Mediterranean Hegemon of Ancient Greece Chapter 1129: Xenophon's Mission to Daionia

"I recommend someone to serve as Sparta's envoy to Daionia. I have full faith that he can accomplish this mission!" Agesilaus looked around at the confused expressions of the assembly and announced loudly, "That man is Xenophon!"

Cleombrotus stared at him in disbelief before immediately retorting, "Have you lost your mind? Xenophon isn't a Spartan. How could he possibly act as Sparta's envoy?"

Agesilaus didn't take offense at Cleombrotus's bluntness. He replied calmly, "Xenophon has lived within Sparta's borders for over twenty years. He has marched alongside our citizens in numerous battles. Even when facing his motherland, Athens, he never hesitated to thrust his spear. His military exploits are equal to those of our own warriors. Furthermore, he has used his pen to promote the superiority of Sparta's political system to the other Greek city-states, strengthening our influence over our allies. That is something we Spartans cannot do ourselves.

"In addition, his son has consistently served Sparta and is still fighting in the Boeotia Region as we speak. This Greek scholar has made immense contributions to our state. Even without the formal status of a citizen, his actions have proven him to be a true Spartan—and an outstanding Spartan citizen at that!

"As for why I recommend him for this mission to Daionia: he participated in the Persian expedition years ago and eventually became a mercenary commander for that army. Cheirisophus once told me that during their campaign in Persia, Xenophon forged a deep friendship with the current King of Daonia, Davos. I am certain that sending him as our envoy to Daionia will yield far better results than anyone else!"

Despite Agesilaus's strong endorsement and Xenophon's stellar reputation within Sparta, the conservative Spartan Elders and Ephors still engaged in a fierce debate over the proposal.

Finally, at the end of the twenty-second year of the Kingdom (372 BC), the Council of Elders reached a peculiar decision: they appointed a Spartan general as the official envoy to Daionia, with Xenophon serving as his deputy—but stipulated that Xenophon would handle all negotiations with Daionia.

This was Xenophon's first journey to the western Mediterranean. As he stepped aboard the passenger ship, a wave of profound emotion washed over him.

Over the past few decades, the thought of taking a tour of Daionia had certainly crossed his mind. After Daionia began hosting the Greek Scholars Conference, he had even received multiple invitations, yet he had never made the trip. One reason was his keen awareness of Sparta's hostility toward Daionia. Agesilaus, who had always looked after him, was especially wary of the kingdom; if Xenophon were to visit rashly, it would undoubtedly breed resentment among the Spartans. The other reason was that when Davos first set out for Magna Graecia years ago, he had invited Xenophon to join him, and Xenophon had refused. Now that Davos had built a monumental enterprise in the western Mediterranean, Xenophon's own pride kept him from eagerly rushing over.

Xenophon's route to Thurii was nearly identical to the one Cheirisophus had taken on his mission years ago. However, after more than a decade of development, the circumstances were entirely different.

Shortly after the passenger ship passed Corcyra Island and crossed the median line at the entrance to the Adriatic Sea, it encountered a Daunian patrol fleet.

This fleet consisted of four Trireme Warships and eight medium and small Warships. When the ship's captain informed him that this was a Daunian patrol fleet, Xenophon could hardly believe it. A fleet of this size matched the naval configuration of some medium-sized city-states on the Greek Mainland, and some city-states couldn't even muster that much. Yet this was just a Daunian patrol fleet?

Xenophon asked twice more to be sure. Even after receiving a definitive answer, he remained skeptical. He suspected that Daionia was deliberately inflating the size of its patrol fleets to intimidate neighboring powers.

The passenger ship eventually docked at the port of Hodrum.

The port of Hodrum was now several times larger than it had been during Cheirisophus's mission, and its volume of maritime trade had grown several times over. The primary reason was Daionia's conquest of Cisalpine Gaul in recent years, which had intimidated the powers of central and northern Italy. The Veneti, the Umbrians, and others had eagerly extended gestures of goodwill and allied with Daionia. This influence had even reached several coastal city-states in Illyria on the eastern shores of the Adriatic Sea. When these powers actively sought closer ties, Daionia naturally seized the opportunity to strengthen its relationships with them through trade and cultural penetration.

The Adriatic Sea served as a natural maritime highway, leading to exceptionally frequent naval traffic between Daionia's coastal towns bordering the sea and these new Daunian Allied States. Hodrum was just one of them. However, its unique geographical location gave it a distinct advantage. Not only did it enjoy the trade benefits within the Adriatic Sea, but a portion of the merchant vessels arriving from the Eastern Mediterranean also docked there.

To meet the growing needs of trade and travelers, Hodrum had not only expanded its port but had later constructed two additional ports adjacent to it. Its urban area had also expanded time and again until the entire city's scale nearly approached that of Udiae, the regional center. It no longer resembled the small Messapii town it once was.

Upon learning of the Spartan Delegation's arrival, Hodrum's chief magistrate specifically dispatched personnel to greet Xenophon's party and offered to host a welcoming banquet in their honor.

Xenophon politely declined the offer, while also offering a compliment: Hodrum's port trade was exceptionally prosperous, undoubtedly making it one of the top towns in the Kingdom of Daunia. If it continued to develop like this, it could entirely rival Athens's Port Piraeus.

The Hodrum magistrate immediately responded with humility, stating that there were many port towns like Hodrum throughout the Kingdom of Daunia. If Hodrum wanted to become a top-ranking port town, it would need to put in even more effort.

When Xenophon heard this, he couldn't help but blink. He felt he had just discovered a characteristic of the Theonians: they loved to exaggerate the kingdom's strength to outsiders.

Bidding the Hodrum officials farewell, Xenophon and his entourage boarded their carriages and headed west.

Along the way, Xenophon saw the broad avenues built by the Theonians. Flat and wide, sturdy and beautiful, the carriages drove smoothly and swiftly over them, leaving him full of praise.

But when he learned from the coachman that such roads had already been paved throughout the kingdom to connect all the towns, his previous prejudice made him subconsciously assume the man was boasting again. In his mind, even on the Greek Mainland, only the road from Port Piraeus to Athen could marginally compare. It was understandable that a prosperous trading port like Hodrum would have better outward-connecting roads, but the same could not be said for other places.

Yet Xenophon gradually began to feel that this excellent avenue was remarkably long. Their carriage had been traveling for most of the day and had passed through a couple of towns, yet the avenue still stretched forward. His prejudice began to waver.

Passing by Tarentum, Xenophon couldn't resist gazing at it. Over the years, the Spartans he was close with would still frequently and indignantly bring up this Spartan sub-state that had been forcibly seized by the Theonians. This was one of the reasons the Spartan populace still harbored hostility toward Daionia.

At that moment, he felt a strong urge to go inside and see what had become of Tarentum now that it was a free city of the Kingdom of Daunia. However, the head of the Hodrum convoy transporting them refused. He insisted that delivering the Spartan Delegation safely and quickly to Thurii was their duty, and they could not delay along the way, to prevent any accidents.

Xenophon was somewhat dissatisfied, but there was nothing he could do.

The convoy finally arrived at a naval base not far from Tarentum. By then, it was already dusk. The base guards meticulously inspected the official documents from the Spartan Delegation and the Hodrum officials before granting them entry.

Because it was getting late, the Spartan Delegation had no choice but to rest in the camp for the night.

Knowing this was a Daunian naval base, Xenophon wanted to take the opportunity to look around and catch a glimpse of the Daunian Navy's armaments.

However, the camp guards restricted them to their residences, forbidding them from wandering around.

The accompanying Spartans were naturally dissatisfied, but Agesilaus had solemnly warned them before their departure: during their mission, they must do their best to befriend the Theonians and avoid provoking them, lest they bring disaster to Sparta.

Therefore, the Spartan Delegation chose to endure it.

As it happened, the next day was a training day for the Tarentum naval base. Two detachments of the Daunian 1st Fleet had sailed into the Great Harbor bright and early to conduct formation and combat drills.

When Xenophon and his party departed on a fast boat from the pier, they managed to catch a glimpse of the fleet's training. Amid the resonant blare of military horns, nearly two hundred Warships were spread across the broad bay. As they sailed swiftly, they continuously shifted their naval formations. The scene was spectacularly grand and lively.

Naval warfare was not what the Spartans excelled at—and Xenophon himself had never participated in a naval battle. They couldn't make out the tactical nuances of the drills, but the sheer number of Trireme Warships still left them astounded.

Xenophon thought to himself.

Seeing their astonishment, the captain of the fast boat couldn't help but proudly remind them, "Daionia's naval Warships don't end here! Aside from this naval base in Tarentum, there are also Brindisi, Catania, Lilybaeum... and several other naval bases. We possess over a thousand Warships!"

Xenophon's heart stirred. Although he still felt that the Theonians were boasting again this time, some of it was likely fact. While Xenophon was not very familiar with the other naval bases, Brindisi was close to the Peloponnese, and the Spartans had some understanding of it. Therefore, a Daionia that claimed to have multiple naval bases very likely truly possessed multiple naval bases.