Mediterranean Hegemon of Ancient Greece Chapter 921: Surrender

At his father's praise, Crotocatax offered a faint, pleased smile.

“However—” Davos paused, keeping his tone mild. “I used to say you were too soft, but this time you went a little too far. We captured and beheaded Segobani, the high chief of the Caudini, to appease the people of Naconia and Campania. Punishing the high chief of the Pentri and the tribal leaders of both factions might please the masses now, but it would inevitably breed resentment among their people. That would drag out the Samnite War, which is the last thing we want.

“You have to remember the Samnite tradition: might makes right. The high chief of the Pentri and these tribal leaders lost their battles and their lands. Naturally, they have lost prestige and influence among their own people. If we pardon them and back their continued rule as chieftains, we'll earn their gratitude while making the Samnites much easier to control. We can simply add a clause to the treaty stating, ‘The high chiefs of all Samnite tribes must be confirmed by the kingdom before they can formally exercise power.’ That alone will cement Daionia's authority across the tribes.

“Of course, your proposal to select the new Caudini high chief from Naconia was excellent! I think we could appoint that young Naconian chieftain who first rebelled against the Caudini during the Battle of Lora. His name was...”

“His name is Vasonc, Your Majesty,” Tolmides supplied, briefly summarizing the man's background. “He belongs to Afangumu, the second-largest tribe in Naconia. He was just elected chieftain by his people after his father was killed by Segobani. However, he might be a bit too young. He's only twenty.”

“His youth doesn't matter. As long as he trusts Daionia, Daionia will support him, and he will be the high chief!” Davos said proudly.

“His Majesty is right!” Henipolis agreed loudly. “From now on, no Samnite tribe will survive in those mountains without the kingdom's backing!”

Crotocatax and Tolmides both looked thoughtful.

“There's another crucial point I forgot to mention last time, and Croto, you overlooked it as well,” Davos continued. “Aside from the four high chiefs reaching a consensus, who else played a major role in provoking this war?”

“Exactly. The Samnite High Priest and his priesthood. They sit above the tribes and command immense influence over the Samnite people. I even suspect they were the true instigators of this war. When the kingdom's priests of Hades entered the mountains to spread our faith, it threatened their very foundation.

“Therefore, we must demand they disband their priesthood. Each tribe will elect its own high priest, subject to the kingdom's confirmation. Furthermore, the kingdom must oversee the Grand Sacrificial Ceremony of Savoni, with the four tribal high priests taking turns to host it.”

Crotocatax carefully pondered Davos's words, absorbing the political wisdom behind them. He nodded repeatedly but still voiced a concern. “Father, this strikes at the heart of the Samnites' faith and long-standing traditions. I fear they won't agree to this easily.”

“Gerni will certainly agree. The Abellum people have suffered endlessly under the priesthood's oppression. They've probably wanted their own high priest of Savoni for a long time.

“The Caudini will have no choice but to agree. Their tribe has suffered catastrophic losses and is on the brink of annihilation.

“The Pentri will be forced to agree because their central town has been under siege for so long and is about to fall. They will eventually realize that bending their traditions is a small price to pay for their tribe's survival. As for the Caraceni—” Davos sneered. “Once the other tribes have their own high priests, the Samnite priesthood will be left with no one to lead but the Caraceni. (The birthplace of the Samnite race lies in Caraceni territory, home to the sacred mountain recognized by all Samnites, and thus where the priesthood is entrenched). If we don't root out this problem now, while the Samnites are at their weakest, they will only bring Daionia more trouble in the future!”

“I understand,” Crotocatax replied, fully convinced.

“Heni, draft a letter to Alexis based on what Croto and I just discussed. Have him negotiate with the Pentri and the Caudini along these lines.” When Davos finished speaking, he was met with silence.

“Father, Uncle Heni stepped out a moment ago,” Crotocatax said, pointing toward the tent entrance to remind him.

The tent flap was pushed aside, and Henipolis walked back in. “Your Majesty, two more battle reports have arrived. One from the Third Fleet, and one from Sicily.”

“Oh?” Davos reached out to take the letters. As he unrolled them and read, his earlier good mood vanished without a trace.

“Bad news, Your Majesty?” Henipolis asked curiously, noticing the shift in his expression.

“Not terribly so.” Davos quickly smoothed over his emotions, his tone turning flat. “The Third Fleet's marine infantry landed to raid a Phoenician village in Sardinia, only to run into a prepared Phoenician Army. A battle broke out. The Third Fleet lost over 400 men, though they managed a successful retreat in the end.”

“Over 400 men?! That's a heavy loss!” Henipolis exclaimed in surprise.

Davos knew Sardinia was nothing like Corsica. It was a massive island with vast tracts of land, several large rivers, and fertile hills and plains perfect for grazing and farming. Thus, the Phoenician population there was substantial. They had built several large city-states—Sant'Ibinia, Olbia, Tharros, Caralis, Nora, and Sulci. With ample numbers of able-bodied citizens, they could easily assemble an Allied Forces army of no less than 10,000 men. The news of the Third Fleet capturing Alalia couldn't possibly be kept from the Phoenicians of Sardinia, which lay just across the water from Corsica. It was only natural for them to be on high alert. Midorades had simply underestimated them, blinded by his previous victories. Perhaps suffering this setback would clear his head for future operations.

“How should we reply, Your Majesty?” Henipolis asked.

“Tell him I am aware of the situation. Tell him I expect them to learn from this lesson. Future military operations must be more flexible and cautious. He needs to leverage our naval superiority and expand the raids across the entire island, making it impossible for the Phoenicians to track the Third Fleet's movements...”

“Father, won't you dispatch reinforcements to support the Third Fleet?” Crotocatax chimed in.

“The Phoenicians in Sardinia have enjoyed Carthage's protection for years,” Davos replied. “They've grown complacent and only care about defending their own borders. They lack ambition and pose no real threat to us, so they aren't a pressing issue right now. Having the Third Fleet pin them down is enough.” Davos waved the second letter and sighed softly. “Our greatest threat still lies in Sicily. While I was thrilled to hear that Secilian survived, Miltias was killed in action, the 4th Fleet has been crippled, our friendly city-states along the Southern Coast are falling one by one, and Syracuse has suddenly declared war... These bad tidings all put me ill at ease! The Carthaginian army led by Mago is riding high on momentum. Our Sicily Territory is going to face a brutal offensive...” Speaking with evident concern, Davos set the letter heavily on the desk. He fell silent, clasped his hands behind his back, and began to pace the tent.

Henipolis curiously picked up the letter to read it himself. Crotocatax wasn't nearly as bold. Having undergone military training, he understood Military Law intimately: secretly peeking at military intelligence without permission carried severe punishments. Thus, despite his burning curiosity, he could only shoot expectant glances at Henipolis.

“The Carthaginian army and the Syracusans have launched an offensive against our Sicily Territory!” Henipolis whispered to Crotocatax after reading it. “Hena, Palagonia, and Taunis are under simultaneous attack!”

“How many enemies?”

“The letter says at least 100,000 men are involved in the assault! Our army in Sicily only has a little over 20,000, right?!”

“To be precise... it's about 30,000,” Crotocatax murmured back. “The Seventh and Eighth Legions, plus the legion reserves in Sicily...”

The two men continued to murmur back and forth.

Davos suddenly stopped pacing. “Croto, go summon Tolmides. It seems it's time to take the City of Satricum.”

“Yes!” Crotocatax said, hurrying excitedly out of the tent.

“Your Majesty, isn't it a bit too early to storm the City of Satricum?” Henipolis couldn't help but warn. “The last time we assaulted Antium, the Romans only had 3,000 defenders, yet they still made us pay a steep price. The Roman garrison inside the City of Satricum is much larger than Antium's!”

“According to the Mountain Scout Detachment's observations, the frequency of the garrison's patrols along the walls has noticeably dropped over the past two days. Furthermore, when the Romans' families called up from the base of the walls urging them to surrender, the soldiers leaned over the battlements to listen, and their officers did nothing to stop them... We've never seen that before. It proves the Roman garrison's morale has plummeted. I originally intended to wait a little longer so they might surrender on their own, but now I can't afford to wait. The sooner we end the war here, the sooner we can relieve Sicily!”

Davos's tone was resolute. Henipolis didn't press the issue further. Instead, following Davos's previous instructions, he began drafting the reply to Alexis.

Just then, the captain of the Palace Guard, Martius, entered the tent. “Your Majesty, Legion Commander Matonis requests an audience for an urgent matter.”

“Let him in.”

Matonis strode into the tent, his face radiating joy as he bellowed, “Your Majesty, Roman envoys have arrived from the City of Satricum. They are requesting to surrender!”