Chapter 717
Camillus said solemnly, "First of all, we must be deeply aware that Diónia is the most powerful and dangerous enemy we have faced so far. The Dionysian Army is obviously a terrifying army that has undergone strict military training and has strong military discipline. Otherwise, we can't explain why their soldiers could calmly line up and fight with our soldiers after marching for dozens of miles. They could hold their ground for so long even when facing my army which outnumbered theirs. This is incomparable to the forces we have defeated in the past, such as Etruria and Wolsey. Although their soldiers are brave, they lack strict discipline and complex tactics. They are completely scattered in battle.
Secondly, the morale of the soldiers of Diónia is very high. In this battle, their numbers were smaller than the soldiers I had led, and they had used up more stamina than my soldiers, but they were still able to fight for such a long time. Even though there were a few times when we almost broke through their formation, they didn't show any signs of panic, and appeared to be rather calm.
You may say, 'I'm afraid the troops sent by Diónia this time are the elites of their army.' But even if the rest of the Dionysian Army only has half of the combat power of this army, it is still quite terrifying. After I came back, I specifically asked the messenger of Carthage. The Kingdom of Diónia has a vast territory and a large population. It is said that their current army has more than 100,000 soldiers, and they also have a powerful fleet. These are far from what we, Rome, can fight against alone.
So, our first priority now is to establish a foothold in defense. I request all the allies and colonial cities on the side of the sea to strengthen the defenses of the cities, strengthen patrols and reconnaissance, and prevent Diónia from raiding from the sea. At the same time, our citizens of Rome must be ready to be called in at any time. Once they discover the enemy, they can immediately send reinforcements.
In addition, I also suggest that the previous decision on allocating land to the landless Wolsey be implemented immediately, so that they can quickly enter the cities of Villette, Antium, and Saturnicum and become our new source of soldiers, replacing the original troops stationed there. Of course, in view of their financial resources, we still have to equip them with weapons and equipment. Therefore, we have to request for Carthage's assistance in this aspect.
Also, the Senate passed a few years ago the bill on accepting Latin refugees as citizens of Rome. We hope to expand the scope of refugees, such as the Etruscans and the Sabines, and speed up the process so that we have more soldiers to fight against Diónia … "
At this point, Camillus wanted to say something but hesitated. There were some words that he didn't say in the end. He originally wanted to suggest that the citizens of Rome should be allowed to rent the public lands of Rome, and even part of the public lands should be allocated to the landless civilians and new citizens to increase their loyalty … But when he thought that these lands were still controlled by the nobles of Rome, he knew that this proposal would undoubtedly violate their interests. Not only would it cause strong opposition from them, but it would also cause him to be suspected and ostracized. He might even suffer the tragic fate that Marcus suffered back then … The old Camillus chose to give up.
However, he had another choice. He continued, "We also need to strengthen the military training of the citizens to enhance their ability to fight against the soldiers of Diónia. We also need to understand some of the special tactics of the Dionysian Army so that they can respond in time. According to my observation, Diónia may have been affected by the drought. That's why they did not send many troops to the Latin region. For now, it should be enough for us to take defensive measures to deal with their attack.
However, since we have become enemies with Diónia, and it is an ally of Wolsey, as time goes by, once Diónia has enough food to supply its army, its attacks on us are likely to increase. Therefore, we can't just sit back and watch the war between Carthage and Diónia, hoping that Carthage can defeat Diónia, hoping that their fleet can protect our coast. But what if Carthage fails? Then we will have to bear the anger of the people of Diónia alone! "
Camillus's words shocked the hearts of the senators.
Camillus looked around at them and said loudly with a serious expression, "So, we can't just defend, we must also attack! We must put pressure on the people of Diónia, and not let them easily concentrate their main forces to fight against Carthage! We must contribute our strength for the people of Carthage to defeat Diónia! "
Camillus's words made the senators thoughtful.
Paulus could not help but say, "Camillus, you just said that you want to attack. Your previous battles have shown that attacking Wolsey is more dangerous for us. The fleet of Diónia can raid the rear of our army at any time and cut off our food supplies …"
"Attacking Wolsey is indeed risky, but what if we attack Herniki?" Camillus's words stunned Paulus, and at the same time, it opened his mind. When the Wolsey coalition attacked the territory of Rome's ally, Camillus's army was not only defeated by Wolsey, but also the Eacquis and Herniki. Rome finally chose to retaliate against Wolsey, but that was because Wolsey had caused more trouble for Rome in the past, and it had the most fertile land. Although Herniki was relatively weak and lived mostly in hilly areas, they were also a race that often caused trouble for Rome …
While Paulus was thinking, Camillus continued, "While we defend against the possible attack of the Wolsey and Diónia in the southwest, we cannot sit back and watch the war between Diónia and Carthage. We should send troops to the northeast to attack Herniki.
The strength of the Herniki has been seriously weakened by us in the previous war. If we can destroy it, not only will we have one less enemy for Rome, but the occupied land can also be distributed to the landless civilians of Rome.
In addition, some of the Wolsey towns adjacent to Herniki will also be the focus of our attack. As a Wolsey ally, if the Diónia come to our rescue, we can fight them in the inland areas far away from the coast. "
"But it is mainly hilly and mountainous, which is not conducive for our heavy infantry to fight!" Frius reminded.
Camillus immediately replied, "But it is also not conducive for Diónia's soldiers to fight, let alone their powerful cavalry. We are more familiar with the terrain there, and at the same time, we have the support of our Latin allies, so we have nothing to worry about. We can pin down the Diónia there, and even force them to send more reinforcements … Once Carthage wins the naval battle, we can send another army to attack Wolsey's territory from the southwest plains, and finally surround the Diónia! … "
The senators nodded, but some expressed concern. "The Wolsey towns on the edge of Herniki are close to the Samonians. I heard that the Samonians and Diónia are allies, what if —"
"You don't have to worry!" Paulus said loudly, "Carthage's messenger once mentioned that the Samonians have long been dissatisfied with Diónia, and they are likely to take action against Diónia in this war between Carthage and Diónia …"
"Carthage also said that they will attack Diónia immediately, we can't believe their words!" Another senator complained.
But no matter what, Camillus's analysis stirred up a heated debate among the senators, and at the same time, it also made them determined to fight the Kingdom of Diónia.
At this time, Potitus stood up with the support of his walking stick. As a senator who had dominated the political scene of Rome for decades and served as consul and military officer more than ten times, his prestige was enough to make the others consciously stop discussing or lower their voices before he even started to speak.
"Dear elders and newcomers, the war with Diónia this time is just like the war with the Celts in the past, it concerns the life and death of our Rome. All of us citizens of Rome must work together to face the severe test that Jupiter has given us once again! Any argument, doubt, and internal strife will be a waste of our energy and time, destroying our unity and preventing us from taking the right action in time! Therefore, I propose that at this critical moment, the Senate elect a dictator and let him lead the citizens of Rome to win the war against Diónia! "
As soon as Potitus's voice fell, the meeting hall fell silent for a while.
Then, Paulus was the first to speak, "I agree with Potitus's suggestion. Elect a dictator to deal with the war with Diónia with all our might!"
Then, Frius also expressed his support loudly, "As a military officer who has fought against Diónia, I know how powerful the people of Diónia are. We need a dictator to eliminate the contradictions among the people, unify everyone's understanding, and devote all our efforts to this difficult war. Only then can we win the final victory!"
The selfless speech of the two military officers won the support of most of the senators present. After all, once a dictator was elected, the military officers would automatically be removed.
Just as the senators expressed their agreement one by one, Camillus also expressed his support, but he said, "I hope that I won't be one of the candidates for dictator this time, because this war with the Kingdom of Diónia will probably be a difficult and long one. I'm already old and don't have enough energy to take on this responsibility, but I'm willing to provide my advice to the new dictator and help him defeat the people of Diónia."
"Are you as old as I am? But if the people of Diónia attack the city of Rome, I will also pick up my weapon and join the battle! Don't shirk your responsibility! "Potitus pointed at him with his walking stick and reprimanded him sternly. When Potitus first served as a consul and led the army into battle, Camillus was still an ordinary officer. It was because of his heroic performance in battle that he was recognized by Potitus, and he gradually entered the center of power in Rome.
"Being a dictator at this time is not an honor, but a responsibility! A great responsibility! Because the life and death of Rome are in the hands of the dictator! " Potitus said earnestly, not only for Camillus to hear, but also for the other senators who had similar thoughts in this regard. "As a hero who has faced strong enemies many times and saved Rome, you should not shirk this responsibility, because only you can lead the people of Rome to victory this time!"
Please remember the original domain name of this book:. Mobile version:.
Comments