Chapter 241
Some of them were already thinking of retreating. They suggested that Crotone was already enough for Rockley to handle. Now that they had an even more powerful ally, Rockley was no match for them at all. They should withdraw their troops immediately!
At the same time, there were also many who objected. They thought that this was a rare opportunity to attack Crotone! Moreover, Diónia and Crotone were in a defensive alliance. They probably would not send troops to interfere. Moreover, Diónia had just ended a war. They should have suffered a lot of losses. Their hatred towards Crotone could not be erased immediately. They could not help Crotone wholeheartedly. They should seize this opportunity to attack!
Both sides argued until Chief General Demodorcas brought the good news that "Syracuse agreed to assist". Only then did the council change their minds and agree to continue the war.
When Diópantos was sent to attack Crotone's territory, the councilors of Rockley were still hoping that Diónia would not send troops. Therefore, the council did not even come to a final decision on what to do if Diónia sent troops.
Now that Diónia was waiting in front, Diópantos had no idea what to do. Attack?! That would mean starting a war with Diónia's alliance! As a member of the council, he understood that Rockley's decision was wishful thinking. They were too eager to defeat Crotone and could not accept the existence of any variables. Diónia was undoubtedly the biggest variable. They could defeat Crotone which Rockley had been unable to defeat. In addition to the triumphant scene in Turií that Metlo Finis described, Diópantos was a little afraid. If he launched an attack here and caused Diónia to join the war, the war would escalate. Although Rockley's ally Syracuse agreed to assist, it was currently at war with Carthage. Other than providing some naval assistance, it could not provide any more help. Therefore, the councilors would definitely blame him for the final defeat of the war.
But what if he did not attack?! If he retreated like that, not only would it damage his reputation, but it would also damage Rockley's reputation. He would still be reprimanded when he returned.
While Diopantos was hesitating, some of the soldiers started to make a ruckus.
"People of Diónia, don't think too highly of yourself! If you want us to retreat, we'll retreat?! I'm telling you, we're not retreating! "
"You're right. We, the Rockley people, are not to be trifled with! Locke had been in Greece for hundreds of years. What was Diónia? I've never even heard of it! "
"We won't retreat. What can you do to us?"
…
The clamor of the soldiers made Diopantos anxious and angry. He only had a little more than a thousand men under his command, and less than half of them were sailors. Along the way, many soldiers dragged sheep and cows and plundered a lot of resources. Their eyes were blinded by greed and they no longer looked like soldiers. How dare they challenge the people of Diónia?
Diopantos wanted to retreat, but before he could give the order, the other side had already started to beat the drums rhythmically. The stationary phalanx began to move, and the sound of footsteps was more uniform. It was like a thick iron wall pressing down on them. The soldiers of Rockley who were shouting just now immediately fell silent.
Diopantos sighed and said, "Retreat!"
As soon as the order was given and before the bugle was blown, the soldiers of Rockley had already turned around and fled. The formation was completely scattered.
Diopantos could not stop the soldiers from retreating in such a disorderly manner. It was as if the Grim Reaper was chasing after them. They just wanted to get out of here as soon as possible, so they left the loot on the ground …
Asistes did not expect to force the people of Rockley to retreat so easily. He sent a small number of soldiers to clean up the battlefield and led the army to follow behind the people of Rockley. When he saw the people of Crotone scrambling to board the ships and sail away from the coast, he led the soldiers back and returned all the loot to the people of Crotone who came to express their gratitude. This made the people of Crotone even more grateful and ashamed.
Of course, Diopantos was not willing to return to Rockley just like that. After the fleet sailed south for a while, he led the troops to land on the coast of Sirium, which was not yet an ally of Diónia …
… …
In the city of Sparta, there was a building that occupied a large area. Simple stone pillars propped up the roof to shelter the building from the wind and rain. Three sides of the building were ventilated, and one side was the kitchen. The spacious hall was filled with long wooden tables and chairs. This was the canteen of the citizens of Sparta.
When it was time to eat, the people of Sparta gathered here from all directions. They queued up to receive their "communal meal" and then ate in the canteen, which could accommodate 500 people at the same time. On sunny days, the tables were even placed on the grass. Thousands of citizens of Sparta, regardless of age or rank, ate together. Everyone ate roughly the same food. This not only reflected the equality of the citizens of Sparta, but also emphasized their unity. The people of Sparta, who emphasized discipline and obedience, always kept this grand dining scene orderly. This was the communal meal system that Sparta was famous for in Greece.
The food they received was not free. Instead, it was produced from the "land" allocated to the citizens by the city-state. The citizens had to pay to the city-state before they could enjoy the communal meal. Although it was said that the "land" was the citizens' own, in fact, the citizens themselves did not have the right to use it. The land was managed by the city-state, and the Helots worked hard to cultivate it. Once the citizens lost their "land" and were unable to pay, they would lose the right to participate in the communal meal. Thus, they would become the marginalized people of the city-state (i.e., the Peliasi). Therefore, the communal meal system created by the people of Sparta was not only a dining system, but also an important political activity. It was also the authentication of the identity of the Sparta citizens.
Since the Peloponnesus War, it was difficult for the Sparta cafeteria to recreate the spectacular scene of thousands of people eating together. The citizens had been fighting wars for a long time, and they were accompanied by death. The number of people eating here at one time had never exceeded 500. Even after the war was won, the number did not recover. This was because Sparta's fleet was patrolling the Aegean Sea. Some of the cities conquered by Sparta needed the loyalty of the Sparta garrison. Although most of the soldiers were mercenaries, Peliasi, and Helots, the authentic citizens of Sparta had to serve as commanders and high-ranking officers.
On this day, there were only about a hundred Sparta citizens eating in the cafeteria.
Phoebidas sat at the dining table, chewing the bread in his hand. He thought back to the ascension of the new king not long ago. Agesilaus became the king, which was unexpected to many people. However, he was happy because Agesilaus had several in-depth contacts with him. He thought that Agesilaus was a kind and wise man, and would be a good king.
"Hey, look! There are two damn Helots over there! " A man at the table next to him suddenly shouted. Following the direction of his finger, Phoebidas saw the two men who were eating at the table opposite him. Their expressions immediately became a little unnatural. Although they were also bare-chested, no matter in terms of body shape or skin color, they were different from the real Sparta citizens.
"Those are the new citizens. To be able to enjoy a communal meal, it means that they have earned enough merits in the war to move the conservative old men in the council. They were granted freedom and citizenship, and they were even given land. This is not easy! We should respect true warriors! "The other man said in a gentle tone.
"Hmph, who knows if it was Lysander's doing?! During the war, he used the excuse of defeating the Athens War to use his power to turn many Peliasi people and a few Helots into Sparta citizens! "The man lowered his voice and said angrily.
"No matter how brave the people of Sparta are, we can't withstand the casualties caused by frequent battles. Without these new citizens, we couldn't have won the war against the Athens War."
"But look at how many people here are real Sparta citizens, and a few of my comrades temporarily lost their citizenship because they couldn't pay for their communal meals. They were reduced to low-class people! If this continues, will Sparta still be Sparta?! "
"Hmm … you are right …"
"Let me tell you, we …" The man leaned close to his companion and whispered something.
The people of Sparta had always been quiet, especially during meals. Not only was this citizen talkative, but he was also whispering to each other. It was difficult not to attract Phoebidas's attention. Just when he turned his head to see who the person was, someone patted his shoulder lightly. "Phoebidas, King Agesilaus is asking for you."
"Okay." Phoebidas immediately stuffed the last bit of bread into his mouth and finished the oatmeal in one gulp. He wiped his mouth, stood up, and followed the guard to the front of the cafeteria. He subconsciously looked back at the man just now. He had already finished his meal and left the cafeteria. He could only see his back view.
Phoebidas shook his head and dispelled the trace of doubt in his heart. He walked to the new king of Sparta. The current Agesilaus was different from before. He was calmer and more dignified.
Phoebidas bowed respectfully.
"Sit down, Phoebidas." Agesilaus looked at him with a smile. "We are old friends. You don't have to be so polite!"
Phoebidas listened and no longer acted humble. He sat opposite Agesilaus.
"Are you full? If it's not enough, I have more here, "Agesilaus said as he pushed a plate over.
The king of Sparta also had to participate in the communal meal. The food was no different from other citizens. The only privilege was that he could receive two portions of the communal meal. It wasn't that the king had to eat more. Instead, the king of Sparta could use the extra portion to invite others to eat with him. It didn't have to be a citizen of Sparta; it could even be a foreigner. The last king, Agis, had entertained Alcibiades in this way.
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