When the Second Army was about to reach the wooden bridge over the Racoeli River, several scouts sent out returned from the front in a slightly panicked manner: "Report to the corps commander, the number of enemy cavalry found in the front is about ——"

Before the scouts could finish speaking, enemy horsemen had already appeared on the other side of the Lacoeli River, their dark skin, their black hair, their thin short-sleeved linen jackets, their javelins in their hands, their feet barefoot, and some of the horses did not even have cushions on their backs, but the horses seemed to be agile and agile in their movements. They numbered about a hundred horsemen, and stood quietly by the river in the face of the huge army marching towards them, looking at the other side...... Amintath could feel the cunning and sinister look in their gaze.

This is the Numibian cavalry?! Amintas recalled the description in the previous battle report, and looked at them curiously, not fear, but excitement in his heart: "Let the light infantry brigade send 200 archers to guard the river, and drive away the enemy cavalry on the opposite bank." The other light infantry followed closely behind the 1st Brigade, waiting for my order to quickly cross the bridge! ”

The Second Legion moved quickly, and the archers rushed to the river, and before they could release their arrows, the Numibian cavalry on the opposite bank immediately ran away, and the Second Legion crossed the wooden bridge with ease.

Just as Amintas was considering whether to spread the Second Army in detachments, the two-line "two" formation, in coordination with the Seventh Army, pushed forward in cooperation with the Seventh Army Corps and drove away these enemy horsemen who were cruising around like flies, the herald arrived with Davers's order: leave the cavalry alone, continue the march on the avenue, and must reach Crimesa before dusk!

Amintas had no choice but to abandon the attempt and march in column again.

At first, the Numibian cavalry rushed from time to time on both sides of the avenue, screaming a few times and throwing a round of javelins, but after the light infantry shot down a few riders with bows and arrows, they became much more cautious.

After a long time of entanglement, suddenly an enemy cavalry came in front of them, shouting something, and then the cavalry began to retreat one after another.

Soon, the soldiers of the Second Legion were no longer in sight of these "ugly-looking" Numibians.

The soldiers didn't know what was happening, but Amintas could vaguely guess why: it might be that the Dionian fleet had won another naval battle, and the mercenaries feared that the Dionian fleet would break the pontoon bridge over the Neto River and block the Neto River with their warships, so that the mercenaries who were wreaking havoc on the Dionian territory would not be able to return to the Syracuse camp and would be cut off, and would be strangled by the soldiers.

……………………………………

Indeed, when the Numibian cavalry and the Celtic cavalry in the plains north of Croton fled across the Neto River, Dionian ships were already present at the mouth of the river.

The Numibians reported back to Dionysius what they had discovered.

"Reinforcements from Dionya are coming? So fast?! "Fasipesas was surprised, yesterday the troops had just broken through the city of Crotone, and today the Dionians came in a hurry.

"How many are there?" Astargrass asked urgently.

Ashirita held out three fingers: "About 30,000 people." ”

"30,000 ......," Astagras carefully estimated, "there are about 10,000 Ionian soldiers in the city of Asprarustum, and about 10,000 in the city of Crimea...... In this way, Dionya will gather more than 50,000 soldiers when he comes to Crotone's territory, which is not a small number! ”

"Don't forget to count the heavy infantry on the Dionian warship." Fasipesas reminded Astagos: "The strength of Dionya is at least 60,000 men!" ”

"The soldiers on the Dionian ships fought with our soldiers for a long time, and there were not many of them left." Astaras retorted.

"You have to admit that the fact that the Dionians were able to capture so many of our ships shows that the losses of their soldiers were not too great." Fasipesas insisted on his opinion.

Phoebidas silently listened to the two Syracuse generals arguing about the size of their troops, and couldn't help but feel a trace of envy in his heart: Syracuse and Dionia, two powerful powers in the western Mediterranean, often sent more than 50,000 soldiers when they were at war, which was beyond the reach of Sparta and its allies.

At this moment, another Numibian beside Ashirita spoke loudly in the Numibian language.

Fasipesas immediately stopped arguing with his colleagues and asked curiously: "What did he say?" ”

"My men said, 'Some of the enemy wear black armor, some wear the same armor as you, and some have no armor at all, and they don't have weapons. ”

It turned out that among the reinforcements led by Davers: the soldiers of the Second Legion were all full citizens, wearing standard black helmets, black armor, bayonet guns, long shields, short swords, and javelins; Most of the soldiers of the Seventh Legion were reserve citizens and registered freedmen, and they did not have enough money to buy Ionian equipment, so their weapons and equipment were very messy, until the soldiers of Tarantum were annihilated and captured, and all the soldiers of the Seventh Legion were able to change into heavy infantry equipment plucked from the Tarantum soldiers, Corinthian helmets, linen cuirassers, round shields, shin armor, bayonets, sabers, and the baggage team in the rear was also loaded with thousands of heavy infantry equipment also from Tarantum prisoners, It was intended for the Sixth Army stationed in Crimesa; As for the spear brigade, in order not to reveal the secret, let the Syracuse people know in advance and take precautions, after all, the four-meter-long spear is too eye-catching, so let them march empty-handed, and transport the spears to the port of Crimesa by cargo ships to be unloaded, so they will give the Numibians such an illusion.

"I'll just say, how could there be so many citizen soldiers in Dionia! It turns out that they have recruited all the free people, but they can't afford to equip them with all the weapons, even if there are more people, it is useless! Astaras glanced at Fasipesas and laughed.

Fasipesas didn't quarrel with him anymore, and the expression on his face was much more relaxed, as an opponent, he certainly hoped that the Dionian army would be as weak as possible.

"Apollo bless, Dionia's reinforcements have arrived just in time!" At this time, Dionysius, who had been pondering, spoke. Ever since witnessing the naval fiasco, he had been grim-faced, and his men thought he was angry at the failure of the navy, but he was worried about the fate of this huge army, because he had a crucial issue in mind.

Even if the Syracuse army continued to move north to conquer Crimesa, Castelón, and even the southern city of Turiyi, with strong offensive pressure, the Dionians did not dare to divide their forces into their fleet for the time being, and landed in the weak rear of the Syracuse army, but as long as the Dionicians burned the wooden bridge over the wide Krati River, it would be impossible for the Syracuse army, which had lost its naval superiority, to cross the Klatty River and attack the heart of the Dionian Alliance, the northern city of Turiyi, and once the army stopped at the Krati River, Dionia, who had recovered his strength, might hold the Great River defense line while sending a fleet to attack the rear of Syracuse's army, which would inevitably make Syracuse's army exhausted and even defeated.

As soon as he thought of this possibility, Dionysius broke out in a cold sweat, and his heart had already begun to retreat: simply ...... Let Phoebidas go to Turiyi to negotiate peace?

In the Great Tent, Dionysius had already glanced at the Spartan man with a straight back and a taciturn Spartan several times, and he knew very well that Sparta hoped that Syracuse would end the war quickly, and then give them great aid and help them quickly defeat the anti-Spartan alliance, but he would never do so.

If he still needed the Spartans to support him when he first became a tyrant, now he is fledgling and does not need a powerful ally to dictate him. On the contrary, the war-torn Spartans would lower their arrogant heads and let Syracuse gain more.

At the moment, Dionysius didn't mind taking advantage of Sparta's eagerness to achieve his own goals. What kind of terms and conditions are proposed? Would the young man of Dioonia accept a truce on the territory he now occupies as a sphere of influence on both sides? Or go back to Sirittin and hand Crotone over to Dionia?

Although the treasury was emptied, and such a large army could not capture a single city in Dionia, Dionysius was really unwilling. But as a person in power who is very good at weighing the gains and losses of interests, he can not completely drive out Carthage's power in Sicily without completely driving out Carthage's power in Sicily when Carthage is defeated and Syracuse has an absolute advantage in Sicily, and he can naturally swallow this unwillingness for the time being.

Moreover, this expedition occupied so many large Greek city-states, almost controlled the southern part of Greater Greece, prevented the expansion of Dionysian power to the south, and the strength of Syracuse has increased a lot, in fact, Dionysius's expedition has achieved half of its purpose. As long as you go back, strengthen the navy, and when the treasury is full, attack Great Greece again, I believe that Dionya will definitely be destroyed!

However, just when he was reluctant, and wanted to make an armistice to Dionya through the Spartans, he heard the news that the Dionian army had come to help, and after listening to the comments of his subordinates, he changed his mind again: although the Syracuse navy was defeated, the army was surprisingly numerous, and the morale was high, and they were all experienced citizen soldiers and mercenaries, unlike Dionia, which could be compared with the number of free people, if the Dioonians could be completely defeated in a battle, the tide of the war could be turned, Make Dionia pay even more!