Chapter 285
Martonis was concerned about another problem. He looked around for a while and said with a frown, "The Tarantum army took so long to assemble! I also see that many of the Tarantum soldiers have just reached adulthood. How strong can such an army be? "
"Don't have any expectations for them. We have to rely on ourselves when the time comes. The only thing these delicate Tarantum people have to do on the battlefield is wait for us to defeat the enemy, then clean up the battlefield and collect the spoils of war for us, "Olivers said with disdain.
"Olivers, don't underestimate the enemy! Sir Devers said that the Mesapi people are not only brave in battle, but also tough and not easy to deal with. We have to pay close attention to them and unite the Tarantum people to do our best to defeat them! "Giogris reminded him.
Giogris was originally the captain of Legio III, but according to the new legion establishment regulations: the first and second legions, whether it was the officers or soldiers, were made up of Turií, Amendolaran citizens, probationary citizens, and free people living here; Legio III was made up of the people of Grumentum and Neutum; Legio IV was made up of the people of Crimissa and Asprustum. This was mainly to facilitate the management, training, mobilization, and expedition of the army to improve the efficiency of the battle. Of course, it could easily lead to the appearance of various legions and the emergence of local cliques, but Devers considered that at least in the early stages of the alliance, the advantages outweighed the disadvantages, and the above-mentioned shortcomings could be solved by increasing the mobility of the officers in the future. Giogris still lived in Amendolara and did not move elsewhere, so he was transferred from Legio III to the first legion as a captain.
Olivers had always been used to bullying Giogris and wanted to refute. Alexis said, "Giogris is right. This war is different from the past. It involves cooperation with other city-states, especially Tarantum. Not only do we have to pay attention to it, but we also have to carefully handle the relationship with the Tarantum army. Otherwise, misfortune will befall us if our allies don't support us at the critical moment of the battle. You know, Turín is a bay away from here. It'll be difficult for us to go back … "
Alexis was a veteran captain, so Olivers couldn't say anything. The other captains all agreed with Alexis.
Amyntas patted Olivers on the shoulder and said loudly, "To be honest, I don't like these Tarantum people either! But in order to win, we can only endure for the time being. When we defeat the Mesapi people, I'd like to see if the Tarantum people will thank us! "
After saying that, he laughed out loud. Olivers also laughed.
"Okay, everyone, hurry back to your brigade. The Tarantum army has also come out. It's time for us to set off!" First Legion Commander Capus reminded everyone.
Not long after the huge farewell procession left the city gate, the women among them hesitated to continue moving forward. There were many Diónia soldiers sitting and lying on the ground in front of them. They were talking and laughing loudly, saying rude words. Many of them were even topless, which made the conservative Tarantum women feel embarrassed.
The Tarantum soldiers were also a little dissatisfied. They pointed at the resting Diónia people and said some strange words.
"They really are rude country bumpkins!" Diomiras didn't see the appearance of the Dionysian Army when they first arrived. Now that he saw the situation, he also expressed his dissatisfaction, "Where are the Devers? Tell him to quickly gather his army! "Diomiras emphasized the word" army "to show his disdain.
"They should be there." Umarcas pointed at the largest and most dazzling flag among the dozen or so erected flags in front of him.
"The military flag is very fancy!" Diomiras snorted and followed Umarcas on horseback.
The Devers, like the people around them, took off their armor and only wore a linen shirt inside. They sat casually on the ground and talked to the soldiers.
The guard captain, Martius, was the first to see the Tarantum Consul who had rushed over. He whispered a few words in the Devers' ear, and the Devers turned around unhurriedly.
"Sir Devers, when are we setting off?" Umarcas asked before Diomiras could.
The Devers glanced at Diomiras, who had an unhappy expression, and said plainly, "It's time to set off. The soldiers have been under the sun for more than an hour, and they're almost dried up."
Diomiras could hear the Devers' subtle criticism. It was the slow movement of the Tarantum Army that caused the Diónia soldiers to be so sloppy. He could not help but cough a few times.
"Sound the bugle to assemble!" The Devers did not linger on this issue and decisively gave the order.
As soon as the bugle sounded, the soldiers who were resting in various postures immediately moved quickly and helped each other put on their armor. The various ranks of the team officers began to call the soldiers under their command to return to the team. The flag bearers also waved the flags in their hands and shouted the team name to indicate the position of the soldiers.
For a moment, dust filled the air, and it was noisy. However, it quickly returned to peace.
What appeared in front of Diomiras was no longer a messy scene of soldiers sitting around, chatting, sleeping, and fully armed, but neatly arranged rows of infantry columns …
Diomiras took a deep breath. As a Tarantum general who had experienced many battles, he understood in his heart that to achieve this, the army had strict training and strong discipline.
Looking back at Tarantum's side, the soldiers and the people were mixed together, still hugging each other and bidding farewell. Some soldiers were even crying bitterly. It did not look like they were about to go out to fight the enemy at all.
Diomiras could not keep his face any longer. Without saying a word, he turned his horse around and rushed back …
At this time, Trifias and Tudepres also rushed over.
The Devers, who was already in his military uniform, said seriously, "Before we set off, we need to discuss the marching order."
He glanced at the crowd and said, "My suggestion is that the Diónia Army march at the front, Heraclea and Metapontum in the middle, and Tarantum at the back."
Yumaras understood the Devers' intention as soon as he heard it. Once the enemy attacked, the Dionysian Army would be at the front to block and give the troops at the back time to react and prepare.
There was indeed no selfishness in this suggestion. Yumaras nodded in agreement. Trifias and Tudepres had no objections either. Their army was the weakest, and it was more than they could ask for to be protected in the middle.
"According to what you said last time, the terrain from here to Manduria is flat. I plan to divide the army into five columns, widen the gap between the columns, and march side by side. This will make it easier to deal with the enemy's sudden attack, and it will also shorten the time to reach Manduria. Moreover, sandwiching the supply team in the middle will also be beneficial for protection," the Devers continued.
Yumaras hesitated. Although the Devers made it sound easy, if they had not been trained in this aspect, the columns might mix together as they walked.
"I have to discuss this matter with Diomiras first," he said cautiously.
The other two had no objections. They had fewer soldiers, so it was easier for them to manage.
"As for the scouts sent out, I suggest that the cavalry of Diónia and Tarantum be mixed." If they did not understand the enemy's situation at all times, it was equivalent to the commander having no eyes and ears. Therefore, even though they heard that the Mesapi cavalry was powerful, the Devers still let Ledes bring two hundred cavalrymen over by boat. As a transmigrator who had some understanding of ancient military history, the cavalry was a unit that the Devers focused on training. Therefore, even if there were losses, it was worth it to let the Diónia cavalry understand their gap and work hard for it. At the same time, he also brought Izam's mountain reconnaissance team to understand and familiarize themselves with the terrain and mountains of this land for the future.
Since the start of the war in Tarantum, due to the heavy losses of the cavalry, there were even some nobles who refused to join the army. Yumaras was more than happy to hear this suggestion.
When he went back to convey a few of the Devers' suggestions to Diomiras, Diomiras thought for a moment and replied, "If Diónia can do it, Tarantum can of course do it too!"
After the Dæta coalition reorganized, they began to set off.
In fact, after the Mape coalition knew that the Greek army had set off, they quickly withdrew and retreated to the camp two miles south of Manduria. Therefore, the Dæta coalition entered Manduria smoothly at dusk without any battle, and even the cavalry did not suffer any losses.
The meeting with the garrison boosted the morale of the soldiers, especially the people of Tarantum. At the same time, the increase in strength made the commanders discuss for a while and decide to rest for the night. The next day, they would go straight to the Mape coalition. The only thing that gave them a headache was that the small city of Manduria was suddenly crammed with nearly thirty thousand people, and it seemed a little crowded. It was a troublesome matter to arrange the accommodation for the soldiers.
The next day, at dawn, Sorikos led a mixed cavalry squad to the camp of the Mape coalition to investigate the situation, but found that the camp was empty.
Sorikos immediately sent someone to report the news, and at the same time, under the guidance of the Tarantum cavalry, the cavalry squad was divided into two groups. One group went south towards Ujentum, and the other group went east towards the west of Brindi, continuing to search for traces of the enemy.
When the Devers heard the news, they realized that the enemy was going to escape, and immediately gathered the army. In the process, the cavalry reported again that they had found traces of the enemy army in the east.
The commanders' first reaction was: the Mape coalition was going to retreat to Brindisi.
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