Chapter 315
In the Carthage Senate, the attackers led by the Magonid Family, who were strongly supported by the people, vigorously attacked the conservatives led by Hanno. Their proposal to attack Syracuse and rebuild the northern security barrier for Carthage was finally passed.
Therefore, the Carthage Senate once again appointed the patriarch of the Magonid Family, one of the Carthage Sufits (similar to the Consul, there were two of them), Himilco, as the commander, and began to recall the army that had just been sent to develop the Iberian Peninsula. The commander of the army was Himilco's younger brother, Margo. At the same time, they began to prepare food for the army.
… …
A day ago, a major event happened in Grumentum. Two small tribes in the north, Lude and Burina, had a conflict over territory and even had a fight. The city governor, Bagoule, personally went to mediate, but was suddenly besieged by the tribe's warriors. Bagoule was caught off guard. Thanks to his bodyguards risking their lives to break through the siege, he was able to escape back to Grumentum City. Soon, the news that Bagoule was seriously injured and on the verge of death came from the city. At the same time, the city gates were closed and the city was heavily guarded. However, no troops were sent to attack the two tribes that openly raised the flag of rebellion.
For a time, outside the city, the tribes under the jurisdiction of Grumentum were in a state of panic, and rumors spread everywhere.
The news quickly spread to Picossis and Potentia.
"Son, that old fox, Puamot, has finally made his move! We can't wait any longer. We must immediately send troops to attack Grumentum! "Sinsinag said excitedly and anxiously.
"Father, didn't you say that we would wait for Potentia to send troops before we send troops?" Gneinath asked in confusion when he saw how excited Sinsinag was.
"The situation now is different from before! Although Potentia hasn't sent troops, they have already made their move. Didn't you just hear that 'the governor of Grumentum was ambushed and seriously injured'? This must have been done by Puamot and the others secretly instigated the Grumentum tribes adjacent to Potentia! Logically, the people of Diónia should have sent troops to carry out bloody revenge against those tribes, but the people of Diónia did not. Instead, they locked the city gates. What does this mean?! "
Sinsinag waved his arms and said excitedly. "It means that the people of Diónia have no extra troops to suppress those rebellious tribes. Their soldiers have been transferred to attack Bruti. The messenger of Bruti who came yesterday was not as nervous as he was when he asked us to join the alliance. "The people of Diónia have sent nearly twenty thousand troops to attack Bruti from the north, but they could not reach Vag City and suffered heavy casualties. They also sent ten thousand troops to attack Knapetitia from the south, but they were also blocked outside the mountains, unable to advance." Diónia is in a difficult situation of fighting with the people of Bruti, so the people of Diónia only want to defend Grumentum. Now, the tribes in Grumentum are like calves that have lost their mothers, panicking. We must rush to Grumentum's territory before Potentia does. Those tribes will definitely submit to us, and our troops will quickly grow. When Puamot arrives, it will be too late. Our Picossis has the final say in Grumentum! "Sinsinag could not help but laugh sinisterly when he thought of this.
"Father, I'll gather the soldiers now!" Gneinath's blood was boiling at his father's words. He immediately strode out of the living room. Behind him, Sinsinag's voice was full of hatred. "The cunning people of Diónia dared to take away my Grumentum. The day of revenge I've been waiting for has finally come! God Asinu, I, Sinsinag, will offer the blood of the Greeks as a sacrifice to you. I hope to get your blessing! "
… …
"Brother, what are you hesitating for?" Boret shouted anxiously. "The people of Picossis have already made the first move. The cunning Sinsinag must have roped in the tribes in Grumentum and schemed to severely injure Bagoule of Diónia! Now, the army of Picossis must have set off. If we don't send our troops, the Grumentum will belong to Picossis! "
Compared to the hot-tempered Boret, Puamoth, the great leader of Potentia who was more than fifty years old, sat upright on a wooden chair. His eyebrows did not even twitch as he listened to Boret's words. He slowly said, "I still stand by my words — wait."
"Brother, if you don't want to take the risk, why don't I bring some of the soldiers to Grumentum first —" Boret was so anxious that he wanted to say more. Puamot's expression became serious. He looked at his brother and said coldly, "I'm still the one in charge of Potentia. If you want to give orders, wait until I'm dead."
Boret did not dare to speak again. He and Puamot were almost 20 years apart. Their father had died early, and he was actually raised by this older brother. Therefore, although they were brothers, they were more like father and son.
"Boret." Puamot's tone became gentler. "Don't forget how we lost the Grumentum."
Boret did not speak, but his expression showed that he was not convinced.
Puamot sighed, and his face became more solemn. "I know you've been complaining that I've been too cautious all these years. I didn't intervene in Lucania's internal disputes, let Acepirus grow, and now I'm not willing to lay my hands on the Grumentum … But you have to know that Potentia is different from Picossis and the Grumentum. They're surrounded by Lucanians, and to the north of us, there are the terrifying Samonians. Don't forget what our ancestors always told us, 'We were driven from the north to this mountain area by these Samonians.' Don't look at the fact that these Samonians haven't fought with us yet. That's because we have enough warriors, and they still have to deal with the Greeks in the west, so we're safe. But if we're weak, do you think those hungry wolves will let Potentia go? "
Boret's expression changed slightly.
"At the beginning of the year, I couldn't resist your repeated requests to send troops to the Grumentum. In the end, you and the warriors were captured by the Diónia … Do you know … During that time, the Samonians sent an envoy to me, expressing their willingness to lend me troops to defeat the Diónia?"
This time, Boret was moved. He could not help but ask anxiously, "There was such a thing?! You agreed?! "
"Agreed?" Puamot sneered. "If I agreed, Potentia would have belonged to the Samonians long ago. Fortunately, we made peace with Dionia in time and released you. Only then did I heave a sigh of relief. Now, the situation in the Grumentum is complicated. I don't know how the war between Diónia and the Bruti will turn out. I can't see clearly … If you can't see clearly, don't send troops easily. If Sinsinag wants to snatch the Grumentum, then let him snatch it. The Diónia are not easy to deal with. "
After listening, Boret was silent for a while. He asked with some reluctance, "If that's the case, why did you agree to form an alliance with the Bruti, Big Brother?"
Puamot's turbid eyes flashed with a glimmer of light. "Forming an alliance is also to have another way out. Asenu, bless us! If a good opportunity appears … So we have to calm down and wait slowly … "
… …
Pienlen urged his horse back to Cosenza at top speed, just in time to intercept Nicourou, who was rushing back from Kenapetya with his troops. It was not easy to persuade him to stay in Cosenza and wait for the army to gather before attacking Abyssinia together.
But not long after, he received a report from a cavalry scout: the Greeks were building a fortress on the road from Abyssinia to the plateau.
Pienlen could no longer sit still. If the Greeks were to build the fortress, it would undoubtedly make it more difficult to recapture Abyssinia. He had to let Nicourou lead his soldiers to stop them, and added a thousand warriors from other tribes for him. He also repeatedly told him not to fight the Greeks head-on.
After three hours of anxiously leading his troops, Nicourou could vaguely see the Greeks in front of him. His eyes widened: they had turned the exit of the mountain road into a large construction site, digging pits, piling, moving wood … It was a bustling scene, and a three-meter-high, ten-meter-long wooden wall stood there. There were gates, battlements, trenches, antlers, and all the basic facilities that a fortress should have.
Nicourou moved quickly, but it had been a day and a half since the Second Legion occupied Abyssinia. Legion Commander Dracos seized the opportunity and divided his 7,000 soldiers into three teams, taking turns to build the fortress day and night. The soldiers also knew that time was tight, so they worked hard. Coupled with some simple defensive facilities that had been assembled by the engineering operation, the fortress had already taken shape when Niku arrived.
As soon as the scouts spotted the Bruti troops, they rushed back to report the news. A bugle was blown in the fortress, and the laboring soldiers retreated at a steady pace.
Although Nicourou was surprised by the speed at which the Diónia soldiers built the fortress, it took Abyssinia seven or eight days to remove the fortress facing Cosenza, he was more angry that the Greeks were doing whatever they wanted in his territory.
"Kill those Greeks outside the city!" At his command, the bugle sounded. His soldiers hated the enemy for taking away their homeland, and like ferocious wolves, they rushed towards the unarmed and unarmed Diónia soldiers.
Under the command of the team officer, the Diónia soldiers did not panic. They passed through the gate in an orderly manner and retreated into the wall. The soldiers at the back even turned their heads to look back, hoping for something good to happen.
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