The Hellish Encirclement and Annihilation War (Part 1)

"Your meaning is..." Xanthiparis asked thoughtfully, "that once we pass through the gorge, we immediately deploy into formation and fight the pursuing Persians."

"Furthermore, the gorge road is narrow, which will slow their retreat and make it easier for us to catch them. The more Persians come after us, the slower they'll be at pulling back through the gorge, and the more damage we can inflict on them!" Timasion said excitedly.

"But the Persians aren't fools. If they see we're prepared, why would they risk passing through the gorge?" Xenophon's question gave everyone pause.

Cheirisophus spoke with confidence: "So we won't attack near the mouth of the gorge. Whenever the Persians catch up to us, that's when we strike! We'll lure them into chasing us!"

"Exactly! After all, the Persians don't dare face us in close combat. And now that we have slingers and cavalry, we'll give them a real surprise! When the time comes, the whole army attacks together, driving them toward the gorge mouth. The narrowness there will slow their retreat, making it easier for us to catch them!..."

The group chimed in, one after another, quickly refining the plan.

Then someone suddenly spoke up: "Why don't we set an ambush on this side of the gorge? Once the enemy passes through, we can immediately seal it off."

Everyone was stunned and turned sharply. It was Davos, who had been sitting quietly in the corner, listening intently the whole time.

"...You mean to annihilate them all?!" Cheirisophus stared at Davos, struggling to keep the shock from his voice as he spoke slowly.

Davos held up his left hand, fingers spread, then clenched it into a fist and swung it forcefully: "Of course! Just routing them means they'll retreat, regroup, and come after us again. Only by surrounding and destroying them can we truly intimidate the Persians!"

The Greeks revered strength and favored frontal assaults. Their armies were primarily composed of heavy infantry, which only reinforced this trait. Even the Spartans, the most skilled fighters, were no exception. From the Battle of Marathon to Plataea—not to mention those major battles where the Greeks won by sheer force head-on—countless smaller engagements rarely featured flanking maneuvers, encirclements, ambushes, surprise attacks, or annihilations. These military concepts, so familiar even to the most ordinary people of later ages, seemed simple, yet in the military history of the Greek city-states of this era—where heavy infantry dominated the battlefield—they were almost entirely absent. Occasionally, similar battles occurred, but few paid attention or drew lessons from them. It wasn't until centuries later that the Carthaginian general Hannibal, through one devastating campaign of annihilation after another, killed off half the male population of Rome, forcing that Mediterranean hegemon to learn from its enemies and thereby elevating classical Western military tactics to a new level.

Davos, with a soul from a later age, was naturally unconstrained by this era. Though his military experience was still green, his strategic thinking was two thousand years ahead of its time. What ran through his mind at that moment was a saying often quoted by the Great Helmsman of later days: "To wound ten of the enemy's fingers is not as effective as cutting off one."

Cheirisophus calmly looked at this young man with the face of youth, yet inwardly he was shaken by Davos's boldness and vision. He acknowledged that Davos's proposal was tempting and had a degree of feasibility, but he still asked cautiously, "There is a dense forest not far from this side of the valley. But if you conceal too many soldiers, the Persian scouts might spot them. If you conceal too few, and the Persians come in large numbers, how can you block their retreat? Besides, what if the Persians don't pursue tomorrow? They didn't come today, after all."

Davos had already thought this through. He answered seriously: "No plan in the world is perfect. Every military action involves risk, so we must consider all possibilities as thoroughly as we can. First, let me ask you, Cheirisophus: how far is this forest from the gorge mouth?"

"About three stades," Cheirisophus replied without hesitation, as if the terrain were etched in his mind. Davos was deeply impressed: Reconnoitering terrain was an essential skill for any qualified commander—one he still needed to learn properly!

At the same time, Cheirisophus's answer relieved Davos of his greatest concern about the plan. He analyzed confidently, "According to what was said earlier, the whole army sets out before dawn. So by the time the concealed troops reach the forest, the enemy's scouts should still be asleep. We only need to hide three or four hundred soldiers—the chances of being discovered are very small. Second, if a large number of Persians do come in pursuit, the ambush force doesn't necessarily have to annihilate them all. They just need to leave a gap in their blocking position, letting the Persians flee while cutting into them from the side. The Persians will be focused solely on escaping and won't have time to organize resistance. Even if we can't destroy them completely, we'll still achieve decent results!"

"Surround on three sides, leave one open"—the first military theorist to systematize ancient warfare and elevate it to a strategic level, Sun Tzu, must have lived in the same era as this, Davos thought, feeling a surge of inexplicable pride that made him even more composed: "As for the Persians not coming, there's no need to worry. If the enemy hasn't appeared by noon, the ambush force can withdraw proactively. They have no baggage and can move quickly, while our main force waits at the gorge mouth to cover them. That way, there won't be any major problems..."

Davos's meticulous reasoning eventually won over the leaders present. One by one, they agreed to his suggestion: to add an ambush force.

Even Cheirisophus, who had always looked down on Davos because of his youth, began to feel a desire to nurture talent. But the Spartans had a unique way of caring for their juniors: "Davos, would you be willing to command this ambush force?"

Davos was taken aback. In Cheirisophus's eyes, he saw trust and expectation. He thought carefully, ignoring Philistos's attempt to dissuade him, and met the complex gazes of the others. He nodded firmly: "I can!"

...

The next day, before dawn, the Greeks were roused by the sound of the war horn. They packed their bags, gathered their gear, and set out bleary-eyed.

By the time they reached the gorge mouth, the first glimmer of light appeared on the horizon.

Davos led three heavy infantry companies and one peltast company to part ways with the main force. The chiefs all offered their blessings.

"May Zeus be with you!" said Cheirisophus.

"May Ares grant you strength!" said Timasion.

"May Athena bring you luck!" said Xenophon.

With their minds set on a full battle against the Persians, the entire army was united.

"Take care, Chief! Return safely!" Philistos said solemnly.

"Don't worry, Philistos. We'll look after the chief!" Antonios cut in.

"You take care too!" Davos said, giving Philistos a firm embrace. Then, under the eyes of the remaining soldiers and officers—who had begun to regard him with a mix of awe and respect—he led his men along the foothills, hurrying toward the forest on the left...

In fact, Artaozus had acted even earlier than the previous day, because his force had grown larger: about 4,500 archers and 1,500 horse archers. This swelled his confidence, and he was eager to crush the Greek army quickly so he could earn the adjutant position Tissaphernes had promised.

His scouts reported that the Greeks had already struck camp, passed through the gorge, and were now twenty stades ahead of the Persian forces.

He naturally assumed the Greeks were fleeing from his attack, which explained their haste. Recalling the oath he had sworn to Tissaphernes, he grew anxious: He could not let them get away. They had to be crushed today!

So he urged his troops to quicken their march. When they passed through the gorge, he did not halt, because the scouts told him the Greeks were five or six stades from the gorge exit.

"The Persians have entered the gorge, Chief Davos!" Asiastes ran back to the forest in one breath to report.

"How many?" Antonios asked from the side.

"Their column is very long—probably several thousand!" Asiastes panted.

"Looks like we've hooked a big fish!" Amyntas gave a low whistle.

"Then let's implement the second plan we discussed last night," Davos said, fighting his nerves but keeping his expression under control.

"Brothers, get to work—time's pressing!" Capus called out in a low voice.