Rome Must Perish
Chapter 55 - 54 The Zealous Furrius

Chapter 55: Chapter 54 The Zealous Furrius

"I understand now." Cross suddenly realized and slapped his thigh forcefully. "Spartacus, you want to take advantage of the fact that these two enemy armies have not yet merged, launch a preemptive strike, first eliminate the vanguard force of 2,000 men, and then engage their main army in battle. This way, defeating them will become much easier!"

"Exactly!" Spartacus leaned forward, his large eyes glimmering with light. "The Romans dare to divide their forces and march separately, surely thinking they’re safe here on their own land. But as they approach us, they’ll inevitably regroup. Therefore, we cannot miss this splendid chance to defeat them! My suggestion is—tomorrow morning, we rally five battalions and march quickly north along Ania Avenue in order to capture the Romans’ vanguard and obliterate it first."

"Spartacus." Antonix hesitated and asked, "...If all 8,000 of us move north together, we won’t be able to hide from the enemy. What if they retreat into the city for defense? You do realize Capua is not far north of the enemy’s vanguard."

Spartacus had already thought this through. His eyes sparkled, his expression resolute as he answered, "Precisely because Capua is close to the enemy’s vanguard, by the time our forces approach, they’ll likely have passed beyond Capua. We suspect they won’t have enough time to reach the next town, Suysula, before we intercept them. The last time the Roman army didn’t garrison in Capua, the same should apply this time...

If the Roman vanguard decides not to behave as we expect and chooses to retreat to merge with their main force after hearing of our approach, then we will continue advancing north and seek a decisive battle against the entire Roman legion. In any case, we must not passively wait for the enemy to attack our camp before engaging them in combat!"

"There’s nothing scary about the Romans; I support Spartacus’ proposal!" Enomai responded enthusiastically.

"I agree too." Cross followed suit, expressing his approval. "Spartacus’ plan will succeed. Given the Romans’ arrogance, they’re unlikely to retreat after learning of our assault."

The atmosphere in the hall became heated; even the cautious Antonix no longer voiced opposition.

Spartacus spoke again, "If our army moves out to intercept the Roman legion, the camp will be left vulnerable. The Napoletans may take advantage of this. I suggest appointing Maximus to defend the camp—it only needs to be held for two or three days before we lead our forces back."

Maximus didn’t expect to lead the Guards and march alongside the main force. After all, the other teams in the supply camp remained at the base, and it was logical for him to stay behind. He nodded in agreement, saying, "Alright, you can head to battle without worries. I’ll defend the camp."

Even Cross didn’t object to this, as no one else besides Maximus could take on this responsibility while the other leaders were heading out.

"Although the Napoletan City Guards aren’t highly capable in combat, Maximus’ troops are far too small. As a precaution, I suggest transferring the more than 400 slaves Maximus brought back today to the supply camp, thereby bolstering its defenses." Hamilcar’s remarks made Maximus inwardly delighted.

"I think that’s acceptable," Spartacus responded indifferently. He glanced at everyone and said, "Let’s formally vote on the proposals I’ve just presented."

In truth, everyone had already reached a consensus earlier. The vote was merely a procedural step. Among the seven people in the hall, six had voting rights (Maximus had gained voting rights earlier this August due to his outstanding performance in the supply camp, while Attutmus, having joined recently, only held participatory and advisory rights). The final result was unanimous approval.

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After Valerius was appointed Commander-in-Chief of the rebellion suppression forces, he was inundated with visitors. Many Elders and Nobles recommended their family’s descendants to him, and he did not reject any, listing them all on his expedition roster.

Nonetheless, as a seasoned veteran, he didn’t lose his head completely. Once soldiers were recruited, he discovered that almost all were fresh recruits. Instead of rushing to deploy, he intensified the army’s training to avoid repeating Grabo’s disastrous downfall.

He applied to the Senate for "additional time to train the soldiers to ensure a smoother suppression of the rebellion," which the Senate granted after due deliberation.

However, while he was engrossed in training the troops, the Roman civilians began to feel the impact of having Ania Avenue cut off and the chaos in southern Campania disrupt their lives. Moreover, the incessant calls for aid from Campania towns such as Napolet and Capua significantly burdened the Senate. Eventually, the Senate unanimously passed a resolution requiring Valerius to deploy his forces immediately.

This abrupt directive left Valerius somewhat caught off guard. Since Grabo’s campaign had depleted the Roman armory’s inventory last time, Valerius—having thought there was still enough time—had not urged refilling stock. As a result, his troops remained inadequately equipped.

To avoid dissatisfaction from the Senate, Valerius had no choice but to let Furrius, the wide-band People’s Guardian of the military, lead 2,000 fully-armed soldiers to depart first.

Under Valerius’ relentless pressure, the Roman armory barely managed to equip the remaining soldiers the next day. Therefore, he ordered Military Camp Commander Cassinius to lead the other 4,000 men to quickly set off. Meanwhile, he himself led the cavalry half a day later, transporting the scarce military supplies he recently acquired, and casually marched south.

Dividing an army into three parts, spaced half a day apart from each other, is a cardinal mistake in military strategy. But Valerius wasn’t overly concerned, as he had thoroughly reviewed Grabo’s battles with the rebel slaves. Until Grabo’s forces approached the rebels’ camp, the slaves had been forced to come out and fight. This indicated they lacked the courage to launch an active offense. Moreover, he had already prearranged for Furrius and Cassinius to rendezvous at Capua first before proceeding toward the rebel camp together.

Valerius’ plan seemed sound, but he underestimated the rebel army and overlooked one individual.

Furrius, who served as Financial Officer before becoming a Roman Elder, was included in the army upon Little Sula’s strong recommendation. Valerius ultimately appointed him as wide-band People’s Guardian.

Wide-band People’s Guardians differ from regular Guardians not just in wearing a sash on their tunics; more critically, the role is reserved for those from the Elder class. If the Legion Commander were to encounter an accident, the wide-band Guardian could assume command of the entire legion. Such an important position was granted to Furrius not just to give face to Little Sula but also due to Furrius’ own credentials.

Furrius had served as Financial Officer in the Iberian Province under Pompey, who spoke highly of him, acknowledging his military experience. During his time as Elder, unlike some younger Elders who acted impulsively, Furrius always appeared steady.

Thus, Valerius trusted the calm young Elder to execute orders effectively. However, he overlooked the fact that every noble Roman youth harbors intense aspirations for glory, and Furrius was no exception. Furthermore, Furrius’ proximity to Pompey during their time in the Iberian Province only magnified these ambitions. If Furrius behaved conservatively in the Senate, it was merely because it was an arena dominated by elder figures, where youthful recklessness was frowned upon... Now, faced with an opportunity, Furrius seized it without hesitation.

Valerius’ order for Furrius to halt at Capua and wait for the slower units to join him was discarded. Upon arriving at Capua, Furrius did not stop but continued marching south along Ania Avenue.

In his mind, Grabo had easily crushed the slave rebel army with 3,000 soldiers; even with 1,000 fewer men, he believed he could achieve the same feat without repeating Grabo’s foolish mistakes. If he successfully quelled the rebellion alone, not only would he earn immense praise from the Roman citizens but also greatly enhance his standing in the Senate’s political scene...