The Rise Of An Empire In Ancient Europe

Myron, soaked in the river, first heard the enemy's trumpets and drums, and was still wondering in his heart. Then the formation that had been deadlocked for a long time began to advance.

A breakthrough? Philadephos and his men have arrived?! Myron, eagerly following his soldiers ashore, felt a surge of excitement. But after a while, the troops stopped advancing and were forced to retreat bit by bit...

"Hold on, soldiers! Push harder, the enemy is almost exhausted!" Unaware of the situation, Myron assumed the troops were losing their offensive strength. Knowing his calls would have little effect, he couldn't help but shout loudly, hoping to rouse their fighting spirit.

But the Crotone army could not advance a single step. At the forefront of the Dionysian army, which had completed its formation change, were the newly replaced soldiers from the second line. They still had plenty of stamina, making up for their lack of heavy infantry experience. The Crotone soldiers, however, were exhausted after over three hours of fighting. They struggled to defend themselves, let alone attack.

Just as they were struggling to hold on, a panicked cry suddenly erupted from the Crotone light infantry, who had retreated to the other side of the Trionto River.

"Enemy! Enemy! They're coming!"

Myron, stationed at the center and rear of the formation, couldn't quite make out their shouts, but the terrified sound made him turn his head and look back. He was stunned: hundreds of cavalry appeared from the riverbank behind them, pouncing like wolves and tigers upon the fleeing Crotone light infantry. Following them were countless unarmored soldiers, rapidly dispersing their formation, bows drawn and javelins wielded, aiming directly in their direction.

Where did all these enemies come from?! Where were Philadephos's troops?!...

In that instant, countless thoughts raced through his terrified mind, but ultimately, only one remained: We're defeated!!

In fact, not only did he see the scene on the riverbank behind him, but many Crotone soldiers also saw it, and the Dionysian scouts standing on the high ground on the opposite bank also saw it. Just when Myron was panicking and the morale of the Crotone soldiers was wavering, Davos gave the order with great enthusiasm:

"All troops attack!!!"

The attacking bugle sounded, and then the same bugle sounded on the opposite bank. Just as the Dionysian heavy infantry began to attack bravely, nearly 6,000 Dionysian light infantry composed of free people shot the first round of arrows, the first round of flying stones, and the first round of javelins at the rear of the Crotone right wing soldiers...

In front of them were the heavy infantry who were still vigorous after a long battle, under their feet was the cold river water, and behind them were arrows and javelins that took their lives. The exhausted Crotone soldiers could no longer hold on. First the right wing retreated, followed by the center, and then the left wing.

Crotone's line, which was more than two miles long and more than a dozen rows thick, collapsed quickly like an avalanche. The soldiers scrambled to run to the south bank. The free people's non-stop long-range firepower attacks accelerated their retreat, and the charge launched by the Dionysian heavy infantry made this large-scale rout even more chaotic.

What a tragic scene it would be for nearly 20,000 people to retreat across the river under attack from both sides?

Xanthiparis, who witnessed the whole process on the south bank, could not bear to look back when he talked about the defeat of Crotone to Ansitanos, who wrote The Great History of Greece. He recalled:

"... The Crotonites shouted in fear, 'Run for your lives! We are defeated! ...' The volume even drowned out the sound of our bugles. They ran desperately to the south bank, pushing each other. Even the Crotonites who fell behind and were pursued by our soldiers, in order to escape, frantically knocked down the people in front with their shields and stabbed them with their spears...

Alas... The water in the Trionto River was not deep, but those who fell in the river could hardly get up again, because once they fell, not only was there no one to support them, but they were also weighed down by the heavy equipment on their bodies and the constant jostling by others. They would eventually drown in the river...

In fact, neither the casualties caused by the heavy infantry's pursuit nor the long-range attacks of our light infantry could make up for the damage the river had done to the Crotone people... That must be the wrath of Poseidon! It reminds me of the scene when the expeditionary force fought the Persians in the Kentrit River...

Alas, after the battle, when I returned, I saw the Trivento River full of Crotone corpses, as if even the river was blocked. It was really chilling! It is said that more than 3,500 bodies were later fished out, not counting those that floated into the sea..."

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The Crotone soldiers who fled back to the south bank had no time to breathe. Though exhausted, the Dionysian heavy infantry, urged on by Davos, continued their attack, exerting psychological pressure on the fleeing troops. Meanwhile, the vast number of freemen's light infantry, unencumbered by heavy armor, formed the main force of the pursuit. They attacked from the flank, nearly encircling the entire Crotonite right wing. The demoralized Crotonites, blocked in front and pursued from behind, surrendered one after another.

The light infantry handed these prisoners to the heavy infantry and continued their pursuit.

At this point, the cavalry became the main force of the pursuit. Nearly three hundred cavalrymen, led by Ledes, fanned out, crushing the fleeing troops. The Crotonites were either knocked down and injured by the galloping horses or forced to change their escape routes, ultimately being captured by the light infantry.

The fleeing Crotone soldiers were in a state of panic along the way, many eventually collapsing from exhaustion. Some, like those of Teratus, who had already been captured, saw no hope of escape and simply crouched down and surrendered. Ultimately, the Dionysian light infantry were tasked with escorting the prisoners.

Eventually, the Crotones fled into the swamps, many of them rushing into danger in a panic. The Dionysian cavalry followed them into the swamps, but due to unfamiliarity with the terrain, their horses repeatedly became mired in the mud. Finally, as darkness fell, they were forced to abandon the pursuit.

This decisive battle between Dionysia and Crotone came to an end.

The Crotones, with a force of approximately 27,000 men, suffered 7,000 casualties (due to the defeat, wounded soldiers had little chance of escape). Around 12,000 were captured, and 8,000 fled the battlefield. Fewer than 5,000 actually made it back to Crimea. Over 3,000 were lost in the forests and swamps, some escaping after several days, others never to return. Myron, protected by his guards, was fortunate to escape back to Crimea.

The Dionysians, similarly, with a force of approximately 24,000 men, ultimately suffered only over 4,000 casualties, achieving a resounding victory.

That day, Amycles, the chief general of Castelon, watched the battle unfold with apprehension. To ensure adequate firepower for the Dionysian light infantry, Davos had requested sufficient arrows and javelins from Castelon. Therefore, Amycles was also responsible for organizing and supplying the troops. When the Crotonian troops navigating downstream were annihilated, he received the news even before Davos did. He excitedly informed the members of the Castellon Council that Dionysia's victory was certain.

Everyone was skeptical. After all, Croton had been a powerful force in Magna Graecia for years, and the other city-states had long feared it. Furthermore, with its main force intact, who knew if it would stage a comeback?

An hour later, countless bodies floated down the Trionto River, drawing the entire city to the harbor. Guards inspected them one by one and confirmed they were all Crotonians. With this news, the Castellonians finally felt at ease:

"Undoubtedly, the Dionysian Alliance has won! Our Dionysian Alliance has won!"

Cheers echoed throughout the city, and the shadow cast by the Crotonian threat on the Castellonian people was finally lifted. The general and the council members exchanged smiles of relief: their decision to endure the Crotonian threat and take the risk of supporting Dionysia had proven to be the right one!

When Davos led his army back to Castellon, the entire city was already ablaze with candlelight. Amycles led the council members and the people out of the city to greet them. The scale of the event was beyond Davos's expectations, and he hurriedly dismounted and walked.

"Victory, Dionysian Alliance!!!" The crowd erupted in cheers like a landslide and a tsunami, deafening.

"Congratulations, Lord Davos! It's incredible, you've achieved a glorious victory!" Amycles congratulated Davos sincerely.

"This is all thanks to Hades's blessing! And the full support of you, the people of Castellon!" Davos replied modestly.

"After this defeat, Crotone will probably no longer be able to attack." Amycles tactfully asked Davos what his next move would be.

Davos, of course, understood the hidden meaning and smiled faintly. "If a wounded lion doesn't seize the opportunity to kill, will it wait until it recovers before seeking revenge? Tomorrow we'll attack Crimea, capture it, and then march straight to Crotone!"

Amycles breathed a sigh of relief, but warned, "I think Crotone might, like last time, demand peace talks in exchange for the release of these prisoners."

"Peace talks?" Davos sneered, gazing at the twelve thousand prisoners being escorted past. He had initially considered forcing these captives to serve as a vanguard for an attack on Crimea, and perhaps even Crotone. He figured the Crotonites would retreat in the face of an attack from their own people, allowing Dionysia to easily capture both cities—a common tactic used by the Mongols and Jurchens in their conquests.

However, Davos, having lived in this era for a year and a half, changed his mind and decided against it. He knew that the Greeks of this era still retained some of the characteristics of the Archaic era: a respect for heroes, an appreciation of strength, and a fondness for direct combat. Killing enemies in battle is understandable, but using captives to attack a city and achieve victory is undoubtedly chilling and despised. Therefore, it has never been done in previous city-state wars.