Rome Must Fall

While the majority of gladiators were still indulging in daily killings, looting, and excessive drinking, Maximus had already keenly realized that the Military Commanders Assembly had become the highest authority in the entire rebel army. He began finding ways to become a part of it as soon as possible, in order to gain greater influence over the rebel forces. Now that he had finally achieved his goal, how could he not be happy?

“Don’t get too excited! Although you can participate in the Military Commanders Assembly, you’re just a participant. You can suggest ideas, but you have no decision-making power!” Crixus coldly said.

Crixus’ words poured cold water on Maximus’ excitement, his expression stiffened briefly before looking to Hamilcar.

Hamilcar nodded.

“Sit down, we have other matters to discuss,” Spartacus said without further explanation, urging them to proceed.

Maximus let out a sigh and expelled his frustration: Well, being present is better than not. At least I’m in, and I’ll work harder to become an official member in the future.

Maximus adjusted his mood and found an empty wooden stool to sit on.

“We’ve all agreed to start training the troops, but we need to come up with a plan on how to proceed with the training,” Spartacus looked at the others in the room and asked, “Do you have any suggestions?”

“Training the troops is simple,” Oenomaus interjected, “After dinner, before the sun sets, let our gladiator brothers in each unit serve as instructors and train our newly recruited brothers using the training methods from the gladiator school. I believe that within two or three months, the combat abilities of the new recruits will significantly improve.”

“The school’s training methods are too rigorous. Doing that might cause dissatisfaction among the new recruits. We’ve already had enough fights and brawls in the camp recently. If we provoke more conflicts and clashes, it could…” Artorix expressed his concern.

“Let our gladiator brothers lower the requirements. There’s no need to be as strict as in the school. Moreover, after implementing that method Spartacus mentioned earlier, it will definitely foster a more friendly atmosphere among everyone, so you don’t have to worry about that,” Crixus mentioned “that method” which referred to the “airing of grievances” promoted by Maximus in the supply team.

For some psychological reason, Crixus only briefly mentioned it and quickly shifted the topic: “However, the main problem is that even if we lower the requirements, the training will still be strenuous. Our brothers are already tired from daytime activities, and adding training at night might be too much to handle.”

“During this period, our army has been expanding continuously, and we have obtained more and more resources. We have basically raided all the nearby farms,” Spartacus said earnestly. “I think there’s no urgent need to send all our teams down the mountain every day. We can let the different teams take turns attacking the more distant farms, while the teams staying here at the base can focus on training. This way, we will have sufficient time to organize our forces. You see, some of our brothers serving as centurions don’t even know how many soldiers they have under their command, let alone familiarize themselves with their names. How can they lead them into battle against the Romans? This won’t do. We need to make changes quickly!”

Others in the room could sense Spartacus’ anxiety. As leaders themselves, they shared the same sentiments and expressed their agreement.

Then, Hamilcar offered his suggestion, “I believe it’s not appropriate to focus solely on training the individual combat abilities of our brothers. In a battle involving thousands of soldiers, it’s often the side with better organization and discipline that triumphs over the courageous but chaotic opposition. Therefore, in addition to individual training, it’s necessary to conduct collective training for all teams, teaching them how to assemble, march, maneuver into formations, switch formations, and follow commands to engage in battle or retreat in a timely manner.”

“I agree,” Spartacus responded first, as it was a plan he had discussed with Hamilcar.

“I agree too,” Artorix followed suit.

Crixus didn’t respond immediately, but instead asked, “Hamilcar, what kind of collective training are you planning to conduct?”

“We will train our brothers using Roman tactics and formations. I have spent time in the Roman legion with Spartacus, so I have some understanding of their methods,” Hamilcar replied.

“Why should we use Roman tactics in our battles?!” Oenomaus expressed his dissatisfaction, “We should practice our Germanic wedge formation tactics instead. Once we master them, we can easily defeat the Romans!”

“The Romans may not be very strong or tall, but they have managed to conquer many races and establish dominance in the Mediterranean primarily because of their tactics,” Spartacus patiently explained. “Oenomaus, I have heard you talk about the tactics of your Germanic people before, and they are indeed excellent. However, in our army, most of our brothers, especially the new recruits, are not as strong and tall as us gladiators, and they lack combat experience. They have suffered from abuse, are physically weak, and don’t have enough strength to break through the Romans’ tight defense lines or penetrate their shield formations. That’s why Roman tactics are suitable for them. Just think about it, when our brothers learn the Roman tactics and combine them with their superior courage and hatred for the Romans, can the Roman army still defeat us?”

Oenomaus scratched his head and remained silent.

Crixus pondered for a moment and said, “We need to train our brothers’ individual combat abilities and conduct collective training. After a whole day of training, their physical exertion will be significant. Can our brothers endure it?”

“I have considered your concern as well. We can provide them with an additional meal at noon. When our brothers are well-fed, they will naturally have the energy to continue training,” Hamilcar replied, looking at Maximus. “How much food do we have in stock?”

“We have 600 tons of wheat, 200 tons of barley, 1,000 kilograms of smoked pork, 750 kilograms of smoked fish, 240 sheep, and 23 cows…” Maximus answered quickly without much thought. “If we calculate based on our current army of 5,000 people, it’s enough to feed us for half a year. If we add an extra meal at lunchtime, ensuring that our brothers eat well and have the energy to continue training, it will last us for over three months. Moreover, we will also capture new farms to obtain more food, so there’s no need to worry about food shortages.”

Maximus looked at everyone, confidently suggesting, “We can even add more meat to the lunch and provide diluted wine. This way, our brothers will be more willing to train when they are well-fed and well-hydrated.”

“Well, that’s a good idea. As the new leader of the Logistics Team, you will be responsible for these matters,” Hamilcar said.

“Alright,” Maximus quickly nodded, showing respect for the former leader.

No one else objected, and the decision to conduct military training was finalized.

“Since we have already looted all the nearby farms. We should discuss which direction to attack next,” Crixus reminded.

“For now, let’s not go south. It’s close to the coast and has multiple towns. They may not dare attack us, but will still hinder our farm raids and supply transport. To go east, the journey is far and we have to bypass Mount Vesuvius. It’s better to go north first. When we become stronger, we can consider other options,” Spartacus had long considered this.

Despite Crixus and Oenomaus often boasting to their respective subordinates about being able to easily defeat any enemy, deep down, they still had some fear of the Roman army. That’s why they unanimously agreed to establish their base on the mountainside. Now, with the possibility of Roman army attacking at any time, they were even less willing to lead their forces away from the main stronghold and approach hostile towns. Therefore, they naturally didn’t oppose Spartacus’ suggestion.

Oenomaus added, “If we attack east, we can have Omarkel monitor Via Annia. In case there are more weapon-carrying wagons passing by, we can intercept them and distribute the weapons to our brothers. We have too few weapons at the moment!”