Chapter 11: Chinodosha Chinodosha (Part 2)

Paulus was still very weak because he almost lost his life on the sea, but he chatted with Lepidus and the two soon talked about their kinship. Because they were both from the Aemilius family and had similar circumstances, they were both adopted sons of the son-in-law. In addition, Lepidus gave him two full pieces of the finest Euboean Tarent silver, so they quickly became familiar with each other. After settling the commander, Lepidus quickly inserted several core centurions and took over several relatively good-looking centuries. In particular, after Polo received the governor's order and became the chief centurion, he suddenly became strict in the training of the Fourth Legion.

The soldiers understood that the shiny silver coins were in front of them, and the salary was indeed two or three times that of other legions, but they could not go to the camps around the garrison like their comrades in other legions, and they were unwilling to push the money back and quit. At the beginning of the winter camp, every indicator was very demanding. Lepidus asked Polo to use the secret he had used to train the mob in Lusitania. The infantrymen repaired the camp and the wall every day, and pushed it as soon as they were repaired, and repaired it again the next day. The centurions greeted them with their canes. As a result, in the month before the winter training began, no legion could match the hard training of the four legions.

But Crassus, who came from Gaelasia, was not interested in the training level of several legions. After a brief meeting with the legion commanders, he used a legion's packhorse team to pull countless pottery jars filled with gold and silver coins to build a treasury in the Temple of Bambixie, 20 Roman miles away from the Euphrates River, and continued his method in Asia Minor: the kingdom that was obliged to provide vassal troops could pay a considerable amount of money as collateral. Crassus once again turned the commander's camp into a trading station and accounting office.

"He doesn't look like a general. He's more like a loan shark." Sometimes. Cassius openly complained to the military tribune or centurion.

To Lepidus to transfer supplies. Crassus approved the practice of taking away the Fourth Legion without any concern. His attention was now on the scale. He felt that the affairs of the military camp should be managed by Octavius, so he threw all the seals to him. In the two armies, he felt that one was given to Cassius and the other to Lepidus. Don't bother him with other specific matters. Because he is now accurately calculating the routes of each trade route after the road is opened, the places for storing goods, the transportation costs, etc.

If Crassus was on the battlefield, his style would undoubtedly allow the generals to play freely; but the problem is that the war has not yet happened. His behavior will only make the discipline and training of the legion slack. Some soldiers stay in the camp and do nothing, while others run around everywhere without leaving their posts. Parthian spies disguised as merchants are constantly mixed in to fan the flames. Spy intelligence.

But six or seven spies' heads were already hanging in front of the main gate of the Fourth Legion camp where Lepidus was located. Lepidus, who had been given autonomy, began to formally propose an attack plan at the joint meeting of centurions of the Fourth Legion: one market day later, he would turn north and attack the city of Chinodosha on the southern border of Armenia.

"My promise has been fulfilled. All military shoes, grains, equipment and supplies have been replenished. Although the Fourth Legion now has only six full-strength battalions, I still want to use them. I captured Chinodosha not because I coveted the pitiful assets of this small country. I will give them all to the soldiers when the time comes - but because of the importance of the geographical location of this place."

Then, Sabo replaced Lepidus and began to present the plan. The city of Chinodosha happened to be located in the triangle area of ​​the Euphrates River, the Tigris River and the south of Armenia. Once we take this place, Herod will feel like there is a sharp sword hanging over his head, and he will be unable to sleep or eat. The dispatch route of their army will also be cut off by our detachment at any time. In addition, there is a small Roman garrison fifty miles from the city of Cinotosia. According to reliable intelligence (provided by Adiana), the tyrant Apollonius there is extremely hostile to Rome and has already defected to Parthia. He is gearing up to attack the small garrison.

"Should we go to reinforce?" Paulus asked.

"It's too late now, and we also need an excuse to go to war with Apollonius." Lepidus answered coldly. He had planned this assault long ago, but Apollonius was very cunning before and he could never catch his handle. However, Adiana successfully instigated him: the queen used the excuse of raising troops to respond to Parthia at the same time, and finally made him take action to remove the Roman stronghold.

Soon the news came that a hundred-man unit of the Sixth Syrian Legion stationed in Chinodosia was besieged by 3,000 armored soldiers under Apollonius, and all of them were captured or killed. At this moment, the six battalions of the Fourth Legion had completed half of the journey and appeared more than 100 Roman miles outside Chinodosia. They were well prepared.

"Chinodosia, Chinodosia! All centurions, take this as a password and urge the soldiers to move forward with all your strength." Riding on a white horse, Lepidus shouted day and night to boost morale. In a shallow river, he was the first to jump into the water and waded to the other side. Arp's guards followed closely behind. Seeing this, the rest of the officers and soldiers of the Fourth Legion could only line up in a column, endure the severe cold, and wade into the water.

At this time, the troops of the city of Chinodosia appeared on the opposite bank of the river. There were about a thousand people, half of them were Greek-style heavy infantry, and the other half were archers recruited from the surrounding mountain people. As a result, they became the new imitation Parthian composite recurve bows of the Medger Guard (Lepidus first let the guards equip them for practice). Hundreds of Nubian archers shot their arrows accurately. They assembled the team and shot as soon as they stepped on the river bank. The range was also quite impressive, 600 Roman feet, while the bows of those mountain people could only reach 400 Roman feet, because their bow materials were too rough. Many people fled with dense arrows and wounds, and the heavy infantry's armor was shot like a hedgehog. They used round shields and spears to form a formation to resist, but they were blown away by the Romans who came ashore and raised cavalry cannons.

After a short rest, Lepidus divided the troops into two formations and took turns to pursue. Finally, at noon, he saw the city wall of Chinodosia. Arp led the way, using the mobility of the Medjet Guards, never stopping, biting the city-state army's rear guard tightly, and rushed to the city gate with the defeated soldiers of the enemy. Then they used a long pole to pick up the oil tank of the bellows cannon and set fire to the wooden city gate. Then they carried their shields on their heads and prepared to fight the enemy in the city wall, but found that the enemy had no intention of holding on. In the evening, several more hundred-man teams climbed up the city wall, and the fall of Chinodosha was a foregone conclusion.

"After entering the city, all will be executed and crucified." Lepidar galloped back and forth under the city, shouting. (To be continued...)