Mediterranean Hegemon of Ancient Greece Chapter 1170: Demonstration and Confrontation

Secilian and the Athenian naval commanders breathed a sigh of relief, yet their vigilance toward the opposing fleet only deepened. Halting the momentum of so many warships so swiftly upon a single order was no small feat. It proved that this nation's navy operated under an impeccable chain of command and boasted rigorous training.

Shortly after, a swift boat darted out from the Athenian formation, cutting straight toward the Daionian Fleet. As it neared the warships, a voice rang out from its deck: "The Athenian envoy requests an audience with the commander of the Daionian Fleet!"

Twenty minutes later, the Athenian envoy boarded the Flagship of the Daunian 1st Fleet.

"I am Secilian, commander of the Daunian 1st Fleet," Secilian announced, sizing up the visitor. The man had a square face, a prominent nose, thick brows over large eyes, a full beard, and a broad forehead. He was of average height and build. Though his graying hair suggested he was around fifty, his dignified bearing radiated a vigorous energy.

"The chief general of Athens, Callistratus!" The envoy fixed Secilian with a piercing stare. His voice was deep and resonant, yet his words were sharp. "Three hundred thousand citizens of Athens have entrusted me to ask you, General: is Daionia declaring war on Athens?"

Caught off guard by the bluntness of the question, Secilian quickly offered an earnest explanation. "You misunderstand. Daionia bears no ill will toward Athens! We were merely pursuing a fleet transporting grain to Sparta and had no choice but to enter this gulf. To avoid any misunderstandings, our warships specifically steered clear of Athenian waters."

"No ill will?" Callistratus sneered. "If the Athenian Fleet were sailing through your Gulf of Taranto, would you Theonians assume we came with good intentions? Would you warmly open the Port of Thurii and invite us inside?"

Secilian found himself momentarily speechless. Before he could formulate a response, the envoy pressed on. "I can see you are Greek. You should know, then, that the survival of us Greeks relies primarily on trade. The Greek War has raged endlessly over these past decades, bringing more naval battles than anyone can count. Yet even for the Greek city-states plunged into war, maritime trade endures. Warships rarely initiate attacks on merchant vessels, because the sailors of every city-state know that attacking merchants is tantamount to tearing up the very roots of the Greeks! Corinth is only doing what any maritime city-state must. Those ships transporting grain to Sparta were merely honoring their trade contracts, their crews trying to earn enough coin to feed their families. And now, at your hands..."

Callistratus's eloquent, torrential barrage of accusations left Secilian feeling somewhat in the wrong. He quickly cleared his throat and interrupted impatiently. "Please stop prattling on about these irrelevancies. State your purpose!"

Callistratus's words were steeped in threat, but Secilian was hardly a man to be intimidated. He arched an eyebrow and replied in a deep voice, "Our warships will depart shortly. However, if any more fleets attempt to transport troops or grain to Sparta, we will return!"

The two parted on bitter terms.

Once Callistratus had sailed away, the resonant blast of military horns echoed across the Daionian formation. The warships at the vanguard swung south, while those at the rear peeled off toward the north. They surged into motion. Before long, the tightly layered formation smoothed out into two long columns. They carved a massive circle right in front of the waiting Athenian Fleet before steering back along the exact course they had arrived on.

The Athenian sailors listened to the rousing rowing chants drifting over the water. They watched as one Daionian warship after another executed nimble turns, presenting their broadsides directly toward the bows of the Athenian ships before swaggering right past them. The audacity of the Theonians left the sailors both astonished and somewhat indignant.

"The Theonians are putting on a show of force!" Chabrias, the temporarily appointed commander of the Athenian Fleet, stared out across the water with a solemn expression. "To execute such rapid formation shifts with so many warships... If we ever go to war with Daionia in the future, their navy will pose a massive threat to Athens!"

He turned to look at Callistratus beside him, his voice dropping to a low, forceful register. "Now is a great opportunity to defeat this fleet. Shall we order an attack?"

Callistratus shook his head. "Athens has not declared war on Daionia, and the citizens are not prepared. Just wait."

Secilian did not loosen his tightly clenched fists until the entire fleet had sailed clear of the Saronic Gulf. He took a deep breath and shouted, "Command the fleet to sail east! Pass by Kythnos Island, arrive near Delos Island, and then cut straight south. Once we sight Crete, return to base!"

"Understood!"

............................................................

While the Daionian Army was still constructing their encampment within the territory of Megalopolis, Archidamus received the news. He immediately lifted the siege on Mantineia and marched his forces south. Bypassing the City of Tegea, he also began constructing a camp in the south where it bordered Sparta, entering a standoff against the Daionian Army to the west.

Upon learning that the siege of Mantineia had been lifted, Crotokatax heeded Plintors's advice. He was in no rush to lead his troops eastward, instead patiently letting the soldiers continue to fortify their encampment.

Though the main forces of both sides held their ground, the area between the two camps was not peaceful. Skirmishes between their scouts broke out every day, involving both cavalry and reconnaissance infantry. The more professional, better-trained Daionian forces naturally held the upper hand. In particular, a squad from the Mountain Scout Corps ambushed a Spartan mercenary foraging party of about twenty men, achieving an impressive record of wounding six, killing four, and capturing two, all while suffering zero casualties themselves. This placed the Spartan mercenaries under considerable pressure.

A few days later, Agesilaus, the King of Sparta, led 7,000 soldiers out of northern Sparta and entered Tegea territory to rendezvous with the Spartan mercenaries.

"Father, you've finally arrived!" Archidamus personally came out of the camp to welcome him. The gloom that had clouded his face for the past few days finally lifted, revealing a faint smile.

Even leaning on a wooden cane and looking somewhat exhausted, Agesilaus wore an even brighter smile. "You've worked hard, Archidamus! To fulfill your request, I have brought all the brave warriors of Sparta. Before setting out, I made a special trip to the Temple of Athena to offer sacrifices, and the oracle I received was an auspicious sign!" (Usually, before a war, the two kings of Sparta who held sacrificial authority would send envoys to Delphi to request an oracle. However, with the war happening right on the northern border, the journey to Delphi was too dangerous, and there was no time to spare. Thus, they had to perform the sacrifices within the Spartan acropolis.)

"That is wonderful!" Archidamus looked relieved.

Agesilaus swept his gaze over the mercenary generals standing behind Archidamus, a look of confidence on his face. "Actually, even without the oracle, I firmly believe Sparta will emerge victorious this time! In the past, we Spartans only had to dispatch a few hundred warriors to rendezvous with the troops of the Allied Forces to dominate the Greek city-states! Now, not only has Sparta sent out all our elites, but the army you lead, Archidamus, is composed of the most elite soldiers from various city-states. Merged together, this is the largest and strongest military force I have commanded in years. I firmly believe no one can match us!"

"That's right! King Agesilaus is absolutely correct!" the mercenary generals shouted in excitement.

Archidamus then introduced the mercenary generals to his father one by one, and Agesilaus conversed with them warmly. A few of them were even people he recognized. After all, twenty years ago he had campaigned in Asia Minor for years and was very familiar with the situation there. He knew the mother state of every mercenary general inside out, discussing them as if to enumerate like family treasures, making the generals feel a sense of closeness.

To these mercenary generals, Agesilaus was a living legend. Campaigning in Persian territory through his own power, he had somehow forced the Persians into an embarrassing, purely defensive posture, prompting them to actively sue for peace several times. Moreover, his charisma had ensured that many Greek city-states in Asia Minor were willing to continuously support him. Even today, many stories of his exploits still circulated in the Asia Minor region.

Therefore, the mercenary generals scrambled to salute Agesilaus, considering it an honor to speak with him. For a time, the atmosphere was extremely enthusiastic.

It was a long while before Agesilaus finally excused himself, citing that he was "a bit fatigued and in need of rest." He parted ways with them and followed Archidamus into the main command tent.

Upon entering the tent, Agesilaus threw aside his wooden cane. Supported by his servants, he slumped into a wooden chair. The smile had vanished from his face, and his expression turned serious. "What is the situation right now?"

"Father," Archidamus said, his expression equally serious. "The day before yesterday, a small amount of grain was still transported from the Port of Corinth, but yesterday, nothing was shipped from the north! The Persians informed me that the Daionian Fleet is patrolling the Aegean Sea every day. Any transport ship attempting to enter the Saronic Gulf is intercepted and searched. They have already captured several fleets, and the Persians had to temporarily halt the grain shipments."