Chapter 430
Dionysius nodded slightly, then turned his horse around and returned to his formation.
"Dionysius, stop right there!" shouted Ascamas, who had rushed over.
"I've already met with your general. You generals have no right to speak to me!" Dionysius laughed loudly, then urged his horse to return to his formation.
"What did Dionysius say?!" asked Ascamas, who had rushed over.
"What else could he have said other than declaring war?!" The good-tempered Felicius could not help but feel a little angry.
"Cowardly Dionysius, he didn't even dare to stay a little longer, and he still dared to declare war on us!" Ascamas spat in the direction of Dionysius.
At this time, Asessias and Cypross had arrived.
Felicius had also calmed down. Taking advantage of the precious opportunity of everyone gathering together, he looked at the three of them and said solemnly, "Sir Cypross, you must control your army well. Don't focus too much on attacking, just defend. The Dionysian Army will defend the right flank with the Triene soldiers. "
"I'm not worried about being with the Legion of Dionysia!" Cypross laughed.
Felicius once again gave a final reminder to the general of the Siridean army, "Sir Asessias, please take note. The right flank of the phalanx you lead must try to maintain the same speed of attack as the Diónia army! As for your left flank … please attack boldly with the Crotone army! "
Asessias nodded to indicate that he understood.
Felicius finally looked at the Crotone general who seemed to be prejudiced against Diónia, and said sincerely, "Sir Ascamas, the victory of the Southern Italian Coalition Army and the peace of Greece all depend on the Crotone army!"
"Don't worry, my lords! The warriors of the Crotone army are already prepared. We're just waiting for the bugle to be blown, then we'll charge and defeat the Syracuse army in one fell swoop! "Ascamas was full of heroism.
Felicius looked at the generals who were both nervous and excited. He raised his right fist and shouted, full of hope, "The gods will bless Greece!"
"The gods will bless Greece!" The other three responded. Four fists slammed together, then they turned their horses and returned to their formation.
In the Greek city-states of the western Mediterranean, there were two gods that were highly respected. One was the sun god, Apollo. Apollo was not a powerful god, but in addition to being in charge of the sun, literature, and archery, he was also blessed with luck. In the Great Colonial Era, wooden ships full of colonists sailed to the unknown Western Mediterranean Sea. They all hoped to be lucky enough to avoid the storms at sea, successfully reach the land, find a land with fertile water and grass to settle down, and avoid encountering the fierce indigenous people. If they survived and built a city, they would think that it was a blessing from Apollo. But what was the most important thing after they settled down? Of course, it was to multiply, strengthen the tribe, increase their strength, chase away the natives, and expand their territory. Thus, the other god that was highly respected was the Goddess Queen Hera, who was in charge of marriage, family, and reproduction.
Among the cities that participated in the war today, Apollo was the protector of the cities of Syracuse, Crotone, Sirium, and Triene. Even though the armies of the cities had already divined with the Sun God before they rushed to the battlefield, the soldiers still prayed to Apollo for blessings before the battle began. However, the prayers came from both sides. How was Apollo supposed to choose?
Only the soldiers of Diónia sang a hymn to the Lord of Darkness, who was terrifying in the hearts of the Greeks.
Aphrodite sang the last part of the hymn to Hades like his other comrades, "… O great Lord of the Underworld, the just and selfless Arbiter!
May my name shine on the Hall of Valhalla when I die a heroic death,
May my soul be led by you to the Elysium that everyone yearns for! "
The soldiers felt their fear vanish, and their bodies were filled with strength.
"Brothers, prepare your equipment and put on your helmets!" The voice of the squad leader rang out.
Aphrodite immediately placed the spear and two javelins in his right hand on the long shield in his left hand. He took off the open helmet that was hanging on his shoulder and put it on. He pulled down the leather ear protector and fastened it to his chin.
When he was done, he saw from the corner of his eyes that his comrades on both sides had quickly put on their helmets and resumed their defensive posture. He felt that this new helmet was much more convenient. His eyes could see what was going on around him, and his ears could hear the words of his comrades. The old Corinthian helmet did not work. When he wore it, he felt as if his eyes and ears were immediately deaf and blind. He could only see the enemy in front of him, and could only hear the sharp and sonorous sound of the bugle, as if he was alone in the darkness. Only the occasional swaying figure of his companions beside him and the surging strength of his comrades behind him could make him feel real.
If a person with a weak heart were to wear the Corinth helmet for too long, he would definitely go crazy! Aphrodite often had such thoughts during his daily training. Thus, after experiencing the benefits of the new helmet, he did not want to wear the Corinth helmet again.
There was a saying in the legion that the new helmet could not protect one's face. He scoffed at it. A person's reaction to any attack aimed at his face was the fastest. If he could not even dodge this, then he was not a qualified soldier of the Legion of Dionysia!
Looking at the Syracuse soldiers covered in bronze armor a few hundred meters away, he felt a sense of pity for them.
The familiar sound of the bugle that he had heard countless times in the training field rang out. It was loud and majestic, but it gave him a different kind of excitement.
"Forward!" Following the squad leader's orders, Aphrodite held the shield in his left hand and the spear in his right. He and his comrades slowly advanced to the sound of the military drums.
In between the small phalanxes, countless soldiers in leather armor rushed out of the phalanxes and charged towards the enemy.
It was a spectacular sight, just like the countless times he had trained. Aphrodite knew that the first to meet the enemy would be his comrades from the Light Infantry Brigade.
He and his heavy infantry comrades skillfully switched a javelin to their right hand and advanced calmly, waiting for the moment to throw the javelin.
… …
After two days of racking his brains and meticulous preparations, Felicius, who was nervous, suddenly relaxed as the bugle sounded. He muttered, "It has finally begun …"
But he quickly regained his spirits and told the herald and the cavalry scouts to keep him updated on the progress of the entire battlefield!
The battle had just begun. He had to be like the Archon Devers on the battlefield in the past. He had to be 100% focused and ready to deal with all kinds of unexpected situations until the end of the battle and the arrival of victory.
… …
At that moment, Dionysius's attention was not on the battlefield. "Have the reinforcements set off? What's their position now? "
"The fleet led by Lord Leptinus set sail from the port of Hibernian with 10,000 soldiers half an hour ago. They may have reached the mouth of the Ramato River by now … The other army led by Lord Fasipesas set off from Hibernian early in the morning. It is estimated that they have crossed the Koerta River by now …"
The adjutant made his own judgment based on the information he received from the cavalry scouts.
At that moment, a messenger galloped over from behind. "Report! Lord Fasipesas has led his army into the camp and sent me here to ask General Quan for his next order! "
Dionysius smiled in satisfaction. "It seems that the Fasipesas has performed well this time. It has exceeded your expectations, Damocles."
The adjutant, Damocles, smiled fawningly. "Because of your stratagem, the Greeks have been completely fooled. Victory is at hand! The Fasipesas also wants to make a contribution as soon as possible. Otherwise, the battle will be over and victory will be yours alone, my lord. "
Dionysius smiled again and ordered, "Let the Fasipesas lead the soldiers to rest in the camp and recover their strength. The battle has just begun."
… …
The Diónia's 4th and 5th Legions advanced quickly, but their attempt to directly attack the Syracuse infantry phalanx did not succeed. This was because Syracuse had also sent out a large number of light infantry, so the battle began with the light infantry.
For a moment, arrows and javelins crisscrossed. People from both sides screamed and fell. The Diónia light infantry were more well-trained, while the Syracuse light infantry had more battlefield experience. As the 4th and 5th Legions were formed the latest, especially the 5th Legions, which had not participated in a real battle, the two sides were evenly matched.
When the main forces were almost 100 meters apart, the Syracuse light infantry retreated. They had to withdraw from the battlefield before the heavy infantry of both sides collided. Otherwise, they would be crushed into a bloody pulp by the huge impact.
The Diónia light infantry did not retreat. The Legion of Dionysia's more complex and smoother formation gave them the confidence to quickly withdraw from the battlefield before the heavy infantry of both sides collided. Therefore, they were not afraid of the approaching Syracuse's mountainous formation, and quickly fired another two rounds of arrows and javelins.
The arrows flashed coldly and flew down. Some hit the thick Corinth helmet and bounced high, causing the Syracuse soldiers to feel slightly dizzy. Some were blocked by the round shields, but other than making small dents on the smooth copper shields, they did not cause any damage. Only the exposed arms and thighs of the soldiers could cause them to lose the ability to fight, but such casualties were too few.
However, the damage of the javelins was much greater. Not only could they penetrate the breastplate, but they could also penetrate the round shields, making it difficult for the soldiers to defend with their shields.
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