Chapter 1170
"What are you thinking about? The people of Diónia? "Perópidas asked.
"To be precise, it should be the Dionysian Army." Ipamilonda said honestly, "This time, I went to Messenia and stayed there for a few days. I was lucky enough to visit Diónia's camps, checkpoints, temporary ports, and watched their training, logistics, and treatment of soldiers … I learned a lot from them. To prevent myself from forgetting, I took the time to record and organize them after I came back …"
After hearing this, Perópidas immediately understood his intention. "Do you think that these beneficial things implemented by the Dionysian Army can be applied to our army?"
Ipamilonda shook his head gently. "Diónia is a powerful kingdom, but we haven't even unified the whole of Pioscia. We don't have such a strong national power, so there are many things that we can't implement. However, we can learn from them. More importantly, we can determine the direction of our army's future development …"
"After you finish organizing them, you must let me see them first," Perópidas said with interest.
"Of course! When the time comes, I will have a new army reform proposal to submit to the parliament, and I need your support. "
"In this regard, I have always supported you." Perópidas agreed without hesitation. He then said, "It seems that you have already confirmed the strength of the Dionysian Army and that they can defeat Sparta."
"Yes, I think that even if Sparta didn't go through the battle of Leuctra, they will never be a match for Diónia!" Ipamilonda said with certainty.
"Even if they have the support of Persia?"
"Persia is too far away, and they can't support Sparta indefinitely."
"Then what will happen after Diónia defeats Sparta?" Perópidas changed the topic. "I remember when you came back and told the parliament about your trip to Messenia, you said, 'The commander of Diónia hopes that Greece can stop the war and restore peace' … What do you think he meant by that?"
"Don't you think this sentence sounds familiar? The people of Persia mentioned it not long ago. "Ipamilonda said meaningfully.
Perópidas was not surprised. He stood up and paced as he pondered. "You and I are thinking the same thing. The people of Diónia probably want to become the second Persia and control the whole of Greece … With the current strength of Diónia and the hostile relationship between it and Persia, it is completely understandable that they want to control Greece. But … Although Diónia is closer to here than Persia, their territory is not here. Do you think Diónia will choose Sparta to control the situation here like Persia? "
Ipamilonda pondered and said, "Judging from the current situation, the people of Diónia and Persia want to control Greece first and use it as a springboard to fight against each other. But the situation in Greece is very complicated. There is hay everywhere, and a small spark may cause a big fire. So the method you just mentioned should be the best choice for the people of Diónia. We should try our best to become Sparta in the hands of Diónia. This will be very beneficial to the development of Thebes in the future! "
"I think so too. And if Diónia really wants to do this, we, Thebes, will undoubtedly be their best partner in Greece!" Although Perópidas said so, he did not seem excited. Instead, he frowned. "It's just that the situation has changed. Before coming to your house, I met with the priest of Delphi."
"Why did Delphi send the priest to Thebes?" Ipamilonda was immediately alerted.
Perópidas said solemnly, "The priest told me that after they heard the news of the Dionysian Army invading Peloponnesus, they felt that something was wrong. So they asked Apollo for an oracle. In the end, the Pythia saw an illusion of the temple of Delphi burning in the fire. They thought that this was a warning from Apollo. If they did not stop the invasion of the heretical Diónia, Greece would be destroyed. So they sent priests to all the city-states of the Sacred Alliance, hoping that the city-states of Greece would unite and repel the foreign race of Diónia, just like how they repelled Persia …"
The expression of Ipamilonda, who was speaking calmly and elegantly, changed. He asked anxiously, "What did you say to the priest of Delphi?"
"Of course I don't agree with what the priest of Delphi said. If the gods could really give us a warning, why didn't they protect us Thebes back then? Why did Sparta take over our citadel so easily?" Perópidas said angrily, then sighed. "However, Delphi has a great influence among the people, so I didn't object to it directly. Instead, I said, 'We Thebes have a bad relationship with Athens, and we have to guard against Thessaly's invasion of the south. We really don't have the strength to fight against the Diónia. Moreover, we have just signed an alliance agreement with them. Now that the Diónia are fulfilling the agreement and helping us fight against our mortal enemy, Sparta, how can we, the Thebes, go back on our word and betray the Diónia?'
However, the damned priest of Delphi said, 'The Thebes should never have allied with Diónia. This gave Diónia a reason to interfere in the war in Greece. They have been coveting Greece for a long time.' He asked us to dissolve the alliance agreement with Diónia as soon as possible. He also told me not to worry about the safety of our territory. Delphi has discussed with the priests of Olympia, and they have agreed to send messengers to each city, including Thessaly's Iazon and Athens. They want to persuade them to put aside their hatred and work together to fight against the foreign invaders, Diónia … "
"They want to form an all-Greek coalition to fight against Diónia!" Ipamilonda gasped. He did not expect that the Dionysian Army entering Peloponnesus would cause such a huge reaction from Delphi and Olympia. Although these two places had almost no military force, they were the holy places of all of Greece and had a great influence on the people. If they were determined to fight against Diónia, the governments of the cities might be able to do so under the pressure of the people …
He calmed himself down and said, "I think … Athens is likely to agree with the suggestion of the priest of Delphi, but will Iazon agree? Back then, Thessaly already had the strength to fight against Sparta, but this man has been hiding his ambition like a cunning wolf hiding in the bushes in the north. It was not until we defeated Sparta in Leuctra that he began to take action. Will he do the same thing again this time? "
"Iazon is indeed very shrewd. Priest Delphi may not be able to persuade him," Pelopidas agreed. He said with a solemn expression, "I did not give a definite answer to Priest Delphi, but tomorrow he will go to the council to make a request to all the councilors."
"So you came to me first, and then you will go to the other councilors to seek support?" Ipamilonda understood the real purpose of his friend's visit. He immediately asked, "So what is your opinion on the request of Priest Delphi?"
"My opinion … Didn't I say it just now? If Diónia wants to become the second Persia, then Thebes must become the second Sparta. I have been to Persia and Diónia. The ordinary towns in the Kingdom of Diónia are more prosperous than many of the city-states in Greece, not to mention their central city, Turií. I feel that it is no less than Babylon in Persia. In fact, it is even more vibrant than Babylon!
What's more, you just told me that the army of Diónia is also very powerful! So I think that even if Greece gathers the strength of most of the city-states, it will still be difficult to fight against the powerful Diónia. Thebes should stand on the side of the winner, so that our efforts over the past few years will not be in vain! "
"I support you!" Ipamilonda was the first to express his attitude. At the same time, he cautiously reminded, "But it will be difficult for you to get the full support of the councilors, and it will be even more difficult to convince the people of Thebes. Taking a step back, even if you really get the council to agree to your proposal, I am afraid it will be difficult to get all the other allies of Pioscia to support our decision. By that time, not only will the alliance of Pioscia that we have painstakingly built be disbanded, but in Central Greece, Thebes will be isolated and even besieged by other city-states again! "
"I have considered these problems that you have mentioned. Of course, I will not explicitly reject the request of the priest of Delphi and openly support Diónia." Perópidas revealed a sly smile, "But I can buy time! Athens, Corinth, Agos, Elise, Phocis, Locris, and Thessaly … There are many city-states in Greece, and each of them has their own interests and needs. There are also many contradictions between them. It is impossible for Delphi and Olympia to convince them in a short period of time to unite against Diónia.
And even if they are convinced, it will take a lot of time for the city-states to mobilize and finally gather their armies together. I think it will take at least two to three months. In such a long period of time, maybe the war between Diónia and Sparta will end, and Diónia will take a new action. The situation will become clearer, and it will be beneficial for us to make a new decision. "
Epamilonda pondered and said, "I think it's doable. Let's use … the fact that the Thessalians and Athens have yet to make their stance clear, and their hostility towards Thebes is still obvious, and Piossia's safety is still threatened as an excuse. We can adopt the resolution of not making our stance clear and temporarily buy time. I believe that the councilors and people of Thebes will be able to accept it, and it will also be in line with the interests of the other Piossia allies."
Comments