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Perhaps you would say that the Theonians had sent their best soldiers this time… But even if the rest of the Theonian army were half as good as this one, they would still be formidable. Upon my return, I asked the Carthaginian envoy about the kingdom of Theonia, and he told me that Theonia had a vast territory and a large population. He also said that the number of troops they have now exceeds one hundred thousand and that they also have a powerful fleet, all of which is far beyond our ability to fight on our own.

Therefore, we should focus on defence first and ask all coastal allies and colonial cities to increase their defences, patrols and surveillance to prevent the Theonians from attacking from the sea. In the meantime, we will have our Roman citizens ready for conscription and ready to reinforce as soon as we find the enemy.

Furthermore, I propose we immediately implement the previous decision to allocate the Volscian lands to the landless citizens so that they can quickly move to Velitrae, Antium and Satricum and become our new source of troops, replacing the troops currently stationed there. Of course, given their financial resources, we must also provide them with weapons and equipment. So we must ask the Carthaginians to continue to support us financially in this regard.

And about the law passed by the Senate a few years ago for the admission of Latin refugees as Roman citizens. I hope we can widen the scope and accelerate the progress of the absorption of refugees such as the Etruscans, Sabines… and so on, so we could have more troops to fight against Theonia…”

Camillus wanted to propose something but didn’t say it in the end. Camillus wanted to suggest ‘to allow the plebeians to rent Roman public lands, and even to allocate some of them to the landless plebeians and new citizens to increase their loyalty…\' But, remembering that the Roman nobles still held these lands, his proposal would undoubtedly infringe on their interests. As a result, not only would he provoke intense opposition from them but also expose him to suspicion and ostracism and even to the same miserable situation he had suffered then… so Camillus, who was already old, chose to drop this proposal.

Instead, he suggested, “We also need to increase the military training of our citizens to improve their ability to fight the Theonian soldiers and to be aware of some of the Theonian army\'s unique tactics, allowing them to respond in time. From what I\'ve seen, the Theonians haven\'t sent as many troops into Latium, as they\'re still suffering from the drought, so taking defensive measures to deal with their attack should be enough for now.

But now that we are at war with Theonia, and it is an ally of the Volscians, Theonia would likely increase their attack on us as time goes on, especially once they have enough supplies to feed their army. Thus we could no longer sit back and watch the war between Carthage and Theonia, hoping that Carthage would defeat Theonia and that their fleet would protect our shores! What if Carthage falls?! Then we will be left alone to face the wrath of the Theonians!”

Camillus\' words shocked the senators.

Camillus looked at them and said seriously, “So besides defending, we must also attack! We must keep the Theonians under pressure to make it hard for them to concentrate their main forces on fighting the Carthaginians! We must contribute to the victory of our allies, the Carthaginians, over the Theonians!”

Camillus\' words made the senators ponder deeply.

Paulus said, “Camillus, you just said you would attack, but your previous battle has shown how dangerous it is for us to attack Volsci since Theonia\'s fleet could attack our rear at any time and cut off our supply line…”

“Attacking Volsci would indeed be risky, but what if we attack Hernici?” Camillus\' remark made Paulus stare wide and, at the same time, opened his mind. When the Volscian Alliance attacked the allies of Rome, they weren\'t the only ones to be defeated by the army led by Camillus – the Aequi and the Hernici were also defeated. Rome finally decided to retaliate against the Volscians because they had caused Rome the most trouble in the past and had the most fertile land. While Hernici, although weaker and inhabiting more mountainous areas, were also a race that often caused problems for Rome…

Paulus was deeply pondering when Camillus continued, “While we defend against possible Volscian and Theonian attacks in the south-west, we should send troops to attack Hernici in the north-east while we wait for the war between Theonia and Carthage.

We had seriously weakened the strength of the Hernicans in the previous war. By eliminating them now, we will reduce not only Rome\'s enemies but also have land to distribute to the landless Roman citizens.

Moreover, several towns in Hernici border Volsci, which will also be the focus of our attack. If the Theonians come to their aid, we could confidently fight them, as they are far from the coast.”

“But it\'s a hilly place, which doesn\'t suit the fighting style of our heavy infantry!” Furius reminded.

Camillus immediately replied, “However, it is not suitable for Theonian soldiers as well, let alone their powerful cavalry. There, we\'re more familiar with the terrain and have the support of our Latin allies, so we have nothing to worry about. We just want to contain the Theonians and even force them to send more reinforcements… But as soon as Carthage wins the naval battle, we will send more troops from the southwestern plain to invade Volscian territory again and finally surround the Theonians!…”

The senators nodded repeatedly, but some expressed concern, “The Volscian town on the edge of the Hernici region is close to the Samnites… and I have heard that the Samnites and Theonians are allies. In case…”

“You don\'t have to worry!” Paulus loudly said, “The Carthaginian envoy once mentioned that the Samnites had long been dissatisfied with Theonia and might act against Theonia again in the war between Carthage and Theonia…”

“The Carthaginians also said they would immediately attack Theonia! We shouldn\'t trust them too much!!!” Another senator complained.

But Camillus\' analysis had stirred the senators into another heated debate and, at the same time, made them determined to fight the Kingdom of Theonia.

Suddenly, Potitus rose with his crutch. As a senator who had been in Rome for decades and had served as consul and military tribune more than a dozen times, his prestige alone was enough to bring the people to a halt, or at least to lower their voices, before he could even begin to speak.

“Everyone, this war with Theonia is like our war with the Celts that year. It means the life and death of our Rome! So all our citizens must work together to face another severe test from Jupiter! And any disputes, doubts and infighting will only waste our energy and time, destroy our unity and make us unable to take the correct action in time. So I propose that at this critical moment, the Senate elect a dictator to lead the Roman citizens and win the war against Theonia!”

When Potitus\' voice faded, the meeting place fell silent for a while.

Then, Paulus was the first to say, “I agree with Potitus! We should elect a dictator who would deal with our war with Theonia with all our strength!!!”

It was followed by Furius’ loud support, “As a military tribune who fought against the Theonians. I know what the Theonians are capable of! We need a dictator to resolve the contradictions between the people, unify them and commit us fully to this brutal war so that we can attain the final victory!”

Most of the senators present supported the selfless speeches of the two military tribunes. It should be noted that the position of the military tribune would automatically be removed once the dictator is elected.

Just as the senators spoke out and agreed, Camillus expressed his support. But he said, “I hope you won\'t elect me dictator this time because this war with the Kingdom of Theonia could be hard and long. I\'m old and lack the energy to take on this responsibility. However, I will still give the new dictator my suggestions and help him defeat the Theonians.”

“Are you as old as I am?! If the Theonians reached Rome, I would also take up arms and go to battle! Do not run away from your duty!!!” Potitus pointed at him with his cane and sternly rebuked him. When Potitus first served as consul and led the army into war, Camillus was just an ordinary officer. But because of his bravery in battle, Potitus began appreciating him and allowed him to gradually rise to Rome\'s centre of power.

“To serve as Dictator at this time is not an honour, but a responsibility! A heavy responsibility! For the life and death of Rome lies in the hands of the Dictator!” Said Potitus in all seriousness, not only to Camillus but also to the other senators who have different ideas, “As the hero who has faced strong enemies and saved Rome countless times, you should not shirk this responsibility, for only you can lead the citizens of Rome to victory!”

Marcus Furius Camillus