Chapter 60 Election of Dictators

Camillous said solemnly: "First of all, everyone must be deeply aware that Dionia is the most powerful and dangerous enemy we have faced so far. The Dionysian army is obviously a strict military A terrifying army with training and strong military discipline, otherwise we would not be able to explain how their soldiers would be able to line up unhurriedly in the face of more troops than theirs led by me after marching for dozens of miles The formation, fighting with our soldiers, and being able to last so long, is by no means comparable to those forces we have defeated before, such as Etruscans, Volsi... Although their soldiers are brave, but However, there is no strict discipline and no complicated tactics, and it is completely scattered in battle.

Second, the morale of the Dionian soldiers was very strong. In this battle, they were smaller in number than the soldiers I led and consumed more stamina than my soldiers, but they were still able to fight for so long, even if they nearly broke through their formation a few times, they There was no panic, and he behaved quite calmly.

You might say, 'The troops that Dionia sent this time are probably the best of their army. ’ But even if the other Dionian armies were half as powerful as this army, that would be pretty scary. Because after I came back, I specifically asked the envoys from Carthage. The kingdom of Dionia has a vast territory and a large population. It is said that their existing army number exceeds 100,000. In addition, they also have a powerful fleet. They are far from what we Rome can fight against independently.

Therefore, we must first base ourselves on defense, and require all allies and colonial cities on the sea side to strengthen the defense of the city, strengthen patrols and exploration, and prevent the Dionysians from raiding from the sea. At the same time, our Roman citizens should be ready to be called up at any time, and if the enemy is discovered, reinforcements can be made at any time.

In addition, I also recommend that the previous resolution on 'Allocating land to the landless commoners Wolsey to occupy the land' is implemented immediately, so that they can quickly enter the cities of Vilitre, Antium, and Satnicum and become Our new source of troops replaces the troops originally stationed there. Of course, in view of their financial resources, we must also equip them with weapons and equipment, so we must also ask the Carthaginians to continue to provide us with this support.

In addition, regarding the bill passed by the Senate a few years ago on absorbing Latin refugees as Roman citizens, it is hoped that the scope of absorbing refugees, such as Etruscans and Sabines, will be expanded, and the progress of absorption will be accelerated. So that we have more troops to fight against Dionia..."

Having said this, Camelus hesitated to speak, and finally did not say some words. He also wanted to propose "to allow Roman commoners to lease common lands in Rome, and even to allocate part of the common land to landless commoners and newcomers to increase their loyalty...", but he thought that these lands were still being In the hands of the Roman nobles, this proposal will undoubtedly violate their interests. It will not only cause their strong opposition, but also make themselves suspicious and ostracized, and even suffer the tragic situation of Marcus in those days... Camelos, who is already old chose to give up.

However, he has other options, he continued: "We also have to strengthen military training for our citizens,

Enhance their ability to fight against Dionysian soldiers, and have an understanding of some of the special tactics of the Dionysian army, so that they can respond in time. From my observations, Dionia may have been affected by the drought, so they did not send many troops to the Ladium area, and it should be enough for us to defend against their attack now.

However, now that we are at odds with Dionysian, who is an ally of Wolsey, over time, once Dionysian has a sufficient army of food supplies, its attack on us is likely to be Increase, so we can not hold a wait-and-see mentality, sit back and watch the war between Carthage and Dionia, hope that Carthage can defeat Dionia, and hope that their fleet can protect our coast, but in case Did Carthage fail? ! Then we shall bear the wrath of the Dionians alone! "

Camelus' words shocked the elders.

Camelus looked around at them, and said loudly with a serious expression: "So, we can't just defend, we must attack! We must put pressure on the Dionysians, and we can't let them easily concentrate their main forces to fight with Carthage. People fight! We will contribute our strength to the victory of the Allied Carthaginians against Dionia!"

Camelus' words made the elders ponder.

Paulus couldn't help but said: "Camillous, you just said that you are going to attack. Your previous battles have shown that attacking Wolsey is more dangerous for us, and Dionia's fleet can attack our army at any time. Rear, cut off our food shipments..."

"Attack on Wolsey is indeed a risk, but what if we attack Herniki?" Camillous's words surprised Paulus and opened his mind: when the Wolsey coalition attacked the Roman allies In the territory, it was not only Wolsey who was defeated by the army led by Camillous, but also the Equus and Herniki. Rome finally chose to take revenge on Volsi, because Volsi had caused more trouble to Rome in the past, and it owned the most and most fertile land. Although Helniki is weak and lives in hilly areas, it is also a race that often causes trouble to Rome...

Paulus was thinking, and Camillous continued: "While we are defending the possible attack of the Volsci and Dionysians in the southwest, we cannot sit idly by Dionia and Carthage. instead of sending troops to the northeast to attack Herniki.

The strength of the Herniki people has been severely weakened by us in the previous war. Being able to eliminate it will not only reduce an enemy for us, but also distribute the occupied land to the landless Roman civilians.

In addition, there are some Worcey towns adjacent to Helniki, which will also be the focus of our attack. As the Dionysians of the Worcey Alliance, if they come to the rescue, they will be in the inland far away from the coast. region, we can fight with them with confidence. "

"But there are mainly hills and mountains, which is not conducive to our heavy infantry fighting!" Frius reminded.

Camillous responded immediately: "But it's also not good for Dionia's soldiers to fight, much less for their powerful cavalry. There, we are more familiar with the terrain, and at the same time, with the support of our Latin allies, we There's nothing to worry about. We're there to hold the Dionians at bay, and we can even force them to send more reinforcements... Once Carthage is victorious in the naval battle, we can send more troops, from the plain to the southwest Invade Wolsey's territory again, and finally surround the Dionians!  …”

The elders nodded again and again, but some expressed their concern: "The town of Wolsey on the edge of the Helniki area is close to the Samonei people. I heard that the Samonei people are allied with Dionia. one--"

"You don't have to worry!" Paulus said loudly: "The Carthaginian messenger once mentioned that the Samonaites were dissatisfied with Dionia for a long time, and they are likely to meet Dionia this time between Carthage and Dionia. During the war, something was done against Dionia..."

"The Carthaginians also said that they would attack Dionia immediately. We should not believe them too much!" Another elder complained.

But no matter what, Camelus' analysis aroused heated debate among the elders, and at the same time gave them the determination to fight the kingdom of Dionia.

At this time, Portitus stood up with a cane. As an old man who has been in Roman politics for decades and has served as a consul and military officer for more than ten times, his prestige is enough that he has not even started to speak. People consciously stopped discussing or lowered their voices.

"Fathers and newcomers, the war with Dionia this time is just like the war with the Celts. It is related to the life and death of our Rome. All of us Roman citizens must work together to face Jupiter's gift. Our severe test again! Any arguments, doubts, and infighting will waste our energy and time, destroy unity and fail to take correct actions in a timely manner! Therefore, I propose that at this critical moment, the Senate should elect Bring a dictator to lead the Roman citizens and win the war against Dionia!"

As soon as Portitus finished speaking, the venue fell silent for a while.

Then, Paulus was the first to speak out: "I agree with Portitus, elect a dictator, and do my best to deal with the war with Dionia!"

Later, Frius also expressed his support loudly: "As a military and political officer who has fought against Dionysian, I am well aware of the greatness of the Dionysian people. We need a dictator to eliminate the contradictions among the people and unify everyone's understanding. , devote all your energy to this difficult war, and it is possible to win the final victory!"

The selfless speeches of the two military and political officials were supported by most of the elders present. You know, once the dictator is elected, the military and political officers will be automatically cancelled.

Just as the elders expressed their agreement one by one, Camillous also expressed his support, but he said: "I hope that this time I will not be selected as a dictator, because this match with the Kingdom of Dionysian is not. I am afraid the war will be a hard and long one, and I am old and do not have enough energy for this duty, but I am willing to offer my advice to the new dictator to help him defeat the Dionysians."

"Are you older than me! But if the Dionians attack Rome, I will also take up arms and fight! Don't shy away from your responsibility!" Portitus pointed at him with a cane and snapped. reprimanded. When Portitus first served as the consul and led the army, Camillous was still an ordinary team officer. center of Roman power.

"Being a dictator at this time is not an honor, but a responsibility! A great responsibility! Because the life and death of Rome is in the hands of the dictator!" Portitus said earnestly, not only for Cammy Luce listened to it, and also said it to other elders who thought about this: "As a hero who has faced powerful enemies many times and saved Rome, you should not evade this responsibility, because only you can lead the citizens of Rome to win Victory this time!"