Chapter 1137
Devers coughed softly and said in a serious tone, "Perópidas, someone told me that you played an important role in the Thebes regaining their independence and being able to fight against the Sparta for many years. They even had a slight advantage over us!"
Perópidas' spirit was lifted. He could feel a trace of kindness from Devers' words. He immediately replied humbly, "The Thebes are what they are today because of the joint efforts of all the citizens who love the Thebes. I'm just like them, I'm just doing my best. What I've done is nothing compared to the powerful kingdom you've built. "
"You're too modest." Devers smiled. Other than Plato, this was the first time he had heard such a high evaluation from a powerful figure in Greece. He felt slightly proud of himself. He patted the armrest and asked, "What's the purpose of your visit to Turií this time?"
"Your Majesty," Perópidas said solemnly. "Ten days ago, Thebes was invited to Sparta to negotiate a truce," Pelopidas said solemnly. The war has been going on for so many years. The land of the Thebes has been destroyed by the Sparta. The lives of the people are very difficult. We were very willing to stop the war and restore peace.
However, during the negotiation, Athens betrayed us. They joined forces with the Sparta. With the strong support of the Persia, they jointly pressured us to disband the Pioscia Alliance. However, their own alliance was preserved through such a contract … "
Perópidas summarized the general content of the contract, and then said with grief and indignation, "Our emissary resisted the pressure and did not sign the contract. Once we agreed to their request and disbanded the Pioscia Alliance, if Sparta violated the contract again and launched an attack on the Thebes, we would not be able to fight against them.
Due to our refusal, the Persia threatened us, saying that they would fully support Sparta and severely punish the Thebes … So today, I came to Turií to seek support from Diónia on behalf of the Thebes! "
After Perópidas finished, he saw the Devers sitting firmly on the throne with his hand on his chin. He continued, "Before this peace negotiation, I heard that Sparta and Athens had sent emissaries to Persia to seek support. I was also sent to Babylon as the emissary of the Thebes, and was summoned by the king of Persia.
In front of the three emissaries, the king of Persia clearly asked us to stop the war and said, 'Diónia has ambitions for Greece. Only when the Greek city-states unite can we resist the invasion of the Dionysian Army …' So, the king of Persia sent emissaries to promote this peace negotiation in Sparta. "
The Devers's heart skipped a beat. He did not think that Perópidas lied to seek support from Diónia, because what he said also confirmed why Persia had previously forced Sparta to end the peace agreement with Diónia in advance. It seemed that the Persia had begun to play against Diónia!
Thinking of this, the Devers looked at Perópidas and said slowly, "So, do you Thebes think that Diónia is a threat to Greece?"
"I think what the king of Persia said is simply a joke!" Perópidas said indignantly, "The Persia are foreigners. Since the beginning of the Greco-Persian War, they have been delusional about annexing the Greek land and enslaving the Greek people. For decades, they have never stopped interfering in the political situation of Greece. Nowadays, the continuous wars in Greece have a lot to do with Persia. On the other hand, Diónia is a kingdom mainly established by the Greeks. Since its establishment, it has been living in harmony with Greece without any conflicts or wars. Who is good and who is bad can be easily seen by comparison.
So, I have come to ask the noble king to lend a helping hand and help the Thebes to fight against the allied forces of Persia and Sparta, so that all the city-states in Greece can regain freedom and peace, and no longer be under their control! If Diónia does this, not only will it destroy the series of conspiracies of Persia against Diónia in advance, but it will also allow Diónia to win prestige in Greece and the support of most of the city-states! "
The Devers nodded and showed a troubled expression, "What you said makes some sense, but … Diónia and Sparta have been friendly for more than ten years. Not long ago, I even said to the envoy of Sparta that 'they will not be punished for ending the friendly agreement in advance' —"
"Your Majesty!" Perópidas immediately persuaded, "Diónia keeps its promise and is famous for the Mediterranean Sea. It is admirable! But in the more than ten years that you have been earnestly fulfilling the friendly agreement with Sparta, what did the Sparta people do?
As far as I know, they violated the terms of the agreement and secretly maintained contact with Syracuse. They took the initiative to take in some of the remaining Greek forces that hated Diónia. During the war between you and Carthage, these forces also formed an army and invaded the territory of Diónia. It is hard to say that Sparta did not instigate this …
The Sparta people are insidious and cunning. As long as it is beneficial to them, they will do anything. It is the same for Thebes, and it is the same for Diónia. To talk about trust with them is like cattle and sheep facing a wolf, we will always be the ones to suffer!
Also, it's been almost a month since the Spartans broke their agreement with Dionia. During this month, the Spartans didn't take any hostile actions against the Spartans, so you can be considered to have fulfilled your promise. In addition, because of the armistice negotiations this time, the war between Thebes and Sparta has stopped for a period of time. In the eyes of the Greek people, peace has already appeared.
If Sparta attacks the Thebes again after Diónia and Thebes form an alliance, it will let the Greek people know more clearly who the real perpetrator of the war is. It will also let the people of Diónia see more clearly how Sparta people treat Diónia, who has maintained a friendly relationship with them for more than ten years! Of course, if they can take Diónia into consideration and restore peace in Greece, I think it will be a good thing for everyone! "
Devers sighed and said, "It seems that your visit to Persia and you were courteously received by the king of Persia is true. You are indeed very persuasive."
Pelopidas was overjoyed, but he responded modestly, "That's because what I said is the truth."
Devers finally said seriously, "In this case, I agree to form a military alliance between the Kingdom of Diónia and Thebes. I hope that this time, our sincere efforts can be treated sincerely by each other!"
Although Pelopidas had some confidence in gaining the support of Diónia, he did not expect that the king of Diónia would be willing to form a military alliance with Thebes. He could no longer suppress the joy in his heart, and his face was full of smiles.
Soon, the Foreign Minister of Diónia, Ancitanos, and Pelopidas began to discuss the alliance.
One day later, Ancitanos came to the palace and reported to Devers.
"Perópidas hopes that Diónia will support Thebes in unifying the Pioscia region?" Devers frowned.
"Yes, Your Majesty. It seems that the Thebes have a strong obsession with this. I heard that when they were negotiating the contract with Sparta, it was because Sparta forced them to disband the Thebes alliance that the negotiations broke down … "Ancitanos reminded tactfully.
Devers tapped his hand on the wooden table and pondered for a while before saying, "Agree to it."
Before Ancitanos could respond, Heniboris, who was at the side, asked doubtfully, "Your Majesty, judging from the current situation, Sparta will definitely launch another attack on the Thebes. We have already given the Thebes great support by forming an alliance with the Thebes at this time. Now, we have to help them unify the Pioscia region. Isn't this a little …"
"A little overestimating the Thebes?" Devers took over his words and said in a serious tone, "Henny, you should take a longer view. Don't just focus on the small benefits in front of you. Even if the Thebes really unify the Pioscia region, the land area is only comparable to Mesapi, Puchetti, and other regions. It won't pose any threat to us. However, in order to achieve this goal, the Thebes dared to go against Sparta, Athens, and Persia. This shows how important it is to the Thebes! If we can help them, they will naturally be more grateful. This will be of great help to us in establishing a foothold in Greece in the future!
What's more, if our allies are stronger, they'll be able to contend with Athens, Sparta, and other powerful Greek states. It'll be more helpful for us, Dionysia, to enter Greece in the future, and it'll be more beneficial to the stability of Greece … "
"Your Majesty, you are indeed farsighted!" Heniboris praised loudly in admiration.
Devers, however, did not appreciate his compliment. He pointed at Ancitanos and said, "You, you just haven't thought about it properly. When your teacher came to report to me, he had already considered the pros and cons of these things. He understood it clearly."
Heniboris immediately looked at Ancitanos.
Ancitanos said calmly, "Your Majesty, Heniboris is not an official of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. It is impossible for him to understand the complicated relationships between the Greek city-states in detail, and it is impossible for him to think about how to gain benefits from it every day like we do. How can he make a very accurate judgment …"
Comments