Mediterranean Hegemon of Ancient Greece Chapter 1044: The Carthaginian Assassination

Time passed swiftly.

Three mornings later, a massive armada set forth from Lilybaeum Port, its thousands of sails billowing as it headed south.

They had delayed their departure by a day because of heavy swells and a strong south wind. Though the sea remained somewhat choppy this morning, the wind had favorably shifted to the north.

The Sicilian Fleet and the Third Fleet guarded the vanguard and flanks of the massive armada. The troopships formed the center, while the supply vessels trailed at the rear. Catching the wind, the fleet made excellent time, reaching Cosia Island before noon.

This small island, which had once belonged to the Phoenicians, was already occupied by the Sicilian Fleet. It now served as their advance base for blockading the Port of Carthage and patrolling the African Coast. The armada did not linger, however, pressing onward instead.

As they closed in on the coast, Alexis's lingering concerns proved unfounded. Not a single Carthaginian or Phoenician merchant ship could be seen across the vast, boundless sea. This maritime route—running along the African Coast, passing through Cyrenaica and Egypt, before finally reaching Tyre—had always been bustling. Even a few months ago, ships had shuttled endlessly back and forth. Its sudden desolation perfectly illustrated Carthage's failure in this war and the sheer might of the Daionian Navy.

It wasn't until the fleet neared the shore that Alexis finally spotted a few fishing boats.

Terrified by the overwhelming swarm of warships bearing down on them, the fishermen hastily beached their boats and fled desperately back to their city-states to sound the alarm.

By this point, Alexis had cast aside his worries. Following his previous orders, the warships anchored in the coastal waters while the troopships rapidly fanned out along the expansive coastline. Propelled by the tide and the oarsmen, the vessels ground onto the flat sandy beaches. The soldiers of the three legions waded through knee-deep seawater, finally setting foot on the land of Africa.

"Yes. And soon enough, just like Heracles, we will conquer this giant called Carthage!" Alexis said with deep emotion.

"Lord Alexis, you'll be disappointed if you hold on to that thought." Plintors's words made Alexis pause, but the officer simply blinked and continued, "The Carthage of today can hardly be called a giant."

"I certainly hope so," Alexis replied with a smile.

Though they appeared relaxed, Alexis was constantly dispatching his orderlies, urging the newly landed troops to assemble. He also swiftly tracked down the cavalry scouts who had disembarked, ordering them to reconnoiter the surroundings immediately.

The successive reports allowed Alexis to breathe a sigh of relief. Not only was there no enemy presence within a ten-li radius, but the local Phoenicians were desperately fleeing with their families in tow.

At dusk, Alexis led the army to Hadrumetum, where they began constructing a camp over the ruins of the burned-down town.

It wasn't until late at night that the Carthaginians finally received news that the Daionian Army had landed at Hadrumetum. The quiet capital suddenly erupted in an uproar. The populace panicked, but they were also profoundly confused. Just a few days ago, word had come from Sicily that although Commander Mago's massive army had been defeated, the remnants had retreated to Segesta and Mazara and were continuing to hold their ground. How could a large Daionian force suddenly appear at Hadrumetum?

In truth, after Hasdrubal led the remnant forces in a retreat to Mazara, he had initially risked sending fast ships out of port to reach Carthage and report the situation in Sicily. However, because of the ensuing chaos within the City of Mazara as the residents scrambled to save themselves, coupled with the Daionian Fleet tightening its blockade of the port, Carthage had remained completely in the dark until Daionia finally occupied Mazara. In fact, even Eryx, located right there in Sicily, had been just as clueless.

Given the grave situation, the Carthaginian Senate convened an emergency meeting that very night to discuss countermeasures. Aside from deciding on emergency steps—immediate war mobilization, strengthening city defenses, issuing orders to surrounding allies, and drafting reinforcements—they also debated whether to immediately dispatch envoys to negotiate peace with the Daionians.

This time, the majority of the senators expressed their approval. Only a minority of Magonid faction senators, led by Pretasdrubal, staunchly opposed allowing the ceding of their new colonies in Southern Iberia to be used as a condition for negotiation.

By morning, the Senate temporarily adjourned so the senators could return to their estates for breakfast before resuming the discussion. However, when the senators stepped out of the hall, a large crowd of Carthaginian citizens had already gathered outside.

Not long ago, the Hanno faction's proposal to negotiate peace with Daionia had drawn heavy public criticism. Some had even accused them of treason, making their lives quite difficult. This morning, however, the many citizens who had caught wind of the meeting's contents didn't hurl abuse at Okriton, Tepanco, and their peers. Instead, they aimed their grievances at the Magonid faction, begging Pretasdrubal to prioritize Carthage's safety, quickly reach an agreement with Hanno, dispatch envoys, and sign a peace treaty with Daionia.

In his heart, Pretasdrubal was convinced this was a ploy by the Hanno faction, so he offered no response. In truth, he could never agree to Carthage abandoning its colonies in Southern Iberia anyway, for they had already become the very foundation of the Magonid family.

...

While the Carthaginian populace clamored endlessly outside the Senate, Alexis was commanding his army to continue fortifying their camp. Simultaneously, he dispatched large numbers of soldiers to hastily repair Hadrumetum's original port to expedite the unloading of supplies from the cargo ships, all while awaiting the arrival of the Numidian Army.

By evening, however, after waiting in vain, Alexis received terrible news. The fleet fully loaded with Numidian soldiers had set off from Lilybaeum with a weak north wind, but halfway through the journey, the weather had suddenly shifted to a fierce northwest gale. Pushed by the rough waves, the entire fleet had been driven toward the coast east of Hadrumetum, and word was that some ships had even capsized along the way.

Alexis hastily prayed to Hades, thanking the god for his protection and for ensuring such a disaster had not befallen the Daionian Army.

He then sent out scouts to search eastward along the coast for any trace of the fleet.

But the subsequent reports left him dismayed: aside from a tiny handful of ships scattered along the nearby coast, there was no sign of the fleet.

Alexis surmised that the storm had likely blown most of the ships toward the waters near Cyrenaica. This forced his hand, making him realize he could no longer afford to wait idly; he had to seize the initiative.

Thus, on the third day, he left the Third Legion behind to guard the camp and personally led the First and Second Legions—totaling over 16,000 men—to launch an attack on the City of Ruspina, a Phoenician city-state located less than thirty li east of Hadrumetum.

Ruspina and its neighboring states promptly sent out messengers, taking the long way around to beg Carthage for reinforcements.

This news only inflamed the panic among the Carthaginian populace even further, quickly precipitating a major incident.

...

At dusk, the Carthaginian Senate's meeting once again ended in bitter argument.

After stepping out the main gates, Pretasdrubal and his faction were unsurprisingly mobbed once more by the citizens waiting outside. Having endured this many times already, Pretasdrubal ignored their pleas, insults, and threats. Once his guards shoved the obstructing crowd aside, he simply kept his head high and strode forward.

Right at that moment, several young men suddenly rushed at him. They crashed through the off-guard sentries, closed in on Pretasdrubal, and with gleaming daggers in hand, swiftly and viciously stabbed the unreacting man in the chest several times...

The entire sequence happened as swiftly as a hare leaping and a falcon swooping down; it was over in the blink of an eye. By the time the bystanders finally registered what had happened, Pretasdrubal had already collapsed in a pool of blood...

The terrified citizens screamed and fled in all directions. The servants trailing behind hurriedly propped up the blood-soaked Pretasdrubal, shouting for a doctor to save him, while the guards charged forward to apprehend the assassins... The scene descended into utter chaos.

Prioritizing their own safety, the senators hurriedly retreated to the assembly hall doors, placing themselves under the protection of the guards. Many cast their gazes toward Hanno, clearly suspecting that Pretasdrubal's assassination was orchestrated by his sworn enemy.

However, Hanno wore a look of absolute shock as well. "Quickly, seize them!" he roared. "Catch those murderers!"

Fortunately, the killers made no attempt to flee. Instead, they stood rooted in place, waiting for the guards to arrest them. One of them even shouted boldly with righteous indignation, "I am Ildu, son of Baraca! My eldest brother followed Monteadno and died in battle at Minoa! My second brother was also conscripted to Sicily, and I don't know if he is dead or alive! My father piloted a cargo ship, risking his life late at night to transport grain for the army in Sicily, and he hasn't returned since! Our entire family has bled enough for this war instigated by the Magonid family! All these crises Carthage faces today were brought upon us by them! Killing him was no crime; it was the oracle of Baal Hammon! Only by doing this can we save Carthage!..."

The other young men shouted as well, "I am not guilty! I did this for Carthage!..."

Quite a few citizens hadn't left the scene yet. Hearing the youths' cries, they deeply empathized and began shouting at the guards arresting them. "Let them go! They are the heroes of Carthage! They only want to free Carthage from the perils of war and restore peace and tranquility to Africa! Pretasdrubal is the real sinner! Mago is the sinner! This is the punishment sent down by Baal Hammon; they brought this upon themselves!..."

The citizens' roar was like thunder as they protested against the senators, venting all the grief and terror that had built up in their hearts over this period. Their shouts attracted even more people, swelling the crowd in the plaza outside the Senate. Some even began scuffling with the guards in an attempt to rescue the young men. It was clear that another riot was on the verge of breaking out.