Chapter 917
"You are willing, but that depends on whether Diónia is willing or not!" Margo sneered. "I don't know much about Diónia, but I do know that they hate breaking agreements. Tarantum had to become a … well, a free city of Diónia. The Samonians are still at war with Diónia. Syracuse took advantage of the time when Diónia was fighting Carthage to secretly occupy Camanlina and Paccinus. I don't think Diónia will forget this! Even if they can't deal with you because of our attack, they will retaliate against you in the future! "
Teagenis was stunned. He quickly explained, "Paccinus and Camanlina are not allies of Diónia, nor have we signed any agreements with them. On the contrary, they have always been allies of Syracuse. We did not occupy them, but merely renewed the agreement."
His tone became tough again. "I believe Diónia will understand what we are doing. Even if they don't understand, we will try our best to become their ally, even if we have to accept some harsh conditions. Because if Carthage wants to destroy Syracuse, we can only choose survival!"
Margo's eyes were wide open. His gaze was as sharp as a spear.
Teagenis stared back at him without hesitation.
The atmosphere in the tent became tense.
After a while, Margo spoke again, "Carthage and Syracuse have been enemies for decades. The hatred is too deep. Just based on the contents of the previous agreement, I can't lead my army to attack Katanai without worry and expose my back to you people of Syracuse."
Margo's words were straightforward, but Teagenis did not know how to respond. While he was considering his words, Margo said impatiently, "If Syracuse wants to form an alliance with Carthage, they must do the following. First, send an army to assist Carthage in fighting Diónia. Second, send a navy to fight Diónia's navy and escort Carthage's transport ships. Third, open the port and allow Carthage's ships to enter. Fourth, allow Carthage's army to station in Syracuse's territory. Fifth, provide Carthage's army with material support … As long as Syracuse can do these things, we, Carthage, will form an alliance with you under Baal Harmon's witness. We will maintain a long-term peace after the war. We will also recognize Camanlina and Paccinus as allies of Syracuse. "
Although Margo's demands were harsh and made Teagenis frown, he could feel Margo's desire to form an alliance with Syracuse. So, he cheered up and started negotiating with Margo.
Margo clearly did not have the patience to do so. He quickly passed the task to Pomilka.
On the second day, the two sides reached an alliance agreement. The agreement stated that Syracuse had to organize an army and attack Diónia from the direction of Taunis. Syracuse's fleet had to attack at the right time and threaten Diónia's ships from Cartagena to the south coast so that they could not easily go to Serinus or the western sea. When Carthage's fleet arrived, they had to cooperate with it. Carthage's army could build camps in Syracuse, but they were not allowed to destroy, loot, or even harm Syracuse's citizens. When Carthage's army encountered supply problems, Syracuse was obliged to provide aid, and Carthage would double the amount of compensation. During the war, neither side of the alliance was allowed to make peace with the enemy. When the war was won, Carthage would allow Taunis, Leontini, Camanlina, and Paccinus to become Syracuse's vassals …
Teagenis's idea was that since they could not avoid a direct battle with Diónia, Syracuse's army would choose to attack from the direction of Taunis. Due to the narrow coast, they could avoid being surrounded and attacked by the Dionysian Army. It was relatively safer. After the war, they gained the two city-states of Taunis and Leontini. This not only expanded Syracuse's sphere of influence, but also placed Syracuse in the center of these city-states. With a buffer zone, they did not have to face the threat of other forces, which made them safer … This agreement basically achieved the goal of the negotiation.
For Margo and Pomirka, the reason why they made some concessions in the negotiation was that even if Carthage drove the Diónia out of Sicily, the Kingdom of Diónia, which occupied the entire southern part of Italy, was still strong and could make a comeback at any time. Moreover, Carthage was far away in Afrika, and sometimes it was beyond their reach. Now that they had Syracuse, which was relatively strong, as an ally, to stand in front and delay Diónia's attack, it would give Carthage more time to prepare.
Before Teagenis left, he suggested to Margo that it would be more conducive to the conclusion of the alliance agreement if Carthage's army pretended to march towards Syracuse.
Margo agreed.
Teagenis returned to Syracuse with the draft alliance agreement. As expected, many members of the council objected. Some even criticized Teagenis: he claimed to restore Syracuse's former glory, but in reality, he had sold out Syracuse's interests to Carthage. This was treason!
Teagenis used today's Sparta as an example to defend himself. He claimed that Sparta and Persia had been enemies for decades, but during the Corinth War, Sparta was able to put down their hatred and form an alliance with Persia. Now that they had become the overlord of Greece, Syracuse could do the same.
Carthage finally agreed to sign the agreement, not only because of Teagenis' defense, but more importantly, because Carthage's army was approaching. However, they still added an additional condition to the agreement: Carthage's army could only enter Syracuse after the autumn harvest.
In fact, it was already September, and there were only a few days left before the harvest. Margo agreed to this additional condition, so he targeted Herna first.
… …
In the Kingdom of Diónia, especially in Greece, the people did not seem to be shrouded in worry and anxiety. On the contrary, as September came, the fields turned golden, and the joy on their faces never faded. The drought last year had made everyone deeply aware of the threat of hunger, so this year's harvest was even more cherished.
From Catania in the south to Lucenia in the north, families, men, women, and children, could be seen harvesting their own wheat fields, singing cheerful songs. Of course, agricultural officials in various cities could also be seen urging the kingdom's slaves to help the families who lacked labor because their masters were away on war expeditions.
While the people of Diónia worked in the fields, the temples of Demeter in various places were at their peak. Every day, people came to worship from morning till night, to thank the Earth Goddess for her blessings.
September was not only a time of harvest for wheat, but also ripe fruits, especially olives, which were extremely important to the Greeks. Many hills were also bustling with activity. People used long wooden poles to knock on the olive trees that were full of fruit. The olives fell like raindrops, then were picked up into wooden baskets and sent to the oil presses, or placed under the sun to dry …
At this time, the number of sacrifices to Athens increased.
The joy of the people naturally affected the elders of the kingdom. Since the drought and the outbreak of war, the food problem that had been plaguing them had finally been alleviated. The elders were greatly relieved, so the atmosphere in today's Senate meeting was relatively relaxed.
"We received a letter from His Majesty today, informing us that our army has occupied Antium. The war in Latin will probably end within a month," said Vesba, who was on duty in the middle of the hall with a smile on his face. In the middle of the venue, the rotating chairman, Wesba, said with a smile, "Also, you have all heard that His Majesty does not agree to our proposal to suspend this year's football competition due to the war. He requests that it be held as usual. Does anyone have any objections?"
After a whispered discussion, Cornelus stood up and said, "We originally made this proposal because everyone considered that the kingdom has to deal with three wars at the same time. A large number of citizens have been transferred to fight, and the officials of various cities are also working intensely for these wars. The Kingdom Rugby Finals is a grand celebration. Not only does it require the coordination of various departments and a lot of effort, but it also requires strict security and good order.
Under the current circumstances, everyone is worried that our officials do not have more energy to organize this celebration, and it may even attract hostile countries to cause trouble. The chaos during the Hades celebration more than ten years ago is a lesson learned! "
"Lord Cornelus is right. We are thinking the same thing," some of the Elders immediately agreed.
Cornelus coughed twice and continued, "But His Majesty is thinking long-term. The war has been going on for almost a year, and the war with Carthage will continue. In a state of war for a long time, the people will become more and more anxious and fearful, and eventually become war-weary. This will have a great impact on us trying our best to achieve the final victory. So, at this critical time, a grand celebration can show the people the belief that the kingdom will win, dispel their concerns, and make them more enthusiastic to support this war to determine the hegemony of the western Mediterranean! So, I support His Majesty's decision! "
Looking at Cornelus sitting down shakily, some elders cursed in their hearts, What a slippery old man!
At this time, Scepter Priest Pleasinas stood up and said loudly, "His Majesty's decision is absolutely correct! When you made this proposal before, I did not agree with it. Now, I solemnly repeat that the Kingdom Rugby Finals is not an ordinary game. Since Hades became the patron saint of the Kingdom of Diónia, the Kingdom Rugby Finals has become the most important part of Hades' celebration, and to please this great god. It has never stopped all these years, and the kingdom has never lost in war. This is the result of His Majesty's wisdom and the blessings of Hades. If the game is suddenly stopped this time, once it angers Hades, who will bear the consequences?! "
Ancient Greece, Lord of the Mediterranean
Ancient Greece, Lord of the Mediterranean
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