Rome Must Perish

"I’ll go back and discuss this with Spartacus. I think we can make it happen," Hamilcar replied without hesitation, and then asked with concern: "Is this your only request? Food, weapons, horses, money—whatever you need, Spartacus and I will do our utmost to provide it."

"I don’t have any other requests," Maximus shook his head. After hearing Hamilcar’s words, the anger and resentment he had felt began to dissipate. After a brief hesitation, he spoke earnestly: "Even if we must part ways, I sincerely hope you can continue to achieve victory here, and that the aspirations of you and Spartacus can ultimately come to fruition. For that reason, I’d like to offer a few suggestions. I hope both of you will seriously consider them and adopt them as necessary!"

Hamilcar, moved by Maximus’s serious demeanor, assumed a grave expression himself: "Go ahead."

"First, don’t go to Sicily. It’s just an island—surrounded by sea, with limited territory and not a large population. Even if the people there are willing to join your rebellion against Rome, you lack a strong navy. Once the Roman Fleet blockades the island, you’ll be trapped. Rome could easily muster a large force to surround and eradicate you, and the confined space of Sicily would leave you with no room for maneuver. The final outcome would be all too predictable."

Maximus, recalling the factors that contributed to Spartacus’s failure in his previous life, chose his words carefully: "Secondly, Italy’s land is not particularly vast. South of Turi and even further south of Tarentum, the territory becomes narrow. You must avoid leading your army further south, as it would make it easier for the Roman Army to encircle you and force you into a direct confrontation with a defense-ready Roman force.

Furthermore... if, in the future, you’re forced to leave Italy, do not blindly trust promises made by major pirates and waste time waiting for ships. Many pirates maintain connections with the nobles of Italy’s city-states. They might take your money but fail to provide ships, and secretly inform the Roman Army of your whereabouts. This delay would cost you precious time and potentially lead to serious trouble. It’s best to tread cautiously!—"

In truth, Maximus wanted to say, "Perhaps one day I could provide you with a fleet to help you escape Italy."

But after some thought, he held back: given the history from his previous life, Spartacus’s rebel army was destined to be annihilated within a year. Even if they heeded his advice now, it could only postpone their inevitable destruction slightly. Moreover, Maximus wasn’t certain he could establish a stable base and assemble a fleet in such a short time. Perhaps one or two ships were feasible, but would Spartacus and Hamilcar abandon their troops to flee alone? That was impossible!...

Maximus snapped back to reality, his tone growing firmer: "Additionally, though your army is vast, the pressure on logistics and supplies is immense. Relying solely on plundering barely meets your needs—it’s unsustainable in the long term. If you could capture some towns, allocate land to Italy’s impoverished masses, and govern the towns and lands effectively, you’d secure a steady supply of food and wealth.