Augustus Road

"Timur is a very peculiar man, blessed by heaven and fate." - Timur's enemies

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As soon as the battle started, the 500 cavalrymen of Sibalas were routed. They were torn, collided, trampled, and stabbed. Their formation could not be maintained in an instant. The friendly troops on the walls and the Eye Castle around them threw arrows frantically in an attempt to support them, but these things flew down and gave the weakly protected cavalry on their side, which was more fatal.

Soon, from behind the mast curtain line, Lepidus' light infantry also shouted and rushed out. Most of them were Agrians and Ethios. They walked quickly, constantly throwing javelins and stones, hitting Sibalas' cavalry off their horses.

Under the whole city, smoke and dust rolled, and people were everywhere. There was a melee everywhere. The bodies of the dead and wounded were scattered all over the place. Both sides suffered injuries. The shouts and screams even reached the city of Athens. Brutus, wearing a general's cloak, stood silently on the tower, watching the fierce battle under the city opposite. He was powerless and could only pray that Sybalas would be safe and sound, and that his cavalry would be safe and well and retreat smoothly.

But Lepidus' cavalry was like a group of sharks that saw the smell of blood. When a regiment of infantry from the Eye Castle ran in a horizontal formation with shields to reinforce the commander Sybalas and retreat, the heavily armed cavalry in Lepidus' team turned around and retreated, while the lightly armed Matthias cavalry rushed out one after another, firing arrows at the same time. Sybalas' cavalry and infantry were caught off guard and were shot down with screams. Sybalas himself was shot in the face and fell off his horse.

"Don't worry about me, keep the flag safe. My lieutenant, continue to lead everyone back. We will pay the price for this reckless attack." Sibalas was pulled by his followers, covering his bleeding face with his hands, and shouted in pain. But many of his cavalrymen still refused to abandon their generals. Instead, they dismounted, shouted and drew their swords, and surrounded Sibalas and the flag. We must continue to fight the enemy.

During this gap, the Mattia cavalry rode forward again, and Sibalas's infantry formed a formation, howling and vowing to stop and defeat them, but the Mattias approached. They turned around again and shot back a wave of arrows, stirring up smoke and dust, which poured into Sibalas' formation. Everyone stumbled and it was difficult to hold on here.

A piercing and terrifying trumpet sounded, and countless small flame flags were raised on the opposite side. Lepidus's heavy cavalry re-formed into a terrifying wall-shaped army formation, holding high their spears in this sound. Rumbling like a moving mountain and a city wall, it came in waves and soon rushed into the smoke and dust. The defense line of Sibalas was trampled to pieces in an instant. The light infantry of the Medgers, Aesios and Agrians followed the pace of their heavy cavalry and jumped into the chaotic enemy formation, holding short swords and machetes and swinging and slashing.

After this fatal impact, almost no one survived Sibalas and his cavalry, as well as a regiment of infantry who came to reinforce. Including poor Sibalas, his head was cut off and washed, and sent to Lepidus's tent at noon for the high priest to review.

"What do I want this head for? Give the soldier who cuts it off a reward of 30,000 dinars. But that's the weighing officer's business - I want the city of Euripides, understand?" The high priest was furious when he saw the head of Sibalas.

So all the generals and officers were trembling with fear, and they remembered that the high priest had issued a death order that the city must be captured before dusk today. Therefore, Sabo immediately gave orders: he would take charge of the siege position on the left, while Faobinas (commander of the 16th Legion) would be in charge of the siege position on the right. The four lieutenants of the cavalry, Paluma, Hansk, Dusunville, and Venditis, commanded all the cavalry and continued to hold the center position, acting as a connecting "iron chain", accompanied by about 6,000 light infantry as cover. Finally, on the left was Tagus, the chief centurion of the 12th Legion, who served as the vanguard officer of the assault brigade, and on the right was Cretas, the chief centurion of the 16th Legion. Everyone was eager to fight and unwilling to give in. Regardless of the left and right groups, they all wanted to be the first to capture the leaderless Euripides Castle.

When all the flags gathered under the castle, Horace, Virgil and other young people on the Acropolis of Piraeus Port also looked at the siege army below, which was like sand, stars and sunlight. They were speechless. More than 20 legions and hundreds of huge ships surrounded the city of Athens like iron chains. If they were on the side of Lepidus, they might be able to make the most magnificent poems to praise all this, but they were the besieged party. At this time, everyone was silent and didn't know what to say.

"I will lead the main force of the four legions soon - except for one legion defending here, go out and fight with Lepidus' legion to the end." After hearing this voice, everyone turned around and saw Brutus saying this, standing on the porch and saying this to them.

"I want to follow you too!" Virgil walked down the steps, and then he nodded to Horace next to him, "You stay here and take charge of the defense."

"It's ridiculous. Do you despise me so much just because I'm young? I'm not afraid of anyone. With my spear in hand, I will completely pierce the tyrant's fortress and make him tremble under my weapon." Horace was unwilling to be a coward. Although the death of Cassius had made him lose hope of victory, the passion in his heart had not yet frozen.

"Enough, all of you stay! Ask Calataphylus to be my deputy general and command one wing. Cassius left me and died like this. If he were still alive today, Lepidus' army would not be so rampant and powerful." Brutus said, then he stepped forward and supported Horace and Virgil's shoulders. "If I can successfully break through, you will take a legion out of the city to support me; if I can retreat, I will continue to lead you to defend Athens, the last isolated fortress in the ocean; if I die in battle, you must not die, cherish your life, and surrender with the soldiers and citizens, because please divide my urn into two, one for the To Portia, my wife, if she is not crazy; one to my mother... I know she hates me, but she loves me more. She still regards me as her son. I hope to be buried in the cemetery of Brutus's family house, not in the cemetery of the Temple of Mars. I have made no contribution to this country, nothing, except to let my hands be stained with the sin of "parricide". "

After saying this, Brutus slowly raised his hands and said, "This time I will make up my mind, what is running away? If I have to do it, I will do it with my hands, not my feet! My death is just coming on time, friends." (~^~)