Mediterranean Hegemon of Ancient Greece Chapter 1020: The Arrow Is on the String

The Warships of the Sicilian Fleet did not halt their exhausting, relentless ramming until every last Carthaginian vessel vanished from the surface of the sea. Only then did they begin pulling stranded Theonian sailors from the water, settling them aboard Carthaginian Warships captured by the fleet infantry.

Throughout the battle, the Carthaginian civilians packing the shores transitioned from frantic excitement to utter panic, and finally to choked sobs. By the end, the beaches—crowded with countless onlookers—had fallen into dead silence.

They had heard of their army's disastrous defeat in Sicily, and of Carthage's allies being attacked and destroyed. Yet, while those reports had sparked anxiety, they could not compare to witnessing the Daunian Navy crush their fleet with their own eyes. Seeing the enemy run rampant across the very waters they relied on for survival, the sheer might of their foes sent a freezing dread through every person present.

The citizens of Carthage were not the only ones dealt a heavy blow. The senators observing the battle from the seawall suffered an even greater shock. Standing closer, they saw the outcome more clearly and understood its implications more deeply, making the devastating reality hit them far harder.

Fortunately, these men were elite Carthaginian nobles forged by years in the political arena. After a long period of silence, Hanno was the first to release a deep sigh. His expression was grim. "We must immediately open peace negotiations with Daionia. To secure peace as quickly as possible, we will need to make appropriate concessions regarding the terms they proposed."

This time, Hanno's proposal drew immediate agreement from many of the senators. "Lord Hanno is right! Our navy is finished, and our army is trapped in Sicily. For the safety of Carthage, we must secure a truce with the Theonians immediately, even if it costs us!"

"Even if it costs us?! If the citizens hear of this, they will never agree. They will march on the Senate to protest!"

"You overestimate those lowly commoners. After witnessing today's naval defeat, I guarantee they will demand an end to this war even more desperately than we do!"

...

Tepanco, however, was not about to let them off the hook. He spoke up in bitter anguish. "My lords, today we have all witnessed the defeat of our navy with our own eyes. It is safe to say that in this war... our Carthage... has utterly failed... and to secure peace, we will pay a crippling price! Should we not properly reflect on this? Half a year ago, Lord Hanno, Lord Okriton, and several other senators repeatedly emphasized: 'Daionia's military is powerful, launching a war will bring ruin to Carthage, and we must strive to maintain peace!' Why did certain individuals stubbornly insist on war, resulting in today's catastrophic situation? Should we not hold them accountable?!"

The blunt accusation shocked the gathering. Almost instinctively, every eye turned toward Pretasdrubal.

"Declaring war on Daionia was a resolution passed unanimously by the Senate," Pretasdrubal replied coldly.

"If you had not constantly incited the public to pressure the Senate, that resolution never would have passed in the first place! Furthermore... the incident regarding that Daunian Merchant Ship smuggling Iberian silver ore remains highly suspicious. I propose we launch a thorough reinvestigation into the matter. We absolutely cannot allow certain individuals to escape punishment for sacrificing the city-state's interests for their own selfish gain, leaving those of us who truly love Carthage to innocently suffer the wrath of the public!"

Tepanco's words served as a reminder to the surrounding senators, making their eyes light up. The failure of this war and the heavy price they would likely pay afterward would inevitably ignite the fury of the Carthaginian public. The Senate desperately needed a scapegoat to shoulder this massive responsibility. Mago, who had actively instigated the war, was undoubtedly the best target. Furthermore, the severe blow dealt to the Magonid family's power and prestige during the war left the others with far less reverence for them.

As a result, numerous senators successively voiced their agreement. They requested the Senate to thoroughly reinvestigate the "incitement of the public to launch a war against Daionia" and the "smuggling of Iberian silver by a Daunian Merchant Ship." If a conspiracy truly existed behind these events, the perpetrators had to face severe punishment.

As more and more senators threw their support behind Tepanco's proposal, Pretasdrubal caught the cold glare Hanno directed his way. He suddenly understood: ever since the war began, the Magonid family's greatest enemy had not offered much resistance to Lord Mago. Instead, he had been waiting for this most critical moment to deliver the fiercest stab.

A wave of panic seized him. "Have you all forgotten?!" he argued loudly. "Carthage launched this war because Daionia declared war on Rome! Rome is our ally, and we had to fulfill our treaty! Lord Adrusbal, is that not the case?!"

Under Pretasdrubal's pleading gaze, the white-haired leader of the Neutral Faction let out a few dry coughs. Turning his head to look at the others, he said, "Everyone, we should immediately dispatch men to rescue the fallen sailors, repair the damaged Warships, bury the fallen warriors, and comfort the citizens who have lost their loved ones... We must also discuss what concessions we might need to make in the armistice negotiations with Daionia, and send out negotiating envoys once more... There are so many tasks requiring our immediate attention... Ah... the matters you were just discussing can be addressed after these are completed..."

Pretasdrubal's heart plummeted to the bottom. Although Adrusbal spoke evasively, Pretasdrubal could hear his underlying support for Tepanco's proposal.

Hanno stroked his beard, a mocking smile appearing on his face.

The sun set and night descended. Countless boats continued to weave back and forth across the waters near Carthage. Shouts and weeping echoed throughout this once-greatest city of the western Mediterranean, lasting endlessly into the night...

Approximately 570 Warships participated in this naval battle: roughly 180 on the Carthaginian side, and 390 between Daionia's two fleets. After fighting fiercely for more than half a day, the Carthaginian Fleet lost 135 Warships, and its naval commander was killed in action. The Daunian 3rd Fleet also lost 76 Warships, and its Flagship was similarly rammed and sunk. Midorades was shivering violently from the cold when he was rescued from the sea. Such high attrition rates on both sides were unprecedented in the history of naval warfare on the Mediterranean Sea.

However, the Daunian 3rd Fleet's heavy sacrifice of over half its ships bought the near-total annihilation of the Carthaginian Fleet. They would struggle to recover in the short term, much less pose a threat to the Daunian Navy. This allowed the Daunian Navy to sail freely and boldly into the waters of Africa, where they could directly pressure and blockade the City of Carthage. Strategically, it was a major victory.

Therefore, when Davos received news of this naval battle, he was extremely excited. He publicly commended the two fleets for their seamless coordination and fearless sacrifice in winning this important victory for the kingdom. He called upon the entire army to learn from them and promised that all sailors who participated in the battle would be recorded with a major merit. At the same time, he would urge the Ministry of Military Affairs to rapidly replace the Third Fleet's damaged vessels and restore its full organization.

Two days later, Okriton arrived in Minoa as Carthage's negotiating envoy, hoping to restart the peace talks.

Davos generously agreed face-to-face, but secretly instructed Henipolis to delay for as long as possible during the negotiations.

Upon learning that the King of Daonia still held a welcoming attitude toward the peace talks, the Carthaginian Senate immediately passed another resolution. They dispatched envoys to the Carthaginian Camp at Selinus to notify Mago, ordering him to suspend his attack on Selinus to ensure the smooth progress of the negotiations.

Little did they know that Mago had received even more news. Pretasdrubal had already sent someone to warn him: over the past few days, the citizens of the City of Carthage had not only strongly appealed to end the war and restore peace, but they also expressed extreme dissatisfaction toward those who originally provoked the war against Daionia. Dark undercurrents were also surging through the Senate. Claiming to respond to the demands of the public, they were preparing to launch an investigation into the series of events that occurred before the war. Their target was clearly the Magonid family led by Mago.

Upon receiving this news, Mago realized the danger. After consulting with the generals of his family, he made a resolute decision: he would absolutely not obey the Senate's resolution. Furthermore, he stopped the restructuring of the Numidian slaves within the camp and resumed the attack on Selinunte.

He decided to use a victory to restore the Magonid family's prestige in Carthage.

After Davos received the news that "Mago led his army to resume the attack on Selinunte," he learned the general reasons behind it through other channels. He immediately sent Henipolis to question Okriton: since Carthage was already conducting armistice negotiations with Daionia, why were they still ordering the army in Sicily to attack Selinus! Daionia doubted their sincerity in the negotiations and decided to suspend the talks until the Carthaginian army in Sicily truly eliminated its hostility toward Daionia.

Okriton strongly wanted to retort to Henipolis: while Daionia was negotiating, weren't they also letting their fleet continue to patrol Sicilian waters, even penetrating deep into Carthaginian waters and posing a massive threat to the entry and exit of port vessels!

But the current situation of the war was extremely unfavorable to Carthage. Shouldering a heavy responsibility, Okriton urgently needed to reach an agreement as soon as possible to safeguard the security of the Carthaginian homeland. Therefore, he did not dare speak so harshly. Instead, he earnestly guaranteed that the attack on Selinus was absolutely not authorized by the Senate and had to be Mago acting on his own. He promised to rush to Selinus immediately to stop Mago's hostile actions, adding that the Senate would punish Mago, and hoped the negotiations could continue once the matter was resolved.

Having received Davos's instructions, Henipolis naturally welcomed this.

Despite Okriton's solemn pledges in Minoa, he actually had no confidence that he could convince the noble and stubborn patriarch of the Magonid family to halt the attack on Selinus.