Mediterranean Hegemon of Ancient Greece Chapter 1132: Conflict in Treaty Negotiations

Two evenings later, a grand banquet was held at the Daonian Royal Palace. Aside from King Davos and Xenophon, the guests included Hylos, Alexis, Amyntas, Philesius, Agasias, Tolmides, Capus, Antonios, Epithenes, Matonis, Oliphus, and Geogris. Even Queen Cheiristoya attended.

Throughout the feast, the men reminisced about their perilous years in Persia. They raised glass after glass to Davos, Xenophon, and the other mercenary leaders who had steered them out of danger, making for a warm, lively atmosphere.

Some marveled at the immense wealth they now enjoyed, expressing regret over the misguided choices once made by Cleanor, Timasion, and Xenophon.

Naturally, several old comrades urged Xenophon to leave Sparta and settle in Daonia, to enjoy the rest of his days with them. Xenophon politely brushed the suggestions aside.

As the banquet drew to a close, Xenophon raised a glass to Davos. Emboldened by the wine, he ventured a daring question: "Daonia's power is overwhelming now. When Sparta prematurely terminated the Friendship Agreement, why were you so tolerant?"

Davos narrowed his slightly drunken eyes and calmly recounted a story. "A few years ago, Mauritania sent several elephants to the kingdom as a token of respect. We kept them in an enclosure beside the palace. The palace hounds, terrified, would stand far off and bark at them. But the elephants remained perfectly quiet, treating the dogs as if they didn't exist. Before long, the hounds stopped barking, and they coexisted in peace..."

Having visited the royal menagerie over the past two days, Xenophon knew exactly how massive those elephants were. The implication silenced him.

The Spartan Delegation soon returned to Sparta. When the elders and Ephors learned that the King of Daonia had calmly accepted the termination of the Friendship Agreement without any intent to retaliate, they breathed a sigh of relief.

However, when Xenophon visited Agesilaus, he detailed everything he had witnessed in the Kingdom of Daunia, issuing a solemn warning: "Although Daonia harbors no malice toward Sparta right now, we had better sign a new treaty and restore our friendship as soon as possible!"

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In the spring of 371 BC—the twenty-third year of the Sacred Kingdom of Daunia—the dawn of peace finally broke over the long-standing Theban War. Backed by Persia, the warring factions would hold peace negotiations. The chosen venue was the City of Sparta.

Since this was Spartan home ground, the principal city-states of the Peloponnesian League, having sent envoys to attend the talks, were the first to arrive. The Athenian delegation followed closely behind, led by their chief general, Callistratus, assisted by Callias, the torchbearer of the Eleusinian Mysteries. Last to arrive was the Theban delegation, headed by Epaminondas. Persia had also dispatched envoys to participate in the proceedings.

The moment the conference began, Athens launched a fierce verbal assault against Sparta. Callias and Callistratus successively condemned the Spartans for their dictatorial rule and the oppression of their allies, labeling them the primary culprits of the war. They then compassionately lamented the devastation the conflict had inflicted upon the city-states of the Greek Mainland, resonating with the assembled envoys.

Representing Sparta, Agesilaus and Archidamus seemingly felt they were in the wrong and refrained from mounting an immediate defense. Consequently, every envoy in the room quickly reached a unanimous consensus: the war had to end.

On the surface, it appeared the Athenians still stood firmly beside Thebes in their defiance of Sparta. In truth, through Timagoras's contact with Luticles in Persia, the two powers had already established a covert understanding. As the discussions shifted toward signing the treaty, this unspoken alignment revealed itself.

Both Athens and Sparta declared that, per Persia's recommendation, the foundation for peace would remain the principles set forth in the King's Peace: all city-states were required to withdraw all garrisons stationed in foreign territories—whether land or naval forces—and all alliances must be dissolved, ensuring the independence and autonomy of every city-state in Greece.

This brought a glaring issue to the forefront—a problem left completely unresolved after the Corinthian War and the original signing of the King's Peace: the Athenian Alliance and the Peloponnesian League violated these terms and should both be disbanded.

Epaminondas, who had been quietly observing the Athenians' performance, immediately raised his voice to point out this problem.

Athens and Sparta, however, had come prepared. Callistratus immediately conceded that the original King's Peace contained flaws. He proposed an amendment to the clause: no city-state could be coerced into joining an alliance, but different city-states could cooperate according to their own wishes, provided no binding treaties enforced strict obligations upon them.

Agesilaus voiced his immediate agreement, arguing that such a revision was far more reasonable and would be easier for the various city-states to accept.

One after another, the envoys of the other Peloponnesian city-states echoed their approval. Backed by the support of the Persian envoys, the treaty's terms were finalized. All that remained was the swearing of oaths and the formal signing.

The Peloponnesian envoys eagerly signed the names of their respective city-states. Athens and Sparta followed suit. Finally, it was the Theban delegation's turn, and every eye in the hall locked onto them.

His expression solemn, Epaminondas rose to his feet. He swore a grave oath in the name of Zeus, picked up the pen, and signed his name onto the treaty.

Most of the room breathed a sigh of relief, only to hear Agesilaus speak out in a low, sharp voice. "Thebans, you signed the wrong name."

"I have checked it," Epaminondas replied with absolute conviction. "There is no mistake."

Only then did the rest of the hall sense that something was wrong. They scrambled to examine the treaty, only to see the words written clear as day: Boeotia, Epaminondas.

"Are you trying to make fools of us, Epaminondas?" Agesilaus demanded angrily. "Everyone knows that Boeotia is a region, and Thebes is merely a single city-state within it. What right do you have to sign on behalf of all the city-states in the Boeotia Region?"

Unfazed, Epaminondas looked at Agesilaus and spoke at a leisurely pace. "What is so strange about it? You may view Boeotia the same way you view Laconia—the region where the Spartans reside—or, rather..."

He turned his head toward Callistratus, his voice ringing with force: "Attica! Rather than the Peloponnesian League, or the Athenian Maritime Alliance!"

The declaration sent a shockwave through the envoys of the other city-states. The ambition of the Thebans was laid completely bare: they intended to unify Boeotia!

Callistratus instantly seized the floor to fire back. "When Greeks speak of Athens, they do not merely mean the city itself, but the entirety of Attica. When Greeks speak of Sparta, they refer to all of Laconia. But when people speak of Thebes, do they mean all of Boeotia? Obviously not. They mean only the city-state of Thebes.

"Why is that? Because long ago, Athens and Sparta unified their respective regions into a single whole, and over the vast passage of time, the other Greeks have come to accept this. Unfortunately, they cannot accept that Thebes represents Boeotia, because to this very day, many city-states within the Boeotia Region remain independent."

Agesilaus followed up fiercely. "According to this oath, Thebes must dissolve your newly formed Boeotian League and grant independence and freedom to every Boeotian city-state under your control!"

Epaminondas did not yield an inch, throwing the demand right back in his face. "If Sparta grants independence to every town in Laconia, then our Boeotian League shall dissolve!"

Then, fixing Agesilaus and Callistratus with a resolute glare, he forcefully pressed his case. "Sparta has no right to interfere in the internal affairs of Boeotia, just as Thebes has no right to interfere in the internal governance of Laconia. Laconia, Boeotia, and Attica represent distinctly different regimes. With Zeus as our witness, each of these systems is perfectly legitimate. It is entirely natural for Boeotia to forge a league, just as it was natural for Attica to unite into a single city. The process possesses the exact same legitimacy as Laconia evolving into an oligarchic state subordinate to Sparta—"

Agesilaus's son, Archidamus, loudly interrupted him. "You are speaking absolute nonsense! You Thebans simply want to prolong the war, attack the other Boeotian city-states, and strip them of their independence and freedom! This will absolutely not be permitted!"

Epaminondas let out a cold sneer. "Is that not exactly what you Spartans have been doing? You shamelessly captured our cities, stationed garrisons and officers in other Boeotian city-states, and stripped them of their independence and freedom! It is precisely because of your invasions that we Boeotians realized we must unite to guarantee the freedom of our people!"

Archidamus found himself momentarily speechless.

Epaminondas immediately turned his righteous indignation back onto Agesilaus. "We in Thebes have indeed employed strong measures to establish this Boeotian League. However, Sparta has no right to interfere, because in an ancient era long before anyone could accurately keep time, your ancestors employed even harsher, high-handed methods. The very nation you maintain today was established through those ruthless means.

"Now, Thebes and our friendly allies in Boeotia have chosen to walk the same path Sparta once walked, to forge a united, unified Boeotian League encompassing all Boeotian city-states. To achieve this great goal, our citizens will not fear death!"