a straight nose, a moderate chin, and eyes that were not big but extremely energetic. The appearance seemed young but not childish, and there was a sense of majesty between glances. His pace was large and powerful, but the speed was not too fast, which made the whole person full of vitality and stable...
This is Davos, the Daonian consul?! The curious Besinia people found the answer in the straight chests and respectful eyes of the Daonian generals and soldiers.
Davos came to Delakos in the focus of hundreds of pairs of eyes, and Delakos gave a neat military salute: "Commander, all the soldiers of the Second Legion welcome your arrival!"
Davos immediately returned the salute, and said half-jokingly and half-seriously: "Okay, Delakos, you have put on a big show! When did you learn this set?!"
Delakos looked at Adrianks with some embarrassment.
Davos understood and smiled: "It's Adrianks' idea, I guess. It seems that the Isthmian Games were not in vain. But such a ceremony should be done after the war is over. Everything should be simple during the war."
If someone else had said this, Adrianks would have thought that it was tearing his scar, and he would definitely be dissatisfied. But for Davos's words, he thought about it carefully and accepted it: "Lord, you are right! The war is not over yet, we must take it seriously!"
Davos smiled heartily and gave Adrianks a warm hug: "I was shocked when I got the news on the road. Adrianks, you only used 700 people to capture the city of Besinia. It was a bold and decisive action! Great! Great! You and your First Battalion can completely get a star alone! And the Daonian people will be happy to spread your victory!"
This was exactly what Adrianks was happy to hear. He had no grudges in his heart and was so happy that he didn't know how to respond.
Davos gave Delakos a solemn military salute and said in a deep voice: "The Second Legion not only successfully captured Besinia this time, but also successfully defended it, making the first contribution to our next conquest of Bruti! Delakos, on behalf of Daonian, I thank you and the brothers of the Second Legion for your contributions and sacrifices to the alliance!"
Delakos simply chuckled, feeling proud that the Second Legion was no longer the First Legion's follower this time.
Davos patted him hard on the shoulder and asked, "Where is the hero who crossed the Crati River?"
"He was injured while crossing the river and is receiving treatment from the doctor in the city, so he cannot go out for the time being," Delakos replied.
"Injured! Is it serious?!" Davos asked with concern.
"According to the doctor, several of his left ribs were broken by the impact, and his lungs were damaged, as well as some external injuries, but he will recover after a period of rest."
"Without him, we wouldn't have today's victory! We must take good care of him!" Davos earnestly instructed.
"Don't worry, my lord. We will take good care of him!"
Davos nodded. As he was about to say something, he saw a large group of people walking towards him in the distance. He immediately put on a smile and strode towards the oldest Bithynian: "Are you Chief Bacili of Pega?!"
Bacili hurriedly bent down, preparing to perform Bruttium's highest etiquette: "Bacili, chief of the Bithynian Pega tribe, pays respects to Archon Davos!"
Davos quickly stopped him and said warmly, "Thank you! Without your help, Bithynia would not have recovered peace so quickly! The people of Daonia and Bithynia should thank you! Because of your decisiveness and selflessness, they will no longer have a loved one die in vain!…"
Davos's words moved the white-haired old man. He knew that many Bithynians had been calling him a "traitor" these past few days, and the frustration in his heart was unimaginable. In that instant, the young man before him gave him a feeling of "meeting a kindred spirit."
"Precisely because of your merits, at my suggestion, the Daonian Senate urgently convened a meeting and, through a majority vote in the election, you will become a member of the Daonian Senate, just like Vespas of Lucania and Hermon, becoming a respected elder in the entire Daonian alliance. I wonder if you are willing to accept?"
Hearing Davos's words, the composed Bacili revealed a look of astonishment, but he quickly answered without hesitation, as if afraid that Davos would go back on his word, because this was exactly what he had been looking forward to: "I am willing! Thank you to the Senate for your trust in me!"
Davos held his arms and laughed heartily, "That's great! From now on, we are one family!"
Delakos, Adrianx, and others congratulated Bacili one after another.
Bacili rarely showed a smile.
At this moment, a coughing sound came from behind him, and he remembered that he had overlooked something. He hurriedly turned around and said, "Lord Davos, let me introduce you, this is—"
"Chief Brim of Bithynia!" Before he could finish speaking, Davos had already taken the lead in saluting him. On the way, he had learned in detail about the situation of several leading figures in Bithynia. At this moment, he said warmly, "It is with your help that Delakos and the others were able to defend the fortress! Similarly, the Daonian Senate, in order to thank you for everything you have done, invites you to join the Senate!"
Brim was somewhat stunned after hearing Bacili's translation. Previously, when he saw the Cosenza army withdrawing from the fortress, he understood that Bithynia would no longer belong to Bruttium, but suddenly belonging to an alliance dominated by Greeks, he was still a little unable to accept it psychologically.
"Say something, are you too happy to speak?!" Bacili winked at him and gave him a push.
"I… I'm very happy…" Brim mumbled softly.
Davos didn't mind and laughed heartily, "Senator Brim, take good care of your injuries! We still have to rely on your help in the next battle!"
Brim had just responded when Clellus squeezed forward. Before he could speak, Davos looked at him and said loudly, "I know you, Clellus, the hero of Bithynia! If you hadn't stepped forward, how could the Bithynian warriors have returned home so smoothly!"
After hearing Bacili's translation, Clellus didn't expect that the Archon of Daonia, whom he had never met, would not only recognize him but also know about his deeds. He was both excited and proud.
"Originally, I had already proposed to the Senate to let you also enter the Senate, but after all, you are too young and have never managed a tribe before. The senators of the Senate believe that you should first serve as a Daonian affairs official and accumulate a certain amount of administrative experience before the doors of the Senate will be opened to you!" Davos specifically explained to him. He did have a proposal to the Senate, but it was just for show. He himself did not want to let this young man enter the Senate now, as that would only lower the quality of the senators and make people feel that the threshold of the Senate was too low. Although elders like Amyntas, Arpones, and Lydes were not of very high quality before, that was the initial stage, and Davos needed a lot of support. Now the situation is different.
Although Clellus was a little disappointed, as a former ordinary tribesman of the Niculu tribe in Bithynia not long ago, he had become the leader of a tribe in the blink of an eye, and he couldn't expect too much. So he said modestly, "Compared with the two chiefs, Bacili and Bloom, I still know too little. I will do my best to make my tribesmen adapt to our new home—Daonia."
Davos nodded. Although this chief was young, he was composed and knew his place. Davos was satisfied with him in this position.
Before entering the city, Davos also went to that small river beach.
In the roar of the Crati River, he listened to Delakos recount the attack on Bithynia. Although the plan was discussed and drafted by him, witnessing the rushing river, he also deeply felt the thrilling nature of that night and couldn't help but say with emotion, "Secilian hopes to be enshrined in the Hall of Heroes, and I think there is absolutely no problem with that! It is precisely because of his and another warrior's bravery and fearlessness that we are able to stand on this beach! I hope that their deeds can inspire the citizens of Daonia to be brave in dedicating themselves to the alliance, and the alliance will always remember those who have made contributions!"
"My lord, you are right!" Delakos deeply agreed.
Most of the Bithynians who followed Davos to the river beach now knew the reason for the fall of the town and couldn't help but sigh. Some people were even thinking: if one or two watchtowers had been built in front of the river beach at that time, today's events would not have happened…
At this moment, Davos turned around and said to Bacili and the others, "Thurii and Bithynia are actually not too far apart, but the river between them makes the exchange between Thurii and Bithynia so difficult, and also makes the lives of the Bithynian people difficult… Therefore, when this war is over, we will not only build a suspension bridge here, but also build a real bridge, so that Bithynia will no longer be a poor and remote place, but a must-pass place for merchants and pedestrians, and Bithynia will surely prosper! Because the road from Thurii to the Cosenza Plateau through Bithynia is the shortest!"
Davos's words made the hearts of the Bithynians who could understand Greek, such as Bacili, beat faster.
Returning to the city gate, he rejected the request to "let the army enter the city" and let the newly arrived First Legion, allied troops, and legion reserve soldiers expand and settle in the defensive camp in the east. However, tens of thousands of fully armed troops turned neatly in front of the city gate, still causing fear in the hearts of the Bithynians.
After entering the council hall of Bithynia, Davos immediately discussed the issue of Bithynia's affiliation with the three Bithynian chiefs and a small number of tribal nobles. After half a day of discussion, an agreement was finally reached:
1. After Bithynia is incorporated into the Daonian Alliance, an administrative governor will be sent by the Senate to manage the administrative affairs of Bithynia.
2. The jurisdiction over the tribesmen and land belonging to each tribe still belongs to each tribe, and the tribal chiefs exercise management rights, and the city's administrative governor shall not interfere.
3. Land taxes must be paid on time by the chiefs, and military training must also be attended regularly.
4. Given that Bithynia is the earliest town in the Bruttium region to be incorporated into Daonia, each tribe can apply to the Senate to exchange for fertile tribal territories.
5. The rights and obligations enjoyed by the Bithynians are the same as those of the Lucanians. At the same time, when they voluntarily request to leave the tribe and live independently, the tribal chiefs shall not obstruct them.
…
After the agreement was reached, Bacili hesitated and said, "Lord Davos… I have a small request."
"Please speak," Davos replied politely.
"As the lifelong Archon of the most powerful city-state alliance in southern Italy, you have too few guards! Like our Bruttian chiefs, which one of them doesn't have two or three hundred or even thousands of personal guards around them. Therefore, I hope that my nephew, Rodom, can become your guard and protect your safety. At the same time, he can also be taught by you and learn how to become a qualified Daonian citizen…"
Rodom? Davos remembered the energetic young man in the welcoming team before. As he was about to respond, the others in the hall obviously realized the benefits of Bacili's proposal and shouted loudly, "Lord Davos, my son also wants to become your guard!"
"And my two sons!"
"We have five in our tribe!"
…
The reason why the people in the hall were so eager was simply because of the Bithynian tradition. When Niculu was tyrannical, almost every family present had children sent to serve as his guards. Now, as the conquered, they inevitably felt apprehensive. Being able to get closer to the highest authority in Daonia and add a layer of protection to their family and tribe was something they were happy to do.
Davos somewhat understood their thoughts. He did not respond immediately, but was thinking about another matter: according to Daonian law, the maximum number of guards for the Archon was one hundred, and it had always been led by Martius.
As a warrior on par with Matonis, Maltius was more settled and lacked great ambition, able to remain loyal to his duties, so Davos had always trusted him. Although the number of the Consul's Guards was full, they were also responsible for guarding important places such as the Senate Hall, the Temple of Hades, and the Arena. The vacant positions could be filled by young people recommended by the leaders and tribal nobles in the hall. To integrate the Bithynians into the Daonian League as soon as possible, these young Bithynian elites should be allowed to join the Daonian League's polity to quickly understand Daonian's system, learn Daonian's culture, and get used to Daonian's life, so that, as Bagili Pi said, they could be assimilated into real Daonians and then influence the Bithynian people in return.
He needed to discuss this matter with the Senate, but for now, he could agree to let them join the guard as Bithynian volunteers. After making up his mind, Davos immediately expressed his agreement.
Soon, the city of Bithynia put together a guard of more than 60 people.
Davos appointed Rodom as the captain of this guard and announced that they would be responsible for guarding him tonight.
As soon as the order was issued, it was strongly opposed by Drakos, Kapus, and others.
But Davos insisted and declared: "Now Bithynia is Daonian Bithynia, and Bithynian warriors are also Daonian soldiers! How can a commander not trust his own soldiers!"
In the end, Davos reached an agreement with Drakos, Kapus, and the others, with Maltius leading the guard outside the courtyard and the Bithynian warriors guarding inside the courtyard.
Rodom and the others were greatly moved when they received the news, vowing never to let Lord Davos, who trusted them, suffer the slightest fright.
Originally, the uneasy Bithynian people were also relieved by Davos's actions.
In addition to the senior generals of the legion, the ones who feared accidents the most were the leaders and tribal nobles of Bagili Pi. They knew that once Davos had an accident, the two thousand Daonian soldiers in the city and the more than ten thousand soldiers outside the city would burn Bithynia to ashes with their anger, so they repeatedly urged their clansmen who were on guard tonight.
The night passed peacefully.
The next day, Davos, who had slept soundly, and Kapus, Drakos, the three Bithynian leaders, and the generals of the Heraclea and Castron allied forces, who had not slept much all night, discussed the matter of advancing into the Cosenza Plateau.
… … … … … … … … …
Xin Xin Nage waited for the reinforcements he sent to quickly defeat the Elyrians and then quickly return.
In fact, he didn't wait too long before he saw Genaite, covered in wounds, leading hundreds of remnants back in flight.
"What did you say?! You were ambushed by the Daonians?!" Xin Xin Nage looked incredulous: "How could there be Daonian troops outside the city of Pikosis?! The city of Grumentum has been under my surveillance, and they have not sent out a single troop!"
Genaite shook his head and said weakly, "Elyria… they probably came from Elyria… I saw it very clearly. Although they were all wearing Greek armor, most of them were tall and had hair color… even the sound of their roars… they were Lucanians…"
After his son's reminder, Xin Xin Nage's thoughts suddenly opened up: "Are you saying they came from Niu Yitum… Why didn't our scouts discover them?!"
Genaite had already thought about this matter clearly on the way back. He coughed and said anxiously, "They… cough… should have boarded the ship from Laos… Maybe they didn't go along the coast… cough cough… but went around a circle… Our warships can't compete with the warships of Laos and Elyria… so we can only patrol near the port… cough… it's good enough that it wasn't blocked… They have about three or four thousand people… Father, what should we do now?!"
"Go back! We must return to Pikosis immediately!" Xin Xin Nage had a bad feeling: "Can your body still hold on?"
Genaite nodded: "…cough…what about those tribes?"
"Let them follow us. We need more warriors now. If any tribe refuses to follow us——" A sinister look appeared on Xin Xin Nage's face, and he said coldly: "We will do what we did in Grumentum again!"
As soon as he finished speaking, a scout rushed in: "Report, Great Chief, a Daonian army has appeared to our north, about 4,000 people!"
"Report! Tribes in the south have gathered about 5,000 warriors and are approaching our camp!"
"Report, Great Chief! The army of Grumentum has left the city! It has been confirmed that their leading general is Bagule!"
One bad news after another came one after another, causing Xin Xin Nage to sweat profusely and his whole body to be soaked. When he heard this news, his whole body shook: "You said Bagule wasn't injured?!"
"It seems so, Great Chief."
Xin Xin Nage was stunned. After a long while, he murmured: "Conspiracy! This is a conspiracy that the Daonians planned long ago!"
He suddenly remembered something and said eagerly: "Quickly call the leaders of the Lude and Brina tribes over. Even if they don't want to come, force them to come!"
As soon as the guard went out, a leader of Pikosis stumbled in: "Great Chief, it's not good! Lude and Brina have taken the lead in the riot!"
"Pfft!" Xin Xin Nage was so anxious that he spat a mouthful of blood on the ground.
… … … … … … … …
Daonia attacked the Pikosis camp from the north, east, and south, while the camp was in chaos and unable to organize an effective defense, so it was easily breached.
Genaite died in battle, and Xin Xin Nage fled into the western mountains with a small number of tribesmen, while most of the others surrendered.
"Legion Commander Hieronimus, what should we do with so many prisoners?" Bagule asked his superior for instructions.
"According to Lord Davos's order, all of them will be demoted to city-state slaves and sent back to Thurii to work as coolies for mining, road construction, and temple construction…" Hieronimus said to himself, without paying attention to the expression on Bagule's face: "In addition, select a thousand Pikosis prisoners to force the tribes in the city to surrender when we attack the city of Pikosis.
Then he ordered: "Bagule, you continue to garrison the city of Grumentum, and at the same time, do not relax your surveillance of Potentia in the north. If there is any abnormality, immediately send a messenger to notify me."
"Yes."
"Agassia, go and urge the soldiers to speed up the progress of cleaning up the battlefield, otherwise we will not be able to rest by night."
"Don't worry, Legion Commander. I will keep my eyes open and stare like a shepherd watching his flock. Anyone who dares to be lazy, I will spank his butt!" Agassia laughed.
The Third Legion carefully and cautiously carried out the enemy-luring plan proposed by Davos and perfected by them together, and finally achieved a relatively perfect result. After arranging the tasks, Hieronimus rarely showed a relaxed smile.
"Brother!" Asistetes called out to Bagule, who was walking back with his head down: "Lord Davos once said, 'Do not be too benevolent to the surrendered enemy, because being too benevolent will make the enemy forget the mistakes they have committed and make them commit them again, so sometimes we must also raise the stick high to make the enemy fear and remember the lesson.' The Lord calls it the 'bread and stick' method…"
Asistetes looked at Bagule, who was thoughtful, and said with a serious expression: "Our bills to appease those northern tribes are good enough. We not only grant them land, but also generously allocate some cattle and sheep… But when we encountered danger, they did not stand with us to overcome the difficulties, but instead defected to the enemy, trying to eliminate us and divide more of our land! This time, a severe punishment for them, I believe, will deter all the Lucanian tribes in this land, so that when they make decisions related to us, they must think carefully, whether to choose to accept bread or choose to endure the stick?!"
Bagule looked at the soldiers busy on the battlefield, dismantling the enemy's camp, picking up the supplies on the ground, grabbing the abandoned weapons, removing the armor from the corpses… and placing them on carts that were already fully loaded, and then lifting the enemy's corpses and throwing them into piles of burning corpses…
The mountain wind blew, and ashes floated everywhere in the air.
Bagule sighed and said: "I hope that after this battle, the Lucanian region can truly restore peace!"
Bagule spit out the depression in his heart, slapped Asistetes on the shoulder, and said loudly: "Anyway, we have finally solved the headache of Xin Xin Nage, we must celebrate it well! Tonight, I will visit your house, I haven't tasted the mutton roasted by my sister for a long time, let's get drunk!"
A month later, the Xin Xin Nage tribesmen who had fled into the mountains were tired of hiding from the Daonian soldiers all day long, and at the same time had to endure the difficult life in the mountains and Xin Xin Nage's increasingly crazy scolding and beatings, and finally couldn't help but take advantage of Xin Xin Nage's sleep to attack and kill him, and went down the mountain to the city of Grumentum to surrender, this is a later story.
… … … … … … … … …
When Pianren led his troops back to Cosenza, the rioting tribes had already fled.
In the following time, he led Petaru and Filotaru to busy themselves appeasing the people in the city and meeting with other tribal leaders in the city…
Just when he was so busy, a messenger from Knapetia arrived in Cosenza.
Pianren was shocked when he received Pangelu's request for help. He never expected that the city of Knapetia, which was known as "easy to defend and difficult to attack," had only held out for more than ten days and was already on the verge of collapse. Moreover, what shocked him even more was the two terrible siege weapons that Daonia possessed, as described in Pangelu's letter.