Volume 4: The League of Dionia, Chapter 26: Reunion with Timasion

After discussion, the group decided to first wait and see how events unfolded. After all, there had been no successful precedent in the history of Greek colonization of the western Mediterranean for Greeks to leave the coast and occupy the mountainous regions of the native peoples. Even if the Thua Alliance seized Nerulum, how could their small force, surrounded by Lucanians in those mountains, suppress the Lucanian resistance? How would they face the combined Lucanian army that would inevitably come against them? That was the real problem ahead. The City Hall also decided to send merchant ships to establish trade relations with Pixis as much as possible, in order to stay informed of developments in Lucania.

...

Ephesus, located on the Aegean coast of Asia Minor, was a famous city of the former Lydian kingdom, facing the island of Samos across the gulf. It was said to have been founded by Athenian colonists around 900 BC. Over centuries of development, it, along with Miletus to the south and Samos, became the three brightest jewels among the Greek city-states of Asia Minor.

At the center of the triangle formed by these three prosperous city-states stood Mount Mycale. On the mountain was a sanctuary called the "Panionion," meaning the temple of all Ionians. It had once been the gathering place for the Greeks of Asia Minor to celebrate their pan-Ionian League. Though it had lost its former glory, it was still a frequent pilgrimage site for the Greeks of Asia Minor. Meanwhile, another temple's influence was growing day by day, its power ever expanding—the breathtaking masterpiece built in Ephesus: the Temple of Artemis.

A hundred years earlier, when Ephesus was still subject to Lydia, it had already become a commercial center of Asia Minor. Citizens from all the city-states flocked there, and after conducting business and laboring, they naturally visited the temple to seek spiritual solace. The Ephesians found that the original altar of Artemis could no longer meet the demand; worshipers often fought for the best spots to pay homage, so building a temple became an urgent necessity. At that time, the wealthy Lydian king Croesus generously donated (this same king later donated huge sums to Delphi, seeking oracles, was misled into war with Persia, and ultimately perished). On the site of the original crude altar, a new temple was built, with the most famous architects and master sculptors of the era invited to participate in its design.

The completed temple was one hundred meters long and fifty-five meters wide, supported by 127 enormous columns, each eighteen meters high, holding up the massive roof. The entire structure was built mostly from huge stone blocks five to eight meters in length, giving it an imposing and heavy grandeur. Inside the temple, the bronze statue of Artemis stood two meters tall, wearing a crown, holding a sacred bow, with a kind face and vivid, lifelike form. The roof above the statue was left open, so worshipers could gaze up at the sky within the temple and feel the presence of the goddess…

Once completed, the Temple of Artemis quickly became another sacred site for the Greeks of Asia Minor. Even the fall of the Lydian kingdom, the outbreak of the Greco-Persian Wars, and numerous other events did not diminish its status. Greeks came to worship there in an endless stream, and it had remained so for over a hundred years.

On this day, a sturdy Greek hurried hastily to the temple. He looked around while weaving straight through the crowd toward the entrance.

The temple was enormous—just the steps were dozens in number. After climbing them, even the well-trained man was somewhat out of breath.

"Timasion!" a somewhat familiar voice called out from ahead.

He followed the sound and saw a man in an expensive purple chiton standing at the temple entrance, waving at him.

"Agasia?!" Timasion couldn't quite believe it as he approached the man, who seemed quite distinguished.

"Call me Lord Agasia! I am now a senator of the Thua Alliance's Senate!" Agasia flicked his sleeve, revealing his left hand, then lightly grasped the fabric of his robe, half-resting it at his waist (a so-called aristocratic gesture often made by Thurii senators in meetings), and said jokingly.

"So you really have become… the masters of a city-state, as the rumors say?" Timasion asked in a trembling voice as he studied him.

"Not one city-state, but masters of two!" Agasia held up two fingers and explained earnestly, "Davos is the lifelong magistrate of the alliance between these two city-states!"

"Lifelong magistrate?! I can hardly believe it…" Timasion muttered. He remembered that only a little over half a year had passed since he had parted ways with Davos and the others, and his memories were still vivid. Had his status and Davos's become worlds apart?

"Everything I say is true! If you don't believe me, Artemis is inside—I'll go in and swear to her!" Agasia said earnestly, pointing at the temple behind him.

Timasion shook his head and looked at Agasia thoughtfully. "I believe you. What business do you have with me this time?"

"Though we have managed to change our status, we haven't forgotten our comrades who shared life and death with us!" Agasia extended his hand and said sincerely, "Magistrate Davos sent me to invite you to Magna Graecia!"

Thibron had been feeling quite stifled lately.

Ever since he had been sent to Asia by the Spartan Council of Elders to serve as Sparta's satrap in Asia, he had led an army against Tissaphernes, the Persian satrap of Asia Minor, captured several Persian cities, and forced Tissaphernes to stop attacking the Greek city-states of Asia Minor—a feat he considered a great achievement for Sparta. But because he had encountered some difficulties during the assault on Larissa, failing to take it for several months and suffering minor losses, that damned ephor had ordered him to abandon Larissa and instead attack Caria! Though he was furious, he dared not disobey.

After Lysander had gained enormous prestige in the later stages of the Peloponnesian War by defeating the Athenian navy, he strengthened his power by proposing several motions to the Council of Elders, which were passed. One of them expanded the authority of the ephors, allowing these common-born ephors to accompany the army on campaigns. If they found problems, they could question any general or even the king on the spot. If the problem was serious, they could propose punishment to the Council of Elders.

Thibron had no choice but to lead his army back to Ephesus, planning to rest there for a time before setting out to attack Caria. But a few days later, he heard bad news: several Greek city-states of Asia Minor had sent envoys to Sparta, accusing him of allowing his soldiers to plunder Sparta's allies in Asia.

First, he angrily smashed the precious statues in his living quarters, then he became anxious and uncertain, because what the envoys from the Asia Minor city-states accused him of was true. Initially, he had brought five thousand three hundred soldiers to Asia, including a thousand freed Helots and four thousand other Peloponnesians, plus three hundred Athenian cavalry. This force was naturally insufficient to confront the mighty Persia. After arriving in Asia, with the help of the allies, he recruited many more soldiers, most of whom were mercenaries who had followed Cyrus the Younger on his Persian expedition. This brought his forces to fifteen thousand men. Among this huge army, there was scarcely a single true Spartan warrior. The pay for so many soldiers could not be sustained long-term by donations from the Greek city-states of Asia Minor alone, so extensive looting and extortion of captured Persian cities and territories became inevitable. But when the army passed through allied territories, the mercenaries, who had grown accustomed to plunder, could not restrain themselves, and the theft of property from fellow Greeks occurred frequently. Thibron did not impose military discipline; instead, he reasoned: Since they were fighting and dying for you, it was only fair that you bear some cost!

Now the Greeks of Asia Minor had retaliated.

That night, Thibron could not sleep.

The next day, the ephor Cheirisophus came and coldly told him, "Thibron, the Council of Elders has already sent Dercylidas to take over your position. You must return to Sparta to face an investigation. You are to remain in this house and are not to leave without permission until Dercylidas arrives!"

Thibron slumped down in his seat, watching as Cheirisophus stationed soldiers at his door. He could not help shouting, "Don't worry, I won't run away like Clearchus! Even if I go back to Sparta to face an investigation, I'll be acquitted!"

Cheirisophus didn't even look at him. "Let's hope so," he replied.

Cheirisophus walked out of Thibron's residence and finally breathed a sigh of relief. He was very pleased that the Senate was investigating Thibron, because he was the one behind it all!

He had done this out of necessity, as he well understood that Sparta had made a great decision and spent considerable resources to go to war with Persia as part of a strategic plan. The radical faction in Sparta, led by Lysander, believed that after defeating Athens and regaining hegemony over Greece, they should step out of narrow mainland Greece, extend their power into the vast and wealthy Asia Minor, defeat the Persians, become the protectors of the Greek city-states there, and ultimately become the hegemon of the eastern Mediterranean—fulfilling the generations-old dream of the Spartans. Because Cheirisophus had accompanied the expeditionary force deep into the Persian interior and seen the vastness and fertility of the Mesopotamian plain, he supported the radicals' proposals and deeply understood Lysander's intentions. But Thibron was a pure Spartan warrior; his mind was only on fighting and killing. He attacked the Persians while allowing his soldiers to plunder the allies, causing such discontent among the Asia Minor allies that they began to resent Sparta as well.

Seeing that over half a year's efforts were about to be wasted, Chirisophus had repeatedly advised Thibron. At first, Thibron pretended to listen but did not act; later, he simply stubbornly refused to listen.

In desperation, Cheirisophus secretly urged the allied city-states of Asia Minor to report Thibron to Sparta. Now his goal had been achieved. As for the coming Dercylidas, he had always been known for his resourcefulness—a Spartan general who used his brain. Cheirisophus believed he would not make the mistakes Thibron had made, and that they would cooperate well.