ancient greece mediterranean ruler

Chapter 451 Siege of Crotone ([-])

"Ah... I'm sorry!" Although Azuna was apologizing, the joy on her face still couldn't stop overflowing.

Kristoya, who was lying on the bedside, looked at her and couldn't help but be infected by her, showing a smile: "I heard your laughter from far away, tell me, what's the good thing?"

"Madam, Mrs. Agnes...oh no, two princesses! Congratulations to you, the Senate has just announced that Lord Davos will be the king of Dionia!" Azuna said the joy in her heart in one breath. come out.

Kristoya's pretty face was also filled with joy, completely covering up her weakness after giving birth.At this moment, she suddenly remembered: After making love once, Davos once said with great enthusiasm, "Little Cyrus is nothing special. I will make you a princess in the near future!" '...Davos, he really did it!
Agnes was not as excited as Christoya and Azuna. After all, Magna Graecia had been away from the royal government for hundreds of years, so she didn't feel much about it. She was just happy for her husband.

"My two princesses, how about we hold a banquet to celebrate this good news when Cynthia and Adoris come back from school?!" Azuna suggested, but Kristoya only thought for a moment before shaking her head. Said: "Now the people of the Alliance are worried about the war and their loved ones. If we hold a banquet to celebrate at this time, it will be offensive and will damage Davos's reputation!"

"The princess is right," Azuna said quickly.

"Don't say the word 'princess' anymore. Things haven't been completely decided yet. Let's not be too complacent!" Christoya reminded her again.

"Yeah, I think the previous title is better, it makes people feel more friendly." Agnes interjected: "Why don't we worship the gods at home tonight, thank them for their blessings to us, and hope that they can May Davos come back safe and sound!"

"Sister's proposal is great! We should offer sacrifices to Hades and thank him for protecting our husbands! At the same time -" Christoya looked at Agnes with a smile: "We should also pay tribute to Hades. La Sacrifice, thank her for blessing me to give birth to a healthy Eunice smoothly, and hope she can bless you to give birth to your child smoothly too!"

"Yes!" Agnes stroked her slightly protruding belly and smiled like a mother.

"Wow! Wow! Wow!..." At this time, Eunice woke up in the cradle.

"Oh, my little princess!" Azuna hurriedly came over, opened the diaper and took a look: "She pooped, and there was quite a lot!" As she said that, she changed the diaper very skillfully...

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In the early morning, the people in Crotone were awakened by the continuous sound of bugles outside the city.

"What happened?"

"I'm afraid the Syracuseans are going to attack the city!"

……

The crowd looked anxiously at the city head full of soldiers in the distance.

Suddenly, a black spot passed over the city wall.

"Get out of here!" the people reminded each other, looked at the direction in which the stone projectiles were coming, and ran away.They are already familiar with this terrible weapon of Syracuse, which has not stopped attacking Crotone in the past few days.

But today's situation was obviously different from the previous two days. Stone bullets flew over the city one after another and hit the blocks in the city close to the city wall. Soon, houses were broken and rubble was everywhere.People supported their injured relatives and fled in all directions...

The stone bombs bombarded the city wall again and again, causing the stone skin to fall down one by one...

Lysias, who was watching all this from the top of the city, began to feel anxious: "Why didn't Dionia's ballista team fight back and allowed the enemy to fire stone bullets so unscrupulously?"

"Lord Lysias, the Dionians have no choice." Askamas, who has communicated with the crossbow team many times, explained: "The tower on our city wall is too narrow to fit a crossbow. For artillery, they can only place the ballista under the city. But the city wall is too high, so the ballista has to raise its elevation, which will shorten the range..."

"That means they can't attack the enemy's ballistae!" Lysias understood.

"Yes. So the Dionians suggested not to expose that we have ballistas first, and then give them a heavy blow when the enemy is confident about attacking." Although Astamas had not had a good impression of Dionia before, but In the face of a formidable enemy, he also knew the importance of unity, so he said frankly: "I think this method is feasible."

Lysias thought for a while and reluctantly approved the suggestion of the Dionysian Ballistae Team: "But what should we do now? The number of ballistae used by the enemy today is obviously more than the previous two days. I am afraid that the city wall will be blown down. !”

"Don't worry, this won't happen for the time being." Askamas comforted him and said, "We can only wait for the enemy to attack and then beat them hard! I believe the Syracuseans will take action soon!"

Askamas was talking, but his eyes were fixed on the wide earthen fortress built by the Syracuse people in recent days, which was dozens of meters in front of the city and was higher than the city wall. He thought that compared with Ballista, this is what really threatens the defense of the city.Yesterday he had sent soldiers to venture out of the city in an attempt to destroy it, but they were routed by the Syracuseans who were prepared.He also thought about digging a tunnel to get through, but the city was surrounded by a moat. When the tunnel was dug below the moat, water seeped out, scaring the soldiers to retreat quickly, otherwise they would probably drown in the tunnel.Finally, it was the Dionians who told him, 'There is a way to destroy that earthen fortress. ’ That made him temporarily relieved.

Askamas knew: Even though there is no one on the fortress now, when the siege begins, it will be filled with Syracuse archers, shooting arrows at the soldiers on the top of the city...

"I'm going to see the people of Trina, and I'll leave this place to you!" Lysias said solemnly. The continuous roar made him feel highly nervous, as if the city wall would collapse at any time, so he wanted to hurry up leave here.

It just so happened that Sipulos led the soldiers of Trina to defend the northern city today. As the chief general of Crotone, it was of course necessary to go and express condolences.At the same time, there are thousands of Xiliting soldiers who are defending Nancheng. They are also a force that can be relied on.Because Syracuse massacred the city of Xiliting, the relatives and friends of these soldiers were either killed or sold as slaves and taken to foreign lands. The anger of the Xiliting soldiers must be calmed with the blood of Syracuse people. They are the most I hope the Syracuseans will come to attack.

Just as Lysias was about to leave, an urgent message came from the guards: countless Syracuse warships appeared outside the port and were preparing to break into the bay.

Crotone is somewhat similar to Tarentum. Their port and the city itself are integrated into one, but the port is built in a bay. Because the bay is large, it is impossible for the Crotones to blockade it, so when the enemy When the fleet breaks in, it is possible to land on the side and rear of Crotone (that is, the southeast of the city). Although there is a city wall there, while defending the city wall, we must also be alert to the enemy rushing into the port and landing on the dock. , which requires higher command and judgment of the general, especially when Crotone does not have many troops.

"We need an experienced general to command the few soldiers in the port area to prevent the enemy from sneaking into our rear!" Askamas said solemnly.

Lysias understood what he meant and said without hesitation: "I will send Milon."

Myron, the former chief general of Crotone, was expelled by the citizens of Crotone after leading his army to a defeat in Dionia. He had no choice but to run to the Peloponnese Peninsula not far from Crotone. , living in seclusion in Corien, a small seaside town in Ellis.

It was not until the Syracusan army invaded Magna Graecia that Crotone decided to recall its previously exiled people so that they could work together to fight the Syracusans.As soon as Myron received the news, he immediately returned to Crotone, but by then the Crotone army had already set off for Silitium, so he remained in the city as a private citizen until today.

After listening to Lysias' words, Askamas showed a smile, but the smile quickly disappeared because the enemy began to attack...

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A few hundred meters away, the huge, loose, seemingly endless battle formation of the Syracuseans was slowly approaching the city wall.At the forefront were some strange-looking engineering equipment pushed by the people of Syracuse, such as battering rams. There were also many wooden wheels that were like battering rams and had roofs, built-in personnel, and five or six meters in length. car……

What worried Ascamas the most were the three huge, movable wooden towers that were taller than the city walls.Although this was the first time Ascamas saw it in a war, one word immediately flashed in his mind - siege tower. He had heard before that the Syracuseans used siege towers to capture Sicily. Many of the cities in Carthage were visited in real form this time, but they were so frightening to him.

When the soldiers saw the huge engineering tower slowly approaching them, they were also shocked and at a loss.

"Cheer up!" Askamas shouted loudly, continuing to encourage the soldiers and himself: "Even though that thing is so big, it can't cross the moat!"

Yes, with the moat, the monster can't get through!The soldiers relaxed temporarily, and then they saw the enemy's siege column stop advancing. Thousands of naked men walked out of it, carrying bags on their backs, staggering towards the city wall, and behind them were heavily armed men. The Syracuse light infantry pushed the arrow-blocking cart and followed closely...

Are they the slaves of Syracuse, ready to fill in our moat? !Kolbus and the companions around him all held the same idea and tightened their grip on the javelins and bows.

Askamas felt a little uneasy in his heart.

(End of this chapter)