Asidamas thought for a while, then said ponderingly: "Since Dionia invaded Messenia, I took the time to investigate the situation of Dionia in detail, and it turned out that this western Mediterranean kingdom has actually controlled He has conquered all the coastal forces in the Western Mediterranean and has become a well-deserved overlord of the Western Mediterranean! In the last two wars, this kingdom sent 100,000 troops and six or seven hundred warships to fight, and it was able to maintain the offensive for more than half a year. Its strength is very strong. amazing!
And Dionia developed from a small city-state to the current kingdom 20 years ago. It was ushered in by constant wars and annexations. It could not be just to help Thebes and come to Greece to fight against Sparta. The ultimate goal must be the whole of Greece!
My opinion is... Either you send messengers to Turii and try to form an alliance with Dionia and thus preserve Thessaly's independence; or you go and call the Athenian messengers who are staying in the city and join the Greek league, so that It is possible to gather the power of the whole of Greece to repel the Dionysians! "
Having said this, Asidamas's expression became solemn: "I am inclined to the previous suggestion, because I don't think that a makeshift alliance can defeat a kingdom that has grown stronger in constant battles."
"Asidamas, you are always cautious." Jason stood up suddenly and said loudly: "I choose your latter suggestion! You are right, Dionia wants to conquer the whole Greece, it is impossible for us to stay out of the situation and preserve our strength. The fire of war will eventually burn to Thessaly's land. It is better to take this opportunity to gather the strength of all Greece and fight against Dionia!
I think that during the Hippo War, only half of the castles in Greece were united and they were able to repel Persia. This time, we also joined Thessaly, but Dionysus was not as strong as Persia. Can we still defeat them? ! Let's first unite with the city-states in the south, and after we defeat Dionia with all our strength, we will then compete with Athens and Thebes for the hegemony of Greece. What do you think? ! "
Asidamas looked at Jason, who was a little excited, and was not surprised by the choice he made, because with what he knew about this Tagus, it was almost impossible for Jason, who has always forged ahead, to take forbearance. The strategy of retreating, but he also had to remind: "If a coalition is formed, it must be divided into primary and secondary, just like in the Hippo War, Sparta was the leader of the alliance—"
"Of course I, Thessaly, will be the leader and command all the coalition forces!" Jason said decisively, making no secret of his ambitions: "Sparta has declined, the army of Athens is not good, and although Thebes fights Won the battle with Sparta, but they didn't have enough soldiers (he didn't know that Thebes was neutral yet)... Only I, Thessaly, can build an army of more than 40,000 people, and the fighting power is very strong, our fleet battle The number of ships is also more than 100, surpassing Athens. We are strong and strong, and we don’t want to be the leader of this alliance, who would dare to do so?!”
Becoming the leader of the Greek Alliance is only temporary, but as long as this battle is won, it will definitely greatly improve Thessaly's status in the Greek city-state, making the people of Thessaly proud. Athens and Sparta are called "barbarians" by the population, so not only Jason has this will, but Asidamas is also optimistic about it.
So, he suggested: "My lord, we can use this as a prerequisite for joining the alliance and negotiate with the Athenian envoy, but first invite him to inspect our Thessaly's army."
"Asidamas, you and I have thought about going together again!" Jason clapped and smiled, with a confident look on his face: "I will assemble my army now, and in the afternoon you will take the Athenian envoy to the military camp outside the city. "
… … … … … … … … …
On the second day of the Battle of Tygea, Clotokatax led the army to repair near the Sanctuary of Hercules (formerly the Spartan coalition camp) southeast of the city of Tygea, and at the same time sent 5,000 soldiers to escort Tens of thousands of captives returned to Messenia, most of whom were citizens of the city of Tygea, who would be sent back to Turii, or made public servants, sent to mines, or sold openly (Greece Native slaves are still relatively popular in the Turii slave market. First, they have high cultural quality, are smart and eager to learn, and are easy to communicate with;
As a result, the city of Tygea was almost a ghost town, temporarily garrisoned by 1,000 Dionian soldiers.
In addition, at the request of Tigertinos, the 3,000 soldiers of the 7th Legion, who were almost unscathed, quickly went south in the early morning to block the border between Taiga and Sparta and intercept the Spartan troops.
In the afternoon, 2,000 soldiers and a messenger group sent by Mandinia finally arrived at the new barracks of Dionia, and eagerly expressed to Clotokatax that Mandinia was willing to accept his proposal and take over Thailand. Gea.
At the same time, they also hoped to enter into a secret agreement with Dionia to form a closer alliance and fully support any military operation of Dionia in the Greek mainland.
The Mandinians are not fools. Although they covet the land of Tagea, they also know that their strength is weak. Once they make such a move, they will inevitably be excluded and suppressed by other Greek city-states, and may even be a war. Looking at Dionia's reputation with allies in the past, it has always been very good, so if they want to completely annex this land, they must hold Dionia's thigh tightly.
Therefore, 500 of the 2,000 Mandinian soldiers are going to stay in the city of Tigea, and the remaining 1,500 are to obey the command of the Dionysian army and participate in the subsequent military operations to show the Mandinian people. sincerity.
Clotokatax's goal was achieved, he was very happy to negotiate with the Mandinian messenger, and soon signed an agreement that excluded the Arcadian alliance and was limited to the relationship between Dionia and Mandinia. secret military pact between them.
… … … … … … … … …
At the same time, the Spartan King Agesilaus led the remnants of the army to trudge through the mountains.
Before the battle, Mr. Agassi was mentally prepared to defeat the battle. He made two plans:
One is that the Dionysian army, like the Thebes, withdraws after the victory of the battle, then he can retreat to the camp first, after a little rectification, and then lead a part of the army with Spartans as the main force, quietly heading south at night withdraw the territory;
The second is that the Dionysian army chased after the victory and forced the defeated Spartan army into the mountains. Judging from the previous battles of Dionia, this possibility is very high, so he secretly informed the Spartans who were familiar with the terrain. Warriors, once this happens, they will meet in the Pelagos Forest and then withdraw to the territory.
But he never imagined that after the victory of the battle, the Dionysian army, after pushing the routed troops into the mountains by chasing, would branch out part of the army to continue the pursuit. These Dionian soldiers (actually mountain reconnaissance battalions) ran smoothly in the mountains, and were good at concealment and sneak attacks, forcing the demoralized Spartans who were demoralized by the defeat to run away in the mountains, including Agasi Rolls himself, if not for the desperate rescue of the soldiers of the King's Guard, would have nearly fallen into the hands of Dionian soldiers.
It didn't take long for the night to fall, and it was difficult to tell the direction in the mountains, and it was necessary to avoid wild beasts, so it was not until noon on the second day that the Spartan troops gathered one after another near the Pelagos Forest.
In the afternoon, there were less than a thousand soldiers assembled, and most of them were Piriasians. After all, in the battle, the Spartans fought on the first line, and then the entire right flank was attacked by the Dionysian reserve force. It was undoubtedly much more difficult for the Spartans who were in a semi-encircled state to escape smoothly.
What's more, Agesilaus didn't see his son Archie Damus appear, and he was unspeakably worried, but he knew that he couldn't wait any longer, otherwise the soldiers who had no food to eat would not come back. Territory, you must first starve to death in the mountains.
So he resolutely gave the order to "Go", and refused the support of the guards, staggering at the front of the team with a cane.
Under his encouragement, the tired and hungry soldiers could only follow closely.
Because they failed to retreat in time last night, in the daytime, they did not dare to march near the Taigea Plain in their current state, otherwise it would be a disaster if they were discovered by the Dioria scout, so they could only be in the mountains. The trek, which means the return to hometown will be significantly longer…
… … …
On the third day, Clotokatax, who could not wait, left 2,000 soldiers to garrison the camp. More than 2,000 wounded soldiers were treated and recuperated in the camp, and 15,000 Dionysian soldiers and 1,500 Mandinian soldiers were assembled. , marching south.
Not long after leaving the camp, he encountered a messenger sent by Tigertinos.
What? ! Has the 1st Fleet occupied Sparta? ! … Klotokatax read the battle report autographed by Secorian over and over again, his face full of surprise.
It turned out that after Tigertinos led 3,000 soldiers to the Spartan border yesterday, he did not catch many defeated soldiers. Later, at the repeated requests of the eager legionnaires, he finally decided to send two companies into Sparta. Reach the territory and explore the truth.
There are continuous mountains from Tigea to Sparta, and the best way to go is a long and narrow passage formed by the Eurotas Valley. Since the Dionysian army captured Messenia, Sparta has felt a great threat. Under the suggestion of Agesilaus, the Spartans not only concentrated on building defenses on the southern coast, but also at the same time. Small fortified camps were built in the north of the Eurotas Valley and in the critical terrain of the other two main roads.
Chapter 145 The reaction of the Arcadia Alliance Chapter 145 The reaction of the Arcadia Alliance
Initially, Agesilaus planned to strengthen the defenses on the north and south sides, completely preventing the Dionysian army from outside the country. This was a passive military defense that had to be adopted due to insufficient troops. Agesilaus knew very well that it could not last, and that Sparta, who could only be beaten passively, would inevitably be cast aside by its allies and lose its hegemony, so after the Persian reinforcements landed in Corinth, he saw some points of victory over Dionia. The army's chance to win was the risk of leading the main force to the north. He was originally prepared to retreat to the defense if the battle failed, but it backfired...
When the Dionysian army built a camp in Arcadia before, the soldiers of the Mountain Reconnaissance Brigade had sneaked into the northern part of the Spartan territory and had a preliminary understanding of the defense of Sparta in the north, so the two companies of the Seventh Legion Carefully explore along the river valley.
As a result, when they arrived at the Spartan defense camp, they found that it turned out to be an empty camp! The company captain was both puzzled and surprised, and immediately occupied the camp. At the same time, the more curious divisions continued to probe south, just in time to collide with a fleet of infantry soldiers sent north by Cykleon to announce the news to the main Dionysian force.
Now that Clotokatax sees this battle report, his mood is a little complicated. He finally won a big battle and will soon be able to take the huge glory of conquering Sparta into his arms, but he didn't expect it. This glory has already been taken away by the First Fleet, although the First Fleet is nominally under his command.
As the chief of staff of the Ministry of Military Affairs, Printols does not care much about the issues of the army and navy and the attribution of military merit. He is more accustomed to thinking about issues from the strategic level. Thought, he comforted softly: "Judging from the battle report, the 1st Fleet's landing operations were arranged carefully and ingeniously, but even so they paid a considerable price, which shows that the remaining Spartan army still has a strong combat effectiveness.
According to the previous investigation, the defense of the Spartans in the north of the territory is also very strict, and the mountains in the north are not conducive to the development of our army's offensive, and it is more convenient for the Spartans to defend. If you want to enter Sparta from the north, you must It will cost a lot of casualties, and it is likely to make the battle more protracted! The current situation in Greece is complicated, and the more time delays, the more unfavorable it is for us.
Fortunately, Sekelion strictly implemented your order and launched the landing operation in time... giving us enough time to calmly deal with the challenges of other Greek city-states. "
After hearing this, Clotokatax was silent for a while, then laughed at himself, and said calmly: "Lord Plintos, I admit that I am a little jealous of the 1st Fleet's conquest of Sparta. But I think the first 1 The success of the fleet has nothing to do with my orders. It is mainly due to the ability of Lord Sekelian. No wonder my father praised him as one of the best military commanders in the kingdom!
But you are right, the fact that the 1st Fleet can conquer Sparta so quickly is a good thing for our army and the kingdom, so we should happily accept the invitation of Cykrian and rush to Sparta , deal with post-war issues as soon as possible and meet new challenges. "
Plintos was surprised that the young prince was able to change his mind so quickly,
During this period of time, in getting along with Clotokatax, the prince who was steady, unassuming, hardworking, humbly listened to opinions, and was good at getting along with others gave Printols a deep impression. But he was still a little surprised that the young prince was able to change his mentality so quickly, and he was more optimistic about his future, and said to him: "I suggest that His Royal Highness tell the soldiers now, even though it will cause them to be concerned about the first. Fleet dissatisfaction, but when they reach Sparta City, they may have adapted and there will be no conflict with the soldiers of the First Fleet."
Clotokatax agreed to Plintos's suggestion and passed on the news at once.
It didn't take long for the army to stir up a commotion. Despite the restrictions of military law and officers, it did not affect the march. But along the way, the soldiers of the legionaries scolded the 1st Fleet incessantly. Once deeply realized the contradiction between the Dionysian Navy and the Army and the deep desire of the soldiers for honor.
As they approached the southern border of Tygea and joined Tygotinus, the army encountered members of the Arcadia Alliance.
After the battle, Clotokatax was busy dealing with the post-war affairs and did not send anyone to inform the Arcadia Alliance. The Mandinian guides, in a hurry to return to their home state, informed the council of the decision of the Dionysian commander, and did not go to Megalopolis.
On the second day, the members of the Arcadian Union saw a mighty crowd returning from Tygea and passing through the territory of Megalopolis, including Dionysian troops and thousands of prisoners. I came forward to ask and learned that the Dionysian army had a large-scale battle with Sparta yesterday, and won the final victory.
Of course, they were also surprised to know that in this decisive battle between Dionia and Sparta, the Tygeans suddenly betrayed and attacked the flank of Dionia's army, causing great trouble for it, so Enraged, the Dionian army captured Tygea after the war, captured its surviving populace, and sent it back to Messenia.
The members of the Arcadian Union were appalled by the cruel decision made by the Dionysians, knowing that there were also three members from Tygea among them. The soldiers also refused to release the captives. Therefore, the Arcadia deputies headed by Lycomedes had no choice but to rush to Tygea, preparing to intercede with the commander of the Dionysian army, and they happened to meet halfway.
Faced with the pleas of the Arcadia deputies, Clotokatax felt a headache. After the battle that day, he was too angry because of Adoris' warriors, and gave such an order. After a day, his mood was relatively stable, and he regretted that the order was too cruel, but the order has been carried out, and the soldiers have also received the orders. Welcome, any further changes will only weaken his authority, so he can only admit it regardless, but now there are bitter masters chasing the door to ask for an explanation, which makes him very embarrassed.
Printoles saw his dilemma and offered to represent him to meet these Arcadia members.
Clotokatax thanked him.
Printols ran out of the team on horseback and rushed to the road ahead. When he saw the Arcadia deputies, his face was like frost, and he said angrily: "The Arcadians, it was the Your request won our trust, and the kingdom formed an alliance with you, so when Mandinia was under siege, we sent a large army to the rescue.
On the way, we learned that another ally, Taigea, was also attacked by the Spartans and was in danger. So in order to rescue Taigea, regardless of the fatigue of the march, we had a battle with the Spartan army. Who knows This is a conspiracy!
Goddamn Tegya! They colluded with Sparta, set traps, and even sent troops to sneak attack on our army's side during the battle, causing the army to pay a heavy price of more than 3,000 casualties! And, General Adoris, son of our great Majesty Davos, died in battle!
The Taiga people collectively betray the covenant and violate the sacred oath, and of course they will be severely punished! Whether this punishment can even appease His Majesty's anger due to his grief is unknown. Anyone with knowledge of Dionia's past history should know that we, the Dionysian Holy Kingdom, keep our promises, but we also hate betrayals! Now that Tigera betrayed at a critical time, we have to express deep doubts about whether your city-state can still fulfill the covenant! …”
The appearance of Printoles asking for guilt surprised the members of the Arcadia Alliance. They did not expect that Taigea's betrayal had caused such serious consequences: more than 3,000 casualties, equivalent to the young and middle-aged population of one of their city-states. The number of Dionian soldiers casualties! Even the son of King Dionia died in battle!
Now, the Dionysian army has defeated the Spartan coalition in the battle, which has shown them the power of Dionia, and the Arcadian deputies, who have begun to fear its force, are really worried that the king of Dionia will take anger on the Their city-states began to express their positions: "We Mandinians and Sparta are deadly enemies, and we are also the initiators of this covenant. We can never betray you Dionia like Taigea!"
We Flios, too, the Spartan mercenaries destroyed our villages, destroyed our fields, our people hated the Spartans and could never cooperate with the Spartans! "
"Since we Okomanus swore an oath in the name of a god and signed an alliance agreement with Dionia, we will definitely abide by this agreement within the time limit, and we will never regret it!"
…
The Arcadia deputies were eager to defend themselves and prove their innocence, completely forgetting the purpose of their trip, and only the Taiga begged loudly: "General, we admit that the Taiga made a big mistake, but Many of them are probably not voluntarily, but were coerced by the Spartans and the pro-Spartan nobles of the Tigeras, so they had to! I hope you can forgive their sins, and the Tigerians will certainly be grateful I will do my best to assist the Dionian allies in the future!…”
Plintos looked at these Taigea members with an unusually pitying look, and said softly: "You don't know yet, before our army arrived at Taigea, Taigea kissed Si. The Badas colluded with the Spartans and incited the people to massacre all the anti-Spartans and their relatives in the city. After we broke the city of Tygea, only a few survivors were found, and they were the only ones who were not punished. People, are currently receiving treatment in the city, I hope Hades bless, they have your relatives... "