Chapter 12 Thapsus (Part 2)
Under the city of Sarsura, both sides continued to add troops to the confrontation line. Rabinus continued to extend the wings of his cavalry in an attempt to take advantage of the number of cavalry. However, Caesar continued to use the tactics of infantry and cavalry counterattacks, crowding everywhere. Smashing the enemy's offensive, it was hard to tell the difference for a while, and the fighting was very fierce.
Finally, Milu, Caesar's retained veteran, led his troops onto the city wall of Sarsura, using ballistae and scorpion crossbow equipment to fire hunting spears and heavy arrows to attack the opponent. Bugadias, another cavalry captain under Labienus, had his helmet split in half by a hunting spear, half of his ear was missing, and he fell off his horse with serious injuries. The shield held by Caesar's lieutenant Gobale was also pierced by more than a dozen javelins thrown by the Numidians. His right hand was injured and he was dragged back to the city for treatment. Both sides left a dense mass of dead bodies and wounded people on the confrontation line, and then at sunset, they each withdrew to towns and camps to stop fighting.
The next day, Caesar pulled all the soldiers out of the city and formed a formation to challenge the King of Juba. The two sides fought fiercely again, and the scale of the war expanded rapidly like a whirlpool - Lepidus led another mobile group and rushed from Mount Jemal. Down, fighting with Lelias's surveillance team. The excited Sulpicius hurriedly asked Pompey to lead all the remaining legions and break through the fortifications of Caesar's camp on the opposite ridge. Pompey had no choice but to do so, and Antony, who stayed behind, also selected forty infantry brigades and walked out of the camp to form an array. They engaged in long-distance arrow and cavalry battles with Pompey's men.
Another day of killing came to an end, under the city of Sarsura. Finally, due to lack of support, Caesar left some of his fresh troops behind and retreated to the camp in defeat.
At the foot of Jamal Mountain. Lepidus made a small gain against Laelias, but he immediately did not dare to fight, but led his cavalry to ensure Caesar's retreat. The grand battle between Pompey and Antony failed to determine the actual winner, and they each retreated with hundreds of casualties. The battle front seemed to have returned to its previous state, but in the early hours of the morning, decisive news came - the city of Thapsus announced that it had fallen to Pompey's side. And quietly crossed the line of fire and sent the noble hostages to Pompey's camp. Ask Pompey to send troops to assist in defense, and cooperate with each other to defeat Caesar.
"It seems that the previous instigation of Reginus was effective, but Reginus is now captured by Caesar's army in the city of Zeta - however, the attitude of the city of Thapsus is sincere. The current situation is really As complicated as a fog, the war slowly became irregular." Pompey pondered for a moment, and then said to Thapsus's envoy, "Patience for three days, I will observe the situation and decide to use the army to reinforce your city. ." As a result, there was an uproar at the meeting. The senators expressed dissatisfaction with Pompey's superiority and said that if this delay continued, not only would Thapsus be killed, but the entire war would be difficult to recover. We must seize this rare opportunity.
"Send the order as soon as possible, hold an evacuation ceremony for the entire camp, and break through Caesar's camp tomorrow. Reinforce your city!" Sulpicius seemed to see the road back to Rome, which was opening unobstructed towards him. In desperation, he actually took it upon himself to do so. Giving orders on Pompey's behalf.
Pompey stood up with a roar, "The current situation is not clear. I shoulder seven legions and nearly 80,000 lives. At the battle of Cannae, the number of the entire Roman army was equivalent to mine now, and almost all of them were lost. The tragic defeat of the country's men was partly due to the terrifying enemy Hannibal, and partly due to the rhetorical governor Varro. His reckless impulsiveness caused everyone to suffer disaster! I don’t want this situation to happen again.”
"You are now letting everyone drink the poison of diarrhea and die slowly, painfully and slowly." Sulpicius also shouted angrily, "Are you still the great man who is determined to make progress? But now I ask Pompeo, please understand that it is the Senate and us specially chosen fathers who lead this country. If you feel that you are not qualified for the current command, then we can immediately choose a deputy general to replace you. "...
The old lion was also furious. He rushed up, grabbed Sulpicius by the collar, and pushed him to the pillar in the tent. The bronze oil lamp was knocked over and set on fire. The slaves screamed and were busy. After extinguishing the flames, the generals and senators scattered around to hide. They had never seen Pompey so excited and lost his temper. "Thirty years, thirty years, even if I am greeted by a ship from Hades in a few days, I will still The grievances of so many years are expressed, and it is not a pastoral song, but a bloody howl. The Senate, the Senate, are all a bunch of vulgar bastards. They are a group of people, like a group of noisy sparrows. They competed with each other for their incompetence, biting bugs in their mouths to show off each other, and then relied on the shadow of their ancestors instead of their own talents to control this great country. They were afraid that their enemies were owls, but they were even more afraid of the appearance of eagles in their own flock. Yes, Yes - they pay attention to everything step-by-step and are afraid of the slightest change. What they pursue is eternal "lucky possession" instead of orderly and intense flow. When any outstanding eagle appears, they will cry uneasily. Screaming like prostitutes, for there is no room for eagles in their sky, and they are afraid that the eagle will snatch away the carrion under their pale talons!" Then Pompey pushed the pale Sulpicius away, while he himself staggered with a hunched back! , said, "When I took over Luculas' army, he called me a carrion eagle. Well, now let Caesar eat my corpse and be complacent. You are all dead, and I will Like a real bird of prey, it will be smashed into pieces on the most majestic mountain cliff amid the roar of lightning and thunder.”
Rabinus was silent, looking at Pompey who had his back turned to him. How much he hoped that Pompey could have his youthful energy, or that he could have an honorary status like Pompey, but this was nothing more than wishful thinking. Soon Pompey returned Turning to him, he said, "Don't die, Rabienus."
"I will not die, at least I will not ask for death, Your Excellency. I made this oath when I was in Kokula. I will continue to move forward and continue to fight until the invisible hand of death stops me. Stopping." Rabinus raised his head and said with a choked voice, "The feeling of stopping to rest must be very wonderful."
Pompeo laughed and said that it would indeed be very wonderful, and I would enjoy it right away, "Enjoying sublimation and collapse in the yoyo flute and the rumbling thunder. This is death. All philosophical meditation is for Death does its training."
At this moment, there was a loud sound in the distance, and the token officer ran in with an expression of extreme surprise, saying, "Caesar's entire camp is scattered and running!"