Arsesias coughed a few times and continued, "...Syracuse's main camp is about 24 miles east of Siris. There are more hills in this direction, but generally the terrain is relatively flat. Therefore, although the Syracusans are staying in their camp today, their mercenary cavalry are rampaging through the territory of Siris, destroying farmland and orchards, burning villages and houses, and killing dozens of our scouts..."
"How many soldiers are there in the Syracuse camp?" Ascamas asked.
"According to observations over the past two days, I'm afraid there are more than 50,000 people!" Arsesias replied.
50,000 people! Ascamas thought for a moment, then turned to ask, "Philius, how many enemies did you encounter in Caulonia?"
"No less than 40,000 people," Philius answered truthfully.
"If we add the troops from Medma and Hipponium, the Syracusans' offensive against our South Italian League this time should exceed—" Ascamas solemnly uttered a number: "100,000!"
Everyone present looked grave upon hearing this number. This was, to date, not only the largest army in Magna Graecia and the western Mediterranean but in the entire history of the Greek world!
"And the number of allied forces here, including the citizens' militia of Terina, is only nearly 60,000," Praetines sighed. "Unfortunately, Rhegium is separated to the south and cannot join us, and Caulonia is now besieged. Most importantly—"
Praetines looked at Philius and Ansitaneus and said regretfully, "Lord Davos is leading the main force of Daonia in the Lucanian region. If they were all gathered in Siris, we wouldn't have to fear the Syracusans at all, even if they had 100,000 men!"
"We oversimplified things before. When making plans, we always thought too much about the good side. Once we started implementing them, we realized there were so many problems," Ansitaneus was both blaming Daonia and trying to exonerate the allied leaders who participated in the discussion at the time. "Some things happened suddenly, catching people off guard! For example, the invasion of the Samnites was completely unexpected! It can only be said that Dionysius must have been preparing for this invasion for a long time."
Ansitaneus's words were obviously a bit like boosting the enemy's morale and diminishing his own. Ascamas snorted lightly and was about to speak when—
Asopius preemptively asked, "When will Lord Davos be able to lead his troops back?"
"We haven't received any news yet. But Lord Davos has never failed in military affairs, so I believe he will soon be able to repel the savage and backward Samnites and rush to join us," Ansitaneus comforted.
Philius seized the opportunity to continue his words:
"So, we should now fortify our camp outside the city of Siris, supporting each other with the city, focusing on defense, holding back the Syracusan army, and waiting for Lord Davos to lead his troops back before engaging in a decisive battle with the Syracusans!"
Ascamas sneered twice, "Listen to you, 'Lord Davos, Lord Davos.' Without Davos, are all the generals of our South Italian League incapable of commanding battles?!"
Philius's expression changed slightly upon hearing this. Ansitaneus frowned. Arsesias's expression was somewhat displeased.
Ascamas looked at Philius with disdain, "I ask you, how many days does it take to go from Thurii to Potentia?"
"About five or six days along the most convenient route," Philius replied truthfully, despite being angry at what he had just said.
"In other words, according to the dates, Davos may have just arrived in Potentia. Then how many days does it take to get from Potentia to here?"
"About nine or ten days."
"Hmm, ten days, and that doesn't include the number of days needed to defeat the Samnites. We Crotoniates have never dealt with the Samnites, but since they are natives living in the mountains, their combat methods are very likely similar to those of the Bruttians. They rarely engage in head-on battles in the mountains, but like wolves, they like to hide and ambush, which means it is difficult to defeat them quickly through a decisive battle. It is impossible to end the war quickly! General Philius, I know there are many Bruttians in your troops, so you should be clearer about this than I am!" Ascamas's tone was even more sarcastic. "Even if Davos has strong command abilities and can return to Siris within 20 days...that's the shortest time I can give him! But in these 20 days, do you think the 40,000-plus enemies who fought against you before might occupy Caulonia?! I heard that the Syracusans have a siege weapon called a ballista, which they used to capture several Carthaginian cities in previous wars with Carthage..."
Philius's expression changed again. After defeating the Syracusan raiding force, they had captured Syracusan ballistas. According to the ballista captain, it was very similar to Daonia's ballistas, although it was not as good as Daonia's in terms of aiming angle and accuracy, it was much more powerful. After all, it was larger than Daonia's siege ballistas, and the stone bullets used were naturally larger as well. Remembering Phrinicius's confidence in defending the city when he left, Philius felt uneasy and had no choice but to remain silent.
Askaramas, seeing this, continued, "If that mixed army of Syracuse and Locri captures Caulonia with ballistae and then rushes to join us in Silentea, they only need to detach a small portion of their forces to besiege Trina. We will have no way to stop them. Then, how many days can Trina hold out?"
Asopius's face immediately turned pale.
"By the time Lord Davos truly leads his army here, I fear even the outskirts of Silentea will be a wasteland." Askaramas's next words made Pretinus and Asesias also unable to sit still.
After Pretinus and Asesias exchanged glances and reached an agreement, Asesias slammed his hand on the wooden table, stood up, and said loudly, "Gentlemen, we can't wait any longer! We should take advantage of the fact that the two Syracusan armies have not yet joined forces and launch an attack on the Syracusan army here!"
Philistius frowned and asked, "Attack? How do we attack?! Are we going to forcibly attack the Syracusan camp?!"
"Send a challenge! According to the soldiers who retreated from the Cortale River, 'They saw the Syracusans erecting a large Syracusan military flag at the rear when they were crossing the river.' The tyrant of Syracuse, that Dionysius, should be in this army. We will follow the ancient tradition and send him a challenge, inviting him to a battle between the two armies. This tyrannical and arrogant dictator calls himself the 'Master of Sicily'… He shouldn't… He shouldn't allow himself to appear fearful in front of his men and refuse to fight. Then, the Greek people under his tyrannical rule will see through his cowardice and weakness!" Asesias said, not very confidently.
"This is a good idea! We of Trina will also do our best to send more soldiers to join you. This way, the number of soldiers in our allied forces will greatly exceed the number of Syracusan soldiers here!" At this moment, Asopius also proactively made a commitment.
"But Dionysius is very likely to refuse a battle when there is a disparity in troop strength," Philistius cautiously reminded.
"If the Syracusans don't dare to come out and fight, then we will forcibly attack their camp!" Askaramas took over the conversation and added, "I have observed the Syracusan camp. The camp they built is far less sturdy than yours, Daunians. Isn't your army also equipped with ballistae? Then, keep throwing stone projectiles at the Syracusan camp until you force these cowardly Syracusans to come out and fight!" As a neighbor of Daonia, Croton paid more attention to the Daunian army.
"That's right, Lord Askaramas, let's do it that way!" Asesias excitedly echoed.
"Lord Philistius, what do you think?" Pretinus's question made everyone's eyes focus on Philistius.
Faced with everyone's expectant gazes, Philistius felt like he was sitting on pins and needles, but he was unable to give an answer.
Seeing that everyone's expressions were gradually becoming impatient, Ancytanos stood up and said, "Gentlemen, please allow me to speak a few words with Lord Philistius alone."
The two walked out of the meeting hall.
Ancytanos brushed away the dust from the steps, sat down himself, and then invited Philistius to sit down as well.
Philistius was actually a little flattered. He had been in a high position in the Daunian League for several years, but when facing a great scholar like Ancytanos alone, the inferiority complex in Philistius's heart, who was once a mercenary, could not help but emerge.
"Lord Philistius," Ancytanos said, not noticing his expression, looking at the square in front of him, and asked in a calm tone, "Are you planning to continue to adhere to the defensive tactics formulated by Lord Davos?"
Philistius hesitated for a moment and replied, "Yes. Askaramas, Asesias, and the others' battle plans are too risky. Once they fail, the consequences are unimaginable! As long as we hold on to the camp and wait for Lord Davos to lead his army back to Magna Graecia, and then fight the Syracusans, whether it is the number and ability of the soldiers or the command ability of the generals, we will steadily win against the Syracusans. This is the most safe tactic!"
"The most secure tactic? I'm afraid no one in the room would think so." Ancytanos sighed, "People, when danger comes, always want to eliminate the danger as soon as possible, instead of calming down to think about a longer-term plan… Now the flames of war have burned on the land of the allied states, and their homes are facing great danger. Our delaying tactics will only make them feel suspicious and angry. They will think that we Daunians are selfish, allowing their homes to be occupied and their people to be killed without taking any action! … If we continue to delay like this, the image that Daonia has been working hard to establish in the Southern Italy League in recent years will be ruined, and we will lose the trust of the people of these city-states, which will be very detrimental to Daonia's future development!"
"Are we going to put our soldiers in danger in order to win their trust?!" Philistius retorted.
"Isn't there a possibility of victory according to their plan?" Ancytanos looked at him.
Philistius fell silent. In his heart, he somewhat felt that forcing the Syracusans, with only half their military strength, to battle here had a good chance of victory. The only reason he hadn't agreed all along was the inertia of long-term adherence to Davos' will.
Ansitanoes thought for a moment and slowly said, "From my understanding of Lord Davos, even if he felt that the possibility of defeat in a battle here was very high, he would still take the initiative to fight this battle."
"Why?" Philistius asked hurriedly.
Ansitanoes looked at the citizens of Siris in the distance, holding weapons and gathering in the square, and said in a deep voice, "Because victory can win the awe of Magna Graecia, and failure can also win the hearts of Magna Graecia. But as it is now, with everyone expecting something, our inaction will only alienate the allies. Lost land can be retaken, but losing people's hearts is much harder to regain..."
"But... if this battle fails, Caulonia, Terina, and even Siris may be in danger," Philistius still hesitated.
"Didn't Lord Davos arrange everything long ago?! What are you still worried about?!" Ansitanoes looked into the distance with a smile that was not a smile: "Perhaps Davos had foreseen this day... Since the people in the house dare to make such a decision, then they must be prepared to bear the cost of failure..."
After Ansitanoes finished speaking, he stood up, patted the dust off his body, stopped looking at the citizens of Siris in the city, sighed softly, and said something that Philistius didn't quite understand: "It's like slash-and-burn agriculture; only by burning away the weeds and trees is it suitable to start sowing new seeds... Alas, this is politics."
...........
When the two returned to the meeting, Philistius agreed to everyone's proposal—to engage in a battle with the Syracusans, but he made a request: the command of the entire battle would belong to Daonia.
To this, Praetines, Asesias, and Asopias had no objection, only Ascamas disagreed, but whether in terms of the number of soldiers or the performance of the army, Daonia's Fourth and Fifth Legions were far superior to Croton's newly joined troops. Therefore, Philistius was undoubtedly elected as the commander of this battle for the entire Southern Italian Allied Forces.
Philistius returned to the camp, and the two legion commanders, Dracos and Epitenes, were already waiting inside the tent.
"Philistius, what decision did your meeting finally make?" Epitenes asked impatiently.
"Our allied forces are preparing to force the Syracusans into battle," Philistius said truthfully.
"Yeah, I guessed right!" Epitenes looked at Dracos excitedly.
"I didn't make that bet with you because I also chose to fight the Syracusans," Dracos ignored him and turned to ask Philistius, "Who will command this battle?"
"Does that even need to be asked! Other than us, it won't be anyone else!" Epitenes blurted out.
"I will command the entire allied force," Philistius' tone was slightly heavy when he said this, because he felt the pressure on his shoulders. At the same time, seeing the excitement shown by the two legion commanders also made him realize that both the generals and soldiers of the Fourth and Fifth Legions were probably eager to fight the Syracusans face to face, because of the military merit, because of the previous victory in defending the camp, and because of the warm hospitality of the Caulonians, which made their morale high. At the same time, the pride and honor of the Daonian legion soldiers would not allow them to retreat and defend for a long time. Of course, if Davos was here, no one would dare to disobey, but he himself was not sure about being the commander.
Thinking of this, he felt relieved and beckoned to the two of them, saying, "Let's carefully plan together how to win this battle."
As soon as Epitenes heard this, he stopped joking and asked seriously, "Which city-states of the Southern Italian League are participating in the war? How many people are there in total? How many Syracusans are likely to participate in the war?"
"In addition to our 17,000 legion soldiers; Croton also has 17,000 soldiers, including 6,000 hoplites; Siris currently has 14,000 soldiers, including 3,000 hoplites, and they also want to recruit some citizens to participate in the war; Terina has 7,000 soldiers, but they have to defend the city, and only four or five thousand people can be sent to participate in the war, with about a thousand hoplites... The total force is about 54,000 people, with about 22,000 hoplites."
After Philistius finished speaking, Epitenes whistled: "Wow, what a huge army!"
"Not really that many," Dracos poured cold water on him: "All the legions and reserve soldiers of our Daonia combined can easily exceed this number, and the number of hoplites far exceeds this allied force! A Daonian legion with six hoplite battalions has 6,000 hoplites. Not counting the reserve soldiers, all the legion's hoplites total 30,000!"
The cost of a full set of hoplite equipment is not cheap, and many city-state civilians are unwilling or unable to bear this cost, but many Daonians who have just become reserve citizens and formal citizens are willing to sell everything they own to buy it, because serving in the Daonian League as a hoplite can bring them more benefits, such as: obtaining a 'land allotment,' holding public office, participating in local council elections, participating in the election of tribunes... and so on. Moreover, the low-interest loans provided by the Christoia Bank, unique to the Daonian League and located in various cities of the League, also give new citizens the confidence to purchase hoplite equipment.
"But our legions cannot all appear here. Only my Fourth Legion and your Fifth Legion are here," Epitenes, although refuting Dracos, looked excited: "We can only rely on us to determine the outcome of this battle!"
Dracos did not speak, and his eyes also sparkled.
"Two legion commanders, according to the information obtained from Siris, we have to face at least 50,000 Syracusan troops, and they were able to defeat Carthage, so they are probably not easy to deal with!" Philistius solemnly reminded them: "This battle is of great importance! If the battle fails, the Syracusan army may approach our Daonian territory, and the other city-states in the Southern Italian alliance may be conquered by it, and the consequences will be unimaginable!"
"I am also an elder of Daonia, and I certainly understand the importance of this battle!" Epitenes complained, expressing his dissatisfaction with Philistius looking down on him, and then asked, "Are you sure the enemy only has 50,000 people? What about the 40,000 enemies who attacked us in Caulonia before?"
"They are besieging the city of Caulonia. Siris' scouts have been closely monitoring the movements there and reporting to the allied forces at any time," Philistius certainly understood what they were worried about: "To prevent them from suddenly dividing their troops north to strengthen the Syracusan forces in the Siris camp."
"As long as the Syracusans here don't increase their troops, and the strength of both sides is similar, we have a great chance of winning!" Epitenes looked at Philistius and then at Dracos, analyzing: "We have fought the Syracusans before. Their cavalry is very strong, but no matter how strong the cavalry is, they dare not charge head-on into dense formations in a battle. As long as we are prepared, even if they defeat our cavalry, they won't gain much advantage. As long as they dare to get close to the formation, our light infantry will give them a heavy blow."
Philistius and Dracos both nodded.
Dracos took over the conversation and said loudly, "As for the Syracusan infantry, I think they should be able to defeat the Carthaginians, so their combat ability should not be weak, but judging from the battle in Caulonia, their morale and fighting will seem not very strong. In terms of hoplites, which play a decisive role in the battle, the Syracusan army certainly cannot compare with our legion!"
The other two immediately expressed their agreement. This was not because they were arrogant, but because under the guidance of Davos' advanced combat concept, the Daonian legion was actually a complex combat group of multiple arms, and after relatively strict training, it became an army that could adapt to various situations and execute more complex tactics. This is where the confidence of Philistius, Dracos, and Epitenes lies.
"Our legion's tactics, training, and equipment are very different from those of other allies. It is not suitable to mix and match them with other troops in combat, as this can easily cause confusion and be detrimental to our legion's performance," Dracos also reminded.
"Dracos is right! I suggest that the Fourth and Fifth Legions should be concentrated together, rather than separated, so as to form a powerful combat force. Any wing deployed in the battle formation will pose a great threat to the enemy. After defeating the enemy in front of us, we will form an encirclement of the center, and finally win the battle!" Epitenes gestured on the wooden table, expressing his opinion.
"I think so too." Although the two legion commanders usually do not get along very harmoniously, they unanimously reached an agreement when it came to combat.
Philistius walked back and forth in the tent with his hands behind his back, looked back at the two of them, and said embarrassedly, "I also agree with your suggestion, but after all, this is not a battle that our Daonia is facing alone. There are also the allied forces of Terina, Siris, and Croton."
"But you are the commander of the entire allied force!" Epitenes said anxiously, "You have the right to make the most reasonable arrangement!"
"We think it's reasonable, but they also have to think it's reasonable. Only when everyone's opinions are unified can the entire combat plan be implemented smoothly," Philistius said helplessly, "This allied commander is not so easy to be!"
"Don't they recognize our plan just now?!" Dracos raised his eyebrows.
"They all acknowledge the strength of the Daonian legion, but precisely because we are strong, they all hope that we can hold the center, connecting the two wings, so that they can confidently attack," Felicius said, looking at the two men, speaking candidly, "Although I had the same thoughts as you before, but... I am also worried whether the center and the other wing, composed of the three mutually independent city-state armies of Trina, Siris, and Croton, can avoid being defeated by the enemy before we defeat the enemy in front of us... If they are defeated, the whole situation may turn into a melee, and the Syracuse cavalry will have the opportunity to exert its strength... On the contrary, if we guard the center, we can control the rhythm of our attack and defense, discover the loopholes in the two wings at any time, and provide timely reinforcements..."
"In this way, it will become a contest between us and the Syracuse people in defense and attrition, and the battle will probably last a long time!" Epitenes, who came from the light infantry, did not like this kind of battle.
"Comparing defense and endurance, isn't this exactly what our legion's heavy infantry is best at!" Dracos seemed confident instead: "Even if the legion is deployed in the center, I believe our legion can still pierce the enemy's center!"
"Since you have already made a battle plan in the meeting, why do you come to seek our opinions! Just give us orders to execute it!" Epitenes's words were full of resentment.
"That was just a preliminary discussion of a rough plan," Felicius said sincerely and emotionally, "I need your experience and wisdom to improve this battle plan and gain more opportunities for victory for us, this is for Daonia!"
Epitenes and Dracos looked at each other, and then leaned towards Felicius...
......
After two days of hard work, the Samnites—the Hirpini—expanded their camp, tightly surrounding the city of Potentia, except for the south, because there was a Basento River there. The Hirpini chief Verolani only sent people to build a few simple sentry towers on the opposite bank of the river to observe the movements in the city. With the floating bridge having been burned down, he was not worried that the Potentians would cross the river and run away. If the Potentians abandoned the solid fortress and chose to cross the river and flee, it was what he hoped for.
However, in the river water that Verolani imagined could prevent the Potentians from escaping, someone was swimming in the darkness...
Half an hour later, the chief Vale, who was in charge of guarding the city, came to the chief's mansion.
How could Puammotes sleep peacefully? As soon as he heard that Vale had come to see him, he thought that the Potentians had made some big move outside the city again. He immediately received Vale in the living room, and then listened to the chief's excited report: "The envoy of Daonia requests to see you!"
"Plintorrs, the company commander of the Daonian Mountain Brigade, pays homage to Chief Puammotes!" When Plintorrs, who was soaking wet, saluted Puammotes, the chief asked worriedly: "Davos is in Poseidonia... in Poseidonia... How... How is it?!"
"This morning,
Lord Davos led the First, Second, and Third Legions and annihilated the Samnite reinforcements and garrison!" Plintorrs answered very simply.
"Great! That's great!!" Puammotes was so excited that he could hardly restrain himself, and eagerly asked, "Will Lord Davos be able to lead the army to Potentia tomorrow?"
Plintorrs did not answer directly, but took off a waterproof small leather tube from his neck and pulled out a scroll of paper from it: "This is a letter from Lord Davos to you, Chief."
Puammotes quickly took it, unfolded it and looked at it, and then his expression became solemn: "Quickly call Poletes here!"
Poletes, who had been staying in the backyard all day and was bored, learned that the Daonian army had won a great victory over the Samnites in Poseidonia, and after seeing Davos' secret letter, his reaction was different from Puammotes. He was already eager to try: "Lord Davos wants us to cooperate with your mountain reconnaissance team to harass the enemy camp tonight to support the arrival of the army tomorrow!"
Plintorrs, on the other hand, looked calm and said with bright eyes: "Before going up the mountain, I specially observed the Samnite camp. The constant influx of defeated soldiers has made the camp quite chaotic, and half of my brothers are posing as defeated soldiers and have sneaked in... Now, I have a better idea!"
.........
The Hirpini had prepared everything needed for the siege, and were waiting for the army that had gone to Poseidonia for rescue to return and work together to eat up the fish in the net of Potentia.
That night, Verolani went to bed early and slept soundly.
"Father! Father!!..." Gaelni suddenly broke into the tent and woke him up.
"What's wrong?" Verolani opened his sparse eyes and looked at his son standing in front of him in a daze. Then he heard him say in panic: "Something big has happened! The reinforcements we sent to Poseidonia were... were annihilated by the Daonians!!"
"What?!!" Verolani's sleepiness was all scared away: "How is this possible?!! We sent more than 20,000 Pentri and Cautini warriors, and Torek and Quinctius are very experienced generals!... Unless... Unless..." He thought of a possibility, and his breathing suddenly became rapid.
"The Daonian reinforcements from Thurii had already arrived in Poseidonia, but they quietly ambushed..." Gaelni told his father everything he had heard from the returning warriors.
After listening to his son's words, Verolani immediately felt his hands and feet go cold. He sat back on the bed, his mind in a mess.
After a while, he suddenly raised his head and asked: "Did Torek and Quinctius escape back?"
"I heard that Chief Torek died in battle, and there is no news of Quinctius..." Gaelni looked dejected.
Verolani felt a surge of grief in his heart, but now was not the time for sadness. He immediately asked again: "How many Pentri and Cautini warriors escaped back?"
"How can you count clearly in the dark night? Anyway, warriors are constantly fleeing into the camp from several directions..." After Gaelni finished speaking, he asked anxiously: "Father, what should we do now?!"
The bad news came too suddenly, and Verolani was in a state of confusion at this moment, and could not think of any solution. Just as he was thinking with his head down, there was a clamor outside the tent, and the sound became louder and louder, especially clear at night.
"The reinforcements we sent to Poseidonia have been defeated!"
"The Daonian reinforcements are here, as many as fifty or sixty thousand people, we are going to be surrounded!"
"Run away, Hirpini brothers!"
...
"Not good!" Verolani jumped up in shock and hurried to the outside of the tent: he saw that the camp, which should have been quiet at night, was now boiling. The warriors were at a loss, and one by one, they came out of the tents naked and began to shout in panic with others, walking around...
Verolani saw shadows everywhere in the camp... It was the first time that the Samnites had organized such a large army and carried out such a long-lasting war (counting from the time of gathering troops). Therefore, Verolani had not experienced such a large chaotic scene, and of course did not know what "camp riot" was, but he instinctively felt the danger and immediately severely criticized Gaelni: "When these defeated soldiers fled back, you should have isolated them to avoid affecting the morale of our warriors! Now you go back to your tribe immediately, maintain the order of your tribe, and let the warriors stay in the tents and not come out!"
Gaelni left in a hurry.
Verolani urgently called his guards, holding torches, and went to notify the chiefs such as Lescus and Lucinius, strictly ordering them to do their best to restrain their subordinates.
Verolani realized at this time that the camp was not well planned when it was built before, the distance between the tribes was far, and the tents were built too densely and disorderly, and the passages between them were narrow and winding. It was okay during the day, but it was easy to cause congestion when panicked at night...
He could only stay outside the tent, surrounded by hundreds of guards, hoping that the tribal chiefs could play a role, and waiting for the commotion in the camp to subside a little before he would put the guards into the camp again to maintain order. He suspected that there were enemies mixed in the camp taking the opportunity to make trouble.
.........
At this time, outside the bustling Samnite camp, under the hill where the city of Potentia was located, Poletes led a thousand warriors quietly lurking...
"Can we attack?" Poletes looked at the Samnite camp, which was close at hand, feeling itchy and impatient, and asked Plintorrs in a low voice.
The company commander of the Mountain Reconnaissance Brigade, the executor who had once cleverly seized Aspurustum, was unusually calm at this moment and said in a deep voice: "Wait a little longer."
"Wait! Wait for what?!" If it weren't for the fact that the speaker was a Daonian officer holding Davos' secret order, Poletes would have already taken action.
Plintorrs, however, seemed unable to hear the urging and irritability in Poletes' words. He kept his eyes focused on the camp in front of him and said softly: "Wait for the fire to start."
.........
Verolani stood in the tent and saw that in the dark camp, torches had been lit up, indicating that the tribal chiefs had begun to take action.
But he observed for a while and found that the situation had not been well contained.
At night, the strong mountain wind not only failed to cover up the noise of the camp, but also made his body feel cold. When he wanted to go back to the tent to put on his wolf skin robe, a louder wave of sound broke out in the camp again: "Fire! Fire!!..."
Fire! Verolani's heart trembled suddenly. He stared forward, and it was still dark in front of him, but his heart was sinking. Then he turned around and looked back: A fire was rising in the distance directly behind the tent, which was where the Samnites stored their grain and supplies!
"Quick! Quickly, go and call Gairni, and immediately take men to put out the fire!" Veroni urgently ordered the guard to notify his son.
The guard had just left when he realized he was flustered, and hurriedly ordered the captain of his personal guard to lead the guards to put out the fire immediately.
"Great Chieftain, what about your safety?" The captain of the personal guard was somewhat embarrassed: the camp was so restless tonight, if they left, who would protect the Great Chieftain?
"If the food is gone, the entire army is in danger, what use is my safety! !" Veroni stamped his feet anxiously.
The personal guard had no choice but to rush towards the fire with anxiety.
However, with over 25,000 soldiers in the entire army, the camp stretched for three or four kilometers, and the camp was full of people, causing traffic jams.
Not only was the personal guard moving slowly, but their eagerness to move forward angered the already panicked soldiers, causing fights, and this conflict was gradually escalating...
It was early winter, dry and windy, and with the Daonian scouts who had infiltrated the camp deliberately setting the fire, the fire quickly spread with the wind, constantly burning the entire supply camp, and continuing to expand in all directions, igniting the surrounding wooden fences and tents...
Veroni looked at the raging fire in the rear, and his heart sank completely.
It's over! It's over! ! ... He looked dazed, slumped on the cold ground.
However, this night was destined to be his nightmare.
"Woo! ! ! ..." A deep horn sounded suddenly around the camp, followed by countless shouts of killing abruptly rising...
The Potentian people could not do what the Daonian legions did, silently entering the enemy camp with hundreds or thousands of soldiers, but Bolert's decisiveness and persuasion still made Pu Amote finally make up his mind and send out 5,000 soldiers. They divided into five groups, quietly descended the mountain, and hid in various places outside the Samnite forward camp.
As soon as he saw the fire, Bolert couldn't wait to have someone blow the horn, and then horns sounded from other places. The Potentian soldiers, filled with vengeful anger, bypassed the deer village, climbed over the trenches, and scaled the earthen walls and wooden fences. At this time, the Samnite camp was already in a state of panic, and the fire attracted attention, so the outer perimeter of the camp was poorly defended, allowing the Potentian people to enter the camp relatively easily. So, they each turned into bloodthirsty wolves, slashing at any figure they saw, and stabbing at any sound they heard. The sounds of fighting and screams rose and fell, echoing throughout the camp...
This made the terrified Samnites even more terrified. In the pitch-black night, for their own safety, they each tightly gripped their weapons. As long as someone approached, they would slash and stab wildly, and the camp was in complete chaos.
In such a chaotic situation,
the Daonian scouts who had already infiltrated the camp shouted in Samnite language they had learned: "The Daonian army is attacking! They want to destroy us, run away! ! ..."
Fear was infinitely amplified in the darkness, finally crushing the Samnite soldiers' fighting spirit. Like a bursting flood, they desperately fled out of the camp. To this end, they could push down their companions around them, cut down their comrades who hindered their progress, and desperately trample on the groaning tribesmen on the ground. The darkness became an accomplice in their mutual slaughter...
...........
Pu Amote, who had been worried about the battle all night, had been standing on the city wall to watch. He heard the noise in the Samnite camp, saw the fire in the distance that lit up half the sky, and heard the earth-shattering fighting and screams... This scene continued until late at night before gradually fading into silence...
The scout who went down the mountain to inquire about news came back and shouted excitedly: "The enemy has been driven back! The enemy has been driven back! ..." The whole city turned into an ocean of joy.
Pu Amote was relieved. The only thing he was worried about was the increasingly raging fire, but because the situation was unclear in the dark night, he did not dare to send people to put out the fire rashly.
Who knew that even the gods were favoring Potentia on this night, and it even started to rain in the second half of the night.
Pu Amote was completely relieved and finally fell asleep until dawn under the constant drowsiness.
He rushed to the city head. Along the way, he saw that the faces of the tribesmen, which had been lifeless, now had smiles. They gathered in twos and threes, excitedly talking about last night's battle, thanking Asinu for his protection. From time to time, someone would ask Pu Amote: "When can we move back to our original settlement?"
Pu Amote stood on the city head and looked down: The Samnite camp, which once stretched for five kilometers and had countless military tents, had basically turned into a black field, with clusters of green smoke lingering in this area, making Pu Amote unable to see clearly...
"Has Bolert returned?" Pu Amote asked Waller, the tribal leader on duty today, with concern.
"He hasn't returned, but he sent someone back to say, 'They are going to clean up the battlefield and will return later.'"
It's good that Bolert is okay! Pu Amote thought thankfully.
...........
The battlefield cleanup that Bolert mentioned was not that simple. Looking closer to the Samnite camp, under the ashes after the fire, in the mud caused by the heavy rain, the bodies of both enemies and allies were lying everywhere, some already dead, even charred, some seriously injured, unconscious, and some still struggling and groaning...
Last night, the Potentian soldiers led by Bruti suffered heavy losses in the chaotic battle due to lack of night attack experience, with nearly two thousand casualties. After the fierce battle, they ignored their fatigue and recruited more people from the city to carry the wounded and corpses back to the city, and at the same time began to clean up the battlefield on the ruins within a radius of five kilometers.
Giving those Samnites who were still struggling a few more knives to confirm their death, and at the same time finding their own tribesmen mixed in the enemy's corpse pile... The Potentian soldiers were in danger during this search process. Some Samnite soldiers with minor injuries pretended to be "corpses" and launched attacks when they approached. After several such attacks occurred, the Potentian soldiers became more cautious. They held spears and, upon seeing a corpse, as long as it wasn't one of their own, they would stab it a few times first.
Such a vast area could not be cleaned up in a short time. Behind these soldiers, the members of the Daonian reconnaissance team carefully counted the Samnite casualties according to the assigned areas.
By the afternoon, the cleanup work was coming to an end. 5,493 Samnites died, with no wounded, because even if they survived the chaos last night, the angry Potentian soldiers would mercilessly kill them while cleaning up the battlefield. The remaining Samnites scattered and fled far away, scattered in the area around Potentia. It just so happened that when the Samnites invaded before, they had cleared the area around Potentia, and now the starving Samnites would swallow the bitter fruit they had brewed. How to escape the Potentian pursuit, endure hunger and illness, and safely return to their hometown became a major problem for them.
The Potentian people paid a great sacrifice. With the full help of the Daonians, they finally defeated the powerful Samnites. In addition to the joy of surviving the disaster, they even had a big surprise that was buried unknowingly in that huge Samnite corpse pit. The great chieftain of Hirpini, the commander of this Samnite coalition invasion of Potentia—Veroni, had sent his personal guards to maintain order and put out the fire last night, resulting in Bolert leading troops to attack the camp. The Samnites panicked and rioted, and the lonely and somewhat elderly Veroni died in the chaotic army...
...........
On this day at dawn, in the Hades Temple in Turii, the Sirisinian Cardias got up early as usual and walked into the main hall of the temple.
He entered the side of hell. After staying here for a long time, those terrible scenes of hellish torture and the hideous statues of Hades' subordinate gods had no effect on him. He respectfully held an oil lamp and came to the throne of Hades, the King of the Underworld. The ever-burning lamp in the oil basin in front of the statue flickered with a cyan-red light, and Hades' stern and solemn face added a bit of gloom under the flickering light.
Cardias looked calm, tipped his toes and lit the oil lamp in his hand, then knelt down in front of the statue of Hades, closed his eyes slightly, and spread his hands flat on the ground with his palms facing up, making a sincere prayer to the King of the Underworld, hoping that he could protect the Sirisinian people.
When he heard that the Syracusans had landed in Locri, he was anxious to return to Siris, but Praxinas persuaded him to stay.
Praxinas told him: Even if he returned to Siris, he would only be adding an ordinary citizen soldier to the city-state. But here, he could pray day and night to this powerful and increasingly powerful King of Hell to seek the help of this god.
Cardias believed that the chief priest was right, so he continued to stay in Turii. At this moment, he placed the oil lamp representing his wishes on the offering table. Since it was still early, the temple had not yet opened, so there was only this lonely lamp on the offering table. But by the evening, the table and the ground were full of oil lamps, and they would clean up very late every time.
"Cardias, you are so sincere! I believe Hades will definitely respond to you!" A voice came from behind.
Cardias hurriedly turned around and saluted: "Good morning, Praxinas."
Hades temples are now basically popular in the cities of the Daonian territory. There are many priests, priestesses, saints, believers... and other personnel responsible for managing the temples, and there are also high and low status among them, but in mutual address, the 'Hades Canon' stipulates: only their real names can be used to show the concept of 'equality among all believers' in the Hades Temple.
"According to the latest battle report obtained by the Senate, the Daonian Fourth and Fifth Legions repelled an attack by the Syracusan army at Caulonia and captured hundreds of people. These prisoners are now being sent to Turii, so you don't have to worry too much, Daonia is being watched and protected by Hades!" Praxinas comforted him with a gentle expression.
"But Siris is outside of Hades' protection…" Cardias' expression dimmed slightly.
"This is the mission you will undertake in the future!" The reason Praxinas favored Cardias, who came from a foreign land, was because he was the key figure in the expansion of Daonia's unique Temple of Hades beyond its borders: "But now, let us pray together, that Hades will protect Lord Davos in leading his army to defeat the Samnites as soon as possible, return to Thurii, then go to Caulonia, repel the Syracuseans, and ensure the peace of Magna Graecia!"
"You are right!" Cardias raised his head to look up at the statue of Hades, his belief in his heart becoming firmer: I must let the divine power and benevolence of Hades shine upon the city of Siris.
After Cardias left the temple, Praxinas swept away his previous solemnity and nimbly turned around to close the temple door.
Inside the temple, only he remained. He knelt respectfully before the statue, sincerely confessing: "Hades above, forgive my actions! This is for your descendants! And to give you greater glory!…"
Silently finishing these words, Praxinas raised his head, feeling that the statue's face seemed less terrifying, so he began the arrangement…
… … … … … … … … … … … …
Although the Daonians were not as afraid of war as other Magna Graecians, the two battlefields, one in the south and one in the north, were not only large in scale but also far away from them, so they were naturally worried about the safety of their relatives. The number of people going to the Temple of Hades every day to pray for blessings more than doubled compared to usual.
But from this day on, some people claimed that when placing oil lamps on the offering table, they saw the words "Offer my blood as king, protect the alliance's peace" appear on the table, but it quickly disappeared!
Some people also said that they saw this line of writing, but not on the offering table, but on the pillars in the hall!
Others claimed that she heard a low roar from the statue while praying, seemingly shouting 'Davos'…
At first, these were just scattered rumors, and the Daonians regarded them as jokes, but as time passed, more and more people said they had witnessed this magical phenomenon with their own eyes, and things quickly developed in one direction…
… … … … … … … … … … … …
Also on this day, Dionysius received the envoy sent by the South Italian League in his tent.
When he saw the declaration of war handed over by the envoy, he felt a burst of secret joy in his heart.
Originally, Dionysius did not have the intention of taking Caulonia first, as Pretinus and Ascamas had speculated.
Dionysius was far less arrogant in commanding operations than the Magna Graecians imagined; on the contrary, he was very shrewd. Although he had never fought on the land of Magna Graecia before, from what he had learned from the Locrians and what he had observed with his own eyes, he believed that Caulonia, a city that had been besieged by the Locrians many times, had city walls as high as ten meters and was not so easy to capture.
With his rich experience in siege warfare, he knew that once troops were invested in a siege battle, it would consume a lot of time, and time was very precious to him and the Syracusean army at this moment. He had to break the deadlock on the battlefield as soon as possible and seize the opportunity to win the entire Magna Graecian battlefield.
Therefore, after careful consideration and discussion with Phibidas and the others, he once again used the trick of "deceiving the heavens to cross the sea" that he had used when he defeated Himilco under the city of Syracuse.
He sent messengers back to Locri in a hurry, ordering: Transfer 20,000 freemen who had landed with the army and were responsible for transporting supplies, equipment, and food, then disguise them as soldiers and secretly send them to the Syracusean-Locrian allied camp that was besieging Caulonia last night, replacing more than 20,000 Syracusean soldiers.
The Caulonians were besieged in the city, and the South Italian League's scouts could not function in the dark, while the Daionian Fourth and Fifth Legions had just arrived in Siris, and the generals were busy meeting and discussing, and the soldiers were eager to build camps and had not yet sent out reconnaissance teams to explore the surrounding situation.
And by the next day, the number of Syracusean-Locrian allied forces remained the same, and they continued to use ballistae to attack the city of Caulonia, and then began to cut down trees and make siege towers in a high-profile manner, deceiving the South Italian League and not discovering the anomaly.
At this time, the Syracusean army, which had returned to Locri, led by General Faxipesas, passed through the mountain pass and secretly reached the west coast, and quickly marched north…
Only Phydon, the general in command of the garrison in Tauriana, discovered the enemy's movements, but at this time, both the sea and land routes of Rhegium and Tauriana were under the control of Syracuse, cutting off their information links with the South Italian League.
Phydon did not know at this time that the Daionian Fourth and Fifth Legions had withdrawn, and in desperation, he had to risk selecting a dozen daredevils, hoping that they could pass through the mountain pass blockade and reach Caulonia to report this important information to the allied forces, in order to prevent the Syracuseans from suddenly increasing their troops and breaking through the Lamato River defense line (Phydon still thought that the Syracuseans were still blocked south of the Lamato River, so they increased their troops).
In fact, Dionysius secretly transferred these 20,000 people to the Euphimia Plain, which not only increased his troops in this area to nearly 80,000, occupying an absolute numerical advantage, but also these were all troops he usually led, making command quite convenient.
His original priority target was Terina, a city that was not very large. Although it was located in the Euphimia Plain, it had never developed and grown due to the constant incursions of the Bruttians in the north. However, the river in the south was a barrier, and it was far from Locri, so when the Locrian allies invaded, they mostly attacked from the Caulonia side. The Bruttian invasions were mostly based on plundering, and they rarely attacked the city of Terina by force due to their lack of siege technology. Therefore, Terina, with its small population, low walls, and location on the plain, became a piece of fat in Dionysius's eyes.
His initial plan, discussed with Phibidas and others, was: After Faxipesas led his army to Hipponium, he would withdraw 20,000 troops from the camp to attack Terina. If the South Italian League saw him divide his troops and led his army to rescue, Dionysius would secretly let Faxipesas's army reach Terina by sea, so as to use his superior forces to defeat the reinforcements. The Syracusean army would completely control this area and continue to pursue north; if the South Italian reinforcements did not rescue (this choice was less likely, because it would lead to the disintegration of the allied forces), the Syracusean army would take advantage of the situation to take the city of Terina, weaken the enemy's forces, and then continue to advance on the South Italian League…
After reading the declaration of war sent by the Siris envoy, Dionysius laughed inwardly: Now, these arrogant Magna Graecians actually want to fight me in a decisive battle. Do they really think that they can defeat me with their little strength? It's just right for me to wipe them out in one fell swoop!
Dionysius was secretly pleased, but his face showed a hesitant expression, and he did not answer for a long time.
The League envoy said impatiently: "Syracusean tyrant, I heard that you are very decisive every time you execute citizens of your own city-state. You didn't even shed a tear! Why are you afraid today when facing the army composed of Magna Graecians that you are preparing to enslave! If you only have this little courage, you should go back to that small island across the strait to be king and dominate, otherwise the anger of the Magna Graecians will devour you and your army!"
Faced with the envoy's ridicule, Dionysius glared angrily, his face flushed red. He angrily picked up a pen and wrote on the tactics: Decisive battle tomorrow morning!
Then he threw it at the envoy and shouted angrily: "Since you Magna Graecians want to die sooner, then pray more to Hades today! You can suffer less pain when you go to the Underworld tomorrow!"
"Who wins and who loses is not yet known. Moreover, Hades, who loves death, is the patron saint of Daonia, the most important ally in the South Italian League!" The envoy picked up the declaration of war and did not forget to retort.
"What is your name?" Dionysius looked at him gloomily.
"Saliscius, son of Scollas of Siris." The envoy replied with his head held high.
"Saliscius, I remember you!" Dionysius uttered his name in a sinister tone, with a hint of threat in his words.
Saliscius was not afraid at all, but smiled contemptuously: "It is my honor to be remembered by the tyrannical dictator of Sicily!"
After the envoy left, the anger on Dionysius's face immediately disappeared. He paced back and forth in the tent excitedly, then waved to the guard and said: "Go, call that Spartan to me!"
Seeing Phibidas walk into the tent quickly, Dionysius immediately said: "Siris just sent an envoy to give me a declaration of war."
Seeing that he looked happy, Phibidas asked directly: "So you agreed?"
"I didn't agree immediately, I wanted to make that envoy think I was hesitating and afraid…" Dionysius was obviously quite satisfied with his performance just now, and said smugly.
"There is no need to fight the South Italian League." Phibidas immediately poured cold water on him: "We can attack Terina to mobilize the South Italian League, and let them be defeated by us with superior forces without understanding the military situation and without adequate preparation. If it is a decisive battle, a face-to-face battle will increase the casualties of your soldiers!"
"Phibidas, you are an excellent general, but sometimes you can't just think about winning when leading an army." Since this Spartan liked to be straightforward, Dionysius was too lazy to be polite to him: "We Syracuseans spent a lot of money to prepare the army, not just to come here to win a few victories and show off our military strength for Locri. I need a large-scale decisive battle! A fair and glorious victory! To deter the Magna Graecians and let them know who will be the real master of this land in the future!" Dionysius said with great ambition, not concealing his ambition.
Phebidas remained silent. Dionysius' arrogance made the warrior from Sparta, the overlord of Greece, uncomfortable.
"Phebidas, for this largest battle in Greek history that is about to begin, I need the help of you, the most outstanding warrior in Sparta, so that we can win this battle more easily!"
Phebidas could not refuse Dionysius' invitation. The phrase "the largest battle in Greek history" alone was enough to attract his greatest enthusiasm.
… … … … … … … … … … …
On the same day, Davos had Lizalus, the first battalion commander of the Third Legion, lead three heavy infantry battalions, a total of 3,000 men, to merge with the 1,000 men of Elia to garrison Poseidonia and watch over the nearly 10,000 prisoners. To this end, Davos also sent a fast horse to Pyxous, notifying Antaoris to arrange for manpower to escort these prisoners to the rear of Lucania.
Then, he led the First and Second Legions and another part of the Third Legion, a total force of about 24,000 men, eastward along the Sele River valley.
The march was not smooth. Not only was the road difficult to travel, but they also encountered Samnites from time to time.
Initially, after receiving reports from scouts, Davos thought that the Samnites wanted to use the complex terrain of the mountains to harass the army, so he sent out the light infantry and light armored soldiers of the three legions to protect the flanks of the marching column.
Who knew that when the soldiers rushed up, they found that the enemy's resistance was weak and they were easily captured.
The first thing the captured Samnites did was to ask for food. They called over soldiers who could understand Samnite language, and after inquiring, they learned the reason for their appearance here, and immediately reported to Davos.
Only then did Davos learn that the Samnite army outside Potentia had been defeated in a night raid! This was a great and unexpected surprise!
Originally, Davos had only sent Izamus to send out a number of mountain reconnaissance team members disguised as Samnite stragglers, intending to sneak into the Samnite camp at night, spread rumors, and shake morale. Of course, if it was possible to burn the Samnites' supplies, then the battle with the Samnites could be considered a sure victory. To this end, he wrote a secret letter to Potentia, hoping to get some help… Of course, this was just an idle move, and he did not place high hopes on it being successful.
But he didn't expect the Samnites to be defeated like this! This made Davos, who had a relatively clear understanding of the history that "the Samnites were early enemies of Rome," somewhat unbelievable.
But soon the army encountered reconnaissance team members rushing back from Potentia to report the news. Davos confirmed the news that the Samnites had been defeated.
He also learned that Prhintorres, the company commander of the Mountain Reconnaissance Battalion, played an important role in last night's operation. He planned the night raid and took the initiative to risk contacting Poletus in Potentia…
After listening to the course of the night raid, Davos couldn't help but praise him greatly, repeatedly praising the reconnaissance battalion commander, "Lizalus, you have a very excellent subordinate!"
Lizalus said seriously, "He is stronger than me!"
"When the country is in crisis, that is when heroes emerge!" Davos said with great emotion, while also writing down the name Prhintorres in his heart.
Looking at these Samnites who were so hungry that they were staggering, and thinking about their confusion and fright throughout the night, their camp was burned down, and washed away by heavy rain, fleeing all the way, tired, hungry, and frightened, they no longer had any fighting strength. The battle of Potentia was basically over! Davos made a judgment, and immediately felt a lot easier in his heart. He immediately ordered: the legion's light armored soldiers and light infantry should decisively attack when they encounter Samnites to expand the results of the battle!
At the same time, he sent people to Potentia quickly to let Puamotes prepare a camp for the army in advance. Originally, when marching in the war zone, the Daunian legions would usually stop advancing in the afternoon and start building camps as usual, but today Davos wanted to march boldly and try to reach Potentia in one day.
By evening, the vanguard arrived outside Potentia. They were surprised to see that under the dim sky, two "fire dragons" extended from Potentia parallel to the west pass, a full two miles long. That was the people of Potentia holding torches high, coming to welcome the Daunian army and illuminate the way for the team…
After Davos knew the situation, he immediately rushed forward and happened to meet Puamotes leading a group of tribal leaders to greet him: "Respected Lord Davos, all the tribesmen of Potentia warmly welcome you to lead the army!" Under the reminder of Poletus, Puamotes respectfully saluted Davos, and the leaders behind him also saluted immediately.
Davos did not sit firmly on his horse and calmly accept the respect of the allies, but hurriedly jumped off his horse, quickly returned the salute, and said with a slightly apologetic excitement: "It's so late, and I still lead the army to disturb your peace, it's really my fault! I didn't expect that in a situation where the Potentia territory is not very safe, you would disregard your own safety and welcome us in such an enthusiastic way, it's really… Thank you! On behalf of all the soldiers, I would like to express my heartfelt thanks to the people of Potentia and all the leaders!!"
"No, Lord Davos! It is we Potentians who should thank you Daunian soldiers." Puamotes felt that his hard work was not in vain because Davos could understand his painstaking efforts, but he did not show it, but said emotionally: "Compared with the great kindness of Daonia saving Potentia, what is the little thing we have done!"
"We are allies." Davos smiled gently: "Allies should help each other like brothers!"
"That's right! That's right!" Puamotes nodded repeatedly, wanting to say more, but Poletus interjected: "Lord Davos, will our talking here affect the soldiers' progress?"
Davos was reminded, looked back, and saw that the army had stopped advancing, he hurriedly said: "Everyone, leaders, I'm really sorry! Please come with me over here."
"Oh, it's our negligence." Puamotes hurriedly led the crowd to make way for the army to advance.
"Tormid!" Davos shouted back.
"Lord!"
"Order the drummers and trumpeters to play the 'Victory March' and celebrate this victorious moment with our allies!" Davos said loudly.
"Understood!" Tormid immediately turned and left.
The Daunian legions attached great importance to the smooth flow of military orders, and strictly stipulated that military horns and drums should be used to convey instructions. Therefore, there were dozens of buglers and drummers, and here there were two and a half legions, a huge force of 24,000 people, and there were as many as hundreds of drummers and trumpeters drawn out. After receiving Tormid's order, they retreated to the side of the road one after another.
As non-combat personnel in the legions, they not only have the task of conveying military orders in battle, but also play music on the march to cheer up the soldiers and forget their fatigue, to help the march.
For this reason, in the usual military training of the League, in addition to practicing with the soldiers in the phalanx training, they also have to gather together to practice playing music at other times. In various large-scale celebrations of the League, their figures are of course indispensable, so although they do not directly participate in the battle, they are equally respected.
At this time, some buglers changed to the bamboo flutes on their waists, while some drummers changed to small cymbals. Everyone performed their duties and began to play music.
The "Victory March" was composed and adapted by the League's musicians based on the more familiar march melody that Davos remembered from his previous life. Although it did not have the varied melody and momentum created by the many instruments of the symphony orchestra in his previous life, it was an invaluable piece of music in this era.
On a quiet night, when the lively and cheerful, yet rhythmically strong melody was played, it quickly resounded over Potentia…
When the people of Potentia heard it, they felt relaxed. The sadness of losing loved ones and the worries about the destroyed homeland seemed to be temporarily put down, and they could enjoy the joy and pleasure of repelling the powerful enemy and gaining victory.
The tired Daunian soldiers cheered up, straightened their chests, and greeted the review of the allied people with the best spirit.
"Legion advance!"
At the forefront of the marching column were Davos's 300 personal guards, led by Deputy Captain Rodom (Martius was recuperating in Thurii). He held high the military flag representing Davos's supreme commander. At the top of the flag was a golden statue of Hades wearing a crown, sitting firmly on the throne, holding a double-pronged fork in one hand and holding up a sphere in the other, with a peaceful expression. Compared with the gloomy and terrifying Hades statue at the top of the legion flag, this one showed more of the dignity of a king. The name "Davos" was directly embroidered on the black flag surface with golden silk thread.
Following the guard was the standard bearer of the First Legion, but behind him were not heavy infantry, but light infantry and light armored soldiers. This was because on the mountain road, once encountering the enemy, the light armor and light infantry battalions, which moved quickly, could react quickly. In fact, the Samnites captured along the way were mostly due to their efforts.
After the First Legion was the supply train, followed by the Second Legion, and hundreds of Samnites captured along the way, then the Third Legion, and finally some light infantry and light armored soldiers and the cavalry battalion. The reason why the cavalry was arranged at the end was because some sections of the mountain road were impossible to ride on, and they had to lead their horses on foot, and the mountain road was narrow. If thousands of horses were to defecate, it would seriously affect the marching speed of the troops behind, and the light infantry interspersed among them was to prevent the Samnites from attacking their rear.
The Daunian army had clear flags and strict military discipline. With relatively neat steps and high spirits, they were arranged into a seemingly endless long dragon, passing through this "road of fire" built by the enthusiasm and cheers of the people of Potentia. Although they were covered in black helmets and black armor, which gave people a lot of pressure, the smiles on their faces made the people of Potentia feel at ease.
Pu Amote couldn't help but exclaim as he watched the rows of Daonian legion soldiers pass proudly before him, "What a powerful army! With so many brave soldiers in Daonia, who would dare to invade! No wonder the Samnites are no match for Lord Davos!"
"Great Chieftain Pu Amote, the Samnite army was defeated by the brave chieftains of Potentia leading their courageous warriors," Davos said modestly.
"Lord Davos, if you hadn't first led your army to annihilate the Samnite reinforcements sent to Poseidonia, devised a meticulous plan, sent soldiers to infiltrate the enemy camp and disrupt them, and contacted us to persuade us to launch a night raid… we wouldn't have been able to repel so many ferocious Samnites on our own!" Poletes said frankly.
"Let's not be modest with each other! The victory that has brought peace back to this land is the result of the unity and cooperation between Daonia and Potentia!" Davos concluded.
"Yes, thanks to the god Asinus! Potentia is very fortunate to have joined the Daonian alliance. Without Daonia's full assistance, Potentia wouldn't be where it is today! The people of Potentia will forever remember this kindness!" Pu Amote exclaimed from the bottom of his heart.
The other chieftains also expressed their heartfelt gratitude to Davos.
"Lord Davos, we have prepared a campsite for your army near the city of Potentia. It used to be a settlement of one of our tribes, but because of the haste, we didn't clean it up thoroughly, and some of the houses were destroyed by the Samnites," Poletes said, having learned what Davos needed most during his days with the Daonian army.
"Thank you so much, this solves a big problem for us!" Davos said with delight, then added, "It doesn't matter if the camp is a bit dilapidated, but we'll need to borrow some torches."
"Lord Davos, tonight we have also prepared a welcome banquet for you and your soldiers to celebrate the victory. Once you've set up camp, our people will bring hundreds of cattle and sheep, as well as wine, to your camp…" Pu Amote said loudly, seeing the good atmosphere, but Davos tactfully interrupted him halfway through, "Great Chieftain Pu Amote, and all the chieftains, I am very grateful for your kind invitation and your friendship with Daonia! But I heard that the Samnite invasion has caused you great losses, villages and farmlands have been burned, many tribesmen have been slaughtered or captured, and a large number of livestock have been lost… You are already a bit short on food, and you still want to reward us with food, do you think we can eat it?"
Davos' emotional words hit the soft spot of the Potentian chieftains, and they all looked at their great chieftain without saying a word.
Pu Amote said anxiously, "Lord Davos, although we have some difficulties, but you—"
Davos interrupted him again, saying seriously, "Great Chieftain, our 'Daonian Military Law' stipulates that during wartime, the army shall not drink, entertain, or celebrate. I already received news in Elia that the Syracuse army has just invaded Magna Graecia! So the war here is over, but the war in the south has just begun. We still have to rush back to Thurii to drive away the Sicilian enemies… When the day of victory arrives, Daonia will hold a victory parade. At that time, Daonia will solemnly invite the Great Chieftain and all the chieftains to Thurii to celebrate this hard-won victory!"
Having said that, the Potentian chieftains couldn't persuade him any further, and besides, it suited the wishes of many people. Pu Amote, who had never traveled far, even made a promise: "I will definitely go then!"
"In addition, after we captured the city of Poseidonia, we seized a large amount of grain that the Syracusans had given to the Samnites. Considering the current livelihood difficulties of the Potentian people, I have decided to transfer this batch of supplies to Potentia so that this land can recover as soon as possible," Davos said solemnly.
Everyone present was stunned.
"This… this… how can we!" Pu Amote, who had always been steady and calm, was so incoherent that he didn't know what to say.
"Lord Davos, those are your spoils of war, and your huge army also needs food," Poletes quickly interjected.
"It's settled then!" Davos said firmly.
"Merciful Lord Davos!"
"Thank you, Lord Davos!"
"I thank you on behalf of the tribesmen of the Lyon tribe!"
…
Many chieftains rushed to express their gratitude, this time it was completely from the heart.
Davos smiled silently. In fact, as Poletes said, his 30,000-strong army was also short on supplies. The soldiers' rations had been eaten, and the grain was being transported from Grumentum by land and sea. The journey alone would consume 1/3 of it, and it would only be enough to sustain the army for ten days in Potentia. Although the great battle here was over, there was still follow-up work to be done. Even so, he still unhesitatingly donated an astonishing amount of supplies to Potentia, not for the present, but with an eye to the future.
At this time, the atmosphere of the scene was more harmonious, and Davos chatted happily with the chieftains…
And in the mountains not far from them, pairs of hateful eyes were watching the grand and lively scene below.
"Chieftain, have you really decided to raid the camp tonight?! The Daonians probably have tens of thousands of soldiers, and we only have over a thousand, most of whom are still hungry! Why don't we wait until the Great Chieftain and Chieftain Lesgus have joined us before attacking the enemy, it's not too late then!" The warrior showed a hesitant expression.
"It will be too late by then! Only by taking advantage of the Daonians' arrival here after a long march, when they are extremely tired, will there be a greater chance of success in attacking the camp! Potentia… the Potentians can… cough cough… can do it, so can we!" Gaelny encouraged his tribesmen in a deep voice, but couldn't stop coughing. Last night's experience was like a nightmare. If it weren't for the night raid, he wouldn't even want to mention the name "Potentia".
"Besides, we've been searching all day today and haven't found… my father… and Lesgus and the others…" At this point, his expression was slightly worried and frustrated, but he quickly cast aside these troubling thoughts and encouraged his tribesmen again: "We must take action immediately! Otherwise, tomorrow the Daonian army may advance north to attack Copia! We must do our best to defend Abellinum and the neighboring lands!"
"Yes…" The Samnite warriors' response was weak.
...............…
Late at night, Pu Amote returned to his mansion, his emotions still in the excitement of the previous conversation: "Poletes, what do you think of Davos?"
"A remarkable Greek Great Chieftain! A remarkable military commander!" Poletes said concisely.
"Then, do you think he can lead the Daonians to defeat the Syracuse army?" Pu Amote continued to ask.
Poletes hesitated for a moment, then said affirmatively: "I haven't seen the Syracuse army, but the Daonian legion is the most disciplined and powerful Greek army I have ever seen, and I believe they can win!"
"I believe so too." Pu Amote said, seeing the surprise on his brother's face, and smiled: "Although I haven't participated in battles, Davos is the Greek general I have ever seen who can restrain his desires and control the desires of his subordinates! Such a person, his character is like a pine tree growing in a rock, he will never give in to setbacks, and he will definitely win the final victory! So—"
Pu Amote took a few steps, came to the statue of Asinus, and after making a devout prayer, made a final decision: "I have decided to dedicate Poseidonia to Daonia."
"What?!" Poletes was shocked to hear this.
"In fact, Poseidonia is now in the hands of the Daonians, they seized it from the Samnites. Davos has not mentioned how to dispose of this city, so it is better to take the initiative to give it to Daonia. Anyway, the tribesmen there have either been killed or become prisoners, and we have no way to help them, so let the Daonians help them." Pu Amote sighed, his eyes becoming brighter and brighter: "I think Davos is a man with a broad mind. The Bruttians have surrendered, southern Lucania has surrendered, many Greek city-states have also surrendered, and the Samnites have been defeated… The Daonians will have the final say in this land in the future, and we must make a choice as soon as possible, so that Davos will not treat Potentia badly."
"I understand, brother. You are the Great Chieftain of Potentia, you have the final say, and I will listen to you," Poletes said sincerely.
"No, I am old, and Potentia will be under your control in the future. I believe you will handle the relationship with Potentia well." Pu Amote said calmly. He had no children, and Poletes was his brother, more like his son.
..................
Late at night, a commotion broke out in the Daonian camp, waking Davos from his sleep.
"What happened?" Davos looked calmly at Rodomus, the acting captain of the guard, and Tolmides, the messenger, who walked into the room.
"Lord, there is a Samnite raid on the camp. They were discovered by the sentries. Since it is in the defense zone of the Second Legion, Legion Commander Amintas has already led his team to attack. I believe they will be repelled soon," Tolmides said.
"It's bad luck for the Samnites to run into Amintas. This guy has been holding his breath because he hasn't had a major battle since coming to the Lucania region.