Mediterranean Hegemon of Ancient Greece Chapter 945: Mago's Resolve

"Stop the attack on Catana?" Mago demanded, his face twisting with resentment. "Need I remind you the Senate expects me to drive the Theonians out of Sicily within a year? Time is running out. If anything, I need to press the attack!"

"We cannot keep attacking, Lord Mago!" Bomilcar urged frantically. "I will write to the Senate and explain exactly why we must halt the offensive."

"It's useless. Hanno and his faction won't listen to your explanations," Mago scoffed.

But Bomilcar caught a hint of hesitation in his commander's voice. He pressed on. "But Lord Adrusbal will support me, and so will Pretasdrubal..."

At that, Mago set down his leg of lamb. "Fine," he said calmly. "We will do as you say and withdraw to the west for now."

Bomilcar hadn't expected the notoriously stubborn Mago to agree so readily. He stared in momentary disbelief.

He naturally had no way of knowing that Mago had been growing uneasy ever since their recent fierce assaults on Palagonia had failed. Mago had realized that whether at Selinus or Palagonia, the Theonians possessed terrifying defensive capabilities. By engaging in one brutal siege after another, the Carthaginian army—which boasted vast numbers of cavalry—and the Iberian army in particular had abandoned their expertise in open-field and mountain combat. They were essentially throwing away their greatest advantages for minimal gain. Today's great fire had been the final push Mago needed to make his decision.

"Did you say withdraw to Western Sicily?!" Bomilcar finally registered the full extent of the order, looking astonished. He had only suggested halting the sieges; he had never imagined abandoning all the territory they had captured over the past few months.

"We have no choice!" Mago made no effort to hide the hatred in his eyes as he slammed his fist onto the table. "We have pushed deep into the east, stretching our supply lines incredibly thin. The Theonians still dominate the waters around Sicily, and the Senate decided to send our newly formed fleet to Sardinia, leaving us entirely dependent on overland transport. You know exactly how massive our army is. The daily food consumption is staggering, not to mention we also have to feed the laborers transporting it all. If not for our earlier stockpiles and some assistance from the Syracusans, our food supply would already be severely strained! And now the Daionian fleet is escalating its raids on our supply convoys and our defenseless rear..."

Mago left the thought unfinished, but Bomilcar couldn't help shivering as he fell into deep thought.

Mago went back to gnawing on his leg of lamb until Bomilcar finally spoke. "...Since the situation is this dire, I agree with your decision. I will write to Lord Adrusbal and explain our circumstances. He is experienced and wise; he will surely understand our predicament and speak on our behalf in the Senate to mitigate the attacks from the other Senators... However, what about Syracuse once we retreat to the west?"

Mago sneered, his voice dripping with disdain. "Syracuse wanting to be an ally of Carthage is nothing but their own wishful thinking. The noble Carthaginians will never be friends with those treacherous, shameless Syracusans! Do they think I am blind? They've been sitting idle at Taunis this whole time, not posing the slightest threat to the Daunian Allied States. Do you call that fighting the Theonians?! We've lost more men to sea storms on our merchant ships in ten days than they have lost fighting beneath the walls of Taunis! Since Syracuse wants to use our war with Daionia to preserve their own strength and reap the benefits... Heh. They are only fit to be a stepping stone, a distraction we can use to tie down Daionia's reinforcements and prevent them from marching west at full strength!"

Looking at the furious expression on Mago's face, Bomilcar suddenly remembered how, over a decade ago, both Mago and his cousin Himilco had suffered crushing defeats at the hands of the Syracusans. Mago clearly still harbored a deep grudge, making his attitude entirely unsurprising. Moreover, Bomilcar was also displeased with how the Syracusans had been acting lately. He decided against trying to persuade Mago to honor the alliance, simply reminding him, "Without our support, the Syracusans will have to face the Daionian Army's assault alone. It is highly likely they will choose to surrender."

"Surrender? Become a second Tarentum?" Mago suddenly laughed. "These shameless Syracusans believe they are the masters of Sicily, naturally superior to the people of every other city-state. Do you really think they will bow so easily to the Theonians?"

It was true. For the past decade, Syracuse had been surrounded by the increasingly powerful Kingdom of Daunia, its allies, and its friendly city-states, yet conflicts still erupted from time to time. This clearly showed just how unwilling their people were to submit. Bomilcar was still pondering this when he heard Mago continue. "As long as Carthage maintains its formidable strength, the Syracusans won't easily side with Daionia. That is why, before we retreat, we must throw everything we have at Palagonia tomorrow and take the city!"

Startled, Bomilcar quickly interjected, "The Numidian Army has suffered heavy casualties assaulting Palagonia these past few days. Coupled with today's great fire, if we order them to attack immediately without any time to recover, I'm afraid—"

"Tomorrow, the Iberian army and the Phoenician Army will lead the siege!" Mago interrupted, making Bomilcar swallow the rest of his words.

The ten-thousand-strong Iberian army that had followed Mago to the Plain of Catania possessed immense combat strength. However, they had spent these past few days guarding against reinforcements from the Theonians in Catana and the camp at Leontini. They hadn't participated in the sieges, only engaging in a few skirmishes with enemies from the north. Having suffered minimal losses, they were essentially a fresh force. To capture Palagonia, Mago was finally willing to commit his own troops to the battlefield! And they would have the capable Phoenician Army assisting them... Bomilcar grumbled inwardly, though outwardly he asked, "Who will defend against the enemies coming from Catana and Leontini? Will we rely on troops whose morale has been broken by repeated sieges and heavy losses?"

Mago caught the subtle reproach in Bomilcar's voice and sneered. "They might have been stalled while attacking the walls, but they are more than capable of playing defense—especially since they outnumber the enemy. Haven't those young officers sent by the Senate been clamoring to lead troops into battle? I am giving them their chance."

Bomilcar felt a jolt of alarm and was about to argue when Mago suddenly stood up. "I have already sent messengers to Agyrium to notify Hasdrubal," he said, his voice dropping ominously. "I ordered him to lead his army here first thing tomorrow morning! If the enemies from Catana actually dare to march out, it will be the perfect opportunity for us to expand our victory!"

Mago fixed his burning gaze directly on Bomilcar. "Even if we are retreating, we must ensure our soldiers understand that in Sicily, in the entire western Mediterranean, nothing can stop their advance! Therefore, Palagonia must be destroyed!"

..........................................

Adjutant Tagerus rushed into the hall. "Commander, we've just received a report from the scouts! Legion Commander Brelius has led four thousand soldiers toward Palagonia!"

"What?!" The normally expressionless Leotychides found it difficult to maintain his composure. He snapped angrily, "Didn't I order him to hold the camp and not march out under any circumstances?! He dares to disobey military orders? Damn him!"

Tagerus was, after all, a Bruttian, and Brelius was a Bruttian general he respected. He couldn't help but try to defend him. "Uh... perhaps it's because the Carthaginians launched another fierce assault on Palagonia today without taking time to rest after the fire. Legion Commander Brelius was likely worried that Palagonia wouldn't be able to hold out, so he dispatched troops to harass the enemy and keep the Carthaginians from committing fully to the siege. Even though he took a small force, he has marched out several times these past few days and returned safely each time. I'm sure there won't be any issues this time either."

"Foolish!" Leotychides said coldly. "In the past, the Carthaginian cavalry was deployed to the south, making it extremely difficult for our scouts to gather information on the battle at Palagonia. Yet this time, they obtained the report with ease. What does that tell you?! Furthermore, because we burned the tall grass on the Plain of Catania, the Carthaginian cavalry has rarely ventured deep into the plains recently. But today, massive numbers of them have flocked to the west of Catana, cutting off our communications with Hena and blinding us to the enemy's movements in Agyrium. What do you think that means?!"

Prompted by Leotychides, Tagerus thought for a moment before his eyes widened in horror. "This is... it's a trap?! Legion Commander Brelius is in danger! Commander, you... you must lead the army to save them!"

Leotychides's face was grim, but he gave no response.

...................................................

Two days later, inside the very same hall, it was no longer just Leotychides, Tagerus, and a handful of others. Seven infantry Legion Commanders were present: Amyntas, Matonis, Lizarus, Oliphus, Trotidis, Brelius, and Leotychides himself. Alongside them were the three cavalry Legion Commanders—Lydas, Curtius, and Astemis—as well as the Sicilian Fleet commander, Secilian; the Mountain Scout Corps commander, Izam; two Staff Officers, Tolmides and Plintors; and finally, Cyprolus, the Governor of Sicily. The entire hall was packed to the brim.

And seated right in the center of this dazzling assembly of generals was the King of Daonia, Davos.

Thanks to Mi Jie the Little Carpenter for the tip! Your support is my motivation to write!!

(End of this chapter)