Chapter 1212
"Callistratus, calm down!" Cabrias shouted with a serious expression, "Look at the Diónia warships there. They outnumber us by far, and their combat power is also very strong. Previously, I led the fleet to attempt a sneak attack on Lagenia Bay but failed. If I rashly lead the fleet to break through the blockade, we may only be surrounded by them, causing our few warships to be destroyed. By then, we will completely lose control of the Aegean Sea!
Even if they really want to land, we are already prepared. The only place where the Diónia can land is Marathon Beach. We have a temporary defensive camp with a few thousand soldiers stationed there. Once there are any abnormalities, we can send another few thousand soldiers into the city. We can completely guarantee the safety of the whole of Attica. "
"Athens' defense is tight. Of course, I don't need to worry. I am worried that Diónia will attack the other allies. If they are attacked by Diónia, the Greek allied forces that are fighting the Dionysian Army at Peloponnesus will definitely be affected!" Callistratus said anxiously.
Cabrias said calmly, "Don't panic. First, we have to determine if the Diónia are really going to land. Although the Dionysian fleet has sealed off Sarons Bay, it is impossible for them to seal off the north coast of Attica, which has almost no coastal towns. However, we have many fishing villages on the north coast … "
"I will immediately send a messenger to inform the fishermen on the north coast. Let them row their boats and carefully explore the Aegean Sea to see if there is any abnormality!" Callistratus suddenly realized and turned to rush away.
Cabrias turned his gaze back to the sea and sighed softly. A little shame rose in his heart. He had led the navy to defeat the Sparta fleet several times, but now he was facing the powerful Diónia navy, he was indeed a little timid …
… …
Shortly after the First Fleet sealed off Sarons Bay, the Third Fleet had also bypassed Ubeia Island on the northeast side of Attica and arrived at Pagasa Bay.
The mountain range on the northern border of Thessaly extended to the sea in the southeast, and then tried its best to draw close to the mountain range on the southern border, forming a natural breakwater and a nearly circular bay with an entrance of only about ten miles.
Perhaps because the mountain range that formed the breakwater was too tall, Thessaly's people did not build a water gate and lighthouse at the entrance. Instead, it was beneficial for the Third Fleet to blockade the area. This caused the merchant ships in the bay to hide in the port of Phelai in fear, and the Phelai fleet did not dare to show up.
About 20 minutes later, the Diónia troop transport fleet arrived. The Third Fleet immediately sailed into the bay and went straight to the only port town in the bay, Felei. This made the people of Felei even more nervous.
At this time, it was Iazon's right-hand man, Asidamus, who was in charge of the city of Felei. When he heard the news of the "Dionysian fleet attack", he did not panic too much. He immediately ordered the garrison in the city to rush to the port's breakwater to defend.
The territory of Felei was ranked last among the city-states of Thessaly. Its urban area was even narrower. The reason why it was rich was that it had the only commercial port in the entire Thessaly. The entire Thessaly region was almost surrounded by mountains, and it was extremely inconvenient to trade on land. Hence, Felei had completely taken advantage of the convenience of the sea trade. Naturally, the people of Felei were very concerned about the safety of the port.
After Iazon became the usurper, he put in a lot of effort to defend the port. Not only did he strengthen the breakwater, but he also raised the wall on the ground and reduced the water gate. He also added a military port in the port and formed a fleet … Therefore, even though the Dionysian fleet came suddenly, Asidamus was not worried that they would threaten the safety of the port of Felei.
However, not long after, he received a report from the cavalry, "A Diónia fleet has appeared on the coast of Almiros. There are many Diónia soldiers landing there!"
The coast of Almiros was the only low-lying land on the eastern coast of Thessaly. Why would the people of Thessaly build Felei in such a narrow location in the northern part of the coast instead of building a port town in the larger Almiros?
This was because several rivers in the territory of Thessaly flowed into the bay from here. The soil washed down by the rivers accumulated here over the years, forming a large swamp and beach. To completely fill and drain the swamp and finally turn it into a land suitable for human habitation and farming, it required continuous efforts and advanced filling and draining techniques. The people of Thessaly were still regarded as barbarians by the Greeks decades ago. In addition to the rich and fertile land in their territory, there was no urgent need for them to build a city here. Hence, the original state of the coast of Almiros had been preserved until today.
Asidamus was a little panicked when he received the news. Although he knew that the coast of Almiros was full of mud and it was difficult for horses and men to travel, some of the information about the Kingdom of Diónia these days made him feel uneasy. He sent someone to inform Polydorus while he led the guards out of the city on horseback.
Standing on the mountain to the south of Felei, Asidamus could clearly see the vast Almiros Depression. There were many ships docked on the coast, even some Diónia warships. Diónia soldiers (mainly fleet infantry) were constantly disembarking from the ships and standing on the inky beach. If one did not look carefully, one would not be able to distinguish them. But on the beach, there was a conspicuous yellow mark that was constantly extending and expanding …
Asidamus looked carefully for a while, and his heart suddenly raced. The people of Diónia were building roads on the beach!
Just when he was feeling very uneasy, Iazon's brother, Polydorus, arrived, accompanied by another brother, Polyfron.
After carefully observing the situation of the Almiros Depression, Polydorus, who had been granted temporary military power by Iazon, comforted Asidamus. "You don't have to worry. Our troops have entered the defensive camp in the mountains around Almiros and are ready for battle. And with the speed of Diónia's road building, by the time they walk out of the beach, Thessaly's municipal militia will have arrived. The Dionysian Army will not be able to break through our heavily guarded camp and enter the hinterland of Thessaly! "
At this point, he looked up at the sky and then said confidently, "If they do not retreat by dusk, they will be bitten by countless mosquitoes at night. When we attack tomorrow, maybe they will raise their hands and surrender!"
Compared to Iazon, Polydorus was more stable, so his words dispelled Asidamus's uneasiness. He immediately said goodbye to the two and rushed back to Phelei to calm the panicked people and stabilize the order in the city.
"Polydorus, why don't you let me lead the light shield troops to attack the people of Diónia and give them a taste of our strength first!" Polyfron asked loudly.
Polydorus waved his hand and refused, "There is no need! Attacking now will only scare them away. Let's not do anything and give the people of Diónia the illusion that 'Thessaly's rear is indeed empty'. Let them be tired for a long time, and then we can think about the issue of a surprise attack. "
Polyfron was a little angry when he was refused. Looking at the back of his second brother, he could not help but spit and scolded in a low voice, "Coward!"
… …
What the Polydorus brothers did not know was that the 13th Legion of Diónia and the infantry of the fleet that landed on the coast of Miltoros was just a feint to contain the remaining troops of Thessaly. The real landing place was not here.
Half an hour later, the people of Peleus were horrified to see a huge fleet of Diónia approaching the coast near the city.
The northeastern border of Thessaly was separated by a series of mountains connected by Mount Olympus, Mount Ossa, Mount Pelion, and other high mountains. Among these high mountains, there was a relatively easy passage to enter the territory of Macedonia in the north. This was the valley formed by the Pinios River passing through the mountains. Over the years, the mud carried by the river piled up at the mouth of the river north of the mountains, forming a small depression. The people of Thessaly built a small city called Peleus here.
Since Peleus was outside the traditional territory of Thessaly and close to the territory of Macedonia, many people of Thessaly did not regard it as a member of the city-states of Thessaly. For safety, it often stayed close to Macedonia. Therefore, the city-states of Thessaly to the south often alienated it and were unwilling to interact with it. Furthermore, it was not rich in resources, so the port trade had not been developed.
It was not until Iazon became Tarkus and formally incorporated it into the Thessaly Alliance. In order to promote the prosperity of Thessaly's trade, Asidamas even removed the sentry posts to the south of the valley. Not only did the sea trade of Peleus improve, but the land trade also developed. Therefore, the people of Peleus were very grateful to Iazon and always responded to his call. Although Peleus was not a large city, when Iazon mobilized and formed the army of Thessaly to the south, Peleus provided nearly 3,000 soldiers, which was almost all the young and middle-aged citizens of the city-state. Now, when they saw the tide of Diónia soldiers swarming to the coast, they were frightened and regretful.
"Hurry! Hurry up! Brothers, hurry up! " Matonis, the commander of the 2nd Legion, who was already in his 50s, was still as vigorous as ever. He was the first to reach the shore, stood on a rock, and shouted thunderously, urging the soldiers under him to hurry.
The soldiers of the 2nd Legion were encouraged by the old commander. After jumping off the ship, they did not even have time to rest. Under the leadership of their respective captains, they held their shields and spears, stepped on the soft soil, and rushed south like a swarm of bees.
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