Mediterranean Hegemon of Ancient Greece Chapter 986: Secilian's Revenge Plan

The Phoenician towns were utterly terrified.

Before long, the towns around Tharros received envoys from Daionia bearing a forceful demand: surrender immediately, or face the advancing army and share the fate of the Tharrosians.

The actual rulers of these towns, the Carthaginian suffetes, had either died in battle or been trapped in Sant'Ibinia by blocked roads. Left without their commanders, the City Hall officials were at a loss, and the citizens lived in constant fear.

...

Although Morbal had won a naval battle, his mood was anything but celebratory; instead, his heart grew increasingly heavy. This wasn't because of the high casualties among the Carthaginian merchant sailors who had acted as bait, but because he had finally realized the true might of the Daunian Navy. Upon returning to the Port of Carthage, while the citizens cheered his hard-won victory, Morbal penned a letter to the Senate.

In the letter, he briefly detailed the battle before emphasizing his main point: he believed the Daunian Navy now surpassed Carthage not only in overall strength but also in tactics. The training, morale, and capability of the Daionian crews were entirely superior to those of the Carthaginian Fleet. It would be impossible for Carthage to regain dominance over the waters of Western Sicily in the short term. If the war continued, they might even lose control of the African Coast, exposing Carthage directly to threats from the sea. For the safety of the state, he urged them to temporarily sue for peace with Daionia to buy time, rebuild the Carthaginian Fleet, develop new tactics specifically to counter the Daunian Navy, and intensify their training so they could seize back maritime dominance in the future.

When the letter was read aloud in the Senate, it caused an instant uproar.

It was the first time anyone had spoken the harsh truth so bluntly. Given Morbal's personal prestige and standing in the navy, his words carried immense weight. However, tearing away the fig leaf of Carthage—a state that had always styled itself the "maritime power of the western Mediterranean"—greatly displeased many Senators. His mention of suing for peace with Daionia struck a particularly sensitive nerve.

The Magonid faction, led by Pretasdrubal, fiercely attacked this stance. They criticized Morbal for being too old, claiming he had entirely lost the courage of his youth. Just as both nations had expended massive resources and amassed enormous armies, right on the eve of an unprecedented battle that would decide the fate of their states, he was spouting words that would shake the morale of the citizens. Had they not known of his many contributions to Carthage over the past decades, they would have branded him a traitor plotting to sell out Carthaginian interests. Therefore, they argued, a coward like Morbal was no longer fit to command the Carthaginian Fleet in such a crucial war.

The Neutral Faction, however, was divided on the issue. The younger Senators, led by Elacra, argued that Carthage had already spent an enormous amount of wealth on this war. Suddenly suing for peace when a decisive battle was imminent would not only confuse the citizens but also provoke protests from the nobles; the Senate would be unable to justify the decision. Moreover, ever since Mago took command, he had not suffered a single defeat in battle against the Daionian Army (they clearly did not count the night raid on Selinus). Perhaps their navy was somewhat inferior to the Daunian Navy, but Mago's army was stronger than the Daionian land forces. Otherwise, why didn't the Daionian Army dare take the initiative and attack them now? As long as the army in Sicily could win a decisive pitched battle, the entire strategic landscape would change drastically. When that time came, whether they chose to fight or make peace, they would hold the initiative.

The older Senators, led by Adrusbal, offered a more ambiguous suggestion: they could first send envoys to the Daionian camp under the guise of negotiating peace, gauge the Theonians' attitude and listen to their conditions, and then bring the matter back to the Senate for discussion.

In truth, Adrusbal felt that, given the Theonians' aggressive diplomacy, any conditions they proposed under the current circumstances would surely be too harsh for Carthaginian citizens to accept. This outcome would quash the desire for compromise among the Senators in the Hanno faction, uniting the entire Senate to face the war together.

Hanno's thoughts, however, were entirely different. Okriton had previously mentioned suing for peace, but everyone had treated it as a joke. By bringing it up now, even if the proposal failed, it would plant a seed in the minds of the Senators. The next time the situation shifted and the idea was raised again, its chances of success would be much higher.

Because suing for peace with Daionia was such a monumental issue, the Senators debated fiercely for several days in a row, completely unable to reach a decision.

However, they didn't neglect their actual duties. They sent an envoy to tactfully remind Morbal that the Senators had received and discussed his letter. As the naval commander, he was advised to devote his energy to leading the fleet, securing the shipping routes to Western Sicily, and destroying more Daionian warships.

Highly displeased, Morbal chased the Senate's envoy straight out of the Military Port.

...

As one of the founders of the Daunian Navy, Secilian had remained undefeated for over ten years. He enjoyed considerable prestige among the citizens and was beloved by his sailors. Although Davos had intentionally suppressed his influence by establishing four major fleets without appointing a supreme commander, it couldn't stifle Secilian's innate confidence and pride. During this recent naval battle, however, he had been led by the nose by the Carthaginians from start to finish. Even when the enemy finally achieved their true objective, he had been kept entirely in the dark. One could easily imagine his stifled frustration and remorse.

After returning from Miloa, he locked himself in his bedroom and brooded alone for the better part of the day.

At dusk, he emerged from his room and ordered his guards to immediately summon the squadron leaders of the Sicilian Fleet for a meeting.

Straphacus and two others rushed over.

Upon seeing them, Secilian immediately relayed the news he had learned from King Davos.

The three men looked at each other with indescribable shock. This was especially true for Straphacus. He had never imagined that while he was stubbornly leading his squadron to chase Carthaginian merchant ships through that archipelago, just a short distance to the north, the Carthaginians were boldly using thousands of merchant vessels to transport supplies to their army in Sicily—and he hadn't noticed a thing!

Looking at the three demoralized men, Secilian said in a deep voice, "We suffered a defeat this time, but the blame does not lie with you. The responsibility is mine. I was too rigid in executing the task assigned by King Davos. Even though the Sicilian Fleet held a massive advantage in strength, I only focused on patrolling the Sicilian waters. That effectively turned our strategy from offense to defense. Trying to play defense on the vast ocean is incredibly difficult, and against a cunning enemy, it left us completely passive.

"Ever since the Daunian Navy was founded, even when we were at our weakest, we won our victories through bold offenses, not conservative defense. Offense is the very nature of the Daunian Navy! Therefore, I have decided to change our approach. We will actively launch offensives against Carthage and the Phoenician Allied States. We will raid their territories in Africa, reverse this passive situation, and boost the morale of the entire fleet!"

Hearing this, the three men felt their spirits lift, but they were also worried. "My lord, His Majesty ordered us to concentrate all our efforts on blockading the waters of Sicily. If we go on the offensive, we won't be able to continue our patrols. If His Majesty finds out we abandoned his orders..."

"Don't worry," Secilian said confidently. "I remember His Majesty once said, 'Offense is the best defense.' As long as we pull off a few successful surprise attacks, the Carthaginians will start fearing for the safety of their homeland. They won't dare let their fleet stray too far from the African Coast ever again. It will also make it difficult for the commanders of the Carthaginian Fleet to judge whether the Sicilian Fleet's movements are an attack or a patrol, which will make it even easier for us to blockade the Sicilian waters.

"Besides, as far as I know, the Carthaginian territories and allied states in Africa have never been attacked before. If we succeed, it will be a tremendous honor, and the Carthaginians will be deeply shaken. It might even break the current stalemate on the Island of Sicily and shift the war in our favor!"

After being criticized by Davos, Secilian had brooded behind closed doors for the better part of a day, allowing him to consider the situation much more comprehensively. After confidently laying out his thoughts, he emphasized, "I have already dispatched a messenger to Minoa to inform His Majesty of my new plan. I am confident he will approve it."

The three squadron leaders were instantly convinced. Straphacus asked eagerly, "My lord, where do you plan to attack?"

Secilian tapped his finger on the map he had prepared on his desk.

The three men leaned in to look and couldn't help but exclaim, "Hadrumetum?!"