Therefore, Antium was an important target for his Third Legion's landing raid this time. The reason for attacking Astura first was because he needed a port to safely unload the siege equipment from the ships.
Before dawn, Lizalu left only 2,000 soldiers to guard Atella, led 6,000 soldiers to the port of Naples, boarded the cargo ships that had been prepared, and under the escort of the Third Fleet commanded by Miltiades, landed near the coast of Astura at dawn.
It was easy for more than 6,000 people to attack the small city of Astura, which was guarded by only 120 Roman soldiers, and they occupied it.
Then, the Third Legion marched north almost without stopping, and arrived at the city of Antium in just over half an hour.
Inside the city of Antium, four Roman centuries, plus the baggage train, totaled only 700 people, but they had to defend this not-so-small town, which seemed insufficient.
In front of the city, Lizam completely deployed the siege formation composed of 5,500 soldiers. Once the siege equipment was transported, he immediately ordered the soldiers to carry the siege ladders and push the siege vehicles and shield carts... to launch a full-scale attack on the city of Antium from the south, north, and east.
Just as the Roman defenders were fighting hard, the Third Fleet led by Miltiades suddenly entered the port from the south, and 500 soldiers of the Third Legion took warships and forcibly landed at the pier.
Lizalu's feint move completely exceeded the expectations of the Roman defenders. They had never seen such a combined sea-land tactic, so they did not deploy defenses in the port at all, and of course, they did not have more manpower to defend it. However, this was a subject that the legions of the Daunian Kingdom would often train in the barracks, and they were extremely skilled in using it.
After the Daunian soldiers landed, they quickly advanced to the south and soon occupied the southern city wall connected to the port, which was almost undefended.
The Roman defenders were doomed...
By dusk, when Quintus and Furius led their troops to arrive, all that was left for them was an empty city.
The Daunian Third Legion and the sailors of the Third Fleet moved all the grain and supplies stored in the city onto the cargo ships that had been prepared.
At the same time, Camillus and Licinius had led the remaining troops to dismantle the camp and begin to retreat north...
That night, after learning the news of the Roman army's retreat, the people of Bolae and Setia cheered for victory. The high-level officials of the Volscian League held a banquet in the city of Bolae to entertain Amyntas, Plinthas, and other senior officers of the Daunian First Legion, to thank them for their contributions to rescuing the Volsci.
At the same time, they also hoped that the Daunian army could continue to help the Volsci to recapture the territory occupied by the Romans.
Amyntas, who had already been criticized by Davos in his letter, learned his lesson this time. He cautiously replied: "Daonia is very willing to assist the Volsci in regaining their lost territory, but if the Romans station heavy troops in the occupied towns, we will need more soldiers to attack the city in order to recapture it. And now you all know the situation of the Daunian Kingdom, because of the drought, food is tight, we cannot send more troops, so during this period, we can only do our best for the time being! ..."
The Volsci expressed their understanding.
Despite this small episode, the atmosphere of the entire banquet was still very warm, and everyone enjoyed themselves.
......
The next day, the troops led by Camillus and Licinius arrived at Antium.
Here, the four military tribunes had another small dispute.
Because from yesterday to today, Quintus and Furius kept receiving news from the port sentries: the Daunian fleet was cruising outside the port, blocking cargo ships coming to the port.
This made the two military tribunes, who had never had any experience in this area, feel helpless and nervous. Standing on the southern city wall, they looked out at the port, and the huge fleet of hundreds of Daunian warships covered the entire offshore area, giving them unprecedented pressure. Therefore, they believed that Antium was too far away from Rome, and at the same time, it was always facing the threat of the Daunian fleet, and it was also necessary to prevent the landing operations of the Daunian soldiers at all times. This would restrain too many Roman troops, and it was really unnecessary! It is better to give up Antium and concentrate on defending the cities of Velitrae and Satricum in the east, so that not only can they get rid of the naval threat of Daonia, but also Rome can provide support at any time...
Licinius clearly opposed this, believing that the Senate had passed a resolution to make Antium, Velitrae, and Satricum Roman colonies, and decided to move landless civilians to these three cities. Except for a part of the land as Roman public land, the other land will be distributed to these citizens. If they abandon Antium without authorization, I am afraid they will be accused and attacked by Roman citizens.
Camillus also said at this moment: This matter must be approved by the Senate. As a military tribune, you must not act without authorization.
In the end, the matter was put on hold, and the four reached an agreement: Licinius led 10,000 people to guard Antium, and the other three military tribunes led the main force to retreat to the city of Satricum.
Due to the lack of troops in the Volscian coalition, they were unable to launch an attack on these former Volscian towns guarded by heavy Roman troops, and this war between Rome and the Volsci temporarily returned to calm.
But in the city of Rome, it began to become uneasy.
The deaths and injuries of tens of thousands of Roman citizen soldiers and allied soldiers shocked the whole city. The last time there were such heavy casualties was ten years ago in the Battle of the Allia River against the Celts. Ten years have passed, and the Roman people, who have become accustomed to victory, were almost all plunged into grief when they saw the remains of the dead citizens being cremated and transported back to Rome.
Some relatives of the deceased scolded: The military tribunes who led the troops to battle were incompetent, and they actually allowed Rome to suffer such a great defeat when they had an absolute advantage!
Some people who knew some inside information also complained loudly: They should not have provoked the powerful Daunian Kingdom, otherwise they would not have paid such a great sacrifice!
Of course, some people also arrogantly shouted: They should not have let go of that Daunian envoy in the first place, otherwise they could use his head to pay homage to the lost soldiers at this moment! Rome should reorganize a powerful army and launch another attack on the Volscian region to completely eliminate the Volsci and Daunians there and avenge the dead citizens!
Compared with the citizens in the urban area who were in anger and grief, those landless civilians breathed a sigh of relief after learning the news that "Antium was regained and the Volsci had stopped attacking." After the Senate announced the resolution to "distribute the conquered Volscian land to them," they were eagerly waiting for the implementation of this proposal.
In the Roman Senate, a meeting was being held. Except for Licinius, who was still stationed in Antium, all the other senators appeared in the venue, each attentively listening to Camillus, Quintus, and Furius, the three military tribunes who had returned to Rome, recounting the entire process of this war.
The first to speak was Camillus. He started from receiving the Senate's order and leading his troops to Tustulum to quell the rebellion. He talked about: He found that Tustulum had no intention of rebelling, and even voluntarily offered hundreds of hostages, and re-signed the alliance agreement with Rome as the main one. On the way back, he received the Senate's order again to go south to support Quintus and the others and speed up the conquest of the Volscian region. So he and Furius led the army on a forced march and successfully raided the city of Antium, then quickly attacked south all the way to the city of Setia. Because of the arrival of the Volscian reinforcements, they had to stop and camp, waiting to join forces with Quintus's troops. But because they did not know the arrival of the Daunian army, they did not withdraw the grain-raising troops in time, and they did not even think that the Daunians would raid dozens of miles to attack the grain-raising troops, forcing him to lead the team out of the camp to meet them. In the end, under the attack of the Volsci and Daunians, they suffered a disastrous defeat...
Quintus then said: He and Licinius led their troops to conquer Velitrae, defeated the Volscian reinforcements, then conquered Satricum, and then went south to join forces with Camillus's troops. Then they launched several strong attacks on the city of Setia, and finally suffered a defeat because the Volsci crossed the swamp area, bypassed the reconnaissance of the scouts, and suddenly appeared on the battlefield. Just as they were preparing to launch another attack on Setia, the Daunians took warships and bypassed the rear of the army, occupying the undefended Antium. Because the grain transportation channel was threatened, and they were worried that Rome and the surrounding allied territories would be attacked by the Daunians' landing attacks, they led the army to retreat.
Furius's account was more of an affirmation and supplement to the facts that the previous two military tribunes had said. For example, he talked about how Camillus had opposed directly attacking Setia and had another combat plan. At the same time, he also mentioned that Camillus was the first to propose withdrawing the army...
After the three of them finished recounting the entire process of the war, the senators went from being excited when they first heard about the continuous victories to being stunned and frustrated by the sudden reversal of the battle situation. Most people could not remain calm and were constantly talking to each other and discussing.
At this time, a senator named Appius stood up and loudly accused: "The reason why we Romans failed in this war is first of all Camillus's responsibility! If he hadn't rashly led his troops out of the camp, and had not defeated the Daunians in time when he had superior forces, resulting in a disastrous defeat in the end, not only did we lose many brave citizens, but also it hit the morale of the remaining soldiers and fueled the arrogance of the Volsci, making them courageous and daring to resist our army's attack in the subsequent battles, causing us to suffer another defeat...
Therefore, in view of Camillus's command errors and the huge losses caused to Rome in this war, I believe that the Senate should give Camillus a severe punishment, and should also consider whether he still has the need to serve as a military tribune."
Appius's stern accusations against the battle-hardened Camillus caused an uproar among the senators.
Camillus, a man of gentle disposition and goodwill, had faced criticism in the Senate before and always remained composed, but at this moment, he stared at Appius, a flash of anger in his eyes, for it was this very man who, more than a decade ago, had falsely accused him of appropriating war spoils, ultimately leading to his trial and forced departure from Rome.
Appius did not avoid Camillus's piercing gaze. Over the years, with Camillus's successive victories and growing prestige, his own situation had become precarious. Walking through the city, he often heard people pointing at him and cursing, "That's the man who falsely accused Camillus! May Jupiter punish him!". Yet, under such circumstances, he was still able to hold his seat in the Senate because some powerful figures did not want to see Camillus's prestige grow too high, and some senators envied his achievements, needing someone to oppose him.
Appius understood his value; therefore, he never concealed his animosity towards Camillus.
"I have never heard such absurd words!" Military Tribune Pontius stood up, vehemently defending his former commander, "How can the failure of that battle be blamed on Camillus! Blame us for not promptly informing Camillus about the 'arrival of the Dionian army!' Blame anyone who wouldn't have expected the Dionian army to begin military operations so soon after arriving in Volsci!
Anyone who has commanded in battle should clearly understand that Camillus made no mistakes in his command during that battle, and any Roman general in that situation would have chosen to save Roman citizens and allied soldiers in danger! Camillus's only shortcoming was that he did not expect the Dionian army to be so powerful! But before ever engaging with the Dionians, which senator could have known!"
"Hmph, so all this can only be blamed on Dionia being too strong?!" Appius sneered dismissively.
"Rumor has it that the Dionian kingdom possesses the most powerful army in this land. Now it seems this is not mere boasting. The arrival of their army has led us to successive defeats, and this must arouse our vigilance! We should not be investigating who was right and wrong in this battle, but rather discussing how to face the Dionian threat next. This is the urgent problem we need to solve now!" Ambutius said with a solemn expression.
"Indeed, and Dionia also possesses a powerful fleet that constantly threatens our coastal allies and colonies." Veteran Senator Lucretius also supported Camillus, saying, "Camillus made a calm judgment. Your decision to retreat in time was absolutely correct! The safety of Rome and its allies is far more important than gaining a few more pieces of Volscian land!"
With two important senators endorsing Camillus in a row,
others were no longer inclined to criticize him. The failure of this battle, along with Quintus's failed siege, was no longer mentioned.
"Honorable Fathers and esteemed newcomers," Military Tribune Paulus, the rotating chairman of this meeting, finally began to speak, steering the topic towards the focus of this meeting: "The Dionian kingdom in southern Italy has already declared war on Rome. Judging from the current war situation, Dionia possesses a formidable army and a powerful fleet, posing a great threat to Rome! The previous battles only occurred in the Volscian region, but future battles may expand to our allies or even within Roman territory. What good suggestions do you have to avoid such a dire situation from happening?"
"I said before that we should not be incited by the Carthaginians to rashly antagonize Dionia, as this would be detrimental to Rome's development. Now the facts have proven everything!" High Priest Flaccus rose, proposing with concern, "To prevent further invasion by the Dionians, we should immediately cease the war with Volsci, sign a truce agreement with Volsci, return the occupied Volscian territories, and send someone to negotiate peace with Dionia. Dionia and Rome have never had any grievances in the past, and currently, their country is facing a drought. After losing the reason to wage war, they will surely be happy to stop this meaningless war for them!"
"The High Priest is right!" Flaccus's proposal was unexpectedly approved by some senators. This was relatively rare for the Roman senators, who were always proactive and less compromising, which also showed how much pressure Dionia was putting on Rome.
If someone else had said this, Quintus, who always hated surrender and compromise the most, would have angrily cursed them, but Flaccus's full name was Flaccus Julius, born into the Julius clan. It was said that this clan was descended from the god of war Mars and the goddess of love Venus, and their direct ancestor was Iulus, the first king of Alba Longa (Alba Longa was once the center of the entire Latin region, the motherland of Romulus, the founder of Rome). After Alba Longa was defeated by Rome, the Julius clan moved to Rome. Due to their noble bloodline and being descendants of gods, their clansmen often served as high priests, speaking for the gods.
Although the High Priest did not have real power, his position was honorable, and Flaccus had been highly respected by the people since taking office. Quintus considered his influence, so his tone was relatively mild: "High Priest, I think you should not have forgotten a resolution that the Senate just passed a few days ago, 'Designating Velitrae, Antium, and Satricum as colonies, with some of their land distributed to landless commoners.' Now you want us to return the occupied land to Volsci. Do you think the commoners who are already preparing to go to these colonies will agree?! You certainly don't want to see those commoners launch another riot, do you!
Also, Volsci has always been Rome's mortal enemy. This time we almost wiped it out. It finally got help from Dionia. Will it only be satisfied with a truce with Rome?! It is likely hoping to use the Dionian army to take the opportunity to destroy Rome, so that Volsci will no longer be threatened by us!"
"I agree with Quintus's opinion!" Pontius then loudly expressed his support: "Since the founding of Rome, there has never been a precedent of choosing to compromise and surrender when only facing the threat of the enemy. We must not make an exception on our watch! Has Rome encountered fewer forces stronger than itself in the past? But we have gradually grown stronger in constant battles! And today, as long as we Romans are united and dare to continue fighting Dionia, I believe that the final victory will still belong to us Rome!"
"Pontius is right, we Romans will never compromise and surrender! ..." The younger senators loudly echoed Pontius's words. Some senators, though silent, also had a glint of war in their eyes.
Flaccus's face was a little unsightly. He snorted and said, "We were incited by the Carthaginians to start a war with Dionia, but the Carthaginians promised us that they would launch a war against Dionia in Sicily, but did they do it?! Carthage also has a powerful navy, but they are hiding in their ports, not attacking the Dionian fleet! Everyone, we must be careful not to let Rome become a sword in Carthage's hand. By then, it will be full of nicks and even broken, but in the end, we will get nothing!"
"Flaccus is right!" Another senator who could not be underestimated, Publius Cornelius Scipio, loudly reminded, "We Romans do not refuse to fight, but we cannot be fools and be used by others. The Carthaginians want to use us to deal with the Dionians, but if they themselves do not contribute, we cannot be so foolish as to be completely dictated by them, so we must urge them to send troops immediately. We must clearly tell them, 'Carthage must not only launch a large-scale attack on Dionian territory in Sicily but also defeat their fleet and protect the coast of our Latin region, otherwise, we Romans will have to make peace with the Dionians!'"
The senators understood Scipio's meaning, and they all agreed and quickly reached a consensus: After the meeting, Paulus would immediately go to the Carthaginian envoy in the city and urge Carthage to send troops as soon as possible with a threatening tone!
At this time, Potitus, sitting on the ivory chair at the front of the venue, said unhurriedly, "Camillus, you are Rome's greatest general, and you have fought with the Dionians many times this time. According to your past habits, I believe you have carefully considered how to fight Dionia next. Can you tell us about it?"
As soon as Potitus finished speaking, all the senators looked at Camillus and pricked up their ears. Although some envied Camillus's reputation, no one could deny Camillus's military talent. He not only won repeatedly and saved Rome several times, but also the military reforms he presided over made it easier for other Roman generals to command the army, and also brought more victories. Therefore, Camillus was Rome's greatest reliance, and everyone would involuntarily think of him when a crisis came.
Camillus did not decline. Out of concern for Rome, he had long wanted to discuss with the Senate's high-level officials how to deal with the upcoming crisis. At this moment, he thought carefully for a while, then faced the senators, first thanked them for forgiving his failure in the battle, and then he solemnly said, "First of all, everyone must deeply realize that Dionia is the strongest and most dangerous enemy we have faced so far.
The Daonian army is obviously a terrible army that has undergone strict military training and has a strong military discipline. Otherwise, we cannot explain why their soldiers dared to arrange their formations calmly and fight our soldiers after marching dozens of miles in a hurry and facing troops led by me that outnumbered them. Moreover, they were able to hold out for so long. This is by no means comparable to those forces we have defeated before, such as Etruria, Volsci... Although their soldiers are brave, they lack strict discipline and complex tactics, and are completely scattered in battle.
Secondly, the morale of the Daonian soldiers is very strong. In this battle, they had fewer soldiers than I led, and they consumed more physical strength than my soldiers, but they were still able to fight for so long. Even if there were several times when they almost broke through their formation, they did not panic and behaved quite calmly.
Perhaps you will say, 'The troops sent by Daonia this time are probably the elite of their army.' But even if the fighting power of other Daonian troops is only half of that of this army, it is quite terrifying. Because after I came back, I specifically inquired from the Carthaginian envoy that the Kingdom of Daonia has a vast territory and a large population. It is said that their existing army exceeds 100,000 people. In addition, they also have a powerful fleet. These are far from what we Romans can independently resist.
Therefore, our first priority now is to focus on defense. All allied states and colonial cities on the coast must strengthen the defense of their cities, strengthen patrols and reconnaissance, and prevent Daonians from launching surprise attacks from the sea. At the same time, our Roman citizens must be ready to be conscripted at any time, and can reinforce at any time once the enemy is discovered.
In addition, I also suggest that the previous resolution on 'allocating the Volsci-occupied land to landless civilians' be implemented immediately, so that they can quickly enter the cities of Velitrae, Antium, and Satricum and become our new source of troops, replacing the original troops stationed there. Of course, given their financial resources, we must also equip them with weapons and equipment, so we must also ask the Carthaginians to continue to provide us with funding in this regard.
In addition, for the 'Law on Absorbing Latin Refugees as Roman Citizens' passed by the Senate a few years ago, I hope to expand the scope of absorbing refugees, such as Etruscans, Sabines..., and speed up the progress of absorption, so that we can have more soldiers to fight against Daonia..."
Speaking of this, Camillus hesitated, and some words were not said in the end. He originally wanted to propose "allowing Roman civilians to rent Roman public land, and even allocate part of the public land to landless civilians and newly joined citizens to increase their loyalty...", but when he thought that these lands were still controlled by Roman nobles, this proposal would undoubtedly offend their interests, not only would it cause their strong opposition, but it would also make himself suspected and ostracized, and even suffer the tragic experience of Marcus in those years... The elderly Camillus chose to give up.
However, he had other options. He continued: "We must also strengthen military training for citizens,
enhance their ability to resist Daonian soldiers, and have some understanding of some special tactics of the Daonian army so that they can respond in a timely manner. According to my observation, Daonia may be affected by the drought, so the army they sent to the Latin region is not very large. Now it should be enough for us to take defensive measures to deal with their attacks.
However, since we have already antagonized Daonia, and it is an ally of the Volsci, as time goes on, once Daonia has a sufficient supply of food for its army, its attack on us is likely to increase. Therefore, we cannot take a wait-and-see attitude, sit idly by while Carthage and Daonia are at war, and hope that Carthage can defeat Daonia, and hope that their fleet can protect our coast. But what if Carthage fails?! Then we will bear the brunt of the Daonians' anger!"
Camillus's words shocked the senators.
Camillus looked around at them and said loudly with a serious expression: "Therefore, we cannot just defend, we must also attack! We must put pressure on the Daonians so that they cannot easily concentrate their main forces to fight the Carthaginians! We must contribute our strength to the allied Carthaginians to defeat Daonia!"
Camillus's words made the senators thoughtful.
Paulus couldn't help but say: "Camillus, you just said that you want to attack. Your previous battles have shown that attacking the Volsci is more dangerous for us. The Daonian fleet can launch a surprise attack on the rear of our army at any time and cut off our food transportation..."
"Attacking the Volsci is indeed risky, but what about attacking the Hernici?" Camillus's words surprised Paulus and also opened up his mind: When the Volscian coalition attacked the territory of Rome's allies, it wasn't just the Volsci that Camillus led his army to defeat, but also the Aequi and the Hernici. Rome ultimately chose to retaliate against the Volsci because the Volsci had caused more trouble to Rome in the past, and it possessed the most land and the most fertile land. Although the Hernici were weaker and mostly lived in hilly areas, they were also a race that frequently caused trouble for Rome…
As Paulus was thinking, Camillus continued, "While defending against possible attacks by the Volsci and Daunians in the southwest, we must not sit idly by while the Daunians and Carthaginians are at war, but should send troops to attack the Hernici in the northeast.
The strength of the Hernici has been severely weakened by us in previous wars. Eliminating them will not only reduce an enemy for Rome, but also allow the occupied land to be distributed to landless Roman citizens.
In addition, some Volscian towns adjacent to the Hernici will also be the focus of our attack. If the Daunians, as allies of the Volsci, come to their aid, we can confidently fight them in that inland area far from the coast."
"But that area is mainly hills and mountains, which is not conducive to our heavy infantry combat!" Furius reminded.
Camillus immediately responded: "But it is equally unfavorable for the Daunian soldiers to fight, and even more unfavorable for their powerful cavalry to fight. There, we are more familiar with the terrain, and we also have the support of our Latin allies. We have nothing to worry about. We can contain the Daunians there, and even force them to send more reinforcements… Once Carthage wins the naval battle, we can send troops again, attacking Volscian territory from the southwestern plains, and finally surround the Daunians!…"
The senators nodded in agreement, but some also expressed concern: "The Volscian towns on the edge of the Hernici region are close to the Samnites. I heard that the Samnites are allies with the Daunians, what if—"
"You don't need to worry!" Paulus said loudly: "The Carthaginian envoy once mentioned that the Samnites have long been dissatisfied with the Daunians, and they are likely to take action against the Daunians in this war between Carthage and Daonia…"
"The Carthaginians also said that they would launch an attack on Daonia immediately. We shouldn't trust their words too much!" another senator complained.
But in any case, Camillus's analysis sparked a heated debate among the senators, and also gave them the determination to continue fighting the Daunian kingdom.
At this time, Postumius, leaning on his crutch, stood up. As a senator who had been in Roman politics for decades and served as consul and military tribune more than ten times, his prestige was enough to make others consciously stop discussing or lower their voices before he even started speaking.
"Esteemed elders and newcomers, this war with Daonia is like the war with the Celts back then, and it concerns the life and death of our Rome. All Roman citizens must work together to face this severe test that Jupiter has given us once again! Any disputes, doubts, or infighting will only waste our energy and time, undermine unity, and prevent us from taking correct actions in a timely manner! Therefore, I propose that in this time of crisis, the Senate elect a dictator to lead the Roman citizens and win the war against Daonia!"
As soon as Postumius finished speaking, the venue fell silent for a moment.
Then, Paulus was the first to speak: "I agree with Postumius's opinion. Let's elect a dictator to fully deal with the war with Daonia!"
Afterward, Furius also expressed his support loudly: "As a military tribune who has fought against the Daunians, I deeply know the power of the Daunians. We need a dictator to eliminate the conflicts among the people, unify everyone's understanding, and fully invest in this difficult war, so that we may win the final victory!"
The selfless speeches of the two military tribunes were supported by most of the senators present. You must know that once a dictator is elected, the military tribune will be automatically dismissed.
Just as the senators were expressing their agreement one by one, Camillus also expressed his support, but he said: "I hope that I will not be among the candidates for dictator this time, because this war with the Daunian kingdom will probably be a difficult and long war. I am already old and do not have enough energy to bear this responsibility, but I am willing to provide my advice to the new dictator to help him defeat the Daunians."
"Are you older than me! But if the Daunians attack the city of Rome, I will also take up arms and join the battle! Don't shirk your responsibility!" Postumius pointed at him with his crutch and reprimanded him sternly. When Postumius first served as consul and led the army to battle, Camillus was just an ordinary centurion. It was because of his bravery in battle that he was appreciated by Postumius and gradually entered the center of Roman power.
"Serving as a dictator at this time is not an honor, but a responsibility! A great responsibility! Because the life and death of Rome is in the hands of the dictator!" Postumius said earnestly. These words were not only for Camillus, but also for other senators who had this in mind: "As a hero who has faced strong enemies many times and saved Rome, you should not shirk this responsibility, because only you can lead the Roman citizens to win this victory!"
Portitus's words filled Camillus with shame.
Just then, another highly respected senator, Ambutius, raised his right fist and shouted, "I choose Camillus as dictator!"
Pantius also spoke immediately: "I also support Camillus as dictator!"
Paulus followed closely behind: "Camillus is my choice!"
… …
As the shouts of Camillus's name echoed through the hall, Marrucinensis, who had always disagreed with Portitus, remained silent.
Under Quintus's envious gaze, Camillus clenched his fists… …
In December of the 13th year of the Kingdom of Daonia (380 BC), the senators reached a consensus: to elect a dictator to lead Rome in the war against the Kingdom of Daonia.
At the Centuriate Assembly held in the Field of Mars, Camillus, favored by the senators, was once again elected dictator to fully deal with the war with Daonia.
In the following period, the northern battlefield became silent.
After the Volsci learned that Antium and Satricum were heavily garrisoned, considering their own insufficient forces, and with Amyntas's advice, they temporarily stopped their plan to retake the towns occupied by the Romans.
They had their soldiers train with the Daonian First Legion to strengthen cooperation in future battles, and began to contact more tribal forces dissatisfied with the Romans, such as the Hernici, Marsi, Aequi, and even the Sabines… … to resist Rome.
… … … … … … … … … … … … … …
"With 50,000 Roman troops pressing the border, the weak Volsci, with the help of the Daonians, actually repelled the Romans!" This news quickly spread throughout central Italy, indeed stirring up some ambitions.
So, Tapirus, staying in Sersia, began to get busy.
The news that "the Romans were defeated by the Daonian-Volscian alliance" also reached the neighboring Samnite mountains.
The high-level officials of the Cautini, who were originally dissatisfied with Daonia's delay in returning the prisoners and were preparing to send envoys to Thurii to protest, immediately ceased their activities and quietly observed the situation.
At the same time, the news, along with the Roman's question to the Carthaginian envoys: "If the Carthaginians do not send troops to attack Daonia, Rome will have to sign a truce agreement with Daonia!"
Reached Carthage and the Iberian Peninsula,
When it reached Mago's ears, he immediately realized that he had to change his strategy and could no longer stall with Hanno on the issue of sending troops or not.
Otherwise, once the Romans and Daonians signed a truce, and the Carthaginians independently attacked Daonia, they would encounter great difficulties.
Even with his understanding of those conservative guys in the Senate, they might abandon the declaration of war against Daonia and re-sign a peace agreement with it.
Therefore, he immediately convened a meeting of family members, and after reaching a consensus, quickly sent a messenger to the Carthaginian Senate, asking Pretakuba to state at the meeting that the Iberian colony was willing to send 20,000 troops to obey the commander designated by the Senate.
Mago's softening made Hanno, who had regained control, feel satisfied, but he also knew that the current situation did not allow him to delay any longer.
So the Senate quickly made a resolution to "send a large army to Sicily and attack Daonian territory."
The Carthaginian army commander appointed by the Senate was Monte Adorno, a member of Hanno's faction.
Over the years, he had been implementing Hanno's political philosophy of "developing inland," and had led his troops to defeat various Numidian tribes many times, making a great contribution to Carthage's conquest of the Numidian region.
Therefore, Hanno was relatively relieved to have this senator, who was also considered to have made great achievements in battle, serve as the commander of the expedition to Sicily.
So, the entire city of Carthage, its allies, and the Numidian region under its control all took action, starting to recruit soldiers, gather warships, and prepare supplies… …
… … … … … … … … … … … … … …
At this time, the riots that had lasted for dozens of days in the free city of Rhegium in the Kingdom of Daonia had subsided, and the citizens of the entire city were holding an important citizens' assembly.
The assembly had only one theme: to vote on whether to completely incorporate Rhegium into the Kingdom of Daonia.
The result was obvious: the vast majority of people who were starving voted in favor, the merchants who hoped that their family's trade could take a step further voted in favor, and the citizens who had greater political ambitions voted in favor… …
Although some people strongly opposed it, the citizens' assembly passed this important proposal concerning the future development of Rhegium by a majority vote in favor.
When Rhegium's messenger brought this important news to Thurii, Davos was prepared.
He immediately wrote a passionate letter, praising the people of Rhegium for making the most correct decision, and solemnly promised that after Rhegium truly became a part of the kingdom, it would continue to maintain its trade prosperity, and its people would have more rights and better care… …
At the same time, at his suggestion, the Senate quickly appointed Protesilaus as the governor of Rhegium, and sent him south with the simultaneously appointed Rhegium judge, tax official, census official… … and other main city officials on a fleet, which also carried a lot of grain transferred from the granary.
While passing through the port of Locri, the Seventh Legion, having been notified in advance, dispatched a cohort of soldiers to board the fleet.
The fleet eventually reached the port of Rhegium, where Alcibiades and Phidias led a large crowd to greet them.
Protesilaus read out King Davos's decree of appointment for himself, and none of the assembled populace voiced any strong opposition. On the contrary, they looked pleased upon seeing the large quantities of grain being escorted ashore by the soldiers.
Protesilaus also announced another appointment, jointly signed by King Davos and the Senate, nominating Alcibiades and Phidias as Senators of the Kingdom of Daonia.
The people of Rhegium cheered.
However, these two newly appointed Senators could not immediately depart for Thurii. Instead, they were to remain temporarily to assist Protesilaus in taking over the affairs of the entire city-state.
With their full assistance, the presence of a thousand soldiers from the Seventh Legion maintaining order, and the political skills Protesilaus had honed over more than a decade of administrative experience, the process of taking over Rhegium proceeded relatively smoothly.
Several days later, Alcibiades and Phidias received an invitation from the Senate, requesting them to attend this year's Daonian National Assembly in Thurii.
At the same time, the wounded and the remains of the dead from the First Legion were being transported back to Thurii.
It was now the time for the Daonian Kingdom's Assembly of Senators and Assembly of Tribunes to convene, coinciding with the annual Kingdom Football Finals. On January 1st of the 14th year of the Kingdom (379 BC), according to the traditions established since the founding of the Kingdom, on the first day of the new year, the King, the Senators, representatives of the local councils from across the Kingdom, and representatives of the Tribunes gathered before the Temple of Hades on the Sacred Hill.
King Davos, as High Priest, loudly recited the obituary commemorating the heroic spirits.
To the accompaniment of solemn music, the palace guards, with measured steps, carried into the Hall of Heroes the stone tablets engraved with the names of the soldiers who had died in Volsi and Campania. From then on, they would receive the protection of the Lord of the Underworld and the reverence of the people, and their heroic spirits would guard the land they had defended with their lives.
Because of this, although the relatives of the deceased who came to pay their respects were grief-stricken, few wept aloud. Instead, their eyes held pride and anticipation.
The next day, the same representatives of the Senate and the Tribunes sat in the VIP seats of the main stadium of Daonia, watching the lively opening ceremony of the Kingdom Football Finals, followed by the first match.
For those councilors from the Daunian region who were visiting Thurii for the first time, the boisterous scene of more than 50,000 spectators cheering in unison shocked their spirits, and the exciting match also captured their attention...
On the third day, the Assembly of Senators convened.
The venue was the Senate's Grand Hall, and this hall, capable of accommodating over a thousand people, was finally able to fulfill its purpose, being filled to capacity. To ensure that all attendees could hear clearly, more than a dozen voice amplifiers were arranged around the podium in the center of the hall.
Of course, according to past practice, shortly after the assembly began, all the senators applauded to welcome Rhegium's accession to the Kingdom.
Next, the attention of the attendees was focused on two issues—drought and war. Therefore, after the Minister of Agriculture, Bulkos, finished reporting on the Kingdom's disaster relief efforts last year and some new measures to be taken in agriculture this year, the senators spoke enthusiastically.
Among them, the words of a Messapian senator from Udia represented the sentiments of many people. This old man had also experienced the great drought in southern Italy more than 20 years ago. Because the Messapians, unlike the Greeks, did not have prosperous maritime trade and could not buy grain everywhere, nor could they colonize, he personally witnessed many Messapians starve to death before his eyes. As for this drought, which was no less severe than the one more than 20 years ago, he had not heard of a single Messapian starving to death so far. Therefore, he excitedly praised the Kingdom's disaster relief achievements, which resonated with many people.
Of course, some people also expressed concerns: "Although the drought has ended, the domestic grain supply is becoming increasingly tight. Moreover, now that the war has broken out, can the domestic grain supply last until this year's autumn harvest?"
Sitting on the throne, Davos announced loudly, "Everyone, there's absolutely no need to worry about the food issue, because Daonia has formed an alliance with Egypt. Pharaoh Nectanebo of Egypt has promised to provide Daonia with a large amount of wheat free of charge until the autumn harvest. The first batch of nearly 100,000 tons of grain is already on its way from Egypt by fleet."
The councilors cheered in unison upon hearing this news, their faces filled with joy. Some even shouted excitedly, "Long live the kingdom! Long live King Davos!" Because they knew that this natural disaster no longer posed any threat to the people of every town in the Kingdom of Daonia.
In such a festive atmosphere, Minister of Military Affairs Hilox began to talk about the kingdom's military situation and daily military work last year. He focused on reporting on the formation and training of the 11th Legion, as well as the construction of the military camp, for which he expressed his gratitude for the active cooperation of various towns in the Dauni region.
Next, he talked about the reasons for the two wars that took place last year: from the Cautini people's repeated violations of the alliance treaty and invasion of Daonia's ally, the Campania League, to the Campania envoy coming to Thurii for assistance, and the Daonian envoy going to Cautium to dissuade them from war but being rejected. In the end, the kingdom had no choice but to send the Third Legion to crush the Cautini's attempt to invade the Campania League…
Then, he talked about: Carthage's long-term support and assistance to Rome, the sinister intentions contained in this move, and Rome's large-scale attack on the Volsci. Under the Volsci's request for assistance, why Daonia formed an alliance with it and sent troops to support it, and also briefly described the entire Volsci battle…
The focus of Hilox's speech was at the end. He loudly reminded everyone in the venue: "Because Carthage has taken the initiative to tear up the friendly agreement with Daonia and declared that as long as Daonia goes to war with Rome, it will declare war on Daonia. According to intelligence, Carthage is actively preparing for war, so a war with Carthage this year is inevitable!"
After Hilox finished speaking, the venue was still relatively calm. After all, most of these town councilors were well-informed, paying close attention to the major events happening in Thurii. Moreover, after they arrived in Thurii, they would generally visit the senators from their respective towns to obtain some information about this conference in advance. Therefore, they had no accusations about Daonia's participation in these two wars and the possible war with Carthage. On the contrary, they were more concerned about the impact this upcoming war would have on their respective towns.
For example, the councilors from Aenona and Copsa were worried that once the upcoming war broke the peace between Daonia and the surrounding forces, the Samnites, who had already broken face with Daonia, would take the opportunity to launch an attack on the entire western Campania region. Although the Third Legion had already gone to garrison the Campania League, they still hoped that the Ministry of Military Affairs could continue to strengthen the defense forces in this area.
The councilors from the Dauni region had the same idea. They believed that compared to the heavily defended northwestern border of Daonia, the Dauni region, which had just been incorporated into Daonia not long ago, had weak military strength and might become the focus of the Samnites' attack. The Ministry of Military Affairs must pay attention to it.
The councilors from Sicily were more direct, because at this time Daonia's territory in Sicily had already begun war mobilization. They believed that if the Carthaginian army attacked, relying solely on the Sicilian army would not be enough to resist, and they hoped to send more legions to Sicily.
The councilors from Hera and Herbita brought some proposals from the Sicel tribes: they hoped to join the Kingdom of Daonia and win fertile land through military exploits in the upcoming war.
Of course, more town councilors called for the mobilization of the legions to be delayed for a period of time to ensure the smooth progress of spring plowing.
… …
Of course, King Davos and his ministers in the center of the venue did not have to immediately respond to the councilors' active questions and suggestions. The scribes in the venue would record their proposals. These would be the topics for senators and councilors to discuss together in the next few days, find solutions, form final proposals, and after obtaining a majority vote at the conference and being signed by King Davos, they would finally form new laws and be implemented in the kingdom.
The newly promoted senators Alcibiades and Phidias participated in the Kingdom Council for the first time. Because Regium had just been incorporated into the Kingdom of Daonia, its city councilors and tribunes had not yet been elected, let alone electing representatives to participate in this conference, so the two of them were completely unfamiliar with the conference process and had not made any preparations at all.
The two of them also witnessed the opening of the conference, the kingdom's ministers talking about the work of various departments over the year, the councilors' questions, as well as the councilors' fierce debates and compromises with each other in the following days, and the various proposals that were finally reached… All of this opened their eyes, especially Phidias, who couldn't help but exclaim: "The Daonians have created a great political system that not only facilitates the centralized management of vast territories, but also can satisfy the democratic expression of demands from various towns as much as possible. How can such a country not become prosperous and strong!"
Alcibiades couldn't help but say: "It is said that this system was initiated and formulated by my brother-in-law!"
"It is the luck of the Kingdom of Daonia to have a wise and magical king!" Phidias's repeated praise made Alcibiades, as a relative, feel proud. He said excitedly: "Fortunately, we have also become Daonians!"
Phidias said solemnly: "This is the most correct thing we Regium people have done in the past ten years!"
On the second day of the conference, while the councilors were engaged in fierce discussions, Davos came to the city council hall of Thurii. Compared to other cities, Thurii has the largest population and the most councilors, so the council hall is naturally the largest, able to accommodate four or five hundred people, and the annual Kingdom Tribune Conference is held here.
Davos delivered the opening speech, sincerely thanking the tribunes for their contributions to maintaining the safety, stability, and fairness of the entire kingdom in the past year.
Then, Chief Inspector Sestas briefly summarized the overall situation of the tribunes' exposure of illegal and disorderly events in various cities and the protection of the people's interests in the past year, and then focused on talking about some bribery cases they solved in cooperation with the Inspectorate, and finally commended ten outstanding tribunes by name and their outstanding deeds in the past year.
These ten tribunes from various towns in the kingdom, who had been notified in advance, walked to the center of the venue, and Davos personally pinned medals on their Bolton.
This is a small buckle made of silver, carved into the shape of an exquisite snake-headed whip, the idea comes from the tribunes' nickname, they are called by the people as "the Whip of the Kingdom", which means to supervise and whip those lawless people. This is the highest honor awarded to the tribunes, so they all excitedly accepted King Davos's congratulations as they walked onto the stage.
Unlike the Council, the Tribune Conference is dominated by the tribunes. The next time is for them to go on stage one by one to talk about the situation, problems, and suggestions in their respective cities. Most of them come from townships and are more accustomed to discovering and viewing problems from the perspective of the people. This is of great benefit to Davos and the ministers, as well as the Senate, to more comprehensively understand the situation at the grassroots level of the kingdom. Therefore, the scribes carefully recorded the speeches of each tribune, and some of their useful suggestions will be summarized and sent to the Senate for discussion.
At the end of this day's meeting, Davos once again thanked the tribunes for their contributions to the kingdom, and reminded them: In this new year, the kingdom is very likely to break out into a major war! During the war, ensuring the stability of the kingdom is very important!
He hoped that the tribunes could assist the local officials in managing the local areas, be vigilant against suspicious strangers, and prevent the occurrence of riots. At the same time, they should also help the families of those citizens who are serving in the army and protect their interests… Whether Daonia can unite and defeat the enemy depends on their efforts!
Davos's words made the tribunes' blood boil, and they all made promises to the king, and they would also bring this promise back to their colleagues in their respective cities.
… … … … … … … … … … … … … … …
Just as Davos was using these two major conferences held in the new year to unify the understanding of the people in various cities of the kingdom, prepare, and fully cope with the upcoming war, in the mansion of Patrocles on the south bank of the Crati River, Cynthia was receiving Adoris, who had come to visit her. She asked the chef to make good dishes and prepared good wine to entertain her younger brother.
"Sister, don't you really want to eat a little? This fish tastes good!" Adoris asked casually while eating the dishes.
Cynthia touched her abdomen and shook her head, saying: "Now when I see fish and meat, I just want to vomit. Mother Christoia specially sent a chef to make dishes suitable for pregnant women."
"Mother is really good to you!" Adoris said with emotion.
"Aren't your parents good to you!" Cynthia asked rhetorically.
Adoris was speechless for a moment and quickly buried his head in eating.
Cynthia looked at her and suddenly asked: "Usually you are busy training in the military camp, and you rarely even go home. Why do you have time to come here today? Is there something wrong?"
Cynthia's sudden question startled Adoris. He was obviously not prepared and stammered: "No… there's nothing wrong. I just heard… I heard you were pregnant, so I came to see you."
Cynthia immediately put on a stern face and showed the majesty of her elder sister: "I am your sister, and I don't know what you are thinking! Stop dawdling and tell me what's wrong!"
Besides Davos, Adoris feared Cynthia the most since childhood. Seeing Cynthia's displeased expression, he didn't dare to nag any further. He took a large gulp of wine and then said, "Sis... I want you to plead with Mother to help me talk to Father, to get my army affiliation changed to the First Legion!"
"You want to go to Volsci?!" After hearing Adoris's words, Cynthia immediately understood his intention. These days, while the military department was treating the wounded soldiers of the First Legion, handling the remains of the dead, and comforting the families, they were also selecting reserve soldiers to send to Volsci to replenish the First Legion's troop shortage. Because Patroclus served in the First Legion, Cynthia was naturally aware of this.
"Isn't the First Legion the only army in the kingdom currently engaged in battle? And they are in dire need of soldiers. I have nothing to do in Thurii anyway, so I can help your husband, Patroclus," Adoris said, seemingly casually.
"Your brother-in-law doesn't need your help!" Cynthia said bluntly. How could she not know that Adoris's relationship with her husband was only so-so, and that these words were just an excuse? Moreover, the First Legion suffered heavy casualties in the northern war this time, and even some mid- and high-level officers were killed in battle. Cynthia was frightened when she heard the news and prayed for Patroclus every day, even hating that she didn't have Hades' bloodline and couldn't provide more protection for her husband. However, Cynthia didn't ask her father to transfer Patroclus back to Thurii because she knew that as the king's son-in-law, Patroclus's every move was under scrutiny, and her father would not agree to her request.
Therefore, while Cynthia was worried about Patroclus, her own younger brother wanted to take the initiative to go to that dangerous place, Volsci. How could she not feel a little angry? She admonished him, "Adoris, you should learn from Croto, stay safely in Thurii, and don't worry your parents!"
"I can't compare to little Croto. He can be busy in the military department, but I'm already 21 years old and can only wander around Thurii every day," Adonis complained.
"That's because Father arranged several positions in the military department for you, but you didn't want to go!" Cynthia scolded him, frustrated.
"You know that I get a headache as soon as I see words and numbers. It wasn't easy for me to graduate from school. What I'm best at is fighting! I can only use this to earn honor for myself and let those who always look at me with strange eyes know that I, Adoris, am not someone who only relies on my father's prestige to live an ordinary life!" Adoris said loudly and excitedly.
Cynthia heard the frustration in his words. She really hadn't expected her impulsive and reckless younger brother to have such thoughts. For a moment, she was silent.
After a moment, she looked at Adoris with more affection in her eyes and asked softly, "Is this why you went to the household registration department not long ago and changed your name to Marcellus Adoris?"
"Our biological father's name must be inherited by someone (referring to Adoris and Cynthia's biological father, Marcellus, the former Archon of Amendolara), and Father knows about it. Mother said he didn't object," Adonis explained, "I use this name to at least reduce some unnecessary attention in the army."
"I hope you won't regret it in the future," Cynthia sighed. Indeed, any general or officer who saw the name Davos Adoris on the roster would probably be shocked, because only one family in the kingdom had this surname, which would naturally make them pay extra attention to Adoris.
Cynthia stared at Adoris's still slightly immature face: abandoning this great surname required great courage, which showed that Adoris had indeed made a great determination!
Thinking of this, Cynthia said softly, "I will go to Mother to help you persuade her. But I suggest you have a good talk with Father and let him understand your true thoughts. In any case, Father has always loved us and is worried about our safety. As long as he understands your true thoughts, I think he will arrange something better for you."
Adoris was silent. Since childhood, he had been afraid of seeing Davos, perhaps because he always had his real father in his heart and had not truly regarded Davos as his father, so he always felt guilty whenever he saw Davos.
Seeing him hesitate, Cynthia reminded him, "Actually, you don't need to change your affiliated legions so frequently. Alas, I heard that a war with Carthage is about to break out, and I believe your Second Legion will soon be sent to the front lines."
Adoris's heart stirred, but he said, "Who knows how long the cowardly Carthaginians will wait before they act."
The two chatted for a while, and Cynthia's personal maid appeared at the door of the living room. Seeing her slightly flustered expression, Cynthia asked, "What's the matter?"
The maid hurried to Cynthia's side and whispered a few words.
After listening, Cynthia sighed, "Adoris, news has come from within Thurii that the Carthaginians have sent a large army to land in Sicily."
… … … … … … … … … … … … … … …
On January 1st of the 14th year of the Daonian Kingdom (379 BC), the sea area from the western end of Sicily to Carthage was bustling with activity.
More than 300 warships were divided into two teams, arranged in formations on the near seas on both sides of the western end of Sicily, to prevent a surprise attack by the Daonian fleet. The sea between these two fleets was filled with tens of thousands of ships, which shuttled back and forth between Carthage and Lilybaeum from morning, tirelessly transporting soldiers, warhorses, food, supplies... …
Since its construction, Lilybaeum had never been as lively and busy as it was today. Multiple ports were filled with ships, the docks were full of landing soldiers and unloaded goods, the roads were congested, and the noise was deafening. Fortunately, Lilybaeum was different from the former Motya. From the beginning, it existed as a Carthaginian military stronghold in Sicily, so its ports and roads were built according to military standards, and even its administrative officials had always been military generals, not administrative officials.
In the semi-militarized city of Lilybaeum, almost all the people of the city began to act under the order of the city lord, and worked in an orderly manner for the landing of the Carthaginian army. With their efforts, problems were solved one by one, and the entire landing process gradually became smooth... …
The troops after landing were quickly taken to the military camp outside Lilybaeum. This was built by Mago when he was the supreme military commander in Sicily, and Lilybaeum had recently renovated it.
At this time, Monte Adrano, the supreme commander of the Carthaginian army, and Hanno's son-in-law, Milerfio, were in the city lord's residence in Lilybaeum, listening to the Lilybaeum city lord, Sermimre, report on the progress of the army's landing, while tasting fine wine and food.
"Lord Sermimre," Milerfio suddenly interrupted his report and asked, "Have they not arrived yet?"
After Mago was replaced from Sicily, Hanno quickly replaced several important Carthaginian colonial cities in Sicily with his own people, and Sermimre was one of them. Of course, he knew who Milerfio was referring to as "they". He immediately replied, "We have not received any news of their arrival yet."
"General, could they have broken their promise and not come?!" Milerfio reminded.
"Don't worry, Mago is still relatively trustworthy. Since he said he would send troops, he generally won't break his word. If they don't come, Lord Hanno will take care of it, so we don't need to worry," Monte Adrano said indifferently, instead focusing his attention on the wine glass in his hand: "This wine has a mellow taste and is very smooth. Where is it from?"
"...This is Thurii's wine," Sermimre replied somewhat awkwardly. He thought Monte Adrano would be dissatisfied, but the 50-year-old commander looked surprised: "The Thurii wine I drank before was not as good as this time. Could it be that they have made improvements in the winemaking process?!"
While speaking, he raised his glass again, took a sip, and after careful tasting, he sighed: "It is indeed quite different from the past! What a pity! Now that we are at war with Daonia, I guess we won't be able to drink such good wine!"
Sermimre immediately said, "General, since you love to drink this wine so much, I have many jars there. I'll have my servants send them to the military camp later."
Monte Adrano did not decline and repeatedly expressed his gratitude.
Milerfio, who was on the side, said half-jokingly and half-seriously, "General, when we defeat Daonia, you can directly order the Daonians to send you these wines. Wouldn't that be more convenient!"
Monte Adrano stroked his long beard and laughed: "That's a good idea! However, I heard that King Davos of Daonia has a strong temper. If we want him to obediently send the wine, we must thoroughly hurt Daonia. Daonia is a powerful kingdom, and this will be a long war. We don't need to be too anxious!"
… … … … … … … … … … … … … … …
While Monte Adrano was savoring the wine, "they" mentioned by Milerfio were riding on a warship, leading a large fleet, sailing mightily towards the northeast coast of Sicily.
"Hasdrubal, I heard that the commander of the Carthaginian army this time is Monte Adrano. Are you familiar with him?" Kisco asked.
"Just a dog of Hanno," Hasdrubal curled his lips in disdain: "He only knows how to randomly criticize our Magonid family in the Senate, thereby pleasing Hanno. That's why he was able to become the commander of the army."