Mediterranean Hegemon of Ancient Greece Chapter 217: The Battle of Meyaro (1)

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Hiparinus believes that now the insurgents such as Herolis are powerful, and the courtiers loyal to Dionysius such as Philistos are missing, so he chose conservative measures.

In fact, at this time, the Syracuse riot troops in the city retreated steadily under the onslaught of mercenaries.

Herolis is a good organizer and instigator, but not a good general. He did not take decisive measures to reorganize the command and organization system of this new army, and divide his troops around the streets. The enemy encircled them, but took the lead in the battle from the beginning. As a result, the organization of the civilian soldiers was chaotic, and the injuries and deaths of their companions made the evil image of Dionysius mercenaries left in their hearts for many years to become clear again. .

Unfortunately, at this time, Hiparinus was too cautious and wanted to protect his daughter and grandson first and missed the opportunity to send mercenaries on the island to defeat the civilian army.

Originally, there were a small number of nobles and citizens who supported Dionysius in the city, but they were imprisoned because of Philistos. No one came out to organize them to help the mercenaries fight, which resulted in a thousand hired people fighting fiercely in the city. Although the army has the upper hand, it lacks subsequent support and cannot completely defeat the opponent.

Just as Herolis led the citizen soldiers to support, the Dionian spy, who had been closely following the city’s movement, immediately notified the poor and freedmen in the port area. They quickly organized a team, starting from Puskamen in front of the Epipole Heights, which was not guarded by mercenaries, entered, quickly passed through the Epipole Heights, rushed to the main city, and attacked behind the mercenaries.

The mercenaries were flanked back and forth, and the formation was in chaos. After hard fighting, most of them were wiped out, and a very small number fled to Ortigia Island.

Herolis did not continue to chase, he was now aware of the problems with the army he led, and this shortcoming almost destroyed the resistance he led. So he ordered the troops to stop the offensive, and with the assistance of other leaders of the uprising, appoint all levels of team officers for this huge team of more than 14,000 people composed of citizens, poor and free people, and let his friends, Kuzias, a pro-democracy activist with rich combat experience, served as his assistant to rectify the army and discuss the offensive plan.

Kuzias suggested to him: The walls and fortresses of Ortigia Island are tall and strong and difficult to attack. When Mathias may lead his army to return at any time, the troops should not attack the island with all their strength, but should send troops to control the gates and walls of Syracuse, and at the same time eliminate the forces supporting Dionysius in the city, and unite The people of the city are fighting against these mercenaries of Dionysius...

Herolis and others agreed with Cuzias’ suggestion, and sent him to lead a team to the isthmus of Ortigia, urgently building a wall to seal Ortigia completely. Outside the city of Syracuse, then Herolis began a clean-up operation in the city.

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At the time of the riots, the Dionian agent hiding in the harbor had sent people to take a fast boat, set off from the port, sailed straight north, and arrived at Katane two hours later.

In the port of Katane, there is Dionian’s secret head in charge of Sicily—Antrapolis. He did not personally go to Syracuse to participate in the riots, and even ordered his men to be in the riots. Do not enter the city of Syracuse, so as not to create bad associations with the people of Syracuse.

But in Katane, Antrapolis has no such scruples, because most of the rulers of the city, the mercenaries, have been conscripted to Meyaro by Massias, and the defense of the city is empty. Antrapolis even blatantly summoned freedmen and slaves in the port, calling on them to overthrow the rule of those outside mercenaries.

At the beginning, Dionysius destroyed Katana and gave land to some mercenaries who helped him fight. These soldiers fight and kill all the year round. They don't know how to manage the fields. Moreover, Catania has a vast land. They can't be busy with their hands alone, so they can only rely on slaves and free people. The slaves mainly came from the people of the city-states captured by Dionysius when he conquered the east coast of Sicily. The mercenaries themselves often sent troops to the western mountains to capture the exiles and the West Kells and work for themselves as slaves. Many of the free people are the original citizens of the East Coast cities, but they have lost their homes now. Therefore, the mercenaries of Katane dominate this large group of slaves and free people who are far more numerous than them and hate them. It is only because of the powerful force of Syracuse and the brutality of the mercenaries that they have repeatedly smashed the resistance of the slaves and forced They had to choose to obey.

Antrapolis, as an exile from Katane, returned to his hometown a few years later. It was like a fish in water. There are many slaves and freedmen here who are familiar with him, and he can even call out their names. The situation was quickly opened at the port. With the help of his former compatriots, he formed his own team and sent additional staff to neighboring city states such as Syracuse, Leonardo, Siculi, and Taois to spread rumors and find Alliance, waiting for the opportunity.

Now the opportunity is here. The army of Syracuse was hit hard in Great Greece, and the army of Syracuse and its southeastern allies were almost all mobilized to encircle and suppress the landed Dionian army. The reason why Antrapolis did not immediately rioted was that For fear of arousing the alarm of Dionysius supporters in Syracuse, the Catanes have urged him several times.

Now that the news of the riots in Syracuse comes, Antrapolis immediately announced: Operation begins!

The Katane people burst into cheers, and they assembled their troops to launch an attack on the city of Katane.

At the same time, the Katane slaves in the city were also organized and launched a fierce attack on the mercenaries on the front of the city to collect blood debts for their dead relatives.

There were not many mercenaries left behind, but they were suddenly flanked back and forth and quickly routed.

Antrapolis led the uprising team to occupy the city of Katane. He did not participate in the celebration of the victory of the former compatriots, but immediately sent people to ride to the three city-states of Leotini, Taonis, and Siculi. , Told the lurking subordinates that "the riots have occurred in Syracuse and Katane and they have been successful", encouraged their confidence and urged them to take immediate action.

Antrapolis believes that these three city-states succumbed under the powerful force of Syracuse at the beginning, and they were also supported by Dionysius as puppets, establishing tyrant regimes, heavy tributes and The military tax is weighing on the people. Their resentment towards Syracuse is conceivable. All they need is a flame, and it will surely ignite a raging fire. The news of the successful riots in Syracuse and Katane will undoubtedly encourage them. Confidence and fighting spirit. As long as the riots in these three city-states are also successful, it will be difficult for the army led by Massias to return to Syracuse.

For this reason, Entrapolis sent people to take a clipper and quickly went north to the port of Meyaro to inform the first army commander Antonios of the "Success of the Syracuse and Katane riots" so that It is psychologically prepared.

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In the early morning of this day, there was heavy fog in Xiliting, but only mist in Meyaro.

Mathias has received a report from the scout: more than 5,000 reinforcements from the south coast city-states of Gela and Kamenlina are coming soon.

So, the cautious Macias did not continue to bombard the south bank of the Alcantara River with crossbow artillery, nor did he lead his army to cross the river directly to attack, but led his more than 12,000 soldiers and more than 50 aircraft. The ballista pack went west along the river bank, from the flat area far away from Meyaro, near Mount Etna, crossing the Alcantara River without a hassle, leaving the First Army near Meyaro. The traps set up in the river section are all in vain.

Antonius did not send an army to intercept the other side of the river, because the mercenaries of Tauromegnan also came out at the right time. In order to avoid being flanked back and forth, Antonios chose to continue to hide in the dilapidated town of Mayaro. , Even he transferred back two hundred soldiers from the temporary checkpoint in the north the day before yesterday, and sent people to the western mountainous area to inform the exiles not to go east for the time being.

The army of Massias easily rendezvous with the mercenaries of Taoromegnan, with a strength of 13,000.

Mathias still chose a safe tactic, placing the remaining ballistas in front of the battlefield and continuing to fire stone bullets to the west of Meyaro, while waiting for the arrival of reinforcements.

For a time, rocks in the sky roared and the town continued to roar.

In order to avoid being accidentally injured by the flying gravel and sawdust, the soldiers of Dionia and the exiles in the town had to retreat and retreat to the east.

Mathias calmly asked the soldiers to clear the traps and obstacles of the Dionians outside the town of Meyaro.

The soldiers of the First Army felt very suffocated. Since the establishment of the First Army, it has won many battles and is invincible. It is a hero praised and yearned by the Dionian people. It has never experienced such a battle. In addition to avoiding the ballista, it is constantly retreating.

So the soldiers began to protest to the team officers, demanding: rush out of the town and engage the enemy head-on.

Not only the soldiers protested, but the exiles were also dissatisfied. They were trapped in this town with their wives and children. There is no river blocking to the west, so the ballista can be pushed to the front of the town completely. In this way, the whole The town of Meyaro is within the range of the ballista.

When everyone's protests and dissatisfaction were transferred to Anton Rios through team officers and exile leaders, the pressure he was under can be imagined.

"Legion Master, we can no longer be passively beaten like this! We must kill them and destroy their ballistas!" Taigetinus suggested loudly.

"Kill out?! That happened to be the enemy's trick!" Trotiras immediately objected: "What we have now is not 8,000 legionaries, but 5,000 legionaries and more than 3,000 exiles. The troops, fighting on the plains, are easily surrounded by more enemies than we are! These exiles will not be like us, even if they are surrounded, they can continue to fight bravely!"