Augustus Road

"Because there was no other fiber, women cut off their hair and used it as ropes for the curved ballista." - "Roman History" describes the preparations of the residents in the city during the final defense of Carthage

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Just when Philip was immersed in the "deep love" with the princess, in order to take down the Acropolis in one go, Menander's Bronze Shield Army immediately used the "Mithridates Monster". Carapis had seen a replica of this thing at the triumphal ceremony of Luculas and had also played the role of a guest commentator, but it was the first time he actually saw it.

The soldiers of the Bronze Shield Army of Pontus first rode in a wheeled car made of branches and animal skins. The roof was covered with leather and sandbags, and the bottom was hollowed out so that the soldiers could use levers to pull the car forward. When they arrived at the moat under the Acropolis, they flipped the car door: a movable cover on top to serve as a shield to defend against the stone throwing of the defenders. Then the soldiers began to dig the soil under their feet in the carts, and then carried it out with baskets and poured it into the trenches. In about a day, the trenches of the Acropolis were completely filled, but the Bronze Shield Army did not stop. They knew that Carabis's troops were limited and would not go out of the city to counterattack. Under the cover of the shield carts and their own shields, they built a slope along the hillside under the Acropolis with wood one by one, and then desperately stuffed soil, bricks and wooden stakes into it, and soon built a slope that could directly rush up the city wall.

"Under the cover of the monster, the entire army rushed up along this slope and captured the Roman city wall!" Menander ordered.

There were two 100-cubit-high monster siege towers, each with a 25-cubit "firepower tower" on top. The archers and crossbowmen of Pontus were in between, shooting rockets all over the sky, flying and falling over the Acropolis. Then the two monsters separated to the left and right. A full 1,000 elite bronze shield soldiers laid stones and rolling logs on the slope so that the monsters could rush up smoothly. Because no wheels could bear the weight of the monsters, they could only move forward in this way.

Accompanying the monster siege towers were densely packed bronze shield soldiers. They threw down their spears, raised their short swords and rushed up the slope shouting, "Carabis, are you ready!" On the tower that kept firing crossbows, Pope walked to the arrow window and waved the pennant in his hand.

Calabis, who was crouching at the battlement, saw Pope's signal and immediately shouted like an elephant, "Stand up, blow the bugle, throw javelins, and release the charcoal carts!" The Roman soldiers behind the battlement stood up collectively and quickly threw a wave of javelins. The Bronze Shield Army was well prepared and stacked up their shining shields, reflecting the bright sunlight, majestically blocking most of the javelins. Then the Roman soldiers held up several large wooden boards coated with fat, which were connected to the battlements with hinges. Now they turned them over and built them between the battlements and the slope, like temporary passages. Then, amid cheers and shouts, several charcoal carts were pushed out and rushed down the slope from the top of the city along this wooden passage.

The Bronze Shield Army was well-trained. Although their tactics were a bit rigid, they were not panicked by the terrifying vehicles with whistling flames. Instead, they laid on the slope one by one, covered their bodies with shields, and fell down like dominoes. As a result, the charcoal cart rolled over the shields. The Bronze Shield Army soldiers were fine, but the Mithridates monsters behind them suffered. This charcoal cart was designed many years ago to fight against the elephants of Hannibal's army. Not only were there a lot of charcoal and tar that could burn quickly, but there were also many sharp javelins inserted. Now these charcoal carts were swaying and directly stabbed into the lower part of the monster siege tower with javelins, knocking the siege tower slightly. Then the flames rose into the sky. The archers on it were frightened by the rising black smoke and jumped off the tower with shrill cries.

"Hybrida, you stay and guard the city wall - the 10th Battalion, follow me! Mithridates' monsters are finished, this is where they will die!" Amidst the arrows and flying stones, Carabis was the first to jump onto the battlement. In the dark clouds and smoke, his white feathers and red cloak swayed in the wind, standing on it like the god of war Rex Lius. The flag bearer holding the eagle flag behind him stood up right after him, and then more and more soldiers from the 10th Battalion drew their swords, jumped out of the battlements, rushed down the slope, and fought with the Bronze Shield Army. In front of them were the ferocious Romans, and behind them were the monster siege towers that were constantly burning and collapsing. Their morale soon collapsed, and they retreated down the slope regardless of their superiors' scolding.

"Carabis, the amphora, it's really him, it's really him." Adiana, who had been watching the battle calmly on the camp tower, could no longer calm down when she saw the scene just now. She stroked the enamel gold pendant, feeling mixed emotions, "Damn amphora, why did he return it? Doesn't he understand that this is something I gave away, and he must be staying with that slave girl Potti in Rome." Thinking of this, she grabbed the railing tightly with great force...

Among the huge wreckage of the burning monster siege tower, the Bronze Shield Army quickly used the second wave of siege teams. Many people pushed a chariot covered with bronze rams, shouting and pushing it up, ready to break the wall of the Acropolis in one go. Carabis picked up the whistle hanging on his chest, blew it quickly a few times, and made two gestures back and forth. All the ten squadrons of soldiers retreated tacitly and returned to the battlements.

The Bronze Shield Army seized the opportunity and pushed the ram to the bottom of the city wall. Then many people took great pains to adjust the impact angle, and then pulled back to prepare for the real thing - because this ram was made temporarily, the craftsmen had limited time, so they could only fix the ram, instead of installing a pull rod and a sling to allow it to move back and forth.

At this moment, Pope on the tower waved the small triangular flag again, and Roman soldiers dropped baskets from the battlements one after another, just blocking the Bronze Shield Army's ram. With a few puffs, the ram hit the basket, just like a punch hitting cotton. Oh no, there was no cotton in that era. In fact, it was filled with wool and horsehair, which made the Bronze Shield Army soldiers sweat profusely, but they couldn't use any strength at all.

Just as the Bronze Shield soldiers pushed the ram back and forth, preparing to adjust the angle again, two chains dangled from the concave part of the city wall, and nimbly hung down, hooking onto the bronze ram. "Pull back" - the two teams of strong recruits on the battlements who were pulling the chains, took collective steps at the centurion's command! (To be continued.)