Volume 4: The League of Dionia, Chapter 27: Cheirisophus’s Attention

Cheirisophus’s good mood lasted until Thibron’s adjutant came to find him.

“What?! The soldiers have all run away?!” Cheirisophus was shocked, and his first reaction was to wonder if Thibron was up to something.

“Not all of them—only those who had taken part in Cyrus the Younger’s expedition! After returning to Ephesus, the troops were stationed outside the city. Thibron, because of… because of the investigation, hadn’t inspected the camp for several days…” the adjutant said cautiously. “Not until you asked me to temporarily act as Thibron’s replacement did I decide to assemble the entire army for a speech, to keep the soldiers from growing anxious over Thibron’s removal. Only then did I discover more than three thousand soldiers had gone missing…”

More than three thousand soldiers! Cheirisophus drew in a sharp breath—that was no small number! If Dercylidas arrived at Ephesus and found the force he was supposed to lead had shrunk so drastically, he would likely blame Cheirisophus for mishandling the Thibron affair and causing unrest among the troops.

“Did they run because Thibron allowed them to plunder and they were afraid of punishment?” Cheirisophus naturally would ask that; he knew those mercenaries who had joined Cyrus the Younger’s expedition all too well.

“No.” The adjutant’s answer let him breathe a little easier, but also piqued his curiosity.

“After I discovered this, I immediately sealed off the camp and launched an investigation. I soon learned the truth from those mercenaries who had been on Cyrus’s expedition.” The adjutant wore a strange expression. “They ran because of a rumor!”

“A rumor?”

“Yes. A story has been circulating lately, both in the city and outside it. It says that another group of mercenaries who took part in the Persian expedition alongside these men was led by a certain Davos to Magna Graecia, where they defeated the barbarians there and founded an alliance called the Thua Alliance. Davos became its magistrate, the mercenaries who followed him became citizens of the city-state and received land, and the officers all became… well… nobles, taking up high public offices…’ Those simple-minded mercenaries actually believed it, and many wanted to run off to Magna Graecia to share in the benefits of their former comrades… But I heard from them that this Davos left them only half a year ago—how could he have accomplished so much in that time? It’s obviously a deceptive rumor!” The adjutant finished speaking, but saw Cheirisophus frowning deeply, lost in thought.

“Where did these rumors come from?” he asked sternly.

“It seems from the port market in Ephesus. They heard it when they went to buy goods.”

“Are the leaders of those Persian expedition mercenaries still here?” Cheirisophus asked again.

“Except for Xenophon, the others—Timasion, Xanthiparis, Cleanho, and so on—all ran off. Some of the soldiers stayed only thanks to Xenophon’s persuasion…”

“Send someone quickly to inform the Ephesian council. Request that they immediately dispatch the patrol to seal off the port. You also send troops to assist. If any army deserters are found, arrest them at once and escort them back to camp! At the same time, notify the neighboring city-states that have ports to take the same measures!” Cheirisophus made a quick decision.

“How should the captured mercenaries be handled?”

“In front of the entire army, take the leading officers and generals—” Cheirisophus made a cutting motion with his hand, his expression cold.

After sending off the adjutant, Cheirisophus’s mind was in turmoil, unable to calm down for a long time. The desertions had started several days ago, and taking measures now was certainly too late. It seemed that while sending Thibron back to Sparta, he would also need to write a letter to the Council of Elders to proactively explain the situation here. Otherwise, by the time Dercylidas discovered it and pressed the matter, he would be in a passive position! Ah… Xenophon must have known about this from the start—why didn’t he notify me?

Cheirisophus reconsidered: Xenophon had good relations with many officers during the Persian expedition, especially Davos. The fact that he had taken the initiative to persuade the soldiers to stay was already a great consideration for Sparta.

Davos!… After half a year, hearing that familiar yet somewhat unfamiliar name again, Cheirisophus’s mind once again conjured the clear image of that very young mercenary leader. He had always regretted not being able to keep Davos in Sparta.

He still remembered: after returning to Sparta to report his previous experiences, he had run into the former naval admiral Anaxibius, who had just finished his term. When he asked about Davos, Anaxibius had replied blankly, ‘Who is Davos?’ Cheirisophus wished he could have slapped him right then and there—he had completely forgotten the matter Cheirisophus had repeatedly emphasized, letting Sparta and this Greek military genius, in Cheirisophus’s view, slip away. Later, because he was busy assisting Thibron’s entry into Asia Minor, he put the matter aside temporarily. He never expected that when he heard the name again, that unforgettable young man had already built a career in Magna Graecia! If it was true, it was truly astonishing! But it also showed that Cheirisophus had not misjudged him back then! He only wondered whether this was related to the desertion incident. He hoped Davos wasn’t the one inciting it, because the Spartan Council of Elders would surely send someone to investigate thoroughly!

But Davos had already taken root in Magna Graecia; he clearly would no longer consider joining Sparta. It was truly a pity…

…

Xenophon actually knew more than Cheirisophus guessed. He even knew that Timasion had gone to the Temple of Artemis in Ephesus to meet Agasia, received his promise, and then returned to the camp to encourage the soldiers to go to the Thua Alliance.

Xenophon had also received an invitation from Agasia. The news that Davos had become a lifelong magistrate of two cities in Magna Graecia truly surprised him, and he was also curious about how Davos had achieved such dazzling success in just over half a year. Both were young—one a country boy from the fringes of Greek civilization, the other an elite nurtured in Athens, the center of Greek culture. Now the “country boy” had grasped the highest power of two cities, while the elite was still struggling to survive in a foreign land. Xenophon certainly felt envy and jealousy, but when it came to leaving here to start a new career in unfamiliar Magna Graecia, he unhesitatingly refused.

It wasn’t because of pride. As an Athenian, Xenophon had always believed that Athens was the center of the world. But after experiencing the defeat in the Peloponnesian War, the expedition of Cyrus the Younger, and the campaigns with the Spartans in Asia, he had witnessed the vastness of Persia’s territory and its political corruption, the weakness of the Greek city-states in Asia Minor, and the military might of the Spartans. He formed a vague idea: why couldn’t economically prosperous Athens and militarily strong Sparta join forces again, lead the fragmented and feuding Greek city-states, defeat the seemingly powerful but actually weak Persia that had always harbored hostility toward the Greeks, and create a new era for the Hellenes?

For this ideal, he was willing to continue fighting in this foreign land, cooperating closely with the Spartans, who had long interested him. Therefore, despite having two years of comradeship, he did not report Timasion and the others, but he did prevent more soldiers from leaving in time. When he heard that the Spartan commander was about to be replaced, he also breathed a sigh of relief. He equally thought Thibron was not a qualified satrap of Asia Minor, even though he had been winning battles.

He recorded the events of these past few days. When it came to Timasion and the others leaving the camp and heading for the Thua Alliance, he hesitated for a moment but eventually decided not to write it down. It wasn’t for secrecy, but because he always adhered to a principle: the Eastern Mediterranean was the center of the history he would one day write; the Western Mediterranean was far from the civilized center and not worth too much attention.

Then he packed up his manuscripts and decided to go have a good talk with Cheirisophus. He had some ideas and suggestions on how to manage these mercenaries and prevent unrest among the troops.

After building the Lao River Fortress (if it could be called a fortress—it was basically a reinforced camp), Philistos left one company to guard it and led the remaining troops of the Third and Seventh Battalions back to Thurii.

Davos welcomed them outside the city and gave an impassioned speech to the soldiers. Afterwards, he dismissed the troops and let them go home. Philistos came to Davos’s residence and gave him a detailed account of the capture of Nerulum and Laüs, as well as the general situation in Nerulum now.

Davos listened attentively and then asked, “Are the soldiers of the Second Battalion and the First Company of the Third Battalion unhappy about having to stay in Nerulum for another ten days or so?”

“Not for now,” Philistos replied. “Since you, sir, issued the new booty distribution plan, the soldiers left behind will get a larger share. I can see they’re quite pleased.”

Davos nodded and sighed, “We’re not like Persia, with a state-funded army dedicated solely to fighting, capable of carrying out combat missions year-round. Five days is the limit for the Alliance’s citizens to serve in mandatory military campaigns. Beyond that time, we have to provide food for the soldiers, and it also delays their farming and earning money. We can’t let the citizens who bleed for the Alliance end up poorer the more they fight. So this booty distribution isn’t just for this one time! I want you to go back and consult with Mesis to draw up a long-term plan for distributing booty. Prioritize three points.

First, the families of soldiers killed in battle must be given preferential treatment. Second, units and soldiers that have performed outstandingly and achieved military merit must be given preferential treatment. Third, units and soldiers that have undertaken the most arduous combat missions must be given preferential treatment… Oh, and also, in future campaigns, we may fight alongside allied forces, so when formulating the booty distribution plan, that must also be taken into account—it must be fair and just!”