Mediterranean Hegemon of Ancient Greece Chapter 1275: Internal Strife in the Persian Court

"He insisted on it himself. I suspect he wants to personally protect the few Spartan citizens we have left. Besides, though he is getting on in years, he is still quite hale and hearty. If it's just a matter of commanding troops, it shouldn't be an issue," Davos said earnestly. "Furthermore, he spent years fighting in Asia Minor and knows the region inside and out. He will be able to offer invaluable advice at any time while you lead the Allied Forces' advance into western Asia Minor. I highly recommend you consult with him as much as possible during the war."

Hearing this, a subtle shift rippled across Leotychides's usually wooden expression. He fell silent for a moment before asking, "Your Majesty, this registry lists the soldiers, grain, and ships provided by our allies, but it doesn't mention how many troops the kingdom itself intends to deploy."

Davos smiled and said understandingly, "The various Greek allies are providing a total of 30,000 troops. If you didn't have enough kingdom troops by your side, it would be detrimental to your command. Therefore, the Ministry of Military Affairs and I discussed the matter and decided to dispatch the Tenth Legion, the Eleventh Legion, the Twentieth Legion (that is, the Thessalian Legion), and the Sixth Cavalry Legion (composed of the Cavalry of Thessaly). In addition, allies in central Italy, such as the Volsci, Hernici, Sabine, and Aequi, are also willing to send troops. They have been allied with us for a long time and reside on the Italian Peninsula with us, so our relationship is much closer; they can absolutely be counted as our own people. I will place the forces they assemble under your command as well... This way, the number of troops provided by the kingdom will exceed 30,000, bringing the total strength of the Allied Forces to over 60,000 men. Are you satisfied with such an army?"

Leotychides did not answer directly. Instead, he asked, "Your Majesty, what about the navy?"

"During the Allied Forces' landing in Asia Minor, the Fourth Fleet will temporarily fall under your command," Davos offered a rough explanation. "(The Fourth Fleet is primarily formed from Thessalian Warships captured by Daionia, numbering 100 Warships in total. Following Daionia's annexation of Thessaly, the kingdom drained and filled the Almyros Wetlands to construct the Almyros Military Port, which now serves as the 4th Fleet's base.) After the landing, however, it will merge with the other fleets to carry out critical operations... In addition, over a hundred Greek Warships provided by our allies—primarily Athens—will also be at your disposal."

Leotychides's mind raced, and he immediately pressed, "Aside from having me lead the Greek expeditionary army to attack Persia from Asia Minor, I assume the kingdom has other offensive plans?"

"Of course. Even if you hadn't asked, I was just about to tell you, so you can fully understand the Ministry of Military Affairs' entire offensive strategy against Persia. Familiarizing yourself with the full scope of the coming war will help you make the right decisions." Davos had Henipolis bring over a map of the Eastern Mediterranean. Pointing at the map, he explained gravely, "The kingdom has received word: ever since the succeeding pharaoh of Egypt, Tachos, died in a storm on his way to Thurii, the Egyptian general Nectanebos launched a rebellion upon hearing the news. Tanib, who was already bedridden with severe illness, suffered a catastrophic shock and fell into a coma. The City of Memphis has descended into utter chaos. For all we know, in the very time we've been speaking, Nectanebos may have already led his army to breach the City of Memphis.

"To honor our alliance and punish the traitors, I have appointed Chalcides as the reinforcement commander. He is accelerating the mobilization of several legions in Sicily to rush to Egypt as quickly as possible, crush the rebel forces, and restore political stability to the nation. At the same time, the Ministry of Military Affairs has notified the 1st and 2nd Fleets to complete their mobilization as soon as possible. They will set sail for the Southern Gulf of the Peloponnese, where they will anchor and undergo a wartime merger. With Secilian serving as the naval commander, they will hunt for an opportunity to engage the Persian Fleet in a decisive battle at sea.

"Furthermore, the Ministry of Military Affairs will mobilize the other main legions within the kingdom's territory. I will personally lead them toward the Eastern Mediterranean... Our preliminary plan is to land in Egypt, though whether that changes will depend on how the war unfolds... Ultimately, all three armies will converge in the Near East region of Persia. From there, we will march together into the core of the Persian empire to engage their grand army in a final, decisive battle."

He did his best to calm his surging excitement and asked, "How much time have you given these allies to muster their troops?"

"Two months, as they need to finish their harvests before marching out to war," Davos replied, his expression tranquil. "It is a bit slow, but from another perspective, it's actually a good thing. At the very least, once the Allied Forces land in Asia Minor, they will be able to forage for grain locally, reducing their reliance on logistical supplies. Afterward, they will have 15 days to rush to Pherae in Thessaly for the final assembly of the Allied Forces... These were the terms I laid out for all the allies participating in the Persian campaign, and they have all agreed.

"You can muster the Tenth and Eleventh Legions first and set out early for Larissa in Thessaly, making advance preparations for the invasion of Asia Minor."

With that, Davos rose to his feet. Looking at the highly decorated commander with eyes brimming with expectation, he said with grave sincerity, "Persia spans a vast territory, and the terrain of Asia Minor is exceptionally complex. The Ministry of Military Affairs and I will not give you specific directives. After all, you led a detachment of officers and staff to Asia Minor just three years ago to support and observe the Persian rebel armies' combat operations. You know the situation there best. You have full authority to decide all military operations for yourself. I am confident you will do even better than Agesilaus did back in the day!"

Leotychides felt his spirit rouse. He answered immediately, "Please rest easy, Your Majesty. I will conquer western Asia Minor with all possible speed and rendezvous with the main army under your command as soon as I can!"

After seeing Leotychides off, Davos said to Henipolis, "Go call Chalcides, the commander of the Eighth Legion, inside."

..............................................

After Persia spent several years putting down the rebellion in Asia Minor, the drain on their national strength was too great. Unable to conquer Egypt, they were forced to retreat. This failure of Artaxerxes's second military campaign against Egypt caused his prestige to plummet even further.

To intimidate his subjects, he followed Tiribazus's advice and aggressively settled accounts over the Asia Minor rebellion. Many officials and local nobles throughout Asia Minor were implicated. At best, they faced severe punishment; at worst, they were beheaded. Massive amounts of wealth and land were confiscated and gifted to the nobles of eastern and central Persia who supported Artaxerxes. Furthermore, he relocated numerous Persian noble officials centered around Susa to western Asia Minor, entrusting them with key positions.

Artaxerxes's successive measures earned high praise from the Persian nobility. They ceased pressuring the King of Persia to continue preparing for war against Egypt, instead channeling all their energy into fighting over the fat prize of western Asia Minor.

Having suffered setbacks across several personal expeditions, Artaxerxes completely abandoned all ambitions of martial glory. He decided to stay peacefully in Babylon and enjoy the rest of his life. Yet, as the saying goes, it never rains but it pours: it wasn't long before severe trouble erupted in his harem.

Artaxerxes was already advanced in years. A few years prior, he had begun searching for a successor for this colossal empire. Though he had numerous heirs, he unhesitatingly decided to pass the throne to his eldest son, Darius—just as his own father had passed the throne to him. He had even permitted Darius to publicly wear the crown symbolizing the King of Persia.

According to Persian tradition and custom, the heir could publicly ask the patriarch for a single boon. As long as the request fell within the bounds of the patriarch's authority, he was obligated to grant it and could not arbitrarily refuse. Darius put forward his demand: "Bestow Aspasia upon me."

Aspasia had once been one of Cyrus the Younger's most favored concubines before Artaxerxes took her into his palace. Naturally, the king was reluctant to part with her. Hindered by custom, however, he offered a perfunctory declaration: Aspasia was already a free woman and could not be forced against her will. If she willingly chose to obey Darius, he would be happy to facilitate the union.

To his utter shock, Aspasia publicly chose Darius to be her lifelong companion. Bound by the strictures of Persian law, Artaxerxes could only hand her over to his son, but his heart brimmed with fury. Not long after, he snatched Aspasia away from Darius and sent her to the Temple of Goddess Anaitis in Ecbatana, dedicating her to the gods as a priestess. For the rest of her life, she would have to observe strict chastity.

Artaxerxes was immensely proud of using such a mild method to punish the woman who betrayed him while teaching his son a lesson. Little did he know, this act ignited a blazing inferno of fury within the kingdom's heir, driving him to secretly plot a rebellion. It wasn't long before numerous figures joined Darius's treasonous conspiracy. Just as he was about to put his plan into action, one of the co-conspiring eunuchs confessed everything to Artaxerxes out of fear. The King of Persia flew into a violent rage. Not only did he personally kill Darius, but he also executed many Persian officials implicated in the plot. For a time, blood flowed like rivers in Babylon.

A secret spy sent a confidential report to the King of Persia: Darius had apparently dispatched someone to lobby Tiribazus, suggesting the minister might have also participated in the treason.

However, the Intelligence Department could not produce any concrete evidence. The only reason they could offer was that Tiribazus and Darius shared the exact same circumstances.

As it turned out, many years ago, in a bid to win over his trusted minister, Artaxerxes had promised to marry his daughter Amestris to Tiribazus—just as he had wed his other two daughters to Orontes and the son of Pharnabazus. Yet, the King of Persia quickly went back on his word, because he married Amestris himself. So he changed his promise, intending to marry his youngest daughter, Atossa, to Tiribazus. But later, he became hopelessly infatuated with Atossa and never fulfilled that promise either. This affair turned Tiribazus into a joke within the Persian court, but the man himself always appeared perfectly calm, never uttering a word of complaint. The Intelligence Department, however, believed he still harbored resentment in his heart, making it impossible for Darius not to have contacted him.