Then, Davos asked the question that all the senators were concerned about: "Is there any movement from Grumentum in the north?"
"On the second day after the capture of Niu Thurium, scouts from Grumentum entered the 'Fertile Land Between the Hills'. After being discovered by the soldiers of the Fourth Brigade, they quickly fled," Sesta replied.
"They knew Niu Thurium had fallen so quickly?" Davos asked in confusion, because the war report previously received by the Senate stated that no one had escaped after Niu Thurium was captured.
"Uh… uh, that's how it is…" Seeing that Davos's expression was a bit off, Sesta quickly explained, "Bargulus and I later analyzed that it should have been that when we attacked Niu Thurium, some people from the city were grazing in the hills. After seeing the city fall, they fled directly to Grumentum… Since that time, scouts from Grumentum have never appeared again. We sent Izamus's squad to scout, and at the same time, we obtained information from the Lucanians who fled from the north. We learned that after Picosis's great chieftain, Sinnacus, occupied Grumentum, his relationship with the tribes that had betrayed Lusau became very strained. Those tribes simply did not listen to Sinnacus's orders because he had not fulfilled his previous promises to them. Now, both sides occupy half of the city, and they are full of vigilance towards each other. Perhaps because of this reason, Grumentum has not taken any action against our occupation of Niu Thurium!"
The improvement in the situation in the north did not improve Davos's mood. On the contrary, his expression was serious, and he questioned, "Why didn't anyone report these matters to the Senate in advance?! The Senate will not interfere with your governance of Niu Thurium, but we manage the entire alliance. Every accurate piece of intelligence and news determines the Senate's next strategy. Should we fight or make peace with Grumentum? Do we need to mobilize the entire alliance for war? … And so on. Do you think that Niu Thurium alone can withstand the attack of the Lucanian army?!"
Davos's unceremonious criticism made Sesta unable to lift his head, and Asistetes felt even more guilty. Originally, he was prepared to report to Davos, but Sesta said, 'Let's wait until we figure out the situation before we talk. Constantly asking the Senate for instructions makes us look incompetent.' Out of the youthful nature of trying to show off, he agreed. After figuring out the whole story, he happened to hear that Davos and the others were coming, so he temporarily put it aside. As a result, he didn't expect Davos to get so angry.
"Lord Sesta, you previously violated the Senate's orders and slaughtered prisoners without authorization! It was only because Lord Consul interceded for you that the Senate did not seriously pursue the matter! Now you are acting on your own again, concealing information and not taking the Senate seriously. Do you think that just because you have a two-year term, the Senate will not impeach you?!" Scombros shouted in criticism.
Then, one senator after another expressed dissatisfaction with Sesta's actions.
Sesta's face was flushed, but he cleverly remained silent, not arguing for himself.
Of course, Davos would not allow the administrative officer and assistant of Niu Thurium that he had recommended to continue to be criticized, so he came out to smooth things over: "The results you have achieved are still the main thing! But I hope you will learn from this lesson and keep in touch with the Senate at all times so that we can grasp the situation in the Lucania region in a timely manner…" Davos said this, but in his heart, he had already decided: After returning, he would increase investment in his privately controlled intelligence organization and urge Aristilas to expand the scope of his intelligence gathering.
"Is there anything else you forgot to report?" Finally, Davos reminded them again.
"My lords!" Asistetes said with a red face, gathering his courage, "The day before yesterday, a Lucanian family came to complain, saying that 'her daughter married a Greek, and after this Greek obtained the status of a prospective citizen and rented the allocated land, he began to treat her daughter badly, beating and scolding her every day, and even said he wanted a divorce.' After our investigation, the situation he said was basically true. We warned the Greek, saying, 'If he dares to divorce, we will revoke his citizenship and expel him from the alliance!' But I think that such things are probably not just this one case, and I hope it can attract the attention of the Senate!"
"You did the right thing! However, for such shameless people, I think we should also give them a caning to serve as a warning!" Scombros said angrily. Although he didn't like the Lucanians very much, he disliked people who exploited legal loopholes and played petty tricks even more.
"It seems that we need to investigate the living conditions of those free men who marry Thurii women, and we need to amend these marriage laws that were previously promulgated, adding additional requirements, such as not being allowed to divorce within five or eight years, otherwise…" Davos said thoughtfully.
His words were agreed upon by the senators, and they discussed amending the marriage law.
That night, after everyone left, Asistetes sincerely admitted his mistake to Davos alone. Davos did not criticize him, but praised him for exceeding his expectations in Niu Thurium, and hoped that he could continue to play a greater role in Niu Thurium, and that he could stick to his own opinions and not be swayed by the opinions of others…
… … … … … … … … … … … … … …
The next morning, the expectations of the Daonian senators were not in vain. Avinoges of Laos drove a large number of cattle and sheep, loaded with animal furs, jewelry (mainly amber, traded from Massilia), and ten talents of Tarentine silver as Laos's gift of gratitude for Daonia's assistance. At this moment, the Daonian senators had no complaints and immediately held a simple but grand banquet for Avinoges's arrival.
The banquet was held at the residence of the administrative officer of Niu Thurium. Davos and the senators present, including Sesta and Bargulus, attended, while Laos was represented only by Avinoges and his seventeen-year-old son, Henipolis. The banquet for the two of them was arranged at the lower seat to the left of Davos.
Avinoges was about 40 years old, with a stocky build and a face that looked more like a Lucanian than a Greek. He looked honest and simple. Although he was wearing a Greek boton, his behavior seemed unnatural, indicating that he had rarely worn it before. On the other hand, his son was weak and slender, with flowing clothes, very much like a young Greek nobleman.
Although Davos was very young, Avinoges was very respectful to him. When following Davos into the living room, he always lagged behind by half a step, and he always used respectful terms when speaking. On the other hand, Henipolis asked directly as soon as he took his seat: "I heard that Greeks hold banquets lying down to eat. Why is this different?"
Avinoges kept winking at him, and Scombros on the opposite side smiled and said, "Young man, you know a lot about the Greek way of life."
"Of course, I am a Greek!" Henipolis replied impolitely. Perhaps because he was a little rude, Avinoges patted him lightly.
"The hospitals of our alliance have conducted research and believe that eating while lying down is not conducive to the absorption of food and is also prone to weight gain (in fact, it was a study done by Herpus under Davos's instructions, and then promoted to patients who came to see the doctor). Eating while sitting allows food to reach the intestines and stomach smoothly, which is beneficial to health. This is very important for old people like me, so of course we have to choose the right way to eat," Scombros said with a smile. Due to Greek tradition, the elderly are always very tolerant of handsome young boys.
"Even in our remote Laos, people often praise the superb medical skills of the doctors of the Daonian League. What they say is certainly very correct!" Avinoges had just finished speaking when Henipolis curiously interjected, "I heard that the doctors of your alliance have received guidance from the King of the Underworld. Is this true?!"
"I'm not too sure about that," Davos said with a perfunctory smile. "If you have the opportunity, you can personally go to Thurii and ask Herpus, the director of the Thurii Hospital."
Who knew that Henipolis nodded vigorously and agreed: "Yes, I will go to Thurii soon. I will go and ask that… uh… Herpus you just mentioned."
Everyone looked at each other in dismay upon hearing this.
At this time, Avinoges said, "Lord Davos, I have a request!"
"Please speak!"
"I want to let my son live in the alliance with you."
As soon as these words came out, everyone was surprised again.
"Lord Avinoges!" Davos believed that this leader of Laos was worried that Daonia would cross the river and tear down the bridge, so he said solemnly: "The alliance established between the League and Laos is a sacred covenant made under the witness of the gods! Unless Laos violates the contract, our Daonian League will not violate the oath under any circumstances. You can rest assured!"
"Lord Davos's story of keeping his promises is known throughout Greater Greece. Of course, I believe it! I say this not because I am worried about the covenant, but because…" Avinoges said with a wry smile, "Alas… my child has been weak and sick since he was a child. At the beginning of this year, he almost went to see Asi because of a high fever… went to hell… I heard that the alliance's medical skills are superb, and my son has been longing for Greek culture since he was a child. Therefore, my proposal is actually adding trouble to the alliance, but as a father, I hope that the alliance can agree to my request!"
Avinoges spoke so earnestly that Davos and the senators made a decision after exchanging glances: "In that case, on behalf of the alliance, I welcome Henipolis to Thurii for a long-term visit! And we will give him the greatest care in medical care and education so that he can live a healthy and happy life in the alliance so that he can return to Laos in the future and inherit your family business, Lord Avinoges, because he is your only son!"
As soon as the words fell, Henipolis cheered: "Great! I can go to Thurii! …"
Avino Gis lovingly stroked his son's head, a hint of reluctance in his eyes. After a moment, he expressed his gratitude to Davos.
Following this, the relationship between the two parties clearly became much closer, and the banquet also livened up.
After Avino Gis repeatedly offered several glasses of wine, he said loudly, "Lord Davos, we Laos are preparing to implement a system of lifelong ruling officials, just like the League. What do you think?"
The senators looked slightly surprised, but Davos remained calm, smiling and saying, "Our alliance agreement is very clear. The League will not interfere in the internal affairs of any allied city-states. We only require allied states to advance and retreat together militarily, maintain consistency diplomatically, and strengthen economic ties…"
Avino Gis was overjoyed, but then heard Davos say, "However—" and immediately became nervous again.
"I have a small suggestion for Laos, and I hope you can always ensure the stability of the city-state. Otherwise, if riots occur and you can't resolve them, we will have to send troops to help you restore order in Laos City. Sending troops to fight is a laborious and costly endeavor, don't you agree?!" Davos said half-jokingly and half-seriously, and the senators echoed in agreement.
Avino Gis was immediately relieved. In fact, he didn't want to be a lifelong ruling official at all. The people of Laos were not yet accustomed to the Greek political system. He simply wanted to be the Great Chieftain of Laos City. Only to prevent the Daonian League from thinking that Laos was a town of aborigines did he choose to become a lifelong ruling official, because he felt that this position was very similar to the Great Chieftain. At this moment, he happily said, "I feel very honored to be an ally of the Daolian League! I guarantee to Lord Davos and all the senators that I, Avino Gis, will do my best to ensure the stability of Laos and will always be the best ally of the Daolian League!"
"Good!!!" Everyone praised in unison.
"I want to perform a dance for the esteemed Lord Davos and all the lords to express my sincerest gratitude!" Amidst the cheers, Avino Gis also became interested. He drank a glass of wine in one gulp, strode to the center of the hall, and, fueled by the wine, began to shake his shoulders, spin around, and sing loudly:
"High mountain peaks,
That is the dwelling place of Asinu,
We graze cattle and sheep at the foot of the mountain,
Beautiful girls flash in the mountain forests,
Their joyful figures are like leaping fawns,
Attracting my gaze,
…"
Wesba and Bagule began to accompany him loudly.
Although Davos and the other senators did not understand what they were singing, they all tapped their feet and hummed along to the tune…
Avino Gis's decades of enduring humiliation, being cautious and conscientious, were swept away in the heroic singing and vigorous dancing, leaving only joy in his heart. He felt an unspeakable sense of comfort.
When he took his seat, the applause continued for a long time.
Scombres stood up with a flushed face, hiccuping and saying, "Uh… the guests from Laos performed a dance… uh… our League should also respond. I will sing a hymn to Zeus for everyone…"
"Good! Good!!…"
… … … … … … … … …
A few days ago, Xin Xinag was in ecstasy. He defeated Lusa U, the son of Akbiru, and occupied the city of Grumantum. With two large cities, he could completely become the new overlord of Lucania.
However, the series of events that followed made him realize that replacing Akbiru was not an easy task.
Because he was reluctant to distribute most of the property seized from Akbiru's tribe to the tribes that betrayed Lusa U, and even more reluctant to divide most of the land owned by Akbiru's tribe to the tribes of Grumantum, on the one hand, he was inherently stingy, and on the other hand, the tribes of Picentia that followed him also needed to be rewarded. He certainly knew who was closer and who was more distant.
His breach of contract naturally aroused the anger of the Grumantum tribes. They united to occupy the north city, refusing Xin Xinag's subordinates to enter the areas under their control without authorization, and threatened to drive Xin Xinag out of Grumantum.
Xin Xinag was furious. He already regarded himself as the master of the two cities of Picentia and Grumantum, how could he allow anyone to undermine his authority. Under his orders, Picentian warriors had already engaged in several small battles with the Grumantum tribes in the city. At the same time, he once again used tricks, attempting to disintegrate these united tribes opposing him through bribery, but failed, because no Grumantum leader was willing to believe his promises anymore.
Just as Xin Xinag was racking his brains to find a way to deal with these Grumantum tribes that had betrayed him, even worse news came: Niumt was captured!
He immediately urgently inquired about the Lucanian shepherds who had fled to Grumantum, and upon hearing them unanimously say, "We saw countless Greek soldiers entering the city of Niumt," Xin Xinag was so frightened that he couldn't recover for a long time. He could hardly believe this fact: Niumt was captured by the Greeks!
How could this be possible?! Since the Lucanians migrated south from the central Apennine Peninsula more than a hundred years ago, they had always occupied the land of other tribes, and there had never been a record of a large town being captured by another tribe! Holding a skeptical attitude, Xin Xinag sent scouts to investigate.
Although the north side of Niumt City was heavily guarded, the Lucanians were, after all, a race mainly engaged in grazing and hunting. The scouts sneaked into the mountains within the control of Niumt City and obtained accurate information from the Niumt people grazing on the mountain: Niumt had been ruled by the Daonian City-State League, and this league was ruled by the Greek Davos who had defeated the Lucanian tribal coalition.
When Xin Xinag heard this news, he felt as if struck by lightning, and was so frightened that he didn't know what to do. His first thought was: immediately flee back to Picentia, and stay far away from that Greek who had defeated the powerful Akbiru!
Then, he wanted to reach a compromise with the tribes of Grumantum to jointly deal with the possible Greek invasion. However, the weaker Grumantum tribes believed that this was a great opportunity to force Xin Xinag to make concessions. They proposed: that Picentian forces withdraw from Grumantum City… and other conditions. This was completely unacceptable to Xin Xinag.
Xin Xinag, who was facing strong enemies from the outside and hidden dangers from within, was unwilling to withdraw from Grumantum City, which had taken countless efforts and sacrifices from countless tribesmen to obtain. After several days of suffering, he finally decided: risking the possibility of losing Picentia City, he would once again draw more Picentian warriors to Grumantum to join him, first uniting to defeat these hostile tribes and completely control this central city of the Lucanians.
Just as he was preparing to have the messenger rush to Picentia to deliver the troop mobilization order to Gnaenat, who was guarding Picentia City, the guard came in to report: a Lucanian claiming to be an envoy from Niumt requested to see the Great Chieftain.
Xin Xinag was greatly surprised. He hesitated for a moment and decided to receive him.
When Hemong was brought into the chieftain's council hall of Grumantum, he kept looking left and right: two rows of sturdy warriors stood straight at the entrance of the hall, Xin Xinag sat high in front in the center of the hall, and the leaders of the Picentian tribes sat on both sides of the three-tiered steps…
Hemong looked at this solemn hall. There had long been rumors that Akbiru wanted to be the king of the Lucanians. At least from this unique tribal chieftain's council hall, he might really have had this plan, but it was a pity…
Hemong was thinking when Xin Xinag spoke from above: "I didn't expect the envoy from Niumt to be you! I heard that your city was occupied by the Greeks, is it true?"
Before being annexed by Niumt, Hemong's tribe was also very influential in the "fertile land among the mountains," so this tribal leader was also somewhat famous in the Lucanian region. He respectfully saluted, and then said, "Respected Great Chieftain Xin Xinag, Niumt now belongs to the Daonian City-State League, and Laos, under the leadership of Avino Gis, has also become an allied state of the Daonian League—"
"What?! Laos has also surrendered to the Greeks?!"
"I've long said that the Greek bastards are not reliable!"
"What should we do now?! Without the restraint of Laos, the Greeks can attack us with confidence!!"
…
Hemong's words were like a thunderbolt, causing the sitting leaders to panic. Xin Xinag originally liked this high seat, which embodied the dignity of the Great Chieftain's position. At this moment, he only hated that this seat was too conspicuous, making it impossible to hide his fear. He tightly grasped the armrest of the chair. Seeing Hemong standing there with a smiling face, a look of watching a good show turned his fear into anger: "Damn Niumt people! You have forgotten the teachings of Asinu, and surrendered to our enemies! You even dare to appear here, do you think my short sword is not sharp enough?!"
"You are wrong, Great Chieftain. I have not surrendered to the Greeks, but have become a citizen of the Daonian League! Not only can I continue to offer sacrifices to Asinu, but as long as I have enough silver coins, I can also build temples to Asinu in other territories of the Daonian League such as Thurii, Amendolara… without interference. The bullfighting competition will still continue to be held in Niumt every autumn, and the Lucanian custom of bride kidnapping has not changed… The Lucanians of Niumt, like me, have voluntarily become citizens of the Daonian League, but we are still Lucanians, but we have more freedom, more land and cattle and sheep, but we only have to pay very little tax!" Hemong proudly proclaimed the benefits of becoming a citizen of the Daonian League.
The leaders and warriors in the hall felt unbelievable: "Can the Greeks be so good to us Lucanians?!"
"Davos, the ruling official of the Daolian League, that is, the person who defeated Akbiru, once said, 'Daonia is not only a league of Greeks, but also a league of Lucanians!' If you don't believe it, you can ask Wesba, the leader of the Melino tribe, and his son. They became citizens of the Daonian League earlier, and now they have become senators of the Daonian Senate! The Daonian League is also preparing to continue—"
"Shut up! Drag this Lucanian traitor down and chop him up to feed the dogs!" Synnax roared. He absolutely couldn't allow Hermon to loudly proclaim the benefits of the Greeks here, as it might undermine the morale of the tribe.
"Kill me? Fine! The Archon of Daonia, Davos, is extremely protective! When you attacked his camp, he annihilated the Lucanian allied forces! When the Crotoniates invaded his territory, he captured all the Crotoniates as prisoners! If you kill one citizen of the Daonian League, believe me, the Daonian League's army will be at the gates of Grumentum tomorrow!" Hermon allowed the soldiers to seize his arms, shouting fearlessly.
Synnax's face twitched a few times, and he changed his words, saying, "Get him… get him out of here!"
Hermon laughed inwardly. He had long heard that the chief of Picentia was a coward who bullied the weak and feared the strong. It was indeed the case. If it were Archipus, he wouldn't have dared to volunteer to come and seek death: "Don't you want to hear the good news I bring?!"
Synnax's hand, which he had waved, froze in the air.
"What good news?!" the chieftains asked urgently.
Hermon pushed away the guards and said loudly, "As an envoy of the Daonian League, I am dispatched by the Senate to discuss the possibility of achieving peace with Grumentum and Picentia!"
Synnax was greatly shocked upon hearing this.
"The Greeks aren't coming to attack us?!"
"Great! We don't have to abandon Grumentum!"
"Don't trust the Greeks! If they want peace, why did they occupy Niuetum?!"
… …
The chieftains' intense debate revealed a sense of relief.
"Foolish Picentians, have you forgotten the old Lucanian saying? 'Only with a big stick in hand can you not fear the wolves.'" Hermon laughed loudly: "If the Daonian League hadn't occupied Niuetum, would you be willing to sit down with the League for peace talks?! The sea-loving Greeks are actually not interested in the land of Lucania at all. It's all mountains here, the land is barren, and the roads are terrible, making it difficult for both business and travel. If it weren't because the Lucanians always attacked Thurii through Niuetum, the League would have occupied Niuetum to protect its territory from encroachment, blocking your way south…"
The chieftains thought about it and realized it was indeed the case, and fell silent.
Synnax asked again uncertainly, "The Greeks really intend to negotiate peace with me?!"
"Of course it's real! Otherwise, why would I be here?!" Hermon said irritably.
Synnax immediately felt relieved. He leaned back in his chair and said, "Is Niuetum still very chaotic, and you're afraid I'll take the opportunity to attack?"
"Great chieftain, you've got it backwards, haven't you?" Hermon mocked.
Synnax coughed awkwardly and said, "Alright, let me hear the conditions of your… Daonian League."
… … … … … … … … … …
With both sides willing to make peace, the negotiations naturally proceeded smoothly.
A day later, an agreement was reached: The Daonian city-state League and Picentia and Grumentum would take the narrow road between the two rivers as the boundary, and would not invade each other. Both sides could open markets at the border; the Daonian League would not support Picentia's enemies. If small tribes or wandering mountain people not under Picentian rule sought refuge in Niuetum, Picentia would not intercept them… …
The term of the agreement was one year. Originally, Synnax hoped for a term of five years, but Hermon rejected it. His reason was: many in the League doubted whether the Picentians could keep their promises. If Picentia earned the trust of the Daonian League senators with a year of good behavior, then the term of the next renewal would be extended.
Synnax was angry, but there was nothing he could do, because he needed this peace agreement even more than the Greeks did, so that he could deal with the hostile tribes within Grumentum without any worries, and then deal with Potentia, which had taken in Lusaulus. As for the Daonian League, that would be at least after he became the leader of the Lucanians… …
… … … … … … … … … …
Before the Daonian League signed a treaty with Synnax, Avinogis of Laos had already reached a new agreement with the League: First, Laos agreed to build the Thurii-Niuetum-Laos highway and was willing to provide a large number of laborers (there were a large number of Greek slaves in the city of Laos, mainly descendants of Sybaris, who had now become freemen, but Avinogis could not provide them with land and could only sell their labor to make a living. In addition, the Lucanians in the city of Laos were either killed or turned into slaves). At the same time, Avinogis also planned to provide all the road construction funds. On this point, Davos politely declined his kindness and ultimately proposed that both parties share the cost equally.
Second, without the permission of Laos, the Daonian League must not convert Laos people entering or fleeing into the League into League citizens and must be responsible for sending them back.
… … … … … … … …
At the southernmost tip of the Peloponnese peninsula, there is a land called Lacedaemon in ancient times, and now called Laconia. This land is surrounded by some natural barriers, facing the sea on the east and south sides, with towering, gloomy, and terrifying mountains to the north, and the desolate and tall Taygetus Mountains stretching across the west. Its five claw-like peaks are often covered with snow even in the hot summer. The small plain protected by these dangerous terrains is traversed from north to south by the turbid and rapid Eurotas River. On the sea cape cliffs at its estuary, the red giant rocks contain the tomb of Helen, who was once the most beautiful woman in Greece and triggered the ten-year Trojan War. Up the river from the estuary, reaching the middle reaches of the riverbank, there is a city without walls, and its name is Sparta.
This is a rather rustic city. Although it looks relatively large, except for the temples, the other buildings appear low and simple, but it has a unique rural tranquility and peace. There is no noise from market vendors, nor the frolic of theater actors. Every morning, the people in the city get up early, the Helots go to the fields to farm, the housewives manage the housework, and the men either go out to participate in military training or participate in politics.
The Council of Elders and the Ephorate are the two major power structures in Sparta. On this day, both institutions were dealing with affairs concerning Asia Minor. For the Ephorate, which wielded great power, Tibrons's rant against Cleisophus in Ephesus was destined to be a joke. The evidence of his dereliction of duty was conclusive, and the envoys of the Asia Minor League were still in Sparta waiting for the outcome of the trial. No one dared to speak for him. He had almost no chance to defend himself and was fined and sentenced to exile.
At this point, Tibron would be driven out of Sparta.
In the Council of Elders, except for King Agis, who was unable to attend due to serious illness and entrusted his brother Agesilaus to temporarily participate on his behalf, all the other twenty-nine elders attended on time. First, they discussed the aftermath of the city-state of Elis.
The city-state of Elis is located near the Olympia region of the Peloponnese peninsula. It has always been supported by Sparta to seize the right to host the Olympic Games from the city-state of Pisa. Who knew that during the Peloponnesian War, it defected to Athens, and also prevented the Spartan King Agis from going to Olympia to offer sacrifices to the Temple of Zeus due to the Oracle of Delphi the year before last… …
These things finally angered the Spartans. Six years after Athens surrendered, they declared war on Elis and sent King Agis, who had been humiliated, to lead an army to invade Elis. If it hadn't been for the earthquake, which made Agis believe it was an ominous sign and voluntarily withdraw his troops, then the war would have ended at the beginning of the year. Under the urging of the overseers, a few months later, Agis led his troops again and successfully invaded the territory of Elis, burning, killing, looting, destroying fields and buildings, and capturing a huge number of livestock and slaves. Finally, they approached Elis—this city, which was also not protected by walls, trembled under the threat of Sparta's powerful force. The people were in an uproar due to fear. Although the riots were suppressed in the end, the national strength of the city-state of Elis was greatly damaged.
Agis did not take the opportunity to occupy the city of Elis. After all, this was an ancient Greek city-state. As the host country of the Olympic Games, it enjoyed a reputation among the Greek city-states. Agis withdrew his troops back to his country and fell ill soon after.
After discussion, the elders unanimously believed that if Elis, whose strength had been greatly damaged, did not want to be attacked by Sparta again next year, it would definitely come to negotiate peace. Sparta must force Elis to allow the towns of Phrixa, Epitalium, and Epeion to become independent from its subordination, further weakening its strength and making it unable to resist Sparta. If Elis agreed, then Sparta would also allow it to have the right to host the Olympic Games and jurisdiction over the site of the Temple of Zeus in Olympia.
The reason why the Spartan elders were unwilling to return the right to host the Olympic Games and the jurisdiction of the Temple of Zeus to Pisa (because Olympia and the Temple of Zeus were originally within the territory of Pisa) was because they believed that Pisa had harbored resentment against the Spartans ever since Sparta separated the Olympia region from Pisa's territory a hundred years ago, and the Pisans had always had a good relationship with Sparta's mortal enemy—Argos.
After dealing with the affairs of Elis, Elder Lysander stood up and said, "Elders, I believe everyone has read the report sent by Cleisophus from Ephesus. The Ephorate hopes that we can come up with a solution as soon as possible."
An elder muttered dissatisfiedly, "The Ephorate is too domineering now, and it's even commanding us!"
Everyone present seemed not to hear it, and only King Pausanias coldly said, "Isn't that because of Lysander's support!"
Lysander also pretended not to hear.
The venue suddenly fell silent, as the elders were well aware of the strained relationship between Pausanias and Lysander.
Elder Diopeithes cleared his throat twice and asked, "This Thurian League mentioned in the report, why haven't I heard of it before?"
"It's a newly formed league, its full name is Thurii-Amendolara League!" Lysander's explanation left the elders, who rarely paid attention to the western Mediterranean, still looking blank. Lysander, having clearly done some research, reminded them, "Does everyone remember the Thurii envoy coming to Sparta a year ago to request aid?"
"Hmm... I remember, we rejected his request at the time." Elder Lysippus nodded and said, "But we granted Thurii the right to recruit mercenaries in the Greek city-states of the eastern Mediterranean. For a city-state that once supported Athens and even sent troops to fight, if it weren't for seeing it invaded by natives, and out of a sense of shared Greek identity, we showed Sparta's generosity and kindness, otherwise..."
"That's right!" The other elders echoed.
"It was this Thurii envoy, who received permission from our Council of Elders, who arrived in Byzantium and recruited some of the mercenaries who had just returned from the Persian expedition. It was these mercenaries who helped Thurii defeat the natives and recapture Amendolara, which had been occupied by the natives. Eventually, these mercenaries became citizens of Amendolara, and their leader is called... called... Davos, who even became the lifetime Archon of Amendolara," Lysander said. At this point, Agesilaus exclaimed in surprise, "Clearchus once told me, 'He discovered a military genius named Davos among the mercenaries during the Persian expedition, and wanted to apply to the Council of Elders to make this Davos a guest of Sparta, give him land, and let him settle in Laconia to serve Sparta.' Is he talking about this person?!"
"A military genius?!" Elder Diopeithes sneered, "To talk about military genius in front of us Spartans is simply laughable!"
"We Spartans all know that there is no genius in battle, only the rich experience gained from continuous hard training and constant battles from childhood to adulthood. When they reach a sufficient age, every Spartan citizen can become an excellent commander!" Elder Lysippus said proudly.
"You are right!" The forty-five-year-old Agesilaus said humbly.
Lysander looked at him and continued, "Soon after, we all knew that Croton occupied Thurii and burned the city. It was this Davos who led the Amendolara people to launch a night attack on the army preparing to return to Croton and captured them. Afterwards, Thurii and Amendolara formed a league, still with Davos as the lifetime Archon..."
"So Croton was defeated by these mercenaries. This Davos seems to have some ability." An elder exclaimed.
"The lifetime Archon of two cities! This Davos probably has great ambitions, wanting to become a tyrant of Magna Graecia like Dionysius!" Lysippus reminded everyone.
"The matter is already very clear. It is these mercenaries who settled in Magna Graecia who want their mercenary companions who fought together to come to Magna Graecia to help them, so they sent people to Ephesus to instigate those mercenaries to desert!" Diopeithes said loudly.
"Clearchus's report didn't mention discovering anyone secretly causing trouble. Perhaps it's just because these mercenaries heard news from Magna Graecia." Another elder hoped that everyone wouldn't take the matter too seriously.
"Then why haven't we Spartans heard this news? This is clearly the work of someone with ulterior motives!" Diopeithes retorted.
Several people argued. Although Lysander and Diopeithes didn't get along, he said at this time, "As long as there is a connection between these two things, if we Spartans say it was the Thurian League, then it was!"
"That's right! This is the Spartan way!" Lysander's tough stance was recognized by the elders led by Lysippus. Pausanias internally scoffed: Lysander, known for being unconventional, actually has the nerve to say he wants to uphold Spartan tradition! But he remained silent and did not object.
The debate ended. The culprit was found, and everyone's views on how to punish the Thurian League were almost unanimous: send someone to condemn the Thurian League, demand compensation for Sparta's losses, and make them send back the mercenaries who fled to the Thurian League!
Lysander added another point: "Since Davos of the Thurian League is good at commanding operations, let him lead troops to join Decelea's forces and fight the Persians!"
"Agreed! Let it be their punishment for disrupting our Spartans' operations in Asia Minor!" Diopeithes and several elders expressed their approval.
The elders discussed one after another, deciding the fate of the Thurian League.
At this time, Agesilaus asked, "What if the Thurian League refuses our demands?"
"They wouldn't dare! That would mean war with Sparta!" Diopeithes's voice had just fallen when he felt something was wrong.
Pausanias immediately followed up, "We now have to deal with the Persians and guard the Peloponnese peninsula, ready to strike at any time against those city-states like Elis who are dissatisfied with Sparta. I'm afraid we don't have the spare strength to send troops to Magna Graecia again."
"That's right! Magna Graecia has always had a good relationship with us Spartans. We have never sent troops to Magna Graecia. If we cause dissatisfaction among the city-states there, it would be more harm than good!" Another elder also said.
"Are we just going to tolerate the Thurian League trampling on Sparta's dignity?!" Diopeithes shouted angrily.
"Everyone, don't worry, we don't know the Thurian League's reaction yet. Even if they refuse us and we can't send troops, don't we still have Syracuse!" Lysander said with a smile. His words awakened the elders. Sparta supported Syracuse, even ignoring the fact that Dionysius was a tyrant, precisely because it hoped that in the western Mediterranean, where Sparta's power had not yet reached, there would be a strong state friendly to Sparta and acting according to Sparta's wishes to stabilize the situation there. Therefore, the elders no longer struggled with this issue and began to discuss the selection of an envoy to the Thurian League.
"Let me go." Agesilaus recommended himself, as he was somewhat interested in the Davos mentioned by Clearchus.
"You shouldn't go, lest the Thurian League look down on us Spartans!" As soon as Diopeithes said this, the other elders felt it was a bit too much. Clearly, Diopeithes was mocking Agesilaus for being a cripple.
Faced with such humiliation, Agesilaus was still able to remain calm. It seemed that after decades of facing disdainful gazes from others, his mind had been tempered to be extremely strong. His expression remained unchanged, and he wanted to say something more.
At this time, Lysander said, "The Thurian League is a remote small city-state league, not worthy of a noble member of the Spartan royal family as an envoy!"
Lysander's words restored Agesilaus's dignity and blocked his path to becoming an envoy to the Thurian League.
"I propose that Phileas be appointed as the envoy," Lysander continued.
As soon as he finished speaking, an elder exclaimed, "Phileas?! That's a hot-tempered guy who likes to act on his own!"
"We need a strong envoy to force the Thurian League to give in!" Lysander said firmly.
After discussion, it was finally decided that Phileas would be sent to the Thurian League.
After the meeting, Lysander stopped Agesilaus, who was about to leave, "You're not still blaming me for not letting you go to the Thurian League, are you?"
Agesilaus shook his head. He had figured out the key to this and said with a smile, "I think you're doing it for my own good, because of Agis?"
Lysander put his arm around his shoulder with satisfaction and said in a low voice, "Agis won't last a few more days. If you leave at this time, wouldn't that illegitimate child Leotychides take advantage... Don't worry, I've always been on your side..."
Agesilaus immediately expressed his gratitude to Lysander solemnly.
Lysander smiled. He liked Agesilaus's steady and humble character, and he was friendly and respectful to himself, easy to control...
Lysander didn't see that Pausanias was watching him and Agesilaus talking intimately with vigilance behind him.
Pausanias quietly called Diopeithes over and said softly, "Look, our 'reformer' has been quite close to Agesilaus recently!"
Diopeithes looked coldly at the scene in front of him, then turned and said solemnly to Pausanias, "Although there is no doubt that Leotychides will inherit the throne, rumors have been flying around recently. In order to ensure that he can smoothly succeed Agis, I still need you to provide assistance!"
"You want me to seek an oracle from Delphi in the name of the king?" Pausanias immediately understood what Diopeithes's request was. Because the dual kings of Sparta had always claimed to be the closest descendants of the hero Heracles, they had a privilege that other Spartans did not have: only they could seek oracles from the sanctuary of Delphi, thus controlling the sacred right to interpret the oracles.
"Yes!" Diopeithes looked at him expectantly.
"I will send someone to Delphi!" Pausanias nodded decisively, "I will never let that guy extend his ambitions to our royal family!"
.........
It was already November. If it had been in the Archaic period hundreds of years ago, this would not have been a good season for sailing. However, with the advancement of sailing technology, even in the Mediterranean Sea, which is prone to strong winds and heavy rains in winter, the main trade routes are still very lively today.
Timason, Xanthippus, Cleanor and others finally arrived at the Gulf of Taranto in Magna Graecia on the merchant ship.
"Ahead is Thurii, our city-state!" Agasia said excitedly, pointing to the faintly visible green coastline ahead.
Everyone leaned on the ship's railing and looked forward.