Looking at the corpse lying under the city, the citizens of Varga and the Italian immigrants were so frightened that they surrounded the presbyterian church and the town hall, demanding that the entire city surrender to Rabinus.

Because the enemy's army was now unusually strong, with two regular legions, two Spanish legions, and nearly 10,000 hired Mauritanian cavalry and Getulians, and there were only 2,000 men in the city who could fight, and the envoys were dead—at least in the mouth of the enemy, and all the supplies and money stored in the city of Suato had fallen into the hands of the enemy, and there was no hope of resisting now.

But Hitius resolutely disagreed, and ran to the gates of the temple and the town hall, and cried out to everyone, "The city of Vaga, the capital of the entire newly established province, and even without the wealth of Suato, the water and food will be enough to sustain us." But many citizens, especially those of Numidian origin, threw debris at the general in disapproval, and the Numidians always held in their hearts the foolish reason that there were many mercenaries in the enemy army, and that we were related by blood and race, that their private property and houses would not be damaged after the opening of the city.

However, Hitius was not a vegetarian either, he first avoided the indignant people, then went around to the barracks, then selected three hundred elite soldiers, rushed all the way to the town hall, and robbed all the chief fifteen noble elders in public, and the citizens fled everywhere crying and screaming, as if the city had fallen.

Then, in the temple of the Boles Brothers (similar to the Greco-Roman twin temples) built by the Phoenicians, Hitius threw fifteen "hostages" into it. And they drove out all the sacrifices and pilgrims. "Don't beg the gods to bless the city. The only one who can take care of it is me, Hitius, the high priest Lybida, who has already delivered the letter. He demanded that the entire city of Vagah be defended to the death, and that he would not spare any act of surrender to the enemy. Stytius, dressed in military attire, threatened the noble elders who were tied to the pillars, "You should know what it means to be spared, that is, to raze the whole city to a pile of rubble, to kill all the nobles, and to sell the whole people into slavery." To know the previous high priests. He had done it when he was fighting at Epirus, and he wasn't joking. ”

"Yes, we are willing to listen to the ideas of you, the Sovereign and the High Priest, and no one will try to escape, let alone resist, what kind of demands do you have, just tell us." The elders craned their necks and said in unison.

Seeing that the other party was so cooperative, Hitius had nothing to hide: gather all the contents of the city's warehouses and vaults into the temple, bring all your slaves and family members here, demolish the surrounding dwellings, and pile up the materials. turning the temple into the core of the city; Along the northwest block where the temple is located, the women and children of the citizens are ordered. In a diagonal manner, a new wall and moat were built horizontally as the second line of defense after the city was breached; He put all the Numidian men in the city to death, and the women and children were submerged in the barracks, and the Italian immigrants were organized, and they were all armed, and they were given broad-edged swords and stones, and they were put on the head of the city to change their shifts.

Then, in a trick, Hitius called his followers and his subordinates to form a narrow passage at the eastern gate, and then proclaimed in the name of the Presbyterian Church in the square, "The city is in danger, but the Roman high priest demanded that it must be resisted for a while, but food and supplies were difficult, so we decided to let the Italian immigrants and the Hitius party stay and resist, and all the Numidians and Moors were released, and the enemy would not embarrass you." And your private property can be loaded on mule carts and walked out from the east gate, because the enemy's siege position on that side is far away, and we can rest assured that the enemy will not take advantage of the chaos. ”

Just as Akuta was sending it for posting, a weeping woman in mourning clothes appeared in front of the temple, and the attendant next to her told Sù Hitius that this was Celest's wife, Lenchard, who had been married to Cicero and had been divorced.

"I will go out with all the Numidians, not because I am cowardly, but because I want to collect my husband's body." Lenchat clutched his chest and cried out to Hittius, "Just be pitiful! If you still agree with the status and glory of my husband, if you also think that you are born in the republic, and not born to be an adrift mercenary, then you should understand the feelings of all Romans, that when they die, they should be buried by their relatives, and that all people, rich and poor, need a grave. ”

"I sympathize with your wife, but as you have just said, you and your husband are Roman citizens of Italy, and it is not appropriate for you to go out with a foreigner now, and as the wife of an envoy who died bravely on the battlefield, you should set an example by offering your jewels and dowry to encourage the soldiers, and then take your hair-dressing maid to the work of repairing the city walls." Hitius replied with the hilt of his sword on his hand.

"Demons, hard-hearted demons!" Rinchardt's spirit was almost broken, and she tore and pounced on her, but was stopped by the guards of Hitius, when a scream rang out from the gates, "That's why I won't let you out, ma'am." Hitius stood high on the stairs and pointed to the eastern gate, and Lenchat's eyes widened in horror and looked back—all the Numidians were sandwiched between two wooden fences, and slaughtered by the Hipius on either side with swords and spears, and the gates of the city wall had fallen, and the Numidians howled, and they had been happy to think that they would not have to die with this unfortunate city, but they did not expect to be caught in such a trap.

Everywhere there was flesh and blood, corpses were getting higher and higher, and some of the survivors got out from under the mule carts, stepping on corpses and pools of blood, and slowly climbing up with their hands, hoping to climb out, but the city was full of heavily armed soldiers, constantly killing those who climbed up, and kicking the corpses down again.

"You are slaughtering innocents, you also did not save my husband in the previous battle, if the city of Varga falls that is even better, if it does not fall, I will also accuse you in front of the high priest, I must accuse you!" Hitius ignored Lenthard's words, and he hurried to the western tower, where Rabinus commanded the siege.

"I am the current commander-in-chief of the city, and I would like to speak with His Excellency Rabinus about the terms of surrender!" (To be continued......)