ancient greece mediterranean ruler

Chapter 1202 Governor of Phrygia

Chapter 1202 Governor of Phrygia
The admiral who was expelled by the Athenian people was able to be reused in Phrygia not only because of his talent in naval warfare, but also because he was a good friend of Ariobazenis, the governor of Phrygia.

How could a down-and-out Athenian become friends with a respected Persian governor?

The reason goes back decades ago. After the Peloponnesian War, Konon, the famous Athenian naval admiral, fled to Persia and settled down under the courtesy of Cyrus the Younger, the military commander of western Asia Minor at the time. He had close contacts with the Persian nobles, which laid the foundation for him to later serve as commander of the Persian fleet in Asia Minor.

And his son Timotheus also made friends with many young Persian nobles because he lived in western Asia Minor for many years, and Ariobazenis was one of them.After Timotheus returned to Athens, the two parties were still in constant contact. This time he was driven out of Athens, and his first thought was to seek refuge with his friend who had become the governor.

Ario Barzenis was happy for the arrival of his friend. He also knew his friend's abilities very well, and he was very bold in promoting him to fleet commander after only half a year.

Today, Ariobazenis sent someone to inform Timothy that he had something important to discuss with him.Although the messenger did not tell Timothy what important matter it was, he had a premonition that the matter he had been requesting might have a result, so he rode a horse to the Phrygian Governor's Palace with some anxiety.

The residence of Ariobazenis was in the central town of Phrygia - Gerdium on the right bank of the Sakarya River. Timotheus broke three horses and finally arrived there at dusk on the fifth day.

Ariobazenis, who had been notified by the messenger, went out to greet him in person, and said seriously: "Timotheus, I am so sorry! I have just punished the messenger who brought you severely. He did not fully understand my order. I didn’t explain it clearly to you. In fact, the matter was not urgent, but it ended up making you rush all the way with almost no rest. If something happened to you on the road, I would be very guilty and uneasy. Fortunately, God Mazda protects you. !”

Timothy was a little touched by Ariobazenis' concern, and he hurriedly saluted and said: "My Lord Governor——"

Alio Barzenis immediately interrupted him with an unhappy look on his face: "Hey, how come you changed my name after we haven't seen each other for a few months! You are my friend first, and then you are my subordinate for the time being. I hope this friendship lasts, so you’d better call me like you always do.”

For the Athenians who didn't like to grovel, this was exactly what Timothy wanted, and he immediately changed his mind: "Alio, I wonder why you called me here this time?"

Aliobazenis laughed, took his arm, welcomed him into the mansion, and said at the same time: "Although the messenger made a mistake, I am very happy to see you so soon! You must have come all the way. We are tired and hungry. Let’s take a bath first and then have a meal together. Let’s talk while eating.”

Under the service of the maid, Timothy finished his bath, and during the meal he briefly talked to Ariobazenis about his takeover of the Phrygian fleet.

After Ariobazenis listened carefully, he expressed his satisfaction with Timothy's actions in Aspendus, and then turned to mention some interesting things about the relationship between the two when they were young.

Timothy also interrupted from time to time. Although he was the only two other people in the restaurant besides five or six maids, the whole atmosphere seemed quite lively.

After three rounds of wine and five dishes, Ariobazenis said seriously: "Timotheus, you told me last time that you hoped to lead a fleet to support Athens and fight against the Dionysian navy. Combat... I can't promise you this matter."

When Timothy heard this, he felt disappointed. Although he did not show this emotion, he remained silent for a moment.

Ariobazenis saw this, and calmly took out a letter from his arms, handed it to him and said, "Look at this first."

Timothy took the letter in confusion, opened it, and soon his expression changed: "The King of Persia wants to attack Egypt, and asked you to provide troops and baggage, and also named me to lead the fleet to Tire?!"

Ariobazenis sighed: "When you made this request to me before, the reason why I have been hesitant is not because I am stingy, but because the Persian King is planning to attack Egypt. If I agree to you at this time The fleet was sent to Athens at the request of the king. After the king knew about this, with his suspicious and vindictive temperament, I was afraid that I was unwilling to provide him with military support and deliberately made such an excuse in advance. I'm afraid it won't make it easy for me...

well!Ever since the defeat of His Highness Cyrus, that great king has had a strong opinion of us in Asia Minor...Sparta invaded our land. Not only did he not provide help, but in the end he supported Sparta's rule over Greece...After that Of the several wars that have occurred in the country, we in Asia Minor have contributed the most, and of course the losses have been the greatest..."

When Timothy heard these words, not only did his dissatisfaction disappear, but he also felt guilty. He said sincerely: "Ario, I was expelled from Athens. You not only took me in, but also entrusted me with important tasks. I am very grateful." I shouldn't have made such a request to embarrass you, this is my fault!"

Ariobazenis shook his head and said helplessly: "Athens expelled you, and you still want to help Athens. This makes me admire you very much! It's just unfortunate that the two things came together, otherwise Fanaba Lord Zos could do that back then (Phanabazus, in order to retaliate against Agesilaus for ravaging western Asia Minor, persuaded the governors of Asia Minor to allow Conon to lead the combined fleet of western Asia Minor to attack Sparta, and finally acquiesced to Conon. (Nong privately incorporated these warships into Athens), with your friendship, I will provide you with more support!"

Timothy could only lament his bad luck. He was silent for a moment, took a sip of wine, and then asked doubtfully: "I have never met the King of Persia, why did he specifically mention it in the letter? I?"

Ariobazenis smiled and said: "Timotheus, you underestimate yourself. You performed well in the war against Sparta, and you have proved to the world that you are as talented as your father. I think the great king who has been paying attention to the Greek war must have known your name because of this. You must know that although we are powerful in Persia, we lack a good naval commander, otherwise we would not have been in the same position as Greece in the past. They failed many times in naval battles. Although Egypt’s navy is not strong, but——”

Aliobazenis sneered: "But the king has suffered defeats in several previous wars. This time he personally crusades against Egypt. He will never allow himself to fail again, so of course he wants to choose a A good naval admiral will provide him with assistance... No matter what, this is a good thing for you. If you can get the appreciation of that king, you might be able to ask him to lead the entire Persian navy to rescue Greece, and at the same time Battle of Dionia.”

Timothy's heart moved, and at that moment he had decided to go to Tire.

Ariobazenis obviously saw what he was thinking, and then said: "Timotheus, if you agree to accept the invitation of the great king, can you do me two small favors?"

"Alio, you are so kind. Ever since I left Athens and came to Phrygia, you have always taken good care of me. I am worried that I will not have the chance to repay you, let alone two, even 100, as long as I can do it , I will do my best to help you!"

"Okay, then let me tell you the truth! I spent several years of Phrygian taxes to barely build such a fleet. If you are reused by that great king, I hope you can do your best in the battle with Egypt. Protect these ships of mine."

Timothy replied simply: "Don't worry, I will try my best to do it!"

"The second favor is... after you join the king's command and participate in the battle against Egypt, can you... regularly write to me in detail about the movements of the entire army? You know... well, Frisia and Egypt There is a lot of trade, and I need to make some decisions based on the development of the war. Let the Frisian merchants who are still in some towns in Egypt either evacuate as soon as possible, or simply take advantage of the opportunity to seize some important supplies and minerals there... "

Timothy hesitated for a moment, then responded: "I will write to you, but after arriving in Phoenicia, I may be mainly responsible for the navy, and I may not be very clear about the future trends of the King of Persia's army..."

"Just do your best!" Alio Barzenis smiled and raised his glass: "Let's drink and wish you all the best in the next battle!"

Late at night, Aliobazenis's trusted servant, who had disappeared for some time, quietly returned to the Governor's Mansion.

Ario Barzenis summoned him alone in his study.

"Master, 15 days ago I arrived at Samalla in Cappadescia. The Governor secretly received me. I showed him both the letter you wrote and the letter written by the Egyptian Pharaoh. It was his reply."

Ario Barzenis quickly took the letter and looked happy after reading it.

Although the trusted servant was curious, he knew enough not to ask.

However, Ariobazenis couldn't help but say: "Stridatus not only agreed to my suggestion and decided to accept the Egyptian Pharaoh's plan and join hands with everyone, but he also offered to persuade Pafra Governor of Goni, Lycaonia, Armenia and several other regions.”

"Master, if you contact too many people, it will be difficult to keep it secret!" the confidant reminded worriedly.

(End of this chapter)

Tap the screen to use advanced tools Tip: You can use left and right keyboard keys to browse between chapters.

You'll Also Like