Mediterranean Hegemon of Ancient Greece Chapter 1224: The Army Approaches Athen

Lacking the time to construct a complete defensive camp, the Athenian army relied heavily on its high ground to hold the line. But the Lucanians, Samnites, and Gauls were fierce mountain tribes whose strength lay in rugged terrain. Bolstered by Daionia's high-quality armor and weapons, and boasting a clear numerical advantage, they battered the defenses for the better part of a day before finally breaking through.

The Gauls in particular terrified the Athenian soldiers, their hideous expressions on display as they hacked and slashed with their greatswords. Fleeing in a rout, the survivors could not stop themselves from spreading tales of the terrifying enemy. This panic infected the town of Phyle, located not far from Mount Parnitha. Terrified, the locals fled with their families alongside the routed troops, allowing Lizarus's army to occupy the small town without resistance. Continuing their march south, they soon surrounded another small town, Megalouuno.

Unable to escape in time, the town's inhabitants were forced into a desperate resistance. Their stand in Megalouuno was not entirely in vain, buying a little time for the Athenian soldiers and mercenaries defending the south. Jason's mercenaries were seasoned veterans; seeing the sheer might of the Daionian Army, they completely lost faith in Athens's plan to keep the war outside one's borders. They had already decided to retreat at the first sign of trouble. This swift withdrawal prevented Patroclus from fully executing his strategy to pin down the south while attacking from the north, then swiftly march south to encircle the southern defenders once the line broke. Even so, his forces still captured over a thousand fleeing mercenaries.

Amidst this disastrous collapse of the Athenian border defenses, Iphicrates led his ten thousand soldiers along the coastline, eventually entering Athen with relative ease.

Without even washing off the dust of his campaign, he hurried straight into the Athens Municipal Hall. The nine generals, currently locked in an emergency meeting, spotted him and swarmed around him like parched earth greeting rain. To a man, their very first question was: "Iphicrates, how many soldiers did you bring back?"

"Sixteen thousand soldiers."

"Why so few?" Callistratus asked, completely dumbfounded. He had assumed that even with the departure of the Thessalian Army, Iphicrates would bring back at least thirty or forty thousand men. According to his knowledge, at its absolute peak, the Greek Expeditionary Army had numbered up to a hundred thousand strong. (Since several city-states in Arcadia and Elis were situated near the battlefield, a massive number of their citizens had joined the fight as auxiliaries, though they offered little actual combat power.)

Iphicrates earnestly gave them a brief rundown of the battlefield situation in the Peloponnese.

Upon hearing his report, every face in the room fell in dismay. Someone even muttered despairingly, "It's over... Athens is finished..."

"Alas... when true danger arrives, the citizens of these narrow-minded city-states only see the threats facing their own homelands," Callistratus sighed helplessly. "How could they ever stay united against a common enemy to fight such a powerful foe? In the end, the Greek League was just a hastily assembled coalition, doomed not to last!"

The room fell into a heavy silence.

Taking advantage of the lull, Iphicrates finally found a chance to ask, "By the way, as I was entering the city just now, I saw routed soldiers running about, shouting that we had been defeated. The whole city is in a panic. What exactly happened?!"

With a heavy heart, Callistratus informed Iphicrates about the Greek army's disastrous defeat at the border defense line.

The veteran Greek commander, renowned for his calm and wisdom on the battlefield, roared in absolute fury upon hearing this. "You fully knew the incoming Daionian Army possessed overwhelming numbers and terrifying strength! Why would you send what few able-bodied young citizens we have left out of the city to die?! Who was it?! Who proposed such an idiotic suggestion?!"

Iphicrates glared fiercely at the assembled men, his eyes wide with rage. A few instinctively lowered their heads to avoid his gaze.

Callistratus stepped forward, his voice low and solemn. "It was our collective decision, but it was also what the citizens demanded! When the remnants of the Thessalian Army fled into Athens, we knew the Daionian Army in the north would strike soon. Chabrias suggested, 'Immediately inform the citizens of the Attica region to take shelter inside the city, rely on our walls to defend against the Daionian Army's assault, and wait for you to return with your forces before launching a counterattack...'

"We all agreed to that decision at the time, but..." A flash of shame passed through Callistratus's eyes. "...during the subsequent Ecclesia, the vast majority of the citizens opposed it. They outright refused to abandon their homes without a fight and let the Theonians trample all over them. You know how it is. During the Peloponnesian War, the entire Attica region outside of Athens was practically reduced to ruins by the Spartan Coalition. The citizens refused to let such a tragedy happen again...

"That is why we devised this plan to set up a defense line on the western border, stalling the Daionian Army long enough for you to return with your forces before finding an opportunity to strike back. Who could have known they would arrive so quickly, or attack with such ferocity... Alas..."

As Callistratus finished, the other generals could not help but shake their heads and sigh.

Looking at their evasive gazes, Iphicrates knew perfectly well that Callistratus was not telling the whole truth. But there was no point in arguing over it now. He let out a few long breaths to settle his emotions before asking, "And now? What is your plan now?!"

"While the Daionian Army is still a fair distance from Athen, we have already dispatched messengers to every village and town in Attica, ordering the citizens to evacuate into the city immediately!" Callistratus answered grimly. "We have decided to rely on the city walls to weather Daionia's assault and wait for your return to find a chance to counterattack. We simply never expected... that you would bring back so few men..."

Seeing Callistratus's poorly concealed disappointment, Iphicrates spoke with unprecedented gravity. "Judging from my recent engagements with the Daionian Army, they are exactly as strong as the rumors claim. Not only are they formidable in combat, but their numbers are massive. Besides the Daionian Army that has already entered Attica, there are tens of thousands of their troops besieging the City of Corinth. In my judgment, Corinth will fall before long. Once those two armies converge... we cannot possibly defeat such a powerful Daionia on our own, unless Persia sends an army to support us—"

"Do not hold out hope for Persia!" another general interrupted, shouting furiously. "The Persians deceived us! They will not send us a single shred of support. Their envoy has already fled!"

Startled, Iphicrates immediately looked to Callistratus.

The chief general nodded in agony. "The King of Persia is already leading his army to invade Egypt. He has absolutely no troops to spare for us... We were deceived."

Iphicrates collapsed heavily into a wooden chair. Having served as a commander during Persia's previous war against Egypt, he knew full well that this new invasion would demand Persia's absolute full strength, and it was not a conflict that could be wrapped up in just a few short months.

At that moment, the vigorous veteran Agyrrhius spoke up loudly. "During the Peloponnesian War, the citizens of Athens relied on these very walls to hold out for decades! The Spartan Coalition could never breach them, and we can absolutely do the same today! The Daionian Army might be massive, but that sheer size means they will consume enormous amounts of supplies. Can the Theonians sustain such a colossal drain on their resources for long?!"

His words lifted the spirits of some men in the room. However, Chabrias, who had long overseen the navy, could not help but interject with a harsh reminder. "The reason we did not fear the Spartan Coalition's siege back then was because we controlled the sea! We could bring in any vital supplies our citizens needed via merchant ships at a moment's notice, and the Spartan Army could do absolutely nothing to stop us. But things are different now. Daionia does not just boast a mighty army; their navy is equally strong! Lately, their fleet has been patrolling the Saronic Gulf day in and day out, intercepting any merchant ships trying to enter or leave. They have already dealt a crippling blow to our maritime trade!

"Our Warships have sallied out to challenge them multiple times, and both sides have suffered casualties. But we simply have far too few ships. Without access to foreign timber, we have no way to construct new ones—the Attica region is notoriously sparse on forests. Our fleet will only dwindle with every skirmish. Once the Daonian Fleet completely blockades our ports, where will we get the grain to feed the entire population of Athens?!"

Agyrrhius was momentarily left speechless. Just then, catching sight of someone rushing hurriedly into the hall, he immediately put on a stern face and demanded, "What is it?"

"General Agyrrhius, Generals! The Daionian Army has landed on Aegina! We beg you to send reinforcements immediately!"

"What?! Aegina is under attack?!" The generals were all shocked. Chabrias, sounding particularly frantic, asked, "When did this happen?!"

"According to the messenger from Aegina... roughly... roughly two hours ago, the Daonian Fleet suddenly blockaded the port of Aegina. Over ten thousand Daionian soldiers landed on the beaches at the southwestern corner of Aegina Island and launched an assault on the city... Having received no reinforcements from us, and with the situation growing increasingly desperate, the island's garrison had no choice but to send the Warships stationed in their port on a desperate run. They barely managed to break through the Daonian Fleet's blockade to bring us this warning—"

"And where were our patrol Warships?! Why did they not spot this and report back immediately?!" Callistratus demanded furiously.

(End of Chapter)