Mediterranean Hegemon of Ancient Greece Chapter 1150: Agesilaus Learns the Truth

When Sparta faced disaster, Xenophon had chosen to stay. Now, hearing Agesilaus's words, he looked surprised. "You want me to serve as an envoy to Messenia?"

"It was my proposal, and the other elders agreed," Agesilaus said solemnly. "Everyone unanimously believes that in these difficult times, only you can properly fulfill the duties of an envoy."

Xenophon did not look proud; instead, shame washed over his face. "But my last diplomatic mission to Thurii... yielded poor results. The Theonians still declared war on Sparta..."

"That wasn't your fault," Agesilaus comforted him, then lowered his voice. "In the period after we announced the end of the Friendship Agreement with Daionia, Daionia remained completely peaceful. There was nothing unusual at all. It was only when Thebes took the initiative to ally with them that Daionia began entertaining the idea of sending an army to the Peloponnese. Of course..."

Agesilaus let out a long sigh, his expression filled with grief. "If we had defeated the Thebans at Leuctra, perhaps Daionia wouldn't have dispatched an army to invade Messenia. When a lion falls ill, even wild dogs will come to harass it—and Daionia is a terrifying beast. Alas! I should have been more proactive in demanding command of the army!"

Xenophon knew the disastrous defeat at the Battle of Leuctra had struck a massive blow to Sparta. Many bitterly resented Cleombrotus's incompetence. The Council of Elders still hadn't held a funeral for the fallen king, nor had they selected a new monarch from the Eurypontid Royal House. Naturally, the pressing crisis and lack of time played a part in that delay.

"What's done is done. Regret changes nothing," Xenophon said, immediately making a promise to comfort the despondent king. "We must face reality and do everything we can to resolve this crisis. Rest assured, I will do my utmost to complete this diplomatic mission!" But then his expression turned solemn. "You and I both know the Kingdom of Daunia is powerful. My last visit to Thurii shocked me profoundly. Even if we manage to repel the Daionian Army and reclaim Messenia this time... Sparta isn't far from Daionia. They are fully capable of sending more armies to invade the Peloponnese. Does Sparta intend to wage an endless war against Daionia? Even with Persia's backing, I fear Sparta wouldn't be able to bear such a burden."

Agesilaus rubbed his forehead wearily. After a long moment, he muttered, "...Right now, Sparta's priority is surviving the immediate crisis. We don't have the luxury to think about the future..."

Xenophon stared blankly. Looking at Agesilaus half-reclined in the wooden chair, he realized that the king—a man who had spent half his life at war—looked exceptionally frail. His wrinkled face seemed so old, and a hint of helplessness flickered in his eyes.

He hesitated for a long time before finally gathering the courage to suggest that, once they repelled the Daionian Army from Messenia, Agesilaus should seriously consider negotiating peace.

But at that moment, Archidamus walked into the drawing room. "Father, the Council of Elders requests your presence for a meeting."

"I just returned from the council. Why another meeting?" Agesilaus asked, taken aback.

"Dorieus has returned. He says he brings vital intelligence."

"Dorieus didn't die in battle?" Agesilaus was astonished. According to the retreating warriors, Dorieus had intended to fight to the death and stayed behind in Messenia alone. How was he still alive?

"I heard the Theonians released him," Archidamus said, his face full of contempt. Like most Spartan Warriors, he was furious that Dorieus hadn't led his men in a fight to the death, instead ordering the army to abandon Messenia. Dorieus's subsequent brave decision to stay behind had somewhat softened their anger. But now, learning the man hadn't died in battle and had instead been taken prisoner by the Theonians, Archidamus's disdain deepened.

Agesilaus, however, had approved of Dorieus's actions. Given the overwhelming strength of the enemy and their own lack of preparation, choosing to abandon Messenia to preserve their forces rather than fighting a hopeless battle required tremendous courage and wisdom. He had even felt sorrow over Dorieus's supposed decision to fight to the death.

"Quickly, fetch my cane!" Agesilaus said immediately, struggling to stand.

"There's no need to rush, Father. They will patiently wait for you to arrive," Archidamus said, hurrying forward to support him.

Agesilaus wanted to get there quickly so he could defend Dorieus and minimize any reprimands or punishments from the Ephors. After all, these young magistrates, drawn from ordinary citizens, lacked the steady prudence of the elders and tended to act far too radically.

Given his current physical condition, it might have been better for Agesilaus to travel in a sedan chair. But in militaristic Sparta, riding in a sedan chair was simply not the custom. Fortunately, his residence wasn't far from the council building. Leaning on his son, he hobbled toward the meeting hall.

Along the way, they ran into many ordinary Spartans who respectfully greeted their king. Most of them anxiously asked Agesilaus the same question: When would the citizens be summoned to march on Messenia and drive out the invaders?!

Even though they knew the Daionian Army in Messenia was massive, most of the people—including the elderly and the women—showed no fear. Instead, they were brimming with the desire to fight.

However, despite their intense fervor, the crowds didn't pester him after hearing his noncommittal replies. Though slightly dissatisfied, they didn't relentlessly press the issue. Unlike other city-states where citizens would instantly form mobs and march on the council to protest during a major crisis, the Spartans remained disciplined.

Before Agesilaus even stepped into the hall, he heard an ephor shouting angrily. "That's just an excuse! The sheer number of landing Daionian soldiers is no reason to retreat without a fight! Why couldn't you act like Brasidas? When the Athenians landed in Messenia, he was vastly outnumbered, yet he chose to fight without a second thought and ultimately achieved a total victory! Compared to him, you're nothing but a coward and an incompetent! I have no idea how you ever made it into the Royal Guard..."

Agesilaus hurried inside. The moment he crossed the threshold, he immediately sensed that something was wrong. The hall fell dead silent. Every single elder and ephor turned to stare at him, and their expressions were incredibly strange.

"What did you say?! The commander of the Daionian Army in Messenia is Leotychides?!" Agesilaus shouted in disbelief after hearing Dorieus's report.

Seeing the usually unflappable king lose his composure, Dorieus replied in a heavy, conflicted voice, "Even though the Daionian soldiers all call him Prosous, he is undoubtedly Leotychides! We trained together since childhood. I would never misidentify him, and he admitted it himself!"

"Prosous..." Agesilaus murmured, his mind reeling. Now he understood why everyone in the hall had looked at him so strangely.

"According to our prior intelligence, Prosous was once the Legion Commander of the Kingdom of Daunia's Eighth Legion," someone noted. "During Daionia's war with Carthage, he led his forces to victory over the Carthaginians time and again, making massive contributions to their ultimate triumph. Because of those achievements, he was promoted after the war to command the First Legion, which the Theonians claim is their 'strongest army'..."

"He also led armies to conquer the fierce native Gauls in northern Italy, which is why the Theonians hail him as their 'greatest undefeated general after King Davos and Alexis.' To think he is actually a Spartan—and the son of Agis, no less!" The speaker was Praxitas. This Spartan elder, now nearly seventy years old, had once served as the regent for the Eurypontid Royal House and had always been a political rival of Agesilaus. However, the crushing defeat at the Battle of Leuctra had sparked widespread resentment among the citizens toward the Eurypontids, forcing Praxitas to keep a low profile in the council. But upon encountering such a rare opportunity to humiliate Agesilaus, he eagerly stepped forward to speak. His expression glowed with schadenfreude, as if to say:

"Since Dorieus mentioned that Leotychides grew up in Sparta and only left when he was twenty-three, he must still hold some affection for us," an ephor suggested, shooting a brief glance at Agesilaus. "Perhaps we could send an envoy to persuade him to take actions that benefit us?"

"You are young and don't understand the circumstances of that time," an elder said patronizingly. "Spartan citizens never leave their homeland unless they are exiled for a crime. Leotychides undoubtedly fled Sparta harboring extreme resentment. I even suspect... he likely played a significant role in Daionia's decision to declare war on us." After speaking, he too looked over at Agesilaus.

"I don't think... Leotychides actively encouraged Daionia to attack Sparta..." Dorieus hesitated, also casting a look at Agesilaus. "But he did tell me to my face that he came for revenge..."

Almost everyone in the hall unconsciously deferred to Agesilaus while discussing the topic. They all knew perfectly well that Leotychides's current situation was intimately tied to Agesilaus, yet no one dared to point it out to his face—not even Praxitas. This was partly due to the immense prestige Agesilaus had built in Sparta over the decades, and partly because, with Cleombrotus dead in battle and a new king yet to be crowned, the people had grown even more reliant on Agesilaus's outstanding leadership.