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.
Though Spartacus and his forces learned from allied Marsi people that two days prior, the governor of the Northern Italy Province, Casius, had led over ten thousand troops into Ascoli, thereby strengthening the Roman Camp’s defenses (this military force, originally ordered by the Governor, came to besiege the rebel army), the rebel leaders, emboldened by their series of victories, still launched an attack, only to suffer a minor setback.
While the leaders were wracking their brains about how to breach the Roman Camp, Quintus proposed a suggestion to Maximus.
"I suggest we don’t attack this camp but instead march west around Ascoli and continue marching west—" Maximus relayed Quintus’s proposal during the Military Commander Conference.
"Leader Maximus, you must be mad!" Cleonis first shouted, considering himself having caught Maximus making an irrational proposal during the Military Commander Conference.
"We’ve all seen these past few days, the western side of Ascoli is all mountains; marching west is undoubtedly difficult, not to mention the west is the Latium Region with Rome! Should Rome again send an army to block us from the west while the Roman Army from Ascoli attacks us from behind, we’ll be in serious trouble!"
"What you said is not entirely correct." Maximus, undeterred by Cleonis’s criticism, responded with a smile, speaking slowly, "The west of Ascoli is not the Latium Region, but Umbria; it’s only further west that we reach Latium. Additionally, marching west past Ascoli isn’t difficult, as there is a Sarabian Way leading to Rome, one of the closest major routes from the east coast to Rome. By following this road westward, we can reach Rome within ten days.
We’re indeed worried Rome might form another large army to attack us, as it’s a capability they undoubtedly possess. However, isn’t the governor hiding in the camp ahead worried about that too? He, as the Roman Governor, bearing the expectations of Roman citizens, led the formidable and costly-to-establish army to besiege us, yet not only was he defeated but also allowed us to assault Rome...
Excluding the time over a hundred years ago when Hannibal led the Carthaginian army to the gates of Rome, Romans have not faced the fear of enemies arriving at their doorsteps. If we did so, regardless of success, Romans would despise this governor, effectively ruining his political future. Therefore, as long as we pretend to march towards the west, I believe he will undoubtedly lead his forces out to intercept us!"
Spartacus, listening patiently, brightened up and said understandingly, "Maximus, are you suggesting we feign a westward march to advance on Rome, when in fact, we intend to lure the Roman Army out of the camp, forcing them to engage us in battle on open ground?"
"Precisely." Maximus glanced at Cleonis, confidently stating, "Breaching the Roman Camp is quite challenging, yet achieving victory in a pitched battle is much easier. I believe it’s worth trying."
Ultimately, Maximus’s proposal was approved.
The rebel army began to take action; to facilitate crossing mountains, they even abandoned large amounts of pack animals, having the soldiers carry supplies on their backs.
Initially, when Crodianus discovered the rebels circumventing Ascoli by heading west over the mountains, he assumed the rebels intended to bypass the camp’s blockade to continue northward, and so decided to hold his ground until reinforced by Rome’s additional forces, having already learned of Publilius’s defeat, wary of underestimating this once-dismissed disorderly band of rebels.