"Sacrifice to the gods! Which god?!" the youth asked urgently upon hearing this.
"It's just the common people…" The woman immediately realized that her husband was also of common birth as soon as the words left her mouth, and she quickly softened her tone, saying, "It's just Diana, Vesta, Ceres, Liber, and Libera, the gods you often worship."
The youth's heart jolted, and he lay back on the bed without speaking, his mind deep in thought.
Conia came from a noble Roman family, and she had been pampered since childhood, never encountering any hardships. When her father wanted to marry her to Gaius Licinius Stolo, even though the young man was already somewhat famous in Rome at the time, she was still a little unwilling, because in doing so, she would become the first noblewoman to marry a commoner, and she worried that she would become a laughingstock among the Roman nobility. However, after the marriage, her husband's appearance, talent, and understanding gradually dispelled the dissatisfaction in her heart, and their married life became more and more harmonious.
At this moment, seeing that her husband's face had become somewhat unsightly, she quickly asked, "Stolo, what's wrong?"
Stolo said with a solemn expression, "The Daonians are trying every means to win over the common people. I'm worried… that they will really be deceived by the Daonians and abandon… Rome."
In fact, yesterday, after learning the content of the Daunian king's speech from the person who came to him for a secret talk, he was greatly surprised. Because the promises made by that King Davos were exactly what the Roman common people had been tirelessly pursuing. He had already realized the Daonians' intentions, and now the Daunian king, disregarding his noble Greek status, was going to worship the gods believed in by the Roman common people. To win over the Roman common people, he could actually go to such lengths. He was really very worried that the common people, who already had great conflicts with the nobles, would all turn to Daonia, thereby severely weakening the Romans' own strength, which could very likely lead to Rome's defeat in this war…
Thinking of these things, he was filled with worry, and even a few traces of pleasure crept into his heart, and he blurted out, "I was thinking, if the senators and nobles on Capitoline Hill knew what the Daonians are doing now, they would definitely regret having always been too harsh on the common people…"
Conia looked puzzled, not understanding what her husband was saying, and she felt inexplicably angry in her heart. Stolo had this one bad point: sometimes he spoke too profoundly, making it difficult for her to understand, just like her father, Ambustus.
She couldn't help but think of something else: she remembered once, she went to visit her sister. Her brother-in-law, Servius Sulpicius, was a nobleman who had just been appointed as a military tribune. He came back late, and when he saw that the house door hadn't been opened in time, he actually ordered the centurion under his command to use the legion's standard to knock on the door, making a "bang, bang" sound. Seeing this situation, she felt frightened, but she was laughed at by her sister, who said she was unsophisticated.
Of course, she was very angry and left her sister's house in a huff. Later, she told her father about this, and Ambustus comforted her, saying, "Don't worry, one day you will be in your own home, making your sister so surprised that she won't be able to close her mouth."
Until now, she still couldn't figure out what in her own home could surprise her sister…
Thinking of these things, she began to worry about her parents and sister's family who had fled to Capitoline Hill, and her heart was filled with sorrow.
At this time, Stolo looked out the window. He suddenly thought of a question: the Daunian king leaving the heavily guarded square and going to Aventine Hill, where the people were mixed, might be a good opportunity. Could those people seize this opportunity?!
Although the Daonians ordered the Romans to stay at home as much as possible, and anyone loitering in the streets would be strictly questioned, Stolo, with expectations in his heart, decided to send a family slave out to gather information.
As a result, the family slave was driven back not long after he went out, because the Daunian army had already imposed martial law on the main streets.
… … … … … … … … … … … … …
But in the southern part of the Roman city, Davos did not prohibit the Roman people from going out and watching, but only had soldiers from the Fourth and Fifth Legions build a cordon along the way.
For safety's sake, Davos also forbade his son, Croto Catacus, from accompanying him, and had him stay in the Senate.
The Roman people poured to the side of the road, and behind the legion soldiers, they could clearly see that the Daunian king, who had once worn gorgeous military attire in the square, was now dressed in plain robes, completely in the attire that Roman residents would wear when praying at temples. Beside him were ten men dressed in the same way (disguised as court guards by Caldias, Aemilius, and Martius), followed by hundreds of court guards… Under the gaze of thousands of Roman people, they ascended Aventine Hill.
The Temple of Diana was the largest temple on Aventine Hill. It was built during the reign of King Servius and had a long history and many believers, so Davos designated it as the first temple to be sacrificed to.
Originally, because the Daonians had occupied the city of Rome and prohibited the Roman people from moving around, this temple was also deserted. But today, Davos lifted the ban, so many Roman people were allowed into the temple courtyard, but the passage in the middle was blocked by legion soldiers.
Davos stepped into the courtyard and was also watched by the Roman people, while Diana's priests and attendants were already standing respectfully at the temple entrance waiting.
After bowing and greeting Davos, the old priest of Diana, with white hair and beard and a kind appearance, frowned as he looked at the group of followers behind Davos and said with embarrassment, "According to the oracle, the temple only allows King Davos to enter and worship alone."
After Davos listened to Aemilius's translation, he immediately asked loudly, "Doesn't the temple allow everyone to enter and worship? Today, it's not just me who wants to worship the goddess, but also them!"
After speaking, Davos pointed to the people beside him and said loudly with a hint of sarcasm, "When did the Temple of Diana, which treats everyone equally, start learning from the Greek temples, only open to the powerful and wealthy?!"
Davos's words entered the ears of the Roman people in the courtyard, causing an uproar.
In most formal Greek temples, the main hall was usually not open to the public, and could only be served by priests. The public could only pray and offer sacrifices at the sacred altar in the courtyard, or go to the back hall to ask the priests for divination. Only when the city-state held major celebrations or encountered crises could the consuls or generals enter the main hall to pray for blessings. Roman temples were different from Greek temples in that they allowed the public to enter the main hall to pray to the gods. Even the temples on Capitoline Hill were like this, but the number of people was limited. This might be related to the Romans' emphasis on utilitarianism and practicality. In this regard, Daonia was somewhat similar to Rome, also allowing believers to enter the main hall.
The priest's eyes flashed with panic after hearing Aemilius's loud translation. He had been enjoying the respect of the Roman people for so many years as a priest, and he was rarely questioned face to face. For a moment, he didn't know how to refute, and could only lower his eyebrows and say in a deep voice, "This is Diana's oracle!"
"Priest, when did you receive the oracle?" Caldias suddenly asked loudly.
"…In the morning."
"What time in the morning?"
"Uh… at breakfast."
"King Davos only decided to come to worship after breakfast. By the time you were notified, it was probably long past breakfast!"
"…Goddess Diana… knows everything…"
"I wonder by what means the priest obtained the oracle?"
"Sacri… no, bird divination."
"According to Rome, isn't bird divination used to predict good and bad fortune? When can it be used to decide how many people can enter the temple to worship?!"
"This… this is the ability of our Roman priests. You Greeks don't understand."
"As far as I know, Roman priests have never used bird divination to decide how many people can enter the temple to worship. If you don't believe me, you can ask the people in the courtyard, or even the people outside."
"Who exactly are you?!"
"I am also a clergyman, so I would like to learn from you how to accurately divine that Goddess Diana only allows one person, not two or three… to enter the temple to worship! If I can do it, I will definitely become the most powerful divination priest in all of Greece! So I think you must be the most powerful priest in the entire Latin region, right?!"
"This… this…"
"Also… I would like to ask, such an important divination must have assistants and witnesses. Who are they? Do they have the qualifications to divine?"
"…"
Caldias's continuous questioning made the Diana priest's face pale, and sweat began to ooze out. He spoke stammeringly, until he was finally speechless.
Because Aemilius deliberately translated loudly, the people in the courtyard could see that something was wrong.
"Daunian King, did you really come to sincerely worship the goddess?! Are you still going in?!" A servant beside the priest suddenly interjected loudly.
Davos turned his head to look, his eyes like lightning, staring straight at him.
The servant lowered his head guiltily.
At this time, Martius, who had been closely watching the tense expressions of these temple servants, whispered a few words in Aemilius's ear.
Aemilius immediately glared at them and suddenly shouted, "You actually carry swords and daggers?!"
This shout was like a thunderclap from flat ground. The priest and servants were all startled, and the people in the courtyard were also surprised, because it was absolutely forbidden to carry weapons in the temple. This was disrespectful to the gods, let alone the priests and servants who were closest to the gods.
The temple servants thought their conspiracy had been exposed. One of them simply shouted, "Diana's oracle, kill the enemies who invade Rome!"
As he spoke, he drew a dagger hidden under his white robe and rushed towards Davos.
The other servants also drew their weapons and rushed up closely behind him.
The people were thrown into a panic at this sudden turn of events, but fortunately, the legion soldiers maintained order in the courtyard.
Davos and his men were prepared for this. The guards behind him quickly rushed forward, protecting Davos while also surrounding the priest and the attendants. In the blink of an eye, they were all captured without even a drop of blood being shed.
Aemilius pretended to approach the thugs and asked a few perfunctory questions. Then, standing on the steps, he shouted to the Roman citizens in the courtyard, "Everyone, these men are clients of the nobles. They imprisoned several priests and attendants of the temple in an attempt to assassinate the king of Daonia! Now, who is willing to follow me to the back hall to rescue the imprisoned priests and attendants?"
The people were dubious, but some volunteered to follow Aemilius to the back hall of the temple. They broke open the locked door and indeed saw the bound priests and attendants.
It turned out that Davos's sudden announcement that he would go to Mount Sirio to worship at the temples had given the Romans, who were hostile to Daonia, an opportunity. Because time was too short, they had no time to plan carefully. They could only take advantage of the Daonians' relaxation of control over the southern district of Rome, sneaking into the Temple of Diana and demanding that the priests and attendants inside cooperate with them in attacking the King of Daonia.
However, apart from an old priest of noble birth who agreed, the other priests and attendants objected. After all, whether the assassination succeeded or not, it would be a disaster for the Temple of Diana, not to mention that murder in the temple was a great blasphemy against the gods.
So, in desperation, these people simply locked them up, stripped them of their clothes, and impersonated attendants… little did they know that all of this was under the surveillance of Aemilius's men.
Now that everything was clear, the Roman citizens in the courtyard began to curse the captured thugs. At the same time, they felt uneasy at the sight of the legion soldiers with their short swords drawn and murderous intent.
Therefore, Davos stood in front of the temple gate and announced loudly, "Roman civilians, this assassination was entirely planned by the Roman nobles, who attempted to provoke a bloody feud between us Daonians and you. If they had succeeded, it would have been a great disaster for both us and you! This shows that these nobles, who are high and mighty in Rome, have never regarded you as compatriots of the same city-state. That is why they have always suppressed and exploited you, abandoning you at crucial moments! This assassination has nothing to do with you, but what do you say should be done with these lackeys of the nobles who desecrated the gods and tried to bring disaster upon you?!"
The people in the courtyard were incited by Davos's words. Before they could think it through, a voice shouted from the crowd, "Let us hack them to death!"
Another voice immediately followed, "Yes, let us hack them to death! Hack these lackeys of the nobles to death!…"
Many people began to shout along involuntarily.
Davos nodded solemnly, "Good! According to your proposal, these people will be tied to crosses outside the temple, and you can vent your anger on them with short swords!"
As he said this, he immediately had the guards drag the thugs, whose hands and feet were bound and mouths gagged, outside the temple.
Many Roman citizens followed them out of the temple under the guidance of certain individuals. The people watching outside the temple, seeing this situation, did not know what had happened and asked questions.
So, the informed citizens began to describe the events, adding their own embellishments.
Davos then comforted the frightened priests and attendants of Diana and led Caldias, Henybolis, Martius, and others in a solemn worship ceremony according to the rituals of the Temple of Diana, under the watchful eyes of the Roman citizens.
When they stepped out of the temple, they saw that the thugs hanging on the crosses were already covered in wounds and on the verge of death. Some Roman civilians were still stabbing them with the short swords given to them by the guarding legion soldiers.
Davos continued to the temples of Vesta, Keris, Liber, and Libera. Everything went much more smoothly. Not only were there no accidents, but the priests of each temple also actively cooperated. Even the people on the roadside looked at them with a little more kindness.
Davos, of course, returned the favor. He saw that the three temples of Keris, Liber, and Libera were not only small in area, but also had crudely and simply carved statues (after all, they were temples built with money raised by the common people). They were even made of wood. He immediately said, "When this war is over, the Kingdom of Daonia will spend a lot of money to rebuild these three temples. Not only will the area be doubled, but the statues will also have ivory skin and be covered with gold leaf.
The priests and attendants were overjoyed when they heard this, and immediately scrambled to say, "We will publicize the kindness of the King of Daonia to the Roman citizens who come to worship!"
… … … … … … … … … … … … … … …
While Davos was worshiping at the Roman temples, the Roman army had gradually arrived outside the city of Rome.
This army included about 1,500 cavalrymen. Camillus had witnessed the power of the Daonian cavalry in the battle of Volsci and had worked hard to gather them from Rome, the colonies, and the allied states. They had played a certain role in the war to conquer the Hernici.
Now, Camillus dispersed the cavalry to drive away and hunt down the Daonian scouts. At the same time, he sent troops to quickly occupy the river port and granary outside the west side of Rome, which were undefended. However, they were already empty.
Immediately afterward, Camillus ordered the entire army to begin building camps.
The Roman soldiers watched as their homes were right in front of them, but they could not enter because they were occupied by robbers. The desire and resentment in their hearts were very strong. In order to allow the soldiers to vent their emotions and for other purposes, Camillus also allowed each unit to send soldiers to the city to scold them in turns.
Although most of the Daonian legion soldiers on the city wall could not understand, they knew that it was definitely not good words. They demanded to rush out of the city to attack and show the Romans how powerful they were, but they were strictly forbidden by the team officers.
The Daonian army retreated into the city, allowing the Romans to run rampant outside the city. The Roman soldiers were busy building camps and, apart from some verbal abuse, they did not attack the city for the time being. For a time, the two sides were at peace.
Before long, Camillus, who had already assigned all the tasks and arranged everything properly, led his guards to the south side of Rome, in front of the Sirio city gate.
An attendant raised the power flag and rushed to the bottom of the city, shouting loudly in Greek towards the city wall: "The Roman dictator Camillus wants to talk to your king! The Roman dictator Tamillus…
"Legion Commander, look…" The team officer of the Second Legion asked Matonis, who had come after hearing the news, for instructions.
"Go and tell His Majesty!" Matonis said to the messenger without hesitation.
Davos had just finished worshiping at the temple and was on his way back to the square when he received the news. He immediately decided to meet this famous Roman dictator.
… … … … … … … … … … … … … … …
Lucius waited anxiously with his guards and could not help but persuade his father, "The Daonians have not responded for so long. Obviously, they are deliberately humiliating us. Let's go back!"
"Lucius, don't worry. It's okay to wait a little longer." Camillus said calmly, "For Rome, what is this little bit of suffering? Besides, it can also let the soldiers see the efforts we have been making."
His words made Lucius thoughtful.
Suddenly, a soldier shouted, "Dictator, look at the city wall!"
Two large flags were erected above the Sirio Gate in front, radiating dazzling light in the midday sun.
At the same time, the Daonian soldiers on the city wall burst into cheers.
Camillus's expression became serious, and he said softly, "The King of Daonia is here."
The attendant who had been shouting also rushed back to report, "Dictator, the king of Daonia has agreed to talk to you."
"Let's go." Camillus said, and walked forward.
When Lucius saw the enemy soldiers all over the city wall, he suddenly became worried and grabbed Camillus's arm, saying, "Father, don't go yet."
Camillus smiled and said, "Don't worry, didn't I say before that the King of Daonia, who created the Kingdom of Daonia, has won countless victories, and is known for keeping his promises, how could he risk ruining his reputation to deceive an old man like me!"
After saying that, he continued to move forward, and Lucius had no choice but to follow closely with the guards.
Davos had gone back to the Senate to change into military uniform because he had worn plain clothes to worship at the temple, so he was delayed a little. At this time, when he saw the group of Romans in front of him heading towards the bottom of the city from the city wall, he suddenly said, "Let's go, let's go out of the city to meet the Roman dictator."
"Your Majesty, this is too dangerous!!" Matonis, Martius, and others were shocked when they heard this and hurriedly stepped forward to dissuade him.
"The Roman dictator dares to come alone to the bottom of our heavily defended city. Are we Daonians afraid to go out and meet him in our own defended area?!" Davos shouted resolutely, "We Daonian citizens are definitely not cowards!"
As soon as these words came out, no one around dared to dissuade him any further.
"Your Majesty, please allow me to accompany you!" Matonis said immediately.
Davos had to nod when he saw his firm expression.
Matonis solemnly instructed the team officers under his command, "You all open your eyes and see clearly. If you find any unusual movement from the enemy, attack immediately!"
Davos turned and left the city. The people accompanying him all looked serious, only Henybolis seemed a little excited.
The Romans who were advancing, except for Camillus, were all surprised and uncertain when they saw the two large flags on the city wall disappear and then the drawbridge lowered and the city gate opened.
Surrounded by guards, Davos rode out of the city gate with a large flag held high behind him. After crossing the drawbridge, he stopped in front of the trench.
At the same time, the Romans also advanced and stopped 20 meters away.
Davos and Camillus, both on horseback, sized each other up.
Finally, Camillus broke the silence first: "King of Daonia, I am Camillus, the Roman Dictator!"
"I know you." Davos nodded and said, "You are a hero of Rome, having eliminated Rome's mortal enemy, Veii, driven out the Celts who occupied the city of Rome, and repeatedly defeated the surrounding hostile forces."
Camillus was not surprised that Davos knew so much about him. An excellent commander must carefully study his opponents. He suddenly questioned sternly: "Rome and Daonia, one in central Italy and the other in southern Italy, are separated by multiple forces and have never had any conflict. Why do you lead an army, disregarding the long journey, expending vast amounts of resources, and even disregarding the lives of Daonian citizens, to invade our land, break through our homes, and slaughter our people?!"
Camillus's questioning seemed somewhat redundant, but Davos knew that if he didn't answer properly, the soldiers would inevitably wonder whether the war was necessary, which would affect morale. So he pondered for a moment, then answered loudly: "After you Romans drove away the Celts, instead of restoring your homes, promoting trade, and giving your people a stable life, you went to war everywhere, invading the surrounding races! The Volsci and Hernici are allies of Daonia. You Romans brazenly invaded their territories, occupied their towns, and slaughtered their people, almost leading to their extinction! We once sent envoys to Rome to plead with you to stop the war, but you rudely refused!
Daonia has always kept its promises since its establishment, which is why it has gained the trust of its allies and the country has become as strong as it is today. Therefore, we cannot ignore the tragic experiences of our allies and must respond to their requests and fulfill our alliance, which is why we are here! Just like the Celtic invasion of Rome ten years ago, this time it is your gods who are punishing you for your indiscriminate killing!"
"Nonsense!" Camillus couldn't help but roar after hearing the translation, his nature being one of composure.
What Camillus feared most was hearing about "divine punishment." Back then, one of the main reasons he was driven out of Rome was being falsely accused of "looting gold and silver from the temple after occupying the city of Veii, angering the gods." Secondly, when he left the city of Rome, he once angrily said to his family, "Those who wronged him will surely be punished." As a result, some people later attributed "the Celtic invasion to the gods vindicating him, so they brought punishment upon the city of Rome." This matter had always troubled him, so he would never allow Davos to use the name of "divine punishment" to cover up their crime of invading Rome and undermine the morale of the Roman citizen soldiers.
"Your Majesty, he said you were… talking nonsense," Aemilius translated euphemistically.
Davos was not angry,
but instead smiled.
Camillus realized that he had failed to remain calm, so he changed the subject and said directly: "Although you have captured the city of Rome, it has not brought you much benefit. Look around you, to the north are the Etruscan allies of my Rome, and to the east and south are the Latin allies and colonies of my Rome… You are already surrounded! Now, I am leading an army of 70,000 Roman soldiers back, which will trap your army in the city of Rome and prevent you from moving!
And I have heard that to the south of the Kingdom of Daonia, on the island of Sicily, our ally Carthage is at war with you; I have heard that the Samnite alliance is still invading your eastern regions… As the King of Daonia, you are leading the main force of Daonia and are trapped in Rome, far from your kingdom. Even if you are not worried about your kingdom, aren't your soldiers worried about their homes being invaded by the Carthaginians and Samnites?!"
Davos remained unmoved and said with a smile: "No, no, I am not worried at all. My soldiers and I like to stay here, because the Roman people here provide abundant food, allowing us to stay here for a long time. The only thing I am worried about is that these kind-hearted Roman people have given all their food to us. What will they do when they run out of food? We are not so kind as to return the food. Also, I am worried about the soldiers under your command. With such a large number of soldiers, how many days will your food last?!"
Threat! This was a blatant threat and warning! Lucius and the other soldiers who accompanied him glared and raised their shields and spears after hearing the translation.
Although Camillus frowned, he was still able to remain calm. He said in a deep voice: "The citizens of Rome have always been brave and willing to sacrifice their lives, unafraid of threats, which is why they have been able to survive in this harsh environment surrounded by enemies! You can starve the people in the city to death. Even if the Roman citizen soldiers have to gnaw on grass and starve, they will not stop fighting you to avenge their families until they die!
But what good will such a desperate fight between you and me do you? On the contrary, if we both cease fighting, as long as you withdraw from the city of Rome and leave Latium, we are not only willing to provide a large amount of gold, silver, and supplies, but also willing to return the lands of the Volsci and Hernici, sign a peace treaty with them, and even sign a non-aggression treaty with Daonia.
And you, Your Majesty, can also safely lead your elite troops to deal with other enemies to ensure that your territory and people are not invaded and harmed. What do you think?!"
The Romans want to negotiate peace?! Davos looked at Camillus, who looked sincere, and gently patted the neck of his horse under his crotch. After a moment, the corners of his mouth slightly curled up: "I remember ten years ago, you also proposed to the Celts who occupied the city of Rome to 'pay a large amount of gold and silver to let them leave,' and just when they relaxed their vigilance, you led the army to launch an attack on them, resulting in a great defeat for the Celts… Although I would like to agree to your proposal, I am afraid of suffering the same tragic fate as the Celts!"
Camillus's face twitched a few times, and the ravines on his face concealed his surprise: This King of Daonia knows too much about the affairs of Rome!
He quickly calmed down and said: "Since you know so much about the situation at that time, you should know that it was the senators trapped on Capitoline Hill who made the decision to 'use gold and silver to exchange for the Celts to withdraw their troops,' while I and the soldiers far outside the city of Rome knew nothing about it. But now, as the dictator, I have made a proposal after seeking the wishes of the soldiers, and all Romans must obey!"
Will the Romans, who have always refused to compromise with invading enemies, really succumb for the sake of the safety of the city of Rome? Having learned about the general history of Rome in his previous life, Davos listened and stared at Camillus for a while, feeling both curious and cautious. He pretended to consider it carefully for a moment, and then said: "This matter is too important. I need to return to the city and discuss it with the generals before I can give you an answer."
"I hope this answer is not too late. The soldiers under my command are eager to go home and may not be able to wait too long!" Camillus said with a threatening tone.
Davos smiled: "Regardless of whether we can reach a truce with you Romans in the end, I am honored to meet you, General Camillus! Therefore, I have a gift to give you later, which I believe you will definitely like."
After saying this, Davos turned his horse and led the crowd back to the city.
Camillus also turned around and returned to the camp without hesitation.
On the way, Lucius asked with some anticipation: "Father, the King of Daonia wants to give you a gift. Does this mean that there is a possibility of peace talks?"
"This King of Daonia is not simple. Don't have any hope for him." Camillus recalled the situation when he was talking to Davos just now, and said with a serious expression: "You also observed just now, didn't you, the traps and abatis that the Daonians have laid down under the city? They are not Celts! Even if we really want to negotiate peace, we must take back Ostia before we can gain more initiative in the negotiations!"
Lucius nodded heavily.
At the same time, Henippolis was also asking Davos: "Your Majesty, are we going to negotiate peace with the Romans?"
"Peace talks?" Davos sneered: "If I had such a plan, would I have transferred the senators and officials such as Asistes, Antropolis, Nicomachus, and Theles to Rome! Whether the Romans really intend to negotiate peace or want to paralyze us, we will soon discover Camillus's true purpose. If he just wants to delay time, he will find that this is a stupid decision!"
… … … … … … … … … … … … … … …
It takes time and effort for warships to go upstream against the Tiber River, but it is much more convenient to go downstream.
Miltiades led the warships parked in Rome. The reason why he did not arrive in Ostia until dusk was because Davos, on the grounds of the "assassination incident at the Temple of Diana," considering the arrival of the Roman army, in order to ensure stability in the city, let the army fully respond, so he ordered the Roman chief executive Asistes to immediately count out all the male nobles and diners aged 55 to 14 who were captured and in the city, and have them escorted to Thurii by the Third Fleet. As a result, because there were too many people (approximately 4,500), some merchants' cargo ships were also rented.
Miltiades boarded a fast ship and entered the port.
In just over two days, there have been some changes in the port of Ostia: the number of merchant ships from Daonia has increased, but the management of the port has not only not become chaotic, but has become more orderly. The wooden fences that were originally used by the Daonian chambers of commerce on the docks to demarcate areas have also been cleared. At least when Miltiades passed by, he did not find any conflicts or disputes occurring.
Arriving at the town hall, Teris, who had already been notified by his subordinates, immediately came out to welcome Miltiades in.
After exchanging a few greetings, Miltiades handed Davos' warrant to Teris.
When he first acquired Ostia, Davos only announced "granting freedom to slaves, as well as Latin refugees, slave citizenship, and the distribution of land... and other rights." Now he requested Teris to implement the decrees he had announced to the Roman commoners and slaves in the Roman Forum yesterday in Ostia as well. At the same time, the Roman nobles in the city of Ostia were to be handed over to Miltiades to be escorted onto warships.
After reading it, Teris said with ease, "Following His Majesty's will, managing Ostia will be even simpler."
With that, he summoned his subordinates and ordered them to immediately escort the imprisoned Roman prisoners and the nobles among the populace to the port and hand them over to the Third Fleet.
Then, he said to Miltiades, "Last night, I heard from merchants returning from Rome about the decrees His Majesty announced in the forum. I had already screened these Roman prisoners beforehand. There are only 178 Roman males of noble birth here in Ostia, and those who meet the requirements for escort... I'm afraid there are less than a hundred, so you won't have to wait long. They will be sent on board soon."
"Lord Teris is truly meticulous in his work! No wonder His Majesty entrusted such an important town to you!" Miltiades complimented. He wished he could immediately lead a portion of the warships south to Terina to recruit new fleet infantry, so he was naturally pleased to spend as little time as possible in Ostia.
"There's still some time before my subordinates are finished. General Miltiades, could you tell me in detail about how His Majesty and you led the army to capture the city of Rome?" Teris said with a smile.
"Very willing!" Miltiades responded readily. He had long heard anecdotes about this senator from Sicily. Among the many who became senators of Daonia based on political achievements or special reasons, this burly middle-aged man was the only one who had condescended to train in the Turii military camp for a long time. Through his own training performance, he had risen from a recruit in the legion reserve to the position of captain of the reserve battalion. This alone had earned him the respect of many military personnel, including Miltiades himself.
Teris said happily, "It's almost time for dinner. Why don't we have some wine? I'll have the chef prepare a few more dishes, and we can chat while we drink."
Miltiades thought that he was about to lead his team south and had already left the battlefield, so he did not refuse.
Just as the two were deep in conversation, the guard captain at the door barged in and said urgently, "Lord Teris, the scouts outside the city have reported an emergency. Roman troops are rapidly marching towards Ostia. The number is large, exceeding 20,000!"
Miltiades was shocked.
Teris was equally surprised, but he quickly laughed and said, "The Romans have come at the right time! Aren't you worried about not having a chance to go to the battlefield? Now, military merits are being delivered to you. It depends on whether you have the ability to take them! Ksyllos, are you afraid?"
The captain immediately replied loudly, "Sir, my brothers and I can't wait for the Romans to attack Ostia now, so that they can taste our power!"
"You immediately notify the three battalion commanders to have the soldiers start their meal now, and then lead the battalions to their respective defensive positions according to the previous training."
"Yes, sir!" Ksyllos immediately turned and left.
Following that, Teris summoned his subordinate, Lucceius.
This was also a Latin-Daonian citizen from Henona. Davos had deliberately left him behind to serve as an interpreter for Teris, who did not speak the language. However, Teris boldly gave him the position of his secretary, offering advice when he governed the town, and also gave him the position of adjutant of the newly built battalion, responsible for organizing and training the 1,230 Ostian slaves and Latin refugees who applied to join Daonian citizenship. Previously, he was just an ordinary citizen of Henona and an ordinary soldier in the reserve team. Having suddenly received this important task, he was naturally very hardworking.
Now, Teris ordered him to assist the battalion commanders in gathering the soldiers of the newly built battalion after dinner as a city defense reserve, ready to be put into battle at any time.
After arranging these matters, Teris said apologetically to Miltiades, "Damn Romans interrupted your wonderful story. It seems that we can only finish this jar of wine after I repel them and after you return from Sybaris."
"Then it will be my turn to listen to you tell how you repelled the Romans." Miltiades smiled, then took the initiative to suggest with a serious expression, "When I was in the city of Rome, the Roman troops outside the city were busy building camps and did not seem to want to attack the city immediately. I didn't expect them to secretly send troops to raid Ostia. Lord Teris, you must be vigilant. Obviously, the enemy is well prepared, because Ostia is too important to our troops in Rome!"
Teris nodded solemnly after hearing this and asked, "General Miltiades, have the Roman troops surrounded the city of Rome? Can the messengers I send successfully enter the city of Rome?"
Miltiades shook his head, "When I left, the Roman troops had already camped outside the city, and only the east side had not seen the enemy, but it would be difficult to bypass them!"
"It seems that it is safer to go by water..." Teris pondered and said, "General Miltiades, can I ask you to send a fast boat to Rome immediately to tell His Majesty about the enemy situation here?"
"This is my duty!" Miltiades responded readily, and he also reminded, "It takes at least half a day to get to Rome from here via the Tiber River. It takes longer to travel in the dark, because there are certain dangers whether towing or sailing. Therefore, His Majesty will not receive the intelligence about the attack on Ostia until tomorrow, and it will take at least noon tomorrow to send reinforcements. You have to be prepared."
Miltiades paused for a moment, and seeing Teris lost in thought, he suggested again, "I hope you can free up space in the port. I will have some warships dock in the port and let the sailors go ashore to assist you in combat to make up for the shortage of defenders, but you have to provide them with weapons and equipment."
Teris was both surprised and grateful, and repeatedly expressed his gratitude, and said, "General, you don't have to worry about the problem of weapons and equipment. Before, we defeated the Romans here, and apart from selling a part of the spoils collected from the battlefield to merchants, there is also a part stacked in the warehouse, enough to equip six or seven thousand people."
"Then I can rest assured." Miltiades said, the sailors of his fleet are not fleet infantry. They usually do more maritime training and are not good at land combat, but they are, after all, young and strong, and defending the city is not a big problem.
The reason why Miltiades took the initiative to provide assistance: On the one hand, as the senior general present, when Ostia faces war, if he leaves without providing any assistance, once Ostia falls, he will inevitably be impeached by the military affairs department's inspector and criticized by his colleagues; Another reason is that he has discovered the importance of Ostia to the Third Fleet. If a military port can be established here, the Third Fleet's control over the southern coast of Italy can be extended to the Etruria region. Therefore, he hopes to obtain the active cooperation of the administrative officer of Ostia while obtaining the approval of King Davos in the future, so winning the favor of Teris is very important.
… … … … … … … … … … … … … … …
Just as the city of Ostia was nervously preparing for defense, the Roman army led by Titus set out from Præneste at dawn, passed through the city of Rome, then went south past Lake Albano, and then turned northwest, marching nearly 90 miles, and finally arrived at the final destination at dusk—Ostia.
Titus immediately ordered the soldiers to eat their rations, then put on their armor, picked up their weapons, and prepared to attack the city.
While the soldiers were resting, he ordered the ballista troops to push the nearly 20 remaining ballistas to the front and bombard the thin city walls of Ostia, which were less than four meters high.
The Daonian reserve soldiers, who were originally very excited to be able to participate in the battle, watched helplessly as the Roman army, which stretched like a long dragon from a distance and could not be seen at a glance, arrived under the city, and then divided into hundreds and thousands of troops, gradually surrounding Ostia. They not only began to feel nervous, but also had a bit of fear.
Teris, who also served as the commander of the Ostia army, also stood on the top of the city, staring at the dark crowd of enemies under the city, and also felt a bit nervous. This was his first time in actual combat, but in the past few days, he had repeatedly urged the soldiers to strictly follow the things they had learned in the military camp training to carry out defensive arrangements. He believed that this could completely block the enemy's attack.
"Lord Teris, look quickly, the enemy's ballista!"
Without the reminder of his subordinates, Teris could also see the dozen or so ballistas pushed to the front by the Romans. He was not flustered at all.
In the ten years after the South Italian War, the Daonian Ministry of Military Affairs had already researched the use of ballistas and torsion catapults, which were originally used for siege warfare, for city defense. To this end, they let the engineers reduce the shape of the ballistas, reduce their weight, and improve the way they were launched (the ballistas on the city were launched downwards, so the stone bullets were easy to slip off). They even designed a new type of fortress that could give full play to the power of ballistas and torsion catapults under the guidance of Davos, and also developed a set of defensive tactics combining ballistas and torsion catapults based on this.
After capturing Ostia, considering its importance, Davos left ten defensive ballistas and five torsion catapults, and Teris placed them all on the top of the city.
A ballista stood on the walkway not far from Teris. Because the time was too short to transform the city wall, large wooden boards were placed under the ballista so that its barrel could be higher than the battlements. Several boxes of stone bullets were placed next to it, and two soldiers were responsible, one was the ballista operator responsible for launching, and the other was the spotter responsible for reporting parameters.