The capture of Veneto was a powerful counterattack by the Macedonian kingdom after it was attacked by the forces of the Julius family. With the march of the Alojus legions from the south into Italy, the Second Roman War was in full swing.

The state of Polipe seized Padua in the Veneto region, and he consolidated the city to control the local Roman nobility. A reconnaissance detachment was sent to the nearby city of Milan to investigate the facts, leaving a small number of defenders in the hands of his deputy, Hipostratus Gerard. He himself led the main force of the Aegean naval regiment to the north bank of the mouth of the Rubicon to prevent the Romans from increasing their forces in Milan. From here, the bridge crossing was the fastest route from Etruscan to Gallic in the mountains, and there was also a long way around the mouth of the Regulian river.

The reconnaissance detachment returned from the investigation and reported that it could attack Milan, and the total strength did not exceed one regular corps. So the state of Polype led the troops to Milan. When they came out of the city, they saw that the gates were closed, and there were few flags in the city. The state of Polipe silently observed the situation, and the city of Milan was particularly quiet.

The deputy stepped forward and suggested:

"General, I see that the defenders in the city are sparse, and it should be similar to the situation in the city of Padua last time. directly surround the city, trap him for a while, and then break the city in one fell swoop. ”

"No, you can't. First, we should try to fight as quickly as possible, because there was a reinforced Roman legion on the south bank of the estuary, ready to force reinforcements to Milan. The few troops we left behind by the river are nothing more than a bluff, and it won't be long before they are recognized. When the time comes, the Romans will force the Rubicon, and it will be troublesome to appear behind us. They can attack the empty Padua directly, or they can attack our backs. We besieged the city and met the enemy before and after dividing our forces.

Furthermore, there is the so-called 'emaciated camel is bigger than a horse'. In the entire large area of mountain Gaul south of the Alps, with the strength of Rome, it is impossible to deploy at least one legion to garrison it. The light capture of the Veneto was the result of our defeat in Salzburg with a small victory and the destruction of two enemy corps, and then the pursuit of the victory.

I estimate that in addition to the troops on the other side of the river, there is most likely a regiment here. If it's not in Padua, it must be in Milan. The city is very orderly and quiet, as if it has been arranged. In the unlikely event that the enemy sets up an ambush, the inside and outside will echo and strike at one place. But we divide our forces and besiege the city, and we will be defeated. ”

"General Takami."

"Send out scouts to investigate the situation in the valley north of the city.

The other troops rested in place in battle formation.

The Engineer immediately builds a siege engine, two of which are sufficient. ”

As expected, enemy troops appeared in the valley north of the city. Riding on horseback and watching, the Polipe State is a half-formed corps of the main infantry. He ordered:

"Prepare for battle!"

The Roman governor of Milan was Helenius, and when he learned that the Macedonians were heading here, he ambushed the valley with the Alpine garrison. In his words: "I have soldiers of the elite Roman garrison, and it is impossible for me to hide in the fortifications of the city and defend it." It is necessary to take the initiative to meet and exterminate these Macedonians who do not know whether they are alive or dead, in order to comfort the heroic souls who sacrificed their lives for the country in the Battle of Salzburg. ”

As the Roman army approached, the defenders of the city went out to fight as planned. The two teams attacked diagonally, and Polype ordered the troops to change their direction, and the infantry line lined up to meet the enemy.

Soon the two sides came into contact and the battle began. The line of infantry was fierce, the Roman warriors threw javelins first, and the Macedonian phalanx soldiers had to keep the line intact, so they had to pray that the enemy did not hit them, except for the small round shield. The Macedonian pikemen withstood the blows of their bows and kept the gun array, and after two or three rounds of javelin projection, the Roman legionary infantry attempted to charge the phalanx head-on and enter a white-knuckle battle.

The Roman soldiers wore thick armor and held a long Latin shield, which had the advantage of protection; Macedonian soldiers hold extra-long robberies and have the advantage of weapon length. Both armies fought valiantly, and the elite Roman garrison once again used barrel formations of tortoiseshell bombs to break through the Macedonian phalanx. But the youth were worse off, and were either killed or fled, because they could not hurt the enemy behind the spears and suffered from the spears. The infantry front was staggered, and it was difficult to distinguish the winner from the loser for a while.

While the infantry was fighting, the Macedonian cavalry kept launching a breakthrough charge. First bypass and finish off Herennius and his small cavalry, then destroy the opposing archery and then crush the Roman light infantry. Having finished cutting the enemy's support forces, the Macedonian cavalry began to turn back against the Roman infantry. After opening a certain distance, he launched a flank or rear charge, and two massive attacks crushed the Roman infantry line. Even the elite of the garrison could not withstand the attack of many people on a wide field.

The Roman infantry line was routed and scattered in all directions. The eagle banner also fell in a pool of blood, which the phalanx infantry picked up and collected as captured trophies.

The Macedonian cavalry pursued all the way without relenting, destroying all the rest of the enemy soldiers. In this way, the city of Milan was equivalent to opening the gates for the Macedonians to enter, and the state of Polype led the Aegean naval regiment to successfully occupy Milan.

Podarerios, who was fighting fiercely in Etruscan, received frequent good news on the northern front, and his heart was much more steady.

"It seems that Macedonia still has the initiative in the war, and we have pinned down almost all the main Roman forces here."

A letter from the state of Polype asked whether it would continue to cross the river south to further expand the results of the war.

Podare Ríos wrote back:

"General Polype: Your initiative on the Northern Front has coordinated our operations. And a lot of progress has been made. I am very grateful and commend you for your courageous actions. You've done a great job.

As for the next move, you should go on the defensive. The successive attacks on the front side were smooth, on the one hand, we were holding back a large number of Roman troops, and on the other hand, due to the suddenness of your attack.

However, now that the Aegean naval regiment has reached the offensive point, Milan and Padua need to be on guard and not take it lightly, so as not to revolt in the inhabitants of the city in cooperation with Decius's legions. Moreover, the main force of the legion was divided into two parts, and was stationed at two crossings of the Rubicon, taking advantage of the river's favorable defensive terrain to block the enemy and prevent Decius from counterattacking Mount Gaul. ”

Therefore, in accordance with the instructions of the regional commander, the state of Polype strengthened the security and security of the two newly captured cities, and personally led a part of the troops to be stationed at the mouth of the river. Commander Gerald led the rest of the men to guard another estuary. The Aegean naval regiment moved to the defense.

It seems that the battlefield in the north is gradually calming, and the Roman battlefield will also be calm. Not really.

Podarerios had long imagined whether he could reach the rear of the Roman army by landing on the seaside, but the conditions were not ripe at the time. Now that the mountain is in Gaul's possession, an obvious beach raid point has surfaced. That's Regulia.

(End of chapter)