Mediterranean Hegemon of Ancient Greece Chapter 1049: The Battle of Adis (2)

"No, Plintors. You are not just a good Staff Officer; you are an outstanding commander!" Alexis said sincerely. "I told you all this because I want to earn your approval and have your help in winning this battle!"

Plintors blinked in surprise, then looked out ahead. After a moment, he said, "Commander, look... the Carthaginians seem to be stretching their lines. If they do, their flanks might extend past the valley floor and hug the hills, which would restrict the power of our Numidian cavalry. Since the Carthaginians are so eager for a decisive battle, couldn't we just demand they move their formation forward, away from the hills?"

Alexis's eyes lit up with a faint smile. "That is a great idea. Let us try commanding the Carthaginian army for a change."

Acting immediately, he selected a soldier from his personal guard who spoke Carthaginian to serve as an envoy, sending him to deliver this demand to the Carthaginian commander.

Ten minutes later, the soldier returned safely and relayed the response from the Carthaginian commander, Samors: he agreed to advance his army.

In truth, Samors was not angered by the Daionian envoy's demand; rather, he felt a surge of joy. He had led his army out of the city and formed ranks specifically to draw the Daionian forces into a decisive battle. If the Daionians had simply ignored him, all his efforts would have been in vain. Their demand proved they were willing to fight. To achieve his goal, sacrificing a minor tactical advantage was an acceptable price.

By the time Samors ordered his entire formation to advance east, Alexis had already returned to camp. He summoned Amyntas, Matonis, and Lizarus, issuing the order to engage the Carthaginian army. The three Legion Commanders were thrilled by the news.

Alexis then spoke with absolute gravity: "Amyntas, Matonis, Lizarus—go tell the legion soldiers that this may be the final battle of this long war. To defend their homeland, the Carthaginians will fight to the death! If the kingdom prevails, our men will win supreme glory! If we fail, there will be no retreat! The outcome of this battle rests entirely on whether they fight with everything they have!"

Amyntas answered with absolute confidence, "Do not worry. The soldiers of the First Legion are seasoned veterans. They do not need us to motivate them; they know exactly what must be done when the time comes."

Before landing in Africa, all three legions had endured hard battles and suffered casualties. The First Legion, in particular, had lost nearly a quarter of its total strength defending Selinus. Without reinforcements, it would have been difficult for them to remain combat-effective. Yet pulling reserves all the way from Thurii would undoubtedly cause too much delay. Thus, Davos had specifically allowed these three legions to draw men from the other legions to replenish their ranks.

Armed with Davos's directive, the three Legion Commanders eagerly drafted elite troops from the other ranks. Aside from the Fourth Legion, the other commanders fully cooperated, as most of their officers and men were desperate to go to Africa and earn fresh glory. Consequently, these three newly replenished legions were significantly stronger in both experience and combat prowess than they had been at the start of the war. This was the source of Amyntas's absolute confidence.

On February 6, 378 BC (the sixteenth year of the Kingdom of Daionia), the sky over the region between Adis and Hadrumetum was clear. Though it was still winter, the midday breeze along this coast was crisp and refreshing, weather better suited for an outing. Yet here, the armies of Daionia and Carthage arrayed for war.

The Carthaginian army consisted of 6,000 Carthaginian heavy infantry, 4,000 Sacred Band infantry, 2,500 Carthaginian light-armored soldiers, 1,500 Carthaginian light infantry, and 600 Sacred Band cavalry. They also had 3,000 newly arrived reinforcements composed of old men and youths from Carthage, along with 6,200 Phoenician reinforcements (comprising 3,000 heavy infantry, 1,000 light-armored soldiers, 2,000 light infantry, and 200 cavalry). Their total strength stood at 23,800 men.

Opposing them, the Daionian army was formed from three legions and the Western Numidian cavalry. This included 18,000 Daionian heavy infantry, 3,000 light infantry, 3,000 light-armored soldiers, and 2,500 Western Numidian cavalry, totaling 26,500 men.

The Carthaginian army had formed up early. After observing the Daionian deployment, Samors made a few adjustments. His final formation placed the 4,000 Sacred Band soldiers at the front of the center, with the 3,000 elderly and youth reinforcements positioned behind them. The left wing consisted of 6,000 Carthaginian heavy infantry, flanked on the far outside by the 600 Sacred Band cavalry. The front of the right wing held the 3,000 Phoenician heavy infantry, backed by 2,500 light-armored soldiers, with the 200 Phoenician cavalry securing the far right flank. In addition, Samors evenly distributed his 4,500 light infantry across the rear of the formation.

If the Carthaginian formation boasted relatively balanced strength across its three sections—with a slightly stronger left wing—the Daionian line was perfectly balanced. The First Legion held the center, the Second Legion took the left wing, and the Third Legion anchored the right. The 2,500 Western Numidian cavalry were split evenly across the outer flanks, while Alexis kept only his 3,000 light-armored soldiers in reserve.

Neither side's deployment was particularly inventive; it was the standard heavy infantry formation used by the Greek city-states in earlier eras. Such a straightforward layout was becoming a rare sight even on the war-torn Greek Mainland, yet this conventional clash would determine the rise and fall of a once-glorious city.

Once in position, the soldiers of both armies seemed to grasp the sheer gravity of the impending battle. All clamor ceased. They stood in absolute silence as the previously stirred dust settled, allowing them to clearly see the faces of their enemies several hundred meters away.

On this vast, flat expanse of brown earth, the miles-long lines of the Carthaginian and Daionian armies stood like two parallel lines—one black, one white. The stark contrast between them was as vivid as day and night, two forces destined never to coexist.

"Woooo—" The war horns sounded a long blast. The Daionian army launched the first strike. Slingers, javelinmen, and archers flowed like water through the gaps of the checkerboard formation, charging toward the Carthaginian ranks.

The Carthaginian army answered with their own attack horns. However, they did not send their light infantry forward to skirmish with the Daionian light infantry. Instead, their entire formation accelerated forward.

Just as the Daionian light infantry charged out of formation, the Western Numidian cavalry on the flanks closed in on the edges of the Carthaginian lines.

However, the cavalry on the Carthaginian flanks did not ride out to meet them. Instead, they retreated further back. The Carthaginians had dealt with Western Numidian cavalry too many times and understood their tactics perfectly.

As the Western Numidian cavalry pressed closer and prepared to draw their bows, the Carthaginian light infantry archers stationed in the rear exploited the superior range of their infantry bows, unleashing a rain of arrows upon the cavalry on both flanks.

Meanwhile, lead bullets slung by the First Legion's slingers soared through the air, raining down upon the Carthaginian formation...

Arrows, javelins, and lead bullets constantly plummeted into the Carthaginian ranks, drawing endless screams of pain. Yet the Carthaginian soldiers did not falter. They charged forward with iron resolve, and soon, they collided violently with the Daionian infantry.

Spears snapped, shields shattered, and flesh and blood flew as the deafening roar of slaughter shook the sky...

On one side stood the rising power of the western Mediterranean—highly trained elite soldiers burning with passion and pride, swearing to win even greater glory. On the other stood an ancient powerhouse with centuries of history; though their peak pride and glory were a thing of the past, their homeland was now being invaded. Every soldier fought with a single, burning thought: defend their home and drive out the enemy, no matter the cost in blood.

Therefore, even though the Daionian army held the numerical advantage, boasted superior troop quality, operated with greater organizational efficiency, and fought with far better coordination... after over two hours of combat, the overall Carthaginian line had only fallen back slightly. The two sides were essentially locked in a stalemate.

The Carthaginians even managed to gain the upper hand in the cavalry engagements. Samors had used his light infantry to counter the swift Western Numidian cavalry. After hours of continuous fighting, the Numidian horses were exhausted and their arrows spent. Since they never engaged in direct melee combat, they had essentially lost their combat effectiveness.

Only then did Samors finally unleash the Sacred Band cavalry and Phoenician cavalry, who had been conserving their strength in the rear. He ordered them to merge and strike the flank of Daionia's left wing.

Forced to respond, Alexis committed his reserve of 3,000 light-armored soldiers to the left wing to eliminate the threat.

Upon learning that his cavalry assault had been stalled, and seeing that his sweat-drenched, exhausted soldiers were slowly losing ground... the dread in Samors's heart began to grow.

Before today, he had never faced the Daionian army. He had spent the majority of his military career conquering and suppressing the Numidians, experiencing nothing but smooth sailing and unbroken victories. Though he had heard plenty about the terrifying strength of the Daionian military, he had never put much stock in it. Based on his understanding of the war, he believed Carthage's current plight was mainly due to the might of the Daunian Navy, which had repeatedly crushed the Carthaginian fleets. On land, however, he assumed the two sides were relatively equal in strength.

In Samors's eyes, the only true test of an army's combat strength was a pitched battle, and in this war, pitched battles had been few and far between.