Chapter 274: The Fall of Rome

"Can my father and the others really be... cured?" Stolo asked worriedly, with suspicion in his tone, but more hope.

Asistes continued to comfort him and said: "Since you have been studying Greek culture and knowledge since you were a child, you may know Hippocrates, the most famous doctor of the plague in Greece, who is now in Turii, Although he was old and did not come to Latium with the army this time, many of the doctors who accompanied the army were his students, and they would do their best to treat your father and other Roman soldiers who had the plague. And You Romans often say that the plague is the seed sown by the god of death, and Hades, the protector of Dionia, is the lord of the underworld, and His Majesty Davos is his descendant. Since the Roman army has surrendered to us, His Majesty must Let them be blessed by Hades!"

Stolo calmed down a bit, suddenly remembered something, and asked again: "Sir, my wife's mother and sister are still being held. Excuse me...how will they be dealt with?"

Asisters thought for a while and said, "Since Servius has surrendered, his wife will follow him to settle in other parts of the kingdom. Of course, Servius will have to survive this plague first. As for you The wife's mother, if Ambostus also surrendered and went down the mountain, they will also go to other areas to settle, but if your father-in-law refuses to surrender, according to the resolution issued by the kingdom, your mother-in-law should be classified as a kingdom slave, but she has You and Servius are the sons-in-law of the citizens of Dionia, so it depends...whether she is willing to live with your family or the Servius family in the future."

"I'll go up the mountain tomorrow to convince my father-in-law." Stolo said decisively.

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On the second day, Ambustus watched as Stolo staggered down the mountain, two lines of hot tears streaming down his old cheeks.

A hand was placed on his shoulder: "Why, do you regret it?"

Ambostus wiped away his tears, turned to look at Portitus, shook his head and said, "I don't regret it, but I'm just a little unwilling..."

After listening, Portitus was silent for a while, tremblingly pointed at the foot of the mountain with his crutch, and said in a low voice: Alas... Think about Alba Longa, who was destroyed by us, and Wei Ai... In my opinion, All races and forces have to go through a process from weak to strong, from strong to decline, today is our Rome, and one day it will be Dionia's turn..."

"Lord Potitus, it seems that you are also a little unwilling!" Ambustus sighed, looking back at the solemn Temple of Jupiter, his face was covered with a layer of doubt: "I It's just that I didn't expect... It was not the Dionysians who gave us a heavy blow in the end, but the plague! It took the life of our dictator and killed the fighting spirit of the soldiers. Is this what Jupiter gave? Roman punishment?!" ァ新ヤ~⑧~1~中文网ωωω.χ~⒏~1zщ.còм

"So there is no need for this temple to exist anymore, who made Jupiter give up Rome!" Marugine Ensis came over with a look of resentment and reminded: "You two, everything is ready, It's time for us to enter the temple!"

Portitus and Ambustus looked at each other with determination in their eyes: "Since you are ready, let's all go in."

"Several lords." Scipio the Great, who was following behind Maruguine Ensis, said at this time: "Some of my soldiers don't want to leave quietly like this, they prefer to kill down the mountain and die in the enemy's battle. under the spear."

Portitus frowned with wrinkles: "Isn't this matter discussed before, since we have failed, don't provoke the Dionians needlessly to avoid them spreading their anger on ours on the family.

"

"Lord Scipio, your soldiers are still very young. If anyone is willing to surrender, just let them go down the mountain." Ambustos suggested. starter

Scipio the Great looked solemn: "They are real Roman warriors, no one will choose to surrender!"

Half an hour later, the elders of Rome gathered in the main hall of the Temple of Jupiter, and several hundred Roman soldiers either stayed in the apse or sat around the courtyard.

Portitus looked around at the more than 100 Roman senators crowded in the basilica: they were trapped on the mountain for several months, and at the end they ran out of food and ran out of water, so not only were their faces yellow, skinny, and dusty, but their clothes were also tattered. It's unbearable, there is no place in the past to scold Fang Qiu in the Senate and give pointers to Jiangshan. But at this moment, all of them are sitting upright, with awe-inspiring faces, which makes the already solemn Temple of Jupiter a little more tragic. Only Apuleus, who had just been released from the apse, was hunched over on the ground. , lips kept moving.

In the end, Portitus looked at Malujinsis next to him, and said solemnly, "It's up to you to say the last word."

Marugine Ensis smiled freely: "I've been fighting with you for decades, and it's the first time you've been humble to me. Forget it, I'm used to it, you can do it. However, when we go Another place... I won't let you go again."

Portitus nodded silently, then looked at everyone, and said solemnly: "My lords, when the Celts attacked Rome 20 years ago, Brerius, Vibias, Chis, Love Milius and other elders of the senate blocked the road into the city, and bravely sacrificed their lives! Today, Rome has fallen again, we must not fall into the prestige of the Roman elders and Roman nobles, and defend our ancestors through countless hardships. We will dedicate our lives to this city-state established. Even if Rome no longer exists in the future, our heroic deeds will surely be remembered and sung by future generations, and at the same time will continue to remind future generations that in central Italy, in Latin In the region of Mu, on the banks of the Tiber, there was once a great city-state whose name was Rome!  …”

When the elders listened to Portitus' words, they raised their heads unconsciously, and sat up straighter.

After Portitus finished speaking, his inspiring eyes slowly met his colleagues again, and then swept them one by one, first Marukine Ensis, then Ambustus, then High Priest Ulysses, and then It's the old patriarch Luxitius...

Portitus sat down slowly, put down his cane gently, flicked the dust from his clothes, closed his eyes, and said in a deep voice, "Light it up!"

There was silence in the hall for a moment.

Scipio the Great shouted: "Fire!"

The soldiers outside the hall were like waking up from a dream, and they threw their torches at the temple where olive oil had been poured everywhere, and a raging fire was ignited in an instant...

Apuleus, who was lying on the ground, seemed to be suddenly awakened by the fire. He jumped up, picked up a small stone in the corner, and threw it towards the tall statue in the center of the hall. Top of Jupiter's head.

"Ha! Ha! Ha!..." Apuleus burst into laughter, stamping his feet and cursing at the same time: "Damn Jupiter! Damn Camelus! Damn Rome! Hahaha!... Damn it! Rome!……"

The frenzied laughter of Apuleus and the screams of the elders and soldiers after they were all burnt out became the last echo of the fire on the top of the Capitoline Mountain.

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Roman senators and soldiers meant the complete demise of Roman resistance. Except for the surrender of the nobles and their families in Rome, and the grief of a few commoners like Stolo, the vast majority of the commoners only felt sorry for Jupiter. He deplored the burning of the main Latin temples such as , Juno, etc., and even scolded "these Roman senators will destroy the temples on Capitoline Hill until they die, just to prevent the commoners from worshiping".

Of course, their chagrin was quickly dissipated by the arrival of the Hades celebration, although the one in Rome was hurried, and the great theatrical performance in the piazza about the founding of Dionysus was performed by actors from the garrison at Rome. The soldiers temporarily recruited from the Dionian army lacked professional training. Not only were their costumes simple, but their performances were full of mistakes. However, the Roman people were very interesting when they saw such a large-scale performance for the first time.

Afterwards, in front of Hades' simple altar, under the leadership of the priest, the believers performed a devout sacrifice to the Greek Hades, and then the priest solemnly announced: "From now on, Hades will bless the city of Rome!"

The cheers of the believers did not impress the Roman people on the sidelines, but then they saw a huge stone tablet engraved with the names of the soldiers of the Roman reserve brigade who died in the battle for Dionysian. The Asian soldiers carried it to the altar, and the priest blessed it and announced: "When the temple is completed, the stone tablet will be carried into the Valhalla to receive the worship of the Roman people, and their souls will continue to guard Rome!"

This move really shocked the people of Rome and brought tears to the eyes of many bereaved people.

In the afternoon, in front of the altar of Hades, the Roman administrator, Asisters, in the name of Hades, read out the order signed by King Davos and gave many Roman slaves who had performed well during this period. to freedom.

The freed slaves cheered, constantly thanking Hades and King Davos loudly. At the same time, many slaves who came to hear the news were full of expectations for the newly joined kingdom.

Immediately on the second day, the football game began.

Curious Roman people, as well as some Weiai people, Phaedenians, and others poured into the arena with their families and were quickly attracted by the game. Although the teams are basically composed of most newly migrated Dionian citizens and a small number of Romans, their competitive level is not high, but for the Roman people who watched the game for the first time and some for the second time, it was Enough novelty and intense.