Published at 6th of September 2023 7:36 pm

Chapter 833: Athens join the war

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Despite the Carthaginian Senate deciding to let Mago serve as the army's supreme commander in Sicily, the elders led by Hanno refused to let the Carthaginian citizens go to Sicily again, citing the heavy casualties they suffered in the last battle. Instead, they suggested that Mago lead the unharmed Iberian army to Sicily.

Naturally, the elders led by Pretasdrubal refused this proposal. Moreover, while intensely demanding further accountability for the previous war's failure, they also helped their allies’ messengers from Sicily to spread the tragic situation of the Phoenicians and Carthaginians in Sicily in an attempt to stir up the hearts of the Carthaginian citizens to feel the same hatred for the enemy to push the Senate to pass the proposal for Carthage to organise the army again to go to Sicily.

Meanwhile, in the south of Iberia, Mago grew increasingly anxious as time passed amidst the dispute between the two sides. However, he used the gathering of troops as a polite reason to refuse the Senate's urging for him to immediately go to war. After all, Mago couldn't accept the idea of him consuming Iberia's military strength alone, allowing Hanno to get what he wanted.

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While war shrouded the Italian Peninsula and Sicily, a significant event also occurred in Greece.

The Spartan king Cleombrotus finally led the allies they had gathered to cross the Isthmus of Corinth and enter Central Greece. Then, he summoned the Spartan troops in all parts of the region to prepare to conquer Thebes again and rebuild Sparta's authority in Central Greece.

But in the process, Sphedelias, the Spartan strategos stationed in Thespiae, feared being blamed by the new Spartan king for not sending troops to help suppress the revolt in Thebes earlier. To atone for his crimes and fueled by his ambition to gain glory and compete with Phoebidas, he devised a plan to make a surprise attack on the port of Piraeus at night.

He believed that by seizing this important commercial centre in Athens, he could not only make up for his failure in Thebes but also earn the honour of not losing to Phoebidas (although many Greek city-states privately looked down on his achievements, the Spartan citizens still believed that Phoebidas' success in the sneak attack on Thebes was a considerable achievement).

With the messenger from the new king of Sparta already on his way, Sphedelias ran out of time to plan more carefully before setting out at the forefront of his troops that night towards the southeast, heading for the port of Piraeus. However, due to his troops' unfamiliarity with the terrain and underestimating the journey's difficulties, they reached the port of Piraeus at dawn.

As a result, the Athenians at the port discovered their tracks and immediately mobilised for defence.

Without any other choice, Sphedelias had to return to the war after seeing his surprise attack fail. However, to relieve their anger, the army ravaged Athens' territory they had passed by during the retreat.

Naturally, such provocation immediately aroused the Athenians' wrath.

Back when Sparta had sent an envoy to place a charge on two Athenian strategoi of participating in the revolt in Thebes and Athens, executing the two strategoi to prove their innocence, this Spartan envoy, however, did not leave. Instead, he continued staying in Athens, claiming to be carrying out the order of Sparta's Gerousia of continuing to supervise Athens' performance in the following period.

Now, the furious Athenians immediately captured this Spartan envoy and angrily questioned him why Sparta had sent troops to invade and plunder Athens' territory without reason?!

The Spartan envoy was puzzled at why the Athenians were angry, but after learning what happened at Piraeus in the morning, he secretly cursed at Sphedelias for his audacity while instantly and loudly telling the fact that the plundering had been the foolish action of the Spartan strategos own initiative and that it had nothing to do with Sparta!

Furthermore, he firmly stated that Sparta's Gerousia and Ephors would quickly try Sphedelias and give Athens justice.

Unfortunately, the excuse of the Spartan envoy didn't entirely quell the anger of the Athenians.

However, with the death of Thrasybulus, the leading figure in Athenian politics, a few years ago in battle, another democratic figure named Callistratus of Aphidnae came into power. He was an orator and a capable politician, having been elected as one of the Ten Generals of Athens for several consecutive years. He began persuading the remaining furious Athenians by reminding them that it would be wiser to consider the Spartan envoy's words if they weren’t prepared for a war with Sparta.

Despite their anger, the Athenian citizens also knew Sparta's military strength. Thus, they ultimately agreed to release the Spartan envoy.

After the Spartan envoy's release, he immediately rushed to the place of Spartan king Cleombrotus and reported what had just happened in Piraeus and the Athenian's protests.

It was only now that Cleombrotus learned of Sphedelias' stupidity and, in a fit of anger, immediately sent someone to arrest him and send him back to Sparta.

While Sphedelias was taken back to Sparta, a delegation of envoys sent by Athens also arrived, forcing Sparta's Gerousia and Ephors to speed up the trial of this general who didn't obey orders and attacked Athens without authorisation.

Sphedelias seemed he couldn't escape from his end, but his son had a close relationship with Agesilaus' son, Archidamus, and immediately asked for his help.

And Archidamus didn't hesitate to plead with his father for his best friend.

Despite making no promises, Agesilaus still spoke for Sphedelias during the interrogation.

He said, “There is no doubt of Sphedelias' crime, but we cannot execute a good person. Whether in childhood, youth, or adulthood, this brave Spartan citizen lived an honourable life and diligently contributed his strength to Sparta. And Sparta needs such warriors!…”

With Agesilaus' current prestige in Sparta, his speech led some neutral Gerousia members to favour Sphedelias’ innocence. Meanwhile, some elders already felt they shouldn't punish the Spartan strategos, believing that with the revolt in Thebes damaging Sparta's prestige in Greece, they should use this time's war to restore their prestige. So, if they punished their own general at this time, it would only dampen the Spartan citizens' morale and make other city-states look down on Sparta.

In the end, most of the Gerousia voted Sphedelias not guilty, and the ephors, who had decision-making power and were selected from younger and more radical Spartan citizens, also agreed with this verdict.

After hearing Sparta's verdict, the eagerly awaiting Athenian citizens were shocked because they executed their two strategoi in the face of Sparta's allegation! But now, facing Athens' complaint, the Spartans had easily acquitted the perpetrator!

Sparta's arrogance thoroughly angered the Athenians, who strongly demanded their government to retaliate against Sparta.

The Athenian strategoi were also surprised by Sparta's approach, especially the strategoi led by Callistratus and Aristoles, who had adopted a neutral policy of waiting and seeing what would happen to Sparta's strength in Greece since the signing of The King’s Peace treaty. Still, they didn't remain idle and had instead allowed Athens to establish alliances with numerous city-states along the coasts of Thrace, the Aegean, and Asia Minor. Moreover, the frequent trade and commerce exchanges and mutual diplomatic assistance led to the fact that Athens, in fact, was now stronger than it had been before the Corinthian War.

But the citizens' anger made it impossible for Athens' desire to continue biding its time. Although this wasn't what Callistratus wanted, Athens eventually passed the resolution without incident after most of its citizens firmly voted in favour of a declaration of war against Sparta during the Ecclesia.

Athens' declaration of war naturally shocked the city-states in Greece, not only making the Thebans feel happy and encouraged but also making the Spartan king Cleombrotus uncomfortable as he was preparing to attack Thebes. Now, he fears getting assaulted by the Athenian army from the east again while he attacks Thebes, making him hesitant in his military action against the Thebans.

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With Camillus firmly deciding to lead his army to leave Rome and march westward to attack Ostia, Davos naturally wouldn't let his opponent's plan succeed. Thus, he decided to send the soldiers of the First, Fourth, Sixth and a part of the Fifth legions successively, either to take the transport ship of the Chamber of Commerce to rush to the port of Ostia or to march along the north bank of the Tiber to the estuary and then be ferried by the warships to the south bank of the city of Ostia. By now, about thirty-five thousand soldiers(including Theris' temporary reserve) had gathered in the city of Ostia to fully defend against the Roman army's attack, which was reduced to less than sixty thousand men.

Since he is still needed in Rome, Davos could only appoint Amintas as the temporary defence commander of Ostia after careful consideration. He believed that Amintas, who had rich combat experience and qualifications, could make the other legion soldiers follow his command and was also fully capable of defending a small city.

However, to stop him from getting heated, Davos strictly ordered for him to only defend the city and not leave to engage in battle.

Thus, Davos also appointed Crotokatax, who was fighting in Ostia, as the personal staff officer of Amintas. While making him study military matters with Amintas, Davos gave him a secret order: Once Amintas acted without permission, Crotokatax could take out the edict, remove Amintas from his post and have him replace Olivos as the commander.

Despite taking on such an important task for the first time, Crotokatax gladly accepted the order, allowing Davos to achieve another goal: To skillfully keep his son away from the battlefield and protect his safety.

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