Just as the Dionysian army arrived at Crimea, news reached Crotone that the Crotone army had been defeated, suffering heavy casualties. Only a little over 5,000 men had escaped to Crimea. This news shocked the city.
While the first defeat was due to Melanthius's negligence and the Amendolara's brazen surprise attack, Crotone assembled a much stronger army this time, led by their trusted, equally experienced and reliable chief general, Myron. They hoped to avenge their previous defeat. However, the news was even more disheartening. The Crotone army had suffered another crushing defeat, with over 20,000 men unable to escape. Were they killed in battle or captured? No news remained.
This time, every family in Crotone wept in fear for their loved ones' lives. Meanwhile, pent-up anger, channeled by Dionysian spies, erupted. The people gathered at the city hall to protest, demanding an immediate citizens' assembly.
