Volume 5: The Hegemon of Southern Italy, Chapter 82: The Battle of the Anleen Hills (Part 1)

Solikos finally breathed a sigh of relief: he knew the prowess of the peltasts of the Seventh Battalion of the First Army Corps. On a narrow mountain path with insufficient room to dodge, it would be nearly impossible to evade the javelin throws of the peltasts.

...

Pashimelus, the magistrate of Udie, led soldiers of the Messapian City-State League charging down from the hills on both sides, attacking the Tarentines in the mountain pass from both flanks.

The Peucetii and Igrathian soldiers did not join the battle, because scout cavalry reported that the Daonians had also entered the Anelem Hills.

Trellemoni hoped to see them hurry over to reinforce the Tarentines; then, even if their soldiers outnumbered the Peucetii, another ambush would finish them all off.

But the news brought back by the escaped scouts dashed his hopes.

"What?! The Daonians didn't advance along that mountain path toward us—they vanished?!" Trellemoni stomped and cursed: "And you still have the nerve to say you don't know! Don't think I won't punish you just because you're a Messapian! You must find out where the Daonians have gone!"

"King of the Peucetii, the Daonians suddenly dispatched over a hundred cavalry to hunt down our scouts. It's already lucky that they escaped," Igrathian Magistrate Timocrates stepped forward to counsel. "The Daonians will definitely come to rescue the Tarentines. The key is to know which direction they're coming from so we can intercept them in time. Otherwise, the situation will be very dangerous."

"Send out all the cavalry and search for them as quickly as possible! An army of tens of thousands—I don't believe they can hide!" Trellemoni shouted in frustration. The cunning Daonians had clearly come prepared, ruining all of Trellemoni's previous arrangements. Recalling how the Daonian army had ignored the Messapian-Peucetii Allied Forces' bait and marched straight toward Brundisium, Trellemoni realized he had underestimated the Daonian commander.

"What is the name of that young Daonian commander?" Trellemoni asked seriously.

"I think it's... Davos," Timocrates replied.

Trellemoni repeated the name several times, a glint of excitement igniting in his eyes...

With the site of the Tarentines' ambush as the center, cavalry were skirmishing on every mountain path and at every gentle foothill in the southward half-fan area. Meanwhile, Davos seized the time to dispatch the Mountain Scout Unit to scout ahead, and under their guidance, he led his army rapidly toward the direction where the roar of battle was deafening.

But Davos had not expected that although the hills here were not very tall, they covered a large area. Sometimes the hills were connected with no path between them, forcing them to pass through low-lying gaps between hills. So what he had originally planned—a small detour eastward to avoid the Messapian-Peucetii ambush and swiftly reach the enemy's flank and rear to rescue the Tarentine army—in reality, the detour kept growing larger.

The ever-increasing distance caused the soldiers of Heraclea and Metapontum to complain bitterly. Although the Daonian soldiers also felt some dissatisfaction in their hearts, few voiced it.

Eumachus was extremely anxious: the scouts' reports and the earth-shaking cries of battle from afar shattered his remaining hope—the Messapians indeed had an ambush!

Recalling the warnings Davos had given earlier, he was filled with regret: he had not believed Davos more firmly, and had not more resolutely stopped Diomilas from acting on his own. Now he was tasting the bitter fruit.

At this moment, he placed all his hopes of rescue on Davos, but dared not urge him, lest he anger this young military genius and affect the rescue of the Tarentine army.

Davos was equally anxious; the long mountain march also made him irritable. He could see the fatigue of the soldiers. The battlefield should be not far ahead, and the sounds of fighting and screams grew clearer, but he couldn't be sure if there were more difficult hills ahead that would force another detour.

"Supreme Commander, Izam has returned!" Tolmides shouted from up ahead.

"Quick! Bring him here!" Davos hurried forward.

"Supreme Commander, ahead... ahead there's no need to detour. We can go straight through..." Izam gasped, saluted, and said urgently: "After two more hills, we can reach the battlefield. But my men have also spotted the enemy heading this way!"

Davos calmed down at this point: given the time that had passed, it was normal for the Messapian-Peucetii Allied Forces to have detected his army's movements. And since they were on interior lines, it was no surprise that they could intercept him ahead. But the enemy had also rushed here hastily, so they couldn't have prepared any defenses, let alone an ambush. In a direct fight, the Daonian Army Corps feared no one—as long as they didn't have to detour again!

At his request, Izam used a branch to draw a simple map of the terrain ahead on the ground.

After pointing to various key points and inquiring in detail, Davos made up his mind: "Order the entire army to accelerate through this hill, then deploy in formation. The First Army Corps on the left, the Second Army Corps on the right, and the remaining units as reserve!"

"Yes!" Tolmides answered excitedly.

In fact, the Daonian reinforcements had made a large detour and were now approaching the exit of the Anelem Hills, which meant they were behind the Messapian-Peucetii Allied Forces. Here, the terrain gradually became more level.

The Daonian army passed through the paths between the hills. A series of rolling hills lay before them; fortunately, these hills were at most 30 meters high and easy to climb.

Crossing them would lead to the battlefield! The Daonian soldiers heard the sounds of battle from beyond the hills clearly in their ears, and seeing more and more foreigners appearing on the hills, their fighting spirit began to boil...

Finally caught up! King Trellemoni of the Peucetii climbed a hill, looked down at the Greek soldiers continuously emerging from the mountain path ahead, and let out a long breath.

"King, look over there!" A Peucetian commander pointed down the hill, where several Greeks wearing helmets with bright crests were galloping along the path before the hills, occasionally stopping and pointing this way while discussing something. Behind them followed a contingent of soldiers, the foremost of whom held aloft a large golden banner.

"Da—vos—" Trellemoni muttered the somewhat awkward name under his breath, stepping forward a few paces, instinctively wanting to see his opponent more clearly.

"King, shall I send some archers down to shoot a few arrows at them?" asked that Peucetian commander.

"Certainly not!" Trellemoni refused without a second thought. He glanced at his subordinate and said with a slightly excited expression: "Let us have a true contest on this high ground with that young famous Greek commander and his Greek heavy infantry!"

Davos carefully controlled his warhorse, galloping back and forth along the mountain path to observe the overall battlefield terrain.

"Where do you think is easiest for us to break through?" Davos suddenly asked.

"There!" The two legion commanders, Capus and Drakos, pointed to the same spot in unison.

That spot was the lowest point between the continuous valleys, only four or five meters high, not only gentle but also wide enough.

Davos nodded, but warned: "The easiest place to pass is often where the enemy's defense is most stringent!"

He stared intently at the two men: "Right now, the Tarentine army is under ambush. Time is critical. I plan to have Amyntas's battalion attack there and break through the enemy's blockade in the shortest possible time!" Antonios's First Battalion had the strongest overall combat capability, but the battalion led by the fierce Amyntas indeed had greater striking power. What Davos needed most at this moment was time.

Capus nodded to indicate he understood. Drakos had been about to say something, but after hearing Davos's words, he kept silent.

"Once the legion soldiers are ready, you will launch the attack on your own!" Davos gave the order decisively.

Capus and Drakos hastily saluted, then spurred their horses back to their respective legions.

"Have the armies of Heraclea and Metapontum deploy in order on the right side of the Second Army Corps as widely as possible. Once the Second Army Corps launches its attack, they can advance and attack," Davos continued to order.

"Yes, Supreme Commander!" Tolmides immediately turned with two messengers toward the mountain path behind.

After Davos finished all arrangements, Eumachus asked in confusion: "Lord Davos, why have you arranged the troops of Triphyas and Tudeples all on the right? In that case, on the left side of the entire formation, won't the enemy's line be longer than ours?"

"Every battle must be arrayed according to the actual situation in order to grasp the initiative. Our current goal is to break through the enemy's blockade and rescue the ambushed Tarentine army; the enemy's goal is to stop our advance. My right wing has more troops than the enemy, making it easier to achieve a breakthrough on the right. Even if the enemy holds off our left wing, if the right wing breaks through, the enemy's plan still fails..." Having finished his commands and having a bit of leisure, Davos patiently explained to Eumachus. "Moreover, haven't you noticed that the further right you go, the gentler the terrain becomes (because it's near the edge of the hills), allowing the troops of Heraclea and Metapontum, which are slightly weaker in combat power, to make better use of their strength."

"But the enemy can also see our deployment from the hilltop. They will surely make changes," Eumachus cautioned.

Davos smiled confidently: "They don't have time."

Eumachus was curious and wanted to ask why they didn't have time, when he heard Davos shout: "Matonis, why aren't you leading your troops? What are you doing here?!"

"Davos... ah, Supreme Commander!" Matonis saw Davos's stern expression and immediately became nervous: "I... I request... that my battalion be the one to attack there." Matonis pointed into the distance, to the breakthrough point mentioned earlier.