Mediterranean Hegemon of Ancient Greece Chapter 1208: Prelude to the Great War (3)

Oliphus glanced at Patroclus and voiced his objection. "The Greek expeditionary army is still pressing a fierce offensive, and the border defenses in Messenia are relatively weak. If we voluntarily fall back and lose control of the situation, it could easily backfire and allow the Greeks to charge straight into the Messenian plains..."

"Exactly. Once the Greek expeditionary army breaks into the Messenian plains, even if we fall back to defend Messene, the land and newly built villages just allocated to the Messenian citizens will be utterly destroyed. Our months of hard work will go completely to waste!" Tagetinos added.

"Most importantly, the ports of Messenia have absolutely no defenses. A massive amount of supplies is stockpiled there, and numerous ships are anchored in the harbor. If those fall into the hands of the Greek expeditionary army, it will be a severe loss for us..."

Regardless of their individual motives, most of the officers stationed in Laconia and Messenia opposed the proposal put forward by Patroclus and Plintors. This collective resistance brought a visible look of displeasure to Patroclus's face.

After listening intently, Crotokatax pondered for a moment before addressing them with a solemn expression. "Generals, defeating the Greek expeditionary army and taking control of Greece is the ultimate goal the kingdom has set for our expeditionary force. And launching a surprise landing in Thessaly is the most crucial military operation to achieve that goal! As a part of this expeditionary force, those of us fighting in the Peloponnese must pin down the bulk of the Greek expeditionary army as much as possible to ensure the landing's success. Therefore, we will no longer debate whether to yield ground in northern Messenia. Instead, we must focus all our efforts on how to execute this withdrawal without leaving major gaps in our defenses! Unity and seamless cooperation have always been the sharpest weapons of the Army of the Kingdom of Daunia, winning us battle after battle. Whether His Majesty leads the army in person or not, we must carry that tradition forward!"

For a moment, Oliphus and the others felt as though they could see the shadow of King Davos in Crotokatax. A jolt of awe ran through them, and none dared to voice another word in argument.

Plintors gave a gratified smile.

...

On the morning of August 3rd, dawn broke early. The sky was exceptionally blue, without a single wisp of cloud in sight. A strong south wind swept across the sea, driving wave after wave to crash incessantly against the shoreline.

On the flagships of the First Fleet, the Second Fleet, and the Third Fleet, the three naval commanders—Secilian, Midorades, and Straphacus—stood at the prows of their respective ships. Raising their wine cups high, they sang resonant hymns to Poseidon before pouring the wine into the sea, praying for a safe and successful voyage.

A bugle blast rang out. Colorful pennants signaling departure were immediately hoisted on the flagship of the Second Fleet. All the warships of the 2nd Fleet, which were already positioned at the outer edge of the Laconian Gulf, began to set sail.

At almost the exact same time, bugle calls echoed across the Messenian Gulf as the warships of the 3rd Fleet set out in swift succession.

Only when the crews still waiting in the bay could no longer see the silhouettes of the 2nd Fleet's warships did the bugles blare once more across the Laconian Gulf.

"Clotho, it's time for us to depart!" Standing on the deck of his ship, Patroclus delivered a solemn military salute.

"May Hades protect you! I will be waiting for news of your victory!" Standing on the pier, Crotokatax returned the salute while offering his blessing.

Patroclus sat back down. Calmly, he watched his ship follow the other heavily laden troopships as they filed out of the Port of Helos in an orderly line. In accordance with their prior training, these troopships formed up into their respective squadrons within the Laconian Gulf. They then rendezvoused with the squadrons of the 1st Fleet that had long been waiting outside the bay, merging into three massive mixed formations and one independent fleet. These armadas then set sail one by one, sequenced from north to south according to their landing targets...

The process seemed simple, but in reality, it was incredibly complex. Just getting all the soldiers to board the vessels and clear the port required a tremendous amount of effort. As a result, dozens of fast boats darted back and forth among the thousands of ships in the Laconian Gulf, constantly directing traffic. Although there was still a bit of chaos throughout the process, everything went relatively smoothly overall.

An hour later, it was finally the turn of Patroclus's fleet to set sail.

Because they were heading into the wind, it wasn't just the crew members rowing with all their might; even the soldiers on board joined in. They shouted rhythmic chants alongside the crew, pulling the oars in unison. The helmsman skillfully steered the rudder, guiding the ship in a zigzag course as it advanced toward the southeast...

About half an hour later, the fleet rounded the cape. At once, the sailors climbed the masts, untied the ropes, and unfurled the sails. The wind instantly filled the canvas. The fleet, which had previously been limping along like a frail old man with a cane, suddenly transformed into a vigorous youth sprinting at full strength. The powerful south wind sent the entire armada flying northward at an incredible speed, as if the ships had grown wings.

Meanwhile, the Second Fleet had already reached the Saronic Gulf. To better blockade the Athenian Fleet, Midorades had split his forces into two divisions, sealing off the channels at both the northern and southern ends of Aegina Island.

Upon receiving the news, the Athenian naval general Chabrias quickly rushed to the nearby coast. Standing on high ground, he could clearly observe the deployment of the Daonian Fleet within the gulf.

Just as he was pondering why the Daonian Fleet was lingering near Aegina Island—neither advancing to attack nor withdrawing—Callistratus, who had also hurried over upon hearing the news, shouted anxiously as he approached. "Chabrias! The Daonian Fleet disappeared for a time, and now they've suddenly reappeared. Are they preparing to launch an attack on us?!"

"I've been observing them from here for quite a while now. The Daonian Fleet is arranged in a loose naval formation, keeping the channel on the northern side of Aegina Island completely blocked," Chabrias replied. "Although they are attacking merchant ships trying to enter or leave, for now, it seems they don't have any intention of pressing westward to attack Piraeus..."

Pointing down at the nearly stationary Daonian Fleet off the coast, Chabrias offered a reassuring thought. "Furthermore, we are already prepared. The warships at Port Piraeus and Salamiga Island are ready for battle, and a considerable number of light infantry have been stationed there as well. If the Daonian Fleet really dares to enter that narrow channel to attack our port, it would actually work to our advantage!"

"You mean..." Callistratus walked up beside him, gazing down at the enemy ships on the water, his voice tinged with excitement. "A repeat of the great victory at Salamiga?!"

"That is merely my hope..." Chabrias couldn't help but shake his head as he recalled the naval battle they had fought against the Daonian Fleet in the Laconian Gulf not long ago. "But the Daonian Fleet is highly trained. It is very unlikely they will make such a mistake..."

"The Daonian Fleet certainly has a lot of warships!" Callistratus remarked, looking thoughtfully out over the sea. "They disappeared from the Aegean Sea for a period of time, and you analyzed back then that they had gone to attack those islands to the west, which was why you took the initiative to lead our fleet in a strike against the Laconian Gulf... Now that they've suddenly reappeared in the Saronic Gulf, do you think they have some ulterior motive? Or are they simply here to retaliate against us by attacking our merchant ships?"

Around the time of the Peloponnesian War, the generals of Athens were not only expected to speak eloquently in the assembly and offer strategies for the development of the city-state, but they were also required to personally lead the citizen soldiers onto the battlefield. Cimon and Pericles of Athens had done exactly that, and Thrasybulus had even died in battle. However, the sheer frequency of warfare placed increasingly high demands on the quality of Athenian military commanders. This gradually caused a divide within the Athenian leadership: there were politicians who specialized solely in politics, like Callistratus, and generals strictly dedicated to warfare, like Iphicrates and Chabrias. For this reason, Callistratus maintained a close relationship with Iphicrates and Chabrias, frequently consulting them on military matters.

"It is hard to say right now. I feel like—" While Chabrias was still pondering, a cavalryman rode up to them at top speed. "General Chabrias! News from Aegina Island! The Daonian warships haven't just blockaded the northern channel; they've sealed off the southern channel as well! They are intercepting and attacking any merchant ships attempting to enter or leave!"

Callistratus's expression changed drastically. "Are the Theonians trying to completely cut off our maritime trade?!"

"From what we can see here, the Daonian Fleet has deployed roughly two hundred warships, and to blockade the other end, they would likely need to post an equal number... Hundreds of warships, tens of thousands of sailors, such a massive operation..." Chabrias fell into deep thought. "Doing all of this merely to blockade our merchant ships would be far too costly to justify..." Suddenly, his face turned pale. "What if... what if the Daonian Fleet isn't just trying to blockade our merchant ships, but is aiming to bottle up our naval forces? To prevent our warships from entering the Aegean Sea and threatening their fleet—"

"Fleet? What fleet?!" Callistratus froze for a moment before blurting out the question.

"Either transporting supplies or carrying soldiers... The scale of their fleet must be massive; otherwise, their naval forces could easily escort them directly..." As his thoughts clarified, Chabrias's tone grew increasingly certain.

"Are you saying they are planning a landing?!" Callistratus exclaimed.

"We cannot rule out the possibility! Haven't we constantly been worrying that the Daionian Army might repeat the landing they pulled off in Messenia?!" Chabrias said with a grave expression.

Callistratus grew visibly tense. "We must determine whether the Daionian Army intends to land! And where they plan to do it! Chabrias, you must lead your fleet to break through the Daonian Fleet's blockade, enter the Aegean Sea, and find out if Daionia has a fleet preparing for a landing! You must intercept and destroy them!"