Chapter 21 Mitra Banner (Part 1)

"The older I get the more I learn. :3" - Solon

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Groups of cavalrymen under Lepidus trampled the remaining enemy soldiers on the battlefield. Even though they knew it was a miserable defeat, many Bronze Shield soldiers who were extremely loyal to Menander still stretched out their hands before dying. They came and tried to pull the horseshoes of Lepidus' cavalry, but were eventually trampled to death or stabbed to death by swords and spears. The Bronze Shield soldiers fell one by one on the snowy field, and their blood soaked the soil under them.

In this way, the bronze shield army of Pontus and Menander's ambition were all reduced to dust under the iron heel of Lepidus in one day's war.

Just as Lepidus said, although Menander and his soldiers were brave and extremely proficient in tactical drills, they still adhered to the old tactics of the time of Alexander the Great. What's more, Menander's understanding of the Macedonian system was to constantly Strengthen the deep phalanx of spears, but this system of tactics began to decline a hundred years ago. The tactics used by Alexander the Great to sweep across Europe, Africa and Asia did not rely solely on phalanxes of spears, but on infantry, projectiles, light and heavy Perfect coordination of cavalry.

So Menander was defeated. He was defeated not only by Lepidus' tactics, but also by the torrent of the times.

But the king of Bosporus was still struggling to escape along the narrow roads and dense forests. The trees and fields were retreating rapidly. Menander had no thoughts of dying yet, because he had a wife and children. , he must take them safely back to the Bosporus. Even if you give up the cities of Sinop and Amisus. That way you can hold on a little longer. Maybe he can still preserve his original kingdom.

After nightfall, Menander screamed. There were fewer and fewer guards and retinues around him, but the opponent's cavalry was still chasing him like wolves. This is the Amasya Valley, surrounded by deserted mountain roads, boundless. In the endless darkness, his horse was spitting. He seems to be getting more and more tired, but he is not sure where Sinop is. Now he only knows that everything about him is gone. The army, power, and supplies camp, everything, he is aimless. Running along the night road, the torches of the pursuers behind were constantly swaying, and the shouts of enemies from all directions to communicate with each other were getting closer and closer.

Five hundred Mattian cavalry sent by Lepidus pursued Menander all night long. These fierce riders who were born as Caucasus herdsmen are like ghosts. They are good at dividing into three or four small groups and constantly overtaking pursuit and interception. This makes Menander like a poor rabbit being chased by a pack of wolves. No matter what time, there are pursuers behind him until he is defeated. Tired to the point of despair. Early the next morning, in the cold wind, Menander's horse could no longer run. It was still whipped and scolded by its owner with the whip. It just shed tears and rolled in circles. Finally, it screamed and sprayed white. The mist fell down suddenly, exhausted to death.

The owner's hair was disheveled, his cloak had been torn by branches, and his eyes were dull. He stumbled to the spring in front of the dense forest, lay down, and drank a few sips of cold water without thinking. Nand stood up slowly while holding on to the tree trunk. His lower limbs were so cold that he lost consciousness and could no longer move. He thought of his wife and children who were still in Sinop, and couldn't help crying, and then he held his hand tightly. Holding the tree trunk, one hand touched the Persian scimitar hanging under the skirt.

At this moment, he looked around and finally saw the scene around him clearly. He was still in the middle of the mountain road, with straight deciduous trees on both sides. The morning light was stirring the flying mist. On the other side of the road, there was the sound of cavalry bumping. Moving figures and the sound of horses. Menander cried, then slowly turned around, tried his best to lean against the tree trunk, stood up straight, looked up at the blue and distant sky, and then lowered his head again. At this time, he had already He could see the ferocious faces of the rapidly approaching Lepidus cavalry twenty Roman feet away, as well as their outstretched hands and flying lassoes. It was obvious that they wanted to capture him alive.

Amidst the exclamations, Menander plunged the Persian scimitar into his own neck. His sword was still faster than the horse's hooves for a few seconds. The Mattians yelled and made noises, surrounding him who was instantly exhaled. After running back and forth for a few times and controlling the horse, he jumped off the horse and surrounded Menander's body leaning on the tree trunk. His eyes were still wide open, and large streams of blood flowed along the scimitar knife. The handle is flowing downward.

At this moment, in the wilderness in front of the Amasya River Valley, in the abandoned Bronze Shield Army camp, Lepidus' tribesmen were burying numerous corpses, because there were too many dead enemies, just abandoned between the two military camps. There were as many as six thousand people on the battlefield. "They are all respectable warriors." Tagus sighed, and then he saw the huddled body of a young Bronze Shield Army officer in the trench under his camp. He died in the same battle with his comrades, his gray eyes still seemed to be burning with a faint light, his hair was stained with frost, and the armor on his body had mixed with the color of the surrounding soil, but his hands were still holding each other tightly Holding a huge battle flag.

"Who is this?" Tagus turned around and found that the cavalry commander himself was riding a horse, accompanied by his retinue, and came to the trench. Tagus and the surrounding soldiers stretched out their hands to salute, and then replied that this huge battle flag should be the flag of the Bronze Shield Army, so this corpse should be that of the flag bearer.

Lepidus looked at the cold body of the young officer intently, and then said to Tagus, "Bury him separately, and erect a stone tablet with an inscription on it to tell the later generations his identity and bravery, but this Mithraic flag must be collected as a trophy." After that, several soldiers jumped down to deal with it. At this time, Callenus also rode up, and Lepidus told him, "The honor of entering Sinope City is given to the 12th Legion. You will clean up the battlefield for three days. I will also equip you with soldiers from Euboea, and the coast of the Euxenian Sea will soon surrender."

But at this time, Selha and Peteneus next to him heard this arrangement and were extremely dissatisfied, especially Selha, who complained, why our 15th Legion could not enter Sinope, how can I explain this to my soldiers?

"After we defeated Scipio, the 15th Legion received the same reward. You should know that Scipio's baggage was also two or three hundred talents, and now we are going south again, targeting Scipio's two legions." Lepidus replied.

But Selha was still unyielding and insisted that the cavalry commander distribute 50 dinars to each soldier in addition to the spoils. (To be continued...)

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