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In the Carthaginian Senate, the radical faction led by the Magonids, who the people strongly supported, had vigorously criticised the conservative factions led by Hanno. Finally, their proposal to attack Syracuse and rebuild a defensive barrier for Carthage to the north was passed.

Thus the Carthaginian senate re-appointed Himilco, the head of the Magonids and one of the shophtim of Carthage (similar to an archon), as the supreme commander. He then began recalling the army sent to explore the Iberian Peninsula, whose supreme commander was Himilco’s brother, Mago, and had also begun preparing provisions for the army.

. . . . . . . . . . . . .

A few days ago, a huge incident happened in Grumentum. Two small tribes in the north of Grumentum had a conflict due to territory disputes and even had an armed fight. Bagul, the praetor of the city, went to mediate in person but was suddenly caught unprepared and was suddenly besieged by tribal warriors. Fortunately, thanks to his personal guards, he managed to escape to the city of Grumentum. And soon after, the news about Bagul being seriously injured and in grave danger had spread. At the same time, the city gate was closed, and the city was under tight security, but no soldiers were sent to attack the two tribes who openly raised the flag of rebellion.

For a while, the tribes under Grumentum’s jurisdiction living outside the city were on edge as rumours spread everywhere.

The news soon reached Pyxous and Potentia.

“Son, that old fox, Pamot, has finally taken action! We could no longer wait, and we must send troops immediately to attack Grumentum!” Said Cincinnag excitedly and anxiously.

“Father, haven’t you said that we should only send troops after Potentia send troops?” Gennat asked puzzledly after seeing Cincinnag being excited.

“The situation is now different! Even though Potentia had not dispatched their troops, they had already acted. Didn’t you hear that ‘The praetor of Grumentum was ambushed and was seriously wounded’? This must be the work of Pamot and the others that have secretly instigated the Grumentum tribes close to Potentia! Normally, the Theonians should have dispatched their troops to retaliate against those tribes, but the Theonians did not and had instead locked the city gate. What does that mean?”

Cincinnag then said excitedly, “It shows that the Theonians simply do not have any spare troops to suppress those rebellious tribes, as all their soldiers have been dispatch to attack Bruttii. Why has the Bruttian envoy who came here yesterday was no longer nervous as he was the last time when he came to begged us to join him? He has already made it very clear that ‘even though the Theonians have sent nearly twenty thousand troops to attack the Bruttii mountains from the north, they were still unable to attack the city of Vergae and had instead suffered heavy casualties. And even the ten thousand soldiers sent to conquer Clampetia from the south were likewise unable to advance further beyond the mountains.’ The Theonians was caught in the battle with the Bruttians, therefore, the only thing they wanted was to keep the city of Grumentum. Right now, those tribes in Grumentum are panicking like calves that have lost their mothers. So we must rush ahead of Potentia and immediately send our troops to Grumentum’s territory, and those tribes will surely submit one after another, and our force will grow rapidly. By the time Pamot arrives, it will already be too late, and Grumentum will be in our hands!” Thinking of this, Cincinnag couldn’t help from laugh.

“Father, I will immediately gather the warriors!” Gennat was so excited by the words of his father that he immediately runs out of the living room, while Cincinnag’s voice filled with hatred could be heard from behind, “Cunning Theonians, who dared to take away my Grumentum, the day of revenge that I have been waiting has finally come! O god Asinu, I, Cincinnag, will offer the blood of the Greeks to you in the hope of receiving your blessing!”

. . . . . . . . . . . . .

“Brother, what are you still hesitating?!” Polet shouted anxiously, “Pyxous are the first to strike! It must have been the cunning Cincinnag who won over the tribes of Grumentum and planned to inflict heavy losses to Theonia and Bagul! Now, Pyxous must have already sent out their army! If we still don’t send our troops, Grumentum will fall to Pyxous!”

Compared with the impatient Polet, Pamot – the great chieftain of Potentia who was over fifty years old, after hearing these words, not even his eyebrows move, and he slowly said, “I will still say the same time – Wait.”

“Brother. If you don’t want to take risks, why don’t I take some of our warriors to Grumentum first-” Polet was so anxious that he wanted to say more, but Pamot’s expression became more serious. He looked at his brother and said in a cold voice, “I am still the one in charge of Potentia. If you want to give orders, wait until after I die.”

Polet no longer dared to say anything more as he and Pamot were nearly twenty years apart. In fact, his father died early, making his elder brother take care of him and brought him up. Therefore, although they were brothers, they were more like father and son.

“Polet.” Pamot’s tone softened, “Don’t forget how we lost Grumentum.”

Polet no longer spoke, but he still does not look convinced.

Pamot sighed. His face slightly more gloomy, “I know that over the years, you have been complaining that I have been too cautious in my actions that I did not even interfere in the internal disputes of Lucania and had allowed Akpir to get stronger, and now, I even refuse to move to act on the fat piece of meat which is Grumentum…but you must know that we in Potentia are different from Pyxous and Grumentum. They are surrounded by fellow Lucanians, but to our north are the terrible Samnites. Don’t forget what our ancestors always warned us, ‘We were driven to this mountain area from the north by these Samnites.’ Don’t look at how these Samnites tribes no longer fight with us now, as the only reason we are still safe now is that we have enough warriors, and they also have to deal with the Greeks in the west. But if our strength weakens, do you think those hungry wolves will leave Potentia alone?!”

Polet was slightly moved.

“At the start of the year, I did not resist your repeated request and have sent troops to Grumentum. In the end, you and our warriors were captured by the Theonians…do you know…that at that time, the Samnites have sent an envoy expressing their willingness to help us defeat the Theonians?!”

Now, Polet was visibly moved. He couldn’t stop himself from asking, “There is such a thing?! Did you agree?!”

“Agree?” Pamot sneered, “If I had agreed, Potentia would have already belonged to the Samnites. Fortunately, we have made peace with Theonia in time and released you, which made me relieved. Now, the situation in Grumentum is complicated, and I can’t even guess the outcome of the war between Theonia and Bruttii will be…if we are not sure, then we should not easily send troops. If Cincinnag wants to take Grumentum, then let them. The Theonians are not that easy to deal with.”

After hearing this, Polet was silent for a while. He then reluctantly asked, “If so, why did you agree to ally with Bruttii?”

Pamot’s hazy eyes flashed with a glint of light, “The alliance is also for an additional way out for us. With Asinu’s blessing, we might get a good opportunity…so now, we have to be still and wait patiently…”

. . . . . . . . . . . . .

Pian rushed back to Consentia and was just in time to intercept Likumu, who had hastily led his troops back from Clampetia. Finally, with difficulties, Pian persuaded him to stay in Consentia and attack Besidiae together after gathering the army.

But not long after, the scouts returned, reporting that the Greeks were building a fortress on the path leading to Besidiae.

Pian could no longer sit still any longer. If the Greeks were allowed to build the fortress, it would undoubtedly add more difficulties in taking back Besidiae. Thus he had no choice but to let Likumu lead his warriors to obstruct and gave him an additional thousand warriors from other tribes while repeatedly telling him not to fight the Greeks to the death.

After three hours of rushing with his troops, Likumu could already faintly see the Greeks ahead and stared in disbelief at the Greeks turning the exit of the mountain path into a huge construction site, digging pits, driving piles of stakes, moving wood…a site buzzing with activity. They had even erected a wooden wall that is three metre high and dozens of metres long, with gates, battlements, trenches, abatis…all the necessary defensive facilities of a fortress basically completed.

Likumu had acted quickly, but it was already a day and a half since the second legion occupied Besidiae. The legion’s legatus, Drakos, had seized this favourable opportunity and divided his seven thousand soldiers into three teams and took turns to build the fortress day and night. The soldiers also knew that the time was short, so they put all their strength into the construction. In addition, the engineering camp had assembled some of the defensive facilities. Thus by the time Likumu finally arrived, the fortress had already taken shape.

When the scattered scouts found the Bruttian troops, they immediately rushed back to report. Then a salpinx rang throughout the fortress, and the working soldiers slowly retreated.

Likumu was even angrier that the Greeks were doing whatever they wanted in his territory than being surprised at the speed at which the Theonian soldiers built the fortress, knowing that it took eight days for Besidiae just to remove the defensive camp facing Consentia.

“Kill those Greeks who are outside the fortress!” At his command, the horn sounded and his warriors, filled with hatred at the enemy who had taken their homes, rushed to the unarmed Theonians like fierce wolves.

Under the command of the officers, the Theonian soldiers didn’t panic as they continued to go through the gate orderly and retreated to the wall. The soldiers at the end of the queue had even turned their heads rather leisurely to look back, expecting something good to happen.

At a distance of fifty-metres from the city wall, the charging Bruttian soldiers suddenly screamed and fell to the ground. When they pulled out their feet, they were all drenched in blood, either from being pierced by a stake buried in the grass or the caltrop* that drills bloody holes in their foot. And the narrow foot trap that could twist their ankles…

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