Not only the soldiers, but also Myron's mind went blank the moment the Dionysian army appeared. He trembled all over, his face pale. He knew: he had been deceived! By the cunning Dionysians! He had thought the enemy was too small, and rashly allowed his army to cross the river in front of an equally large enemy force. For any qualified general, this would be a terribly wrong military move! But it was too late to retreat now.
Retreating before the enemy, and then having to turn back and cross the river again, was a taboo for the city-state's citizen soldiers, who usually did not train well. It would mean a major defeat without a fight, and the Dionysians could easily attack, turning the seemingly gentle Trionto River into a graveyard for the Crotone citizen soldiers.
