Chapter 524: Caulonias Choice

"But now that we are holding Syracuse's huge army in Magna Graecia, and once the news of their navy's and army's disastrous defeat reaches Sicily, it will certainly make those people have different thoughts! Theonia couldn't compare to Syracuse, so even if we completely wiped out their army in Scylletium, they would just need to rest for a few years to restore its strength and pose massive trouble for Theonia again. Therefore, for Theonia's future, we should take advantage of this opportunity now that Syracuse is heavily damaged and destroy its hegemony in Sicily!"

Davos' words significantly moved the strategoi, and while they were pondering, Davos continued to say to Antonios, "I have already sent my men to the eastern part of Sicily to contact those forces in the various city-states who oppose Syracuse, and I believe that the news of Syracuse's army's defeat in Magna Graecia will definitely make them act!

So when you arrive in Sicily, the most important thing you do is not to wipe out how many enemies but to contact those dissatisfied with Syracuse, overthrow the tyrants of those city-states, and have them break away from the Sicilian Alliance under the leadership of Syracuse, and finally isolate Syracuse!..."

Davos' words elated Antonios, who finally understood that Davos sent him as the expedition commander to Sicily because he was the most friendly among the several legatus.

When Henipolis unfolded the map of Sicily on the grass, everyone gathered around him.

Davos then asked, "Legatus Antonios, where do you think is the best place for the first legion to land in Sicily?"

Although this was a test for Antonios, the others are also staring at the map and thinking. But unlike Davos, who considered things more comprehensive and long-term, they were only familiar with Magna Graecia and were unaware of Sicily.

Antonios squatted on the ground as he stared at the map, which was still unfamiliar to him, trying to remember every city, every river, and every mountain range marked on it. Then his gaze moved northward from Syracuse, Tauromenium, Leontinoi, Catania, Naxos, and finally stopping at the corner only one strait away from Rhegium...

. . . . . . . . . . . . .

At dusk, the city of Caulonia suddenly became lively with the return of the more than 2,000 soldiers who the Syracusans forced to follow them.

The people then embraced their loved ones, looking for warmth and thanking the Theonians for their kindness; Those who had lost their loved ones wept and cursed the Syracusans for bringing them disaster; Those whose loved ones were trapped in Scylletium were worried and prayed to Apollo to keep them safe in the ensuing battle.

At this time, in the council of Caulonia, its members argued over a letter brought back by the soldiers.

Polemarchos Phlarinus finally could no longer endure and stood up as he loudly said, "Citizens of Caulonia, we are now facing the survival or death of Caulonia. If you are still thinking of delaying and not giving a clear answer to the South Italian Alliance, Caulonia will be in danger!"

His statement reduced the quarrelling in the city hall. Then someone stood up and retorted with dissatisfaction, "Lord Phlarinus, you are saying the opposite! With Theonia defeating Syracuse and besieging them in Scylletium, we are now completely safe and out of danger of being killed and plundered by the Syracusans!"

"Completely safe?!" Phlarinus sneered, looked at the others, and shouted, "Is that what you all think?!"

"Of course not!" A man stood up, and Phlarinus recognised him as Eulipatos.

"I agree with you about Caulonia being in danger! Everyone, while listening to the letter from archon Davos of Theonia, did you notice what it said? '...After repeated discussions with the strategoi of Crotone and Terina, we unanimously agreed that we would send back the more than two thousand Caulonian soldiers we captured in the battle with the Syracusans and in the battle to take Terina home....'

You might have only seen Theonia's kindness for safely returning our soldiers, but you didn't understand the sentence 'repeated discussion' in the letter? What does this mean?" Eulipatos increased his tone and said, "It shows that the Crotonians, Terinians, and even some Theonians are unhappy with us sending our troops to join the Syracusans! Participating in defending Terina, capturing Crotone, fighting the Theonians, all of these actions we took have made them upset!"

"But we were forced!" Someone in the crowd shouted, "If we didn't participate, Caulonia would suffer the same fate as Scylletium!"

"That's right! As Caulonia's ally for many years, they should have understood that we had no choice but to make this decision!" Then the people in the city hall shouted in agreement.

"They understand it; that's why they released our citizens. It is also why we now have to respond to Theonia's goodwill!" Eulipatos then solemnly said, "Don't forget what Davos said at the end of the letter, 'Having won the battle against Syracuse, the South Italian Alliance is now making every effort to fight back and completely wipe out the Syracusans and their allies, the Locrian Alliance! Therefore, I hope that Caulonia will seriously consider returning to the South Italian Alliance, take up your shield and spears, and join us in resisting the invaders. Everyone in the South Italian Alliance is eagerly awaiting your answer!...'

Everyone, is this archon Davos of Theonia's request? No! That is his warning to Caulonia! It is the ultimatum given to us by the South Italian Alliance! If we don't make a clear statement on this, the South Italian Alliance will regard Caulonia as an ally of Syracuse and Locri. Maybe in a few days, the South Italian Alliance will no longer send their messengers but their army!"

The place suddenly became quieter. However, some still objected, "Eulipatos, it's not that we don't want to fight Syracuse. But don't forget that we still have a thousand soldiers in Scylletium! Once Dionysius learned about Caulonia's betrayal, his cruel personality will make sure our comrades die miserably in his hands! Then who would dare bear this responsibility and face the wrath of the families of the deceased?!"

"That's right! It's not that we don't want to go to war with the Syracusans who oppress us, but we need to be careful as it's the lives of our citizens at stake! At least compared to the vicious Syracusans, we have been allies with Crotone and Terina for decades while Theonia is known for their generosity and magnanimity, so they should forgive our hesitation!" The others in the city hall echoed.

Phlarinus could no longer endure as he shouted again, "Everyone, you think too well of our former allies! The people of Scylletium were slaughtered! Terina was captured, and its people were displaced! The city of Crotone was burnt down, and half of its people were killed and wounded! Even Theonia Union has lost no less than 10,000 people, and the places outside Krimisa and Aprustum became ruins! Compared to them, even if we add the loss of these 1,000 soldiers, Caulonia's loss is still relatively minor!"

"Lord Phlarinus, what do you mean by those words?! Don't the lives of our 1,000 soldiers matter?!" Someone immediately asked.

"The South Italian Alliance will not think they matter! The only thing they think is that we have paid too little sacrifice. Although our soldiers were forced, don't forget that we have invaded their territories and attacked their cities. If we regard their last kindness as their tolerance for us and don't make a quick decision, the anger and jealousy they feel will grow like weeds and urge them to list Caulonia as an object they must destroy like Syracuse and Locri! By then, who else can Caulonia rely on?! Syracuse? We all know very well that if they won this war, Syracuse would only support Locri in annexing us! In this war that involved all the city-states of Magna Graecia, we could only either fight and survive or fight and perish! No city-state will be able to survive without fighting!! Everyone, I am willing to take on the responsibility of facing the people's wrath and be the first to vote for Caulonia to rejoin the South Italian Alliance and declare war on Syracuse and Locri, so decide Caulonia's fate!!!"

Silence shrouded the room as Phlarinus' heavy speech moved everyone present and prompted them to weigh the gains and losses more deeply.

"I am willing to be the second to support Caulonia's declaration of war against Syracuse!" Eulipatos stood up.

Then a third...

In the end, the council passed the "declaration of war against Syracuse" by a narrow margin. Then in the emergency ecclesia, many citizens expressed strong opposition. Some had even rushed to the stage to beat Phlarinus, but the more than 2,000 citizens that Theonia returned had played a significant role, allowing Caulonia to rejoin the South Italian Alliance.

. . . . . . . . . . . . .

After the Locrian army repelled the Rhegian's attack on Medma, Locri's 15,000 soldiers stayed and guarded Medma.

When Theophantes, the leading strategos, received the news of "Syracuse's victory in the north", he eagerly wanted to lead his army into Theonia's territory with the Syracusans and defeat the Theonian army to wash away his shame of being forced to retreat by the Theonians without fighting them in Crotone.