Mediterranean Hegemon of Ancient Greece Chapter 1138: Resolution to Declare War on Sparta (1)

Davos had Henipolis make multiple copies of the battle report to distribute among the ministers. "Gentlemen," he said, "just as we expected, not long after the Peace of Callias was signed, war has broken out again between Sparta and Thebes. But this time, the Spartan army was defeated by the Thebans in a pitched battle. As a member of the Theban Alliance, what measures should we take in the ensuing conflict? What are your thoughts?"

While most of the men were still reading the reports and lost in thought, Second Legion Commander Matonis was already loudly offering his praise, his face full of admiration. "Your Majesty, your earlier judgment was completely correct! The Thebans really did win with fewer numbers, defeating the Spartans who have run rampant across Greece for years!"

After the war began, Davos had convened a military council specifically to analyze the conflict. When nearly all the senior generals had bleak outlooks for Thebes, Davos predicted that the city-state had a high chance of winning.

Even though the generals deeply respected him, they had remained skeptical of this prediction. They never expected King Davos to be exactly right about the final outcome.

"Your Majesty," Chief of Staff Plintors chimed in. "This Theban commander you favored, Epaminondas, truly performed astonishingly in this battle. His clever counter to the traditional Spartan formation played a massive role, causing the Spartan army—despite their formidable combat prowess and superior numbers—to suffer defeat before they could even bring their strength to bear. It seems Thebes's ability to resist Spartan attacks all these years isn't just due to the bravery of its citizens, but also the outstanding capabilities of its generals."

"A Thebes reborn from disaster aligns with Ansitanos's view. Their upper echelons are quite united, helmed by the exceptionally capable and bold Pelopidas, while the army is commanded by the cool-headed and highly skilled Epaminondas. With those two working closely together, and the citizens brimming with vitality and a willingness to contribute to revitalizing their city, I am not surprised they defeated Sparta. I also believe that with their current momentum, Thebes will deliver even more shocking performances in the future. Wouldn't you agree, Ansitanos?"

"Your Majesty." Although a successor for the Minister of Foreign Affairs had already been chosen, the official decree had not yet been issued, so Ansitanos was still present at this important meeting. He bowed slightly to Davos and spoke with deep emotion. "I am ashamed to say it, but someone predicted Thebes's inevitable rise a few years ago. I didn't pay it much mind at the time, yet I never expected him to be spot-on. It truly is remarkable!"

"Oh?" Davos asked curiously. "Who made such an accurate prediction?"

"Your Majesty, it was your son, Apox." Ansitanos then repeated the exact words Apox had spoken back then at the Theonia Akademia, adding for emphasis, "There were many students attending that class, and they can all testify that what I am saying is true."

Davos wore a smile, appearing immensely pleased as he listened carefully to his ministers' praises. Only after a long while did he steer them back to business. "Alright, gentlemen, let us return to the main topic. How do you think the situation in Greece will change after this war? And what measures should we take in response? Everyone, share your thoughts."

"Your Majesty." Lysias, the head of the Ministers of State, leaned on his cane and stood up unsteadily.

Davos quickly said, "Lord Lysias, please, sit down to speak! Sit down!"

Lysias did not force himself to stand. He sat back down and spoke slowly. "Although Daionia has allied with Thebes, the situation in the Greek Mainland has always been intricate and complex. It would be best if we do not involve ourselves so easily and risk getting dragged down by it.

"Now, fortunately, the Thebans have defeated Sparta. We can fully take advantage of this excellent opportunity. Since Daionia maintains good relations with both Thebes and Sparta, we can act as mediators to push both sides into a truce agreement. Doing so will help our ally Thebes, elevate our influence in Greece, and keep us from being dragged into this war. It accomplishes three goals with one move. I think Your Majesty should seriously consider it!"

Back when Daionia first allied with Thebes, Lysias hadn't been very supportive. It was only because of Davos's steadfast insistence that the alliance agreement was ultimately finalized. Now, he was once again offering his counsel against further involvement.

The moment he finished speaking, another Minister of State, Antaoris, immediately retorted, "Lord Lysias, I disagree with your proposal! Why did Daionia ally with Thebes? Not to take revenge on Sparta for tearing up the peace treaty, but out of the kingdom's need for development.

"Today, the situations in Africa and Iberia are stable. Cisalpine Gaul has been conquered, and although the Ligurians occasionally riot, they are no longer a threat. Add to that how the other powers in the western Mediterranean basically rely on our nation. After these past few years of rest and recuperation, not only has the kingdom recovered from the predicament following the Western Mediterranean War, but our agriculture, commerce, handicrafts—every sector has seen tremendous growth. Our citizens are wealthy and secure. They all long to forge eastward, to set foot on the lands of their ancestors, and win even more glory and wealth!"

"War... War!" Lysias forcefully smacked the back of his chair, speaking hoarsely with a trembling voice. "Continuously launching wars does the kingdom little good! It disrupts the kingdom's stability, makes the citizens greedy and belligerent, and is detrimental to our governance! Even though all our past wars ended in victory, you've all seen the damage they caused the kingdom. We need a long time to recover. Moreover, victory cannot belong to us forever. Should we suffer defeat in a future war, the consequences would be unimaginable... Therefore, we must play it safe!"

As he said this final sentence, his gaze turned toward Davos.

Davos remained calm and offered no response.

Another Minister of State, Cyprolus, spoke up instead. "Lord Lysias, allying with Thebes is not merely for the kingdom's development. It is also an important decision His Majesty made based on considerations for the kingdom's security.

"We all know Persia has already shown hostility toward Daionia. Their full support for restoring peace in Greece is simply a delusion to unite all of Greece's power through Sparta to oppose us. We are separated from the Greek Mainland by only the narrow Adriatic Sea. Once Persia's scheme succeeds, the kingdom's eastern coast in Magna Graecia will become extremely unsafe. That is why His Majesty took the initiative to unite with Thebes—to sabotage Persia's conspiracy.

"Now that Thebes has unexpectedly defeated the Spartan army, we should seize this favorable opportunity. Under the pretext of supporting our ally, we must decisively deploy troops to Greece, utterly crush Sparta, and shatter Persia's plot. In turn, we can convert all the Greek city-states into our allies, making them an eastern shield for the kingdom, or even an advance base for us to threaten Persia!"

"Well said, Lord Cyprolus!" Matonis, Oliphus, and several other Legion Commanders praised in unison.

This made Lysias somewhat embarrassed, and even Antaoris appeared slightly uncomfortable.

Davos gave a dry cough, and the council hall immediately returned to silence.

Soon after, Haca's distinctively shrill and drawn-out voice echoed through the hall. "I agree that we should use this opportunity of our alliance with Thebes to step into Greece and ruin Persia's schemes... However, my concern is that while the Thebans won one pitched battle, they are still at a disadvantage in the war. Is it possible they will use this victory to negotiate a truce with the Spartans?"

Haca's words sparked thought among the crowd.

"If Thebes really does reach a truce with Sparta, it wouldn't be a good thing for us, because as Thebes's ally, we would lose our legitimate reason to dispatch troops to Greece," Antaoris was the first to speak up and remind them. "Daionia has no influence in Greece. In fact, because we revere Hades, the Temple of Delphi considers us heretics. They have spent a long time slandering the name of our Sacred Kingdom of Daunia across the Greek Mainland. The average Greek does not have a good impression of us. If we rashly deploy troops to Greece without a legitimate reason or the support of our allies, I fear it will trigger fierce resentment from the Greeks, which will be extremely detrimental to our control of the situation there!"

"What is there to worry about! As long as our strength is great enough to utterly conquer Sparta, the other city-states will naturally show Daionia respect!" Matonis declared loudly.

"Actually, besides Thebes, we have another legitimate reason to march on Greece, and it would even gain the support of some Greeks." At this moment, another Minister of State, Sedorum, interjected. He bowed to Davos and said, "Your Majesty, do you remember the promise you made to the people of Tyndaris after the war with Syracuse ended many years ago?"

Realization dawned on Davos as he recalled the scene from back then. "If you hadn't brought it up, I would have almost forgotten!" he said in a deep voice. "I once promised them that one day in the future, I would let them return to their homeland, rebuild their homes, and once again offer sacrifices to their ancient heroes..."

Some of the ministers in the hall clearly understood, while others looked bewildered. Haca couldn't help but ask, "Your Majesty, where is the homeland of the people of Tyndaris?"

"The majority of the people of Tyndaris come from Messenia in the Peloponnese. A century ago, that land was forcefully occupied by Sparta, and all the people originally living there were turned into helots subjected to their slavery. However, the Messenians were dissatisfied with Sparta's cruel rule, and their resistance never ceased. It was through a massive uprising by the ancestors of the Tyndaris people that the Spartans were ultimately forced to exile them from the Peloponnese..." Davos gave a brief recount of the history of the Tyndaris people.