Just then, Hegesias heard the urgent horns blaring from below the city walls, and his heart tightened: Were the Samnites intensifying their attack?!
But just as he was reminding the soldiers on the city walls to be ready for defense and to prepare for the enemy's next attack, he saw the Samnites below the city begin to slowly retreat amidst dissatisfied shouts…
The Samnites, after all, had suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of Daonia before, and in this renewed conflict with the Daonians, the tribal chieftains were all wary. When Badani was attacking the city, he still sent scouts towards the southeast and northeast. At this moment, he had just received an urgent report from the scouts: "In the southeast direction, there are many Daonian cavalrymen rapidly marching towards Asculum, and their vanguard is not far from here!"
"The Daonian reinforcements have arrived so quickly!" It had only been a little over three days since the Samnites declared war and launched their surprise attack. Based on Badani's past experience with the Greeks in battle, he thought that Thurii, the central town of Daonia, would have only just received the news, and might still be debating the war in the Senate, or perhaps be rushing to mobilize its citizens to participate in the war, which would probably take several more days. Therefore, he felt that he should have ample time to capture Asculum, but he never expected the situation to suddenly take a turn for the worse, leaving him somewhat at a loss. This was because, at this moment, besides the hundred or so guards around him, all the other warriors had been thrown into the siege warfare, attempting to capture the city in one fell swoop.
"Fortunately, it's only cavalry. Great Chieftain, quickly withdraw some of the warriors attacking the city and organize a defense!" the tribal leader beside him reminded.
"Withdraw? How can we withdraw?!" Badani looked at the warriors in front, crowded and fighting bravely under the city, and in his anxiety, he remembered his father's warning to him before his death. He hesitated for a moment, and finally said: "I'm afraid the Daonians who are coming are not just cavalry… We must retreat! Retreat immediately!!"
Seeing Badani's firm attitude, the chieftains, even if they were unwilling in their hearts, knew that even if victory was in sight, they could no longer attack the city. Otherwise, if the Daonian reinforcements really came, their army would be attacked from both sides and would inevitably suffer a crushing defeat.
The retreat horn sounded, and the siege army began to retreat…
Seeing several Samnite warriors jump directly from the city walls, the chieftains sighed with heartache.
"Woo! Woo!…" A loud military horn sounded from the south, and Badani shuddered immediately.
Soon, the ground began to tremble, like a giant drum being beaten by countless wooden hammers, emitting a "rumbling" sound, accompanied by dust and mist filling the sky.
"The Daonian cavalry is here!" a Pentri chieftain beside Badani exclaimed.
Only to see countless cavalrymen in black helmets and black armor galloping out of the dust and mist, with a large flag held high. The flag fluttered in the wind,
with a Pegasus pattern on it and a large Greek numeral "Four" embroidered below.
"Lord, reinforcements are here! Our reinforcements are here!!…" On the city walls, the citizens cheered.
Hegesias finally breathed a sigh of relief…
The Fourth Cavalry Legion did not directly charge into the middle of the retreating Samnite army, but instead detoured to the south city wall, quickly spread out its formation, and began to attack the rear of the retreating Samnite army. Taking advantage of the Samnites' preoccupation with retreat and lack of effective organization, and their panic at the Daonian cavalry's surprise attack, which prevented them from launching a collective counterattack for a time, they boldly approached within ten meters on horseback, ignoring the danger of being attacked by the opponent's javelins, and then invested short javelins, almost hitting the mark every time, causing a large number of casualties and causing chaos.
Taking advantage of the enemy's confusion, the cavalrymen drove their horses to ram into them, finally leading to the Samnites' defeat.
Then, with great experience, they drove these routed soldiers to charge into the Samnites who were further ahead.
As panic spread rapidly through the ranks, even the bravest Samnite warriors could not help but follow their surrounding comrades in flight.
The routed army was like snow rolling down a mountain, growing larger and larger, and even the troops sent by Badani to intercept the Daonian cavalry were swept into the fleeing crowd.
Badani finally gave up his efforts, leading his personal guards to flee first, guiding the direction of the routed soldiers behind him.
The Fourth Cavalry Legion's pursuit of the routed Samnite soldiers did not last long, not because the cavalrymen did not want to achieve greater results, but because the city of Asculum was located on the south bank of the upper reaches of the Carapelle River, at the foot of the mountains, less than six or seven miles away from the vast mountains. Moreover, the terrain along the way was uneven, and the routed Samnite army quickly fled into the towering mountains. Even if the Daonian cavalrymen were brave, they could not ride their warhorses and chase the enemy in the mountains, and could only return in disappointment.
This short rescue battle ended here. The Samnites suffered more than 2,000 casualties in the previous siege and the subsequent surprise attack by the Daonian Fourth Cavalry Legion, while the Fourth Cavalry Legion suffered only a little over 100 casualties. The Daonian Eastern Theater won the first victory in rescuing the Daunian region.
It was not until evening that Alexios arrived at the city of Asculum with the Tenth Legion. After all, leading infantry on a march was different from riding a horse. The army departed from the camp of Putecheli, crossed the Ofanto River, and hurried to the Carapelle River, along the flat road along its banks, for a full day before arriving at the city of Asculum. If it were not for the cavalry legion's fast marching speed and timely arrival to rescue, otherwise, when the Tenth Legion arrived, the city would probably have changed hands.
Hegesias opened the city gates to welcome the arrival of the reinforcements and expressed his gratitude to Alexios. But that was all. The Samnite siege had caused great casualties to the people of Asculum, and Hegesias would be busy dealing with the aftermath of the war all night, and it was impossible for him to be in the mood to hold a banquet to entertain their saviors.
Alexios certainly did not care about these things. On the contrary, he ordered the soldiers of the Tenth Legion to help clean up the battlefield, burn the corpses, and even send medical teams to rescue the wounded people.
The next day, Alexios was to lead his army north. Fearing that the Samnites who had fled into the mountains would make a comeback after he left, he left a large detachment of the Tenth Legion to defend the empty city of Asculum.
What Hegesias needed to do now was to send cavalry to the east and quickly recall the large number of Asculum citizens who had failed to escape into the city in order to strengthen the town's defenses.
Alexios led his army to the besieged city of Vibinum in the afternoon. The Samnite army that had originally besieged the city had obviously learned of the arrival of the Daonian reinforcements, and had withdrawn early and retreated into the mountains.
Two days later, the reinforcements arrived at the central city of the Daunian region—Luceria. Antonios, the wartime governor of the Daunian region and the chief administrator of Luceria, Kapus, the acting commander of the Eleventh Legion, as well as the middle and high-ranking officials of Luceria, and a large number of people went out of the city to welcome them, with great fanfare.
"Thank you, Commander Alexios, for leading your troops to rescue us in time. Our Daonia can be considered saved!" Antonios said with a smile. The appointment as wartime governor and Davos' trust swept away the haze in his heart in the past. Even with the Samnite army pressing down on the border, his mood these days was still considered cheerful.
"During the war, you brought so many people out of the city. If you are attacked by the Samnites, it doesn't matter if you are captured or caught, the order of the Daunian region will fall into chaos," Alexios said half-jokingly and half-seriously.
Antonios laughed and said, "With you, a commander of great renown, the Samnites will only hide far away. You brought us a victory before you even arrived here!"
Alexios said modestly, "On this land, it is only His Majesty who is famous! You and I are just working hard to fulfill our responsibilities."
"You're right!" Antonios nodded immediately, then stepped forward and gave Alexios a strong hug: "My brother, thank you very much for your timely rescue!"
Alexios was stunned for a moment, then immediately responded to the warm embrace. Some of the small grievances between the two men in recent years disappeared completely in this embrace.
At this time, Kapus next to him saluted and joked rarely: "Commander Alexios, Eleventh Legion Commander Kapus reports to you!"
"I say, Commander Kapus, don't scare me! Legion Commander is just your part-time job. You are the chief of the Quartermaster Department of the Military Affairs Department. We all have to listen to your command, otherwise we will have to go hungry!" Alexios said, gently punching Kapus in the chest. The embarrassment of command and being commanded was dispelled in laughter.
Plaeguleus watched the three high-ranking officials of the Daonian kingdom laughing and talking without restraint and being close to each other, and he could not help but be both happy and envious.
Melisanda saw this and explained, "Antonios, Alexios, and Kapus fought side by side in the mercenary army when they were young, and they also helped His Majesty to withdraw smoothly from Persia. They have been friends for decades!"
Plaeguleus glanced at him and asked in stiff Greek, "I heard that your father was also their comrade-in-arms?"
"It's a foster father!" Melisanda corrected solemnly. He didn't want others to think that he had his current position because of his father's connections.
At this time, Alexios's hand was pointing at the two of them: "This is Plaeguleus, the commander of the Fourth Cavalry Legion."
"I don't need you to introduce him, Plaeguleus, I'm very familiar with him. I drafted the appointment for him to be the commander of the cavalry legion!" Antonios said with a smile, after all, he had served as the Minister of Military Affairs. Then, he praised loudly: "However, Laedes has always praised you, Plaeguleus, always saying 'A powerful figure has emerged from the cavalry.' I didn't quite believe it. But now it seems that he didn't lie. You led the Fourth Cavalry Legion and won the victory in the Battle of Asculum alone, repelling tens of thousands of Samnite troops. Amazing! Amazing!"
After listening to Antonios's words, Praegulas stepped forward and gave a military salute, responding loudly, "When the Fourth Cavalry Corps arrived at Asculum, the Samnites were fully engaged in attacking the city, so defeating them was relatively easy. This should be attributed to Commander Alexios, whose decisive advance towards Asculum gave us this opportunity!"
"Look, this is your good subordinate," Antonios said, turning back to smile at Alexios.
Capus also saluted Praegulas as a gesture of respect. As an important member of the Ministry of Military Affairs, he naturally knew Praegulas.
Praegulas hurriedly returned the salute respectfully.
"This one doesn't need my introduction, right?" Alexios said, pointing to Melisanda.
"Melisanda, I don't even want to see you," Antonios said with a pained expression, a surprising statement, before changing his tone: "Seeing you makes me realize that the kingdom now belongs to the young people. We're all getting old!"
"Uncle Antonios, you can't get old! Antidoris still needs you to raise him!" Melisanda immediately replied.
Antonios glared: "I'm just old, I'm not dead yet!"
Everyone laughed heartily, and the shadow of war cast by the Samnites seemed to be dispelled by their laughter.
The soldiers of the Tenth Legion and the Fourth Cavalry Corps went directly to Daonia's military camp to garrison, while Alexios, Antonios, Capus, Praegulas, and Melisanda went directly to the Lucanian city hall to hold a military conference.
"Now, what's the situation with the Eleventh Legion?" After everyone was seated, Alexios went straight to the point.
Capus didn't mind and answered seriously: "Because the Samnite invasion was very sudden, the military camp was undergoing rotation training at the time, with only more than two thousand soldiers… In recent days, legion soldiers have been constantly arriving to report, with already more than 6,000 people. Because Asculum and Vibinum were besieged, and Gruuum was occupied, some soldiers could not make it. I have replaced them with reserve soldiers from Lucania City.
Now the Eleventh Legion has six heavy infantry battalions, one light infantry battalion, and one light armor battalion, a total of 8,000 people. Its main combat force is already fully staffed. As for whether to conscript reserve soldiers from the Daonia region again, that requires you, the commander, to decide."
Alexios nodded to show he understood, and then asked, "How many troops do the invading Samnites actually have?"
"Previously, scouts roughly reconnoitered the three Samnite armies besieging Asculum, Vibinum, and Gruuum.
Their numbers are all above ten thousand, and adding some scattered tribal warriors, I estimate there are probably more than 30,000 people. However, until now, we have not discovered any warriors from the Caudini…" Antonios said.
"It seems that the victory of the Third Legion in Campania was a great loss to the Caudini tribe…" Alexios showed a gratified expression, and then he asked with concern: "What is the situation in Gruuum?"
"According to the scouts' report, the Samnites there withdrew into the mountains yesterday, but… the people in the city were all taken away by them!" Antonios said with some anger and heartache. Now these towns are under his jurisdiction, and he certainly has a responsibility to protect the lives and safety of the Daunian people.
"Withdrew?" Alexios was slightly surprised and fell into thought…
At this time, Antonios said with a solemn expression: "Yesterday, when the Samnites withdrew, they also sent an envoy, demanding to exchange the thousands of Daunian prisoners they captured for all the captured Caudini!"
"The Samnites are dreaming! We must not agree to their arrogant demands and let those Caudini go back to command and strengthen the Samnite army, continuing to plunder and kill our people!" Melisanda interjected angrily.
Antonios frowned.
"Melisanda, whether to agree to the Samnite envoy's request is not something you can decide," Alexios looked at him and said seriously: "This matter concerns the lives and freedom of thousands of Daunian people, and only His Majesty can make the final decision!"
"Yes! I'm sorry!" Melisanda lowered his head to admit his mistake. He was quick to speak just now. After Alexios reminded him, he realized that he only considered the impact on the war and did not consider the lives and safety of the captured people, while the governor of the Daonia region was sitting in front of him.
Antonios nodded to him, forgiving his momentary rashness, and then said: "I have already sent a messenger to Turii to report this matter to His Majesty, and I believe we will receive a reply in two days."
Alexios nodded. This matter was beyond his control. He looked at the map of the Daonia region placed on the wooden table in the center of the meeting room and said slowly: "Our reinforcements have just arrived, and the Samnites have begun to retreat. It seems that they are afraid of us, but I don't think they will stop their attacks on Daonia…"
"I agree with your view. The Samnites have been with us for so many years, and they should be very clear that they have broken the alliance and launched a war against us without authorization. Even if they want to make peace with us at this moment, His Majesty will never let them off lightly! However, judging from the current situation, the Samnites do not seem to want to engage in a head-on decisive battle with us," Capus also expressed his opinion.
"Now the Tenth Legion, the Eleventh Legion, and the Fourth Cavalry Corps are concentrated in the Daonia region. The Ninth Legion will also arrive in a day or two. By then, we will have a strong military force of more than 30,000 people. Even if the Samnites, including the Caudini tribe, may have more than 40,000 people, we can completely defeat them in a frontal battle, so there is no need to conscript reserve soldiers for the time being. However, the Samnite army is mostly light infantry. They move quickly and are likely to avoid us and attack the eastern part of the Daonia region, so—Antonios," Alexios pondered for a while and said: "I plan to have the reserve soldiers of each town in the Daonia region gather and be temporarily commanded by the administrative officer of that city to enhance the defense of the towns. Once attacked by the Samnites, they can hold out until our rescue arrives, so this may affect the spring planting in the Daonia region!"
"Don't worry about the spring planting. I will make appropriate arrangements," Antonios waved his hand and confidently made a commitment.
"Praegulas, send your cavalry out to closely monitor the border of the Daonia region. If you find any enemy movements, report back immediately."
"Yes, Commander."
"Now let us wait for the arrival of the Ninth Legion, and at the same time observe the movements of the Samnites to judge what they will do next…"
As soon as Alexios finished speaking, Melisanda interjected again: "Commander, I think the reserve soldiers of each town in Picentia should also be gathered to strengthen the defense of each town, because… because the Samnites may be worried about being encircled and suppressed by our heavy troops in the Daonia region and turn to attack the Picentia region, which has a weak military force…" Melisanda said this with his own selfish motives, because his Tenth Legion's military camp is in Picentia, and most of the soldiers also come from there. Of course, he does not want Picentia to be attacked and affect the morale of his legion's soldiers.
Melisanda's words awakened Alexios. He was about to answer, but he heard the young legion commander, who had been stationed in the Picentia region for many years and was extremely familiar with the terrain there, continue to say: "…Especially the territory of Velosa needs to be heavily defended, because it is adjacent to the Samnite mountains and has been occupied by the Samnites in the past…"
Alexios quickly moved closer to the map, his eyes fixed on the northwestern corner of the Picentia region, the area that protruded into the mountains.
… … … … … … … … … … … … … … …
Two days later, the Ninth Legion led by Tigetillos arrived at Lucania City and joined the main force.
At the same time, Foreign Minister Ansitannos also arrived, bringing the decree of King Deiphobos of Daonia, and soon held talks with the Samnite envoy who remained in Lucania City.
Ansitannos said to the Samnite envoy with a solemn expression: "His Majesty Deiphobos is very concerned about the captured Daunian people. He once said, 'The life of every Daonian is incomparably precious, which cannot be compared with the people of other Mediterranean city-states and countries.' Therefore, he agreed without hesitation to exchange all the captured Caudini for all the Daunian people plundered by you Samnites. If the Samnites believe in His Majesty Deiphobos's promise, please immediately release all the plundered Daunian people, and Daonia will also release all the Caudini prisoners in Campania!"
Daonia's reputation for keeping promises is well-known throughout southern Italy. How could the Samnite envoy disagree with his promise?
However, Ansitannos, who received a clear response from the envoy, looked at him again and said with a serious expression: "Now that the agreement has been reached, Daonia will guarantee that all the released Caudini prisoners are in good health. I hope that the Samnites will also make the same promise to ensure that the captured Daunian people have not suffered any major harm!"
The Samnite envoy hesitated. He knew very well in his heart: these wolf-like and difficult-to-manage warriors would inevitably beat and scold the prisoners, and would not suppress their vigorous energy towards women…
Therefore, he reluctantly said: "We… will do our best to ensure the safety of the prisoners…"
Ansitannos stared at him with bright eyes and said sharply: "Before coming, His Majesty Deiphobos once said, 'The lives of Daonian people are much more precious than those of Samnites! If one person is injured, in the future, when we capture Samnite prisoners, we will have one life to repay! If one person dies, we will have three lives to repay!'"
Ansitanos continued, "Furthermore, King Davos asked me to remind you that 'The war between Daonia and Samnium is a contest between warriors. Daonia will not grieve, no matter how many casualties there are. However! If you Samnites dare to aim your spears at unarmed Daunian civilians and slaughter them wantonly! Then, Daonia will disregard everything and unleash the fury of revenge upon the Samnite region, making the Samnite people suffer even more cruel retribution!' Please think carefully about the tragic fate of Dionysius, the tyrant of Syracuse in Sicily, and his mercenary cavalry!"
The Samnite envoy outwardly dismissed Ansitano's warnings and threats, but inwardly was shrouded in shadow.
At the same time, Ansitanos also brought Davos' apology to Alexis, after all, Davos' nod would add thousands more troops to the Samnites, which would inevitably bring more trouble to the Daunian region for the Daunian army.
However, Alexis asked Ansitanos to convey a message, assuring King Davos and saying: This move will not have any impact on the army. On the contrary, he is confident that he will capture more Samnite prisoners in the future!
And the words spoken by Davos, with Ansitano's promotion, quickly spread throughout the Daunian region. In addition, not long after, the captured Daunian civilians were released one after another. The Daunians were even more grateful to King Davos, and even more proud of being Daunians, more devoted to the Kingdom of Daonia, and at the same time more united against the Samnites.
Moreover, this incident not only had an impact on the Daunians, but also on the neighboring Peucetians and Messapians.
… … … … … … … … … … … … … …
Just as Alexis' entire army was converging in Daonia, Leotychides in Sicily also led his army to the Minoa region.
Along the way, the Daunian army received a warm welcome from many Greek city-states such as Camarina, Gela, Pachynus, Agrigentum… They were delighted by Daonia's change of previous battle plans and its brave move to take the initiative to meet the Carthaginian army that was already approaching. Therefore, they not only provided a large amount of food supply, but also sent their own citizen soldiers, so that when this army arrived in Minoa, it had rapidly expanded from 15,000 people at the time of departure to more than 32,000 people.
Because the Daunian army had been advancing along the coast with great fanfare along the way, its movements had long been detected by the Carthaginians. Therefore, in the past few days, the Carthaginian army had not been fully attacking the city, but instead focused on strengthening the camp.
At the same time, as the Daunian army approached, Monte Adrano began to feel uneasy. He repeatedly sent envoys back to Lilybaeum, requesting the city lord of Lilybaeum, Sermimre, to immediately organize the young and middle-aged citizens of the Carthaginian colonial cities and Phoenician city-states on the island of Sicily, the more the better, and then immediately send them to the Carthaginian camp in Minoa.
At the same time, don't forget to send the Sicanian army as well.
When the Daunian army arrived in Minoa, Monte Adrano had already withdrawn the Carthaginian army to the camp on the west bank of the Platani River.
And Leotychides did not rashly attack. He rejected the invitation of the Minoans, and after examining the surrounding environment, he began to build a camp on several rolling hills not far north of Minoa.
The two armies were about four miles apart, separated by the Platani River, and remained calm for several days.
For this reason, Leotychides' subordinates and allied generals were puzzled because "he kept not letting the army attack." In order to unify their understanding, he also made a special explanation: "We have fewer soldiers, and Carthage has more soldiers, and the Carthaginian camp defense is still relatively tight. If we rashly go to attack, the casualties will be great and the chances of winning are too small. We should wait quietly for the Carthaginians to attack, so as to use the advantage of defense to kill a large number of enemies and eventually defeat them."
"But… the Carthaginians are not attacking us now either." Mikkidas, the commander of Agrigentum, said in confusion.
Leotychides smiled slightly and said confidently: "Our King Davos once said, 'This war with Carthage will be a long war. The longer the time drags on, the more Daonia will be able to get rid of the impact of the drought and restore the normal supply of food in the country. At that time, it will be able to send more troops to Sicily to fight the Carthaginians decisively…' So we don't need to worry, let the ignorant Carthaginians continue to waste the time that was originally favorable to them."
There was also one point that Leotychides did not say: most of the food supply for his tens of thousands of soldiers was provided by these Greek city-states on the southern coast, which greatly reduced the pressure on Daonia's Sicilian territory to supply food. Of course, he had reason to leisurely defend in Minoa.
"But… the Carthaginians may also continue to increase their troops, and finally launch a fierce attack on us!" Poliad, the general of Minoa who came to attend the military meeting, still said with concern.
"That's why I asked you to rigorously and meticulously arrange the defensive facilities according to the Daonian camp standards when building your own camps, so as to resist the attack of the Carthaginian army!" Leotychides said with a serious expression: "Moreover, the Carthaginians have concentrated their troops in Minoia, and the defense of their rear must be relatively empty, which is conducive to the Daonian fleet harassing them. And the more enemies there are here, the greater their demand for food will be, and their food transportation will inevitably be very frequent, which will be conducive to the Sicels attacking their grain convoys and cutting off their grain routes. Once such a huge army lacks food, they will collapse without us attacking!"
Leotychides' explanation temporarily dispelled the worries of the allied generals.
......................
Inside the Carthaginian army's tent, Monte Adorno, who had also been refraining from engaging in battle, explained to Millerfio in this way: "The reason I am not engaging in battle is because... according to intelligence gathered from reconnaissance, the Daonian army has as many as 30,000 soldiers, and most of them are heavy infantry. We only have 10,000 more than them, and half of them are lowly Numidians. You have seen their performance in attacking the city before. I don't think they can withstand the attack of the Greek heavy infantry, even if they are more numerous! So we need more soldiers, truly brave and noble Carthaginian soldiers or Phoenician soldiers—"
"But you still have 10,000 Sacred Band infantry under your command. We are enough to repel the more numerous Greek heavy infantry. There is nothing to fear!" Millerfio said proudly.
"You are right!" Monte Adorno said, following the other party's tone: "The ability and courage of the Sacred Band infantry are beyond doubt. I fully believe that you can repel the Daonians, but putting the heavy responsibility of attacking all on your shoulders will lead to increased casualties! The Sacred Band infantry are the elite of our Carthaginian citizens, because we are not just focused on this one battle. Next, we will also occupy the Sicilian Islands and even launch an expedition to Magna Graecia, so I must protect your excellent Carthaginian army and make good use of your excellent army! Therefore, I will urge Semimre to organize more Carthaginian or Phoenician soldiers to strengthen our strength so that we can defeat the Daonians on the opposite side more smoothly!"
Millerfio was immediately persuaded. He hesitated for a moment and said: "...Perhaps we can bring Hasdrubal's army back."
As soon as Monte Adorno heard this, he shook his head like a rattle: "No! No! No! Millerfio, don't you understand! Hasdrubal was unwilling to listen to orders and insisted on acting independently. Now, if we ask him to come back, wouldn't that make him mistakenly believe that we can't do without the Iberian army? Wouldn't he be even more arrogant then? At that time, it won't be us commanding him, but him commanding us!
Before I set off, Lord Hanno repeatedly warned me that the command of the Carthaginian army can only belong to Hanno, not to the Magonids, and the glory of winning this war can only be shared by us, and has nothing to do with Iberia!"
In fact, Millerfio regretted his words as soon as they came out of his mouth. How could he not know what Monte Adorno said? At this moment, he had no choice but to remain silent.
However, Monte Adorno continued: "What we urgently need now is not Hasdrubal's army, but our Carthaginian navy! I don't know what happened to our fleet. Why have we only seen Daonian warships flaunting their power on the sea these days? Where is our navy?! Millerfio, I suggest you write a letter immediately to urge Lord Hanno. We need a strong Carthaginian navy to protect our empty rear, and even defeat the enemy's fleet and harass their rear, so that the Daonians will be attacked from both sides!…"
Millerfio obviously realized the importance of this issue and agreed without hesitation.
......................
Both the Daonian and Carthaginian armies were trying to postpone the battle as much as possible in order to make more adequate preparations.
However, the two huge military camps stretched seven or eight miles from north to south and were only three or four miles apart from east to west. Standing on the highest hill in the Daonian military camp and looking west, one could even see the central tent of the Carthaginian camp. With so many soldiers gathered so closely together, given the characteristics of the city-state armies, the generals could not completely control these citizen-soldiers. Often, a small conflict or friction would lead the battle in an unexpected direction.
At this time, it was February of the 14th year of the Daonian Kingdom (379 BC). Although it was still spring, the weather in some Mediterranean coastal towns had already begun to heat up. Especially on this day, the temperature in Minoia suddenly rose by several degrees. By noon, the ground was scorched by the hot sun. Whether it was the soldiers of the Daonian alliance or the Carthaginian soldiers, many could not endure the discomfort and thirst caused by the high temperature and ran out of the camp to draw water and even bathe in the Platala River not far from the camp.
The Platala River was a small river. Except for a section near the estuary, where the river was more than 30 meters wide, the average river width was less than 20 meters, and some sections were only ten meters wide. Moreover, its lower reaches flowed on flat land, the water flow was gentle, and the water depth did not exceed the knees.
Initially, both sides were at peace, each enjoying the coolness and comfort brought by the river.
However, in the upper reaches of the Platani River, the river was narrow, barely exceeding ten meters at its widest point.
The soldiers of Agrigentum were drawing water on the east bank (their camp was nearby), while the Sacred Band soldiers of Carthage were on the opposite bank (because the upper reaches of the Platani River were close to the hills, the Sicels often harassed the Carthaginian camp from the north.
The Numidian troops originally stationed in the north had once been attacked, causing chaos, and in the end, Montadeno had no choice but to move his most trusted Sacred Band troops to this location).
The Sacred Band, whose full name was "The Sacred Band of Carthage", was known as "The Hammer of Baal" by the Carthaginian people.
Its soldiers were mostly elites selected from the oldest and most distinguished families in the Carthaginian city-state.
Whether in terms of equipment or training, they were outstanding.
These proud sons of noble birth and wealthy families wiped their strong bodies with clean white cloth, instructed their accompanying Numidian slaves to fetch pure river water further upstream for drinking, and looked with disdain at the Greek soldiers on the opposite bank, some of whom were soaking in the river while others were lying directly on the riverbank to drink.
They mocked each other, saying: The Greeks on the opposite bank are unhygienic and poor!...
But what they didn't know was that the Greek soldiers on the opposite bank were citizens of Agrigentum.
Agrigentum was once the second largest Greek power on Sicily, second only to Syracuse.
Their history was even older than that of Syracuse.
Decades ago, Syracuse was able to develop and grow strong due to the support and immigration from Agrigentum.
Even Dion, who made a huge contribution to the prosperity of Syracuse, was from Agrigentum.
He used the power of Agrigentum to sit on the throne of the tyrant of Syracuse.
However, nearly 20 years ago, the Athenian Sicilian Expedition weakened the power of the Greek city-states on the island.
The Carthaginians took the opportunity to appoint Hannibal, the head of the Magonid family, as commander and launched an attack on eastern Sicily.
Hannibal bloodbathed Himera to avenge his ancestors, but Hermocrates, Dionysius's father-in-law and a general of Syracuse, led the allied forces of the Sicilian Greek city-states and repelled the Carthaginian army.
But not long after, he was killed by the democratic faction of Syracuse, who incited the people on the grounds that he wanted to become a dictator.
Not long after, the Carthaginians launched another attack.
This time, it was led by Hamilcar, the new head of the Magonid family and Hannibal's cousin.
This was his first time serving as the commander of the Carthaginian army, and he first aimed his attack at Agrigentum, the second largest Greek city-state in Sicily.
Agrigentum faced the attack of Hamilcar's army.
Although the number of soldiers was far less than the opponent, they were not afraid, because the people of Agrigentum had always respected Sparta.
Their usual military training was also much stricter than that of ordinary Greek city-state citizens, and there was also a Spartan army hired in the city.
The Carthaginian siege lasted for more than eight months.
During this period, Agrigentum had won several small victories, but the Carthaginians had too great an advantage.
Moreover, Hamilcar used money to buy off and threaten the reinforcements and mercenaries of Agrigentum, causing them to abandon their rescue efforts or defect, including even Syracuse and Sparta.
The people of Agrigentum finally despaired.
The vast majority of the people took advantage of the night to flee to Gela.
The Carthaginians entered the city, killed all those who remained in the city, looted the entire city, and burned the temples.
They even decided to completely destroy it and rebuild a Carthaginian city, but the subsequent failure of the war prevented Hamilcar from realizing his wish.
When Dionysius led a large army to attack western Sicily, these Agrigentum exiles were finally able to return to their hometown.
Twenty years had passed, and the children who had fled in the past had grown into the pillars of the city-state.
Hatred not only did not disappear because of time, but became more and more intense.
Although they could not understand the Carthaginian language spoken on the opposite bank, they could still understand that the other party was humiliating themselves from the unrestrained laughter and contemptuous eyes of the other party, so anger burned in their hearts.
When an Agrigentum soldier picked up a pebble from the river and threw it hard at a Carthaginian Sacred Band soldier on the opposite bank, the surrounding Agrigentum people followed suit.
The attacked Carthaginians immediately retaliated with stones.
Although stones would not cause fatal injuries, they still hurt a lot when they hit the body, and most people were only wearing linings or were naked.
The severe pain further ignited the anger of these young and energetic soldiers, so some people simply stopped throwing stones and rushed across the river, clenched their fists, and punched the other party hard... The conflict between the two sides quickly shifted from throwing stones to physical combat, and the scope of the conflict was also rapidly expanding.
The soldiers on both sides near the river section were also affected and joined the fight.
At this time, the clever Numidian slaves ran back to the camp one after another, asking other Sacred Band soldiers for help, and even brought the weapons and equipment left by their masters in the tents to the river bank.
The addition of the fully armed Carthaginian Sacred Band soldiers pushed the ever-expanding conflict to a new stage.
A few Agrigento soldiers, who were watching from the riverbank and hadn't joined the battle, saw the arrival of the fully armed enemy. Although their chests burned with anger, they were unarmed and wouldn't be foolish enough to confront the fully armed Carthaginians head-on. So they shouted loudly, telling their comrades to retreat quickly, but the scene was too chaotic, and no one listened for a moment.
However, the conflict was initiated by the Agrigento soldiers, so ending it wouldn't be so easy.
The proud Carthaginian Sacred Band soldiers refused to let the matter rest. Moreover, they had weapons in hand, and the enemies were like lambs to the slaughter not far away. This was simply free meat, and how could they not eat it! They brandished their shields and spears and stepped into the Platani River.
The comrades who had been fighting fiercely earlier made way for them, and they squeezed to the front, thrusting their spears at the Agrigento soldiers who wanted to escape…
At this moment, on this stretch of the Platani River downstream, nearly a thousand soldiers from both sides were crowded together for the brawl. The Agrigento soldiers at the front, seeing that the situation was not good, wanted to escape, but the people behind didn't know what was happening and didn't make way in time. The Carthaginian soldiers' spears easily pierced the almost naked bodies of the Agrigento soldiers.
As screams rang out continuously, blood stained the surface of the Platani River red, and terror overwhelmed the anger in their hearts, the Agrigento soldiers began to flee in panic. In the mutual pushing and shoving, some people lost their footing and fell, either being stabbed to death or drowning.
At this time, Mago was in the central army tent, reporting to Mont Adrano about what he had learned in the past two days regarding "why the Carthaginian fleet had failed to provide escort." On the way back to his camp, he learned from an adjutant who came rushing that something had happened on the Platani River.
He immediately rode his horse towards the Platani River and saw the fully armed Sacred Band soldiers had already rushed to the opposite bank, slaughtering the Greeks who were fleeing in all directions along the riverbank.
The young and zealous Mago did not blow the retreat horn, ordering the soldiers under his command who had violated military orders and provoked the battle to immediately retreat to the west bank. Instead, he sent messengers to notify the remaining Sacred Band soldiers and the Sacred Band cavalry in the camp to rush to the Platani River immediately. At the same time, he ordered the soldiers on the riverbank who were naked to immediately put on their armor, pick up their weapons, and form a line.
After deploying all of this, Mago said to the messenger beside him: "Go to the central army camp and inform Lord Mont Adrano that the Greeks took the initiative to provoke my Sacred Band soldiers, resulting in a battle. Now the entire Sacred Band army and cavalry are fully engaged with the Greeks!"
The messenger turned to leave but was stopped by him, who emphasized: "Slow down, don't rush too fast!"
The messenger immediately indicated that he understood, and then slowly proceeded towards the main camp.
The reason why the young and vigorous Mago falsely reported military information was that he was dissatisfied with Mont Adrano's conservatism and cowardice. He had become the leading general of Carthage's most elite Sacred Band at such a young age, and he didn't want others to think that this was due to his father-in-law Hanno's influence. He needed to prove his ability with brilliant military achievements, and now he believed that this was a very good opportunity.
The Sacred Band soldiers who had crossed the river wantonly pursued and killed the Agrigento soldiers who were fleeing in all directions along the riverbank.
The Agrigento people who had noticed that the situation was not good earlier had already run back to the camp to call for reinforcements. Before long, fully armed Agrigento soldiers arrived, along with some soldiers from other city-states.
The Carthaginian Sacred Band soldiers' killing spree was stopped. As more Greek soldiers arrived, the Carthaginians fighting on the east bank, due to their small numbers, quickly changed from offense to defense and began to gradually retreat.
Although the Carthaginian Sacred Band soldiers were arrogant because of their origins, they were indeed well-trained. Not long after Mago issued the order, they had already formed a square formation on the west bank that was more than a mile long and seven or eight rows deep.
They wore open-faced helmets similar to those of the Daunian heavy infantry, with no face armor and only cheek guards. The crest was a tassel of long red or white plumes. They wore thick linen cuirasses. Originally, they could have added fine chainmail on the outside, but these soldiers preferred to wear a layer of leather armor with gorgeous colors and beautiful patterns over the linen cuirass, rather than wearing dark and heavy chainmail to ruin the aesthetics. Polished golden bronze greaves were worn on their calves, and well-made leather sandals were on their feet. Their right hands held sharp spears more than two meters long, and their left hands carried large copper-skinned round shields more than a meter in diameter. Each round shield was painted with exquisite lace and patterns, which the soldiers often used to boast or compete with each other. In addition, these soldiers had enough property to provide rich nutrition to build up their bodies, and each of them was tall and strong, making the square formation they formed both majestic and colorful.
On the right wing of the infantry square was a thousand Sacred Band cavalry, whose real name was Carthaginian Noble Cavalry, also composed of children from Carthaginian noble families. These cavalrymen also wore the best armor, held super-long lances more than three meters long, and carried high-quality short swords at their waists. Their mounts were selected from the most tenacious warhorses in Iberia.
"Attack!" Mago couldn't wait to issue the order.
The sound of the military horn rang out.
"Baal Hammon protect us!!..." the soldiers shouted the name of Carthage's protective deity.
This Carthaginian elite army, known as "The Hammer of Baal," crossed the Platani River in dense formation, aggressively advancing towards the Greeks on the opposite bank...
......................
"What did you say?! The Sacred Band is already engaged in battle with the Greeks?!" Montedonatus exclaimed in shock. He immediately slammed his hand on the table and angrily said, "That Mago, disobeying my orders! I told him long ago not to engage the Greeks at this time!..."
"Sir, the battle was initiated by the Greeks. General Mago was still in your tent discussing matters when he arrived at the Platani River, the battle had already escalated..." the messenger explained.
"I don't care what the situation is now, you go and tell him immediately to withdraw the troops!" Montedonatus said sternly.
"I can't convince him!" The reason this messenger dared to speak to a Carthaginian army commander in this way was because he was Mago's cousin, also born into a prominent Carthaginian family.
In a fit of anger, Montedonatus decided to personally call Mago back, but before departing, he cautiously sent someone to notify the other generals to recall the soldiers to the camp, assemble them, and await orders.
On the way to the upper reaches of the Platani River, Montedonatus could already hear the deafening shouts of battle.
When he arrived at his destination, standing on the west bank and looking east, he saw that the Sacred Band had completely crossed the east bank and their forward momentum was gradually increasing. After all, after discovering the Carthaginians' intention to attack, the Greeks hastily gathered their soldiers and organized a force, attempting to block the Carthaginian advance, but they lacked unified command, and the soldiers came from different city-states and lacked tacit cooperation. In addition, they were outnumbered, so under the fierce attack of the Sacred Band, they gradually could not resist.
Just as Montedonatus was hesitating whether to recall the Sacred Band under such favorable battle conditions, the battlefield ahead suddenly erupted with even more chaotic sounds.
The Greeks were routed!
They fled eastward in panic, and then a louder voice sounded behind them: "Follow us and flee this way!! Follow us and flee this way!!..."
The Sacred Band began to stride forward and pursue.
The right-wing cavalry, which had been hidden behind the phalanx, rushed out at this time, using their extra-long lances to stab the fleeing routed soldiers, and the tall Iberian warhorses trampled the fallen Greeks with their powerful hooves...
Watching the Sacred Band ahead, which was taking advantage of the victory to pursue, Montedonatus finally stopped hesitating. He immediately sent a messenger to notify the Phoenician troops, the Libyan troops, and the Libyan cavalry, who were waiting in the main camp, to rush here to cooperate with the Sacred Band and completely defeat the Daunian allied forces on the opposite bank of the river.
....................
Where were the Daunian soldiers at this critical moment? This must first be explained from the time when the Daunian allied forces built their camp next to Minoa.
The east bank of the lower Platani River does not have the flat land of the west bank, but rather undulating hills. The Daunian allied forces chose to build their camp north of Minoa, where there are three larger hills, all over 100 meters above sea level, and each about a mile apart, facing the riverbank in an inverted "Product" shape. Considering that the Carthaginian army outnumbered the allied forces by far, in order to defend against the enemy's attack, Leocrates and the allied generals decided after discussion to build the camp on these three hills.
Since the Daunian soldiers were the most numerous and the strongest in combat, their camp was located on the largest hill in the middle, while the northern hill was garrisoned by soldiers from Agrigentum and Ecnomus, and the southern hill was garrisoned by soldiers from Gela, Camarina, and Pachynus.
At the foot of the hill north of the Daunian army's camp was a relatively large, almost rectangular lake - Lake Gela (). When the allied soldiers ran to the Platani River to find coolness, the Daunian soldiers certainly had the same need. For safety reasons, Leocrates allowed the soldiers to cool off at Lake Gela, which was closer to the camp.
Leocrates was not Montedonatus. Although he also sat in the main camp, his mountain scouting teams and scouts were constantly monitoring the surrounding area and reporting any unusual movements to him at all times.
When the Agrigentan soldiers clashed with the Carthaginians on the Platani River, he quickly received the news. He keenly felt that something was wrong and immediately sent a messenger down the mountain, ordering the Daunian soldiers to quickly return to the camp.
At the same time, he sent messengers to other camps, telling the allied generals to immediately withdraw their soldiers from the riverbank, especially the Agrigentans.
But the situation developed quickly. After the allied army soldiers, who themselves lacked discipline, were provoked, how could the allied generals, who had little authority, restrain them?
The escalation of the conflict and the appearance of fully armed Carthaginian soldiers meant that this had evolved into a battle.
When Leocrates learned from the scouts' reports that "the Carthaginian Sacred Band had all moved out and were heading to the riverbank," he was very anxious.
While notifying the various units to prepare and go to the rescue, he stared at the newly drawn map of the camp surroundings, conceiving a rescue plan.
At this time, the adjutant next to him said, "Commander, in fact, we don't have to rescue them at all. If they are defeated, they can escape directly into the camp. Anyway, the camp is only two miles away from them."
Leocrates shook his head and said, "The Carthaginians will pursue them. If this happens, they may even lose the camp!"
The adjutant thought for a while and said, "Then don't let them escape into the camp, guide them to escape from here." As he said, he pointed a few times on the map.
Leocrates looked at the place where the adjutant's hand had passed, which was the low ground between the southern and northern camps!
The three camps of the Daunian allied forces were in an inverted "Product" shape. The southern and northern camps were closer to the river bank, while the middle camp was closer to the east. The low ground between the three camps was about two miles long near the river bank, which happened to be directly opposite the river bank where the conflict occurred. The allied soldiers could turn around and retreat directly, quickly pass through the low ground, bypass the hill where the Daunian army camp was located, and run into the mountains. The Carthaginians would probably not dare to pursue them any further. This was only a total of three or four miles, but most of the routed soldiers would instinctively flee to their own camps first, so the adjutant would say that they needed to be guided.
But the adjutant's words flashed in Leocrates' mind like a light. He suddenly leaned down, staring at the arrangement of the three camps on the map and the river section in front, and asked, "How many soldiers are there in the Carthaginian Sacred Band?"
"According to intelligence, there are about ten thousand."
"Has this force been dispatched in its entirety?"
"That's what the scouts reported."
"How many allied soldiers are currently fighting the Carthaginians on the river?"
"The scene there is too chaotic and confusing. The scouts cannot give a detailed number. Their approximate judgment is that there are no less than two thousand, and this number is constantly increasing..."
Leocrates pondered for a moment, slammed his hand on the map forcefully, and said loudly: "Order! The six heavy infantry battalions of the Eighth Legion and the first, second, third, and fourth heavy infantry battalions in the reserve team will immediately go to the foot of the mountain in front of the camp and form a line facing the river bank! Let the Eighth Battalion (i.e., the light infantry battalion) go to the river bank and disperse behind the formations formed by the allied soldiers. Once they are defeated, immediately guide them to escape in the direction of our main force!
Let the fifth heavy infantry battalion in the reserve team immediately go to the northern camp to assist them in defending against the enemy's attack. (This is because the northern camp is garrisoned by soldiers from Agrigentum and Ecnomus, and more than half of those currently fighting on the river bank are Agrigentans, so Leocrates is worried that the northern camp will not have enough defensive forces). Let the seventh battalion (i.e., the light infantry battalion) also go to the northern camp, and all the light infantry in the reserve team will go to the southern camp, facing the low ground, high above, and when they see the enemy, do not attack first, let them pass, and when the heavy infantry begins to engage, attack their flanks and rear.
In addition, send someone to notify the allied generals in the two camps, telling them that our Daunian army is preparing to fight the Carthaginians, and that they must defend their camps at all costs!"
The adjutant, who had been rigorously trained in the general staff, picked up the wooden board he had just recorded, quickly and accurately repeated Leocrates' orders, and then curiously asked: "Commander, are you planning to lure the Carthaginian Sacred Band deep into our camp and then wait for them to be exhausted and completely defeat them?"
Leocrates nodded slightly and said, "Go and notify them immediately."
The adjutant was about to walk out excitedly when Leocrates remembered something and called him back: "Wait! There's one more thing, send someone to notify the Sicels in the mountains to harass the rear of the Carthaginian army after the battle begins to reduce the pressure on our defense!"
"Yes!"
"By the way, what's your name?" Leocrates suddenly asked. Since his original adjutant, Styphilus, had left, the Eighth Legion had changed more than ten adjutants in the past two years. On the one hand, the adjutants felt that Leocrates' temper was strange and difficult to get along with, and they took the initiative to transfer; on the other hand, Leocrates was demanding and always felt that those young people were not capable enough, so the adjutants were constantly changing. Before preparing for this war, he specifically requested the Ministry of Military Affairs to send a capable adjutant, given the scale and difficulty of this war.
But it had been almost two months since this adjutant was assigned, and despite spending day and night together, he hadn't even remembered the adjutant's name. Fortunately, this adjutant, through his time together with Leotychides, had come to understand his personality. He wasn't bothered by it and earnestly replied, "Sir, my name is Mukulu!"
"Are you a Bruttian?" Leotychides asked, looking at his features, which differed from those of the Greeks.
"Yes, I am from Cosenza in Bruttium."
"Mm." Leotychides nodded and waved his hand. "Go and issue the order quickly."
"Yes, sir." The adjutant hurriedly turned and left the tent, a smile on his face. Based on his understanding of this commander, he knew that he had earned the approval of the man his colleagues in the military department jokingly called "the most stern legion commander."
In reality, Adjutant Mukulu's background was not simple either. At the age of eighteen, he had followed Hieronimus to the Battle of Croton and was wounded. After the battle, he even received a visit of consolation from King Dionysius. Later, he officially joined the Fifth Legion, and over the past ten years, he had participated in every war of the kingdom, repeatedly making meritorious contributions. He was about to be promoted to captain when he requested to study further at the General Staff Department of the Military Affairs Department. For the senior officers of Dionysius, it was rare for them to voluntarily request further study, which was very commendable. Therefore, even though he was over 30 years old, Philius made an exception and transferred him to the General Staff Department.
After Mukulu was transferred to the General Staff Department, he won the praise of his colleagues with his consistent diligence and efforts. This time, in view of the importance of this war, Philius reluctantly sent out this capable and steady subordinate. Now it seemed that he had finally met the requirements of the difficult-to-please Leotychides.
......................
The 15,000 soldiers led by Leotychides this time included 8,000 regular soldiers from the Eighth Legion, 5,000 reserve heavy infantry, nearly a thousand reserve light infantry, and a thousand cavalry from the Fourth Cavalry Legion (the Fourth Cavalry Legion had always been understaffed due to the population and warhorses in the Sicilian territory).
The soldiers of the Eighth Legion were extremely excited to hear that there was a battle to be fought. The war to pacify the Sicels two years ago had earned the soldiers considerable rewards, and they had been eager to make new contributions. Now the opportunity had come!
The reserve soldiers hoped to perform well in the upcoming battle, adding a glorious stroke to their military resume so that they could be smoothly transferred to the regular legion soldiers.
Under the leadership of the officers, the soldiers ran to the foot of the mountain in an orderly and rapid manner and began to arrange themselves in a checkerboard formation.
Just as they had completed the formation, the soldiers heard a huge clamor coming from the front.
The chaotic and thunderous footsteps grew louder and louder...
Soon, they saw the dark mass of fleeing soldiers pouring down the low ground like a flash flood in a rainstorm, roaring and surging towards them.
Some Dionysian recruits began to swallow nervously.
"Order each squad to quickly form a shield wall!" Diocassius, who had been a Naxos inspector two years ago, was now the company commander of the first company of the first battalion of the Eighth Legion. He calmly issued the order.
Other officers also issued similar orders one after another.
This time, the Dionysian shield wall was different from usual. The soldiers of each squad not only erected their shields on the outer perimeter of the small square formation, front, back, left, and right, but also leveled their spears in four directions, front, back, left, and right, like hedgehogs with erected spikes.
At the same time, the soldiers continued to shout: "Go through the gaps! Go through the gaps! ..."
In order to facilitate the retreat of the fleeing soldiers, the spacing between the small square formations of the Eighth Legion was much wider than usual during training.
Seeing the densely leveled spears, no one but a fool would actively crash into them, not to mention that there were voices reminding the fleeing soldiers, and light infantry guiding them in the front. The fleeing soldiers naturally divided into small streams in front of the Dionysian formation, running towards the rear through the gaps between the small square formations.
Of course, some fleeing soldiers collided with the shield wall due to pushing and panic, and were stabbed by spears, letting out shrill screams, but the Dionysian soldiers would not withdraw their spears or rescue the wounded because of this. They held their ground, motionless. And the screams of their comrades would warn others to stop in front of the shield wall and not crash into it.
"Catch up! Don't let them run away! ..." Millerfio, riding on his horse, closely followed the Sacred Band troops, advancing forward. He shouted excitedly, regardless of whether the surrounding running soldiers could hear him.
Sitting high on his horse, he could see that the Sacred Band soldiers were indeed well-trained. Even after the victory, they could still maintain a relatively complete formation, surging forward like a red tide. Of course, this was also related to the fact that most of the enemies fled directly backward when they routed, without scattering and running around.
Whether it was Montedeno or Millerfio, they only knew that the Dionysian Allied Forces had built a camp on the hills east of the Praetara River, but what was the specific arrangement? What was the terrain like here? They were not very clear. On the one hand, it was because they did not have a strong awareness of actively obtaining information about the surrounding environment and the enemy, and on the other hand, Leotychides, under the long-term influence of the "Dionysian Military Law," had the initiative to protect his army's military secrets from being leaked. Therefore, while building the camp, he sent out all the scouts and mountain reconnaissance squads, and even some light infantry patrolled around the camp to drive away Carthaginian spies and shield the information in the area around the camp.
Therefore, when Millerfio, in the center of the battlefield, was excitedly chasing the enemy, he was not very clear that there were hills about a mile away on his left and right sides, with enemy camps on them. What he didn't know was that there was an even larger hill three miles ahead, blocking their advance. The true enemy of Carthage—the Dionysian army—was stationed on this hill. Now, these three hills were like huge crabs opening their pincers, waiting for the fleeing soldiers to lead the unsuspecting Carthaginians into their hungry mouths.
The company led by Diocassius was divided into four squad-sized square formations, two in the front and two in the rear. Diocassius stood in the center of a square formation in the rear, focusing his attention on the situation of the fleeing soldiers through the gaps between the square formations in the front.
Suddenly, his eyes narrowed. Through the gaps between the allied soldiers who were discarding their helmets and armor, he saw the Carthaginians wearing brilliant armor.
According to the usual tactical principles of the Dionysian legions, the rear squad-sized square formations should quickly move forward, filling the gaps in the front row, forming a complete and dense large square formation. However, in this way, these fleeing soldiers at the end would be intercepted in front of the rapidly formed square formation of the Dionysian army, sandwiched between the Dionysian and Carthaginian armies, becoming sacrifices to the confrontation between the two armies.
However, the various squad-sized square formations of the Eighth Legion did not move. The soldiers pressed their long shields closer and held their spears tighter, but still stood firm in place, motionless.
This was not because they had to take care of these poor allied soldiers, but because this was originally the tactic of Commander Leotychides.
Some of the Sacred Band soldiers who were chasing saw the dense spear square formation in front of them and stopped in surprise, but were pushed forward by their comrades behind them and involuntarily greeted it. So they could only protect themselves with round shields and thrust their spears at the newly appearing enemy; and some Sacred Band soldiers followed the fleeing soldiers into the gaps between the small square formations, and then were blocked by the next small square formation. Some of the Sacred Band soldiers blindly followed the fleeing soldiers again, turning towards the next gap...
"There are enemies ahead!"
"It's the Dionysians!"
...
The slightly panicked shouts of the soldiers reached Millerfio's ears. He could see more clearly from horseback: the Dionysian soldiers wearing black armor gathered into dense small square formations, and in the impact of the fleeing soldiers and the Sacred Band soldiers, they were like small islands in a flood, in danger of being submerged at any time...
Even knowing that he had lost control of the Sacred Band army, Millerfio still waved his spear and shouted hoarsely: "Carthaginian warriors, kill them, crush the Dionysians!"
However, in the eyes of Leotychides, who was on the mountainside overlooking the entire battlefield: the checkerboard formation deployed by the Eighth Legion had divided the Carthaginian army, which was surging like a tide in pursuit, into countless small streams. The Carthaginians, lacking organization and command, unable to form a joint force, could not shake the solid Dionysian squad formations that were like rocks in the flood!
"Let the reserves close up!" Leotychides ordered.
Adjutant Mukulu hesitated slightly: "Should we wait a little longer? Let the soldiers of the allied states escape before—"
Leotychides' gaze was cold: "The current situation is that even if the allied soldiers escape, some Carthaginians will run to the rear of the formation, adding unnecessary trouble to our soldiers' next battle. I have already given them a chance, blame them for not running fast enough!"
"Yes, sir!" Mukulu no longer said more and immediately accepted the order.
"In addition, inform the generals of those allied states to seize the time to gather those fleeing soldiers and quickly lead them back to their camps to resist the enemy's impending attack."
"Woo! ..." The high-pitched bugle call sounded in the mountains.
The various squad officers of the reserve force, who had been repeatedly instructed by the legion commander in advance, began to command the various squad-sized square formations located at the rear of the entire formation. They slowly moved forward and inward towards each other.
The flood of fleeing soldiers and pursuers, after turning through many gaps, flowed to the rear, and the impact on the small square formation had weakened. With spears opening the way and long shields defending, accompanied by the screams of enemy and friendly soldiers, the legion reserve soldiers at the end of the formation relied on the dense 50-man formation and smoothly entered the gap in the front with almost no major obstacles, forming a dike with a thickness of only four rows but a length of about two miles, completely cutting off the flood.
For the reserve soldiers tasked with intercepting those retreating, it was a relatively easy mission. Although they inevitably injured some allied soldiers, drawing curses and angry shouts, few of them suffered casualties.
But for the various units of the Eighth Legion at the front lines, the situation was much more difficult. Once the flood of soldiers was cut off, the Carthaginians trapped between the maniples realized their predicament. They would then attack the nearby Daunian legionaries, and the Eighth Legion units at the very front would be attacked from all sides.
The legionaries had to hide behind their large shields, shoulder to shoulder and back to back, packed tightly together. The originally dense formation became even denser due to the pressure from all around, which actually made it harder to break. However, the cramped space made it difficult to even swing their pikes. Therefore, the soldiers on the outer two ranks of the maniple abandoned their long weapons, drew their short swords, and in such a narrow, crowded space, they actually had the advantage in close combat.
The unit commander in the center of the small maniple kept shouting, "Brothers, hold on! Hold on! Our counterattack is about to begin!…"
Yes, while the Daunian maniples were being attacked from all sides, the Sacred Band soldiers in the gaps were also suffering attacks from all directions. However, compared to the Eighth Legion's premeditated and prepared defense, and the Daunian military system's unique maniple organization, which allowed for strong command over every soldier under its banner...
The Carthaginian Sacred Band had always employed tactics similar to the traditional Greek phalanx. From the initial pursuit to the present, their formation was completely scattered. The Sacred Band soldiers, having lost their organization, were like a pile of loose sand. Although they realized something was wrong and instinctively launched fierce attacks on the Eighth Legion, these attacks were disorganized and could not effectively harm the unified Daunian maniples. On the contrary, unable to coordinate effectively, they often blocked attacks from the front only to be stabbed by short swords and pikes from the sides and rear. Their casualty rate was far greater than that of the Eighth Legion.
To make matters worse, Leotychides' second plan had already begun.
The horns sounded again.
The various maniples of the Daunian Eighth Legion began to converge forward and inward, while the reserve formation at the rear slowly pressed forward. The entire Daunian battle line was like a cloth being wrung dry, squeezing out the water contained within. However, the Sacred Band soldiers crowded in the gaps of the Daunian formation were difficult to squeeze out because even more Sacred Band soldiers were packed on the outside, blocking the retreat of their comrades trapped within while fighting the Daunian soldiers. Unless they retreated as a whole, which was almost impossible given the current situation. Firstly, they had not yet been subjected to a fierce offensive by the Daunian army (the Daunian maniples at the very front were still on the defensive). Secondly, they lacked unified command and were unable to carry out an organized retreat.
Therefore,
For the Eighth Legion to transform from a checkerboard formation into a complete phalanx meant that the Carthaginian Sacred Band soldiers within the formation had to be eliminated.
From then on, the sound of the horns was the footstep of death, and the battle in the lowlands suddenly entered a white-hot state where it was either you die or I live…
… … … … … … … … … … … … … …
Monte Adrano, who always preferred to manipulate and command from behind the scenes, rode his horse across the Platanus River, slowly following behind the pursuing Sacred Band army. After all, the Sacred Band's identity and status among the Carthaginians was different from that of the general Carthaginian army, and even more so from the Phoenician troops, mercenaries, and Numidian troops. He had to pay close attention.
Before long, the scouts he had sent out to reconnoiter the battle situation returned from the front: "Lord, the Sacred Band troops have encountered an interception by the Daunian army!"
"The Daunian army?!" Monte Adrano was surprised. He had previously thought that there were quite a few Daunian soldiers among the routed enemy: "It's impossible for the Daunians to organize reinforcements so quickly?! And aren't they afraid of their formation being scattered by the fleeing soldiers?!"
"Yes, Lord, it is indeed the Daunian army! They are wearing full sets of black armor, arranged in small maniples…"
Monte Adrano had not previously conducted a detailed study of the Daunian army. After listening to the scout's description, he was even more puzzled: Were the Daunians unable to form a large phalanx due to the haste of the moment? Or was it intentional, to facilitate the escape of the routed soldiers?
But as scouts returned one after another, the doubts in his mind began to turn into unease. After all, the information constantly brought back by the scouts quickly gave him an understanding of the terrain here: The Sacred Band army was deep in the lowlands, with hills on both sides, on which were the camps of the Daunian allied forces. The Greeks could completely come down from the mountains and attack the flanks and rear of the Sacred Band army!
Thinking of this, Monte Adrano felt nervous. He looked back at his rear, where only 3,000 Numidian cavalry had just arrived, and immediately asked the adjutant: "Where are the other troops?"
"Lord, they are on their way."
"Tell them to speed up!" Monte Adrano shouted sternly.
"Yes!"
"Wait! You immediately notify the Numidian troops not to rush over, but to cross the river directly and launch a full-scale attack on that Daunian camp!" Monte Adrano pointed to the hill on his distant right, speaking resolutely. Then he pointed to the slightly smaller hill on his distant left: "Let Regulus lead the citizen-soldier troops to attack that enemy camp!"
Monte Adrano made this choice because the allied camp to the south was very close to the city of Minoa, actually on the north and south ends of the same hill, making it more difficult to attack, as it was also necessary to guard against a surprise attack by the troops in Minoa. Therefore, he gave this difficult task to the Numidians. According to the information just received, the hill to the north was much smaller, and correspondingly, the camp on it was also small. There were certainly not many Greek soldiers stationed inside, so Monte Adrano gave this relatively easy target to his own people.
The adjutant rode away with the messenger.
Monte Adrano also divided the Numidian cavalry into two parts, located on both sides of the entrance to the lowlands, spreading out their formation. If they discovered enemies coming down from the mountains, they would rush up and attack them with javelins and horse charges, delaying their attack on the Sacred Band army and buying time for reinforcements to arrive.
After completing these deployments, Monte Adrano was still a little uneasy.
After a while, the adjutant returned to report: "The Numidian troops have begun to attack the enemy camp!"
After another while, twelve thousand Carthaginian citizen-soldiers ran past him, while the enemy camps on both sides showed no obvious signs of attacking, only enemy light infantry were throwing arrows and javelins down the mountain. While relieved, he also sternly demanded that all troops speed up their attack on the enemy camps, dispelling any attempt by the enemy to besiege the Sacred Band army.
All the deployments were being carried out at an accelerated pace, and Monte Adrano was waiting quietly for the Sacred Band legion to defeat the Daunian army in front of them.
But for such a long time, the Sacred Band troops in front had been stagnating in place, without taking another step forward…
… … … … … … … … … … … … … … …
On the battlefield, which was about two miles long and several dozen meters thick, neither the Carthaginian Sacred Band soldiers nor the Daunian legionaries had ever encountered such a battle. It was like a filled sandwich from Christoia's restaurant, with the enemy and us clearly separated at both ends, but in the middle, the enemy and us were intertwined, completely mixed together. However, the Daunian soldiers did this intentionally, while the Sacred Band soldiers were forced to do so.
At the sound of the horns, as the Daunian formation continued to tighten forward and inward, the space between the soldiers on both sides was further compressed, so much so that it became difficult to even turn around and swing their arms. Pikes and spears were certainly unusable. The Sacred Band soldiers had to draw their swords, and some, finding their swords too long, simply swung their fists. At such a close distance, with only two shields separating them, the Sacred Band soldiers even used their heads to butt their opponents and their hands to tear at the enemy. They glared, bared their teeth, and roared hoarsely. The arrogance and elegance they had possessed as aristocratic children had long disappeared. They behaved so bloodthirstily only to fight for survival in a desperate situation where there was no way to retreat.
At this point, it was also difficult for the Daunian maniple to maintain its integrity. The Sacred Band soldiers' desperate efforts caused many breaks in the formation, but the framework of the maniple was still there, and its core officer organization was still in place, so the soldiers could still unite around them, cooperate with each other, and continue to execute the plan.
The Eighth Legion soldiers hid their entire bodies behind their large shields, almost without using their eyes to observe their opponents. The short sword in their right hand was simply thrust out non-stop, but almost every thrust would not miss. If the short sword hit a hard object and was difficult to penetrate, it must have hit the opponent's round shield; if the short sword encountered resistance and the opponent made a muffled groan, a strong force could still stab in, then it was stabbing into the breastplate; if the short sword had little resistance but could continue to stab in smoothly, and the opponent screamed, it must have pierced an unprotected area such as an arm or thigh.
When the opponent fell screaming, the legionaries carefully squeezed forward another step, while also preventing themselves from being tripped by the enemy on the ground. Otherwise, if their teammates could not pull them up in time, they would be seriously injured or killed in the crowded stream of people due to repeated trampling. This was the most terrible thing in this melee.
The convergence of the various maniples of the Eighth Legion, although difficult, was still slowly progressing…