Even if they wanted to completely wipe Thebes off the map this time, Commander Alcibiades would never allow any Byzantine soldier to do anything that would humiliate the honor of the army. In fact, this kind of action of breaking through the city and then destroying the city was a huge temptation for many citizens, because as long as they were lucky enough, they could seize a lot of money and treasures from innocent people in this city-destroying action.
Therefore, no matter where the war is, it is like this. Once the soldiers break through the city wall, the fate of the city is only ruthless killing and ruthless looting.
The people of Thebes thought so too.
I watched the soldiers marching in neat steps, controlling the streets in all directions, but not a single soldier tried to open the door of any house and rush in to arrest anyone.
"All Thebans, listen up!"
"We are a civilized country in the Byzantine Kingdom. We invaded your city-state this time because you were stubborn and reckless. You dared to resist to the death despite such a huge disparity in strength. This time we are teaching you a lesson, but as long as you lay down your weapons and choose to surrender and cooperate with our actions, the Byzantine Kingdom will guarantee your lives! We will not plunder your treasures, nor will we rape your wives and daughters. As long as you choose to cooperate, we will definitely guarantee your safety under the watchful eyes of His Majesty Hilde!"
The commander shouted at the residents in the surrounding streets.
These words did affect some people.
Some Thebans opened the windows out of curiosity.
Look outside.
Indeed, the Byzantine army lined up on the streets without making any extraordinary moves. Some Thebans who did not have time to return home did not have any weapons in their hands, and these soldiers would not harm them.
But it is impossible to trust this matter so directly. After all, the Byzantines are invaders and they did kill their fellow countrymen in Thebes just now.
"Please cooperate with our actions! I promise that you will not be harmed!"
"really?"
"Yes!"
One after another, under the persuasion of the officers, some people slowly opened their doors, because the Thebans knew very well that their weak wooden doors could not stop these strong soldiers. Rather than being broken into, it was better for them to open the door themselves.
And just as the officer said, when the people opened the door, the Byzantine soldiers did not rush in. Instead, some soldiers came over and told them the next arrangements.
All Thebans were allowed to take some of their luggage with them, which could include gold, silver, jewelry, or anything else. But not too much luggage... So, everyone could only take their own money and leave Thebes in an orderly manner under the guidance of the Byzantine soldiers, and come to the open plain outside.
The Thebans in the city, excluding the number of slaves, numbered about 70,000 to 80,000. These people were settled outside the city of Thebes, and the Byzantine army provided them with a certain amount of food. This kind of friendly evacuation method was naturally very effective.
At this moment.
Hilde, riding a white horse, has also entered the city of Thebes.
She raised her head and looked at the magnificent buildings around her.
"Indeed, it is a pity to destroy this city like this."
"Do you regret it?"
Xerxes looked at Hilde with a half-smile.
"You were the one who said you wanted to destroy this city. If you want to go back on your word now, it won't be a good thing."
"Thebes must be destroyed. Now that I have made my decision, I must do it!"
Hilde is very determined.
The city-state of Thebes did cause some troubles for Hilde, and that was why Hilde could not sit back and let the city-state continue to exist. Otherwise, how would the Greeks on the Greek peninsula view the Byzantines?
Although the Greeks may not particularly understand the principle of killing a chicken to scare the monkeys, Hilde is very clear about it.
The destruction of Thebes was to tell all the Greeks on the Greek peninsula that there was only one outcome for the confrontation with the Byzantine Empire. If they wanted their city-states to continue to exist and not pay such a heavy price, they had to cooperate with the Byzantine Empire. Any city-state that dared to stop the Byzantine Empire's plan would have to pay a high price for its stupidity!
and so.
This ancient city with a thousand-year history is now coming to an end.
"How long will it take for the Thebans to evacuate?"
"Probably... tomorrow."
"Yes, there are too many people."
"What are you going to do with these people?"
"It's very simple. Send a small group of troops to the Byzantine Empire. Many border provinces of our Byzantine Empire are facing a shortage of population. You also know that we need to completely disperse these people and spread them throughout the Byzantine Empire."
Hearing Hilde say this.
Xerxes smiled and shook his head.
"Well, that's really your style."
"Used to it."
"Now, now that we have taken over Thebes, we are only one step away from Athens." Hilde let out a long breath, "Soon we will have a head-on battle with some gods on Mount Olympus."
"Are you scared?"
Xerxes held out his hand.
Gently placed it on Hilde's thigh.
Hilde rolled her eyes at the other person.
"I'm not scared, I just have some concerns."
"From the moment we set out from Byzantium until now, you have been very worried. Although I understand the reasons for your worries, I always feel that they are unnecessary."
“There’s nothing we can do about it.”
Chapter 7, Section 8: The Real Purpose of Cavalry
Although this is really a common question.
But fighting against gods.
And he was fighting against the entire Olympian Protoss.
Hilde couldn't even think about such a thing.
"However, we have successfully come this far. Next, we will see what it will be like after we arrive in Athens."
"Yes, it is healthy and normal to maintain this mentality. Don't think about so many useless things. Anyway, I will always be with you." Xerxes also encouraged Hilde with a smile. Such encouragement from her has continued from Byzantium to the present.
Faced with such encouragement, Hilde could only smile bitterly and nodded.
I don't know when it started, but Hilde didn't know who to tell about her inner distress, fear and terror. But whenever she expressed such feelings, Xerxes would comfort Hilde unconditionally no matter what he thought, and repeatedly emphasized that he would stand with Hilde to get through this difficult time.
Although Hilde's expedition to Greece was also due to Xerxes, with Xerxes' tireless encouragement, Hilde now found that she seemed to be more and more dependent on Xerxes. Whenever her emotions fluctuated greatly, as long as Xerxes was by her side, it seemed that the fluctuations disappeared. This feeling was different from when she was with Sophia and the others.
If you have to make a comparison.
Sophia is his wife.
Hilde wanted to protect him.
But Xerxes might give her a feeling more like a sister, as if no matter what difficulties and obstacles she encounters, he will unconditionally support her, give her the greatest care and encouragement, and also give Hilde a strong sense of security.
Hilde had also realized this transformation before, but when she thought about it carefully, it seemed that Xerxes had indeed helped her a lot since she left Athens until now. Even when the Byzantine Kingdom was able to grow from a small city to a large kingdom with a population of one million today, Xerxes probably accounted for more than 7% of the credit.
Now Xerxes has encountered a big problem, and he must rely on Hilde to solve it. Hilde also remembered Xerxes' help over the years, and he couldn't stand idly by. Facing such strong pressure along the way, Xerxes has been trying to relieve Hilde's emotions, but Hilde couldn't tell Sophia or anyone else about this emotion.
But he showed his vulnerability in front of Xerxes.
It seems to have become a common thing now.
"Sissi!"
At this time, Sophia and Tomyris came from behind.
"How is the situation now?"
"Everything is going according to plan. We will head to Athens after resting here for two days."
Hilde glanced at Tomyris.
"How do you feel about today's battle?"
"Your Majesty, it's a pity that the cavalry was not able to participate in this battle smoothly." Tomyris also replied with a wry smile, "Next, we will fight in Athens, and Athens is a place with many mountains. I'm afraid that the powerful cavalry of the Byzantine Kingdom will not be able to be used."
"You're overthinking this."
Hilde smiled and shook her head.
"Indeed, we are going to besiege Athens next, but other city-states will not sit idly by and watch us besiege Athens. Athens' traditional ally Corinth is likely to send reinforcements, and what our cavalry has to do is to cut off the connection between Athens and Corinth's reinforcements. Of course, if the Spartans also come to reinforce, then things will be even more interesting."
“It’s a tough battle.”
Tomyris couldn't help but widen her eyes.
"If the Spartans come to support us, the cavalry led by you, Tomyris, will have to withstand tremendous pressure and block the reinforcements of Corinth and Sparta outside the city of Athens at all costs. At the same time, we must prevent the gods from making any small moves."
"Understood!"
Hearing Hilde say this.
Instead of being depressed, Tomyris seemed a little happy.
After all, from the Byzantine City to this place, the cavalry led by Tomyris has never had any chance to participate in actual combat. For such a long time, all Tomyris' cavalry has done is to clean up the battlefield or chase the fleeing enemy.
However, hearing that there would most likely be a tough battle ahead, Tomyris could not help but feel excited. Although no one likes to fight, as a daughter of the grassland who gallops across the grassland and leads the most elite cavalry unit in the Greek world, Tomyris naturally wants to have a battle to prove herself, the cavalry she trained, and also to prove the Scythians who have joined the Byzantine Kingdom.
"Our soldiers, will we rest in the city next?"
Sophia looked around.
"Although we have to destroy this city-state next, it will take a day or two. Our soldiers are tired from the journey and have been resting in the wild. This time, we might as well let them rest directly in the city of Thebes."
"so be it."
Hilde nodded.
Agreed with Sophia's approach.
Sophia is also very kind-hearted and very compassionate to these soldiers.
As the princess of the Byzantine Empire, Sophia's reputation in the army was very high. After all, as a princess, Sophia had been responsible for logistics and medical work in the army. She sought a lot of benefits for the soldiers and provided them with a lot of help. The soldiers and generals were also grateful to Sophia.
Let the soldiers rest in the city of Thebes.
This is also in line with Sophia's consistent code of conduct.
"Let's rest in the city of Thebes today."
After the city of Thebes was captured, it took less than half a day for all the Thebans in the city to be settled outside the city. These people saw that the city-state where they had lived since they were young was no longer theirs. At the same time, they also knew that this city-state was about to be destroyed, and their hearts were shrouded in an indescribable depression.
The Byzantines classified the Thebans into different groups. Ordinary civilians were placed outside the city in the barracks that originally belonged to the Byzantine soldiers. The surrendered Theban soldiers were placed in a special prisoner-of-war camp.
The Fate of the Thebans
The Thebans feared a massacre.
But in the end it ended in this way.
The citizens of Thebes were allowed to collect the bodies of the soldiers who died in the battle. The families of the soldiers claimed the bodies, but they could not hold a proper funeral for their sons, husbands or fathers. The bodies would inevitably decay, and in order to avoid epidemics, after the relics and weapons were recovered, the bodies could only be buried in the farmland outside the city of Thebes.
After the war, more than 10,000 people paid the price of their lives. Seeing these bodies thrown into the pit in all directions, the Byzantine soldiers were also a little terrified. After all, this was the most tragic battle that the Byzantine Empire had experienced in recent years. Except for the previous war with the Thracians, there was no such terrible result.
The bloodiness of war.
It also brought many Byzantines to the battlefield for the first time.
Witnessed the horrors of war.
This is also one of Hilde's goals.
The soldiers of the Byzantine Kingdom were well-armed and equipped with the strongest armor in the entire Greek region. They also had strict and scientific training and excellent commanders. However, they were indeed a group of troops that had not experienced much actual combat. From the establishment of the Byzantine Kingdom to the present, from the Thracian War to the Ionian War, the Byzantine army had not participated in many battles. Only the First, Second and Third Legions had experience in bloody battles, and many of the other legions had never seen blood.
And after this battle.
The soldiers saw blood.
I also know what it feels like to engage in a war of physical combat.
Every Theban or Byzantine who fell to the ground proved the cruelty of war.
After the bodies of the Thebans were burned and buried, the Byzantine soldiers also entered the city of Thebes and began to repair. After such a long time of camping in the wild, the soldiers had accumulated a lot of fatigue. Now, the soldiers can finally live in the house and have a good rest. And Hilde and his party moved into the mansion of Atrometus, the governor of the Thebans.
Of course, Hilde got here.
It also has its own purpose.
Now, she sits in the master's seat.
The real owner of the mansion, Atrometos, was tied up and kneeling on the ground.
