Mediterranean Hegemon of Ancient Greece Chapter 1163: Alliance with Arcadia

Although the men present knew little of the current difficulties facing Thebes, they had never expected the city to provide assistance against Sparta anyway. Consequently, Epaminondas's earnest apology left Crotokatax and the others both somewhat surprised and deeply moved.

"General Epaminondas, we fully understand that Thebes is facing difficulties and cannot support us right now," Crotokatax said immediately. "That is why His Majesty dispatched ample troops to the Peloponnese to deal with Sparta. The might of Daionia alone will be enough. Once Sparta is completely defeated, we will march our army north to help you eliminate your other threats and restore lasting peace to Thebes!"

Crotokatax had not made this promise on a whim. He knew that if the Kingdom of Daunia intended to dominate Greek affairs, it would likely clash with Athens and Thessaly in the future. Using the pretense of aiding their ally Thebes would earn them Theban gratitude and assistance while masking their true intentions. Why wouldn't he make such an offer?

Plintors had considered this as well, so he made no move to interrupt or deflect when Crotokatax made his promise.

When Legion Commanders such as Oliphus and Tegetilus heard this and realized there would be more battles to fight beyond Sparta, they naturally expressed their approval as well.

Epaminondas looked deeply moved. "When I return," he said with great emotion, "I will tell every Theban all that Daionia has done for us, so that they will never forget your kindness! By Apollo, I swear in your name that I will do everything in my power to make Thebes the firmest ally Daionia has in Greece!"

As Epaminondas dropped to one knee, turning his palms toward the sky to swear his solemn oath, Crotokatax stood stunned. A sudden wave of shame washed over the prince, and he hurried forward to help the older man up. "General Epaminondas, you... what are you..."

"Compared to the immense help Daionia has offered Thebes, this is all I can do," Epaminondas said sincerely.

Crotokatax was genuinely touched, unsure of what to say for a moment.

"I've already heard about this from the previous commander." Crotokatax frowned slightly, keeping his tone as mild as possible. "However, I was told that Sparta has already dispatched envoys to restore friendly relations with the Arcadians. Because of that, the Arcadians have yet to send envoys to ask us for aid."

Epaminondas smiled faintly before his expression turned serious. "The Arcadian League was only recently established. In the past, its member city-states were always allies of Sparta. Faced with a rare show of goodwill from the Spartans, their hesitation is inevitable. However, the leader of the Arcadian League is Mantineia. The city of Mantineia was once destroyed by Sparta, and its people were left displaced and homeless for over a decade. They harbor a deep-seated hatred for the Spartans; reconciling with them is impossible.

"Furthermore, Mantineia's chief general, Lycomedes, was the primary architect behind the Arcadian League's formation. He commands tremendous prestige not only in Mantineia, but throughout the entire Arcadia Region. He originally traveled to Thebes as an envoy to request our aid, but we convinced him to seek help from Daionia instead. I spent a few days with him on the journey to Messenia, and I believe him to be a man of great wisdom and foresight. He will never allow the Spartans' schemes to succeed!"

"Since you put it that way, General, we will wait a little longer," Crotokatax said, accepting Epaminondas's assessment.

Beside him, Oliphus had some objections and wanted to voice his own opinion, but Plintors shot him a forceful look to stop him.

His indignant expression did not escape Epaminondas's notice, but the Theban acted as though he hadn't seen a thing, continuing his conversation with Crotokatax with calm composure.

The two sides went on to exchange views and suggestions on how to defeat the Spartans, eventually shifting to topics like troop training and military organization. Even Legion Commanders such as Oliphus joined the discussion. The conversation lasted for more than three hours, and by the time Epaminondas finally took his leave, the others still felt as though they hadn't heard enough.

Watching his departing figure, Crotokatax couldn't help but sigh. "Epaminondas is not only incredibly insightful when it comes to military affairs, but his knowledge is vast. To be so brilliant, yet so humble and eager to learn... he truly is a respectable elder!"

"It is a pity," Plintors said in a low voice. "Our arrival in Greece will inevitably restrict Thebes's further growth. Epaminondas may never get another opportunity to fully unleash his talents."

"But at least it prevents more Thebans from dying," Crotokatax replied softly.

"Your Highness," Oliphus interjected. "Are we really going to wait until the Arcadians make a decision before launching an attack on the Spartans from the north?"

"Uncle Oliphus." Crotokatax's tone was mild, but his expression was resolute. "The situation in the Peloponnese is complicated. We cannot afford to rush, otherwise we run the risk of turning potential friends into enemies."

...

As it turned out, Epaminondas's judgment was spot on, and Crotokatax had been right to wait. On the second day after Epaminondas left Messenia, the Arcadian envoys arrived, led by none other than Lycomedes.

He had originally come only to request aid, but upon entering Messenia, he witnessed the Daionian Army's formidable might, as well as the Daionian soldiers doing everything in their power to help the Messenians establish a new government and construct the city of Messene.

After some careful thought, Lycomedes changed his mind. He decided to forge an alliance with Daionia.

Crotokatax met with him in his dual capacity as a prince and the commander of the Daionian expeditionary force.

After two days of negotiations, the two sides drafted a preliminary resolution. Its core terms were as follows: Daionia formally recognized the Arcadian League and guaranteed that its interests would not be infringed upon;

The Arcadian League also formally recognized Messenia and pledged to maintain friendly relations with them;

Daionia would assist the Arcadian League in constructing the City of Megalopolis as a symbol of their friendship;

Furthermore, Daionia and the Arcadian League would form a military alliance. Should either party be invaded by a formidable foe, the other would provide full support. However, any joint offensive operations would be strictly directed against Sparta...

Judging strictly by the terms of the treaty, Daionia was undoubtedly at a disadvantage. However, during their private discussions, Crotokatax, Plintors, and the others had reached a consensus: as long as they could secure the support of the people in the Arcadia Region—located right in the heart of the Peloponnese—even if it meant they merely remained neutral, Daionia's offensive against Sparta would proceed far more smoothly. Taking a slight loss in the short term was well worth the trade.

With the agreement drafted, Lycomedes wasted no time lingering in Messenia. He immediately returned to Arcadia, preparing to persuade the rest of the league to formally ratify the treaty.

Crotokatax also dispatched a messenger to carry the treaty back to Thurii for King Davos to review.

These journeys back and forth naturally took time. During this interim, acting on Plintors's advice, Crotokatax ordered his soldiers to cease their construction work. The Messenians took over all building duties entirely, allowing the Daionian Army to focus on intensifying their training. The prince spent every day at the training grounds, not only to supervise the drills, but also to ensure the soldiers grew accustomed to his presence.

After the alliance treaty with the Arcadian League was submitted to King Davos, it was swiftly approved. However, the treaty sparked massive controversy within the Arcadian League. In truth, the league's representatives had already been deeply divided on whether to accept Sparta's peace overtures or seek aid from Daionia. Lycomedes had already expended a tremendous amount of effort just to convince the league to ask Daionia for help in the first place.

The Spartans were famous for being conservative, but compared to them, the Arcadians were even more set in their ways. The Arcadia Region was nestled deep in the center of the Peloponnese Peninsula. It was entirely landlocked, highly mountainous, and geographically isolated. As a result, the local populace harbored a deep suspicion of any foreign influence.

The people of Mantineia were far more open-minded, having spent over a decade wandering in exile, which broadened their horizons. However, Tegea—which had joined Sparta a century prior—and Orchomenus were the most resolute in their opposition.

Tegea was located in the southeastern part of the region. Ever since it joined the Peloponnesian League a century ago, Sparta had continually treated it as a northern buffer for Laconia. Through a long-standing policy of alternating suppression and appeasement, Sparta had ensured that even now, after Tegea joined the Arcadian League, a large pro-Spartan faction remained within its borders. Naturally, when Spartan envoys arrived to seek peace, Tegea was their most enthusiastic supporter. Orchomenus, on the other hand, was situated in the eastern part of the Arcadia Region, right beside Pisa. The two shared a close relationship. Whenever the Olympic Games were held, Orchomenus even received a share of the profits—their merchants were allowed to set up stalls in prime locations around Olympia, and their priests were permitted to participate in the events. But since Pisa was completely propped up by Spartan backing, the people of Orchomenus had extremely complicated feelings toward Sparta as well...

From the perspective of these Arcadian city-states, breaking away from Spartan control had been an absolute necessity, but helping a foreign power fight Sparta was completely unacceptable. Even when Lycomedes argued that "this is merely a temporary measure to guarantee the safety of the Arcadian League," the representatives of these city-states still found it impossible to accept. As a result, the Arcadian League's council spent several consecutive days locked in endless, bitter debate over the prospect of allying with Daionia.