Mediterranean Hegemon of Ancient Greece Chapter 1128: Sparta's Decision

Timagoras felt entirely at ease. Not only had he used his diplomatic mission to reach an understanding with the Spartan envoy—fulfilling the instructions Callistratus had given him before his departure—but he had also secured a substantial fortune. This exceptionally fruitful trip would surely bolster his influence among the citizens of Athens.

Things did not go as planned, however. Shortly after his return to Athens, citizens denounced Timagoras, accusing him of taking Persian bribes, selling Athenian secrets, and betraying the city-state. Countless rumors also swept through the city. People whispered that his conduct in Babylon had been utterly disgraceful compared to the exemplary behavior of Pelopidas of Thebes, earning him the contempt of the Persians and bringing deep shame upon the Athenians.

It was not long before Athens put Timagoras on trial. Despite his desperate attempts to defend himself and his hiring of skilled advocates, the majority of the citizen jury found him guilty. He was sentenced to death.

Meanwhile, upon Luticles' return to Sparta, the harsh demands laid out by the Persians caused a massive uproar throughout the city-state.

Agesilaus, who had always kept a close watch on Daionia, voiced his fierce opposition. "Daionia's power has swelled drastically since their victory over Carthage," he warned them. "They already pose a massive threat to Sparta. We are incredibly fortunate that the Friendship Agreement still stands, and that their kingdom prides itself on keeping its word. Even though we have acted against them during the term of our agreement, they have maintained their peace with us.

"Yet now, we are talking about tearing up the agreement ourselves!" Agesilaus continued. "We would be handing them the perfect excuse! If Daionia deploys its army to intervene in this war, it will bring absolute disaster down upon the Spartan army, which is already stretched to its limits fighting Thebes!"

The other King of Sparta, Cleombrotus, stepped forward to firmly advocate for yielding to the Persians. His reasoning was equally solid: "This war has dragged on long enough, and Sparta is struggling to sustain it. If we do not sever our ties with Daionia, we will never receive Persia's backing. And if the King of Persia makes good on his threat to support our enemies in Thebes instead, Sparta will face the very real threat of defeat. However, if we tear up the Friendship Agreement with Daionia, we will secure Persia's full support. Just like in the Corinthian War, we will not only bring this conflict to a swift end, but we will reclaim our rightful place as the hegemons of Greece!

"When that time comes, even if Daionia declares war on us, we can rally the combined might of all Greece to stand against them. Furthermore, judging by how eagerly the Persians demanded we break ties with Daionia, it is obvious that the King of Persia harbors hostility toward them. He will undoubtedly offer us his full support if we go to war. We can seize this golden opportunity to crush the Daionians and permanently eliminate this lingering threat that has kept us up at night."

"Reports claim that Daionia fielded an army of 100,000 against Carthage," Agesilaus pressed, his expression deadly serious. "Only the narrow stretch of the Adriatic Sea separates the Peloponnese from Daionia. Once the Friendship Agreement is torn to shreds, if Daionia truly declares war on Sparta, that army of 100,000 will likely land right on the shores of the Peloponnese. How exactly do we plan to handle that?"

"In fact, once we renew our treaties with the other Greek city-states, if Daionia truly dares to land an army in the Peloponnese, we can call upon all of Greece to repel these foreign invaders together. With Persian support, we will assemble a grand army and crush them. It will not only permanently end this looming threat to Sparta, but it will also restore our supreme influence throughout Greece."

Agesilaus frowned and warned him, "Daionia has never suffered a single defeat since its founding. Even if not every single one of their soldiers is an elite, their combat prowess is absolutely immense. Furthermore, their army fights for a single nation. Even if we somehow rallied the various city-states into a massive coalition, our forces would never match their unity, making command far more difficult—"

"My esteemed Agesilaus!" Cleombrotus cut in with a sudden, cold sneer. "When has Sparta ever

Without giving Agesilaus a chance to respond, Cleombrotus swept his gaze across the room and suddenly raised his voice. "This supposed invincibility of the Daionian Army exists solely because they have never faced Sparta! I am sure everyone here remembers the threats the King of Daonia made to us before we ever signed that first Friendship Agreement! For years, he has been lurking like a venomous snake on the western shores of the Adriatic Sea, watching us, keeping us constantly on edge, forcing us to never let our guard down. Perhaps the time has finally come to eliminate this problem! Wise Spartan Elders and Ephors, whether Sparta can weather this storm now depends entirely on your decision!"

Watching Cleombrotus deliver his impassioned speech in the center of the hall, Agesilaus was suddenly struck by a memory from over twenty years ago. In this very same room, he too had used his eloquence to defeat his nephew, Leotychides, and seize the throne.

Agesilaus opened his mouth, but in the end, he said nothing more.

Next, the thirty Spartan Elders—including the two kings—cast their votes on whether to annul the Friendship Agreement with Daionia. Though these Spartan nobles, all over the age of sixty, boasted a wealth of life experience, most were deeply conservative and preferred the safest route in all matters. Daionia may have been geographically closer to the Peloponnese, but it had never once set foot on the Greek Mainland. Conversely, despite being thousands of miles away, Persia had constantly exerted its influence over Greece. Whether during the Peloponnesian War or the Corinthian War, Persia's aid to Sparta had been monumental. These elders had lived through those wars themselves, and the memory of that support remained deeply ingrained in their minds.

Yet, the final vote resulted in a 20-to-20 tie. Agesilaus's immense influence had clearly swayed the outcome. Compared to Cleombrotus, who had yet to distinguish himself militarily, many of the elders were far more inclined to place their faith in the wise and deeply respected Agesilaus.

The final decision now rested on the shoulders of the five Ephors.

Sparta's Ephors wielded tremendous power. Internally, they possessed the authority to investigate and oversee both the kings and the elders; externally, they managed diplomacy and supervised the military forces on campaign. Yet, they were elected from the ranks of ordinary citizens—men who had endured rigorous military training since childhood, spent their early adulthoods locked in endless combat, and only left the communal barracks at the age of thirty. Aside from their mastery of military skills, the vast majority knew next to nothing of politics or diplomacy. Citizens as worldly and politically shrewd as Cheirisophus were exceedingly rare. Because of this, Sparta's foreign policy had remained rigidly aggressive over the years, and they only ever backed down after suffering severe defeats.

This year, however, all five newly elected Ephors chose, without a single exception, to sever ties with Daionia. Their reasoning was simple. The prolonged years of war with Thebes had yielded no tangible progress, while their homeland plunged deeper into poverty. Casualties among the warriors continued to mount, the public was suffering immensely, and an overwhelming weariness of war had taken root in the city. The Ephors' decision was a direct reflection of the will of the people—the citizens of Sparta were desperate for the conflict to end and for peace to be restored. As for the very real possibility of provoking an even stronger enemy in Daionia, they simply refused to think that far ahead.

Agesilaus felt no disappointment at this outcome. Instead, a wave of relief washed over him. Since the gods had made their choice for Sparta, there was no longer any need for him to agonize over it.

Watching Agesilaus rise to his feet once more, Cleombrotus could not resist a smug remark. "The resolution to cut ties with Daionia has already passed. It is too late for you to argue now."

Agesilaus ignored him entirely. Sweeping his gaze over the assembly, he said, "Even though we have decided to sever our ties, we must still dispatch an eloquent envoy to tactfully explain to the King of Daonia the reasons behind our decision. If we show sufficient sincerity, I am confident it will not enrage the Daionians enough to declare war on us during the critical juncture of our peace negotiations with Thebes."

"I already told you, Sparta does not fear a war with Daionia! We should use this perfect opportunity to eliminate that massive problem entirely!" Cleombrotus shot back in clear displeasure.

"King Agesilaus speaks reason. Reaching a peace agreement with Thebes and Athens while temporarily keeping Daionia from starting a war is undoubtedly the best outcome." It was not just the majority of the elders who agreed with this—even the Ephors raised no objections. Yet, they soon found themselves facing a terrible headache over exactly who to send.

From the very few past interactions they had with Daionia, it was painfully clear that the King of Daonia was not an accommodating man. Sending an envoy to Thurii who was both familiar to the king and highly skilled in diplomacy would yield far better results. Tragically, both Cheirisophus and Phoebidas had already fallen in battle, and the rest of the Spartans were complete strangers to Daionia.