Chapter 171 - 121: Consecutive Battles and Consecutive Victories
When the messenger from the nearby coastal towns finally managed to find Publilius, delivering the news that "Crodianus’s army was defeated," Hamilcar was already advancing with his troops.
With superior forces, Publilius immediately arranged his troops to confront the enemy.
However, Hamilcar did not attack but simply arrayed his forces in opposition. When Publilius ordered his troops to initiate an attack, Hamilcar swiftly withdrew his forces.
Publilius sensed something was amiss and immediately ordered a retreat.
But Hamilcar closely followed with his troops, forcing Publilius to be cautious, which significantly slowed down the retreat.
Ultimately, Publilius led his troops to a defensible location, flanked by mountains and a river, and once more arrayed his forces.
By the afternoon, Spartacus arrived leading a large army. After observing the enemy’s formation, he organized the rebel army to launch attacks in batches.
The battle was fiercely contested, yet the rebel army made no headway against the Roman Army, which was intent on defense.
However, with greater numbers and Spartacus’s adept coordination, the front-line troops, when weary, could withdraw, allowing the rear forces to advance and engage, maintaining order throughout the process.
The Roman Army, meanwhile, had nearly all its soldiers continuously engaged in battle, coupled with the significant losses suffered by its main force—the Roman Army—during a previous engagement with Cross’s troops (because of these losses, Publilius had pursued Spartacus’s forces at a slower pace after battle recovery), its strength had been weakened. Finally, by dusk, their defensive formation was breached, the Roman Army suffered a crushing defeat, and Publilius fled the battlefield under the cover of the cavalry.
The rebel army secured yet another great victory.
Days later, the massive rebel army approached the defensive line of the Ascoli Camp.