Chapter 817
Devers stroked his chin and thought for a moment before saying, "Keep a secret watch on them. Don't alarm them. Report to me immediately if anything happens."
"Yes!"
"Amyrius, the intelligence you gathered during this period of time has helped the army achieve successive victories. After this war is over, the kingdom will reward you and your subordinates!" Devers praised him without holding back.
"Thank you, Your Majesty!" Amyrius had a look of excitement as his eyes narrowed into slits.
Devers looked at him and said with a smile, "You must be hungry after a busy day. I'm about to have dinner, so join me."
"Ah!? This … This! Yes! Yes! … "Amyrius was so excited that he began to speak incoherently.
… …
At this moment, in the temporary camp of the Roman army outside Prinister City, Rome's dictator, Camillus, was discussing the subsequent battle plan with his generals.
"Lord Dictator, you want us to attack Ostia instead of Rome!?" Minusius looked at Camillus in astonishment.
Apart from Titus, who was in thought, the other generals were equally astonished.
Camillus saw this and said in a deep voice, "To be precise, we should be assuming the stance of attacking Rome, but we will first send our army to occupy Ostia!"
Without waiting for the generals to ask, he continued explaining, "We all know that it's very difficult to attack a city. Previously, our 70,000 men besieged Fürentirum, which was made up of defeated soldiers and had less than 10,000 soldiers. Yet, it took us more than ten days, and we suffered quite a number of casualties. "And Rome has at least 50,000 soldiers of the Dionysian Army. We all know that their combat strength is very strong, and Rome's walls are so tall and thick. If we were to attack Rome with just an army that outnumbers them, it would probably be … very difficult to recapture Rome! — "
"Lord Camillus!" Minusius interrupted him loudly and called him by his name. "As the dictator of Rome, you have the only power that can save Rome. The citizens are all waiting for you to take back our homeland. You have not even fought with the enemy, and you are already afraid. Are you still the hero who saved Rome? Where did your courage go?! Are you still fit to be the commander of this army?! Perhaps it was because of his deep love that Minu could not control his temper, and his face was filled with anger.
"Minucius, how can you speak to the dictator in such a tone!" As a relative of the same clan, Aulus immediately criticized the young man.
Camillus was not angry. Instead, he patiently explained, "It is precisely because the army we command is the last hope to save Rome that we need to be more cautious. Otherwise, once we fail, it will be more difficult to recapture Rome —"
"If the Diónia can … capture Rome in one day, why can't we?!" Minusius said angrily.
Lucius finally could not help but refute, "When the Diónia attacked Rome, most of the people they faced were the elderly and young, as well as the freedmen and slaves. If we attack the city, we will be facing the well-trained Dionysian Army! Moreover, according to the reports of the defeated soldiers, the Diónia have made many powerful siege weapons, including many ballistae. Our most powerful siege weapon, the ballistae, was given to us by Carthage! "
Minusius was stunned, and immediately retorted, "Didn't the defeated soldiers say that there are two gaps in the southern wall? Moreover, our citizens are still defending Capitoline Hill. As long as we attack the city with all our might, they can attack the Diónia inside the city, and then work together to take back Rome! "
"Young man, the siege war is not as simple as you think. Why don't you sit down and listen to the dictator?!" Titus advised with a serious expression. Although he was a relatively young senator, he had a high reputation in the army. He was one of the main generals who attacked the southern part of Etruria and played an important role in several key victories.
Camillus did not mind. He looked at Minusius with a slightly worried expression, then looked at the generals, and said seriously, "According to the previous intelligence, this Diónia army is led by their king, the Devers, who is known by the Greeks as the 'Invincible General'. They have just occupied Rome, and their morale is high. Since they are good at attacking cities, I am afraid that their ability to defend cities is not weak either. Perhaps they are waiting for us to attack the city to dampen the morale of our soldiers, so we must be careful! However, this Dionysian Army that has occupied Rome still has its weakness, and its weakness is in Ostia! "
Camillus said loudly, pointing at the small port city on the map, "The reason the king of Diónia dares to attack Rome alone is because he has the advantage of the water. Diónia's warships can transport soldiers and supplies to Rome through the Tiber River at any time. They are not afraid of being surrounded by us, but if we occupy Ostia —"
"Even if we occupy Ostia, the Tiber River is too wide, and the Diónia's fleet is too strong. It is impossible for us to seal off the entire river!" Minusius retorted.
"Of course we can! If cargo ships want to go upstream to Rome through the Tiber River, they can only rely on trackers unless there is a strong east wind. If we occupy Ostia, we will be able to cut off the trackers. If our ally, Caeslera, also takes action on the north bank of the Tiber River, we can basically cut off Diónia's support to Rome, and the Diónia's army in Rome will be surrounded! "Titus clearly understood why Camillus wanted to occupy Ostia.
Minusius had already agreed with Camillus's suggestion, but he was still trying to find a loophole in the plan, "But … since Ostia is so important, I am afraid that the city will strengthen its defenses, and the Dionysian Army in Rome will also send reinforcements …"
Titus smiled, "Ostia is a small city, and its walls are no more than three meters tall. No matter how much the Diónia fortify its defenses, it is impossible to make it as tall as the walls of Rome in such a short period of time. Attacking it is much easier than attacking Rome. If the Diónia send reinforcements, we can weaken their forces in Rome."
Titus's explanation not only dispelled Minusius's anger, but also dispelled some of the doubts of the other generals.
Camillus gave Titus a look of approval, then said, "In order to prevent the Diónia in Rome from discovering our true intentions in the shortest time possible, it is best to recapture Ostia as quickly as possible with the least casualties. That is why I have come up with this plan …"
Camillus looked around at the crowd, making sure that they were all listening attentively. He then said, "When our army arrives outside Rome tomorrow, we will start to build camps, block the enemy's exit, and occupy the river port outside Rome. Titus, you will lead the 25000 soldiers of the Colony City and the citizens of the Diónia Alliance to the west quietly and quickly attack Ostia!"
"Yes, Sir Dictator!" Titus knew why Camillus emphasized that he should lead the army of the Colony City and the Alliance. If it was the army of Rome, they would be eager to retake their homeland, so they might resist the order. Even if they obeyed, their morale would not be high.
The other generals also understood this. Licinius said with some worry, "Sir Dictator, the Diónia may notice the obvious difference in our numbers and take precautions early."
"The Diónia are blocked in the city, so they won't be able to see clearly. We can disguise the citizens here and place them at the back of the army to confuse them …" Camillus said unhurriedly.
"I think this plan can be carried out." Titus immediately expressed his agreement.
"I agree too!" The other generals expressed their opinions one after another.
"What if the Diónia discover something wrong and come out of the city to fight us?" The quick-witted Milusius noticed a loophole and reminded them.
"That is exactly what we hope for! Even if the 40,000 Rome soldiers are outnumbered, their belief in retaking their homeland will make up for the difference. Moreover, we still have troops guarding the Capitoline Mountain. The troops led by Titus will also return in time. The Diónia will definitely be defeated, and we can easily retake the city of Rome! "Licinius said confidently.
Minusius finally had nothing to say.
At this time, Camillus looked at him and said, "When we march to Rome tomorrow, we will also send messengers to cross the Tiber River and contact the Colony City and the Etruscan Alliance on the north bank. Let them cooperate with us. I will leave this task to you, Minusius."
"Me?!" Minusius was a little surprised. After he contradicted Camillus several times, Camillus still gave him such an important task.
"You are the best candidate!" Camillus said sincerely. He did not resent Milusius for scolding him. "I believe you can urge them to send their troops and control the north bank of the Tiber River!"
"I will definitely complete the task!" Minusius answered with excitement and determination. After all, as a young citizen who had only served in the military for a few years, it was impossible for him to lead an army of thousands of soldiers in the upcoming battle. However, he wanted to make a greater contribution to saving Rome, and this task was the most suitable for him.
"Since everyone has agreed to this plan, then next …" Camillus began to make more detailed arrangements for tomorrow's operation.
… …
The next morning, the Devers received news from the scouts: Camillus' army was marching towards the city of Rome.
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