Chapter 561
"What do you think Dionysius will do when he learns of this?" Devers asked again.
Hearing this, both of them fell into deep thought.
After a while, Henepolis guessed with uncertainty, "Syracuse has been trapped here. The reason they attacked our camp today was to break the siege, but they failed. Now that Dionysius knows that our allies in Sicily are also being attacked … If I were him, I'd definitely choose to negotiate for peace. It's a real peace negotiation! I think he'd be willing to pay any price to save Syracuse … "
"Dionysius might also escape, Your Majesty," Tormid had just said this when Henepolis immediately retorted, "Escape?! How?! We've surrounded Syracuse, and our fleet has sealed off the port. Whether it's on land or sea, Syracuse can't leave! "
"These tens of thousands of people can't escape, but Dionysius can escape by himself on a ship."
"You're saying that Dionysius will abandon these tens of thousands of Syracuse's soldiers to fight for his life and run away by himself?!" Henepolis found it hard to believe. He was still young, hot-blooded, and full of justice. He could not imagine such a cowardly act. However, as a mercenary, Tormid had seen too many ugly things.
"We'll find out tomorrow what Dionysius will do," Devers said calmly. Then, he gave an order, "Tormid, go find Midolades immediately. Ask him to send 30 triple-oar warships to Ligur within two days and hand them over to Syracuse."
The 30 triple-oar warships were requested by Syracuse when he sent a clipper to report on the situation in Sicily. Because they were going to attack Sicily, he was worried that his fleet would not be strong enough to completely suppress the fleet of Syracuse and its allies. In fact, after several naval battles, Diónia had captured a large number of triple-oar warships with the help of the Raven Warship. There were Syracuse and Tarantum, and they were fully docked in the military port at Krati River. However, they did not have enough sailors, but Ligur, whose territory had not been damaged, had enough sailors to ensure the normal use of the 30 warships.
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"Also, tell Midolades to strengthen the blockade on the port tonight!" Obviously, Devers had heard Tormid's words.
After sending Tormid away, Henepolis was still confused. "Your Majesty, will Dionysius really abandon the troops here and escape back to Syracuse alone?"
Devers thought about it and said slowly, "It's possible. Some people live for everyone, and some live only for themselves. Judging from Dionysius's past performance, he cares more about his own power. "
"If Dionysius really escapes back, will the First Legion be in danger?" Henepolis asked worriedly.
"Arisdras sent his younger brother to the southeast of Sicily half a year ago. They are originally from Katanae. As far as I know, Katanae, Leontini, Siculi, Taunis, and even Syracuse now have a large number of helpers that they have developed. Dionysius withdrew his army and attacked Greece, which provided them with an opportunity. Now, with the help of the First Legion, Sicily will definitely be in turmoil. Even if Dionysius escapes back, he will not be able to command his allies as he did before the war … "
Devers said it casually. Although he was well aware of some of Antraporis's deployments in Sicily, the two places were still a little far apart. The news that came often had to be delayed by two days. The development of things was difficult for him to control. Therefore, when he sent the First Legion, he had already prepared for the worst. The First Legion would cause some trouble in Sicily and then be completely annihilated.
However, as long as it could shake the city-states in Sicily, trigger the resistance of the Greek people in Sicily against Syracuse, and destroy the war potential of Syracuse, this sacrifice was worth it! Devers could only bury this superior mentality of treating the First Legion as an abandoned pawn in his heart. He could not say it out loud.
Seeing that Henepolis was deep in thought, Devers walked to the desk full of letters and documents. Not only did he have to command the battle and deal with military affairs, but he also had to deal with the government affairs in the territory of Diónia. Every day, there would be unresolved issues in the Senate. Letters of important government affairs would be written by Cunogorata and Cornelus. They would be sent to the main camp by messengers on horseback for him to make decisions and reply before they would be sent back to Turií. Therefore, messengers in special attire could frequently be seen galloping back and forth on the main road every day.
Devers saw an unopened letter in the middle of the desk and asked in confusion, "When was this letter sent?"
"Oh!" Henepolis then remembered, "It was sent at noon. It said it was a very important matter! But you were commanding the battle at that time, so I wanted to wait for a while … In the end, I forgot … "
Devers looked at Henepolis, who was bowing his head in apology, feeling annoyed and amused at the same time. He pretended to be strict and said, "You are not qualified as a clerk. You cannot make such a mistake next time!"
"Your Majesty, I will not make it again!" Henepolis nodded repeatedly.
Devers unrolled the roll of paper. Under the flickering oil lamp, his expression became solemn.
"Your Majesty, what happened?" Henepolis asked hurriedly.
Devers tapped the desk with his left hand and muttered, "The Mesapi and Puchetti people have invaded Tarantum."
"Ah … They tore up the truce agreement!" Henepolis exclaimed.
"If the agreement is not supported by power, it is just a piece of waste paper." Devers said disapprovingly and coldly, "Tarantum tore up the alliance because we were invaded by the Syracuse army. Now, the Mesapi and Puchetti people will be greedy because the main forces of Tarantum have been captured by us. This is the retribution of the Goddess of Vengeance."
"But Tarantum is not our Diónia. Can they stop the attack of the Mesapi and Puchetti coalition forces?" Henepolis asked. Although his request to "merge Laos into Diónia" had not been submitted to the Senate, he had already regarded himself as a citizen of Diónia in his heart. Therefore, he was not worried about Tarantum, but about the impact of Tarantum on the Diónia Alliance after Tarantum was captured.
"Of course they can't stop it. This time, the Mesapi coalition forces have 30,000 people. I'm afraid Tarantum doesn't even have 3,000 militia of the right age." Devers tapped the letter with his finger, and his eyes flashed with a strange light. "Therefore, the Senate of Tarantum urgently sent an emissary, Polydorus, to Turií, hoping that we can release the more than 10,000 Tarantum captives. For this, Tarantum is willing to join our Diónia Alliance."
After listening to the Devers' words, Henepolis' eyes widened, and his face was filled with shock. Unlike Heraclea and Metapontum, this was Tarantum! In Greece, the strength of the traditional strong state was no weaker than Crotone! Although there were some alliances in the Diónia Alliance with a long history, there was no real major city like Locri or Crotone that joined it. (Although Lijim joined the Diónia Alliance, because Diónia was not very strong at the time, it was more like an equal alliance with Diónia rather than a subsidiary.) If Tarantum joined the alliance, it would undoubtedly greatly enhance the status of the Diónia Alliance among the Greek city-states.
"Henri, how do you think we should respond to this request from Tarantum?" The Devers' question brought Henepolis back to his senses. He immediately said excitedly, "Agree to it! Of course, agree to Tarantum! "
"Oh!" The Devers sat on the wooden chair and looked at the excited Henepolis. He said playfully, "Are we going to forgive Tarantum so easily? Forgive it for colluding with Syracuse, betraying our sacred covenant, wantonly attacking our allies, trampling on our territory, and killing our citizens?! I'm afraid our people would rather see Tarantum being conquered by the Mesapi and Puchetti to eliminate the hatred in their hearts! "
"But … But if we agree to Tarantum's request, our strength will be enhanced!" Helipolis retorted, unconvinced.
"It's just a subsidiary. It can neither increase taxes for the alliance nor send its main force to participate in the war wholeheartedly. When we are in trouble, not only can it not provide too much help, but it may also withdraw from the alliance at any time. On the contrary, when it is in a disaster, we have to save it according to the covenant. Just like Heraclea and Metapontum in this war, Heraclea and Metapontum are good examples." The Devers said disapprovingly. It was apparent that he was not confused by Tarantum's seemingly beneficial suggestion.
After listening to the Devers' words, the excited Henepolis gradually calmed down. He thought for a moment and asked, "Your Majesty, are you going to reject Tarantum's request? Let Tarantum be conquered by the natives? "
"No, if Tarantum is conquered by the Mesapi coalition, Metapontum and Heraclea will be in danger. Besides, Turií's defenses are weak now. I don't want to see the land of Amendola invaded by the enemy again!" The Devers sighed helplessly and said with a complicated expression, "It's just that Tarantum's request didn't meet my expectations."
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