Chapter 122: Pausanias and Tegea
In the following 10 years, Pausanias did not live in decadence, he worked hard to become a bridge between Tegoa and Sparta, and actively integrated into Tegea society, not only became friends with many Tegea councilors, but also was elected to the Tegean noble council.
But in recent years, due to the long-term continuation of the Theban War, even the Teguria allies, which are close to Sparta, inevitably have to provide a large amount of military rations every year, and also send citizens to assist in the war, even if there are Pausanias to try to bridge it, but the trend of more and more Tegurians who are dissatisfied with Sparta has not changed, so when the Spartan army was defeated in Leuktra, the Arcadians had to establish an alliance and seek to break away from Sparta, and many Tegurans were inspired in this situation, Eventually, the anti-Spartans gained the upper hand in the council, and Tegea joined the Arcadian League.
The pro-Spartans quietly informed Sparta of the news, and this led to the fact that "Sparta warned the Arcadians to cancel the alliance immediately or there would be war".
The Arcadian alliance led by Mandynia categorically refused, although there was a conflict in the city of Tigea, but in the end Tegea decided to follow the alliance to confront Sparta, seeing that the clouds of war were about to envelop Tegea, the Tegurians began to panic, Pausanias was ready to take this opportunity to persuade the Tegurians to return to the arms of Sparta, but the Dioonians suddenly invaded Messenia, and the whole situation changed dramatically.
Dionian ...... Pausanias vaguely remembers: it was a newly established city-state in Great Greece, and after Phoebidas returned from his mission to Great Greece, he also spoke ill of this city-state, which was ridiculed by many people, and Sparta, as the overlord of Greece, did not take that small colonial city-state in his eyes at all.
After Pausanias lived in seclusion in Tegeya, the news became more secluded, and occasionally rumors were heard, "Dioonia and Syracuse had a war and won the war...... Dionya went to war with Carthage and won...... he only sighed at the time: "This city-state is quite belligerent!" Then he put it behind him, not paying much attention to the city-state, after all, the affairs of the western Mediterranean were still too far away from the landlocked city-state of Teguea, and Pausanias was more concerned with the affairs of the Peloponnese.
And now the kingdom of the western Mediterranean actually sent an army to attack Sparta across the sea, and as soon as it came, it hit the Spartan dead end, Messenia was captured, Sparta suffered heavy losses, and then the Arcadian alliance and Dionya formed an alliance, and the anti-Spartan faction in the city of Tigea completely gained the upper hand...... Pausanias saw it in his eyes, hurt in his heart, and once had the idea of leaving Tegera, but where else could he go when he was already old?!
These days, he keeps his house closed, partly to prevent being attacked by anti-Spartans, and partly because he doesn't want to see a bad situation and annoy himself again.
That evening, Paulais, who had had eaten dinner, was walking in the courtyard to eat, when the servant came to him and reported: "Master, there is a person outside who asks to see you." ”
"Who?"
"He said it was your old friend, but the outfit was a little mysterious."
With doubts, Pausanias himself came to the door.
Outside the door stood two men: one slave supporting the other with a hood.
"What are you looking for me?" Pausanias asked coldly, but his eyes widened to see the hooded man's face.
The man spoke: "Pausanias, I haven't seen you for more than ten years, you are old!" ”
"You are?" The voice was both familiar and unfamiliar, and Pausanias couldn't remember who it was for a moment.
The man lifted his hood suddenly, and Paulson Aston was taken aback: "Agosilaus, why are you here?!" ”
"If you shout louder, my life will be over." Agosilaus reminded half-jokingly.
Pausanias immediately woke up, quickly looked at the street outside the door, fortunately there was no one, and quickly welcomed the two of them into the house, closed the door tightly, and then said in a deep voice: "Agosilaus, you are the king of Sparta, the commander of the Spartan army, and during the war, you ignored the army and actually ventured to sneak here, do you think that Tegea is still the same as before!" Now it's very dangerous here! In case you are discovered, captured, what a blow this will inflict on the Spartan army! Will they still be able to defeat the Ionians! ……”
Pausanias looked distressed, and his words were full of rebuke, as if he were still the king of Sparta.
Agosilaus smiled: "Although you have been away from Sparta for more than 10 years, you are still a Spartan. ”
"I don't have time to gossip with you right now." Pausanias said with a serious expression: "You hurry out of the city now!" If the people who arranged for you to enter the city dare not help anymore, I will arrange it for you. ”
Agosilaus restrained his smile, looked at the old king, and replied in a deep voice with an extremely solemn expression: "I infiltrated Tegoa to save Sparta!" Only by making Tegea completely available to Sparta will we have a chance to defeat the Dionian army, otherwise Sparta will cease to exist! ”
Pausanias was stunned for a moment, and then asked with concern: "The situation in Sparta is serious now?" ”
"Very serious!" Agosilaus immediately described the difficulties and dangers facing the Spartan army.
Pausanias stood still for a long time, and when worry crept over his ravine-filled face, he sighed: "Now that the anti-Spartan faction in the city of Tegya has the obvious upper hand, it is very difficult to make Tegea become an ally of Sparta again in a short time!" ”
"With your help, we can do it!" Agosilaus replied confidently, and then he laid out his plan and plan.
After hearing this, Pausanias's face was cloudy, and he remembered the disaster that those Tegurs who had a good relationship with him were about to face, and couldn't help but say, "Wouldn't this be too cruel?" ”
"If it doesn't, Sparta will face a fate even more tragic than this!" Agesilaus said in a heavy tone.
Pausanias was silent for a moment, and then said with a resolute expression: "You just wait here, and I'll go and contact all the closest and most trusted Tegerian councilors in Sparta now......"
"Pausanias!" Agosilaus stopped him and said solemnly, "I believe that when we defeat the Dionian army, the Council of Elders, the Inquisitor, and the people will forgive you for the mistakes you have committed!" ”
At that moment, the former king of Sparta, who was in his 70s, suddenly seemed to have tears flashing in his eyes, he sniffed and said with emotion: "Agesilaus, you are also old!" Didn't expect Sparta today...... It's up to us two old guys who are about to go to the ground to save it! ”
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Ever since the siege of Mandinian was resolved, the Dionian army had remained in the camp because Crotocatacs had taken Printols' advice.
They had received information from Sekrian that the First Fleet had begun patrolling the Aegean Sea, cutting off the main food channel for Spartan mercenaries.
Although Klotocatax was worried that the First Fleet's approach would provoke the displeasure of other Greek city-states, Printors was more concerned that the First Fleet's initiative would put the Spartan army in a difficult situation, because Sparta's national strength was severely damaged at this time, and most of the former allies had defected, and it itself was not like Dionia, which had an endless fleet of ships to deliver supplies to Messenia every day, and it could not have enough military rations to maintain such a large army. As long as the Dionian army could not hold on, it would not be long before the Spartan army would collapse on its own or be forced to take some risky military action, at which point the Dionian army would be able to win at a relatively small cost.
Therefore, when the mountain scouts discovered that about six or seven thousand soldiers from Sparta were converging with the Spartan mercenaries in Tegya, Printors not only did not feel nervous, but was very relaxed, because the addition of the Spartan army would undoubtedly lead to a tighter military rations, and at the same time, the defense of Sparta would inevitably become empty due to the lack of troops. Therefore, he suggested to Croto Katáx:
1. Continue to build the defensive measures of the camp against the attack of the Spartan army.
2. Order Sekrian to continue his attempts to land on the shores of the Spartan territory and put pressure on the Spartans.
3. Send more scouts and scouts to the north of Tegea, and do their best to destroy and cut off the possible grain transportation routes of the Spartan army.
Klotocatax adopted them one by one, and then Printors persuaded the commanders to do the same.
Half a day later, Crotokataxis received a messenger from Thebes, and the news from his mouth not only surprised Crotocatacacs, but also made Printors feel bad: the priests of Delphi and Olympia, as well as the Corinthians, were running around, plotting a coalition of Greek city-states against Dionia!
Both Clotokatácácácaux and Printors, from the day they set foot on the Peloponnese, all affairs went relatively smoothly, and in spite of the advice of Davers and the admonition of Leoticides before his departure, they still had the illusion that "they should be able to gradually complete the task assigned by King Davos", and if it were not for the reminder of the Thebans, they would never have imagined that the arrival of the Dionian army would cause strong resistance to the Greek Holy Land, And prepare to set off a monstrous wave to drown them.
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