ancient greece mediterranean ruler

Chapter 567 Division of Powers
But before Okriton finished speaking, Martius said again: "Your Majesty, I have a few letters here, which were sent together with the battle report."

"Why didn't you tell me earlier? Show it to me quickly!" Davos criticized him pretending to be angry, pretending to read the letters, and then said to Okriton who was looking around: "This is Taunis, Lieutenant Colonel Letters from Ottini, Sikuli... and other city-states requesting alliances."

Okriton took the letters with shaking hands. After reading the first and second letters, he was no longer in the mood to read any more.Of course he could tell that these letters were genuine, and it could be shown by just one point: from the signature at the end of the text, there were many names written in disorder, and there were even handprints and graffiti.

He could imagine that among the leaders of a city-state rebellion, there were upper-class citizens, whose handwriting was elegant; there were also ordinary civilians, whose poorly literate handwriting was crooked; there might also be freedmen or slaves, Of course they can only doodle as they are illiterate.These mobs had just driven away the forces of Dionysius, and they wrote in such a hurry. I am afraid that they not only want to get the protection of Dionysus by force, but also want to get Dionysus in the subsequent city-state elections. support and win more benefits for the group they represent.

Had the distraught Okriton taken the time to read through the letters, he would have discovered that there was no letter from Katanay.

In fact, there was, but Davers didn't take it out.Catanai's letter was written by Antrapolis. In the letter, he emphatically wrote: Catanai's people, free people, and even a small number of slaves, under his repeated communication and persuasion, Agree to merge Catanai into the Dionian Alliance...

This is why Davos did not take out the letter.In addition, there is a letter from another city-state also asking to join the alliance, that is Naxos.Yes, after retaking their homeland, the former exiles decided to rebuild the city of Naxos and dedicate it to Dionia.

The two cities of Catanai and Naxos were both destroyed by Dionysius, so the people here know more deeply than the people of other Sicilian city-states that peace and tranquility are far more free than that, but are actually full of dangers. Independence is more important, so under the guidance of Antrapolis and his men, they will willingly choose to join Dionia, the Greek city-state alliance that can defeat the terrifying and powerful Syracuse, allowing them to No more displacement in the future.

Okriton handed the letter back to Davos in a daze, and at the same time persuaded him with insufficient confidence: "King Davos, even if Dionia defeated Syracuse and won the final victory, your The first priority should be... it should be to restore Magna Greece to its previous prosperity. The relationships between the various city-states in Sicily are complicated, and there are also conflicts between the local indigenous Sikelians and the Greeks. Dionia rashly intervened This island, which is completely unfamiliar to you, can easily be involved in the quagmire of conflict between various city-state forces, which will instead drag down the development of Dionia..."

"Thank you Lord Okriton for your concern and reminder." Davos smiled slightly and asked: "Among Syracuse's army that invaded Magna Greece, there were people from Leothys, Taunis, Catanai, Si Citizens of Kuli and other city-states, if Dionia refuses these city-states to join the alliance, what do you think they will do?”

Okriton was stunned, and before he could answer, Henipolis next to him interjected: "They will definitely suspect that Dionia still hates them for assisting Syracuse in invading Magna Greece, and is worried that we will retaliate. They, they, out of panic, would probably re-unite with Syracuse in order to ward off the threat that might come.”

"Yes, forming an alliance with a new Syracuse, without the tyrant Dionysius, is like pouring wine from a clay pot into another empty pot. In fact, the taste remains the same, and the results remain the same. Even Syracuse is still the leader of the Greek city-state in Sicily. Is this what Carthage wants to see?!" Davos asked again.

Okriton had to admit in his heart that this situation was very likely to happen, and he said steadily: "You... you can tell these city-states that you have no intention of attacking them, and you can also sign... a friendship agreement with them …”

Davos chuckled lightly, leaned back on the chair, and said slowly: "Lord Okriton, has Carthage ever taken the initiative to sign a treaty of friendship with the neighboring small city-state of Phoenicia?"

Okriton was stunned, and then understood what Daves meant: Lions never care about the feelings of cattle and sheep. Big countries have their own majesty. It is always the small countries who take the initiative to please the big gangs to ensure their safety and defeat the tin. Lacusa's Dionia is already a powerful country with a reputation far and wide, and of course it will not do such a stupid thing to lose its value.

Okriton felt his face heat up and heard Davos say: "In addition, Syracuse's strength far exceeds that of other city-states in Sicily, including the city-states affiliated with Carthage. Regardless of whether Syracuse is What kind of government system and who is in charge? As time goes by, it will naturally attract surrounding city-states to move closer to it. By then, the Syracuseans will still be a threat to Magna Graecia and Carthage! Therefore, Catanai , Leotini...these city-states' request to form an alliance with Dionia can just make the central area of ​​Sicily's east coast closest to Magna Graecia break away from Syracuse's sphere of influence. It is called the southern security barrier of Magna Graecia. If Syracuse wants to invade Magna Graecia, it must first conquer the area to the north of it. Then the war will start there without causing damage to Magna Graecia! Therefore, we Dionia will do it anyway Agree to their demands and form a solid alliance with them!"

Listening to Davos's firm words, Okriton suddenly realized a question: "Does Dionia not intend to destroy Syracuse?"

"Destroy Syracuse?" Davos seemed to have heard a joke and said: "What even Carthage can't do, how can Dionia, who is now scarred, do it! We just In order to ensure the security of Magna Graecia, we only do what we can to weaken the power of Syracuse."

After listening to Davos's answer, Okriton was a little moved and a little regretful, and he was a little uneasy about Dionia's insistence on accepting those Sicilian city-states: this is the first time in hundreds of years that Foreign forces set foot in Sicily!The invasion of Athens during the Peloponnesian War does not count, after all, they are too far apart, but Magna Graecia is different, only separated by a strait of a few miles...

"Lord Okriton, do you know what kind of geometric figures are the most stable?" Davos suddenly asked.

Geometry - this knowledge was once developed to calculate land area. In recent years, it has been highly respected among Greek scholars who like to study natural sciences. Some Athenian scholars once declared: Geometry is the foundation of all knowledge!

"What?" Okriton, who came back to his senses, didn't expect Davos to ask such a nonsensical question, and was stunned again.

"It's a triangle." Davos said straightforwardly: "Why do Carthage and Syracuse keep fighting in Sicily? Because you are the only two powerful forces in Sicily."

Davos stretched out two fingers: "As long as they come together, there will be a war due to conflicts of interest, and there is no room for maneuver. But if Dionia is added -" Davos raised another finger , forming it into a triangle: "The three parties will restrain each other, but they will achieve a long-term peace! Because one party wants to launch a war against the other party, it has to take into account the threat from the third party."

Okriton stared at his finger and said hesitantly after a while: "It is also possible that two forces will join forces to attack one force."

Davos smiled: "This war has made Dionia and Syracuse enemies, and it is impossible to join forces to attack Carthage. Do you think that is right?"

Okriton did not speak, but he was thinking in his heart: Syracuse burned Crotone, massacred Silitium, and destroyed the territory of Dionysia, which really made the Magna Greeks hate them!That’s why Dionia sold some of the captured citizens of Syracuse to our Carthage. If the people of Syracuse knew about this, they would definitely not be able to spare Dionia...

"Will Carthage and Syracuse jointly attack Dionia?"

Okriton shook his head: decades of war have made the hatred between the two city-states too deep.

"Dionia would like to join forces with you Carthage to destroy Syracuse, but the current situation is impossible. And in a few decades, there may be two forces that can unite, but the distribution of benefits will always be If it is uneven, a third party will always find a loophole to break this alliance. Therefore, peace in Sicily can be guaranteed for a longer period of time, and this guarantee is also in the interest of your Carthage. Are you right, Ock? Lord Litton." Davos said in a gentle tone.

From the bottom of his heart, Okriton felt that what Daves said made some sense, but such a major matter was beyond the scope of his mission, so he remained silent.

But Davers obviously didn't intend to just let it go: "Heney, go get the map."

Henipolis placed the map of Sicily on the wooden table, and Davos picked up the pen and said, "I think the west of Palermos and Selinus is your Carthage's sphere of influence."

As he spoke, he "cut off" a large western corner of Sicily with a stroke of his pen, and then he said: "Syracuse's sphere of influence from south to north of Camanlina belongs to Syracuse."

He stretched out his pen and drew again, "cut" a small southeast corner, and finally he said: "Tauromenion, Naxos, Sikuli, Catanai, Leotini, Taunis depend on Dionia." As he spoke, he carefully drew a narrow strip along the east coast of Sicily.

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(End of this chapter)