Mediterranean Hegemon of Ancient Greece Chapter 1225: Wavering

Chabrias looked slightly embarrassed as he explained in a low voice, "This morning, the Daonian Fleet approached Port Piraeus. By then, news had already arrived that the border defense line had been breached by the Daionian Army, and the city was in chaos... To prevent any accidents, I ordered the port temporarily closed... The Daonian Fleet had approached Port Piraeus a few times before, and we did the exact same thing. But I never imagined their actions this time were a smokescreen to cover up their attempt to occupy Aegina Island!"

"I remember now. You did tell us about the Daonian Fleet threatening Port Piraeus, and we all agreed to close the port to prevent losses." Callistratus's expression turned incredibly grim. "But now that Aegina is under attack, what do we do?!"

Chabrias hesitated for only a moment before deciding to redeem himself. He said resolutely, "Aegina must never be occupied by Daionia. I request to lead the fleet out first to attack and lure away the Daonian Fleet. Meanwhile, you can send ships carrying reinforcements to slip into the port and hold the city of Aegina!"

The generals all knew Chabrias's plan was highly risky, but at least half of them agreed almost without thinking. They understood the situation perfectly: although the Daonian Fleet was powerful, they still couldn't completely blockade Athens' maritime routes because their base was in the southern Peloponnese. Traveling back and forth every morning and evening meant there was always a gap when they couldn't patrol the Saronic Gulf. But if Daionia occupied Aegina Island—which was right on Athens' doorstep—its comprehensive Military Port facilities would allow them to anchor their fleet directly at Aegina. It would be like pressing a dagger straight against Athens' chest, threatening Port Piraeus around the clock. For Athens, that would be a catastrophic disaster.

"Generals, although I conveyed the Aegina crew's request to you as they asked, I do not want you to send the fleet out of the port!" The official from Port Piraeus spoke with utmost solemnity. "According to the Aegina crew, Daionia sent two fleets: one to surround Aegina Island, and one to blockade Port Piraeus. Their total numbers might exceed six hundred ships. That's why all twenty Warships that charged out of Aegina's port were rammed and sunk. Only this single fast boat managed to use them as cover to finally slip into our port..."

"There are only seventy-five Warships inside Port Piraeus. If we risk an attack, I fear we will suffer the exact same fate. And if Athens loses the protection of its Warships, I am afraid the gods' punishment will fall upon us!"

Hearing this, the generals were deeply shaken.

Years ago, before the great Persian army invaded, the Athenians had sought an oracle from Delphi:

Under the persuasion of Themistocles, the public believed the "wooden walls" mentioned in the oracle meant Warships. Thus, they spent massive sums to build Warships extensively. Consequently, the Battle of Salamis, dominated by the Athenian Fleet, became the turning point of the Greco-Persian Wars. This also led the citizens of Athens to deeply believe in the oracle of Delphi, passing that faith down from generation to generation.

At this moment, even Chabrias, who had been so resolute just a second ago, looked somewhat lost.

"Let us seek a truce and negotiate peace with Daionia," Iphicrates sighed softly. "Things having reached this point, this is the only way to save Athens!"

Iphicrates's words startled everyone, and the room instantly fell into a dead silence. It wasn't that no one had thought of negotiating peace with Daionia before his arrival, but no one had dared to voice it. After all, it was the Executive Committee of Generals that had reached a consensus to fan the flames of the Athenian citizens' hostility toward Daionia, ultimately leading to the declaration of war. Now, changing their tune after only a few months meant that whichever generals first proposed the resolution would undoubtedly bear the brunt of the citizens' fury.

But Iphicrates's words had pierced the veil. With the Daionian Army at the gates and their maritime shield, Aegina Island, under invasion, the trapped city of Athens truly had no other options left.

During the urgently convened Ecclesia, when Callistratus proposed the suggestion to "seek peace with Daionia," he originally expected to face fierce reprimands and obstruction from the citizens. However, there was none. Whether it was the citizens retreating from the western borders, those who had followed Iphicrates to fight in the Peloponnese for months, or those who spent every day in fear on Warships dealing with the Daonian Fleet... all of them, without exception, had witnessed the sheer might of the Daionian Army. They were desperate to end this terrifying war and had absolutely no mind to hold the Executive Committee of Generals accountable.

The proposal was swiftly passed, and Callistratus's voluntary application to serve as the envoy to the Daionian Army was also approved.

Early the next morning, the earth outside Athen trembled, and dust filled the air. The Daunian Allied Forces appeared in the line of sight of the sentries on the walls.

Upon receiving the news, the citizens of Athens hurriedly donned their armor, grabbed their shields and spears, and rushed to the walls to prepare for the defense.

By this time, the Daunian Allied Forces had already arrayed themselves below the city. The soldiers surged like a tide, their spears resembling a dense forest. Countless military banners fluttered in the wind, and countless sets of armor gleamed brightly... The sight made the Athenian citizens dizzy and their hearts clench.

"Hades!!! Hades!!! Hades!!!" The Daionian soldiers shouted in unison, their voices rolling like peals of thunder, making the legs of the Athenian Citizen Soldiers tremble.

Right amidst this imposing and overwhelming display of the Daionian Army's momentum, Callistratus walked out of the city gates. He headed straight into the Daionian camp and met the total commander of this army, Patroclus.

However, when he brought up the matter of "Athens wishing to discuss a truce and peace with Daionia," Patroclus shook his head and refused. He informed him that the authority to negotiate a truce with the Hellenic League lay in the hands of the commander of the other Daionian Army, Prince Crotokatax.

Callistratus had no choice but to propose another idea: could they pause the attack on Athen while the negotiations between Athens and Daionia took place?

Patroclus refused even more bluntly: unless a truce agreement was signed, the Daionian Army under his command would absolutely not stop its assault on Athen!

Hearing this, Callistratus had no choice but to immediately rush toward the Peloponnese.

Yet the truth was, Patroclus had arrayed his troops beneath Athen purely to display the martial might of the Daunian Allied Forces and to crush the Athenians' morale. He knew very well that Athen could not be easily taken. Thus, he soon issued an order: the army was to build a camp two li away.

...

Callistratus hurried south without stopping. He passed through Megara and entered the City of Corinth.

The Corinthians proactively asked him about the battle situation up north. He lied, claiming that Athens had gathered all its soldiers inside the city to prioritize defense and had already easily repelled one all-out siege by the Daionian Army, currently amassing even more strength. He claimed his current journey was at the behest of the Athenian people to negotiate with Daionia, hoping to retrieve the bodies of the Athenian citizens who had died in battle in the Peloponnese.

The Corinthians were half-doubtful, but there was one thing they could confirm: the Athenians were already holding up in their city to defend it, making it impossible for them to send reinforcements to Corinth.

On his way to the Daionian camp, Callistratus saw the Daionian Army arrayed outside the City of Corinth. They were using a type of Siege Weapon called a Ballista—which Iphicrates had specifically mentioned—to continuously launch stone projectiles at the city walls. The sheer magnitude of the noise was astonishing, making him feel an even more pressing sense of urgency.

Iphicrates had also emphasized another point: the Daionian Army was highly skilled at building camps and had a habit of "building a camp wherever they stop."

This time, the Daionian Army had built their camp right next to Isthmia, the port on the eastern side of the Isthmus. He had heard from the Corinthians that shortly after the Daionian Army arrived outside the City of Corinth, they launched a full-scale assault on the port of Isthmia. Because their numbers were too great and their attacks too fierce, even though the Corinthians sent one wave of reinforcements, the poorly defended port of Isthmia only managed to hold out for half a day before being swallowed by the surging black tide.

Standing on the high ground by the coast, Callistratus could even see the multitude of Daonian Warships anchored in the port. He could easily deduce that the reason the Daonian Fleet had launched a landing assault on Aegina Island was precisely because they had captured the nearby port of Isthmia. With a foothold there, they could more conveniently blockade Port Piraeus from close range and provide a steady stream of support to the troops landing on Aegina Island...

With a heavy heart, Callistratus was led by a Daionian officer into a relatively simple Daionian camp, eventually stepping into a military tent.

There was only one person inside the tent, and astonishingly, it was Callias, who had previously served as an envoy to Athens.

Callias wore a smile and took the initiative to step forward and welcome him. "Lord Callistratus, welcome! You must be exhausted from your long journey from Athens. Please, sit down and rest. I've prepared some cold honey water for you. Quench your thirst first!"

Callias was extremely respectful in his etiquette, lacking the slightest hint of arrogance. However, the title "Lord Callistratus" still made the chief general of Athens feel the hidden sharpness in his words. He raised his internal guard, though a smile quickly surfaced on his face. "Thank you so much! You are far too thoughtful!"

Saying that, he unceremoniously sat down, picked up the clay pitcher on the table, poured himself a cup, and drank it all in one gulp. Then, he said with satisfaction, "This honey water is indeed delicious!"

Callias also returned to his seat and said with an apologetic look, "Lord Callistratus, you asked to see His Highness Crotokatax, but unfortunately, he is not in the camp right now and cannot see you."