However, he soon learned that after bypassing Ascoli, the rebel army did not continue north but instead embarked on the Sarabian Way, beginning to march west.
This rebel army wants to attack Rome?! ... A terrifying thought flashed in Crodianus's mind, rendering him restless, for he was well aware of the military defense situation along the Sarabian Way. He had originally led an army from Rome via this route to reach Ascoli, recruiting city guards from various towns along the way, amassing an army of fifty thousand. Yet, this also left the Sarabian Way and its surrounding areas, which had long been unprepared for war, nearly defenseless. He could imagine the rebels smoothly entering Ladim, approaching Rome, and inciting panic among the Roman populace...
