Mediterranean Hegemon of Ancient Greece Chapter 974: Capturing the Great Harbor

Syracuse had three ports. The smallest lay on Ortygia Island, with only two piers and very few anchored ships. North of the Isthmus connecting Ortygia Island to the main city sat a minor harbor that had been Syracuse's early commercial port. Later, as the city expanded, its population surged, and maritime trade flourished, this small harbor could no longer meet demand, leading to the construction of the Great Harbor.

Broadly speaking, the Great Harbor was the vast, pocket-shaped bay west of Syracuse. But the true Great Harbor only occupied a small section in the bay's northeastern corner, located roughly two li south of the Ortygia Island Isthmus. Originally part of a swamp, the area had been filled in by the Syracusans to build the port. As registered freemen and slaves flooded into Syracuse for port work, they had to keep filling the swamp further west to make room for their crude homes. This constant expansion forced the city wall near the bay to shift steadily westward. Of the many derogatory nicknames the city's citizens gave the residents of the Port District, "Swamp People" was the most widely used.

Hicetas led over 2,000 soldiers on a rapid march to the southwest, encountering no major resistance along the way.

In truth, Theagenes, currently overseeing the defense of the Western Sector, had already received an urgent message from the Council: Hicetas had launched a rebellion and was advancing on the Council. They demanded that Theagenes immediately dispatch 2,000 heavy infantry to the Council to swiftly crush the mutiny and protect them from attack.

Just as Hicetas had anticipated, the Council was urgently mobilizing the city's senior citizens. What he hadn't foreseen, however, was that military mobilization required time. Because the plaza was too close to the Council chambers, the frightened members couldn't wait for a new force to assemble. Fearing for their safety, they dispatched messengers to plead for aid from Theagenes, their nearest commander.

The messengers painted a dire picture. Shocked and anxious, Theagenes found himself in a tight spot. Following the loss of the Euryalus Fortress, the Council had successively deployed over 6,000 soldiers, including those stationed along the flank walls. Combined with the widespread and ferocious assault from the Daionian Army, every single unit under his command was already manning the walls. Lacking any spare reserves, he had no choice but to hastily pull men from the active defenses.

He managed to scrape together a force of nearly 1,000 soldiers. This was the absolute maximum he could squeeze out, a decision that left the city's remaining defensive lines stretched dangerously thin.

As this detachment of a thousand men rushed toward the main city, Hicetas was simultaneously leading his 2,000 troops toward the port. Separated by only a few streets, the two forces passed each other completely unnoticed.

Hicetas arrived with his troops at the Inner Wall—a barrier built by the Syracusans specifically to segregate the residents of the Port District. A squad of citizen soldiers from the main city guarded it every day. Any port cargo, foreign merchants, or foreign sailors wishing to enter the main city had to submit to their inspections. Naturally, residents of the Port District were also forced to pass through this checkpoint and face questioning whenever they visited the city. The port dwellers had long viewed this as the most glaring proof of Syracuse's unequal treatment, leaving a bitter thorn in their hearts.

Since the Inner Wall was designed primarily for segregation and inspection rather than repelling an army, it lacked the towering height and sturdy reinforcement of the outer walls. Upon arriving, Hicetas didn't bother exchanging a single word with the commanding officer. He immediately ordered his men to charge up the stone stairs on the interior side of the wall, simultaneously directing the rest of his troops to hurl a volley of javelins at the defenders on the ramparts.

Typically, only twenty soldiers garrisoned this checkpoint. After dispatching reinforcements to the Council, Theagenes had recognized the strategic importance of this location, but his severe manpower shortage meant he could only spare 150 men to reinforce it. He had calculated that once Hitacus was repelled at the Council, the Inner Wall would cut off the rebels' retreat to the port, allowing the pursuing forces to surround and annihilate them. Theagenes never imagined that Hitacus hadn't marched on the Council at all. Instead, the rebel commander had driven straight for the port. As a result, the 150 defenders were swiftly routed beneath the full assault of over 2,000 men.

Hitacus led his troops through the Inner Wall and into the Port District. He dispatched Samoratis and his men to spread the word to the district's residents: he had decided to join the Kingdom of Daunia, hoped to gain their support, and urged them to prepare their defenses at once against a probable attack by the Syracusan Army.

Meanwhile, he led his main force straight for the Military Port.

Located a short distance north of the commercial port, the Military Port had undergone multiple expansions. During the late stages of Dionysius's reign, it could harbor 500 Triremes and house 100,000 crewmen. Now, however, only 50 Warships sat at anchor—30 of which were Triremes. The port's total personnel was roughly 7,000 men. The vast majority of them were from the Port District, and nearly half of those local sailors were impoverished registered freemen. Only a tiny fraction hailed from the main city, primarily serving as port guards, ship captains, and deckholding marines...

Because they were in a state of war, the Council had decreed that the fleet's crew members must assemble at the Military Port first thing every morning. They were to man their stations aboard the Warships, ready to launch a sortie the moment an order was issued.

However, the main city garrison stationed at the port numbered just over 100 men. Even including the marines aboard the ships, their total strength did not exceed 400. They were only able to ensure the Military Port's security and command the Warships because, in the past, the residents of the Port District had generally obeyed Syracusan law.

Now, Hicetas led his army to the gates of the Military Port. Without a word, he ordered a forced assault, while positioning some men to shout into the compound: "Brothers of the Port District! You no longer need to worry about fighting the mighty Daonian Fleet! General Hicetas has led us to join the Kingdom of Daunia! Take up your weapons, help us seize this Military Port, and you can become citizens of Daionia and obtain fertile lands!..."

Because half of the Syracusan sailors were registered freemen, they were easily infiltrated by the Daionian Intelligence Department in Sicily. These spies frequently spread word among the crewmen of "the terror of the Daunian Navy and the benefits registered freemen enjoy upon joining the kingdom." This made the sailors both revere and fear Daionia. When Syracuse tore up its treaty, allied with Carthage, and went to war with Daionia, the Council initially kept the navy from fighting to preserve its strength. Later, under strong demands from Carthage, the Syracusan Navy did sail out to patrol, but whenever Daonian Warships were spotted in the distance, the sailors had no will to fight, even if the commanders wanted to engage. The crews used every possible method to delay and avoid executing orders. As a result, the Syracusan Navy had yet to clash with the Daonian Fleet or attack any Daionian vessels.

Now, hearing the familiar shouts of the soldiers outside the Military Port, the sailors were galvanized into action. Led by the embedded Daionian spies, they snatched up wooden oars and drew daggers. Swarming forward, they swiftly beat down the ship captains and marines on the Warships. They then leaped off the ships, charging the rear of the port garrison currently struggling to hold the gates against Hicetas's assault.

Even as he occupied the Military Port, Hicetas felt no relief. He knew the Council would dispatch an army very soon. Time was extremely tight. He turned to Artemis and said solemnly, "I have done what you asked. Now I need your help!"

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A hundred meters from the western gates of Syracuse, Leotychides stood in full armor, facing the city walls like a statue. The battle had already lasted four hours, and the sun had risen to the center of the sky. He essentially remained right there, barely moving, staring with undivided attention at the battle unfolding ahead. Soldiers plummeting from siege ladders, men crushed beneath the walls by rocks and falling timber, siege engines engulfed in flames by fire arrows, the agonizing screams of soldiers trapped inside the siege towers continuing endlessly... none of it moved his frost-solidified expression. His Adjutant, Tagerus, on the other hand, had been constantly anxious over the fierce fighting.

Just then, a messenger sprinted back from the front lines. Tagerus hurried forward to meet him, and moments later, he rushed back to Leotychides. "Lord Commander, Amphides, commander of the first cohort of the Seventh Legion, says his siege troops have suffered too many casualties. He hopes to withdraw immediately and let the next wave of troops take over."

Leotychides replied without hesitation, "Tell him, 'Retreat is forbidden. Continue the assault with full force, or face punishment under Military Law!'"

Hearing this, Tagerus hesitated before saying, "But Lord Commander, they are the Seventh Legion—"

"What about the Seventh Legion?!" Leotychides's expression darkened. "As the commander, I treat the Seventh Legion and the Eighth Legion identically. During the previous wave, the Eighth Legion persisted in combat for over two hours. Only when it became truly difficult for them to hold out did I swap in the Seventh Legion. How long have they been fighting?"

"About... a little over an hour," Tagerus mumbled under Leotychides's sharp gaze.

"Only a little over an hour. The withdrawn soldiers of the Eighth Legion haven't had enough rest yet. Tell the Seventh to continue fighting for another hour," Leotychides said coldly.

"Yes, sir!" Tagerus was just turning to inform the messenger when he heard Leotychides speak again.

"Logically speaking, the Seventh Legion should be able to fight even longer."

"Sir?"

"Have you noticed that the Syracusans' defenses are weakening?" Leotychides kept his eyes on the battle ahead. Rather than asking for Tagerus's opinion, he seemed to be analyzing the situation aloud. "During this period, from what I've seen, our soldiers have scaled the ladders and breached the ramparts twice, holding their ground on the wall for at least five minutes before being driven back. Yesterday at this time, that never happened once. Furthermore... our light infantry stationed in the mobile towers haven't been replaced yet. Yesterday at this time, they had already been rotated out twice. What does that tell you?"

Leotychides's volume suddenly rose. "It means the Syracusans' defensive capability is weaker than yesterday. They must have drawn off a considerable number of soldiers to retake the Euryalus Fortress, so their defensive strength on the walls is insufficient."