Sybaris! Although it has now become a laughingstock among the Great Greeks and a negative example for city-states to learn from, it is undeniable that over a hundred years ago, it was the largest city-state in Magna Graecia, spanning the eastern and western coasts of the Apennine Peninsula, ruling over many cities, intimidating the Bruttians, Lucanians, and other local tribes, and possessing astonishing wealth. At that time, Syracuse was just a small city-state, and Taranto and Croton could only look up to it. The senators reminisced about the past glory of Sybaris, indulged in their vision of the future, and once again cheered excitedly. Some senators even shouted excitedly: "Cross the Sinni River, capture Grumentum, and reclaim our Poseidonia!"
When did Poseidonia become ours!" Davos chuckled inwardly, happy to see this situation arise.
At this moment, Vespasius stood up and asked with concern: "Lord Davos, what is the situation with Grumentum and the other Lucanians?"
"Because our attack was very successful, not a single person escaped. It is estimated that the Lucanians in the north have not yet received the news. Sexta is seizing the time to stabilize the situation in Nuceria. With Bagulus's full assistance, a large number of Lucanians and slaves in Nuceria are willing to become citizens of the League. Sexta, Asistasi, and others are busy registering these surrendered Lucanians, distributing land, distributing cattle and sheep, and strengthening the city defenses... In addition, Asistasi is also building the Laos River Fortress, and will be able to return in two days. Even if the Lucanians in the north get the news, they will not be able to launch an attack on Nuceria for the time being. In the intelligence we received earlier, we all know that Picus had just fought a battle with Grumentum. Due to the rebellion of some leaders, Lusa U, the son of Archipirus who occupied the city of Grumentum, was defeated and led his troops to Potentia, and Potentia accepted him. Obviously, even if Picus's Sincinnatus occupies the city of Grumentum, he still has to be careful of Potentia's intervention, so Nuceria is temporarily safe!"
Davos's words dispelled the concerns of some senators, and the atmosphere became even more enthusiastic.
Cornelius said loudly: "My lords, there is now an important issue that urgently needs to be discussed and resolved by the Senate!"
Most of the senators were stunned: What major problem could there be on this victorious day?
"Previously, we had the two cities of Amendolara and Thurii, so it was called the Thurian League, which was simple and clear, and the people understood its meaning as soon as they heard it. But now there is one more Nuceria. If we still use the original name—the Thurian League—it would not be quite right!" Cornelius said seriously.
Cornelius's carefulness made the senators realize that it was indeed inappropriate: this would be equivalent to excluding Nuceria, what would the people of Nuceria think in the future? Moreover, from the development trend, Nuceria will mainly be inhabited by Lucanians in the future. How much effort has been spent now, and many laws have been formulated, to incorporate the Lucanians into the League. This is a long-term plan that the senators of the Senate have gradually reached, because a name problem may lead to discord and division, and make the League's long-term efforts come to naught! This is indeed an important issue that needs to be resolved immediately!
"Then it should be called the Thurii—Amendolara—Nuceria League!" Amintas's answer was simple and clear, but it made some senators couldn't help but laugh.
"Oh, that's a convenient name. But what if we acquire Grumentum next time? Will we continue to name it the Thurii—Amendolara—Nuceria—Grumentum League?! If there is another time... If this goes on, it will take a lot of time to mention the official name of our League in the future!" Melsis joked exaggeratedly.
Everyone burst into laughter.
Amintas couldn't cover his face and said angrily: "Melsis, come up with a better name for me to see!"
"This is not difficult. Since we want to restore the glory of Sybaris,
and regain its amazing wealth..." Saying this, Melsis's saliva almost dripped down: "Why not just call it New Sybaris!"
As soon as this was said, Cunogolata shook his head in opposition: "This name is not good! It will easily intensify the relationship with Croton and make the neighboring city-states feel uneasy!"
Ansitanos expressed his agreement: "That's right. When Sybaris's trade was prosperous, it had competition with many city-states in Magna Graecia, and the relationship was not very good. Even the Campanian League (i.e., the Neapolitan League) in the north of the Lucanian region was hostile to Sybaris. We cannot ruin the relationship with our surrounding neighbors because of a name! ..."
As a historian, Ansitanos's words naturally won the attention and recognition of the senators. Many senators swallowed the names they had already thought of, but might cause dissatisfaction among neighboring countries, such as Antonios's "Magna Graecia League". At this time, the senators realized that this name was really not easy to come up with. It must contain a certain meaning, represent all the cities in the League, consider future development, and take into account the relationship with neighboring countries. Some senators pondered and muttered, while some simply turned their attention to Davos...
"Coming up with a name is not easy, I'll say a name, and everyone will think it's good!" Someone said confidently and loudly.
Everyone looked and saw that it was Presinas.
"Tell us quickly!" Under the urging of the senators, Presinas slowly said word by word: "Let's call it the Daonia City-State League!"
When senators like Amintas, who had no culture, were still pondering the meaning of this name, many senators once again cast meaningful glances at Davos.
Davos was a little surprised. He had indeed ignored the issue of the League's name before. He was also thinking when everyone was thinking of names, but he didn't expect Presinas to repeatedly give him unexpected surprises: The meaning of Davos's name is "Son of God". Some people in the League believe that the name of the consul is bestowed by the gods, otherwise how would his parents know that their child would become a favorite of Hades or his bloodline in the future (exaggerated)! And "Dao" refers to God, and the meaning of the name "Daonia" is the Land of God, so the two names "Daonia" and "Davos" are deeply connected.
Before Davos could express his opinion, Marigi shouted loudly: "Good name! Good name! Greeks have the tradition of naming city-states after gods, like Poseidonia you mentioned earlier, and the well-known Athens... Our League has been blessed by Hades many times, so we can win more with less and overcome the strong with the weak, and develop so rapidly in a short period of time! In order to thank Hades, our League's symbol is Hades, our army's flag is Hades, and we will also build a temple for him, but this is not enough! All the people of the League should be blessed by him, so the name Daonia is just right! I believe that with it, our League's development will be even faster! ..."
It seems a little strange for a Persian to talk about Greek gods and divine grace, but the senators present listened very carefully. Some people were already nodding in agreement. Because the troops were out on expeditions, there were fewer former mercenary senators who firmly supported Davos. Without these people cheering, the scene was a little deserted.
Davos looked around at everyone, his eyes falling on Cornelius and Cunogolata: "Two city administrators, what do you think of this name?"
Cornelius lowered his head and said: "I have no objection."
Cunogolata glanced at Presinas, then looked at Davos and said: "I completely agree, this is a good name!"
"Then let's call it the Daonia City-State League!" Davos said calmly, making the final decision.
… … … … … … …
After the meeting, Davos walked out with the councilors, and never intentionally talked to Presinas.
As soon as they went out, all the senators were stunned: In front of the Amendolara Senate were densely packed people, stretching all the way down the mountain. Among them were wives who had lost their husbands at the hands of the Lucanians, old people who had lost their children, children who had lost their fathers, hundreds of Thurii people who suffered from phobias because of the Lucanians, and Amendolara people who were worried about the war situation on the front line (the families of the expeditionary soldiers were almost all in Amendolara)... At this moment, they were all standing quietly. When they saw Davos and the others come out, someone shouted first, followed by a landslide-like cheer: "Victory to the Thurian League!!!"
"Victory to the Senate!!!"
"Victory to Lord Davos!!!"
"Thank you!!! Thank you..."
Everyone was cheering heartily, with tears of excitement in their eyes... That was the release of years of humiliation! That was a kind of joy of ending hatred! That was a kind of joy of no longer being afraid!
The Thurian League led by Davos captured Nuceria, and solved the long-standing worries of Thurii in one fell swoop. The sincere gratitude of the people infected all the senators of the Senate. At this moment, they felt the pride and honor of being a senator of the Thurian League, just as Davos said: We will lead the people to create a prosperous and powerful Daonia City-State League! Let Daonians, no matter where they are in any city-state in the Mediterranean, can proudly declare that they are Daonian citizens, and no foreigner dares to invade them!
Tratus naturally saw this spectacular and touching scene. No matter how he felt in his heart, the information sent back to the Croton City Hall was still short: The Thurian League has captured Nuceria, and Laos has become its ally.
Milo, Lysias, and other generals and council members of Croton were surprised by this. After Davos led the mercenaries to Magna Graecia, the high win rate of the battles he commanded in less than a year had made them feel a trace of fear.
After discussion, the group decided to wait and see how things developed. After all, there was no precedent for Greeks successfully leaving the coast and occupying indigenous mountain areas in the history of Greek colonization of the western Mediterranean. Even if the Thurian League seized Nuceria, how could their small number of people suppress the Lucanian resistance in the mountainous region full of Lucanians? How would they deal with the upcoming joint offensive of the Lucanian army? These were the major problems to be faced.
The city council also decided to send merchant ships to establish trade relations with Pixous as much as possible, in order to understand the situation in the Lucanian region at any time.
… … … … … … … …
Ephesus, located on the Aegean coast of Asia Minor, was a famous city of the former Lydian kingdom. It faced Samos across the bay and was said to have been built by Athenian colonists around 900 BC. After hundreds of years of development, it, along with Miletus not far to the south, and Samos, became the three most dazzling pearls among the Greek city-states of Asia Minor.
In the center of the triangular area formed by these three prosperous city-states was Mount Mycale. On the mountain was a sanctuary called "Panionium," meaning the temple of all Ionians. It used to be a place where the Greeks of Asia Minor gathered to celebrate their entire alliance. Although it no longer had its former glory, it was still a place frequently visited by the Greeks of Asia Minor for worship. At the same time, the influence of another temple was growing day by day, and its influence was increasing. This was the masterpiece built by Ephesus—the Temple of Artemis.
A hundred years ago, when Ephesus was still affiliated with Lydia, it had become the commercial center of Asia Minor. Citizens from various city-states flocked here. In addition to doing business and labor, they naturally had to worship the temple to seek spiritual comfort. As a result, the Ephesians discovered that the original Artemis altar could no longer meet the demand. Believers often clashed in order to occupy good positions for worship. Therefore, building a new temple became an urgent matter. At that time, the wealthy King Croesus of Lydia generously donated money (this king later donated huge sums to Delphi to seek oracles, was misled and went to war with Persia, and eventually perished). He built a new temple on the site of the original simple altar. The most famous architects and sculptors of the time were invited to participate in the design of the temple.
The completed temple was one hundred meters long and fifty-five meters wide. 127 huge columns, 18 meters high, supported the huge roof of the temple. The entire temple was basically built of huge strips of stone, five to eight meters long, which made it appear grand and heavy. Inside the temple, the bronze statue of Artemis was two meters high, wearing a crown, holding a precious bow, with a kind face, vivid and delicate. There was no roof above it, so believers could look up at the sky in the temple and be with God… …
After the Temple of Artemis was completed, it quickly became another holy place for the Greeks of Asia Minor. Even after many events such as the fall of the Lydian kingdom and the outbreak of the Greco-Persian War, its status did not diminish. Greeks came to worship it every day in an endless stream, and this had been the case for hundreds of years.
On this day, a strong Greek man hurried to the outside of the temple. He looked around and walked straight to the temple gate with the crowd.
The temple was too big, and the steps alone were dozens. After walking up the steps, even he, who was well-trained, was a little asthma.
"Timason!" A somewhat familiar voice shouted from the front.
He looked in the direction of the voice, and a man in an expensive purple Bolton robe stood at the temple gate, waving to him.
"Agasia?! " Timason walked towards this seemingly extraordinary man in disbelief.
"Please call me Lord Agasia! I am now a senator of the Thurian League Senate!" Agasia shook his sleeves, revealing his left hand, and then lightly grasped the sleeves, holding them at his waist (this was a so-called noble gesture often made by the Thurii senators in meetings), before jokingly said.
"You really are, as the rumors say, became the… …master of a city-state?!" Timason looked at him,
asked in a trembling voice.
"Not the master of one city-state, but the master of two city-states!" Agasia held out two fingers and explained seriously: "Davos is the lifelong Archon of these two city-state leagues!"
"Lifelong Archon?! It's really hard to believe… … " Timason murmured: Knowing that it had only been more than half a year, the memory of parting with Davos and the others was still very clear, and the status of himself and Davos was already worlds apart?!
"What I said is all true! If you don't believe me, Artemis is inside, I'll go in and swear to her!" Agasia became a little anxious, pointing to the temple behind him, and said seriously.
Timason shook his head, looking at Agasia thoughtfully: "I believe you! What are you here for this time?"
"Although we have successfully changed our status and position, we have not forgotten the comrades who once lived and died with us!" Agasia stretched out his hand and said sincerely: "Archon Davos sent me to invite you to Magna Graecia!"
… … … … … … … … … …
Thibron had been feeling very frustrated recently.
Since he was sent to Asia Minor by the Spartan Gerousia to serve as the Spartan governor in Asia Minor, he had led his army to fight against the Persian satrap Tissaphernes and occupied many Persian cities, forcing Tissaphernes to dare not attack the Greek city-states of Asia Minor again. He thought he had made great contributions to Sparta. It was only because he encountered some difficulties when attacking Larissa and failed to take it down for several months, and suffered some minor losses. The damn ephor actually asked him to give up Larissa and instead attack the Caria region! Annoyed as he was, he did not dare to disobey.
Since Lysander gained great prestige after defeating the Athenian navy in the late Peloponnesian War, in order to consolidate his power, he proposed some motions to the Gerousia and obtained their approval. One of them was to expand the power of the ephors, so that these ephors from civilian backgrounds could go on expeditions with the army. If they discovered problems, they could question anyone, whether it was an ordinary general or a king. Once the problem was serious, they could also propose to the Gerousia to impose punishment.
Thibron had no choice but to lead his army back to Ephesus, preparing to rest here for a while before setting off to attack Caria. Who knew that a few days later, he heard bad news: several Greek city-states in Asia Minor sent envoys to Sparta to accuse him of condoning his soldiers to plunder Sparta's allied states in Asia Minor.
He first angrily smashed the valuable statues in the living room, and then became Worry about gains and losses, because the things accused by these Asia Minor city-state envoys were true. At the beginning, he brought 5,300 soldiers to Asia Minor, including 1,000 freed helots, 4,000 other Peloponnesians, and 300 Athenian cavalry. This force was certainly unable to compete with the powerful Persia. After arriving in Asia Minor, with the help of the allied states, he recruited many soldiers, most of whom were mercenaries who had participated in Cyrus the Younger's expedition to Persia, bringing the force to 15,000 soldiers. Almost none of the soldiers in this huge army were true Spartan warriors. The salaries of so many soldiers could not be sustained for a long time by the donations of the Asia Minor Greek city-states, so it was inevitable to plunder and plunder the occupied Persian cities and territories. However, when the troops passed through their own allied states, those mercenaries who had become accustomed to plundering could not control themselves, and incidents of robbing fellow countrymen often occurred. Thibron did not use military discipline to restrain them, but instead thought: Since we are fighting for you to the death, it is right for you to pay some price!
Now the revenge of the Asia Minor Greeks had come.
That night, Thibron had difficulty sleeping.
The next day, the ephor Chrisophus came over and coldly told him: "Thibron, the Gerousia has sent Dercylidas to replace you, and you must return to Sparta to accept investigation! You must now stay in this mansion and are not allowed to leave without permission until Dercylidas arrives!"
Thibron slumped down, watching Chrisophus arrange soldiers to guard his door. He couldn't help but shout: "Don't worry, I won't run away like Clearchus! Even if I return to Sparta to accept investigation, I will be acquitted!"
Chrisophus didn't even look at him and replied: "Hopefully!"
Chrisophus walked out of Thibron's mansion and finally breathed a sigh of relief. He welcomed the Senate's investigation of Thibron, because he was the mastermind!
The reason for doing this was that Chrisophus had no choice, because he knew very well that Sparta had made a great determination and spent a lot of money to start a war with Persia, which was a strategic consideration. The radicals in Sparta, led by Lysander, believed that they should take advantage of the victory over Athens and regain the hegemony of Greece, step out of the narrow Greek mainland, extend their power to the vast and fertile Asia Minor, defeat the Persians, become the protector of the Asia Minor Greek city-states, and then become the overlord of the eastern Mediterranean, fulfilling the dreams of generations of Spartans. It was precisely because Chrisophus had been to the Persian hinterland with the expeditionary force and witnessed the vastness and richness of the Mesopotamian Plain that he agreed with the radicals' claims and deeply understood Lysander's painstaking efforts. However, Thibron was a pure Spartan warrior, with nothing but fighting and killing in his mind. He did not consider anything else. While attacking the Persians, he condoned his soldiers to plunder in the allied states, causing the allied states of Asia Minor to complain about his troops, and at the same time, they began to feel dissatisfied with Sparta.
It was precisely because he saw that more than half a year of effort was about to be wasted that Chrisophus repeatedly advised Thibron. Thibron first pretended to listen, but did not implement it, and later simply stubbornly refused to listen.
Chrisophus had no choice but to secretly encourage the allied states of Asia Minor to file a complaint with Sparta, and now the goal was finally achieved. Dercylidas, who was about to arrive, was known for his resourcefulness and was a Spartan general who would use his brain to think about problems. Chrisophus believed that he would not make Thibron's mistakes and would cooperate well with himself.
Chrysophus's good mood lasted until Tibron's adjutant came to find him.
"What did you say?! The soldiers all ran away?!" Chrysophus was taken aback. His first reaction was to wonder if Tibron was playing tricks.
"Not all of them ran away, just those soldiers who participated in Cyrus the Younger's expedition! After returning to Ephesus, the troops were stationed outside the city. Tibron hasn't been to inspect the barracks these past few days because of... because of the investigation..." The adjutant said cautiously, "Until you, Chrysophus, asked me to temporarily take over Tibron's duties, I decided to assemble the entire army for a lecture to prevent the soldiers from feeling uneasy about Tibron's transfer. Only then did I discover that more than three thousand soldiers were missing..."
More than three thousand soldiers! Chrysophus gasped. This was no small number! If Dercylidas arrived in Ephesus and found that the number of troops he was to lead had shrunk significantly, he would probably blame him for not handling the Tibron affair properly, causing the army's morale to waver.
"Did they run away because Tibron indulged their looting and they were afraid of being punished?" It was no wonder Chrysophus would ask this. He knew those mercenaries who had participated in Cyrus the Younger's expedition too well.
"No." The adjutant's answer relieved him slightly, but also made him curious.
"After discovering this situation, I immediately sealed off the barracks and launched an investigation. I quickly learned the truth from those mercenaries who had participated in Cyrus's expedition." The adjutant showed a strange expression: "The reason they ran away was because of a rumor!"
"A rumor?"
"Yes. Recently, a rumor has been circulating inside and outside the city, 'saying that another group of mercenaries who participated in the Persian expedition with these mercenaries, led by a leader named Davos, went to Magna Graecia, defeated the barbarians there, and established a league called the Thurian League. He became the chief executive of the league, and those mercenaries who followed him became citizens of the city-state and were given land. The company officers all became... um... nobles, and took up senior official positions in the city-state...' These simple-minded mercenaries actually believed it was true, and many wanted to run to Magna Graecia to share the benefits of their former teammates... But I heard them say that this Davos only left them for more than half a year, how could he have done so many things? It's obviously a deceptive rumor!" After the adjutant finished speaking, he saw Chrysophus frowning and falling into deep thought.
"Where did these rumors come from?" he asked sternly.
"It seems to be from the port market of Ephesus. They heard it when they went to buy goods."
"Are those mercenary leaders who participated in the Persian expedition still there?" Chrysophus asked again.
"Except for Xenophon, others like Timasion, Xanthippus, Cleanor... they all ran away. Some soldiers were able to stay thanks to Xenophon's persuasion..."
"Quickly send someone to notify the Ephesus council and ask them to immediately send patrols to block the port. You also send troops to assist. If any deserters from the army are found, arrest them immediately and escort them back to the barracks! At the same time, notify the neighboring city-states with ports and ask them to take the same measures!" Chrysophus quickly made a decision.
"What should be done with the mercenaries who are caught back?"
"In front of the entire army, the leading company officers and generals—" Chrysophus made a chopping gesture with a cold expression.
After sending away the adjutant, Chrysophus's heart was surging, and he couldn't calm down for a long time: The mercenaries' escape had already started a few days ago. It was definitely too late to take measures now. It seemed that while sending Tibron back to Sparta, he also needed to write a letter to the Council of Elders to proactively explain the situation here, otherwise he would be passive when Dercylidas discovered and questioned this matter! Alas... Xenophon should have known about this long ago, why didn't he notify himself!
Chrysophus thought again: Xenophon had a good relationship with many generals during the Persian expedition, especially Davos. He was already thinking of Sparta by actively persuading the soldiers to stay.
Davos! ... After half a year, hearing this familiar and somewhat unfamiliar name again,
Chrysophus's mind flashed with a clear image of the extremely young mercenary leader. He had always felt regret for Davos, for failing to keep him in Sparta.
He still remembered: After he returned to Sparta to report his previous experiences, he met the former naval admiral Anaxibius, who was returning from his term of office, and asked him about Davos. Anaxibius asked in confusion, 'Who is Davos?' He couldn't help but want to slap him twice on the spot, for forgetting what he had repeatedly told him, letting Sparta miss out on this military genius of Greece, as he saw him. Later, because he assisted Tibron in stationing in Asia Minor, he was busy with affairs and temporarily forgot about this matter. He didn't expect to hear this name again. This unforgettable young man had actually created a career in Magna Graecia?! If things were true, then it was indeed too surprising! But it also just showed that he, Chrysophus, didn't misjudge him in the first place! He just didn't know if he had anything to do with this deserter incident. He hoped that it wasn't him who was instigating it, because the Spartan Council of Elders would definitely send someone to investigate!
It's just that Davos has already taken root in Magna Graecia, and obviously will no longer consider joining Sparta. It's really a pity...
.........
Xenophon actually understood the situation more than Chrysophus guessed. He even knew that Timasion had gone to the Temple of Artemis in Ephesus to see Agasias and received his promise before returning to the barracks and encouraging the soldiers to go to the Thurian League.
Xenophon also received an invitation from Agasias. The fact that Davos had become the lifetime chief executive of two cities in Magna Graecia was indeed very surprising to him. He was also very curious about how Davos had achieved such brilliant achievements in more than half a year! Both were young people, one was a countryman from the edge of Greek civilization, and the other was an elite cultivated by Athens, the center of Greek culture. Now the "countryman" had mastered the highest power of two cities, while the elite was still desperately trying to survive in a foreign land. To say that he was envious and jealous, Xenophon certainly was, but to leave here and start a new career in the strange Magna Graecia, he refused without hesitation.
It wasn't because of self-esteem, but as an Athenian, Xenophon had always believed that Athens was the center of the world. After experiencing the failure of the Peloponnesian War, Cyrus the Younger's expedition, and following the Spartans in the war in Asia, seeing the vast territory and political corruption of Persia, the weakness of the Greek city-states in Asia Minor, and the military strength of the Spartans, he had a vague idea: Why couldn't the economically prosperous Athens and the militarily powerful Sparta join hands again to lead the divided and warring Greek city-states, defeat Persia, which had always been hostile to Greece and looked powerful but was actually weak, and create a new era for the Greeks?!
For this ideal, he was willing to continue fighting in this strange land and cooperate closely with the Spartans, whom he was already interested in. Therefore, although out of more than two years of camaraderie, he did not report Timasion and the others, he also timely prevented more soldiers from leaving. Getting the news that the Spartan commander was about to be replaced, he was also relieved. He also did not think that Tibron was a qualified governor of Asia Minor, even though he had been winning battles.
He recorded the events that happened in the past few days. When it came to Timasion and others leaving the barracks and going to the Thurian League, he hesitated for a while, but still decided not to write it down. It was not out of secrecy, but because he had always adhered to a principle: the Eastern Mediterranean was the focus of his future historical writing, and the Western Mediterranean was far from the center of civilization and was not worth too much attention.
Then, he packed up the manuscript and decided to talk to Chrysophus about how to manage these mercenaries and prevent the army's morale from wavering. He had some ideas and suggestions.
.........
After building the Laos Fortress (saying it was a fortress, it was just an enhanced version of the camp), Philippus left a company to guard it and led the remaining troops of the Third and Seventh Battalions back to Thurii.
Davos greeted them outside the city and gave a passionate speech to the soldiers. After that, he disbanded the troops and let the soldiers go home. Philippus came to Davos's mansion and told him in detail about the process of capturing Nioentium and Laos, as well as the general situation of Nioentium now.
Davos listened carefully and asked, "Do the soldiers of the Second Battalion and the First Company of the Third Battalion have any dissatisfaction with having to stay in Nioentium and defend it for about ten days?"
"Not for the time being." Philippus replied: "Since you, my lord, promulgated the new spoils distribution plan, the soldiers who stay behind will get more. I see they are all very happy."
Davos nodded and sighed: "We are not like Persia, which has a country that pays for and supports soldiers who are specifically responsible for fighting, and can perform combat missions for many years. Five days is the limit for allied soldiers to perform their military obligations, and beyond this time, we have to prepare food for the soldiers, and it will also delay their farming and earning money for a long time. We can't let the citizens who fight for the alliance become poorer and poorer, so this spoils distribution is not just to deal with this one time! I hope that after you go back, you will discuss with Mercys and formulate a long-term spoils distribution plan, which must give priority to three points.
First, the families of fallen soldiers must be treated favorably; second, teams and soldiers who perform outstandingly and make meritorious service must be treated favorably; third, teams and soldiers who undertake the most arduous combat missions must be treated favorably... Oh, and also, future expeditions may also involve joint operations with allied forces, so when formulating the strategic product distribution plan, you must also consider this point and ensure fair and equitable distribution!"
------
"I understand. I'll discuss this matter with Melsis tomorrow," Philius nodded.
"That fellow Melsis is quite stingy. He'll probably just want to allocate more to the national treasury. You must stick to your principles," Davos said half-jokingly, half-seriously.
"I'll take Amyntas and Matonis with me tomorrow," Philius said solemnly, and both of them laughed after he finished speaking.
Taking advantage of the good atmosphere, Philius cautiously voiced his idea: "Lord, those who hold public office receive salaries. But soldiers who serve in battle for a long time can't return home. Shouldn't they also be paid some compensation?"
"Well, well, this quartermaster of yours is starting to learn how to get benefits for his department," Davos said, pointing at him with a smile and a scolding tone.
Philius also replied with a smile: "If I don't do this, the soldiers will blame me, their quartermaster, for not fulfilling my duties during my term."
"In principle, it should be given. I remember someone saying, 'The sailors of Athens on campaign receive two obols a day, and the hoplites receive four obols a day...'" Davos said, recalling.
"That's indeed the case, Lord."
Davos sighed: "But that's Athens. It's one of the wealthiest city-states in the entire Mediterranean and can afford to pay those wages. The Daonian League can't do that yet. There are fewer than two hundred public officials, and the national treasury can barely afford to pay them. Each campaign involves thousands, even tens of thousands of soldiers. Even if each soldier receives one obol a day, think about how much money that would be every day! Rebuilding Thurii and paying the salaries of public officials has already overwhelmed Melsis. If you bring this matter up again, he might fight you to the death."
Davos smiled and said with certainty: "Once the League has money in the future, rest assured, I won't let the soldiers on campaign suffer!"
Although it was only Davos's verbal promise, Philius felt reassured. This was not only because Davos consistently kept his word, but also because Philius, having worked with Davos for a long time, deeply knew that Davos was a man with great ambitions, and an army that could not fight for a long time could not achieve his ambitions.
"How is the discipline of the troops in Nuceria?" Davos then asked.
"It's not bad. There haven't been any conflicts with the Lucanians of Nuceria," Philius said with a smile. "Of course, this is also related to your upcoming victory parade for them. They're afraid of violating military discipline and being unable to participate in the ceremony."
"A soldier with a sense of honor will be a good citizen!" Davos exclaimed, and the faces of those comrades who had once campaigned in Persia together appeared in his mind. He hoped that they, who were accustomed to looting and being unrestrained, would not cause too much trouble in the Daonian League.
Suppressing the worries that had just emerged in his heart, he looked at Philius: "Are you ready to accept the people's inspection?"
"I..." This gentle man, who had spent half his life on the battlefield, actually seemed a little nervous and shy.
"Hey, there's nothing to be nervous about. You're not the only one participating. Drax, Epinetus, and Hieronimus are also accompanying you! Show the people of the League the image of our Daonian generals. Let them know that only by fighting bravely for the League can they enjoy such lofty honor!" Davos said earnestly, patting him on the shoulder.
Philius understood the significance of this triumphal parade to the army, and therefore found it even more difficult to relax.
Davos had no choice but to change the subject: "By the way, Bagulus's Fourth Brigade will also participate in this triumphal parade, so the First Brigade must go to Nuceria to replace them for a few days."
Davos pondered and said: "In the future, let Bagulus's Fourth Brigade soldiers settle in Nuceria. This way, they can defend Nuceria nearby, and we can also save on military spending... However, the Fourth Brigade's military quality is far from meeting our requirements. We must send instructors in rotation to conduct strict training..."
As Davos spoke, he saw Philius hesitating to speak, and asked in confusion: "What's wrong? Are you worried about the Fourth Brigade?"
"No, I'm not worried about the Fourth Brigade.
Bagulus is a good leader who can distinguish right from wrong, and he will also be the son-in-law of a Greek. Most of his soldiers are convinced by him, and the sisters of these Lucanian soldiers have mostly married our citizens. Therefore, in our League, especially in Amendolara, the Greek citizens and their Lucanian citizens already have a very close relationship. Therefore, since the expedition, the Fourth Brigade has performed very actively and cooperated well with other brigades!" Philius praised. "I just want to ask, Lord, the Laos Fortress needs soldiers to be stationed there for a long time. How will this problem be solved?" The Daonian League doesn't have professional soldiers. It's impossible to let the citizen soldiers leave their lives and be stationed there for a long time.
In Philius's view, this was a difficult problem, but Davos had already come up with a solution: "Let the probationary citizens take turns garrisoning, which is considered a necessary assessment content for them to become official citizens of the League. At the same time, let veteran soldiers serve as instructors and serve as team officers in the Laos Fortress, managing them and training them. This way, the Laos Fortress will be used as a military training base for the League. First, train probationary citizens to become qualified soldiers; second, train veteran soldiers to become qualified reserve team officers; third, it can be stationed in the Laos Fortress for a long time..."
Davos spoke eloquently, obviously after careful consideration: "The Laos Fortress controls the main road from Thurii to Laos and Lucania. I believe this road will soon become busy due to the sharp increase in merchants. Think about it, caravans don't have to go through the Strait of Messina and accept the exploitation of Messina and Rhegium, but can directly reach the port of Laos on the west coast of the Apennine Peninsula by land, and Laos is our ally, with preferential tariffs, so it is very attractive to Greek merchants. In addition, as long as we can stabilize the situation in Lucania, then some goods from Lucania, such as fur, cattle, sheep... etc., can also attract the attention of merchants. Therefore, we can collect a very small percentage of customs duties at the Laos Fortress, without frustrating the enthusiasm of the merchants, and also allow the League to use this money to purchase food supplies for the garrison troops. At the same time, it should be more than enough to pay a certain amount of living expenses for the soldiers who are unable to work for two or three months..."
At first, Davos's talk about trade made Philius dizzy, until he mentioned the garrison troops of the Laos Fortress, Philius understood that the food and salaries of the garrison troops could be easily solved by collecting customs duties, and he couldn't help but admire him greatly.
"It probably takes three days to get from Thurii to Nuceria through the mountain road, right?" Davos suddenly asked.
"Yes, Lord. We traveled faster when we set out earlier, and it still took three days. At a normal marching speed, it would probably take about four days," Philius replied.
"If there is a pack team to transport, I'm afraid it will take even longer," Davos tapped the back of the chair with his fingers and muttered to himself: "Therefore, we must put the construction of the road between Thurii - Nuceria - Laos on the agenda as soon as possible. It is best for the three cities to build it at the same time, so that Thurii and Lucania can be connected, strengthen ties, and enhance integration..."
… … … … … … … … …
Three days later, Davos proposed to go to Nuceria.
Some elders, on the grounds that the political situation in Nuceria was still unstable, wanted to dissuade him from going at this time.
He replied firmly: "I'm going to stabilize Nuceria even more!" He finally persuaded the Senate and was able to make the trip.
The traveling team included Vesbas, Scombros, Tritodemus, and a dozen other elders without public office, escorted by the soldiers of the First Brigade. At the same time, the First Brigade was also going to temporarily replace the Fourth Brigade stationed in Nuceria, so that they could come back to participate in the triumphal parade. In addition, there were also the families of the Fourth Brigade soldiers and a few League merchants.
Little Heraclides had recently been busy thinking about how to build the wooden bridge over the Crati River. Finally, he had some clues and was about to start the construction experiment, but Davos forcibly pulled him over and stuffed him into the traveling team, saying that he would let him investigate how to build the Thurii-Nuceria-Laos Avenue.
Little Heraclides didn't have his father's stubborn temper, and Davos had shown him too much kindness, so he had no choice but to temporarily put aside his work and reluctantly accompany the team to Nuceria. But once he entered a working state, his concentration could make him ignore the surrounding bad environment and the identities of other people.
"There are many sharp stones on the ground in this mountain, and they must be polished off, which will undoubtedly increase a lot of labor and slow down the road construction!"
"Look, there is a lot of loose soil on this mountain wall. Once it rains, it may be washed down and block the road, so it must be fixed with mortar, and those small trees growing on the cliff must also be cut down!"
"This section of the mountain road is too narrow, and even a pack car can't pass through it, so it must be widened! … Well, I think we can burn this large protruding mountain wall with fire, and then pour cold water on it to make it explode. But be careful not to burn the mountain forest!"
… …
Davos and the elders surrounded Little Heraclides like students, listening to him observe and analyze how to build the avenue in the mountainous area. Naturally, the marching speed of the entire team would not be too fast.
By evening, the entire team could only camp in the mountain road, and the guards and the First Brigade set up a cordon and sentries.
For the families of the Fourth Brigade, the mountains were their home. After being away for a year, returning to this familiar land, their breathing became much smoother. They naturally sat on the ground and quickly fell asleep.
Most of the soldiers of the First Brigade had campaigned in Persia, and camping in the wild was the most common thing.
The merchants ran around for profit and could endure any hardship.
Compared to the half-year imprisonment suffered by Scylax and those elders of Amendolara, what was this little hardship?
Only the elders of Thurii, listening to the howls of various wild animals in the mountain forest at night, and thinking about the insects and ants crawling in and out of the soil, couldn't help but feel goosebumps. But since the Archon was taking the lead in sleeping on the ground wrapped in a woolen blanket, they could only reluctantly follow suit. Just as they were tossing and turning, unable to fall asleep, they heard the voice of Vespas, the Lucanian elder: "Archon, I would like to ask... After taking Nuceria, does our League have any plans to continue attacking northwards?"
His voice, though small, was exceptionally clear in the night.
The sleepless Thurii elder couldn't help but say: "Taking Nuceria to prevent the Lucanians from attacking Thurii is enough. It's impossible to attack further north. Look, the mountain roads are so difficult to travel, transporting food will become very difficult, and we are not familiar with the terrain to the north. The mountains are rugged, high and low, our heavy infantry cannot deploy, and it is easy to be ambushed by the Lucanians. I don't want to see... the tragedy of the Thurii army being... annihilated by the Lucanians... repeated..."
Listening to the elder's voice, Davos recognized that it was Enanius, a Thurii elder whose family was famous in Thurii for shipbuilding. They once owned two shipyards in the port of Thurii and were skilled in building triremes. Unfortunately, they were all destroyed when the Crotoniates burned the city. Now he is rebuilding the shipyard, and one of his younger brothers died in battle when the Thurii army attacked Laos.
"Enanius is right. We are not planning to attack northwards again now. We need to gain a firm foothold in Nuceria, we need to slowly integrate the Lucanians of Nuceria into the League, and we need to get more Lucanian tribes in the north to recognize our League. All of this takes time."
Davos' words made Vespas breathe a sigh of relief. He was afraid that Davos would get a fever in his brain and continue to attack northwards after taking Nuceria. Then his clansmen would definitely be at the forefront, and the losses would be heavy.
However, Enanius heard the meaning in Davos' words: "Archon, from what you said, are you planning to attack the Lucanian region north of Nuceria in the future?"
"Of course. When the news of the previous victory was sent back to Thurii, didn't you all shout to defeat all the Lucanians? I remember someone even said they wanted to occupy Poseidonia!" Davos said with a smile.
"That was me," another voice came. Through the bonfire, Davos recognized the speaker as Massisacus, a Thurii elder.
Massisacus sat up next to Enanius and said embarrassedly: "It was just a momentary impulse at the time. After walking this road today, I realized that the reason why the Thurii army... was annihilated before, was due to the negligence of the commander, and also related to the harsh environment here..." Massisacus' family made a fortune by mining. Before the Crotoniate attack on Thurii, his family had more than a thousand mine slaves and contracted a stone mine in the city-state. After the war, the family had no more than fifty slaves left, and now mainly undertakes some stone grinding and carving work for the temple, the Senate council hall, and the large square.
Davos noticed that most of the councilors had been awakened and were gathering around, so he said seriously: "What is a momentary impulse? Why can't we attack northwards and take Poseidonia and Pyxous?! After all, Laos is only our ally. We need to have our own port cities on the west coast, so that our maritime trade will be more convenient and our treasury revenue will increase significantly. Pyxous and Poseidonia have better ports. Because of the race, the Lucanians have not made good use of them, but our League can easily do it. Are you right, Lord Enanius?"
"Yes, Lord Davos. But..." Enanius was still hesitant to say whether this was too risky.
Davos had already turned his head to look at Vespas: "I heard that there are several small iron mines in the Lucanian region, is that right?"
"There are indeed some, they are mainly distributed in the mountainous area between Potentia and Grumentum."
Vespas said with some pride: "This is why the Lucanians, unlike the Bruttians, can only use simple spears, but can also manufacture armor and short swords."
"There are iron mines, and maybe there are some other mineral resources, such as copper, tin, lead... waiting for us to discover in the future, plus wood, fur, livestock, etc., the Lucanian mountains also contain huge wealth, you say, right? Massisacus." The darkness concealed the meaningful smile on Davos' face.
"Yes... Yes!" Massisacus' voice became a little excited.
"The most important thing is that we Great Greeks love the sea too much, and as a result, cities are built along the coastline, which is conducive to obtaining maritime wealth, but also vulnerable to attack and unfavorable to defense. The League should vigorously advance inland, expand our living space, and integrate with Lucania. This way, even if we encounter a very powerful enemy invasion and cannot hold the coastal cities, we can retreat to the mountains. With Lucanian citizens as our backing, the mountains are our home, we can attack any enemy who dares to rashly attack the mountains, and ultimately defeat the powerful enemy!"
After Davos finished speaking these cautionary words, no one answered in the darkness, only a series of rapid breathing sounds were heard. After a while, someone asked: "Archon, do you think there will be a powerful enemy to deal with our League?"
"As of now, isn't Croton a powerful enemy! A hundred years ago, Sybaris was strong enough in Magna Graecia, but didn't it also attract enemy attacks! Didn't Athens, a strong state in Greece before, also suffer the attack of the Peloponnesian League! Once a city-state becomes strong, other city-states, either because of fear, or because its position has been challenged, will inevitably try every means to hinder its development, or even overthrow it! This is a chaotic world, we must try every means to strengthen ourselves, otherwise, like Thurii before, the failure of one battle will make it decline..."
The people around, especially the Thurii elders, fell into contemplation...
"Why don't we attack Grumentum now?! We all know that Grumentum and Pyxous have just had a battle, and both sides have suffered heavy losses. Now is a great opportunity to attack it!" After accepting Davos' point of view, Scylax immediately became somewhat radical.
"If two brothers in a family are fighting, and at this time an outsider comes in to steal things. Do you say that these two brothers should continue to fight, or should they first join forces to drive away the outsider?" Davos asked rhetorically.
"Are you saying that our attack will make the Lucanians unite to resist us?!" Scylax immediately reacted.
"Yes, it is very possible!"
"But we have already entered the home of the Lucanians!" Protesilaus used this metaphor to continue.
Davos responded calmly: "Yes, but we can tell them, 'We are retaliating for their last time stealing our things, and we will only take this little bit, and we will not take any more. We can also sign an agreement with them not to steal again within a certain period of time, as long as we have Nuceria, that's enough.' Even if they have doubts, they will choose to believe it, because compared to the Greeks who are not very interested in the harsh mountainous environment, the threat of their hostile compatriots is greater. Once defeated, the entire tribe will be annexed, and the family will become slaves. In order to defeat the opponent earlier and concentrate their forces to drive us away, then what will they do?"
Protesilaus' eyes lit up, and he said loudly: "The battle between them will become even more intense!"
"In this way, the land of Lucania will produce more tribes impoverished by war..." Davos said here, thinking of something, and said apologetically: "Lord Vespas, I hope you can understand what I said!"
Vespas shook his head with a bitter expression and said in a low voice: "Warfare between tribes is common here."
"Yes, these weak tribes had no choice before, but now they do. On one side is the large tribe that fiercely exploits them for the victory of the war; on the other side is the peaceful and tranquil life of Nuceria. It is obvious where they will choose." Davos sincerely requested Vespas: "In order to unify Lucania as soon as possible and prevent this mountainous area from killing each other again, I hope that after you arrive in Nuceria, Lord Vespas, you can visit those tribes more often and tell them about the friendliness of our League to the Lucanians, so that they can understand us and be more willing to join us..."
Vespas was silent for a while, and squeezed out a sentence: "I will try my best!"
......
The next day at noon, the group finally walked out of the narrow road and arrived at the Laos River Fortress.
After carefully inspecting the situation of the Laos River Fortress, Davos praised the soldiers of the first company of the second battalion for being able to dutifully guard the Laos River Fortress and complete the final defense mission, and announced: When he finishes his visit to Nuceria and returns to the fortress, they can return to Thurii with him and appear at the head of the line in the triumphal ceremony.
The soldiers cheered in unison.
The soldiers of the first battalion muttered with some dissatisfaction after hearing this: "A bunch of recruits, it's just good luck. If we weren't guarding Thurii..."
Although the soldiers of the first battalion had complaints, it did not affect their continued march north.
The area that can be traveled now is much wider, about one to two miles wide. To the east are the mountains, and to the west is the Laos River. The Laos River is not wide, but most of the banks are cliffs, with large water drop and deep and rapid streams, making it difficult for large troops to wade to the other side.
Little Heraclides inspected the terrain all the way, shaking his head and sighing: "I'm afraid it will be difficult to successfully build a bridge on the upper reaches of the Laos River!"
Hearing his words, Davos also fell into deep thought, but having seen more of the world in his previous life, he tentatively asked, "Is it possible to build a suspension bridge?"
"A suspension bridge?" Little Heracleides immediately looked at him for advice, as he always valued Davos's opinions.
So, Davos told Little Heracleides the general structure of a suspension bridge (which he himself didn't know too well).
Little Heracleides, who already had considerable bridge-building experience, immediately brightened up. He pondered all the way, occasionally standing on the edge of the cliff, looking towards the opposite bank: there were rolling hills and lush forests, not an impassable area, as long as there was a bridge...…
After walking for a while, Little Heracleides said to Davos, "I feel that building a suspension bridge over the Bradanus River should be relatively easy, but of course, specific experiments are needed to draw a conclusion. However, the most important material for this suspension bridge should be the rope. Looking at it all the way, at least 50 meters of strong and tough rope are needed to reach the other side…"
"The rope is not a problem," Eunanius, as expected of a shipbuilder, interjected, "Just lengthen the rigging of the sailboat, and I can guarantee it will be strong and durable enough."
"However, the number of people who can pass through a suspension bridge at a time is limited, we can build several more," Davos added.
Little Heracleides nodded, then stared at the ground, continuing to think.
During the march, Davos's eyes carefully observed the surrounding terrain. He often saw Lucanians grazing in the mountains on the right. Perhaps they were nervous and wary of such a large team, especially the fully armed First Brigade. Some simply hid behind trees and rocks to peek, and even when sheep, startled, ran out of the mountains and into the ranks, they dared not come over to claim them.
"They should be the Lucanians of Niumetum, right? The cattle and sheep they graze should belong to the lease alliance, right?" Davos asked with interest.
So, Vespasius took the sheep from a soldier, walked to the edge of the mountain forest, and shouted to them in Lucanian.
After a while, he returned the sheep and came to Davos's side.
The senators gathered around, wanting to know what he had said to the locals.
"Lord Davos, they are indeed from Niumetum, but not all are Lucanians. One used to be a Greek slave in Udruria, but now he has gained his freedom and married a Lucanian widow, and is now a probationary citizen of the alliance. There are also two Lucanians who used to be slaves and are now probationary citizens of the alliance, one of whom has also married a Greek woman who was also a slave before. The other shepherds are all members of small tribes who were oppressed by the Udrurians, and now they have all become probationary citizens of the alliance…" Vespasius recounted one by one.
"What is their attitude towards the alliance?" Scombrus asked.
Vespasius glanced at him and replied, "They are very grateful to the alliance for saving them! They feel very free now that they have become citizens, but they have one complaint."
"What are they complaining about?!" Scombrus asked anxiously.
"They complain that the alliance is unwilling to let them lease more livestock," Vespasius said with a straight face, trying not to reveal a smile.
"They think too highly of themselves, but there are only so many livestock, if they want more, others won't have any," Scombrus muttered.
"Do they have any objections to paying five percent tax?" Masisaccus asked.
"This tax is already much less than before. They now hope that the livestock will have more offspring, because those all belong to them," Vespasius replied.
"It seems that Sextus and Bagulus are doing a good job in Niumetum, the people here are starting to accept us…" Davos smiled.
Even the senators who previously opposed accepting Lucanians had to agree with Davos's words.
… … … … … … … … …
In the afternoon, Davos's team arrived at the city of Niumetum.
Niumetum is somewhat similar to Amendolara, it is also built on a small hillside,
However, its scale is larger than that of Amendolara, and it has wooden walls.
Here, the cliffs on the east bank of the Bradanus River become sloping and gentle, and people can easily reach the river. From here, the terrain gradually rises, but the area becomes wider and wider. Further north is the area between the upper reaches of the Bradanus River and the Sinni River, which the Lucanians call "fertile soil in the mountains". In fact, its terrain is not flat, but compared to the mountainous area, it is much better, and the land is also relatively fertile and suitable for cultivation, so it has become a gathering place for small tribes. This is obviously the reason why the Lucanians of Niumetum chose to build a city here.
In the morning, Cysma received a notice from the magistrate's residence: Davos, the lifelong chief executive of the Daonian League, was about to visit.
Cysma, like other Lucanian youths, enthusiastically signed up to welcome him. After this period of propaganda and the rumors he had heard before, Cysma had long been eager to meet this famous general of the alliance and the rumored "Son of God."
Although the waiting time was long, when he saw the huge team arrive, the somewhat tired Cysma quickly perked up and followed Sextus to greet him. He saw the person surrounded by the crowd: he was very young, but everyone around him held him in sincere respect, giving him an indescribable majesty, yet his face always wore a kind smile, greeting everyone with sincere greetings. Majesty and gentleness formed a strange harmony in him… …
"Lord, I violated the Senate's order, I made a mistake!" Sextus said frankly to Davos.
"No, we don't understand the situation here. You are doing very well here! Facts have proved that you are an excellent city magistrate, this is the common view of me and the senators!" Davos kindly affirmed what he had done before.
"Thank you, Lord!" Sextus was relieved. He had heard from the slave sent by Philius that the Senate was dissatisfied with his killing of the prisoners.
"Lord Davos, hello!"
"Bagulus, you have excellently completed the tasks assigned to you by the alliance! I will also fulfill my promise. Look, not only have I brought your father and your clansmen, but I have also brought a special guest, can you guess who?" Compared with the conversation with Sextus, Davos seemed more relaxed in the face of Bagulus, and even started joking.
"I can't guess," Bagulus replied, touching his head naively.
"Look behind you."
"Ah… … Andrea?!"
"It's a little late to recognize her now, Andrea will punish you for forgetting her!" Davos said jokingly, and Andrea glared at Bagulus fiercely, her face already full of 嬌紅.
"Ha! Ha! Ha!… …" Everyone laughed.
"I originally wanted to hold a wedding for you here, but Andrea insisted on holding it at the Hera marriage celebration in April next year, so you can discuss it yourself, I can't help you!" Davos's teasing brought another burst of laughter from everyone.
"Lord Davos, hello! I am Hermon," a middle-aged strong man stepped forward quickly and said respectfully.
"Oh, I know you! Sextus praised you in a letter before, saying that you actively cooperated with him, stabilized the situation in the city, and helped him solve many problems. Thank you very much!" Davos immediately praised loudly.
"It's nothing, I'm also a citizen of the alliance!" Hermon felt that it was worth it no matter how busy he was to be remembered by the number one person in the alliance.
"Yes, it's great to be able to meet like this! This alliance is mine, and it's yours, it belongs to the Greeks, and it belongs to the Lucanians!… …"
"You are right, Lord Davos!"
… …
As Cysma listened, his mood became unconsciously excited, feeling as if he was really integrated into this alliance.
At this time, Davos came to him.
"Lord Davos, I am Cysma!" He stepped forward and saluted very respectfully.
Davos also returned a Lucanian salute, and said happily, "You are Bagulus's good friend, right. I heard Bagulus mention you, I am also his good friend, I wonder if I have the opportunity to become your good friend?"
"Of course! Of course!" Cysma agreed excitedly.
Davos greeted everyone who came out to welcome him one by one, and then asked Sextus: "Why didn't Asistes come?"
"Because the waiting time was a bit long, the Second and Fourth Brigades went to play rugby to pass the time, and Asistes is acting as the referee."
"Didn't I tell Isamus before to tell you not to specifically call so many people out to welcome me?!" Davos criticized.
"They came voluntarily, they all hope to be praised by you, Lord," Sextus explained hastily.
"But now it seems that rugby is more attractive than me!" Davos said jokingly, dispelling the previous trace of dissatisfaction.
He looked in the direction Sextus was pointing: a large circle of people was gathered not far north of the city gate, and cheers and exclamations could be heard from time to time… …
"Thurii hasn't started the competition yet because the arena hasn't been built yet, but you've already set it up here!" Davos laughed.
"Yes, now the soldiers of the Second and Fourth Brigades are playing rugby every day, often attracting the local people to gather and watch," Sextus said with some worry: "I'm afraid they will be too addicted to this game and delay their work."
"So you have to tell Bagulus and Dracos to manage their soldiers well," Davos nodded and said: "However, it seems that the citizens here also like this game very much."
"Lord Davos, we really like the rugby game, just watching the game is very exciting!" Cysma interjected.
"Can you play?" Davos asked with interest.
"Bagulus said that we are not familiar with the rules of the game, and asked us to watch and learn from the sidelines. In fact, we have already learned it!" Ulaza said dissatisfied.
"Heh heh, that's because he himself hasn't had enough fun!" Davos said, his interest piqued. "Do you guys want to play?"
"Of course we do!!!" The Lucanian youths eagerly replied.
"Alright! I'll be the quarterback. Who wants to team up with me and challenge the winners of their game?" Davos said loudly.
"I do!" Cexima hurriedly shouted.
Uraza also quickly stepped forward… Soon, a team of fifty-five people was formed. Except for Davos and the captain of the guard, Martius, who were Greeks, the rest were all Lucanian tribal youths. Davos led them, who were exceptionally excited, towards the field. More Lucanians followed closely behind. The guards, having been instructed by Davos beforehand, didn't stop them, but could only protect the fifty-five people in the middle.
Sesta hurriedly pulled Capys aside, hoping he would direct the soldiers of the First Battalion to maintain order on the field.
The families of the Fourth Battalion were arranged to enter the city, while the Thurii elders leisurely walked towards the field.
"Vespas, did you really become a senator of the Daonian League's Senate as your son said?!" Hermon looked at Vespas in the Senate with admiration. He was wearing the same attire as the other senators, and his every move exuded the aura of an important figure.
This envious gaze greatly satisfied Vespas' vanity. It wasn't just Hermon who reacted this way; many former acquaintances also looked at him differently than before. It was a mixture of surprise, awe, and respect, giving Vespas a feeling of returning home in glory. This sense of joy drowned out his guilt for siding with the "enemy".
"Of course it's true!" Vespas replied affirmatively, imitating the other senators by flicking the sleeve of his robe, revealing the purple trim that symbolized a senator of the Senate. "Didn't the Consul say just now, 'The League belongs to the Greeks, and it also belongs to the Lucanians'? Therefore, it's normal for Lucanians to enter the League's Senate and become senators!"
"Lord Davos is indeed very friendly to us Lucanians. To gain the approval of those young people so quickly shows that he is genuinely unbiased towards the Lucanians! But…" Hermon subtly pointed towards the Thurii elders in front, and whispered, "Their attitude seems to be a bit worse."
"There's no way around that! They are either Thuriians or Amendolarans, and they have all suffered at the hands of us Lucanians. It's impossible to change their attitudes in a short period of time. Lord Davos said, 'This takes time to slowly change them.' Fortunately, the League is mainly governed by the Consul!" Vespas also candidly whispered.
"What do you do as a senator of the Senate?" Hermon asked curiously.
"Propose suggestions, pass laws, discuss major events happening within the League, assist the Consul in coming up with solutions…" Vespas said with a hint of pride, "Sometimes I am also responsible for specific matters, such as I am currently responsible for the affairs of Lucanian citizens and the Lucanian region. As long as it concerns Lucania, the Senate will first seek my opinion, and I can also put forward my own suggestions and plans to protect the interests of the Lucanians, just like… um… um… just like the five percent tax levied on the Lucanian citizens of Niu Tuum was my suggestion. Originally, Greek reserve citizens within the League had to pay ten percent for renting land…" This was clearly Vespas boasting, as he had not yet entered the Senate when this proposal was passed.
"Oh! You have done a great thing for us!" Hermon looked at him with admiration, which made Vespas even more proud. Fortunately, he hadn't forgotten his main task in coming to Niu Tuum: "It's just that there are only two Lucanians in the Senate, me and Bagule. Bagule may stay in Niu Tuum forever in the future. My strength alone is too weak to argue with so many Greek senators and cannot win more benefits for the Lucanian citizens! Alas…"
"Then… can other Lucanians also become… become senators of the Senate?! That way, they can also help you and obtain more benefits for us Lucanians!" Hermon asked eagerly.
Vespas laughed inwardly: What other Lucanians, isn't it just you! What are you pretending for? I know what kind of person you, Hermon, are!
He cleared his throat and said, "Of course, as long as he can make great contributions to the League, such as getting more Lucanian tribes to join the League, gaining more support from the Lucanians, and being able to complete some difficult tasks in the Lucanian region… etc., so that the Senate feels that he can play a greater role in Lucanian affairs, then becoming a senator of the Senate is an easy thing…"
Hermon listened carefully, his eyes gleaming with a fiery light…
… … … … … … … …
In the evening, Davos and the senators listened to Sesta and the others' report at the Governor's residence.
"As of today, there are 2,503 registered reserve citizens in Niu Tuum, of which 2,201 are Lucanians and 302 are Greeks. In these days, there have been 627 mixed marriages between Greeks and Lucanians. We have distributed 785 cattle and 5,400 sheep, and the remaining 203 cattle and 2,000 sheep are ready to be distributed to the soldiers of the Fourth Battalion." At this point, Bagule immediately expressed his gratitude.
"Now, the small tribes, prisoners, and slaves in Niu Tuum have all become reserve citizens of the League. If the Fourth Battalion settles here, then Niu Tuum will have a total of 3,455 citizens, including reserve citizens…" Before Asystetes could finish speaking, Davos directly said, "I can clearly tell you that the Fourth Battalion will settle in Niu Tuum and become the backbone of stabilizing and defending Niu Tuum!"
"This is exactly what the soldiers of the Fourth Battalion hope for! As citizens of the League, we will definitely firmly control Niu Tuum within the League!" Bagule solemnly stated.
The senators nodded in agreement, satisfied with this answer.
"Lord Sesta, Bagule, and Asystetes, you have been able to stabilize the situation in Niu Tuum in such a short period of time and made so many achievements. On behalf of the Senate, I extend my heartfelt respect to your outstanding performance!" As he said this, Davos took the lead and applauded along with the senators.
The three of them seemed a little excited amidst the applause: Sesta was excited because he used his performance to prove to Davos that his talent was no worse than those leaders who went on the Persian expedition, thus attracting the Consul's attention even more; Bagule was excited because his and his Lucanian tribesmen's performance had been recognized by these Greek senators, making it easier to integrate into this League; Asystetes was excited because he had proven to Davos that he had the ability to serve independently, and perhaps Davos would assign him more important tasks next time.
"In addition, according to Bagule, the tribal leaders Hermon, Cexima, and Uraza are preparing to send people to the mountains to persuade the tribes that fled into the mountains to come down and join the League, and in the past two days, people from Laos have come to Niu Tuum to request to join the League." Asystetes added.
"Our cattle and sheep have been distributed, what should we do?" Scombrius hurriedly asked.
"These tribes all have livestock, we only need to allocate land to them, and we have enough land." Bagule replied.
"Even if the 'fertile land in the mountains' is all distributed in the future, it can still be distributed towards Thurii. Now that the land in Thurii has been leased to reserve citizens, there is still a lot of land west of the Cosentius and Thyrus rivers that is vacant (mainly the high-lying land west of the Cosentius and Thyrus rivers), which was originally prepared to be leased to freemen registered as reserve citizens." Davos reminded everyone.
Some senators nodded, while others hesitated.
"As for the matter of the Laotians, it has to be put on hold first. We'll discuss it after Avinogis arrives." Davos said hesitantly.
"Will Avinogis come?" Massisacus asked uncertainly.
"He must come!" Protesilaus said loudly. "The League helped him seize Laos, and he hasn't thanked us yet. Now that we have arrived in Niu Tuum, if he doesn't come, are we, as the leader of the alliance, supposed to go to Laos!"
"Perhaps he doesn't know we've come." Sesta said a good word for Avinogis.
"Laos and Niu Tuum have always had dealings. It's impossible for him not to have received the news of so many of us and such a large formation. We'll know whether he'll come by tomorrow. If he doesn't come, then we need to reconsider how sincere Laos is to the alliance!" Davos understood that Sesta, as the governor of Niu Tuum, would need the help of Laos in the future, but Davos, as the Consul, needed to consider the overall situation from a higher position.
Davos's words were approved by the senators.
"Sesta, Bagule, after you have settled the people of Niu Tuum, you must step up military training. I will have Philius send instructors over to train them. The youths of each tribe must be dispersed and mixed with Greek citizens as much as possible. If there are not enough Greeks, they must also be mixed with other tribes. We must not allow the warriors of each tribe to gather together! Also… football games can be held as much as possible. I see that the young people of Lucania like this game very much!"
"Yes, Lord. Cexima and the others have told me many times that the football game is much more interesting than bullfighting. We Lucanians like this intense sport!" Bagule interjected.
"Then let them participate in the competition, but it must also be a team mixed with Greeks and Lucanians. This will also help the Lucanians learn to speak Greek. Oh… speaking of this, Bagule, you have to think of a way to get the Lucanians of Niu Tuum to learn to speak Greek as much as possible!"
"I will try my best, Lord."