This did not help to successfully open up a second front. The garrison forces in Athens did not dare to move rashly.
The Athenian domestic army could only watch the attack of the mercenary army on the mainland.
As for the main force of the Tino Alliance in the south, it was simply unable to move north at this moment.
Because Leonidas, the king of Sparta, was also an outstanding military strategist.
When Leonidas received the news from Eurybiades that the war funds of the Tenonian League had been robbed, he immediately saw an opportunity.
Although it was not their navy that accomplished the great feat, this event would definitely make the Tino Alliance breathless for a while.
Therefore, Leonidas immediately gave the order. All the armies in the north that were facing the main force of the Tiano Alliance Army began to launch an offensive.
Even if we cannot break through the long wall defense line of the Tino Alliance, we must hold the enemy there.
As a result, the pressure on the main force of the Southern Army of the Tino Alliance suddenly increased.
In addition, logistical support was clearly beginning to be in short supply.
Not to mention withdrawing troops to fight back against the mercenary group invading from Thermopylae, even holding the defense line became difficult.
The combined fleet led by Eurybiades also received orders from Leonidas.
They were asked to move south as quickly as possible and hold on to the retreating main force of the Athenian navy, not allowing them the opportunity to calmly reinforce any battlefield.
In fact, with the failure of the Battle of Thasos, Themistocles had seriously lost his self-confidence.
Fearing that he would be exiled by the Athenian Assembly, he did not dare to return to Athens with more than 3,000 warships!
After returning to Tino Island and resupplying briefly, the 3,000-plus ships headed east to the waters of Rhodes Island and retreated to their base camp.
Although the Peloponnesian League coalition forces following behind had more than 6,000 ships, the Athenian navy had less than 4,000 ships.
But given the confidence of the Athenian navy, they should not have been cowardly and could have fought head-on.
However, along the way, Themistocles did not dare to engage in battle with the Peloponnesian League fleet that was following closely behind him.
Only after retreating to the vicinity of Rhodes and seeing his own coastal fortifications did Themistocles finally feel relieved.
Eurybiades was no fool.
Seeing that the main force of the Athenian navy retreated to Rhodes, he certainly would not attack by force.
After all, the task Leonidas assigned to him was only to delay the main force of the Athenian navy and prevent them from reinforcing other battlefields.
If not necessary, just maintain a standoff with Themistocles.
There's no need to force a risk and decide the outcome.
With the de facto cooperation between the Great Northern League and the Peloponnesian League on various battlefields, the Tinian League, which had lost its leader, suffered heavy losses.
Three days later, Boeotia, the second most powerful country in the Tino Alliance, was forced to surrender to the mercenary group led by Stobi.
Affected by this incident, the small countries west and south of Boeotia gave up resistance one after another.
Soon, a gap appeared in the southwest defense line.
Leonidas, the King of Sparta, certainly would not sit idly by and take advantage of this opportunity.
The Peloponnesian League army, with Spartan heavy infantry as its main force, also broke into the Tenochtitlan League from the southwest.
The combat effectiveness of these armies is far beyond the reach of mercenary groups.
A few more days passed. Of the continental powers of the Tyrian League, only Athens remained, unconquered.
Cleisthenes, after retreating early from the battlefield of Meganthes, had rushed back to Athens as quickly as possible.
He immediately convened a citizens' assembly, obtained wartime authorization, and became the new archon of Athens.
It was precisely because of his quick response that Athens was able to barely withstand the pressure from all sides.
However, even so, the external environment in Athens at this moment was extremely bad.
On the northwest land, there are more than two million mercenaries, watching covetously.
On the other side of the strait in the northeast, more than 2,000 warships commanded by Achilles and Hector, as well as a million elite Stobi troops, could cross the sea to the south at any time.
The most troublesome direction is the southwest.
The Great Wall's defenses had completely collapsed. The main force of the Peloponnesian League had reached the Athenian border.
This army has more than five million soldiers and is extremely powerful, with one million of Greece's strongest Spartan heavy infantry!
The leader was Leonidas, the Spartan king, who was also a first-class army commander.
His fame is even greater than that of Achilles, who dominated the North.
Athens was not known for its strong army.
With armies approaching from three sides, Athens would normally rely on its proud navy to cooperate in the battle.
However, the main force of the Athenian navy, including the naval god Themistocles, was now suppressed in the distant island of Rhodes.
Without the support and cooperation of the navy, Cleisthenes knew that he could not fight this war.
After much hesitation, for the sake of Athens' thousands of years of glorious heritage, he could only try to solve the current problem through diplomatic means.
The object of diplomacy undoubtedly points to the root of everything - Stobi.
Two days later, Achilles, who was stationed at the port of Eretria and about to launch a sea crossing offensive, received a personal letter from Cleisthenes, the new archon of Athens.
After reading the letter, Achilles was undecided and hurriedly called Odysseus, Alexander, the prime minister and the high priest to discuss the matter together.
"It is Cleisthenes who is trying to sow discord between us and the Peloponnesian League! Ignore him!" The high priest spoke first after reading the letter.
"Although it's a provocation, what he said makes sense. Leonidas, the king of Sparta, is also a man of great ambition. If Athens perishes, the one who will benefit the most is not us, but Sparta." The Prime Minister pondered.
"That's right. In the past, there was the suppression of the Peloponnesian League organized by Sparta. Although it had great ambitions, it could not be truly realized. But if Athens perishes, I am afraid that no one will be able to suppress Leonidas!" Alexander also nodded in agreement.
"I think. Let the king decide. Report this matter to the king immediately and let the king decide. Before that, our army and the mercenary group that has occupied Boeotia should suspend the attack." Odysseus suggested.
Odysseus's opinion was quickly recognized by everyone.
While sending Cleisthenes' letter to Botaïtia, Achilles ordered the two northern armies to suspend their attack.
The reason he gave was that the army had been fighting hard for many days and needed to rest and wait for logistical supplies.
Although King Leonidas of Sparta was somewhat unhappy about this, he could do nothing about it.
After all, as long as the two large armies in the north exist, even if they do not launch an offensive, they can effectively contain the Athenian military power.
Leonidas could only order the Peloponnesian League to launch an all-out attack, hoping to unilaterally break the deadlock.
At the same time, diplomats were dispatched to the main force of the Stobi Army stationed in the Evia Islands to obtain the latest information and urge the allies to advance as soon as possible.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
