Chapter 1160
Cloto Catax was fascinated by the story. He asked curiously, "Since that scoundrel is not good at leading troops in battle, why did he win in the end?"
"There are two main reasons for his victory." Devers looked at his son and slowed down his speech, but his tone became more serious. "First, he was good at using people. He let excellent people who were good at handling administrative affairs to govern the territory he conquered, and provided sufficient logistical support and soldiers. He let talents who were good at commanding battles serve as generals to lead the army in battle, and let talents who were good at strategizing advise him … Those who relied on him were able to make use of their respective talents.
Second, he was good at absorbing the correct opinions of his men, and was good at correcting mistakes. Therefore, he was able to grasp the overall situation of the war more accurately, and formulate the right strategy … This is why he was able to win in the end. "
After listening to this, Cloto Catax fell into deep thought.
Devers said softly and earnestly, "As a king, you don't need to master the ability to command troops, but you need to master the ability to command generals, give them tasks that suit their talents, and let them fight for you. Your main focus should be on analyzing and grasping the overall trend of the war. For this reason, I will appoint Printos as your staff officer, and Karias as your military diplomat, to provide you with advice at any time …"
Diónia was founded on military force, and its citizens were proud of their military exploits. If you are a blank in military affairs, you will lack prestige among the people in the future. Moreover, the Ministry of Military Affairs is the most important department in the kingdom. It is only under the jurisdiction of the king. If you want those generals with outstanding military exploits to completely obey you, you must also do something in military affairs. When you just came of age, you worked in the staff office for a period of time, so you should have some understanding of the situation of the kingdom's military affairs. You have also been in Rome to prepare military supplies for the army that went to Gaul. If you add this to the battle, you will have a comprehensive understanding of the entire military operation of the kingdom. In the future, no one will be able to fool you in this regard … "
Devers' patient guidance moved Cloto Catax. He said in a low voice, "Father, I am willing to go to Mersenia!"
"Good! Good! "Devers nodded in satisfaction.
"But —" Cloto Catax hesitated for a moment before speaking with a serious expression, "The citizens of the kingdom can't focus on farming or business. They spend most of their time on military training and only think about fighting and earning merits. If this goes on … I'm afraid it won't be good for the stability of the kingdom."
Devers stopped smiling and looked at him seriously. "I'm glad that you can see this! The reason why Diónia rewards wars is because we have been surrounded by powerful enemies since the beginning of the kingdom's establishment. We have no choice but to do so in order to survive. It's impossible to carry on like this for a long time, but we have to defeat the powerful enemies that threaten us and ensure the safety of the kingdom. "
Cloto Catax breathed a sigh of relief. He was worried that his father wouldn't listen to his suggestion.
Devers sighed softly, then said to him with a serious expression, "But you have to understand that the system of rewarding wars has been implemented for so many years. It's deeply ingrained in the people. It can't be changed all at once. We have to work hard for several generations to change it bit by bit.
Also, you have to understand that even if we defeat all the powerful enemies in the Mediterranean Sea, we can't completely put down our weapons and shields. That will cause the people of the kingdom to gradually indulge in comfort, become cowardly, and fear war. In the end, they will be destroyed by a new rising force like Carthage! Therefore, how to balance the two is a headache for me, for you, and for our future generations, but it's also a very important problem! "
… …
Late at night, Cloto Catax returned to the mansion on the mountainside. After taking a bath, he walked into the bedroom.
Dido was sitting on the edge of the bed, holding the child and softly humming Geyao.
When she saw her husband come in, Dido asked the female servant standing next to her to carefully carry the sleeping child to the outer room to sleep. She then asked in a low voice, "You're back. What did Father call you to talk about?"
Cloto Catax didn't answer immediately. He looked around and asked in a low voice, "Why don't I see Chris?"
"Your mother left him on the mountain again," Dido said coldly.
Hearing the anger in his wife's voice, Cloto Catax quickly comforted her, "Mother loves Chris. She'll definitely take good care of him. Anyway, they're close, so don't worry."
"How could I dare to worry? Your mother is the princess who is deeply respected by the people of Diónia. Even Father has to listen to her."
Dido sneered to express his dissatisfaction. Cloto Catax remained silent. He was already used to it. He knew that it was best not to speak at this time.
As expected, Dido only vented for a while before asking, "What did Father say when he called you over?"
"Father wants me to be the commander of the army that will go on an expedition against Peloponnesus," Cloto Catax said truthfully.
If it was an ordinary woman, the first thing that would come to her mind would be the safety of her husband. However, Dido's thoughts were different. She immediately asked in surprise, "Isn't the commander of that army Prososus? He has already led the army to conquer Messenia and made a great contribution. How can he let you take over? Is Father preparing to send another army? "
"General Prososus is the prince of Sparta …" Cloto Catax briefly explained the situation.
"I see." Dido's pretty face lit up with joy. "Now I can rest assured! You've been back for so many days, and I was a little worried about you. Now it seems that Father is prepared. "
"This is my first time leading an army. Why aren't you worried about my safety? What if …" Cloto Catax said half-jokingly and half-seriously.
"Since Father dared to let you go, he must have made thorough preparations. How could you be in danger? Dido bowed slightly, revealing her snow-white chest under her pajamas. She smiled brightly, and the bedroom was lit up. "Your Highness, I wish you victory in advance and become the hero of the kingdom!"
Cloto Catax gulped. "Then do you want to give me some rewards in advance?" As he said this, he pressed his wife down on the bed …
… …
Early in the morning, Mount Amendarra was shrouded in mist, and the houses on the mountain were indistinct.
In the open space in front of the Temple of Zeus at the top of the mountain (Many years ago, some people proposed to rebuild the Temple of Zeus into the temple of Hades, the guardian of the kingdom, but this was opposed by the old people. They believed that it was because of the protection of the Temple of Zeus that many Amendarans survived the Lucanian invasion. Due to their persistence, the Temple of Zeus was now the only Temple of Zeus in Greece, and people from other towns often came to worship it). Hundreds of young men in military uniform stood in a neat line.
At the front of the line stood an old man with white hair and beard. Although he looked old, his figure was more vigorous. He was Ctessus.
At this moment, he said with a dignified expression, "Arsines, is everyone here?"
"Yes … Not yet … We're still missing one," the young man in the lead said hesitantly.
"Who's missing?!" Ctessus shouted loudly.
"Well … That … Tependes."
"Arsines, although you're only a temporary captain of the military training company," Ctessus reprimanded him with dissatisfaction. Ctessus reprimanded in dissatisfaction. "But since you've become an officer, you should strictly carry out your duties and not try to cover up for your friend. You should know that military law is merciless. The reason why the Dionysia Army is invincible is because of our strict discipline. Do you understand?"
"Yes, sir!" the young men replied in unison.
"Line up immediately and march 50 laps around the square!"
One lap around the square of the Temple of Zeus was about 150 meters, and 50 laps meant 7,500 meters. The young men were all wearing armour and holding wooden sticks and shields (because it was only training, they did not use real spears and shields), so the amount of exercise was quite large. But none of the young men objected. They immediately began to move.
At this time, a young man hurried into the square. "Report!"
"You're early, Tependes!" Ctessus stared at him.
Hearing this, Tependes shuddered subconsciously.
"Arsines, according to military law, what's the punishment for being late for training?" Ctessus asked coldly. This time, Arsines did not hesitate. "You should be punished with ten strokes!"
"Tependes, did you hear that?!"
Tependes immediately panicked and tried to defend himself. "Uncle Ctessus, I'm late because —"
"There are only soldiers and instructors on the training ground. Get down!" Ctessus strode over and gave Tependes a kick.
Tependes did not dare to dodge. After taking the kick, he obediently lay down on the wet ground.
Tependes looked very obedient, but in fact, he was the second son of Legion Commander Trotiras. Of course, almost all of these young men were from noble families. Matonis, Olivers, Giogris, Agathia … Many of the sons of the kingdom's generals and ministers were among them. Arsines, who was temporarily appointed as the captain of the company, was the adopted son of Legion Commander Melisande.
After all, Amendola was the birthplace of the Holy Kingdom of Diónia. It was a special situation. Therefore, many retired soldiers of the legion avoided the position of military training officer of Amendolara. However, Ctessus was different. He was originally a Persian mercenary and was comrade-in-arms with the fathers of these young men. Before he retired, he had been the First Battalion Leader of the First Legion for many years. He had enough prestige and dared to train these young men strictly according to military law. The young men who were punished did not even dare to complain to their families because it would not only be ineffective, but they would also be beaten up by their fathers.
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