Mediterranean Hegemon of Ancient Greece Chapter 1173: Forced by Circumstances

When was the last time the majority of Greek city-states formed an allied army? A century ago, during the Greco-Persian Wars! They were preparing to treat Daionia like the Persian Empire. For Crotokatax and Plintors, both of whom had Greek blood and a deep-seated affinity for Greece, this realization was deeply unsettling.

When the messenger left, both men wore heavy expressions.

Plintors broke the silence first, attempting to comfort Crotokatax. "Your Highness, you needn't worry too much. The Thebans have already assured us that forming an alliance encompassing most of the Greek city-states won't happen overnight. We still have plenty of time to conquer Sparta first.

"Once Sparta is conquered, Messenia will be ours. The Arcadian League is still our ally, and Elis has expressed goodwill toward us. That secures more than half of the Peloponnese. With Thebes supporting us as well, even if the remaining city-states form an allied army against us, their strength will be severely weakened. Our current forces are more than enough to defeat them and dominate the situation on the Greek Mainland!"

Crotokatax pondered this before replying carefully, "Our arrival was like kicking a hornet's nest. I never expected Delphi, Olympia, and Corinth to hate us so fiercely. This will likely complicate the situation in Greece, throwing many things into uncertainty... But you are right. Our most urgent task is to defeat the Spartan army quickly and eliminate this formidable enemy. Crushing Sparta will also boost our prestige and serve as a deterrent to the other Greek city-states."

"You are absolutely right, Your Highness," Plintors nodded in agreement. "I think we can—"

"Report!" the captain of the Palace Guard called out suddenly from outside the tent.

"What is it?"

"An urgent dispatch from Messenia!"

Though curious, Plintors knew better than to ask unprompted.

After a moment, Crotokatax set the letter down. "Senator Tisias writes that Naupactus has sent an envoy. They are requesting permission for a portion of their people to return to their motherland, Messenia."

"Naupactus?" Plintors racked his brain for a moment before speaking with some uncertainty. "If I recall correctly, that city-state sits on the northern shore of the Gulf of Corinth, near its mouth. During the Peloponnesian War, it wasn't just an ally of Athens; it served as the Athenian Navy's base in the gulf. The Athenian naval general Phormio won a heavily outnumbered sea battle there, and the army general Demosthenes used it as a staging ground to nearly conquer Acarnania, Ambracia, Aetolia, and Locris... But why would this city-state make such a request?"

"Lord Plintors truly lives up to his role as chief of staff. Your knowledge of past military campaigns is exceptional," Crotokatax praised, then elaborated. "Before the Peloponnesian War, Sparta suffered a massive rebellion led primarily by the Messenians. Even with the help of Athenian reinforcements, the Spartans couldn't stamp it out. In the end, they reached a compromise with those helots, allowing them to leave Spartan territory.

"Athens then helped some of those fleeing Messenians settle in Naupactus. Rumor has it the idea came from Pericles. That famous chief general of Athens certainly possessed long-term vision; because of his initiative, Naupactus remained a steadfast ally to Athens throughout the Peloponnesian War and played a crucial role.

"After the war ended, Naupactus was forced to sever its alliance with Athens. However, Sparta has been exhausted by constant warfare in recent years, heavily draining its strength, and Naupactus has once again grown close to Athens..."

Plintors came from commoner stock in Thurii. Though naturally brilliant, his family's poverty meant he received little education in his youth. After Daionia was founded, he was among the first to answer Davos's call to attend the adult classes at the Thurii School. He had never stopped studying since overcoming his illiteracy, but given his age, he focused most of his energy on military strategy. In contrast, the new generation of Daionian Citizens received a comprehensive education from childhood, granting them richer knowledge across a wider range of subjects. As a prince, Crotokatax not only underwent rigorous schooling but also completed the extra academic tasks Davos assigned him. His breadth of knowledge far exceeded that of his ordinary peers.

"The people of Naupactus are using their descent from the Messenians to request integration into Messenia..." Plintors carefully turned Crotokatax's words over in his mind, quickly catching the implication. He mused, "But they are closely tied to Athens. I fear there might be secret Athenian instigation behind this... The First Fleet's patrols in the Aegean Sea have already displeased Athens, and now the priests of Delphi and Olympia are maneuvering in the shadows...

"If Messenia becomes unstable due to their integration, not only will the Kingdom's hard work there be ruined, but it will also jeopardize our army's rear. We have to guard against this!"

"Lord Tisias recognized this problem as well, which is why he wrote for instructions." Crotokatax lifted the Papyrus Scroll, a hint of hesitation on his face. "But we already issued a call to all of Greece, stating that we welcome Messenian immigrants to return to their motherland. We made that proclamation so recently. How can we go back on our word now?"

"Your Highness, we don't need to go back on our word," Plintors suggested. "We just need to delay the matter. We can simply reply that Messenia agrees in principle to their return, but due to the sheer volume of people, there isn't enough housing or land to accommodate them right now. We can tell them that once Messenia is fully prepared, we will take the initiative to notify them to return."

Crotokatax looked thoughtful. "You mean... we wait until we defeat Sparta and stabilize the situation in the Peloponnese before agreeing to the request from Naupactus?"

"We could even wait until we fully dominate the situation in Greece before notifying them. Since Messenia is under our control, the timeline is entirely up to us. We wouldn't be breaking any promises, after all."

Crotokatax nodded. He picked up his pen and paper, weighing his words for a moment as he prepared to draft the reply.

Just then, the guard outside called out another report. "Your Highness, the officer patrolling the west gate has brought someone in. The man says he's from Elis and has incredibly important news for you."

Elis? Crotokatax felt a mix of curiosity and doubt. He set down his pen. "Let him in."

Under the escort of two Palace Guards, a Greek man dressed as a shepherd walked nervously into the tent. Spotting Crotokatax in the seat of honor, he immediately cried out, "My lord! My lord! My master is Ionicus of Elis. He wrote a letter and ordered me to deliver it straight to the commander of the Daionian Army. I took the letter, but I was so terrified of being discovered that I didn't dare take the main roads. I've been running through mountain trails for two days straight with barely a bite to eat. I'm so exhausted I—"

"Skip the nonsense and hand over the letter!" Plintors ordered in a low, sharp voice.

Pierced by Plintors's sharp glare, the man trembled in fright and hastily fished the letter from his robes.

A guard immediately took the letter and presented it.

Crotokatax unrolled the letter. The contents made his heart plummet. He stared at the words for a long time, forcing his racing thoughts to settle. Finally, he looked up at the guard. "Take him down and get him a good meal. Then inform the quartermaster to reward him with five silver coins!"

"Yes, sir!"

"Thank you, my lord! Thank you!..." The man bowed over and over in pure joy. Then, remembering his task, he quickly added, "Please, my lord, write a reply so my master can put his mind at ease!"

Crotokatax nodded. The moment the guard and the messenger stepped out of the tent, Plintors asked urgently, "Your Highness, has something terrible happened?" Though Crotokatax had masked his reaction well, Plintors had still caught the slip in his composure.

In heavy silence, Crotokatax handed him the letter.

Plintors scanned the letter quickly, his own expression darkening. "Your Highness, the letter states that 'the priests of Olympia and the men of Pisa used their submission to Elis as leverage to convince the Elis council to join the Greek League and oppose us.' It also claims that 'during the council meeting in Elis, the Olympian priests declared their people would soon persuade Orchomenus to betray the Arcadian League...' If this is true, the situation is turning extremely against us!"

Crotokatax gripped his hands tightly. Despite his obvious tension, he analyzed the matter logically. "When I was in Messenia, Lord Tisias told me about this Elis councilman, Ionicus. His father was Messenian. Ionicus personally witnessed our army tearing Messenia from the grip of the Spartans. He spent time there, fighting alongside Tisias and the others to liberate the helots. He has a certain level of goodwill toward the Kingdom of Daunia, which is why he wrote to us the second he heard this news.

"He is likely terrified that if we fail, the newly independent Messenia will fall back under Spartan occupation... So, he shouldn't be lying to us."

"If Elis turns against us, and Orchomenus or more Arcadian city-states revolt, our rear will be severely threatened. Messenia itself could come under attack. This battle with Sparta just became immensely difficult!" Plintors said grimly.

Crotokatax rubbed his hands together, his voice laced with hesitation. "Should we... lead the army back to Messenia first, see how the situation develops, and then redefine our next military move?"