Just as Tapirus was getting ready to leave, the Roman officials finally appeared. He vaguely remembered that the person walking towards him was the Roman senator named Paulus.
"Your Roman senators are even harder to see than our Daunian kings. You haven't shown your faces for over ten days and haven't allowed us to leave. I thought you Romans were going to imprison us here. I almost couldn't resist sending someone to Thurii for help," Tapirus said with sarcasm and threat as soon as he saw him, not caring at all that the fear revealed in his words would damage his image.
Paulus remained unmoved and said, "Honorable Daunian envoy, you have seen the chaotic situation outside the inn. We are doing this to protect your lives. In these past ten days, the Senate has been engaged in repeated and fierce debates regarding Daonia's proposal, and there has been no clear outcome, which is why we haven't notified you."
"So, is there a result now?" Tapirus raised his eyebrows slightly.
"Yes," Paulus said with a serious expression, "The Volsci are age-old enemies of Rome. When Rome was still weak, the Volsci, relying on their strength, constantly invaded our Roman lands and slaughtered Roman citizens... The citizens of Rome are determined to eliminate this mortal enemy, the Volsci, in this war. Therefore, at the emergency citizens' assembly, they passed a proposal with an overwhelming majority to continue this war, so I am very sorry..."
Tapirus did not feel disappointed or shocked. In fact, before leaving Thurii, King Davos had vaguely indicated that he hoped Rome would reject the proposal.
Tapirus's main task was to delve into the city of Rome and understand the detailed situation of this city-state in terms of politics, military affairs, and society. Although they were restricted and unable to go out, the servants and lower-level service personnel in this inn had already been bought off by them, and they had learned a lot.
At this moment, Tapirus asked with a smile that was not a smile, "It sounds like... you held a citizens' assembly?"
"Because the Senate could not reach a consensus, it had no choice but to ultimately seek help from the citizens' assembly," Paulus said solemnly.
"Alright, I can only take your decision back and tell His Majesty the King," Tapirus said with regret, but in reality, he had long been eager to leave this damn place.
"These days, keeping you in the inn has really wronged you! To express our apologies, this is a gift from our Senate on behalf of the Roman citizens to you, the envoy, and your entourage," Paulus waved his hand, and the accompanying soldiers brought up two boxes.
Opening them, they were full of silver coins, estimated to be at least two talents combined.
If the previous delay was to allow Rome to occupy as much Volscian land as possible,
to increase its bargaining chips in negotiations with Daonia, then after receiving clear support from its ally Carthage yesterday, Rome, with its increased courage, did not want to actually go to war with the Kingdom of Daonia after rejecting its proposal. Because even with Carthage's help, a war with Daonia would definitely cause some losses to Rome, so they tried to avoid it as much as possible. Therefore, they used money to bribe the Daunian delegation, hoping that they could say some good words upon their return.
Tapirus blinked and said, "Thank you." He accepted it without any hesitation.
Of course, he didn't want to embezzle the money, because according to the law promulgated the year before last, accepting gifts from foreign countries was an act of bribery. If he was greedy for money, the Supervision Department would probably receive reports from those in his delegation not long after he returned to Thurii and accuse him. He just wanted to take the money given by Rome back and hand it over to the Finance Department, which could be considered a small contribution he made during this mission to Rome.
As for saying good things for Rome, that was impossible! Tapirus would tell King Davos everything he saw and heard in Rome.
For the safety of the Daunian delegation, the Roman Senate even arranged for a patrol to escort them to the port of Ostia.
As Tapirus and his group walked out of the inn, countless Roman citizens shouted fiercely at them, "Daunians, Rome doesn't welcome you! Get out of the city of Rome like dogs!"
"Damn Romans, dare to threaten us with war, Delusion steal our land! Let me tell you, Romans, we are not afraid of war. No matter how many of you come, we will kill as many!"
...
They not only cursed, but also threw debris at the Daunian delegation, but most of it was blocked by the patrol soldiers with their long shields.
Patrol Captain Cassius apologized repeatedly, "I'm really sorry, these guys are all rude and ignorant people, but when it comes to fighting, they are all very brave warriors, I hope you don't mind!"
Is this an apology! Tapirus narrowed his eyes into a slit and said faintly, "I heard that in Rome, there are many such rude and ignorant commoners. When they turn the ferocity they face towards enemies to deal with Roman nobles, I'm afraid you won't feel good either."
Cassius's face looked a little ugly after hearing this.
That afternoon, the Daunian delegation left the port of Ostia by boat.
......................
The news of the devastating defeat of the Caudini tribe spread throughout the Samnite region, causing a great shock.
The Samnite Four Tribes Alliance immediately convened an emergency meeting at the request of the Caudini to discuss how to deal with this matter.
The meeting was held in Caudium.
"Respected chieftains, the Daunians violated the alliance and ambushed our Caudini tribesmen who went out to plunder on the Campanian Plain. In a state of unpreparedness, our Caudini chieftain Segovanni and more than 2,000 warriors were captured, and more than 3,000 warriors were killed or wounded. All tribes have suffered severe losses... After the battle, our Caudini Alliance immediately sent people to negotiate with the Daunians in Campania, but they refused to release our captured tribesmen and chieftain, and arrogantly warned us that we must stop all hostile activities.
Now, the Daunian army is stationed in Telesia, threatening the western territory of the Caudini like hungry wolves. Lora, Aesernia, Capua, and the tribes living around these towns are all migrating to the mountains for fear of being destroyed. Now the entire Caudini region is in chaos...
I implore you, chieftains, for the sake of us all being descendants of the Samnite people, to jointly stop the Daunian invasion and avenge the dead Caudini tribesmen!" Usibique, the chieftain of another large tribe living in the city of Caudium, pleaded with tears in his eyes.
"When entering the city, I think you have all seen the tragic state of Caudium. We can't let the Daunians be so rampant anymore, otherwise Caudium's today will be our tomorrow!" Contrucus, the chieftain of the Calarricani, stood up in anger.
The Calarricani tribe lives in the central part of the mountains. It is surrounded by the Pentri, Hirpini, and the so-called Samnite branch, the Frentani. It has the smallest number of people and the smallest territory, but it is also the most valiant, adhering to the ancient traditions of the Samnites.
"Ten years ago, I said that we should not be afraid of the Daunians. Even if they kill more of our warriors, we, as descendants of the wolf god Savoni, must fight them to the end!" Contrucus, although over half a century old, spoke with a voice like a bell. He pointed at Badani, the chieftain of the Pentri: "You knelt to the enemy for your captured father and tribesmen, but as a result, your father committed suicide out of shame after returning. Don't you want to avenge him?!"
"And you—" Contrucus pointed to Lesucus, the chieftain of the Hirpini, and rebuked: "In the great war ten years ago, your tribe suffered the most casualties and lost large tracts of land such as Compsa and Aequum Tuticum. As a chieftain, you don't want to avenge them and take back the territory. Instead, you try to please the enemy like a dog. What was the result?! The Daunians didn't give you any benefits. Instead, they insidiously alienated the friendly relations between your tribes, causing the Aeburnians not to obey your orders and instead to befriend the Daunians. This is simply a disgrace!"
"And you Caudini!" Contrucus pointed to Usibique: "If it weren't for your chieftain supporting those two fools in signing the alliance with Daonia, he wouldn't be a prisoner of the enemy today! Look at your current areas such as Nuceria. The tribesmen there have abandoned their faith in the great wolf god and worship foreign gods. This is a betrayal of our ancestors! This is blasphemy!! Your tragic defeat today is Savoni's punishment for you!"
Lesucus, Badani, and Usibique were shamed by Contrucus's scolding. Since Contrucus was the longest-serving Samnite chieftain, having been in office for nearly 30 years, and had great prestige in the tribal alliance, they did not dare to refute him, even though they were unconvinced in their hearts.
At this time, Ronius, the high priest of the Samnite Four Tribes priestly group, also said sternly: "The insidious and cunning Daunians harbor sinister intentions towards our Samnites. They not only want to eliminate our tribesmen, but also want to replace our great gods with evil foreign gods, to destroy our traditions, and to completely make us Samnites their slaves! We can no longer endure it. We must take up arms and fight them to the end! Drive them out of the mountains, take back our land, and restore our traditional faith!"
"It's not enough to just drive them out of the mountains. We must give them a heavy blow so that they dare not offend us Samnites again!" Contrucus emphasized again.
"A heavy blow to Daonia?! Ha, that's easier said than done!" The younger Badani couldn't help but retort: "Do you know how big the Kingdom of Daonia is?! How many people are there?! They can easily organize an army of 100,000 people, but can we muster 40,000 warriors?!"
"Kid, are you still a brave Samnite?! Show some courage! Don't look at those Greeks in their thick iron shells, one Samnite warrior can easily defeat three or four Greek soldiers!" Contruk shouted loudly.
"Old man!" Badani was also angered by Contruk's scolding and mocked, "You've been in the mountains too long; you don't understand the outside world at all. Daonian soldiers are not comparable to Greek soldiers. They became the most formidable force in Italy in just over a decade, not by relying on numbers!"
Contruk was so angry that he bristled, shouting, "You coward! Coward! You're not fit to be the Great Chief of Pentini!"
"Whether I'm fit to be the Great Chief of Pentini is decided by the people of Pentini, not by some outsider who knows nothing talking nonsense here!"
"Everyone, please be quiet! Are we here just to argue today?!" Leskug pressed down on Contruk, who was about to stand up and retort, then sincerely said to him, "Respected Great Chief, Badani is right about one thing. More than ten years ago, I personally witnessed the power of the Daonian army. After so many years of development, their strength is even greater. But we really can't shrink back anymore; we must rise up and resist!"
Leskug's words satisfied Contruk. He snorted and stopped arguing.
"However, how to fight against the powerful Daonia requires us to consider it carefully." Leskug continued, "First, it's best to deceive the Daonians into releasing the thousands of captured Caudini tribesmen. This will both strengthen our forces and free us from worries during the battle. Therefore, we must pretend to respectfully agree to some of the Daonians' conditions to trick them into relaxing their guard."
Upon hearing this, Usibek nodded repeatedly.
Contruk snorted and said nothing.
"Secondly, we'd best not fight the Daonians on the plains. They are numerous, heavily armored, and have cavalry. It would be difficult for us to defeat them. But if we can lure them into the mountains, we can leverage our warriors' strengths and cause the Daonians a lot of trouble."
"That's right, we should fight the Daonians in our familiar mountains!" Badani loudly expressed his agreement.
"But how can we lure the Daonians into the mountains? Greeks aren't fools; they've always disliked fighting in mountainous terrain," Contruk raised his question.
"We can discuss this issue slowly; we'll always come up with a good solution." Although Leskug said this, his confident expression clearly showed he had already thought about it. At this moment, he said solemnly, "We still have an important issue to resolve! We need to gather tens of thousands of warriors to fight Daonia.
For a short period, it's fine, but in the long run, I'm afraid we won't have enough food, and with Daonia's vast territory, they clearly won't be defeated in a short time."
This hit the nail on the head, causing the others to fall into thought. The Samnite region was barren, and there wasn't enough food for a long-term war!
Badani looked at Contruk and the High Priest, then exchanged glances with Leskug, interjecting, "Back then, we organized over 40,000 warriors to attack Potentia, but we received grain aid from Dionysius, the tyrant of Syracuse."
"So we need allies, who can provide us with the urgently needed grain and also help us share the pressure of the Daonians' attack," Leskug seized the opportunity to take over the conversation and said loudly.
"Allies? Who would be willing to be our Samnite allies?!" Contruk said subconsciously. For decades, the Samnites had been strong in central and southern Italy, always bullying others. They didn't need allies, nor did they have a habit of forming alliances, except for a disastrous defeat more than ten years ago that forced them to become allies of Daonia, an incident that had always bothered Contruk.
Leskug smiled slightly, "Yesterday, a Carthaginian envoy arrived in Beneventum…"
.....................
Circeii, a Volscian town, faces the Tyrrhenian Sea to its south, is situated on a promontory, backed by a mountain to the west, and has plains to the east that the Volscians have developed into large tracts of farmland. The coastal area to the north is a series of swamps formed by the confluence of several rivers. This peculiar terrain makes Circeii easy to defend but difficult to attack, and it has also made it an important Volscian town.
Mountain tribes, as they developed, often shared common characteristics. Due to increasing populations, they had to expand into lowlands to acquire more land to support their people. Consequently, the lowlands now owned by the Volscians exceeded the mountainous areas, and they designated Circeii and Tarracina, another nearby coastal town, as the center of the Volscian League.
On this day in early October, a large fleet sailed from the sea south of Circeii. At the forefront of this fleet were 30 triremes, followed by more than 200 passenger ships, and then another 30 triremes. Dozens of small and medium-sized warships guarded the outer perimeter of the entire fleet, creating an imposing spectacle.
The Volscian envoy, Maitpor, pointed to the Vague town outline on the distant coast and shouted to Amyntas, "General, look, that's Circeii!"
Amyntas, looking worn out from nearly two days of tossing at sea, instantly perked up upon hearing this. He turned around and said, "Quickly blow the military horn to alert the brothers of the First Legion and General Midorades of the Third Fleet, we are preparing to enter the harbor!"
After giving the order, he said to Maitpor, "It's a pity you Volscians don't have a military port; otherwise, our fleet could directly station in the Circeii harbor, and with the cooperation of warships, it would be even more convenient for us to attack the Romans."
Maitpor immediately said, "General Amyntas, we can immediately begin building a military port under your guidance."
Although the Volscians had possessed coastal towns for decades, they were, after all, a mountain people, not proficient or particularly interested in seafaring. Their shipbuilding technology was unremarkable, and they owned very few warships. The same was true for Rome; none of these powers in central Italy were strong naval nations.
"By the time your military port is built, the Romans will have long been driven back by us!" Amyntas said with a confident smile.
Maitpor could only force a smile in return.
"Legion Commander, the warships are starting to turn around," his adjutant, Hippogryta, reminded him, pointing forward.
"The Third Fleet has escorted us for two days; they've truly worked hard. I believe Midorades and I will have an opportunity to collaborate, so I won't thank him this time." Amyntas watched the warships passing by and gave the order, "Prepare to enter the harbor."
.....................
The port of Circeii was certainly no match for the port of Naples; it was not only small and understaffed but also inefficient, so the Daonian fleet's entry into the harbor and the disembarkation of soldiers was very slow.
However, there were many high-ranking officials from the Volscian League who came to welcome the First Legion; almost every Volscian town sent important figures.
Not only that, but representatives from the Aurunci and Sidicini also arrived. These two small tribes, living between the Volscian League and the Campanian Alliance, had also joined this war at the persuasion of the Volscians.
Amyntas's translator was temporarily out of work because the Volscian envoy, Maitpor, was introducing him.
In fact, because the Volscians and Campanians had a good relationship and frequent trade, most of these high-ranking Volscian figures could speak Greek, though their peculiar accents made it somewhat difficult for Amyntas to understand.
"Lord Amyntas, this is Tullus, the Archon of Circeii!"
"This is Blerius, the Archon of Fundi!"
"This is Catementarus, the Archon of Privernum!"
…
Most Volscian towns adopted a single archon political system, with archons elected annually, which was a remnant of mountain tribal traditions. In fact, the Volscian League was much looser than the Campanian Alliance; each Volscian town was theoretically equal in the league, with no Regulation as to who should lead. However, the rapid Roman advance forced them to unite more closely, centered around Circeii and Privernum, to jointly resist the Romans. Therefore, their gratitude shown in welcoming Amyntas was sincere.
And Amyntas unexpectedly saw two Daonians.
The first was Plintors, a staff officer from the Ministry of Military Affairs. After receiving orders from the ministry, he went directly from Naples to Circeii to await rendezvous with the First Legion.
"Legion Commander Amyntas, I am ordered to report to the First Legion and serve under your command!" Plintors, in military attire, stepped forward and gave a solemn military salute.
Amyntas returned the salute and laughed heartily, "What command! I only know that His Majesty sent you to help me win battles. You must be like Alexius and Lizharu, giving me many good suggestions!"
Plintors immediately replied, "No problem, as long as the Legion Commander is willing to listen!"
"Good, let's have a good chat later!" Amyntas said with a smile, patting him firmly on the shoulder, then looked at the other Daonian.
"Lord Amyntas, I am Tapirus from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, ordered to provide you with some information about Rome." Tapirus had received orders from Davos after arriving at Ostia Port, instructing him to come to Circeii alone.
"His Majesty has truly thought so thoroughly for our First Legion!" Amyntas immediately welcomed Tapirus.
Unlike the Campanians, the Volsci did not hold a grand banquet to welcome the Daunian army. Instead, they quickly and cautiously asked Amyntas if he could immediately provide a detailed explanation of the overall war situation and begin discussing how the two sides should cooperate and jointly confront the Romans.
Without hesitation, Amyntas immediately agreed.
This further improved the Volsci's perception of the Daunians.
Consequently, the two sides convened a military conference in the council chamber of the chief magistrate's residence in Setia.
When the map of Volsci and the surrounding areas, drawn on cowhide, was spread out on the table, Amyntas and Printoros immediately widened their eyes. Although the map was relatively crude and perhaps not very accurate, it was at least more detailed than the map of central Italy produced by the Daunian military department. After all, there were many races and forces in this area, and some forces did not welcome outsiders. In addition, Daonia did not have any foundation here, so Aristilas' intelligence department could not send his men deep into the inland to investigate.
As the two men examined it closely, Tulus, the chief magistrate of Setia, pointed to the map and said in Greek with a heavy tone, "General Amyntas and General Printoros, over a month ago, more than 30,000 Romans invaded our Volsci territory and besieged Velitrae. Because we had just suffered a defeat in battle against the Romans, we barely gathered 20,000 men to go to the rescue and engaged the Romans in battle outside Velitrae, only to be defeated again…"
At this point, Tulus' face was a mixture of anger and shame. He coughed lightly and continued, "After our retreat, the Romans began to forcefully attack Velitrae. They used a terrible siege weapon that could launch stones from a great distance, constantly bombarding the city walls. As a result, the city walls were breached, leading to the fall of Velitrae…"
Printoros was quite surprised: "Could it be that the Romans can also make ballistae?!"
As a Daunian senator, Amyntas had been participating in the Senate's emergency meetings on Carthaginian affairs for some time. Furthermore, after receiving Deiphobus' appointment, he had specifically gone to the military department to read some secret information about Rome. Therefore, he knew a lot. Seeing the surprise on Printoros' face, he said to him in a low voice, "It should be the Carthaginians who provided them. They have formed a military alliance with the Romans and, it is said, have previously sent fleets to provide Rome with weapons and equipment. Before I led the army to leave Thurii, the Carthaginian envoy had already expressed their support for the Romans to our Senate and even tore up our agreement…
The military department does have intelligence about the Carthaginians secretly trying to develop ballistae and siege towers…" But Printoros was even more shocked: because in the current situation, Daonia and Carthage were very likely to go to war!
Tulus noticed the change in the expressions of the two Daunian generals,
but he did not stop speaking: "After the Romans captured Velitrae, they continued to attack Satricum. This time, we learned our lesson and no longer engaged the Romans in a decisive battle, but instead, we focused on defending the city, thus repelling the Roman attacks several times. However—"
Tulus said again with indignation, "A dozen days ago, another Roman army suddenly attacked Antium. Because most of Antium's citizens had gone to aid Satricum, they were caught off guard and were unexpectedly ambushed! After occupying Antium, this Roman army advanced rapidly south along the coast. To prevent them from cutting off our return route, most of our reinforcements had to withdraw from Satricum…"
Tulus' face showed a look of pain, and he sighed: "We are not very clear about the situation in Satricum now, but there are not many soldiers in the city, and I am afraid it will not be able to hold on for long. But we can't help it now, because this Roman army is advancing very quickly, and this area—"
Tulus drew a small circle on the map with his finger: "There are no large towns, only many villages and a few small towns, and the terrain is very flat. Although there are several rivers, they can all be easily forded. Therefore, a hastily organized army of ours went to intercept them but was defeated by the Romans… Now they have reached the city of Setia."
Amyntas noticed that the place where Tulus' finger was on the map seemed not too far from Setia, and he interjected immediately: "How far is this city from here?"
"About 40 li." Tulus' answer made Amyntas and Printoros exchange glances, expressing the same meaning in their eyes: No wonder the Volsci were so anxious to hold a military conference; the Romans were about to reach their doorstep!
Tulus' finger moved lightly southward on the map, pointing to another city very close to Setia: "Now our reinforcements are concentrated in the city of Bolae, but the cunning Romans have stopped attacking Setia and instead built a camp not far outside the city. We have been in a stalemate for several days, but once another Roman army captures our city of Satricum and comes to join them, I am afraid it will be time for them to attack!"
Tulus finished speaking with a worried look, and the others in the room also showed concern.
Amyntas thought for a while, pointed to the icon of Bolae on the map, and asked: "How many people do you have here?"
"About 12,000 people." After Tulus answered, he couldn't care less about hiding his weakness and emphasized again: "This is the maximum force that our Volsci League can muster now, which also includes the 3,000 reinforcements sent to us by the Aurunci and Sidicini."
The Volsci present felt both ashamed and sad: The Volsci, who had once dominated the Latium region, had now declined to the point where they could not even muster 10,000 soldiers.
Taperus, who was listening in on the sidelines, revealed a knowing expression: No wonder he hadn't seen many Volsci citizens in the port or in the city!
Amyntas did not pay attention to these things. He pointed to the icon of Setia on the map and asked: "How many Roman troops are there here?"
"I am afraid there are no fewer than 12,000 people, because there are two military tribunes in this Roman army. According to Roman regulations, a military tribune usually leads a legion to fight, and their legion has about 5,000 people, plus some troops from the Roman allies…"
Before Tulus could finish speaking, Taperus couldn't help but exclaim: "Does Rome also have legions?!"
Amyntas glanced at him and said calmly: "Yes, Rome also has legions. Moreover, their organization is a bit similar to our Daunian legions."
Before coming, Amyntas had specifically gone to the military department to learn some information about Rome. When he saw the description of the Roman military system, he was greatly surprised at the time and thought to himself: The Romans have stolen our Daunian legion tactics! But it also reduced some of his underestimation of the Roman army.
"More than 12,000 people. If they join forces with another Roman army of more than 30,000 people, then there will be nearly 50,000 Roman troops near the city of Setia," Amyntas said slowly.
The Volsci in the room all had solemn expressions. After initially allying with Daonia, they had thought that this powerful southern ally would send more troops here, but they did not expect that they would only send 10,000 people. Of course, after listening to Mettius' explanation that "Daonia could not send more troops due to a drought and food shortage," they expressed their understanding: In fact, the Volsci also felt somewhat difficult to supply food to these 10,000 Daunian troops and their own troops.
Amyntas also had a solemn expression. He certainly knew that even if the First Legion was brave, it would not be possible to defeat 50,000 Roman soldiers, because according to the information, the Romans were constantly fighting for a long time and were definitely not as easy to deal with as the weak Tarantinians.
He stared at the map, thought for a while, pointed to the west of Bolae on the map, and said resolutely: "Tomorrow, I will lead my troops to camp here, and then see if we can induce this Roman army to engage us in a decisive battle!"
After Amyntas finished speaking, he looked around the room, and when his eyes fell on Printoros, he paused slightly and asked with some hesitation: "Printoros, do you have any suggestions?"
If it were the former Alexis, he would first ask for Printoros' opinion, and then make his own decision after careful consideration. Amyntas had obviously not yet adapted to Printoros' presence, and this question was clearly perfunctory.
Printoros compared the style characteristics of these two important Daunian generals in his heart and shook his head gently: "I have no opinion. The legion commander's decision is correct!"
Indeed, Bolae was an important town of the Volsci. The First Legion building a camp to its west, with the two mutually supporting each other, undoubtedly greatly increased the difficulty of a Roman army's strong attack. The west side of this camp to be built was a swamp area, thus establishing a relatively sparse defense line, protecting the two most important towns of the Volsci, Trebula and Setia, as well as the surrounding fields and villages, which would ensure that these towns and villages would continue to provide logistical support to the camp. Of course, if the Romans gave up attacking Setia and the Daunian camp and forcibly passed through the larger gap between the camp and the swamp area to attack the rear with weak forces in Setia, the Romans would risk being caught inside!
Printoros expressed his approval, but the Volsci had not yet stated their position. Amyntas had already slapped the table and said: "This matter is settled! Tomorrow morning, I will lead the army to set off!"
The next day, at dawn, in the Roman military camp outside Setia, Camillus rose as usual, took the linen cloth dipped in clear water handed to him by a servant, washed his face, and then ate a little breakfast.
At this time, his son, who was also the cavalry commander of this unit, Lucius (according to the Roman military system, the cavalry commander was the second-in-command of an army), entered the main tent as usual to greet his father.
"Is there anything unusual?" Camillus asked immediately.
"It's the same as before, nothing has changed," Lucius replied casually.
Seeing his son's accustomed expression, Camillus immediately and solemnly reminded him: "Don't take it lightly! The Senate has informed us that they rejected the Daunian proposal a few days ago and will continue this war against the Volsci to the end.
Therefore, the Daunians are likely to join this war, and we must be vigilant and always be prepared, because Daunian reinforcements may appear at any time!"
"The Senate's rejection of the Daunians' unreasonable demands is correct. How can the victories and occupied lands that Roman citizens have exchanged for with blood and life be abandoned in vain because of the Daunians' threats!" Lucius said indignantly. He was already in his forties and still retained his full-blooded nature, not inheriting his father's gentle and steady personality.
"While that may be true, it undoubtedly adds many potential difficulties to this war!" Camillus said with slight worry.
Lucius immediately said confidently: "Father, in the past ten years, not only has our Roman territory greatly expanded, but the number of our citizens is also rapidly increasing.
The Senate's statistics at the beginning of this year showed that there were as many as 400 centuries of eligible citizen soldiers in the city of Rome and its established colonies, not including those Latin allies, and besides, we also have the help of the Carthaginians.
It would be better if the Daunians didn't come, but if they dare to come, they will know how powerful our Roman army is!"
Camillus didn't want to argue with his son unnecessarily. He waved his hand and urged: "You should send cavalry to carry out reconnaissance missions."
After Lucius left, Camillus, with the help of servants, put on his armor and began his daily routine—inspecting the military camp. Wherever he went, the soldiers respectfully called out his name.
But in fact, "Camillus" was not his real name, but a nickname he used in his childhood, derived from the name of a Roman deity in the temple. But when he repeatedly won victories on the battlefield, his nickname spread, because many citizens believed that he was as brave and invincible as if a god had possessed him in battle.
He then took "Camillus" as his family name, regarding it as an honor (he was the first Roman to use a nickname as a family name).
He often cordially talked with the soldiers in the camp,
just like an elder caring for young people, understanding their mental state, and besides encouraging them, he would sometimes help them solve some minor difficulties, so the soldiers loved and respected him, and he himself enjoyed this kind of military camp atmosphere.
To be honest, he was more annoyed by the complex political environment of the Senate, and afraid of seeing the fierce conflicts between the common people and the nobles, and only in the military camp could he relax.
Camillus had just finished inspecting the military camp when another legion commander—Military Tribune Furius—walked into the main tent.
According to the regulations of the Roman Senate: when two or more Military Tribunes command the army, they will take turns commanding the army.
And today it was Camillus' turn, and Furius could completely stay in his own tent and not worry about anything. But out of respect for Camillus and responsibility for the army, he still came to the main tent as a deputy general to listen to Camillus' new military deployments.
Seeing Camillus walking into the tent with a peaceful expression, Furius immediately understood that Camillus' strategy today was still to defend the camp, but he still asked: "Camillus, are we still not attacking Setia today?"
Camillus comforted him and said: "According to the news brought by the messengers, Quintus's army will launch a strong attack on Satricum today. If they can take it smoothly, in two or three days, they can join us, and then we can join forces to attack the Volsci, so you don't need to rush now."
How could Furius not be anxious? Roman citizens have always been very eager for military exploits and honors, and Furius was even more so, because he urgently needed more military exploits to wash away the shame of his previous defeat, only because the previous defeat and Camillus's tolerance made him more cautious, and at the same time more respectful of Camillus.
"It would be great if the Volsci could come out of the city and engage us in a decisive battle! Even if they get reinforcements from the Aurunci and Sidicini, and their numbers are not weaker than ours, they will not be able to defeat the three-line tactics invented by you, Camillus.
And our soldiers, who have received aid from the Carthaginians, are also far stronger than the enemy in terms of weapons and armor. If we can defeat the last of the Volsci's forces in a decisive battle, we can completely drive the Volsci into the mountains and occupy this fertile land!" Furius said with a confident look.
After listening, Camillus said seriously: "Unfortunately, the Volsci have now become cautious. They are all hiding in the city to defend, and even in this small city of Setia, there are several thousand Volscian warriors, and we cannot capture it in a short time.
Once we fully attack the city, we will have to worry about the army in Bolae..."
"If only we also had the ballistae gifted by the Carthaginians!" Furius sighed regretfully, and suddenly he thought of something and suggested loudly: "Camillus, why don't we do what you did last time and give up the siege of Setia and raid Circeii!"
Camillus was stunned, thought for a while, and then shook his head: "After such a raid once, the Volsci are probably already prepared. Once we fail to capture Circeii in a short time, the enemies who come to the rescue will surround us, and at that time, we will be exhausted and extremely tired, and we will not have enough time to build a camp, I'm afraid..."
Camillus looked at Furius and earnestly advised again: "We already have an absolute advantage, there is no need to take risks. Wait patiently for two or three days, and then I will let you personally lead the army to capture Circeii!"
Furius slapped his thigh hard with his right hand, and then showed a helpless smile: "Okay, Camillus, I'll listen to you, we'll wait for Quintus and the others to arrive, I hope they can come sooner!"
After listening to what Camillus said, Furius didn't want to stay in the tent any longer. He got up to say goodbye, and just as he was about to leave the tent, a person suddenly broke in, staggering and almost falling.
"Lucius!" Furius looked at the centurion kneeling on the ground, covered in dust, in surprise.
"What happened?" Camillus, who had always been calm, also showed surprise when he saw his son in such a miserable state.
Lucius supported himself with his hands and stood up shakily.
Furius hurriedly brought a wooden chair for him to sit down.
Lucius nodded to express his gratitude, and then said panting: "Father, I led two centuries of cavalry... bypassed Bolae and prepared to continue south... to scout the situation of the Volsci in the surrounding area...
Who knew that a group of cavalry dressed in black suddenly appeared from the south, and they... they immediately launched an attack on us—"
Speaking of this, a trace of fear flashed in Lucius's eyes: "Their horsemanship is very good, and they outnumber us, and they are good at throwing javelins on horseback. Our cavalry was quickly dispersed... If it weren't for the cavalry around me... covering me, I'm afraid I wouldn't have been able to see you..."
After Lucius finished speaking, the thrilling scene of being closely chased by the enemy and javelins whistling past him from time to time still flashed in his mind, and the screams of his subordinate cavalry always echoed in his ears... His face, which was already lacking color, became even paler.
Black cavalry?! Furius's heart moved, and he looked at Camillus with slight nervousness.
Camillus's expression was also solemn at this moment, and he said in a low voice uncertainly: "It seems that the Daunians are here?!"
Lucius was in a hurry to escape before and didn't have time to think carefully. Hearing what his father said at this time, he felt surprised: "Is it the Daunians?!"
"I don't remember any forces around here with cavalry dressed in black, and as you said, there are so many of them. I only heard the Carthaginians say that the Daunian army, whether infantry or cavalry, are all dressed in uniform black," Camillus looked at his son and said in a deep voice: "So they can only be the Daunians that you previously boasted of defeating."
Lucius lowered his head somewhat ashamed.
"How many of our cavalry were lost?" Camillus asked again.
"Because... because they retreated separately, some cavalry have not returned yet, and it is temporarily impossible to count the casualties..." Lucius said softly.
Seeing Camillus's unhappy expression, Furius hurriedly said worriedly: "I'm afraid the cavalry of the legion I lead has also been attacked by the Daunian cavalry!"
After being reminded by Furius, Camillus was no longer in the mood to criticize Lucius.
There were ten cavalry centuries in the Roman army led by Camillus and Furius. Every morning, the two Military Tribunes would send out most of the cavalry, some to scout the enemy's situation, and some to assist the infantry in collecting food in nearby areas. Because the Volsci cavalry was not strong and had suffered repeated defeats before, Camillus did not feel worried about the safety of the scattered cavalry, but now he became nervous and immediately issued an order: "Lucius, you immediately send out scouts to the north to urgently notify those infantry and cavalry centuries who are collecting food in the Volscian villages to return to the military camp immediately!
And remind them to be careful of attacks by Daunian cavalry on their way back!"
Saying it's requisitioning grain is actually robbery by force. Because Rome and its allies often fought together, they had a relatively professional logistics support system. There were dedicated quartermasters to prepare grain, mainly sourced from the Senate's unified allocation and allied states providing a certain amount of grain according to treaties. However, Roman armies also frequently requisitioned grain in enemy-occupied areas to weaken the enemy and strengthen themselves.
But now, Camillus clearly realized that these scattered infantry squads were likely targets for Daunian cavalry attacks: "Furius, we should have the light infantry ready. If we discover Daunian cavalry circling to the north of our camp, attacking our returning soldiers, we will immediately send a light infantry battalion to drive away the enemy and escort the returning lads."
Furius said dismissively: "The Daunian cavalry are likely coming from Sersha, and it's nearly 40 miles from Sersha to here. Even if the Daunian cavalry are powerful, they won't have the strength to harass our soldiers further north after traveling such a long distance."
"We don't understand the Daunians, but never underestimate them! It's always right to prepare in advance," Camillus patiently reminded.
"Alright, I'll arrange it," Furius shrugged.
He was about to turn and leave the tent when a guard rushed in: "My lords, military tribunes, many black-armored cavalry have appeared on the south side of the camp!"
Camillus and Furius felt a tightening in their hearts and quickly walked out of the tent.
In the camp, the news of "cavalry attacked by unknown cavalry" was spreading, causing a commotion among the soldiers. Many were whispering and discussing the matter, even questioning Camillus and Furius as they passed by.
How could the two answer? They quickly came to the rampart on the south side of the camp, where the walkway was already filled with soldiers, curiously looking out of the camp and quietly discussing something.
The two climbed onto a watchtower and looked out: hundreds of meters away, there were hundreds of black-armored cavalry, arranged in a relatively orderly formation, holding aloft several large banners, the tops of which shone with dazzling golden light. They stood quietly, giving people a sense of power that could not be underestimated, even though there were only a hundred riders.
"I heard that the Daunian army's banners are inlaid with golden statues of their gods. It seems this is indeed Daunian cavalry!" Furius said with a solemn expression.
Camillus didn't speak. His eyes were fixed on the several generals in the middle of the Daunian cavalry whose helmets had bright plumes, speculating on the Daunians' purpose in appearing in front of the camp.
… … … … … … … … … … … … …
At this moment,
Amyntas was among these cavalry, carefully observing the layout of the Roman camp.
"A little further forward," Amyntas said, urging his horse forward, and the cavalry had to quickly follow.
A clamor arose within the Roman camp.
"Legate, you can't go any further!" the adjutant Aristonoos loudly reminded.
"Aristonoos, you are the son of Scombrus (although Scombrus was the oldest in the Senate, he often fiercely criticized his opponents in the assembly and was nicknamed 'the Roarer'). You have inherited his bravery," Amyntas joked lightly, "Did you lose your courage after spending some time in the staff department?!"
Printors, who was next to him, showed no reaction on his face after hearing this.
Aristonoos had no mood for jokes and said urgently: "Legate, I am worried about your safety!"
"The enemy's camp is still far away, and besides, we are all on horseback," Amyntas said with a smile, turning his head to look beside him, "If the enemy's cavalry rushes out, Ledes, your cavalry will protect me, right?"
Ledes, the commander of the First Cavalry Legion, said seriously: "Based on our previous engagements with Roman cavalry, their cavalry is far from being our match, so rest assured. Even if more cavalry comes out of their camp, I can guarantee your safe return to camp."
"Haha, I was waiting for you to say that! It's good news that our cavalry has the advantage!" Amyntas said with a smile, while observing the Roman camp.
Before long, the smile on his face disappeared. Although the Romans had a great advantage in the battle with the Volsci, they had clearly not relaxed their vigilance, and their camp was by no means hastily built: the dense rows of caltrops placed under the ramparts, the trenches surrounding the entire camp, and the high watchtowers with earthen ramparts and wooden walls standing every twenty or thirty meters, completely prevented him from seeing the situation inside the camp.
Apart from not knowing whether traps were laid outside the camp, Amyntas felt that the defense of this Roman camp was not to be underestimated just from observing the outside. Therefore, he frowned and muttered softly: "This camp is not easy to attack."
At this time, Printors said sternly: "Legate, there is another point that needs our attention! In the very short time before we arrived at this camp, it was filled with soldiers."
Printors pointed to the dense but not chaotic Roman soldiers on the wooden wall in front, reminding Amyntas: "This shows that this Roman army is well-trained! If we want to take their camp and eliminate this Roman army before their troops converge, it will be very difficult! The casualties of the First Legion will definitely not be low!"
Amyntas was silent for a while and said: "Then let's have a pitched battle with them!"
"Amyntas, now that the Romans probably know our army has arrived, will they still dare to come out of the camp and have a pitched battle with us and the Volsci?!" Ledes reminded euphemistically.
"We have to try!" Amyntas said, but in his heart, he felt that the possibility was not too high, because they had circled most of the Roman camp, and found that every place was basically the same, without obvious flaws. Through observing the camp, he had a preliminary understanding of the characteristics and style of this Roman army and its general: this is a cautious and practical army!
Could it be that they really could only garrison in the camp, defending against the attack of the main Roman force after they converged?! Amyntas was unwilling.
Just as he was about to turn his horse back to the place where he was going to build the camp, a scout came from the northwest: "Report to Legate Ledes, several Roman troops are plundering grain in the Volscian village in front. Centurion Yagomis asks if he should eliminate them? (According to the Daunian cavalry organization, a cavalry legion has 2,000 men, divided into four battalions, each battalion with 500 men; a battalion is divided into five companies, each company with 100 men; and a company is divided into ten squads, each squad with ten men.)"
"How many enemies are there?" Ledes asked.
"About 200 enemies," the scout replied.
"Yagomis is stupid if he doesn't eat the fat meat that comes to his mouth?!" Ledes said immediately: "Tell your centurion to eliminate them as much as possible!"
"Yes!" the scout turned his horse to leave.
"Wait a minute!" Amyntas shouted to stop him: "Did you only see those 200 enemies? Or are there only these 200 enemies outside the camp?"
Amyntas's question was a bit roundabout, but the cavalryman understood. He pointed to the northwest and said: "Legate Amyntas, our battalion is in this direction, we haven't searched other places yet."
Amyntas immediately turned to look at Ledes: "Old friend, I need your help! Send out these cavalry behind you to thoroughly investigate how many Roman soldiers are looting grain in this area, and then quickly report back to me!"
"Alright," Ledes didn't refuse, and immediately turned around to give the cavalry the task.
"Legate Amyntas, do you want to use these Roman soldiers to lure out their main force?" Printors's mind reacted quickly, and he roughly guessed Amyntas's intention in doing so.
Amyntas glanced at him and said somewhat excitedly: "We can't just do nothing and watch the Romans converge. When the main force of 50,000 men presses over, even if the First Legion is strong, it won't be able to stop them!"
Under his gaze, Printors nodded in agreement with his view.
"Aristonoos!" Amyntas turned to the adjutant and said: "Send a scout to quickly notify the brothers of the First Legion to stop building the camp, put on their armor, take up their weapons, and march in formation towards the Roman camp, waiting for my orders at any time."
"Yes!" Aristonoos replied excitedly.
At this time, Ledes had already sent out some cavalry. After hearing the orders issued by Amyntas, he had to remind him: "The situation is not completely clear yet, don't make such a big move first. What if there are only 200 enemies there, what if the Roman army in the camp simply doesn't come out? Not only will you be busy for nothing, but you will also be blamed by the soldiers!"
"Dare they!" Amyntas glared, and then said firmly: "If we wait until everything is clear before making preparations, I'm afraid it will be too late! We probably only have this one chance to let the Romans fight us in the field!"
"I agree with Legate Amyntas's opinion, we have to try. If the final situation is not what we think, we can just let the soldiers stay in the city of Pollevnam tonight and continue building the camp tomorrow," Printors said. He had discovered one of Amyntas's characteristics: this legate had a strong desire for battle and did not let go of any small opportunity.
He continued: "In addition, we also need to remind the Volscian troops in the cities of Pollevnam and Setia that if the Romans in the camp really come out, we need to join forces with them to defeat them."
"I am only responsible for fighting the Romans, all these other tedious things are left to you to take care of, how about it?" Amyntas asked bluntly.
Ptoris was stunned, but he didn't decline and immediately said, "Okay!"
Then, he said to his adjutant, Aristomachos, "I need your help!"
Aristomachos looked at Amyntas.
Amyntas waved his hand and said, "Now you are under his command."
"Yes!" Aristomachos replied, immediately bringing the messengers to Ptoris's side.
"Immediately notify the Volsci in Setia and Poluphrantium, and tell them that we are intercepting Roman soldiers who are looting grain. The Roman army may come out of the camp to fight us decisively. Please have them gather their warriors and prepare for battle. Once we engage in a large-scale battle with the Romans, please have them come to our aid immediately!"
After Ptoris issued the order, the two messengers immediately galloped away.
Ptoris then asked Aristomachos, "Did you bring the record board?"
"Yes, I did." Aristomachos took out a small, blackened square wooden board and a white stylus from behind the saddle pad. This was standard equipment for a legion adjutant, to prevent omissions when conveying the commander's orders during intense battles. It could also be used as a tactical diagram board. Aristomachos had served in the staff department and knew how to use it.
"Mark the Roman camp. Setia is about two miles to its south, Poluphrantium is about sixteen miles to its south, and the camp we are going to build is eight miles to its southwest…" Ptoris was indeed a staff strategist. He had only arrived in Volsci yesterday, but he had already memorized all the details.
Aristomachos listened to Ptoris and used the white stylus to mark the various locations on the board, centering on the Roman camp, and wrote the distances.
Amyntas listened for a few sentences. With his temperament, he couldn't patiently analyze and calculate these data. He only wanted the final result, so he quickly walked away, looking north anxiously, waiting for news from the scouts.
The Rhodian cavalry vigilantly watched the Roman camp not far to the east, preventing the Roman cavalry from suddenly attacking and threatening the safety of the officers.
In fact, Amyntas didn't wait long.
Soon after Rhoides sent out his cavalry, the previously dispatched cavalry detachments and companies successively sent riders back to report the enemy's situation: "Report, Legion Commander, the 3rd company of the 2nd cavalry detachment has discovered over a hundred Roman soldiers to the south."
"How far away?"
"About ten miles!"
"Report, Legion Commander,
the 1st company of the 4th cavalry detachment has discovered about one hundred Roman soldiers eleven miles to the north."
…
As one rider after another returned to report, the look of joy on Amyntas's face grew stronger. He shouted back, "Ptoris, there are more than a thousand Roman soldiers outside, right?!"
"According to the current statistics, it has already exceeded 1,100," Ptoris immediately said.
Adjutant Aristomachos also presented the record board, which was densely covered with icons representing towns, camps, and armies, as well as distance numbers, all in white on a black background.
Amyntas glanced at it, feeling dizzy, and didn't look again. Instead, he excitedly said loudly, "No need to wait for the other scouts to report. There are already over 1,100 Roman soldiers. The Roman generals won't easily abandon them. Capture them, lure the Roman army out, and fight them decisively here!"
Amyntas stared at Rhoides and Ptoris with a firm gaze.
Ptoris didn't hesitate at this moment and immediately replied, "We should immediately notify the First Legion to speed up their march and intercept these Roman soldiers before they return to their camp!"
"Also, tell the First Legion that any detachment, company, or squad that arrives late will be severely punished by military law!" Amyntas said again, a hint of murderous intent in his stern tone.
"Yes!" Influenced by this, Adjutant Aristomachos looked somewhat ferocious when issuing orders to the messengers.
"Amyntas," Rhoides said to him solemnly on horseback, "I must now rush to the north to organize my cavalry and delay the Romans who are collecting grain outside from returning to their camp as much as possible!"
"Thank you!" Amyntas said thank you, a rare occurrence. Although the Military Department had given Amyntas overall command of the aid to the Volsci before they came, he and Rhoides were both legion commanders and equal in rank (in fact, as the creator of the Daonian cavalry, Rhoides potentially had command of all Daonian cavalry).
"You don't need to thank me. I'm also doing it so that the First Cavalry Legion can gain more battle merits," Rhoides said sternly. "After I leave, be careful of your safety!"
After receiving Rhoides's reminder, Amyntas and Ptoris also led the small number of cavalry away from the Roman camp.
… … … … … … … … … … … … …
The First Cavalry Legion, starting from Sersha, had begun to attack the Roman cavalry roaming in this area to clear the surroundings, conceal the Romans' ears and eyes, and protect the First Legion's march and encampment. In the end, they even circled around to the north of the Roman camp.
In comparison, the First Legion's marching speed was much slower. When Amyntas was planning the "lure the snake out of its hole" plan, the First Legion had just arrived at the selected campsite. The soldiers had just put down their armor and weapons, and under the command of the officers, they picked up pickaxes, wooden frames, and other tools, and began to dig trenches according to the camp design after the engineers surveyed the terrain.
Just then, the messenger sent back by Amyntas arrived.
The various battalion commanders received Amyntas's orders. Despite their doubts, they did not hesitate for a moment and blew the assembly bugle.
"Battalion Commander, are we going to put on our armor, take up our weapons, and prepare to attack the enemy camp?" a company commander asked with suspicion.
Battalion Commander Patroclus shook his head to indicate that he didn't know. He really didn't know what the situation was ahead, and Amyntas's orders were somewhat vague. He could only say, "Quickly have the brothers speed up and form ranks. Our Sixth Battalion can't fall behind the other battalions!"
"Rest assured, Battalion Commander. The brothers won't let you down!" the company commander immediately replied seriously.
Although Patroclus was young, he had a high reputation among the soldiers. He had repeatedly won military merits. As a hero of the kingdom, he now had an additional identity that made the soldiers revere him—he was the son-in-law of the great Davos King.
Six heavy infantry battalions, one light infantry battalion, one light armor battalion, and the engineering battalion (because they considered that they might attack the enemy camp), plus the reconnaissance centuria, a total of more than 8,000 people, were arranged into several columns and began to march north at a normal speed under the leadership of the cavalry.
At this time, the soldiers did not feel dissatisfied because they had to march again. Because the terrain in this area was flat and the late autumn weather was relatively cool, the First Legion had been very relaxed in the previous two hours of marching. The soldiers, who still had plenty of physical strength, were instead excitedly discussing: Would there be a battle next?
After marching for more than 20 minutes, Amyntas's messenger arrived again. This time the order was much clearer: The entire army was to march at full speed to his location, and then intercept the Roman soldiers who had come out of the camp to plunder!
Clytus, Patroclus… These battalion commanders were all excited. They quickly issued orders, the bugle sounded urgently, and the subordinate messengers galloped between the marching columns.
Soon, the shouts of the officers rose and fell, and the sound of footsteps began to rumble…
… … … … … … … … … … … … …
After Camillus's Roman army occupied Antium and Astura, in order to quickly advance to Setia, they did not clean up the many Volsci villages in the area behind them.
Because the Volsci responded fairly quickly, Setia and Poluphrantium garrisoned troops and were prepared. The Roman army had to build camps and confront the enemy in front.
At the same time, Camillus repeatedly sent various Roman centuries to the rear to collect grain. On the one hand, it could reduce the pressure on the army's food supply, and on the other hand, it could take the opportunity to clean up these potentially threatening Volsci villages, such as capturing young and middle-aged men in the villages and crushing the Volsci's resistance in the process of raising food…
Cornelius was a Roman centurion. Early in the morning, he was ordered to lead a century of soldiers to the north to collect grain.
Because the Volsci villages near the Roman camp had been searched and looted in previous grain collections, and the people had all run away, Cornelius's century, like other centuries, had traveled nearly ten miles north before discovering a village where they could make a profit.
He immediately led his soldiers and rushed in like wolves into a flock of sheep. After cleanly killing a dozen Volsci, Cornelius's grain collection action became smoother.
Just as the soldiers were escorting the Volsci to fill the pack animals they had brought with grain, and also loading supplies into the few pack animals they had plundered, a Roman cavalryman arrived: "Military Tribune Camillus orders you to return to camp immediately. The enemy is attacking!"
Although Cornelius regretted that there were still many supplies that had not been loaded, he did not hesitate and immediately summoned the soldiers scattered in the village.
Just then, he saw many black cavalrymen coming outside the village.
This didn't look like Volsci cavalry! Cornelius felt puzzled, but the Roman cavalryman who could answer his doubts had long since run away.
Cornelius wasn't nervous at all. He was used to seeing the incompetence of the Roman cavalry. He calmly ordered 120 Roman soldiers to protect the pack animals loaded with grain, and also captured a few Volsci to be responsible for pulling the pack animals. The group of people left the village unhurriedly.
The black cavalrymen quickly surrounded them, circling around their formation.
Cornelius ordered the soldiers to be vigilant, but he wasn't too worried. As a veteran, he had seen the attack methods of the Roman cavalry and the cavalry of other surrounding forces many times, and he knew that in front of Roman soldiers protected by long shields, the cavalry's stabs were not only ineffective, but also easily caused them to fall off their horses.
Cornelius had also participated in the battle led by Camillus ten years ago to repel the Celts. The fierce charge of the Celtic cavalry wielding greatswords and their chariots was indeed very lethal, but these black cavalrymen with spears were clearly not Celts.
Just then, he heard several screams, followed by soldiers shouting in panic, "Watch out for javelins!"
Cornelius subconsciously raised his large shield to protect himself. He looked back and saw a soldier not far away with a short javelin stuck in his right chest, struggling and wailing on the ground. The black cavalrymen, only a dozen meters away, each held their spears in their left hands, with javelins in their right, slowing their horses and slowly circling them, looking for the next opportunity to throw.
"Damn it! These enemy cavalry can throw javelins!" Cornelius was a little flustered, as it was his first time encountering such cavalry.
What to do? Cornelius thought anxiously: Continue forward? It's ten miles from here to the camp. Defending against enemy cavalry attacks and protecting the pack animals will make the speed slow. Maintaining vigilance for a long time will be a big problem for the soldiers' stamina! Retreat back to the village and wait for rescue? The village is not far behind the team, so it would be quick to return, but it's uncertain when reinforcements from the camp will arrive, and with the enemy's cavalry here, there might even be infantry…
Just as Cornelius was hesitating, the captured Volsci, taking advantage of the soldiers being on guard against the black cavalry and unable to pay attention to them, quietly untied the horses from the pack animals and drove them to break through the unprepared Roman soldiers' defensive circle, then took advantage of the chaos to sneak away.
Several angry Roman soldiers went to chase them.
"Idiots, come back!" Cornelius shouted anxiously.
But it was too late.
Several black cavalrymen were seen chasing after them.
The Roman soldiers who realized the situation wasn't good weren't too flustered. They raised their shields to face the enemy cavalry and retreated back step by step.
Unexpectedly, several more black cavalrymen rushed up quickly from behind. They couldn't dodge in time and were directly knocked down by the horses.
At this time, the enemy cavalry in front also quickly charged in. The Roman soldiers, dazed from being knocked down, didn't have time to raise their long shields. The enemies on horseback leaned down, extended their spears, and, using the speed of the horses, the spears pierced into the bodies covered by chainmail, then quickly released the spears to avoid being thrown off the horse by the powerful recoil.
Seeing the tragic situation of their teammates and the enemy cavalry's skilled coordination, the Roman soldiers were both angry and uneasy. Without the pack animals, it would be difficult to transport the looted supplies back. Cornelius finally made up his mind. He abandoned the pack animals, gathered the soldiers together, formed a relatively dense column, and, while guarding against the enemy cavalry's occasional harassment, advanced towards the camp at a slow pace.
Such encounters happened to every Roman century that went out to collect supplies. Some centuries took the same measures as Cornelius, while others simply returned to the village to await rescue…
… … … … … … … … … … … … …
In the camp, Camillus and Furius quickly and continuously received news that "units sent out to collect supplies were attacked by Daunian cavalry." Camillus no longer hesitated and immediately made the decision to "send out all light infantry and cavalry to immediately meet the attacked supply units and repel the Daunian cavalry."
Soon, the north gate of the Roman camp opened wide, and nearly 2,000 light infantry and more than 800 cavalry poured out of the camp.
Initially, the light infantry in the Roman army were all Roman civilians of the fourth and fifth classes who were too poor to buy heavy infantry equipment, but since Camillus implemented military reforms, and with the strong assistance of the Carthaginians, Roman civilians could also serve as heavy infantry, only their equipment was provided uniformly by the Senate and returned after the war. In this way, the light infantry in the Roman army were mainly provided by other allied states of Rome.
At this time, these light infantry and Roman cavalry spent a lot of time outside the camp before dividing into more than a dozen teams, led by scouts, and heading towards their respective targets.
In the large tent, Camillus received another shocking piece of news: seven or eight thousand Daunian soldiers were rapidly marching towards the Roman camp!
Furius looked at Camillus in surprise: "The Daunians just arrived and want to attack our camp?!"
Camillus pondered for a moment with a solemn expression, then issued an order: "Send out scouts to the south to investigate the movements in Setia and Privernum. Report back immediately if any troops are found to be coming out!"
Camillus didn't believe that the Daunians would dare to attack his camp with only seven or eight thousand men, so he wanted to closely monitor the movements of the Volsci. At the same time, he didn't dare to take it lightly and began to mobilize the soldiers to prepare to defend the camp.
… … … … … … … … … … … … … …
Meanwhile, in Privernum, its magistrate, Catamuntalos, received a message from a messenger of the Daunian First Legion. He said in surprise: "The Daunian First Legion is preparing to attack those hateful plundering units of the Romans to lure the Roman main force out of the camp, attempting to engage them in a decisive battle, and requires us to cooperate!"
"These Daunians are really impatient. They just arrived and don't understand the situation yet, and they already want to fight the Romans," the commander of the Auruncan reinforcements said sarcastically.
"At least this shows that the Daunians are sincerely helping us Volsci!" A word from Tulus, the magistrate of Setia, made the Auruncan and Sidicini reinforcement commanders a little embarrassed. They had been leading troops to Volsci for almost half a month and had not yet engaged in battle with the Romans.
"But… the Roman army is very powerful! Once our army leaves the protection of the city walls and fights the Romans in the field, what if… we fail? The Volsci will be in danger!" Quitus, the magistrate of Trebula, said with a worried expression. He had previously led reinforcements to rescue Velitrae, but was defeated by the Romans, eventually leading to the fall of Velitrae.
"Daonia is the most powerful kingdom in Italy. Since they dare to propose fighting the Romans, they must be confident of defeating them!" Corunnas, the former magistrate of Antium, eager to regain the occupied towns, shouted: "Besides, according to the traditions of us Volsci, how can we have distinguished guests desperately helping us, while the hosts stand by and watch!"
As the commander-in-chief of the Volsci army, Catamuntalos finally made up his mind, summoned the Daunian messenger, and said: "Please go back and tell Legion Commander Amyntas that all Volsci warriors will be ready to await his attack order at any time!"
… … … … … … … … … … … … …
Since the Daunian cavalry was mainly concentrated on the west and north sides of the Roman camp, the Roman scouts could relatively safely scout the movements of the Daunian army on the south side of the camp.
An hour later, Camillus received news: the Daunian army had approached the Roman camp!
When he came to the watchtower in front of the south gate of the camp again, he could already see the dust rising in the distance.
Camillus was not nervous at all. He looked at the soldiers who were already standing in defensive positions on the wooden walls, and hoped that the light infantry he had sent out and the Roman soldiers collecting supplies could return soon, so that he would have no worries at all. Fortunately, two or three Roman centuries had already returned to the camp, and it seemed that he would not have to wait too long.
After standing on the watchtower for a while, he suddenly noticed that the diffused dust was not getting closer and closer to him, but seemed to be moving away.
Just as he was wondering, a Roman scout rushed into the camp and reported to him: "Military Tribune Camillus, the Daunian army is turning to the west side of the camp."
West? Camillus was stunned. After a moment of contemplation, his expression changed drastically: Could it be that the Daunians want to bypass the camp and attack our soldiers outside the camp?!
… … … … … … … … … … … … … …
"Legion Commander Amyntas, Legion Commander Laedes sent me to tell you that the cavalry legion's javelins are almost used up. The Roman light infantry is attacking fiercely, and some cavalry have been injured. He can no longer fully prevent the Romans from retreating back to the camp."
Hearing this, Amyntas's face darkened: Due to the previous addition of Roman light infantry and cavalry, it had become difficult for the Daunian First Cavalry Legion to carry out its plan to delay the Roman retreat. The combination of Roman light infantry and cavalry had in turn posed a great threat to the scattered Daunian cavalry, so at Prontor's suggestion, he reluctantly had Laedes lead the cavalry to abandon obstructing the other Roman centuries and concentrate on obstructing the three Roman centuries to the southwest that were closer to them. But he didn't expect that the Roman light infantry had also arrived here now.
Could it be that his battle plan was going to fail? Amyntas was unwilling, and said to Laedes's messenger: "Go back and tell Legion Commander Laedes, say 'I… ask him to persevere a little longer, the First Legion will be there soon. You cavalry have worked so hard for so long and paid a lot of price, you can't just give up like this, can you!'"
Amyntas's request obviously moved the messenger of the First Cavalry, and he hesitated and said: "… I will relay all of your words to Legion Commander Laedes."
After the messenger galloped away, Amyntas's face completely darkened, and he shouted loudly: "Quickly urge the First Legion again! If they still can't get here immediately and let the Romans run away, they will all be punished by military law! …"
Just as Amyntas was cursing, Adjutant Aristonus suddenly showed a happy expression, pointed to the south, and shouted: "Legion Commander, our soldiers are here!"
Amyntas immediately turned his head and looked back, only to see dust billowing in the far distance, and the sound of footsteps rumbling.
Amyntas immediately grinned: "It seems that these guys won't complete their mission properly unless they are scolded hard!"
"Report… Report, Commander, the Seventh Battalion… has arrived in full force, awaiting your command!" Satires, the commander of the Seventh Battalion, saluted Amyntas breathlessly.
It was expected that the light infantry battalion of the First Legion would be the first to arrive.
After all, they wore no armor and carried no heavy weapons, making them swift in action.
In fact, when they received the "forced march" order, they were only about seven miles away from Amyntas.
Running seven miles in over an hour wasn't particularly fast, but the main goal was to maintain the integrity of the personnel and formation, and to preserve some stamina so that they could immediately engage in combat upon arrival.
Amyntas glanced at the soldiers, each drenched in sweat, but still full of energy.
He nodded in satisfaction and said loudly, "Brothers, your arrival is timely!
The enemy is just ahead, waiting for us to devour them.
Let us establish the prestige of our Daonian First Legion here!
Do you have the confidence to do so?!"
"Yes!!!" the soldiers shouted in unison.
"Staff Officer, you may proceed with the deployment," Amyntas said immediately.
Printors did not decline, glancing at the record board filled with markings, then pointing southwest and saying to Satires, the commander of the Seventh Battalion, "Four miles ahead, there are over 300 Roman heavy infantry, over 700 cavalry, and nearly 2,000 Roman light infantry.
The First Cavalry Legion is under tremendous pressure to prevent their retreat.
You must immediately lead the Seventh Battalion to quickly assist the First Cavalry Legion in holding off the enemy until the follow-up forces arrive and annihilate them!"
"Yes!" Satires turned and shouted, "Brothers, follow me and continue running forward!"
Under the guidance of scouts, the soldiers of the Seventh Battalion rushed towards the southwest.
"Printors, your previous suggestion was correct.
As long as we seize this large group of enemies, I don't believe the Romans will dare not come out to rescue them!" Amyntas felt slightly relieved by the arrival of the Seventh Battalion and began to praise Printors.
It should be known that when Prutus suggested to him to "abandon intercepting all Roman grain-gathering troops and instead concentrate the cavalry to obstruct these few Roman squadrons that are closest to them, and in fact, also closest to the First Legion," Amyntas hesitated for quite a while.
Now, not only have they stopped over 300 Roman heavy infantry, but they have also lured the Roman light infantry and cavalry over.
If these 3,000-plus Romans can be pinned down, he is not worried that the main Roman force will not leave the camp.
Printors smiled and said nothing more.
At this moment, the adjutant Aristonos shouted again, "Commander, another unit has arrived!"
Dust billowed from the south, and this time it was the Eighth Battalion (i.e., the Light Armor Battalion) that had arrived…
… … … … … … … … … … … … … …
Initially, the various companies of the Cavalry Legion successfully intercepted the various Roman squadrons gathering grain, and even inflicted some casualties on them, which could be said to be a significant achievement.
However, the arrival of the Roman light infantry and cavalry reversed the passive situation of the Roman soldiers being beaten.
The Roman light infantry consisted of archers and javelin throwers.
Not only did they have a longer range than the Daonian cavalry's javelins, but they also had more stable and accurate shooting.
The speed of the Daonian cavalry was limited by the Roman cavalry.
Even if the Daonian cavalry wanted to recklessly charge into the formation, the Roman ranks were mixed with heavy infantry, making this adventure impossible and easily leading to encirclement by the enemy.
The Roman heavy infantry, cavalry, and light infantry combined, led to casualties among the more skilled Daonian cavalry.
Although in the Daonian Kingdom now, cavalry was no longer as precious as before, and the cavalry of the First Legion mainly came from the Bruttii region, where the people were good at raising and riding horses, so the number of reserve cavalry in the First Legion alone was enough to form another legion, but how could Commander Lydes not feel sorry for the loss of the cavalry, these were soldiers he had painstakingly trained!
Moreover, in this unfamiliar land, it was difficult to replenish the cavalry after losses.
Faced with the current terrible situation, Lydes, the commander of the First Cavalry Legion, hesitated whether to cancel the order to "intercept Roman soldiers returning to camp."
Fortunately, Amyntas's order arrived in time, allowing Lydes to concentrate all the cavalry to deal with the three Roman squadrons in the southwest.
To this end, Lydes also intentionally drove and forced these three Roman grain-gathering units to merge together, which was more conducive to his unified command of the First Cavalry Legion to intercept the enemy.
Faced with nearly 2,000 Daonian cavalrymen galloping around, the Roman soldiers did not dare to act rashly.
However, before long, the joint arrival of a large number of Roman light infantry and cavalry changed this stalemate.
The Romans had heavy infantry in the center, light infantry on the periphery, and cavalry on both sides, ready to intercept the charging Daolian cavalry at any time.
In this formation, the Romans began to slowly advance towards the camp.
Under the attack of Roman light infantry javelins and arrows, the Daonian cavalry blocking the front could not throw javelins and entered the range of Roman light infantry arrows.
The flying arrows caused the Daonian cavalry to be hit by arrows, and the Roman cavalry would take the opportunity to rush over, massacre for a while, and quickly return to avoid being surrounded by the Daonian cavalry.
The Romans repeatedly used this tactic, causing the Daonian First Cavalry Legion to suffer considerable losses.
Lydes no longer dared to let the cavalry block in front, but instead harassed from the flanks and rear.
However, the Roman formation was tight, and the Daonian cavalry did not dare to get too close under the threat of arrows.
Looking at the dusty, horse-neighing battlefield ahead, Lydes fell into a dilemma again.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a wounded soldier on horseback, being led by another cavalryman, heading towards his rear.
The face of the wounded soldier looked familiar to him.
He urged his horse forward and took a closer look, and it was indeed Pebarius, the company commander of the First Cavalry Legion.
His full name was Sobkos Pebarius, and he was the eldest son of Lydes's old subordinate, the kingdom's hero Sobkos (since Davos named his son Davos Clotto Kataks, his practice gradually became popular in the kingdom, and most citizens successively abandoned the Greek tradition of having only a first name and no last name, and began to use their own name as their descendants' surname).
At this moment, the young man's eyes were tightly closed, unconscious.
"Commander, the captain's horse was shot by an arrow, and he fell off the horse and fell into a coma," said the cavalryman who brought him back.
"Take good care of him!" Lydes instructed, then looked forward again, finally making up his mind.
He took a deep breath: "Order, cancel the interception of the Romans—"
"Woo!!!… …" A high-pitched bugle call suddenly came from the front.
"Commander, it's the First Legion! The First Legion has arrived!!" the cavalryman next to him shouted excitedly.
Hearing the familiar bugle call, Lydes looked forward, and through the billowing dust, he vaguely saw the golden light flashing on the Daonian military flag.
At this moment, Amyntas's messenger also arrived: "Report to Commander Lydes, the Seventh Battalion of the First Legion has arrived, is located on the enemy's return route, and is approaching the enemy."
"Only the Seventh Battalion?!" Lydes was slightly disappointed.
The messenger emphasized again: "The other battalions are arriving one after another!"
Lydes pondered for a moment, then ordered: "Order each battalion to immediately stop harassing the enemy, increase the distance from the enemy, slow down the speed of the horses, only need to monitor the enemy's movements, and at the same time, open up the encirclement in the east to avoid being accidentally injured by the long-range attacks of the First Legion."
… … … … … … … … … … … … … …
The soldiers of the Seventh Battalion saw the battlefield in front of them, where cavalry galloped and dust filled the air.
Although their bodies were tired, their spirits were extremely excited, and their pace was also accelerating.
When they were about to approach the battlefield, Battalion Commander Satires issued the order to "stop advancing."
"Wedge formation!" he then issued the order.
Hearing the bugle call and the waving of the flags, the soldiers immediately increased the distance between each other, and the entire team lengthened and stretched to both sides.
Soon, the entire military formation presented an inwardly concave arc.
At this time, the cavalry of the First Cavalry Legion arrived: "Brothers of the First Legion, we have opened up the front."
The light infantry battalion commander immediately ordered again: "First Company, prepare!"
The organization of the light infantry battalions of each legion was somewhat special.
It had only four companies, the first and second companies were archers, and the third and fourth companies were javelin throwers, each company had 250 men, consisting of five squads.
However, the light infantry battalion of the First Legion was very special.
It had only three companies, the second company was archers, the third company was javelin throwers, and the first company was slingers, which was the only remaining unique troop type in Daonia, a total of 350 people, all composed of citizens born in Rhodes who were good at slinging.
The soldiers of the First Company took out a lead ball the size of a chicken egg from the leather bag tied around their waists, and compared with the pebbles used by the slingers ten years ago, they were now equipped with better weapons.
The concentric lead ball could not only fly farther, but also had more lethality.
Satires had been watching the front, judging the distance between his battalion and the enemy.
This was a basic skill that every Daonian light infantry commander possessed, and he, who had served in the Thracian light shield soldiers in the expedition to Persia, was even more experienced and had made great achievements, so he was able to sit in the position of the commander of the First Light Infantry Battalion of the Daonian First Legion.
Although the Romans saw that the Daonian cavalry in front had opened up the road, they still did not speed up, because the Daonian cavalry was still watching around, which forced them to maintain a tight formation.
Seeing that the Romans were only about 300 meters away from his battalion, Satires raised his right hand: "First Company, attack!"
The slingers took out a lead ball the size of a chicken egg from the leather bag around their waists.
Compared with the pebbles used by the slingers ten years ago, they were now equipped with better weapons.
The concentric lead ball could not only fly farther, but also had more lethality.