Rod smiled.
"Otherwise, you would have been destroyed long ago."
"……Yes."
If someone else said this, Aristagoras would think that this person was really arrogant. After all, Naxos was a city-state with a population of more than 80,000 people and more than 70 warships. How could it be destroyed at will? However, this guy was the oracle of Poseidon. He might summon a tsunami and drown all the people in Naxos. So Aristagoras said quickly, "Dear Lord Rhodes, although we have a lot of trade with the Athenians, we are not allies, so..."
"So, are you interested in forming an alliance with us?"
Rhodes said this suddenly.
This surprised Aristagoras.
"This is?"
"The Byzantine Kingdom attacked Athens this time only because Athens was too arrogant. Now, the Persians are ready to attack the Greek region again. Our respected Majesty decided to lead Greece to resist the Persian attack. But the Athenians not only did not choose to cooperate, but secretly colluded with the Persians, which led to this war. However, any Greeks who are willing to resist the Persians with us will be regarded as allies by our Byzantine Kingdom, including you in Naxos."
"But the Persians..."
Aristagoras was also muttering to himself.
The Persians think that the emperor is far away.
What's going on with Naxos?
"The Persians also have their own fleet. If they want to attack the Greek mainland, they will definitely choose your islands as a springboard. Naxos is the largest in area, and the Persian fleet is very likely to attack Naxos as their frontline base. I think you should be very clear about the strength of the Persians. It is almost impossible to resist the Persians alone."
"……Yes."
Rhodes said so.
Aristagoras couldn't just stick his neck out and deny it.
"If the Naxos are willing to form an alliance with the Byzantine Kingdom, then the Byzantine Kingdom will not only guarantee that it will not take any hostile actions against Naxos, but will also be willing to trade with Naxos and help Naxos train its army. When the Persians attack, the Byzantine Kingdom will also face the Persian invasion together with the allies who are willing to resist."
"This one……"
Aristagoras lowered his head and thought about it.
"This matter is of great importance. I..."
"You are a tyrant, do you still want to ask the citizens' assembly, which is a mere formality?"
"Ah, this..."
Originally, Aristagoras wanted to use this excuse to delay time.
But having said that, Aristagoras certainly can't continue to use this excuse.
"Your Majesty's mission to me includes not only destroying the Athenian fleet, but also this. Our navy and the soldiers on board can easily wipe out all the city-states here. However, problems that can be solved peacefully are best solved peacefully. We will not affect your rule in Naxos. If you are willing to cooperate, even after we eliminate Athens, we can transfer the islands controlled by Athens to Naxos."
"This is real?"
Aristagoras was moved.
And Rhodes continued to raise the stakes.
"Yes, Delos, Paros, Minos, Milos... all these islands can be managed by the Naxos."
"I see."
This condition was put forward by the Byzantine Empire.
It is indeed very tempting.
But is this really the case?
Will the Byzantines really keep their promise?
Aristagoras had not had much contact with the Byzantines, so he was not sure whether Rhodes was lying to him or telling the truth. After thinking about it, Aristagoras could only respond: "If we disagree, it is equivalent to declaring war on the Byzantine Kingdom? Is that right?"
“To some extent, that’s true.”
"This is a naked threat."
"There is no greater threat than that of the Persians."
Lesson 4, Section 10: Harvest of Successful Trading
Rhodes has put Hilde's theory into practice.
It was used to the fullest extent.
That's what Hilde said every time she talked to someone.
Because the Persians posed a greater threat.
So, my threat to you is not a threat.
Of course, Rhode knew that the Persians were not a threat at all. It was just an excuse of Hilde. The Queen of Persia followed Hilde every day, and the two thousand Immortals were still protecting the safety of Byzantium. He did not think that the Persians were a threat. However, Rhode said calmly, "If the Greeks cannot resist the Persians, they will suffer the consequences and may even be destroyed directly, just like the Medes. Therefore, in order to preserve the flame of Greek civilization, Your Majesty must take this dishonorable action."
"Then let me ask."
"Please say."
"After this alliance, is there anything you want us to do?"
"No."
"No? Aren't you going to fight the Athenian fleet? So..."
"Are you worried that we will ask you Naxians to help us deal with the Athenian fleet? If so, I think you can rest assured that the strength of our Byzantine fleet is not enough to require the help of the Naxians. In our eyes, the Athenian fleet is just a turtle in a jar. It is only a matter of time to deal with them."
Rhodes looked at Aristagoras with a smile.
"So, the most fundamental purpose of saying all this this time is to form an alliance."
"I understand."
Aristagoras nodded.
From this perspective, there doesn't seem to be any negative impact in the short term.
In other words, as long as the covenant is signed.
You will be able to get verbal protection from the Byzantine Empire.
So, Aristagoras continued to ask: "If it is to fight against the Persians, the Naxian people are willing to contribute their own strength to Greece, but I obviously don't have the final say on this matter. Although I am a dictator... ahem, to put it bluntly, a tyrant, I am also responsible for the future of Naxos. I need to seek advice from my staff, but I personally am willing to face the threat of the Persians together with the Byzantine Kingdom."
"very good."
Rhodes nodded slightly.
"In that case, my meaning has been conveyed."
"Grateful."
"There is no rush for the alliance, and you don't need to give me an answer now. I am not a special envoy. When the time comes, after the war with Athens is over, I will definitely talk to your Majesty about this matter in person. At that time, there will definitely be a special envoy coming to discuss this series of matters with Naxos." Rhodes stood up and bowed slightly. "In that case, I will take my leave first."
"Are you in such a hurry? We have prepared delicious food and wine..."
"I'm sorry I can't enjoy it during the war."
"Then I can only wish you a safe journey."
"But, there is something I would like to ask you."
Rhodes changed the subject.
"Although we are not allies yet, can I personally purchase a map of the archipelago and... the latest intelligence on the Athenian fleet?"
"Buy?"
"Correct."
Rhodes' words made Aristagoras frown slightly.
Logically speaking, if you are not an ally, giving maps and intelligence to the other party is a very irrational behavior. Handing over a map is essentially equivalent to surrender, not to mention the map of the archipelago. As for intelligence, Aristagoras does have a lot of intelligence, but if he were to give it to Rhodes, it would be equivalent to helping the Byzantine Kingdom and being hostile to Athens.
Now, Aristagoras didn't know whether the Byzantine Kingdom would win or Athens would win. If he gave the intelligence to the other side, and the Athenians won, they would attack Naxos instead, which would be a loss. So, Aristagoras hesitated for a while and decided to refuse Rhodes.
But he hasn't said it yet.
Rhodes continued:
"As the commander of the Byzantine fleet, I will use some dishonorable means in this matter. Of course, I will only do so if reasonable means are ineffective."
"What are you..."
Another threat?
This woman!
Aristagoras cursed inwardly.
But, I have to say, threats really work.
This is the oracle, Aristagoras will still be afraid.
He could sort of see it.
Rhodes did not intend to threaten Aristagoras to sign the treaty, but in the matter of offending Athens, Rhodes was completely threatening the other party. Now, the problem facing Aristagoras is that either you offend the Byzantine Kingdom in order to stand in a neutral position, or you choose to offend Athens in order not to offend the Byzantine Kingdom. The purchase that Rhodes mentioned was also to give the other party a way out.
Aristagoras certainly understood the logic behind this.
So, he had no choice but to give up.
"Well, that's fine. If you really want to buy it, it's not impossible..."
"That's fine."
In the end, Rhodes and Aristagoras "happily" reached a deal.
Rhodes used ten talents of gold to purchase a map of the archipelago area, as well as "intelligence".
Rhode couldn't tell whether these things were worth ten talents of gold, but he thought it would be a good idea to give them some leniency. Naxos might become the Byzantine Kingdom's representative in the archipelago in the future. If he threatened Naxos to hand over these things, he might save the money, but it might also lead to a bad relationship between the Byzantine Kingdom and Naxos. Rhode's fleet had twenty talents of gold, so giving half of it to the other party to buy these things was not a problem.
After getting these things.
Rhodes was seen off by Aristagoras.
Back to the fleet.
Amyntas came anxiously to greet Rhodes.
"Lord Rhodes, what's the situation?"
"Got the map."
Rhodes placed several parchment scrolls on the table and opened them anxiously.
Aristagoras was quite kind. He did not just give Rhode one map of the archipelago, but several maps. One of them was what Rhode needed, a map of the archipelago including Naxos and Delos, with the topography, coastline, and routes of each island marked on it. The other maps were separate maps of each island, with more detailed markings on them.
This can also be seen from these maps.
The fifth tune, the first section, the pearl of the archipelago, Delos
The ambitions of the Naxians are probably not small.
For example, this map of Delos.
The commanding heights, the deployment of the defense forces on Delos, the distribution of the city walls, and the location of the port were marked in great detail. Even the appropriate landing sites were shown on the map. The things on these maps might be much more valuable than the information that "the Athenian fleet is currently stationed at the port of Delos." Of course, strictly speaking, these maps were not bought by Rhodes. Rhodes would find a professional cartographer in the fleet to copy them, and then return them to Aristagoras.
“What a detailed map.”
Amyntas also exclaimed.
"It seems that the Naxians have been prepared for a long time."
"The largest city-state nearby is Naxos, and they have been eyeing it for a long time. For example, the island of Paros across the sea has been planned with detailed roads and possible ambush sites. If it weren't for us, or the Athenians and Spartans, Naxos would definitely find a chance to invade Paros and annex this place."
Rhodes put the trident aside.
Then sat on the chair.
She exhaled and said helplessly:
"But I was so nervous just now."
"Master Rhodes, you have worked hard."
"No, I'm just too immature... Although I have accomplished my goal, I still feel my heart beating very fast." Rhodes put his hand on his chest and said helplessly, "I still can't be as calm and composed as Your Majesty."
"Lord Rhodes, everything requires practice. Didn't you successfully complete your goal today? This shows that you have made great progress compared to your previous immaturity. This is enough."
