ancient greece mediterranean ruler

Chapter 394 The first battle between Dionia and Samonai ([-])

Puamote, who was checking the enemy's situation in the city, was extremely anxious, but he did not dare to send troops out of the city to block the attack, because the city of Potentia had been surrounded, and the strength of the Samnites far exceeded the intelligence he had received in advance.

Some tribes in the southern part of the Potentia territory thought that the Samnites were far away from them, so they were careless and did not evacuate in time. As a result, they were either wiped out or captured by the Samnites flooding in like a tide, or they went further south in panic. Retreat in the territory of Grumentum.

The panic brought about by these fleeing Potentia tribes naturally spread to the tribes in the north of the Grumentum territory. Just when they began to noisily evacuate to the south, they had already received news from the scouts. Alexis felt that the situation was urgent and decided that he could no longer wait for the Senate's order and immediately led more than 8000 soldiers who had all returned to the military camp to march north.

In the legion reform in recent years, Davos not only equipped each legion with reconnaissance centurions, but also considered that: fighting in Italy, in the high mountains, the light infantry has sore arms after completing long-range strikes, and it also needs to assist the heavy infantry in attacking The enemy's flanking pursuit in a roundabout way consumes no less physical energy than heavy infantry, but the combat efficiency is reduced.Therefore, after discussions with the generals, he added a light armored brigade to each legion. They wore leather helmets, cowhide breastplates, triangular leather shields, leather greaves, and leather sandals. Their combat weapons were 1.2 meters long. A double-edged thick iron sword is specially selected for young and middle-aged citizens and reserve citizens who are good at running and mountain climbing to be selected into the brigade to assist the main force of heavy infantry in combat.

At the same time, Davers also reformed the original light infantry brigade.Since Dionia's excellent slingers mainly come from Rhode Island (the other Balearic Islands, which are rich in slingers, are under the control of the Carthaginians), the scarcity of soldiers makes it difficult for the legions established later to recruit To the slingers, so in addition to the first and second legions and the slingers, the light infantry brigades of other legions are half archers and half javelin soldiers.In addition, the number of excellent Thracian light shield soldiers can no longer meet the speed of the expansion of the Dionian Legion. Therefore, starting from the Fourth Legion, there is no light shield soldier in the light infantry brigade. Its functions are mainly composed of javelins. Soldiers and light armored soldiers undertake, so that the formation of the legion is more simplified and more unified.

Coupled with other auxiliary institutions such as engineering battalions, equipment battalions, cavalry squads, and medical battalions in the legion, the current number of Dionian legions is close to 8700, which can be said to be a huge legion with complete functions.

While Alexis was heading north, he also sent people to inform Bagule to prepare the defense for the northern territory of Grumentum.

The Lucania region is mainly mountainous, and Potentia is the highest altitude area in this region, with an average altitude of more than 500 meters.Fortunately, most of the soldiers in the Third Army are Lucanians. They have lived here since childhood and have already adapted to the environment here.

The third army trudged in three columns through the lowlands and valleys between mountains, like a long dragon winding between the mountains and ridges, stretching for five or six miles from the beginning to the end of the line...

At this moment, on a hill, Gairni, the son of Velani, the leader of Shirpini, was paying close attention to what was going on down the mountain.

"Chief, look!" the soldier next to him suddenly shouted.

"Idiot, keep your voice down!" Gairni kicked him and cursed: "Don't scare the enemy away!"

I saw a little golden light shining in the distance on the mountain road hidden by trees.After a while, this golden light turned into a big flag held high. On the top of the flag, the brass statue of Hades holding a double-pronged fork was extremely dazzling under the sunlight. The flag bearer was a tall military uniform Man, he is also wearing a complete animal fur, so he looks extra burly (actually the fur of a large hound, hound means loyalty and bravery, Hades’ loyal dog is the three-headed dog Cerpalus, besides wearing Firth's modern thinking does not allow his men to hunt animals for decoration).

"Hmph, it looks good." A Samoni warrior muttered in a low voice, pretending to be disdainful: "I just don't know if I can fight."

Gairni did not speak. He focused on the Dionian army that was slowly approaching him. He knew very well: This time, the reason why his father contacted the two major tribes of Pentney and Kautini to attack together Potentia, not only because of the strong funding and instigation of Syracuse, but also because of the oppression of this suddenly powerful neighbor in the south.

At this moment, he had to open his eyes wide and take a good look at what kind of strange and powerful enemy he was about to face?

Immediately behind the standard bearer was the flag bearer. The tall black flag held high was embroidered with the golden letters of "The Third Dionysian Legion" and fluttered in the wind in mid-air.Originally it was a red flag, which was because Davos was influenced by Rome in his previous life, but when he became more and more integrated into this era and Hades's faith had penetrated into the hearts of the people of Dionia, considering that Hades He is the Lord of Darkness and advocates black, so he changed the color of the military flag.

Behind the flag-bearer of the legion, followed closely by the flag-bearer of the first brigade, holding aloft a statue of the God of Death that was one size smaller than the statue of Pluto.Then there are the drum and buglers of the Legion...

Garni rubbed his slightly tired eyes: Dionia's army looks majestic, but there are too many fancy things.

He cursed in his heart, and the Dionian legionnaires who appeared next made his eyes wide open: the black bronze helmet was not like the Corinthian helmet worn by the Greek soldiers he saw in Campania. The head, with only two eye holes, resembles an inverted bowl, with the entire face exposed, and cheek guards blocking the sides of the face. Its style is very similar to the helmet of a Samnite warrior, except that there is no decoration on the crown. Feathers or colorful ponytails.Black linen breastplate, black greaves, holding a spear in his right hand, and a shield in his left hand...

This shield... Garni suddenly discovered that the shield held by the Dionian soldiers was very similar to the shield of their Samnite soldiers. It was half a person tall and rectangular, with a convex center and concave sides. The face is curved.The only difference is that the shields of the Dionian soldiers are painted black instead of red...

Isn't Dionia a Greek city-state?Why did they not use the traditional round copper shields and Corinthian helmets of the Greeks, but they were so similar to us Samonites? !
The surprised Gairni certainly didn't know that in the past few years, Davos, the governor of Dionia, had finally completed the update of the legion's weapons and equipment, abandoning the bulky Collins helmet and buckler and replacing it with a new helmet and long arc. It is a shaped shield, and of course such a large shield cannot be clad with copper. It is just wood and covered with a layer of cowhide, which reduces the mutual weight of the soldiers by at least ten kilograms, enhances their mobility, and also brings some New tactical changes.

Except for the occasional person wearing a helmet with red, white, purple and other colored crowns, who should be the team officers and generals, the others in the Dionysian army are almost all in black, making the entire team look like they came from hell. The big black snake that came out was filled with the aura of death and coldness.

Garni took two breaths unconsciously, put on the helmet with a row of colorful ponytails on the top, pulled down the cheek protectors, and ordered in a low voice: "Inform Abrini on the opposite mountain to be ready. , when the enemy’s front troops pass by, we will launch an attack and show these pretentious enemies a powerful show.”

"Yes, leader!" The rider waved a red battle flag with a wolf's head on the top of the mountain. The Dionian soldiers below the mountain could not see it, and the Samnite on the opposite mountain top also waved the military flag in response.

The Samnite warriors held their breath, holding javelins and stones, lying on the mountain ridge and waiting for the Dionians to pass under the mountain.

But at this moment, the Dionians stopped advancing, and a general on horseback rushed to the team and seemed to be saying something to the soldiers.

After a while, the team started to move forward again, but after taking a few steps, it stopped again. The general said something to the soldiers again.

Three times in a row, stop and go.The Dionysian was almost walking into the ambush circle, but just dilly-dallying in this short distance wasted too much time.

Garni felt that his patience was about to be exhausted. He rubbed his numb body with his hands and secretly cursed the Dionians for their slow movements.

At this moment, there was a sudden commotion on the top of the mountain.

"The enemy is coming! The enemy is coming!..." the soldiers shouted loudly.

"What's going on?!" Gairni didn't care about the ambush at this moment and asked around hurriedly.

"Leader, the Dionians... The Dionians are coming from the back mountain and want to surround us!" The guard who ran to check the situation hurriedly reported.

In fact, he didn't need to say anything more. Gairni had already overlooked the dark shadows flashing on the mountainside behind him and between the trees.

be cheated!The cunning Dionians had long known that we were ambushing here and deliberately attracted my attention in front, but they wanted to surround us and annihilate us!Such a thought flashed through Garni's mind, but he did not panic and immediately ordered: "Blow the horn! Since the Dionians dare to go up the mountain, let them taste the power of our Samnites!"

The low and long sound of the horn reached the bottom of the mountain, and Alexis, the commander of the Third Legion who was riding at the front of the team, immediately looked up.

"It seems that the Samnites have discovered our outflanking troops." Lizaro, the captain of the first battalion, said in relatively fluent Greek. Since the humiliation at the Isthmian Games, he came back and spent a lot of time practicing his Greek. There has been a significant improvement.

"Krigolu, are you sure there are only 1000 Samoni people on the mountains on both sides?" The adjutant of the legion once again confirmed to the reconnaissance captain Krigolu beside him.

　Thanks for the reward for listening to the chilling autumn sounds and taking the trouble to come up with a name!Your support is my biggest motivation for writing! !

　　
　
(End of this chapter)