Chapter 571
But before Okridon could finish, Martius said again, "Your Majesty, I have a few more letters here, sent along with the battle report."
"Why didn't you say so earlier? Show me!" The Devers pretended to be angry and criticized. He pretended to read the letters, then said to Okridon, who was looking around, "These are letters from Taunis, Leontini, Siculi, and other city-states asking for an alliance."
Okridon's hands trembled as he took the letters. After reading the first and second letters, he was no longer in the mood to read anymore. Of course, he could see that these letters were real. He could tell from one point alone: there were many names written at the end of the text, and there were even handprints and graffiti.
He could imagine that, among the leaders of a city-state insurrection, there might be the citizens of the upper classes, with their elegant handwriting, and the commoners, who could not read, with their crooked handwriting, and the freedmen, or the slaves, who could not read, of course, could only scribble with their hands. These rioters had just driven away the forces of Dionysius, and they wrote letters in such a hurry. Perhaps it was not only to get the military protection of Diónia, but also to get the support of Diónia in the subsequent city-state election, so that they could fight for more benefits for the group they represented.
If the distraught Okridon took the time to read these letters, he would find that there was no letter from Katanai.
In fact, there was, but the Devers did not take it out. Katanai's letter was written by Antraporis. In the letter, he emphasized that the people and free people of Katanai, and even a small number of slaves, after many exchanges and persuasions, agreed to let Katanai join the Diónia Alliance.
This was the reason why the Devers did not take out this letter. In addition, there was also a letter from a city-state asking to join the alliance, and that was Naxos. Yes, after the former exiles recaptured their home, they decided to rebuild the city of Naxos and offer it to Diónia.
Both Katanai and Naxos had been destroyed by Dionysius, so the people here knew more deeply than the people of other Sicilian city-states that peace and tranquility were far more important than the seemingly freer but actually dangerous independence. Therefore, under the guidance of Antraporis and his men, they willingly chose to join Diónia, the Greek city-state alliance that could defeat the terrible and powerful Syracuse, so that they would not be homeless in the future.
Okridon handed the letter back to the Devers absent-mindedly. At the same time, he tried to persuade the Devers, "King Devers, even if Diónia defeats Syracuse and obtains the final victory, your priority should be … should be to restore Greece to its former prosperity. The relationship between the various city-states of Sicily is complicated, and there is also the conflict between the indigenous Sikells and the Greeks. If Diónia rashly intervenes in this island that is completely unfamiliar to you, it will easily be involved in the conflict between the various city-states. It will instead drag down the development of Diónia … "
"Thank you for your concern and reminder, Lord Okridon." The Devers smiled and asked, "In Syracuse's invasion of Greece, there are citizens from Leotini, Taunis, Katanai, Sicily, and other city-states. If Diónia rejects these city-states to join the alliance, what do you think they will do?"
Okridon was stunned. Before he could answer, Henepolis interrupted, "They will definitely suspect that Diónia still hates them for assisting Syracuse in invading Greece. They are worried that we will retaliate against them. Out of fear, they will likely unite with Syracuse again to defend against the possible threat."
"Yes, forming an alliance with a brand new Syracuse without Dionysius will be like pouring wine from a clay jar into an empty jar. The taste will remain the same, and Syracuse will still be the leader of the Greek city-states in Sicily. Is this what Carthage wishes to see?!" the Devers asked again.
Okridon had to admit that this was very likely to happen. He stammered, "You … You can tell these city-states that you have no intention of attacking them. You can also sign … sign a friendship agreement with them …"
The Devers chuckled and leaned back in his chair. He said slowly, "Lord Okridon, has Carthage ever taken the initiative to sign a friendship agreement with the neighboring Phoenician city-states?"
Okridon was stunned, but he immediately understood the Devers' intention. A lion would never care about the feelings of a cow or sheep. A big city-state had its own dignity. It was always the smaller city-states that took the initiative to please the bigger ones to ensure their safety. After defeating Syracuse, Diónia was already a powerful city-state. Of course, they would not do something so foolish as to lower their own status.
Okridon felt his face burning. The Devers continued, "In addition, Syracuse's strength far exceeds the other city-states in Sicily, including the city-states that are affiliated with Carthage. No matter what kind of government Syracuse is, or who is in charge, as time goes by, it will naturally attract the surrounding city-states to its side. By then, the people of Syracuse will still be a threat to Greece and Carthage! Therefore, Catanea, Leontini … These city-states have requested to form an alliance with Diónia. This will allow the central area of the east coast of Sicily closest to Greece to escape from Syracuse's sphere of influence. It will become the southern security barrier of Greece. If Syracuse wants to invade Greece, it must first conquer the area to the north of Syracuse. Then, the war will start there, and it will no longer cause damage to Greece! Therefore, we, Diónia, will agree to their request no matter what and form a solid alliance with them! "
Okridon listened to the Devers' firm words and suddenly realized a problem. "Does Diónia not intend to destroy Syracuse?"
"Destroy Syracuse?" As if he had heard a joke, the Devers said, "It's something that even Carthage can't do. How can the scarred Diónia do it? We're just doing what we can to ensure the safety of Greece and weaken the power of Syracuse. "
After listening to the Devers' reply, Okridon was a little tempted, but also a little regretful. He was also a little uneasy about Diónia's insistence on accepting the Sicilian city-states. This was the first time in hundreds of years that a foreign power had set foot in Sicily! The invasion of Athens during the Peloponnesus War did not count. After all, it was too far away. But it was different for Greece, which was only separated by a strait of a few miles …
"Sir Okridon, do you know what kind of geometry is the most stable?" the Devers suddenly asked.
Geometry, which was once developed to calculate the area of land, was highly respected by Greek scholars who liked to study natural science. Some Athens scholars once claimed that geometry was the foundation of all knowledge!
"What?" Okridon snapped out of his daze. He did not expect the Devers to ask such an irrelevant question.
"It's a triangle." The Devers went straight to the point. "Why do Carthage and Syracuse keep fighting in Sicily? Because they are the only two powerful forces in Sicily. "
The Devers stretched out two fingers. "As long as they come into contact with each other, a war will inevitably break out due to the conflict of interests. There is no room for negotiation. But if Diónia joins — "The Devers raised another finger, forming a triangle." The three forces will restrain each other and reach a long-term peace! Because if one party wants to wage war against another, it will have to consider the third party's threat. "
Okridon stared at his finger and hesitated for a moment before saying, "It's also possible that two forces will join forces to attack one."
The Devers smiled. "This war has turned Diónia and Syracuse into enemies. It's impossible for them to join forces to attack Carthage. Do you think that's right?"
Okridon did not speak, but he was thinking. Syracuse burned Crotone, massacred Syracuse, and destroyed Diónia's territory. That's why the Greeks hate them! That's why Diónia sold the captured citizens of Syracuse to Carthage. If the people of Syracuse knew about this, they would never forgive Diónia …
"Will Carthage join forces with Syracuse to attack Diónia?"
Okridon shook his head. The decades of war had caused the hatred between the two states to run too deep.
"Diónia wants to join forces with Carthage to destroy Syracuse, but it's impossible under the current circumstances. After a few decades, perhaps the two forces will join forces, but the distribution of benefits will not be equal. There will always be a third party who will find a loophole and break the alliance. Therefore, peace in Sicily can be guaranteed for a longer period of time. This guarantee is in line with the interests of Carthage. Am I right, Lord Okridon? "The Devers said gently.
Okridon felt that what the Devers said made sense. However, such an important matter was beyond the scope of his mission, so he remained silent.
However, the Devers did not intend to let it go. "Henny, go get the map."
Henepolis placed the map of Sicily on the wooden table. The Devers picked up a pen and said, "I think the area west of Palermos and Serinus is under Carthage's control."
As he said this, he "cut" a large western corner of Sicily. He then said, "The area south of Syracuse to the north of Camanlina is under Syracuse's control."
Comments