Everyone trembled.
“Syracuse is indeed worthy of our vigilance!” said Siprus with a grave expression, with the other’s face changing as well. Carthage was already enough of a problem for them, but with the addition of a not-so-weak Syracuse… Syracuse had only remained intact after losing the South-Italian War because of Theonia’s agreement with Sparta and Carthage but had now become a fishbone stuck in the throat of the Sicilian territory of the Kingdom of Theonia.
“We will destroy Syracuse as long as they dare to declare war on us!” Kreru said furiously.
“That will have to wait until we have defeated the Carthaginian army.” Leotychides said in a low tone, “With our current strength in Sicily, we cannot fight two enemies simultaneously!”
Milo stared at the map and asked, “Commander Prosous…it seems you have regarded Syracuse as an enemy. So what is your plan in case we have to face the joint army of Carthage and Syracuse?”
‘Carthage and Syracuse were mortal enemies; is it even possible for them to ally?’ Some of them looked puzzled.
Without bothering to look at the crowd’s expression, Leotychides looked at the map. Then he said the plan he conceived, “My plan…is to gather most of the soldiers in a camp near Lake Pergusa* and turn Palagonia-” (it is to the north of Leontinoi, on the southern edge of the Catanian plain.)
Leotychides pointed his stick at a small village on the south-western edge of the Catanian plain, “With the area to the south of the Catanian plain mostly mountainous with an altitude of four hundred to five hundred metres above sea level, and with abundant trees, it won’t be easy for a large force to pass through it, except for marching diagonally from Palagonia to Gela, which is easily travelled.
So I decided to turn Palagonia into a well-defended fortress and station enough soldiers here to prevent the Carthaginian army from entering the Catanian plain.”
“Commander Prosous,” Trius, the polemarchos of Taunis, interjected anxiously, “If Syracuse is allied with Carthage, the Carthaginian army will probably attack Catania by passing through Syracuse and marching from the coast to Taunis!”
“That’s a possibility.” Leotychides nodded, “That’s why I’m setting up my camp north of Leontinoi, less than twenty kilometres from either Taunis or Palagonia. That way, once we find the enemy, our reinforcements could arrive within a few hours. And at the same time, if the Carthaginians try to sneak over the mountains and attack Leontinoi, I will be nearby to provide reinforcements.”
Leotychides’ words reassured the polemarchos of Leontinoi and Taunis.
Milo, however, was not satisfied and warned loudly, “We won’t be able to repel the Carthaginian army just by defending, and there’s a chance that something could go terribly wrong!” Milo had learnt his lesson from trying to stop the Theonian army using Krimisa during the Second Croto-Theonian War, only for Davos to bypass Krimisa, seize Apustrum and attack Crotone.
“Lord Milo, don’t forget about the Sikeloi.” Leotychides drew a circle in the middle of the map of Sicily and said calmly, “The Sikeloi lived in this mountainous region and were good at harassment and sneak attacks. When Dionysius led his army to attack the northern coast of Sicily more than a decade ago, the Sikeloi were responsible for harassing the Carthaginians’ rear and causing them great trouble. And with Sikeloi now under our control, we can organise thousands, even tens of thousands, of Sikeloi soldiers, divide them into several teams, and have them lurking in the mountains near the coast to harass the Carthaginians and attack their logistical supplies.
And the further east the Carthaginians attacked, the longer they would stretch their line, allowing the Sikeloi to attack their entire rear. So as long as we can defend Palagonia, Leontinoi and Taunir, the battle will be in our favour. Once the Carthaginians can’t attack any more because their rear is constantly getting attacked, that would be the best time for my troops to fight back!”
Leotychides’ confidence lessened the praetors’ concerns.
But Milo still insists on asking, “What if the Carthaginians didn’t go by land but by sea and landed directly in Syracuse’s port?”
Leotychides had already considered that, so he said meaningfully, “The navy should answer this question.”
So Fulalios, the navarch of Theonia’s Third Fleet, immediately stated, “My lords, you can rest assured. Once the Carthaginians dare to land in the great port of Syracuse or on any other coast east of Sicily, our fleet will send all their soldiers into the sea to become fish food! And by His Majesty’s order, after the First Fleet transports the First Legion to Volsci, Lord Seklian will lead them to meet up with our Third Fleet in Catania in a few days. By then, we will have over 500 ships of all sizes, so much so that the Carthaginian fleet will be afraid to sail off the southern coast of Sicily!”
“Since our navy is so strong, why don’t we prevent the Carthaginian army from landing in Sicily?” Apirosia, the praetor of Sikuly, asked expectantly.
Apirosia was once the chief of a large tribe in Rudiae, Messapi, and was the first to lead a surrender when the Theonian army was about to attack Rudiae after defeating the Messapi-Peuceti coalition, which brought him to the attention of Davos and eventually to the Senate. Since Rudiae was not a coastal city, he was unfamiliar with naval warfare.
“Firstly, we don’t know what day and time the Carthaginian force would land in Sicily. Moreover, sailing from Catania to the western end of Sicily would take at least six to seven hours, so by the time our fleet arrived, the Carthaginians might already have completed their landings.” Fulalios patiently explained, “Besides, the Carthaginian navy is also strong; they have at least four hundred triremes and are rumoured to have made a quinquereme… Also, by rushing to the western end of Sicily to stop the Carthaginian landing, our fleet would end up being besieged, as the city of Carthage is too close, allowing the warships in their port to arrive in time for reinforcements…”
Fulalios’ words made Apirosia feel a little embarrassed and caused several other praetors to drop the same idea.
Siprus interjected at this moment, “I think…we shouldn’t make our relationship with these friendly city-states on the south coast rigid. If they come to ask for help, tell them honestly of our difficulties, apologise sincerely, and perhaps even allow their people to take refuge in our territories if the Carthaginian army advances. And if the Carthaginians surround their cities and are unable to resist, we can also send a fleet to rescue their people…”
Philesius’ eyes brightened, “That’s a good idea; we can do that! With a way out, I believe these Greek cities will not easily surrender to the Carthaginians and would also buy us more time!”
Leotychides said nothing, obviously agreeing.
Amikles, however, protested, “You all could only see the south coast! The Carthaginians are likely to attack from the north coast, too; Don’t forget about the old city of Messina’s destruction! Now that Messia is just a small town with few men, they won’t be able to hold off the Carthaginians!”
“I certainly haven’t forgotten the north coast.” Leotychides looked at him proudly as he pointed to the map with his stick, “Do you remember the small city that the Rhegians built to help the exiles from Catania and Naxos, but which was destroyed by the Syracusans? I decided to use the rubble to rebuild a small fortress and garrison it with a few thousand soldiers. If the Carthaginians send an army to attack the north coast, this fortress will use the narrow terrain to hold them off for at least a week, by which time reinforcements will be able to arrive.”
After saying that, he looked at Philesius and said, “If Sicily’s military is under great pressure, I hope the Ministry of Military can send the Seventh Legion to Messina.” (The Seventh Legion is stationed near Locri.)
“I don’t think that would be a problem.” Philesius immediately promised, “His Majesty has already discussed this with the Ministry of War, so he may send not only the Seventh but also the Sixth and Fifth Legions to Sicily as long as the war situation requires.”
“What about the unified command of these legions?” Leotychides immediately asked.
“Once they’d arrived in Sicily, you would naturally command them,” Philesius replied without hesitation, apparently having received Davos’s consent in advance.
Leotychides was satisfied, so he looked at Fulalios again, “I don’t think the navy will allow Carthage’s fleet to land near Messina.”
“Of course! Our warships will protect Sicily’s southern and northern coastline near the east! They would be absolutely safe!” Said Fulalios decisively.
“I am relieved!” As someone who liked peace, Amikles led the people of Roscianum to follow the powerful Theonia. So when Theonia defeated Syracuse and occupied most of the land in south Italia, and Laos and Terina took the initiative to merge with Theonia, he went to persuade the members of the Council to hold an ecclesia on Roscianum’s merging with the Kingdom of Theonia. And the reason he remained in the comfortable position of Praetor of Messina for four years was a reward from Davos and the Senate for his previous contributions.
Peace was finally restored in the meeting hall.