Chapter 426: Battle of Allaro River (II)

After nodding slightly, Dionysius made his horse return to the formation.

“Dionysius, STOP!” Shouted Ascamas.

“I have already met your commander, and you are not qualified to talk to me!” Dionysius laughed loudly and urged his horse to return to the formation.

“What did Dionysius say?!” Ascamas loudly asked as he rushed over.

“What else besides declaring war!” The good-tempered Philesius couldn’t help but get a bit angry.

“The timid Dionysius, who doesn’t even dare to stay a little longer, declared war on us?!” Said Ascamas as he spat towards the direction of Dionysius.

By this time, Asesias and Siprus had also arrived.

And Philesius, who had calmed down, took this precious opportunity of everyone gathering. He looked at the three and seriously said, “Lord Siprus, you should control your army and don’t pay too much attention to attacking. You just need to keep your side stable as our Theonian army would also defend the right flank together with the Terinian soldiers.”

“I can set my mind at ease having the Theonian legion with us!!” Siprus laughed.

Philesius once again reminded the strategos of Scylletium, “Lord Asesias, make sure that the right end of your phalanx you lead should try to keep the same attacking speed as the Theonian army! And your left flank…please attack boldly together with the Crotonian army!”

Asesias nodded to show his understanding.

Finally, Philesius turned his gaze to the Crotonian strategos, who seemed to have a prejudice against Theonia. Then, he sincerely said, “Lord Ascamas, the victory of the South Italian Alliance and the peace of the whole Magna Graecia depends on you and Crotone!”

“Don’t worry! Our Crotonian warriors are already ready and are just waiting for the salpinx to sound. Then we would launch an assault to defeat the Syracusans in one fell swoop!” Said Ascamas, full of pride.

Philesius looked at each strategos, who had fervent and excited expressions. He then stretched out his right fist and shouted with hope, “The gods will protect Magna Graecia!”

“The gods will protect Magna Graecia!” The other three responded. Their four fists collided forcefully and then pulled their horses and returned to the formation.

Among the Greek city-states in the western Mediterranean, there were two gods that they high highly revered: One was Apollo, the sun god. Apollo was not a powerful main god, but he was in charge of the sun, literature, and archery, in addition to luck. During the colonial era, wooden ships full of colonists sailed to the unknown western Mediterranean, hoping to be lucky enough to escape the storms at sea, reach land, find fertile land for settlement, and not encounter the violent aborigines. So after surviving and successfully constructing a city, they considered it as the blessing of Apollo. And what is the most important thing after settling down? It was, of course, to prosper, grow the community, become more powerful, repel the surrounding aborigines, and expand their territory. Thus the other highly revered god is the queen Hera, who is in charge of marriage, family and childbirth.

Among the city-states participating in today’s battle, the patron of Syracuse, Crotone, Scylletium and Terina is Apollo. Although they had already performed a ritual to the sun god before rushing to the battlefield, the soldiers once more prayed to Apollo for his blessing before the battle. But with the prayers coming from both sides, how would Apollo choose which one to bless?

It is only the Theonian soldiers that sang an ode to Hades, who the Greeks feared.

Like his comrades, Appian silently sang the last part of the ode of Hades, “…oh, the great ruler of the underworld, the impartial arbiter!

May my name shine on the Hall of Valour after I die fighting bravely,

May you lead my soul to Elysium that everyone yearns!”

The soldiers then felt that their fear had disappeared, and strength filled their bodies.

“Brothers, arrange your equipment and wear your helmets!” Said the squad leader.

Appian immediately grabbed a spear and two javelins in his right hand and equipped the long shield on his left hand. He then wore the helmet hanging on his shoulder, pulled down the leather ear guard and tied it tightly at his jaw.

After he finished wearing his helmet, he saw that his comrades had also quickly put on their helmets and resumed their standing posture. Appian felt that this new helmet was much more convenient; his eyes could see the surrounding situation, and his ears could also hear his comrades’ words. Unlike the previous Corinthian helmet, where their eyes and ears immediately became blind and deaf once they put it on as if they could only see the enemy directly in front of them and can only hear the sharp, high-pitched salpinx. It is as if darkness surrounds them, and only the occasional swaying figure of his comrades and the force of their comrades behind them surging forward could make them feel not dreaming.

‘If a person with a fragile heart wears a Corinthian helmet for an extended time, he will definitely go crazy!’ That is what Appian often thought during his regular training, so after tasting the benefits of the new helmet, he never wanted to wear the Corinthian helmet again.

In the legion, there is a saying that if someone says that the new helmet can’t protect their face, they would just scoff at this. After all, people would respond the fastest to any attack that stabs the face, so if they can’t even avoid this, they won’t be a qualified Theonian legionary!

Appian felt pity for the Syracusan soldiers after seeing them wrapped in bronze armour hundreds of metres away.

At this time, the familiar sound of a salpinx that he heard on the training ground countless times had sounded. It was loud and majestic, but it gave him different excitement.

“Forward!” At the shout of the squad leader, Appian, who was holding a shield in his left hand and a spear in his right hand, advanced slowly with his comrades at the beating of the military drums.

Between the small phalanxes, countless soldiers in leather armour rushed out of the gap and ran towards the enemy.

This magnificent sight was just like their countless training sessions. Appian knew that the first to meet the enemy would be their comrades in the light infantry brigades.

Then he and his comrades in the heavy infantry brigades would skillfully switch their spear to a javelin and wait for the moment to throw it as they marched unhurriedly.

. . . . . . . . . . . . .

After two days of hard thinking and careful preparation, at the sound of the salpinx, the nervous Philesius suddenly relaxed and murmured, “It finally started…”

Then he cheered himself up and told the herald and the scouts to report to him the progress of the whole battlefield at any time.

With the battle just starting, he must be 100% focused and ready to deal with all kinds of accidents at any time, just like what archon Davos had done on the past battlefields until the final battle is over and attains victory.

. . . . . . . . . . . . .

But at this moment, Dionysius was not paying attention to the battlefield, “Have the reinforcements departed? Where are they now?”

“The fleet led by Lord Leptines set sail from the port of Hipponion half an hour ago with ten thousand soldiers. They might have reached the entrance of the Allaro River…while the other army led by Lord Phacipessas set out from Hipponion early. I estimate that they are now crossing the Corta River…”

The adjutant carefully made his own judgment according to the information he got from the scouts.

Just then, a herald galloped from the rear, “Report! Lord Phacipessas had arrived in the camp with his army and sent me to ask the supreme commander for your next order!”

Dionysius then smiled with satisfaction, “It seems that Phacipessas has done really well and has even exceeded your estimation, Damocles.”

Then Damocles said with a flattering smile, “It is because your plan has completely fooled the Magna Graecians that victory is at hand, milord! Thus Phacipessas came early to get the merits he wanted; otherwise, if he were to come late, the battle would already be over, and the victory will be yours alone, milord.”

Dionysius smiled again and ordered, “Let Phacipessas lead the soldiers to rest in the camp temporarily and recover their strength. After all, the battle has just begun.”

. . . . . . . . . . . . .

The two light infantry brigades of the fourth and fifth legions of Theonia moved forward quickly. Still, their attempt to attack the Syracusan phalanx failed because Syracuse had also sent a large number of light infantry. Thus the skirmish began with the competition of light infantries.

For a while, arrows came and gone, javelins crisscrossed, and the people on both sides screamed and fell. Theonia’s light infantry is more well-trained, but the Syracusan light infantry has more experience on the battlefield. After all, the fourth and fifth legions were established the latest, especially the fifth legion who had not participated in any real battle. Thus both sides fought evenly.

When their distance was almost a hundred metres apart, the Syracusan light infantry retreated as they had to withdraw from the battlefield early before the heavy infantries on both sides collided, else they would be crushed under their impact.

On the other hand, the Theonian light infantry has not withdrawn yet because the more complex and smooth formation of the Theonian legion made them confident to withdraw from the battlefield quickly before the heavy infantry of both sides collides. Therefore, they were not afraid of the approaching Syracusan formation, which was as thick as a mountain. Rather, they even shot two rounds of arrows and javelins.

The arrows flashed with cold light and flew down. Some hit the thick Corinthian helmets and bounced high, making the Syracusan soldiers slightly dizzy. Some were blocked by the round shields, causing no damage except for a small chip in the smooth bronze shield. And only a shot on their exposed arms and thighs could make them lose their ability to fight, but such casualties are too few.

However, the javelins dealt most of the damage. Besides penetrating the chest armour, it could also penetrate the round shield, making it difficult for the soldiers to wave their shield for defence.

But the scream sounded in the Syracusan formation was like throwing a stone into a river. It was completely covered up by the rumbling footsteps and the sounds of weapons and armours rubbing each other.

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