Chapter 771
During this short break, Potitus also called for his trusted slave, "Go to the house and bring me some food." Apex X23US! "He said loudly as he continued to use his walking stick to support himself.
"My dear master, what do you want for dinner?" The clever slave immediately asked loudly.
"What an idiot. Have you forgotten my favorite food? Do I have to tell you again!" Potitus complained discontentedly. The slave nodded and bowed as he moved closer.
"I don't want bread. My teeth are not good. I can't bite. Bring me a big bowl of hot oatmeal, and …" Potitus' voice became softer and softer as he spoke. He seemed to be tired.
The slave could only move closer and closer. Then he heard his master whisper, "Immediately send someone to inform Camillus overnight about the Dionysian Army's invasion of Latin!"
Watching the slave leave the hall, Potitus was in a trance. Even if there is only a small possibility, I can't let Rome be harmed. I'll have to trouble you, Camillus! But as long as I'm here, no one will dare to accuse you in the Senate!
Potitus glanced around the hall and found that no one seemed to have noticed his little movements. So, he leaned back on the ivory chair and closed his eyes to rest.
At this time, the senators were discussing: Carthage had already started a war with Diónia, and there were reports from Sicily. Why didn't the Diónia focus on fighting Carthage? Why did they dare to send an army to Rome?!
"Is it because Carthage has been defeated by Diónia, so Diónia can free up their hands and send an army to attack us?"
"That's just a small defeat. Carthage is a powerful country in the western Mediterranean. How can they decide the outcome of the war with Diónia in such a short time? I think it must be because the war has just begun. Carthage didn't use his full strength, so Diónia can deal with it easily. That's why they dare to send an army to attack us. "
"We should send an envoy to inform Carthage to increase their attack on Diónia and fulfill their obligations as an ally!"
"Easy for you to say. But how?! The coast of Latin is now completely controlled by the Dionysian fleet. "
"There are many ways, as long as you are willing to use your brain, Abinius. Although the Dionic fleet has blockaded the coast of Latin, they have not blockaded the coast of Etruria. There are many of our affiliated city-states in the south of Etruria. Messengers can board their ships and travel north along the coast to the coast of Iberia. That is the sphere of influence of the famous Carthaginian royal family, the Magonid family. Their patriarch has just been appointed as the commander of the Carthaginian army and is responsible for the battle against Dionia … "
"That's a good idea! As long as Carthage knows that Diónia has sent an army to Rome, they will definitely increase their attack on Sicily. Diónia will have to deal with the war in the south and the north, and it will be difficult for them to continue. They will definitely retreat from Latin to avoid being defeated by Carthage. "
"We can't rely too much on Carthage. In fact, with the 100,000 citizen soldiers and allied troops we have now, as well as the capable Camillus leading the army, we can definitely defeat the Dionysian Army! … "
"Scipio The Great is right! We are fighting on our own land. There is no need to be afraid of Diónia. We should take this opportunity to defeat them and establish the prestige of Rome. Then we can completely control Latin! … "
Amidst the heated debate, the senators finally passed the proposal of sending messengers north to Etruria to board a ship and ask for help from Carthage. At the same time, they also had the idea of waiting for Camillus to return and find an opportunity to fight the Dionysian Army.
In the evening, there was finally news that the army of 25000 soldiers led by Paulus, Mejus, and Pantius was defeated by the Dionysian Army, which had almost the same number of soldiers.
This terrible news caused the entire Senate to fall into a long silence.
After a long time, some senators began to cry out guiltily, "The Dionysian Army is so strong, we should immediately let Camillus lead the army back to defend Rome!"
There were even a few who suggested that they should simply negotiate peace with Diónia and return the occupied Wolsey territory …
This, of course, was strongly criticized by most of the senators. Apuleius and Maruginense, who supported him, tried their best to comfort the panicking senators. Their biggest reliance was that there was no news from Ostia, which meant that it had not fallen into the hands of Diónia yet …
Potitus looked coldly at the scene of endless debate in the hall. He did not say a word, but in his heart, he was grateful for the decision he had made before …
… …
That night, not only was the Senate brightly lit, but the square of Rome was also bustling with noise.
After receiving the urgent notice from the patrol of Rome, countless people came out of their houses and gathered in the square.
These people were mainly divided into two groups: teenagers between the ages of 15 and 17, and the elderly over 50. In addition to the 3,000 young and middle-aged citizen soldiers stationed in Rome, other citizens of Rome who were suitable for military service had followed Camillus to fight in Helniki. In addition, a small number of women wandered around the square, asking the Rome soldiers who were maintaining order about the "Diónia attack".
Compared to the women who were panicking, most of the elderly people gathered in the square were calm. They had experienced many wars in their lives and were already used to it. The teenagers, on the other hand, were very excited. They had long been eager to grow up and serve in the military, like their fathers and brothers, fighting on the battlefield and winning glory for themselves. Therefore, although there were many people in the square, it was orderly and not chaotic.
People came to the recruitment officer in turn and reported their name, clan, Tribe, and previous military resumes. Then, the recruitment officer would assign the applicants to a certain squadron and give them a certain military position. In addition, most of the veterans had their own armor and weapons, while only a small number of the teenagers had them, so they needed to be equipped.
Ambrosius stood on the platform of the square and looked at the dense crowd below. He felt a little relieved, and his original worries were mostly gone.
"Father!" A clear voice rang in his ear. He turned his head and a kind smile appeared on his face. "Cornia, why are you here?"
Ambrosius's youngest daughter said with a worried face, "Stolo heard the news from the patrol and wants to know if Rome is really in danger."
"Don't worry, this is just a precaution. Let Stolo rest at home," Ambrosius waved his hand and said with a relaxed expression.
After sending his little daughter away, the people in the square gradually dispersed. Ambustus's expression became more and more solemn. He could not help but ask the patrol captain, Cassius, "Have the people in the Aventine area been informed?"
"I can swear to Jupiter that I really sent a patrol team to the streets of the Aventine area to inform them!" Cassius anxiously defended himself.
"Then why haven't they come yet?!" Ambrosius was a little anxious. In his opinion, compared to these old people and children, the civilians and freedmen of Aventine should be the main force to defend Rome.
Cassius smiled bitterly. "Sir, it's not like you don't know that the people there are either the ones who have been fighting against us nobles and the Senate, or the refugees who have only joined Rome in recent years. They are not loyal enough to Rome."
"Don't talk about this." Ambrosius interrupted him and reminded him softly, "Now that the enemy is in front of us, all the people of Rome should unite …"
Ambrosius suddenly stopped talking because of the noise of people in the distance. He finally smiled. "Look, they're here!"
… …
Why did no news from Ostia return to Rome that night? This was because the Devers had tightly blocked the land and sea routes of Ostia. After the city was breached, not a single person or ship escaped from Ostia. During the siege, he ordered Midolades to send all the fast three-decker warships to block the coastal waters of Ostia, not allowing any ships to approach. At the same time, he also sent out the mountain scouts to block the surrounding areas of Ostia, so that the spies of Rome and the Latin Alliance could not understand the situation in Ostia. It was not until the evening that he asked Izam to withdraw the scouts. Even if the spies of Rome found something strange, it was already the next day when they rushed back to Rome.
When Amyntas' messenger arrived at Ostia, Daves was accompanied by Midolades to the port.
"Your Majesty, in fact, you don't have to go to the port at all. We have made many declarations to the port's laborers, and most of them have expressed their willingness to help us …" Midolades persuaded the Devers as they walked.
"Midolades, I believe in your ability." The Devers said seriously, "But you have to know that this is the first time we, Diónia, have occupied the territory of the Latin people. They are unfamiliar with us, and they are more afraid of our strength. If I, the king, personally come forward, I can make them believe in our promises, and they can provide us with more help. And with them as examples, it will be much easier for us to manage when we occupy other Latin towns."
Midolades nodded, knowing that the Devers had made up his mind, so he did not dare to persuade him again.
Of course, the Devers did not expect a admiral to understand his approach from the perspective of the overall situation. After all, he was planning a big game of chess. So he changed the topic and asked, "Where do these laborers and sailors come from?"
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