Mediterranean Hegemon of Ancient Greece Chapter 1265: About Egypt

Crotokatax was no longer the naive youth who had graduated from the Thurii School. From an ordinary tribune in the Roman Region to its magistrate, and from an inexperienced recruit to the military commander who ultimately won the Greek War and served as consul, he had spent the last five years actively involved in the kingdom's administration. Under Davos's deliberate grooming, Crotokatax had matured into a capable leader, excelling in both civil and military affairs.

He no longer viewed issues solely through his personal likes and dislikes. Instead, he considered the overall interests of the kingdom. After a moment of thought, he didn't voice outright opposition; rather, he offered a concerned reminder. "Father, we are about to launch our offensive against Persia. If we divert to conquer Egypt now, won't it interfere with our military plans? Egypt is an ancient kingdom with a unique civilization, a massive population, and complex politics. Conquering it won't be easy. If we trigger prolonged resistance from the Egyptians and drag out the war, we'll be in trouble."

"That possibility exists," Davos said with a slight nod. "Which is why we must do our best to prevent it. Historically speaking, the Egyptians of today aren't a fierce people. Over the past century, they have been successively invaded and ruled by the Ethiopians and the Persians. Even the dynasty Tanib established is primarily composed of Libyans. Most of the time, the Egyptian populace has been quite submissive. So why couldn't they be ruled by us Theonians?

"After all, Daionia has maintained close trade relations with Egypt in recent years. Our affordable, high-quality goods flood their markets, earning us great goodwill among Egyptian merchants and commoners. Because our two nations are allies, the troops we've sent to Egypt have maintained strict discipline. They don't harass the locals or force trades, and they always fight bravely on the front lines. Their performance has far outstripped Egypt's own armies, earning us an excellent reputation. All of this lays a solid foundation for our future conquest."

Davos paused to gather his thoughts, then slowly voiced the plan he had been pondering for a long time. His tone was confident and resolute. "As long as we do the following, I believe your concerns won't come to pass, and our rule over Egypt will be rock solid! First, you were right earlier—Egypt is a kingdom with a unique civilization and a tremendously long history. We can't govern it the same way we do other regions. We must treat it as a distinct territory within Daionia and rule it using the methods of an Egyptian pharaoh—"

"The methods of an Egyptian pharaoh..." Crotokatax murmured thoughtfully.

"Although we Theonians worship Hades and the other gods, the Egyptians are far more devout. They dedicate both their lives and their deaths entirely to the divine. Their deities dictate their entire existence. Therefore, we must win the support of the Egyptian priests. Just like Tanib, we must recognize their existing rights. We can acknowledge their autonomy in the upper reaches of the Nile, and even forbid the faith of Hades from spreading into Egypt. In return, we will gain their full cooperation to help consolidate our rule."

Hearing this, Crotokatax hesitated, wanting to speak but stopping himself.

Knowing what his son was thinking, Davos patted his shoulder and said gently, "As descendants of Hades, we have already done so much for him. I think he will forgive us! After all, that is a very ancient land, and its gods are older than he is. He likely never expected to win the recognition of the Egyptians..."

"Second, I've thoroughly reviewed the documents gathered by the Intelligence Department regarding Egypt. When foreign powers ruled the Egyptians in the past, Persia faced the fiercest resistance. Why? Because the King of Persia divided all the land in the Egyptian delta among the Persian nobles. Those nobles treated the Egyptians on their fiefs like slaves, subjecting them to brutal oppression. Naturally, this provoked fierce resistance. Why did Artaxerxes attack Egypt multiple times? I suspect the Persian nobles heavily pushed for those invasions from behind the scenes, unwilling to give up the land that had made them so wealthy.

"If we conquer Egypt, we must learn from this lesson. We cannot colonize it extensively as we have done with other conquered regions. Instead, we must avoid settling colonists in Egypt as much as possible, so we don't compete with the Egyptians for their land..."

Davos held up two fingers and spoke solemnly. "Divine right and land. As long as we basically maintain Egypt's status quo without making major changes, I believe Daionia can swiftly conquer Egypt and rapidly stabilize it!"

"Divine right and land..." Crotokatax muttered. Hesitant, he asked, "Father, aren't we making too large a concession? Won't this leave a massive hidden danger for our future rule over Egypt?"

"Look at you. Just a moment ago, you didn't want to conquer Egypt, and now you're worrying about the division of power," Davos teased.

"Father, I—" Crotokatax tried to defend himself, looking slightly embarrassed.

Davos smiled and waved his hand. "We are making significant concessions, but as long as we can rapidly stabilize Egypt, we'll gain a massive granary and a solid territory in the Eastern Mediterranean! We are outsiders, after all. To win the recognition of the Egyptians, making major concessions at the start is unavoidable. But as time passes, the Egyptian populace will fully accept Daionia's rule and recognize the royal house of Hades Davos as the supreme rulers of Egypt. When that time comes, we can gradually implement changes to how Egypt is governed...

"Egypt's unique culture took shape over an incredibly long period. We must have plenty of patience. We cannot rush this!"

Crotokatax pondered this for a moment and voiced his agreement.

"Good. Now that we father and son have reached a consensus on the Egyptian problem," Davos said, lightly patting the armrest of his chair. "If we really do dispatch troops to conquer Egypt first, who do you think is best suited to lead them?"

"Prosous," Crotokatax replied without hesitation. "His military command abilities are second to none in the kingdom. His political adaptability isn't weak either, and he is deeply loyal. More importantly, he has experience fighting in Egypt. He's the perfect candidate!"

"Prosous is indeed a highly suitable choice, but using him to conquer Egypt would be a waste of his talents," Davos said, shaking his head. He then offered another name. "Letting Chalcides lead the expedition will suffice."

"Seventh Legion Commander Chalcides..." Crotokatax was now highly familiar with the kingdom's military and its generals, and he immediately recalled the man's record.

Davos continued, "Back when Prosous served as the Eighth Legion Commander, Chalcides, being a Catanian, was the First Cohort Commander of the Eighth Legion. He performed exceptionally well during the war against Carthage and was promoted to Legion Commander for his merits afterward. During the Greek War, when Prosous led the army to relieve Egypt, Chalcides's Eighth Legion served as the main force. They put in the most effort and delivered the most outstanding performance during the defensive war against the Persians... This shows that his military capabilities are strong, and he is similarly familiar with Egypt.

"Moreover, unlike Prosous, his interpersonal skills are quite strong. He is adept at handling relations between the military and the civilian populace. A battle report submitted by the Ministry of Military Affairs regarding the Eighth Legion in Egypt once specifically noted, 'In every town stationed by the Eighth Legion, the Egyptian officials and populace cooperate actively.' Since we want to conquer Egypt while minimizing the Egyptian people's animosity toward Daionia, we need a commander who can flexibly manage the relationship between the two!"

After hearing Davos's explanation, Crotokatax had no further objections to Chalcides serving as the commander of the army invading Egypt. He merely offered a soft reminder. "Father, all of these plans are built on the premise that Tachos might have been killed. If Tachos is fortunate enough to still be alive, the allied friendship between the kingdom and Egypt should still be maintained..."

"Naturally! However, it's best to prepare for anything in advance, so we aren't caught off guard if an accident truly does occur. And once all the preparations are made, everything else will depend on whether Hades blesses us..." Davos spoke in a flat tone, though a fleeting, barely noticeable dark glint flashed in his eyes.

He then deepened his tone. "But if Tachos has truly perished, in addition to having Chalcides lead the invasion of Egypt, I'm afraid the Ministry of Military Affairs will have to accelerate its plans to attack Persia. The Greek expeditionary army meant to campaign against Persia must be formed as quickly as possible. I plan to appoint Prosous as the commander of the Allied Forces to launch an attack on Asia Minor immediately. This will pin down Persia and prevent them from attacking Egypt, which would severely interfere with our conquest.

"Furthermore, once the Games conclude, the kingdom will immediately undergo military mobilization. I will lead the main force of the kingdom's army to Egypt to stabilize the situation there as quickly as possible! Once the great war begins, the kingdom's administrative affairs will undoubtedly multiply, and pressure will increase on all fronts. With all of the kingdom's elite troops deployed to the Eastern Mediterranean, our domestic defenses will also be noticeably weakened...

"However, you will have Cyprolus, Antaoris, and Haca assisting you in administration. In military matters, Oliphus and Plintors will fully support you as well. I also plan to have your brother-in-law, Patroclus, stay behind to garrison Thurii and protect the kingdom's safety. Even so, the burden on your shoulders will not be light!"

"Father, rest assured! I will do everything in my power to maintain our domestic stability and prosperity, and await your triumphant return!" Crotokatax said in a deep voice.

Davos studied his son in the prime of his youth with a soft gaze, though his expression betrayed a hint of complexity.