Mediterranean Hegemon of Ancient Greece - Chapter 974

[Chapter 312 Capture the Dagang]

There are three ports in Syracuse, the smallest one is on Ortigia Island, which has only two docks and few ships berthed.

There is a small port on the north of the isthmus connecting Ortigia Island with the urban area. It was an early commercial port in Syracuse. Later, with the expansion of the urban area, the increase in population, and the prosperity of maritime trade, the small port was no longer sufficient. Great port was built.

The big port in a broad sense refers to a wide bay like a pocket to the west of Syracuse, while the real big port is only a small part of the northeast corner of the bay, which is two miles south of the isthmus of Ortigia Island. It used to be part of a swamp, but it was filled up by the Syracuses and built a port, and the freedmen and slaves who kept pouring into Syracuse and working for the port had to continue to go to the port in order to have enough places to live. The swamps were filled in the west and rudimentary houses were built, which also caused the city walls near the bay to move westward. Among the many derogatory nicknames given by citizens in the city to the people in the port area, “Swamp Man” is the most used.

Hiktas led more than 2,000 soldiers and quickly marched southwestward without encountering major obstacles along the way.

In fact, Theagenis, who was defending the western city, had already received urgent news from the council that “Hiktas has rebelled and is attacking the council”, and asked him to immediately send 2,000 heavy infantry to the Council, quickly annihilate this rebellion and avoid the Council from being attacked.

The people in the council are indeed urgently recruiting old citizens, as Hiktas expected, but what he did not expect is that military mobilization will take time, and the square is too close to the council. Members are worried about their own safety and can’t wait. When the new army was formed, they sent for help to Theagenis, who was nearest to them.

The deputies described the situation as very serious, and The Argenes became very anxious in addition to being shocked. As the fortress of Yuriarus was occupied, the council sent more than 6,000 soldiers (including on both sides of the city wall aisles). , coupled with the subsequent extensive and violent attack of the Syracuse army on the city, all the troops under Teagenes went up to the city to defend, and there were no extra soldiers around him, so he had to quickly withdraw from the army defending the city. ,

Nearly 1,000 soldiers were dispatched, which was the largest force he could squeeze out with all his strength, and for this reason, the defense force of the entire city became even tighter.

The nearly 1,000 soldiers rushed to the main city, and at this moment, Hiktas led more than 2,000 soldiers to the port in a hurry, and the two sides crossed a few streets.

Hiktas led the troops to the inner wall, which is the city wall built by the Syracuses to separate the people in the port area. Every day, a team of citizens in the city of Syracuse is stationed. The goods of the port, foreign merchants and To enter the main city, foreign sailors must pass their check.

People in the port area naturally have to go through this checkpoint when they go to the city, and they will inevitably be questioned. The people in the port area have always believed that this is the most powerful evidence that Syracuse treated them unequally, and it also gave them a thorn in their hearts.

After the overthrow of Dionysius,

Thestis and others had proposed to Haroris on this matter to “remove this inner wall”. Haroris did not agree, but agreed that the soldiers stationed on the inner wall should be removed from the wall. Port citizens served, but after the death of Herolis, the council once again replaced the soldiers stationed on the inner wall with citizens of the city.

Since this inner wall is mainly aimed at the port area and plays the role of isolation and inspection, it is not as tall and strong as the outer city wall. Directly order the soldiers to kill the city head from several stone stairs on the inner side of the city wall, and at the same time order other soldiers to throw javelins at the defenders at the city head.

Usually there are 20 soldiers stationed here. After Tai Argenis sent reinforcements to the council, he also thought of the importance of this place, but he was really short on troops, and only sent 150 people, originally thinking of Sitaxus. After the attacking council was defeated, the inner wall could cut off their passage to the port, and the subsequent pursuers could encircle them and destroy them here, but he did not expect that the Sitaxus did not attack the council at all, but returned directly. The port, as a result, the 150 defenders were quickly defeated under the full attack of more than 2,000 people.

Sitaxus led his troops through the inner walls and into the port area.

On the other hand, he asked Zamoratis to bring people to tell the people in the port area: he has decided to join the kingdom of Dionia, hoping to get their support and make all defense preparations to deal with the possible coming of Syracuse. Army’s attack.

At the same time, he led the main force to the military port.

The military port is located not far north of the commercial port. It has been expanded many times. In the later period of Dionysius’s reign, it can accommodate 500 three-tier oars and 100,000 crew members.

But now there are only 50 warships (including 30 3-layer oars) berthed in the military port. There are about 7,000 people in the military port, most of whom are from the port area, and nearly half of these crew members from the port area. They are poor and free people, and very few people come from the urban area. They are port guards, captains, deck soldiers…

Since it is during the war, the council requires that the crew of the fleet must gather at the military port every morning, and then meet at the port. The warships are in their positions, ready to strike whenever an order is given.

However, there are only more than 100 defenders in the city of the port. Even if the soldiers on the ship are included, there are no more than 400 in total. They can ensure the security of the military port and command the warships. That is because the people in the port area basically abide by the tin Lacuza Law.

Now, Hiktas led the army to the outside of the military port. Without saying a word, he directly ordered the soldiers to forcibly attack, and also arranged for some people to shout in the military port: “Brothers in the port area, you don’t have to worry about being with the powerful Dai. The Onia fleet is at war, and General Hiktas has led us to the kingdom of Dionia. Pick up the weapons in your hands, and join us in occupying this naval port, and then become a citizen of Dioria and gain fertile land ! …”

Since half of Syracuse’s sailors were made up of freedmen, they were easily infiltrated by the Dionysian Sicilian intelligence services, and these spies often preached among the sailors “the horrors of the Dionysian navy and the enjoyment of the freedmen when they joined the kingdom. The benefits”, made the sailors both love and fear Dionia. Since Syracuse tore up the agreement, formed an alliance with Carthage, and went to war with Dionia, at first the navy avoided war because the council wanted to preserve its strength. Later, at the strong request of Carthage, the Syracuse Navy did not go out to sea, but after discovering the Dionysian warship from a distance, even if the commander wanted to try a battle, the sailors did not have the will to fight. , using various methods to delay the implementation, so so far, the Syracuse Navy has not fought against the Dionysian fleet, nor has it attacked the Dionysian ships.

Now, the sailors heard the familiar shouts of the soldiers outside the naval port. Led by the Dionysian spies, they picked up wooden oars and daggers, swarmed up, and quickly defeated the captain and the captain of the warship. The deck soldiers then jumped out of the boat and rushed towards the port defenders who were struggling to defend the Hyktas attack at the gate.

Hiktas occupied the military port, and he did not feel relieved. He knew that the council would send troops soon, and the time was very tight, so he solemnly said to Artemis: “I have done what you asked me to do. , I’ll need your help now!”

……………………………………………

A hundred meters away from the gate of Syracuse, there is a statue of Leotizides in uniform. Standing facing the city wall like a statue, the battle has been going on for 4 hours, the sun has risen to the middle of the sky, he basically stood here, didn’t move much, and stared intently at the battle in front of him.

The screams of soldiers who fell from the ladder, soldiers who were hit by stones and wood under the city, siege vehicles ignited by rockets, and soldiers trapped in siege towers continued… Making his face frozen by the frost moved, it was his adjutant Taglu who had been worrying about the fierce battle.

At this time, a messenger rushed from the front, and Taglu hurried up to meet him. After a while, he rushed to Leotizides and said, “Your Excellency Commander, Captain of the 1st Battalion of the Seventh Legion, Ann. Fides said, ‘The siege force he led had too many casualties, and I hoped that it could be withdrawn immediately and let the next wave of troops take over.'”

Leotitsidus said without hesitation: “Tell him, ‘Don’t retreat, continue to attack with all my strength, otherwise the military will punish you!'”

Taglu hesitated after hearing this, and said, “Lord Commander, they But the 7th Legion”

“What happened to the 7th Legion?!” Leoticides’ face sank: “As the commander, the 7th Legion and the 8th Legion are treated the same. In the previous offensive, the 8th Legion The legion continued to fight for more than two hours, and it was really difficult to support. I only changed to the seventh legion. How long did they fight?”

“About…more than an hour. UU Kanshu www.sonicmtl.com” Facing Leotti With Zeders’ sharp eyes, Tagluo said in a low voice.

“It’s only been over an hour, and the soldiers of the Eighth Legion have not had enough rest. Let them continue to fight for another hour.” Leotizides said coldly,

“Yes!” Tagluo was about to inform the summons Then I heard Leotizides say: “It stands to reason that the Seventh Legion should be able to fight longer.”

“Huh?”

“Have you noticed that the defense of the Carthaginians is weakening.” Leoti Zedes watched the battle ahead, not so much asking Taggloo’s opinion as he was analyzing to himself: “In this period of time, as far as I can see, our soldiers have Twice climbed to the top of the city through the ladder, and held on for at least 5 minutes before being driven down. At this time yesterday, this situation did not happen at all; and… those of us stood on several mobile towers. The light infantry has not been replaced so far, and it has been replaced twice at this time yesterday, what does that mean?”

Leotizides’s voice suddenly became louder: “It means that the defense capabilities of the Syracuses are better than yesterday’s. Weak, they must have dispatched a lot of soldiers to retake the fortress of Yuriarus, so the defense force on the top of the city is not enough.”