"It's over! Our port is going to be blockaded, Rhegium is finished!!"
"Artilikrus, you must immediately have Daonia send a fleet to drive away the Messinians!!"
"Immediately send an envoy to negotiate peace with Dionysius! Dionysius's enemy is Daonia, not us! As long as we offer him gold and silver, he will accept Rhegium!"
… …
"Enough! All of you be quiet!!" Artilikrus roared, stunning everyone.
"The Syracuseans are still at sea, and you are already panicking like this! If they were to land, wouldn't you surrender immediately! Look at yourselves, you're not even as good as ordinary citizen soldiers! Dionysius has long wanted to occupy Rhegium in order to monopolize the Strait of Messina and obtain huge wealth. He will not agree to our peace talks! Anyone who speaks of betraying the interests of the city-state again, I will have the guards send him to the sea to feed the fish!…" Artilikrus scolded angrily, not only scaring the person who had just said 'peace talks' into lowering his head, but also making the others look ashamed.
Then, he turned his gaze to the only man in the town hall who was not shouting or panicking, and asked with a serious expression: "Phidun, facing this terrible situation, what suggestions do you have?"
Phidun, known as the least Rhegium-like citizen of Rhegium, was tenacious, serious, and decisive. When he was first elected as a general, he ignored everyone's persuasion and pleas and strictly investigated tax evasion in the port, which offended a large number of Rhegium merchants. Rhegium was originally a city-state with developed trade, and many council members composed of wealthy people interfered, and Phidun was never re-elected as general or council member. It was not until last year, when Syracuse's military force had reached the opposite side of the strait, that the panicked Rhegium people remembered this courageous citizen again, and he was re-elected as general.
At this moment, he said with a solemn expression: "The Syracuse army landed in Lokri, although it is not far from Rhegium, the Montalto Mountains (the southernmost part of the Apennine Mountains, with the highest peak nearly 2000 meters) are difficult to cross. If Syracuse wants to attack us, they can only reach Lokri by taking the rugged mountain road along the coast. Therefore, as long as we send troops to guard the mountain pass, no matter how many Syracuse soldiers there are, they will not be able to exert their strength…"
Artilikrus said excitedly: "You have the same idea as me!"
Phidun did not care that the chief general was trying to take credit for his idea, but continued: "Of course, we must be careful of the Syracuseans going west from Lokri, passing through the famous ancient road connecting the east and west coasts, reaching Medma, and then heading south to attack Tauriana, thereby opening up a passage to attack Rhegium!"
"This is indeed a very worrying problem!" After Phidun said this, Artilikrus's chaotic thoughts were cleared up.
His eyebrows furrowed tightly, he pondered for a while, and said loudly: "We must remind Tauriana to strengthen its defenses and be vigilant against enemies that may come from the north! Moreover, we must also send troops to reinforce Tauriana, otherwise, with its strength, even with the Maro River as a barrier, it will be difficult to resist the Syracuse army's attack!"
The previously panicked people were now nodding in agreement.
Artilikrus ignored them, but asked in an urgent and humble tone: "Phidun, what else do we need to consider?"
"The outbreak of this war will inevitably cut off our trade routes. Gentlemen, please stop worrying about your own trade." Phidun said seriously: "Our original warships, even if they stay here, are no match for the Syracuse fleet. It is better to hand them over to Daonia, at least they can put together a relatively strong fleet and create some trouble for the Syracuseans…"
Some people looked ashamed after hearing Phidun's words.
"You are absolutely right! That's why I want to hand over the warships to the Daonians!" Artilikrus immediately took over the conversation.
Someone retorted disapprovingly: "The Syracuseans are not fools, they may use the fleet to bypass the coastal path and land near Rhegium!"
Phidun shook his head and said: "We all know that most of the coastline near the Strait of Messina is cliffs and reefs. There are very few good beaches and bays, and the two best ones are occupied by us (referring to the city and port of Rhegium, which are located in two places). Therefore, we only need to garrison the remaining few beaches. I believe that no matter how strong the Syracuse army is, they will not dare to land in front of our well-defended battle formation at the cost of huge sacrifices."
Phidun's words dispelled a lot of the panic in everyone's hearts, and Artilikrus took the opportunity to say: "Now I propose that Phidun be appointed as the commander of the Rhegium army."
Almost no one objected.
Phidun solemnly accepted the appointment and then said to the chief general: "Lord Artilikrus, while strengthening our defenses, we must also immediately seek help from Daonia! If Syracuse and Lokri attack Tauriana with all their strength, even if the soldiers of our two cities are combined, it will be difficult to resist!"
"Don't worry." Artilikrus had already figured out the key point at this moment. He forced a smile and said: "The news of the Syracuseans landing in Lokri will soon be known to Daonia, Kroton, Siris… These city-states will soon form the Southern Italy Alliance army. How dare the Syracuseans deal with us with all their strength when facing a major war?!"
"That's right! That's right!…" The others echoed.
"Of course, we must also quickly contact Daonia and tell them about our current situation, and discuss the next steps together… Considering that there are already enemy fleets patrolling the eastern waters of Magna Graecia, we must immediately send an envoy on a fast ship, take the west coast to the port of Knapeteia, and go to Thurii…" Artilikrus made a decision.
… … … … … … … … … … …
The shocking news of "the Syracuse army landing in Lokri" quickly spread throughout Magna Graecia. The Daionian people's reaction was much calmer than that of the people of other city-states. Having never suffered defeat, they firmly believed in their legions, their Senate, and especially in their miraculous Consul.
Cunogolata and Kornelius ran into each other on their way to the Senate.
"The worst thing has finally happened, the Syracuseans have really come. I heard that the army led by Dionysius numbers no less than one hundred thousand!" Kornelius said with a worried expression as he walked.
"So we must immediately have Hieronimus build the two new legions!" Cunogolata's mood was not much better than Kornelius's: "Feliscius and Ancytanos should already know the news, I hope they can urge Kroton, Siris… These allies to quickly organize the allied forces!"
"When a storm comes, everyone is on the same boat, and no one can escape. I believe that this time Kroton and Siris will probably not hesitate any longer." Kornelius was quite sure of this.
"Yes, now we can only rely on them for the time being!" Cunogolata sighed. Only in times of crisis did he realize how much the Daionian people, the Senate, and himself relied on that young Consul: "Where is Davos? Does he already know the news of the Syracuse army's invasion?"
"Yesterday, an urgent report came from the north that Lord Davos had led his army to the Lara River Fortress, preparing to go to Laos and take a boat to Pyxous… It takes a day for a messenger to travel from the Lara River Fortress to Thurii at full speed. I believe he has already reached Pyxous and is with Antaolis, and will soon know the news of 'Syracuse's invasion of Magna Graecia'." Kornelius said.
The senators of the Senate were closely watching Davos's movements. Cunogolata had been helping Sekelian build a naval port these days and was so busy that he forgot to inquire about Davos's news.
"I hope he can defeat the Samnites soon! And come back soon!" Cunogolata said expectantly.
At this time, the two of them were about to cross Victory Square, and a group of children were playing in the square. Some young people were practicing running around the square (mainly because the arena and other venues in Thurii were occupied by the people for ball games, resulting in insufficient venues in the rapidly expanding Thurii urban area for people to use for fitness and sports training). Some old people were leaning on the steps or memorial columns, lying on the ground basking in the sun, and some people were slowly reading books that they had just copied from the library…
In the center of the square, there was a temporary wooden platform, and teachers from the Academy of Mathematics were popularizing simple arithmetic knowledge to the people, which attracted many people to watch and listen and learn (this practice was a good habit developed by two disciples of Pythagoras in Amendolara, and has been adhered to because Mento Tikes, the dean of the Academy of Mathematics, has always believed that this is the best way to expand the influence of their academy and attract good students).
Since Lysias became the dean of the Academy of Literature, he was not willing to be outdone. Every day, he also sent teachers to Victory Square, standing in front of the law announcement board under the steps of the Senate, reading the newly promulgated law announcement to the people, explaining the application of some common grammar, pointing out some rhetorical errors in the announcement (which made the Senate scribes very careful, for fear of making mistakes), and incidentally talking about the legal provisions of Daonia, as well as debate skills, which naturally attracted many people to listen and learn.
Such a lively square naturally lacked merchants. Although the Thurii City Hall had regulations: merchants were not allowed to set up stalls in the square. But this could not stop the shrewd Greek merchants. They carried wooden baskets and pushed wooden carts, filled with snacks, fruits, pulp, etc., constantly wandering around the square, earning a lot of money in a day… Even today, when the Syracuse army was attacking, the liveliness of the square had not diminished by half.
Standing on the steps in front of the Senate, Cunogolata looked back at everything before him. The harmony and stability of the square stirred up painful memories in his heart, and his expression gradually became firm: "The Daonian League's achievements today have not been easy, and we must not allow the Syracuse people to destroy it!"
Cornelius, who also had painful memories, had lost his usual gentleness at this moment: "Even if we donate all of our gold and silver, we must win this war! Only in this way can the Daonian people have a future!"
Secrian had been very busy these past few days. On the one hand, he had to reorganize the mixed fleet from various allied states that had just gathered in Thurii, establish the affiliation of each sub-fleet, and arrange accommodation and food for the sailors, etc. He also had to maintain warships, install 'crows,' and handle many other matters. On the other hand, he also had to participate in and guide the construction of dry docks, the construction of naval ports, and the establishment of security lines to prevent anyone from approaching to watch naval training, lest secrets be leaked.
Now, the section of the river from the port to the Temple of Hera had become a large construction site. Thousands of Daonian people were enthusiastically building and expanding the naval base. With the assistance of the Military Affairs Department and the Thurii City Hall, Secrian was much more relaxed, but what he was most anxious about was that the two new legions had not yet been formed, and his new tactics could not be practiced at all.
Therefore, when the news came that "the Syracuse army had landed in Locri, and a fleet of nearly 500 Syracuse warships was arrayed on the northern sea of Locri to protect the Syracuse troop transport fleet," not only did Davos's initial warning and plan come to mind, but he himself did not have the slightest desire to go to war.
In the Southern Italy Alliance headquarters in Siri, representatives of various city-states, led by Ansitarnos, put aside unnecessary disputes in the face of the crisis and quickly reached an agreement: each city-state in the Southern Italy Alliance would do its best to send as many troops as possible to form a joint army, and Philius would temporarily serve as the commander of the joint army. If Davos led the team, the position of commander would naturally belong to him, but he was not present, so the representatives of the city-states believed that Philius's prestige was not enough to completely convince the generals of other city-states, so he could only temporarily act as commander, and any important decisions had to be collectively discussed and decided by Philius with the generals of other city-states. In addition, the joint army could freely march, station, and build camps in any city-state or territory of the Southern Italy Alliance. The supply of military rations would be provided by each city-state in proportion to its strength, with Daonian, of course, providing the most, and Croton and Regium also providing a lot. Fortunately, it was only the end of October at this time, and the autumn harvest had just ended, so the citizens of each city-state had sufficient surplus grain, and the reserve granaries specially set up within the Daonian League a few years ago were even full, so there was no worry about food shortage for the time being.
Once the agreement was reached, the representatives of each city-state immediately returned to their city-states to urge the dispatch of troops. Only two people did not move.
Ansitarnos did not move because Daonian had a pre-prepared plan before Davos left, and he only needed to sit in Siri and wait for the arrival of the Fourth and Fifth Legions.
The other person was the envoy from Caulonia—Yuri Patus. Because Caulonia was already at the forefront of the battlefield, the entire Caulonia had already begun war mobilization, preparing to defend against the Syracuse people's attack. As an envoy, he had a heavy responsibility and had to stay here to urge the reinforcements from other city-states to rush to Caulonia as soon as possible.
"Lord Ansitarnos, are you sure that the Daonian army has already set out?!" he asked anxiously again.
"When I set out from Asproustum City to come here, our Fourth Legion was already gathering soldiers in the square. Based on my understanding of our alliance's army, they should be on the road now."
"That's good! That's good!" Yuri Patus said, but his whole body was restless, as if he had sores on his buttocks. Then he asked again: "Has your Fifth Legion set out yet?!"
"The Daonian Fifth Legion Commander has no other hobbies. The only thing he likes is fighting. As soon as he receives an order, he will definitely gather the army and set out immediately. I even think that the Fifth Legion may have set out earlier than the Fourth Legion," Ansitarnos said seriously.
Yuri Patus's mood calmed down slightly.
Seeing that he was constantly tapping his feet and tapping the wooden table with his right hand, looking anxious, Ansitarnos couldn't help but remind him again: "I suggest that you go to the Siri City Hall nearby to urge them to mobilize the citizen soldiers as soon as possible."
Siri? Yuri Patus was a little puzzled: According to the agreement, their army was not going to Caulonia.
Ansitarnos explained to him seriously: "Although Siri, Trina, and Croton are responsible for defending the north bank of the Lamato River, if the Syracuse people really cross the Lamato River and bypass the north of Caulonia, then wouldn't our Southern Italy Alliance's plan to stop the Syracuse people in Locri and its allied territory fail?!"
Yuri Patus immediately woke up after this reminder and immediately stood up and said: "You're right, I'll go find Lord Pretinis now."
On this day, Dionysius encountered difficulties in Locri.
His original plan was for the entire fleet to sail north from Syracuse early in the morning and reach Locri in one day to complete the landing as soon as possible. Therefore, he specially asked the most experienced sailors to choose a good day when the Daonian main force was expeditioning to Potentia and the sea was calm.
The large fleet did arrive in Locri smoothly, but then encountered great trouble during the entry into the port.
Locri did not have a natural harbor like Syracuse, which could easily accommodate tens of thousands of ships as temporary moorings, and the port of Locri was not as large as Syracuse. It was already its limit to accommodate five or six hundred ships at a time. At the same time, Locri, as a city-state, had limited manpower and had never handled a series of landing procedures for nearly ten thousand ships at the dock, such as arrival, unloading, transportation, departure, and rotation. This required sufficient labor, orderly organization, strong management, and rich experience, all of which Locri did not have.
Moreover, in order to maintain secrecy and achieve the purpose of a surprise attack, Dionysius only sent a fast ship to inform Locri the day before, so Locri's preparation was not sufficient.
This resulted in a large amount of goods being unloaded from the ships and unable to be cleared in time, piling up on the dock, blocking the passage for the soldiers to go ashore, and even requiring the Syracuse soldiers to clear it themselves. The soldiers, who had been drifting at sea for almost a day, were very tired and eager to rest, so they were naturally resentful, and conflicts would occur with the dock workers at the slightest disagreement.
The ships that had finished unloading were eager to leave the dense gaps between the ships, and the ships that came to unload were eager to dock. How could the Locri officials in charge of dispatching take care of so many ships? As a result, collisions between ships and sailors falling into the water were often seen, and even several ships were hit and flooded due to hull damage, eventually capsizing.
Outside the port, thousands of ships were staying on the sea. Whether they were sailors or soldiers, they were very eager to go ashore and rest as soon as possible, while the ship owners were anxiously hoping to complete the task quickly and then leave, because they were worried that although the sea conditions were good now, the Mediterranean climate was changeable, and if a storm suddenly came, all these ships would be pushed to the shore, and everyone would have no room to escape and would be crushed together.
Dionysius was among the first to land. Seeing the chaotic scene that the port of Locri quickly fell into, he was extremely anxious and even got angry with his brother-in-law, Demodocus, who came to greet him.
But getting angry was useless. The problem was there and had to be solved as soon as possible. Therefore, Dionysius had to order the personnel who had already landed to act as laborers, listen to the command of the Locri port personnel, help carry goods, clear the dock, and mediate conflicts. At the same time, he reluctantly issued an order to let all the troop transport ships outside the port land on the beaches near Locri and let the soldiers go ashore.
After issuing these instructions, Dionysius knew that the bad situation in the port of Locri would be greatly improved, but a myriad of affairs would follow. Without two or three days of handling and repair, the Syracuse army would probably not be able to send troops.
In order to avoid seeing and being bothered, Dionysius left a few generals and ministers in charge of coordinating and directing the landing, and he took Phibidas and his entourage out of the port and entered the urban area of Locri.
Phibidas was in Locri for the first time and was cautiously looking at the buildings in the city when he heard Dionysius ask softly: "Phibidas, where do you think our first target should be?"
Phibidas glanced at him and then swept over the others who were farther behind him and separated by guards. He was strange in his heart: Because he had already expressed his views to this tyrant in Syracuse before, why hasn't he made up his mind yet?
So, he once again said affirmatively: "My first choice is still Caulonia."
Hearing this, Dionysius fell into silence: He understood Phibidas's intention to prevent them from forming a union by launching a swift attack while the various city-states in the Southern Italy Alliance had not yet prepared for war. But the reason why he hesitated was not because the Syracuse army landing in Magna Graecia was like a wolf entering a flock of sheep. There were too many fat sheep, and he didn't know which one to eat first, which made him suffer from choice phobia, but because he already had a goal in his heart, and that was—Regium.
Regium had repeatedly opposed him and even humiliated him, such as refusing his marriage proposal and marrying the woman he proposed to to the enemy of Syracuse—the Archon of Daonian, but these were only secondary reasons. The main reason was Regium's wealth and geographical location.
To understand, in order to prepare for this great war, Dionysius not only increased taxes on the citizens of Syracuse and exhausted his own treasury, but also borrowed money from the Cyrenaica city-state in Africa. He even had the idea of robbing the Delphi sanctuary, because there were gold and silver treasures donated to Delphi by various Greek city-states for hundreds of years, amounting to not just thousands, but hundreds of thousands, even millions (in real history, Dionysius really sent mercenaries disguised as bandits to attempt to rob Delphi during the occupation of Magna Graecia, but the conspiracy ultimately failed).
And if he occupied Rhegium, he could not only directly obtain a large amount of wealth to make up for the treasury deficit, but also completely monopolize the Strait of Messina. Relying solely on the taxes from passing merchant ships would be enough to maintain his long-term occupation of Magna Graecia. As for the idea of removing Rhegium, this "nail," from behind before the army went north to attack, purely from a military point of view, he didn't really care too much.
Phebidas was not in Dionysius's position, so of course he couldn't consider this war from an economic perspective, and thus understand Dionysius's hesitation. As a Spartan, stubborn as they are, although he had already stated his reasons for choosing Caulonia before setting off, he decided to say it again to strengthen Dionysius's resolve: "Although Rhegium is isolated by Locri, isolated from the Southern Italy League, it is not easy to attack! I have seen the map you gave me. There are insurmountable mountains in the center of Rhegium's north, and the eastern coast can only be reached by narrow mountain roads. To go to the western coast, you must first pass the Maro River and capture its sub-state, Tauriana, before opening the road to Rhegium. The Rhegians will definitely defend the southern bank of the Maro River with all their strength. That area is narrow and not conducive to the deployment of a large Syracusan army. It will take some time to enter Rhegium's territory. But the Southern Italy League will use this time to build up its army and prepare defenses against Caulonia and Terina. They may even attack Locri while we are attacking Rhegium, leaving us vulnerable on both sides... If it drags on until the strategos of Dhaonia leads the main force back from the Lucanian region, this war of ours in Magna Graecia will not be easy to fight!"
Phebidas's last two sentences shocked Dionysius. Although he said seemingly nonchalantly, "It probably won't be so easy for the Dhaonian army led by Davos to return from the Lucanian mountains. His troubles have only just begun!"
"As long as we seize the time and continue to attack north before the Southern Italy League is prepared for war, we will definitely be able to completely defeat their alliance. By then, Rhegium will be nothing more than a fish in a net, unable to escape. And even if Dhaonia's main force can return from the Lucanian region, it will not be of much help to the overall battlefield."
Dionysius didn't speak, but Phebidas's persuasion had made him make a decision.
… … … … … … … … … …
At dusk, the gate of the Southern Italy League headquarters was suddenly pushed open, and Eurybatos's attendant shouted, "My lord! My lord! The Dhaonian army has arrived!"
Eurybatos, who was drowsy with fatigue, couldn't believe his ears: They arrived so quickly!
In the afternoon, at his urging,
He personally saw the City Hall of Siris dispatch cavalry to the city and outside the city to notify all citizens. According to the usual practice of Greek city-states, the citizens of Siris, upon receiving the notice to participate in the war, would take at least a day to deal with their family affairs before picking up the weapons and equipment stored in their homes and rushing to the city square of Siris. It would already be considered relatively fast to complete the assembly and roll call of the citizen soldiers the day after tomorrow. And the formation of the troops, the preparation of supplies... After all preparations were completed, and finally the expedition... The chief general of Siris, Prettines, assured him that he would try to lead the team to depart three days later.
Eurybatos was already relatively satisfied with Siris's performance today compared to his own city-state's previous war preparations, so he only regarded Ansitarnos's words as this scholar's desire to express Dhaonia's positive attitude, and didn't believe in his heart that the Dhaonians could really do it. Therefore, when Dhaonia really sent troops to set off on the day they learned of the Syracusan invasion, and even really rushed to Siris, the surprise to Eurybatos was imaginable.
"Lord Ansitarnos, that's great! Thank you so much! ..." He hurriedly thanked the equally exhausted Ansitarnos.
Ansitarnos was not arrogant and waved his hand, saying, "This has nothing to do with me. You should thank the Dhaonian soldiers who have been rushing all the way. You know, it's more than eighty miles from Asproustum to Siris! It's really not easy to get there in one day!"
"You're right!" Getting Ansitarnos's reminder, Eurybatos hurriedly rushed out of the city.
When the two of them arrived, the soldiers of the Dhaonian Fourth Legion had already begun to simply build a camp beside the road south of Siris. Eurybatos saw that they were all shirtless and covered in sweat, and couldn't help but feel apologetic.
Under the guidance of the soldiers, the two of them found the commander, Pherichus, who was sitting on the grass discussing matters with the legion commander, Epithenes.
"Lord Ansitarnos, why are you here?" Epithenes, with sharp eyes, shouted first.
"You have worked so hard to rush over here, of course I have to come and see you." Ansitarnos said seriously. The rapid arrival of the Fourth Legion shocked Siris and other Southern Italy League city-states and set a very good example for the residents. It also gave Ansitarnos more weight in the alliance. He was proud of it.
"How can you come to visit empty-handed!" Epithenes said half jokingly and half seriously.
"Epithenes!" Pherichus quickly gave him a wink, signaling him not to speak too harshly.
Ansitarnos didn't care too much. After all, they often met in the Senate, and he knew what kind of person Epithenes was, so he also smiled and said, "Then what do you want me to bring?"
"It's not me, it's these soldiers who have worked hard all day, they are thirsty and don't have time to find water to drink, and they have to hurry to build the campsite..." Epithenes pointed to the soldiers who were still busy, and then pointed to his own parched lips: "Look, we are almost dying of thirst!"
"Oh dear, you guys really are too—" Eurybatos on the side was so excited that he didn't know what to say, and turned to his attendant and said, "You go back to the alliance residence immediately, call everyone together, go to various restaurants in the city to buy sour plum juice, and then have them send it here..."
"Hey, we have nearly 10,000 people here, and it is estimated that about 10,000 more soldiers from the Fifth Legion will arrive at night. It's not just a matter of water. We came too fast, and the supply camp is still behind. It is estimated that it will not arrive until tomorrow. Just eating these cold, hard breads is not enough to replenish the physical strength consumed by the soldiers during the long march." Epithenes took out his rations and waved them in front of Eurybatos, reminding him impolitely.
"He's joking with you!" Pherichus glared at Epithenes and said, "We have bread and meat floss, enough to fill our stomachs, you don't have to worry."
"I can't solve the food supply problem for so many soldiers in Siris, but as long as you get to Caulonia, I guarantee that the people of Caulonia will definitely let you eat your fill!" Eurybatos expressed his apology while subtly urging the Dhaonians. At the same time, he issued an order to his attendant: "If the sour plum juice in the city's restaurants is not enough, tell the citizens of Siris that as long as they send homemade sour plum juice here, we will pay double the price for each jar..."
The attendant responded and left.
"Thank you so much!" Pherichus hurried forward to express his gratitude.
"This is Eurybatos, the envoy of Caulonia." Ansitarnos hurriedly introduced.
"Oh." Epithenes curled his lips, thinking: So it's a Caulonian, you should pay for the water.
"I really didn't expect you to come so quickly. I didn't prepare anything, otherwise I should have held a banquet for you to express my gratitude!"
"There's no need for a banquet. Our military law does not allow generals and soldiers to eat and drink lavishly during wartime. We bring our own rations for a few days, just in case the supply camp can't keep up for a while. Then we really need to consider letting you Caulonians provide us with food first." As the commander, Pherichus had to consider some details.
"Of course there is no problem. I will send someone back to notify the city hall to prepare military rations tomorrow. I said just now that the people of Caulonia will definitely let the citizens of Dhaonia eat their fill!" Eurybatos readily agreed.
Looking at the countless soldiers in front of him digging ditches with picks, sweating profusely, but working enthusiastically, Eurybatos couldn't help but ask curiously, "You are already very tired from arriving here, you can just set up tents and rest, why do you have to dig trenches?"
"This is a regulation of the 'Dhaonian Military Law', mainly to provide the soldiers with a safer and more comfortable camp." Ansitarnos explained casually. Dhaonia has been established for a long time, and they, as "old-timers," also know some of the army's regulations.
"Your army's requirements are really strict!" As a citizen, Eurybatos certainly had many experiences in the army. Comparing himself to the Dhaonian soldiers in front of him, he couldn't help but sigh.
"This is still the simplest way to build a camp, because it's too late and it will be dark soon, so we only need to dig trenches and build earthworks. And this is within the territory of an allied state, so there shouldn't be any danger. If it were in a war zone, it would take several days just to build a camp!" Epithenes was both boasting and complaining: "The key is that our Fourth Legion not only has to build a camp for ourselves, but also for the Fifth Legion."
"They came from far away, so of course they arrived late." Felicius consoled him, saying, "The Fifth Legion owes your Fourth Legion a favor, and they will repay you in the future."
Epitenes sneered, "Commander, do you think Drakos is someone who knows gratitude?"
… … … … … … … … … … …
While the Syracusan army was landing in Locri, Davos's army had already arrived at Pyxous. Previously, he had sent a messenger to inform Antaolis, the chief administrator of Pyxous, that he must strictly block the news of the army's arrival. To this end, Antaolis even sent the port's only five small warships to temporarily intercept northbound merchant ships, forcing them to dock temporarily in the port of Pyxous, causing widespread complaints. However, when Davos arrived in Pyxous and heard about this, he greatly praised Antaolis for his decisive and careful actions, and for daring to take responsibility.
At this time, Antaolis was accompanying Archon Davos on an inspection of the city and port of Pyxous. Davos was quite satisfied with the order and construction of the entire city. He asked, "How many Daonian citizens are there in Pyxous now?"
"There are 4,523 formal citizens, 3,351 probationary citizens, and 5,117 registered freemen, totaling 12,991 people. The total population of Pyxous is about 53,000..." Antaolis said, reeling off the numbers.
"Oh, Pyxous has quite a large population!" Davos said, somewhat surprised.
"Sir, Pyxous was originally a large city in the Lucanian region, second only to Grumentum and Potentia. Moreover, it is a coastal city, and its attraction to Greek freemen is much greater than that of Lucanian cities such as Grumentum and Niuetum," Antaolis said with pride.
"So, there are many Greeks who have come here to settle?" Davos asked immediately.
"Yes. The Daonian formal citizens, probationary citizens, and freemen of Greek origin add up to almost 4,230 people. This number is increasing every day, mainly from Greeks from Tampalia."
"In just three years, the Greeks in Pyxous are almost half of the population!" Davos was again taken aback, and then asked worriedly, "Do they have many conflicts with the Lucanians usually?"
"There are some, but not too violent." Antaolis said with a relatively relaxed expression, "Because Pyxous had experienced many defeats before it was incorporated into our Daonia, the young and middle-aged Lucanians in the city suffered heavy casualties, which not only freed up a lot of land, but also caused most of the remaining people to lose their courage and ferocity. Moreover, their tribal settlements are mostly in the eastern mountains, mainly engaged in animal husbandry, while the Greeks here prefer the coastal plains, so the two sides can still live in peace. And also... well, the Greeks, mainly from Campania, are somewhat similar to the Lucanians in their living habits,
The two sides get along quite well..."
"It seems that you enjoy living here! And you are doing a very good job as the chief administrator, and you know the situation of the citizens of this city very well!" Davos praised him repeatedly, and at the same time, he was aroused by what he had said before and asked, "Lord Antaolis, please tell me more about the characteristics of these Campanians?"
"Sir, the Greeks of Campania are the least Greek-like Greeks I have ever seen, except for us Daonians."
Antaolis's words caught Davos's attention: "Oh, what do you mean by that?"
Antaolis thought for a while and said seriously, "I guess it may be because the Greeks of Campania have always been surrounded by foreign tribes (the Volsci to the north of Campania, the Lucanians to the south, the Samnites to the east, and the Phoenicians on the large island of Sardinia to the west, which is very close), so on the one hand, compared to the Greeks in other places who like freedom, the Campanians are very united and like to do things in groups; on the other hand, some of their living habits are also influenced by their surrounding neighbors, such as their love of eating beef and mutton, and their worship of some gods that do not belong to Greece, such as some Campanians also building the god Savoni (the Samnite god of war) worshipped by the Samnites, believing that it can avoid the harm of wild animals... In Pyxous, these characteristics of theirs are also very obvious."
Davos smiled and said earnestly, "Our alliance has Greeks, Lucanians, and Bruttians, and now we also have Campanian Greeks. In the future, there may be more races joining this alliance. Therefore, in dealing with conflicts between ethnic groups, we must first adhere to a principle - that is, tolerance, to tolerate their religions and their living habits; secondly, it is fairness, that everyone, regardless of race, is equal under Daonian law, and there must be no favoritism; and also, it is to guide them, to guide them to like our way of life, entertainment, competitions, military training... The most important thing is religion, Hades is the patron saint of Daonia, don't forget this! As time goes by, I believe that no matter who they were before, they will eventually become Daonians!"
Antaolis listened carefully, and then nodded convincingly and said, "Lord Davos, you are so right!"
"I'm just talking, in fact, you are already doing this in managing this city, aren't you!" Davos smiled self-deprecatingly: "If you want to speed up the integration of these races, it is best to find the common ground between them. During this time, I discussed with Ansitanos and discovered a secret—"
Davos looked at Antaolis, and seeing that he was listening attentively, he emphasized, "Heracles, this great Hercules is very famous among the various races in Italy, and some tribes even claim to be descendants of his descendants... I am going to propose in the Senate, 'to build a temple of Heracles in Thurii, and start his celebration activities, so that the people of all races in Daonia can celebrate this god'... Alas, it was only temporarily suspended because of the outbreak of the war. I think Pyxous can try to do it first, what do you think?"
"Sir, this is a good idea!" Antaolis praised sincerely: "In fact, there are already several altars of Heracles in Pyxous, on both the Lucanian and Campanian sides. I will try my best to build a large temple of Heracles, so that Pyxous will become the center of Heracles worship in this area!"
"Are you planning to steal the limelight from Thurii? I'm afraid Cunogolata will fight you to the death." Davos joked, and the two laughed.
The two talked and laughed on the way back to the City Hall. In this harmonious atmosphere, no one mentioned Euripus and Preades. In fact, there was no need to mention them, because they had become a thing of the past.
Back at the City Hall, Antonios, the commander of the First Legion, and Amintas, the commander of the Second Legion, were already waiting there.
"Sir, the camp has been built, and the soldiers have begun to rest." Antonios stepped forward immediately when he saw Davos enter and reported, "In addition, a messenger from the Third Legion has brought news that the Third Legion is already on its way to Pyxous and is expected to arrive by dusk."
"You say that Alexis was so frightened that he withdrew from Potentia without even engaging the Samnites in a head-on battle. Isn't that too embarrassing for our Daonian legions!" Amintas sneered with dissatisfaction from the side.
"If the Third Legion had really clashed head-on with the Samnite army, I'm afraid I would only be able to lead you, the First and Second Legions, with less than 20,000 men to face the Samnites' massive force of more than 40,000. How could we fight this battle?! Alexis gave up his own reputation for the victory of the entire war, and this prudent approach is undoubtedly very correct! It should be worth learning from you, especially you, Amintas!" Davos said sternly. Davos had already learned the detailed process of the Third Legion's encounter in Potentia from Antaolis a few days ago.
Amintas muttered a few words unwillingly, but didn't dare to speak loudly.
"Sir, these Samnites seem to be quite fierce. First, they set up an ambush, and then they took the initiative to send a large army to attack head-on, not giving the Third Legion any chance to breathe." Antonios interjected, "If the Samnites know that we are preparing to attack Poseidonia, will they send a large army to attack again?!"
"It would be good if the Samnites dared to come, I'm just afraid they won't come!" Davos began to carefully analyze the plan he had been considering for the past few days to the three people in the living room: "According to intelligence, the Samnites have always won more than they lost in previous battles with the Lucanians, and the Campanians have also been invaded by them for many years. It must be that the Samnites have always been very proud of their combat ability. In addition, this is the first time that the Samnites have dispatched so many warriors, and I am afraid that it will only increase their arrogant arrogance, and the Syracusans have contributed to this—" As he said this, he glanced at Antaolis.
Antaolis nodded and said, "Our patrol warships in the port have reported many times in the past few days, 'We have found a large number of Syracusan cargo ships heading north and entering the port of Poseidonia.' I think it is very likely that they are transporting grain to the Samnites."
"Damn Syracusans!" Amintas cursed angrily and shouted, "Sir, we should take advantage of the Samnites not knowing that we have arrived and quickly occupy Poseidonia, cutting off the Samnites' food supply!"
"That's a good idea." Davos didn't nod, and continued, "But Antaolis told me that the Samnites have their own port town in the south of Campania - Irna, otherwise they wouldn't dare to send an army of more than 40,000 people before taking down Poseidonia. Taking down Poseidonia is just adding some trouble to the Syracusans in transporting grain, but it will prolong the time for us to defeat them. What's more, Dionysius of Syracuse is already preparing to invade Magna Graecia, so we cannot engage in a protracted war of attrition with the Samnites!"
"Sir, do you already have a plan?" Antonios asked hastily.
Davos looked at the two legion commanders, his eyes gleaming: "Judging from the way the Samnites treated the Third Legion, their commander is a decisive and very proactive person, and the Samnites are also quite arrogant, so..."
... ... ... ...
The Syracuse army had been laboring all night, and accidents occurred frequently. As a result, almost all the soldiers were resting the next day.
The Syracuse army's camp stretched for more than ten miles, occupying all the open space from the western mountains to the coast of Locri, and also cutting off north-south traffic. Saying it was a camp, it was actually just tents hastily set up by the soldiers. The outer perimeter didn't even have simple fences and earthen barriers, completely lacking protection. Of course, the neighboring hostile city-states of Caulonia and Tauriana, west of the mountains, were already intimidated by Syracuse's massive force and were struggling to protect themselves, so they wouldn't dare to take the initiative to attack.
By noon, Dionysius had woken up from his deep sleep. He had just finished breakfast and was preparing to discuss military deployment with his relative Demodocus when he received an urgent report from a guard: about 20,000 allied troops from the Southern Italy League had appeared within the territory of Caulonia!
Dionysius was greatly surprised: his army had just arrived in Locri, and the Southern Italy League's reinforcements had arrived so quickly. How could it be so fast? Unless the enemy knew in advance that he would depart on that day, so they had prepared in advance. But how was that possible? He had only decided to go to war based on when the Samnites attacked Potentia and when Davos of Daonia led his army away from Thurii. Only two days had passed between arranging the expedition and the fleet's departure (although the army had already begun to gather outside the city of Syracuse and the fleet had already been prepared, but had been delayed in moving). In such a short time, these city-states of Magna Graecia could not have reacted so quickly, so he decided to personally investigate.
As the tyrant of Syracuse, Dionysius was not just a behind-the-scenes manipulator who only knew how to play tricks. He had once been a hero who resisted the Carthaginian invasion, otherwise he would not have been entrusted with high hopes by the panicked people at the time of Syracuse's crisis and ultimately elected as the general with full powers. Even after he had firmly sat on the tyrant's throne and no longer needed to personally charge into battle, he still occasionally led by example. A few years ago, when he led his army to attack Motya, a Carthaginian stronghold in Sicily, after a long siege, he heard from a surrendered soldier that 'there is a secret passage that leads directly to the core area of Motya'. He immediately personally led 2,000 daredevils to cross the steep mountain trails behind the mountain, attempting to raid the Motyans. As a result, he was unfortunately discovered by the enemy and surrounded. Fortunately, his subordinates saved him at the cost of their lives, and with the favor of the goddess of fate, he was able to escape disaster.
At this moment, he quickly took his military advisor Phibidas, the important Syracuse generals Fasipeisas and Astagaras, as well as the Numidian mercenary leader Asirita and 500 Numidian cavalry, and headed north.
From Locri to Caulonia was more than 60 li. Along the narrow and winding coast, the warhorses stepped on the somewhat bad and uneven muddy road, and after two hours, they entered the territory of Caulonia. Then, Dionysius saw the enemy cavalry patrolling ahead.
Seeing their all-black attire, Dionysius, who had carefully studied the armies of the Magna Graecia city-states, immediately made a judgment: "They are Daonian cavalry!"
Hearing this, Phibidas, who was also surprised at how quickly the Southern Italy League's reinforcements had arrived, seemed to have an answer: he had been paying attention to this Magna Graecia city-state alliance, which had once humiliated him, in recent years, and had some understanding of the Daonian army. This alliance, which valued military affairs like Sparta, was indeed very different from other Greek city-states in military aspects, and it was possible to arrive quickly.
The Numidian mercenary leader Asirita busily blew a few whistles, and 30 Numidian cavalry rushed over, while the ten Daonian scouts turned and ran.
The two sides began to chase, and the Numidian cavalry actually narrowed the distance. They tightly clamped their legs around the horse's belly,
In such a rapid gallop, they didn't even need to use their hands to hold the reins, but freed their hands, grabbing a few javelins in their left hand, drawing one out with their right hand, leaning their bodies slightly backward, and then throwing it forcefully.
More than a dozen javelins crisscrossed in the air, followed by several screams. Three Daonian cavalrymen were hit by javelins and fell from their horses, and two warhorses were also hit by javelins, neighing and jumping wildly, throwing the cavalrymen on their backs to the ground.
In just one encounter, half of the ten Daonian scouts were lost, causing the remaining Daonian cavalry to flee desperately towards the camp.
The Numidians captured two cavalrymen alive and escorted them to Dionysius.
Dionysius sat high on his horse, looked down at the two of them, and said coldly: "Tell me, how many soldiers have the Daonians come with? Who is leading them? What are the battle plans in Caulonia? Whoever speaks well, speaks in the most detail, I will release him."
The two Daonian prisoners looked at each other without speaking.
Dionysius didn't have the patience to wait for two unknown soldiers to speak. He snorted coldly: "Since you won't speak, then let the Numidians send you to cross the River Styx! Asirita!"
"Lord Dionysius, I'm here!" Asirita grinned hideously, revealing his jagged yellow teeth. His disheveled long hair covered most of his face. He jumped off his horse, drew the short sword from his waist, and as he approached step by step, one of the prisoners began to feel nervous.
When Asirita grabbed his shoulder and pointed the sharp tip of his sword at his throat, he cried out in panic: "I'll talk! I'll talk!"
Asirita looked back at Dionysius, who nodded.
He released the prisoner and waited for him to speak again.
At this time, the other prisoner shouted loudly: "Laches, are you crazy! Do you want your family and children in Thurii to never be able to hold their heads high and be spurned! Do you want yourself to fail the judgment of the underworld after death and have your soul pushed into the terrifying hell of mountains of knives and seas of fire!..."
"What are you waiting for!" Dionysius hurriedly shouted when he saw the hesitation and unease on the face of the prisoner who had heard his companion's call were dissipating.
Asirita immediately charged towards the other prisoner with his sword.
The soldier looked at the ferocious Numidian charging towards him, his expression calm. He called out to his teammate: "I'll wait for you in Elysium!"
The sharp sword cut through his neck, and blood spurted out like a spring. He didn't cry out in pain, but gritted his teeth and finally fell straight down.
Laches' face was grief-stricken, but his eyes became firm. He closed his eyes, straightened his chest, and shouted loudly: "Come on, give me a sword! My name will be in Valhalla!"
Asirita looked at Dionysius again.
Dionysius became inexplicably irritable, waved his hand forcefully, and then spurred his horse forward.
Phibidas watched the prisoner being executed, then rode his horse to catch up, and said with a sigh: "What brave warriors! If the Daonian soldiers were all like them, this war would be difficult to fight!" You must know that in wars between Greek city-states, both sides are mostly ordinary citizen-soldiers, and if the war turns unfavorable, they are prone to collapse and flee, and being captured and surrendering is common. It is rare for Leonidas to lead 300 Spartan warriors to defend Thermopylae to the death. Now, in addition to Sparta, there is also Daonia, how can Phibidas not be shocked.
"That Davos boasts that he is Hades' 'favored one', and these stupid Greeks actually believe it!" Dionysius said unhappily, and then he emphasized in a heavier tone: "The outcome of the war is determined by strength. Pretending to be favored by the gods cannot change the course of the battle!"
Phibidas didn't speak, but he felt uneasy in his heart.
... ... ... ...
"Commander, you see, our legion has been marching since yesterday, building a camp at night, and rushing to Caulonia early this morning, and we haven't had much rest until now. Can we just build the trenches and earthen barriers today and let the brothers get a good night's sleep, and then improve the camp tomorrow?" Epithenes requested of Pherisias.
Pherisias was somewhat hesitant. He certainly saw the soldiers' fatigue, but now that they were on the front lines of the battlefield, the Syracuse army could press over at any time. According to the 'Daonian Military Law', they had to speed up the construction of a solid camp. So he turned his head and asked Drakos, the commander of the Fifth Legion, who was sitting on the other side: "What do you think?"
Drakos, of course, replied without hesitation: "Even if they are tired, the soldiers must build the camp according to the military law, and then rest well at night."
"If your legion wants to continue working, you can do it yourselves. Our legion dug your legion's camp all night last night, so of course we are much more tired than you!" Epithenes glanced at Drakos and said dissatisfied.
"Alright, alright!" Pherisias quickly stepped in to smooth things over: "The brothers are indeed very tired, but..."
Pherisias was deliberating how to say his decision in a more tactful way when he saw Soberkos, the captain of the cavalry legion, rushing over.
While Davos was reforming the heavy infantry legion, he also promoted the original cavalry detachment to a legion. Cavalry is different from infantry, they are fewer in number and more expensive, and only citizens with warhorses can be competent. Davos set up the cavalry legion headquarters in Thurii, and usually sent training officers to be stationed in various cities to organize and train the cavalry according to plan. In wartime, they would be concentrated and assigned to the commanders of various war zones according to the needs of the battlefield situation.
As of now, the cavalry legion has a total of 2,000 cavalrymen, led by Legion Commander Lydes, with four captains under him, each leading 500 cavalrymen (for the military strength of the Magna Graecia city-states, 500 cavalry is already a considerable assault force). This time, Davos took two detachments of cavalry, a thousand men, on his expedition to Potentia, with 500 cavalry assigned to the southern front under the command of Pherisias, leaving only 500 cavalry to stay in Thurii, patrolling the coastline to prevent enemy surprise landings.
----
"Soberkos, what's wrong?" Felicius asked, seeing his serious expression.
"Commander." Even at over 50 years old, Soberkos was still agile and had a loud voice. He gave a crisp military salute: "My scouts report that about 500 cavalrymen are approaching the camp from the south."
"Are they Syracusans?" Felicius asked in a deep voice.
"I think so… These cavalrymen have no armor and are good at throwing javelins, which is very different from the Greek cavalry we've seen before," Soberkos answered seriously.
"Then what are you waiting for! Quickly send out your cavalry to drive these Syracusans away! Don't let them interfere with our soldiers building the camp," Drakos said immediately.
Soberkos was a little embarrassed and said in a low voice, "Our cavalry may not be their match… According to the scouts' reports, their horsemanship is superb, and their javelin throwing is quite accurate. Our ten cavalrymen were chased by them, and at a distance of 50 meters, they were actually closing in. They threw a volley of javelins, and we lost… five brothers…"
"The Syracusan cavalry is that strong?!" Epitenes was a little surprised. He knew the strength of the Daunian cavalry legion. Due to regular training, whether it was horsemanship, fighting, or tactical execution, he felt they were much stronger than the cavalry of those Greek city-states.
"They may be mercenaries hired by Syracuse. When Syracuse fought Carthage, it is said that they hired Celtic and Numidian cavalry. They are races that grew up on horseback since childhood, so it is normal for their horsemanship to be stronger than ours… Lord Davos specifically reminded me before I came," Felicius said with a solemn expression.
"Then let our Fifth Legion's light infantry battalion go out with your cavalry, Soberkos, and drive these cavalry away!" Drakos suggested decisively.
Felicius nodded in agreement.
… … … … … … … … … … … …
Dionysius led his men forward, and as they approached Caulonia, they saw a spectacular sight a few hundred meters away: thousands of men on the vast, flat land, wielding pickaxes and shovels to dig trenches, move earth, and build earthworks, while others were building wooden fences and watchtowers… Everyone was busy, yet everything seemed well-organized. This bustling construction site was not the only one in sight; it stretched eastward and westward, threatening to block the passage along the coast on this side of the mountain range.
Dionysius, Phobidas, Phasippus, and Astyages were all silent for a moment at the sight.
After a long while, Dionysius pointed to the Daunian camp under construction in front of them,
and said to Phasippus and Astyages with a reproachful tone: "Look at them, and then look at the army you lead!"
Phasippus and Astyages looked ashamed. They understood what Dionysius meant: both had rushed here hastily, but the Daunians were able to build their camp tirelessly, while the Syracuse army's camp was not a camp at all, but a chaotic mess, with soldiers sleeping soundly in haphazardly built tents…
"Lord, the Daunians are desperately building their camp to defend against our attack, and no one dares to attack our army, so—" Astyages wanted to explain, but Dionysius interrupted him sternly: "So the troops you lead can sleep soundly, waiting for the Great Greeks to surrender!"
The reason for Dionysius's anger was that in recent years, he had been learning some of the strengths of the Daunian army from the information coming from Daonia. On the other hand, some of the problems that had arisen during the war between Syracuse and Carthage were also prompting him to reform the Syracuse army. He clearly separated the heavy infantry, cavalry, infantry, cavalry, siege units, and navy into separate units, coordinating their operations under unified and more effective command. In order to enable the generals and soldiers to skillfully use the new tactics, he also learned from Daonia, increasing the number of military training sessions for citizens, and formulating stricter military regulations to ensure that the army could execute orders. After this reform, Syracuse was able to maintain the upper hand in the second war with Carthage. However, the scene before him made him feel the gap between his army and the Daunian soldiers in terms of spirit, will, and order execution, so this burst of anger stemmed from his jealousy and anxiety, and Astyages was just a tool for him to vent his anger.
This was indeed a bit unfair to Astyages, but just as he wanted to defend himself, Phasippus, another important general of Syracuse, secretly tugged at his clothes and said respectfully, "Lord, don't worry, we will gather the army and have them rebuild the camp."
Dionysius's expression then softened slightly.
At this time, Axirita, the leader of the Numidian mercenaries, stepped forward as if to take credit, saying, "Lord, the enemy is now building a camp, which is a good opportunity for a sneak attack. Let me lead my people to charge over."
Before Dionysius could answer, Phobidas, who had been closely observing the Daunian camp, said, "Don't rush. The Daunian army is coming."
They saw several teams of cavalry and infantry pouring out from the reserved passages in the Daunian camp under construction, quickly forming a formation in front of the camp, with cavalry on the flanks and light infantry in the middle, and then advancing towards Dionysius and his men without hesitation.
"It doesn't matter how many Daunians come. Lord, please allow me to lead my people to attack. I will have my warriors first flank their cavalry, disrupt their formation, and then take advantage of the chaos to attack the light infantry in the middle, and let them taste the power of the Numidian cavalry!"
"We should go back!" Phobidas said suddenly, with a hint of anxiety in his voice.
Dionysius glanced at him in surprise. Since leaving Syracuse, this was the first time he had seen the cold and straightforward Spartan a little out of sorts. However, as the commander of the army, he had more important things to do, and it was not necessary to entangle with small enemy units at this time. Therefore, he listened to Phobidas's advice and ordered a retreat.
Although Axirita was unruly, he was still full of awe for his employer, who did not show his emotions. He reluctantly called back the eager Numidian cavalry and followed behind Dionysius.
When Felicius learned of the enemy's retreat, he said sternly to the two legion commanders, "You have all seen that the Syracuse army will soon attack, and we must build our camp as soon as possible!"
Epitenes had no objections this time.
… … … … … … … … … … … … …
On the way back to Locri, Dionysius asked, "Phobidas, now that the Daunians are building a camp in Caulonia, obviously wanting to defend against our northward advance, what do you think we should do next?"
"We must not let the Daunians build a strong camp here and use the narrow terrain to offset our numerical advantage, thereby wasting our time! We must invade the territories of the city-states of Terina and Siris as soon as possible. The terrain there is wide, which is conducive to our army's operations. We can force them to engage in a direct battle with us, and then defeat them and occupy their cities! In this way, Daonia will have no helpers, and the main force will still be trapped in Potentia, which is a good opportunity for us to eliminate them!" When he said the last sentence, Phobidas's expression was even a little ferocious.
Dionysius looked at him curiously. Although he did not understand why Phobidas had suddenly increased his animosity towards the Daunians, it was exactly what he wanted.
So, after pondering for a long time, he made up his mind, called the commanding general, and gave the order in a deep voice: "Astyages, Phasippus, you must immediately reorganize the army after you return. Tomorrow! I want to launch an attack on Caulonia and Terina tomorrow!"
"Yes, Lord!"
Phobidas listened to their conversation and was pleased to see Dionysius arranging things according to his advice, but the scene he had just seen was still replaying in his mind again and again: whether it was cavalry or light infantry, the Daunians were all uniformly black, and he could even vaguely see that their cavalry's leather shields seemed to be painted with the same pattern. Although he had not seen the Daunian heavy infantry, the light infantry and cavalry were already like this, so the heavy infantry's attire must also be quite uniform.
Dionysius had obtained detailed information about the Daunian army in advance and was not too surprised. But for the Spartan Phobidas, through the Daunians' uniform attire and the oppressive black color, he saw something deeper.
When the citizens of Athens, Corinth, Thebes, and other city-states flaunted their rich and colorful artistic aesthetics and entertainment, and even painted various exquisite patterns on their round shields, which they had not used for half a year and had accumulated dust, to show their personality and taste, the Spartan warriors secretly laughed. Because since the Spartan regent Lycurgus implemented reforms hundreds of years ago, they, who had been trained under whips and sticks since childhood, had long summarized the essence of war in hundreds of years of conquest: that is, not caring about any means, only for the final victory!
The Spartans claimed to be descendants of Heracles, but they actually worshiped wolves more. Their army fought like a pack of wolves, emphasizing discipline, unity, and psychological deterrence. Even if each individual was very capable of fighting, they would never allow individuals to fight alone.
Therefore, when the armies of other city-states fought against Sparta, they saw rows of dazzling copper walls and iron walls (because Spartan warriors had to wipe their shields and spears until they were shiny when fighting) and crimson cloaks dyed the color of blood, as well as the uniform "∧" symbol on the round shields.
When the trumpeters blew their chilling high-pitched calls, and the Spartan warriors chanted their awe-inspiring hymns to ancient heroes, marching in unison towards them, these Greek city-state soldiers would often break down psychologically. Before even engaging in battle, they would turn and flee, unwilling to risk confronting Sparta. Relying on this terrifying atmosphere created on the battlefield through the unified action of their army, and on countless bloody massacres, the Spartans had intimidated the other city-states of mainland Greece for centuries.
The sheer size of Syracuse's army had never worried Phayllus before. However, the tenacity and obedience of the Daunian army, combined with their uniform appearance, now stirred fear within him. He seemed to see another Spartan army, though they wore black instead of red, and their numbers far exceeded those of Sparta…
The Mediterranean only needs one Sparta! Phayllus thought intensely.
… … … … … … … … … … … …
As soon as Alexis led the Third Legion to Picentia, Davos barely had time to exchange a few pleasantries before directly outlining his battle plan. After gaining Alexis's approval, Davos immediately ordered him to lead the Third Legion north to attack Poseidonia.
The coastal region from Picentia to Poseidonia is not as flat as the eastern coast of southern Italy, from Thurii to Croton and then to Locri. Instead, it is mostly mountainous and hilly, with rugged and uneven terrain.
During their arduous march, the Third Legion also had to pass through Velia.
As a city-state of the Daunian League, Velia's chief general, Cagnus, did not hesitate upon receiving the news. He personally gathered 1,500 citizen soldiers and joined the ranks of the Third Legion. After all, since the Samnites had occupied Poseidonia, Velia was directly exposed to the fierce Samnites' military threat. The people of Velia hoped that Daonia could repel this vicious wolf from the north and restore peace to Velia.
Half a day after the Third Legion departed, Davos led the First and Second Legions north as well.
Antanoris, the administrative officer of Picentia, was also busy. He had to assist in preparing supplies for these 30,000 soldiers. The amount of food consumed by such a large army was naturally staggering. Picentia alone could not meet the demand. Fortunately, Daonia had reserve granaries in Grumentum, which could temporarily satisfy the needs of so many people for short-term combat. If the fighting lasted longer, it would be necessary to draw on the granaries of Cosentia as well, which was why Davos wanted to expedite the operation. Antanoris also had to prepare carts and manpower, under the command and guidance of the legion's quartermaster corps, to transport the grain and supplies to Davos's front-line camp. This was originally a complex, cumbersome, and manpower-intensive task, but with the experienced quartermaster corps in charge, the assistance of the capable Antanoris, and the active cooperation of Bagulus, the administrative officer of Grumentum, everything proceeded smoothly.
… … … … … … … … … …
In the afternoon,
after the Third Legion joined forces with the Velian army, they turned towards the northeast, preparing to bypass the extensive mountain range just north of Velia's coast, with Poseidonia lying to the north of the mountains.
Halfway there, the Third Legion halted its advance and began to build a camp.
The commotion they created was significant, and they were easily discovered by Samnite scouts.
"What did you say?! The Daunians have appeared south of Mount Stella and are encamped on the banks of the Alento River?!" Pentney chieftain Pixinnus, who was gorging himself on delicacies in the Poseidonia city lord's residence, was greatly startled.
"Yes, chieftain. There are over ten thousand of them! And we secretly approached their camp and discovered that the large flags erected in their camp bore the words 'Third Legion'!"
"The Daunian Third Legion! Aren't they supposed to be in Grumentum?! How did they get here?!" Pixinnus lost his appetite at that moment, throwing the mutton he had barely taken a few bites of onto the table, and lowering his head to wipe the grease from his mouth onto his already filthy leather robe.
"I think the Daunians must have heard that we had captured Poseidonia and rushed here to try to take it back," another chieftain, Mobucus, speculated.
"The Daunians have brought ten thousand men, while we only have three thousand warriors! And they came so quickly that we haven't had time to repair the places in the city walls of Poseidonia that were destroyed by our ballistae. How can we defend against their attack?!" Pixinnus paced back and forth in the room, agitated.
"So we must immediately send someone to Potentia to ask the grand chieftain for reinforcements!" Mobucus reminded him.
"That's for sure! Also… you immediately notify the warriors that no matter how late they work tonight, they must repair those gaps in the city walls for me!" Pixinnus slammed his fist heavily on the wooden table.
… … … … … … … … … …
At dusk, Alexis dispatched all the members of the scouting teams to drive away and capture the Samnite scouts in the surrounding area.
That night, the twenty thousand troops led by Davos quietly entered the city of Velia. The people of Velia, who had been notified in advance by Alexis, had already vacated places for the Daunian army to reside.
… … … … … … … … … … … …
On the same day, in Locri, the large army of Syracuse finally assembled, and the reports from the scouts surprised Dionysius and the others: in just a day and a half, the Daunian camp had already taken shape.
This news further strengthened his resolve to execute his new plan: to divide the army into two parts, with over twenty thousand men led by Pharsipes, joining forces with over ten thousand soldiers from Locri, for a total of forty thousand men, to attempt to attack the Daunian camp in order to contain them. Meanwhile, he himself would personally lead over fifty thousand troops, crossing the ancient road through the mountains to reach the west coast of Magna Graecia, and then march north…
To prevent delays and slow down the advance, Dionysius's army did not carry large amounts of supplies. Instead, he had the fleet in Locri fully loaded with materials, set off from the port, bypassed the Strait of Messina to the south, and then sailed north along the west coast of Magna Graecia, accompanying the army on land.
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When the Rhegians saw the endless stream of Syracusan ships passing by in the distance, one after another, their fear can be imagined. Some even shouted in panic: "The Syracusans are coming! They are going to land!!…"
Later, it was proven to be a false alarm, but it did cause great panic among the Rhegian people at the time. Even many councilors in the assembly demanded that the troops in Tauriana be recalled to defend against a Syracusan landing attack.
Artilectus was also at a loss for a moment and immediately sent messengers to Tauriana.
In Tauriana, Phydo first received a scout report: the Syracusan army was discovered crossing the ancient road through the mountains, advancing towards Medma. The vanguard cavalry had already passed through the city of Medma and was continuing to advance.
Then, a lighthouse keeper from the port sent an urgent report: a Syracusan fleet consisting of thousands of cargo ships was discovered passing by Tauriana, heading north.
An hour later, a Rhegian merchant ship that had hurriedly entered the port of Tauriana from the north reported: the Syracusan fleet did not enter Medma but continued north.
"It seems Syracuse is preparing to attack Terina to the north, so we are temporarily safe now," Crilotas, the general in charge of leading the troops in Tauriana, breathed a sigh of relief.
Phydo's expression, however, did not ease. He said with a gloomy face: "If the Allied forces of Southern Italy to the north are defeated, it is only a matter of time before Rhegium and Tauriana are attacked."
"Then it depends on whether our allies can withstand the Syracusan attack, or even defeat them…" Crilotas was drawn into thought by Phydo's words. He said with some anticipation, and then, seemingly feeling that this hope was somewhat slim, sighed and said: "It's a pity that Davos, the chief magistrate of Daonia, led his main force to resist the Samnites! If he could lead his troops back in time, the allies' chances of winning would increase a lot!"
"So we cannot let the Syracusans attack so easily!" Phydo said loudly with a determined expression.
Crilotas was shocked.
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In the afternoon, the messengers from Rhegium arrived in Tauriana, sternly demanding that Phydo lead his troops back.
Phydo deliberately stalled for time while urgently sending his subordinates back to Rhegium.
By dusk, Phydo was still unable to gather the soldiers, so he postponed the return to the next day under the pretext of "being unable to march in the dark."
Early the next morning, Artilectus, who had discovered that the Syracusan fleet had already left Tauriana and had not launched an attack on Rhegium, canceled the order to recall the troops at the request of Phydo's subordinate.
His subordinate quickly rushed back to Tauriana with his urgent letter, preventing the Rhegian army from marching back and forth unnecessarily. But that's another story.
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On this day, in order to speed up the march of the vast mixed army of Syracuse, Dionysius came up with many ways. The most effective was that he sent people to each unit to proclaim: whoever arrives in Hipponium first, after breaking through the enemy's city, he will allow them to enter the city first, while the army that arrives last will have no right to share the spoils of war.
Dionysius's troops were not as disciplined as the Daunian army because there were many mercenaries. In order to maintain high morale, his troops often engaged in burning, killing, and looting in the city after breaking through it, as they did in Motya, Catana, and Naxos, Greek city-states in Sicily. In fact, Syracuse's destruction of the Greek city-states in Sicily was no less than that of the Carthaginians, which is why the Sicilian Greeks feared yet hated Dionysius.
Dionysius's words indeed had a motivating effect. The units sped up their advance, vying to be the first, with the Numidian cavalry and Celtic cavalry rushing to the front.