Augustus Road

“A people who have no fortified cities, like the Scythians, a people on horseback, can travel to other places at will and quickly adapt to the new environment.” - Herodotus

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Faobinas asked Lepidah a very pointed question: Has the Commander-in-Chief ever reconnoitred or thought about the terrain of Yazda Fortress? Even for someone like me who longs for revenge against the Hashidis, I released this plan after careful consideration of the terrain of Yazda. I served in the army for more than thirty years before buying a house for my wife and children in the coastal area of ​​Macedonia. In this small villa farm, more than 20 foreign prisoners of war were bought as domestic slaves at internal prices, so I am unwilling to die in battle easily, so I come to suggest to you - your tactics are not working.

Hearing this, Lepidus felt a little embarrassed. His prestige in this team was very high. Even though he boasted that he led a group of motley crew from the Mediterranean to Asia, and then penetrated Egypt and Libya. The number of soldiers increased from a few thousand to 20,000, and most of the soldiers enshrined the statues of King Numa and Lius in their tents. It was really unpleasant to be scolded by this guest general.

But I have to admit that what Faobinas said is correct. After being scolded by the Hasidic envoy, Lepidah did become extremely uneasy. In extreme recklessness, he threw out the construction boat and attacked the Yazda Fortress. plan.

Lepidus, who was sitting in the armchair, quietly covered his face and pinched his nose. After a long time, he said to Faobinas, the criticism you just made to me is pertinent and valuable, "Saab Kemus, go and take care of me." All the centurions from the three legions are called, yes, no matter senior or low-ranking, plus the company captains of the River Guard and the God's Tomb Guard."

This is exactly the method Caesar used back then. He needed to listen to the voices of all the backbones of the entire army. Sure enough, at the joint meeting, Lepidus heard many centurions criticizing his tactics, and some complained about the safety of this simple wooden boat. Some are worried that the hasty training will not ensure the safety of soldiers on the Tostone River. Others have observed the shape of the river and believe that we are going upstream, making it easy to advance and difficult to retreat. If we are in the Yazda Fortress, The front was blocked, and all the ships were passively beaten.

"Then let's give you a more feasible plan!" Just like in the Xenophon era, the Greek mercenary army with more than 10,000 people traveled through thousands of miles of desolate areas and arrived at the motherland. The reason why they were able to break through the overwhelming obstacles was because It is also a negotiation of military democracy. Li Bida demanded.

At this time, Faobinas volunteered to stand up and be the first to speak. He fiercely criticized Lepidus' previous theory of quick victory, "In the desert, use cavalry and light infantry. You can completely attack the enemy's flanks or rear guard violently." , won a huge victory, but not in the river valley. We in Macedonia have a tribe called Agrian. They can easily ambush and annihilate any of the best cavalry in the river valley and mountains. And even if the Hasidi does not have Agrian. Although they have the combat power of the Gerians, we still cannot advance lightly on this terrain, so my suggestion is to mix the infantry brigade and the auxiliary brigade to search and advance in the river, and the large ships needed are enough to fight. The kind of heavily armed ship that rivals the defense of Yazda Fortress!”

Antony, who was chewing dried figs next to him, chuckled disapprovingly, and without Lepidus' authorization, he mocked Faobinas frivolously, "At the beginning, I think this excellent officer used this cautious tactic. Helped the Hasidis win.”

Lepidus tapped the table with his fingers, reminding Anthony to pay attention to basic courtesy. Unexpectedly, Faobinas refuted Anthony fiercely. "Dear Military Tribune, yes, I know you speak Greek, but with a disdainful attitude, as if your Latin is more elegant and noble. I am an instructor in the army of the city-state of Cyrene, but However, the Eumenes from your army used sweet words to seduce those stupid bureaucrats, so I, who spoke uprightly, was deprived of the right to command. They recklessly chose to fight with the Hasidis in the field, and as a result, they were killed by the "Messiah". Sword' David Anget was beaten to a pulp, but refused to listen to my next suggestion. He went to a small coastal fortress to wait for rescue. A mere thousand-man army had to defend the huge city of Barka. After a bitter battle, he was still defeated by the Hashidians. The believers cooperated internally and externally, but the defense failed..." Before Phaobinas could finish complaining, Antony stood up and shouted loudly, saying that this guy from Macedonia was simply criticizing and insulting our army, Heb Rida roared in agreement with Anthony.

"This is a joint meeting, not the Senate in Rome!" Lepidus slammed the table, and then pointed with his finger at the project leader Gabe who was hiding in the corner and never dared to say a word, "Gabo, come out. !”

The other party stood tremblingly in the middle of one or two hundred centurions. The commander-in-chief asked him directly, is it possible to build and use the kind of large ship Faobinas mentioned in the Tostone River?

"His Excellency the Commander-in-Chief's team is full of talents. It is the most solid team I have ever seen..."

"Answer my question directly."

"Yes, yes, Your Excellency, because the commander-in-chief's team is not lacking in talents, but I am sorry, there are many crew members and oarsmen from Crete, Rhodes and Cyprus in the legion. They have rich experience in building and repairing ships. It can be said that the best in the world are concentrated in these island countries, so it is absolutely possible to build the kind of fully armed large ship that Your Excellency Faobinas mentioned, because I have observed that the wood near the Apollo Spring is very ideal."

Then, Gabe saw that the commander-in-chief's eyes were staring at him, asking him to continue to explain, "Rivers and oceans are different. Ships on the ocean are more affected by the climate. Whenever the fleet encounters heavy rain and downwind, the losses suffered will be possible. Complete destruction, so the battle at sea The ship must be built strong, with sails that can change direction, and the hull must be narrow and long, so that it can cut through the waves. But according to my observation, the Toston River is particularly gentle, and most of the time it is blown by the south wind from the southern desert. After being blocked by the Astra Mountains, it also becomes very gentle, which is very suitable for large flat-bottomed river ships. The craftsmanship is simpler than the docks for making sea ships, and it can also save a lot of oarsmen and provide more space for combatants. "

"Then the shipbuilding is entrusted to you. Just build a simple workshop at the Apollo Spring and erect a bronze monument with a list of craftsmen to facilitate accountability and salary payment. Then, tell me, can this large ship only play a role in conquering the Yazda Fortress? "

This made Gabe speechless. I haven't even seen Yazda, so how can I comment on this? At this time, it was still Phobinus who began to introduce the geographical features of this river fortress to the entire army.