Chapter 371
Back at the hotel, Helipolis, who was still excited, followed Ancitanos into the room and could not help but ask, "Teacher, was the Syracuse spy Hermes sent by Dionysius, or was he sent by his opponents?"
"Why, are you confused?" Ancitanos laughed.
"I was very sure that Dionysius was the mastermind, but after listening to Philistos' explanation …" Henepolis scratched his head.
"I can only say that Philistos' acting was too good, and you were fooled. A person of Philistos' status probably has several clerks under him, so of course his handwriting is different. Besides, he had already taken precautions, and even his signature was written by someone else. Polyxis has never had any dealings with him before, so it's normal for him to be kept in the dark. " Ancitanos smiled contemptuously, "In fact, their acting was not perfect. If you look closely, you will find that the minister named Harolis looked a little unnatural when Philistos was defending himself. Obviously, they did not completely communicate …"
"Oh, so that's how it is!" Henepolis recalled the scene at that time, and suddenly came to a realization. Then, he said angrily, "But teacher, why didn't you expose him on the spot?!"
"Why should I expose him?" Ancitanos smiled, "Philistos and the other guests put on such a strenuous performance, which just shows that they have scruples about Diónia and do not dare to fall out with us. This is a good thing. Now, it depends on whether Dionysius is willing to sign the alliance that we proposed … "
… …
The next day, Ancitanos met Dionysius in person.
In a spacious, but not gorgeous, and even a little crude, palace, the tall and handsome Dionysius (this was one of the reasons why Democrates, the hero of Syracuse's resistance against the Athens army, married his daughter to him) received Ancitanos.
As the rumored cold master of Sicily, he warmly welcomed the arrival of the Diónia emissary delegation, and at the same time, apologized for not being able to meet them in time, and said, "I have learned from Philistos that Diónia wants to sign an alliance with us, Syracuse. This is a very good thing! You must know that Syracuse has suffered great losses in terms of treasury, food, and population, and is in urgent need of recuperation. I am very grateful that Diónia is willing to help at this time! I will send Philistos as a representative to discuss the alliance in detail with you. I hope that Syracuse and Diónia can be friendly from now on, and set a good example for other Greek city-states in the Western Mediterranean! "
The meeting was very short. Very soon, Ancitanos left Ortygia Island with some doubts and a sense of joy.
Philistos, who had returned after sending off the Diónia emissary delegation, also asked Dionysius doubtfully, "Sir, are you really going to form an alliance with Diónia?"
"Fili." Dionysius affectionately called his important minister by his nickname, and said in a low voice, "Last night at your banquet, as a Diónia emissary, there was something that was right. 'Although Carthage has suffered heavy losses, they are strong in Afrika, and are now developing the Iberian Peninsula. I heard that they have even sent a fleet to the west, through the Pillars of Hercules, to explore unknown lands … The next time Carthage makes a comeback, its power will certainly be stronger than this time. On the other hand, Syracuse's territory is limited to this small island of Sicily, and its territory will not expand much unless it expands further! '"
Philistos had discussed this issue with Dionysius many times, and naturally knew where Dionysius's goal of expansion was, but he still reminded worriedly, "But Diónia's power is not weak, and it has basically united the other city-states and natives of southern Italy."
"You're right." Dionysius nodded solemnly, "Back then, with your help, I already had the idea of conquering Greece in my mind, and that's why I married Doris (the daughter of a Locrian noble). But I never thought that in just a few years, a Diónia Alliance would rise in Greece! "
Dionysius's face showed annoyance, and he said through gritted teeth, "Perhaps that Devers is really favored by Hades, but so what? The western Mediterranean may be big, but it can only accommodate one Greek hegemon! "
"But we've just ended the war with Carthage, and we still need to rest and reorganize … Should we take a break for now?" Philistos reminded in a low voice.
"We can't!" Philistos shook his head, "The Diónia Alliance is indeed developing rapidly, and it grows with every passing year. I've studied Diónia carefully, and I have to say that young man called Devers is very good at dealing with the natives. We learned some of the methods we used to deal with the Sikells. At their current rate of growth, the Samonians in the north of Diónia may not be able to stop their expansion, and their power will keep spreading north until they take over all of Italy. What will happen to Syracuse then? Will we become their subsidiary?! " Dionysius's eyes glinted coldly, and he clenched his fist, swung it, and said in a firm and unyielding tone, "We must concentrate all our efforts to destroy them while they are still weak and unstable!"
"Then, do we still want to discuss the alliance with Diónia?" Philistos asked again.
"Of course, why not! We can sign a treaty of non-aggression, and we can make them lower their guard. As for the alliance, humph, Syracuse never has the habit of signing an equal treaty with other Greek cities! "Dionysius said coldly.
He had obviously forgotten about Sparta. Philistos, of course, was not stupid enough to correct his mistake. He nodded and said, "I understand."
"Also … we need to speed up the negotiations with Carthage … Err …" Dionysius paced back and forth, thinking repeatedly, and finally made up his mind. "We can return the land west of Salinus and Panormus to them, but they must pay a large amount of war reparations, open their grain market to us, and provide fair wheat trade. At the same time, they must sign a longer peace treaty … This is the price they have to pay for breaking the agreement and starting another war (actually, this time it was Dionysius who started the war). That's the gist of it. Bring some people with you to negotiate, and finish it as soon as possible! "
Philistos nodded to show that he understood.
"Alright, that's all." Dionysius gestured for Philistos to immediately carry out these orders.
Philistos hesitated for a moment, and said, "Err … About Hermes, the Diónia emissary group said that they can return him to us, what do you think …"
"Why do we need him back? How are we going to deal with him when he comes back?! " Dionysius's face darkened, and he said with hostility, "Look at his cowardly performance at the public trial in Turií. It disgusts me! Tell them that Syracuse respects the laws of Diónia. Since this man has committed crimes in Turií, we support him to be punished by the laws of Diónia! "
Philistos sighed and walked out of the hall. He thought of Ancitanos, whom he had a good chat with because of their common interests last night, and a sense of guilt rose in his heart. He looked up at the distant sea and said apologetically in his heart, Ancitanos, I'm sorry! I did all this for Syracuse …
… …
While Ancitanos was negotiating with Philistos, in Turií, the Devers received Therian in the study at home.
"Archon!" Therian gave a solemn military salute as soon as he saw him.
"Ceglian, our hero! I've told you many times that this is not a training ground. You don't have to be so formal. " The Devers looked at the young commander of the navy. A few years of training had made his flamboyant face more stable. He nodded secretly and gestured with a smile, "Sit down! Sit down and talk! "
Therian sat upright facing the Devers.
"Did Enanilus being sentenced this time have any impact on the sailors of the Navy?" Dyvers didn't bother with pleasantries but asked directly.
"Basically, no," Therian replied immediately. "The soldiers all knew about Enanilus's crimes through the public trial. In addition, Enanilus rarely participated in training and rarely led the soldiers himself, so everyone trained as usual. There was nothing unusual. However, we have a worry. Can the three-decker oar warship that will be built this year be launched on time? "
"You don't have to worry about that. Enanilus's crime did not involve his family or the shipyard. The Senate had already sent someone to appease them, and they also gave a guarantee. According to the Senate's plan for the navy, not only will the number of five three-decker oar warships not change, it will only increase in the future! "The Devers promised him.
"That's great!" Therian suggested excitedly, "The Senate made the right decision! Although we now have 30 three-decker oar warships, to protect the east and west coasts, we need at least double the number of warships to be safe. "
The Devers nodded and stroked his chin with his hand. He began to think about something.
Therian thought that his request had put the archon, who appreciated him, in a difficult position and felt a little nervous.
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