Chapter 205

It wasn’t just the soldiers—at the moment the Theonian grand army appeared, Milon’s mind went blank. His body trembled, his face pale. He knew it: I’ve been deceived! Tricked by the cunning Theonians!

Believing the enemy forces were few, he had rashly ordered his army to cross the river right in front of a similarly massive host. For any competent general, this was a military blunder of the highest order. But it was too late to retreat. Withdrawing in the face of the enemy, and having to turn back and re-cross the river, was a fatal taboo for city-state citizen-soldiers who lacked extensive training. It would mean a rout without a battle, allowing the Theonians to attack with ease, turning the seemingly gentle Trionto River into a graveyard for Croton’s citizens.

Milon had never expected the decisive battle between Croton and Theonia to unfold here, now, and so suddenly. Yet, faced with a conflict that would determine the life or death of his city-state, he forced himself to calm down. He cast aside guilt and fear, focusing entirely on the battle before him.

“Blow all the trumpets! Beat all the war drums! Order the soldiers to charge! Charge bravely across the river! That is our only hope for victory!!” he shouted anxiously, raising his arm high.

The heralds spurred their horses directly into the river, shouting the orders at the top of their lungs.

The sudden crescendo of trumpets and drums urged the army forward. The officers within the formation, fully aware of their perilous situation, led the charge from the front, risking their lives to inspire their men.

The Croton army began to accelerate, but the Theonian formation reformed quickly and pressed forward. Due to the riverbed full of cobblestones, neither side charged as heavy infantry typically would; instead, they closed the distance steadily…

When the two sides were only twenty meters apart, Cleobulus saw the enemy opposite him suddenly stop advancing at their officers’ command. The front ranks crouched slightly, and countless glints of cold light flashed from the ranks behind them.

The enemy’s movements made him realize instantly what was coming. Before he could even spit out the word “Javelins,” he hurriedly dropped into a crouch.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

A continuous whistling sound tore through the air, like a sudden gale. Accompanied by rising screams, the entire front rank of the Croton formation fell in the blink of an eye. The volley not only halted the Croton advance but also left their front lines shattered and disjointed.

But the Theonians weren’t finished. Immediately following the first wave came another volley of javelins. At such close range, the lethality of heavy javelins was terrifying.

Just as the Croton soldiers were scrambling to dodge the javelins and help their fallen comrades, throwing their formation into chaos, the Theonians seized the moment. Taking large strides forward, they slammed their round shields into the panicked Croton ranks, stabbing two or three spears simultaneously at enemies who had just survived the javelin rain…

If not for the rear ranks filling the gaps in time, Croton’s front line would have collapsed entirely. However, this also meant the Croton troops were pinned at the river’s edge. Milon’s carefully prepared formation, over twenty ranks deep, now became a liability. Along most of the river section, they were stuck half on the bank and half in the water.

In heavy infantry combat, aside from face-to-face slaughter, pushing the enemy back with the weight of the formation—like a tug-of-war match—was another effective way to achieve a breakthrough. But in their current predicament, the Croton soldiers couldn’t form a unified force. Instead, under the powerful shove of the enemy, they were slowly pushed back.

***

When the sky-darkening cloud of javelins flew into the Croton ranks, Milon felt his heart stop.

Theonian heavy infantry can throw javelins! 

Milon deeply regretted his carelessness. He hadn’t bothered to learn the detailed tactical characteristics of the Theonian army. Looking at their light infantry, and now their heavy infantry, it was clear this was a force with unique tactics and rigorous training!

While Milon grieved for his soldiers’ deaths and regretted his negligence, his subordinate stared at the slaughter on the opposite bank and shouted anxiously, “Damn it! How do the Theonians have so many hoplites?! Their reinforcements from Niutum and Laos must have arrived!”

Indeed, according to reports from the left and right wings, the Theonian battle line was almost the same length as theirs. Furthermore, they were able to force the Croton formation back. Even accounting for the advantage of terrain, their depth couldn’t be much thinner than Croton’s. Do the Theonians facing us also number around twenty thousand?

Hearing his subordinate’s curses, a lightning bolt of realization struck Milon’s mind. Bent on revenge, he had carefully studied every secret report from Thurii and knew something of the Theonian League.

He recalled a report stating that travel from Thurii to Niutum took at least three days, and the same to Laos. Even if a cavalry messenger carried the mobilization order to Niutum and Laos, and the troops assembled and marched immediately, the round trip would take six days. After all, the road connecting Thurii, Niutum, and Laos had only just begun construction, and it had only been four days since the declaration of war—unless Theonia had mobilized in advance.

But three days ago, those mercenaries hadn’t even attacked Crimisa. Milon had tortured several captives, including Cleanor and Torykos, and they all confessed unanimously that they had hidden their plans from Davos and decided to take Crimisa on their own. Therefore, the reinforcements from Niutum and Laos should still be en route to Thurii.

So where did all these Theonian hoplites come from?

The citizens of Thurii and Amendolara certainly didn’t number this many. Milon was sure of that. Suddenly, he remembered something. …Freedmen?! It’s those so-called registered freedmen of Theonia!!

Milon suddenly recalled that previous reports mentioned Theonia frequently organizing military training for their freedmen. He remembered many in the Croton Council mocking Theonia for being desperate enough to turn uncouth freedmen into city-state citizens—calling it absurd! But the scene before him proved Theonia’s method was effective. The armor and shields these once-poor freedmen wore likely came from the Croton army defeated or captured in the last war!

Despite his resentment, Milon realized something even clearer: if Thurii had deployed even these freedmen to the battlefield, they must have emptied their entire reserve. So, do they have any troops left?!

Looking at the battlefield ahead, shaking with the roar of killing, Milon’s spirit rallied. “Eutydemos!”

“General, what is it?” the shouting subordinate responded.

“Take these two thousand soldiers immediately and head east. Place them under Philadelphus’s command.”

“What?! Didn’t you intend for this unit to reinforce the center?!” Eutydemos asked in confusion.

“Execute the order!” Milon glared. This son of his good friend was hardworking but too lively by nature. “Tell General Philadelphus that the enemy on the opposite bank won’t be numerous. Tell him to cross the river as quickly as possible, regardless of casualties! Once he defeats the enemy there, he is to circle back and flank the Theonian main army! The victory or defeat of this battle depends on his action!” Milon instructed with utmost gravity.

“Understood!” Reminded by Milon, Eutydemos saw the path to victory and rushed off excitedly to carry out the order.

Milon dismounted, grabbed a shield and spear, and led his personal guard into the river, joining the battle formation. He shouted constantly, urging his soldiers to fight bravely.

Since the Theonian heavy infantry was mostly composed of reserve citizens, he refused to believe these novices—who were freedmen just half a year ago and had no heavy infantry combat experience—could master the essence of hoplite warfare in such a short time. This was the source of his confidence. He firmly believed that even if the Croton soldiers were in a difficult situation, they could hold out until Philadelphus’s army arrived.

***

Behind the center of the Theonian battle line, a great banner stood tall. Like the legion standards, it was topped with a statue of Hades, Lord of the Underworld, but it was significantly larger. The flag itself was broad, embroidered only with the name “Davos” in large gold letters.

With the Theonian League now fielding three legions, Davos naturally had to step back and assume his proper role. According to tradition, the archon also served as the commander of the city-state’s army. Thus, Davos’s highest rank in the alliance military was Commander-in-Chief of the Theonian League Army (Supreme Commander).

At this moment, Davos was also watching the enemy’s movements across the river.

“Commander, the enemy has troops moving downstream!” Aristocrates shouted the warning. As a talent Davos had his eye on, Davos intended to groom him comprehensively like Axistes, so he brought him along in battle. However, since he was still only a freedman, he temporarily held the title of scribe.

Davos had been waiting for this moment. “Tolrnides!”

“Commander, your orders!” Tolmides’ response was filled with genuine respect.

Croton’s rapid advance had greatly exceeded the generals’ expectations. With the armies of Niutum and Laos unable to arrive in time, the disparity in troop numbers was significant. During the military council, many had proposed abandoning the reinforcement of Castellum and holding fast at Thurii to wait for reinforcements before seeking a decisive battle. But Davos had overridden the majority, insisting on pushing the battle line to Castellum. Out of respect for his long-established prestige, they were eventually persuaded.

He had conscripted every citizen and registered freedman in Thurii and Amendolara capable of fighting and training, even including some recently arrived freedmen. This was indeed a massive risk. With the Theonian grand army concentrated at Castellum, the rear areas of Thurii and Amendolara were virtually defenseless, save for a few troops at the port. If the Croton fleet landed on the Sybaris plain, Theonia would be unable to resist for some time. Yet Davos dared to make such a bold move.