Mediterranean Hegemon of Ancient Greece Chapter 1285: Preparations for Attacking Persia from Egypt

Asistes knew the kingdom's immediate priorities lay in securing a smooth transition of power in Egypt and preparing for the war against Persia, so he pressed on. "Because the Egyptian priests have suffered so much over the past year, they rallied to us the moment we showed them goodwill. Not only are they actively preaching the legitimacy of Daionia's rule over Egypt, but they have also opened a portion of their granaries to help supply our army."

"Furthermore," he added, "Amenhotep has stated on behalf of the temples that they are willing to continue supplying rations for our campaign against Persia—provided we share a portion of the spoils with them—"

"We absolutely cannot agree to that!" Matonis objected loudly. "The spoils our army captures are bought with the soldiers' blood! One-third goes to the national treasury, one-third to the Ministry of Military Affairs, and only one-third is left for the men. They already receive too little. It's a mercy we haven't slaughtered those bloated Egyptian priests yet, and now they dare try to snatch food from our mouths!"

"Silence!" Davos snapped. Seeing the anger rising on the faces of the other Legion Commanders, stirred by Matonis's outburst, he hardened his expression and delivered a stern warning. "I will not hear such reckless talk again! Persia's wealth is unmatched, backed by centuries of accumulated treasure. Once we defeat them, the spoils our men secure will far eclipse anything they have seen before. Surrendering a fraction to the Egyptian temples is hardly a grievous loss.

"On the contrary, you all know perfectly well that for an army campaigning in a foreign land, the most vital resource is not treasure, but grain! In war, grain is more precious than gold—sometimes gold cannot even buy it. Without rations, the bravest soldiers will easily collapse! We are trading a sliver of potential future spoils for an immediate, abundant supply of food from the temples. This bargain is incredibly profitable for us!"

Having said that, Davos turned back to Asistes. "If I agree to their terms, how long can the grain they provide sustain our entire army?"

Asistes ran a quick calculation in his head before answering. "According to what Amenhotep told me, it should be enough to feed the kingdom's forces in Egypt for over two months. And in two months' time, Egypt will enter its harvest season. The grain reaped from the Nile Delta will then continue provisioning our troops..."

Davos swept his gaze across the assembled officers. "You heard him, gentlemen. Now, it is up to you to decide whether we should accept the priests' proposal!"

Matonis's face reddened slightly, but his tone was resolute. "As long as it eases the burden on the kingdom and benefits the army's campaign, sacrificing a little loot is worth it. We will agree, of course!"

Davos nodded with a faint smile. Out of the corner of his eye, however, he caught Chalcides hesitating, as if wanting to speak but holding back. He prompted him at once: "Chalcides, do you have something to add?"

"Your Majesty," Chalcides answered truthfully. "From what I understand, the Egyptian priests are not making this request out of greed. It is actually an ancient tradition of theirs. In the past, whenever an Egyptian army returned victorious, they dedicated a portion of their spoils to the temples. The temples, in turn, would donate grain to provision the army when it marched...

"I was thinking... Once we defeat Persia, Daionia will likely station garrisons in Egypt or the surrounding regions to consolidate our conquests. If those stationed forces also adopt this Egyptian tradition, relying solely on Egypt might be enough to sustain their grain supply during campaigns. That would significantly reduce the kingdom's burden."

"Hmm, that is an excellent idea!" Davos felt a flicker of surprise. He hadn't expected the temporary commander he had handpicked for the Egyptian forces to look so far ahead while also focusing on the immediate campaign. Casting an approving look at Chalcides, he ordered, "Heni, note down this suggestion. We will discuss it after the war is over."

"Yes, Your Majesty," Heni replied.

Davos offered no further praise. Among the assembled officers, Chalcides lacked seniority, and since he hailed from Sicily, showing him too much favor might spark jealousy among the others. Davos smoothly shifted the topic: "Asistes, since Amenhotep has cooperated with you so sincerely and supports the kingdom's rule in Egypt, I will follow the recommendation in your letter and appoint him as the regional governor of Egypt... Er, what do the Egyptians call it again?"

"A vizier. It means prime minister," Asistes replied.

"Right. I will appoint Amenhotep as vizier, responsible for the administration of Upper Egypt," Davos stated formally. "And you are likewise a vizier, responsible for governing Lower Egypt. I will not appoint a supreme minister; instead, the Ministry of Finance will soon dispatch tax officials to centrally manage Egypt's finances and taxation. Additionally, though Amenhotep will be the vizier of Upper Egypt, his office must remain in Memphis... Tapirus, you must make these conditions perfectly clear to Amenhotep!"

"Yes, Your Majesty," Tapirus replied. "That was exactly how they operated during the reign of Pharaoh Tanib. Given our kingdom's greater strength, if we only make these demands of Amenhotep, he will gladly accept."

As the founding monarch of Daionia, allowing a surrendered Egyptian official to hold the titles of high priest and vizier simultaneously effectively meant relinquishing administrative control over Upper Egypt. Even if this arrangement was only temporary, it chafed at the traditionally hardline Davos. He deepened his tone. "Though I have promised not to send migrants to Egypt, the assimilation and integration of the local populace remains the absolute priority of your governance in Lower Egypt, Asistes. I expect you to come up with an effective strategy!"

"I understand, Your Majesty," Asistes replied confidently, drawing on his wealth of experience in governing foreign peoples. "There is a unique tradition in Egypt: whenever a town's leader becomes pharaoh, the people of that town receive massive promotions and heavy appointments. Many Egyptians believe that Naucratis played a huge role in our conquest of Egypt. Therefore, we can naturally elevate the people of Naucratis—who are closer to us in blood and culture, and much more willing to align with us—to accelerate the consolidation of our rule over Lower Egypt.

"I have already appointed Eurylochus, the former lord of the City of Naucratis, as my assistant. I've also drafted several young officials from Naucratis to serve as translators and scribes in Memphis. Once their competence and loyalty are confirmed, I will dispatch them to hold key positions in various towns.

"Furthermore, I intend to open all the coastal towns of Egypt to bolster trade with the kingdom's mainland. This will shatter Egypt's isolation and encourage far more interaction between the Egyptians and us Theonians.

"I also hope to send the noble youths of Lower Egypt to study in Thurii, and I plan to establish multiple schools within Egypt itself, allowing the kingdom to dispatch enough teachers to instruct them. This way, the next generation of Egyptians will recognize the true might and prosperity of Daionia. They will embrace our culture, gradually view themselves as Daionian Citizens, and take pride in that identity..."

Davos listened intently. He mulled over the proposals for a long while before nodding in deep satisfaction. "Excellent. Write all of these ideas down; I want to read them thoroughly. Asi, with you governing Egypt, I can finally set my mind at ease! However, bear in mind that Naucratis is not only a tremendous asset for managing Lower Egypt—it also holds immense strategic value for the kingdom! If unrest ever breaks out in Egypt, as long as Naucratis remains loyal, reinforcements from the kingdom can easily land on the western coast and swiftly crush the rebellion. Therefore, there must be a kingdom garrison stationed in Naucratis in the future!"

"Understood, Your Majesty," Asistes replied solemnly.

Davos swept his gaze over the other officers, who were beginning to doze off, and suddenly pitched his voice louder. "Chalcides! You are fairly familiar with the Egyptian military. Tell me, how capable are they in combat?"

Chalcides jolted and hastily answered, "Your Majesty, the Egyptian military is not particularly strong. While their soldiers do not lack courage, the vast majority of them fight without armor. They have no heavy infantry and very few cavalry. Their only decent assets are their archers, but even they lack the aggressive awareness and tactical flexibility of our light infantry. They usually just hide behind an infantry shield wall to attack enemies from afar. It's said they learned this tactic from the Persians. Their maneuvers are quite rigid; their only real advantage is that they can run fast..."

The officers erupted into a burst of laughter.

"And their chariots?" Davos asked, his tone still level.

"Egyptian chariots are primarily used to transport archers. They look intimidating, but their actual impact is far weaker than the chariots used by the Gauls. In fact, because they make such large targets, they are easily attacked by our light infantry."

Davos listened, lost in thought. "It seems the Egyptian troops will be of no help in our invasion of Persia. If anything, they will become a burden..."

"Your Majesty, they are not entirely useless to us. The Egyptians are hardworking, resilient, and easily obedient. They are well-suited to serve as camp laborers," Chalcides suggested.

"Since you arrived with the army in Egypt, what movements have the Persians to the north made?" Davos asked.

This question instantly banished the officers' drowsiness, snapping them to attention.

"I suspect the Persians simply didn't expect us to deploy troops to Egypt so quickly. They lacked preparation, so they neither assembled their army in time to threaten the Egyptian border nor launched a direct invasion into Egypt... It wasn't until last month, when I moved our main force to Pi-Ramesses on the eastern edge of the Nile Delta, and even pushed a detachment forward to the City of Daphnae right by the eastern border, that we finally drew their attention. They have now reinforced their troops in the City of Gaza."