Mediterranean Hegemon of Ancient Greece Chapter 1162: Meeting Epaminondas

"Cough, cough!" Crotokatax had been drinking his soup when Adoris said this, and he instantly choked several times. Looking slightly flustered, he replied, "Brother, you underestimate me too much. I'm an army commander. If I showed favoritism to my own relatives, how could I command other soldiers to fight to the death? Don't worry, I won't do that!"

Adoris looked at him and asked again, "Really?"

"Really!" Crotokatax replied with absolute certainty.

"Good!" Adoris picked up his soup bowl, his tone brimming with ambition. "Treating this soup as wine, here's to the two of us joining hands and winning brilliant glory in Greece!"

---

Because the new commander of the Daionian army hadn't arrived yet, Epaminondas had spent several days in Messene. Far from complaining, he was actually quite pleased. Since Thebes was an ally of Daionia, Epaminondas hadn't been blindfolded or restricted to quarters like Agesilaus; aside from a few sensitive zones, he was free to wander anywhere in Messenia. To avoid any misunderstandings, after securing Leotychides's permission, Staff Officer Muklu had even assigned a Daionian captain to act as his guide.

During this time, Epaminondas had carefully observed the Messenian new government's administrative operations, from villages up to towns, and thoroughly examined the daily routines of the Daionian army. He watched the morning drills organized by each battalion, saw them head out to construction sites during the day to build city walls and houses, and observed them returning to their tents at dusk to rest under the watchful eyes of their officers.

He went to the mountain pass of Mount Taygetus to watch Daionian soldiers build watchtowers to strengthen defenses against the Spartans; he visited the coast to watch the First Fleet's warships patrolling and training in the Messenian Gulf; he even watched the Supply Camp use multiple pack trains to transport grain and supplies from the makeshift port into the camp, cook and distribute food for the soldiers, and run the medical camp treating the wounded. Except for the Engineering Brigade, which barred his entry because they were manufacturing military siege equipment, he practically toured the entire encampment.

That lasted until today, when his captain guide brought him word: the new Daionian commander wanted to see him.

Stepping inside the tent, Epaminondas smiled and nodded to five or six fully armored generals before fixing his gaze on the young man seated in the middle, then bowing deeply and solemnly. "Theban envoy Epaminondas pays his respects to the Daionian commander!"

"Please, have a seat, General Epaminondas!" Crotokatax had his guards bring over a prepared wooden chair and spoke with great courtesy. "You're a Boeotarch of the Boeotian League and the hero who led the Boeotian Coalition Army to defeat the Spartans at the Battle of Leuctra. Your visit is a great honor for us!"

Epaminondas thanked the guard. After sitting down, he said humbly, "The victory at Leuctra was indeed a tremendous encouragement to Thebes and the people of Boeotia. But it's much like a starving man getting a full meal—he feels deeply satisfied. To someone who eats their fill every day, though, it's nothing special. And Daionia is someone who eats their fill every day, am I right?"

Epaminondas's words sat well with Ctesus, Oliphus, and the others.

"You're too modest, General!" Crotokatax replied immediately. "Years ago, when my father discussed the situation in Greece with me, he mentioned you. He said you and Pelopidas were the most vital pillars of Thebes's rise, and facts have proven his judgment entirely correct."

Hearing this, Epaminondas felt a stir. He knew who the young man's father was, of course, and couldn't help asking, "May I ask when His Majesty King Davos first mentioned me?"

Crotokatax thought for a moment. "Hmm... I believe it was after the war with Carthage ended, in a letter he wrote to me while I was stationed in Rome—a town in the northern part of the kingdom."

After the war with Carthage... Epaminondas thought back carefully. That had been Thebes's darkest hour, when they were struggling desperately against Spartan assaults and even some Theban councilors held little hope for the future. Yet the King of Daionia, far away in the west, had firmly believed Thebes would rise and had even known of him when he was still obscure. It showed how closely Daionia had been watching Thebes all along.

Seeing Epaminondas fall silent, Oliphus interjected, "His Great Majesty Davos is a descendant of the god Hades and enjoys divine favor, which is why his judgments are always spot-on. Every faction that sets itself against Daionia ends up tasting defeat!"

"Well said!" Ctesus and Tagetinos chimed in at once.

Fearing that Oliphus's veiled threat might offend Epaminondas, Crotokatax quickly stepped in. "If I'd known you were coming to Messenia, General, I would have rushed over earlier so you wouldn't have had to wait around all these days."

"It's no trouble at all. Spending a few extra days here has actually given me a deeper understanding of the Daionian army and helped me truly grasp why your forces are so formidable. If your army is a full-grown adult, the armies of every Greek city-state—including our own Thebes—are still just children," Epaminondas said with absolute sincerity.

Crotokatax was momentarily taken aback, then smiled. "General Epaminondas, you're far too modest!"

Not dwelling on it further, he turned to business. "Is there an important matter that brings you here today, General?"

"I've come on behalf of Thebes and the people of Boeotia to express our profound gratitude to our ally, Daionia!" Epaminondas's expression turned grave and earnest. "Thebes and Daionia only recently became allies, and we didn't have much contact before. Moreover, our enemy this time is the most powerful city-state in Greece. We originally only hoped Daionia could send grain and supplies during our hardest moments. But to our surprise, you truly honored the alliance—you took the initiative to declare war on the Spartans and launched an offensive right away. It's just as the rumors say: Daionia is a nation that keeps its word. Thebes feels exceptionally fortunate to be allied with you."

Hearing this, Crotokatax felt a surge of pride. He fought to keep it off his face, replying modestly, "Keeping our word is Daionia's founding principle, and coming to an ally's aid when they're in trouble is only right. But Thebes broke out of its predicament primarily through your own efforts; it was your victory over the Spartans at Leuctra that made our offensive so much easier."

Crotokatax's words were equally sincere, but Epaminondas offered a grateful yet rueful smile. "Leuctra was vital for Thebes, yes, but it only lifted us out of one crisis to plunge us into an even greater one."

Crotokatax glanced at Plintors with a puzzled look.

Epaminondas explained seriously, "Athens and Thebes have been bitter enemies for decades. It was only because of Sparta that they allied with us in recent years, and to be fair, they gave us a great deal of help. But as Thebes has grown stronger, Athens's attitude toward us has changed. During the Peace of Callias negotiations, I could clearly sense that Athens and Sparta had reached an understanding to sideline us. After Leuctra, Athens even sent troops to garrison our western border, clearly showing hostility.

"Meanwhile, our other ally—Jason of Thessaly—also helped us considerably in the earlier war against Sparta. But right after Leuctra, he abruptly seized Thermopylae, began massive military mobilizations across Thessaly, threatened to march south, and refused to see our envoys. Every city-state in western Central Greece, including us, is on edge. Boeotia led by Thebes, Phocis led by Delphi, and Locris are already discussing a coalition to stop the impending Thessalian invasion—"

"Is the Thessalian military really that strong?" Oliphus couldn't help asking. Like Davos, he was from Thessaly, but having left decades ago, he had no touch with home; his memories were stuck in the old days when the city-states constantly fought each other and were bullied by mountain tribes.

"Ever since Jason, the tyrant of Pherae, became tagus of the Thessalians, all their city-states have fallen under his control. He can field an army of at least thirty thousand, and their combat effectiveness isn't weak. For us in Central Greece, that's a massive threat," Epaminondas said heavily.

"Thessaly has a tagus now..." Oliphus muttered in surprise, and the mention of an army of thirty thousand caught the other legion commanders' attention as well.

Crotokatax had been thoroughly briefed by Davos before leaving, and as chief staff officer, Plintors had access to plenty of intelligence from the Ministry of Military Affairs, so both men kept their composure.

"After Leuctra, Thebes suddenly found itself threatened from three sides: Thessaly to the north, Athens to the east, and Sparta to the south. Our situation is perilous indeed! It's precisely because Daionia generously sent troops to reinforce Messenia and pin down Spartan and Persian attention that our greatest immediate danger was lifted. We're deeply grateful! But I must also ask your forgiveness: because Thebes has to focus entirely on the northern threat, we dare not dispatch an army to join forces with you against the Spartans. I am truly sorry for that!" With those words, Epaminondas bowed his head respectfully to Crotokatax.