Volume 5: The Hegemon of Southern Italy, Chapter 79: Retreat?

Matonis, however, was concerned about a different issue. He gazed westward for a while and said with a frown, "It took the Tarentine army this long just to assemble! And I can see quite a few soldiers among them who look barely of age. How much fighting strength can such an army have?"

"Don't expect anything from them; we'll have to rely on ourselves in the end. The only thing these pampered Tarentines need to do on the battlefield is wait for us to rout the enemy, then clean up after us and gather the spoils," Olivus said contemptuously.

"Olivus, don't underestimate the enemy! Lord Davos has said that the Messapians are not only fierce in battle but also tenacious and tough to deal with. We must take them very seriously and unite with the Tarentines, doing our utmost to defeat them!" Geogris reminded him.

Geogris had originally been a battalion commander of the Third Army Corps, but according to the new legion organization regulations: officers and soldiers of the First and Second Army Corps were to be drawn as much as possible from the citizens, preparatory citizens, and resident freemen of Thurii and Amendolara; the Third Army Corps was composed of people from Grumentum and Nerulum; and the Fourth Army Corps was made up of people from Crimissa and Asperustum. This was mainly for convenience in army management, training, mobilization, and deployment, to improve combat efficiency. Of course, it could easily lead to cliques and local factionalism within each corps, but Davos considered that at least in the early stages of the alliance, the benefits outweighed the drawbacks. Those shortcomings could be addressed in the future by increasing officer mobility. Geogris still lived in Amendolara and had not moved elsewhere, so he was transferred from the Third Army Corps to the First Army Corps, still serving as a battalion commander.

Olivus, who was used to bullying Geogris, wanted to retort, but Alexis said, "Geogris is right. This war is different from the past; it involves joint operations with other city-states, especially Tarentum. We must not only take it very seriously but also handle our relationship with the Tarentine army carefully. Otherwise, at the critical moment of battle, if our allies don't fully support us, disaster will befall us. Keep in mind that Thurii is across a gulf from here; if that happens, it will be difficult for us to return..."

Alexis was a veteran battalion commander, so Olivus had nothing to say. The other battalion commanders agreed with Alexis.

Amyntas slapped Olivus on the shoulder vigorously and said loudly, "To be honest, I don't like these Tarentines who are like women either! But for the sake of victory, we have to endure for now. Once we defeat the Messapians, I'd really like to see if the Tarentines even bother to say thank you!"

He burst out laughing, and Olivus laughed too.

"Alright, everyone quickly return to your own battalions. The Tarentine army is also coming out; we should form up and set out!" reminded Capus, the First Army Corps legion commander.

Not long after the huge send-off procession left the city gate, the women among them hesitated about whether to continue forward, because ahead on the ground sat or lay densely packed Daonian soldiers, laughing loudly, speaking crudely, and many were bare-chested, making the conservative Tarentine women feel embarrassed.

The Tarentine soldiers were also somewhat displeased, pointing at the resting Daonians and muttering sarcastic remarks.

"Truly rude yokels!" Diomilas had not personally seen the Daonian army when it first arrived, and seeing this now, he expressed his dissatisfaction. "Where is Davos? Have him assemble his army quickly!" Diomilas emphasized the word "army" heavily to show his contempt.

"He should be over there," Eumachus said, pointing to the largest and most conspicuous banner among a dozen raised standards ahead.

"The military banner is rather flashy!" Diomilas snorted and followed Eumachus, riding over.

Davos, like those around him, had removed his armor and wore only a linen tunic underneath. He sat casually on the dirt ground, talking with the soldiers.

Martius, the captain of the guard, was the first to see the arriving Tarentine magistrates and whispered a few words in Davos's ear. Only then did Davos slowly turn around.

"Lord Davos, when do we set out?" Eumachus asked, before Daiomelas could speak.

Davos glanced at Daiomelas, whose expression was unhappy, and said flatly, "It is time to set out. The soldiers have been in the sun for over an hour and are almost dried out."

Diomilas heard this as Davos's veiled criticism that it was the Tarentine army's slowness that was the real reason the Daonian soldiers had been so lax. He coughed dryly a few times.

"Sound the horn to assemble!" Davos no longer dwelled on the issue and gave the order decisively.

As soon as the bugle sounded, the soldiers who had been resting in various postures immediately moved quickly, helping each other put on their armor. The officers at all levels began calling their subordinates to fall in, while the standard bearers waved their banners and shouted unit names to mark positions for the soldiers.

For a moment, dust filled the air and there was a great commotion, but soon it became quiet again.

What appeared before Diomilas was no longer the messy scene of soldiers sitting around in scattered groups, chatting, sleeping, and disorderly, but fully armed, neatly arranged columns of infantry...

Daiomelas drew in a cold breath. As a Tarentine general who had experienced many battles, he understood in his heart that achieving this meant the army had strict training and strong discipline.

He turned to look back at the Tarentine side: soldiers and civilians mingled, still embracing and seeing each other off; some soldiers were even crying bitterly, showing no sign of being about to march off to fight.

Daiomelas's face couldn't take it anymore. Without another word, he turned his horse and rode back...

At that moment, Triphyas and Tudeples also arrived.

Davos, now fully armed, said seriously, "Before we set out, we need to discuss the marching order."

He swept his gaze over them. "My suggestion is that the Daonian army marches at the front, Heraclea and Metapontum in the middle, and Tarentum at the rear."

Eumachus immediately understood Davos's intention: in case of enemy attack, the Daonian army would bear the brunt at the front, giving the units behind time to react and prepare.

This suggestion was indeed selfless. Eumachus nodded in agreement, and Triphyas and Tudeples had no objections either; their armies were the weakest and were happy to be protected in the middle.

"Based on what you said last time, the terrain from here to Manduria is flat. I plan to split the army into five columns, widen the intervals between columns, and march abreast. That way, we can better handle a sudden enemy attack and shorten the time to reach Manduria. Also, placing the baggage train in the middle will protect it," Davos continued.

Eumachus hesitated. As carelessly as Davos said it, without training in this regard, the columns might end up mixing together as they marched.

"I'll need to discuss this with Diomilas first before deciding," he said cautiously.

The other two had no objections; their troops were few and easier to manage.

"In addition, for the scout cavalry being sent out, I suggest a mixed unit of Daonian and Tarentine cavalry," Davos said. Without timely intelligence on the enemy, the commander would be blind and deaf. So, despite hearing that the Messapian cavalry was formidable, Davos had still brought two hundred cavalrymen with Laedes by ship. As a time traveler with knowledge of ancient military history, cavalry was a branch Davos intended to cultivate as a priority. Therefore, even if there were losses, it would be worthwhile to let the Daonian cavalry understand their own shortcomings and strive to improve. At the same time, he had also brought Izam's mountain reconnaissance battalion to learn and familiarize themselves with the terrain and mountains of this land, for future use.

Since the war began, Tarentum had suffered heavy cavalry losses, even leading to some nobles refusing to serve. Eumachus welcomed this proposal eagerly.

When he returned and conveyed Davos's suggestions to Diomilas, Diomilas thought briefly and replied, "If the Daonians can do it, then Tarentum certainly can too!"

The Daonia-Tarentum allied forces, after reorganization, began their march.

In fact, as soon as the Messapian-Peucetii Allied Forces learned of the Greek army's advance, they quickly lifted the siege and withdrew to their camp two miles south of Manduria. Therefore, the Daonia-Tarentum allied forces encountered no fighting at all, and even their scouts suffered no losses, entering the city of Manduria smoothly by dusk.

Joining forces with the garrison greatly boosted the soldiers' morale, especially the Tarentines. At the same time, the increase in strength led the commanders to decide, after brief deliberation, to rest for a night and then march straight to confront the Messapian-Peucetii Allied Forces the next day. The only headache was that the small city of Manduria suddenly had nearly thirty thousand people packed into it, making it rather cramped. Arranging lodging for the soldiers was a troublesome task.

The next day, just after dawn, Solikos led a mixed cavalry squad close to the Messapian-Peucetii camp to reconnoiter, only to find the camp already empty.

Solkos immediately sent someone back with the news, while, guided by the Tarentine cavalry, he split the cavalry squad into two groups. One group headed south toward Ugentum; the other east toward Brundisium, continuing to search for traces of the enemy.

When Davos and the others received the news, they realized the enemy was trying to flee and promptly assembled the army. During this process, cavalry reported again that the enemy army's tracks had been found to the east.

The commanders' first reaction was that the Messapian-Peucetii were retreating to Brundisium.

"We cannot let them retreat to Brundisium! If they do, we'll be forced to besiege the city, and our soldiers' casualties will likely be very heavy! We must catch up to them and force a decisive battle on the spot!" Diomilas urged urgently. The horrific experience of the previous assault on Brundisium was still fresh in his memory.