"My fellows of Eritreia. War was never my preference, but it is upon us through hubris and presumption; Taras' demands insult every right thinking man and demean the virtues of Hellas. By the wisdom of our Strategos, there are two paths before us. One of kleos, victory and hegemony; the other will lead us to defeat. It is unknown which of these paths before us leads to which end; as always, that is a mystery of the Fates.
"What we must due is to put everything: will, iron, gold, and more into our path and see it to the end. As such, many of the questions that come before us this day have answers combined as bundles. As I see it, there is a path before us of Iron and Fire and one of a Vipertooth."
[ ] Plan: Iron and Fire
-[ ] [Diplomacy] Metapontion. The Metapontines are cordial with Eretria but have no love for the idea of us being victorious in war with Taras. We must move to keep them neutral, and if possible, to allow Thuriian infantry through their lands to assist us against Taras [-20 talents for bribes, Mnemnon will attempt to negotiate with Metapontion].
-[ ] [Land] Distribute the public lands [-10 Talents start-up cost for hoplites, permanently lose 9 talents per turn in public revenue, +351 Hoplites, Hoplite Ratio to 45%].
-[ ] [League] Go under the table to prevent the veto reform from passing [-10 talents in bribes, All League Reforms pass except for veto reform, League divided].
-[ ] [Strategos] Xanthos Irenaeos (Demos Exoria, The Storm of Iron)
"If the men of Eriteria trust fully in the glory of our arm and the will of our polis, they shall see wisdom in the Storm of Iron. To follow that plan, we must take every advantage we can in maximizing the size of our phalanx so that when it finally comes up the Tarantines, it crashes over and through them like a wave on the sea.
"A Storm of Iron requires that we appease the Metapontines. If their hoplites were to march to the aid of Taras, we would be outnumbered so greatly that even we — men equal to the might of two from another other city — will be overwhelmed. Further, without their acquiescence, our allies in Thurii will not be able to even reach the field of battle. The Storm of Iron depends on our forces of 5,400 men being able to triumph over Taras when their levies number as much as 9,000. We need the support of our allies; we would be crushed underneath the weight of numbers otherwise.
"Our hinterlands and those of the Leauge will be savaged ceaselessly by the Dauni, but that cannot be avoided. To throw anything less than our full might — and that of our allies — against Taras will just mean our defeat.
"As the Storm depends on Hoplites, we should distribute public lands to facilitate further augmentation of our forces. 350 more hoplites would mean that we can send almost two tenths of a hundred (~20%) more against the Tarantines.
"My final two choices this day: to appease our ungrateful league (at least in part) and to appoint Xanthos as 1st Strategos are related. We must rely on the league as they will provide as much as one man in four in our grand army. To fully spurn their cries for relief means only that they will be resentful and restless when they fight. While I am uncertain if they would unman themselves so far as to refuse the field of battle, their hearts will not be in the collision of shield against shield and they may find themselves pushed back.
"Xanthos is known for his ability to build trust and coalitions among men at battle. While he is not the most glorious of us or the finest warrior, we are no longer in the days of wily Hearkles and wrathful Achillies. It is by working together, as a group and as a polis, that phalanx are victorious. We will be fighting alongside Peuketti, League allies, Thurii and Messapi; someone who can unite all of these forces is necessary for us. Especially with the disunity among the Messapi.
"Everything that Eritreia is gathered, every gain we have ever made, must be welded into the thrust of a single spear. Everything that the city is must be thrust into Taratine hearts at once with this plan. There can be no compromise and no hesitate. We will throw in our all under the eyes and receive our glory or our deaths."
[ ] Plan: Vipertooth
-[ ] [Diplomacy] The Dauni. We cannot allow the Dauni to create a two-front war. Our spies have revealed opposition to a war with Eretria among the Herdonians and Salapians. We must bribe and convince them to push the rest of the Dauni Confederacy into opposing a war with Eretria even it looks momentarily advantageous [-20 talents for bribes, Mnemnon will attempt to convince the Dauni to stay at peace].
-[ ] [Land] We cannot afford to lose so much revenue [Maintain Hoplite Ratio at 40%, lose no public revenue].
-[ ] [League] Accept the Pylonos' Reform Proposal [New League Strategos elected by the cities, power to preside over annual meetings, new League Games every four years, common weights and measures, veto reformed to super-majority of delegates from cities].
-[ ] [Strategos] Epiktetos Linos (Demos Drakonia, The Serpent's Vice)
"If one moment of do-or-die is not to the polis' taste, then we have another option and it is one that builds upon all of our strengths.
"Epiktetos and the great Demos Drakonia have submitted to us a plan that takes advantage of who we are and what we have. The Tarantines are weaker than us, but this weakness is most pronounced in three distinct categories: the skirmish, upon the horse, and at sea.
"While Taras is famed across the Hellenic world for their cavlary, that is primarily because of the relative weakness of cavalry in Hellas. The mountainous and divided nature of the land makes them unique unsuitable to war and battle. It is only here in Magna Gracia that cavalry have come into their own. It was old Herodion One-Eye who brought cavalry to the forefront of war. It was he that humbled the Syrakuosi as an exile and while leading the polis as a whole. We have inherited that legacy and our cavalry remain finer than even that of Taras.
"It is in our other two strengths, that our advantages become overwhelming. Our skirmishers are more skilled, but the Peuketti are a wily people. They utterly eclipse the Tarantines on the field of skirmish and make mockery of the elan that Taras can offer. We can humiliate them again and again and again. When their blood is hot and their minds have gone soft, they may try to strike at us and force battle. We shall meet them then, while they are harried and wrathful and then leave them humiliated on the field of honour.
"Upon the seas, we are supreme; there is no contest there. Additionally, as Athenai has humiliated both Sparta and Korinth on the sea, we have little to fear from Tara receiving aid. When our skirmishers lay waste to the countryside around the city of Taras and our ships block grain from entering, hunger will begin to bite and sap the city's will. They will weaken with time, just as when you hunt and chase a deer; no matter how much faster it is than you, once its energy is spent, it is easy to slay.
"The relatively limited nature of this conflict is also much less likely to spark Metapontine support for Taras. A clear clash of arms could produce Hegemonia of one power over the other and thus attract their ire, but a more limited and grinding conflict would lull them into a place of contended ignorance.
"Once Taras is weak and baited, we can humiliate them on the field. It is not likely to leave us with uncontested hegemonia, but I truly do not believe such is possible. We will need time to absorb the Messapii and time to take the fight to the Dauni, and then time further to fully pacify the League. Taras will be there for another day; one which is a time and place of our hosing where they can finally be broken.
"When you cast your ballot, recall that we do not want to fly too high on wings of wax. Hubris will be the end of us as quickly as any spear."
So says Leander son of Heironymos.
