Chapter 492
As an experienced Sparta warrior, Phoebidas had been observing the whole process of the siege. He could roughly estimate that Syracuse had suffered tens of thousands of casualties! Such a huge number of casualties was far beyond what Sparta could bear. Even if Sparta organized their allies and formed a large army, they would not use such a bloody method to attack the city, because it would inevitably cause their allies to rebel. This was what made Phoebidas helpless and fearful. Dionysius, the tyrannical and cruel tyrant of Sicily, had too much control over his troops!
"There are no more obstacles in front of us. Next, it's time to attack Diónia!" Dionysius, who had taken down Crotone, turned his head and looked towards the north in the dark night. His voice was full of anticipation.
Oh yes, there was still the Devers! Dionysius' words reminded Phoebidas, who was also full of anticipation. But without the help of Crotone, could Diónia, who was at a disadvantage in terms of military strength, withstand the battle?!
… …
It was already four o 'clock in the morning. Except for the patrolling sentries, the soldiers in the Turií barracks were already asleep. But a hurried knock on the door broke the silence of the barracks.
"Your Majesty, urgent military news! Syracuse has breached Ciudad Crotone! "Martius, the captain of the guards, said anxiously.
"Ciudad Crotone has been breached?!" Devers's drowsiness was completely driven away by the shocking news. He found it hard to believe. "Who sent the news? Is it true?!"
"It's news from the Mountain Scouts. In addition, Aristiras also brought the same news. "
Syracuse had conquered Crotone, which had a ten-meter high wall and enough soldiers in one day. The Devers were shocked by the strength of Syracuse's siege. The joy he felt during the day when he received the news that "Burgam was killed by his tribesmen and his tribe surrendered" was wiped out. He immediately made a decision. "Martius, summon Antonios, Amyntas, Matonis and Capus for a meeting! Also, send someone to summon the elders! "
"Yes, Your Majesty!" Martius received the order and left in a hurry.
Devers indeed had the intention of "letting Crotone and Syracuse exhaust each other to buy more time for Diónia". This would give him more time to train the newly formed troops better, prepare the logistics better, and wait for the situation in the Bruti region to stabilize and the issue of Laos's defection to be resolved. Then, Diónia would have more citizen soldiers to join the expedition. Diónia's territory would be more stable, and he would have more confidence in defeating Syracuse.
However, plans could never keep up with changes. Dionysius … Devers stood outside the house and looked at the endless night in the south, clenching his fists …
… …
Early the next morning, in the Turií barracks, the large training ground that was usually empty was now occupied by the First Legion, the Second Legion, the Seventh Legion, the Lance Brigade, and the logistics and transport team. Whether it was the soldiers or the transport personnel, everyone stood straight and silently looked at the training ground in front of them.
Devers, dressed in a military uniform, stood on the stage and looked around at the tens of thousands of soldiers below the stage. He said loudly, "Warriors of Diónia, since the outbreak of this war, you have followed me everywhere, not afraid of hardships and sacrifices. You have fought bravely, defeated the fierce Samonians, annihilated the cunning Tarantum, and ensured the safety of the northern border of the Alliance. You are the heroes of the Alliance!
We should have held a grand triumphal ceremony for you, but the war is not over yet. The culprit who started this war, the Syracuse, has broken through Ciudad Crotone yesterday. They are about to set foot on our land and burn the flames of war to our homeland, turning us into their slaves! As the people of Diónia, what should we do?! "
As soon as the Devers's voice trailed off, an earth-shattering roar came from the field, "Defeat the people of Syracuse!!!"
"Defeat them!!! Kill them all!!! … "
…
Devers waited for the excited soldiers to calm down a little. He took a deep breath and shouted, "Warriors, we are about to rush to the south and face the evil Syracuse. Diónia, in order to thank you for your great contributions and sacrifices for the Alliance, I have discussed with the Senate and decided — "
Devers paused for a moment, took another deep breath and shouted, "After this difficult war is over, the free citizens who participated in the war will become preparatory citizens, and all preparatory citizens will become official citizens. The citizens of the city will receive double rewards according to your contributions!!"
The field was boiling again, and this time it was an earth-shattering cheer, "Victory to Diónia!!! Victory to King Devers!!! … "
After all, the reason why the free citizens and preparatory citizens were willing to fight for the Alliance of Diónia in the face of a powerful enemy was because they felt that the existence of the Alliance could protect their rights and bring them benefits in the future. Devers gave them what they wanted in advance, and it was bound to make them fight even more fiercely in order to achieve this goal as soon as possible, especially the Lance Brigade, which was mainly made up of free citizens.
In the face of Syracuse's fierce offensive, Devers did not hesitate to use any means to raise the morale of the soldiers and increase the chances of Diónia's victory. As for the "land" that the new citizens and veteran citizen soldiers needed, Devers did not have to worry about it at all. After defeating Syracuse, there was no need to worry about not having enough land!
After Devers finished his speech, he immediately announced the departure of the troops.
The camp gate opened, and the soldiers of the First Legion, Second Legion, Seventh Legion, and Lance Brigade lined up neatly and walked out of the camp, heading east.
On the other hand, the free citizens had to rush to the granary of Turií. There were mountains of military rations donated by the people of Diónia and their allies over the past two days. They would transport the rations to the port, and a large number of cargo ships would transport them to the port of Crimissa to be unloaded. Due to the victory of the naval battle of Taranto, Diónia had won the right to control the sea within its borders. With the sea transportation, logistics were much more convenient.
Before the long column of troops had reached Turií, they were greeted by countless citizens. They stood on both sides of the road and asked curiously, "Where are you going? Are you … are you going to attack Syracuse?! … "
After receiving confirmation from the soldiers, the citizens became excited. After consecutive victories, they no longer felt the terror of Syracuse's army in the south. Instead, they hoped that the Dionysian Army could chase them away as soon as possible so that peace could be restored to the Alliance.
When the citizens heard the news, they kept coming. Their numbers grew, but they did not obstruct the main road and obstruct the advance of the troops. Instead, they formed a long line of people on both sides of the road, extending all the way to the wooden bridge over the Crati River.
They cheered for the soldiers who were going to war, and at the same time, they searched for their loved ones, prayed to Hades for them, and offered their best wishes.
Under the attention and blessings of the citizens, the soldiers became even more spirited, especially the free citizens of the Lance Brigade. This was the first time they enjoyed such a privilege, and they all straightened their backs and held their heads high.
"Oh, is this a newly formed legion? Why haven't I seen them before? "
"Why aren't they armed?"
… …
Of course, the curious citizens did not know that Dyvers was afraid that the secret of the spear brigade would be revealed during the long march, which would result in the failure of the surprise attack. Hence, the spears were wrapped up and transported to Crimea along with the provisions by the supply team. Then, Olivers was assigned to receive them.
Among the citizens' questions were greetings from their loved ones.
"Tapirus! Tapirus! … "An excited voice clearly reached the ears of the Lance Brigade's Captain Tapirus (he was promoted due to his outstanding performance in training). He quickly turned his head and saw the person he was looking for: Mysia, his wife.
She was waving her arms excitedly, shouting with passion, "Tapirus, I'll go to the Temple of Hades day and night to pray for you, so that you can return safely as soon as possible!"
Tapirus did not say a word. He waved his arms in response, but his heart was overflowing with passion. Both he and Mysia were slaves, and they met in Cristoya's restaurant. Their similar experiences brought them together quickly, and they supported each other. In the second year of Tapirus's freedom, Mysia's outstanding performance was praised by Cristoya, and she was freed from slavery. Soon, the two were married under the witness of the goddess Hera.
At this moment, Tapirus was looking at the figure of his wife who was still chasing after the Lance Brigade, a voice resounding in his heart: Wait for me, Mysia! When I return, we will become citizens of this great alliance! We will have our own land! We will build a beautiful house! We will have four or five children! … … "
When the Lance Brigade reached the city of Turií, the First Legion left the main force and headed east. They were going to the naval base by the Krati River, board the 'Raven' warship, and follow the fleet south in search of the Syracuse Navy.
The main force turned towards the wooden bridge over the Krati River.
In front of the wooden bridge, the elders also came to send off the troops. They weren't as optimistic as the commoners, because the commoners still didn't know that the inner city of Crotone had fallen. This news was like a boulder weighing on the hearts of the elders, causing them to toss and turn restlessly last night. They couldn't sleep well, their hearts filled with worry for the war.
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