Augustus Road

"It must be remembered that a city-state is a people, neither a city wall nor an empty ship." - Nicias encouraged the Athenian army who suffered a defeat in the expedition to Syracuse

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

After making it clear, Sabo ordered the entire army to stop and camp at the pass he was about to leave. Then he let the low bugle sound, gathered all the centurions and soldiers, and said in a sad and angry tone, "Now I believe everyone already knows that our Governor has been deceived and died by the enemy's despicable plot! "

Although there were many broken troops who had been taken into custody just now, such news came to them (this is also the reason why Lepidus asked Sabo not to take them in easily, because they would damage the morale of his team), but the words came out of the commander's mouth, The chief soldiers of the 4th and 7th legions, who are often the decisive force, could really calm down and weep for the dead governor. However, Sabo, Polo and Bagulus immediately asked everyone to stop crying. Sabo said: "I heard that Spartan women would go home immediately after the messengers brought the news that their husbands had been killed in battle, and the next day they would continue to go to the streets with normal smiles and do what they should do. Only those women whose husbands are still uncertain whether they are alive or dead are still bored at home, afraid to express their condolences and face the life that will come later. We cannot be inferior to women. Now that the governor has died at the hands of the Parthians, Then there is only one question that should be considered, which is how to take revenge.”

So the centurions present asked for help and asked for the Parthians to come tomorrow. After discussing with the two chief centurions, Sabo also felt that the military morale was available, and the Parthians must have forgotten about it now. You can take the opportunity to surprise them, beat them hard, and save the flagging morale of the entire province.

At dawn, Sabo ordered the broken troops to remain in the camp. Because they are all frightened birds. Time required for reply. Then he led the two chief brigades to advance the fourth legion. Suddenly dispersed the Parthian cavalry occupying the hillside where Crassus had previously guarded - there were only a few of them left, because the night before Surena had ordered the entire army to move without stopping and gave up the attack on the city of Ikni. Except for a small number of cavalry left. They led most of the Arab servants to kill the scattered Roman troops. They were led by Akbarus, but they did not dare to enter the mountains of Senaca. Instead, they pulled the net back and forth along the plain. Those riding camels The Arabs showed off their power and did not take any emergencies seriously.

After occupying the hillside, Sabo left the lead group of IV Corps in place. He made the illusion that the number was small, and then arranged two auxiliary archer brigades, divided into left and right wings to ambush on both sides. He and Polo led the chief brigade of the Seventh Army. Serve as backup.

The great Arab chief Akbarus thought that this group of troops was a defeated Roman army. Because they had no where to go in the canyon and had no choice but to run out, he shouted excitedly and gathered all the cavalry and camels. The soldiers raised large amounts of sand and dust menacingly and rushed towards the hillside.

Akbarus's camel soldiers were all single-humped camels from the desert. Their equipment was not much different from that of the ancient Assyrian era. They just improved the saddle. It was a large arched saddle that just buckled on the camel's hump. , fastened with leather straps at both ends, the rider sits astride the stable and soft saddle. At this time, the camel's strong carrying capacity advantage is highlighted - every camel warrior has an "arsenal", hanging on both sides. In the simple wooden tube, there are all kinds of weapons, such as single bows, arrows, javelins, etc., but the warrior who controls this beast of burden still needs to hold a stick in his hand to control the direction of the mount.

When these slow-moving camel cavalrymen, who made strange calls one by one, rushed towards the hillside in strange ways, many Roman soldiers who had never seen the world felt panic. They heard that horses were most afraid of such monsters, and they were on high ground. The Arabs sitting on top, wielding and throwing javelins, also made them feel oppressed.

As a result, the guide Faisal told Sabo through a translator, "Why are you afraid of these stupid guys? They are much stupider than horses. The horses are unwilling to face them. They just hate the smell of their excrement. It’s worthless except for transporting goods, and it doesn’t have the agility and speed of a horse.”

After hearing this, Sabo also strengthened his confidence in attacking. He asked his men to blow the bugle, and the chief brigade of the fourth army alternately covered the retreat, luring many camel cavalry to rush up the mountainside with strange screams, and suddenly the two wings The archers fired arrows at random, and the Arabs who sat too high on the humps became excellent targets. They fell to death one after another. Then Sabo asked Polo to lead the men of the two chief brigades, and together they fought bravely again. They launched a counterattack and rushed down from the hillside with swords and shields. The chaotic Arabs were poisoned and killed and trampled to death in countless numbers. They were extremely arrogant just now and now they are panicking. He ran away, "It's that bastard Arab sheikh, he is a shameful villain, it is he who brought us to such a miserable state!" A follower of Crassus recognized the fat Aker who was riding a camel in the crowd. Barrus shouted.

"Horses are always faster than camels!" Sabo, who remembered Feisal's words, immediately asked Bagulus to mount the horse, and gathered the rest of the cavalry in pursuit of Akbarus.

A blue sky, yellow sand, and bloody plains, Akbarus kept looking back in panic at the pursuing Romans, shouting and cursing, and the stick in his hand whipping his mount more and more fiercely. His followers were constantly caught up and killed by the Romans, but it was obvious that his identity was recognized, because the Roman centurion kept scolding his men fiercely and stared at him and chased him desperately.

Akbarus was desperate and began to throw his jewelry and property behind him, hoping that the Romans would scramble to loot them and slow down their pursuit. Compared with horses and camels, the latter is not as fast as the former, but the endurance and mileage in the desert are better than the former. As long as I can hold on until I catch up with the rear guard cavalry of the Surena army, I will be the winner, and the entire Mesopotamian trade route will soon be monopolized by me.

But Bagulus was obviously more interested in Akbarus's head. Dozens of lightly armed Roman cavalrymen continued to pursue him. With a "chop", Akbarus, in desperation, broke all the sticks. The sharp broken pieces cut the neck of the mount. The camel cried out sadly and no longer obeyed orders. It circled in the same place with its owner who was yelling and cursing.

The laughing Roman cavalry quickly caught up and sandwiched Akbarus on both sides. The opponent wanted to throw a javelin, but was knocked down by Bagulus with the tail of his spear, causing blood to flow from his mouth and nose. The Roman cavalry scolded him, humiliated him, surrounded him back and forth as he rolled and crawled everywhere, and whipped him everywhere with whips flying.