At this time, Xanthippus's forces had been reduced to 7,000 men, but this was still three and a half times the number of Segovax's troops.
For two consecutive days, the Cautinian warriors repelled the enemy's attacks, but they also suffered considerable casualties. Abelium became even more dilapidated, and Segovax had already developed the intention to retreat. At this moment, he received the bad news of the "fall of Beneventum." That night, he abandoned the people of Abelium and Aesernia in the city and quietly led his army back to Cautium.
The next day, the people in the city discovered that they had been abandoned by Segovax. The few remaining Abelium and Aesernian warriors decided to surrender to the allied forces outside the city, but the Niconian warriors, filled with hatred and having suffered considerable losses, were firmly opposed. Xanthippus, following Davos's instructions, refused, as Abelium, as a small city connecting Cautium and Beneventum in the eastern plains of Campania, was too important and had to be completely controlled by the Daonian kingdom. To avoid future management troubles, Xanthippus felt it was more appropriate to occupy it directly.
The Daonian allied forces launched an attack and quickly stormed into the city, occupying Abelium.
The Niconian warriors escorted the captured Cautinian warriors to the corpses of the original Niconian leaders and sacrificed them in blood.
… … … … … … … … … … … … …
On the eastern front, Alexius only rested in Beneventum for one day. After briefly handling some affairs in the city, he ordered Polites to divide half of his forces to garrison the city. The rest of the army was personally led by him to march west, passing through the mountain pass and arriving at Cautium.
After Xanthippus captured Abelium, he also led his troops eastward without stopping, successfully meeting with Alexius's forces in Cautium, bringing their combined strength close to 30,000 men.
The Cautium garrison had less than 2,000 men, which caused great panic among the various tribes in the city. Some leaders united and suggested to Segovax: Could they surrender to the Daonian allied forces to protect the clansmen in the city?
Segovax refused without even thinking.
The unwilling leaders argued with him urgently, but this angered Segovax, whose personality had become increasingly perverse due to repeated defeats. He arrested the leading leaders, expelled the others, and declared that he would fight the Daonian allied forces to the end.
This insane act alienated some tribes. That night, many people left the city and secretly communicated with the Daonian allied forces.
How could Alexius let go of such a good opportunity? He immediately launched an attack on the city the next day.
Cautium quickly fell, and Segovax also died in battle on the city wall. By this point, the two most powerful tribes in the Samnite tribal alliance, the Hirpini, had been completely conquered, and most of the Cautini had also been conquered. The remaining northern Cautinian towns, such as Capua and Calatia, were struggling to survive and would be conquered in due course.
Just as the Daonian allied forces were meeting in Cautium, Contrux and Badani gathered the maximum force they could muster from the two tribes, 5,000 warriors, intending to launch a surprise attack on the Daonian army in the east.
However, Capsus, who was cautious in using troops, did not continue to penetrate deep into the mountains after occupying Aequum. Instead, while stabilizing the local order, he constantly sent out reconnaissance teams to thoroughly investigate the surrounding terrain and environment.
As a result, the movements of the Samnite army were detected, and he immediately prepared for defense.
The surprise attack by the two Samnite tribes eventually turned into a frontal assault, and after suffering some casualties, they had to choose to retreat.
Subsequently, the news of the "fall of Beneventum and Cautium" came one after another.
Contrux and Badani, in shock, had to lead their troops back to their tribal territories to prepare for the upcoming attack of the Daonian allied forces.
… … … … … … … … … … … … …
"Your Majesty, good news! Xanthippus not only captured Lora with his army, but also defeated the main force of the Cautini who came to rescue!…" Tolmides strode into the tent and said excitedly in a loud voice.
"Oh!" Davos hurriedly took the battle report, read it carefully, and immediately smiled: "This is indeed good news! The crushing defeat of the Cautini, the surrender of the Niconians, the victory in the Samnite war is certain! Xanthippus has made a great contribution! Is this his first time leading troops independently?"
"Yes, Your Majesty. Xanthippus was about to retire from the army before, but the Military Affairs Department temporarily recruited him to Lucania to form a reserve corps. Because the Samnite war broke out, he led the team to participate in the Campania war…" Tolmides spoke in such detail for selfish reasons. He and Xanthippus had a good relationship. They came to Magna Graecia together in those years, so he hoped that Xanthippus, who was over 60 years old, could still have a good development in the kingdom.
Of course, Davos knew that Tolmides had a good relationship with Xanthippus, but he didn't care about his hidden little thoughts. Instead, he patted the battle report and said with a mixture of emotion and regret: "Whether it was capturing Lora or defeating the main force of the Cautini, Xanthippus has demonstrated excellent military command ability! I shouldn't have let him be an inspector in the Military Affairs Department in the first place, wasting these years in vain! I still don't know enough about them!…"
Tolmides tactfully did not speak, but he was happy for his friend in his heart.
Davos sighed for a while, then praised loudly: "This time, the strategic plan for Samnium designated by your Military Affairs Department is also very good! Alexius in the east, Xanthippus and the Campanian allied forces in the west, and Abellinum and Potentia in the center, the three armies cooperate closely and take turns attacking, so that the Samnites can't take care of the east if they take care of the west, and can't take care of the west if they take care of the center. Failure is inevitable!"
"Yes, Your Majesty." The scribe Heniochus also said with a smile: "Just like you once said, although the Samnites are a hungry wolf, we Daonians are lions. Even if the hungry wolf bites the lion a few times, it will not cause great harm, but as long as the lion gives the hungry wolf a claw, half of its life will be gone."
"We have to be more greedy. We want the whole life of this hungry wolf." Davos joked, then said: "Heniochus, go get the map of the Samnite region and put it on."
Heniochus responded. Then he went to the bookshelf filled with various documents and materials to look for it, and Croto Catakes also came to help him.
"Tolmides." Davos continued: "Regarding the letter from the Military Affairs Department saying that 'the increase in the number of troops participating in the Samnite war has led to a shortage of military food supply,' I have considered it, and in the future, the military food for the troops led by Alexius and Xanthippus will be supplied by us."
"Your Majesty, are you saying… transporting military food from Rome to Campania?" Tolmides asked this question out of politeness. In fact, he was not surprised, because the food stored in Rome was indeed very abundant. Not only was there military food captured by the army from Rome, but also food looted from almost all Roman noble residences, as well as grain and grass collected from the captured Latin and Etruscan city-states. The amount was so amazing that it was enough to supply the Daonian army in Latium and the people in Rome for half a year.
"You lead the young people in the General Staff to formulate a more detailed food supply plan based on the army situation in Campania, as well as the food and transportation situation in Rome, and then submit it to me for review, and then send it to Asistes to be responsible for the arrangement," Davos instructed.
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Davos stroked his chin, pondered for a while, and then said: "It seems that we should also send people to demand military food from the Etruscan and Latin allies…"
"Father, isn't Rome's food reserve still very sufficient! Moreover, it will be harvest time again in two months. Most of the farmland outside Rome, Veii, Gabii and other cities has not been damaged, and is now being well taken care of by the Roman people. I believe that enough food will be harvested at that time, which can not only supply the armies in Latium and Campania, but even provide assistance to the armies in Sicily. There is no need to demand food from the newly joined allies, so as to deepen their dissatisfaction with us," Croto Catakes persuaded with some worry.
Davos looked at him with a smile: "I am very happy that you have not been idle in Rome, and have made a more detailed understanding of the areas we have occupied. That's how it should be! However, the reason why I want to send people to demand food from these allies is not because we are short of food, but to solve their confusion."
"Solve their confusion? !" Croto Catakes himself felt confused.
Davos smiled and patiently explained to him: "In the past, Rome had wars every year and often demanded food and soldiers from these allies, and they were all used to it. Now these city-states have joined our Daonia, and we have been fighting alone all the time, and have never asked them for any help. I am afraid they will be confused, and even worry that after we eliminate Rome, we will turn around and deal with them."
Croto Catakes suddenly realized: "So demanding food from them is precisely to show them that Daonia does regard them as allies."
Davos continued: "This is just one purpose. In addition, I will ask the envoys to not make rigid regulations on the amount of food when making demands on them. In this way, the amount of food provided by each ally can just allow us to make a rough judgment on how much sincerity they have towards Daonia!"
Croto Catakes was thoughtful.
Davos glanced at the map that had already been placed on the table and said: "Croton, you just heard the news that 'Xanthippus defeated the main force of the Cautini in Lora', and Alexius is already under the city of Beneventum, and Capsus is attacking the Hirpinian mountains from the east… The defeat of the Samnites is only a matter of time. If you were to handle the conquered Samnite mountains, how would you deal with them?"
Croto Catakes was not surprised. During this time following Davos, Davos would occasionally ask him questions when dealing with government affairs. He was already used to it, and it also forced him to constantly think about the battle reports and information that came in.
At this moment, he walked to the table, stared at the map of Samnium and Campania, and fell into deep thought.
By this time, everyone else in the tent remained silent.
Tolmid looked at Croto Catakes, who was pondering over the table, and couldn't help but feel emotional.
During this time in Latium, because he often had to help Davos handle military affairs, he mostly stayed by Davos's side. He had more contact with Croto Catakes and personally witnessed this Daonian prince gradually change from his initial enthusiasm and naivety to becoming steady and thoughtful. He also witnessed the initial suspicion of him by officials, generals, and soldiers gradually turn into recognition. This was due to Davos's effective teaching, as well as his own talent and hard work.
Judging from various signs, it is likely that Croto Catakes will be the next King of Daonia! Tolmid pondered in his heart: In the future, I must try to create opportunities for my children to have more contact with Croto Catakes! In the beginning, I lacked the courage and did not follow Davos to Magna Graecia from the start. In addition, my talents are limited, so my current status is almost at its peak, but the next generation…
Just as Tolmid's thoughts were running wild, Croto Catakes had already sorted out his thoughts and said to Davos, "Father, if we have completely defeated the Samnite tribal alliance, my opinion is… these Cautinian towns in the eastern plains of Campania, except for Nuceria, should all be incorporated into Daonia. This will not only expand our territory and protect our allies (referring to the Campanian League), but also deter the tribes in the mountains from nearby.
However, it is better to let the Samnites manage these Samnite towns in the mountains themselves. On the one hand, the Samnites are unruly, and their tribes rarely have contact with us Daonians. Their culture and customs are completely different. Sending officials to govern them would be difficult and easily lead to conflicts, wasting the kingdom's energy and resources. On the other hand, the land in the mountainous areas is barren, the environment is harsh, and the products are not abundant. I am afraid that not many Daonian citizens would be willing to move to the Samnite mountains, so it will be difficult for us to assimilate the Samnite tribes in the mountains in a short period of time.
Also… the Pentrian and Caracenian Samnite tribes are adjacent to other tribes in the northern mountains. If we forcibly annex the lands of these two tribes, I am afraid it will arouse the vigilance and hatred of other tribes, leading to unpredictable consequences.
So I think… we can dissolve the Samnite tribal alliance and make the four major Samnite tribes affiliated allies of the kingdom, but we must retain the positions of the great chiefs of each tribe, so that they can resist their former enemies in the north after their strength is weakened, and reduce our troubles…"
Croto Catakes spoke eloquently. Before Davos could respond, Tolmid praised, "Your Majesty, Prince Klotos's consideration is very thoughtful. I think his suggestion makes a lot of sense!"
Hennipolis looked at Tolmid, blinked, and said nothing.
Davos showed a gratified smile and said affirmatively, "Klotos, your proposal is very enlightening to me. The Samnite tribal alliance should indeed be dissolved. Complete annexation of the Samnite mountains may not be the time yet, so retaining the original political structure of several tribes and allowing the existence of great chiefs is still necessary from the current point of view…"
Davos's approval of his suggestion made Croto Catakes feel excited.
"But—" Davos changed his tone, looked at him, and said seriously, "You are not careful enough when considering issues, and your handling of the Samnites is still relatively rough. The situations of these four major tribes are different, and the ways to deal with them should also be different.
The Hirpini, as the largest Samnite tribe and the one with the most borders with the kingdom, although its territory is all in the mountains, we cannot be too indulgent. Beneventum must be incorporated into the kingdom. It is a rare fertile lowland in the Samnite mountains, and its area is not small. I think the kingdom's reserve citizens and freemen are willing to settle there. Moreover, its location is also very important, right in the center of the Hirpini and Cautinian territories, close to Abellinum and Cautium. With it, we will have a cornerstone to stabilize the southern part of the Samnite mountains.
In addition, Abellinum has always been friendly to the kingdom and has contributed a lot in this war, and has become a free city of the kingdom. We should reward it. We can allow Gellius to serve as the great chief of the Hirpini, governing the other Hirpini tribes and territories except for Beneventum, making it the kingdom's second Potentia, so that it has the strength to contend with the Pentrian and Caracenian in the northern mountains and ensure the security of the northern part of the kingdom.
The Cautinian tribe is quite special. Its territory is either the eastern plains of Campania or the lowlands in the valleys, which are actually very suitable for the kingdom's people to settle in. You were right just now, the Cautinian towns on the eastern plains of Campania should all be incorporated into Daonia, but this appetite is not big enough. Since we are already preparing to include Beneventum into the kingdom's territory, then Cautium to its west, as well as the surrounding affiliated small towns, should also be in our annexation plan, because this is the only way to ensure the communication channel between Beneventum and the eastern plains of Campania, so that it will not be isolated outside the kingdom's territory.
Don't forget Nuceria. The people of this territory have had dealings with the kingdom for more than ten years, and they eventually joined our side. In principle, we should guarantee their territory. However, Nuceria's location is relatively important. Previously, the Samnites launched a large-scale attack on the Campanian League, capturing Pompeii, Herculaneum, and other city-states. Now Xanthippus has recovered Pompeii and Herculaneum. So far, the Campanian League has not proposed that we return these two small cities. It is said that the Campanian League suffered heavy casualties in this war and does not have enough manpower to cultivate these lands. My opinion is to send envoys to negotiate with the Campanian League to incorporate these two small cities into Daonia—"
Hennipolis's eyes lit up, and he interjected, "In this way, Beneventum, Cautium, the original Cautinian towns on the eastern plains of Campania, and Pompeii and Herculaneum can be connected to the kingdom's Aenona, but… Nuceria has become an obstacle…"
Davos said confidently, "We can discuss with the Nucerians to let them move to the area north of Capua, where there is the Volturno River and the land is more fertile. We can allow them to have more territory than the existing Nuceria, and at the same time allow them to elect the great chief of the Cautinian, governing the northernmost Cautinian tribes adjacent to the Sidicini, Aurunci, and Pentrian in the original Cautinian territory. I believe they will definitely be willing, so that we can completely occupy the central and southern lands of the Cautinian and connect with Aenona, completely ensuring the security of our newly occupied lands.
As for the Pentrian and Caracenian tribes, their tribal settlements and towns are all in the mountains of northern Samnium, where the mountains are higher and the roads are more difficult to travel. Especially the Caracenian tribe, it is said that their settlements are all in mountains thousands of meters high, so their land is more barren and their population is not large. We really don't need to occupy their land, but they must submit to the kingdom. The leaders of each tribe must hand over their children to Turii as hostages, and the great chief they elect must be confirmed by the kingdom before they can serve…"
After listening to Davos's plan for dealing with the Samnite tribal alliance, Croto Catakes carefully savored it and said sincerely, "Father, your plan is much better than mine! And it is indeed more detailed than I considered!…"
"That's because you are too kind to the Samnite tribes, and you didn't completely consider the issue from the standpoint of obtaining greater benefits for the kingdom, maximally weakening our enemies, and making them unable to rebel."
Davos pointed out sharply.
"Father, but—" Croto Catakes raised a question: "The Hirpini and Cautinian may accept your plan, but the Pentrian and Caracenian may not necessarily accept it."
"Then continue fighting until they accept it. Just leave this matter to Alexios and Xanthippus. Since we have already started a war with the Samnites, then take advantage of this war, even if it costs more, to completely solve the Samnite problem and prevent them from rebelling in the future!" Davos warned him earnestly.
Croto Catakes nodded thoughtfully.
Davos turned around and said, "Hennius, did you hear clearly what I just said about the plan to deal with the four major Samnite tribes?"
"I heard clearly, Your Majesty."
"Then write a letter to the Senate according to what I just said, so that they can pre-arrange the affairs of Samnium on this basis. Then write a letter to Alexios and Xanthippus with the same meaning, so that they have a bottom line in their hearts and know how to adjust their strategies next."
"Understood, Your Majesty, I will write it now." Hennipolis said, taking out the papyrus.
Croto Catakes's and Tolmid's thoughts were still immersed in Davos's series of plans to deal with the Samnites, thinking about what impact it would have on the Samnites. The tent became quiet, so the "rustling" sound of writing could be heard.
After only a short while, Hieronypolis had finished writing the letter to the Senate and handed it to Davos.
Davos was satisfied after reading it and, without changing a single word, directly signed his name at the end, stamped it with his seal, and returned it to Hieronypolis: "Send it to the Senate as a top-secret letter."
"Yes, Your Majesty." Hieronypolis immediately skillfully rolled up the letter, tied both ends and the middle of the paper roll with three red strings simultaneously, and then proceeded to write the second letter.
At this moment, the captain of the palace guard, Martius, walked into the tent: "Your Majesty, Midolades, the naval commander of the Third Fleet, is waiting outside the tent for your audience."
"Oh, Midolades has arrived." Davos waved his hand and said, "Quickly, let him in."
After Midolades entered the tent, he first gave a military salute, and then said loudly, "Your Majesty, I am late in returning."
"You have come at the right time!" Davos said with a double meaning, "Your fleet and fleet infantry are about to be put to great use!"
Hearing this, Midolades was immediately excited. He had just led the fleet back to Latium and had already heard that in the short time he had been away, the army led by King Davos had conquered Veii and Caesarea to the north with Rome as the center; conquered Fidene and Crustumerium to the east; captured Gabii to the south, and forced the surrender of many Latin city-states, driving the Roman army to a few small coastal cities in the west, and was intensifying the siege…
These news gave him a terrible feeling that the Third Fleet was detached from the war and completely unimportant, so hearing Davos's words, he immediately perked up.
"Have you recruited all your fleet infantry?" Davos asked.
"They have all been recruited, but…" Midolades said cautiously, "It's just that once the recruitment order was issued, not only from Terina, but even citizens from Siris, Hipponium, and other towns actively rushed to the naval base, enthusiastically signing up, and even asked many acquaintances to intercede… So… So I recruited 2,000 more people…"
Davos stared at him with a serious expression.
Midolades immediately felt a knot in his heart.
Davos slowly said, "Recruit more if you recruited more, but including this newly added fleet infantry establishment, the total establishment of the Third Fleet's fleet infantry should be 4,000 people. This is already an exception from the Department of Military Affairs. The extra number of people must be disbanded after the war ends. Remember, there will be no next time!"
Midolades hurriedly stated, "Your Majesty, please rest assured, as soon as the war is over, I will immediately disband all the extra fleet soldiers!"
Davos smiled slightly: "You… You are snatching soldiers from the Sixth Legion. Be careful that Theronitas (commander of the Sixth Legion) finds out and fights you to the death!"
Hearing Davos's joke, Midolades finally breathed a sigh of relief and jokingly said, "To appease Theronitas, I will hold a few more banquets for him and get him drunk." The Sixth Legion's camp was west of Siris, and the Third Fleet's naval base was in the bay near Terina. The two were not far apart and often had dealings with each other. Midolades and Theronitas had a good relationship, so he was not worried that the other party would blame him.
"Midolades," Tolmid said suddenly, "Now the Third Fleet's fleet infantry establishment is 4,000 people. We will prepare military rations and other material supplements for your subordinate fleet infantry according to this establishment. The extra 2,000 people will have to be taken care of by yourself."
What?! Midolades thought Tolmid was joking,
but seeing his serious face, he didn't know what to say for a moment. After all, he did have selfish motives when recruiting soldiers this time. Tolmid had received Davos's hint and gave Midolades a small warning.
But for Midolades, it was almost impossible to come up with supplies for 2,000 people. He could only look at Davos with pleading eyes.
Davos took over the conversation, saying seriously, "If you want to solve the problem of supplying these extra two thousand people, then you can only fully complete the task I will give you next."
"Your Majesty, I and the brothers of the Third Fleet are ready. We will definitely complete even the most difficult task!" Midolades immediately stated loudly.
Because Hieronypolis was writing a letter, Clotokartakes took over his work. He knew Davos's plan, so he found the map from the bookshelf and spread it out on the table.
Davos led Midolades to the table.
Midolades looked down and saw a map of Corsica and Sardinia in front of him.
"How much do you know about Corsica?" Davos asked.
Midolades already had a plan in mind. He thought carefully before saying, "Corsica is called the Mountain in the Sea by sailors. The island is almost entirely covered with towering mountains, which are not suitable for living at all. Only on the east side of the island are there two small coastal plains, where two towns are built. Mariana in the north belongs to the Etruscans, and Aleria in the south belongs to the Phoenicians. In addition, there are some small Phoenician villages on the west coast, but the west coast is full of reefs and the coastline is tortuous, making it difficult for warships to land… Your Majesty, are you going to let the Third Fleet attack Corsica?"
Davos nodded, looked at the map, and said, "To be precise, the Third Fleet will attack the Phoenician towns and settlements on Corsica. The most important reason why Carthage can become the most prosperous and wealthiest city-state in the western Mediterranean is that it controls most of the precious metal resources and trade in the entire western Mediterranean, the Iberian Peninsula, the Gaul region, the Etruscan region, and Sardinia and Corsica, especially Sardinia and Corsica, which are completely controlled by Carthage. Since Carthage dares to declare war on our Daonia, then we will destroy its important source of trade one by one, so that its treasury will no longer be full and unable to support a long-term war with us.
Therefore, the first target of the Third Fleet is to destroy all the Phoenician settlements on Corsica. Don't underestimate these settlements. They are not large in scale and have few people, but the silver, iron, copper and other metal minerals on Corsica are mined, smelted, manufactured, and finally transported to Carthage through them. The Phoenician settlements on the entire west coast have formed a complete metal smelting system. Therefore, your Third Fleet must occupy these settlements and capture all the Phoenicians…"
"Also, try not to destroy the Phoenician metal mines and smelting facilities!" Davos emphasized.
After hearing this, Midolades solemnly stated, "Your Majesty, the Third Fleet will overcome all difficulties and complete this task."
"Not only must it be completed, but it must be completed as soon as possible! Of course, be careful of attacks by Carthaginian warships stationed in Sardinia and Corsica. Don't be careless!"
"Yes!" Davos's stern words made Midolades feel a chill in his heart. As the naval commander responsible for defending the west coast of Daonia, he certainly had a relatively detailed understanding of the situation in Sardinia and Corsica to the west of the west coast: Before the war, the number of trireme warships Carthage sent to these two islands did not exceed 30, and they were mainly scattered in several town ports in Sardinia. Perhaps it was because of their weakness that they did not come out to cause trouble during the period when the Daonia army marched on Rome, so Midolades did not take them to heart, but Davos's warning made him have to pay attention.
Davos pressed his hand on the icon of Aleria on the map and asked, "Although Aleria is a Phoenician town, don't you think the name doesn't conform to the Phoenician or Carthaginian habit of naming towns?"
"Could it have been a Greek town?" Midolades repeatedly chanted the name of the town, and then asked back with a slightly surprised expression. In fact, this was just an expression deliberately displayed to echo Davos. As a Daonian general who roamed the sea, he didn't care about the past history of this town.
"Your judgment is correct, but Aleria was not just a Greek city-state. In theory, it should belong to Daonia!" Hieronypolis interjected. He had finished writing the letters to Alexios and Xanthippus and happened to hear this conversation. This high-achieving student of the historian Ansitano immediately had the desire to teach.
"Aleria should belong to Daonia?!" Midolades was really surprised this time.
"During the Great Colonial Era, our Greeks colonized the western Mediterranean, not only establishing Agrigentum and Syracuse in Sicily; Tarentum and Sybaris in Magna Graecia; Massalia in Gaul; Naples and Cumae in Campania; but also Aleria in Corsica…
But at that time, the master of northern Italy, the Etruscans, were frightened by the surging Greeks. Perhaps they believed that if they did not stop the Greeks' crazy colonization, the Etruscans might be surrounded by our Greek colonies. Therefore, they united with Carthage, which had already gained a foothold in Sardinia, and fought wars with the Greek city-states of Aleria, Massalia, and Campania.
The most important battle was a naval battle that took place near Aleria. As a result, the Greeks suffered a crushing defeat, not only allowing Aleria to be occupied by the Carthaginians, but also preventing them from daring to colonize northern Italy for hundreds of years…"
Hieronypolis spoke eloquently. Not only was Midolades listening attentively, but Tolmid and Clotokartakes were also listening with great interest.
But after listening, Miltiades was still puzzled: "It's a pity the Greeks were ultimately defeated, but what does this have to do with our Daonia?"
Heni Polis, who had deliberately kept him in suspense, smiled and said: "Because some Alerian people fled to Italy and established Elia together with other Greek colonists. This history is engraved on the stele in the Temple of Apollo in Elia. The Elians are now citizens of Daonia, so Aleria, which they once established, should also belong to Daonia!"
Heni Polis's explanation was somewhat far-fetched, but Miltiades thought it was justified, and he immediately stated: "The Third Fleet will recapture Aleria from Carthage and wash away the shame of the Greeks!"
Davos was satisfied with his statement and further encouraged him: "Go back and tell the crew of the Third Fleet that recapturing Aleria will not only greatly Strike the Carthaginians, but also encourage the Greek city-states in the western Mediterranean, deepen friendly relations with Massilia, and become heroes praised in their hearts!
Moreover, as far as I know, Aleria has a well-equipped and large-scale port, which is both a military port and a commercial port, and can be used as a mooring place for all the warships of the Third Fleet, which can avoid the hardship of you running back and forth. After taking Aleria, the Third Fleet can use it as a base to harass Sardinia, which is close to Corsica, attack the mining teams on the island, destroy their towns and villages, and attack their freighters..."
Miltiades said with excitement: "Your Majesty, please rest assured, I will not let the Phoenicians on these two islands transport a piece of metal!"
Davos saw that Miltiades was too excited, and couldn't help reminding him: "Now I can't spare troops to support you. The task of attacking Corsica and Sardinia can only be done by the Third Fleet itself, so you must be bold and cautious at the same time. You must cherish your soldiers and not let them suffer too many casualties, which will lead to the failure of subsequent plans!"
Davos's words made Miltiades feel more pressure.
At this time, Croto Catakes asked: "Father, will our military actions on Corsica make the Etruscans feel dissatisfied and have other ideas?"
In fact, Croto Catakes had already discussed this issue with Davos privately before. He raised it at this time just to euphemistically remind Davos.
Davos secretly praised his son's carefulness and consideration, and then said sternly: "Don't worry about this. Although the Etruscans often have trade relations with Carthage, they are no longer allies, and they are dissatisfied because Carthage strongly supports Rome. Moreover, the southern Etruscan city-states have just formed an alliance with us..."
Then, Davos looked at Miltiades again: "However, your warships should try not to appear on the sea belonging to the Corsican land controlled by the Etruscans, and do not let soldiers enter their territory, so as to avoid excessively stimulating the Etruscans who are already afraid of our strength... Besides that, I have no other requirements. How to attack Corsica and Sardinia is up to you to decide. I will not interfere."
Davos's words made Miltiades feel even more pressure. He took a deep breath and said, "Yes... Yes, Your Majesty!"
Tolmid looked at Miltiades's leaving figure and couldn't help but say: "He's a little nervous."
"Nervousness is a good thing. This way, he will be cautious when taking action. Even if the Third Fleet doesn't achieve any decent results, as long as the fleet wanders around these two islands, it will bring great trouble to the Carthaginians. What I'm afraid of is that Miltiades is too confident,
Losing vigilance, taking risky actions, and causing heavy losses to the Third Fleet will weaken our advantage, just like... Alas!" Davos's words stopped abruptly, and then he sighed heavily.
Tolmid knew that Davos must have thought of Secrian and the Sicilian Fleet again.
At this time, Martius walked into the tent again: "Your Majesty, Matonis, the commander of the legion, sent a messenger to report that Aricia has surrendered!"
A smile appeared on Davos's face: "Hades bless, good news keeps coming today!"
It's no wonder he was so happy. Aricia is not far from Tustron, just west of Lake Albanus. It is a very ancient Latin city-state, and has been the center of the western Latin region since ancient times, especially after the destruction of Alba Longa. From its name, it can be seen that this Latin city-state has a very close relationship with Diana Aricia, the hunting goddess worshiped by the Latins. It is also for this reason that it once united the western Latin city-states to stubbornly resist the rising Rome, but after many defeats, it had to join the Latin League led by the Romans.
After Davos personally led a large army out of Rome, he first stationed outside the city of Tustron (the original Roman camp), and divided his troops to attack several Latin city-states not far west of Tustron, with Aricia as the focus. Under the pressure of the army, the other city-states surrendered one after another, but only the proud Aricians refused to submit to Daonia. So Davos ordered: Matonis led the Second and Sixth Legions to forcibly attack Aricia.
Several days of continuous attacks finally yielded results.
When Davos's smile disappeared in a flash, it was replaced by a stern tone: "If it weren't for considering the feelings of the Roman civilians, a Latin city-state like Aricia that dared to resist us should have suffered the same fate as Gabii, but even if it surrendered, it cannot be spared lightly! Heni, go and notify Tapirus and let him talk to the Aricians immediately. Since Aricia is the location of the sacred grove of the hunting goddess, I can make Aricia a sacred place worshiped by all Latins and let it replace the position of Mount Alba. But from now on, Aricia must not build city walls, must not form an army, the population must not exceed 5,000, and it must be open to everyone, and its safety will be guaranteed by Daonia..."
"Understood, Your Majesty. Uh... It is said that because of this Diana, Aricia is also a famous medical center in the Latin region..." Heni Polis reminded.
Davos curled his lips slightly: "Can Aricia's medical skills compare to Daonia's! I think this aspect of responsibility should be handed over to Hades!"
"Your Majesty, Aricia's surrender is a good thing, but it's a pity that it didn't lure out the Roman army!" Tolmid said with some regret.
Davos smiled slightly and said indifferently: "The Romans have been fooled once, so they will naturally become more cautious. Now their main force is still stationed in Satricum, it seems that they are preparing to defend it to the death. This is also a good thing. Without the support of the Romans, Aricia has also surrendered, and the other western Latin city-states will soon make their choices."
Speaking of this, Davos's eyes became sharp, and he said firmly: "Tolmid, go and notify the entire army to be ready to leave Tustron tomorrow and march southwest to build a camp north of Satricum. It's time to completely solve the Romans!"
Davos's words made everyone in the tent feel excited.
"Yes, I will notify the legions immediately!" Tolmid responded excitedly.
"Also... Before, we sent envoys to these Latin city-states to persuade them to surrender. Adi's attitude was the most resolute, and he even beat our envoys severely..." Davos said in a cold tone.
"It is said that the Roman dictator Camillus once lived in Adi for a long time, and received strong support from Adi in the battle to drive out the Gauls. Therefore, Camillus has a close relationship with Adi, and Camillus often gave Adi many favors in the Roman Senate, so it is not surprising that the Adians did this. But next, the Adians will probably have to give up their support for Camillus in order to survive their own city-state," Heni Polis persuaded.
"Since Ostia was burned down, Adi is very important to our attack on the main Roman force entrenched in Satricum, because it is not far from Antium, not too far from the camp we are going to build, and it also has a small port..." Davos narrowed his eyes, and light flashed in the slits of his eyes: "We need to completely control this town to transfer and transport the army's food supply, so we cannot accept Adi's surrender, but must completely occupy it!"
.........
Outside the city of Satricum, thousands of Roman citizens were working tirelessly to build defensive facilities, reinforcing the city walls, filling the area under the city with deer villages, widening and deepening the trenches, setting up multiple layers of traps, and setting up multiple sentry towers between the trap zones, expanding the entire defense range outward... The entire defense model is surprisingly similar to the defensive camps usually built by the Daonian army.
Because the person responsible for this task was Titus, who was the first to command the army to attack Ostia. He deeply realized the power of Daonia's defense system from his failure, and transplanted it after making some changes.
At this moment, he was standing on the city wall supervising the progress of the entire project. Although he saw the entire defense facility gradually taking shape under the efforts of the sweating soldiers, there was no joy on his face, but a look of depression.
"General, Quintus is here." The subordinate reminded him in a low voice beside him.
Hearing this, Titus turned around and glanced at Quintus, who was stepping on the stone steps to climb the city, and the irritability on his face disappeared in a flash.
"Hey, Titus!"
Looking at Quintus who was walking towards him, there was not a trace of enthusiasm on Titus's face: "When did you come back? Have the city defense facilities in Antium been completed?!"
There was a hint of questioning in Titus's tone. Although Quintus was a little unhappy, he still explained: "Antium only has more than 3,000 citizen soldiers, and Pantheus's foot injury is basically healed. He can complete this task by himself. I was in the way there, so I came back yesterday."
"Does the Dictator know you're back?" Titus was clearly somewhat dissatisfied with Quintus's unauthorized actions, so his tone carried a hint of questioning.
"I really wanted to report to the Dictator, but he doesn't seem to be in good health. Lucius didn't let me go in to disturb him." A look of disdain appeared on Quintus's face, and he emphasized, "Titus, this is very worrying! Is Camillus really still able to command the army and lead us to defeat the powerful Daonians and retake Rome?!"
"As long as the Dictator is alive, he is the commander of our entire army!" Titus said firmly.
Quintus became somewhat agitated and blurted out, "Is Camillus really worthy of your trust?! Ever since we returned from Hernici, retaking Rome has been hindered! Retaking Ostia failed! Rescuing Gabii almost resulted in encirclement! Afterwards, we have been huddled here, watching as Trusculum, Aricia... one allied state after another has abandoned us, yet we take no action! Now the Daonian army is about to approach the city, and we have nowhere to escape. Isn't this Camillus's fault?!"
Quintus's voice was loud, and everyone around him heard it, and began to whisper.
Titus immediately felt annoyed, and his words became less polite: "Quintus, you and I are both veterans of many battles, and we should know that since the Daonians invaded, the Dictator has not made any mistakes in commanding the battle. Even if you or I were in his place, we couldn't have done better! Moreover, in the current predicament, only the Dictator can unite the entire army and stabilize morale! And we must unite together to resist the Daonian offensive and usher in the hope of victory! Therefore, any attempt to create chaos is absolutely not allowed!" Titus stared directly at Quintus with a pair of sharp eyes.
Quintus's expression changed slightly, and he understood that Titus was warning him.
During this period, Quintus, dissatisfied with Camillus's conservative strategy, had privately persuaded Aulus and Servius to put pressure on Camillus and change his battle strategy. As a result, Camillus, having received the news, transferred him to Antium in advance in order to ensure the unity of the army. The reason why Quintus violated military orders and returned without authorization was also because he was sure that Camillus would not dare to punish him. After he returned, his first target for persuasion was Titus, because Titus had a high prestige among the soldiers and could be regarded as the second most important figure in the army. With Titus's support, he could force Camillus to make concessions or even gain command of the army.
But before Quintus could fully express his intentions, the astute Titus had already made his position clear, blocking Quintus's words.
At this moment, Quintus felt only anxiety in his heart, but had nowhere to vent it, and slammed his right fist heavily on the battlement: If Rome hadn't fallen, and news was cut off, and the senators were of unknown status, unable to exert their influence, then based on his noble status as the head of the Claudius clan, he would have long accused Camillus of "passively avoiding battle" and deprived him of his command. But without the support of the Senate, his prestige in the army was not high. Except for the citizens and clients belonging to the Claudius clan, probably no other citizen-soldiers would be willing to obey his command. Otherwise, how could he be here, swallowing his pride and being bossed around by Titus, this petty noble!
"Unity?" Quintus sneered: "You are willing to accept the command of Camillus, who has lost his courage, and watch Rome slowly move towards destruction, but I won't! Absolutely not!"
Quintus's angry roar made the surroundings silent.
Titus watched him stride away, a layer of hidden worry in his heart. As the actual commander of the several battles against the Daonian army,
he knew very well that it wasn't that Camillus didn't want to adopt a more active and proactive strategy during this period, but even when the Daonians were in an offensive state, they didn't relax their vigilance. Not only were Daonian scouts patrolling around Satricum, but there were always tens of thousands of troops guarding the flanks of the siege forces. In order to avoid falling into the trap of the Battle of Gabii again, Camillus had to be patient in order to preserve his already limited strength and wait for an opportunity.
But will the opportunity really come? Titus looked at the soldiers sweating like rain in front of the city, and when he thought of the powerful Daonian army and their terrifying king, a bit of confusion appeared in his eyes...
...................
Inside the city of Satricum, Servius found Licinius, who had become a municipal official.
Licinius had previously been questioned by generals led by Quintus because of his plebeian status, and almost lost the power to command the soldiers in battle. But after returning to Satricum, precisely because of his plebeian origin, the Dictator Camillus appointed him as the municipal official of Satricum, because Satricum was a newly established Roman colony, and the people in the city were mainly Roman plebeians who had migrated there. Now that the army had been stationed there for a long time, and the soldiers were mostly Roman clan citizens, conflicts were inevitable and would lead to dissatisfaction among the people of Satricum. Licinius was not only prudent in his work, but his prestige among the Roman plebeians also enabled the people of Satricum to obey better.
Camillus's appointment was obviously carefully considered, and the fact that the city of Satricum has remained stable even with the Daonian army approaching since the army was stationed there shows the role Licinius played in it.
Licinius and Servius were relatives. Licinius's son, Stolo, married Ambustus's youngest daughter, and Servius married Ambustus's eldest daughter. The two were brothers-in-law. But the relationship between the two was not very good, and they rarely interacted. Because Servius was a nobleman, and arrogant, flamboyant, and contemptuous of the plebeians, he was more in tune with Quintus. When Quintus questioned Camillus's battle plan, he clearly supported him. In the end, Camillus sent Quintus to Antium, and at the same time, he put Servius in charge of the city's wounded camp, quietly depriving him of his command.
"Licinius, I hope to get your help," Servius said bluntly.
"What do you need me to do? Please speak," Licinius said politely, but he was a little dissatisfied in his heart: Is this the tone of someone asking for help?!
Servius obviously didn't have the habit of observing other people's expressions. He complained loudly: "The Dictator asked me to manage the wounded camp, but it's more than just a wounded camp, it's simply hell! Nearly 3,000 seriously wounded soldiers are crowded in a small square, not only is the ground full of blood and continuous groans, and the stench is disgusting, but a third of them have no tents to cover them, flies and mosquitoes are flying everywhere, it's very disgusting! The day before yesterday, there was a heavy rain, and as a result, some of the wounded were rained on and died of fever..."
Servius's expression was painful: "These are all Roman warriors! They fought bravely for Rome, how can we easily abandon them? Mars will punish us! So I hope you can free up some houses for these wounded soldiers, and send more manpower so that they can be better accommodated and better cared for!..."
Looking at Servius's compassionate appearance, Licinius only wanted to vomit in his heart. He clearly remembered: When Camillus appointed Servius to manage the wounded camp, this noble general's face turned black at the time, and he even jumped up and cursed, saying something like "I will never take care of those dead people!..." Later, he reluctantly accepted the appointment after everyone's persuasion. As far as he knew, he had rarely inspected and managed the wounded camp these days. Now he actually wants to play the good guy?!
Licinius showed a look of embarrassment and said with a sigh, "You are right, these Roman warriors should indeed be well taken care of, but it may be difficult to free up houses for them..."
Hearing this, Servius's face darkened.
Licinius pretended not to see it and continued, "Alas... You also know that I have spent a lot of effort to accommodate our more than 13,000 troops in the city! The residents of the entire western residential area have been relocated to accommodate the army, and they can only squeeze together with the residents of other districts. The people in the city have already expressed dissatisfaction with this, and we have finally managed to appease them. If we now have to find new accommodation for the wounded, I am afraid that many city residents will have to relocate again, which will inevitably arouse the anger of the people and cause turmoil in the city! In the emergency situation of facing an imminent battle with the Daonians, it is best to maintain the stability of order in the city!"
Servius immediately pulled a long face and loudly accused: "Licinius, for the sake of the interests of the plebeians, you completely disregard the lives of the wounded soldiers, and you are willing to let our warriors die howling in the wind and rain. Are you still worthy of being a Roman general!"
Licinius was also furious at being accused in public. He knew that if he did not fight back and allowed these words to spread to the soldiers' ears, it would inevitably lead to resentment from the soldiers, so he immediately said sternly: "Servius, since you took over the wounded camp, have you inspected the wounded camp! Have you comforted the wounded soldiers who are groaning in pain! Have you directed your subordinates to build more tents to improve their living environment! ... You say that you are completely doing it for the good of the wounded soldiers, but that is just a lie! The real fact is—because of your negligence, the wounded camp has not been well repaired, causing the heavy rain to kill some of the wounded! You should bear a significant responsibility for this! ..."
"You...you!..." Servius had indeed been criticized for the rain, and Quintus had also reminded him to take care of the wounded soldiers after he came back. After all, the large number of wounded soldiers and the soldiers of the army were more or less related. Taking care of them would naturally win the hearts of the army.