Dionysius granted fairly lenient surrender terms to Caulonia: Caulonia would provide supplies and troops to assist the Syracusan army in battle. In exchange, Syracuse would not garrison the city of Caulonia.
Of course, what the Caulonians didn't know was that Dionysius had also written a special letter to his brother-in-law, Demodocus, the chief general of Locri, regarding their surrender.
Because while Locri was fully supporting Dionysius's invasion of Magna Graecia, they had made a request: that Dionysius hand over the city of Caulonia to them after defeating the Southern Italy League.
Dionysius had agreed to this.
Therefore, Dionysius had to reassure the Locrians once again: that the current handling of Caulonia was only temporary, and everything was a temporary expedient to quickly defeat Croton and Thurii. Once these city-states were truly conquered, Caulonia would be handed over to Locri as previously promised.
The Locrians accepted Dionysius's explanation.
The Caulonians, of course, had no idea that their fate had already been decided. Believing they had escaped a great disaster, they eagerly expressed their obedience to Dionysius, and soon dispatched 5,000 soldiers and a large amount of supplies to Syracuse.
The surrender of Caulonia freed up the Locrian army that had been besieging it. They quickly turned south and passed through the mountain pass.
Although Phayllus had been wary of the east because the messenger he had sent out had not returned, he sent a small unit to guard the entrance to the mountain pass as a precaution. However, after Syracuse completely blockaded news from the north, he was completely in the dark and never imagined that the situation in southern Magna Graecia would change so drastically in just a few days.
The rapidly approaching Locrians were so numerous (as many as 15,000) and so fast that the Ligurian force of less than a thousand men defending the mountain pass was quickly defeated.
Phayllus, who was leading his army to besiege Medma, was shocked when he received the news. He had no time to organize his troops to meet the enemy, and the Locrian troops rushed into his camp...
By the time Phayllus and countless fleeing soldiers had fled across the Marro River and into the city of Tauriana, his original force of ten thousand men had been reduced to less than 7,000.
Dionysius was overjoyed to learn of Caulonia's surrender and Ligium's defeat, because at this point, except for Ligium, the entire southern Magna Graecia had been pacified, and he could safely concentrate on attacking the north. The remnants of Ligium were enough for Locri to deal with, without him having to worry about it.
So he ordered Leptines: except for leaving a few warships to guard the port of Terina and continue to cut off the sea link between Thurii and Ligium on the west coast, all the other warships participating in this war should turn to the port of Syracuse and concentrate there.
At the same time, he demanded that all units complete their rest as soon as possible,
preparing to advance north.
The war between the Southern Italy League and Syracuse was not just a matter between Magna Graecia and the Sicilian Greek city-states, it also attracted the attention of many forces throughout the Mediterranean.
Not long after the Battle of the Lamato River ended, news of Syracuse's victory quickly spread throughout the western Mediterranean. Related city-states and forces were pondering the impact of this war on themselves and even started to make their own calculations...
...
...
...
...
...
...
On this day, the Thurii Senate was holding a routine meeting, mainly to discuss two issues: one was that the Sixth Legion, which had just gone to Crimisa, had increased the logistics pressure on the Department of Military Affairs, resulting in a shortage of personnel to transport grain and supplies; the other was a proposal submitted by the naval commander, Siculus, through Hieronimus. The departure of the Sixth Legion had led to a shortage of combat soldiers on the warships, and he requested the formation of new legions. At the same time, the sailors of the Thurii Allied Fleet were barely enough, and once there were losses in naval battles, it would be difficult to replenish them. He hoped to recruit sailors from the allied states as reserves.
"I think... solving the problem of the Department of Military Affairs' lack of personnel to transport supplies is very simple." Cunogolata, the administrative officer of Thurii, said thoughtfully: "Since the sea routes have been attacked by the Syracusan navy, merchant ships have obviously decreased, and many laborers in the port, such as porters, warehouse managers, ship repairers, and cart drivers, have no work to do. They are idle all day long, which has added a lot of trouble to public security. The Department of Military Affairs can completely recruit some laborers at the port, and even without paying them salaries, as long as they guarantee their food supply, they will do a good job, and it will also reduce the pressure on the port patrol..."
"That's indeed a good idea!" Marigenes praised, and then reminded: "However, even if food is used as remuneration, we must pay attention to controlling the supply. As the war progresses, grain will only be more valuable than drachmas."
Hieronimus nodded, indicating that he understood.
At this time, Cunogolata questioned: "I don't understand why Siculus has to recruit sailors from the allied states?! We have so many spare people in our port, why not use them?!"
Siculus was not a senator and was not at the meeting, so Hieronimus, the only remaining officer of the Department of Military Affairs, had to answer, although he was not good at these things: "Um... time is tight now... um... the Syracusan fleet may attack at any time. What Siculus needs are skilled sailors who can be trained without spending too much time..."
"The fleet under Siculus's command has occupied a lot of manpower in Thurii, but it has always been hiding in the Crati River. What exactly is he doing?! He should lead the fleet to drive away those Syracusan warships that are rampant in the Gulf of Taranto, even if it only allows us to restore one or two days of sea routes!" Marigenes complained.
"I don't know much about the navy, but I know that Lord Thuriarchus asked him to do so."
As soon as Hieronimus finished speaking, Marigenes immediately chuckled twice and said: "Since Lord Thuriarchus has already made arrangements, it seems that we don't need to worry too much about the Syracusan fleet."
In the Senate, there were quite a few senators like Marigenes who blindly trusted Thuriarchus, but after receiving the news that the Southern Italy League had suffered a disastrous defeat in Syracuse, Petalus, who had been somewhat absent-minded these past two days, felt disgusted by Marigenes's flattering face.
He sneered a few times in his heart, and then turned his gaze to Cadulcus, who was also somewhat absent-minded.
"How about this, we send someone to discuss with Castron and Heraclea to recruit some sailors..." Corneus stood up and had just voiced his suggestion when the door of the meeting hall was suddenly pushed open.
The captain of the guard, who was responsible for the Senate's defense work, rushed in.
Cunogolata, the chairman on duty, saw that he looked flustered and quickly asked: "What's wrong?"
"My lords, we just received an urgent letter stating that Metapontum has been captured by Tarentum!"
"What?!"
...
...
...
...
...
...
Dionysius, the magistrate of Tarentum, stood on the city wall of Metapontum, looking down with satisfaction as the soldiers of Tarentum poured into the already opened gate, slaughtering the people of Metapontum who were still trying to resist in various neighborhoods of the city...
The Tarentine army's attack went very smoothly, and they quickly advanced towards the central square of the city.
The sounds of fighting that reached Dionysius's ears gradually became sparse.
"Go, to the acropolis!" Dionysius could not wait to reap the fruits of victory.
Dionysius descended from the city wall, turned over and mounted his horse, leading his entourage straight forward. He turned a blind eye to the bodies of the people of Metapontum and the struggling and crying wounded that could be seen everywhere on the street: Since these descendants with Tarentine blood had chosen to betray, they should no longer dream of being forgiven by Tarentum.
When Dionysius had just reached the square, his subordinates came to report the good news to him: "The acropolis of Metapontum has been taken!"
"So fast?!" Although Dionysius was confident that the quality of Tarentum's soldiers far exceeded that of the people of Metapontum, he did not expect that the defense of the core fortress of a city-state - the acropolis - would be so weak.
"Isalcas and the others persuaded the soldiers stationed at the acropolis to surrender," the subordinate explained.
"So that's how it is." Dionysius dispelled his doubts.
Metapontum had, after all, been a sub-state of Tarentum. Although the blood ties between the two sides had thinned after hundreds of years of development and their politics tended towards independence, they had been in an alliance and had been protected by Tarentum for many years. Many people of Metapontum were close to and yearned for Tarentum, but Tarentum's erroneous and rash policies in recent years had caused Metapontum to suffer huge losses, and Tarentum insisted on acting recklessly, which led the people of Metapontum to turn to a stronger neighboring state - the Thurian League - in order to avoid greater losses.
Thurii's more tolerant policies towards its allies reassured Metapontum, but this did not mean that Metapontum wanted to completely sever ties with Tarentum. On the contrary, once the crisis had passed, the people of Metapontum began to miss their mother state, and with the deliberate promotion of the pro-Tarentum faction led by Isalcas, the relationship between the two sides quickly recovered and exchanges increased (of course, there were also conflicts). After all, Metapontum was closer to Tarentum. This could be seen from the similar number of pro-Thurii and pro-Tarentum people elected as magistrates and senators of Metapontum each year.
At each Senate meeting, these two factions would often argue fiercely, and even clash, over whether a bill involving Thurii and Tarentum favored one side more. In fact, the strength of the pro-Thurii faction led by Thuddepretes was weaker than that of the pro-Tarentum faction. After all, Thurii had only recently become its ally, but Thurii's rapidly expanding power gave them confidence, so that Isalcas and the others would take the initiative to back down for fear of angering Thurii whenever it came to a critical moment.
The Thurii Senate was also very clear about the situation in Metapontum and, considering its relationship with Tarentum and the alliance treaty it had signed with Metapontum, it was not easy to interfere in its internal affairs. But they firmly believed that as Thurii's strength grew stronger and stronger, Metapontum would naturally follow more and more closely.
Davos and the Daonian Senate never expected that Dionysius had long been plotting against Taranto, and the people of Taranto had become increasingly disappointed with the rise of Daonia in the past two years, and their rejection of the Daonians had become increasingly strong. Therefore, it was by no means accidental that Daomiras, a Taranto citizen who had committed a serious crime, was re-elected as consul.
After Daomiras and the Taranto Senate received Dionysius's guarantee, they secretly contacted pro-Taranto people in their former allies, while observing the battle situation in Magna Graecia, putting on a posture of standing idly by. After all, they had personally witnessed the strength of the Daonian army, and they did not dare to take risks without great certainty. It was not until the end of the Battle of Siris that news of "Syracuse's great victory and the rapid occupation of Siris and Trina" reached Taranto one after another that the Taranto Senate finally made up its mind.
The process of capturing Metaponto was actually very simple: early in the morning, the Taranto army raided Metaponto, and the pro-Taranto faction betrayed the city guards, secretly opened the city gates, and led them to raid the pro-Daonian faction led by Tudepres (since Metaponto joined the Unitary Alliance, Tudepres and his people have been in control of the right to mobilize troops with the support of Daonia).
"General, congratulations on taking Metaponto!" Isalokas and his group came to congratulate Daomiras.
"No, Taranto did not capture this city, but the people of Metaponto freed themselves from the control of Daonia and returned to the embrace of their motherland!" Daomiras, who had been in Taranto for several years, was obviously more calm than before.
"You are right, General! Metaponto is a sub-state of Taranto, and they share the same beliefs in Poseidon and Falantos, not Hades, and should be united together!" Isalokas immediately took over the conversation, expressing his feelings.
"Lord Isalokas, the Taranto Senate hopes that you will serve as the sole consul of Metaponto, leading the people to jointly deal with the current complex situation in Magna Graecia with Taranto!" In fact, the Taranto Senate had previously made an agreement with Isalokas, and Daomiras announced it publicly at this moment in order to openly show his support for Isalokas.
"Thank you to the Taranto Senate and General Daomiras for your trust! I will definitely make Metaponto the most trustworthy ally of Taranto, and at the same time restore its peace!" Isalokas promised with excitement on his face.
Daomiras nodded and said in a commanding tone: "Please prepare the sacrifices immediately, I am going to the Acropolis to worship Poseidon, thank him for his help and forgive our offense!"
"I'll do it right away." Isalokas instructed the person beside him, and that person ran away.
Isalokas turned around and said, "There is one more thing, I hope you will pay attention to it, Tudepres has not been caught!"
"That traitor ran away?!" Daomiras frowned.
"He is very clever and had been prepared for a long time. When you just entered the city, he immediately led some people and ran away from the west gate. We were few in number and couldn't stop them at all, and many soldiers were killed and injured." Isalokas said dejectedly.
Others also said that they had done their best and showed Daomiras the injuries they had suffered.
"Okay!" Daomiras interrupted them loudly, these people's rambling would only make him irritable: "Tudepres ran west, he can't escape."
Daomiras sneered, catching Tudepres was just a small matter, he was more concerned about the progress of the troops led by Yomacas.
So, he said to Isalokas: "I will leave a large team of soldiers to help you stabilize the situation in Metaponto. After I come out of the Acropolis, I will lead the army to Heraclea. The task of transporting supplies and food will be handed over to you."
"Don't worry, I will arrange it."
… … … … … … … … … … … …
At the same time as the Taranto people launched a surprise attack on Metaponto, they also launched an attack on Heraclea.
Since Heraclea was still separated from Taranto by Metaponto on land, in order to achieve the effect of a surprise attack, the Taranto offensive force could only come from the sea. When the internal agents of Heraclea saw the Taranto fleet landing, they could prepare and cooperate from the inside out to open the city gates for the offensive force.
However, since Davos sent people to remind him, Teriphias, the consul of Heraclea, had been cautious about the east and repeatedly instructed the city and port guards to always be vigilant. Therefore, when the Taranto fleet quietly approached the coast of Heraclea in the early morning mist, the sentry of the Heraclea port lighthouse discovered them in time.
So the alarm bell rang in Heraclea, and the citizens immediately armed themselves and strengthened the city's defenses.
Heraclea was different from Metaponto. It was only built decades ago, and it was far away from Taranto, so it was not as deeply influenced by Taranto as Metaponto. On the contrary, in recent years, it has had close ties with the neighboring state of Daonia, and its culture and trade have become increasingly influenced by it. Instead, more and more citizens are leaning towards Daonia. Therefore, there were very few internal agents of Taranto in the city, and how dare they confront the citizens' army head-on? Seeing the strict defenses in the city, they did not dare to act rashly, and immediately silenced and hid.
Even more fortunately, Heraclea was built somewhat strangely. It is located at the narrowest point between the lower reaches of the Agri River and the Basento River. Therefore, the Taranto army could not land on the river bank near the city, because the narrow area would cause the landing to be slow, and the troops could not be fully deployed. Once the Heraclea people decisively attacked, the Taranto people who were still landing would be in big trouble. Landing on the south bank of the Agri River would likely be attacked by Heraclea and Daonia from both sides. Therefore, Yomacas had to choose the landing point on the north bank of the Basento River.
Taranto soldiers began to land quickly… …
Because the Taranto fleet entered the Basento River for patrol, the Heraclea people did not dare to send troops across the river to attack the enemy who was landing.
Teriphias decisively sent people to burn the wooden bridge on the Basento River not far from the north side of Heraclea City. At the same time, he also sent messengers on horseback to Thurii to ask Daonia for help. But other than that, the Heraclea people could do nothing, watching helplessly as the Taranto troops completed their assembly on the coast.
When the Taranto army arrived at the Basento River, the wooden bridge on the river had been burned to charcoal.
Yomacas had no choice but to order the troops to cooperate with the fleet to build a pontoon bridge.
During this period, Teriphias decisively led his troops out of the city and attacked the ships with rockets, interrupting Taranto's bridge-building operation… …
Because of Heraclea's harassment, several Taranto passenger ships were burned. Yomacas was at a loss for a while and had to urge Daomiras's troops to arrive as soon as possible… …
… … … … … … … … … … …
During this period, a small episode occurred.
Tudepres led the remnants westward under the pursuit of the enemy, and as a result, they saw the Taranto people who were landing in the distance.
With obstacles in front and pursuers behind, the people traveling with him panicked and asked Tudepres: What should we do?
Tudepres didn't have time to think, and resolutely said: "Let's run north!"
"The north is full of terrible Garaguso people!" someone exclaimed,
"Are the Garaguso people more terrible than the Taranto people who want our lives at this moment! What's more, they are also allies of Daonia like us!" After saying that, Tudepres took the lead and ran into the mountains to the north.
At this critical moment, the others had no other choice but to follow him over the mountains.
They entered the sphere of influence of Garaguso with great difficulty, and were finally surrounded by the Lucanians.
After Tudepres explained his intentions, the Lucanians of Garaguso, after consultation with the priest of Garaguso, decided to temporarily settle these Metaponto refugees in the valley and strictly ordered the tribes not to harm them.
You should know that in the past, the Garaguso people were very hostile to the Metaponto people. In recent years, because of Daonia, the relationship between the two sides has gradually eased. But the reason why there is such a big change in attitude this time is not only because Garaguso and Metaponto are both allies of Daonia, but more importantly, Garaguso has just received news from Potentia: the Daonian army, led by Consul Davos, defeated the invading Samnites.
For the Greeks, the Samnites were just another barbaric mountain race. However, the Lucanian tribes living in Garaguso knew this powerful northern neighbor very well, because their ancestors lived in the Benevento area hundreds of years ago, and it was the Samnites who drove them here.
The Garaguso people have passed down from generation to generation that they are deeply afraid of the Samnites. When they heard that nearly 50,000 Samnites had invaded Potentia on a large scale, the first thought that came to the Garaguso people was: We are afraid we will have to migrate again.
Therefore, they paid close attention to the movements of the Samnites. As a result, after Davos led a smaller Daonian army to completely defeat the Samnites, it gave the Garaguso people a considerable shock.
If previously, Galasus only feared the might of Daonia, now they also held a degree of respect. In their hearts, Syracuse was nothing to fear; the Daonians, capable of defeating the formidable Samnites with fewer troops, were destined to achieve ultimate victory.
Therefore, without any request from the Daonians, Galasus proactively marched south to harass Metapontum.
The citizens of Metapontum discovered that after joining the Daonian League, the northern region had enjoyed peace and tranquility. However, after rejoining Tarentum, the northern region was once again ravaged by the Galasians. They began to regret their choice, and their complaints about the city council established by Isalcas and Tarentum steadily increased, but that's another story.
...
At this time, the people of Heraclea strengthened the city's defenses while urgently dispatching messengers to Thurii for assistance.
Upon receiving the plea for help from Heraclea, the Daonian Senate, despite being shocked, quickly made a decision: the newly formed Seventh Legion, the only remaining force in Thurii, was ordered to rush to Heraclea for rescue.
However, Thurii's military strength was already stretched to its limit. Withdrawing the Seventh Legion would leave Thurii with no significant defensive force on the Sybaris Plain, apart from the naval fleet and the freemen in the port.
Given Thurii's depleted defenses and the lack of young and strong men, it was deemed unsuitable to conscript new troops. Doing so would completely paralyze Thurii's daily city affairs. Therefore, the Senate decided to immediately establish the Eighth Legion in the Bruttian region and send it to Thurii to defend the alliance's center.
This resolution was quickly passed.
Petalus, Cadulcus, and Bergamus, who usually didn't speak much in the Senate, all volunteered to go to the Bruttian region to recruit and form troops.
Cunogolata, the deeply shrewd rotating chairman, tactfully declined, stating that "Hieronimus has always been responsible for military training in various regions and is very familiar with the reserve soldiers in the Bruttian region, making him the best candidate."
To avoid displeasing these Bruttian senators, he specifically explained, "My lords, I believe you should also know that the Daonian legions differ greatly from the armies of other city-states in terms of mobilizing citizens and forming legions. Only those in the military department understand and can execute this, and there are explicit provisions in the 'Daonian Law' stating that only the Military Affairs Department is responsible for forming legions…"
The Bruttian senators grumbled in dissatisfaction and reluctantly sat down.
Hieronimus became the sole candidate to go to the Bruttian region and form a legion, while his logistics supply duties were temporarily taken over by Melsis.
...
The winding rivers and swamps within Heraclea slowed down the advance of Deomilas's troops.
He finally managed to reach the north bank of the Basento River and join forces with Eumachus's troops, bringing the total Tarentine force to over 15,000 men.
After a brief discussion, Tarentum once again divided its forces.
Deomilas led 8,000 men upstream along the banks of the Basento River, attempting to wade across the river at a shallow section.
Triarius, standing on the city wall, saw the enemy's division and immediately understood their intentions.
Even with far fewer troops, Triarius decisively ordered over 3,000 light and heavy infantry to advance alongside the Tarentines on the opposite bank, attempting to prevent them from crossing the river.
This forced Deomilas to cautiously continue upstream to a shallower and narrower section, while also choosing a location with a longer wading distance to avoid being easily intercepted by the Heracleans.
The Heraclean region was, after all, a small plain formed by the alluvial deposits of multiple rivers, with very flat terrain, and it was currently the dry season. In fact, it didn't take long for Deomilas to find a suitable location.
Deomilas had his troops line up along the riverbank in a formation about a mile long and, at the sound of the attack signal, they waded across the river together.
Faced with such an offensive formation, the Heracleans had no intention of directly confronting them. Their only goal was to delay the Tarentines from approaching the city, so they simply threw javelins and shot arrows at the Tarentines. The muddy riverbed also caused some confusion and casualties among the Tarentines.
By the time the Tarentines had landed on the shore, the Heracleans had already fled far away.
Deomilas reorganized his troops, preparing to march east. He needed to reach the city of Heraclea as soon as possible, first burn the bridge over the Agri River not far south of the city to cut off Daonia's fastest route to reinforce Heraclea, and then build pontoon bridges on both banks of the Basento River to allow Eumachus's troops to cross the river and besiege the city of Heraclea.
But just then, several Tarentine cavalrymen galloped urgently from the opposite bank of the Basento River, telling Deomilas across the Basento River that Daonia's reinforcements had already arrived south of the Agri River pontoon bridge.
Deomilas was shocked: How could the Daonian reinforcements be so fast?!
He certainly didn't know that the main road connecting Heraclea and Thurii allowed the messengers seeking aid from Heraclea to reach the city of Thurii in just over an hour, and from the Daonian Senate's swift decision to the naval base gathering the Seventh Legion, it only took a little over an hour to depart.
This also included some time delayed by Secilian's obstruction, and even this naval commander ran to the Senate to protest. Originally, drawing a newly formed legion to Crimisa was enough to infuriate him. He didn't expect that after only a day, the only legion participating in training would also be transferred away. This wasted all of Secilian's training efforts of more than ten days, and he was also thinking of leading the fleet to defeat the Syracuse navy with new tactics, giving the people of Daonia a huge surprise, and justifying himself. Now that even the infantry on the warships are gone, his beautiful vision has become a pipe dream.
Secilian's anger can be imagined, but how could the authority of the Senate be changed by a young general who is not a senator?
In the eyes of Cunogolata and others: whether the navy goes to war is not the main issue, anyway, they are unlikely to be a match for the powerful Syracuse fleet, and at most they will be blockaded at sea. But once Taranto occupies Heraclea, their army will set foot on the territory of Amendolara, which will be a disaster for Daonia, which is currently fully dealing with the war in the south!
So, Cunogolata first euphemistically criticized him for his short-sightedness and disregard for the overall situation, and then comforted him and said: "Lord Davos will return with his army soon, and your navy fleet will not lack the support of infantry..."
Secilian could only leave dejectedly. He had not fully emerged from the joy of being promoted to naval commander a few months ago when he realized that his words had no weight in the Senate...
After the Seventh Legion assembled, the legion commander immediately ordered the troops to march forward at full speed.
The legion commander was none other than Matonis, the security officer of Thurii.
Before Davos led his army to Potentia, Felicius had asked him about the candidates for the two newly built legions and legion commanders.
After considering it, Davos decided to let Matonis and Olivos serve as legion commanders. First, they have served as centurions for many years, and they not only have rich battlefield experience, but also have rich experience in commanding large troops; second, both of them hold important positions, one is the security officer of Thurii, and the other is the deputy quartermaster of the military affairs department. The new legion was built to defend Thurii, so they can hold concurrent positions. Although the two new legions may be cancelled after the war, with the resume of legion commander, it will be much easier to promote them to formal legion commanders.
It can be said that Davos considered everything for the two, but both of them were unwilling to accept it, especially Matonis. He didn't want his teammates to fight hard in the front while he was leisurely in the rear.
However, Davos didn't even think about persuading his close comrades-in-arms in the past, and directly forced them to accept it with mandatory orders. Now they finally got a battle to fight: Olivos led the Sixth Legion to Crimisa, and Matonis led the Seventh Legion to rescue Heraclea.
Matonis had been holding back his resentment for a long time, so as soon as he received the order, he not only urged the troops to speed up their advance, but also ran at the front of the team without riding a war horse. With him setting an example, the Seventh Legion naturally marched very fast, running on the flat avenue, and arrived at the Agri River pontoon bridge in just under three hours.
In fact, this newly built legion is not complete. Because it was just established not long ago, they have no cavalry, reconnaissance squads, or engineering battalions, and most of the soldiers are reserve citizens and registered freemen. They don't have enough money to buy a full set of new-style legion soldier equipment, so the weapons and equipment are incomplete. Some heavy infantry battalions look no different from light infantry battalions. Even because of the hasty departure, they didn't bring doctors and baggage.
The Taranto warships in the river failed many attempts to destroy the Agri River pontoon bridge due to the defense of the Heraclean soldiers and the protection of the ships. Instead, two ships were burned down by rockets. They had to dock at the mouth of the Agri River, but they happened to observe the arrival of the Daionian reinforcements, and immediately sent a fast boat to the north bank of the Basento River to report to Eumachus, which led to the previous emergency notification of Deomilas by the cavalry.
The Tarentines were not decisive enough in their actions, not fast enough in their march, and because the land traffic between Metapontum and Heraclea was poor (compared to the Daionian Avenue), coupled with the best efforts of the Heracleans to block them, the Daonians took the lead in this marching race.
Deomilas had seen the power of the Daionian army in battle, so he was more cautious. Now that the Daonians had arrived, he could no longer act rashly. So he ordered the army to camp on the south bank of the Basento River, notified Eumachus to build a pontoon bridge on the north bank, and then led the army across the river to rejoin forces. After understanding the detailed situation of the city of Heraclea, he would take further action.
Although Matonis was brave in battle, he was not reckless. The Seventh Legion arrived at Heraclea, and the soldiers were already exhausted, so he could only take them into the city to rest first.
… … … … … … … … … … … …
Olivos led the Sixth Legion to Crimisa.
The current administrative officer of Crimisa is Protesilaus. He was recommended to the Senate by Skombrilas when his term was about to expire, and he was supported by Davos. In fact, he has been in office for less than a year. At this moment, he had already led the officials of the city of Crimisa to greet him outside the city.
Although Olivos was not an Elder, he was outgoing and good at making friends. He had dealings with Protesilaus back in the days of Amendolara, and the two were quite familiar with each other. Now, with war on the horizon, their meeting felt even more cordial.
"Welcome, Legion Commander Olivos! The arrival of you and your soldiers has reassured all the citizens of our city!" Protesilaus said sincerely.
"Lord Protesilaus, the Sixth Legion has been ordered to defend Crimisa this time. We will need your full support to jointly resist those detestable Syracusans!" Olivos said just as earnestly.
"Fully supporting your defense of Crimisa is now the most important task for me and my subordinates. Tonight, I have prepared a banquet for you at my residence. We can eat and chat, and you can get to know the officials of Crimisa…" Seeing Olivos' amiable attitude, Protesilaus also relaxed a little, as it was his first time cooperating with the military after all.
"A banquet won't be necessary, as the military code forbids me from violating it. However, I am very willing to discuss in detail with you how to defend Crimisa…" Olivos said as he surveyed the city of Crimisa before him. Since the Second Croton War, this was his first time coming to this city on Daonian's southern border. It seemed that Scombrus and Protesilaus had not been idle during their tenures these past few years; the city walls had not only been thickened but also raised by at least two meters (initially mainly to defend against the Crotonians).
"I have already arranged your encampment in the plaza. The Sixth Legion's supplies should be provided by the Thurii Department of Military Affairs, but the Crimisa City Hall will do its best to provide you with some fresh meat, fish, and vegetables… to improve your diet…" Protesilaus introduced some of the preparations Crimisa had made while leading Olivos into the city.
Olivos listened attentively, and he could see that Protesilaus had made ample preparations for the Sixth Legion's arrival, which pleased him.
But just after passing through the city gate, he heard a great clamor coming from ahead.
"We can't let these soldiers into the city! They will only bring war! Bring death!"
"Thurii people, get out! The people of Crimisa don't welcome you, get out!"
"You executioners, return the lives of our loved ones!"
… …
Hearing this, Olivos' expression immediately changed, and he turned to question, "Lord Protesilaus, what is going on here?!"
Protesilaus' expression also changed drastically, and he was just about to explain when…
The commander of the vanguard First Battalion rushed over and said anxiously, "Legion Commander, there are many Crimisa citizens blocking the streets ahead, preventing us from entering the city!"
"It's those fellows again!" Protesilaus said with annoyance, sighing, "Previously, the case of Polixes, as well as the assassination attempt on His Majesty, involved many citizens of Crimisa, some of whom were severely punished by the League. Since Syracuse invaded Magna Graecia and defeated the allied forces at Siris, some of the citizens' families have been protesting in front of the City Hall these past two days, demanding the release of their relatives… But I didn't expect… they would dare to block the army from entering the city!"
Compared to Protesilaus' worry, Olivos, who had been fighting for many years, was much more decisive and vigilant. He loudly reminded Protesilaus: "We should immediately send troops to arrest these people!"
"How can we do that! They are all citizens of Crimisa!" Protesilaus shook his head repeatedly.
"At a time when the League is facing a crisis, they dare to obstruct the army from entering the city. This is an act of treason and must be severely punished! Moreover, for this to happen at this time, I suspect that there must be enemies directing it! Crimisa is about to face an attack by the Syracusan army. If such chaos also occurs within the city, it will bring disaster to us! Therefore, I suggest placing Crimisa under military control!"
"Military control?!" Protesilaus looked at Olivos in surprise.
Olivos said with a serious expression: "If we don't strictly control it, when the Syracusan army arrives, these undisciplined and hostile Crimisa people may take advantage of our inattention to quietly open the city gates and welcome them in, turning us all into Dionysius' slaves!"
These words reminded Protesilaus of his miserable days as a prisoner of the Lucanians in Amendolara. He couldn't help but shiver, and then said hesitantly, "Alright… alright, but I hope you won't harm the people of Crimisa…"
After obtaining Protesilaus' consent, Olivos immediately issued an order for the First Battalion to quickly surround these troublemaking Crimisa people and detain them, no matter how much they cried and wailed.
The Sixth Legion was able to enter the city smoothly.
Soon, the City Hall issued a notice: implementing military control over the entire city, prohibiting arbitrary entry and exit from the port and city gates, and calling on residents outside the city to temporarily relocate to the city to cope with the impending war.
… … … … … … … … … … … … …
The emergency on Daonian's northeastern border not only shocked the people of Amendolara but also aroused the vigilance of the Thurii people: the footsteps of war were approaching Daonian's core area, awakening their painful memories of the destruction of their homes a few years ago. Now, the invading enemies were more numerous and even more powerful, and Daonian seemed only able to defend and unable to counterattack. Such a frustrating situation made the Daonian people begin to worry. While they were looking forward to the early return of Consul Davos, the "oracle" of Hades was also increasingly taking root in the hearts of the people.
That night, there was a rapid knock on the door of Aristas, Davos' intelligence officer, in his residence in the eastern city (that is, near the docks inside the city, near the Daonian Arena district, which is a famous entertainment district in the city of Thurii).
The vigilant Aristas had already gotten out of bed and put on his clothes before his own slaves could go to open the door.
The person who came was Telatus. As soon as he saw Aristas, he said hurriedly, "Sir, our people saw that the Elders of the Senate, Petarus, Cadulcus, and Bergam, secretly left the city with their followers one after another in the evening!"
Aristas was suddenly shocked and asked in a deep voice, "Did the city guards not stop them?"
"The magistrate Matonis has gone to Heraclea, and the others are Elders, and they left separately from the east, west, and north gates, so it didn't arouse too much suspicion. The city guards have no one to back them up, how dare they stop them!" Telatus said helplessly.
After Davos left with the army, with the continuation and intensification of the war, the current political structure of Daonian exposed many drawbacks.
Although someone in the Senate had proposed "implementing martial law in the entire city of Thurii during wartime to prevent accidents from happening," it was not passed because some people believed that such a practice interfered too much with the freedom of citizens. After all, the war was still far from Thurii, and there was no need to make the atmosphere so tense.
Although the Polixes case gave the supervisors more power to strengthen the management of the Elders, and the "establishment of tribunes" was used to carry out supervision from the bottom up, it was still just beginning to be implemented. Even if some Elders did not have real power, their status was very high. Once Davos was not around, how could ordinary people dare to restrain them?
Aristas didn't think so much. The reason he was nervous was because after the assassination attempt, Davos had invested more funds and manpower into his intelligence department, requiring him to strengthen surveillance of various cities in Daonian. After the outbreak of the war, he even asked his subordinates to cooperate with the city magistrates to ensure the stability of the city and prevent accidents from happening.
Petarus, Cadulcus, and Bergam, the three Bruttian Elders, had complained a lot about some of Daonian's laws some time ago. They were also involved in the Polixes case before, supporting Polixes' proposal. Although nothing happened in the end, Aristas paid close attention to them.
During the period after the outbreak of the war, the three had several private gatherings, which made Aristas even more vigilant. Unfortunately, at a critical moment, the sudden breach of alliance and invasion of Tarentum led to Matonis' departure, catching Aristas off guard. After all, the intelligence department he led was only Davos' private organization, without any public power, and it was impossible to stop the highly respected Daonian Elders from leaving…
Thinking of this, Aristas further asked, "Are you sure they went to the Bruttian region?"
The only trace of luck in his heart was quickly shattered by Telatus' words: "The people I sent personally saw them pass the Bisinian wooden bridge one after another."
But Telatus' next words made him feel a little relieved: "However, after they left the city, I immediately sent someone on horseback to Bisinia first. Once he confirms the route of Petarus and the others, he will immediately ride to Cosenza to inform Lord Heros first."
Aristas didn't care about his capable subordinate's unauthorized actions. What he cared about was whether this long-distance message could be successful. Although there were already roads built from Thurii to Bisinia and then to Cosenza, riding a horse in the dark, galloping through the highlands and mountains, was definitely a dangerous move.
"Who did you send?" Aristas asked with concern.
"Adepigis."
"Oh, that clever fellow." Aristas relaxed a little.
Adepigis, who was once scolded as a "Bruttian and Greek hybrid," accompanied Antaolis on his mission to Cosenza and then followed the Daonian legions as one of the guides to conquer Bruttium. His identity and the abilities he displayed in these two actions led Aristas to find him. In the following years, he made great contributions in building a Bruttian intelligence network, stifling the seeds of rebellion, and stabilizing the Bruttian region, and was promoted by Davos to intelligence officer in the Bruttian region.
This time, Adipigis had specifically rushed from Cosenza to report to Aristilas: after the defeat at the Lamato River, the impact of those Fifth Legion soldiers released by Dionysius on the Bruttian region, hoping to arouse the Senate's vigilance. Unexpectedly, he ran into this matter. Because he had often herded livestock as a slave for many years, his horsemanship was excellent, and he was also very familiar with the terrain of the Cosenza Plateau, so it was possible for him to successfully deliver the message on a long journey at night.
At this moment, after understanding the whole story, Aristilas knew that this matter was of great importance and dared not be negligent in the slightest. He immediately made a decision: "Go, you come with me to see Lord Marigi immediately!"
Why go to see the Commercial Officer Marigi, and not the Censor Sesta, who truly has the power to punish senators who are derelict in their duties, or Cunogolata, who is temporarily in charge of the entire Daonian administrative power?
That's because Marigi is a confidant of Lord Davos and is more familiar with the intelligence department that Aristilas is responsible for, while Aristilas has met Cunogolata a few times and clearly felt his dislike for him. As for Sesta, the main reason is that he is not familiar with him and is afraid of wasting time.
After hearing this shocking news, Marigi went to see Sesta without any hesitation. Sesta immediately sent people to check the residences of these senators, and sure enough, they were empty.
So, everyone immediately went to Cunogolata's residence together.
Cunogolata was old after all. Although it was not late at night, he was already sound asleep. After being woken up, he was still a little confused, but when he heard Sesta say: "Petalu, Bergam, and Kadulk have left Thurii without permission and secretly went to Bruttium, which may cause rebellion!"
His sleepiness was completely frightened away.
"Regardless of whether their departure is due to urgent matters in the tribe or other reasons, leaving without the Senate's approval is a violation of the alliance's laws!" Cunogolata's words were euphemistic, but it was difficult to hide the anxiety in his heart: "Immediately send out a cavalry team to rush to the Bruttian region to see if they can be chased back! If they are not caught up, go to Cosenza and notify Hilos to strengthen vigilance and search. Once they are found, immediately 'take care' of them!"
At this time, there were only 500 cavalrymen left in the city, but they were all citizens and not permanently armed. It would definitely take knocking on doors to wake them up so late, so Cunogolata reminded again: "When gathering the cavalry, don't make too much noise to avoid causing panic among the people!"
"What if the cavalry catches up with them and they resist?" Sesta asked coldly.
"It's best not to injure them. If there's really no other way, you can injure them, but you must not—" Before Cunogolata could finish speaking, Sesta had already strode out.
"There's one thing I forgot to say… In fact, Aristilas has already sent someone ahead of Petalu and the others to Cosenza to notify Hilos." Marigi interjected in a timely manner to praise Davos' intelligence officer.
"Oh, really?!" This was truly an unexpected surprise! Cunogolata hurriedly looked at Aristilas, who was standing in the corner of the living room.
"The situation was urgent at the time, and I made the decision without authorization, just to make the Cosenza Administrative Officer Hilos more vigilant. My people are rushing to Cosenza now. It's dark and the road is difficult to travel, so I hope he can reach Cosenza before them," Aristilas explained.
Because of his previous prejudice, Cunogolata couldn't bring himself to praise this intelligence chief. He just nodded and then said to Marigi: "Although it's very late now, we must notify the other senators and tell them about tonight's events so that they can be mentally prepared. So, Lord Marigi, please take a trip and ask them to come to me." Cunogolata was making amends afterwards to avoid being accused of acting arbitrarily and to be able to explain to Davos.
"Okay!" Marigi answered simply, turned around and walked out.
Aristilas also followed out, but was stopped by Cunogolata: "You stay for a moment."
Aristilas looked at Cunogolata in surprise as he walked up to him and asked, "What's your name?"
"Aristilas."
"Aristilas, you did a very good job before!" Cunogolata said with a serious expression: "I know you are Lord Davos' eyes. The situation in Daonia is not very good right now, and I hope you can help me temporarily."
"As a Daonian citizen, it is my duty to contribute to the alliance," Aristilas immediately stated.
"I want you to send people to pay attention to the movements of the other Bruttian senators in the Senate. Before Lord Davos returns, please tell me first if there are any abnormalities. When Davos returns, I will explain it to him," Cunogolata stared at him.
Aristilas hesitated for a moment, then reluctantly nodded and said, "Alright, Lord Cunogolata, I will report the situation to you every day."
After leaving Cunogolata's residence, Aristilas lightly waved his fist, a smile appearing on his face: in the past, they could only do things secretly and were disliked by some senators. This time, being recognized by Cunogolata, an important figure among the senators, can be said to be a big step forward for the intelligence department to move towards the open.
… … … … … … … … … … … …
On the road leading to Cosenza, Bergam, Petalu, Kadulk, and a group of dozens of people were holding torches and hurrying along.
Looking beyond the range covered by the firelight, the front was a dark and desolate wilderness. Only the strong mountain wind could be heard whistling across the unobstructed plateau, making a mournful sound, like a woman crying…
Petalu wrapped his leather robe tighter around himself. On this terrible winter night, he not only felt cold in his body, but also felt a little cold in his heart: although he had already made up his mind to break away from the Daonian League, now that he had actually taken action, what would be the fate of him and his tribe in the future? Just like the road ahead that was invisible, he had no way to estimate…
"Listen, what's that sound?!" Kadulk suddenly shouted loudly.
"It's a wolf howl!" Someone distinguished it from the wind and shouted a reminder: "Be careful, there are wolves ahead!"
Everyone panicked and gathered together, afraid of getting separated. Meeting wolves in the dark wilderness was a headache.
Everyone proceeded cautiously.
Before long, they saw five or six wolves gnawing on something by the side of the road. Everyone used torches, spears, and short swords to drive away these ferocious wolves with green eyes and bared teeth. They did not go far, but instead lingered around.
"It's a horse carcass!" Everyone saw clearly what the wolves were gnawing on.
"It shouldn't have died long ago." After listening to his tribesmen's words, Bergam's expression became solemn: "It seems that someone rode a horse through here not long ago."
Petalu's heart "thumped" and his expression also became unsightly: "It's very likely that someone discovered our actions and rode a horse to Cosenza to report us!"
"We're moving so secretly, they couldn't have known in advance. Moreover, the fastest way to Cosenza is this road. Even if we were discovered, they couldn't have been ahead of us. This time it's just a coincidence. It must be that someone's stable wasn't closed tightly and the horse sneaked out and was bitten to death by wolves…" Kadulk argued.
"But this isn't a Bruttian horse." Bergam, who was closely observing the horse carcass, reminded him: "The skeleton of the horse carcass on the ground is larger than that of the small Bruttian horse."
"You know that. Now, many tribes on the Cosenza Plateau also raise some horses from other places," Kadulk retorted again.
"Okay, stop arguing. No matter where this horse comes from, we must be more vigilant." Petalu quickly stepped forward to smooth things over and said: "I've decided to go to my original tribe (as one of the main initiators of the Bruttian War, the main accomplice of the Pianren tribe—Petalu's tribe was split up after the war, one branch near Cosenza and the other relocated to the edge of Knapetia's territory) south of Cosenza."
"I must return to Cosenza," Kadulk said. He opened the city gate, leading the Daonians to attack the inner city of Cosenza, and was rewarded by the Daonians. His tribe was intact and not relocated, making it the dominant force among the many small tribes in Cosenza today.
"You must be careful yourself," Petalu could only say this, because without Kadulk sneaking back into the tribe and taking away enough warriors, their rebellion would not be helped in any way. This was also the reason why he was willing to join forces with him, setting aside past prejudices.
"After you persuade your tribes, don't forget to lead them to Ambalia as soon as possible! Only when we gather together will we become strong, making the Daonians afraid to easily invade, and we will have enough time to make more choices!" Bergam reminded the two.
… … … … … … … … … … …
After Bruttium was incorporated into Daonia, Cosenza City has undergone great changes in recent years.
The inner city is an administrative area, mainly including the City Hall, the Council Hall, the Courthouse, the Temple, the Square, and the Department of Military Affairs, the Administrative Officer's residence, and the residences of officials next to the Square.
The main function of the Council Hall is: the Cosenza Administrative Officer discusses with the leaders of the Bruttian tribes some management matters concerning the Bruttian region. From this point of view, other Greek cities are still preparing local councils, while Cosenza has long been implementing a similar mechanism. Of course, this is related to the survival state of the Bruttian region, which is mainly based on tribes. A similar mechanism is also implemented in Grumetum in Lucania.
Speaking of the Courthouse in Cosenza City, the "Daonian Law" stipulates that if a tribesman commits a crime, the tribe can punish him according to its tribal rules, but if the tribesman disagrees, he can appeal to the Cosenza Courthouse, where the judge will re-try the case according to the "Daonian Civil Law" and ultimately negotiate a solution with the tribal leader. Because tribes often act based on the interests of the tribe as a whole or the leader, most offenders do not accept the judgments made and seek help from the Cosenza Courthouse. Although this makes the judge's work more and more busy, and the number of courthouses has increased from the initial one to five, its fairness is increasingly recognized by the Bruttian people.
This was also one of the main reasons for the rebellion of Bergam, Petal, and others: the Daonian court was rampant in Brutium, which made the authority of the tribal leaders nonexistent and could lead to the final disintegration of the tribe.
The Temple of Cosenza not only has the temples of Hades and Hera, but also the temples of the Brutian Plateau goddess Mara, the Brutian tribal patron saint Brutus, and the Hercules.
During every festival, the chief executive officer, regardless of whether he believes in it or not, has to go to these temples to offer sacrifices to show respect. This is also a strict regulation made by the Senate for the chief executive officers of various places, such as the Temple of Lucanian Mountain God Asinu in Grummentum.
There are military training camps outside Cosenza. The main duty of the military affairs department in the inner city is to check and register the clan members in each tribe who can fight, check their weapons and equipment, notify and urge the Brutian people on the roster to participate in training, and also check and count the merits of the clan members, and cooperate with the city hall to give them rewards, such as land.
This department also has to perform some secret tasks, such as understanding the growth of the strength of the various tribes, secretly encouraging the clan members to be independent, etc., which is another important reason why Petal and others criticize it.
The outer city was originally the area where the great leader of Cosenza, Pianlun, forcibly relocated the small tribes of Brutium to live. After Daonia took over, it divided the areas under their respective jurisdiction and settlement for these small tribes on the outer periphery of the city, as a barrier to protect the periphery of Cosenza, and at the same time, it could isolate wild animals at night, such as wolves, from harassing the city and bringing peace to Cosenza.
Now the outer city has the largest livestock trading market in Magna Graecia. Not only merchants within the alliance, but even the Sybarites, the Tyrrhenians, and the Crotonians will come here to buy despite the hard work. The price of Brutian horses and other livestock is cheaper than that of the Thurii Grand Market.
There is also an arena in the outer city, where football, soccer, and horse racing competitions are often held. The Brutian people's enthusiasm for these sports competitions is no less than that of the Thurii people. They can vent their usual suppressed wildness inside and outside the arena.
There is also a theater in the outer city. Originally, the Brutian people's interest in it was much weaker than that of the arena. In the beginning, it was even deserted. People who dared to open theaters in Cosenza were very shrewd. They soon discovered that the Brutian people were not interested in the irony, humor, display of wisdom, and human destiny in Greek dramas, but were interested in the stories of the Greek gods, especially Hercules, the god of great power, who, as a mortal, constantly defeated strong enemies and reaped countless beauties with his courage and wisdom. It is the adventure story that most attracts the attention of the Brutian people. You must know that in the legends of the Brutian people, they claim to be the descendants of Hercules. Therefore, the theater owners began to stage a large number of adapted stories of the Greek gods, and cultivated a large number of drama fans with popular and straightforward language and ups and downs in the plot, and also allowed the Brutian people to begin to understand Greek culture and traditions.
There are also schools in the outer city. When it was first established, it was as unpopular as the theater, but now it is quite popular, because of the increase in independent Brutian people. Cosenza allows Brutian people who have left the tribe to live in the outer city. The cost of buying land is very low,
and it is allowed to live first and then rent, and the repayment period is even as long as ten years. In this way, as more and more Brutian people leave the tribe, most of them choose to live in Cosenza, because it is the center of the Brutian region and it is so lively. The increase in the population of Cosenza has in turn promoted the prosperity of the city. After the independent Brutian people have broadened their horizons, it is natural for them to study and improve themselves in schools in order to have better development for themselves and their children.
Now the outer city of Cosenza is almost full of Brutian people. Hotels and restaurants are full of customers every day. The chief executive officer of Cosenza even proposed to the Senate: to continue to expand the outer city of Cosenza outward.
What is different from the expansion of Thurii is that the expansion of Cosenza's urban area means that the more Brutian people directly controlled by its city hall, the more stable the Brutian area will be. You must know that half of the soldiers of the Fifth Legion come from various tribes, and the other half come entirely from the Brutian people directly under the jurisdiction of Cosenza.
This is also another major reason for the rebellion of Bergam, Petal, and Cadulk. The clan members are like water to the tribe. Only when the water source is abundant can the tribe's farmland have a good harvest, while Daonia is secretly and continuously drawing away the water, and the farmland can only wither. How can Petal and others sit back and wait for death!
The reason why Cadulk dared to sneak back to Cosenza was because the Daonian Senate moved the various tribes out of the city of Cosenza, so he did not have to risk being checked by the city guards to enter the city.
Cadulk's tribe is located on the banks of the Crati River, very close to the city of Cosenza.
This is a fertile land with lush water and grass, and it is the reward Davos gave to Cadulk for his timely defection. Because the Brutian region has achieved peace and unity, not only are there no fences around the tribal settlements, but no clan members get up at night to stand guard, only hunting dogs lie prostrate outside the thatched huts, guarding against wild animals carrying away cattle and sheep.
Cadulk has to come back several times every year, but tonight the hunting dogs scattered outside are almost invisible, which makes Cadulk breathe a sigh of relief, but also a little surprised.
He led his men, tiptoed around the thatched huts, and walked towards the large courtyard in the center.
"Bang! Bang! Bang!..."
"Who is it?"
"Open the door, the great leader is back!"
"Who?"
"Open the door, it's me! Catulcus!"
Perhaps hearing the familiar voice, the people in the yard opened the door a crack, held up an oil lamp to look outside, and hurriedly opened the wooden door.
"Great Chieftain, why have you returned at this hour?!"
Catulcus did not answer and walked straight inside.
After his men entered, they quickly closed the door, stood around the yard, and looked around warily.
"Vito Tirtu, where is he?" No sooner had Catulcus spoken than a joyful voice came from the front: "Great Chieftain, you're back! Why didn't you notify me in advance so I could send people to welcome you!"
Vito Tirtu walked quickly out of the living room, a look of joy on his face.
Soon, the brazier in the center of the hall was lit, and the entire yard became illuminated.
Catulcus frowned, because Vito Tirtu's excited shout had been a little loud: "Keep your voice down! Quickly go and call Darus, Gilion, and Corax, I have important matters to discuss with you!" Catulcus said in a deep voice. Although he had to reside in Thurii, serve as a Senator in the Senate, and attend every plenary meeting, in order not to lose control of the tribe far away in Consentia, he appointed Vito Tirtu, a respected, mild-mannered, and unassertive member of the tribe, as the tribal administrator, responsible for ordinary affairs. At the same time, he appointed three of his loyal clan chiefs to assist Vito Tirtu in managing the tribe, with important matters to be decided by the four of them through discussion. In reality, the four often found it difficult to reach an agreement, and ultimately had to send someone to Thurii to ask him to make the final decision. Therefore, although he was far away in Thurii these past few years, he never relinquished his control over the tribe.
"Why call them so late?" Vito Tirtu was both puzzled and somewhat unwilling.
"Go and call them quickly! Why ask so many questions!" Catulcus was a little impatient.
"Taric, go quickly and call all three of them." Vito Tirtu helplessly gave the order to his subordinate.
"Yes!" The subordinate immediately picked up an oil lamp and was about to leave.
"You go with him." Catulcus pointed to one of his followers, still remaining cautious at this moment.
The two opened the door and went out, while Catulcus led Vito Tirtu into the council chamber.
"Great Chieftain, what important matter has occurred?" Vito Tirtu asked in confusion.
Catulcus glanced at him and said in a deep voice: "We must lead the tribe away from here before tomorrow morning!"
"Why?!" Vito Tirtu was greatly shocked.
"Because the Syracusans are coming, and the Daunian League is about to collapse! For the survival of our tribe, we must quickly go and seek refuge with the Syracusans!" Catulcus wanted to put on a serious expression, but his tone seemed a bit too exaggerated.
"… We… we are going to defect from Daonia…" Vito Tirtu's expression changed drastically, and his voice trembled slightly.
"What defection!" Catulcus immediately flew into a rage: "This is Bruttium, the land where our ancestors have lived for generations! The Daunians forcibly occupied this place with force and took away our freedom! Now we are going to break away from Daunian control, and after Syracuse completely defeats Daonia, we will take this land back!" Catulcus waved his fist and said with hatred. The oppressive life in Thurii these past few years had left him feeling resentful. At this moment, the flickering flames of the brazier illuminated his face, twisted with anger, making him appear somewhat Horrible.
"Defection is defection, and the highest penalty under Daunian law for this is death!" A voice suddenly rang out from the side door at the rear of the council chamber, and the firelight cast a shadow on the wall.
Upon hearing this, Catulcus was greatly shocked and subconsciously looked at Vito Tirtu. The short, fat old man unexpectedly distanced himself from Catulcus with unprecedented speed.
In the blink of an eye, a dozen figures poured out from the side room, and the firelight illuminated the face of the person in the front, who was none other than Hiero.
"Run, there's an ambush!" Catulcus was greatly alarmed and immediately turned around to run back, while loudly reminding his men.
However, the courtyard door was also pushed open at this moment, and fully armed soldiers rushed in.
"Take them all down!" Hiero coldly ordered.
Soon, Catulcus and his followers were captured.
"Hiero… I… I rushed back to handle urgent matters of the tribe. You brought people into my tribe's council chamber without cause, injured my men, and even tied me up… Quickly… quickly untie me! Otherwise, I will accuse you to the Senate… I will accuse you of your crimes! Also… alarming my tribesmen, letting them see you treat their chieftain like this, will surely cause a commotion. If a major riot occurs, your newly acquired position as the administrator of Consentia will probably be taken back by the Senate! Release me, let's have a good talk." Catulcus, with his hands tied behind his back, pressed to the ground, still threatened fiercely.
"If you have any grievances, wait until you are escorted back to the Senate to appeal." Hiero didn't want to say much to him and turned to Vito Tirtu, saying seriously: "Your merits, I will report to the Senate, but now your primary task is to stabilize the entire tribe, and no turmoil can occur. I will send people to assist you in stabilizing the situation. The Senate will also pay attention to your performance to decide whether to let you succeed this traitor as a Senator. Work hard."
"Lord Hiolos, rest assured, I will definitely make the clansmen loyal to the League and satisfy you and the Senate!" Vito Tirtu said excitedly to Hiolos.
"Vito Tirtu, you traitor!" Kadulk's eyes widened in anger, wishing he could devour this old fellow he had always trusted.
"You are the traitor, the traitor of our Daonia! The clansmen are happy to enjoy a stable life under the rule of the League, but you want to push us into war!" Vito Tirtu pointed at him, and sternly rebuked.
"Gag his mouth!" Under Hiolos's reminder, the soldiers stuffed Kadulk's mouth, who was still trying to shout, with rags, turning his anger and fear into a low "woo woo" hum…
… … … … … … … … … … … … … … …
Hiolos returned to the inner city of Cosenza, just in time to see the cavalry team rushing from Thurii overnight. They did not catch up with Petaru and the others, but they brought the Senate's order. Hiolos had already taken action, and the Senate's fate was equivalent to a supplementary confirmation.
Hiolos approached the City Hall, and Adepigis greeted him, asking anxiously: "Have you caught the people?"
"Kadulk has been caught." Hiolos said gratefully: "Thanks to you risking your life to deliver the message!"
You should know that traveling in the Bruttium area at night is a big taboo, let alone riding a horse in the dark. Falling is secondary, the most terrible thing is the wild beasts wandering in the wilderness. Adepigis knew this situation well, so to prevent accidents, he borrowed another horse from Bisinia, and rushed to Cosenza with one person and two horses. As expected, on the way, the war horse under his crotch sprained its forefoot. He immediately changed horses and drove the injured horse away from the avenue (who knew that the injured horse later returned to the side of the avenue and was eaten by wolves, which also made Petaru and the others more vigilant), and finally brought the news to Hiolos.
Hearing Hiolos's praise, Adepigis did not show a trace of complacency. He was no longer the humble slave he once was. As the intelligence officer arranged by Davos in the Bruttium area, the administrative officers of several Bruttium towns had to rely on his intelligence to understand the movements of the local tribes in time and take measures in advance to ensure that there would be no chaos in this area. Therefore, they did not dare to underestimate him, not to mention that Davos was standing behind him.
"Has Hegesistus returned?" Hiolos asked.
"There is no news from him yet." Adepigis replied.
Hegesistus was once the leader of the survivors of the Siris tribe. After Daonia conquered Bruttium, Davos settled the Siris tribe near the city of Cosenza and appointed Hegesistus as the inspector (intermediate level) of Cosenza. In fact, because he knew the Bruttium area very well, he was more like an assistant to the administrative officer of Cosenza. Many measures that were conducive to the stability of the Bruttium area came from his suggestions.
When conflicts occurred, he was often the first to go to mediate, and he became a powerful arm of the administrative officer of Cosenza.
"It seems that what those people under Kadulk confessed may be true. Petaru did not come to Cosenza, but went directly to the south." Hiolos strode into the City Hall.
In the office room belonging to the administrative officer, Hieronimus was waiting anxiously. He only came to Cosenza this afternoon and had not yet begun to recruit soldiers, but he received a notice from Hiolos in the evening: a rebellion might occur.
He was both surprised and excited, feeling that he could finally be of use.
At this time, Hiolos, who understood Hieronimus's character, did not exchange pleasantries after entering the room, and said directly: "Kadulk has been caught, and he has admitted the fact of 'preparing for rebellion', but Bergam and Petaru have not been caught!" Hiolos said regretfully, coming straight to his desk, on the wall was a large map of the Bruttium area.
Hiolos pointed to the lower left of the map and continued: "Bergam must have gone to the Amballaria area. He was the chief there for more than 20 years and has a high reputation. Although Bruttium was incorporated into our League, the city of Amballaria was demolished (Davos believed that the city of Amballaria was located in a remote area with barren land and could not accommodate too much population. Building a city would be a waste of administrative resources and would increase the risk of rebellion. Therefore, after discussion by the Senate, it was demolished), and the tribes there have been relocated several times. Now the population of Amballaria is about… uh…"
"There are about 5,000 people in the Amballaria area. Even if all of them are persuaded by Bergam, they can only gather more than a thousand warriors." Adepigis, who entered the room later, immediately added.
After all, Hiolos had only been in Bruttium for a month, and he only had a preliminary understanding of the situation here. Of course, he was not as familiar as Adepigis, who had been rooted in Bruttium for many years. He generously gave way, indicating that Adepigis should give a detailed introduction.
"If Petaru doesn't come to Cosenza, he will definitely go here—" Adepigis did not decline, and came straight to the map, pointing to the left of the map: "There is a tribe under his jurisdiction here, with a population of about 6,000 people. If you want to crusade against the rebels, I suggest attacking here first. Although this tribe is farther away from Cosenza, it is still located on the Cosenza Plateau, and other tribes live around it. Once a rebellion occurs, it will have a great impact on the surrounding tribes. The key is that it is also close to Klapetia, and can escape from Bruttium at any time through the mountain trails to join the Syracusans, which will cause very bad consequences.
Most of the tribes in Amballaria surround Lake Chechita, and some tribes live in the mountains. It will take Bergam a lot of time to gather them together, and we only need to block the road from Amballaria to the Cosenza Plateau. Bergam can only risk crossing the mountains to enter the Cosenza Plateau, or reach the city of Aspru Tum east along the rugged river valley." Adepigis said his views very confidently in front of the two senators.
"Well said!" Hiolos praised loudly: "I think we can proceed according to what Adepigis said."
Hieronimus nodded, and then said: "How many people will you give me?"
He said it briefly, but Hiolos understood what he meant: after all, he was the administrative officer of Cosenza and had to sit in this central city of Bruttium, so the task of crusade could only be carried out by Hieronimus.
"Tomorrow, I can recruit 2,000 independent Bruttium citizen soldiers from the city of Cosenza, and at the same time gather 1,000 people from the tribes outside the city, and try to complete the assembly by noon. Besides that, I can't give you more troops, because I still need some soldiers to garrison Cosenza to prevent other tribes from being affected by this and causing riots." Hiolos said in a deep voice.
"3,000 people are enough." Hieronimus replied simply, and then pointed to Adepigis: "I want you to go with me."
"I am very willing, Lord Hieronimus!" Adepigis replied happily.
"Tomorrow morning, I will send messengers to Klapetia and Vige, to notify Lord Asistes and Lord Saru, so that they can raise their vigilance and try to cooperate with you in combat. In addition, I will also send someone back to Thurii to notify Lord Agasia of the city of Aspru Tum, and warn these traitors from escaping from the river valley!" Finally, Hiolos said his arrangements.
… … … … … … … … … … … … … … …
The next day, Hieronimus led the assembled 3,000 reserve soldiers on a forced march south…
Petaru's actions were fast enough. He persuaded more than half of the clansmen in the tribe to follow him in defecting from the Daonia League. And he also sent people to spread rumors in the surrounding tribes, such as "The Syracusan army is invading Daonia territory, the Daonia army has been defeated, and it is about to perish!…" and so on, causing panic.
Even some tribal leaders anxiously came to him to ask for advice.
He took the opportunity to talk about the many discriminations he had suffered in Thurii as a Bruttium tribal leader and senator over the years, as well as the grievances in his heart. He even had tears in his eyes when he talked about his sadness.
His words happened to hit the leaders' worries: Daonia's intentionally continuous promulgation of laws was accelerating the disintegration of the tribes. Even Petaru, who became a senator, was forced to this point, let alone them.
So some leaders began to consider whether to join Petaru in resisting Daonia's rule.
Just as Petaru was delighted that his plan had succeeded and was planning to establish an anti-Daonia Bruttium tribal alliance and set off an anti-Daonia frenzy throughout the Cosenza Plateau, Hieronimus's army approached.
Petaru, who knew nothing about what happened in the Kadulk tribe last night, was shocked. Originally, in their plan, the Senate would at least confirm their disappearance today, and by the day after tomorrow, they would probably send people to the tribe to look for them. By then, they would have been well prepared and could take advantage of the Syracusan army's pressure and Daonia's empty military force to fight the Daonians in Bruttium. However, the Daonia army's attack was so rapid that it completely exceeded his expectations, and the slight worry last night became a reality.
Petaru hurriedly sent people out, wanting to argue with the commanding general and buy time for himself.
Who knew that Hieronimus simply ignored him and directly led his army into the tribal settlement to capture Petaru.
The panicked Petaru ordered his clansmen to go up to block them, while quietly riding a horse and trying to escape.
The hastily formed troops were defeated by Hieronimus at the first touch, and then they stared at Petaru and chased him relentlessly.
In the end, Petaru's mount was hit by an arrow and threw him off the horse, and he was captured by Hieronimus.
Hieronimus tied him and nearly a thousand rebellious clansmen with ropes, stringing them into several long rows, and drove them with spears and halberds through the settlements of various tribes. All the tribal leaders who saw this scene were nervous and their legs trembled.
Just as Hieronymus launched a raid on the Petalia tribe, the Senate convened a meeting early in the morning to hold a heated discussion on how to deal with the three senators who had defected.
First, Sedullus raised an objection: he argued that even if the three men had run back to Bruzzano without reporting to the Senate, it could not be determined that they were defecting.
These words, which were obviously meant to defend them, were immediately refuted by Scombrius, Tritodemus, Strabo, and others, but they could not produce any evidence to prove that "the three from Petalia were traitors." In the end, the discussion turned into a quarrel.
It wasn't until the messenger from Cosenza arrived, reporting the capture of Caducus and presenting the confessions of his men and slaves, that Sedullus's side had nothing more to say.
But by this time, Scombrius, Tritodemus, Strabo, and the others had become truly enraged by the argument, and they all proposed that the three men be sentenced to death, righteously declaring: "The Dionian Code stipulates that the highest punishment for treason is death.
At a time when the Dionian League faces danger, as Dionian senators, Petalia, Caducus, and Burcam do not consider how to lead the people to defeat the enemy, but instead take the lead in inciting the people to betray the League, plunging the country into great difficulty and bringing great danger to the League.
Such traitors must be killed to appease the public's anger and to deter those who harbor ulterior motives!"
The Senate overwhelmingly passed the proposal to "execute Burcam, Petalia, and Caducus." Upon learning of this result, Sedullus, Bagheria, and other Bruzzano senators felt apprehensive, while Scombrius, Tritodemus, and others became wary of these Bruzzano senators.
At this critical moment when the Syracusan army was pressing down on their border, the Dionian senators should have been working together to overcome the difficulties, but now they harbored suspicions and estrangement towards each other, which Cunogolata and Cornelius saw and worried about.
However, the two of them had no better solution to this problem, and could only hope that Davos, the only one who could eliminate the differences and unify everyone's understanding, would return soon.
… … … … … … … … … … … …
The news of "Bruzzano senators leading a tribal rebellion" caused an even greater uproar among the people of Thurii.
The people had just heard the bad news yesterday that "the Tarentum army is approaching Amendolara," and the panic in their hearts had not yet dissipated when they heard such a terrible news today.
Since the start of the war, one bad news after another had followed, finally making it impossible for the people to maintain their superficial calm.
They gathered and protested loudly in front of the Senate's assembly hall, demanding that the senators immediately take effective measures to repel the enemy as soon as possible and restore peace to Dionia.
But such a request was not so easy to fulfill. Just as Cunogolata and the other senators were racking their brains to appease and quell the people's anger, a messenger from Lucaria arrived in time.
After reading the battle report he brought,
Cunogolata felt relieved. He stood on the steps in front of the Senate and raised the battle report in his hand, excitedly shouting to the noisy crowd below the steps: "This is the battle report from Potentia! Lord Davos has led the army to completely defeat the Samnites and is on his way back to Thurii!"
In an instant, the noisy voices below the steps disappeared, and then an earth-shattering cheer erupted.
"Long live Lord Davos!!"
"Long live Dionia!!"
"I said long ago that the oracle of Hades has already stated that only Lord Davos can defeat the enemy and guarantee the peace of Dionia!"
"You're right! Lord Davos is a descendant of Hades, and he has received Hades's protection!"
… …
In the people's cathartic cheers, a voice suddenly burst out: "Let Lord Davos be king!"
The senators were all a little stunned when they heard this shout.
But the people's shouts not only did not stop, but eventually merged into a thunderous roar, echoing in the senators' ears: "With my blood as king, protect the League's peace!!! … …"
… … … … … … … … … … … …
While the people of Thurii were shouting for "Davos to be king," Davos was leading his army to the Laon River Fortress.
Yesterday at dusk, when he entered Nuceria, its administrator, Hermon, told him that the Southern Italy League had failed to stop the Syracusan army from advancing north and was forced to engage in a decisive battle with the Syracusans at Silenum, ultimately suffering a crushing defeat.
Now, except for Croton, Rhegium, and Tauriana, which still maintain their independence, the rest of the Southern Italy League's city-states have fallen…
Davos was very surprised to hear this news. He did not expect that under Dionysius's skillful and flexible command, the Syracusan army's offensive was like a series of interlocking rings, both fierce and insidious.
He had only been away from Thurii with his troops for less than a month, and the situation south of the Dionian territory had deteriorated so much!
Dionysius is not simple, and he was a little underestimating him! After realizing this problem, Davos blamed himself and declined Hermon's evening banquet, locking himself in his bedroom to ponder the next countermeasures for Dionia, so much so that he did not sleep well all night.
Early the next morning, he led his army out again. After all, what Hermon told him was the battle situation two or three days ago, and with Dionysius's ability, coupled with the Syracusans' advantage, it was enough to lead the war to a situation even more unfavorable to Dionia, so he had to lead the main force back to Thurii as soon as possible.
Along the way, he was deducing the battle situation in his mind, searching for a way to win.
He only stopped slightly after entering the Laon River Fortress to rest for a while.
At this time, he called Henyopolis over and asked with concern: "Heny, are you really sure you won't go back and will follow me to Thurii?"
"Lord, I have already decided! Dionia is now in danger, and as an ally, Laos should lend a helping hand to help Dionia defeat the powerful enemy!" Henyopolis looked excited: "I will also send someone to inform my uncle, Arobas, to send more soldiers to fight alongside the Dionian legions!"
Hearing this, Davos narrowed his eyes. He knew that Henyopolis was willing to go to Thurii for another reason: this young man was tired of living in Laos like a cage, unable to make any decisions.
Davos pondered for a while and said, "Okay, you can come with me, but there's no need to send any more troops from Laos. After all, with Terina lost, Laos also needs enough soldiers to garrison and prevent the Syracusans from launching a surprise attack on the port of Laos."
As long as Davos agreed to let him follow, Henyopolis didn't really care whether or not to send more troops. He happily said, "Lord Davos, there is one more thing I would like to get your permission for."
"What is it?"
"I… can I serve as your wartime accompanying secretary, helping you write orders and collect information…" Henyopolis asked softly.
"Uh?" Davos looked at him in surprise: "Why would you have such an idea?" For the governor of a city-state to serve as the secretary of the commander of another city-state alliance was too demeaning.
People who didn't know the inside story would think he was humiliating his ally.
"Lord, you see… last time in Poseidonia, you had me lead the army to intercept the fleeing Samnites. Seeing those fierce-looking Samnites charging towards us, my legs were shaking… If it weren't for Izamus's help, I'm afraid I would have run away…" Henyopolis recounted his awkward state without any concealment: "So I understand now… I am different from you, Lord.
I don't have the talent to lead troops into battle at all. I do like to read books and write things, but like the teacher Ansitano, researching a large amount of information and spending a lot of time thinking… such a method is too boring.
But staying by your side, Lord, I can not only help you, but also learn in more detail how you defeated the Samnites and how you will defeat the Syracusans in the future… Such a glorious process, not only do I want to know, but the people of Dionia… no! The people of the entire Magna Graecia want to know!
And if I write all of this down, it will definitely be very popular!…" Henyopolis became more and more excited as he spoke.
Davos looked at him in surprise: this little guy wants to be a biographer!
However, Henyopolis's request made him a little tempted. According to what he knew from his previous life: when Alexander went east, there were special scholars who followed him and wrote monographs about him; when Hannibal invaded Italy, there were also scholars who followed him and wrote articles to promote him, saying that he was the liberator of Italy; after Caesar crossed the Rubicon, there were also scholars who followed him, even continuing to write the Spanish War… So, why can't I have one?
Thinking of this, Davos smiled and said, "Heny, I agree to you being my wartime secretary—"
"That's great, thank you, Lord!" As soon as Davos expressed his agreement, Henyopolis immediately shouted and danced.
"Don't be too happy, I still have requirements. If you want to write a book about me in the future, the content must be reviewed by me, and you can only publish it when I agree to you publishing the book publicly, can you agree to that?!" Davos said with a serious face.
"Yes, I can." Henyopolis nodded repeatedly.
"Also… if you serve as my secretary, who will manage your Laos troops?"
"Erianthus, he usually manages the army." As soon as Henyopolis said this, an image immediately appeared in Davos's mind: Erianthus was Avinogis's right-hand man, his military ability was not weak, he led the Laos army to march and camp all the way in an orderly manner, and it could be seen that he was more loyal to Henyopolis.
Davos expressed his approval: "Okay, you go and explain it to him, and start reporting to me tomorrow… no sleeping in!"