Upon hearing this, Bagules stood up and walked to the map that Davos had prepared. He pointed to the narrow path between the Lao River and the Sini River and said, "The Picentes once built a camp here, mainly to defend against us. After the Potentini occupied Grumentum, they did not abandon this place, but instead reinforced it. According to reports from the reconnaissance team, there are about two hundred Potentini warriors stationed in this camp. Although the number of people is not large, the narrow path is not conducive to the deployment of troops. We cannot take it down in a short period of time. Instead, it will alert the Potentini in Grumentum. If they quickly come to reinforce, it will be a big trouble for us!
After careful consideration with Lord Sestas, we decided not to take the narrow path, but to follow your previous suggestion and cross the Lao River directly to the north bank, advancing from the mountain road in the south to attack Grumentum."
"Although the Lao River is not wide, both sides are steep cliffs. Even the Lucanians with strong climbing abilities have to expend a lot of effort to climb over it. You want to take thousands of people across the river, how will you do it?" Hermon questioned.
Bagules looked at Davos.
Davos nodded with a smile.
So, Bagules said, "Lord Davos had Little Heraclides send his men to follow us for several days, carefully surveying both banks of the Lao River. They believe they have the ability to build a rope bridge on both banks in a day or two, and it will be no problem to cross 6,000 warriors! Now the ropes, planks and other materials for building the bridge have been prepared, and are just waiting for your order, Lord Davos."
Hermon and Vespian looked at each other. They hadn't heard any news about this matter, and they had been trying to mobilize and plan for the tribes outside Grumentum to attack the camp guarding the narrow path, in order to open up a passage for the attacking troops.
Seeing that the expressions of the two men were not right, Davos hurriedly said with a solemn expression: "According to the 'Daonian Military Law', military plans must be kept secret. If they are leaked, they will be punished, and in severe cases, even executed. It is only because you are participants in this operation that Bagules has told you the military operation plan. I hope that you will keep the secret strictly after you go back and not leak it out."
Hearing this, Vespian and Hermon dispelled some of the unhappiness in their hearts and immediately made a guarantee.
"It takes more than a day to get from Nium to Grumentum, right? Even if the 6,000-strong army is concealed, it will easily be discovered," Philius reminded.
Before Bagules could answer, Hermon interjected, "If Bagules leads the troops across the river and takes the mountain road to the south, there is no need to worry about this..." Hermon's finger drew across the Lao River on the map, and he said confidently, "Because of our efforts during this period of time, the tribes in the settlements outside Grumentum City on the southern side are basically willing to submit to our Daonia. When the time comes, I will set out with Bagules' troops, and I believe that the tribes there will not only not reveal our whereabouts, but will also help us reach Grumentum City faster."
"If Lord Hermon can go, it will be of the greatest help to the attack on Grumentum!" Davos welcomed him with a smile. At the same time, he said, "In order to prevent accidents, I will send Izam's reconnaissance team to sneak into the Grumentum area in advance, and try to block the several mountain roads in the south leading to the city, intercepting those Lucanians who may report to the city, so as to ensure that when you launch a surprise attack on Grumentum City, the enemy will still be completely unaware of it!"
"The several tribes in the city have promised us that as long as we launch an attack, they will gather about 500 tribesmen to attack the south gate guarded by Lusaos," Hermon said, even more excited to receive Davos' praise.
"With the joint efforts of several adults, this operation has been prepared very well." Davos opened his arms, revealing a relaxed smile, and looked at Bagules, saying earnestly, "Bagules, you are the front-line commander. The specific combat deployment and cooperation with the allies in the city are up to you to decide. I, who am far away in Thurii, will not interfere. I just hope that you will think of the difficulties as much as possible. Once an accident occurs,
you must have corresponding measures."
Bagules nodded solemnly, feeling the pressure. Vespian, who was sitting next to him, patted him on the shoulder to encourage him.
Hermon's eyes were filled with both excitement and envy: This was the first time that the Lucanians had independently led troops in the Daonian League. Bagules had a bright future, but it was a pity that he was already married, otherwise he would have married one of his daughters to him.
"Do you have any other requests?" Davos asked again.
Bagules hesitated for a moment and said, "I have taken all the warriors from Nium City away, and the defense there is a bit empty. I hope that some soldiers can be sent from Thurii to temporarily guard the safety of Nium City."
Davos was still considering, when Philius immediately said, "Lord, I think we can let Zantiparis and the others go to garrison Nium, and -"
"Moreover, these mercenaries who once returned with me from Persia have more experience in mountain warfare." Davos was reminded by Philius, and only then did he remember that there was still this elite force in Thurii that did not need to cultivate farmland and did odd jobs in the port: "They can also assist you in capturing Grumentum."
"If I can get their help, I will be more confident in capturing Grumentum!" Bagules said with some excitement.
Davos stood up and looked around at the four people: "Tomorrow, I will propose to the Senate - to attack Grumentum. I hope that you will unite and cooperate and send back news of victory as soon as possible!"
......
After more than two days of trekking, the one thousand mercenaries led by Zantiparis finally emerged from the mountains and arrived at the Lao River Fortress.
For the sake of secrecy, the Lao River Fortress had already closed the passage to the north, and declared to the outside world that a group of Lucanians fleeing from Grumentum were hiding in the mountains and had repeatedly robbed the people and merchants of Nium. Nium was sending troops to search for them. Therefore, there were few pedestrians on the road leading to Nium, and the merchants who used to come and go to trade were nowhere to be seen.
"Now that we've arrived here, we can see the flat road. The road ahead should be easier to travel," Tolmid complained, "I heard that the road from Nium to Thurii has been under construction for more than a year, but it's still only been built to here!"
"After all, this is in the mountains, not on flat ground. You know how difficult the mountain road we just walked was. Davos actually wants to turn it into a flat road. I wouldn't even dare to think about it! It's normal for the road to be built slowly here, as long as it can be built in the end," Zantiparis comforted him.
"Paris, you've only been in Daonia for half a year, and you've already started speaking up for Davos!" Tolmid teased.
Zantiparis glanced at him: "Aren't you?"
The two laughed.
"I hope this expedition goes smoothly, so that we can all become reserve citizens of Daonia!" Tolmid said expectantly. Previously, he followed the First Legion to Caulonia, but Locri sued for peace without a battle, causing the mercenaries' attempt to gain merit to fail.
"I'm not worried about this. What I'm worried about is whether the brothers will be affected in their fighting and increase casualties if they change their weapons and equipment!" Zantiparis looked back at the soldiers who were bare-chested and sweating, and said worriedly.
Because they had to march and fight in the mountains, Davos suggested that Zantiparis let the mercenaries temporarily not wear Corinthian helmets, thick and airtight linen breastplates, bronze greaves, and the surprisingly heavy round shields, but instead put on the Lucanian warrior attire, leather hats, short robes, and wooden shields (in the great battle with the Lucanian tribal alliance and the battle to capture Nium, Daonia seized a large number of Lucanian weapons and equipment, which were thrown in the Thurii armory and had not been used). Zantiparis, who had experience in mountain warfare, repeatedly thought about it and finally accepted Davos' suggestion.
"Don't worry, we have a lot more attacking troops than the enemy, not to mention the inside help. It's no problem to take Nium easily. Moreover, the brothers are much more relaxed on this march after changing into Lucanian equipment. Otherwise, just climbing a mountain would be enough to exhaust us. But here -" Tolmid pointed to the flat but constantly increasing terrain ahead and said, "We're always climbing mountains!"
Zantiparis knew that Tolmid was right. He was just old and not used to this new change, so he remained silent.
Tolmid leaned closer to him and said in a low voice, "I recently heard Agasia say that Davos has had several discussions with Philius and the three legion commanders, preparing to modify the weapons and equipment of the Daonian soldiers to make them lighter and more suitable for long-distance and mountain warfare..."
Zantiparis was stunned and said with some worry: "Is this news true? If there are no bronze shields and heavy armor, is that still Greek hoplite?!"
"Paris, don't forget that decades ago, Greek hoplites still used bronze breastplates! It was only because they were too heavy and not conducive to combat that they finally changed to the current linen breastplates!" Tolmid reminded him: "This is not the main point you should be concerned about. What you should be considering is why Davos wants to improve the equipment of the soldiers?"
Zantiparis was not a fool. After being reminded by him, he immediately understood: "Davos wants to expand north?!" Changing the equipment of the city-state's army is certainly not just for one battle or a few battles. It must serve the long-term plan of the entire city-state. Davos wants to make the soldiers' armor lighter, more durable, and suitable for mountains. Combining these characteristics, and looking at the surrounding environment of Daonia, his intention is more obvious. Only to the north of Daonia, in the north-central part of the Apennine Peninsula, will there be more high mountains and more mountain tribes.
Thinking about Davos's potential strategic plans in the future, Xanthippus gasped: "Tolmides, it seems I won't be able to escape the battlefield for the rest of my life!"
"At least you don't have to worry about not having the chance to become a legion commander, or even a senator!" Tolmides said excitedly.
… … … … … … … … … …
Grumetum was a mountain city. Unlike the small mountain occupied by Amendolara, which was less than 200 meters high, the hill occupied by Grumentum was about 300 meters high.
Initially, the wooden city walls of Grumentum were built at the foot of the mountain. Later, during the tenure of Archipius as the great chieftain, they were greatly expanded, annexing and incorporating the surrounding small tribes, and relocating them to Grumentum. However, because the city could not accommodate them, the urban area had to be expanded outwards, doubling the area occupied by Grumentum and dividing the entire urban area into three parts: most of the outer city was inhabited by the newly relocated and incorporated tribes; the inner city was inhabited by the tribes that originally belonged to Grumentum; and the core area was the mountaintop, which also had wooden walls and was inhabited by the great chieftain's tribe. At the peak of Grumentum's prosperity, the city alone had nearly 30,000 residents.
However, after Davos's mercenaries defeated the Lucanian tribal coalition and Archipius was seriously injured and unconscious, Lusa U lacked prestige and found it difficult to unite the tribes of Grumentum. Moreover, because of the war with Picentia, some tribes within the territory of Grumentum began to flee. After Sisinna seized Grumentum, in order to control the entire city, he used a trick to kill the tribal leaders in the city and those who disobeyed him, which further led to everyone feeling insecure and alienated. People constantly fled the city secretly, so that the city's population was greatly reduced, and the number of people was no longer enough to defend this large city. Therefore, after Potentia declared war, Sisinna moved all the residents into the inner city and burned the outer city walls and houses.
After the Potentians became the new masters of Grumentum, they did not rebuild the outer city. At this time, the inner city had three city gates: east, west, and south, with a cliff on the north side.
Polates' initial deployment was: 500 Potentian warriors stationed in each of the three city gate areas, followed by the original Grumentum tribes scattered around, and further up were Lusa U's people, not only as a reserve force in case of war, but also to monitor the movements of these tribes. Once there was a sign of riot, they could easily quell the war by attacking from above and below. The core area on the mountaintop was commanded by Polates with 500 elite Potentian warriors.
However, this deployment was disrupted not long after it was implemented, and the disruptor was Lusa U. After his strength increased, he no longer wanted to obey Polates' orders, especially since he had been miserably defeated by Sisinna and almost trapped in the city and captured alive. Therefore, he strongly demanded to guard a city gate area.
Polates was finally forced to let Lusa U garrison the south gate. Moreover, because of Lusa U's oppression of the city's residents, he forced the tribes in the city to be unwilling to live in the southern urban area, but instead concentrated more in the eastern urban area.
Polates was actually very clear about the current situation in the city and felt deeply uneasy. However, his prestige and strength were not enough to deter the increasingly arrogant Lusa U. At the same time, Lusa U's recklessness also aroused the dissatisfaction of the Potentians. They followed suit, making it difficult for him to control his warriors from various tribes of Potentia. The anger of the residents of Grumentum was growing, and Polates felt as if he was sitting on a volcano. This sense of crisis finally led him to decide to send someone back to Potentia to complain to his elder brother, Puamot, about his current predicament and request the transfer of Lusa U, while sending more Potentian warriors to stabilize the situation in Grumentum.
After finally making this decision, Polates seemed to relax a lot. In the past two days, he actively inspected the entire city and even reprimanded the leader of the east city gate for his negligence in security.
On this day, Polates returned to his residence on the mountaintop near dusk. He felt hungry, so he asked the guards to roast a leg of lamb and bring a pot of wine, preparing to eat and drink.
Just then, he faintly heard shouts of killing from the foot of the mountain. It should be known that this mountain city was several hundred meters high.
Being able to hear the sound from the foot of the mountain on the mountaintop showed that the commotion was not small.
Polates's expression suddenly changed. He immediately ran out of his residence and was met by a sentry who had rushed to report: "Chief, the enemy is attacking the city! The Grumentum people in the city have attacked our warriors!"
"What?!" The sentry's words were like a bolt from the blue, shocking Polates.
… … … … … … … … …
Dusk was the time for the warriors to have dinner. The Potentians ate cheese and beef and mutton while venting their dissatisfaction with their leader, Polates, who had made them suffer these past two days.
When they were full and in a good mood, the horns suddenly sounded. When the leaders of the various tribes and the officers anxiously drove the warriors out of the camp, many people still did not believe that the war had suddenly come without warning.
They hurriedly picked up their weapons and organized their ranks.
The enemy's attack was very rapid. As soon as they rushed out of the dense forest and were exposed to the sight of the sentries in the city, they quickly approached the east, west, and south sides of Grumentum at the fastest speed… …
The sentries on the wooden wall of the east gate watched helplessly as the enemies all over the mountains and plains were forced to converge on the narrow mountain roads leading to the various city gates due to the restrictions of the undulating hills and the dense wooden fences and deer villages.
At this time, if a large number of arrows and javelins were thrown, those dense enemies would inevitably suffer serious casualties. However, only a few dozen arrows fell into the enemy's formation, which could not cause a big splash at all.
"Hurry! Hurry! Hurry up!! The enemy is approaching!!" The warrior on the city wall anxiously turned back and urged his teammates who were still dawdling under the city. Suddenly, his voice stopped abruptly: above the Potentian camp, a team of hundreds of people, holding spears and lined up in columns, rushed down.
It was reinforcements sent by the Grumentum people! The warrior on the city wall felt slightly relieved, but what happened next stunned him.
The team crashed straight into the Potentian rearguard who were rushing to the city under the city, shouting: "Go to hell! Damn Potentian pigs!… …" and stabbed the spears in their hands at the bewildered Potentian warriors… …
Screams and shouts of killing rang out, and the city was in chaos… …
Taking advantage of the chaos in the city, the enemies outside the city had already arrived at the city. They threw sacks filled with mud into the moat, and soon filled a road, and then rushed to the wooden wall, setting up long ladders… …
The Potentian warriors resisted stubbornly, but most of the warriors were fighting fiercely with the tribal warriors of Grumentum in the city. There were not many warriors on the city wall, but the enemies continued to attack upwards desperately, regardless of life and death. Before long, some enemies killed up the city… …
… … … … … … … …
Polates saw from the mountaintop observation platform that enemies were constantly pouring into the east city wall below the mountain, and the defense line was in critical condition. He was very anxious: "Take my wolf tooth token and immediately tell Lusa U that the east gate is in crisis and ask him to send some warriors to assist in defending the east gate, otherwise everyone will not be able to escape if the enemy kills into the city!"
"Yes, Chief!" The guard took the token nervously.
Watching the guard rush down the mountain, Polates was still uneasy and ordered the 500 Potentian warriors stationed on the mountainside to rush to the east gate.
After giving the order, Polates temporarily breathed a sigh of relief and had time to calm down and think: where did the enemy come from?
Was it the Picentians? Could they still send so many warriors after experiencing a great defeat?
Was it the Daunians? As soon as he thought of this powerful Greek city-state alliance in the south, Polates felt his breathing tighten. Even though Potentia was not adjacent to Daunia, he still felt the pressure from the south from time to time this year, not only because of its strength, but more importantly because the Lucanians did not reject this Greek-dominated alliance, which was the most terrifying thing! This terrible situation made it impossible for the Lucanians to unite and resist this outsider! This was also why the prudent Puamot finally made up his mind to take Grumentum. Only by strengthening himself could he resist this force with an astonishing rate of expansion. Therefore, when Puamot left, he repeatedly urged Polates to pay close attention to the movements of the Daunian alliance. Polates certainly attached great importance to this. He sent two hundred warriors from his tribe to guard the pass, and also sent scouts south to monitor the movements of Niumetum, but because Niumetum was heavily guarded, with checkpoints set up in many places, blocking the northward passage, the scouts returned without success.
Now, there was no abnormal news from the camp guarding the pass, and the enemies attacking the city were all dressed as Lucanians, which made Polates's suspicion only stay on Daunia for a while, and then shifted to the last suspicious object—Galagusus. As a group of tribes in the Lucanian region that adhered to the ancient traditions the most, they preferred to live in high mountains rather than plains, far away from the central area of the Lucanian region, and built the city of Galagusus in the mountains in its northeast. For decades, they rarely participated in disputes between other tribal alliances, and they also refused to form alliances with other tribes, drifting outside the alliance of several Lucanian tribes. When Archipius unified southern Lucania, he did not pay attention to it. Could it be that this time those conservative Galagusus people had changed their traditions?
… …
At this time, the east city wall had been occupied by Daunian soldiers, and they continued to advance into the city without resting.
Leading the charge was Xanthippus with 500 mercenaries, and another 500 mercenaries led by Tolmides were stationed in Niumetum.
Following closely behind the mercenaries were 1,500 Lucanian soldiers led by Litorus, one of the battalion commanders of the Third Legion. Attacking the west gate were 2,000 soldiers led by Xyma, and fighting fiercely in front of the south gate were 2,500 soldiers led by Bagules himself. Bagules almost evenly distributed his forces, which he had to do. Grumentum itself was built on a mountain, with crowded residences and narrow mountain roads. Too many troops concentrated in one place would not only fail to exert their power, but also easily cause congestion and affect the attack.
On the east gate, some mercenaries, wielding shields and spears, charged down from the wooden wall to attack the Potentian warriors within the city, supporting the Grumium people who were on the verge of collapse. The remaining mercenaries ran to the gate tower, turned the locked capstan, and the east gate was opened, allowing the following soldiers to surge in.
The Potentian soldiers defending the east gate were caught in a pincer attack and struggled to hold their ground.
Lusa, upon receiving Poletus's order, was truly startled. He had not expected another rebellion to erupt among the tribes within Grumium. His first reaction was not to worry about the situation at the east gate, but to fear that his own warriors might also cause trouble, as more than half of these thousand-odd soldiers were tribal warriors who had surrendered to him after entering the city. Furthermore, with the fierce enemy assault on the south gate, he dared not disperse his forces, and therefore refused to send reinforcements.
However, the Potentian warriors stationed on the hillside immediately descended to provide assistance upon receiving the order. By the time they arrived, their comrades in the east gate district were in dire straits. The leading officer, without hesitation, took the lead and charged into the enemy ranks.
The Potentian reinforcements complicated the battle on the eastern front: mercenaries and Grumium tribal warriors attacked the east gate garrison from both sides, while the Grumium warriors were in turn attacked from both sides by the Potentians. The four forces engaged in a chaotic melee within the city district and the narrow area in front of the mountain path entrance…
The first to react was Xanthippus. Thanks to the "Daunian Military Law," during the training period, Xanthippus had been repeatedly instructed that, except in special circumstances, army commanders must not engage in frontline combat.
Therefore, during this siege, he followed in the rear. Encountering such a chaotic battle, he, with his rich battlefield experience, quickly made a decision, ordering the mercenaries to slowly retreat towards the city wall, while simultaneously notifying Ceximus to lead his soldiers around those houses from both sides to encircle the enemy.
The mercenaries' retreat gave hope to the Potentian warriors who were fighting hard. They believed that the enemy was about to collapse, and their morale soared. The Grumium people, on the other hand, felt despair. Being a disorganized rabble to begin with, their fighting spirit almost collapsed. However, as the Potentian warriors advanced, they gradually surrounded them completely. Unable to escape, they had to fight desperately for survival.
However, Poletus on the hilltop watched with trepidation. What he saw was: the enemy was retreating in an orderly manner, with their formation basically intact, while the enemies pouring into the city gate were bypassing from between the houses on both sides, gradually forming a large encirclement, trapping the Potentian garrison and reinforcements in the east city, as well as the Grumium people, in a pincer movement. Furthermore, some enemies had climbed onto the city wall, wielding javelins in their hands. From a high vantage point, and at such a close distance, it could almost be said that every throw was a hit…
Poletus closed his eyes in agony. Now he could be certain: the enemy was from that terrifying Daunian League. The Lucanian warriors were full of fighting spirit, but their formations were always loose, lacking such strong organization and tight formations.
While cursing Lusa for disobeying orders, Poletus hesitated whether to send his last bit of strength to this eastern battlefield where he could see no hope…
The deadly javelin rain and the mercenaries' fierce attack finally led to the rout of the east gate garrison. The shrinking encirclement was like a noose tightening around the necks of the Potentian reinforcements. Hopeless, they ultimately chose to surrender.
The wavering Poletus ultimately did not send out his remaining 500 warriors, but instead held fast to the hilltop.
Next, Xanthippus and Ceximus led their troops to attack southwards. Lusa, who was already struggling, was no match for them. During his retreat westward, he was killed by the out-of-control Grumium warriors.
By nightfall, the Daunian army had defeated the defenders on the east, west, and south sides, and the entire army entered the Grumium district. Only the 500 warriors led by Poletus on the hilltop were terrified and uneasy as the main force approached.
At this time, Hemon, holding a torch high, went up the mountain alone, preparing to persuade Poletus to surrender.
In order to save the lives of his people, Poletus finally agreed to surrender. The warriors had no choice but to lay down their weapons, open the mountain gate, and follow Hemon down the mountain empty-handed.
Poletus said to Hemon resentfully: "You are helping the Greeks slaughter your own tribesmen and seize their land. Aren't you afraid of the wrath of the mountain god Asinus?!"
Hemon turned his head and said meaningfully: "You are wrong. I am not helping the Greeks, but helping the Lucanians. The god Asinus will only be happy about this!"
Daunia captured Grumium with 600 casualties. Lusa and his gang were all slaughtered.
A few days later, Potentia signed a truce agreement with Daunia, and the captured one thousand Potentian warriors were safely sent back to the city of Potentia.
Unlike the fall of Niumetum, the news of the change of ownership of Grumium quickly spread throughout the Lucanian region, causing great waves among many small tribes and even various forces.
Daunia did not take further military action, but instead gradually implemented the pre-determined plan: Bagule was appointed as the city administrator of Grumium, Hemon was appointed as the intermediate judge of the city, Aciestes was transferred to Grumium as the intermediate inspector, and Ceximus was appointed as the patrol captain, among other appointments.
Bagule's first task upon taking office was to take over the isthmus camp between Niumetum and Grumium. Secondly, only 2,000 warriors were left in Grumium, and the remaining 3,000 warriors and the mercenaries commanded by Xanthippus returned to their respective cities of Niumetum, Thurii, and Aspurustum to reduce the pressure on the supply of military rations. Several tribes within the city of Grumium also traveled south with them.
The next step was to fulfill the promises that Vespian and Hemon had made to the small tribes around Grumium, to accept them into the Daunian League, to allocate them residential areas and pastures, and to abolish the various exploitations that Grumium and Potentia had previously imposed on them…
Sinnaces, after learning that the Daunian League had occupied Grumium, cursed it for being insidious and cunning. But on the surface, Picentia, which had suffered heavy losses, had to send envoys to Thurii to express goodwill and peace.
Even Galasus, who rarely participated in the Lucanian tribal disputes, also sent envoys to find out the intentions of this powerful new neighbor.
Potentia was forced to sign a truce agreement with Daunia because of the prisoner issue, but as the dominant Lucanian tribal alliance in northern Lucania, Daunia's raid hurt its dignity and angered the tribal leaders of Potentia, only to be suppressed by the steady High Chieftain Puamotes, who chose to endure.
The strong Greek atmosphere of the Daunian League was so unique in the Lucanian region that it immediately attracted the attention of another Greek city-state in the region, namely Elea.
Elea was also one of the many Greek colonies established on the Italian Peninsula during the era of the Great Greek Colonization, a few decades later than Cumae, the earliest city built. Elea, Picentia, and Poseidonia, three adjacent coastal cities, were successively established. Compared with the other two cities, Elea, sandwiched in the middle, seemed somewhat unknown. During the great southward migration of the Lucanians a hundred years ago, Poseidonia and Picentia fell one after another, while Elea, which was slightly weaker, stubbornly survived. However, Elea, surrounded by the Lucanians, was in danger of being destroyed at any time. If it were not for the later contradictions between several Lucanian tribal alliances, such as Potentia and Picentia, Potentia and Grumium…making Elea a buffer zone, the Lucanians' full-scale attack on it would no longer occur.
However, for decades, Elea's life had not been easy. Part of the land outside the city was occupied by foreign tribes, and it was often harassed. It was extremely dangerous for people to leave the city, and they could easily be captured by the raiding Lucanians and become slaves. Therefore, the Eleans relied on making and processing handicrafts, as well as developing maritime trade, cargo transshipment, port services…to barely maintain the operation of the city-state and the lives of the people.
Now, the emergence of Daunia has given the Eleans a glimmer of hope.
Therefore, after deliberation by all citizens, it was decided to send an envoy to Daunia—this emerging Greek city-state alliance—to express their willingness to form an alliance.
Council member Canius gladly accepted this glorious mission.
But going to Daunia by land was obviously impossible. Potentia and Picentia would not allow him to pass through their lands, so he could only go by sea. Passenger ships did not need to bypass the Strait of Messina, because the Eleans knew that Laos was Daunia's ally.
The passenger ship carrying Canius, taking advantage of the strong south wind, sped south like an arrow.
Canius stood at the bow of the ship, thinking about the mission. His Etruscan slave, Ino, pointed to the east and suddenly shouted: "Picentia!"
Canius looked up. In his field of vision: the distant eastern land was just a small strip of green cloth, with a small white dot attached to it. That was Picentia—once a sister city of Elea, but now a nest of foreign tribes, Elea's nightmare.
While mourning for the former Picentians, Canius also secretly resolved: never let Elea repeat the same mistake!
Because it was downwind, the ship sailed for two hours and reached Laos.
Canius had been to Laos before and knew more about the port situation. At that time, although Laos was occupied by the Lucanians, it did not prohibit trade with the Greeks, but the Lucanians' habits—a love of plunder, and racial discrimination—made its reputation not very good, so there was not much direct trade between the Greeks and Laos.
But today, what Canius saw at the port of Laos was: merchant ships coming and going in an endless stream, and countless laborers densely packed on each pier loading and unloading goods non-stop. On the surface of the bay, the foamy water was floating with ships, as well as the remains of many foods and garbage, thus attracting countless seabirds to hover and peck in the sky.
The changes to Laos's port in just one year since joining Daonia were truly astonishing to Kanios.
His boat waited for some time before an empty pier became available for him to dock and disembark.
Officials from the Laos City Hall, having received the news, were already waiting on the shore to greet him.
Kanios gladly accepted the officials' invitation to meet the master of the city—Governor Avinogis.
"Is this port always so busy?" Kanios asked amidst the crowded throng.
"Yes," the official said proudly, "The merchants of the Daonian League like to rent ships here to go to northern Gaul or the Iberian Peninsula in the west for trade, and then return fully loaded with goods to disembark here and transport them back to Thurii by pack train.
Since the establishment of the South Italian League a few months ago, we have been even busier!
Merchant ships from Trina, Caulonia, Croton, and Siris also come to Laos from time to time.
As long as they are allies of the Daonian League, Laos will provide the best service and preferential rates for ship berthing, accommodation, and water and food supplies.
Now that Grumentum has become a member of the Daonian League, there are even more merchants coming here, most of them drawn by the excellent iron ore of Grumentum…
Laos welcomes merchants from Elia to trade here as well!"
Kanios was smiling and about to respond when a roar came from ahead: "Damn you, stupid things! Get out of the way!"
This was immediately followed by a scream.
Kanios saw two naked men lying on the side of the road ahead, their bodies covered in bloody whip marks, and several heavy sacks spilled to one side.
"These slaves are Lucanians," the official explained hurriedly, afraid of leaving a bad impression on his guest.
"Their ancestors forcibly occupied Laos, turning the Greeks of Laos into slaves, making us live a life worse than death for generations.
Now Lord Avinogis has led us to reclaim Laos!
A year ago, they were still the masters of this city, treating us like cattle and sheep.
Now we Greeks have once again become the masters of Laos, letting them taste the taste of being slaves!"
Kanios looked at the emotional official, thinking: You don't look like a pure Greek either.
"You have turned all the Lucanians in this city into slaves?!" he asked.
"Not all of them.
Some who had relatives among the Lucanian citizens of the Daonian League were later released by Lord Avinogis and went to Neaetum.
Now they are probably Daonian citizens.
I don't know why the Daonians are so tolerant of these barbaric people who believe in foreign gods!" The official muttered, with hatred, but not as loudly as before.
Kanios's heart stirred.
From this, one could also see the influence of Daonia on its affiliated city-states.
The city of Laos, located near the mouth of the Laos River, was not too large, with a citizen population of less than 5,000.
The main composition was two parts: one part was the tribe that the Avinogis family had always led, which was also the core strength for him to sit firmly as the lifelong governor of Laos.
Therefore, after these tribesmen were converted into citizens, Avinogis also distributed land to them; the other part was the original Greek slaves.
Avinogis liberated them and gave them citizenship, but without "allotments of land."
In order to make a living, they served as low-level clerks in the city or became hired workers, dockworkers…
Fortunately, the tax burden in Laos was not too heavy.
As long as they were diligent and hardworking, they should still have some savings.
Although Avinogis claimed to be a descendant of the Greeks, he always knew clearly in his heart that he and most of the citizens of this city were of mixed blood.
Therefore, the citizens of Laos all had similar inferiority complexes, exclusiveness, and ethnic identity.
Moreover, he had rescued them from slavery.
As long as he treated the people well, they would support him.
Therefore, although he learned from Davos and proclaimed himself a lifelong governor, in fact, the Laos council was just a formality, and there was no citizens' assembly.
All matters, big and small, were decided by Avinogis.
He was a true tyrant.
Kanios met Avinogis in the so-called city hall—which was actually the city lord's mansion.
This burly, obese governor of Laos, with a slightly fierce appearance, had even prepared a banquet and warmly welcomed Kanios, inviting him to take a seat.
This put Kanios, who had been somewhat wary, at ease.
After he took his seat, he also raised his glass of wine to express his heartfelt gratitude for Avinogis's hospitality, and then said: "Three years ago, I came to Laos, but this time, I found that Laos has changed a lot, especially the port trade is very prosperous.
Laos has only been free for over a year, and it has achieved such great achievements.
Governor, you must have put in a lot of effort!"
Kanios's words of praise made Avinogis feel very comfortable.
He laughed loudly and said: "Of course, I have put in a lot of effort, but more should be thanked to Laos's ally, Daonia.
In this alliance, Laos has enjoyed a lot of convenience!"
Kanios listened thoughtfully.
At this time, Avinogis asked: "Is Elia sending you here this time to join the Daonian League?"
Kanios was stunned.
Given Elia's situation and coming to Daonia at this time, anyone with a discerning eye could roughly guess the purpose of their mission, but Kanios did not expect Avinogis to ask so directly.
He put down the wine glass in his hand, thought for a while, and said vaguely: "Whether to join the alliance or take other forms of alliance depends on the results of the discussion with Daonia."
Avinogis looked at him, grinned, and said: "Please forgive me for speaking directly.
From my understanding of Daonia, with Elia's current strength, I am afraid that Daonia will not accept other forms of alliance."
These words clearly meant that Elia was not strong enough, so don't expect to get better treatment when negotiating with Daonia.
Kanios was a little embarrassed, lowered his head and drank wine, without speaking.
Then he heard Avinogis say again: "I heard that your Elia has close ties with the Greek city-states of Campania.
If Elia has any alliance with them, Daonia may not necessarily accept Elia into the alliance, because it does not allow city-states within the alliance to have any diplomatic relations with other city-states."
Kanios was a little surprised.
He did not know that there was such a rule between Daonia and its allies: "Thank you for the governor's reminder!
The city-states of Campania have given Elia some help, but Elia does not have any alliance agreements with any city-state," Kanios replied without hesitation.
In fact, the Campania League, led by Naples and Capua, has always disagreed with accepting Elia, because Campania and Elia are separated by the two powerful races of Samnites and Lucanians.
Elia is not strong, and once it becomes an alliance, only Campania will continue to help Elia, but it is difficult for Elia to make a big contribution to the Campania League.
How could shrewd Greeks do such a losing business.
Elia can trade with Campania only because they both have needs.
Being able to recruit mercenaries from Campania to resist the Lucanian attack requires money.
"That would be great.
Let Elia join the Daonian League.
With Daonia's reputation and strength, the Lucanians will no longer be your trouble.
Moreover, Elia and Laos, as the only two Tyrrhenian seaside port cities in the Daonian League, can cooperate with each other in the future to strengthen trade…" Avinogis said with an excited smile, seemingly without any ulterior motives.
Kanios listened in his heart, and was silent for a while.
Without seeing the main character, how could he casually express his position, so he shifted the topic: "Governor, you must have met Davos, the governor of the Daonian League.
What kind of person is he?"
"I have met him many times.
I have even fought alongside him!" Avinogis said with a proud look on his face, wiping the wine stains from the corner of his mouth, with a solemn expression: "Give you a piece of advice!
Never underestimate him because he is young.
He is an amazing person!"
Since Elia was going to deal with Daonia, it had naturally done some understanding of Daonia, and naturally the focus of the investigation was Davos.
The members of the Elia Council had mixed opinions about him: admiring his outstanding ability, Daonia's rise in such a short period of time was definitely inseparable from his efforts; uneasy about his identity, he was actually the only lifelong governor, what was the difference between this and Dionysius, the tyrant of Syracuse.
Would Elia's cooperation with Daonia lead a wolf into the house?
This required Kanios to use what he had seen and heard to make a judgment.
The prosperity of Laos reduced his worries, while Avinogis's words increased his curiosity: Was this a tyrant's admiration for a tyrant?
"By the way, I can send you to Thurii tomorrow," Avinogis said suddenly.
"Governor, I am already very grateful for your hospitality!
How dare I ask you to send me off in person again, it would make me uneasy!" Kanios said, both moved and tactfully declined.
"Hahaha!…" Avinogis laughed loudly: "You don't need to thank me, sending you is just on the way.
The Temple of Hades in the city of Thurii has been completed, and Daonia has invited me to attend the ceremony!"
Avinogis's teasing made Kanios a little embarrassed, but what surprised him even more was what he said: Temple of Hades?!
… … … … … … … …
Hearing that Heraclides had fainted at the completion of the Temple of Hades and was unconscious, Davos immediately put aside all his affairs and rushed to his home.
Heraclides had already woken up, but he was completely unable to move, his eyes were half-open and half-closed, his mouth was wide open, and his chest was rising and falling rapidly, like a tattered bellows making a harsh "huffing" sound…
Herpus stood by the bed, shaking his head slightly towards Davos with a solemn expression.
Davos walked heavily to the bedside, gazing at the emaciated old man.
Heraclides showed no reaction to Davos' arrival.
Davos took his right hand, the skin barely covering the bones, still stained with dust. Davos held it tightly without hesitation, saying sincerely in a deep voice, "Heraclides, thank you for your contributions to Daonia! Your name will surely be forever remembered by the people of Daonia!…"
Davos' words seemed to have an effect. Heraclides slowly closed his eyes, and his breathing gradually disappeared…
Herpus hurried over, pressed his head to his chest, listened carefully, and then reached out to feel his breath at his nostrils. Finally, he shook his head and said softly, "He's gone…"
Soon, the entire courtyard, crowded with people, resounded with weeping. All the architects, craftsmen, sculptors, slaves… were plunged into grief.
Davos recited in a low, sorrowful voice: "The Elysian Fields welcome your entry, Hades will give you shelter, you will be a guest of the King of the Underworld, building magnificent palaces for his residence. Whether in the mortal world or in the heavens, the great name of Heraclides will be praised…"
Little Heraclides, weeping beside him, listened to Davos' eulogy, wiped away his tears, and thanked the Archon.
Davos patted him kindly on the shoulder to comfort him, and said, "The dedication ceremony for the Temple of Hades will be held the day after tomorrow. I need you to immediately find the best sculptor to create a bust of your father within these two days. He will be the first to be enshrined in the Hall of Sages, for the people to worship and admire."
This was a great honor! Little Heraclides immediately stopped crying with excitement, thought for a moment, and turned to say a few words to another grieving man.
That man came over and bowed respectfully to Davos, saying excitedly, "Lord Davos, my teacher receiving such respect from you is his honor! It is also the honor of all of us builders and craftsmen! I will immediately find the best sculptor and complete the creation of the teacher's bust within two days!"
"Piasicos, I have heard Heraclides mention you many times." Davos nodded, encouraging him, "Heraclides is gone. As his most outstanding disciple, you must not only continue to carry forward his inherited skills, but also delve into new architectural techniques and bring out more excellent students! Amendolara, Nium, Grumentum, Crimisa, Asprustum… In the future, more cities will be waiting for you to re-plan them and build them into cities as neat, practical, and beautiful as Thurii. I hope that when you are old, you can enter the Hall of Sages like your teacher!…"
Davos' words filled Piasicos with excitement.
… … … … … … … … …
On the way back to the city, Davos called on Praisinus to listen to his explanation of the sacrificial procedures and arrangements for the dedication ceremony of the Temple of Hades.
Finally, Praisinus said, "All the celebrations, including Your Excellency's lighting of the sacred fire, have been rehearsed many times to ensure that no major errors occur. Only one problem urgently needs to be solved: we still lack a priest to manage the temple."
According to the traditions of the aristocratic era, the archon at that time had the right to sacrifice, and therefore also served as the high priest. Now, with Davos' power and prestige, not to mention that he was Hades' "chosen one," it had always been taken for granted that he would also be the high priest, but the selection of a priest to preside over the daily affairs of the temple had troubled the Senate.
Hades, as one of the twelve main gods of Greece, although also worshiped, almost no city-states built dedicated temples for him because of his characteristics of death and darkness. Therefore, he had no public priests. Some Thurii senators had proposed inviting followers of the Eleusinian Mysteries, which were popular in Athens, but this was opposed by everyone. This was because the Eleusinian Mysteries revered Persephone, the wife of the King of the Underworld, and Demeter, the goddess of fertility, not Hades himself.
But having priests of other gods transfer to the position was also inappropriate, and the Senate had been arguing about it. Of course, this was also related to Davos' consistent refusal to express his opinion.
At this time, Davos seemed unaware that he was the culprit of this problem. Instead of directly responding to Praisinus' words, he looked at the Senate elder in front of him with great interest. From being an enemy when they first met to becoming a tacit political helper, Praisinus' loyalty and unique talent had earned his admiration: "Praisinus, you have done a good job of presiding over the construction of the Temple of Hades. What do you plan to do next?"
Praisinus was excited, thinking that Davos was about to reward him for his merits, and immediately said, "I want to run for Supreme Censor next year!"
Davos nodded. Because he was walking, with only a guard of honor following behind him, the people of Thurii respectfully saluted him when they saw him. Of course, he also nodded to the people from time to time, taking the opportunity to say, "That woman who just saluted is a Lucanian, and she probably worships Ansia. And this one is a Thracian, and the gods they worship most should be Dionysus and Ares. And that one… You see, Daonian citizens come from all over the Mediterranean, and they worship hundreds of gods. In the future, as Daonia's territory continues to expand, the number of races that become Daonian citizens will also increase, and the number of gods within the Daonian League will also increase. Although Daonia's powerful military force protects the safety of its citizens, and advanced and elegant culture will increase citizens' sense of belonging, here—" Davos pointed to his head, saying with a solemn expression, "—it is chaotic! Once Daonia encounters some major disaster, the people may find it difficult to unite and overcome the difficulties together. In that case, all our efforts will be in vain!"
From ancient times to the present, the Greeks have always worshiped many gods, so they rarely cared about the beliefs of other races. Praisinus did not expect Davos to say that this religious issue was so serious, and wondered what he meant by saying this.
"Have you heard of the Jews?" Davos suddenly asked.
"It seems… it seems that someone said that they are… are a race in Persia who are good at doing business…" Praisinus tried hard to recall. The Jews at this time were not like the Jews under the peaceful rule of the Roman Empire hundreds of years later, who could freely do business everywhere and settle down everywhere, thus frequently conflicting with the Greeks. Because at this time, the western Mediterranean was controlled by two peoples who were good at doing business—the Greeks and the Carthaginians—the Jews had no foothold in the western Mediterranean, so they were less known.
"The Jews are not just good at doing business, they are also monotheistic, only worshiping one God."
"Only one God?!" Praisinus could not believe his ears. Among the many kingdoms, city-states, and races in the Mediterranean, there was actually a race that only worshiped one God.
"Yes, the Jews only worship one God!" Davos gave him an affirmative answer, and said seriously: "The Jews are a weak race. In the earliest times, they lived in Egypt and were enslaved by the Egyptian pharaohs, living a difficult life. It was not until a Jewish hero, Moses, appeared, who led the Jews out of Egypt after all kinds of hardships, and after decades of wandering and bloody battles, they finally seized the land of Canaan and established their own country. But the good times did not last long. The Assyrians in Mesopotamia destroyed the Jewish kingdom and escorted all the Jews to Babylon as slaves. It was not until the Persian king Cyrus destroyed Assyria that he released the Jews.
They returned to their homeland and rebuilt their country and religion. And in this century of turmoil in Asia, many other races that once lived next to the Jews and lived together have perished, but the Jews have survived hardships and survived tenaciously. Why?" Davos paused, giving Praisinus time to think, and then said in a deep voice: "Because their faith is firm, worshiping the only God, allowing them to always maintain unity, and not lose themselves when facing other more glorious racial civilizations, forgetting the roots of their race!"
Praisinus pondered what Davos said. He heard what Davos wanted to express, and said hesitantly: "Your Excellency, the Greeks worship many gods, and the people of Daonia worship even more gods. These have been passed down for a long time and are rooted in our blood! If… if we force them to worship one God, I'm afraid… I'm afraid there will be big trouble!"
Seeing Praisinus' worried expression, Davos smiled and said, "Of course I won't make such a stupid proposal, but we can actively guide the people to worship Hades more, so that the Daonian people from all over the world and from all races can be as close as possible to each other in their souls, don't you think so?!"
"Your Excellency, even if we build the Temple of Hades, the habits of the Greeks will not change easily. They will pray to Poseidon before going to sea, ask Hermes for business, and sing Demeter's odes for farming… The Greeks are very realistic, praying to whatever god they need! They cannot only pray to Hades!" Praisinus shook his head and said.
"The people can pray to the gods, but I hope that the Temple of Hades can become a place where their souls can be at peace! That's why I want to build a Hall of Heroes, a Hall of Sages, and a Prison of Evildoers in the Temple of Hades, so that the Temple of Hades can become a sacred place for the Daonian League to promote good and punish evil, and a sacred place for the people to commemorate and remember the heroes of the League! But this is not enough—" Davos raised his head, looking towards the temple in front of him.
"The temples of traditional Greek city-states were like nobles high above, waiting for the people to donate gold and silver to build sacred treasuries, but rarely actively helping the city-state people in distress. But the priests and priestesses of the Hades Temple that I envision, they should use the gold and silver donated by the people to help the poor, to rescue patients who cannot afford medical treatment, to listen to the doubts and troubles of the league's people, and to enlighten and eliminate their confusion with words... Also, the annual ceremony of liberating slaves should be presided over by the temple... Praxinas, the Hades Temple can provide so much help to the people of Daonia, how can the people not be grateful to the temple and not believe in it!"
Davos' words seemed to open a window for Praxinas. Davos' proposal of this practice, different from traditional temples, allowed him to vaguely see a bright future for the Hades Temple. He was momentarily excited, but he didn't know what to say.
"Elysium is the paradise built by Hades in the underworld, and his temple should be a paradise in the human world, a place where people's hearts can return! When the time comes, we will build a Hades Temple in every city of Daonia, uniting people from all over and of all races around it. Then, what can the Daonian League fear!" Davos' seductive voice rang extremely clearly in Praxinas' ear: "Praxinas, are you willing to help me complete this great cause and serve as the High Priest of the Hades Temple?"
Praxinas met Davos' expectant gaze, weighed it slightly in his heart, and then nodded heavily: "I am willing!"
… … … … … … … …
Canios followed Avinojis to Thurii and stayed at the hotel on the south side of Victory Square. This large hotel was built with funds from the League Senate and was specifically used to receive foreign guests. Usually, there were plenty of rooms available, but now it was overcrowded.
Generals, respected senators, and citizens from the Southern Italian League city-states of Caulonia, Terina, Sybaris, and Croton were all invited to attend the ceremony. If it weren't for people like Amyclis of Castrum temporarily staying at the homes of Cunogorata and Cornelius, the Lucanian tribal leaders of Niumetum and Grumentum scattered and staying at the homes of Vespia and Hemon, and Avinojis of Laos even staying directly at Davos' home, thus reducing the reception tasks for the responsible officials, Thurii's hotel would definitely not be enough.
At this time, the hotel lobby was bustling with activity. The VIPs belonged to different city-states, but also belonged to the same alliance. It was usually difficult to have the opportunity to gather together, so they took this opportunity to visit each other, build relationships, and discuss their views on current affairs…
As an outsider, Canios received polite reception from the Daonians, but his request to immediately visit Davos did not receive a good response.
The person in charge told him: "Archon Davos is busy preparing for tomorrow's celebration. Only after tomorrow will he have time to meet with him."
Although envious of others' laughter and conversation, Canios and his men stayed quietly in their rooms, because he heard that the envoy from Pixous had also arrived in Thurii, to avoid conflicts when meeting. Only after tasting Thurii's unique cuisine did Canios temporarily alleviate the anxiety in his heart.
… … … … … … … … …
On the morning of July 25, 398 BC, the citizens, families, free people, and even slaves of Daonia gathered in Thurii from all directions. With the help of thousands of Daonian citizen-soldiers maintaining order, they gradually entered the center of Thurii.
In a short period of time, all the courtyards, houses, and even rooftops were crowded with people. At a glance, it was a sea of people, a spectacular sight, leaving only the large open space on Victory Square untouched.
Canios was arranged on the left side of the platform directly in front of the square. It was said that the envoy from Pixous was arranged on the right side. The Daonian reception staff's thoughtfulness allowed him to avoid the sudden embarrassment of meeting and enabled him to calm down and appreciate the celebration.
"Oh, there are so many people! The Daonians are so bold, aren't they afraid that if a riot breaks out,
this will be a disaster!" Someone next to Canios said worriedly.
"It would be good if a riot broke out, then Daonia would be finished!" Another person said gloatingly.
Canios and the others turned to look at him.
"Euthydemus, how could the Crotoniates let you into the council! If a riot breaks out here, do you think we can escape!" Someone recognized the speaker and retorted loudly.
"Why escape! Isn't this the completion celebration of the Hades Temple! Wouldn't it be good for everyone to go see Hades together!" Euthydemus looked fearless of death.
"Have the proud Crotoniates actually begun to use verbal mockery to satisfy their feelings of loss after defeat!" Someone immediately mocked.
Euthydemus's face immediately changed.
Canios had no intention of paying attention to the verbal conflicts of the people around him. He was only carefully observing the surroundings of the square: logically speaking, with so many people, it should be very noisy here. However, people were either sitting or standing, trying to remain quiet, and rarely moving around. Perhaps they had received warnings from the league in advance, but for Greeks who advocated self and valued freedom, such a performance was quite amazing! Yesterday, when Callias entered Thurii, he discovered this point, and now it reinforced his impression.
At this time, a loud bugle call sounded, announcing that the ceremony was about to begin. People consciously stopped talking and focused their curious gazes on Victory Square.
Hundreds of men in Greek armor entered the arena, while Praxinas led ten male "Chant Transmitters" and 50 women, all wearing pure white robes, and walked solemnly onto the platform.
Daonia's atmosphere was relatively open. Many people outside the square brought their wives and daughters to watch the celebration, but dozens of women appearing in public at the same time, especially on such a sacred occasion, even the priestesses of Hera or the goddess Aphrodite's temple did not have so many. Therefore, not only the people, but even the VIPs from the allied states in front of the square began to whisper.
The neat bugle call resounded throughout the city again, and the surroundings of the square returned to silence.
Praxinas's high-pitched and long voice sounded: "In the first year of the 95th Olympic Games, in the Persian Kingdom thousands of miles away from us, a group of Greek warriors accepted the recruitment of Cyrus the Younger, the Persian prince who loved Greece, to overthrow the tyrannical Persian King. However, after a great battle, their employer died in battle, and the mercenary leaders were deceived and captured by the Persians. The entire mercenary team fell into despair, but the great Hades did not abandon them…"
As soon as Praxinas's voice fell, more than a dozen harpists under the platform began to pluck the strings, and the 50 white-robed women on the stage opened their mouths together, and their ethereal singing blew through the audience like a breeze.
Callias shuddered, feeling the hairs on his skin stand on end. The traditional hymns of Greek temples were obviously not comparable to the harmonies trained with modern bel canto. Bathing in the beautiful and harmonious singing, it seemed that even the soul was washed.
Everyone else in the audience, like Canios, was completely immersed in the singing. In the mournful sighs, they were also infected by that heaviness.
The soldiers on the field used exaggerated physical movements to express crying, helplessness, and despair, with only one person in the center lying on the ground, motionless.
At this time, the singing gradually weakened to silence, and the soldiers on the field also began to fall into a deep sleep…
Just when the people were lost, a high-pitched singing sounded again, like lightning piercing the night sky, invigorating the spirits of the audience.
A man walked out of the aisle. He was tall, strong, with long black hair, a thick black beard, wearing a long black robe, holding a double-pronged fork, and walking towards the center of the square with a majestic demeanor…
Someone in the audience exclaimed: "Hades?! I know he is Hades!"
A small commotion broke out in the crowd, and more people stared at the field, already attracted by this novel performance.
"Hades" came to the center of the field, stood next to the person who had been lying motionless, and waved the double-pronged fork, seemingly using divine power…
The singing disappeared again. "Hades" left the stage, causing the people to turn their heads to watch.
"Dong! Dong! …" A clear drum sound rang out on the silent square. The person lying down sat up, began to awaken the others, waved his arms, encouraged them, and finally everyone flocked over. Someone put a helmet with a red crest on him, and then lined up in front of him, advancing arduously under his leadership…
Seeing this, any citizen who had heard of Archon Davos's legendary story vaguely understood at this moment: the dazzling leader on the field should be playing Davos, who once went on an expedition to Persia!
"Davos seems to have forgotten that he was not the only mercenary leader in Persia." Tolmides, who was also watching the celebration on the sidelines, complained.
"Yesterday, Davos specifically found me and told me about this. He said it was needed for the performance and hoped I could understand." Zanteparis shrugged, looking calm.
"Okay, this is Daonia, and he has the final say!" Tolmides said helplessly: "But this kind of performance is quite interesting!"
The drum sound rang from sparse to dense, interspersed with bugle calls.
"Wow!!!" Accompanied by the audience's exclamations, a team of soldiers appeared in the aisle, including cavalry, infantry, and archers. They were wearing robes, holding long shields, lined up in a loose formation, and approaching the Greek mercenaries who were originally in the square under the command of a general wearing glittering golden scale armor…
"They are the 'Persians'!" Someone in the audience couldn't help shouting.
The Greek soldiers on the field seemed to hear the shouts, immediately donned their helmets, picked up their round shields, fastened their red cloaks, and formed a tight phalanx to resist the enemy's attack...
However, there were too many "Persians," swarming in and surrounding the warriors. Cavalry galloped back and forth on the periphery, archers continuously shot arrows into the sky (all with their arrowheads removed), and infantrymen let out strange, unrestrained laughter...
The audience could only see clusters of dazzling red and the warriors' angry roars through the gaps in the "Persian" encirclement.
The drumbeats grew denser and louder...
The Greek phalanx also retreated step by step under the "Persian" attack, and was about to retreat to the edge of the square...
The ordinary people's attention was completely drawn to the tense scene on the field, and someone anxiously shouted: "Fight! Greeks!"
This aroused the resonance of the entire audience.
"Fight!!! Greeks!!!..." The audience also began to shout loudly.
At this moment, the high-pitched singing sounded again, and "Hades" had somehow stood at the very front of the platform, slowly waving his double-pronged fork...
The surrounded Greek soldiers suddenly let out a neat and powerful shout: "Ho! Ho!! Hades!!! Ho!..." A dozen bugles also sounded in time.
The "Persians" began to retreat, and finally collapsed...
The red phalanx of the Greek mercenaries was completely displayed in front of the audience. In the strong rhythm of the drums, they strode forward with neat, uniform, powerful steps, like an iron wall...
The people present were so excited, those who had not seen the Daonian military training and had not participated in military training were also captivated by the strength and beauty displayed by the soldiers on the field, cheering and applauding loudly.
The "Persian General" fell behind and was dragged off his horse by "Davos," who was charging in the front. He stepped on the "Persian General," raised his spear high, and pierced the "enemy's" chest with an exaggerated and infectious movement.
"Davos! Davos!! Davos!!!..." The people couldn't help but burst into thunderous cheers.
"The Consul said before that he would let us see a completely different temple celebration, and he really did it!" Marigi scanned the senators with different expressions around him from behind the platform and said with a loud sigh.
"Yes, it is a very different celebration! Lord Davos is afraid that the people will forget his heroic deeds, and he does not forget to promote himself even on such a sacred occasion!" Bolicis said sarcastically.
Cunogolata and Cornelius looked at each other and said nothing, but they felt a little uneasy in their hearts.
"It really did! Haven't you noticed! This will be a new kind of drama, a drama different from the performance of one or two people, but a performance of hundreds or thousands of people to reproduce the spectacular scenes of history!..." On the contrary, Anxitanos was so excited that he gesticulated wildly and became a little incoherent. Davos gave him inspiration.
The wonderful chorus, the accompaniment of music, the nearly real battles and performances of hundreds of people... It really shocked the audience at the side of the field, and even the senators of the Senate.
"I am looking forward to the next performance!" Mersis sincerely praised, which reminded him of the difficult years in Persia, and his words were also the common aspiration of the former mercenaries.
Only Amintas curled his lips and muttered in a low voice: "The fighting scene is too fake!"
"Didn't Anxitanos say that this is acting, not a real battle. Look at those excited people, Davos is telling them our heroic deeds in this way of performing!" Antonios next to him criticized Amintas in a low voice.
"The one playing Davos should be Olives, right? He played really well! Ledes, who played the Persian General, is not good, like a wooden man!..." Epitenis's interested comments attracted the participation of these former mercenary senators.
Next, "Hades" led the mercenaries to Greater Greece, and the Lucanians invaded Thurii.
The mercenaries defeated the Lucanian Allied Forces...
Vispa, Hermon, and other Lucanians watched the square uneasily.
Obviously, Davos took their feelings into consideration, and only briefly mentioned the harm that the Lucanians had caused to the Thurians in the past. Instead, he focused on the last scene: In the joyful and enthusiastic singing and drumming, "Hades" let "Davos" lead the Greeks to reconcile with the Lucanians. They wrestled, fought sheep, drank wine, and talked arm in arm. Finally, they joined hands and formed a large circle, and "Hades" stood in the center of the circle. Everyone sang the Hades hymn, swinging their arms and kicking their legs, constantly expanding and shrinking the circle. The atmosphere was very enthusiastic, attracting the people outside the field to participate, and the Hades hymn resounded throughout the city...
Hades, as the Lord of the Underworld, is rumored to be dark, brutal, and terrifying, so he is far less popular among the Greeks than the main gods such as Zeus, Poseidon, and Apollo. Canios's likes and dislikes of Hades are the same as other Greeks, so he was very surprised when he heard that Daonian was going to make Hades the patron saint of the city-state alliance. But he, who was absent-minded at the beginning, was now attracted by the wonderful performance in the square, and he actually had a good impression of Hades, and couldn't help but follow everyone to sing Hades.
Not only him, but also those Lucanian leaders who only worshiped Mount Asino asked the people next to them in strange and stiff Greek about the meaning of the lyrics, and some even hummed along. Compared with the Daonian's overwhelming devotion, these invited guests of the Southern Italy Alliance had their own thoughts, and some even hoped that Daonian would make a fool of himself in the celebration, such as the Crotonians.
But at this moment, Lysias, the chief general of Croton, who was also shocked by this unprecedented sacrificial celebration in Greece, sighed: "It seems that the faith of Hades will probably really take root among these Daonians."
"The Greeks in our western Mediterranean worship Hera and Apollo the most. Only the barbaric outsiders like the Daonians would believe in the dark Hades!" Ascamas said indignantly. His friend Miron was expelled because he was defeated by Daonian, and he already had some resentment in his heart. Moreover, Croton has the most magnificent Temple of Apollo in Greater Greece, and Greeks from other city-states often go there to worship. Therefore, although the performance in the square amazed him, he still complained with confidence: "Look, it's almost noon, the weather is so hot, when will they let us go to see the Temple of Hades?!"
"Yes, my legs are almost numb from standing!" Another Crotonian general's seemingly joking words caused a commotion among the guests.
"Clang!!!..." The deep and long bell suddenly rang, causing the people who were lost in thought because of the end of the performance to feel a shock in their hearts.
"Look, the Temple of Hades!" People kept exclaiming in the crowd.
In the northwest of Victory Square, on the hill behind the Senate's Great Assembly Hall, the building that was still half-covered by numerous scaffolding and large pieces of linen in the morning had completely revealed its true face when the people were concentrating on enjoying the square performance: A towering, magnificent white building shone brightly under the scorching sun!
Presinas led the way, followed by 50 white-robed holy women, senators of the Senate, guests from various city-states, people on the north side of the square, people on the south side of the square... Under the orderly guidance of the soldiers, people slowly moved towards the Temple of Hades in an orderly manner...
The bronze bell was still being rung slowly, each sound clearer and deeper than the last, soothing people's urgent mood.
The Temple of Hades was getting closer and closer, and it became clearer in the eyes of the people: This was a very unique temple. Its height was no different from other temples, but its length was twice as long as the largest Temple of Apollo in Croton in all of Greater Greece. More importantly, as the location of the city-state's guardian temple, it is traditionally also the center of a city-state, and it must be surrounded by walls for protection, becoming the acropolis of Thurii, just like the former Temple of Apollo in Thurii. However, not only were there no city walls on the hillside in front, but stone steps were built on all four sides of the east, west, south, and north, which could easily lead directly to the temple.
Antaolis, who had only joined the Senate not long ago, curiously asked Cornelius, who had been getting along well with him during this period: "Why doesn't this new temple have walls?"
Cornelius replied seriously: "This is Lord Davos's proposal. He believes that not building walls will allow the people to freely go to the temple to offer sacrifices and pray, so as to show Hades's universal love for the people of Daonia!"
Davos is the favored one of Hades and the high priest of the temple. Generally, no one would object to proposals regarding the Temple of Hades. Antaolis looked at the temple in front of him, but a hundred years of tradition still made him feel doubtful: "But in this way, Thurii will no longer have an acropolis!"
Cornelius sighed, his expression became a little strange, and said: "Lord Davos insisted on not building an acropolis in Thurii. He said something like this—" Speaking of this, the tone of this always gentle administrator of Amendolara became a bit tougher: "'The cities in the Daonian League are the walls of the League, Thurii is the acropolis of the League, and Daonia does not need an extra acropolis!'"
Antaolis was stunned when he heard this sentence: Taking the city as the wall?! Viewing the entire region as a city?!... A sense of pride arose in his heart, and the figure of the young Consul appeared in his mind, and he couldn't help but yearn for it: What kind of mind and spirit is this, no wonder he can establish a powerful city-state alliance!
People climbed up the steps, and about 30 meters away from the temple, the citizen soldiers formed a circular cordon. People stood outside the line, and the entire hill was crowded with people. Except for the white spot at the top, it almost became a "mountain of people."