It's another year of spring, and farmers are busy plowing on farms all over Macedonia; The battlefields of Macedonia were also full of gunsmoke.

Oonos and Abrias are active in the northern theaters, and they are rapidly conquering cities.

In the east, Aeginos completed the removal of bandits and the remnants of the enemy army. The road from Tanes to Sarmatia is almost finished. He was ready to take advantage of this day when the temperature was right to set out for Ajani to completely destroy Scythia.

Summing up the lessons of the last winter march, in the vast high latitudes of Siberia, the climate and distance are the biggest problems. So Aechnos made up his mind that this time, no matter what, must complete the war against Scythia in time for the spring and summer.

Once again, Aeginos marched with the Tyris, and they crossed the great plains of Sarmatia to another strange wasteland.

No matter how far and tired you are, it is incomparable to the last encounter. The veterans don't care.

Although the distance of this expedition to Ajani was twice as long as the last one, at least the soldiers would not freeze to death and frostbite. They moved on.

The battlefield on the Western Front is currently concentrated on two points. One was the front line of the city of Rome, the other was the battle in Sicily.

◎Conquer the city of Messina

The army of Antigone came to the shore and was about to board the ship, just as the Macedonian reconnaissance fleet had returned.

The king said with satisfaction that he would listen to the report of their reconnaissance fleet on the way.

The Macedonian Army sailed from Brution to the coast of Upper Sicily in the north of the island. The fleet escorted the land forces all the way across the strait, covering their ferrying. As soon as you go ashore you can already see the city of Messina of the Juventus family.

The rich island of Sicily, rich in natural resources, has many excellent ports, and is located in the center of sea transportation in the western Mediterranean, with good trade conditions. Relying on abundant economic conditions, Sicily has an advanced civilization and developed cities. It has always been a battleground for soldiers. Developed cities often have poor fortifications.

Messina has a strong stone wall that surrounds the city.

Antigone did not bring a catapult, only parts of the siege tower. The only way to take the city quickly is to have the soldiers climb to the top of the city and fight the enemy on the top of the gatehouse. Fortunately, the First Spartan Army he brought was an infantry elite, and the phalanx was the best at offensive combat and white-knuckle melee combat.

According to naval intelligence: not long ago, the Juventus family mobilized the main forces to attack the Carthaginian city of Lilipa, and after several fierce battles between the two sides, Rome gained the advantage. Presumably, the capture of the city of Liliba was a matter of the past few days. Now, however, there was no half-formed Roman legion in Messina.

This news strengthened Antigones' determination to take Messina quickly, even if the assault brought more casualties.

The Macedonian army assembled on the shore and came to the north gate of the city. Seeing that the enemy was closed, they surrounded the city, and the engineers began to assemble the siege towers.

Antigone sent scouts to Greater Sicily and Lower Sicily as outposts to keep an eye on the enemy's main forces.

"Today, we have to take the city. My instincts tell me that the main forces of the enemy are not here. The defenses in the city are weak, as long as you are determined to kill the enemy and break the city, then we will definitely win the first battle in Sicily.

The Greek infantry has always been my most reliable combat force. Now is the time to prove your strength, and to keep the Spartans as warlikes, you must exhort yourselves.

Good luck, my warriors. We'll see you at the celebration in the city. ”

Some of the first echelon of the siege pushed the siege tower, and some carried the straight ladder, and rushed to the city wall together. Archers provided support and shot arrows at the walls.

However, enemy soldiers on the city walls can effectively dodge arrows by hiding behind the battlements. Archers continue to shoot arrows at the walls of the city walls, providing as much cover as possible for their teammates.

When the infantry approached the city walls, arrows, bows and stones from the towers came at the same time. Echelons with siege towers can be shielded by tall towers, and there is a layer of skin in front of the siege towers to prevent fire from arrows. Those echelons that carried ladders suffered, and they were unobstructed and could only rely on people to resist.

The first team fell before they could reach the edge of the city, and the reserves behind them made up for it and leaned up. When the ladder was finally driven to the wall, the enemy would drop large stones or pour hot oil down the straight ladder. The scene is fierce and brutal, and it is unbearable.

The besieging troops were tormented by the defenders, and they were eager to jump to the top of the city and cut the enemy into meat sauce.

In siege warfare, losses are always inevitable. But now nothing could dampen the determination of the Macedonian warriors to advance.

The siege towers on the left are the first echelon of the first group, and they are also the first to climb the walls. Brave Macedonian soldiers leaped from the tower drawbridge to the top of the city in two steps, armed with short swords, engaged the Roman defenders at close range. On the three-person wide wall, the contact surface of the two armies was very narrow, and any queue tactical movements and flank attacks were ineffective, and they were not used at all. Even the quantity doesn't matter.

When you meet on a narrow road, the brave wins!

At this moment, whoever has a hard front can stay on the city wall, and whoever has superb melee skills and good psychological quality can cut down the opponent or push them off the wall to their death.

Even the tie-in is a small tie-in between two or three people.

In the beginning, the Roman and Macedonian soldiers fought each other, winning or losing, and sometimes the soldiers fell to the ground with screams.

It is a battle against attrition, and the one who consumes first loses. The battle was fierce and unusual.

As the attention of the defenders was drawn to the Macedonian soldiers who had already landed in the city, the disadvantage of insufficient troops was manifested. The defenders became overstretched, causing the defenses to be lax in other directions. The soldiers who had built the ladder raised the banner of attack again, and leaned forward one after another, and climbed the wall by the straight ladder.

It can be seen that the Roman warriors were brave and fearless, and they tried their best to defend the city. However, as the Macedonian follow-up siege echelons continued to pour onto the city walls, the defenders found that there were more and more gaps and could no longer be plugged. The stubbornness of the Macedonian warriors was fierce against the Roman warriors, and in the end the Romans were outnumbered. The Macedonians carried out many infiltrations on the city walls with limited conditions, and attacked the classic example of joint attack from end to end.

The disadvantage on the Roman side became more and more obvious, and the number of troops became smaller and smaller.

More and more siege soldiers arrived in the city, and the phalanx soldiers of the Macedonian reserve who did not participate in the battle crowded outside the city, still waiting to enter the city.

Finally, the Roman defenders could not resist the enemy. The psychologically fragile soldiers broke down emotionally and jumped out of the city crying; Some stood dumbfounded, shivering, with spasms and tremors; Only a few strong fighters fought to the death.

On this narrow wall, people see the boundary between life and death for a moment, and no one will think that it is impossible to surrender to the person standing on the opposite side.

Finally, the fierce battle at the head of the city ended.

The siegers entered the city, and the Macedonian cavalry could not wait, and as soon as the gates opened, they rushed into the city, reaching the central square, a symbol of control. The streets of the city shook.

The Roman defender Lucius had tried to keep the Macedonians at bay, so he concentrated almost all of his forces on the first line of defense.

The fact is that the front line is a wall, and he only has guards and a light infantry by his side.

The Macedonian cavalry was red-eyed, and when they saw the Roman army in the square, they immediately pounced. Knowing the defeat at the front, Lucius was disheartened and passively responded to the battle.

The Macedonian cavalry went up and surrounded the enemy, stabbing and slashing, demanding the blood of the dead brothers who had opened the way ahead.

They themselves did not know that the combat effectiveness at this time was several times greater than usual.

The cavalry battle in the square was basically instantaneous, and the victory and defeat were seen in tens of seconds. The Roman defenders were completely annihilated, and Lucius was trapped in horror and killed.

The Macedonian army occupies the main city of Upper Sicily, Messina.

Residents of the city responded well. Although they were loyal to the Roman Scipio family, they did not submit to the rule of the rebellious Juventus.

The arrival of Macedonia was seen as the liberation of the city and the bringing of justice.

Antigones, in order to reward his soldiers, found the food and wine of the city of Messina and entertained them.

At the celebration feast, Antigone praised his soldiers as real men. and the soldiers drank heavily. He had been trying his best for many days, but he was accustomed to it, and after a few drinks of his own, he was dizzy, and thanks to the help of others, he almost fell. Everyone began to worry about the king's physical condition.

The old king was so tired that he needed a rest. But the current emergency did not allow him such free time, and the king did not have a chance to consider his own health.

◎ Plain melee

On the third day after the Macedonian army occupied the city of Messina, the sentinel reported that Juventus' army had conquered Lilibel and was sending troops to relieve the siege of Messina. From Great Sicily there were two full Roman legions, but they marched in two directions.

At this time, in fact, Juventus did not know how the situation on the front line was changing. I thought that the city of Messina was strong, and the Macedonians would not be able to do anything even if they surrounded it for ten days and half a month.

Of course, he didn't know how many legions Macedonia had sent and how many troops. It was only reported that Macedonia was preparing to attack Sicily, but it was not known when the Macedonians would attack, whether they would attack Syracuse or Messina first, or whether they would besiege both cities at the same time.

According to the traditional military operations on the island, the defenders relied on the fortifications of the city and cooperated with reinforcements to respond, and the inside and outside could easily break the siege of the enemy. Because the transportation on Sicily is very convenient and fast, it is very suitable for military mobility. In particular, raids are supported.

After Juventus occupied Lili, they hurriedly returned to the rescue. Dispatch Tetius to lead a line of troops to Messina for reinforcements; He personally led all the troops back to the ancient city of Syra to strengthen the defense. Because I didn't know what was happening at the front, I had to try it, and the next action would have to be decided according to the situation.

Publius Juventus was in his thirties and was Scipio Scipio's son-in-law. After gaining the trust of the Scipio family, he was appointed governor of Messina. He was not so much a general with troops as a brilliant diplomat, an opportunist with a knack for intrigues.

However, he had heard that Antigone was known as the "King of Victory" and was very good at fighting with soldiers. Since the war against Rome, he has two invincible legions under his command, and they are invincible. This time, he actually wanted to fight with him in person, and he couldn't help but feel a little weak.

Although Antigone was unwell, the situation was urgent, and he had to personally deploy and direct all aspects of work.

This is indeed the case. If Juventus were to send two full legions to fight at the same time, their first legion would be at a numerical disadvantage. Fortunately, the city of Messina had been conquered, and although the siege was quite smooth, the infantry units were still damaged, and they could not be replenished in such a short time.

Cities can be lost and regained, but people must be kept alive and preserved as much as possible. Antigone immediately contacted the naval forces and asked them to regroup again at the landing site in Upper Sicily as quickly as possible, and the Macedonian army could withdraw from the island at any time. If necessary, naval cover was needed to transport them back to Rome proper.

The king left a small part of the garrison in Messina and instructed the defender Amintas to hold as long as possible. Then personally lead the First Army to find out. If, according to the Scout's intelligence, he would have encountered the Tetius forces who had come to relieve the siege alone, then he would have defeated them quickly. If it is two legions, then you should find a way to get out and retreat. A direct retreat was something that Antigone did not agree with.

"It's a bit risky to do that, but it's a contingency, should we send back the city that we have taken so much effort? Fight for it. ”

Antigone thought about it.

Sure enough, the armies of both sides met on the plains of central Sicily.

The First Macedonian Army faced a reinforced Roman legion, and the infantry line looked much longer than the Macedonian infantry line. The Macedonian infantry suffered combat attrition in the previous battle. All things considered, the Macedonian cavalry was much stronger. Antigone knew it very well.

The two armies confronted each other and moved closer.

The Roman general Tetius made a brief pre-battle mobilization.

Antigone felt a wave of dizziness and weakness, and he did not speak. Instead, let the centurion and squadron leader encourage their respective soldier phalanxes.

The battle began.

The Roman legions were violent, relying on the numerical superiority of the infantry, and pressed over the whole line.

Historically, the Roman army rarely brought archers, but this time there were archers dressed differently. It must be a hired foreign soldier.

Antigone thought: the enemy infantry was numerous, and it was impossible for them to stand still and throw javelins at the phalanx. The infantry phalanx should be allowed to advance and concentrate on the enemy's left flank, using cavalry to defeat the enemy's side first, and then turn around and eat the rest.

The king put his plan into practice and marched forward. In this way, both armies moved forward so that they would not be intimidated by the enemy's momentum.

Before he could take a few steps, a flurry of arrows came in. Whizzing, swishing, no missing arrows. Antigone saw several light cavalry from the squadron next to him fall off their horses. Then another arrow was fired, and one of his personal guards was shot. Yes? Enemy archers shoot so far?

Before the old king could recover his senses, his eyes suddenly flickered, and he felt a sharp pain.

"Ahh

The king fell off his horse, and the guards hurriedly jumped off their horses to help him.

The soldiers around looked back and saw that it was the king! There was panic in the array, and people's hearts fluctuated.

The king was hit by an arrow in the left side of the ribs, and blood flowed out, and the guards hurriedly bandaged him with silk cloth to stop the bleeding, and the royal doctor gave him gold sore medicine.

Antigones had been weakened by overwork, and the arrow caused him to faint temporarily.

The whole army was suddenly left without a master. The lieutenant general was in a hurry for a moment and ordered the troops to stop advancing. It is inevitable that the queue will not be in line when the phalanx is marching, and now that there is an emergency, it is even more chaotic. The boss is not there, he is now the commander-in-chief, but on weekdays, the king leads the troops, and he feels overwhelmed all of a sudden. He casually ordered the formation to be regrouped, but he didn't notice that the Roman army was already close at hand.

The soldiers lost their commanders, their hearts were bottomless, and the ranks became more chaotic. The centurions were still waiting for the next order.

"What regrouping?"

Experienced centurions questioned the new order. The phalanx infantry hurriedly ran and adjusted, the left and right were uneven, inconsistent and inconsistent, and the entire infantry line was in chaos. Archers instinctively began to counterattack the enemy's ranged units. The cavalry saw that the situation was not good, and withdrew behind the infantry.

At this time, the Romans saw that the opportunity had come, and the Roman infantry directly drew their short swords, and rushed up in three steps and two steps, and their shouts of killing were deafening. The Macedonian infantry was completely stunned, and a phalanx of militia guns had broken up and turned and fled.

The deputy commander-in-chief, Pamitian Antigomila, was also panicked, and he kept as calm as he could, and ordered the infantry to open the gun array. Only then did the infantry lower their spears and face the enemy.

But the Roman youth moved quickly, rushed up, jumped up and slashed. The Macedonian infantry line was damaged, another phalanx fled, and then another.

The collapse of the Macedonian infantry line began. The cavalry retreated again.