It was only now that Spartacus understood that Crossus had never changed his mind, and knowing him quite well, he quickly guessed the purpose behind Crossus’s actions.
Feeling a bit melancholic, Spartacus soon pulled himself together and did not heed Antonix’s suggestion to send the cavalry back to locate Crossus’s army. Instead, he ordered the troops to gather quickly and march north.
As he left the camp, he paused for a moment to look back and silently wished his old comrade-in-arms Crossus good luck.
Crossus was unwilling to lead his troops north but that didn’t mean he was foolish enough to face the oncoming Roman Army alone.
He devised a plan: first to follow behind Spartacus’s main forces to mislead the approaching Roman Army into thinking that all the rebel forces had retreated north. Then, when his army set camp along the route at the foot of the Gallanum Cape, he would take advantage of the night to discreetly lead his troops into the hills of Gallanum Cape...
He believed that the Romans would be attracted to Spartacus’s main forces and wouldn’t notice his army’s disappearance. Once the Romans engaged with Spartacus’s troops, he would then lead his troops back south, an undoubtedly more prudent and safe approach.
Gallanum Cape is located in the northeast of the Apulia region, jutting into the Adriatic Sea. On the map, the cape looks like a human thumb sticking out, its interior filled with rising hills and devoid of towns.
Even with a guide leading the way, Crossus’s army dared not venture deep into the cape’s interior. They struggled to find a somewhat flat valley, where over 30,000 soldiers, with non-combat personnel totaling nearly 40,000, huddled together and hastily set up camp.
Three days passed, and suddenly a messenger reported: "Leader, Romans! The Roman Army is advancing towards us!"
"What!" Crossus was taken aback. He had thought his plan was meticulous enough and his troop movements sufficiently secretive—how could they have been discovered by the Romans?!
He was unaware, however, that Roman Governor Publilius had long been watching him, closely monitoring his army’s movements. No matter how secretive a force of 40,000 could be, it couldn’t completely conceal its tracks.
Since the plan failed, Crossus, after a brief moment of disappointment, brushed it aside: after all, a confrontation with the Romans was inevitable sooner or later, and now that they’ve come knocking, it was time to take them on!
Crossus immediately gathered his troops, came down from the hills to engage in battle, and deployed on a gentle slope at the foot of Gallanum Cape, positioning his most well-equipped warriors in the front line.
The Roman Army, led by Publilius, arrived shortly thereafter, quickly formed their formations, and after a brief rest, initiated the attack.
At first glance, the formations and equipment of both sides appeared similar, and those unaware might think it was the same army conducting an exercise, but in reality, the battle was incredibly fierce.
Half of Crossus’s army were Gauls, naturally fierce, and Crossus had painstakingly gathered weapons and armor to equip them, which had offended Enomai, but also greatly enhanced these Gaul warriors’ combat power. They became more loyal to Crossus, fearlessly fighting to the death under his leadership.
The other part of the rebel army, though somewhat intimidated by the Roman Legion, found themselves in a desperate situation. If they did not fight, their only fate was death, spurring them to defy the Romans with fierce determination.
Publilius led a force of 50,000, largely outnumbering the opposition. However, not all were Roman Legion; he departed Rome with only 4 legions, totaling over 24,000 soldiers. Along the way, he exercised his gubernatorial rights, recruiting City Guards from various towns and equipping them with the Roman Legion’s weapons and armor, forming a grand army that indeed intimidated the rebel forces. Nonetheless, actual combat effectiveness varied greatly; while the Roman Legion soldiers showed significant improvement after strict training for over half a year, the Citizen Soldiers from towns were notably less effective. Hence, Publilius used the Roman Legion as the mainstay and vanguard, while other units served as reserves.
The rebel army held the advantageous terrain and fought valiantly. Despite their inferior weapons and equipment, they gradually gained an upper hand in the battle.
Publilius had to continuously dispatch his large reserves, either to bolster the formation’s thickness to prevent breakthroughs or to intensify attacks on the rebel army’s flanks, thus weakening their frontal assaults...
The battle lasted a long time, and just when both sides’ soldiers were growing weary, an Eagle Banner suddenly appeared on the hill behind the rebel army’s formation...
After locating where Crossus’s army was concealed, Publilius had waited until the fourth day to launch his attack because he needed to make some preparations: he sent out one of the most elite legion battalions along the coast of Gallanum Cape to the easternmost seaside town of Merinum, and then, enduring great hardship, traversed mountains and ridges to stealthily arrive at the rear of the rebel army...
The hills inland Gallanum Cape sprawled endlessly, with few visitors aside from shepherds herding sheep. The rebel soldiers never anticipated that at such a crucial moment, Roman reinforcements would appear at their rear.
This rested Roman battalion launched a ferocious attack from high ground onto the rear of the rebel formation...
In the end, the rebel army was defeated, Crossus fought valiantly to his death, over 20,000 warriors and non-combatants perished, and the remaining routed soldiers fled into the hills...