Mediterranean Hegemon of Ancient Greece Chapter 1065: Changing with the Times

At that moment, the senior judge, Critodemus, voiced his opinion loudly: "According to Daionian law, citizens are obligated to serve in the military, but there is no strict regulation on the duration of a single tour of duty. However, the kingdom's citizens are primarily Greeks. According to standard Greek military tradition, unless facing a critical emergency, citizens rarely go to war during the busy farming season, and a single campaign generally does not exceed one month.

"Those capable of fighting long-term campaigns are usually mercenaries who lack other income and rely solely on war for their livelihood. When a campaign drags on too long, citizen soldiers might band together to protest to their generals, or even demand to retreat and return home... Naturally, the kingdom's citizens could never be as undisciplined as the citizens of other Greek city-states, but we must still carefully consider this issue."

After Tritodemus finished speaking, the ministers fell silent for a moment.

Alexis looked at Davos and spoke earnestly, "Your Majesty, I originally planned to report another important matter to you at today's Kingdom Executive Council. For the past few years, our territory in Iberia has been constantly harassed by the Lusitanians and a small number of Celts. Starting this year, the frequency of these indigenous attacks has increased, and the Eighteenth Legion has had to continuously muster its troops to fend them off.

(The Eighteenth Legion was established after the end of the Western Mediterranean War. Its camp is located in Sexi, the central town of the Southern Iberian Region. Its recruits are primarily Daionian Citizens from this area; over half of the soldiers are Phoenicians and Carthaginians, a minority are Greeks, and a very small fraction are Iberians).

"Because the citizens there have been unable to return home for extended periods, their morale is low, leading to a drop in combat effectiveness and numerous casualties... Furthermore, because too many young, able-bodied citizens in the Iberian territory have been drafted to fight, the resulting labor shortage has affected other regional affairs. Consequently, Governor Haca of Iberia has harbored many complaints against our Ministry of Military Affairs...

"The raiding tactics of the indigenous Iberians are very similar to those of the Gauls. If we adopt the same methods to respond, I fear we will repeat the mistakes made in our Iberian territory. I am not opposed to the kingdom sending troops to aid Etruria. On the contrary, I hope that Your Majesty and the lords here can find a better solution during our discussions—one that defends against enemy incursions while avoiding the problems I just mentioned... Then, we can apply this method to the northern border of Etruria, to Iberia, and to every kingdom border that requires defense, ensuring the stability and development of our realm."

Davos nodded with a grave expression. He glanced around at the assembly and spoke in a deep voice, "Alexis makes an excellent point, and it warrants deep reflection from us all. The kingdom's territory is growing ever more expansive, and that vastness means we can no longer operate as we did in the past, when enemies were only ten or a hundred li away. Back then, we could assemble an army and reach the battlefield in a day or two, finish the fight in four or five days, and return before we had even finished the field rations we brought along.

"Now, the kingdom's borders are quite distant from Thurii. Tell us, Alexis, how many days of marching does the army need to reach the northern border of Etruria from Thurii?"

"Traveling from Thurii to Southern Iberia is primarily by sea and takes 15 days, but the voyage is long and carries the risk of encountering storms.

"And traveling from Thurii to Carthage is also mainly by sea, taking at least 10 days, again with maritime risks to consider..."

"I only asked one question, Alexis, yet you answered with so much," Davos teased, but not a single minister laughed; they were all deep in thought.

"That is merely the marching time. Fighting a campaign until the war concludes will take even longer." Davos focused his mind and spoke gravely, "The Kingdom of Daunia is now the most powerful nation in the western Mediterranean. The days of powers like Syracuse or Carthage daring to lead massive armies in direct assaults on our territory are largely over. The factions hostile to us fear our strength. Most likely, they will adopt the tactics of the Lusitanians and Gauls—avoiding pitched battles in favor of harassing raids to ravage our lands and exhaust our soldiers, thereby prolonging the course of the war...

"Gentlemen, we cannot remain intoxicated by our past successes. We must realize that as the kingdom's strength changes, our surrounding environment changes with it. Some of the strategies that succeeded in the past may no longer suit this new reality.

"You all just reached a consensus that aiding Etruria means defending the kingdom's safety, but how to deliver that aid is a massive challenge. You must understand that finding a solution isn't just about dealing with the immediate problems in Etruria or Iberia. It is about discovering a new path to reform our military system and secure the expanding territory of our kingdom!"

Though Davos did not speak very loudly, his words resonated in the hearts of every minister. It abruptly elevated their perspective on the issue and made them feel the pressure. Every person's expression grew solemn yet energized, and a profound silence suddenly blanketed the hall.

Davos did not press them further. He leaned back in his seat, seemingly resting his eyes, but his mind was racing: the Etruscan envoys had arrived two days ago, and the diplomatic officials responsible for receiving them had already figured out the general purpose of their visit and reported back to him. After some thought, he already had a few ideas. After all, unlike his ministers who had to cross the river by feeling the stones, he was backed by thousands of years of Eastern and Western historical experience from his past life.

He also understood the military development of ancient Macedonia and Rome, allowing him to reference, adapt, and absorb their methods... However, the solution he envisioned involved several thorny issues that required his ministers to discuss, reach a consensus on, and resolve together. That was why he had intentionally guided the conversation, though he naturally also hoped they might come up with an even better approach to solve this problem...

After a long while, the Rotating Chairman, Cyprolus, asked (in the 2nd year after the Western Mediterranean War, Cornelius had fallen ill from overwork and became bedridden. At Davos's proposal, the Senate unanimously elected Cyprolus—the Wartime Governor of Sicily who had contributed greatly and earned outstanding merits during the war—to temporarily fill Cornelius's position. Shortly thereafter, Cornelius passed away from his illness, and Cyprolus was formalized in the role),

"Lord Alexis, when the Carthaginians were expanding their Iberian territory, they surely faced the same dilemma we are encountering today. How did they manage to continuously fend off and conquer the indigenous peoples over 10 long years while simultaneously stabilizing and developing the territory?"

This question made Alexis think for a good while before he answered carefully,

"Perhaps only Governor Haca of Iberia can provide the detailed history of the Iberian region. From what I understand... at that time, the Carthaginian governor of Iberia, Mago, had an army of nearly 50,000 men. They were incredibly combat-effective, and because they were all mercenaries, they did not need to engage in labor. As a result, they could be thrown into battle against the indigenous tribes at any given moment, which was how they gradually completed their suppression of the natives. But even so, the Carthaginians paid a massive price.

"It is said that most of the revenue from the Iberian territory, along with 1/3 of Carthage's annual tax income, was used to maintain this army—"

"This is far too expensive! The kingdom cannot adopt such a method, or we wouldn't be able to do anything else!" Akibides, the financial officer, loudly voiced his opinion.

Although they found his voice a bit grating, many of the ministers agreed with his opinion.

Cyprolus, however, spoke in a deep voice: "Naturally, we cannot spend vast sums to maintain a mercenary force, but we can certainly emulate this approach."

Davos's eyes lit up.

"I remember that for foreigners to become Daionian Citizens—from registering on the rolls to becoming a preparatory citizen, and finally to a full citizen—it takes at least 5-6 years.

"During this period, they must labor within the kingdom, rent and farm land, work as hired hands, take on bottom-tier municipal chores, or serve as dock laborers... Sometimes, they must even answer the kingdom's draft to participate in public works, become auxiliary labor for the army, or take rotational guard duty alongside the soldiers... And throughout this long wait, they must also obey the law and pay their taxes regularly... They have to work extremely hard and live cautiously within the kingdom to finally become a full citizen; in truth, it is no easy feat."

Cyprolus sighed softly, "So why don't we amend the laws regarding 'allowing foreigners and registered freemen to become Daionian Citizens'? We need only decree that from now on, anyone who wishes to become a Daionian Citizen must first serve the Kingdom of Daunia by garrisoning the kingdom's borders. Only after completing 5-6 years of military service can they become a Daonian Official Citizen and enjoy the various rights the kingdom bestows..."

Sure enough, just as Davos had anticipated, the method Cyprolus proposed was largely identical to his own idea. The only difference lay in the length of service: Davos's idea was a service term of 10-15 years, which perfectly encapsulated the period when a young man's physical strength and energy were at their absolute peak.

But after thinking it over carefully, Davos had to admit that Cyprolus's suggestion was much more practical. At present, it only took about 6 years to become a Daionian Citizen. Suddenly stretching that time out to over 10 years—while simultaneously forcing them to risk life and limb in battle—would definitely breed resentment among these foreign freemen.