NOVEL WEB Chapter 198 – The Fall
"So we don't need to worry about Crotone. What we should worry about most is whether Dionia will accept our occupation of Crimisa and become their ally?" This was the question that Cleanno was most concerned about.
"I don't know..." Timatheon thought for a while, still unsure. "If it were another city-state, they probably wouldn't accept such an occupation. After all, they are all part of Magna Graecia, and they are very wary of us, foreign mercenaries. But Dionia is different after all. Davos and his men achieved their current status through this very method. If we want to succeed, we can only take risks and gamble! If we want to be safe, it is better to stay in the Dionysian Alliance!"
At this moment, Timatheon cheered himself up, but Cleanno, seeing success within reach, was still a little worried. "I hope Agassia and the others can convince Davos!"
"If Crotone really sends reinforcements, we can pretend to be the Dionysian army tomorrow to delay time!" Timatheon gritted his teeth viciously. After all, he had already deceived Dionia once, so he didn't care about a second time. He pointed to the chaotic scene on the street ahead and said anxiously, "No matter what decision Dionia makes, whether Crotone sends reinforcements or not, we must first do our own part well, capture the entire city as soon as possible, detain the people of Crimisa, send scouts to investigate movements in the south, and let the brothers prepare for defense! Scenes like this must end as soon as possible, otherwise it will always be worrying!"
"Issuing orders to forcibly prohibit robbery and murder, otherwise they will be punished by military law…" Cleanno smiled helplessly. "That's Davos's way. He did it in Persia. We can't copy him… Besides, more than two hundred brothers died during the siege, and many were injured. They need to vent. Timatheon, don't provoke them, we have to take it slowly..."
"To be honest, when we were in Persia, we laughed at Davos's actions and said he was a fool... Until today, I realize that we were the real fools!... I... have to admire Davos. He always considers things in the long term... When we settle down, we must strictly enforce military discipline!!" Timatheon sighed and made up his mind.
He immediately dispatched messengers to find the captains of each regiment, instructing them to gather their forces. He and Cleanno, along with his personal guard, rushed to the Acropolis of Crimisa and sent men to the gates, shouting out calls for surrender.
The Crimisans responded with a defiant: "Never!!!!"
Thus, the two sides remained locked in a standoff until the afternoon.
As the enemy siege grew and began preparing siege engines, the trapped Crimisans' eyes grew increasingly desperate. Realizing the imminent attack, many began to wail. Antaoris and his men wore solemn expressions, ready to die defending the Acropolis.
At this moment, a commotion erupted in the relatively quiet enemy camp.
............
"The Crotone army has already reached the north gate?! How is this possible?!" Cleanno cried out, stunned, terrified, unwilling to believe the news.
Tolycus panicked, doubtful. "Our spies in the south… in the south… haven't found any trace of the Crotonians!!"
"Captain, it's… it's true!! The Crotonians are gathering outside the city and will… will soon attack!" Timaestheus, the captain of the guards in charge of the northern city, shouted anxiously.
Timatheon managed to maintain his composure; how could he not believe the words of his trusted advisor? After a moment's thought, his expression changed. "Oh no! We've been careless. They might have come by ship, just like us!"
"How many… how many?" Cleanno asked nervously, hoping the captain would give a reassuring number.
"I'm afraid four or five thousand…" The captain's words dashed everyone's hopes, and all eyes turned to Timatheon.
At this critical moment, Timatheon countered with a cry, "Brothers, are we retreating?"
"I... I..." Cleanno stared at the Acropolis ahead, struggling for a moment before roaring in despair, "We're not Crimisans! We can hold them back with the city walls! Just hold out until tomorrow! Just hold out until tomorrow... Timatheon, you said that to become the masters of Crimisa, we have to take risks! Risk our lives! Even if I die in battle, I'd rather not return to the Dionysian League and be ridiculed by them!"
"Me too! Death is the worst that can happen. What's there to be afraid of? We can hold off the Crotonians with the city walls!" Thorikos, his face grim, voiced the sentiments of most officers and soldiers.
"Yes, we'll fight Crotone!" everyone echoed.
Timatheon no longer hesitated. He gazed at the soldiers present and issued a forceful command: "Cleanno! Thorikos! The rest of you, quickly gather the soldiers still scattered within the city and bring them to the walls!"
"Yes!"
"Pasakos! Take two hundred men and guard the Acropolis! If any of the Crimisans dare to come out, kill them all!"
"Leader, leave it to me, you can be assured!"
"The rest of you, follow me to the north gate and show the Crotonians how powerful we are! We will not let them take our city!" Timatheon clenched his fists and roared.
"Roar!!!" the mercenaries howled, rallying their spirits.
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Timatheon was an excellent commander. Even after the initial assault failed, he managed his troops with composure, skillfully maneuvering the enemy and capturing Crimisa in the shortest possible time. However, as a lowly warrior blinded by jealousy and ambition, he only saw the weak, neutral city-state of Crimisa in Magna Graecia as something they could seize. He lacked the political awareness to fully consider the relationships between the various Magna Graecia city-states, particularly Crotone's attitude toward its neighbor Crimisa.
Before the rise of Dionia, Crotone had paid little attention to Crimisa, partly due to its agreement with Athens and partly because Thurii posed no threat to Crotone. But after their defeat at the hands of the Dionysian League, the situation shifted dramatically. Dionia captured Nieutum, Laos joined the League, and Dionia opened up overland trade routes between the east and west coasts. Dionia's rapid rise in power and prosperity made Crotone uneasy. They began to sense the threat of this rising power to the north, and Crimisa's strategic position as a buffer became extremely important. Consequently, Crotone had been actively trying to win over Crimisa for the past six months.
This is why, upon hearing of an enemy attack, Crimisa's first thought was to seek aid from Crotone. Upon hearing that Crimisa was under attack from the north, Crotone's first reaction was, "The Dionysians have finally begun their attack!" The Crotone council almost immediately approved the proposal to send reinforcements. Considering the possibility of Dionians, and despite the messenger's report stating "only two thousand enemies," they cautiously dispatched ten thousand citizen soldiers.
Timatheon, assuming Crotone's reinforcements were all in the north, shifted almost all his forces there, while also guarding the east and west, since five thousand was typically considered a significant number for city-state reinforcements. However, another fleet entered the mouth of the Umbria River, stormed the nearly deserted harbor, and forcibly landed. Five thousand Crotone soldiers quickly captured the southern gate and easily defeated Pasakos's two hundred men. After reuniting with the Crimisans in the Acropolis, they continued their attack northward.
The mercenaries were not only vastly outnumbered but also found themselves in a precarious position, trapped between the north and south. Their defeat was inevitable. After learning the news that "a large number of Crotone soldiers broke into the city from the south," the mercenaries lost their fighting spirit, and Timatheon and Cleanno were helpless at this moment.
When the Crotonians attacked from the south, the mercenaries offered only a brief resistance before fleeing in all directions.
From the walls, Timatheon watched as the fleeing mercenaries were herded and slaughtered like cattle by the Crotonians, just as they had previously done to the Crimisans. The wrath of vengeance fell so quickly upon the mercenaries, filling him with despair.
"Timatheon, hurry! Let's charge north!" Cleanno cried anxiously.
Timatheon shook his head, looking north with a relieved smile. "Davos, I have lost this battle..."
Without hesitation, he drew his saber and slashed his own throat.
Cleanno had no time to grieve. He led a few men, using ropes and hooks, to escape the chaos.
But the Crimisans, resentful of the burning, looting, and plundering within the city, pursued them relentlessly. The Crotonians, determined to press on, pursued them as well. The mercenaries were already surrounded, so while a few escaped, most were either killed or captured. Cleanno, Tolycus, and others eventually surrendered under siege, only to be beheaded by the enraged Crimisan people.
Interrogation of the surrendered soldiers revealed that these vicious enemies were mercenaries from Asia Minor and Ionia, who had fought alongside the Dionysian archon Davos against Persia and had previously lived in Dionia for over two months. This attack on Crimisa was a premeditated, independent act by these mercenaries.
While seemingly unrelated to Dionia, Crotone's generals and council believed they had found the perfect excuse: unless Crotone agreed to a long-term peace with Dionia, allowing Dionia's rapid growth to continue would undoubtedly pose a formidable threat. The only option was to launch a war while Dionia was still a fledgling force and destroy the emerging alliance.
The resolution passed smoothly in the council, where the pro-war faction held a majority. Even the moderate Lysias did not strongly oppose it, evidently recognizing the threat posed by Dionia.