The Rise Of An Empire In Ancient Europe

"Although we in Crotone have lost the battle, we can at least organize another 10,000 to 20,000 citizen militia. If Dionysia wants to storm the city, we will definitely inflict heavy damage on them! By then, Dionysia will be unable to capture the city after a long siege and will have no choice but to ask for peace. We will then have the initiative. Perhaps during the defense of Crimea, we can find some opportunities to attack and defeat the Dionysians!"

After Milon finished speaking, everyone fell into deep thought.

Euripus said, "So, Crimissa will become a battlefield once again."

This statement awakened the Crimissa leaders, but Myron quickly responded, "Indeed, Crimissa is the key to the upcoming war, but it will be the soldiers of Crotone who will defend it. If the people of Crimissa feel it is dangerous here, they can take a boat to Crotone for shelter. We will provide them with a good living until the end of the war. If there is any damage to the houses and property in the city, Crotone will also compensate..."

Myron's thoughtful plan left everyone speechless, and his words also subtly reminded them that Crimissa was full of Crotone soldiers. Even if they privately wanted to negotiate peace with Dionysia, they would have to consult the shields and spears of the Crotone soldiers. Enraging Crotone would only make the situation worse.

"General Myron, Crimissa will fully support you in your battle with Dionysia!" Antaoris quickly made a clear statement on behalf of the council.

The next morning, Davos assembled two legions and two reserve battalions, totaling approximately 16,000 men (this refers to combat troops, not including the engineering battalion, medical battalion, baggage battalion, cavalry, trumpeters, and drummers), and marched toward the city of Crimisa.

That morning, the Dionysian army reached the marshland.

Davos left one legion's engineering battalion behind to survey the marshland's geography, quickly fill it, build a road, and construct a bridge over the Racoeli River to facilitate the passage of future transport convoys. This also took into account the future construction of the Kastello-Crimisa Highway. To prevent attack from the Crotones, he also left two reserve battalions to set up camp there. This not only protected the engineering battalion and the Castellon civilians involved in the construction, but also protected the transport route.

Davos then led the soldiers across the marshland on foot.

That afternoon, the Dionysian army entered Crimisa.

By then, over 5,000 Crotone soldiers were already well-prepared on the Crimisa walls.

Davos rode up to the city of Crimisa. After observing for a while, he abandoned the idea of an immediate attack and ordered camp.

The captain of the siege battalion immediately arrived to inquire about Davos's requirements. Pointing to Crimisa, Davos said, "Begin by encircling it from the north."

The captain of the engineering battalion understood and immediately led his engineers to survey the terrain, water sources, and calculate the camp area based on the number of troops. Soon, he and his men began planting thin wooden poles every 20 meters, 400 meters from the city.

At the command of the two legion commanders, Capus and Drax, all the soldiers, except for the two battalions on guard and the cavalry of Ledes, immediately became construction workers, some felling trees, some digging trenches, and some building earthen walls. The entire force was in full swing, and even Davos took up a pickaxe to help dig the earth.

From the city walls, Myron noticed that the Dionysian army did not immediately attack the city, which made him feel disappointed but also relieved. But the spectacle of the Dionysian army setting up their camp, so spectacular and so close to the city, was beyond his expectations. He couldn't help but think of a surprise attack from outside the city.

However, the sight of two well-armed and well-rested squadrons of Dionysian heavy infantry, along with the cavalry patrolling the city walls, dissuaded him from this idea. He also doubted that the Crotone soldiers, fresh from their defeat, would have the courage to venture out and engage the outnumbered Dionysians in open battle.

He could see that the Dionysians intended to besiege Castellon, but as long as it meant delaying the battle, he wholeheartedly supported such an approach.

The Dionysians were building their camp with remarkable efficiency. By dusk, they had dug a three-mile-long trench and erected earthen walls that surrounded Castellon on the east, west, and north. Some soldiers were setting up picket fences in front of the trenches, while others were pitching tents within the earthen walls. The engineer battalion's pack carts had originally been equipped with quickly disassembled timbers, allowing them to quickly construct camp gates, watchtowers, and fences (this was a "modularization" proposal Davos had proposed to the battalion, the result of repeated trials by engineers and carpenters). However, because the pack carts easily became bogged down in the swampy terrain, they were unable to reach Crimea in time.

Even so, Milon was amazed. He had no idea that Dionysia's military training specifically included "camp construction." Seeing the soldiers' growing anxiety, Milon finally made up his mind.

Late at night, he decided to take advantage of the Dionysians, who were fast asleep from the exhaustion of their long march and camp construction, and send 500 soldiers to attack the camp, creating chaos. Even a small setback would boost low morale.

According to observations from the warships at sea during the day, trenches were also dug to the north of the Dionysian camp. Fearing a landing attack from the northern coast would render them unable to return if discovered, Myron chose the southern seaward side of the camp.

Five hundred Crotone soldiers quietly approached the Dionysian camp. As they cautiously passed through the fortified area, they were spotted by a sentry hidden behind the earthen wall, illuminated by torches embedded in the wall. He quickly returned to his tent, quietly awakened the squad leader, and then one by one woke the others in the tents.

"Laris, you've done well! Now, take my nameplate and rush to the rear camp to inform the cavalry of the enemy attack!" Squad leader Cetippus praised the new recruit, still a candidate citizen, and handed him an egg-sized iron statuette of a three-headed dog engraved with the legion, company, and squad numbers.

"As ordered!" Laris turned and ran out.

Cetippus instructed his men to inform the other divisions and the company commander, Trotyrus, while he himself, along with a few soldiers, rushed to the base of the ramparts to investigate. Finding the enemy numbers to be relatively small, he developed an idea.

The Crotone soldiers, crossing the staking area, crawling over the trenches, and scaling the earthworks, saw no sign of movement in the enemy camp, and their excitement grew. They began to light their tinder. The enemy tents were still some distance from the ramparts, and they cautiously accelerated their advance.

Suddenly, the soldier in front felt a sinking sensation, his foot pierced by a sharp object, causing him to scream in agony. The Dionysians had set up an obstacle course behind the earthworks to slow the enemy's advance, allowing them to reorganize their defenses and launch a counterattack.

Taking advantage of the enemy's panic, Dionysian soldiers rushed out from behind the tents and hurled a barrage of javelins at the Crotone soldiers. Many fell screaming, and the remaining soldiers, unable to muster the courage to fight, fled in terror.

The Dionysians continued their pursuit through the safety of the obstacle course.

In the stillness of the night, the sounds of fighting were particularly clear. Davos was awakened and quickly dressed and left the tent. Just then, the captain of the guard, Martius, arrived with a report: "Report, Commander, the Crotones launched a surprise attack, but were repelled by the Third Battalion of the Second Legion. Rhodes' cavalry has already attacked, and I believe the enemy will not escape."

Davos nodded, and a map of the various legions, battalions, and companies in the camp immediately emerged in his mind. "The Third Battalion of the Second Legion is Giorgis's battalion... I remember his battalion was stationed at the easternmost part of the camp, near the seaport."

"Yes, Commander."

"Giogris's battalion performed very well, strictly enforcing the sentry duty regulations stipulated in Military Law. They also responded quickly after spotting the enemy. They should be rewarded! Even more so, the sentries who promptly spotted the enemy!" Davos turned to the newly arrived clerk, Aristocrates.

Aristocrates hurriedly took notes and would report to the military judge tomorrow.

"How are the other battalions doing?" Davos asked.

"Every battalion was notified promptly, and there was no major disturbance," Martius replied.

Davos was pleased with the troops' ability to maintain smooth communication and order even in the darkness. Their rigorous training had paid off. He smiled, "Crottone wants to emulate our sneak attack, but we're not Crotone. Everyone, go to bed and get some rest. We'll be busy tomorrow." With that, he turned and entered the tent, quickly falling asleep.

Martius exchanged a few words with the guards guarding the main tent and then left.

Only Aristocrates, a newcomer to the battlefield, was still restless. He stared at the blazing brazier in front of the tent, lost in thought. The Dionysian military code stipulated that a brazier be erected before the tent of the highest commander of the camp at nightfall. Davos explained that this was primarily for the convenience of reporting during the night, and secondly, in the event of unexpected events like night raids or camp riots, the soldiers, caught in the chaos, could easily locate the commander, stabilizing morale and rallying the troops. In short, the commander was the lifeblood of the entire army, and having his tent readily visible in the darkness would help alleviate their fear of the dark.

Hearing Davos's gentle snoring from within the tent and feeling the heat radiating from the brazier, Aristocrates's anxiety quickly dissipated.

Of the 500 who had left the city, only a few dozen had escaped the Dionysian cavalry and made it back inside.

Myron, upon learning this, remained stunned for a long moment. The Dionysian camp, seemingly simple and unfinished, was so heavily fortified that he hadn't expected it. This lesson finally made him abandon his last shred of hope and admit from the bottom of his heart: this Dionysian army was a well-trained force.

He decided not to take any more risks and to focus on defending Crimissa.