SUMMER 371 B.C. Our Macedonian allies still try to conquer the rebel settlement of Segestica, that has caused them a couple of defeats so far. Gauls are sending a small force near Salona once again. They do not give it up. East from Salona the Aetolian faction heir is exploring our territory with his bodyguards.
The diplomatic relations are very weird the last years. Our faction is allied with the Greek Macedones, the Persians and the Germanic people while fights Gauls, Etruscans and rebels. Macedones are allied with Sparta, Dacia and us and have a war with Athenians and rebels. Athenians have no allies and just enemies: Macedones, Spartans, Cretans and rebels. Cretans are allied with Aetolians and Epirotes and fight with Athenians and Spartans, a brave faction indeed. Our allies the Germanic people are on war with Dacians, Carthagenians are on war with Numidians, Gauls are allied with Etruscans and Brittons and finally our allies Persians are fighting with Spartans and have Dacians as their allies.
WINTER 371 B.C. All the Athenian cities are besieged and this is a bad sign for their future. Larissa from Macedones, Athens from Spartans and Chalkis from Cretans. They had to abandon their fort between Athens and Larissa in an attempt to break the siege of Larissa. If they do not make it our agents report they will be doomed in the next years.
Back to Corinthian matters now, Herakles and his army are still waiting to face the Etruscans in open field but they simply refuse. Certainly they will be aware about our army and are frightened. Herakles has got reinforcement from Rome a unit of onagers. Onagers will be the key to attack any Etruscan city nearby Herakles wants (Arretium or Ariminum).
SUMMER 370 B.C. Macedones conquered Larissa and Athenians immediately start a besiege to get it back while in Chalkis the Athenian defenders surrender without a fight. They run out of food and had no choice. Cretans after conquering Chalkis sent an invasion army in Minor Asia and besieged the Persian city of Halicarnassus. Persians did not expect a naval invasion to start from the cretan region of Rhodes and were unprepared to have a strong army to defend the city. Cretan intelligence and strategy has great results so far. They attack unexpected enemies with their great navy supporting them in every move they do. They are brave and smart and we must remember that when we will invade Greece and take back what is ours: the city of Corinth!
Herakles is ready to march and fight the Etruscans. He has a dilemma though. Should he attack the Etruscan army that stands in the way to Ariminum or go northwest and conquer the Etruscan capital Arretium? His advisors suggest him to attack their capital. This will create a huge shock to the Etruscans and their morale will get low. They will start to see they cannot win this war Herakles thinks and decides to attack Arretium.
Herakles fell into a well designed Etruscan ambush! Hidden in the forrests the experienced Etruscan general Flavius Julius with an elite force is attacking our unprepared men from every side!!! Clearly a huge mistake of our secret intelligence not to warn us for this army.
The battle begins with our men being panicked since they do not know the number of the enemy and the orders from Herakles cannot be heard with the noise of the Etruscan warcry!
Some of our men are trapped and got killed easily from Etruscan cavalry, skirmishers and archers.
The situation is getting worse. Some men start to flee while others do not know if the soldiers they hear from the trees coming are Corinthian brothers or Etruscan enemies! Etruscan general is a brave man and inspires his men.
Etruscan elites surprise once again our confused men.
Herakles seeing that his orders cannot be heard in the panic of battle starts to take action before all is lost!
Herakles shouts to his men to stand and fight like true Greeks! One of his bodyguards sees Flavius Julius attack our hoplites nearby and immediately Herakles decides to attack him and brake the morale of his soldiers. He must not fail!!!
Herakles managed to kill both Flavius Julius and his brother that was second in command in this ambush Manius Julius in an epic fight! Herakles had the support of his armoured hoplites who fought next to him.
The next step is to kill the slingers, skirmishers and archers who kill our men from distance. Such a death is not a noble one for our men and our cavalry has to give an end to it.
Etruscans do not flee, even though their generals have been killed. They came to fight and that's what they do!
Men from both armies can be seen lying dead everywhere.
Herakles chases the Etruscan cavalry that tried to assist the Etruscan skirmishers.
More Etruscans die from Herakles and his brave bodyguards.
Our hoplites managed to hold and killed many Etruscans.
The few Etruscans who had survived start to flee. Herakles does not want to face these veterans again and starts to chase them!
He still chases them.
They won't escape so easily.
A tough victory that caused us so many dead comrades and friends like never before. As we were counting the dead enemies we realized they were half of our men but managed to fight like they were equal in numbers. The important thing was that we managed to keep our onagers and crew safe from this ambush.
The battle statistics show the importance of Herakles bodyguards and killings in this hard fight.