Augustus Road

A huge noise sounded, and several hastily built crossbows and catapults, also equipped with javelins and stones collected on the battlefield, brushed over the heads of the fighting crowd, and shot wildly at the barrier with some accuracy and some accuracy. "Everyone lie down, hold steady! Pope, take your people and shoot at the enemy, don't give them the opportunity to adjust the angle." Milu made a trumpet shape with his hands and gave full instructions. Karabis rushed out from the hiding place and helped Pope and other soldiers to use the torsion crossbow to suppress the shooting.

"Karabis, this is very dangerous!" Milu just shouted over there, and a stone bullet "bang" broke a row of wooden fences, and changed its trajectory abruptly, flying diagonally, smashing a crossbow in front of Karabis to pieces. The weighing officer who was ejected rolled down the slope, and an artilleryman beside him was directly cut off half of his head by the stone bullet, and his body rolled with him.

"Hey, are you okay?" Milu rushed down in panic, pushed away the body lying on Karabis, and pulled him up. The helmet of the weighing officer was cracked, and two tubes of blood flowed out of his nose. He kept shouting "It's okay, it's okay", and then wiped the blood with his hands behind his back, and climbed up coughing, "I don't want to die in the hands of Catiline, a fool, it would be better to switch roles." After that, Karabis picked up another helmet and put it on his head. Pope on the top knelt and crawled to the edge of the platform and shouted to the two of them: "The two regiments below have been forced into a corner, and a decision must be made as soon as possible." "I will take people out from the side door and beat them back." Milu shouted. Karabis grabbed his hand and said, "No, you are the supreme commander here. The soldiers have chosen you. I will lead them out."

At this time, a new soldier from a regiment who was acting as a reserve behind the plateau half-knelt on the ground with a shield in hand. Stone bullets and javelins were falling down from above their heads. Many people turned pale, which meant that they could not escape for the time being. Carabis held his nose and sprayed two balls of blood foam on the ground, shouting, "You all follow me out, now, put all your money bags on the ground."

Seeing this, the new soldiers followed the order of the weighing officer and took off their money bags. Then Carabis said, "These things are only useful if you survive. Follow me out now. Some of us will die, and we will definitely die, but more people will survive. If we give up or run away now, this is a one-way pass, and we will all die, and we will never be able to enjoy the happiness that the money bags bring us. Put it down and come back alive."

After saying that, Carabis also took off his own money bag, quickly took out the statue of Pan and the doll that Potti gave him, kissed it quickly, and put it back, holding the shield and the sword, and after the two auxiliary soldiers opened the side door, he rushed out amid the shouting and killing outside.

Originally, the soldiers of the two regiments outside had been squeezed into a concave half-moon by the sea of ​​people launched by Catiline. One centurion was killed in the battle, and the others were also injured. If there was no wall behind them, many soldiers would have fled long ago. Suddenly, a guy of medium build jumped out of the side door that no one noticed at all, and silently stabbed down several unnoticed rebels. Behind him, half a century of fresh troops also rushed out and attacked from the side. The half-moon defense line of the defenders, which was on the verge of danger, soon bulged back.

A flaming stone bullet, like the wrath of Jupiter's thunder, rolled and flew, smashing a catapult of Catiline's side into a burning torch, and then more than a dozen trumpets blew together, which was thrilling. In the pine forest on the hillside next to the rebels, three or four battalion camp flags were immediately erected, and the sounds of whistles and gongs and drums echoed everywhere. The Tagus troops who had ambushed here in advance formed scattered teams and rushed out of the hillside like mountain leopards, fiercely attacking the rebels' artillery positions, cutting off the gun tips, knocking down the chassis, and killing the gunners.

"You have to let the veterans take over and rush up as soon as possible to stabilize the situation that is about to retreat." Mannius shouted to Catiline, "Look, on the hillside over there, the enemy still has three or four battalions of surprise troops attacking our artillery positions. Catiline, did you hear my advice?" But when Catiline was about to issue the order, it was too late. The fanatical worship of the rebels who attacked the fortress had been defeated by the sudden attack on the battlefield. Thousands of people came like a tide and retreated like a tide.

"It's too narrow here, and there are defeated soldiers in front of me. I can't send troops up again." Catiline hung his head. The dejection and frustration caused by Cicero's ruthless criticism and persecution in the Senate rose from his heart again and could not be restrained.

Mannius tried to revive his fighting spirit, pointing to the broken blockade line and said: "If you still want to return to Rome to be consul, and want the old soldiers to continue to be loyal to you, then like your ancestors, give your heart a strong iron hand - listen, the other side is also at the end of their strength. If they attack again, they will collapse. They have no trump cards."

Yes, Mannius's judgment was correct. Carabis and Milu had no tricks except for the fortifications that collapsed with a single charge: the trenches were filled and the ambushed troops had all been used. As long as Catiline could organize even three more regiments of veterans and attack again, they would succeed. They could then gallop along this corridor into Liguria, where they could recruit many strong new soldiers, as well as salt, meat and other supplies.

"Take a rest for now." Looking at the dead and injured everywhere around him, Catiline finally gave this order.

"Don't be stupid!" Just as Manius was about to fight again, several soldiers shouted and used their javelins to block several Gauls on horseback and with braided hair from the commander's guard. outside the circle.

The Gauls bowed on horseback and shouted something loudly, "What did they say?" Catiline, sitting on the horse under the flag of the eagle, asked weakly, holding his head.

"He said that they are the Allobrogis of Southern Gaul. Their tribal chief has made a secret agreement with Lentulus in Rome in advance to raise troops to help you. Now Allobrogis wholeheartedly welcomes you. As your army approaches, the soldiers of their tribe have already occupied the Feyumarbo Pass. As long as you go to join them, you can safely reach Modiye to rest. "

When Catiline heard this, he slowly raised his head and looked at these Gallic envoys with half hope and half doubt. He didn't know what to say for a while.