Mediterranean Hegemon of Ancient Greece

It was only after the ten-year alliance agreement was re-signed that Kerethorpes mentioned in a private conversation with Davos that the Spartan council of elders was concerned about Dionia's frequent wars in Apulia. dissatisfied.

Davos’s response to this was: “The affairs of Apulia belong to the affairs of the Western Mediterranean. According to the covenant, there is absolutely no need for Sparta to worry about it. Even in the later period of the Corinthian War, Thebes and Corinthian messengers have come to plan Like Li, who hoped that Dionysus would intervene in that war to prevent the alien Persians from using Sparta to control Greece, Dionysus strictly obeyed the demands of the covenant and refused their request. Although many Greeks in the kingdom Citizens were very dissatisfied with the fact that the ally Sparta actually succumbed to Persia, the former enemy of Greece, and obeyed the bullshit contract they made, and flooded Mandinia in Sparta, destroyed a Greek city-state by brutal means, and made a The atrocities committed by the Sicilian tyrant Dionysius made the Dionysian people very angry. However, the Dionysian Senate has repeatedly rejected the proposals put forward by many tribunes at the tribune conference at the end of the year.” condemn and punish Sparta.

Dionia has strictly abided by the covenant in the past ten years and respected its ally Sparta. After signing the covenant this year, it will continue to implement it according to the content of the covenant. I hope that the 18th National Congress will also strictly follow the content of the agreement to deal with the relationship between the two countries. Please reconsider and dispose of it, especially on the issue of 'accepting the indigenous people who escaped from Apulia'. Dionia keeps its promises, but also treats city-states that break their promises as enemies...

Davers' remarks made Kerethorpes both ashamed and shocked, and he immediately said solemnly: Your Majesty King Davers, Sparta cherishes the friendship between the two countries, so it will take the initiative to send me to renew the contract. Sparta will continue to abide by the requirements of the Covenant as always, and there will always be peace between the Eastern and Western Mediterranean!  …”

After seeing off Kerisopes, only one day later, Turii welcomed Okriton, the messenger of Carthage.

He came not to renew the contract, but to protest.

The Carthaginians protested that Dionia violated the covenant this time and waged war on Sicily's free force, the Sikelians, and demanded that Dionia immediately stop this stupid act of destroying the peaceful environment of Sicily.

The Dionysian Senate refuted the Carthaginian demands. They presented facts, presented evidence, and reasoned, and told the Carthaginian messengers: It was not Dionysus who wanted to invade the Sikaers, but the West. The Tanikian tribe in the Kyle conspiracy to disturb Dionia and wants to be unfavorable to Dionia. For this reason, Dionia has already tried several Sicilian elders such as Laodician and arrested them at the same time. Many officials of the kingdom have to take revenge on the culprit of this incident. This is the punishment for the Tanikian tribe who took the initiative to provoke Dionia!

Dionia's tough refusal to Carthage's protests thwarted Okleton's return.

……………………………………

After a few days,

In the senate of the city of Carthage, the Carthaginian elders had a heated debate on this matter.

Lord Hanno, now the Dionysians refuse to stop the war against the Sikelians, I don't know what measures you have to deal with this?! Otherwise, if no action is taken, the weak Sikelians will not be able to resist Dai. How many days has the Onia army been here! The elder Pretakuba got up and asked.

Hanno looked coldly at the elder who questioned him. Since Margo was removed from the position of governor of Sicily, he did not return to Carthage, but angrily took some mercenaries to Iberia. The leader of the Margonid family in the senate and even Carthage became. Pretakuba, he is Marco's distant relative, but he is much more cunning than Marco. He has caused some trouble for Hanno to control the Senate in recent years.

There was no need for Hanno to answer, and another elected Sophie Pantilak had already taken over the conversation and said, This matter was caused by the Tanikian tribe of Sikel provoked Dionia first, Dio It is understandable that Dionia punishes him. What we should do now is to constantly monitor this war and prevent Dionia from taking this opportunity to expand it and damage our Carthaginian interests.”

Oh, you just gave up the Sikelians with such a simple sentence! I still remember that it was the suggestion that you, Lord Hanno, 'support the unification of the Sikelians' by Tanigan! Santipur, a Margonidian senator, immediately made a sarcastic statement.

Hanno looked at him unhappily.

Okleton immediately refuted: You are really good at forgetting! At the beginning, the Tanikians came to Carthage in the name of 'the former allies who fought alongside Himilko', and the first thing they found was you , is also the first suggestion you put forward in the Senate to 'help the Tarnians', and Lord Hanno is just following your wishes, hoping that the actions of the Tarnians can better control Sicily for Carthage. Provide help, but I didn't expect that they would dare to provoke Dionia, and I didn't expect that you, who had the support of Lord Hanno at the beginning, are now falsely accusing Lord Hanno! , In order to win over the Sikelians to deal with the Syracuses together, he built the Tauromenion fortress and gave it to the Sikels, so he and the king of Sikels, Agilis, who is the leader of Tarekan, Ako Nice's father formed an alliance, but when Similco was defeated and committed suicide, when Dionysius counterattacked Carthage's forces in Sicily, Argyles fell to Syracuse, and was eventually killed by Dionysius murder.)

Pretakuba immediately changed the subject and put on a worried look: Master Hanno, Syracuse has lost a lot of strength in the past few years. Most of the Greek city-states in Sicily are friendly with Dionia. They not only often send The messengers attended various celebrations in Dionia, and some even sent teams to participate in the football game in Dionia. Now let Dionia control the Sikers, then the situation in Sicily has returned. In the time of Dionysius, this was very bad for Carthage!

Hanno looked at him coldly, and suddenly said: Lord Pretakuba, given the current situation in Sicily, what is your suggestion? Continue to use gold, silver and supplies to support a Sikai tribe that is about to be destroyed?! Or send the army to support the Sikelians?!

Since Dionia refuses to truce, of course we only have to send troops to make them realize that Carthage will never only protest with words, we are serious! The elder Santipur said in a stern tone.

The elders were in an uproar.

That means war! Pantilak warned loudly.

Since Dionia recklessly expands his power in Sicily and refuses to obey the warnings of our Carthage, then show them the war! Santipur waved his fists vigorously.

Many elders exclaimed, and the voice of controversy suddenly rose.

Hanno felt vigilant in his heart, and he immediately realized that this was definitely the idea of ​​the Margonid family patriarch who was thousands of miles away. He wanted to provoke a war between Dionia and Carthage for the sake of Return to Carthage yourself and take control of the political situation to provide a good opportunity!

Thinking of this, Hanno stood up abruptly and shouted loudly: Would Carthage want to tear up the covenant and intervene in this war where Dionia punished the Sikelians, and a battle with Dionia might be protracted and exhausting? Huge war? Now the Senate has voted, agreeing with the proposals of Pretakuba and Santipur, and the elders who sent troops to fight in Sicily, please raise your hand!

Except for the very few elders of the Margonid family who raised their hands, the other elders did not even hesitate.

In the past ten years, the Carthaginians followed Hanno's proposal and turned their target to the inland area south of the Carthaginian territory-Numibia. There are many indigenous tribes in this vast land, but not one A unified country and organization, the Carthaginians controlled most of the land of Numibia by directly sending troops to conquer, bribing with money, dividing and other measures, and Carthage citizens also shared a large amount of inland land. , and hired the Numibians to farm, and the elders of Carthage multiplied their wealth, and also multiplied Hanno's prestige in the city of Carthage. The only concern of the Carthaginians was the occasional revolt of the Numidians, for which several armies of Carthaginian citizens were stationed in rotation in several important strongholds within the territory of Numibia.

Let Carthage go to war with the mighty Dionia, not only the majority of the elders are unwilling, but the citizens of Carthage are also unwilling. Concerned about the increased land harvest in Numibia and the control of the numerous Numibian slaves and Numibian farm laborers.

Hanno looked around at most of the silent elders, and then glanced at the small group of elders who supported the war. He had foreseen such a powerful advantage: if there were no unexpected accidents, the Carthaginians would never be willing to cooperate with them. When Dionia was at war, Margo's conspiracy could not be realized at all. Of course, Magota now occupied that piece of Iberian land, and he also felt a headache when he violated the orders of the Carthaginian Senate.

At this time, Hanno put his hand into his arms, took out a scroll, held it high in his hand, and said loudly: This is a letter written to me by King Dionysus! In the letter, he promised, 'Dionysian Ya has always kept in mind the covenant with Carthage, only punishing the Tanikian tribe, and will never expand the territory of other Sikelians, please rest assured.' In addition, he also asked me to consider the issue of renewing the covenant. Speaking, he handed the letter to the elder next to him to read.

The elders present were obviously relaxed.