Early in the morning, the sky is not yet bright. The raiding force quietly landed ashore.

The main body of the force was the backbone of the Third Roman Legion of Campania, which was drawn from Podarerios himself, and was supplemented by reinforcements from Sicily, supplemented by soldiers from auxiliary units. Podare Rios handed over command to his close general, Leo Charles Demel. The reason why the Campania regiment is the backbone is that it has completed the task of seizing the beach and landing on the island - "Operation Storm", and has successful practical experience in sea and land raids.

The troops were assembled before dawn and then quickly advanced towards the city of Segista. On the way, they encountered a reconnaissance force, and the light cavalry tried to pursue and destroy them, but the Roman light cavalry fled back to the city. The defender of the city was Augustus, the Roman general who led the siege of Salzburg. The principle of his war: offense is the best defense. This time is no exception.

Upon hearing the news, Augustus immediately reorganized the army in the city, and temporarily recruited some new recruits to join. At the same time, he sent men to ask for help from the neighboring Decius.

The Macedonian landing force was a temporary composite that carried out rapid raid missions and therefore did not carry heavy siege engines. They brought only materials that could be assembled into siege engines, as the city of Sageista was defended by wooden walls.

Arriving outside the city, Leochrics Demel asked the engineers to build siege rams and carriers first. Light troops and light cavalry were also sent to probe the enemy. The Romans closed the gates of the city and threw arrows and stones from inside the city to stop the attacking soldiers and horses, so that they could not get close. The Macedonian bow and arrow units were divided into loose formations, gradually extending forward, firing their bows and arrows at the defenders of the city. Retreat without gaining an advantage. So Leochrics Demel ordered the encampment, waiting for the siege engines to be completed, and pondering how to break the enemy.

Rubicon River

When Decius received a distress letter from Sagesta, he was very confused. His reinforced corps was ordered to defend the mouth of the Rubicon River. As long as the Roman legions remained close to the river, with the help of natural barriers, no matter how many Macedonians on the opposite bank, they would never want to cross the river. Moreover, even if the estuary is lost by 10,000 paces, they can still retreat to the Apennine Pass, and they can get reinforcements from Aretion at any time. As a result, the northern line was secured. The southern front is heavily armed, and an arc-shaped array is impermeable to the wind and resembles an iron bucket. Segista is located on the west coast in the middle and plays the role of connecting the north and the south.

But now the Aloyous Legion is attacking from the sea, which is a very threatening move. If Sedista were to be occupied by Macedonia, the Roman sphere of influence would be further reduced and the situation would be more passive. In view of this, Sedista is still in the air, and the surrounding allies will have to consider increasing their forces to support. But the reinforced corps of Decius was evenly matched against the Aegean naval regiment of Apollonia in the state of Polype, and if half of the forces were divided to reinforce Sagesta, the defense of the estuary would become unreliable; If the whole army turns around and cooperates with the attack, the enemy on the opposite bank will cross the river in pursuit, and the oncoming enemy will become a strong force in the back.

Anyway, Regulia is behind his flank, and it is definitely not good to give it to his opponent. It will affect the supply lines, not to mention that the city of Sedgesta itself is also providing supplies.

Decius was torn between a dilemma, and after much deliberation, he decided to ask Aretion for help.

Main Battlefield

The troops involved in the defense of the capital gathered under the city of Aretion and had been fighting the enemy for many days. Both sides were extremely cautious not to take the lead in launching a grouping offensive. However, it was not the case that the Macedonians and the Romans were at peace, and skirmishes often took place. The skirmish was heating up and the casualties were increasing. Flavis, the leader of the Julius family, was worried about the attrition of the front line, when he received a letter from Sergista asking for rescuers. The duel between the two armies was accidentally lost, and it was better to discuss it with everyone.

"Now that the Macedonian army is in the city, we have done everything we can to keep the capital. Of course, the more the merrier. The average number of casualties per day on the front remained at around forty for the two days. There is a corresponding Macedonian legion opposite each legion, and there is no room for people to be transferred here. "General Gnaeus Hadrian.

"Sagesta is an important port city, connecting here with the Rubicon strip and had to be saved. Augustus was a traditional Roman, and everyone knows that he was too aggressive with his troops. Even if he had the Roman Praetorian Guard and garrison soldiers, he would not necessarily be able to hold Regulia. So we have to find a way to find someone to help him. "Chancellor Cykestus Antio.

"Mind you, this is a moment. If you use the legions of the defense, you need to think about the consequences here. Once a vacancy cannot be effectively filled, a weak link is left. The enemy stormed that place and tore the hole bigger and bigger. It will lead to the rout of the whole army. "Marcus.

"In any case, we cannot abandon Augustus, we must support him. It is not clear how many enemies there are, and Decius says that there is a full army. Since this is also a tight place, let Arimiron send troops in the direction. There was a half-full regiment there, and there was little pressure on an auxiliary regiment of Macedonia. Let Opius take this troop with him. Lucius Julius, the heir of the camp, arranged.

"Okay, that's it. And draw some heads from our reserve to him. "Flavies.

As a result, before reinforcements arrived, Augustus was angry and angry at the Roman soldiers in the Macedonian army, and went out of the city to fight. Who knew that Leo Charles had already prepared, and with an order, the cavalry on both wings, hidden behind the infantry, swarmed out, galloping on horseback and attacking left and right. The Roman soldiers in the city were just halfway out, and the phalanx was attacked before it was fully formed.

The two sides scuffled, and the Macedonian phalanx also rushed up to cover the killing. The regular Roman legions were scattered and powerless, the people in the city could not get out, the soldiers outside could not return, and the morale of the Praetorian Guard was greatly demoralized due to chaos. The defeat was like a mountain, and the rout of the Romans began. As soon as Augustus entered the city, his first reaction was to close the gates, but he temporarily kept the city but abandoned his own soldiers. The phalanx opened their guns to intercept the deserters and kill them, and the cavalry chased and slaughtered the enemy everywhere. The archers took the opportunity to line up outside the city to gain the advantage of shooting, and then shot arrows into the city. Further kill and wound the guards and civilians.

Leo Charles did not give the enemy a respite, and immediately pulled the siege engine from the barracks and opened the city gates. The soldiers of the assault squad rushed into the city, and Sedista had fallen. Augustus was blamed for his crimes, and he committed suicide by drawing his sword. The city was cleared, and Macedonia completed the occupation.

Podarre Ríos's plan for a surprise attack was successful, and the capture of Regulia gave the Macedonian army the opportunity to launch a multi-directional offensive. This move undoubtedly upset the balance of the Apennine Peninsula.

(End of chapter)