Quintus and Furius were so exhausted they didn't even have time to catch their breath before encountering Maecius rushing towards them.
"What did you say?! Rome has fallen?!" The two generals staggered as if struck by a heavy blow, almost falling.
"How is that possible?! Rome's walls are so high! And there are so many people inside the city! They couldn't even hold it for a day?!" Furius couldn't believe the fact.
Quintus even grabbed Maecius's clothes and angrily questioned, "What is the Senate doing?! What are you doing?! Did you do nothing?! Just watching the enemy attack our city?!"
"I did something! Of course, we did something! We did our best to gather reinforcements and launched attacks on the enemy at all costs, trying to relieve the pressure on the defenders inside the city… For this, our army was defeated, and even… Paulus died in battle…"
Maecius explained in pain, the man in his 50s crying helplessly like a child: "…But the Daunians created many siege weapons that we had never seen before. They… they even used warships to build dozens of pontoon bridges on the Tiber River… And their soldiers are very elite, but what about us! We… we… Not only Rome! Even the strong citizens of the surrounding allied states were taken to the Hernici, how could we possibly win!"
Maecius's counter-question silenced Quintus and Furius, filling them with guilt.
"Go! We will immediately retake Rome!" Quintus suddenly roared, and strode out angrily.
Furius was stunned for a moment, then followed him closely.
Maecius immediately stopped them, repeatedly advising, "I understand your feelings, but your army has less than 10,000 men. It's too risky to attack the Daunians! Wait for the dictator Camillus to arrive with the main force before attacking!"
"Although we only have 6,000 men, the enemy has just occupied Rome and must have suffered heavy losses. The city's order must be in chaos, and they certainly won't be prepared for us. Just like Camillus's surprise attack on Prinieste, we might succeed!" Quintus retorted loudly.
Maecius continued to persuade bitterly: "The Daunians are different from the Volsci and the Marsi. They are more disciplined and won't make such mistakes! Moreover, it's still dozens of miles from here to Rome. You are exhausted from the long journey. Will you still have the strength to fight when you reach Rome!"
Despite Maecius's persuasion, Quintus insisted on not listening, and even called him a "cowardly scaredy-cat." Under his insistence, Furius, who was a little shaken, naturally acted with him.
"Damn Claudius, you stupid donkey!" Maecius stamped his feet and cursed.
It was said that the people of the Claudius clan were stubborn and headstrong, and today he had finally seen it.
Maecius helplessly watched the two men's figures disappear into the distance, squatting on the ground dejectedly. After a while, he came back to his senses, suddenly remembered something, and immediately turned and ran towards the Senate of Prinieste.
… … … … … … … … … … … … …
At this time, groups of Roman people who lived in the villages outside Rome and had fled here before the war arrived at the place where the army was stationed, crying to the soldiers.
The news of "Rome's fall" swept through the entire army like a sudden storm. The soldiers, shocked, shouted, "We will repel the Daunians and retake Rome!" The scene became very chaotic.
In fact, at this time, even if Quintus and Furius wanted to act cautiously, it was impossible. The entire army was almost out of control.
But this was exactly what Quintus wanted. He stood on a high place, waved his fists, and shouted loudly to the soldiers: "Citizens of Rome, our homeland is being ravaged by the enemy! Our loved ones are being humiliated! Can you hear their cries for help! Now, only you can save them! Take up your weapons, continue forward, drive away the enemy, and save Rome! You will be the heroes of the people!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the soldiers waved their spears and shouted excitedly: "Save Rome! Save Rome!! Save Rome!!!…"
The thunderous roar echoed and swirled outside the city of Prinieste, boosting the morale of the soldiers. They forgot their exhaustion and, led by Quintus and Furius, rushed towards Rome.
… … … … … … … … … … … … … … …
After comforting the medical camp, Croton Catacks no longer had an excited smile, but instead felt a little heavy-hearted.
Davos saw it and thought it was a good thing, but he didn't say much. Everything had to be experienced and felt by Croton Catacks himself.
After returning to the Roman Senate, which had temporarily become the command center of the Daunian army, he immediately summoned Tapyrus.
Because Tapyrus had previously been an envoy to Rome, Davos did not leave him in Ostia, but had him follow the army to Rome, ready to consult him at any time.
"Congratulations, Your Majesty, on capturing the great city of Rome!" As soon as Tapyrus saw Davos, he immediately congratulated him respectfully.
"Capturing Rome is indeed worth celebrating, but indulging in this victory may put our army in trouble in the future." Davos said lightly, then pointed to the wooden chair next to him: "Sit down, Tapyrus. Can you tell me, what enemies will we face here next?"
Hearing the question raised by Davos, although Tapyrus did not understand what this wise king meant by suddenly raising this question, it was obviously related to calling him here. His mind raced, and he pondered and said: "The Roman army that is returning, the Latin city-states around Rome, and… uh, Rome's Etruscan allies…?"
Davos did not respond immediately, but continued to ask: "How much do you know about Etruria?"
Etruria?! Tapyrus probably understood what Davos wanted him to do. As an official of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, his department had a lot of information about the areas surrounding Rome, some of which were even confidential. Most of it was collected by the intelligence department led by Aristilas, for the diplomats to study and understand, so that they could be targeted when they were envoys to foreign countries.
Tapyrus immediately said modestly: "Your Majesty, I know something about it. The Etruscans are a major force in central and northern Italy. It consists of 12 important city-states that form an Etruscan League. They have long been enemies of the Romans, but the invasion of the Celts more than ten years ago greatly weakened the strength of the Etruscans, so that in recent years the Etruscan city-states north of the Tiber River have been gradually conquered by the Romans…"
Davos nodded, leaned back, and said solemnly: "Although we have captured Rome, the truly elite Roman army is about to arrive, and we must do everything we can to deal with their attack. However, if the Etruscans on the north bank of the Tiber River respond to the Romans' request again and attack again, it will put us in a dilemma of fighting on two fronts.
However… the Etruscans were once very glorious. Even Rome was once ruled by them for a long time. Now the Romans have turned around to be their masters and want them to obey the summons and obey the Roman orders. I think these Etruscan city-states conquered by Rome must be unwilling. Therefore, I need a diplomat to go to Caesrela, Volsci, and Tarquinia to bring them our Daunian's friendly intentions. We are willing to form an alliance with them and help them take back the land that was taken away by the Romans.
It's just that we have had no formal contact with the Etruscans before. I can't guess what attitude they will take towards the envoys we send, so this mission is relatively risky…"
Tapyrus immediately stood up and volunteered to Davos with enthusiasm: "Your Majesty, from the first day I entered the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, I knew that a diplomat is a job that requires risk. For the success of this expedition and for Your Majesty, I am willing to be an envoy to the Etruscan city-states and do my best to complete the mission!"
Davos looked at him with an approving gaze. After a while, he said with relief: "I am very lucky that I was able to buy you in the first place, and that I was able to give you freedom. You will definitely become a role model for all Daunian freed slaves!"
Tapyrus's heart beat wildly, and he immediately responded sincerely: "Your Majesty, being your slave is my greatest luck!"
"Good! Good!…" Davos smiled and nodded repeatedly, then said: "In this battle, we captured some Etruscans. You can pick some of them and release them when you are an envoy to the Etruscan city-states to show our sincerity."
Tapyrus's eyes lit up and he quickly said, "Your Majesty, can I see these prisoners now? To learn more about the situation of these Etruscan city-states that are going to be envoys."
"Of course." Davos was happy with the diligence of his subordinates.
After Tapyrus left, Henipolis smiled and said: "Your Majesty, your ability to liberate slaves is very strong. I think this Tapyrus will not be worse than Alexistocrates in the future."
"Alexistocrates is now a newly promoted senator." Davos glanced at him and said lightly: "Hurry up and bring that Roman senator in."
Publius Manlius was brought into the Roman Senate.
Seeing that the original center of Roman power had now become the place where the enemy was working, with wooden tables and chairs in the center of the venue, and enemy soldiers in bright armor standing around, his face twitched a few times, and he walked straight over and pulled a wooden chair to sit down.
Davos looked him up and down, and he also stared directly at Davos without showing any weakness.
"This is Davos, the king of the powerful Daonian kingdom! Roman, please immediately show your respect!" Henipolis shouted loudly.
.
At the same time, the guards also roared in unison.
Facing the murderous aura, Publius Manlius was not nervous at all, putting on a blank expression as if he didn't understand Greek.
Davos looked at this fellow with a soft, round face and a somewhat festive appearance, pretending to be stupid, and couldn't help but find it amusing: "We have already interrogated your slaves, you are proficient in Greek, stop pretending."
Publius's expression immediately changed, and he said coldly in Greek: "You have occupied our city, and you still want us to express our gratitude. Only a fool would have such a ridiculous idea!"
"You—" Hynippolis was so angry that he wanted to retort, but Davos waved his hand to stop him.
The Roman senators are indeed the elite of the Romans, not cowards! Davos sighed, having learned a little about the history of the Roman Republic in his previous life, and then slowly said: "The Manlius clan is a famous Roman clan! Someone told me that Marcus Manlius Capitolinus, one of the heroes who saved Rome during the Celtic occupation of the city, should also belong to your Manlius clan, I wonder if he is your brother?"
Publius's face changed, and he said loudly: "No, I have nothing to do with him!"
Davos stared at him and said in a more serious tone: "Marcus Manlius Capitolinus was once the head of your Manlius clan, how could you have nothing to do with him?! I'm afraid your ability to sit in the Roman Senate is also inseparable from him!"
Publius seemed to be insulted. Ignoring the deterrence of the guards beside him, he stood up and emphasized loudly: "Marcus attempted to implement dictatorship in Rome, which is a disgrace to our Manlius clan. He has been removed from the genealogy and has nothing to do with us anymore!"
"Oh, dictatorship?" Davos smiled playfully: "You Romans have already abolished the king. How capable is Marcus to dare to implement dictatorship rashly when the Roman people have already recognized the current Roman regime?! Just because he once repelled the Celtic sneak attack on Capitoline Hill and saved Rome?! Or because he has repelled the Aequi's attacks several times?! Or because of his brave fighting and the honor of having won more than 40 laurel wreaths?!… I think Marcus, who has served as a Roman consul several times, should not be a madman. He is not so stupid as to risk his life!"
Publius was a little surprised. He didn't expect a foreign king to know so much about Marcus.
"But he was eventually deprived of his life, and even accused by your Senate of 'attempting to be a dictator'. Why?" Davos's eyes were like knives, and he asked in a deep voice.
However,
Publius did not make eye contact with him, and remained silent.
Davos smiled slightly and said softly: "Isn't it because he supports the common people, demands the abolition of debts, and fights for the rights of the common people, which damages the interests of your nobles, so you regard him as a traitor and want to kill him!"
Davos's words drilled into Publius's ears, causing him to tremble. He did not expect that this Daonian king knew so much about the past, and he couldn't help but feel uneasy: What exactly does he want to do?
"But in my opinion, Marcus Manlius Capitolinus is a true Roman hero. He can disregard his noble status and sincerely help the common people, in order to alleviate the fierce conflicts between the nobles and the common people in Rome, so that your city-state can develop better. Unfortunately, the greedy and short-sighted Roman nobles not only cruelly killed him, but also shamelessly framed him, which is really unbearable!"
Davos looked indignant, giving the impression that he was not a Daonian king, but a Roman citizen concerned about national affairs, which made Publius deeply confused.
At this time, Davos said in a deep voice: "So I decided—to clear the name of this true Roman hero in front of the Roman people tomorrow, restore his innocence, and announce the realization of his ideal, abolish the debts of the Roman common people, distribute land to them, and give them equal opportunities to hold national public office…"
Hearing this, Publius shouted in desperation: "No, you have no right to do this!"
"Of course I have the right, because the city of Rome is in my hands! Do you think that the 60,000-plus army led by Camillus can capture this strong city that is heavily defended by my 50,000 elite Daonian troops?! He will soon taste the bitterness of defeat!" Davos's sharp eyes stared straight at Publius, and his voice pierced into his brain like iron nails: "And you—Publius Manlius will appear with me in front of the Roman people tomorrow. As Marcus's cousin, you must express your support for the orders I issued. I think you will be supported by countless Roman people!"
"No! Even if you kill me, I will never appear in front of the people with you!" Publius refused without hesitation.
"This is an order! You must attend! Otherwise—" Davos's eyebrows suddenly stood up, his tone was firm, he reached out to the guard for a short sword, and then waved it down suddenly. There was a "bang", and a corner of the wooden table was completely chopped off.
The triangular table corner bounced a few times on the ground, making a "clang" sound, which made Publius feel frightened, and what frightened him even more was Davos's cold voice: "You and your family will all be executed! Anyway, I still have a few Manlius clan prisoners in my hands, someone will always agree. I'll give you some time to think about it, Publius Manlius, the current clan leader." At the end, Davos smiled slightly at him.
This smile was as terrifying as a demon in Publius's eyes. When he was escorted out by the guards, his legs were almost weak, and he kept cursing in his heart: Marcus, haven't you harmed our Manlius clan enough? Now you still want to drag us down with you! If it weren't for you, how could I have kept a low profile in the Senate all these years! And it was because other senators alienated our clan that they forgot to notify us to evacuate in advance. By the time we packed our luggage and wanted to go to Capitoline Hill, the entire square was blocked by common people… Marcus ah! Marcus…"
"Your Majesty, will he agree?" Hynippolis asked curiously.
"If he doesn't agree, there are other Manliuses. Even if all the Manliuses disagree, it won't have much impact on our plan." Davos returned the short sword to the guard, and then said easily: "Having them there just makes our actions more convincing. As long as the benefits given to the Roman common people are real, I don't believe they won't be moved."
"In fact, this Publius doesn't realize how much benefit it will bring him in the future if he does what Your Majesty said." Hynippolis smiled.
"Then he can only regret it in the underworld." Davos said lightly, then reminded Hynippolis: "Go call Valgus in."
It was Valgus's first time walking into the Roman Senate. Although he was very curious, he didn't stop to take a closer look, because the Daonian king was waiting for him in front.
If he had chosen to help Davos, this outsider, to fight against his former motherland for revenge and to escape his predicament, now he was truly filled with awe for Daonia: He had conquered Rome, the largest city-state in Latium, in just one day! What a powerful military force! Can the other forces here really compete with this powerful kingdom?!
Valgus was deeply skeptical, so he came to King Davos with trepidation.
Davos said to him kindly: "I remember your name is Valgus, don't be nervous, sit down first."
"Yes… Yes…" Valgus responded repeatedly, but still stood there cautiously.
Seeing him like this, Davos said in an even gentler tone: "This time we were able to conquer the city of Rome, you have made a great contribution. In order to commend your merits, I will grant you Daonian citizenship in advance."
"Thank… Thank you, Your… Your Majesty!" Valgus said hurriedly.
Davos said with a smile: "Also… Now that we have the city of Rome, and you are the first Roman to become a Daonian citizen, in order to facilitate the management of this city, I have decided to appoint you as the administrative adjutant of the city of Rome!"
"Administrative adjutant?!" Valgus was puzzled by the meaning of this unfamiliar word.
"It's similar to the Roman magistrate, but the actual power is greater than the magistrate." Hynippolis, who had studied the Roman polity, explained from the side.
The Roman magistrate, as the name suggests, is in charge of the political affairs of the city of Rome, but in fact, the city of Rome is a country, and major decisions are made by the Senate. The political affairs of the city of Rome are the responsibility of the two consuls, and the most important legal affairs of Rome are the responsibility of the praetor. The magistrate is actually only one of the subordinates of the consul, responsible for some unimportant affairs of the city of Rome, so it is only a middle-level official position in Rome.
However, the administrative adjutant of Daonia is different. Since the chief administrative officer of a city is the highest manager of a Daonian city, he can make plans and decisions on the management and development of the city according to his own ideas, without violating Daonian law. As the assistant to the chief administrative officer, the administrative adjutant is responsible for the specific affairs of a certain aspect of the city, and has a pivotal say and executive power in this aspect. Although it is only a middle-level official position in Daonia, it is a transition to a senior official position, and the Daonian officials who have been promoted to senators in the past ten years have all served as administrative adjutants before, so the position of administrative adjutant has also become a weather vane for promotion to senators.
Of course, Valx would not understand the value of this administrative adjutant position, but just the sentence "The power is greater than that of the Roman magistrate" made him unable to believe his ears. Two days ago, he was a lowly slave, and in the blink of an eye, he became a mid-level official envied by the Roman commoners. This pie in the sky made him feel dizzy and apprehensive: "Your… Your Majesty, I… I… have never held public office before, I'm worried… worried I can't do it…"
Davos comforted him gently, saying, "You don't have to worry. No one is born knowing how to do things. I will send people to assist you, but of course, you must also work hard yourself."
Valx nodded repeatedly.
"Can you read?" Davos asked.
Valx shook his head with some shame.
"That doesn't matter," Davos encouraged him. "In Daonia, many freed slaves didn't have the opportunity to learn to read before, but they later seized the time and opportunities to study hard. Not only did they become proficient in writing, but they also passed the examinations and became officials of the kingdom. I think you can definitely do it too! When you have enough knowledge and understand the laws of Daonia, you will be able to make more contributions to Daonia. You can even be elected to the Daonian Senate!"
Become a senator?! Valx's breathing quickened instantly. This was something he had never dared to dream of before. Therefore, when he left, his feet felt like he was stepping on clouds, and his whole person felt like he was floating.
Seeing Valx in such a state, Hynipolis couldn't help but worry and said, "Your Majesty, can he do it well?"
"I don't expect him to do well in the position of Roman administrative adjutant, but he will become an example! His example will tell all the Roman commoners that the rights they cannot obtain from the Roman Senate even if they sacrifice their lives, Daonia can give them. That's enough!"
Davos smiled slightly, and then said with a serious expression, "Moreover, Hynipolis, don't underestimate these people from humble backgrounds. Once you unlock their shackles and give them opportunities, their determination to change their destiny will burst out with unimaginable power!"
"I will pay attention to his performance. I hope he will not disappoint Your Majesty's expectations of him!" Hynipolis said earnestly.
At this time, Davos rubbed his stomach: "Shouldn't we have dinner? I'm a little hungry."
Hynipolis hurried to call the servants to prepare dinner.
When Davos sat down at the dining table, he found that one person was missing: "Where is Croto?"
"Oh, Your Majesty," Martius, who was beside him, quickly replied, "His Royal Highness the Prince has gone to the square to have dinner with the soldiers of the Second Legion. I asked the guards who fought with him before to accompany him."
Davos was stunned for a moment, then smiled with relief: "It seems that this child has begun to adapt to the battlefield."
Davos had just bitten into a piece of bread and drank a mouthful of watered wine when a guard rushed in: "Your Majesty, scouts report that less than 10,000 Roman troops have been discovered southeast of Rome, marching rapidly towards the city of Rome."
Hearing this news, Davos remained calm. After thinking for a while, he said, "Southeast direction… We just repelled the reinforcements from the Latin city-states during the day. The army that has appeared now can only be the vanguard of the main force led by the Roman dictator Camillus. It is not easy for this unit to travel hundreds of kilometers from Hernici to here in just over a day. Notify the legion commanders to defend the city walls and wait for the enemy's morale to be exhausted before eating them!"
After Davos issued the order, he took a big bite of the crisp bread.
… … … … … … … … … … … … … …
Capitoline Hill, one of the seven hills of Rome. The reason why it became a sacred place for the Romans is because the Temple of Jupiter, the protector god of Rome, the Temple of Juno, the queen of the gods, and the Temple of Janus, another war god revered by the Romans, were built on the top of the mountain. The temple of this god with two heads has two large doors, which are always open during wartime and closed during peacetime, but since the second Roman king, Numa, the temple doors have almost never been closed.
Capitoline Hill is the highest of the seven hills of Rome, although it is only more than 50 meters high, but its three sides are steep cliffs, and the narrower side is slightly gentle, with a road built to go up the mountain. Because the area on the top of the mountain was too narrow, no one chose it as a place to live when Rome was first built. Later, only a very few people lived on it, including the Manlius clan. It was not until Marcus Manlius Capitolinus was executed for the crime of "attempting to become a dictator" that the Roman Senate issued a new resolution: "No one is allowed to live on Capitoline Hill," and the Manlius clan had to relocate.
More than ten years ago, the Celts invaded, and the Roman senators led some citizens to retreat to Capitoline Hill, holding out for more than half a year, so that the entire city of Rome was not completely captured, and it also encouraged the Roman people who had fallen outside to rise up to resist. In the end, Camillus led a large army to drive away the Celts, which made the position of Capitoline Hill in the hearts of the Romans even more sacred.
This time, the Daonians launched a large-scale attack on Rome. Originally, the Romans were quite confident that they could hold out until Camillus led his army back, but as one battle report after another came, the Daonians' fierce and peculiar siege methods made the defenders feel very strenuous. The senators felt that the situation was not good. These Roman nobles who had survived for hundreds of years had their own experience in seeking good fortune and avoiding misfortune. They secretly began to prepare their clansmen and relatives and friends in advance, so when the Senate made a resolution to retreat to Capitoline Hill, they quickly escaped to the mountain with their families and supplies.
Originally, Capitoline Hill, which was only lively during festivals and sacrifices, suddenly became crowded and noisy. After the High Priest Ulysses prayed sincerely to Jupiter and Juno and asked for forgiveness, the people were allowed to enter the temple for refuge. As a result, the temple courtyard was crowded with frightened and uneasy people, and even the main hall, which was usually forbidden to enter, became the temporary residence and meeting place of the senators.
Ambustus and Scipio the Elder strode into the hall, and the senators who were discussing nervously immediately focused their attention on them.
Potitus asked, "Have the number of people on the mountain been counted?"
"The total is 5,642 people," Ambustus replied.
"This is several times more than the number of people on the mountain that time!" the old senator Lucretius sighed.
Everyone knew what he was talking about that time, and many people immediately looked sad.
Someone hurriedly asked, "Is there enough food?"
"Enough for us to eat for about a month," Ambustus said. "I have already sent patrols to collect all the food and sent special personnel to guard it."
The so-called collection is actually to force the people on the mountain to hand over the food in their hands, and then distribute it equally every day. But the senators had no objection to this. The invasion of the Celts was only ten years ago, and some of the old senators had personally participated in the battle to defend Capitoline Hill that year, and they were already familiar with it.
"How many soldiers can fight?" Maruginensis asked.
"Only 650 people. I have already drawn them out and formed six centuria," Scipio the Elder replied with a gloomy expression.
"Only 650 people!" someone exclaimed, and then realized that their voice was too loud and disturbed the gods in the hall, and quickly closed their mouth.
"Including the patrol team, there are more than 800 people. The number of soldiers on Capitoline Hill is already twice as many as last time. We can completely hold out until Camillus leads his army back and drives away the enemy. You don't have to worry at all!" Potitus comforted everyone.
"Scipio, after our discussion, we have decided to let you be responsible for the defense of Capitoline Hill," Maruginensis said.
"Me?" Scipio the Elder was a little surprised. He knew that he had been criticized by some senators when he fled up the mountain, who believed that it was his greed for life and fear of death that led to the rapid fall of Rome.
"Ten years ago, you stubbornly resisted the Celts on this mountain and held out for more than half a year with other warriors. You are already very experienced in this. You have been fighting hard with the Daonians for so long, and you have some understanding of them. Who else can take on this important responsibility besides you!"
Speaking of this, Maruginensis glanced at everyone and said in a heavier tone, "The responsibility for the fall of Rome has nothing to do with you. After the battle began, you handed over the command to us… Hey! We didn't expect the Daonians' siege ability to be so strong!"
"The main reason is that the young and middle-aged citizens in Rome are not here!" Plenius said loudly, obviously trying to put the responsibility for the fall of the city on Camillus.
This time, no one spoke up to defend Camillus, and even Potitus chose to remain silent. The fall of Rome made the senators more or less dissatisfied with Camillus: if it wasn't for this dictator's proposal to 'concentrate all our strength and conquer Hernici first', how could Rome have suffered such a disaster?!
But the senators obviously forgot that Camillus's proposal had once received their strong support, and they had even thought of getting many benefits from this military operation.
At this moment of national crisis, Scipio the Elder did not decline and accepted the appointment, but he, who had just engaged in a head-on battle with the Daonian army, expressed his concerns about the upcoming battle: "Honorable senators and recruits, since I came to the mountain, I have been paying attention to the performance of the Daonian army in Rome. They did not indiscriminately kill the Roman people who remained at the foot of the mountain, humiliate… the women of Rome, nor did they plunder property or burn buildings, or even have conflicts and fights with each other over property and women.
What are they doing?! They drove the Roman people in the square back to their homes, and they were actually cleaning the streets, setting up tents in the square, and patrolling the city walls… The performance of the Daonian army in Rome is completely different from that of the Celts ten years ago! You have great hopes for Camillus, who is about to lead a large army back, but I hope you will also be prepared for the worst… Camillus may not be able to recapture Rome in a short time!"
His words hit the worries of Potitus, Marrucinensis, and others, and also made the senators who still held illusions uneasy, causing a commotion in the temple.
Just then, a soldier came in to report: the southwestern part of the city was brightly lit, and the sounds of battle shook the heavens.
"Could reinforcements have arrived?!" One senator's guess invigorated everyone.
Everyone hurriedly walked out of the temple and, under the protection of the soldiers, came to the edge of the cliff. Sure enough, they saw the southwestern night sky stained red by fire, and other places also had faint lights surrounding the city of Rome, which should be the torches lit by the enemy on the entire city wall.
"It seems reinforcements really have arrived!" The senators stood on the edge of the cliff, anxiously gazing at the distant firelight.
Led by the high priest, the people on the hilltop excitedly and devoutly prayed to the sky god Jupiter.
… … … … … … … … … … … … … …
The attacking force was precisely 6,000 Roman soldiers led by Quintus and Furius. They had not prepared any other siege equipment, only carrying a dozen or so thick logs from Prinieste, and rushed straight towards the city, holding torches high.
Perhaps in the minds of the Roman soldiers, the Daunians had just seized the city of Rome and were now letting their soldiers plunder the city's wealth and women. It was a time when the city gates were wide open and defenses were weak, just like when the Aequi and Hernici breached the city of Prinieste last year, or when the Celts breached the city of Rome and other Latin city-states ten years ago. Their raid could catch the enemy off guard.
But who knew that when they arrived outside the city of Rome, they saw: the city of Rome was quiet, the city gates were tightly closed, torches were lit on the walls, and enemy soldiers were fully armed and waiting in formation.
The reality was different from what they had imagined, and Quintus and Furius felt a little apprehensive, but they still ordered the soldiers to make a tentative attack.
As a result, the Roman soldiers, carrying the logs, laboriously climbed over the trenches and came to the city gates, suffering considerable casualties under the defenders' ranged attacks. Then, they quickly discovered that using the logs to ram the city gates was not very effective.
It turned out that when the Romans defended the city, because they lacked manpower, they sealed all the city gates with wood and stones. After the Daunian army entered the city, Davos only had his soldiers clear the Caelimontana gate on the south wall closest to the forum and the Naevia gate on the west (mainly for the convenience of transporting supplies into the city). The other city gates were still sealed, which led to the failure of the Roman reinforcements' strong attack on the city gates, and their morale was hit.
Just when Quintus and Furius were considering retreating, scouts reported: two breaches were found in the west wall.
This gave the two Roman generals hope again.
They immediately led the soldiers, who were eager to save their families, to attack the west city.
As a result, the Daunian Fourth and Fifth Legions were waiting in full battle array at the breaches in the city wall, and light infantry on the city wall launched fierce attacks with bows and arrows, javelins, and stones. The Roman army that rushed into the breaches quickly suffered heavy casualties, but could not advance an inch. The morale that had been boosted by the desire to save their homes quickly declined, and the fatigue brought about by a long journey throughout the day took over their bodies. The Roman reinforcements quickly collapsed.
Davos immediately sent out a cavalry legion, rushing out of the Caelimontana gate, preparing to pursue the defeated soldiers and wipe them out in one fell swoop.
However, the cavalry was intercepted by the Prinieste reinforcements led by Maelius. Because it was night, Davos couldn't figure out how many reinforcements had come from Rome. In order to prevent accidents, he ordered the pursuit to stop, allowing the Roman defeated soldiers to escape.
… … … … … … … … … … … … … …
The distant firelight lasted for less than half an hour before it went out, and there was no further movement, obviously suffering a defeat.
The people on the Capitoline Hill were very frustrated, and sighs were endless.
"People of Rome, our army is far away in Hernici, it is impossible to arrive so quickly, those are just reinforcements from other allies!…" At this time, the voice of Scipio Africanus Major sounded, especially clear in the darkness, slightly comforting the disappointed people.
At the same time, Potitus whispered to Marrucinensis: "If… Camillus's army cannot retake the city of Rome in a short time, there are too many people on the mountain, it will only consume food and shake morale… cough cough…"
It was now April, not yet the hot summer, and the hilltop was cold at night with strong mountain winds. Old people like Potitus, who had been standing on the edge of the cliff for half an hour out of concern for the war, were now feeling unwell even though they were wrapped in fur robes, and began to drip snot.
"…Let's see what happens after Camillus's army arrives…" Marrucinensis looked at the dark night, as if the disputes with Potitus in the Senate over the years did not exist, comforting him: "No matter who launched the attack on the city of Rome tonight, they also created an opportunity for us. The people we sent should be able to take advantage of the chaos to escape the city, find Camillus, tell him about the situation in the city, and let them be prepared…"
… … … … … … … … … … … … … …
Early the next morning, soldiers from the Daunian First and Second Legions began to pack up their tents and clear the forum.
By the morning, the people of Rome, driven by Daunian soldiers, had successively arrived at the forum, which was filled with fully armed Daunian soldiers, causing them to be terrified and uneasy.
Especially the people from the slums. The scene they had glimpsed the previous evening of the battle at the breach in the city wall not far from them, as well as the disastrous defeat of the Roman reinforcements, still lingered in their minds. But today, the Daunians actually made them stand at the very front of the forum. How could they not be afraid?
By near noon, the forum was already crowded with Roman citizens.
At this time, the military horn sounded loudly, and a group of Daunian soldiers in gorgeous armor, guarding a man wearing golden shining armor and a flowing feathered helmet, stepped on the stone steps and walked onto the high platform in front of the Senate gate.
"Is that the king of Daonia?!" A commotion broke out in the crowd in the forum.
The Daunian soldiers around the forum immediately struck their long shields with short swords and shouted in unison, immediately pouring a bucket of cold water on the Roman citizens huddled in the forum, silencing them. They only looked at Davos, who was high above them, with both fear and hatred in their eyes.
Davos completely ignored the anger in their eyes and said loudly: "People of Rome, I am Davos, the king of Daonia, the new master of this city! I originally wanted to take you to the foot of the Capitoline Hill, the place where a Roman hero I admired died, Marcus Manlius Capitolinus, I believe you all still remember this name!"
When the herald translated Davos's words into Latin and spread them throughout the audience, a commotion broke out again in the forum. The faces of the Roman citizens were filled with doubt. They never expected that their enemy, the king of Daonia, would talk about Marcus Manlius Capitolinus, whom they knew well, as soon as he opened his mouth. Therefore, they focused their attention even more on Davos, and there was more curiosity in their eyes.
Davos forcefully extended four fingers and said loudly with passionate emotion: "Debt! Land! Slavery! Power! The four major problems you face, from the establishment of the city of Rome to the present, your ancestors and you have been persistently fighting against the nobles, even threatening to flee Rome many times, and even paying the price of blood many times. However, Rome has developed from a small village into a city-state with such a vast territory, but your situation has not improved much. You still live in hardship and still suffer from the humiliation of the nobles!
Marcus is different from other Roman nobles. Not only did he defend Rome with bravery, but he was also able to abandon the arrogance and greed of the nobles and wholeheartedly help you commoners. He paid out of his own pocket to repay the debts of more than 400 of you commoners, and for the first time loudly called in the Senate to exempt you from debts and allocate the land you had acquired…"
Was he using you to achieve some purpose of his own?! No! He did it so that you could enjoy a better life in the city-state! To this end, he did not hesitate to betray his own origins, become one of you, and lead you to bravely resist the evil Roman nobles! Remember what he said to you, 'I will not abandon any of you, and you must also be careful that my fate does not abandon me. I myself, as your defender, will not be afraid. You have all seen that I was once put in shackles, but later abandoned them with the help of many of you. If the enemy treats me even more arrogantly, the gods will stop them, but the gods will never descend from the sky for us, we must have your full support…'"
Speaking of this, Davos stared at the people below the stage and shouted sharply: "But, did you do it! No! Under the fierce counterattack of the nobles, you flinched. You actually believed the Senate's lies and allowed Marcus to be framed and arrested by the Senate, and watched helplessly as he was pushed down from the Capitoline Hill by the ferocious Roman nobles and fell to his death! Don't you feel guilty in your hearts?!"
Davos's words made the Roman citizens recall the scenes of the past, and a feeling of shame surged into their hearts. So a strange scene appeared: the Roman citizens actually lowered their heads under the questioning of the Daunian king who had occupied their homeland.
Of course, although Davos ordered the army to gather the Roman civilians in the forum, it was inevitable that some small nobles and the nobles' clients were mixed in. So they heard them shouting furiously: "Don't listen to the enemy's rumors! Don't forget, he just led the army and occupied our homeland and killed our relatives! The Senate did nothing wrong. Marcus Manlius attempted to become a dictator and split Rome, and deserved to die! Now it seems that he is also colluding with the Daunians and should dig out his bones and tear him to pieces!"
If what they said at the beginning could still slightly alert the commoners, the subsequent defamation of Marcus touched the sensitive nerves of the commoners: "I recognize you. You are a lackey of the Comelii clan. You were among those who slandered Lord Marcus at the People's Assembly!"
"Gnaeus, you were among the nobles who arrested Lord Marcus. How dare you show up in front of us!"
...
Just as the crowd was getting agitated, a voice shouted: "Kill them and avenge Lord Marcus!" Soon, the argument turned into a brawl, and the venue became chaotic, filled with screams and cries. m.
"Your Majesty!" Tolmides, seeing this situation on the stage, feared something would go wrong and hurriedly asked Davos for instructions: "Should we stop them?"
Davos shook his head: "Wait a moment."
After a while, the military horn sounded, the soldiers on the side of the field roared again, and a detachment was sent to squeeze into the crowd. The dozen or so nobles and sycophants who were being besieged were beaten to the point of being on their last breath. The soldiers dragged them out and threw them aside, while sending doctors to treat the other injured civilians.
At this moment, Davos, standing on the high platform, continued to shout loudly to the crowd that had calmed down: "You probably don't know that Marcus, after learning that he had been falsely accused, secretly wrote a letter to his family, expressing his determination to die. Do you want to know what he said in the letter?!"
The Roman people, after hearing the translator's words, were driven by curiosity and guilt to shout without hesitation: "Yes!!!..."
"Then let Publius Manlius read this family letter to you." The Roman people were surprised when Davos finished speaking: Publius Manlius was a Roman senator, the current patriarch of the Manlius clan. He actually defected to the Daunians?!
The people who doubted this widened their eyes in surprise when they saw the person walking onto the high platform: it was indeed Publius Manlius.
Facing the gaze of the Roman people, the current patriarch of the Manlius clan lowered his head in shame. At this moment, Davos's voice rang in his ears: "Begin, Lord Publius!"
He shuddered even more, and the scene of the fierce Daunian soldiers continuously chopping off the heads of more than a dozen Roman nobles he was familiar with appeared in his mind again. The blood and shattered heads on the ground crushed the fragile resistance in his heart. For the survival of the family, he chose to submit, just like after Marcus was executed by the Senate, he quickly made the decision to "submit to the senators and no longer use the family name of Capitolinus."
Under Davos's smiling gaze,
his hands trembled slightly as he took out the letter, which he himself had written, imitating Marcus's handwriting, based on Davos's dictation: "...Publius...my brother, you don't need...to persuade me anymore. I am very clear about the despicable tricks of the Senate. Slandering me for wanting to restore the monarchy is to put me to death!
I have been fighting bravely all my life and have never surrendered to anyone, so I will never kneel down and beg for mercy from them, even if they use the greatest crimes to slander my reputation, usurp my honor, and make the commoners who have followed me in the struggle doubt me, I am not afraid!
My only regret is that I once made a promise to help those who believe in me, follow me, and fight against the Senate together, to help them get rid of their heavy debts, to allow them each to have their own land, and to allow their cattle and sheep to graze on the public land of Rome! In fact, there is another promise in my heart that I have not told them, that is, to allow them to have the opportunity to run for senior Roman positions, to become senators, to serve as consuls... Unfortunately, all of this can no longer be realized.
I now finally understand that it is almost impossible to gain power for the commoners through words! If the gods could give me another chance, I would definitely arm the people and use sharp spears and the anger in their hearts to overthrow the terrible and greedy rule of the Roman nobles and establish a beautiful political system like the Daunian kingdom south of Rome, which I often told you about, where every citizen enjoys equal rights, regardless of noble or commoner!" When he read this, Publius Manlius glanced at Davos not far away. The real author of this letter was listening attentively, as if this letter really existed.
When his gaze turned to the bottom of the high platform, he suddenly saw many people already sobbing. He was stunned for a moment, subconsciously increased his volume, and continued to read: "Publius, my brother, from now on, the affairs of the family will depend on you to take care of. If possible, try to help the commoners in need... I am very unwilling to die with the charge of dictatorship! The gods above will surely send down punishment for my grievances. Those who benefit from my death should not be too happy too soon! Signed: Marcus Manlius Capitolinus"
After Publius finished reading the letter, the square was filled with weeping. Most of the people did not doubt the authenticity of the letter. They were moved by Marcus's persistence in fighting for their rights even on his deathbed. They were ashamed that they had not firmly rescued such a great and noble leader.
In the midst of the crying, someone shouted excitedly: "Marcus!"
Receiving countless loud responses: "Marcus!!! Marcus!!! Marcus!!!..."
The people in the square shouted his name in unison, filled with excitement.
The shouts echoed in the sky above Rome, actually attracting the senators and nobles on the Capitoline Hill to look towards the square. They saw the crowd gathered in the square and thought that these Roman people were protesting against the Daunians, but they did not know that these Roman commoners were excitedly mourning one of their most hated noble traitors.
The excited emotions of the Roman people lasted for a while before gradually calming down.
At this moment, Davos said loudly: "A year after Marcus was killed, a plague broke out in Rome. This is by no means the warning of 'the gods against Marcus's attempt to become a dictator,' as the priests said, but the punishment of the gods for those who falsely accused a great Roman hero! And today, we Daunians have come to Rome, also to respond to Marcus's curse, to overthrow those Roman nobles who are high above and cruelly oppress you, and to build a new Rome with you, as Marcus said in his letter!"
While Davos was giving a passionate speech, Publius Manlius nodded repeatedly.
Although the Roman people were still full of vigilance and suspicion, their gazes towards Davos were less angry.
Someone mustered up the courage and asked loudly: "How are you going to build a new Rome with us?!"
"Well asked!" Davos immediately responded: "Now, let my newly appointed Roman Administrative Deputy answer your question and announce my orders!"
Then, the Roman people saw a man wearing a gorgeous Bolton with black-trimmed white stripes walking onto the high platform with his head held high. After he respectfully saluted King Davos, he turned to face the people below the platform.
The people living in the slums of Rome who were standing in the front suddenly widened their eyes in surprise: Isn't that Varro?!
Some people couldn't help but shout: "Varro, is that you?!"
Varro raised his head and said proudly: "I am now the Roman Administrative Deputy appointed by His Majesty the King, which is a higher position than the aedile you are familiar with. Please show me respect when you speak next time!"
As soon as he finished speaking, there was an uproar under the platform. Everyone talked and discussed, and soon the news spread throughout the venue: a Roman commoner who was once like them, and had even been reduced to a slave, has now become a high-ranking official of the Daunian kingdom, standing on the high platform and lecturing them.
Davos watched the commotion below the platform calmly, very satisfied with the huge impact that Varro's example had on the Roman commoners. He knew very well that in Italy and the western Mediterranean, citizens of one city-state would occasionally leave their original city-state and join another city-state for certain reasons, or even an enemy city-state, but they would basically not be reused and would not enter the core circle of that city-state, but would often be reduced to commoners. This is also one of the important sources of Roman commoners (of course, there will also be some clans from other countries who bring their families and hundreds of people to join Rome and be accepted by the Roman clan commune, sharing power, but that becomes the nobility). Like Persia, being able to open its arms, accept fugitives from other countries, and even enemies, and give them important positions, such practices are, after all, extremely rare among Mediterranean countries. This has also led to the fact that although the Greeks and Persians are mortal enemies, they often go to Persia for refuge once they are expelled from their own country.
And now, what will the Roman commoners do after suddenly seeing the huge change in Varro's social status? Davos waited and watched.
The orderly roar of the Daunian soldiers once again restored peace to the square.
Varro cleared his throat, took several breaths, recalled the content he had worked hard to memorize yesterday, and said loudly: "Well, His Majesty King Davos announces to all the Roman people that 'from the time Daonia owns the city of Rome, all the debts owed by the Roman commoners to the nobles are abolished, and all the slaves of the Roman nobles and the public slaves of the original city of Rome become free people.'"
As soon as Varro finished saying this, the slaves in the rear of the square cheered.
In comparison, the Roman commoners seemed a little calm. Rome had been occupied by foreigners, and most of the senators and nobles had fled to the Capitoline Hill. Of course, it was impossible to ask them to repay their debts, but they also relaxed their brows, knowing clearly that as long as the nobles could not repel the Daunians, their debts might be permanently wiped out!
"And… um… um…" Facing the Roman commoners' expectant gazes, Valerius suddenly couldn't remember what he was going to say next, and he became nervous.
At this moment, his assistant, Adrius, immediately leaned in and whispered, "Become citizens, land—"
Valerius, enlightened, suddenly remembered and gave him a grateful look.
Adrius scorned Valerius's stupidity in his heart, but also envied his good fortune, secretly complaining to himself: Although he was of Latin origin, why hadn't he been a Roman before?
However, he firmly believed that this time, His Majesty the King had assigned him to assist Valerius, which was a great opportunity for him. As long as he performed well, he believed he would soon be promoted.
At this time, Valerius, afraid of forgetting again, quickly said, "King Davos has also issued an order: 'The land owned by the original Roman citizens will not be recognized and will be redistributed. Any Roman who applies to become a citizen of Daonia will first receive five acres of land. The earlier you apply, the better the location and the more fertile the land will be. Moreover, in the future, as you participate in the Daonian army, gain military merits, or make other… contributions, you will also receive rewards of land.'
Also… Romans who become citizens of Daonia can apply for public office in the forum in the future. After passing the assessment, they can take office. Also… um, Romans who become citizens of Daonia can also obtain low-interest loans of only 5% from Daonian… banks. Also, your children can go to Daonian schools to study, and be educated by excellent teachers, and only need to pay a tuition fee of one drachma per year…"
Valerius, fearing that he would forget again, kept talking while recalling the memories in his mind, but he didn't notice that the commoners in the forum were agitated again.
The commoners who had no land showed excited expressions, the commoners who originally owned land were angry because their land was reduced, but they were moved by the subsequent conditions, and the slaves were overjoyed that they could get rid of their lowly status and possibly become citizens.
Of course, the very few Roman nobles hidden in the crowd had gloomy faces, but they did not dare to speak out, for fear of being beaten up like before.
The discussion on the forum became louder and louder, and suddenly someone shouted loudly: "Can we also become senators?!"
Then some people echoed: "Yes! Can people of our origin become senators in Daonia?!"
The noise on the forum suddenly quieted down, and everyone eagerly awaited Valerius's answer.
But this sudden question stunned Valerius,
Because he didn't know either.
At this time, Davos, after listening to the translator's translation, stepped forward and said loudly: "Of course you can! Not only can you become Daonian senators, but you can also serve as governors of the kingdom in the future, managing four or five large towns like Rome! You can also become war zone commanders, commanding several legions and tens of thousands of soldiers to fight against the enemy!
You may not know that in the Daonian Senate, more than half of the senators are of humble origin. Some of them have served as mercenaries, and some were even slaves. Moreover, many of the Daonian senators are not Greeks, but Brutii, Lucanians, Messapians… Like you, they are all races living on this land.
Therefore, whether you can become a senator in our Kingdom of Daonia does not depend on your origin, nor on your race, but on whether you have made enough contributions to this kingdom and whether you have the ability to take on this important task! Whether you are poor or rich, commoner or noble, Greek or other race, Daonia will place opportunities equally in front of every citizen, and whether you can become a senator or serve as a senior official of the kingdom depends only on your own continuous efforts to obtain it!…"
When the translator spread these words throughout the forum, the Roman people became even more agitated, and some even shouted "Good!", obviously Davos's words of "regardless of origin, only look at ability" were deafening to the Roman commoners who had been oppressed for decades and had been committed to breaking the nobles' monopoly on power.
The discussion on the forum became even louder, and Valerius, reminded by Adrius, hurriedly shouted loudly on the stage: "Quiet! Quiet! Please listen to me finish, there is another great thing!…"
After a while, the forum quieted down a little.
Valerius had to use all his strength to say: "King Davos… um… is very kind. Seeing that the houses you live in are too small and simple, he has decided that all Romans who apply to become citizens of Daonia will be allocated new houses in the city of Rome, and these new houses are owned by the former Roman nobles, you will definitely live very comfortably!"
Looking at the renewed discussion under the stage, Davos's face revealed a slight, almost imperceptible, sneer.
Davos was well aware that relying solely on tens of thousands of troops and a surprise attack would not be enough to conquer Rome, a state with its own complete political system and civilization, a large population, and astonishing resilience. With Daonia facing Carthage's attack in Sicily, the Samnites raiding the northern border, and the impact of the drought, the country could neither spare a large army to completely crush Rome nor spend time slowly assimilating it.
Therefore, to quickly expand the advantage after occupying Rome and make the Roman resistance unshakeable, Davos, after much deliberation, adopted the method of supporting one group of people to overthrow another. Since the founding of Rome, there had been a conflict between the nobles and the commoners, and this conflict had deepened over time.
In his long-term study of Rome, Davos discovered that the Roman nobility was actually a clan commune, like the ancient Chinese patriarchal society, a group of people closely connected by blood and interests. Everyone in the group contributed to the clan while also enjoying the help it provided. The land and wealth owned by clan members would only belong to the clan even after death, and would not be lost to outsiders. These were closed circles that naturally excluded outsiders, operating on their own traditional customs and systems. This was different from the loose tribal systems of the Brutii and Lucanians that Daonia had conquered. To dismantle it and assimilate it would require Davos to invest a huge amount of time and energy. Under the current circumstances, Davos clearly did not have this patience, so he turned his attention to the Roman commoners.
These Roman commoners, who had always been excluded from the Roman clans and long suppressed by the nobles, were easily absorbed and assimilated by Daonia. Letting the commoners occupy the nobles' land and live in the nobles' houses (because the war was still going on, the distribution of land could only be written in contracts, but the distribution of housing could be implemented immediately)... Once the Roman commoners possessed these things, they would not easily give them up again, and would inevitably fight to the death with the Roman nobles, which would achieve Davos's goal of weakening Roman power.
While Davos was lost in thought, Varro shouted again, "Now, you can go there and line up to apply to become Daonian citizens!"
Varro pointed to the bottom of the high platform, where several wooden tables were placed side by side, with a dozen young staff officers led by Thormedes sitting beside them with paper and pens.
The crowd in the square suddenly fell silent. Everyone looked at each other, and no one took the initiative to step forward.
This silence lasted for a while. Croto Catakes, who had been quietly watching on the high platform, became a little anxious and repeatedly looked at his father not far away.
Davos sensed his gaze and waved his hand slightly, signaling him not to worry.
At this moment, Varro pointed to a person below the stage and scolded, "Dechimus, my former neighbor, didn't you often say to me in the past, 'You should kill those nobles, take back the land you should enjoy, and seize their houses and enjoy their beautiful female slaves!' Now a great opportunity is right in front of you, what are you still hesitating about! Are you just a coward who talks big!"
The middle-aged man, wearing faded linen clothes and a thin figure, was immediately provoked and cursed, "Varro, don't think that just because you are lucky enough to become a municipal official, you can boss me around. When I become a senator, see how I deal with you! ... Damn it! Anyway, I'm alone, I have nothing, there's nothing to be afraid of! Okay, I'll apply to become a Daonian citizen!"
As he spoke, he walked towards the registration office.
"What about you, Lucius?! What are you still hesitating about?!" Varro pointed to another of his former neighbors below the stage and shouted loudly.
Lucius looked at Dechimus, who was lie at the wooden table, and hesitated to step forward under Varro's urging.
One, two, three... With someone taking the lead, those who were already a little tempted no longer hesitated and began to follow them forward.
Croto Catakes looked at the long queue gradually forming in front of the registration office below the stage and felt a little puzzled again: "These Romans have so easily abandoned their motherland and become our citizens?!"
"Your Highness Cloto, Rome is originally an immigrant city-state. Their citizens include not only Latins, but also Etruscans, Sabines, and a few Marsi and Aequi... It is said that after repelling the Celts, the Roman Senate also passed a law to vigorously absorb Latins and other ethnic people around Rome who were homeless due to the war to fill Rome's population. Most of them became Roman commoners. I'm afraid that many of the people in the square now joined Rome in the last ten years. Since they can join Rome, why can't they join Daonia?! Moreover, the rights and benefits that Daonia can give them are much better than Rome's!" Hynipolis, who had read some information about Rome in advance, explained from the side.
At this time, Davos also interjected, "The reason why these Roman people hesitated just now is probably because they don't know much about the unfamiliar Daonia, they are afraid of being deceived, and they are also worried that we Daonians will abandon them at any time and make them sacrifices to the angry Roman nobles, but Varro has played a very important role, at least dispelling some of their concerns..."
Croto Catakes looked thoughtfully at the shouting Roman administrative adjutant who had just been appointed last night.
Just then, Martius hurried onto the stage and reported to Davos: "Your Majesty, the fleet from Ostia has arrived at the river port."
Davos was overjoyed to hear this: "Asistetes, Nicomachus, Antripolis... They have finally arrived, and the governance and transformation of Rome can finally be put on the agenda!"
Davos glanced at the originally chaotic crowd in the square, which had begun to become a little more orderly, and said to the people around him: "Go! To the river port outside the west city to welcome the newly arrived senators and officials!"
......................
Just as Davos was rushing to the river port of Rome, the Roman army led by Camillus was on its way back, and their vanguard had already arrived in Signia.
Camillus rode his horse in the middle of the team. According to Roman military tradition, the commanding general should also march and fight on foot like the soldiers, and not ride a horse, but Camillus's situation was special. Not only was he a meritorious veteran, but he was also too old (over 60 years old). Of course, he could not march and fight on foot with the soldiers, so the Senate specially approved him to ride a horse.
Even riding a horse, the continuous two-day rapid march made his old body somewhat unbearable. He looked at the equally tired soldiers beside him and made up his mind: when he arrived at Priniest, he would let the army camp and rest to ensure that the soldiers could fight the Daunians attacking Rome with vigorous fighting spirit and abundant physical strength tomorrow.
Just as Camillus was conceiving in his mind all the possible plans for the army to engage in a battle with the Daunians, a Roman messenger galloped from north to south.
Looking at the messenger's anxious eyes, Camillus took the urgent letter written by Mejus, and a trace of unease rose in his heart. Then he glanced at the content of the letter, and the words "The city of Rome has fallen" immediately made his heartbeat and breathing stop in an instant. Regret, sadness, self-blame, exhaustion... all kinds of negative emotions rushed to his heart, and he felt dizzy and fell off his horse.
"Father!"
"Lord Camillus!!"
"Dictator Lord!!"
...
A series of anxious calls woke Camillus up. Looking at the guards and soldiers gathered around him, he subconsciously clenched his right hand. The letter was still in his hand! He quickly said: "Don't worry,
I'm fine! Maybe it's because I'm too tired..."
"My Lord, it seems you need a good rest!" the captain of the guard said with concern.
"Yes, I need to rest for a while!" Camillus said smoothly: "Lucius, let the soldiers continue marching, I'll rest for a while, and I'll catch up soon."
Lucius looked at his father lying on the grass, and then at the messenger standing aside, silent all the time, feeling very suspicious in his heart, but he did not ask any further questions, but obeyed the order.
The soldiers, under the urging of Lucius, returned to the team.
Camillus, under the protection of the guards, closed his eyes and rested.
But no one knew that at this moment, his heart was surging:
The Daunians have broken through the city of Rome. What is the situation of the people in the city?!!
What siege method did the Daunians use to occupy such a strong city of Rome so quickly?!!
The rescue operation of Quintus and Furius was easily repelled by the Daunians. Have the Daunians stabilized so quickly in the city of Rome?!!
What will be the reaction of the soldiers if they learn that their homeland has been occupied by the Daunians?!!
...
Countless thoughts appeared in Camillus's mind at the same time, squeezing his already dizzy brain, forcing him to calm down and try to sort out the chaotic thoughts in his mind.
After a long time, he opened his eyes, and with a firm expression, he called Lucius and asked him to notify all the troops to stop advancing after arriving at Signia and wait for his next instructions.
Then he sent someone to notify the senior generals to come to a meeting immediately.
Before long, Publius Licinius, Titus Quinctius Cincinnatus, Aulus Cornelius, Servius Sulpicius... and Minucius Cominius, who had previously conveyed orders to the Senate, arrived one after another.
Camillus glanced at each general with a solemn expression, and then said in a deep voice: "Before I tell you an important message, you must guarantee me that you must remain calm enough and not have obvious panic, anger, or shouting. Can you do it?!!"
The generals looked at each other, not knowing what had happened, but they obviously felt that the situation was not good.
Titus asked in a panic: "Dictator Lord, is it Rome—"
Camillus did not respond, but asked again in a deep voice: "Can you do it?!!"
At this time, Camillus was completely unlike the old man who always had a smile on his face and always liked to discuss military affairs with them peacefully, but like a ferocious beast ready to devour people at any time.
Everyone's heart trembled, and they immediately responded in unison: "We can do it!!"
Camillus glanced at them again and said in a deep voice: "I just received a battle report... Yesterday... Rome fell! It was occupied by the Daunians!"
Although the generals present were mentally prepared, at this moment, each of them clenched their fists, and all kinds of extreme emotions such as shock, suspicion, pain, and anger were conveyed from their distorted faces, wide eyes, and rapid breathing.
"Dictator Lord, is this... is this news true?!!" Licinius asked in a trembling voice.
"The messenger sent by Mejus brought an urgent letter written by him in his own handwriting. The letter also said that the troops led by Quintus and Furius also suffered defeat in the rescue. Now the defeated soldiers are gathered in Priniest, and a large number of people who fortunately escaped from Rome are stranded in the area between Gabii and Priniest..."
"We must take back Rome immediately!" Servius tried his best to lower his voice, so that his fists were clenched until they bled.
"Of course we must take back Rome! But first we must prevent the soldiers from becoming chaotic after receiving the news. We must stabilize the army!..." Camillus said his suggestion.
After some discussion, the generals returned to their teams with heavy hearts.
"Father... Mother and sister, they—" Lucius, with a worried face, said half a sentence, but couldn't go on.
"Alas..." Camillus sighed heavily, said nothing more, and walked staggeringly towards the warhorse held by the guard not far away.
Lucius hurried forward and supported his elderly father.
......................
When he arrived at Signia, Camillus saw the messenger sent by Mejus again.
Most of the senators and some of the people retreated to the Capitoline Hill! This news made Amillus feel surprised and more confident in his heart.
This afternoon, the Roman generals gathered nearly 60,000 Roman soldiers between the city of Signia and the banks of the Tolerus River.
Dictator Camillus stood on the head of Signia City, the mountain wind messed up his white hair, but his old body stood upright. Facing the dense and boundless team under the city, he said loudly: "Citizens of Rome, warriors of the allied states, you have not yet fully enjoyed the joy of conquering the Hernici, so you rushed back because your motherland, the center of Latium—Rome, was attacked by the enemy! But unfortunately, before you had time to rush to the rescue, the city of Rome was occupied by the Daunians yesterday!"
Hundreds of sound transmitters who had been solemnly instructed by Camillus in advance were arranged in a line at intervals along the army's formation under the city, successively spreading Camillus's words throughout the army.
Suddenly, like a gust of wind blowing through, the entire army set off a huge wave.
"Oh my god, the city of Rome has been breached! My wife and children are still in the city!!"
"The money I worked so hard to save to buy cattle and sheep must have been robbed by those damn enemies. What should I do?!!"
"Jupiter, what mistakes have we made? Why do you punish us so cruelly! This is the second time Rome has been occupied. What should we do?!!"
"Rome has been occupied. What are we still standing here for?! Hurry up and go to Rome, drive away those enemies, and take back our home!!"
...
Licinius, Titus, and other generals had previously told the company commanders of their subordinates about the news of "Rome's Fall" and asked them to try their best to stabilize the emotions of their soldiers, but despite the best efforts of the company commanders, the emotions of the soldiers were like water being burned, uncontrollably boiling up, and the entire army was on the verge of collapse.
Just then, a group of defeated soldiers came from the north. Their armor was incomplete, and many of them were even injured. They passed through the gaps between the formations and came to the foot of Signia City.
Their miserable appearance attracted the attention of many soldiers.
"Isn't that Ligurus?! I remember he followed General Quintus to Rome for rescue long ago!"
"It seems they were defeated by the enemy, and I'm afraid they were defeated so badly!"
"General Quintus and Furius led our most courageous citizens! Many of them have won citizen crowns! Could it be that these Daunians are as terrible as the Celts!"