Chapter 1357: Chapter 72: Damn Gods World
In front of the low parapet, the surrounding rocks were filled with the remnants of arrows and spears, every inch of land covered in blackened marks. The pits, large and small, were filled with pools of blood, chunks of flesh, and human as well as horse entrails, with some still smoldering, the stench of burnt flesh spreading.
Soldiers, with different appearances and wearing different gear, lay dead and wounded, entangled on this land. Some were pushed into deep pits, left to the descending ravens to peck at; others were carried to breaches, piled up in front of the broken low walls.
Congealed blood glued the fragmented bodies together, forming horrific, bloody human flesh walls.
A long spear pierced through a still quivering body, stirring it up. The foreign soldier, raising a hand for help, yearning to survive, finally coughed up blood as his pupils dilated, his body gradually stopped twitching, and his limbs went limp.
Caesar withdrew his long spear, bringing with it a gush of blood.
The rich stench of blood rushed into his nose, and he wrinkled his nose in disdain, casually picking up a piece of rag from a nearby corpse to wipe the blood and dirt off the spear tip, then climbed the parapet to gaze ahead.
At this moment, Alexander was returning from the battlefield with his Companion Cavalry.
These well-trained knights were full of energy, chatting and laughing along the way, as if they had just gone on a relaxing outing.
However, behind them on the Cilicia Plain, lay the bodies of countless foreign warriors, sprawled in all directions.
A rough estimate suggested casualties of no less than 5,000 people.
But after Caesar and Alexander tallied up the numbers, the losses on Rome’s side were almost negligible.
For the combined casualties of cavalry and infantry did not even reach 100, achieving a staggering loss ratio of one to fifty.
Alexander turned back to glance at the Persian army trying hard to gather their routed soldiers, with even more contempt in his eyes.
In his view, this Persian army was nothing more than a paper tiger that looked strong on the outside but was weak on the inside.
Although they outnumbered Rome several times, their troop quality and leadership were utterly trampled by Rome.
Even more laughable was that these Persians dared to count on their numbers to set up a loose formation in front of him and Caesar.
Alexander decisively seized this opportunity, using the Macedonian Phalanx to hold the front while the Companion Cavalry pierced the flanks, teaching their opponents a harsh lesson.
With just one charge, he and his thousands of Companion Cavalry disrupted the Persian army’s formation, then pursued and slaughtered thousands of enemies.
“Facing these useless fools, there were still over a hundred casualties—seems the training needs to be strengthened in the future.”
Alexander shook his head, evidently dissatisfied with this battle result.
Caesar patted Alexander on the shoulder, offering comfort:
“It was already impressive, after all, not all opponents are soft targets.”
As he spoke, he looked up at the center of the Persian army, where a group of black-clad and black-armored soldiers gathered around Darius III, his gaze growing more serious.
——The Immortal Guards!
It was this renowned royal elite that withstood the charge of Alexander and his Companion Cavalry.
Only then did the Persian army have the chance to regroup their routed soldiers and stabilize their formation.
Otherwise, the casualties of this Persian army would likely have doubled or tripled.
Accompanied by a deep horn sound, the reorganized Persian army charged once more towards the Roman Legion’s defensive line.
After suffering their initial setback, their approach was noticeably more cautious.
The time had come for a head-on confrontation.
Caesar sighed quietly, commanding the Roman soldiers under his command to gather tightly in formation while observing the enemy through the parapet.
As the ground shook, the Medes came first.
The Medes wore narrow-sleeved, knee-length tunics embroidered with exotic, Eastern floral patterns. Underneath their splendid attire, they donned linen or scale armor similar in style to that of the Greeks.
They wielded two or three short spears, each 1.5 to 1.8 meters in length, suitable for both throwing and close combat. They habitually used Defo Shields with notched edges for their protection.
Additionally, some had daggers tucked at their waists. These soldiers typically wore headscarves exposing only their faces. Equipment varied, and wealthier Medes might augment their defense with steppe-styled half-round helmets.
Right behind them came the Scythians, wearing pointed hats with ear and cheek protection. Some nobles were equipped with helmets bought or captured from Greece, and they wore leather armor, tight tunics, and scale armor. A war axe hung at their sides, and they carried a quiver crafted from enemy scalps, exuding ferocity and cruelty.
The victims could naturally include citizens of the Roman Empire.
What an uncivilized bunch of beasts.
Caesar frowned distastefully but still restrained his subordinates, prohibiting them from launching early attacks.
Swoosh swoosh swoosh swoosh!
Meanwhile, the charging Persian army, unable to hold back, had their archers draw bows and let loose a wave of long-range arrows.
The scattered Medes and Saka in the front line also drew their bows, unleashing arrow rain dense as drumbeats, creating a continuous, covering barrage.
“Raise shields! Defend!”
As Caesar issued commands to the messengers, the Roman heavy infantry within the parapet adeptly formed a shield wall to counter the dense, locust-like arrows.
Through several rounds of barrages, the impact of the arrows on the heavy infantry was negligible, but the arrowheads lodged in the shields added to their weight, or pierced through gaps, stabbing some unlucky ones in the arms and thighs, resulting in bloodshed and moans, putting psychological pressure on the shield-bearers.