Mediterranean Hegemon of Ancient Greece Chapter 1280: Asia Minor Fleet

The Asia Minor Joint Fleet stationed at the Port of Halicarnassus knew this well. They even had intelligence that the convoys were escorted by over a hundred Daonian Warships, later reinforced by nearly a hundred more from the Greek Mainland city-states. With no reports of any other enemy fleets operating in the Aegean Sea, and holding a two-to-one numerical advantage in warships, the commanders of the Asia Minor Joint Fleet held a council. They decided to sail north to the waters off Mysia to hunt for an opening.

In early November, the Asia Minor Fleet sailed north in a massive armada. By the time they reached the waters near the entrance to the Hellespont, the fleet of the Greek expeditionary army had already caught wind of their approach and fled without a trace. Unwilling to return empty-handed, the Asia Minor Fleet feigned a southern retreat at dusk. In reality, they quietly slipped into the Port of Eresus on Lesbos Island, dropping anchor just south of where the Daionian Army had landed.

The shape of Lesbos Island resembled a crab's massive pincers. Because these pincers did not completely close, they formed a central bay with an entrance facing south, away from the Straight of Hellespont. This natural geography perfectly concealed them from the Greek expeditionary army. The next day, when an unsuspecting transport convoy of seventy cargo ships belonging to the Greek expeditionary army sailed into the waters off Ilion, the Asia Minor Fleet ambushed them, nearly wiping out the entire convoy.

The Daunian 4th Fleet finally rushed to the scene just as the attack was drawing to a close. Spotting them, the Persian Asia Minor Fleet immediately regrouped their warships and fanned out into battle formation, eager for a fight.

Outnumbered by a massive margin, the Daunian 4th Fleet made the rational choice to retreat. The Persian Asia Minor Fleet did not pursue; their own sailors were exhausted from chasing down the scattered Greek cargo ships. With no desire to fight another battle, they withdrew to the Port of Eresus.

The following day, the Asia Minor Fleet reemerged in the waters near the entrance to the Straight of Hellespont, but found absolutely no trace of the Greek expeditionary army or its convoys. They prowled the sea for the better part of the day, turning up nothing, and eventually headed back in frustration.

That evening, the high-ranking commanders of the Asia Minor Fleet convened a military council to discuss whether the fleet should immediately return to Halicarnassus.

Most of the naval commanders from the Greek city-states of Asia Minor argued for withdrawal: "The Greek expeditionary army has learned its lesson from yesterday's defeat. As long as we remain here, their ships will likely not appear. Furthermore, the Asia Minor Fleet has a massive crew, and Lesbos Island obviously cannot provide enough supplies. Requisitioning them from the nearby coastal city-states of Asia Minor would also be troublesome. More importantly, we have already alerted the enemy. Since supply lines are crucial to the Greek expeditionary army, the Kingdom of Daunia will absolutely not sit idly by; they will certainly send reinforcements. Do not forget, the Theonians have over a thousand warships!"

The Persian naval commanders, however, held a different view: "Although the Asia Minor Fleet has won a minor victory, it is not enough to boast about to Pharnabazus, let alone catch the eye of the King of Persia. Even if the Greek expeditionary army keeps their ships hidden to avoid our attacks—meaning the fleet might not score any obvious victories in the future—every day the fleet remains in these waters cuts off their supply lines for another day. This forces the Greek expeditionary army to be wary and provides crucial assistance to the Asia Minor ground forces still being assembled.

Although the majority of the Asia Minor Fleet's vessels were provided by the Greek city-states, command lay with the Persians. Since they firmly insisted, the Greek naval commanders naturally could not object. Thus, the next day, the Asia Minor Fleet resumed its patrol of the sea. However, when they returned to their anchorage at dusk, they received shocking news: a Daonian Fleet of staggering proportions had appeared near the waters of Kos Island and was advancing north along the western coast of Asia Minor.

As it turned out, upon receiving their orders from the Ministry of Military Affairs, Daionia's three great naval commanders—Secilian, Midorades, and Straphacus—held a discussion and decided to temporarily delay sending the fleets to Crete. Mobilizing a thousand warships created a massive spectacle that was impossible to hide. Sailing straight for Crete would inevitably alert the enemy, ruining their plan to lure them out. Furthermore, Crete's port conditions were inadequate to support the long-term stationing of all three fleets. Instead, they opted to station the fleets in Messenia and Laconia. As the most crucial transit hubs between the Sacred Kingdom of Daunia and the Greek Mainland, these two affiliated territories had vigorously expanded their port facilities in recent years, fully capable of meeting the needs of the fleets and their crews. By anchoring along the southern coast of the Peloponnese, they could closely monitor the western coast of Asia Minor and launch a swift strike the moment an opportunity arose.

King Davos approved their proposal, and so the three immense fleets settled into Messenia and Laconia. They rarely mobilized, and even when they occasionally conducted drills to build coordination among the fleets, they only deployed a small number of warships and confined the exercises strictly within the bay.

Because the southern waters of the Peloponnese now served as the heart of the Sacred Kingdom of Daunia's sphere of influence in the Eastern Mediterranean, merchant vessels from Persia and Asia Minor could not enter. Consequently, the Persians were completely unaware that every Daonian Fleet from the western Mediterranean had shifted eastward.

Compared to Daionia's strict control over the western half of the Eastern Mediterranean, Persian management of the eastern waters was rather lax. Daionia had planted numerous informants along the western coast of Asia Minor. As a result, the Daonian Fleet learned of the Persian Asia Minor Fleet's formation shortly after it was established.

A few days after the Asia Minor Fleet sailed north, Daionia's three great fleets departed port together and headed east. Thanks to Daionia's aggressive efforts in recent years to fund the port upgrades of its Greek allies and maintain the shipping lanes, the Daonian Fleet was able to swiftly restock food and water at nearby islands while crossing the Aegean Sea. When the weather was favorable, they even pressed their advance through the night. Thus, by the time the Daonian Fleet approached the coastal waters of Asia Minor, the Asia Minor Fleet was still patrolling the Hellespont.

Upon hearing this news, the commanders of the Asia Minor Fleet realized they stood no chance in a battle against Daionia's three great fleets, which vastly outnumbered their own. Disregarding their earlier plans to support the army, they immediately decided to lead the fleet back south. To avoid a head-on collision with the Daonian Fleet, the Asia Minor Fleet began to steer away from the coastline after passing Chios Island, attempting to sail southwest in a wide arc to bypass the enemy.

However, the Daonian commanders had anticipated this. To prevent the enemy from slipping through, they specifically arranged for the Second Fleet to hug the coastline, the First Fleet to sail the outer waters, and the Third Fleet to hold the center to link them together. Every fleet had widened its frontline, forming a massive net ready to catch the big fish that was the Asia Minor Fleet.

The Asia Minor Fleet was somewhat lucky; a passing merchant ship from a western coastal city of Asia Minor kindly shouted a warning that a Daonian Fleet was sailing straight toward them. The Persian commanders immediately panicked. Faced with the Daonian Fleet's relentless advance, it was impossible for the Asia Minor Fleet to continue detouring westward; otherwise, they would plunge deep into Daionia's sphere of influence in the Aegean Sea, receive no supplies, and quickly collapse without a fight. Therefore, only one path remained: they had to steer toward the coast of Asia Minor as quickly as possible and hide inside a city's port to avoid annihilation.

The Asia Minor Fleet urgently changed course, steering straight east. Passing Samos Island, they desperately tried to enter the port of Ephesus before the Daonian Fleet could catch them.

Ephesus was a major city on the western coast of Asia Minor. Not only were its walls high and thick, but it also held abundant supplies. The Asia Minor Fleet could easily hide inside its harbor for a long time until the Daonian Fleet had no choice but to leave.

It was a good plan by the Persians, but unfortunately, the Daonian Fleet had already anticipated it. The Second Fleet, commanded by Midorades, rapidly threaded through the narrow Strait of Samos. Sweeping into the waters near Ephesus, his warships spread out in a line, entirely cutting off the Asia Minor Fleet's eastward escape route.

Upon receiving reports of the situation ahead from their fast ships, the commanders of the Asia Minor Fleet realized they faced interception ahead and pursuers behind. Like ants on a hot skillet, they panicked, completely at a loss. In sheer desperation, they frantically diverted the fleet, scrambling into the nearest available shelter: the port of Samos.

Samos Island was separated from the western mainland of Asia Minor by only a narrow strait, making it, much like Bosporus Island, one of the Ionian islands. It had once been a critical member of the Delian League established by Athens. Following the Corinthian War, as Athenian power gradually recovered, Samos had rejoined their Maritime Alliance. However, after Athens was defeated by Daionia, the people of Samos felt much closer to Persia than to Daionia, which was far away in the western Mediterranean and unfamiliar to them. Furthermore, they were lured by the decrees the King of Persia had issued to win over the Greeks in western Asia Minor and swiftly crush the rebellion, eventually leading Samos to completely side with the Persians.

Shortly after the Asia Minor Fleet fled into the harbor, Daionia's three great fleets arrived. Standing atop the port's lighthouse and watchtowers, the sentries stared out at the endless armada of Daonian Warships spreading across the sea outside the harbor, their scalps tingling with dread.

However, the Samians—who had previously supplied over a dozen warships to the Asia Minor Fleet—clung to a shred of hope. Powerful as the Daonian Fleet was, they could not launch an invasion from land, nor could they stay here for long. Eventually, they would have no choice but to leave. (End of Chapter)