Chapter 17: The Rhode Islanders Return the Favor (I)

"If anyone doubts the slightest doubt about their sacrifice, he will surely be damned." - Alexander's father, Philip, wept after seeing all 150 pairs of same-sex comrades of the Theban Order hugging each other and dying in battle.

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Such conditions were naturally very advantageous, because in the past two years the inhabitants of the city-states of Asia Minor and Greece had suffered greatly from the extortion of the tax knights (most of whom were sent by Pompey and Scipio to collect war funds for them), and in this situation, there were many "four-divided monarchs" (four-division of the kingdom of Thessalya, which originally referred to the four divisions of the Greek kingdom of Thessalya, and later the Romans would split it into many small kingdoms to control each powerful kingdom, each of which had its own monarch, collectively known as the Tetra Monarchs) also took the opportunity to put their hands on it, because they no longer had the Roman governor on their heads, and they also rubbed oil on the people and chambers of commerce in their territories. Therefore, in such a situation, the immigration request issued by Fort Libida is tantamount to a timely rain in the dry season.

Now after several years of development, although the city of Cyrene has made great progress in trade and shipbuilding, the total population of the city-state has always hovered at 30,000, because the long and difficult land and sea routes have blocked the footsteps of immigration, and the city-state has to "buy" the remaining population from the neighboring desert tribes to support agricultural production. Then in the short term for five years. The population is making encouraging progress. It shouldn't be some unattainable dream.

And what Li Bida didn't expect was. The first to come to Fort Liepita to pay allegiance to him was Macmillan, the "Purple Sail Pirate" who had been crisscrossing the seas for more than ten years, and he took about fifty warships and stopped on the sea in front of the reef of Coargnon like a polite guest, "knocking on the door" and begging to let him enter the strait.

Macmillan, after Pompey's crusade, remained hidden in several ports of Dacia facing the Black Sea (the Yukchen Sea), and the barbarian kings of Dacia or Thrace. also needed a role like him, as a helper for trade and plunder, so he directly leased three or four seaside towns to him, forming a "pirate kingdom", mainly to do business with the Bosphorus and Colchis kingdoms, and if they couldn't get along, they would directly rob by force, and their lives were also quite nourishing.

Now he heard that there had been a fellowship with Lybida, who had become the commander of the Roman cavalry, and was keenly aware of it after the Byzantine city was built. I have reached the top of glory on the surface of the Black Sea, and it is time to "continue to sublimate my dreams". Turning to Caesar's deputy in time to clear his name, relying on Fort Liebida to make the family business and extend it back to the rich Aegean Sea, and even the coast of Africa, has become Macmillan's urgent need.

The request for a meeting on the shore was granted, but Li Bida demanded that "only you and your flagship be allowed to enter", Macmillan's five-column rowing ship flagship, beating the drum, entered the narrow Bosphorus, he stood on the deck, and saw that Li Bida's subordinates, like small ants, were busy on the big wooden pillars standing in the turbulent waters, reinforcing the wooden pillars, preparing to connect the iron chains that would block the strait in the future, and then he saw that on the beach along the coast, all kinds of lifting equipment were being manipulated, Stacked with stone walls and various buildings, hundreds of soldiers either in and out of the camp, or dining on the ground, the atmosphere was solemn and solemn, which could not help but make Macmillan fearful, and at last at the side of the winding trestle, he saw the guard of honor of the cavalry commander, which was lined up in the towering hills, twelve axes carried by the shoulders of the twelve clubs, shining in the sun with a terrifying light, several military slaves ran down in a puff of smoke, waved at Macmillan and shouted:

"Before the cavalry commander gets angry, lower your arrogant purple sails!"

"Damn it, come down, get down!" Macmillan came to his senses, and hurriedly scolded the sailors, hurriedly pulled down the purple sail horizontally, and then made a respectful gesture, and with a group of henchmen, covered the purple robes with a crude brown cloak, climbed the stairs, and prostrated himself at the feet of Li Bida on the top of the hill.

"Perhaps you already know that your little Babu has been murdered by despicable villains in the previous vendetta of infighting in the city of Rome." Unexpectedly, the first thing Li Bida said to Macmillan was about Claudius's death.

Macmillan's rough face actually brought tears to his face, "I want to hear that the enemy who killed Little Babu is still alive in this world." ”

"There are two enemies, one of whom has been slain by me, and the other is Ignagius, who is said to have captained the cavalry under Pompey of Africa. In addition, the two men were instructed to kill Claudius, who was Pompey. How, will you offer your allegiance to Caesar and me against the enemy? Li Bida continued to ask.

The other party raised the small banner commanding the fleet, kneeled in front of Li Bida, and offered his hands, "From now on, the Purple Sail Fleet is at your disposal." ”

"Very well, I hereby appoint you as the commander of the Fort Lybida fleet, and concurrently serve as my admiral." Li Bida raised his hand, signaling that he could stand up, "Nicomedia is the anchorage of your ships, and you will be given rich supplies and wages at that time, provided that you do not plunder the surrounding cities, and when the main body of the fortress is completed, your task is to go south to the Aegean Sea, control the sea passage to Crete and Cyprus, and support and protect the eastward sea route of His Excellency Caesar." ”

At this moment, several horsemen who ordered the order hurriedly arrived, and handed over the bronze cylinder containing confidential military information to Li Bida's servants, and after Li Bida took it out and inspected it, he learned that Caesar had driven straight into the sea and rushed directly to Ephesus, and the rest of the legions had been left behind by Caesar, and only 3,200 infantry and 800 cavalry of the 10th Legion were followed by him, and 20 ships had been scraped together, and there were no projectors and armor.

Scipio's three legions, five days before Caesar, fled to Ephesus Minor.

"The bald man is really bold, with these troops, he actually chased Scipio 15,000 people and ran around!" After reading it, Li Bida rolled up the letter and stuffed it into a cylinder, and said to the staff next to him, "I will take the 12th legion and all the cavalry directly across the strait and cooperate with the dictator to attack Ephesus, while the rest of the legions will remain here under the command of Petronius and Saab and continue to build the city and solicit it." In addition, Macmillan's fleet immediately moved south to seize control of the Gallipolis. ”

The next day, when the Byzantine lands were just shrouded in the golden sunlight reflected from the sea, the banner of the Balantian falcon was raised from the barracks, and all the officers and men of the Twelfth Legion excitedly exclaimed, "It is an honor to continue to serve under General Lypidaus," and then they marched out of the camp, took a boat, and set up camp on two promontory on the opposite shore of Helispoon. (To be continued......)