Rome must fall.

Chapter 38 Roman Veterans
  The victory banquet was successfully held at dusk. The setback of the rebel army was also beneficial at this time. Less than 2000 soldiers were able to gather in a camp next to the farm. Dozens of people sat around a fire. There was a roasted sheep on the shelf (after the Roman army defeated the rebels and invaded the camp, they captured all the cattle and sheep grazing by the baggage team. They were originally used as food reserves. Unexpectedly, the rebels' magic soldiers descended from the sky that night and allowed these cattle and sheep to return to the camp. Returning to the baggage team), each person held a small jar of wine mixed with water, baked bread and hot chicken soup under his body...

Everyone drank wine and ate meat, lamented the embarrassment of yesterday's escape, and boasted of the bravery during the night's raid. Some people sang excitedly, and some even danced around the fire. There was laughter and excitement everywhere. Hustle.

Spartacus, Cross and other leaders were walking around the camp, frequently drinking and sharing joy with the soldiers. There were always cheers wherever they passed. Last night's battle made the soldiers even more fond of these leaders. They all hope to win more victories under their leadership.

Maximus and the baggage team were originally invited, but Maximus refused on the grounds that there were too many women in the baggage team and the soldiers were afraid of causing accidents and ruining the festive atmosphere by drinking and having fun.

Spartacus took into account the special nature of the baggage train and did not force it.

So the baggage team held a banquet alone in the farm.

More than 200 people sat around ten bonfires in the front yard. They also drank, ate meat, sang and danced. However, because there were men and women together, it was not as noisy as in the camp, but everyone felt more joyful. .

Maximus also wandered around the campfires, toasting to his men.

The first thing he paid tribute to was Arconis, Pygris, and Cornelius, thanking them for their full support for him these two days.

Then he paid tribute to the other people in the baggage team one by one and thanked them for their hard work over the past month.

After experiencing yesterday's ups and downs, the people in the baggage team were extremely grateful and respectful to Maximus.

They were grateful to Maximus for saving his life. Different from Maximus's self-blame, they believed that it was precisely because of the young captain's advance preparation and arrangements that most of them, old, young, women and children, escaped the pursuit of the Romans. Like other captured soldiers, they did not Misfortune.

They revere the wisdom of Maximus. The soldiers all hailed Spartacus and other leaders for leading them to this victory, but they thought it was the young captain who first found the way down the mountain and asked them to make long ropes in advance. Maximus was the one The real savior of the rebel army!
  It is precisely because of this kind of persuasion that many women even boldly expressed to Maximus that they were willing to sleep with him.

The over-enthusiasm of the old members of the baggage corps made Maximus avoid it. He hurried to the escort and toasted to the newly joined soldiers, hoping that they would become the powerful assistants of the baggage corps in the future.

Finally he approached the Roman army slaves, most of whom were gathered around a bonfire near the edge of the courtyard.

"Newcomers in the baggage train, come on, let's drink!" Maximus raised the wine can high and shouted with a smile.

"Drink!" Some people responded immediately, and some people first turned to look at the slave who took the lead and saw him raising the wine can, and then followed suit.

Maximus took a sip of the sweet and sour wine and said loudly: "Someone told me that this is Falenian wine. It is one of the best wines in Italy. The senators and nobles in Rome often drink it. What do you think? tasty?"

The slaves were surprised and took another careful sip. Then someone said: "It tastes good!"

"We don't have vicious nobles here, and we don't beat your stewards with whips. We are all suffering people. We work happily for each other, and we can also eat the good food that only the nobles could eat in the past. Doesn't it feel good?" Maximus asked with a smile, and then looked towards the center of the courtyard. Someone was beating a simple melody on a leather drum. Several women were singing and dancing, attracting many men to dance happily around them. Da, including the newly joined slaves. “Compared to before, this place is simply the Elysee Paradise!” someone replied excitedly.

"Yes, that's right!" Some people agreed happily.

"But how long can such happy days last?" This sentence suddenly popped up in the crowd, and the person who spoke was the old leader.

He met Maximus' eyes without fear and said calmly: "I'm sorry, saying such words may ruin such a lively atmosphere, but I was once a Roman citizen and a soldier of the Roman legion. They have been soldiers for many years, and they, like me, were once Roman legionnaires—" The leader pointed at the other slaves around him.

No wonder these people know infrastructure, carpentry, weapon maintenance, and military training... It turns out that they are all veterans of the Roman legions, and now they have found a treasure! ...Maximus was secretly happy.

"We were once Roman citizens, but now we hate Rome!" the leader emphasized, and the people around him nodded.

"We were soldiers under Marius, and we followed him loyally because he protected the rights of us ordinary soldiers! ... But after his death, the dictator Sulla led an army to attack Rome, and the plebeian consuls We want to reorganize those who have retired to fight against Sulla.

Many of my comrades-in-arms saw that the situation was not good and refused to join. Only those of us who did not have family burdens thought that we must not let the rights that General Marius had won for us be destroyed in one day, so we responded to the call of the Senate. , decided to risk a battle, but as a result, tens of thousands of troops collapsed without a fight under the city of Rome..." The leader said sadly, and the people around him also sighed, with a look of unbearable look on everyone's face.

"We were captured by Sulla, who did not behead us like the Samnites, but deprived us of our Roman citizenship, made us slaves, and tried to make us suffer more humiliation! We lived a life these years Better to die, hey! Many brothers passed away quietly, and their bodies were thrown into a large pit outside the Porta Esquiline (the easternmost gate of Rome) outside Rome, and were bitten by wild dogs... This time We are able to regain our freedom, and we are really grateful to you!"

In fact, the leader should also be grateful to the deceased Grabo. If he hadn't strongly requested the recruitment of some veterans, not only citizens, but also slaves, the recruiting officers would not have considered these veterans who had been in slave camps for eight or nine years. The "Roman Rebels" joined the army. At that time, they felt that they were old and should no longer be a threat, but they did not want to give them a chance to be free.

"It is precisely because we have been in the Roman legion for many years that we know very well how powerful the Roman army is. With a team like you, which has only two to three thousand people and lacks weapons and equipment, even if we win a victory, we will not be able to win a victory." As long as you attract the attention of Rome, you will most likely not be able to escape destruction..." the leader reminded in a low voice, looking at Maximus numbly, with pain and sadness intertwined in his eyes.

The people around were also silent.

Maximus was unmoved. He looked at this old man with interest, although his face was a bit old, but his body was still strong. A long scar on his face made him a bit more rugged, and asked: "Excuse me. What is your name?"

"Cassius Frontinus."

From the name, you can tell that this man was born a Roman commoner. No wonder he would obey the orders of the popular faction... Maximus then asked: "Frontinus, you were not just an ordinary soldier before, were you?"

"I served as a legion centurion for a period of time." Frontinus hesitated for a moment and then answered. His face was not complacent, but rather a little sad.

(End of this chapter)