Chapter 689
The next morning, in the Roman barracks outside the city of Setia, Camillus got up early as usual. He took the linen cloth that was soaked in water from Nu Pu, washed his face, and had some breakfast.
At this time, his son Lucius, who was also the cavalry commander of this army (according to the Roman military system, the cavalry commander was the second-in-command of an army), entered the main tent as usual to greet his father.
"Is there anything unusual?" Camillus asked immediately.
"It's the same as before, nothing has changed," Lucius replied casually.
Seeing his son's habitual expression, Camillus immediately reminded him cautiously, "Don't let your guard down! The Senate has informed us that they rejected the proposal of the Diónia a few days ago and will continue the war against the Volsci to the end. So, the Diónia are likely to join the war. We must be vigilant and be ready at all times, because the reinforcements of the Diónia may appear at any time! "
"The Senate is right to reject the unreasonable request of the Diónia. How can we give up the victory and land that the citizens of Rome have fought for with their blood and lives just because of the threat of the Diónia?" Lucius said indignantly. He was already in his forties, but he still retained his hot-bloodedness. He did not inherit his father's gentle and steady character.
"That being said, this undoubtedly adds a lot of potential difficulties to the war!" Camillus said with slight worry.
Lucius immediately said confidently, "Father, in the past ten years, not only has the land of Rome greatly expanded, but the number of our citizens has also increased rapidly. At the beginning of this year, the Senate counted the number of civil militias of suitable age in the city of Rome and the established colonies. This does not include the Latin allies, not to mention that we have the help of Carthage. It's fine if the Diónia don't come. If they dare to come, they will know the power of the Roman army! "
Camillus didn't want to argue with his son. He waved his hand and urged, "You should send the cavalry to carry out the reconnaissance mission."
After Lucius left, Camillus put on his armor with the help of the servants and began his daily routine of patrolling the barracks. Wherever he went, the soldiers would respectfully call his name.
But in fact, "Camillus" was not his real name, but a nickname he used in his childhood. It came from the name of a Rome god in the temple. But when he won again and again on the battlefield, his nickname spread, because many citizens thought that he was invincible in battle, as if he was possessed by a god. He took Camillus as his family name, and regarded it as an honour (he was the first man in Rome to take a nickname as his family name).
He often talked to the soldiers in the barracks in a friendly manner, like an elder talking to a young man. He understood their mental state, and other than encouraging them, he would sometimes help them solve some small problems. So the soldiers loved him, and he himself enjoyed the atmosphere in the barracks. To be honest, he hated the complicated political environment in the Senate. He was afraid to see the fierce conflicts between the commoners and the nobles. Only in the barracks could he relax.
Just as Camillus finished patrolling the barracks, the commander of another legion, Magistrate Frius, walked into the tent.
According to the rules of the Senate in Rome, when two or more magistrates were in charge of the army, they would take turns to command the army.
Today, it was Camillus's turn. Frius could stay in his tent and not care about anything. But out of respect for Camillus and responsibility for the army, he still came to the tent as a deputy to listen to Camillus's new military deployment.
When Frius saw Camillus walk into the tent with a serene expression, he immediately understood that Camillus's strategy today was to defend the barracks. But he still asked, "Camillus, are we still not attacking Satya today?"
Camillus comforted him, "According to the news brought by the messenger, Quintus's army will launch an attack on Saturnicum today. If they can successfully take it, they will meet up with us in two or three days, and then we can join forces to attack the Volsci. So don't be anxious for now."
How could Frius not be anxious? The citizens of Rome had always been thirsty for military achievements and glory, and Frius was even more so. He urgently needed more military achievements to wash away the humiliation of his previous defeat. It was only because of his previous defeat and Camillus's leniency that he had become more cautious and respected Camillus even more.
"If only the Volsci could come out of the city and fight with us! Even if they receive reinforcements from the Oronci and Sidenese, and their numbers aren't any less than ours, they still won't be able to defeat the three-front strategy that you invented, Camillus. And with the help of Carthage's people, our soldiers are far superior in terms of weapons and armor. If we can defeat the last of the Volsci's strength in one fell swoop, we can drive them into the mountains and occupy this fertile land! "Frius said confidently.
After hearing this, Camillus said seriously, "It's a pity that the Volsci have become cautious. They are all hiding in the city to defend. Even a small city like Sartia has thousands of Volsci soldiers. We won't be able to take it in a short period of time. Once we attack the city with all our might, we will have to worry about the army in Polevernham … "
"If only we had the ballistae that Carthage's people gave us!" Frius sighed regretfully. Suddenly, he thought of something and suggested loudly, "Camillus, why don't we do what you did last time and give up on besieging Sartia and attack Selshe instead!"
Camillus was stunned. He thought for a moment and then shook his head. "After such a surprise attack, I'm afraid the Volsi people are already prepared. Once we are unable to capture Celce in a short period of time, the enemies will rush over after hearing the news and surround us. At that time, we will be exhausted, extremely tired, and not have enough time to build a camp. I'm afraid …"
Camillus looked at Frius and advised him seriously again, "We already have an absolute advantage. There's no need to take risks. Wait patiently for two or three days. When the time comes, I'll let you personally lead the army to attack Selshe!"
Frius slapped his thigh with his right hand and smiled helplessly. "Alright, Camillus, I'll listen to you. We'll wait for Quintus and the others to arrive. Let's hope they come quickly!"
After hearing what Camillus had to say, Frius didn't want to stay in the tent any longer. He got up and bade farewell. Just as he was about to leave the tent, a man suddenly barged in. He stumbled and nearly fell.
"Lucius!" Frius looked in surprise at the dusty officer who was half-kneeling on the ground.
"What happened?" Camillus, who had been calm all this while, was surprised to see his son in such a pitiful state.
Lucius pushed himself up with his hands and staggered to his feet.
Frius quickly brought him a wooden chair and let him sit.
Lucius nodded to express his gratitude. He then panted and said, "Father, I led two hundred cavalrymen … around Polevernham and prepared to continue south … to investigate the situation of the Volsci in the area around Selshe … Who knew that a group of cavalrymen dressed in black would suddenly appear from the south. They … they immediately attacked us …"
There was a flash of fear in Lucius's eyes as he said this. "They were good horsemen, outnumbered us, and were good at throwing javelins. Our cavalrymen were quickly scattered … If it wasn't for the cavalrymen around me … covering me, I'm afraid I wouldn't have been able to see you …"
After Lucius finished speaking, the thrilling scene of being chased by the enemy and the javelins whizzing past him from time to time appeared in his mind. The screams of his cavalrymen kept echoing in his ears … His already pale face became even paler.
Black cavalrymen?! Frius's heart skipped a beat. He looked at Camillus with a slightly nervous expression.
Camillus also looked solemn at the moment. He said in a low voice with uncertainty, "Looks like the people of Diónia are here?!"
Lucius had been running all the way and had no time to think about it. When he heard his father's words, he was surprised. "Are they from Diónia?!"
"I don't remember any cavalrymen dressed in black among the forces around here, and there are so many of them like you said. I only heard from Carthage that the army of Diónia, be it infantry or cavalry, all wear the same black. " Camillus looked at his son and said in a low voice, "So, they can only be the people from Diónia that you threatened to defeat."
Lucius lowered his head in shame.
"How many of our cavalrymen have we lost?" Camillus asked again.
"Because … because they retreated separately, some of the cavalrymen have not returned yet, so we can't calculate the casualties for the time being …" Lucius said in a low voice.
Frius saw that Camillus was not in a good mood and said worriedly, "I'm afraid the cavalrymen of the legion I led were also attacked by the cavalry of Diónia!"
With Frius's reminder, Camillus was no longer in the mood to criticize Lucius.
There were ten cavalry platoons in the Roman army led by Camillus. Every morning, the two military officers would send out most of the cavalrymen, some to scout the enemy's situation, and some to cooperate with the infantry to collect food from nearby areas. Because the Volsci cavalry was not strong and had suffered a series of defeats, Camillus was not worried about the safety of the scattered cavalrymen. But now, he was nervous and immediately ordered, "Lucius, immediately send out scouts to the north and urgently inform the infantry platoons and cavalry platoons that are collecting food from the Volsci villages to return to the barracks immediately! Also, remind them to be careful of the attack of the cavalry of Diónia on the way back! "
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