Cabrias's face was slightly embarrassed, and he explained in a low voice: "In the morning, the Dionian fleet approached the port of Piraeus, and the news of 'the border defense line was breached by the Dionian army', and the city was very chaotic...... As a precaution, I ordered the temporary closure of the port...... The Dionian fleet had approached the port of Piraeus several times before, and we had done the same, but I never thought that the Dionian fleet would do this time to cover up their attempt to capture Aegina! ”

"I remember, you did tell us about 'the Dionian fleet threatening the port of Piraeus', and we agreed to the order to close the port in order to prevent losses." Callistratus' face became extremely ugly: "But now that Aegina is attacked, what should we do?!" ”

Cabrias only hesitated for a moment, then decided to make amends, and he resolutely said: "Aegina must not be occupied by Dionia, I ask that you lead the fleet to attack and divert the Dionian fleet first, and you send a fleet of ships to carry reinforcements, take the opportunity to enter the harbor, and hold the city of Aegina!" ”

The generals knew that Cabrias's plan was very risky, but at least half of them agreed almost without thinking, because they all knew very well: although the Dionian fleet was strong, it had not yet been able to completely block the sea access of Athens, because their station was in the southern Peloponnese, and they would go back and forth every morning and evening, and there would always be a gap for a period of time when they could not cruise in the Gulf of Salon, but if Dionya was allowed to occupy the island of Aegina, which was close to Athens, because of the complete military port facilities in Aegina, They could anchor the fleet directly on the island of Aegina, like holding a dagger directly to Athens' chest, and could threaten the port of Piraeus 24 hours a day, which would be a great disaster for Athens.

"Generals, although I have conveyed their request to you as requested by the crew of Aegina, I do not want you to send a fleet out of port!" The official of the port of Piraeus said with a very solemn expression: "According to the crew of Aegina, two fleets came from Dionia, one to surround the island of Aegina and the other to blockade the port of Piraeus, and their number may exceed six hundred, so all the 20 warships that rushed out of the port of Aegina were sunk, and only this one clipper ship finally rushed into the port under their cover......

And there are only 75 warships in the port of Piraeus, and if you risk attacking, I am afraid that you will suffer the same fate, and if Athens is left without the protection of warships, I am afraid that the punishment of the gods will come! ”

After hearing this, the generals were shocked.

Before the Persian army arrived, the Athenians asked Delphi for an oracle: the wooden wall would defend Athens!

Under Themistocles' inducements, the people believed that the "wooden wall" mentioned in the oracle was a warship, so they spent a lot of money to build warships, so the Battle of Salamican led by the Athenian fleet became a turning point in the Greco-Persian War, and also made the Athenian people believe in Delphi's oracle, and passed it down from generation to generation.

Now that Athens was in great danger, the generals would be terrified and bewildered if the ships on which Athens relied were to be destroyed.

At this time, even Cabrias, who had a resolute attitude just now, became a little dazed.

"Make peace with the Dionian truce." Iphiclates sighed softly: "This is the end of the matter, only in this way can Athens be saved!" ”

Iphiclates was shocked by the words of Iphiclatius, and the room fell silent, not that no one had thought of making peace with Dionys, but no one had spoken up before his arrival, because it was the unanimous opinion of the Generals' Executive Committee that would incite the hostility of the Athenian citizens towards Dionia, and finally declare war on Dionia, and now it was only a few months before they changed their ways, and the generals who first proposed this resolution would undoubtedly suffer more anger from the Athenian citizens.

However, Iphiclatius's words pierced the window paper, and the Dionian army was about to enter the city, and the island of Aegina, which was a sea barrier, was invaded, and Athens had no other choice when it was in danger.

At the urgently convened citizens' assembly, when Calistratus proposed to "make peace with Dionia", he expected to be reproached and obstructed by the citizens, but he did not, because neither the citizens who had returned from the defeat on the western frontier, nor the citizens who had followed Iphicrates in the Peloponnesian campaign for several months, and the citizens who were on the verge of war on the ships and fought with the Dionian fleet every day...... They invariably saw the strength of the Dionian army, and were desperate to end this terrible war, and had no intention of holding the General's Executive Committee accountable.

The proposal was quickly approved, and Calistratus' offer to be an emissary to the Dionian army was approved.

Early on the morning of the second day, the ground outside Athens shook and was filled with dust, and the Dionian coalition appeared in the field of view of the sentinels at the head of the city.

The Athenian citizens who received the news hurriedly put on their armor, picked up shields and spears, and rushed to the head of the city to prepare for defense.

At this time, the Ionian coalition army was already in good formation under the city, and I saw a tide of soldiers, spears like a forest, countless military flags unfurled, and countless armor shining...... Seeing the eyes of the citizens of Athens dizzy, their hearts tightened.

Hades !! Hades!!! Hades!!! ......" The Dionian soldiers shouted in unison, like a thunderclap, causing the Athenian citizen soldiers to tremble.

It was when the Dionian army was in full swing that Callistratus went out of the city gates, walked straight into the Dionian army, and met the commander-in-chief of this army, Patroclos.

However, when he suggested that Athens wanted to negotiate an armistice with Dionia, Patroclus shook his head and refused, telling him that the power to negotiate an armistice with the Greek League was in the hands of Prince Clotocatacus, the commander of another Dionian army.

Callistratus had no choice but to ask: can the attack on Athens be suspended while Athens is negotiating with Dionia?

Patroclus was even more blunt in his refusal: the Dionian army under his command would never stop attacking the city of Athens unless an armistice was signed!

Hearing this, Callistratus had to immediately rush to the Peloponnese.

Patroclus's formation under the city of Athens was only a demonstration of the might of the Dionian coalition and a demoralization blow to the Athenians. He knew very well that the city of Athens would not be easily captured, so he soon gave the order that the army should build a camp two miles from the city.

……………………………………………………

Callistratus made a rapid journey south through Megara into the city of Corinth.

The Corinthians took the initiative to ask him about the battle in the north, and he falsely claimed that Athens had gathered all its soldiers in the city and defended them first, and had now easily repelled a full-scale siege of the Dionian army, and was gathering more strength. He had come to negotiate with Dionysa at the request of the Athenian people in the hope of returning the remains of Athenian citizens who had died in the Peloponnese.

The Corinthians were skeptical, but they were sure of one thing: the Athenians were already defending the city, and it was impossible to send reinforcements to them.

On the way to the Dionian barracks, Callistratus saw the Dionian army arrayed under the city of Corinth, and their constant bombardment of the walls with stone projectiles, a kind of siege machine called ballistae mentioned by Iphikratist, which made him feel even more urgent.

Iphiclates also made an important point that the Dionian army was good at building camps, and had a habit of "building camps everywhere they went".

This time, the Dionian army built its camp next to the Corinthian port of Ismia on the east side of the isthmus, and he heard the Corinthians tell that not long after the Dionian army arrived under the city of Corinth, they launched an all-out attack on the port of Ismia, because of their large number and fierce attack, although the Corinthians reinforced the port, but the poorly defended port of Ismia only lasted half a day, and was overwhelmed by the raging black wave.

Standing high on the coast, he could even see the many Dionian warships anchored in the harbor, and he could think of the reason why the Dionian fleet began to launch a landing attack on Aegina, precisely because they occupied the port of Ismia, which is not far from Aegina, and had a foothold to better blockade the port of Piraeus nearby, and to continuously support the troops landing on Aegina......

Led by the Dionian officer, Calistratus entered the humble camp of Deoria and entered a military tent.

There was only one person in the tent, and it turned out to be Karias, who had previously been on an Athenian mission.

With a smile on his face, Karias took the initiative to greet him: "Lord Callistratus, welcome to you!" All the way from Athens, hard work, please sit down and rest, I have prepared cold honey syrup water for you, you quench your thirst first! ”

Karias was very respectful and did not have a bit of domineering, but the title of "Lord Callistratus" still made the chief general of Athens feel the sharpness implied in his words, and he increased the vigilance in his heart, but a smile quickly appeared on his face: "Thank you very much!" You've thought so much about it! ”

As he spoke, he sat down unceremoniously, picked up the clay vase on the table, poured himself a cup, drank it dry, and then said happily: "This slurry water is indeed delicious!" ”

Karias also returned to his seat and said apologetically: "Lord Callistratus, you have asked to see His Highness Clotokatax, but unfortunately he is not in the barracks now, so he cannot see you. ”