Back when the Daonian army first established its ballista corps, a legion of ten ballistae was only equipped with one spotter. Moreover, these spotters were all from the Daonian Academy, as accurately calculating the point of impact and trajectory required deep mathematical knowledge and rapid calculation skills. More than a decade has passed, and now each ballista can be equipped with a spotter, which precisely illustrates the achievements of the Daonian Kingdom in civic education.
At this moment, the ballista operator, under the guidance of the spotter, had adjusted the ballista's settings, pulled back the spring arm, quickly loaded a small stone ball, secured it on the smoothbore wooden arm, and pressed the launch button. The copper ring securing the stone ball and the iron hook holding the spring arm simultaneously released, the spring arm rapidly recoiled, and the powerful torque launched the stone ball out of the frame, whistling towards a Roman ballista that was slowly advancing.
"Ballista! Daonian ballista!" The Roman soldiers pushing the ballista saw the black dot flying through the air and shouted in panic, trying to steer the ballista away. However, the cumbersome ballista moved slowly, and the stone ball arrived in an instant, smashing near the ballista and showering the Roman soldiers with dust.
Before the terrified Roman soldiers could recover, they saw eight or nine more black dots flying from the city wall, each attacking another ballista. Although none of them ultimately hit their targets, they had already surprised Titus, who was observing the battle from the rear. He never expected that the Dionians would leave so many ballistae in the small city of Ostia and place them on the city wall to attack his own ballistae. He had never seen such a defensive tactic.
Just as he was hesitating whether to withdraw the ballistae, the second round of Daonian ballista attacks began.
Ten stone balls struck again, and finally, one Roman ballista was hit. Although only the force arm was broken, the ballista was a relatively delicate siege weapon, and once the balance was disrupted, it could no longer be used unless repaired. After obtaining the Carthaginian ballistae, the Romans had attempted to replicate them and had made some progress, but they could not cast the core components, such as metal ratchets, chains, and metal cylinders, as precisely as the Carthaginians. While they were still improving their technology, the Dionians arrived, so each broken Carthaginian ballista was one less.
Titus could only anxiously order, "Withdraw the ballistae!"
During the hasty retreat of the Roman ballista corps, another ballista was destroyed by a stone ball fired from the city wall.
Titus watched the ballista corps retreat in disarray, then looked up at the sky, which was already beginning to be dyed red by the setting sun. Then he gazed at the densely packed enemies on the city wall, and soon his gaze shifted down, focusing on the abatis densely packed in front of the trench... After a long while, he withdrew his gaze and turned to look at the soldiers behind him.
These Roman citizens from the colonies had already donned their armor and picked up their weapons. Although the long march made them appear somewhat tired, their gazes towards Ostia were full of fighting spirit, because the desire to retake their motherland filled them with strength. Their fighting spirit also infected Titus, suppressing his concerns: Although from the previous contact and his own observation, the Dionians' defense of Ostia was relatively tight, he no longer had time to allow the soldiers to recover their strength and make more comprehensive preparations for the siege.
Instead, he had to rely on the soldiers' vigorous fighting spirit and large numbers to retake Ostia before the Daonian reinforcements arrived.
"Notify all units, prepare to attack!" Titus said in a deep voice.
Messengers rode through the army formation, and centurions shouted at their subordinates to prepare. The soldiers stood up one after another and, according to the previous arrangement, carried ladders and javelins that had been manufactured in advance from the accompanying pack animals...
After a burst of commotion and clamor, the bugle sounded a long blast, and the Roman army let out a earth-shattering roar. Then, led by the centurions, the soldiers began to march in large strides towards the east and south sides of Ostia (the west side was the sea, and the north side was adjacent to the Tiber River, with lakes and swamps as barriers in the southeast direction).
Telias watched the enemy army surging like a tide under the city and subconsciously clenched his fists.
The 300 Daonian archers on the city wall began to draw their bows and nock arrows when they saw the enemy approaching within a hundred meters.
The ballistae and belly bows on the city wall had already begun to fire stone balls and iron arrows at the enemies below. Although the swarm of enemies made their attacks highly accurate and the deaths terrifying, a single round of attacks only resulted in a dozen or so casualties. For the siege wave formed by thousands of Roman soldiers, it was only a small splash and could not stop the Romans' advance at all.
But before long, the Roman soldiers at the front began to scream: "Ah! Help me! My foot! My foot is cut!"
"Beware of traps! There are sharp spikes buried in the ground!!"
...
Amidst the screams and urgent shouts of the Roman soldiers, the advance speed of the entire siege force was hindered.
While some Roman soldiers went to help their comrades whose legs were covered in blood, others carefully explored the ground and proceeded cautiously. The arrows from the city wall rained down like raindrops. Although most of those at the front were Roman heavy infantry, the traps under their feet forced them to panic and not have time to defend themselves from above, increasing the casualties.
What was worse was that they were blocked in the trap area, giving the ballistae and belly bows on the city wall enough time to exert their killing power.
Titus was very anxious when he learned of the battle situation at the front. He realized that he had underestimated the Dionians' defense of this small city.
He took a deep breath to calm himself down: "Quickly order the attacking troops not to rush forward and to remove all those traps for me first!"
The messenger rode away, and soon another scout galloped over: "General Titus, the people organized by Adi have arrived!"
Titus was overjoyed. Just as he was about to reply, another scout arrived: "Reporting to General Titus, the people of Antium have arrived!"
While Titus led his army westward, Camillus sent messengers to notify the Roman colonies and Latin allies in western Latium, hoping that they could send people to assist the army in attacking Ostia. Now these towns had responded to Camillus's request.
One by one, teams from the western towns, carrying supplies, gathered behind the Roman army...
A look of joy appeared on Titus's face. He hurriedly expressed his gratitude to the leaders and sent capable subordinates to organize hundreds of people to light bonfires all around, build camps, and set up tents, preparing for a long-term battle.
Telias watched the archers and ballista operators on the east gate tower of Ostia continuously attack the Roman soldiers who had approached the trench, while the other soldiers also began to throw javelins at the city.
The entire city of Ostia had two gates, east and south. Previously, Telias had people block the south gate, leaving only the east gate open for scouts and messengers to pass through, so that traps were laid on both sides of the road leading out of the city. The road became very narrow, and the Roman soldiers' attacking force had to line up in a narrow formation, thus suffering concentrated attacks from the soldiers on the city, and the trench was filled with wounded soldiers.
Telias was not excited by this result. He saw the bonfires lit behind the enemy formation and the constant arrival of Romans, and realized that this siege battle would become even more difficult. The first order he thought of was to have the reserve team below the city completely block the east gate with wood and stones.
..........................
In Rome, the Roman commoners who eagerly applied for Daonian citizenship in the square formed a sharp contrast with the Roman nobles in the surrounding urban areas who were crying and shouting because their relatives had been taken away. The people of the entire city were agitated between the two extremes of ice and fire...
Davos returned to the Senate, hoping for a moment of peace, but the Roman magistrate Aeschraetes rushed over again.
"Your Majesty, since you went to worship the Roman temples, the number of Romans who have come to the square to register has increased dramatically. The number of people registered has now exceeded a thousand!" Aeschraetes excitedly reported this good news to Davos, because this meant that the Roman commoners had further changed their attitude towards Dione.
Davos smiled and replied, "I saw it when I passed through the square. Isn't this a good thing!"
"Your Majesty, but there is one thing I have to ask you for instructions on." Aeschraetes continued, "Some Roman people are asking if their relatives are in the Roman army outside the city. They want their relatives to become Daonian citizens as well, instead of fighting against us. They hope to be allowed to go out of the city to persuade them. Is that okay?"
"Oh? ..." Davos became interested, stroking his chin and thinking for a while, then turned to ask, "Croto, what do you think?"
Croto Catakes, who was standing aside, immediately replied seriously, "Father, judging from the situation in the square in the past two days, we should believe what they say and allow them to go out of the city to persuade their relatives to submit to the kingdom. This can shake the enemy's morale, weaken their strength, and at the same time enhance our strength! Even if some of them are deceiving us and just want to escape from the city, but they are all elderly people, women, and children. Overall, the benefits outweigh the disadvantages..."
Aeschraetes looked at Croto Catakes. In Thurii, he had visited Davos's residence many times and could often see the king's biological eldest son. Croto Catakes was humble, polite, and warm to people, leaving him with a very good impression. But this time, Aeschraetes found that he had become much more mature.
Davos nodded and said approvingly, "Croto is right. I allow them to go out of the city, but not all of them can go out. Only the elderly in a family can go out, and the women and children must stay in the city... Also, let's take this opportunity to send the gift that I promised to Camillus."
Speaking of this, a sly smile appeared on his face.
At dusk, before the Roman army's camp under construction, stood Adrius, the envoy sent by Davos, along with two women and two children behind him.
Under the curious gazes of the surrounding Roman soldiers, before Camillus sent anyone out to greet him, Adrius shouted loudly in Latin: "To the Roman Dictator, Lord Camillus, King Davos sends back your wife, daughter-in-law, and grandchildren to thank you for your kindness and help, hoping to forge a deeper friendship!…"
Hearing the Roman envoy's repeated shouts, the surrounding Roman soldiers immediately looked complicated and began to whisper.
The Camillus family was only a small noble family in Rome, and by his generation, the family was even more sparse. Camillus had only one son and a few relatives, and this time when he went to war against the Hernici, he basically brought all the adult males of the family, not for fairness, but because this was a war that was bound to be won, so he also wanted the males of the family to gain some merit and benefits in this war. This led to the fact that when the Senate decided to retreat to Capitoline Hill, his residence in Rome lacked capable men to preside over the retreat, and his family was not located in the core area of the Roman city, so the slow retreat of his family ultimately failed to reach the mountain.
Inside the large tent in the center of the Roman camp, Camillus and his son were surprised by this news. At the same time, Lucius was also grateful. He said urgently: "Father, quickly! Quickly send someone to bring them in!"
Then, he sighed: "Although I hate the Daonians, their king's actions this time have made me very grateful! He is indeed a hero praised by the Greeks, and he does have an extraordinary demeanor!…"
Camillus, however, remained silent with a painful expression for a long time, finally squeezing out a sentence: "No, Lucius, we cannot… let them enter this camp."
"Father, what are you saying?!" Lucius thought he had misheard.
"We absolutely cannot… cannot… leave your mother and… cannot!" Camillus clenched his fist and slammed it on the wooden table: "This is a conspiracy of that Daunian king!"
"Father, do you know what you are saying! Standing outside are your wife! Your daughter-in-law! And your two lovely grandchildren! Can you bear to watch them fall into the hands of the enemy, suffer torture and humiliation!…" Lucius questioned in disbelief and anger.
"Calm down… child." Camillus looked at his roaring son, moving his lips with difficulty, trying to persuade him with a trembling voice: "I… how could I not want to save them all! But now… it's not possible! Because the families of the other soldiers are still in the city. The Daonians only sent my family back. What will the soldiers think! Did you hear what that Daunian shouted outside the camp?! What does he mean by thanking me for helping them?! This is a Daunian conspiracy! If I really welcome back your mother, your wife, and children, the soldiers will inevitably become suspicious. Then will they still obey my orders! How can an army that does not obey orders work together to recapture the city of Rome!!"
Lucius, who had always obeyed his father, could not accept Camillus' explanation at this time. He said with heartache: "Father, you are the dictator! Do you still need to consider what the soldiers think when you do things! You must know that the reason why Mother and they were captured was because you took away all the young and strong citizens of the city, causing such a bad result. You must quickly make up for your mistakes!"
Although some people had said similar things in private to express their dissatisfaction with Camillus, when these words came from the mouth of a loved one, they pierced Camillus' chest like a sharp sword, making him feel dizzy. He quickly supported the wooden table with his hand, paused for a moment, and then said in a firm tone: "No, I will not do this! But I will lead the army to recapture the city of Rome and personally rescue our relatives!"
Hearing this, Lucius cursed loudly and immediately turned and left the tent.
"Someone!" Camillus immediately shouted, then said to the captain of the guard who entered the tent with a painful expression: "Immediately stop Lucius for me! And… and send someone to send the Daunian envoy and the… people he brought… back to the city…"
"This…" The captain of the guard certainly knew what the situation was outside the camp, because the news was spreading everywhere in the camp.
Just as he hesitated, Camillus shouted sternly: "Go and execute the order!"
"Yes… yes!"
After the captain of the guard left, Camillus sat down dejectedly, and the whole person seemed to have aged several years.
After a while, his adjutant entered the tent, intending to report the situation to him, but seeing his desolate expression, he couldn't open his mouth for a moment.
Camillus noticed his presence and asked weakly: "What's the matter?"
"The scouts report that the Daonians have opened the north gate of the city and released some Roman citizens."
Camillus' first thought was: The Daunian king released these Roman citizens, I'm afraid he deliberately wants to divert the impact of releasing my family, so that I change my mind. He is really meticulous!
Camillus originally wanted to carefully inquire about the current situation in the city from the Roman citizens who left the city, but he was exhausted and sleepy at the moment, so he had to say: "You go and settle these people, and bring a few people here tomorrow morning. I want to understand the situation from them."
"Yes, Dictator."
After the adjutant left, Camillus ordered the guard: Unless there is an emergency, no one is allowed to enter the tent.
Then, exhausted and annoyed, he asked the servant to quickly make the couch, and without eating dinner, he hurriedly fell down and slept.
… … … … … … … … … … … … … … …
At this time, it was past dusk, and the sky began to darken. The soldiers stopped building the camp and returned to their tents to eat dinner.
Camillus' adjutant sent a Roman century to escort these hundreds of Roman citizens who left the city to the refugee settlement on the east side of the army camp.
And this Roman century, which was sent to carry out this task, was basically composed of civilians, including their centurion Sextus. This was not a coincidence, because the superiority of the Roman nobles was not only reflected in politics, but also in military affairs. The sons of the great nobles could serve as army officers without fighting many battles, while civilians, even if they repeatedly made military exploits, found it difficult to be promoted to centurion. Of course, the situation has changed in recent years, and some civilians have also been promoted in the army, especially when Camillus served as the chief officer of the army, but this is still not a common phenomenon. There are still obvious differences in the treatment of nobles and civilians in the army, so when the soldiers were tired and hungry and it was time to eat dinner, this century, which was almost entirely composed of civilians, was sent out.
Camillus' adjutant also righteously explained: "This is to take care of you, because these people who were released from the city are all from the Caelian Hill."
Indeed, this Roman century composed of residents of the Caelian Hill did not complain. They hurried over, and were surprised to find that they knew these hundreds of old people, and eight or nine of them were relatives of the soldiers, including the father of Centurion Sextus.
So, the soldiers rushed forward, eagerly asking about the situation at home, completely forgetting the adjutant's instructions to take these people to the rear quietly, so as not to disturb the army.
As a result, these old people who left the city did not rush to respond to the soldiers' inquiries, but instead persuaded them to flee the army and return to the city of Rome to join the Daunian kingdom.
In these dialogues, the persuasion of Centurion Sextus' father to his son was the most typical.
"Father, where are Tuia and the children?! Are they… are they all right?!"
"Don't worry, they are all fine! The Daunian army has good military discipline. After entering the city of Rome, they did not kill people indiscriminately, nor did they plunder. In this regard, the Celts cannot be compared with them at all, even our own… can't compare."
"Father, are you actually saying good things for the Daonians?!"
"Because that's the truth! I not only want to speak for them, but I also want to persuade you!"
"Persuade me?!"
"Persuade you to leave the Roman army immediately and join the Daunian kingdom with me!"
"God, have you betrayed Rome?!"
"It's not that I betrayed Rome, but that many civilians on the Caelian Hill and even the entire city of Rome have joined Daonia!"
"Why?! Father, why?! You are a Roman citizen! You have lived in the city of Rome all your life. You are a true Roman citizen!! You have participated in more than 20 battles and have won a laurel once. You are the hero of our neighborhood, you are my—"
"I also participated in the battle with the Celts, and followed Camillus to drive away the Celts, but what's the use! You know, years of fighting have left me with a crippled foot and hand, and I often have fever. Because of the many debts I owe for medical treatment, even my family's land would have been taken away by those nobles if it weren't for the financial assistance of my comrades! Has the Roman Senate ever protected our family from the harassment of those creditors because of my military exploits—"
"Father, you don't have to worry, I am now a centurion. I also obtained a lot of spoils in this expedition to the Hernici, and I should be able to pay off the previous debts!"
"Oh, I didn't notice that you became a centurion."
"In the battle with the Hernici, our original officer was injured and died. Dictator Camillus saw that I was brave in battle and promoted me to centurion."
"But what's the use! Can it prevent those greedy nobles and creditors from harassing our family?! Can it give you more land?! Can you serve as a middle and senior Roman official?! Can it guarantee that your whole family will not worry about food and clothing when you are injured and cannot hold a shield and spear?!…"
"Father, Rome is changing! Commoners like Licinius and Fluvius… are now serving as military tribunes! The dictator Camillus once said, 'In the future, the Senate will open to the Roman commoners!'"
"Hmph, Camillus! He was the one who ordered the arrest of our commoner leader, Marcus! Don't believe the nobles' words. In the past, we were always deceived by them, always abandoning the fight at crucial moments, which ultimately led to Rome gaining nothing! Child, the Licinius family is already nobility among the commoners, and so is Fluvius. They have close ties with those nobles, which we can't compare to. Don't have any illusions! But now we don't need to worry about these things anymore, because the nobles in Rome have been completely defeated!"
"What do you mean?"
"The Daonians have announced the cancellation of all our debts! They announced that 'any Roman commoner willing to become a Daunian citizen can be allocated fertile land and comfortable housing'! They also announced that 'any Roman commoner who becomes a Daunian citizen can apply for public office in the kingdom and, through their political achievements, eventually become a senator'!…"
"Father, the Daonians are the enemy! They are the enemy who has invaded our homeland! Anything they say is a lie, just to deceive us into not resisting their invasion!—"
"No, they are not deceiving! They searched all the nobles' residences in Rome for scrolls and tablets recording debts and destroyed them all in the square! They concentrated the nobles' families together, confiscated their residences and lands, and began distributing them to Roman commoners who joined Daonia! They even appointed a former Roman commoner who had become a slave due to debt as a municipal official! I also specifically inquired about it, and many of the senators in the Daunian kingdom come from humble backgrounds, so—"
"Father! Whether what the Daonians are doing is real or fake, it will all be useless when we retake Rome! On the contrary, those Romans who have benefited from the Daonians will inevitably be severely punished by the Senate!"
"Retake Rome? That will depend on whether you can do it! Look at these scars on my body. Although I have never been a centurion, I have participated in far more battles than you. I know very well that to win a war, it depends on which side has more soldiers, is braver, more obedient, and has better weapons and armor, right! When the Daonians attacked the city, although I didn't fight on the walls, I learned in detail from the neighbors who fled back home that the Daunian soldiers are no less brave than Roman citizens, but their armor, weapons, and siege equipment far exceed ours. They conquered Rome but did not violate the city's residents, and they also surpassed Roman citizens in terms of discipline—"
"We have an army of 70,000! Our commander is Camillus! We will definitely retake Rome! Father, don't say anymore, quickly come with me to the garrison to rest, and when we drive away the Daonians, our family can be reunited!"
"Is Camillus stronger than the ever-victorious Daunian king?! Can 70,000 people capture Rome, which is defended by 50,000?! Sextus, you're confused. Look at the soldiers under your command; they know very well!"
After his father's reminder, Sextus was shocked to find that some of his men were silent, some looked embarrassed, and many more were surrounding the old men, asking about the situation of their families in the city, with excited expressions.
Sextus then remembered: In this century under his command, there were not many citizens like him who had grown up in Rome since childhood. Most of them were vagrants who had joined Rome in the past decade. Their sense of identity with Rome was not strong, and they were probably unable to resist such temptation.
So, he loudly reminded the soldiers: "Don't forget that the Daonians are foreigners. They don't believe in Jupiter, Juno, or Vesta! They also have a king! We cannot go and rely on such a foreign country that is completely different from Rome!"
"Rome itself is a city-state composed of many races, and so is Daonia. It is said that many foreigners have become their senators, and their king personally worshipped the Temple of Diana, the Temple of Vesta, and even our commoner deities, Keris, Liber, and Libera. This shows that Daonia completely allows us to have our own gods! As for them having a king, there is nothing to worry about. Don't forget that when those Roman nobles killed Marcus in the first place, the crime they gave him was wanting to be king, but he was a true Roman hero who cared about our commoners! So, whether there is a king or not is not important; what is important is whether we can be treated more fairly, so that we don't have to worry about debts, become slaves, but can instead obtain land and power?!" Another old man said loudly.
The last few words made the soldiers' eyes light up.
"Yes, just like I now have five acres of land south of the river port, on the banks of the Tiber, which is far more fertile than my original land west of Fidenae, and it is much more convenient to cultivate." Sextus's father patted his injured leg and said with satisfaction: "My family also moved to the Palatine Hill and moved into a large mansion belonging to the Claudian clan—my former creditor. I once knelt at the door of that mansion, begging them to postpone my debt repayment deadline… Hahaha, now I can become the owner of that house!"
"Father, you… you…" Sextus felt his eyes go dark when he heard this.
"That's right, I have already applied to become a citizen of Daonia and shared the property of the former Claudian clan. According to their clan's vindictive style, they will regard our family as mortal enemies. What are you still hesitating about!" The old man suddenly shouted sharply.
"You're crazy! You actually went to provoke the people of the Claudian clan! !" Sextus responded angrily, but his face was full of fear.
"It's not just your father who has provoked the nobles. Many commoners in the city have now been stained with the blood of nobles and clients. In the past, they treated us cruelly, and now it's our turn to retaliate!" Another old man said hatefully from the side.
His words not only received the approval of the other old men, but also made many soldiers express their agreement.
Sextus became silent.
At this time, his father persuaded again: "Child, Aeschytes, the Roman administrator from Thurii, announced an order today that in two days, all the commoners in Rome will gather in the square to jointly elect councilors to form the Roman local council. Its role is to supervise and assist the Roman administrator in governing this city. Any commoner can sign up to participate. I have decided to run for election.
Also… Administrator Aeschytes also announced that Rome will be divided into nine districts. Considering that we don't have much administrative experience yet and don't know much about the laws and systems of the Daunian kingdom, the Demarch in charge of each district will temporarily be held by officials from the Daunian kingdom, but the Vice-Demarch will be selected from among the Roman commoners. While assisting the officials in governing the Roman districts, they will also learn political experience from it in order to take on more important positions in the future…
An important condition for selecting these Vice-Demarchs is to know Greek, so as to better communicate with Daunian officials. Sextus, you have studied Greek, I hope you can become the Vice-Demarch of the Caelian district!"
Sextus was still silent.
Not only the old men were looking at him, but the soldiers were also looking at him, especially those hesitant soldiers who were expecting the centurion's decision to help them finally make up their minds.
"We… we're just entering Rome like this. The Daonians really won't suspect us or attack us?" When Sextus finally said these words, the old men all showed smiles, and most of the soldiers breathed a sigh of relief.
At the same time, some soldiers worriedly reminded: "Let us enter the city without weapons? What if the Daonians go back on their word? Wouldn't we be like lambs walking into a wolf's den!"
These words immediately aroused the anger of the old men: "You idiot! Would I put my children in danger! You may not believe in the Daonians, but how can you not believe in your parents!…"
"Are we entering Rome now?" Sextus interrupted their complaints.
"How is that possible! We haven't seen our children yet!" Some old men protested.
"In order for Daonia to finally defeat the Roman nobles, we must let more commoners leave the army led by Camillus, return to Rome, and join Daonia. Only in this way can we weaken the strength of the Roman nobles and defend the interests we have just gained!" Sextus's father loudly reminded.
Now that he had decided to defect from Rome, Sextus completely calmed down and considered the future of his people. Therefore, he thought for a while before saying to the old men: "You should know that the dictator Camillus has always had very strict security requirements for the camp. You can't get in. Go to the people's encampment first. There are also many commoners there who are worth you trying to win over. As for me and the soldiers, we will return to the camp and secretly tell the other commoner soldiers about the changes in Rome, including your relatives, of course. After dark, all the soldiers who are willing to leave will break out of the camp together and join you, and return to Rome together!"
"Okay, let's do it this way!" Sextus's father took the lead in expressing his agreement.
… … … … … … … … … … … … … …
During this period, Camillus had been worried about the Daunian army's invasion and the fall of Rome, and coupled with the continuous marching these past few days, Camillus had not had a good rest. Exhausted by Davos's schemes, he finally had a good night's sleep this night, and even dreamed of the grand occasion of him driving away the Daonians and leading his army into Rome.
"Your Excellency! Wake up! Something terrible has happened!! Your Excellency… …"
Camillus was awakened by his adjutant, and his heart tightened: "What happened?!"
"A riot has broken out in the camp! Some soldiers attacked the camp guards and occupied the camp gate… …"
"What?!!… …"
… … … … … … … … … … … … … …
Davos let some Roman civilians out of the city purely out of the mentality of "taking a shot in the dark and making trouble for Camillus's Roman army." He didn't have high expectations, because he had carefully observed the camp built by the Roman army from the city wall, and it seemed that its defenses were not bad, and Camillus even cruelly refused to accept his family… …
While marveling at this Roman dictator who was known as the "Father of Rome" in his previous life, Davos also did not believe that this cold-hearted and calm-headed Roman dictator would allow these people to enter the camp and disturb the morale of the army.
However, a series of coincidences made the outcome of this matter far beyond Davos's expectations.
When he was awakened from his sleep by Martius and learned that chaos had broken out in the Roman camp, he couldn't believe that it was the result of the group of old people he had released in the afternoon. It was not until Amin Tas, the legion commander of the First Legion responsible for the defense of the northeast city wall, sent soldiers to select several Roman soldiers and civilians who had escaped into the city through the east gate and brought them to the Senate that Davos learned after questioning that the chaos in the Roman camp was caused by thousands of Roman civilian soldiers who wanted to escape the camp.
"Is this really happening? Or is it Camillus's trick to lure the enemy?" Davos looked at the dark night outside the window, not daring to be sure.
On the one hand, he ordered the legions to assemble their troops, and on the other hand, he ordered the intelligence department to immediately re-interrogate these soldiers and civilians who had entered the city separately.
In the end, when he made up his mind to take action, the noise of the riots in the Roman camp had subsided a bit compared to the beginning, but he still sent the Second and Fifth Legions out of the south gate to try to attack the Roman camp, and also sent the First Legion out of the east gate to meet the Roman civilian soldiers and civilians who came to escape later, and repelled the pursuers.
Due to the sudden incident, Camillus and the generals devoted their main energy to stabilizing the army and suppressing the riots in the camp that night, and had no energy to resist the attack of the Daonians, let alone send more troops to counterattack the Daunian army.
And Davos had not made careful preparations in advance. Attacking the Roman camp in the dark was already an adventure, and he was also worried that those Roman civilian soldiers who had escaped into the Roman city would become unstable and cause chaos, so this night battle did not last long.
But for the leadership of both sides,
there were many thorny issues that needed to be resolved urgently.
… … … … … … … … … … … … … … …
More than a dozen candles illuminated the Roman Senate. Davos paced back and forth in the center of the venue, thinking with his head down, accompanied by Henipolis and Croto Cataccus behind him.
At this time, the Roman Administrative Officer Yasistes strode into the venue.
"What is the situation with those Romans who escaped into the city?" Davos asked immediately when he saw him.
Yasistes immediately said: "Your Majesty, according to the results of our emergency statistics, a total of 1,275 Roman soldiers and 213 Roman civilians escaped into the city. Administrative Adjutant Tonix organized 100 Romans who had already applied for Daunian citizenship to screen them, and identified two nobles and seven noble retainers. The other Romans have been confirmed to be of civilian origin. They are now temporarily under the control of the First Legion's barracks, awaiting your next instructions."
Davos was delighted with the efficiency of the newly established City Hall. He asked in a softened tone: "What do you think should be done with them?"
"When I came, I had already asked the Registrar Porotax to explain to them the special laws that you have formulated for Roman civilians, and persuaded them to apply for Daunian citizenship immediately. Roman soldiers who have applied for Daunian citizenship can be immediately allocated land and housing, and then let them go home. As for those Roman soldiers who are still unwilling to join our kingdom, they will be temporarily assigned to the barracks to serve as odd jobs for a period of time under the pretext of 'shortage of manpower' to facilitate supervision…" Yasistes spoke eloquently, obviously having planned this long ago.
"Yasi, you have considered it very carefully!" Davos first praised him, and then said confidently: "These Roman soldiers risked rushing out of the camp late at night and returning to the Roman city. It can be seen that most of them are willing to become Daunian citizens. Even if a few have not figured it out for the time being, there is no need to be too cautious. Just let them all go home. Usually, let the patrol team pay more attention. Even if someone has other ideas, they can't make any waves in the current Roman city!"
"Yes, Your Majesty." Yasistes responded immediately.
Davos looked at him and suddenly smiled: "I understand, have you already planned to send them all home?"
"Nothing can be hidden from Your Majesty's eyes." Yasistes replied respectfully.
"You, you!" Davos pointed at him with his hand, intending to criticize him a few words, but swallowed the words back, reached out and patted him hard on the shoulder, and said sternly: "I appointed you as the Administrative Officer of Rome because I believe that only you can turn the city of Rome into our Daunian city, so you can rest assured to govern and boldly issue orders and implement your governance of this city, don't worry about me!"
"Yes…!" It was still the same answer, but this time Yasistes's tone seemed a little excited. He took a deep breath and then said seriously: "Your Majesty, a Roman soldier strongly requests to see you. He said he has an important matter to report to you… and this person is the only Roman centurion among all the Romans who escaped into the city. According to other people's reflections, the main reason why these Roman civilian soldiers were able to escape the camp this time was his planning and leadership."
"Oh?!" Davos asked with interest: "What's his name?"
"Lucius Sextius. I have already brought him here. He is waiting outside the door."
"Then let him in." Davos said with interest.
… … … … … … … … … … … … … …
As a Roman citizen, Sextius was walking into the Roman Senate for the first time. Of course, he had heard countless times from others about the layout of the Senate and the many stories that had happened in the venue since he was a child, and he had also fantasized many times that one day he would be wearing a white robe with red trim and sitting in this sacred place, discussing the future of Rome.
However, at this time, the guards guarding the entrance and exit of the venue were not Roman soldiers in red helmets and red armor, but Daunian guards in black helmets and black armor. The circular venue, which should have been full of fierce arguments, was now empty. Instead, a long table and many wooden chairs were placed in the center of the venue, which should have had enough space for the senators to speak. Under the light of the candles, there were three people sitting in the center of the venue.
It seemed that the Daonians had transformed the sacred Roman Senate into an ordinary meeting place! Sextius felt that he should have felt angry, but he couldn't muster the strength of anger in his heart. Instead, a kind of unspeakable feeling made him feel a little uncomfortable.
Under the guidance of the Court Guard Officer Martius, he walked to the center of the venue, and the middle-aged man who had been watching him said amiably: "Please sit down, Sextius."
Sextius sat down unceremoniously and asked directly in Greek: "Are you the King of Daonia?"
"I am." Davos smiled slightly.
"We Romans abolished the monarchy hundreds of years ago because of the tyranny of the king, and adopted a republican system, and made all citizens swear that no one should ever be king. As far as I know, many of your Greek city-states have also transformed from the former monarchy to a democratic system, but Daonia is implementing a monarchy. Do you think we Romans will accept the rule of a king?"
Davos smiled again faintly and said: "If you Roman civilians are satisfied with the Roman system, why do you often fight with the nobles, and even refuse to vote for consuls in the People's Assembly?"
Sextius had obviously thought about this before, and he quickly replied: "There are problems with the Roman republican system, but it is still better than the former monarchy."
"In my opinion, whether a city-state's political system is good or not does not depend on what kind of political system it is, but on how many citizens can benefit from it!" Davos emphasized his tone and said: "The Roman system makes Roman civilians, who account for about half of the total population, feel strongly dissatisfied and constantly protest; while my Daunian kingdom, although it implements a monarchy, every citizen in the kingdom owns land, can fairly use the kingdom's public land, every citizen can smoothly pay off debts even if they are in debt, every citizen has the opportunity to serve as an important minister and senator of the kingdom, and every citizen must abide by the law, whether civilian or noble, as long as they violate the law, they will be punished…
Even if I am the king, I also have to abide by the kingdom's laws formulated by the Senate, so I will not see which citizen's wife is beautiful and brazenly take her for myself (the reason why the last king of Rome was expelled was because the citizen's wife was humiliated by the royal family, which eventually led to it), because that will be punished by law, the most serious being the death penalty; I will not see which citizen is rich and forcibly plunder his property, then I will have committed theft; I am even less likely to dislike someone and order his arrest or even kill him, because the judges will refuse to execute it, and the Senate will also protest…"
Hearing this, Sextius said somewhat unbelievably: "You have made the Daunian monarchy sound too good. Is it really implemented like this?"
"Whether what I say is true or false, you will discover for yourself when you become a citizen of Daonia." Davos said noncommittally, then asked, "What important matter brings you here to tell me?"
Sextus was still pondering what Davos had said earlier. He was silent for a while, but Davos's calm, focused gaze made him feel immense pressure. He said somewhat unwillingly, "This morning, when we set out from Prineste, the army had over 60,000 men, but when we were building the camp outside Rome, I discovered that the number of soldiers was much less… at least 20,000 men had quietly left the camp." Sextus spoke while observing Davos's expression.
Davos's heart skipped a beat, and countless thoughts raced through his mind. Then, he said nonchalantly, "So, Camillus used negotiations to deceive me, but secretly sent troops to attack Ostia. However, he underestimated the current Ostia. It will be difficult to capture it in a short time with only 20,000 men! I believe that by tomorrow, I will receive news of the Ostian garrison repelling the Roman army's attack!"
After speaking confidently, Davos comforted Sextus, who looked a little lost, "In any case, thank you very much for your reminder! As a Roman commoner, your ability to serve as a centurion demonstrates your outstanding military skills. You have already applied to become a citizen of Daonia, haven't you?"
"…I have applied." Sextus said softly. In fact, when the census officials asked him, he was still a little hesitant, but under his father's strong urging, he finally agreed.
"Very good!" Davos looked at him approvingly and said loudly, "Now, I have decided to appoint you as a battalion commander, responsible for organizing the commoners in Rome to form a reserve force, ready to join the battle at any time. When Latium is pacified in the future and a new Daonian legion is formed, if you have made enough meritorious contributions, you will be a strong contender for the legion commander. Are you willing to accept this appointment?"
Sextus was, after all, a young man. Young people are passionate and ambitious, and longing to make a name for themselves is human nature. Although he had been feeling depressed since entering Rome, he was now attracted by Davos's appointment and the grand future he had painted. He no longer hesitated: "I am willing!"
"Martius." Davos turned to his bodyguard captain and said, "In a moment, personally take Sextus to find Tolmides. Tell him about my appointment of Sextus and have him help Sextus prepare the Roman reserve force."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"Sextus." Davos asked again amiably, "I think the soldiers of commoner origin in the Roman army outside the city are by no means a minority, so why did only you escape from the camp?"
This time, Sextus's attitude was much more serious when answering the question: "Because the Roman army has relatively strict regulations for constructing camps, legions must be separated from each other,
and it is forbidden to move around at will during nighttime rest…
I secretly told the commoner soldiers of our legion about the changes in Rome while the soldiers were eating dinner, but I couldn't pass the message to other legions. Some commoner soldiers who received the message did not leave with us, but I believe that due to the chaos we caused in the camp tonight, the news will spread throughout the entire army by tomorrow."
Davos nodded without showing any emotion and said with concern, "Sextus, thank you very much for making a special trip to remind us. Although we were already prepared, this is still a great contribution! And before, you led the commoner soldiers to break out of the camp and escape back to Rome, which was already a meritorious deed. According to our "Daonian Military Law", the kingdom will reward soldiers who have made meritorious contributions with land and other materials.
You have been working hard all day today, and you must be very tired. Hurry back home to reunite with your family and get a good night's sleep. Tomorrow, I will summon all the citizens in the city to gather in the square and personally award you the rewards. It will also be a good opportunity to announce your appointment, which will make it easier for you to carry out your tasks next. Oh, right, there's also a house. With your merits, you deserve a large mansion."
Sextus hurriedly said, "I heard my father say that our family has already moved into a large mansion."
"Oh." Davos smiled and said, "Then can you find your home tonight? If not, stay in the First Legion's camp tonight. Tomorrow, it will be convenient to participate in the square assembly nearby. When the time comes, take the rewards and appointment home, and your family will be even happier."
"Your… I know where my home is, I can find it!" Sextus was a little incoherent.
He hurriedly walked out of the Senate, then reached out and wiped the fine sweat from his forehead and breathed a sigh of relief. In his original imagination, the King of Daonia must be a person with a dignified appearance and domineering behavior, but he did not expect him to be so kind and approachable, and so concerned and enthusiastic about himself. This made him feel ashamed and a little confused, as he had originally held a self-destructive mentality of questioning the Daonian political system and even having a big fight and being imprisoned, but in the end, he almost learned from others and blurted out the king's honorable title.
He turned his head and looked at the Senate under the dark sky. In the flickering candlelight, the door that he had always felt was sacred and insurmountable now looked so dilapidated in his eyes.
For a long time, he moved his legs and walked forward, faster and faster…
… … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …
"Father, is it a bit too risky to have the Roman soldiers who have just escaped back to the city take up arms again and form a reserve force?" Cloto Cataccus, who had been listening quietly, asked worriedly after Sextus left.
"It's good that you have this vigilance!" Davos first praised his son, then patiently explained, "Just like I said to Asistes before, even if the Roman reserve force of just over 1,000 people really all rebel, they won't be able to make any waves in Rome, which is guarded by our more than 40,000 legion troops. On the contrary, concentrating them together for training will make it easier for us to supervise them. At the same time, we are also taking the opportunity to show the Romans our magnanimity, using them boldly and confidently, which can eliminate the doubts in the hearts of these commoners. In addition, there is Henni!"
Davos suddenly remembered something: "Write it down, and tomorrow morning, notify Asistes to bring the families of the Roman nobles over when the assembly is held in the square. We must not only reward Sextus, but also allocate land and housing to those Roman commoners who have escaped back and applied for Daonian citizenship."
"Your Majesty, this method is too good!" Hennipolis couldn't help but praise, "It can both allow more Roman commoners in the city to be influenced by this and join our Daonia, and also make the Roman commoners who have already joined Daonia have to be more loyal to the kingdom in the hatred of the noble families!"
Davos looked at Cloto Cataccus, who seemed to be lost in thought, and asked, "Cloto, what is the most important thing we need to do now?"
Cloto Cataccus pondered for a moment and replied, "…Reinforce Ostia?"
"That's right! Camillus secretly sent troops to attack Ostia, and he must have realized the importance of Ostia to us. Even under the current circumstances where the Roman army is facing difficulties, he will definitely attack Ostia with all his strength. Although Telis has sent people to report to me these past two days that he has been strengthening the defense of Ostia, the walls of Ostia are not high, which provides too little help to the soldiers defending on the walls, and there are only three reserve battalions from Thurii in Ostia. These soldiers, like Telis, lack real combat experience. I am a little worried!"
Davos paced back and forth with a slightly worried expression. Soon, he stopped: "Cloto, you immediately rush to the Fifth Legion's camp and have Legion Commander Giogris lead five battalions to quickly take a boat at the pier across the Pons Aemilius and rush to Ostia overnight to reinforce Telis! The remaining troops of the Fifth Legion will be temporarily commanded by Fourth Legion Commander Olivas."
Cloto Cataccus did not immediately accept the order. After hesitating for a moment, he suddenly said loudly, "Father, I request to follow the Fifth Legion to Ostia and participate in the battle!"
Davos was stunned.
"You can also participate in the battle here, there's no need to go to Ostia." Hennipolis persuaded from the side.
Cloto Cataccus didn't speak, but just straightened his chest even more, staring intently at his father with a resolute expression.
Davos felt the eager desire in his bright eyes. He pondered for a moment and said, "If you want to go, you can, but you must promise me one thing."
"As long as you let me go, I can promise anything!" Cloto Cataccus replied immediately, with a look of joy on his face.
"You must obey the orders of Telis, the administrative officer of Ostia, and Giogris, the legion commander, and you are not allowed to act without authorization! Can you do it?"
"Yes!"
"Then take 50 palace guards with you."
"Thank you, Father!" Cloto Cataccus gave Davos a strong hug excitedly, and then quickly walked out of the Senate.
"Your Majesty, I think it is still a little dangerous to let Prince Cloto go to Ostia alone!" Hennipolis advised worriedly.
Davos stared blankly at the exit of the venue and sighed softly: "If a fledgling always stays under the care of its parents, it will never learn to fly. It is rare that he has the determination to take risks, so let him go!"
… … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …
That night, the great tent in the Roman camp was also brightly lit, and Dictator Camillus was conducting tense discussions with his subordinate generals.
"Dictator, I have followed your orders and strictly controlled the legion under my command, isolating all those who have been in contact with the rebellious soldiers, and issued an order: 'Anyone who spreads or discusses this matter will be severely punished!' The situation is now temporarily under control," Licinius reported to Camillus.
Before Camillus could speak, Quintus interjected, accusing, "Licinius, how dare you say 'under control'? If you hadn't been lax in managing your legion, how could the camp have erupted tonight! It has brought great trouble to our entire army! Dictator, I believe Licinius should be punished first!"
"I'm lax in managing the legion?!" Of course, Licinius couldn't allow Quintus to shift the blame onto him, so he retorted sarcastically, "Let everyone judge fairly, from the time we set out until now, which legion led by whom has always been criticized by the Dictator for its lack of discipline! You should be grateful that it was my legion that happened to suffer the Deonian's trickery, so the camp didn't cause a major disturbance! If it had been your troops, I'm afraid the entire camp would have fallen into chaos!"
In fact, what Licinius said was not without reason. The legion he led was located in the southeast corner of the camp, while Quintus's troops were located in the center of the camp. If Quintus's soldiers had learned about this, the news would have spread quickly in all directions, and it would have been difficult to control.
But Quintus didn't think so. He believed that Licinius was humiliating him, and immediately pointed his finger at Licinius, angrily scolding, "You damned plebeian, you must have been dissatisfied with us for a long time! This time, the damned Deonians gave you the opportunity, so you deliberately let those plebeians in the legion go, so that they could return to the city of Rome and seize our land and wealth!"
Faced with such slander, Licinius was also flushed with anger, and blurted out, "Shut up, you thug in the mouth of the plebeians! If it weren't for nobles like you being greedy and tyrannical, forcing the plebeians to a dead end, how could they be easily seduced by the Deonians and betray Rome!…"
The two former military and political officers who had once worked together and fought side by side were actually cursing at each other in the tent.
Seeing this situation, the generals in the tent all looked ugly.
"Enough, shut up!" Camillus's roar finally stopped the two from arguing. Camillus rarely lost his temper, but tonight he was obviously angered by the two's irrationality. He trembled, pointing angrily at the two: "It seems that the Deonians' attempt to sow discord has finally worked. Even you are arguing because of this, it is impossible to retake Rome!"
Hearing this, Quintus and Licinius, although still glaring at each other, couldn't help but feel a little ashamed.
At this time, Aulus asked worriedly: "Respected Dictator, the hateful Deonians are implementing such measures in the city of Rome, which is quite vicious! Once the news spreads,
Most of the plebeian soldiers want to escape, and the noble soldiers are worried about their families in the city, I am afraid they will not listen to our orders with peace of mind, what should we do?!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Furius also said eagerly: "The news in the city of Rome is not only spread to the soldiers under Licinius, but the people outside the camp probably know it too. We cannot completely block the news at all. In a few days, I am afraid it will spread throughout the army!"
"Forbid the soldiers from contacting the people, and try to persuade the people to live near the city of Præneste temporarily…" Camillus made a decision with a solemn expression, which was obviously contrary to the order he had issued a few days ago. He sighed helplessly: "Even so, it can only be managed for a while. In order to avoid the fluctuation of the military's morale, we must lead the army away from the city of Rome!"
"Leave Rome?!" As soon as Quintus heard this, he immediately objected loudly: "That's impossible! The soldiers have worked hard to rush back from the Hernici, just hoping to retake the city of Rome! The city of Rome is right in front of us, but you want them to leave, I am afraid no one will be willing to obey this order!"
"If we don't leave, do you want them to attack the city?! With the current state of the army, and the current state of the city of Rome, we don't have the slightest chance of taking the city of Rome!"
Licinius's words made the officers in the tent look gloomy. They had already learned from the plebeian soldiers they had captured before that the Deonians had taken those cruel measures against the nobles in the city of Rome, the plebeians' surrender to them, and the fact that the senators had only retreated to the Capitoline Hill with a very small number of troops, meant that the Deonians had basically controlled the situation in the city of Rome.
A sad atmosphere began to permeate the tent.
At this time, Camillus said in a deep voice: "I hope everyone pays attention, although we secretly sent Titus to lead troops to attack Ostia, but such a large army has left, the soldiers should be aware of it, if the Deonians learn of this situation from the soldiers who escaped into the city, then our plan to seize Ostia will be exposed, in order to prevent the Deonians from reinforcing Ostia, we must lead the army away from Rome and go to Ostia, which can greatly avoid the soldiers from escaping, and can also retake Ostia faster! Although the soldiers have emotions, I believe that strict military law and your abilities can make them obey orders!"
The generals looked at me and I looked at you. Although everyone looked embarrassed, no one spoke out against it. At this moment, they all understood in their hearts that this was probably the best way to deal with the current situation.
A guard broke in, breaking the silence in the tent: "Dictator, the troops stationed at the river port sent a messenger to report that dozens of ships have appeared upstream of the Tiber River, lit with torches, full of soldiers, and are heading downstream!"
The faces of everyone in the tent changed, and a sentence popped up in their hearts at the same time: The Deonians really want to reinforce Ostia!
… … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …
After Titus discovered that the city of Ostia was full of traps, he did not rashly order the army to continue attacking, but sent all the heavy infantry, holding long shields for protection, braving the rain of arrows and stone bullets shot from the city, patiently clearing the traps on the ground. Although some casualties were paid, the traps in front of the moat were roughly cleared when night fell.
Since Ostia is only a small city, and the Roman army only needs to attack the east and south sides, its city wall is less than two miles long, so Titus divided the entire army into five waves, taking turns attacking. When the first wave of soldiers attacked the city, the other troops rested on the ground in the rear to recover some of the physical strength consumed during the day.
After the Roman soldiers filled the moat and rushed to the city, taking advantage of the Deonian defenders' full-strength battle with the attacking Roman soldiers, Titus also had people drive carts one by one, came to the front of the moat, and then unloaded the wood tarred with asphalt in the carts, and lit them with fire. The bonfires lit in one place after another provided lighting for the Roman soldiers' continued attack.
In addition, Titus also came up with a clever trick: when a wave of soldiers was frustrated in attacking the city and had to retreat, he did not immediately send the second wave of soldiers, but quietly pushed the ballistae forward. Since those bonfires only illuminated the bottom of the city, the wilderness beyond a hundred meters began to be shrouded in darkness. The Deonian ballistae operators on the city could not see clearly the distance, so they could not carry out accurate bombardment. Instead, the Roman ballistae troops could see the situation on the city, so after they entered the range (200-150 meters from the city wall), they began to fire stone bullets. Although most of the stone bullets hit the city wall, the splashing gravel caused some damage to the dense defenders on the city.
After a period of bombardment, Titus sent in the second wave of soldiers, who had rested for a while, to continue the siege. However, the Daunian defenders were constantly busy resisting the attacks and dodging stone projectiles, their bodies and minds continuously exhausted. As time went on, the Romans gradually began to match the defenders in terms of physical and mental strength.
In addition, the Romans had another headache-inducing tactic for the defenders during the siege: their heavy infantry, besides the soldiers climbing the siege ladders, were not idle. While using their large shields to protect themselves, they also hurled javelins at the city walls.
Heavy infantry throwing javelins—this was originally a tactic of the Daunian legion soldiers. After Camillus fought the Daonians at Volsci, he realized the power of this tactic and began to try using it in the battles with the Hernici, achieving some success. Before this appearance, when Camillus discussed with Titus how to attack Ostia, he again mentioned using this tactic during the siege. Although the Roman heavy infantry were not as well-trained as the Daunian legion soldiers, their javelin throws were not only accurate and powerful but also rich in tactical variations. However, the relatively low walls of Ostia increased the lethality of the Roman soldiers' javelin throws, and the Roman army's far greater number of heavy infantry compared to the defenders on the city walls became the key to suppressing the Daunian defenders with javelins.
As one wave of Roman siege soldiers retreated, another dark mass surged forward, continuously pounding like a raging tide. The number of Daunian defenders' casualties increased, and their defensive strength declined. Several times, the enemy had even managed to climb onto the city walls.
Thelis had no choice but to send in the reserves, but lacking experience, he did not break up these newly formed reinforcements and distribute them among the defenders on the city walls, led by veteran legion reserve soldiers. Instead, he had them replace the vacant positions on the city walls in large groups. As a result, the defensive strength not only did not increase significantly but also caused a great deal of confusion.
"General, look! The wall has collapsed!" the attendants shouted, pointing to the front.
Titus could hardly contain the ecstasy in his heart.
A few days ago, the walls of Ostia had just experienced the baptism of Daunian crossbows. Although they had been repaired, a few days was not enough for them to fully recover. Then, after repeated attacks by Roman crossbows, a section of the city wall finally let out a mournful cry and collapsed.
Accompanied by the exclamations of soldiers from both sides, a gap was revealed after the dust dissipated.
Seeing this situation, how could Titus let go of the good opportunity to breach the city? He immediately ordered: "Crossbows stop firing, the entire army immediately presses forward to attack!"
Saying 'the entire army presses forward' was actually only the Roman citizen soldiers truly participating in the attack with all their might. After all, a long march during the day and continuous fierce fighting at night, although there had been intermittent rests in between, all the soldiers were already extremely exhausted. In addition, the reckless attacks regardless of casualties made the Latin allied army and the Etruscan allied army complain endlessly. Their generals had repeatedly protested to Titus, and their soldiers had already begun to fight passively. Only these less than 5,000 Roman colony citizen soldiers, supported by the belief in 'recovering the motherland' and constrained by strict discipline, coupled with the collapse of the Ostia city wall giving them hope of success, roared and launched another fierce attack on Ostia in the midst of the loud military bugle calls.
The Roman soldiers' high morale also infected the allied troops, and they reluctantly followed behind… …
… … … … … … … … … … … … … …
Gheorgis was already a cautious person, and with Cloto Cataccus accompanying him, he became even more cautious. Therefore, he arranged for four fast ships to lead the way, with the other ships running in pairs, with a large gap between the front and rear. All the ships lit torches, like a fire dragon in the river, going downstream along the water.
Gheorgis's caution worked. On the way, one of the leading ships collided with a fast ship being towed upstream to report to Rome and sank. One of the leading ships failed to control its direction at a sharp bend in the river and crashed into a reef and sank… …
However, all the troop transport ships were unharmed and safely approached the mouth of the Tiber River. However, the soldiers on board were shocked by the scene on the distant shore: it was almost late at night, but the sky had not yet dawned, the crescent moon still hung in the sky, and the sky was still dark, the best time for people to sleep soundly. However, the direction of Ostia was ablaze with fire, and the sounds of killing shook the sky… …
Could it be that Ostia had already fallen?! Whether it was Gheorgis, the officers at all levels, or the soldiers, they all had similar worries in their hearts. Guided by the distant fire and the lighthouse in the port, and also in order not to attract the enemy's attention, Gheorgis immediately ordered: "Extinguish all the torches on the ships!"
Soon, the patrol boats of the port came out to greet them. After learning that Ostia had not fallen, the fleet quickly sailed into its port.
After the boat docked at the pier, Gheorgis rushed ashore first. He was surprised to see countless people dressed as sailors gathered together, beginning to put on their armor. The arrival of the Fifth Legion soldiers was warmly welcomed by them.
After inquiring, Gheorgis learned that the Roman army had begun attacking the city at dusk and had not stopped. They had lit piles of bonfires outside the city as lighting to facilitate the Roman soldiers' attack. Due to the continuous and relentless attacks by the Romans, the reserve soldiers led by Thelis had suffered considerable casualties. Not only had they sent the reserves composed of Latin refugees and slaves to the city walls, but they had also gathered the sailors from the warships in the docks, ready to reinforce at any time.
With the help of these Third Fleet sailors, all five cohorts of the Fifth Legion soldiers quickly disembarked and, led by Gheorgis, quickly headed towards the city.
At this moment, a cry of alarm came from the front: "It's bad! The wall has collapsed! ! … …"
Gheorgis was shocked. The battle situation was urgent, and he immediately ordered: "The entire army advances at full speed!"
… … … … … … … … … … … … …
Repeated hard battles, coupled with the collapse of the city wall, had already made the soldiers on the city wall feel uneasy. At this time, the Romans took the opportunity to launch an attack that was much larger than before.
Before the dark mass of Roman soldiers had even crossed the moat, some of the freed slaves on the city wall, who had never seen such a large momentum, actually turned around and fled.
Thelis hurriedly led the guards to stop them and decisively killed the slaves who took the lead in fleeing to stabilize the morale of the army. However, with a city wall more than a mile long, he could not take care of both ends. As the enemy approached, the chaos on the city wall not only did not subside but intensified.
Thelis, in a flurry, did not even have time to allocate troops to block the gap. In the end, even he himself lost confidence… …
Just as he was at a loss and about to give up, "Woo! … …" the familiar military bugle call sounded in the city, followed by a uniform chanting: "Great Hades, you are the patron saint of the kingdom, the master of the night, the embodiment of justice and impartiality! … …"
Before Thelis could react, the legion reserve soldiers on the city wall had already begun to shout: "Our reinforcements have arrived! ! Our reinforcements have arrived! ! ! … …"
Under the illumination of the firelight in the city (in order to facilitate the soldiers' combat on the city, Thelis learned from the Romans and also lit bonfires in the city), a black dragon was rapidly advancing along the street towards the city gate.
The faces of the tall soldiers at the forefront were already clearly discernible. He was wearing a thick dog skin, and a legion flag was held high in his hand, the statue at the top shining brightly.
"Fifth Legion! It's the Fifth Legion! ! … …" a sharp-eyed soldier shouted loudly.
Ostia was saved! The legion reserve soldiers had confidence, and the originally panicked Ostia reserve soldiers gradually stopped fleeing. Thelis also calmed down.
Titus outside the city also heard the military bugle call and chanting. He never thought that this was the enemy's reinforcements. He thought that the Daunian general was using these to encourage the soldiers and defend with all their strength. After all, based on his experience, there would be no enemy reinforcements arriving at this particular time. So he frowned and muttered softly: "Even at this time, the Daonians still have such morale! Just as the dictator said, the army of this kingdom should not be underestimated!"
At this time, someone shouted in the city: "Is Lord Thelis there?! Lord Thelis! … …"
Thelis leaned on the battlement and looked down: a young officer in black helmet and black armor with a red tassel on his head was walking along the base of the city wall, shouting as he walked.
"I am Thelis!" he immediately responded.
The officer hurriedly saluted and said: "I am the adjutant of Fifth Legion Commander Gheorgis. The legion commander asked me to tell you that he will lead the troops to block the gap, so that you can focus on the defense of the city. Soon there will be reinforcements composed of Third Fleet sailors to reinforce you!"
After discussing with the Fifth Legion adjutant, Thelis urged the officers on the city wall to lead the soldiers back to their respective defensive sections, and placed more light infantry above the gap, and began to prepare enough pitch, because Gheorgis was preparing to return the pain that the Fourth Legion had suffered when attacking Rome to the Romans.
Titus saw from afar the valiant Roman soldiers, braving the rain of arrows, constantly rushing into the gap in the city wall, which made him feel excited and think that victory was in sight.
Who knew that not long after, the entire gap was filled with Roman soldiers. The subordinates who went to inquire about the news returned to report: "There are Daunian troops blocking the gap, and the soldiers cannot break through their defenses for the time being!"
At this moment, the messenger sent by Camillus also arrived outside the city of Ostia (because in the dark night, the messenger did not dare to ride his horse at full speed, so he fell behind the fleet) and reported to Titus: "The Daonians have sent thousands of soldiers from Rome, and they are sailing down the river!"
Titus was struck a heavy blow, but he still had a glimmer of hope in his heart. On one hand, he ordered the drums to beat and the bugles to sound, in order to encourage the soldiers to attack bravely. On the other hand, he sent his subordinates to the city gate to pay close attention to the changes in the battle situation. At the same time, he also called back the Etruscan allied army who were dawdling at the back of the attacking team, and let them line up in the rear, in case of accidents.