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Chapter 58: Careless Cossinius
Chapter 58: Careless Cossinius
The Volturno River, originating from the Abruzzo Mountains in the Samnite region, was once called the Mother River by the indigenous people of Campania, the Tyrrhenians. Its clear waters irrigated a fertile plain, producing the finest wheat and grains in Italy. The Tyrrhenians built twelve towns along its course, with Capua as their capital. Over the centuries, the Tyrrhenians became a thing of the past, but the Volturno River continued to flow peacefully.
Cossinius led the main force of the Roman legion, enduring the scorching sun as they departed from Suessa, exited the mountainous region, and set foot on the Campanian plain. They marched for five to six hours and arrived at the banks of the Volturno River in the afternoon.
It was the hottest time of the day, and the tired and thirsty soldiers, gazing at the clear, flowing river water, found themselves unable to take another step.
Not only the soldiers felt this way, but Cossinius, a veteran soldier himself, was also experiencing fatigue. It’s worth noting that he had been urging the soldiers to march on for days, and his physical and mental energy was nearly exhausted. He thought to himself: Since Capua is not far ahead, why not take a rest here to restore the soldier’s morale?
However, the section of the river where the stone bridge was located was deep and the banks were high. Cossinius had to lead the troops along the riverbank to the west, taking several turns, until they reached a place where the river widened with a gentle current and large riverbank.
When Cossinius announced the dismissal, the soldiers rushed to the river’s edge to scoop up water, and some even took off their armor and dove straight into the river…
After drinking water and washing his face, Cossinius found a shady spot and lay down. The soreness and discomfort in his thighs and waist were greatly relieved with the support of solid ground. He closed his eyes contentedly…
The majority of the Roman legion’s cavalry was serving as the rear guard under the command of the legion commander Varinius. The remaining cavalry squad belonged to the vanguard, tasked with reconnaissance and scouting. The main force of the legion, positioned in the middle, did not have any cavalry. However, Cossinius was not particularly worried about this. Not to mention that they were still far from Vesuvius, and Capua was nearby. Even if those slaves showed any signs of movement, Furius would send cavalry to notify him.
Little did he know that while his main force was resting by the river, the vanguard had already suffered a devastating defeat. The routed soldiers took refuge in the city of Capua, lucky to have escaped with their lives. They had no intention of notifying the main force. Only a few cavalrymen remembered their mission. However, as they rushed back along the main road, passing the Volturno River, Cossinius had already led his troops down to the riverbank. The winding river and the lush trees along the banks concealed the approaching chaos-stricken Roman cavalry, who continued their journey north, unaware of the vigilant rebel cavalry scouts.
Cossinius lay half-asleep on the soft grass, resting, when suddenly he felt the ground tremble, as if thousands of drums were pounding the earth, in a chaotic yet increasingly clear manner…With his rich battlefield experience, Cossinius immediately realized that the vibrations on the ground couldn’t possibly be caused by the vanguard troops of just over 2,000 men. Moreover, they were heading in his direction!
Cossinius quickly turned over and stood up, shouting, “Gather the entire army!”
At this moment, he noticed that during the time he had dozed off, the soldiers had completely let loose. Everyone had taken off their clothes and gone into the water for a bath. Some people, finding the place too crowded, had even walked downstream, searching for a better bathing spot.
The soldiers who heard his shout just stared at him in astonishment, without taking any action.
Cossinius hurriedly ran over and picked up the bronze horn that the trumpeter had thrown on the riverbank. He blew it with all his might.
Woo! Woo!… Woo! Woo!…
The sound of the assembly horn rang out. The two months of arduous training paid off as nearby soldiers, albeit reluctantly, instinctively came ashore. They hurriedly wiped their bodies, then put on their tunics, donned their armor, picked up their belongings, and gathered around Cossinius…
The standard bearer, dressed in the simplest attire, was the first to raise the eagle standard high, while the unarmored trumpeters picked up their bronze horns. Only then did Cossinius have a chance to speak again. He shouted urgently: “Hurry and put on your armor, take up your weapons, form ranks, and prepare for battle!”
A soldier dissatisfiedly asked, “Commander Cossinius, are you telling us to train here?!”
“You fool!” Cossinius cursed loudly. “The enemy is attacking!”
“How could there be enemies here?” The soldiers were unconvinced, thinking Cossinius was joking.
“Look over there!” The standard bearer tiptoed and suddenly pointed to the southeast. In the distance, a group of figures appeared on the main road, their armor shining brightly in the sunlight.
“That’s our own troops!” The soldiers burst into laughter, thinking Cossinius was mistaken.
“You fools, those are the enemy!” Cossinius couldn’t be bothered to explain further. He said to the messenger, “Quick! Go and gather the others, or they’ll face military punishment!”
Threatened by his words, the messenger didn’t dare to delay and immediately ran downstream.
“Good Lord, how can there be so many people?!” A soldier exclaimed.
On the main road, it was no longer just a group of soldiers; it was like a long dragon. This dragon began to leave the road, trampling through the wheat fields and approaching their position. People kept joining from behind until the distant view was filled with countless figures…
The soldiers couldn’t laugh anymore. Even if they were foolish, they understood that the vanguard force didn’t have this many soldiers.
Cossinius saw the situation and calmed down. He shouted, “Don’t panic, follow me!”
His words didn’t reduce the recruits’ nervousness in the slightest. They hurriedly put on their armor and followed Cossinius, walking downstream.
Guided by Ogmar[1], Spartacus, who was approaching the Volturno River, spotted the Roman army several hundred meters away from the main road, on the south side of the riverbank, concealed by weeds and wheat fields. He saw the scattered and disorganized enemies beginning to gather, and he became anxious. He shouted, “Brothers, charge with me! Don’t give the enemy time to form their ranks!”
With that, Spartacus jumped into the wheat field, and the soldiers of the First Cohort followed him closely. They ran through the field, disregarding the dense wheat leaves that cut their hands. Even if they trampled the heavy wheat ears into the ground, they couldn’t care less at this moment.
Spartacus passed through the wheat field, took a shortcut, and approached closer. He saw the Roman army lined up on the riverbank. Although they held up their rectangular shields, many of them had drooping chestplates and tilted helmets.
The segmented structure of the Roman legion soldiers’ armor was somewhat complicated. It required patience and time to put it on properly, so Roman soldiers usually marched wearing their armor, fearing encounters with enemies on the way. However, this time they had taken off their armor and bathed in the river. Under the pressure of the approaching enemy, it would be quite difficult to put their armor back on smoothly.
Spartacus also noticed that enemy soldiers kept running from the downstream side of the riverbank, trying to merge into their formation.
Spartacus immediately shouted, “Bypass them and take out the scattered ones first!”
The soldiers of the First Cohort, under his lead, turned a corner and charged towards the right side of the Roman army formation.
Cossinius saw the situation and felt anxious, but he didn’t dare to act recklessly. There were constantly enemy soldiers rushing towards them from the wheat field ahead. If he divided his forces to rescue them, not only would it be a futile effort, but the defensive formation they had painstakingly arranged would also be disrupted. In that case, no one would have a chance of survival.
Looking at the fully armed and menacing enemy forces, Cossinius now understood that Furius had probably suffered a disastrous defeat: D*mn the Senate! This wasn’t a group of weak and ignorant slaves; it’s a fiercely motivated enemy army! D*mn Varinius! Ten years of your comfortable life made you relax your vigilance. Your mistake of dividing the troops has led these young people into a deadly situation!
Cossinius cursed the Senate and Varinius internally but tried to inspire the soldiers loudly, saying, “Soldiers, quickly put on your armor and prepare for defense! The enemy is numerous, and we are surrounded. We can only have a chance of survival if we fight bravely. Legatus Varinius is not far behind us; once he receives the news, he will definitely find a way to rescue us!”
Translator's Notes:
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