In the early morning, the city of Lepotis was filled with the smell of blood, decomposing corpses were everywhere, and a baby was sucking milk on his dead mother, but the body was cold??? ? Huoran? Wen?? ???．? ｒ?ａ?ｎ?? E?na'com Klein picked up the baby, shoved a soft plug into her mouth, and then, draped in sackcloth, led her away from the dilapidated house.

In the city, there was a fire in the sky, there were weans and screams, women were even humiliated in the streets, men were killed in piles, and their property became the spoils of war for the Roman soldiers. Cruel as it is, this is the constant melody of war, looting and plundering.

By noon, several brigades of the Seventh and Eighth Legions had surrounded the Temple of Apollo in the center of the city. This is a place that symbolizes the faith of the Romans, and cannot be smashed directly with a catapult, so no one dares to move without the order of Appis. Crane ordered everyone to line up outside the temple, not to use fire or heavy weapons, and to wait for Appis and Crassus Jr. to make a decision on how to conquer this last "fortress".

The temple of Apollo was at the top of the mountain, it was a low mountain, and the surrounding area was bare and unobstructed, so the legionnaires of Agrippa, who were located on a high place, could easily swing their spears and javelins and shoot and wound the attacking soldiers, while the soldiers who attacked the temple did not have any cover and cover, and the casualties would be very heavy if they stormed the temple. Agrippa is now a wounded beast in a cage, and will fight to the death.

"The other side does not look ready to surrender, and is ready to use the high ground as a position to resist us."

After Crane finished inspecting the position, he met Appis, who had come to inspect, and reported the current situation to Appis. In the dim sunlight, smoke rose everywhere, and the temple of Apollo on the high ground could be seen surrounded by several circles of fortifications. Agrippa clearly intended to die and was unwilling to surrender humbly.

"There is no water source on the high ground, tell me, if we don't attack and keep besieging it, how are they going to survive?"

Appis asked calmly. It is well known that water flows to lower places, and although the high ground is good for defense, the problem of water is the biggest problem. Nor can a well be drilled on the hill, and how can Agrippa ensure daily drinking water for hundreds of people, and Apis is concerned about this issue.

Through the confessions of the captured soldiers, Agrippa had dug a cistern beforehand, but it was only enough for them to last about half a month, and all the food and weapons had been piled up to the top of the mountain. They don't have to worry about that consumption, and like you said, water is the only problem. ”

Klein replied.

At noon, the dome of the temple reflected the light of the scorching sun, and Apis felt a little difficult to decide, the city had become a dead city, full of dead bodies and carrion, and the air was filled with the smell of death and disease, if the war was not ended quickly, the soldiers might be infected with the plague, but Agrippa held the high ground, and the attack was bound to be heavy, and the temple of the sun, which symbolized light, would not be destroyed, which was the belief of the Romans.

However, Appis commanded

"Continue the siege here, let all the slaves in the barracks clean up the city for a few days, pile up the corpses and burn them, and besides, the slaves involved in the removal of the corpses must be isolated and forbidden to contact any soldier of the legion. Boil drinking water sources every day before drinking. It is mandatory and no one is allowed to drink raw water. Food must also be cooked before it can be eaten. And so it goes. ”

The Great Lepotis was in ruins after the war, and although the epidemic had not yet broken out, it was necessary to take precautions, and timely disinfection and burning of corpses were among the measures. Looking at the fireworks and dead corpses all over the city, Appis knew that the city was about to become a dead city after the withdrawal of the legions. Like Carthage, which was destroyed by the Romans.

……

After nearly a week of siege in the deathly silence of the temple of Apollo, the resolute and tenacious Agrippa finally could not be silent, and took the initiative to ask to meet Appis, the commander of the Roman legions under the mountain.

And everyone knows that the African campaign is coming to an end.

"I lay down my arms, go with you, and spare my soldiers, who have only carried out my orders."

In a relatively gentle area in the middle of the hillside, Agrippa negotiated "friendly" head-on with Apis, for the first and last time. His face was dark, his ornate armor had long been covered in dust and dirt, and the scarcity of water on the mountain seemed more than Appis had imagined.

"It can't be. You and I both know the Roman laws of war, and the defeated party loses its freedom and the right to live. Because you have led them against me, I have the right to plunder them. Indeed, you and I both know that they are actually innocent, and to blame, we can only blame them for taking the wrong position. ”

Facing his former partner, Appis said expressionlessly. Thinking back to the time in Caesar's barracks, he and Agrippa and Octavian were still close friends who talked about everything, and now, after many changes, friends have become enemies, frolicking and entertaining, warming food, and replaced by cold swords. This is the struggle, and there are no eternal friends, only eternal interests......

"Leave them alone, they are just fighting under my orders, and in your barracks, they will obey the orders of the commander, and that's it. Please, Appis, give them some mercy, and I will be your captive, your spoils, and let them go. ”

Knowing that Appis was unwilling to let go of his men, Agrippa gritted his teeth, but he was helpless, after all, the defeat in the battle had deprived them of bargaining chips. To put it bluntly, it is to be slaughtered by others.

"Leave them alone? Then who is responsible for my dead comrades-in-arms? ”

Appis replied loudly so that all the soldiers and officers present could hear that their commander cared about them!

Then, Apis lowered his voice and continued

"Of course, they are also Romans, and the Romans do not want to slaughter the Romans, and I can accept your surrender today, and I can spare the lives of your men, but they will be sold into slavery and transported to the provinces of the Republic."

"Damn, don't you know how to pity your opponent at all? When Caesar unified Rome and forgave many enemies, even the remnants of Pompey did not pursue it, can't you, Appis, even a tenth of Caesar's mercy? ”

Hearing that his soldiers were going to be sold into slavery, Agrippa was in a hurry. He asked angrily. Even the whole body began to tremble unconsciously.

"What did Caesar's mercy get in exchange? In exchange for the assassination of the villain. And these are the people he forgave and forgave in the first place. They even swore an oath not to endanger Caesar's personal safety. But as a result, it was this group of people who assassinated the great Caesar. ”

In front of Agrippa, Apis replied so calmly.