Chapter 317
Bagoule listened to his brother-in-law's words, and his expression gradually became firm. He said loudly, "You're right. I'm a Lucanian, but I'm also a citizen of Diónia. We can't let go of this great opportunity to unify Lucania!"
"Big Brother, there's a problem now." Seeing that Bagoule's thoughts were clear, Asistes immediately asked, "Picossis's strength is growing too fast. Do you think we need to reinforce Csima's tribe? "
"If we don't do anything, that cunning Sinsinag will believe that we're in trouble." After Bagoule got rid of his doubts, he was already fully focused on the upcoming battle. As the actual commander of the Legio III Grumentum, his decisiveness and determination were on display. "Moreover, the tribes in the south have already received our notice in advance and are already prepared. Now, everything is ready, and we're just waiting for Legion Commander Hieronymus and Lizaru to arrive with their troops. I believe that Lizaru is eagerly looking forward to using a great victory to wash away the humiliation he suffered in the Isthmian Tournament!"
Although Asistes was also looking forward to the battle, as Bagoule's assistant, he was instructed by the Devers to 'assist Bagoule in organizing and completing the Grumentum's battle plan'. Therefore, he had to consider the problem more carefully in order to help the straightforward Bagoule find any loopholes. "There's still no movement from Potentia. Is there a problem?"
"Don't worry, the people of Potentia are already frightened by their previous failure. They have to defend against the Samonians, and they can't afford to lose too much. Moreover, as far as I know, their great leader, Puamoth, is a very steady person. I'm afraid that by the time he wants to act, we'll already be attacking Picossis! "Bagoule smiled confidently.
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When Nicourou fled back to Cosenza, Pienlen was shocked. After listening to Nicourou's story, he was shocked and regretful. The news that the Diónia's fortress was built so quickly shocked him. He knew that the Diónia had captured Abyssinia, but he still sent the Abyssinia warriors to attack it. It was a stupid move that he made in a moment of desperation. Under the situation where the Bruti soldiers were in short supply, more than two thousand elite soldiers were destroyed just like that. It was really distressing!
Although Nicourou assured him that as long as he went to the frontlines and shouted, these Abyssinia soldiers would not immediately change sides, but they would not have the heart to fight.
Pienlen did not intend to fully believe his words. This grumpy and reckless leader of Abyssinia did not know how to win people's hearts at all. The rebellion of the Abyssinia soldiers also had a lot to do with him.
At this time, Pienlen could only suppress his anxiety. He ordered the other tribes to send as many warriors as possible while waiting for the arrival of the army led by Petaru.
At dusk, not only did Petaru arrive with his army, but the great leader of Ambania, Burgam, also arrived with his army. Only then did Pienlen's heart calm down a little.
Early the next morning, Pienlen, Petaru, Burgam, and Nicourou led 11000 Cosenza warriors, 2500 Ambanian warriors, and 5000 warriors of other races, a total of nearly 20,000 people and 2,000 slaves, to the east.
… …
"Great leader, bad news! The enemy is about to attack the city! " Hearing the report from his subordinates, Pangeru was not too nervous. After Nicourou and Burgam left with their troops, the Diónia did not appear for two consecutive days. This made him start to believe what Burgam said: Kenapetiya was not the focus of the Diónia's attack!
"What are you panicking about! It's not like the Diónia did not attack before. Didn't we easily repel them? Don't worry, with the sturdiness of Kenapetiya's walls, the Diónia can't do anything to us! "Pangeru encouraged his subordinates.
"But the Diónia's attack this time is a little different. They are digging …"
"Digging?"
When Pangeru rushed to the city wall, the soldiers of the Diónia Legio IV had already paved the slope 100 meters away from the city wall with soil and stones, creating a flat ground about 20 meters in length.
Then, Pangeru saw the Diónia put a wooden shelf about the height of a person on top of it. The Bruti warriors were curious and guessed what it was. Many of them thought that it was a tool that the Greeks used to offer sacrifices to their gods.
Pangeru stared ahead, watching the enemy carry wooden boxes to the side of the wooden shelf with difficulty. The uneasiness in his heart gradually increased …
… …
"Are you ready? Can we fire? " Hilos came to the front of the "Ballista Team", which the Devers called "Ballista Team", and asked the Ballista Captain wearing a red crown expectantly.
The Ballista Captain replied embarrassedly, "We still need an observer to position the ballista."
The observer was an apprentice from the mathematics research institute established by the Devers. He was standing in front of the captain. After hearing Hilos's question, he turned around and said in a gentle tone, "Yes, but we have to try firing first."
He pointed to the city wall in front of him and added, "Although this place is about 100 meters away from the city wall, the terrain of Kenapetiya is a bit higher. It is not on the same plane as the ballista, so it is difficult to determine the landing point. I need to see the test results before I make the correction."
The captain nodded to show that he understood. Hilos was a little confused. He knew that he could not learn all kinds of knowledge as easily as the Devers and get along with those knowledgeable scholars. He did not understand, but he knew that since this observer was selected by the Devers from the mathematics research institute, he must be capable.
"Place the elevation lever in the middle and pull the bowstring to the maximum," the observer said.
Immediately, the captain loudly ordered all the ballista gunners.
The ballista gunners immediately turned the multiple sets of pulleys at the end of the ballista, and the iron hooks began to pull the finger-thick bowstring outward. (This was an improvement on the Syracuse ballista by Matticles after he achieved some results in the research of pulleys. It made it easier for the gunners to pull the bowstring.) As the bowstring moved further and further back, it drove the two wooden ballista arms fixed to the iron main beam by the torsion spring group to move back as well. Not only did the two ballista gunners feel a little tired, but even the torsion spring group connected to the main beam made a creaking sound. The ballista arms even showed a slight bend. The bowstring was pulled to the last position of the guide rail, and the ballista gunners hurriedly stuck the rotating shaft of the pulley.
"Prepare the ballista!" The captain ordered. The ballista gunners took out a stone bullet the size of two fists from the wooden box next to them. (The stone was made from "Devers cement" mixed with gravel, solidified in a circular mold, and polished by slaves, so its shape was round and smooth.) They placed it on the woven net bag in the middle of the bowstring.
"Fire!" At the captain's command, the ballista gunners pressed down on the spring. Two thick strands of ox tendon tightly twisted together to form a spring group, which drove the pulled ballista arm to spring back suddenly. The huge force generated by the torsion force drove the bowstring, and the bowstring drove the stone bullet forward on the smooth guide rail at lightning speed, and then passed through the circular hole in the middle of the main beam.
Under the gaze of Hilos, the stone bullet flew out, and in the blink of an eye, it became a small black dot in the air.
In Pangeru's vision, the small dot in the air rapidly grew larger. Amidst the screams of the soldiers, it flew over the city wall and fell into the city, smashing through the roof of a house, causing a cry of alarm.
The soldiers were discussing what it was in a panic.
Pangeru's face was gloomy. There was no doubt that this was Diónia's new siege weapon, but why didn't they use it before, but only after Nicourou and Burgam left? Could it be that all this was planned in advance?
"The elevation angle is high, the shooting distance is about 300 meters." The gunner made a rough judgment after observing the trajectory of the stone bullet. He carefully looked at the comparison table of elevation angle, torsion force scale, and range, which was drawn by the Institute of Mathematics according to the newly researched parabolic equation, and then said, "Put the elevation bar forward, pull the bowstring to the maximum, and fire another shot."
The captain gave the order, and while the ballista gunners were busy, the gunner said to Hilos, "According to our research, the middle and upper sections of the city wall are generally weaker, we should try to focus our ballista bombardment on this area of the city wall …"
Hilos listened attentively and nodded.
The stone bullet flew out again, and this time, it accurately hit the city wall. With a loud bang, gravel flew everywhere, and the screams of the enemy could be clearly heard from a hundred meters away.
The gunner and the captain were obviously satisfied with the bombardment this time, so they continued to order, "All ballista cannons fire according to the previous settings."
More than a dozen stone bullets flew out one after another, exploding on the enemy's city wall.
"Continue firing, don't stop!" Hilos was obviously also very satisfied with the power of the ballista, but he did not completely rely on this secret weapon, he had another plan. "Order the soldiers to start building the causeway!"
The orderly obeyed the order and left.
Hilos turned to Cypross who had been following behind him and said, "Lord Cypross, I hope that your men can also participate in the siege."
"Don't be so polite, Commander Hilos, please give the order!" Cypross said humbly. His eyes did not stray from the stone projectiles whistling through the air. The roar of the projectiles shocked him to the core. With the siege weapons invented by the Dionians and the four-meter-high engineering towers being built in the camp, which city walls could withstand the attack of the Dionians? Even if the Greeks lost the battle, as long as they hid in the city, they would be able to withstand the attacks of the powerful enemies. Would this be the end of the era when the Greeks were defeated?
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