Ctesiphon...... In the middle of summer, Apis took 50,000 Roman soldiers, a large number of allies, and auxiliary legions, to the Parthian capital of Ctesiphon. Unlike the Germanic or Gaulic peoples, the Parthian kingdom was relatively civilized, and its capital gathered the largest population, the most elite people, the most concentrated resources, and the best productive forces in the entire kingdom.

The historic capital was built on a plain with abundant water and grass, and the only defense system was the tall walls that surrounded the city. The capital is the capital, Apis attacked the city all the way, and the small cities along the way were some sand-filled walls, even if some cities relied on mountains as fortifications, but they were still vulnerable in front of the siege weapons of the Roman legions, but the Parthian winter capital in front of him was different. Its tall white walls were almost entirely made of stone, and Apis estimated that the walls were at least 30 feet high, about the height of a three-story building in later generations. The walls are built around the city, with towers every hundred paces, so from a distance, the white walls are lined with tall towers and are heavily guarded. If it weren't for the war, it would be a beautiful work of art from an architectural point of view alone. Outside the city walls, a circle of moats was dug around, and unlike most of the moats left outside the walls in later generations, the water of the moat in the winter capital of Parthia, Ctesiphon, was so clear that it could almost be drunk on the spot.

Marveling at the magnificence of the walls and defenses of this magnificence, the Roman engineers worked out a plan for the siege in the camp. They fought deep into Parthia, and the longer the battle line dragged on, the greater the pressure on logistical supplies, and Apis gave the engineers only seven days, that is, a week, and within a week, they had to discuss a siege plan and force the city to be conquered, because it was impossible for the legions to stay outside the city for too long. This is the disadvantage of expeditions and deep operations. As soon as the Parthians organized guerrilla forces to harass the logistical convoys of the Roman legions, then trouble came. Appis knew that the threat had to be eliminated as much as possible.

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"General, there is only one plan."

Three days later, the engineers of the Legion discussed and came up with a unanimous answer.

"Say."

"The land around the land of water and grass is very loose, which is not conducive to digging tunnels and other fortifications. Moreover, most of the city walls were made of solid stones, and it was not feasible to dig under the city by forming a formation of soldiers. My pickaxe can't even pierce their rocks. The only way to do this was to storm the walls, bombarding the walls with large cannons, and then getting the siege towers closer. There will be casualties, but it is also a more feasible option. ”

Groove ...... After studying for a long time, it is equivalent to not studying, that is, it is to attack. Regarding his subordinates' statements, Appis sighed a little helplessly. But what they say is not entirely unreasonable. In the previous siege battles, the reason why the legion was able to win easily was because most of the small Parthian cities on the border were in the arid Gobi Desert area, with moderate soil quality, and they could attack the city by digging tunnels, but when encountering a large city like Ctesiphon, the soldiers could not use iron tools to chisel through the hard stone walls, and the soft soil was easy to collapse the tunnels.

"So, let's get ready."

Since there was no better way, Apis issued an order to the legions to prepare for the siege......

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"Sulena, this is the king's order, you must defend the city, this is the national capital."

"Hold the city? You tell me how to hold it? The enemy has more than a dozen legions, numbering at least 50,000 people, as well as large siege equipment and ample supplies of food and grass, and what do I have? 10,000 soldiers defending the city? These people are still from the inhabitants of the city, they have been temporarily recruited, they have not experienced war, they don't even know how to use weapons, you tell me, how can I win? Why hold the city? ”

While Appis's Roman army was assembled outside the city, large catapults and ballista could fire cannons at Ctesiphon at any moment, while Orodus's men were at loggerheads with Sulena, the general who defended the city. Sulena knew his situation, it was almost a battle of great disparity, with less than 2,000 of the defenders being his loyal men, and it was a tragedy that there were no defenders with tall and strong walls.

"That's your duty, Sulena, the great generals never ask how many enemies there are, they only ask where they are."

Orodes' men, the court eunuch Numisis, said with contempt.

"Great general, if I am the so-called great general, then, what is Orodus? A clown on the run? Cowardly cowards? ”

"How dare you mock your own king! King Orodes has gone with his army to exterminate the traitors! ”

Sulena's words surprised Numisis, who saw a Parthian general burning with a raging flame of vengeance. If this siege battle is won, Numisis knows that Sulena will not be able to stay, and the anger reflected in his eyes can burn almost the entire plateau. The resentment against Orodes has also reached the point of irreversibility.

"Suppress the rebellion? Hahaha! The Palician army was insignificant, a mob of outcasts, and Rome was the real threat. The Roman legions pressed the border, but Orodus went out of the city with the most elite troops in the name of suppressing the rebellion, are the people fools? No, but they had no choice but to follow such a cowardly monarch. Didn't the Romans want my blood and head? Didn't Orodus hope so? Now, your ugly and vile wishes are about to be fulfilled. Maybe tonight, maybe tomorrow, the Romans will attack the city, and then the city will be reduced to a sea of fire and ruins. The great King of Orodes, hmph, is just a wolfhound running away with his tail between his legs. How many innocent commoners will be enslaved because their king is weak! ”

Faced with the siege of a large number of Roman troops, Sulena could no longer control his grief and anger, and cursed. Before Orodus left the capital city of Ctesiphon, he expected the king to stay and fight with him against the invaders, but the end made him desperate.

Then, just as Sulena was looking up to the sky and sighing, countless brilliant fireballs rose from the horizon in the dark night, and the Roman legions began to attack the city......