"Victory gives the most timid people bragging rights, and defeat makes the bravest people only suffer shame." - Ancient Roman proverb

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"Father, you see, it's our fleet coming from Cyrene." At this time, the sharp-eyed Paluma pointed to the other side of the ocean and shouted to Li Bida.

Sure enough, under the rising sun, Li Pida commissioned Gable and Edangis to train the new fleet in Cyrene Brundim in a two-line column, and they were still commanded by the great pirate Macmillan, and the sails were still dyed purple, and the golden Mithra sun symbol was painted on them, which reflected dazzling and noble colors in the sun, and the statues in front of each bow were made of sterling silver, which was very eye-catching.

But unlike the low, narrow ships that sailed throughout the Mediterranean, all the ships of Cyrene's new fleet were taller in hulls, sides, and towers, and had more masts and sails, generally divided into three, and had a spinnaker at the stern that could adjust the direction of the wind, mixed with the sails, a skill learned from Egyptian and Arab ships, and more flexible and powerful rudders, which also saved the number of oarsmen and allowed more personnel to participate in the battle ranks. The oarsman is often not so much about powering the boat, but usually only when rowing the boat out of the shallow port, and once in the deep water, the sail plays a decisive role, and the whole sail is made of fine leather and hung with a layer of fire-resistant asbestos – ironically. The crystallization of these technologies. It was actually provided by the Gallic barbarians, who were despised by the Romans. Previously, when Vicintoli became an ally of Rome and suppressed the resistance of the sea barbarians Venettes, he gave 2,000 captured or surrendered Venettes to Lipida for shipbuilding and training oarsmen.

After absorbing the manufacturing technology of the Venettes, under the planning of Gable and others, the new ship was equipped with two towers in the bow and stern. Taller than the Roman and Greek ships of the same period, it was still covered with platforms for various weapons: three or four scorpion crossbows, or two heavy ballista cannons, but in the compartments below the platforms, the crew had opened three windows for firing, flanked by "bellows" that could shoot deadly flames, and in the center a long pipe of cast bronze, embedded in a simple pulley track, striking like the fangs of wild beasts. On the outside of the tower, collapsible recycled iron ramming corners are hung. On the deck between the towers on both sides. As with ordinary ships, shields and asbestos boards were hung, and it was also a combat area where spearmen and archers concentrated when engaged on the side of the ship.

"It's like a ferocious boar." After Li Bida saw these ships, he laughed, "In terms of the fleet, the young Pompey and Rabinus relied on the veteran general Lipo who followed Pompey many years ago, he is indeed an excellent general, but the role he can play may not be more than Erer, we don't need to be afraid of the Balearic fleet." ”

When Cyrene's "new legion" disembarked from the circular transport, not only Leo and Paruma, but all the other legions, the infantry of this new legion, uniformly armed with five-foot-long sharp spears, with short soldiers narrower than swords hanging from their waists, dressed in Gaul-like trousers and leather boots, with colorful feathers stuck in their hats, and carrying round shields that were shorter and lighter than the Roman long shields, and walked like a moving black iron forest. On both sides of the ranks, there were many lightly armed skirmishers, some carrying bows and arrows, some carrying slings, some carrying belly bows, and some actually carrying brackets with forked spikes, and long copper pipes, the whole legion was about 5,000 people, of which the infantry in simple hand-to-hand combat was only about four brigades, and the remaining six brigades were all archers, and there were two brigades of attached artillery soldiers, all of which were cavalry cannons with iron shields, pulled by mule carts, and followed behind.

Descending came the new cavalry regiments, and at the front were the Matthias and Vibichinas cavalry, their attire no different from before; They were followed by about three battalions of the Severfer cavalry, the barbarians who had abandoned their traditional rough spears in favour of the more lethal melee macets, battle axes, and swords, which hung everywhere from the towering saddles like a moving arsenal; The last thing that appeared was a mysterious group, they were not on horseback, and it seemed that because the horses were still in other ships and had not yet docked, the group was wrapped in cloaks from top to bottom, so that people could not see their faces at all.

However, judging from the number, the new cavalry corps that Li Bida spent his blood to form is the essence, and its establishment is larger than all infantry corps, close to 8,000 people.

"It's funny, as promised, the new cavalry corps was handed over to Paruma, and the new infantry corps was put under my personal command, and then I decided to adopt a two-line strategy of rotational warfare - two new legions, plus the sixth and fifteenth legions, a total of four legions crossed the sea first, and the rest of the legions were stationed in Lilibal, waiting for my orders." Li Bida pulled out a gold-plated baton from his waist, pointed to the south side of the ocean, and said.

At the same time, in the city of Korduba, in the middle of the distant Iberian Peninsula, between the wilderness and the hills, there were also densely packed legions standing in procession and flags, both heavy infantry in the style of Roman legions, standing in the first column, and many barbarian auxiliaries in leather armor and carrying pike darts and Spanish swords, mixed in the middle of the array, and on the sides and in front of them there were countless barbarian light horsemen shouting, galloping around the circle, stirring up the sky full of smoke and dust.

This time, the younger Pompey brothers promoted Rabinus as the leader and commander of the entire Restoration army, and waved at all the legions on the erected tower.

Soon, more than 100 men in knightly cloak were escorted to the front of the army by the executioner, and all of them fell silent, and then all of them were beheaded by the executioner, and their bodies fell into the dug pit, and the cheers rang out, "These are all figures in the Iberian Peninsula who are loyal to Caesar's party, and I will now kill them all, confiscate all their possessions and granges, and distribute them to you—warriors loyal to the Republic, whether you are citizens or barbarians." "There is no other reason for this, but in retaliation for the declaration of the public enemy in the city of Rome, and the nine towns which we are still recalcitrant to resist have been taken by our army, and I now declare that all these cities will be razed, and all the people in them will be confiscated as slaves and prostitutes, and all the goods will be distributed among you." Now I can proudly declare that the whole of Spain and Lusitania is our territory at will, and now it is said that Li Pida has led the crusading army without knowing whether he is alive or dead, and that is just right, so that we will not have to cross half the ocean to find him. ”

After hearing this, the infantry of the front legion all shook their swords and shields, and the sound of laughter shook the mountains. (To be continued......)