Volume 5: The Hegemon of Southern Italy, Chapter 50: Offensive Planning

Hearing this, Bacule stood up, walked to the map that Davos had prepared, and pointed to the pass between the upper reaches of the Lao River and the Sinni River. He said, "The Pyxous people once built a camp here, mainly to guard against us. After the Potentians occupied Grumentum, they did not abandon this place, but instead reinforced it. According to reports from the reconnaissance team, this camp is garrisoned by about two hundred Potentian warriors. The numbers are small, but the pass is narrow, which is not conducive to deploying troops. We cannot capture it in a very short time, and it would alert the Potentians in Grumentum. If they come to reinforce quickly, it would be a big trouble for us!"

"After careful consideration, Lord Sestas and I decided not to take the pass, but to follow your earlier suggestion: directly cross the Lao River, go to the north bank, advance via the mountain path from the south, and attack Grumentum."

"Though the Lao River is not wide, both banks are steep cliffs. Even the Lucanians, who are good at climbing, have to put in a lot of effort to get across. You want to take several thousand people across the river—how are you going to do that?" Hemon questioned.

Bacule glanced at Davos. Davos smiled and nodded. So Bacule said, "Lord Davos had Little Heracleides send his men to follow us for several days, carefully surveying both banks of the Lao River. They believe they have the ability to build a rope bridge across the river within a day or two, and it is absolutely no problem to ferry 6,000 soldiers across! The ropes, planks, and other materials for building the bridge have already been prepared. We are just waiting for your order, Lord Davos."

Hemon and Vespa exchanged glances. They had not heard a single word about this matter and had been trying to mobilize and plan for the tribes outside Grumentum to attack the camp guarding the pass, to open a path for the attacking force.

Seeing that the two men's expressions were not right, Davos quickly said with a serious expression, "According to the Daonia Military Code, military plans must be kept secret. If leaked, punishment will be dealt, and severe cases may even be executed. It is only because you are participants in this operation that Bacule has told you the military action plan. I hope you will strictly keep the secret after returning and not let it leak out."

Hearing this, Vespa and Hemon let go of some of their displeasure and immediately gave their assurances.

"It takes more than a day from Nerulum to Grumentum, doesn't it? Even if a force of 6,000 is very stealthy, it can easily be discovered," Philistos reminded.

Before Bacule could answer, Hemon spoke first: "If Bacule leads the troops across the river and takes the southern mountain path, there is no need to worry about that..." Hemon's finger traced the Lao River on the map and said confidently, "Because of our efforts during this time, the tribes in the settlements south of Grumentum are mostly willing to follow our Daonia. When I accompany Bacule's force, I believe the tribes there will not only not reveal our movements but also help us reach Grumentum City faster."

"If Lord Hemon can go, it will be the greatest help to the attack on Grumentum!" Davos smiled and expressed his welcome. At the same time, he said, "To prevent accidents, I will send Izam's reconnaissance team to sneak into the Grumentum area in advance, do their best to block the several mountain paths leading to the city from the south, and intercept those Lucanians who might send messages to the city. This will ensure that when you launch a surprise attack on Grumentum, the enemy will still know nothing about it!"

"The several tribes inside the city have promised us that as soon as we launch the attack, they will gather about 500 of their people and attack the south gate, which is guarded by Lussau." After receiving Davos's praise, Hemon became even more excited.

"With the joint efforts of several lords, this operation has been very well prepared." Davos spread his hands, showing a relaxed smile, and looked at Bacule. He said earnestly, "Bacule, you are the front-line commander. The specific battle deployment and coordination with the allies inside the city are for you to decide on your own. I, far away in Thurii, will not interfere. I only hope that you consider the difficulties as much as possible. Once unexpected situations occur, you must have corresponding measures."

Bacule nodded with a grave expression; he felt the pressure. Vespa, sitting beside him, patted his shoulder to encourage him. Hemon's eyes held both excitement and envy: This was the first time a Lucanian was independently leading troops in battle within the Daonia Alliance. Bacule had a bright future. It was a pity he was already married; otherwise, Hemon would have married one of his daughters to him.

"Any other requests?" Davos asked again. Bacule hesitated for a moment and said, "I have taken all the warriors from Nerulum City, leaving its defenses somewhat weak. I hope you can send some soldiers from Thurii to temporarily guard the safety of Nerulum City."

Davos was still considering, but Philistos immediately said, "Lord, I think we can send Xanthiparis and his men to garrison Nerulum, and—" "And these mercenaries who once returned from Persia with me have relatively rich experience in mountain warfare." Reminded by Philistos, Davos remembered this elite force in Thurii that did not farm and worked odd jobs at the port. "They can also assist you in capturing Grumentum."

"With their help, I am even more confident in capturing Grumentum!" Bacule said somewhat excitedly. Davos stood up and looked around at the four men: "Tomorrow I will propose to the Senate—attack Grumentum. I hope you will unite and cooperate, and may news of victory come soon!"

…

After more than two days of marching, the thousand mercenaries led by Xanthiparis finally emerged from the mountains and arrived at the Lao River Fortress.

For the sake of secrecy, the Lao River Fortress had already sealed off the northward passage. It was publicly announced that a group of Lucanians who had fled from Grumentum were hiding in the mountains and forests, repeatedly robbing the people and merchants of Nerulum, and that Nerulum was sending troops to search for them. As a result, there were few pedestrians on the road to Nerulum, and the usual merchants coming and going for trade were not to be seen.

"Finally here we see a flat road. The road ahead should be easier to travel," complained Tolmides. "I heard the road from Nerulum to Thurii has been under construction for over a year, and it's only been built this far!"

"After all, this is a mountainous area, not a plain for road construction. You know how difficult the mountain path we just walked was. Davos actually wants to turn it into a flat road—I wouldn't even dare to think about it! It's normal for road construction here to be slow, as long as it can be completed in the end," Xanthiparis comforted him.

"Paris, you've only been in Daonia for half a year, and you're already speaking for Davos!" Tolmides teased. Xanthiparis glanced at him: "Aren't you?" Both laughed.

"I hope this campaign goes smoothly and allows us all to become preparatory citizens of Daonia!" Tolmides said hopefully. Previously, they had followed the First Army Corps to Caulonia, but Locri had sought peace without fighting, dashing the mercenaries' hopes of earning merits.

"I'm not worried about that. What I worry about is whether the brothers' change of weapons and equipment will affect their fighting ability and increase casualties!" Xanthiparis said worriedly, turning to look at the soldiers, each bare-chested and drenched in sweat.

Because they were to march and fight in the mountains, Davos suggested that Xanthiparis have the mercenaries temporarily set aside their Corinthian helmets, thick and airtight linen cuirasses, bronze greaves, and astonishingly heavy round shields, and instead put on Lucanian warrior attire: leather caps, short tunics, and wooden shields (during the great battle against the Lucanian tribal alliance and the capture of Nerulum, the Daonians had captured a large number of Lucanian weapons and equipment, which had been thrown into the armory in Thurii and never used). Having experience in mountain warfare, Xanthiparis thought it over repeatedly and finally accepted Davos's suggestion.

"Don't worry, our attacking force outnumbers the enemy quite a bit, and we have allies inside. Capturing Nerulum easily is no problem. Besides, with the brothers changing to Lucanian equipment, the march has indeed been much easier. Otherwise, just climbing one mountain would be enough to exhaust us. But here—" Tolmides pointed ahead at the terrain that was gentle but ever rising, and said, "we have been climbing mountains all along!"

Xanthiparis knew that Tolmides was reasonable. He was just getting older and not quite adapting to this new change, so he remained silent.

Tolmides leaned closer to him and said in a low voice, "Recently I heard from Agasia that Davos, together with Philistos and the three legion commanders, has held several discussions. They plan to reform the weapons and equipment of Daonian soldiers, making them lighter and more suitable for prolonged long-distance and mountain warfare..."

Xanthiparis was taken aback and said with some concern, "Is this news true? If we lose the bronze shields and heavy armor, will they still be Greek heavy infantry?!"

"Paris, don't forget that decades ago, Greek heavy infantry still used bronze breastplates! It was precisely because they were too heavy and unfavorable for combat that they were eventually replaced with the current linen cuirass!" Tolmides reminded him. "This is not the key point you should be concerned about. What you should consider is why Davos wants to improve the soldiers' equipment."

Xanthiparis was no fool. With this reminder, he immediately understood: "Davos wants to expand northward?!" Changing the equipment of the city-state's army was certainly not just for one battle or a few battles. It had to serve the long-term plans of the entire city-state. Davos wanted to make the soldiers' armor lighter, more durable, and suitable for mountains. Combining these features, and looking at Daonia's surrounding environment, his intention became clear: only to the north of Daonia, in the central and northern parts of the Apennine Peninsula, would there be more high mountains and more mountain tribes.