Augustus Road

"Victory gives the most timid man the capital to brag, while failure brings only shame to the bravest man. ※％" - Ancient Roman proverb

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"Father, look, it's our fleet coming from Cyrene." At this time, the sharp-eyed Paluma pointed to the other side of the ocean and shouted to Lepidus.

Sure enough, under the rising sun, the new fleet trained in Brundim, Cyrene, commissioned by Lepidus, formed a double column and sailed towards Lilybiy. Their commander was still the great pirate Macmillan, and the sails were still dyed purple, with the golden Mitra sun logo painted on them, reflecting dazzling and noble colors in the sun. The statues in front of each bow were made of pure silver, which was very eye-catching.

However, unlike the low and narrow warships that sailed throughout the Mediterranean, the hulls, sides and towers of all the ships in Cyrene's new fleet were taller, and the number of masts and sails was also increased, generally divided into three, and the stern was equipped with a triangular sail that could adjust the wind direction, which was used in combination with the cross sail. This was a skill learned from Egyptian and Arab ships. It also had a more flexible and powerful rudder, which saved the number of rowers and allowed more people to participate in the combat team. In this way, the significance of rowers was often not to provide power for the ship. They were generally only used to row the ship out of the shallow harbor. Once it entered the deep sea, the sail would play a decisive role. The entire sail was made of fine leather and hung with a fireproof asbestos layer - ironically. The crystallization of these technologies was actually provided by the Gaul barbarians who were despised by the Romans. When Vercingetorix became an ally of Rome and suppressed the rebellion of the maritime barbarians, the Venetians, he sent two thousand captured or surrendered Venetians to Lepidus for shipbuilding and training of oarsmen.

After learning the manufacturing technology of the Venetians, under the planning of Gabor and others, two towers were set up on the towering bow and stern of the new ship. It was taller than the Roman and Greek ships of the same period, and there were still platforms for various weapons on it: three or four scorpion crossbows, or two heavy crossbow cannons, but in the cabin under the platform, the crew opened three windows for shooting. On both sides were "bellows cannons" that could spray deadly flames, and in the center extended a long copper pipe, which was embedded in a simple pulley track, as eye-catching as the fangs of a beast. On the outside of the tower, there were foldable and recyclable iron rams hanging. On the deck between the towers on both sides. Like ordinary ships, they were equipped with shields and asbestos plates. When fighting on the side, it was also the combat area where javelin throwers and archers gathered.

"It's like a ferocious wild boar." Lepidus laughed after seeing these ships. "As for the fleet, Pompey the Younger and Labinus rely on the veteran Libo who followed Pompey in his expeditions many years ago. He is indeed an excellent general, but the role he can play may be just so-so. We don't need to be afraid of the Balearic fleet."

When Cyrene's "new legion" got off the round transport ship, not only Leo and Paluma, but all the other legions were shocked - the infantry of this new legion, all held five-foot-long sharp lances, hung short weapons longer and narrower than fighting swords on their waists, wore riding pants and leather boots similar to those of the Gauls, with colorful feathers on their helmets, and carried round shields that were shorter and lighter than the Roman long shields. When they walked, they were like a moving black iron forest. There were many lightly armed skirmishers on both sides of the team, some carrying bows and arrows, some carrying slings, some carrying belly bows, and some carrying brackets with forked spikes and long copper pipes. The entire legion had about 5,000 people, of which only four battalions were infantrymen for melee combat, and the remaining six battalions were all shooting soldiers, and there were two battalions of attached artillerymen, all of whom were cavalry artillery with iron shields, pulled by mule carts, following behind in a mighty manner.

Next came the new cavalry corps. The ones running in the front were the Matthias and Vipicinas cavalry. Their attire was the same as before. Behind them were about three battalions of Sewefer cavalry. These barbarians abandoned the traditional rough spears and replaced them with iron nail hammers, battle axes and chopping swords with stronger close combat lethality. They were hung everywhere on the towering saddles, like a mobile arsenal. The last to appear was a mysterious team. They were not riding horses. It seemed that because the horses were still on other ships and had not yet landed, this group of people were wrapped in cloaks from head to toe, making it impossible to see their faces clearly.

However, judging from the number, the new cavalry corps that Lepidus spent a lot of money to form was the essence. Its organization was larger than all the infantry corps, close to 8,000 people.

"It's very interesting. As promised, the new cavalry corps was handed over to Paluma, and the new infantry corps was handed over to me personally. Then I decided to adopt a two-front rotation strategy - two new corps, plus the Sixth Corps and the Fifteenth Corps, a total of four corps crossed the sea first, and the remaining corps were stationed in Lilibi, waiting for my orders." Li Bi Da pulled out the gilded baton from his waist, pointed to the south of the ocean, and said.

At the same time, in the distant city of Korduba in the center of the Iberian Peninsula, between the wilderness and the hills, there were also densely packed legions standing in line and with flags. They had heavy military equipment equipped in the style of the Roman legions. The infantry stood in the first row, and there were also many barbarian auxiliary soldiers wearing leather armor and carrying spears and Spanish swords, mixed in the middle of the array. On both sides and in front, there were countless barbarian light cavalry shouting and galloping in circles. , stirring up smoke and dust all over the sky.

This time, the younger Pompey brothers jointly recommended Rabinus as the leader of the entire restoration army, and waved to all the legions from the high tower they erected.

Soon, more than a hundred people wearing knight's cloaks were escorted to the front of the army by the executioner. Everyone fell silent. Then all of these people were beheaded by the executioner, and their bodies fell into the dug pit. , cheers suddenly sounded, "These are all people in the Iberian Peninsula who are loyal to Caesar's party. I will kill them all now, confiscate all their properties and farms, and distribute them to you, the soldiers loyal to the Republic." , whether you are citizens or barbarians," Rabinus shouted, "This is for no other reason than revenge for the public enemy declaration incident in Rome, and the other nine towns that still resisted have been destroyed by me. I now declare that all these cities will be razed to the ground, all the people inside will be confiscated as military slaves and military prostitutes, and all the goods will be distributed to everyone. Now I can proudly declare that all of Spain and Lusitania will be destroyed. It’s all territory we control at will, and now it’s said that Lepidah has come with a crusade, which is just right, as it saves us having to cross half the ocean to find him.”

After hearing this, all the infantrymen of the front legion shook their swords and shields, and the mountains and fields were shaken with laughter. (To be continued...)

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