The Rise Of An Empire In Ancient Europe

Not only the soldiers, but also Myron's mind went blank the moment the Dionysian army appeared. He trembled all over, his face pale. He knew: he had been deceived! By the cunning Dionysians! He had thought the enemy was too small, and rashly allowed his army to cross the river in front of an equally large enemy force. For any qualified general, this would be a terribly wrong military move! But it was too late to retreat now.

Retreating before the enemy, and then having to turn back and cross the river again, was a taboo for the city-state's citizen soldiers, who usually did not train well. It would mean a major defeat without a fight, and the Dionysians could easily attack, turning the seemingly gentle Trionto River into a graveyard for the Crotone citizen soldiers.

Myron hadn't anticipated the sudden battle between Crotone and Dionia unfolding here and now. But facing this decisive clash, a battle that hinged on the fate of his city-state, he forced himself to remain calm, casting aside guilt and fear, focusing on the battle at hand.

"Blow all the bugles! Beat all the drums! Charge! Bravely cross the river! Only then will we have a chance of victory!" he shouted anxiously.

The messengers leaped into the river, shouting their praises.

The suddenly intensified blast of bugles and drums urged the troops forward. The officers, aware of the danger they faced, led the charge.

The Crotone army began to advance at an accelerated pace, but the Dionysian army quickly reorganized and closed in. Due to the cobblestones on the ground, neither side charged as usual in heavy infantry engagements, instead steadily closing in.

When the two sides were only twenty meters apart, Klebus saw the enemy suddenly halt their advance at the commanding officer's shout. The front ranks crouched slightly, and countless cold flashes of light flashed through the rear ranks. The enemy's movements immediately understood what was about to happen. He didn't even have time to utter the word "javelin" before he hurriedly crouched.

"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!" A continuous whistling sound, like a sudden gust of wind, accompanied by screams, and in the blink of an eye, the entire front rank of the Crotone army collapsed, not only halting the Crotone soldiers' advance but also shattering the formation of the front ranks.

But the Dionysians were not relenting, and they immediately launched another round of javelin throws. At such close range, the lethality of heavy javelins was astonishing.

As the Crotonites scrambled to avoid the javelins and rescue their comrades, their formation becoming disorganized, the Dionysians seized the opportunity to advance, charging the terrified Crotonites with round shields and simultaneously thrusting two or three javelins at those who had just escaped the javelins.

Had the rearguard not responded promptly, the Crotonite front would have nearly collapsed. This, however, also stalled the Crotonite army at the riverbank. Myron's meticulously prepared battle formation, over twenty ranks thick, became a problem. For much of the river, they were half on the bank and half in the water.

Besides direct confrontation, heavy infantry could also exploit the thickness of their formations, similar to a tug-of-war, to push and shove the enemy, another effective offensive strategy. However, the Crotonites, in their current position, not only failed to effectively form a unified force, but were instead forced to retreat under the enemy's powerful push.

As the swirling javelins pierced the Crotone formation, Myron felt his heart nearly stop.

The Dionysian heavy infantry could actually throw javelins! Myron now deeply regretted his carelessness, not having studied the Dionysian army's tactics in greater detail. Their light and heavy infantry clearly possessed a unique and well-trained tactical system.

Just as Myron lamented the casualties and regretted his negligence, his men, watching the battle on the other side, cried out anxiously, "Damn the Dionysians! They have so many heavy infantry! Reinforcements from Nieutum and Laos must have arrived!"

Indeed, according to the reports from the runners on the left and right wings, the Dionysian formations were nearly identical in length, and were able to force their own lines back. Despite the advantage of the terrain, their strength was likely no less than their own. Could the Dionysians currently number around 20,000 men?

Hearing his men's curses, a flash of inspiration flashed through Myron's mind. Determined for revenge, he had carefully studied the secret reports from Thurii, and thus had some understanding of the Dionysian Alliance.

He remembered that the reports stated that it would take at least three days to reach Nieutum from Thurii, and the same amount to reach Laos. Even if the cavalry mobilization order reached Nieutum and Laos, and they immediately assembled and set out, it would still take six days to reach Thurii.

After all, the Thurii-Nieutum-Laos highway had only just begun construction, and only four days had passed since the declaration of war, unless the Dionysians had mobilized their forces in advance. However, the mercenaries hadn't attacked Crimea three days earlier. He had tortured several captives, including Cleano and Tolycus, and they all admitted that they had secretly decided to capture Crimea without telling Davos. Therefore, reinforcements from Nieutum and Laos must still be en route to Thurii.

So where did all these Dionysian heavy infantry come from? Thurii and Amendolara didn't have that many citizens. Myron was certain of that, and then something suddenly struck him: ...freedmen?! Those so-called registered freedmen of Dionysia!

Myron suddenly remembered that earlier reports had mentioned Dionysia frequently organizing military training for its freedmen. He remembered how many members of the Crotone Council had mocked Dionysia for being so starving that they'd turned these unrefined freedmen into citizens, calling it sheer madness! But everything he saw proved that Dionysia's tactics were working.

The armor and shields and spears these once-impoverished freedmen wore must have come from the Crotone army, killed or captured in the previous battle. Despite his anger, Myron realized more clearly that by sending even these freedmen into battle, Thurii had probably exhausted all their resources. So, what were they going to have to spare?!

Myron gazed at the roaring battle scene ahead, his spirits lifted.

"Eutydemus!"

"General, what's the matter?" the shouting subordinate replied.

"Lead these two thousand men eastward immediately and place them under the command of Philadephos."

"What?! Didn't you order this force to reinforce the center?!" Euthydemus asked, puzzled.

"Follow orders!" Myron glared. His friend's son was diligent, but he was naturally overly active.

"Tell General Philadephos that the enemy on the other side won't be numerous. He must cross the river as quickly as possible, regardless of casualties. After repelling the enemy, he must rush over to attack the Dionysian army! The outcome of this battle depends on his actions!" Myron instructed with great solemnity.

"Understood!" Reminded by Myron, Euthydemus saw the opportunity for victory and excitedly rushed to carry out the order.

Myron dismounted, spear and shield in hand, and led his guards down the river, joining the battle, shouting at his men to fight bravely.

Since the Dionysian heavy infantry was mostly composed of prospective citizens, he doubted these novices, free men only six months prior with no experience in heavy infantry combat, could master the art of heavy infantry combat in just six months. This was the source of his confidence.

He firmly believed that even if the Crotone soldiers faced adversity, they would still hold out until the arrival of Philadephos's army.

......…

Behind the center of the Dionysian army stood a large banner, also topped with a statue of Hades, but noticeably larger than the legionary standard, and larger in size, with only the large golden lettering of "Daifos" embroidered on it.

The Dionysian League now had three legions, so Davos naturally had to step down and return to his original position. According to old tradition, the consul also served as commander of the city-state army, so Davos' highest position in the alliance was Commander-in-Chief (or Supreme Commander) of the Dionysian League Army.

At this moment, Davos was also keeping an eye on the enemy's movements on the other side.

"Commander, enemy troops are moving downstream!" Aristocrates shouted. As a talent Davos had favored, he intended to train him as comprehensively as he had trained Asistes, so he allowed him to accompany him during battles. However, as he was still a freeman, he could only temporarily serve as a clerk.

Davos had been waiting for this moment: "Thormid!"

"Commander, please give the order!" Tormid's response was filled with heartfelt respect.

Crotone's rapid advance had caught the generals by surprise. With the armies of Nieutum and Laos unable to arrive in time, the disparity in strength between the two sides was considerable. During the military meeting, many suggested abandoning the reinforcements to Castellon and holding onto Thurii, awaiting the arrival of reinforcements before engaging in a decisive battle.

However, Davos defied the crowd and insisted on advancing the battle line to Castellon. His long-established prestige ultimately persuaded the others.

He conscripted all trained and combat-capable citizens and registered freemen from Thurii and Amendolara, even including some newly arrived freemen. This was a significant risk. Considering that the Dionysian army was concentrated in Castellon, Thurii and Amendolara, further back, had virtually no defenses except for a few troops at the port.

If the Crotone fleet had landed on the shores of the Sybarite Plain, the Dionysians would have been unable to resist for a while. Yet, Davos dared to make such a bold move.