Davos gently stroked Christoia's smooth, yet-to-swell abdomen, and said, "Until our child is safely born, do you hear me!"
Despite Davos' domineering tone, Christoia enjoyed his sternness. She rested her head on Davos' chest and softly replied, "I understand…"
… … … … … … …
Davos gently moved the sleeping Christoia aside, carefully got out of bed, tiptoed to the side room, and fumbled to light the oil lamp in front of the niche by the window. The flickering light illuminated a bronze statue of Hera smiling as she adjusted her robe.
For the first time, Davos devoutly knelt down to pray, his eyes filled with excited tears, yet what he spoke was not a Hymn to Hera: "Dear Mom and Dad, do you know? Your son has his own child in this world. I hope you can bless him to come into this world safely, grow up healthy, continue my bloodline, and inherit my cause…"
… … … … … … …
In the palace on Ortygia Island, Dionysius was discussing important matters with Philistus and Leptines. At this moment, his intelligence chief, Hipparinus, walked to his side and handed him a piece of information.
Dionysius finished reading it at a glance, and couldn't believe it: "Is this true?!"
"When has the information I've confirmed ever been wrong!" Hipparinus said coldly.
Dionysius didn't mind Hipparinus' attitude. After all, Hipparinus was his father-in-law and one of the colleagues who firmly supported him in gaining power in Syracuse. Dionysius exclaimed loudly, "It's unbelievable that the young mercenary leader has won again! And this time, he even defeated Croton, who gave the Locrians a headache!"
"He just ambushed them." Leptines, after reading the information his brother handed over, clearly didn't appreciate Davos' method of winning.
"My brother, you must understand that whether it's an ambush or a frontal assault, as long as you can win, it's worth praising! Moreover, he has been able to win more with less twice in a row. It seems that this person is indeed a powerful general!" Dionysius said seriously, then suddenly sighed, "Davos… Davos… What a pity… What a pity…"
"Your Excellency, do you still want to recruit him?" Philistus asked from the side.
Dionysius shook his head: "He's clearly not satisfied with being a mercenary leader. He successfully became the lifetime Archon of Amendolara before, and now that he's defeated Croton, I'm afraid he's considering how to bring Thurii under his rule as well… This young man is not simple. I underestimated him before. It seems that I need to pay more attention to him in the future!" he said with a serious expression.
"Understood," Hipparinus replied.
Dionysius saw Leptines' disapproving expression and sighed inwardly. This brother of his was loyal and diligent, but lacked shrewdness. However, it was precisely because of this that he entrusted him with important tasks, rather than those with ulterior motives. The bloody lesson of his father-in-law, Hermocrates, must be kept in mind! (Hermocrates was Dionysius' former father-in-law, the leader of Syracuse, a hero who defeated the Athenian invasion. The Syracusan democrats, fearing his dictatorship, incited the people to expel him. He also led the Sicilian people to resist the Carthaginian invasion. In the end, the Syracusan democrats, because his brilliance was too dazzling, became extremely fearful and tricked him back to Syracuse and killed him.)
"By the way, how is Heracleides doing now?" Dionysius thought of the man he had sidelined.
"He has been very quiet these past few months," Hipparinus said.
So, Dionysius said to Philistus, "Heracleides has rested long enough. Philistus, go and call him back to help you prepare for this war."
"Yes!" Philistus said with a look of joy.
Dionysius looked at Philistus and then at Hipparinus, thinking of Heracleides, who was far away in Egypt: It was these people who firmly supported him when he was most difficult, which led to his success today! Heracleides should still be loyal to him.
This time, it was just a small warning to him, so that he wouldn't speak carelessly in the future.
After instructing Philistus to handle this matter, Dionysius felt much relieved. He turned his attention to the major issue he was most concerned about: "How is the resettlement of the Leontinians in Syracuse progressing?"
"It has been completed. They are all busy adapting to the new environment, and their performance is currently considered stable," Philistus replied.
"That's good." Dionysius turned to Leptines: "How is the progress of that thing the craftsmen are making?"
"It's been successful!" Leptines had been waiting for his brother to ask about this matter. He said excitedly, "Its power is too great! It's simply a weapon of the God of War! It can shoot a ten-pound stone a hundred meters away. Ordinary city walls will definitely collapse if they are hit by a dozen stones!"
"Very good! You reward those craftsmen for me, and let them manufacture more of these things, but be careful to keep it secret. If anyone leaks it out, I'll kill their entire family!" Dionysius said grimly, "Next year, I'm going to give the Carthaginians a big surprise!"
"Why not attack now?" Leptines said puzzledly, "We have already conquered the Greek city-states in eastern Sicily, except for Messana, and we have a huge army and siege weapons of immense power. The Carthaginian cities in western Sicily will not be able to resist our attack at all."
"To deal with Carthage, we must be careful and cautious, because they can transport hundreds of thousands of soldiers from Africa at any time. We must have full confidence before we can start a war!" Dionysius said unquestioningly.
… … … … … … …
During this period, Cunogolata had been busy with the reconstruction of Thurii, spending every night in the camp, and rarely taking time to return to Amendolara.
Just after finishing dinner, his eldest son, Sostratus, hurried back upon hearing the news. He shouted with a smile, "Father, you're finally back!"
"Hmm," Cunogolata grunted, "I heard that you've been wandering around lately and haven't been participating in the reconstruction of Thurii. Are you still a citizen of the Thurii League?!"
"It's good enough that I didn't applaud when Thurii was destroyed. It's impossible for me to work with those murderers who killed my brother and humiliated my sister!" Sostratus said with indignation, while also explaining, "But I haven't been wandering around either. I participated in four military training sessions organized by Amendolara. Seriously, Amendolara's military training is quite complex and very strenuous. Every time I train, I'm almost exhausted! No wonder, Amen… no, our citizen soldiers are so capable. Also, the Archon invented a football game that's quite interesting…"
Sostratus' mention of his dead brother and sister was like stirring up Cunogolata's inner scars, causing him to look dim.
Upon noticing this, Sostratus immediately changed the subject, pretending to be excited and saying, "Besides military training, I've been helping out under the Business Official, Magistrate Marigi. Father, you don't know, since we spread the news that 'the reconstruction of Thurii needs a lot of supplies,' a large number of merchant ships have flocked from all directions. Plus, our market tax rate is lower, the service is good, and the management is strict, so merchants from all city-states are full of praise. Now, the merchants who have settled in have filled our port, and the originally built market is no longer enough. It has to be expanded, but now everyone is with you. I estimate that at the latest the day after tomorrow, Magistrate Marigi will ask you for people."
"Is this true?!" Cunogolata had been staying in the city of Thurii during this time and had no time to inspect the port. He didn't expect that Marigi had led people to roughly build a port and market at the estuary and the site of Sybaris two months ago, and it had become so prosperous in such a short time.
"Of course it's true! I helped Magistrate Marigi keep accounts, and I remember very clearly. Every day, it costs almost ten talents to buy materials needed for city reconstruction, while the tariffs collected and the profits from the goods sold reach eight talents. Otherwise, where do you think the other supplies for building the city come from besides wood and stone!" Sostratus said eloquently,
"Davos knows how to use people! I didn't expect this Persian, Marigi, to be so capable in business!" Cunogolata exclaimed.
He glanced at his son and said faintly, "Tell me, what do you want from me?" Cunogolata understood his son.
"Well… well… the warehouses and hotels at the foot of Mount Amendolara were burned down by the Crotonians, and now those Crotonian prisoners are about to rebuild them. I heard Magistrate Marigi say that he wants to auction off these newly built warehouses and hotels and rent them to the people of the Thurii League to operate and earn money… well… I want to participate, but I don't have enough money, so I want to ask Father… to borrow some."
"How much do you want?"
"Well… five… five talents," Sostratus said courageously, which was almost half of Cunogolata's family property.
"Are you planning to rent them all?"
"Yes, Father. Now, merchant ships are flocking to Thurii, but our port hasn't really been built yet. A large number of merchants and sailors can't find places to eat, stay, or store goods, while Amendolara has ready-made warehouses and hotels. Plus, the road between the two cities is being built quickly. I think taking these warehouses and hotels will make our family a lot of money!" Sostratus said confidently.
Cunogolata pondered for a while, then looked at his son and said in a deep voice, "Child, since being expelled from Thurii, I've reflected on my past actions and felt that I used to be too radical and often didn't consider other people's feelings, so that when things happened, no one was willing to help us…"
Kunogolata sighed with a pained expression and said, "Amendolara built these warehouses and hotels because Davos originally hoped to increase revenue for the treasury and benefit the people. You alone occupy all these warehouses and hotels, and we are outsiders. What will the people of Amendolara think! My rationale for doing business and managing the city-state is the same: it's not just about making money, but about winning people's hearts!" Kunogolata earnestly warned his son, actually wanting to say that Davos was a role model for Sostratos to emulate.
After observing him for some time, he realized that this young leader not only possessed outstanding military talent but was also a political genius. Every proposal he put forward always considered the issue from the perspective of the city-state and its people, rarely catering to his personal interests, thus making people forget that he was, in fact, the sole permanent ruler. As long as Davos continued in this manner, Kunogolata was willing to be at his disposal.
"Father… I understand," Sostratos replied somewhat reluctantly after thinking it over.
"Good that you understand." Kunogolata smiled with relief. He remembered something and then asked, "Sostratos, it seems you're preparing to go into business and not take up public office?"
"In the Thurii League, can't one hold public office and do business at the same time?" Sostratos asked, puzzled.
"Of course. Since you like being in the market, why not become a tax collector under Mariji? But you'll have to pass the test."
"Test?"
"How can you be a tax collector if you can't do arithmetic!"
"That's too easy for me."
"In a few days, the 'Thurii League Public Office Law' proposed by Archon Davos will be promulgated. At that time, all citizens of the Thurii League will have the right to hold public office and receive a salary." Kunogolata decided to give his son a heads-up.
"Isn't that the same as Athens!" Sostratos exclaimed.
"It's not quite the same as Athens; you'll know when the time comes." Kunogolata said calmly, but in his heart, he sighed: the promulgation of this law would likely make the people who already supported Davos even more devoted to him! What a daring and capable young man!
… … … … … … … …
Three months after the Thurii League signed a peace agreement with Croton, the highway from the Sinni River crossing to Thurii was completed. The Lucanians who participated in the road construction were awarded by the Thurii League Senate on the same day: a reduction of half a year of corvée labor.
From then on, the Lucanians had only one and a half years of corvée labor remaining (participating in the war against Croton reduced it by two and a half years. Capturing high-ranking officers like Melanchius reduced it by another half year). Of course, they and the Crotonian prisoners still had to continue building the road to Castellone.
After the road between Heraclea and Thurii was completed, the wide, flat, and sturdy highway accelerated the speed of pedestrians and pack animals, reducing the travel time by at least two-fifths, which was a great convenience, especially for vehicles.
In fact, after the slaves and prisoners streamlined and mastered the road construction process, the progress was very fast. The main difficulty lay in the bridges. This section of the road had to cross four rivers. Except for the Sinni River, which was located on the border between Amendolara and Heraclea and already had a pontoon bridge, it was impossible to enter Heraclea to build a bridge. In addition, three more bridges had to be built. Moreover, Davos demanded that flat bridges be built instead of pontoon or arch bridges to facilitate the transport of goods.
Little Heracleides spent most of his time thinking about how to build the bridges. He not only consulted his father but also experienced carpenters, and even two apprentices of the Pythagorean school: what kind of geometric support would make the bridge more stable. After careful consideration, he presented his bridge-building plan to Davos, which was approved. However, the archon made another request: the prisoners should not be allowed to build the bridges, but the citizen-soldiers should participate in the construction.
At the same time, Davos also issued an order: on army training days, soldiers must participate in road construction in the morning. Davos hoped that the soldiers would master the skills of road and bridge construction to prepare for future military campaigns.
Little Heracleides directed the soldiers to tie two cut logs tightly together, sharpen one end, and drive them diagonally into the riverbed. Then, ten meters away from the tree stumps, they symmetrically drove another set of logs diagonally into the riverbed. Then, they placed a thick log between the two sets of logs, which fit perfectly into the gap at the top of the logs (because two logs were fixed as a set), and tightened and secured it. This created a row of bridge piers. Then, they laid planks on the bridge piers to make the bridge deck, completing the main structure of the bridge. The subsequent work was much easier: making handrails, adding supports to the bridge piers to prevent long-term water erosion… etc. It took seven days to complete the first flat bridge, fifteen meters long and nine meters wide, across the Bradano River.
With the experience of the first bridge, the subsequent bridge construction work was even faster… By the time they built the third bridge, it only took two days to complete.
Davos praised him greatly after hearing about it and asked Little Heracleides to compile the method and steps of building wooden flat bridges into the "Thurii League Military Law" as a guide for military campaigns.
Little Heracleides was greatly encouraged, but then he began to worry again, because building a bridge over the Crati River would be even more difficult. Although it was built at the original pontoon bridge west of Thurii, with the delta as a buffer, the Cosenza River was still more than twenty meters wide and too deep to wade. Little Heracleides had to figure out how to drive the bridge piles into the riverbed more easily and stably.
While he was racking his brains, Davos, in order to encourage and stimulate him, also said, "Now the Thurii League is only building wooden flat bridges. In the future, we will also build stone bridges, and the bridges must be able to allow three-tiered warships to pass under them. If you can do all this, then you will surely become a bridge-building master and be remembered by posterity!"
Davos's words made Little Heracleides feel the pressure and ignited his fighting spirit…
… … … … … … … …
A few days later, the reconstruction of the city of Thurii came to a temporary end. Countless free people flocked to the household registration office. The registrar, Lafias, received tens of thousands of applications to become citizens of Thurii in one day, which kept him so busy that he had to ask the Senate to send more people.
The Senate was also holding a meeting to discuss the construction of a large square to accommodate tens of thousands of citizens for assemblies and the gathering of troops when the League went to war.
"I have no objection to building a large square. From Lafias's letter of help, we can see that our formal citizens will easily exceed ten thousand in a few years." After nearly half a year of experience as the chief administrative officer of Amendolara , especially the three months of rebuilding Thurii, Cornelis gained experience and confidence. He spoke and laughed freely in front of dozens of senators, which caused a knowing laughter among the senators.
Then, Cornelis raised another question: "But I doubt whether the Senate's meeting hall needs to be built for six hundred people. Now, the number of senators is less than fifty. Building such a large meeting hall not only wastes the manpower and materials for the reconstruction of the city of Thurii, but it is also difficult to hear the voices when we sit in such a large meeting hall to discuss issues."
Cornelis's words were recognized by some senators.
At this time, Davos stood up from the grass (the senators of the Thurii League were holding a meeting in the open space of the camp because the assembly hall had not yet been built), which immediately attracted everyone's attention, not only because the construction of the large assembly hall was his proposal, but also because Davos, as the savior of Thurii twice and the supreme power holder of the new league, inspired awe in the hearts of the senators of Thurii who were not yet familiar with him after their recent ordeal.
"The reconstruction of Thurii is not only to rebuild our people's homes but also to consider and plan for the future development of the League. Therefore, we have built better roads, better bridges, a better port in a better location, a larger square, more orderly blocks, and never-before-seen elevated aqueducts… In the future, the new city of Thurii will be one of the most beautiful city-states in Greater Greece and even the entire Greek world! Then, as the power center of the League, the place where the League's elites discuss and decide the life and death, development, and prosperity of the League every day, and the place that the people pay attention to at all times and neighboring countries often visit, if it remains unchanged as before, we can be simple and frugal, but the people will not agree. They will say, 'Look, that small Senate is completely incompatible with our beautiful city. It makes our beautiful Thurii ugly!'"
Amid the senators' chuckles, many also nodded in agreement that Davos was right.
At this time, someone said, "Archon, we… can build the assembly hall more beautifully, but we don't need to build it so big."
Davos felt that this voice was somewhat unfamiliar. He looked closely and saw that it was Poluxis, whom he had met once before. He nodded in greeting and said, "I proposed building a meeting hall for six hundred people because I was considering the future. The senators of Amendolara know that half a year ago, the Senate had only twenty-odd people, but now it has nearly fifty. Maybe in the future, we will let other city-states or tribes join our League. Shouldn't we bring the elites of their city-states and the leaders of their tribes into our Senate, just like we are doing now, so that the new city-states and the League can be smoothly integrated to stabilize the hearts of the new people and ensure their interests?! For example, a year later, the Vespa tribe will ask to join us and become citizens of the League. And Castellone, for example, maybe one day it will also ask to join the League…"
The senators of Amendolara knew that Davos had long planned to attack Lucania. This successful defeat of Croton and the merger of Thurii made them even more convinced of Davos's ability, so there were no more objections.
The elders of Thurii were quite surprised to hear Davos' ambition for the first time.
Burkos widened his eyes, looking in astonishment at Davos, who was standing in the circle, talking and laughing freely. He recalled the great pains he had taken to invite him to Magna Graecia, simply because he was a capable mercenary leader. He never imagined that this young man would have such great aspirations, not only to save Thurii, but also to change the political landscape of Magna Graecia! Because according to Davos, a council of six hundred meant how many city-states would have to merge into the alliance!
The other Thurians were also whispering, discussing among themselves. Some even asked the person next to them, "Who is Vespasius?"
Some looked doubtful, others felt excited, but most did not object. After all, with the help of the Amendolara led by Davos, Thurii and they were fortunate enough to be reborn. Before they were familiar with the governing style of this young magistrate, they did not rashly express their opposition.
Only Polychersis asked, "Shouldn't there be a limit to the number of senators? It can't just expand indefinitely like this."
"Six hundred people! This new assembly hall can only accommodate 600 people! By the time that quota is filled, I believe the situation of our alliance will be very different. At that time, there may be new laws and a new assembly hall!" Davos said without hesitation.
Davos' confidence made Polychersis feel jealous. He knew that when they first met, this young man had to watch his expression even to speak to him, so he couldn't help but say, "Unfortunately, I'm afraid I won't live to see that day."
As soon as these words came out, everyone's expression changed.
Davos stared at him and said faintly, "Lord Polychersis, I believe you will see it!"
Instantly, Polychersis felt the clothes on his back soaked with cold sweat. Although Davos did not say anything to reprimand him, he felt an invisible pressure. He quickly lowered his head and said nothing more.
"Magistrate, the senators of the Senate are appointed for life. How can the citizens of our alliance become senators if these outsiders become senators through this method?" Cunogolata hurriedly shifted the topic.
"Although your question is unrelated to the 'question of whether to build a Senate assembly hall,' I am still willing to tell you my thoughts." Davos retracted his gaze, organized his words, and slowly said, "Our current public offices are all elected annually. I don't think this approach is very appropriate. For example, Amyntas was elected as the construction supervisor—"
Amyntas immediately shouted, "Sir, I am not interested in construction at all!"
Everyone burst into laughter.
"I know, this is just an analogy." Davos also laughed: "Amyntas doesn't understand engineering and construction, but in this position, he must serve the people, so he must devote his energy to understanding and learning. By the time he has a preliminary grasp of construction knowledge and understands the needs of the alliance in various places for engineering, his term is about to expire, so he has done almost no effective work in this year. If he is given another year, his work as construction supervisor will definitely be much better than the first year, because he already basically understands the overall construction situation of the alliance and knows the needs of each city for public buildings. So in the third year, his work efficiency will be even higher, because he is already completely familiar with it and can apply to the Senate for funds and direct builders, craftsmen, laborers, and slaves to build large-scale buildings and repair public facilities in a targeted manner. Everyone, is that right?"
Everyone nodded thoughtfully.
Amyntas shouted loudly, "Yes!!"
Everyone laughed again.
"Therefore, electing alliance public offices every year is both a waste of time and inefficient. It should be broken, but we will discuss the specific term of office for each public office later. Now back to Cunogolata's question…" Davos faced everyone and said seriously, "According to the laws we are about to promulgate, every citizen has the right to hold public office. According to my idea, a citizen who has just reached adulthood at the age of eighteen and aspires to become a senator of the Senate,
Then first, he must serve in three or more of the lowest-level public offices for five years, such as serving as a patrolman, firefighter, household registration clerk, etc. At the same time, he must also join the army and fight in battles, participate in two or more major battles, etc., before he is qualified to apply to the Senate to request to hold a higher-level public office.
At this time, he has rich grassroots work experience, is physically strong, and is familiar with warfare. The Senate can decide whether to let him serve as the city defense captain, fire captain, household registration officer, construction supervisor, business officer, finance officer, supervisor, and other intermediate positions based on his performance, ability, and expertise. He is about 30 years old at this time.
Then he must have served in two or more intermediate public offices, and have served as a company commander or even a battalion commander in the legion for three years. At this time, he should already be 40 years old. At this time, his temperament will become stable, he will be familiar with political affairs, he will be able to handle more complex situations, and he will be able to lead troops to fight.
At this time, he can apply to join the Senate, and the Senate will decide whether he can become a senator based on his performance. The city magistrate can only be held by a senator of the Senate. I don't know if you accept this idea?"
"Agreed! Agreed! Young people should get more experience!" The senators shouted in unison.
At least 20 years, we don't have to worry! This is the idea of a few mediocre people.
The elders selected in this way will definitely be outstanding elites among the citizens. The matter of a fool like Nymphis serving as chief general will definitely not happen again in the League! This is something Cunogolata fully agrees with in his heart.
It seems I still need to take on more public office and accumulate administrative experience, lest I be looked down upon by young people in the future! Those who hold this thought are hard workers like Hilos.
...
The vast majority of the elders agreed with Davos's idea, because whether it was extending the term of public office or imposing more restrictions on serving as the city's chief administrator, it was more to protect the interests of the current Senate elders, but some people raised objections.
"There are only so few public offices in the League. If we extend the term of office, I'm afraid many people won't get their turn," Ansitano said with concern.
"There are only these few positions now, but in the future, someone might go to a city hundreds of miles away to take office. At that time, every city will probably need low-level household registration officials, low-level finance officials, and so on, and then senior household registration officials, senior finance officials, and so on, under the Senate will be in charge. Our Senate needs to establish a committee to specifically supervise, manage, and evaluate the performance of these public officials."
The ambition contained in Davos's words excited some people, made some people skeptical, but overall everyone was very happy, because the establishment of a new committee gave many idle elders something to do, and their power was not small.
Only Melsis was anxious: "There will be so many public offices in the future, how much will their salaries cost?!"
Everyone laughed again.
Davos had no choice but to say: "The matter of salaries will be discussed later."
After passing the resolution to "build a six-hundred-person Senate chamber", it was time to discuss building a temple.
Logically, the matter of building a temple didn't need to be discussed at all. Just rebuild the new temple on the original site in the same style. The elders didn't have much objection to this, and the resolution was about to be passed smoothly. At this time, Plessinas stood up and loudly expressed his opinion: "I object to rebuilding the Temple of Apollo!"
Everyone was stunned.
Plessinas was very satisfied with the effect this statement had caused. He glanced at Davos, completely ignoring the surprised expressions of the others, and continued loudly: "Because our piety to Apollo has not been exchanged for the sun god's protection of us! The betrayal of the free citizens, the occupation of Thurii, the entire city is crying, but Apollo turned a blind eye to this. His inaction was even frowned upon by the gods, so his temple was also spurned and turned to ashes in the flames!"
Plessinas blamed the destruction of the city of Thurii on Apollo, seemingly blaspheming the gods, but Apollo, as the patron saint of Thurii, ultimately failed to protect his own temple. This did make the elders who believed in divine omens feel a little strange after being "reminded" by Plessinas: Did Apollo abandon Thurii?
Davos looked at Plessinas with great interest.
"Then, who saved the citizens of Thurii and avenged Thurii?! Undoubtedly, it was the citizens of Amendolara! But, which god was supporting the Amendolara army?! Look at the military flags held high by the brave citizen soldiers. Isn't that Hades waving his double-pronged fork, bringing death to the Crotoniates! Similarly, it was Hades who blessed the mercenaries in the hot spring swamp, allowing the god of death to stir up the winds of the underworld, easily taking the lives of eight thousand Lucanians! Now that Thurii has been reborn in the ruins, and Amendolara has merged with Thurii, Hades, as the patron god of the Amendolara army, is also the King of the Underworld who has saved Thurii twice. That is the reason why Apollo made concessions, and we must not forget his grace and blessing! Therefore, Thurii's new temple should be a temple to Hades, to protect Thurii's permanent peace and tranquility! !"
After Plessinas finished speaking, the elders were in an uproar.
Cunogolata turned his head to peek at Davos, and found that he also showed a surprised expression: Could it be that Plessinas's guy acted on his own initiative?
"Plessinas, you should know that Apollo is the main god worshipped by the city-states of Magna Graecia (the other is Hera). It is because of his protection that our ancestors were able to successfully reach Magna Graecia and successfully build city-states. Apollo is very important to the Thurians!" Ansitano reminded.
"Of course I know. The citizens can still build Apollo altars and continue to sacrifice to him, but as the city-state's patron god, his inaction has ended his mission! We need a new, powerful, and more willing god to give peace to the Thurians in this chaotic world! Therefore, we should build a Hades temple in our acropolis!" Plessinas said proudly.
"In my memory, there are almost no public Hades temples in the entire Greece, let alone enshrining him as the city-state's patron god. Why? Because Hades's kingdom is gloomy and terrifying, and people are afraid of him! If we build a Hades temple, I'm afraid no citizens will be willing to go to the acropolis! Not to mention being laughed at by other city-states!" Poluxis stood up and loudly opposed.
Praxinus was clearly well-prepared, and he said calmly, "Don't forget, Hades also governs the Elysian Fields, a blissful land where there's no worry of death, no worry of clothing, carefree, and bathed in sunlight, a place every Greek yearns to go after death! Moreover, as the Lord of the Underworld, Hades controls the wealth beneath the earth, ensuring our allied territories have even richer mineral resources! As for being gloomy and terrifying, that's only for our enemies, because he brings them death, while granting us victory!"
"That's absolutely right! I love Hades!" Amyntas cheered.
"I agree to build a temple to Hades! He has already brought us victory, and he will bring us even more!"
"Our Archon is a descendant of the King of the Underworld. With Hades as our patron god, the alliance will receive even greater blessings!"
...
The former mercenary veterans expressed their approval one after another, creating a great momentum.
Polyxis sat down sullenly, and no one else dared to object at this moment.
Davos patted his thigh lightly with his left hand, calmly watching this scene unfold. He had indeed not communicated with Praxinus beforehand, and because he had been busy with affairs recently, he hadn't even thought about this aspect. He didn't expect Praxinus to give him such a huge surprise, making him realize that there was indeed much to be done in this regard.
His brain quickly raced, considering the pros and cons, and then he stood up, the eyes of everyone focusing on him again: "Everyone, when we are helpless, we pray to the gods; when we are confused, we also pray to the gods. The gods not only possess great divine power, but can also give us enlightenment in wisdom and spirit. Hades is a god who can give the people much help, not only bringing victory to our armies and protecting the peace of the city-states, but also educating the people.
You see, good people can go to the Elysian Fields after death and live a happy life; while those who commit evil in life cannot escape the judgment of the three judges, Minos, Rhadamanthus, and Aeacus, and ultimately suffer in hell. Hades is a fair and selfless god-king. Once his temple is built in the city-state, it will constantly remind the people that even if evildoers are not restrained by the law now, they will not escape the punishment of the underworld after death. This will force them to repent and do good as much as possible while they are alive; and for those who do good, worshiping the Temple of Hades will also encourage them not to give up their kind hearts because of temporary grievances, because the beautiful Elysian Fields will summon them... In this way, the morality of our alliance's people will become better, the order of the city-states will be more orderly, and the citizens will get along more harmoniously! Do you agree?"
"I agree! With the Temple of Hades, my job will be much easier!" Inspector Antonios immediately echoed loudly.
Just as some people were still hesitating, Davos continued, "Regarding the construction of the Temple of Hades, I have a suggestion: there can be one main temple and one auxiliary temple. The main temple should use bright and cheerful colors, with happy scenes of the Elysian Fields painted all around, Hades should be gentle and kind; while the side temple should be dark and terrifying, surrounded by the horrors of hell, Hades majestic and selfless. In addition, a Hall of Heroes can be built in the main hall. The names of all citizens who died for the alliance and the city-state should be engraved on it, to be admired and worshiped by the people! I think their brave souls must also be accompanying the King of the Underworld in Elysium!"
Davos spoke with some emotion about his vision, especially the last sentence touched the veterans, and they finally decided to build the Temple of Hades.
Then, Davos suggested that Praxinus be responsible for the construction of the temple, which was approved.
Letting Praxinus be responsible for this most important public building project of the alliance is not only Davos's way of repaying Praxinus's good intentions, but also because it was his suggestion—to build the Temple of Hades, and he would naturally work harder and build it well.
When Praxinus came to thank him privately after the meeting, Davos also reminded him to communicate well with Heraclides.
The next issue was the "Distribution of Thurii Land" problem.
Originally, Melanchos had carried out massacres of nobles and wealthy merchants in Thurii, and among the remaining citizens, apart from a few people such as Bulkos, Polyxis, Orifis, Enani Lus, and Massisakus, there were almost no large landowners left.
Since the original city of Thurii had been destroyed, everyone had lost proof of their land ownership. In order to avoid disputes and ensure fairness, the newly established Alliance Senate reallocated the land shares of all original Thurii citizens, basically guaranteeing five acres of land per household. The vast majority of people had no objection, after all, being able to get land again after losing their homes was already a blessing from the gods. Moreover, most Thurii civilians had not had so many land shares before. Only a very few people expressed disagreement, with Polyxis objecting the most vehemently. His reason was very simple: as everyone knows, his family used to have more than 500 acres of land, but now they have only been allocated five acres, not even a fraction. The Senate is being too unfair!
As soon as he made a fuss, people like Orifis and Massisakus watched the show with cold eyes.
Davos quietly asked Bulkos to take the lead in expressing that he was willing to give up his original land and accept the newly allocated land share.
At the same time, he secretly had Amyntas and the others stand up one after another to criticize Polyxis, even warning him: the original Thurii has been destroyed, and although the new city is being rebuilt, it has nothing to do with the former Thurii. If anyone insists on connecting the original city, then some people's crimes in the destruction of Thurii must be thoroughly investigated. He believed that the people would never just expel these accomplices who caused them to lose their families!
Polyxis was frightened and dared not object anymore, and the others naturally had to agree. In fact, it was their greed that was at play. They didn't even think that in this war, they lost not only land and money, but also a large number of clansmen and slaves. Even if they were allocated more land, they would not have enough manpower to work it in the short term, and they might not even be able to support so many people.
After this bill was passed, the "land shares" that some citizens of Amendolara had been allocated previously were also made up for this time.
The Sibari Plain is vast and the soil is fertile. After allocating the land shares of the alliance citizens, the Senate found that it only accounted for less than one-tenth of the area of the Sibari Plain, and there was still a large amount of land left uncultivated. For the Tua Alliance, which was in urgent need of money and food, how could they watch it being wasted?
After discussing with the veterans, Davos promulgated the "Land Lease Law": that all prospective citizens of the alliance's city-states could lease public land of the city-state for cultivation, with a land area of no more than five acres, and the annual rent tax was one-tenth of the land income.
Melchis had proposed that the tax burden be one-fifth, but Davos rejected it. He believed that since they had become prospective citizens, they should of course enjoy the alliance's benefits in advance, so as to encourage other free people to actively join the alliance.
At the same time, the Senate also announced in the law: all prospective citizens who actively farm and actively pay taxes can smoothly become formal citizens after the probationary period is over.
This was a suggestion from Kunogorata. He believed that farming could show whether a person was hardworking, persevering, patient, and had a strong physique. A good farmer is a good citizen of the city-state, so this is a kind of assessment.
The veterans all agreed with his point of view. Later, this became a convention. All prospective citizens had to lease land for two or three years first for observation.
There was a lot of land and many people leasing land. Davos proposed: to establish the position of Agricultural Affairs Officer to centrally manage the allocation, leasing, cultivation and other matters of the alliance's land.
The proposal was approved, and Bulkos, nominated by him, was appointed.
At the same time, the responsibilities of Military Affairs Officer Filisius were also quite heavy, because there were still three months before the release of the Crotonian prisoners. In order to prevent these prisoners from suddenly changing their faces and reneging on the agreement after returning to their hometowns, the Tua Alliance had to organize the numerous prospective citizens for training, and make them have certain combat capabilities in three months. Therefore, Filisius had to order more veterans to enter the recruit training camp as instructors during training days.
The next issue was still Davos's proposal: to give the alliance's junior public officials a salary of about two or three obols per day to subsidize their living needs.
As soon as the proposal was made, Melchis stood up excitedly: "Lord Davos, since every citizen has land, and the tax paid each year is only one percent, their income is more than enough to maintain their daily life. Holding public office is the duty of a citizen of the city-state, and it is also a kind of glory. Why should they be paid?! According to your proposal, a junior public official's daily salary is about three obols, and the national treasury will have to pay him about sixteen point seven drachmas a month. Now, the lowest-level public officials in the Tua Alliance may probably need about 200, which will cost a talent a month, which is not a small expense! We can't learn from Athens. Athens has the Laurium silver mine, which can produce three talents every day, and we are now just spending more than we earn!"
"Don't worry, Melchis, let's talk slowly." Davos motioned for Melchis to calm down and asked softly, "How many accountants do you have under you?"
"Five, but they are all prospective citizens."
"Do they work in the national treasury every day?"
"No, our national treasury didn't have much income before. We only needed to ask them to come over to keep accounts and store them when needed. The rest of the time, they leased land in citizens' homes."
"So what about now?"
"Now...now that we have Thurii, we have a market and a port, and the customs duties alone bring in a lot of money every day. Of course, they have to follow me back and forth between the national treasury, the market and the port every day."
"So do they still have time to farm now?"
"No."
"So how do they make a living?"