'Discipline is the soul of an army. It makes small numbers formidable; procures success for the weak, and esteem for all.' - George Washington
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-Lydia, Sardis, 464 BC-
Riding among the cheering fanfare of the gathering crowds was a hulk of a man donned in scaled armors and halberd in hand.
This man was Megabyzus, brother-in-law to the God King and one of Persia's greatest warrior generals. Taking a moment to pay special tribute to his King for gifting him such a mighty weapon, with the halberds shaft a staggering length of 10 feet and the wicked blade another foot in length, the halberd inspired fear and awe in any who saw it.
Megabyzus had already decided on a name for the weapon designed by the King himself, Crescent Deluge, for its shape and manner of attack reminiscent of a downpour of death.
Looking away from his weapon, Megabyzus soon realized that he and his procession of guards had reached the Grand Palace of Sardis, the abode of the satrap of Lydia.
Raising his mighty halberd into the air as a means of raising morale, almost instantly the gathering demoralized populace of Sardis exploded into cheers chanting;
"Victory!"
"Victory!"
"Victory!"
The Persians yells nearly shattered the nearby house windows, as inside their voices were centuries of hate and animosity towards their Greek foes who had inspired many tales of woe and despair since the dawn of time.
Starting way back to the times of Troy and Sparta, the peoples of Anatolia had a blood feud with their Greek neighbors, Persia and Athens had only continued the ancient tradition.
Dismounting from his horse to the backdrop of cheers, Megabyzus, and his personal guards strolled into the open palace grounds. What greeted them was another procession of men in silks and courtly robes.
Taking note of their attires, Megabyzus waited for their greeting as was customary to an Achaemenid member. Shortly after, the man at the front of the waiting processions performed a courtesy and spoke with a vacant smile, "Greetings Lord Megabyus, Satrap of Syria, General of the East, an Achaemenid, we have long waited for your arrival."
Megabyzus nodded at the man, recognizing him as Pissuthnes, a slimy man who had been given the Satrapy of Lydia after coercing King Xerxes with plentiful 'donations' and words of flattery.
Done with the frivolous etiquette, Megabyzus strolled right past Pissuthnes, causing the man to speedily walk beside Megabyzus to keep up. As Pissuthnes speed walked, his large belly jiggled and his many gaudy ornaments jingled, the man was also in a near-constant state of running out of breath and being drenched in his own greasy sweat.
Upon first impressions, Megabyzus had a general idea of how this man ruled. Deciding to put his doubts aside, Megayzus spoke frankly, "How fares the situation on the coast? Do any Ionian cities still hold?"
Upon his march to Sardis, Megabyzus had received word of the fall of Ephesus and immediately made haste, rallying various small armies from the Anatolian satrapies of Cilicia, Pamphylia, Lycia, and Caria. These forces plus his own men from Syria summed up to a ground-shaking force of 80,000 disciplined men.
Pissuthnes, hearing these questions visibly showed signs of discomfort, nevertheless, he responded to the Kings brother in law, "There seems to have been some mishaps on the Ionian coast...after the sacking of Ephesus, many cities open their gates in surrender out of cowardice!" Having said this, Pissuthnes facial features contorted in disgust, clearly showing his disdain for the Ionian defenses he was responsible for.
Continuing on he spoke, "Fear not Lord Megabyzus, for I have already sent my armies to recapture the cities of Clazomenae and the ruins of Ephesus!"
Pissuthness then ranted on about how his armies would send the Greek dogs into a rout and return victorious. Meanwhile, Megabyzus had completely tuned the little person's voice out of his mind after hearing he had sent his armies to Greece alone.
Infuriated by the man's incessant boasting and still doubting what he had just heard, Megabyzus roared, "Silence!"
Immediately, Pissuthnes quieted and the retinue of soldiers following them perked up in surprise.
"Did I hear that right? Are your armies on the march without my command!" Megabyzus yelled, with his last sentence being less of a question and more of a demand.
Pissuthnes was quick to respond, his voice quivering, "Yes my Lord! Those Greek barbarians won't stand a chance against my army numbering untold thousands!"
Megabyzus, taken aback by the man's foolishness decided that communicating with him further was hopeless. Turning to the head of his personal guard, Megabyzus spoke, "Gather all my generals and advisors in the palace council hall, and prepare my armies to march at a moment's notice."
Speeding up slightly, Megabyzus left behind the breathless Pissuthnes and shortly arrived at the palace council hall. Designed with a mixture of greek and Persian elements, the walls were filled with colorful reliefs of roaming dragons and trotting bulls while the high ceiling of the magnificent room was supported by a dozen massive greek marble columns.
It wasn't before long that various advisors, lieutenants, and tacticians began to enter the hall. When Megabyzus felt that a majority had arrived, he spoke "What is the number of the Lydian army marching to their deaths? What do the Greeks number?"
The man who stepped forward to respond was donned in black robes, what marked him from any ordinary man was a gold signet pinned on his chest of an Eye of Horus. He was Neterca, a member of the King's intelligence organization, the Eyes and Ears of the King.
Signaling for the man to speak, Megabyzus listened attentively to what he had to say. Neterca spoke in a calm and rational tone, signature to members of the EoK, "From various corroborating reports put together, it's certain that the Lydian force numbers 30,000 strong and are all well trained and disciplined."
Hearing this, Megabyzus was unsurprised by the staggering number. After all, the satrapy of Lydia was one of the wealthiest in the Empire.
Continuing on, Neterca said, "Furthermore, I've also received varying reports on the size of the Delian Leagues forces ranging from as low as 80,000 to as high as 200,000. It is most likely in between these two figures but I will report further after I receive better intelligence from our eyes and ears on the Ionian coast."
After hearing all of this, Megayzus had an idea as to what he was facing. Speaking in a booming voice, Megabyzus said, "Very well then! Rally the men immediately! We march to Ionia with the utmost haste and urgency to support our Lydian comrades!"
Slamming the butt of his halberd onto the smooth marble tiled floor, the council hall immediately dispersed and everyone began working on their personal tasks, whether it was preparing their men for the battle ahead or arranging the logistical nightmare that was about to take place.