Mediterranean Hegemon of Ancient Greece Chapter 1305: Persia's Strategy (Conclusion)

"This is completely absurd!" Mardonius shouted, cutting off Tiribazus. "Retreating without a fight and letting the enemy occupy our land is disgraceful enough! Now you want us to drive away our own people and destroy their property? Do you think they don't hate the army enough already? Are you trying to incite a rebellion?"

"Your Majesty, the Daionian Army is invading our borders, and the situation is critical," Harpagus added, joining the attack. "Tiribazus's ridiculous scheme will only throw the kingdom into chaos and hinder the army's operations. I ask that he be severely punished!"

Displeasure showed on Artaxerxes's face as well. But remembering that Tiribazus was a favored minister typically full of sound strategies, the king suppressed his irritation. "Tiribazus," he asked coldly, "why do this?"

Ignoring Mardonius's accusations, Tiribazus said calmly, "Your Majesty, the King of Daonia is a greedy man. Over the past few decades, he has annexed city-state after city-state, seizing control of the entire western Mediterranean. In invading our kingdom this time, he hardly intends to stop at occupying Asia Minor, Syria, Phoenicia, and Canaan. His target must be our entire empire. That is why he transported an army of nearly 200,000 men from thousands of miles away."

"However, the daily consumption of a 200,000-strong army is staggering. Relying solely on those few occupied regions for supplies is nowhere near enough. Shipping food and materials from the western Mediterranean thousands of miles away requires an agonizingly long transport route, consuming vast amounts of time and manpower. Furthermore, once the Daionian Army pushes east from Syria, maintaining that supply line will become even more difficult. The best option for the Daionian Army is to plunder food and resources locally."

"Mesopotamia is extraordinarily wealthy, and the people have just finished the harvest. It could easily satisfy the Daionian Army's needs. But—" Tiribazus emphasized his words, "—once we take the measures I proposed, adopting a scorched-earth strategy and falling back to defend Babylon, the King of Daonia will grow anxious. He will realize that once his forces march into the Mesopotamian Plain, they won't be able to forage a single grain. And since Babylon is a famously fortified city defended by a massive garrison, they won't be able to breach it quickly. To avoid falling into such a disastrous position, he will be forced to take the initiative and seek a decisive battle with us!"

"You make it sound so simple. What if the Daionian Army doesn't take the bait and stays holed up in their camp?" Orontes asked with a cold sneer.

"Lord Orontes, do you still not understand?" Tiribazus shot back, mirroring his sneer. "The King of Daonia has marched thousands of miles to conquer our massive empire. He must seek a quick victory. Keeping such an enormous army stationed in the Syrian Region indefinitely without taking action will only severely drain Daionia's national strength. The King of Daonia is not that stupid!"

"Perhaps he will wait to link up with the Greek expeditionary army before advancing east," Harpagus argued.

Harpagus scoffed. "Definitely pursue?! Tiribazus, the Theonians are not your subordinates. They aren't going to just follow your orders. Everything you've just said is pure speculation, yet you want the kingdom to pay a massive price based on your guesses. It simply isn't worth it!"

Not to be outdone, Tiribazus fired back mockingly, "How rare it is to see Lord Harpagus suddenly caring about the people of the Mesopotamian Plain! As I recall, the troops under your command have had the most conflicts with the locals in this region. Even after His Majesty issued new military decrees, you've completely ignored them."

Humiliated, Harpagus flew into a rage. "Who the hell do you think you are, to dare—"

"Enough!" Artaxerxes slammed his hand against his throne. "This is not the place to hurl insults and air your personal grievances!" He then turned sharply. "Tiribazus, are you certain the Daionian Army will leave their camp and take the initiative to fight us?!"

Following the heated argument, and seeing the silent sneers on the faces of Mardonius and the other two, Tiribazus knew he had backed himself into a corner. He took a deep breath and said resolutely, "If we execute the plan I outlined, the Daionian Army will definitely march out! We will pay a steep price, yes, but if we can defeat them, Your Majesty, you will not only reclaim Syria, Phoenicia, Canaan, western Asia Minor, and Cyprus, but you can also seize the opportunity to retake Egypt, regain control of Greece, and once again threaten the Daionian homeland... All of this makes it entirely worth the cost!"

Defeating Daionia, retaking Egypt, controlling Greece, and regaining hegemony over the Eastern Mediterranean... Tiribazus's words resonated deeply with Artaxerxes. The aging monarch hungered for a glorious victory to wash away the stain of his past failures. Yet, because the decision carried such immense weight, he still hesitated. He turned his gaze to his trusted general, who had remained perfectly silent until now. "Pesitidai, what are your thoughts?"

Pesitidai knew his place. While his status was certainly prominent, it paled in comparison to these heavyweights of the empire. He had no intention of wading into their bitter feud. But now, faced with a direct question from the King of Persia, he had to answer. Considering that both he and Tiribazus were trusted retainers of the king, and that Tiribazus had always looked out for him, he chose his words carefully. "Your Majesty," he said tactfully, "our army's true strength lies in our cavalry and archers. If we assault the Davos Camp, our cavalry will be entirely useless, and the effectiveness of our archers will be drastically reduced. However, if we can lure the Daionian Army into a pitched battle in Mesopotamia, the vast plains will allow our cavalry to charge freely and our arrows to rain down without obstruction. We will be far more assured of victory."

Artaxerxes nodded. After a moment of heavy silence, his mind was finally made up. He looked around the room and suddenly raised his voice, his tone growing slightly hoarse. "I have decided—we will adopt Tiribazus's strategy. Evacuate everyone around and west of Thapsacus. Burn the villages, destroy the City of Thapsacus, and withdraw all forces to Nisephonia—"

Seeing Mardonius and the other two open their mouths to object, the king immediately waved a hand to silence them. He then pinned Tiribazus with a piercing glare. "If the Daionian Army does not pursue us as you predict, and instead remains huddled inside their camp, I will not continue with these measures. And as for you—I will show no mercy!"

Artaxerxes had only adopted half of Tiribazus's plan, but his hand was forced. His failed invasion of Egypt, the rebellion in Asia Minor, and the loss of control over Greece over the past few years had severely damaged his prestige and bred resentment among his subjects. He could only afford a limited trial run this time. Rendering the majority of the residents on the Mesopotamian Plain homeless was a risk he dared not take, lest he leave himself completely vulnerable.

Although Tiribazus was slightly disappointed, he understood the King of Persia's reasoning perfectly, so he feigned a calm acceptance. Mardonius and his allies, on the other hand, acted as if they were already picturing their political rival's tragic end, and stopped raising objections. Thus, the upper echelons of the Persian army finally reached a consensus.

...

After listening to Izam's detailed report on the Persian army's status, all the active Daionian Legion Commanders strongly urged for an immediate, decisive battle. Among the retired veterans, only Philesius and Geogris remained cautious, preferring to wait and link up with the Greek expeditionary army before making a move. However, Alexis, Amyntas, and the others argued otherwise: "We should take advantage of our troops' high morale and the current disarray within the Persian ranks. We must march east immediately and seek out a battle."

The officers' burning desire for battle hardened Davos's resolve.

The next day, he issued the order to prepare for the eastern march. The legionnaires began packing their gear, the Supply Camps loaded up provisions, and the Engineering Brigade inspected their equipment while stockpiling lumber...

Simultaneously, Davos dispatched orders to Midorades, commander of the Combined Fleet: he was to bring the fleet to the camp as quickly as possible. Once the Daionian Army marched out, all naval infantry were to immediately garrison the camp and secure their rear base.

Although the Daionian Army was highly disciplined, marching such a colossal force into an unfamiliar theater of war to strike the Persian army required meticulous planning and rigorous logistical coordination. As a result, it took a full three or four days before the entire army was truly ready to march east.

On the fifth day, just as the main force was setting out, cavalry scouts rushed back with an urgent report: the massive Persian army entrenched around Thapsacus was forcing the local populace to evacuate eastward. They were also burning the fields and villages, and had even begun dismantling the City of Thapsacus...

The news caught Davos by surprise, but he did not halt the army's march to convene another military council and debate the Persians' true intentions.

As far as he was concerned, whether the Persians were adopting a scorched-earth retreat or feigning a withdrawal to lure the Daionian Army into a rash advance, it changed nothing. If anything, it only hardened his resolve to press forward and force a decisive battle.