Mediterranean Hegemon of Ancient Greece Chapter 1289: Agesilaus's Request

Although Leotychides despised Agesilaus, that did not stop him from favoring the veteran's advice. The old man had campaigned across Asia Minor for years, and Leotychides was inclined to agree with his suggestions and use them to formulate a new battle plan.

Over the following days, the proactive advance of the Persian army in Asia Minor proved Agesilaus's judgment to be correct.

Leotychides did not rush to meet the enemy for a decisive battle. Instead, he ordered a deliberate retreat—not west toward Ilion, but southwest toward Chios.

The Persians pursued relentlessly. Their vanguard cavalry charged ahead, clashing multiple times with the cavalry forces the Greek expeditionary army had left behind to intercept them. Superior numbers naturally gave the Persian riders the upper hand in these skirmishes. Repeated victories fueled their arrogance, leaving them even hungrier for a full-scale battle against the Greek expeditionary army.

The Greek expeditionary army withdrew from the Plain of Arisbe relatively smoothly, but as they neared the coast, the terrain grew increasingly rugged, and their march inevitably slowed. Finally, on the afternoon of the twelfth day, the Persian army in Asia Minor closed the gap to a mere six or seven li.

This time, Leotychides ordered an early halt, commanding the army to make camp and rest.

Half an hour later, the Persian cavalry arrived, only to be driven back by the Greek expeditionary army's prearranged archers. Yet the riders did not retreat far, choosing instead to prowl at a distance.

Leotychides did not send his own cavalry to chase them off. Instead, he stood on a high vantage point alongside the other allied generals, gazing out toward the approaching Persian cavalry.

As dusk approached, a massive cloud of dust rolled in slowly from the north. It ground to a halt about three li away, but the chaotic din carried clearly to the generals' ears.

Leotychides pondered for a moment before shaking his head. "Our soldiers are exhausted too. Let them get a good night's sleep and recover their strength to fight the Persians tomorrow. Besides, attacking now would very likely spook the enemy we worked so hard to lure out here."

Hearing this, the generals shared a knowing smile.

"Gentlemen, join me in the command tent for another military council," Leotychides said. "We need to re-evaluate and finalize the battle plan for tomorrow."

The others readily voiced their agreement.

...

When the council concluded, the allied generals took their leave. Only Leotychides, his four Theonia Legion Commanders, and one special individual, Agesilaus, remained in the command tent.

Seeing that Agesilaus remained motionless in the tent, Leotychides felt mildly surprised and was just about to ask why.

The former Spartan king spoke first. "Generals, I would like a private word with Commander Leotychides."

The four Legion Commanders exchanged a glance. Seeing that Leotychides remained silent and made no move to refuse the request, they tactfully prepared to leave.

Leotychides told them, "Wait outside the tent for a moment. This won't take long."

Once the four men stepped out, Agesilaus approached Leotychides. A smile touched his deeply wrinkled face. "Back when I led the Spartan army on campaign in Asia Minor, we won our share of battles, but despite spending so much time, we achieved little of lasting value. On the contrary, soon after I marched my forces back to Greece, the places we had conquered fell right back under Persian rule. This is my greatest regret, and the regret of all Spartans!

"But this war Daionia has launched against Persia is obviously different from all the past Greek campaigns against Persia. For decades we have shouted the slogan of 'revenge against Persia,' and now it might actually be realized! I am not the only one who thinks so; Epaminondas, Iphicrates, and the others believe it too. That is exactly why they were just scrambling to have their city-state armies handle the most crucial attacking roles.

"Leotychides, for you to serve as the commander of the Greek expeditionary army and defeat the Persian army, this will be our Spartans'—"

Leotychides frowned, cutting him off with sharp impatience. "I have told you many times, my name is Prosous! If you shout the wrong name again, do not set foot in my command tent! State your business quickly. I am very busy, so stop talking nonsense!"

A shadow of sorrow flickered across Agesilaus's face. Letting out a soft breath, he made up his mind. He tossed his cane aside, shakily crouched down, and braced his hands against the dirt. Slowly sinking to his knees, he bent forward until his forehead hit the ground.

Leotychides froze. He stared blankly for a long moment before his face darkened. "Agesilaus," he demanded in a low voice. "What is the meaning of this?"

Agesilaus straightened his back, his forehead bruised black. The exertion of his rapid kowtows left him breathless. He coughed for quite a while before speaking in a frail voice. "...I wronged you and your mother all those years ago. I do not hope for your forgiveness! ...But I ask that, for the sake of the Spartan you once were, you grant me one request..."

Leotychides stared down at him, his expression cold. "Let's hear it."

Agesilaus let out a long sigh. "I have no complaints about Sparta being conquered by Daionia, because Daionia's strength truly dwarfs Sparta's, and they defeated us fair and square. Perhaps our fall to this wretched state is exactly Zeus's punishment for the excessive arrogance we displayed over all of Greece for decades!

"But... no matter how wretched the noble descendants of Heracles become, it is not the place of those lowly perioikoi and helots to humiliate us! Yet they do more than humiliate us; they want the Spartans to gradually die out! No, I will absolutely not allow this!"

Agesilaus clenched his fists, his gaunt frame trembling with rage. "That is why I strongly petitioned King Davos for the Spartan Warriors to fight as our own independent unit in this campaign. I did it to find a path of survival for the Spartans. Leaving Laconia, the land that nurtured Spartans for hundreds of years, to resettle in a new place... we are truly forced into this!

"So I hope... I hope that once this war ends in victory, you can make a request to King Davos on our behalf. Ask him to carve out a small piece of land for Sparta here on the Plain of Arisbe, near the Strait of Hellespont, so that we Spartans can continue to survive and multiply..."

Facing Agesilaus's expectant gaze, Leotychides knit his brows. Despite spending so many years in Daionia and being heavily relied upon by King Davos, he had never once asked that supreme ruler for anything. Given his proud nature, it was difficult for him to even bring himself to ask. Furthermore, since landing in Asia Minor, he had spent months in this territory and fully understood the fertility of the Plain of Arisbe and the importance and prosperity of the Strait of Hellespont. Not only were the various allied states coveting it, but it would definitely be a region the Kingdom of Daunia prioritized controlling. It would be far from easy for Sparta to cut off even a small piece of meat from the kingdom's hands.

He hesitated for a moment before replying, his tone still cold. "Why don't you make this request to His Majesty yourself?"

Agesilaus slowly pulled himself up. His numb legs nearly made him fall, and he hurriedly grabbed onto a nearby wooden chair to steady himself. Panting, he said, "Of course I will ask King Davos... If he agrees, I will gladly kneel down and kowtow to him as well. But I fear my words carry too little weight... It is not that I am greedy. If the new colony is not fertile enough, how could the people ever bear to leave Laconia? Besides, once Daionia defeats Persia, the Strait of Hellespont and the Plain of Arisbe will inevitably fall under the control of the Kingdom of Daunia. Sparta is weak and few in number today; living beside the powerful Theonians would be safer for us..."

Agesilaus took the cane and laughed. "I understand... I understand... Do not worry! In tomorrow's battle, my warriors will absolutely not bring shame to Sparta!"

With that, he leaned on his cane and walked slowly out of the tent. Just as he was about to exit, he suddenly stopped and turned back, his expression turning incredibly solemn. "To tell you the truth, I truly feel deep guilt over your mother's death! ...But as for forcing you to leave Sparta, I now think it was a good thing! Leotychides, I leave the young and old of Sparta in your hands!"

...

Early the next morning, when Pharnabazus led the Persian satraps to scout the area near the Greek expeditionary army's camp, he hesitated over whether they should wage the decisive battle here.

Because the two armies were in a hilly region, the Greek expeditionary army's camp occupied the high ground. Although the incline was gentle, it was still disadvantageous to the attacking Persians. Furthermore, while the camp itself sat on relatively flat land, it was flanked by stretches of even higher rolling hills. The distance between the hills on either side was nearly ten li—hardly a narrow choke point ideal for defense. However, according to their earlier reconnaissance, the Greek expeditionary army's numbers clearly exceeded 50,000. Once they spread out their battle formations, their wings would be quite close to the adjacent hills. This would leave the cavalry without enough room to maneuver, and based on the current situation, cavalry was the greatest advantage the Persian army possessed.