Davos watched Syracuse's envoy, Herolis, depart, and as he turned to return to the living room, his expression held a hint of gravity and worry: 'The tree desires tranquility, but the wind will not cease.' It seems Syracuse is preparing to go to war with Carthage. Regardless of the outcome, Amendolara must develop and strengthen itself as quickly as possible to gain a firm foothold in this chaotic world.
Two days later, Dionysius, the tyrant of Syracuse, listened to Herolis's report in his palace, his face initially gloomy, then bursting into laughter: "A mere mercenary leader has actually become some kind of lifelong Archon! Massias, what do you think?"
Massias, once a leader of Campanian mercenaries, stood ramrod straight below him in military attire, and without hesitation, he stated matter-of-factly: "My lord, I believe that a mercenary leader should focus on how to win a battle and earn money and honor for himself, rather than doing things he simply cannot do. Although that may seem good, it is very easy to invite failure and drag down innocent people."
"You're right!" Dionysius praised, patting the back of his chair. "I sit in this position, trembling every day, not daring to slacken in the slightest! A mercenary who only knows how to be brave and fierce actually dares to be a tyrant of a city-state!"
Herolis couldn't help but say, "My lord, this Davos is not a tyrant, but a lifelong Archon elected by the people of Amendolara!"
"Herolis, what do you mean by that?!" Dionysius's eyes, as sharp as knives, stared directly at Herolis.
Herolis realized that he had inadvertently touched Dionysius's sensitive spot, and immediately broke out in a cold sweat, lowering his head and daring not to speak further.
Dionysius scrutinized him carefully for a while before withdrawing his gaze and saying disdainfully: "He's just playing a little trick. It can only be said that this young man has some cleverness, no wonder he can win a few victories. It's a pity he lacks foresight. Philistus, do you know how many citizens Amendolara has?"
Philistus, a dignified middle-aged man sitting closest to Dionysius on his left, spoke: "As far as I know, there should be less than four thousand citizens, and of course, the number is far lower now."
"Listen to that, even when Amendolara was untouched by war, it had at most four thousand citizens, not even as many as a single district in our city of Syracuse," Dionysius shrugged, saying with slight disdain.
A scattering of laughter echoed in the palace.
"If that mercenary leader called Davos came here, after defeating Carthage, he could choose any of the cities—Marsala, Palermo, Eryx, Aegadian Islands, Segesta—to be a tyrant, which would be better than being holed up in that small town of Amendolara. But unfortunately, he won't have another chance!" Dionysius said with great ambition, then looked at Massias: "How is the preparation for our army to attack Carthage going?"
"More than ten thousand mercenaries have already arrived and are camped outside the city of Syracuse.
Syracuse can mobilize at least forty thousand citizen soldiers, plus the armies of Catane, Leontini, Thapsus, Pachynus, and other city-states, about twenty thousand... In addition, there are two thousand cavalry. My lord, the army you possess is the most powerful army in the history of the Greek city-states! Even the most prosperous Athens of that time did not have such a large military force!" Massias said excitedly.
Dionysius's expression remained calm as he turned his gaze to his younger brother, Leptines: "How is the navy's preparation going?"
Leptines, although Dionysius's biological brother, appeared somewhat simple and honest, and in fact, he was. Precisely because of this, Dionysius trusted his brother very much and promoted him to commander of the Syracuse navy. At this moment, he replied: "There are now one hundred and fifty triremes, plus other warships, totaling three hundred and twenty large and small warships."
"Not enough..." Dionysius sighed, his fingers drumming rapidly on the back of his chair. "You must understand that in the war with Carthage, two things are indispensable—warships and cavalry, and we still don't have enough of either. Leptines, it seems you have to urge the other city-states to accelerate the construction of warships. As for cavalry, Massias, send people to the Apennine Peninsula to recruit Celtic cavalry. Philistus, go to Sparta and request to recruit some Thessalian cavalry. Gentlemen, we must speed up the progress! Next spring, we will begin to attack Gela!"
The three immediately responded, pledging to fully complete the tasks assigned by Dionysius!
"Massias, work hard! A mere mercenary leader was able to annihilate those barbaric natives with only two thousand men, an amazing feat. We possess the largest army in the Greek city-states, yet we cannot create greater glory, that would be too shameful!" Dionysius still harbored resentment about Davos's rejection of him, so he encouraged Massias.
"My lord, please rest assured, I will not let you down!" Massias immediately stated.
"Very good, Massias!" Dionysius praised again, then waved his hand: "Philistus, stay behind, the rest of you may leave."
Herolis, Massias, Leptines, and two other courtiers responded and withdrew. Dionysius's gaze, however, remained fixed on Herolis's back until Philistus called his name.
"Do you feel that Herolis has changed a bit?" Tapping his fingers on the back of the chair, Dionysius's face was clouded.
Philistus was startled and cautiously defended Herolis: "My lord, I haven't noticed anything. Herolis is still the same as before."
Dionysius glanced at him: "You and he have a good relationship, I know. I also cherish the help he gave me when I was in my most difficult times, so I don't want anything to spoil our friendship!" Dionysius said somewhat emotionally: "...Recently, I heard that he is studying the history of Egypt. I think I can give him a period of leave so that he can focus on his research..." Dionysius muttered to himself, and Philistus sighed inwardly: "My lord, I understand..."
"This is only a temporary arrangement..." Dionysius reassured.
"Philo, can you ask Philosanus, who is your good friend, to come here?" Dionysius changed the subject and said: "I just wrote a poem and would like to ask him and you to critique it together. You know, the last time I discussed poetry with him, I offended him with a single wrong word, and he hasn't come to my place for three months."
"Philosanus is a good person, but he likes to put on airs. I will try my best to persuade him to come," Philistus joked with a smile: "My lord, even you, the all-powerful general, have times when you can't handle ordinary citizens!"
Dionysius also laughed and spread his hands: "So who says I, Dionysius, am a dictator!"
......
During this time, Davos and the military officer Philistus were busy reorganizing the city-state's army.
After the mercenaries became citizens of Amendolara, Dracos, Sexta, and Adrianax had more than a thousand soldiers, Davos had more than eighteen hundred soldiers, and nearly three hundred slaves were converted into free citizens. In addition, there were about two hundred and fifty original citizens of the city-state within the age range for military service. Amendolara now had a total of approximately 3,500 people capable of fighting.
Previously, the highest position for mercenaries was the commander of a battalion (actually held by Davos himself), and the highest organizational unit was the battalion. However, with the increase in the number of combatants, the original organization could no longer adapt to the actual situation of the current city-state. After Davos and Philistus discussed, they decided to establish a higher-level military organization. Davos named it "Legion," with the highest position being the Legion Commander, still held by Davos himself. The tentatively established force was a main force of seven thousand men, under the command of seven battalions (six heavy infantry battalions and one light infantry battalion), each battalion with one thousand men, with the highest position being the Battalion Commander (later commonly known as "Chiliarch"); each battalion was under the command of five companies, each company with two hundred men, with the highest position being the Company Commander (also commonly known as Centurion); each company was under the command of four squads, each squad with fifty men, with the highest position being the Squad Leader.
Due to Davos's influence from the Roman Empire in his previous life, he originally planned to abolish the squad and change it to a century, but Philistus raised objections. He believed that the squad was quite advantageous in melee combat and mountain warfare because it was more mobile and flexible, and with the support of four squads, the company's independent combat capability was greatly enhanced. After repeated consideration, Davos finally agreed with Philistus's opinion. Since then, the squad, as a unique military system in the city-state under Davos's command, was established, and the Squad Leader, as the lowest rank among the officers, played a key role in connecting the top and bottom of the legion, and was later respectfully called "Battalion Head" by the soldiers. Later, many of Davos's generals were proud to have served as Squad Leaders, so that Davos issued a military order stipulating that only those who had served as Squad Leaders for two years were eligible to be promoted to the next higher legion position, which made the position of Squad Leader even more dazzling, but that is another story.
A squad was under the command of five teams, each team with ten men, with the highest position being the Team Leader (later renamed "Sergeant Major," held by veterans). In addition, the legion also had cavalry teams, engineering battalions, medical battalions, baggage battalions... etc., and the actual number of the legion may be as high as eight thousand, but of course, these are just ideas for now.
Since the Amendolara city-state only had about 3,500 combatants, Davos organized them into four battalions.
The soldiers of the first battalion all came from the mercenaries led by Davos. The selection of the battalion commander was a bit of a headache for Davos and Philistus. In terms of ability and prestige, Antonios and Kappus were on par. Later, considering that Antonios was serving as the city-state's Inspector, the third most important figure in the city-state's public office after the Archon and the City Administrator, for the sake of balance, Davos, after talking with the two, decided to appoint Kappus as the commander of the first battalion.
The company commander position vacated after Capus's promotion was filled by Matonis. Davos suggested that the twenty squad leaders of the five companies under the First Battalion be considered as candidates and let the soldiers elect their choice. The result surprised Davos. The reasons were twofold: first, he was protective of his men, so the soldiers loved him; second, he was brave in battle, earning the soldiers' respect.
The soldiers of the Second Battalion were composed of mercenaries brought by Dracos, Sestas, and Adrian kes. Because Dracos brought the most mercenaries and was brave and tenacious in battle, the three often followed his lead in combat. Therefore, Dracos served as the battalion commander. Sestas and Adrian kes served as the company commanders of the first and second companies of the Second Battalion, respectively.
The soldiers of the Third Battalion consisted of the original Sixth and Seventh Heavy Infantry Companies of the Davos mercenaries (mainly expeditionary soldiers who joined during the Byzantine period), former citizens of Amendolara, freedmen from the baggage train slaves, and a small portion of Dracos's mercenaries. Hieronimus served as the battalion commander, having previously served as a mercenary leader in Persia, which could be considered a 'restoration to his former position.' Agasia served as the company commander of the First Company of the Third Battalion.
Next was the Seventh Battalion, the light infantry battalion, with Epithenes as the battalion commander and also the commander of the First Company. Zipyte was the commander of the Second Company, and Alpunus was the commander of the Third Company, totaling over six hundred men.
In addition, there was a cavalry unit, led by Captain Lydes.
Davos also strictly regulated the helmets of officers of all ranks: the helmet crest of a squad leader had to be adorned with a white plume, the helmet crest of a company commander had to be red, and the helmet crest of a battalion commander had to be purple. The helmet crest of a legion commander had to be a combination of red, white, and purple. At the same time, it was stipulated that the plumes of the unit officers' helmet crests had to be arranged from front to back for uniformity and combat purposes. Of course, Davos only made the regulations; the treasury did not have the money to help the unit officers uniformly refit, so they had to rely on themselves.
However, as soon as the regulations were issued, the unit officers immediately took out their money and tried to find ways to modify their helmets at the weapon shops in Heraclea or Thurii (Amendolara at this moment was in need of reconstruction, so there were no shops). This was because it was a matter of honor for the soldiers. In his previous life, Davos had always thought that the high plumes on the helmets of ancient Western generals in movies and television were only for show and to display their different identities, being flashy but not practical. After more than half a year of campaigning, Davos deeply realized that this kind of dress was necessary: in fierce battles between the two sides, over time, the formation was prone to confusion. Once the soldiers left the ranks and lost their organization, they could find the unit officers through the towering and gorgeous plumes in the dense crowd, in addition to looking for the military flag, and automatically move closer to the officers to reorganize the formation and restore combat effectiveness. Moreover, the messengers could also easily find the location of the unit officers and generals to convey new orders from superiors in a timely manner. This was like the military rank system of later generations, except that in the age of cold weapons, even the most sharp-eyed soldiers could not see the rank insignia on the shoulders of the generals on the dusty and thunderous battlefield.
… … … … … … … … …
Early in the morning, the citizens of Amendolara, as well as the freedmen, came to the square fully armed.
The freedmen had just been freed from slavery and originally did not have the money to purchase weapons and equipment.
However, after the defeat in the Battle of Thurii, in order for the Davos mercenaries to continue to defend the Sibari Plain and contain the Lucanians, Thurii gifted the mercenaries with thousands of complete sets of weapons and equipment. And after annihilating the Lucanian coalition, the mercenaries stripped nearly ten thousand sets of shields, spears, and armor from the tens of thousands of corpses (including the Lucanian camp, which had been burned to ruins). Of course, these weapons and equipment belonged to all the mercenaries and should not be included in the Amendolara armory.
Regarding the issue of how to distribute these spoils of war, the unit officers had a heated discussion. The relatively unified opinion was: to sell the spoils of war and divide the money equally among each soldier. Davos proposed his own suggestion: that the wounded and disabled soldiers run a weapon shop in the Amendolara market, specializing in repairing and selling weapons and equipment captured in battle, and that the profits be used to subsidize the lives of those soldiers who are now and will be injured or even disabled in battle.
This suggestion was immediately unanimously approved by the unit officers. Later, when the soldiers found out, they were all grateful to Davos, after all, no one could guarantee that they would not be injured in battle in the future, and with these "disability subsidies," they had fewer concerns about fighting.
Therefore, a large weapon shop quickly opened in the market and launched its own brand, "Legion." The shop was large and had many weapons and equipment. Considering that a full set of equipment for a heavy infantryman was worth four to six hundred drachmas, which was not cheap, it was also allowed to be rented. Even the rent was not a small amount, but the freedmen were still willing to rent because they knew that only by joining the army and participating in combat could they quickly become citizens and obtain land! At the same time, serving in the army was the honor of citizens and the best way for freedmen to quickly improve their city-state status!
But where did the money to pay the rent come from? The freedmen did not worry for too long, they soon discovered that a bank called "Christoya" had opened in the market, with extremely low interest rates (compared to the loan interest rates of Greek city-states at the time), and it was well known that Christoya was the wife of Archon Davos. These freedmen, who had accompanied the mercenaries on their long journeys, knew Davos's character and resolutely took out loans from this bank. This also became the first loan of Christoya's bank.
Now, after the soldiers arrived at the square, they found their respective squads and began to join the ranks of the platoons under the leadership of the squad leaders, and then merged into the companies, forming small phalanxes, and finally entered the designated areas of the battalions in order. Although the whole process was a bit slow, it was not chaotic, and finally three large phalanxes were formed in an orderly manner.
Only the Third Battalion was still forming…
Philistius saw Davos frown slightly on the stage and quickly said: "Lord, the soldiers of the Third Battalion come from the most complex backgrounds, especially those freedmen who have never received military training before, and the original citizens of Amendolara have not received strict training, so—"
Davos interrupted him: "I understand, so Hieronimus has a heavy responsibility. I heard that he asked for a lot of veterans from the First Battalion, and even Capus, who is usually amiable, got angry with him."
"Yes, Lord. Hieronimus is also anxious, he is a very responsible person!" Philistius explained tactfully.
Davos smiled: "Soldiers should have a spirit of being serious and not admitting defeat. I believe Hieronimus will soon make the Third Battalion catch up!"
Then, he asked again: "Have those Lucanians arrived?"
"They have." Philistius pointed to a small slope in the southeast corner of the square and said worriedly: "Lord, there are eight or nine hundred of them, what if they cause trouble—"
"That's good!" Davos said nonchalantly: "The soldiers on the square can just annihilate them nearby. I don't think Vespas and his son are that stupid. Besides, even the women of their tribe have become wives of our citizens, and most of them have come to the field today to cheer for their husbands…"
Davos looked at the distant hillside and ordered: "Beat the drums."
The drummer waved the drumsticks and began to rhythmically beat the big drum in front of him.
"Dong! Dong! Dong!…" Hearing the drums, the soldiers in the square began to march in place, continuing to adjust their formation. When the four phalanxes were all neat and the footsteps were uniform, the magnificent marching sound startled the mountain birds and scared away the beasts, like thunder in the sky, shaking the mountains…
Cornelius and other old citizens were shocked and paled, muttering to themselves: "This is… this is the army that shook Persia and annihilated the Lucanians! Sure enough… sure enough, it is different!"
Seeing this scene, most of the Lucanians were pale and silent.
The women and children outside the field cheered excitedly.
Davos felt the tremor of the mountain and hurriedly waved his hand, signaling to stop.
The drummer struck the drum surface twice heavily, then let go, and the square quickly became silent, as if the previous loud noise had never happened. A freedman's throat itched, and he was just about to cough when he was glared back fiercely by the veteran squad leader next to him.
Davos took two steps forward on the stage: "Brothers!"
The crowd shouted in unison: "Davos!!!"
"Have you had a good life these past few days?!"
"Good!!!"
"I'm just afraid that life is too good, and your feet are weak and you can't swing your shields and spears!"
The soldiers all laughed ambiguously.
"Many of you once followed me to conquer Persia and establish a prestigious reputation! You also followed me to Greater Greece, defeated the Lucanian coalition, and made brilliant achievements! Now you are all citizens of Amendolara, this is a new beginning! From now on, you will guard Amendolara, develop Amendolara, expand Amendolara, and create immortal glory for your descendants!" Davos said passionately.
The soldiers waved their spears up and down and shouted excitedly.
"Long live!"
"Long live!!"
"Long live!!!"
… …
"You're not a soldier, what are you happy about?" Strombari couldn't help but say when he saw Anticlus next to him raising his only remaining left hand and cheering with some excited people.
"This is a real army! This is the army that we Amendolara have longed for!" Anticlus said excitedly, his eyes swept over his missing right arm, and his expression darkened again: "Unfortunately, I can't follow them to fight anymore…"
After all, Strombari was an old neighbor with Anticlus and had a good relationship, so he didn't continue to say sarcastic remarks. Instead, he said with concern: "Didn't you hate these outsiders for stealing your patrol captain position before?!"
"That was just a moment of anger. Actually, Hilos is a very good person, and very humble, often asking me for advice." Anticles said straightforwardly, "Besides, both of my new sons-in-law are new citizens, especially my eldest son-in-law, who is a squad leader! See that? Over there… that tall guy wearing a white helmet is my eldest son-in-law!"
"Anticles, what's so great about a squad leader! How many people does he even manage! Back in the day, you and I were even battalion commanders." Strombari scoffed.
"It's not the same. Back then, we were appointed by the archon because of our noble status. But I heard Troilus say that Archon Davos stipulates that 'a squad leader must be battle-hardened and recognized by the soldiers, elected by them, and approved by superiors before he can be appointed.' Only then can he command those equally experienced and proud soldiers under him." Anticles said proudly.
Strombari was speechless. Even if he wanted to find fault, he couldn't deny the power of the Persian Expeditionary Force soldiers. To be able to lead them, one must have extraordinary abilities.
… … … … … … … …
Christoya looked at Davos, who was standing tall in the center of the square amidst the cheers, her eyes blurred: This is the husband she chose in the midst of war. Facts have proven that her vision was correct. Davos has realized his ideal!
"Lord Archon is so majestic!" A clear voice awakened her. She didn't need to turn her head to know it was Andrea. A few days ago, Christoya learned about Andrea's story while chatting with Davos and was moved by her infatuation. Using the excuse of the bank needing manpower, she invited Andrea to help. Andrea readily agreed, and the two quickly became friends. With Davos's wife, Christoya, as a shield, there were fewer gossips and glares at Andrea.
"What, are you interested in Davos?" Christoya teased.
"Madam, please don't make fun of me." Andrea retorted shyly.
"I heard that Davos ordered the Lucanians to come and watch the ceremony as well. After it's over, how about I ask Davos to arrange for you to meet him?" Christoya said seriously.
Andrea thanked her generously, "Thank you, Madam!"
Christoya turned to look at her and sighed, "Are you really planning to wait for him for five years?"
Andrea nodded without hesitation.
Christoya sighed and, remembering what Davos had said, said, "Then you should persuade Bagules more, manage his people well, don't make mistakes, and earnestly complete the various tasks assigned by the city-state. Once the city-state has any major actions, actively participate and strive to make contributions, so as to shorten the five-year period as soon as possible! … … "
Andrea nodded heavily.
Christoya gently stroked her face with emotion: "I sincerely hope that your wait won't be too long, and that your wish can eventually be realized!"
Andrea bit her lip, on the verge of tears.
… … … … … … … … … … …
Military Officer Philis stepped forward and said loudly: "Now, on behalf of the Senate, I announce the establishment of the Amendolara First Legion! The legion commander will be Davos, the lifelong Archon!"
The crowd cheered.
"Present the First Legion banner!"
The bugle sounded, and the square was solemn.
Philis looked solemn and presented a four-meter-long banner with both hands. Davos respectfully took it with both hands, raised it high, and slowly circled it around the platform.
Mercis shouted from outside the venue: "Did you see that! That's what I spent several days carefully designing and urging people to make specially, isn't it beautiful?!"
"You designed it?" Maris's face was full of suspicion.
Mercis chuckled twice: "I misspoke. Davos designed the flag, but without me, these flags couldn't have been made so quickly!"
The soldiers held their breath, looking up at the golden banner in the air. At the top of the flag was a bronze statue of Hades, the King of the Underworld, holding a double-pronged fork (there's no way around it, Amendolara is poor right now, so we can only use bronze for the time being). Below the statue was a circle of red, fluffy flag tassels. Further down, on the straight flagpole, was a stretched square of red, hemp-woven heavy cloth. The flag was embroidered with the Greek words "First Legion" in golden yellow, and on the other side, a golden star was painted in the center. Davos was pointing to this golden star and loudly said to the soldiers on the platform: "Brothers of the First Legion, this golden star represents your annihilation of the Lucanian tribal coalition and the recovery of Amendolara, as the honor of the founders of the new Amendolara legion, it is unique!"
The soldiers cheered loudly, straightened their chests, and looked at the golden star shining on the banner, their eyes full of pride.
"Next, every time you win a major victory, a golden star will be drawn on it, so that the people will remember your achievements! I hope you will use continuous victories to let golden stars cover this legion banner!" Davos's earnest expectations made the soldiers cheer excitedly: "Victory!"
"Victory!"
"Victory!"
… … … … … … … … … …
The morale of the soldiers in the square had reached its peak.
"I have participated in city-state battles for decades, and I have never heard of such a military flag! Such a way to boost morale! As a citizen-soldier, how glorious it would be to fight under such a military flag!!" Anticles looked at the flag with great longing.
"I heard that the top of this banner is inlaid with a statue of Hades. This is Davos subtly claiming that he is favored by the King of the Underworld!" Strombari said dissatisfied.
"Didn't many people think this was a fact!" Anticles said nonchalantly. He covered the stump of his right hand with his left hand and sighed, "Besides, it's a good thing that Hades is on our side, bringing death to the enemy! It is foreseeable that our First Legion will become a terrible army! It's a pity that I can't fight under the banner of the King of the Underworld!"
… … … … … … … … … …
"Please First Legion flag-bearer Martius come to the stage to receive the flag!" Philis shouted loudly.
Martius, the captain of the guard who was usually known for his boldness, couldn't help but feel a little nervous at this moment. He tightened his armor again, straightened his helmet again, and walked onto the stage with a solemn expression, standing firmly in front of Davos, slamming his right fist hard on his left chest.
Davos returned the military salute and said loudly: "The legion flag-bearer is held by the bravest soldier in the entire army. It is the highest honor! I hope that you will hold the flag high on the battlefield, no matter how great the danger ahead, always move forward and encourage the entire army to achieve victory!"
Martius solemnly took the flag and solemnly swore: "Hades is above, I, Martius, will cherish the military flag as I cherish my own eyes, and will always move forward and never retreat!"
Amid the cheers, Matonis muttered softly: "If I hadn't become a company commander, this flag-bearer would definitely be mine!"
"Next, please First Battalion Commander Capus come to the stage to receive the First Battalion flag!"
Before Capus could move, the soldiers behind him began to urge him, saying: "Captain, hurry up! Go and receive the flag! … … "
Capus walked onto the stage unhurriedly.
Davos took the battalion flag from the guard's hand, held it in his hands, and said earnestly to Capus: "The First Battalion of the Legion is the model for the entire legion, the elite of the elite! In battle, wherever it is most difficult and most dangerous, the First Battalion must step forward and open the door to victory for the entire army! I hope you will keep this in mind!"
"The First Battalion of the First Legion will certainly not disappoint you, Lord Archon. The First Battalion will always be the sharp spear of the entire army!" Capus's tone was as hard and firm as metal and stone.
He tied the First Battalion flag and began to examine it carefully: Unlike the legion flag, its top was an iron statue of Thanatos, the god of death under Hades, the King of the Underworld. He held a sword in his hand, wore a black robe, spread his wings, and had a ferocious face. The flagpole below the statue was also a red flag, and the shoe surface was embroidered with the golden Greek words "First Battalion of the First Legion", and the reverse side was also a golden star… …
Capus waved the flag, and the soldiers of the First Battalion cheered.
Next to the stage was Second Battalion Commander Dracos, whose injuries had not yet healed, and he was still wrapped in bandages, but he was still fully armed. When he stumbled onto the stage, the soldiers below cheered in encouragement.
Looking at this tough guy who had once fought with him, Davos asked with concern: "Dracos, are you alright?"
"The doctor said I'm fine." Dracos looked calm. Facing Davos, who had once beaten him, he now only had respect in his heart: "Thank you for your concern, Lord Archon!"
"The battle with the Lucanian coalition allowed me to see the bravery of the Second Battalion soldiers. But to be honest, compared to the First Battalion, you still have a big gap. I hope that in future training, you will restrain and train them according to military law, so that they can catch up as soon as possible!" Davos said with earnest expectations.
"Lord Archon, rest assured, the Second Battalion will not lose to anyone!" Dracos said decisively.
When Third Battalion Commander Hieronimus came to the stage, Davos didn't say anything more, because he knew that Hieronimus would definitely train his battalion desperately.
When Seventh Battalion Commander Epitenes came to the stage, this resourceful battalion commander took the initiative to ask Davos: "Lord, you see that my battalion has the fewest number of people, and it is still four hundred people short of its full establishment. Can you allow me to send people to Thrace, Crete, and Rhodes to recruit some light-shield soldiers, archers, and slingers?"
"To become free citizens in Amendolara?" Davos asked with a half-smile.
"Of course, they will start as free citizens, and then apply to become Amendolara citizens in a few years according to the requirements of the Archon's proposal in the Senate before." Epitenes said with a smile.
Davos was happy to see this situation, but he reminded Epitenes.
He reminded Epitenes: "If these newcomers come, they are, after all, different from the freemen soldiers of the current Third Brigade. I'm afraid you'll need to submit a proposal to the Senate for other senators to discuss and review. I can assure you that I will do my best to get this proposal passed. However, the conditions they need to meet to become citizens may be more difficult, so you need to be mentally prepared. Also, when going to the Eastern Mediterranean, it's best to do it quietly and don't provoke the Spartans!"
"Understood!" Epitenes said excitedly.
Next was the presentation of the company flags. The company flag had an iron statue of the vengeful goddess Tisiphone at the top. This goddess, feared by the Greeks, held a torch in one hand and a viper whip in the other. The flag beneath the statue was also embroidered with gold stars and the company number…
The platoon flag had an iron statue of Cerberus, the three-headed dog guarding the gates of hell, at the top…
The entire ceremony lasted nearly two hours. From beginning to end, the morale of the soldiers on the square was high, and cheers from outside the square never ceased.
Finally, Davos raised the military flag again. Simultaneously, the brigade flags, company flags, platoon flags, gold, silver, and iron statues, red and yellow flags, and red, purple, and white hat tassels were raised in each formation below the stage, adding a bit of brightness to this copper wall and iron fortress. More importantly, with these, the morale of the soldiers would be higher, the commander's orders would be more efficient, and actions would be faster…
Davos was very pleased to see a real army taking shape. He waved the flag and shouted, "The flag is the unit! The flag dies, the unit dies! Where the military flag points, we are invincible!"
"The flag is the unit!!! The flag dies, the unit dies!!! Where the military flag points!!! We are invincible!!!…"
… … … … … … … … … …
The vast majority of Lucanians couldn't understand what the soldiers on the square were shouting, but the overwhelming pressure caused by the thunderous shouts made anyone with hostile intentions feel terrified.
Vesba and his son Bagule both understood, so they remained silent for even longer.
Finally, Vesba let out a long breath, as if to exhale all the unease in his heart: "Child, do you remember the wolf packs we often see in the mountains? After a powerful wolf king defeats other lone wolves, some lone wolves choose to join the pack. Do you think those wolves are weak?"
"No, Father, I think they are the smartest, because they know that only under the leadership of a powerful wolf king will there be sufficient food and will they not be attacked by ferocious enemies, and their bloodline will continue!… While those proud wolves either die of old age alone in the mountains, or become food for other beasts!…" Bagule understood what his father was thinking, so he took the opportunity to persuade him.
Vesba nodded.
A decision gradually formed in his heart: "When I was young, I also led my people around to make a living and saw many Greek city-state armies: Naples, Thurii, Tarentum… Never has a Greek army given me such a great impact as they have! You must know that Amendolara is just a small city. With such an army, what this consul wants is probably not simple. Since we can't defeat them and have become their prisoners, then… we can only make a choice that is more beneficial to the survival of our people, hoping that the Greeks will keep their word!"
… … … … … … … … …
While the whole city was still immersed in the enthusiasm of yesterday's spectacular scene on the square, the trade commissioner, Mariji, was at Davos's house, telling him about his trade plan: "Consul, our Amendolara has few people and poor land, not many wealthy citizens, no special products, and no port. If we want to attract foreign merchants to trade here in the usual way, it will be very difficult…"
Davos nodded. The truth was indeed so. Why had Amendolara maintained a population of four thousand citizens for more than two hundred years since its founding? Because the small city couldn't support a larger population, forcing the surplus people to immigrate elsewhere to seek a living, so Amendolara had always been a small city. Davos believed that Mariji dared to say this fact, so he must have come up with some good ideas.
"However—" Mariji raised his voice and said: "Our neighbor Thurii's port is very prosperous. Every day, as many as hundreds of merchant ships from other city-states come to Thurii to trade. Our other neighbor, Heraclea, although it has not been built for a long time, also has twenty or thirty merchant ships coming to trade every day. And the port of Metapontum, which is farther away from us, is also prosperous… But according to my observations these days, there are some problems with their ports and markets. Because there are too many merchant ships and too many goods, there is not enough warehousing, and you have to queue up to rent warehouses. Therefore, the goods are piled up in the open, but they are easily spoiled and lost after being exposed to the sun for a long time. At the same time, because there are many foreign sailors, there are not enough hotels in the city, which not only increases the cost of living, but also increases the price of food, which makes them very complaining. Also, there are many people and complicated affairs in the port, and disputes are prone to occur. When disputes occur, the city-states are too slow to solve the problem, which not only delays the merchants' time, but also often favors their own city-state's people…" Mariji said a lot of the disadvantages of the ports of neighboring city-states in one breath. Obviously, he had done sufficient research, and even combined some of his own experiences as a merchant.
Hearing this, Davos could vaguely guess what he was going to start in Amendolara. These days, when he was chatting with his wife Christoya, he found that compared with modern people in his previous life, the economic concepts of Mediterranean merchants in this era were not bad. Even the Athenian banking industry had insurance (mainly maritime insurance). Even more terrifying was that the Athenians already knew how to use currency to promote and consolidate Athens' commercial hegemony. Before the Peloponnesian War, the Athenians used silver from the Laurium silver mines to mint "Owl" silver coins with extremely high purity (one side of the Athenian silver coin was engraved with the head of the patron goddess Athena, and the other side was Athena's symbol, the owl). Even in Athens' most difficult times, Athens did not reduce the purity of the silver coins, which made this kind of silver coin very popular in the Greek city-states. Then Athens forcibly promoted the unification of currency in the Delian League, so that Athens firmly controlled the trade of the Delian League and consolidated its hegemony. More than two thousand years later, Uncle Sam re-picked up the work that the Athenians had done. Therefore, Davos did not dare to underestimate the wisdom of these ancient people. He did not rashly express his opinions, but listened carefully to what Mariji said next.
"Thurii is only fifty miles away from us, and Heraclea is about the same. Metapontum is a little farther away, but it is only more than ninety miles away. It can be reached in more than an hour by riding a fast horse, and a caravan can reach it in half a day. So—" Mariji glanced at Davos, with a smug smile on his face: "We can build a large number of cargo warehouses between the Bradanus and Sinno rivers in Amendolara and charge lower rents. We also need to build a large number of simple hotels, charge lower room rates, and provide rich and sufficient food. I believe it will definitely attract foreign merchants and sailors, as well as the entry of freemen. When more people move in, we can rebuild a larger and better market next to these warehouses and hotels according to the market built in Thurii before, and use our good service to protect the interests of these merchants and sailors. Then Amendolara's trade will definitely prosper!"
Mariji said confidently, and Davos couldn't help but applaud: Isn't this the commodity distribution center of his previous life!
"Very good, Mariji! It seems that you deserve to be the trade commissioner!" Davos did not hide his appreciation for Mariji: "Cyrus the Younger only let you serve as the trade Person in charge of Media, which really buried your talent!"
Speaking of Cyrus the Younger, Mariji's expression darkened slightly, and he said: "Because compared to merchants, Prince Cyrus the Younger preferred soldiers and farmers. He once said many times, 'He likes two kinds of people the most, one is the one who is best at buying farm tools and livestock for the land and cultivating the land well; the other is the one who is best at protecting these lands, farm tools and livestock.'"
Davos thought carefully and sighed: "Yes, after all, Persia has vast lands, and farmers and herdsmen account for the vast majority of the population, so ensuring the stability of Persia is the most important issue. And with so many affiliated countries, city-states and races paying taxes to the Persian royal family every year, Persia does not lack wealth, so Cyrus the Younger is not wrong. If he were still alive, he might have become a very good Persian king. Unfortunately, when the hopes of many people are pinned on him alone, his life does not belong to him, but he does not understand this and instead takes such a big risk, personally leading troops to charge into battle… What a pity!"
Mariji also sighed.
"I approve of all your plans! In addition, I will add a few more points." After Davos finished speaking, Mariji immediately pricked up his ears. He knew that Davos had extraordinary talent in business. The temporary market he built in Thurii before was so lively, mainly because of this consul's handwriting.
"One is the road. Now we only have a dirt road to connect with Thurii and Heraclea, which is too difficult to walk and is not conducive to merchants transporting goods. We must build a flat, wide and strong road, and also build strong bridges over those rivers. I will start preparing for this matter soon. The other is that warehouses and hotels must not only reduce rental costs, but also ensure cleanliness, hygiene and safety. No theft or robbery is allowed. This requires you to discuss with Hilos and come up with a solution. By the way, what are the tariffs for the city-states of Thurii, Heraclea, and Metapontum?"
"It depends on what goods the merchants sell. The tariffs for common and urgently needed goods in the city-states are low, usually only two percent. The tariffs for foreign goods that are not commonly used in the city-states, or even threaten the survival of citizens who produce similar goods in the city-states, are as high as twenty to thirty percent…" Mariji carefully recounted what he knew.
Davos understood perfectly: it seemed the ancient Greeks weren't fools; they also knew how to protect their city-state's economy.
"Our Amendolara currently has nothing, so there's no need to worry about anything. Let's lower all our tariffs. If surrounding city-states charge two percent, we'll charge one percent; if they charge twenty percent, we'll charge ten percent… As long as we attract people, it will drive our trade development, and citizens will actively seek opportunities to earn money for their families." Davos, short on money, had already decided to poach.
"Lord Davos, I've been waiting for this decision of yours!" Marigi became happy, but he quickly reminded, "However, Heraclea and Metapontum have good relations with us and are allies, so I believe we can negotiate well with them. But, Turi doesn't have a good relationship with us. Foreign merchants transporting goods from Turi to store here and then transport them to the Turi market might face obstruction."
This was indeed a problem! Davos rubbed his chin in distress.
Originally, Davos's mercenary group had a good relationship with Turi and was even the great benefactor who saved Turi. However, after the mercenaries became citizens of Amendolara, given the original Amendolara citizens' hatred for Turi, Davos didn't want to actively contact the Turi envoy group. After being repeatedly blocked, the Turi envoy group also became angry: Amendolara was originally just Turi's "little brother," but now it was inexplicably arrogant. This hurt the pride of the Turi people, and at the same time, Davos's mercenary group's "deception" (in the view of the Turi people) also made them angry.
Thus, the relationship between the two sides began to become stiff. This stalemate was unfavorable to Amendolara and very unfavorable to Davos because it not only affected Amendolara's economic diplomacy but also affected Davos's strategic plan and the promises he made in the Senate.
In Davos's plan, Amendolara should take advantage of the weakening of the Lucanian's power and pursue the victory to invade the Lucanian's land. But in the past few days, when he calmed down, carefully studied the map, and personally surveyed the surrounding terrain, he discovered a big problem: Amendolara was bordered by Heraclea to the north, which was also an ally and had the support of Taras behind it, so it couldn't be touched; to the south was Turi, although its power was now severely weakened, Davos couldn't lead troops to attack because Turi had no grievances with Amendolara and had once been an ally, and Davos and his men had once been mercenaries invited by it. Launching an unprovoked war would undoubtedly arouse dissatisfaction and vigilance from the Greek city-states, and Amendolara's small stature couldn't afford to provoke public anger; and to the west of Amendolara, between Amendolara and Heraclea, going upstream along the Sinni River could indeed reach the Lucanian region. This was the road that Vespas led his tribe had once taken.
For this reason, Davos also specially asked Bagules for information and learned that the area west of Amendolara was a wild and desolate area with many mountains, crisscrossing rivers and lakes, dense forests, and rampant snakes and insects. Bagules' tribe stayed there for more than a year, and only less than four thousand of the more than ten thousand tribesmen were left in the end. This was the reason why Vespas didn't want to go back to Lucania by the original route after occupying Amendolara. Going downstream to Amendolara was slightly better; going upstream, wanting to reach Lucania,
the attrition caused by injuries and illnesses along the way would probably be an alarming number. Once it attracted the Lucanians' attack, the subsequent reinforcements couldn't be counted on at all.
Therefore, the only way was to pass through the Sybaris Plain, trek west through the rugged mountain roads, and reach Laos. Although the road was long, at least the non-combat attrition would be much less. And to pass through the Sybaris Plain, the relationship with Turi must be improved.
Davos rubbed his chin. Originally, he planned to wait a while longer, until the newly established families in Amendolara had settled down and the hatred had gradually faded away, before negotiating would be better. But now it seemed that whether it was to improve economic trade or enhance military strength, diplomatic relations with Turi had become a bottleneck that needed to be resolved urgently. Therefore, Davos made up his mind: "Marigi, don't worry! This afternoon, I will convene a meeting in the Senate to specifically discuss the issue of Turi, hoping to improve diplomatic relations with Turi."
"Lord Davos, as long as you propose a motion, would they dare not agree with you!" Marigi's words were not flattering; it was indeed the case. However, Davos also had to consider the feelings of senators like Cornelius. After all, this involved the issue of unity between the old and new citizens of Amendolara. But he didn't want to explain it in detail to Marigi now and just smiled. After all, this Persian still needed a long period of adaptation to the Greek political system.
Marigi observed his expression and immediately stopped discussing this topic. Then, he raised his voice and said, "Oh, Lord Davos, I almost forgot to mention another idea. The medical skills of the doctors in our mercenary medical camp are quite high. When we opened a clinic in the market we built in Turi before, many Turi citizens and freedmen came to see doctors. Later, more and more patients came by reputation. When we were about to dismantle the market and move to Amendolara, some patients even begged us not to leave… Do you think we should open a big clinic in Amendolara?! Attracting patients from neighboring countries to come for treatment will also allow them to stay, eat, and buy goods in Amendolara, increasing our city-state's income."
Marigi's words really reminded Davos. He had been busy recently and had actually forgotten that Amendolara still had a special commodity, and that was—medicine! So, he said with a slightly excited tone, "A clinic is too small; if we're going to build one, let's build a big hospital!"
"A hospital?"
"A hospital can not only provide diagnosis and treatment for patients but can also allow seriously ill people to live in the hospital, observe their condition while continuing treatment, which is more conducive to the patient's recovery. At the same time, it can also conduct medical research, hold medical lectures, and train young doctors… I believe that such a place will attract many patients to come for treatment!" Davos explained to him in detail.
Marigi listened in a daze. Although he didn't quite understand some of the content, he couldn't help but say, "I have never heard of a clinic for treating illnesses being built into a hospital like the one you described in Persia. This is really… really great!"
"What I said is very good, but to achieve the level I said, we still have to take it step by step, so let's prepare first. To be honest, I already owe Herpus two medical lessons that I haven't lectured!" Davos's words reminded Marigi that the young man in front of him was the real leader of the medical camp, and those doctors all held him in high esteem when they mentioned Davos. Wasn't a young man who knew everything about military affairs, politics, commerce, and medicine a gift from God! The more Marigi thought about it as he walked out of Davos's residence, the more he felt that he had followed the right person.
At this moment, Davos was thinking: Since he wanted to build Amendolara into a medical center for all of Greece, could he also turn Amendolara into a large entertainment center?!
Thinking of this, he immediately walked towards the side room.
In the side room, Christoia was discussing some matters concerning bank lending with several freedmen who served as accountants. Next to her was her personal maid, Asuna (Asuna was an Egyptian slave who was sent by Melchis to help in the medical camp. When Christoia was managing the medical camp, she found her to be smart and capable and got along well with her, so she asked Melchis to give her to her), who was assigning labor tasks to several male and female slaves that Christoia had just bought from Taras.
As soon as Davos entered the door, Asuna saw him and immediately bowed her head and saluted: "Lord, you're back."
The freedmen also quickly and respectfully saluted, while the newly arrived slaves were ignorant and at a loss.
"Christoia, did you buy the leather craftsman I wanted?" Davos asked.
"I bought him. But the money to buy a leather craftsman is enough for me to buy four or five ordinary slaves." Christoia complained.
"Doing business requires a long-term perspective. Don't think that the leather craftsman costs a lot of money now. In the future, the money earned by this leather craftsman will exceed the price of thousands and tens of thousands of slaves." Davos joked half-jokingly and half-seriously. In front of everyone, he didn't dare to make any intimate gestures.
"Yes, great merchant!" Christoia glared at him and said, "Anyway, our family also needs a leather craftsman." As she said that, she pointed to one of the slaves: "That's the one you wanted."
Davos walked over, and the thin old man respectfully saluted: "Master."
"You are a Greek?!" Davos was slightly surprised when he saw his appearance.
"Yes, master."
"Where are you from? What's your name? Why did you become a slave?"
"My name is Torikas, I'm from Ephesus. I couldn't pay off my debts, so I became a slave." The old man said calmly.
"As long as your craftsmanship is good, you will be able to save enough money to redeem yourself and become a free man in a few years." Davos promised.
"My son died on the battlefield, and my wife died early. I'm the only one alive. If you, master, don't drive me away, I'm willing to stay here until I go to see the ferryman…" Torikas's very open-minded expression stunned Davos, and he nodded helplessly: "In that case, you can rest assured and spend your old age here." After saying that, he took Torikas to the courtyard atrium and drew a pattern on the soil where flowers and plants were planted with a wooden stick.
"Is this an olive?" Torikas looked at the crude pattern on the ground and said uncertainly.
"This is a rugby ball made of cowhide!" Davos's eyes were bright.
"A rugby ball?!" Torikas widened his eyes.