Chapter 775
The senators were woken up from their sleep and rushed to the Senate to hold a meeting to discuss countermeasures.
As a result, in the morning, another scout rushed back to the city of Rome and brought even worse news. "The Dionysian army has set off from the city of Ostia and is marching east along the Tiber River!"
"The Diónia army has set off from Lavinium and is rapidly advancing eastward!"
There was no doubt that the Diónia army was coming for Rome! The senators' hopes were shattered, and they all felt nervous.
"How many people are there in the Dionysian Army attacking?" The question was asked by Publius Cominelius Scipio, the father of Milusius, also known as "Scipio The Great."
Milusius was appointed by the Senate as an emissary and had already set off for Helniki to pass on the order to Camillus. The Senate appointed his father to take over his post as the commander of the city guards, not because the position was hereditary, but because Scipio The Great was a senator with outstanding military exploits. About 20 years ago, during the battle of Rome to capture Venus, he had served as the deputy commander of the cavalry to General Camillus. At this critical moment when the enemy was in front of them, they naturally needed an experienced veteran to take charge.
"Because the Diónia sent out their cavalry to patrol around the army, the scouts could not get close enough to observe. However, according to their experience, the two armies added together probably have 40,000 to 50,000 people."
This number caused many elders to suck in a breath of cold air and exclaim, "So many enemies! And there are only 3,000 soldiers in our city! Rome … Rome … "
"There are more than 3,000 soldiers in Rome. Including the citizens who mobilized last night, there are more than 10,000 people!" Ambrosius said loudly, trying to dispel the uneasiness in his colleagues' hearts.
"But they are all old people and children!"
"Shut up!" Potitus roared, "At this time, the citizens of Rome are only those who have died in battle and those who are still fighting. There is no distinction between the old and the children!"
At this point, he tore open his clothes and revealed his skinny right hand. He raised it and clenched it into a fist, saying, "I propose to recruit citizens over 65 years old and teenagers over 13 years old to participate in the defense of the city. I will be the first to sign up!"
"How can this be! A 60-year-old man can't even lift a shield … "Apuleius was about to express his objection, but Potitus glared at him. Apuleius tactfully stopped talking.
Potitus glanced at Maruginense beside him and suppressed the anger in his heart. He exhaled softly and said in a deep voice, "It is more than 100 miles from here to Fürentirum, and the road is not easy to travel on. Even if the messengers rode at full speed on horseback, it would take at least half a day to reach the Rome Barracks. If the army wants to return to Rome, it would take at least two days. You want Camillus to spend a day attacking Fürentirum? Then tell me, how many days will it take for Camillus to return with his army?!"
"Four days! It will take at least four days! " Ambustos took the opportunity to answer loudly, "Judging from the current situation, the Diónia have gone all out to attack the city of Rome. Now that you have seen the situation in the city, can Rome resist the attack of the Diónia and hold on until Camillus returns with his army?! Even if they can defend the city, how many casualties will we have to pay with the defense forces composed of the elderly and teenagers?! Milusius just left not long ago, and the messengers should be able to catch up with him. So, I propose to cancel the previous proposal to Camillus and let him lead the army back to Rome immediately! "
The Senate fell into a moment of silence. After all, the senators knew that if they let Camillus lead the army back, they would have to fight against the army of Diónia, and they would not be able to attack Helniki for a period of time. This would cause the Helnikians, who were already in a desperate situation, to revive, and the hard work that Rome had put in for more than a month would be for naught.
At this time, the old senator Lucretius stood up and said emotionally, "If the land is gone, we can always get it again. If Rome is gone, everything will be over! I don't want to see Rome being ravaged by foreigners again! "
His words brought back the painful memories of the senators. Many of them were moved and shouted, "Agree! Agree to let Camillus return immediately to defend Rome and repel the enemy! "
Amidst the shouts, Maruginense looked silently at Scipio The Great. Scipio The Great shook his head slightly at him. Although Maruginense did not agree, he did not object either. He remained silent.
At this time, Apuleius stood up and said, "Ambrosius, didn't you go to inform our allies to send reinforcements last night? Why didn't I see any movement? "
"I sent messengers to Gabi, Tustron, Rabicum, Pendum … Their replies were, 'Their young citizens have responded to the call of Rome a month ago and followed Camillus to Helniki. Now there are no more reinforcements to send.'"
"So … Prenister, Bonet, Tibur … Have you asked them all?" Apuleius asked again.
Ambrosius was a little angry. As a respected senator, he felt humiliated when he was questioned in such a tone. He immediately said angrily, "Unless you are not from Rome, you should know how far these cities are from Rome. By the time our messengers get there, it will be late at night. No city's Senate will deal with political affairs at that time, even if we are from Rome. We will be laughed at!"
Apuleius smiled awkwardly and muttered, "Look, this is all Camillus's fault …" He did not dare to ask any more questions.
"Before the Dionians arrive, shouldn't we inform the people in the villages outside the city to evacuate to the city? That way, not only can we ensure their safety, but we can also strengthen our defenses," Abinius suggested.
At this time, Maruginense said, "You'd better not do that! All the young and middle-aged citizens of Rome have either gone to Helniki or to Antium, Villette, and Saturnicum in the west. The people left in the villages outside the city are either old people, women, children, or some slaves. Not only will they not help defend the city, but they will also add to the chaos … and … and … "
Scipio The Great hurriedly said, "There are many people outside the city. Once they get the news, they will panic and rush into the city. I'm afraid it will take two or three hours for them to enter the city. Instead, the city gate will remain open. You must know that the Dionysian Army is now marching at full speed. It is very likely that they will arrive here in two hours. By that time, it will be a disaster for both the city of Rome and the people gathered at the city gate! I suggest that we immediately send out the cavalry and inform the people in the villages outside the city to evacuate to Gabi City or Prenister with food. When Camillus returns with his army, they will return with him. "
Potitus looked at Maruginense and did not object. It was rare for him to reach an agreement with him.
Not only him, but most of the senators also expressed their agreement. Although they all lived in the city, they owned a lot of land outside the city. Therefore, they also had their own houses and even villas. Of course, they also had their own families and clansmen living there. Letting them evacuate from Rome was also a safe way to reduce the risk and protect their families. The senators had a tacit understanding with each other.
"While informing Camillus to lead the army back to Rome, we also have to send messengers to inform Paulus, Mejus, Pantius, and the others. Let them regroup as soon as possible and lead the soldiers back to Rome! In addition, Tustelon, Tibor, Prenister, and the other Latin Allies should also send messengers to ask for reinforcements. Even if only a few soldiers come, it will still be a help in defending our city of Rome. "When Scipio The Great said this, his eyes were on Ambustus.
This time, Ambustus did not object.
"Don't forget our colonial city, Venus, and the Etrurian Alliance on the north bank of the Tiber River. We should also ask for help from them immediately! Although they have also sent reinforcements to participate in the war against the Hernici, compared to the Latin Alliance, they should still have the strength to send more reinforcements, "Potitus reminded loudly.
"Dear Potitus, your reminder is right!" Scipio The Great's tactful response was much more tactful than Apuleius's. "But in this way, we must preserve the bridge over the Tiber River and send a large number of soldiers to guard it."
"Could it be that my family could guard the bridge with a few hundred people back then, but now we have tens of thousands of soldiers, but we dare not defend it and can only destroy it?!" Ambustus noticed Scipio The Great's intention and immediately asked loudly.
A hundred years ago, the entire Febius clan was mobilized to guard the bridge of Rome and resist the attack of Venus. In the end, they were almost wiped out. This became an unforgettable painful memory for the Febius clan, but it also became the capital for them to boast to the people of Rome. As the current patriarch of the Febius clan, how could Ambustus allow the bridge to be destroyed so easily?
"Of course we have to guard the bridge! But the two wooden bridges on Tiberina Island must be destroyed, and the people on the island must retreat to the city of Rome! " Maruginense saw that Scipio The Great was a little hesitant. In order not to cause a rift between the Cornelius clan and the Febius clan because of this, he immediately expressed his opinion. He felt that with the current strength of the city of Rome, defending one bridge was still bearable, but defending two bridges would require a lot of troops.
Ambustus agreed with this.
After that, the discussion was much smoother. The Senate quickly reached some resolutions and quickly took action. They began to mobilize the people of the city, encouraging them to resist the attack of the Diónia and hold on until the return of Camillus' army to prevent the city of Rome from being looted again.
Note: The Febius clan, also known as "Fabian", came from this clan. In the war between Hannibal and Rome, the Fabian Consul who used delaying tactics to save Rome came from this clan.
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