Stasipus and Nicostratus looked at each other, their eyes filled with shock.
When Nicostratus looked back at the group of people arguing in the pavilion, his feelings were naturally very different from before.
He turned his head, looked at Stesichordas walking in front, pulled Stasipus over, and asked in a low voice, "Who exactly is this person? You respect him so much."
"He is the deputy director of the hospital of the Medical College in Daonian Academy… um… He is not only highly skilled in medicine, but also very knowledgeable!" Stasipus praised in a low voice.
"High medical skills? How do you compare to him?" Nicostratus didn't care about the other party's position, only the actual level of medical skills.
"I can't compare with him at all. The gap is like a child and an adult. After you have seen the patients he has treated and listened to his lectures, you will know." Stasipus said sincerely.
Nicostratus was completely stunned. He felt that his medical skills were similar to those of Stasipus. Could this unremarkable middle-aged man be so powerful?!
… … … … … … … … … …
Night, a village outside the city of Thurii. In a house in the village, after Tratus had dinner, he asked his wife to pour a glass of wine. He sat alone in the yard, sipping carefully while looking at the starry sky and meditating. From time to time, he watched the slaves washing farm tools in the yard, while the sound of his son reciting came from the oil-lit room…
What a comfortable life! Tratus recalled himself a few years ago and couldn't help but rejoice that he had made the right choice. Betraying Croton, he still felt a little guilty in his heart, but he had done many things for Croton and Milon, including risking his life to lurk near Knapetia to obtain important information and assist Croton in repelling the Brutii people with Trina… But his life was always difficult until he was instigated by Aristilas. After Davos defeated Croton, he fulfilled his promise and safely brought back his wife and children. From then on, he began his life in Thurii. On the one hand, he officially joined the Mountain Reconnaissance Brigade under Davos's arrangement to accumulate military exploits; at the same time, he secretly worked for Aristilas and served the consul.
Until last year, he finally officially became a citizen of Daonia and obtained the "land share" that every Greek dreamed of. At the same time, his children also entered the Daonia school to study, and he bought two slaves to be responsible for farm work… All this happy life came from making the right choice.
Thinking of this, he felt that he should pray to Hades. You must know that he was often troubled by guilt at first, and even couldn't fall asleep at night. Finally, he listened to Aristilas's suggestion and went to the confessional of the Hades Temple before gradually getting rid of it.
Just as he was piously chanting the Hades hymn,
there was a knock on the door, a rhythmic knock.
"Who is it?" Tratus quickly went to the door and said in a low voice.
"Tratus, it's me!" A low voice came from outside the door, which was particularly clear in the silent night.
It was Aristilas's voice! Tratus was shocked. Usually, Aristilas, as his superior, always asked him to report the situation and arrange tasks at his residence, and had never personally been to Tratus's home, let alone at night.
He hurriedly opened the door. With the help of the moonlight, Aristilas's slender figure appeared in front of him.
Aristilas glanced solemnly at the yard behind Tratus, and then walked in softly.
Tratus hurriedly closed the door gently, and then found an excuse to drive the slaves to rest.
Aristilas stood quietly in the corner of the yard. The courtyard wall and tall willow trees blocked the moonlight from the sky, completely shrouding his figure in darkness.
Tratus made arrangements and immediately rushed over to receive orders.
Aristilas didn't waste any time and said directly in a low voice: "The Lord has ordered that the matter you are responsible for can be started."
Tratus felt nervous again. The "Lord" that Aristilas said could only be the number one person in Daonia who he both feared and was grateful to.
Then, he became excited again: "Boss, where should we start to make it better?!"
The two whispered for a while.
After watching Aristilas leave, Tratus couldn't suppress the excitement in his heart, and suddenly slapped his palms together, "Pa!" The clear applause in the dark night ushered in his wife's shout in the room: "Tratus?!"
"It's okay, you go to sleep first!" Tratus hurriedly comforted her and told himself: Calm down! Calm down! Although this is an opportunity to make great contributions, this matter is of great importance and involves many people, either high-ranking officials or very rich people, so we must be cautious… Think carefully… Think… Is there any flaw in the entire implementation process?
So, Tratus walked around with his hands behind his back, thinking as he walked, and spent most of the night in the yard…
… … … … … … … … … …
The next morning, the sky was blue and the temperature was suitable. It was a good day for traveling.
The residents of Thurii got up early, washed and had breakfast, placed flowers in front of their doors, and sprinkled the streets with clean water. Then the men dressed neatly, and the women dressed up beautifully, and went to the east gate in pairs.
The Hera Temple in Thurii began to be built two years ago, mainly because the Daonian Marriage Festival was becoming more and more grand and its influence was getting bigger and bigger. However, there was no Hera Temple in the city of Thurii. Every time before the Marriage Festival, they had to go to Heraclea to invite the Hera priest, and the venue for the festival could only be in Victory Square, which was somewhat nondescript and did not conform to the identity of the center of the Daonian League. Therefore, in response to the needs of the people and the development of the city, the Senate approved the construction of the Hera Temple.
However, the cost of building the temple was not paid from the national treasury. At that time, the money in the national treasury was used for various infrastructure projects and was already stretched. It was a generous donation from Consul Davos that set an example, and later received donations from many Senate elders and some businessmen, which enabled the Hera Temple to be completed after more than a year of construction.
At that time, the location for building the Hera Temple was also carefully considered, because after the Brutii War, the Daonian political situation stabilized. After several years of rapid development, the number of citizens in Thurii increased sharply, and there was not enough open space to accommodate a new temple complex. Therefore, it could only be built outside the city, which was also the reason why the Senate began to put the issue of expanding the city of Thurii outward on the agenda.
Contrary to the Greek tradition of building temples on high ground, the Daonians built the Hera Temple in Thurii on the banks of the Crati River outside the city, on the flat land between the city of Thurii and the port.
In the early morning, the Daonian people gathered from all directions to the Hera Temple to participate in this annual festival celebration.
The sun in the sky had not yet begun to emit its brilliance, and the outside of the Hera Temple was already crowded with people, which put great pressure on the patrol team responsible for maintaining order.
At the same time, since nearly 500 engaged couples came to participate in the blessing this year, the temples of the two subordinate gods in front of the Hera Temple—the goddess of seasons, Oya, and the goddess of rainbow, Iris—were crowded with newlyweds.
Just when the people outside the temple square were being tortured to death by the crowding and noise, they vaguely heard the bells coming from the southwest, from the city of Thurii. Then, one sound was stronger than the other. They knew that the bells came from the Hades Temple, the giant bell cast from four tons of bronze, nine times in a row.
"One! Two! Three!…" Then the people also said in unison, echoing the bells, counting to nine (according to popular legend, Hades' birthday is September 9, so Daonia not only changed the annual Hades celebration to September 9, but also every major celebration, the Hades Temple bells rang nine times).
The celebration is about to begin! The Daonian people cheered up. As for why the Hades Temple, as the King of the Underworld, could announce the beginning of the celebration of the Queen Hera, the Daonians had long stopped delving into such questions and had become accustomed to it. After five years of unremitting efforts by Plessinas and his subordinates, the Daonian people had long regarded Hades as the guardian god of the League and the giver of Daonian's stability and prosperity!
The people began to riot, because they saw teams of musicians holding seven-stringed lyres, flutes, copper trumpets, leather drums… coming to the steps in front of the temple and standing in neat rows. More than a dozen priestesses in pure white robes walked out of the temple and stood in front of the platform.
When the melodious music sounded, the noise also weakened. The priestesses began to chant in unison, but this was not a song praising the goddess Hera, but her daughter, the goddess of youth, Hebe, so this newly composed hymn was cheerful and lively.
As soon as the singing started, in another temple in front of the temple, the Temple of the Goddess of Youth, Hebe, dozens of young girls stepped into the square with light dance steps, dancing gracefully to the beautiful singing, and changing various formations and shapes from time to time.
Since the spectacular and majestic theatrical dance at the completion ceremony of the Hades Temple shocked the Daonian people, it also opened up a new art form, and the priests of the temples regarded it as one of the essential rituals for the celebration of the gods.
Looking at the joyful dance of the girls on the square, listening to the slightly strong music, many women outside the venue couldn't help but twist their waists…
After a song of Hebe, the girls stepped down, and the priestesses on the temple platform emitted a soft resonance, like the sound of nature.
The people all stood on tiptoe, looking towards the temple, they knew: the main character was about to appear!
A woman walked out of the temple, wearing a plain white robe, a pomegranate flower crown on her head, and holding a torch lit by the eternal lamp in the temple. Her expression was solemn and her demeanor was calm. Her exquisite face could not find a trace of flaw, as if the whole person was the Hera statue carved by a famous craftsman, so holy that people could not have a trace of blasphemy.
The entire square inside and out suddenly fell silent, but the high priestess seemed oblivious to the scene outside. With her eyes fixed forward, she slowly walked to the platform and lit the brazier in front of her with a torch. The roaring flames represented the blessing of the gods.
Then, facing the square, she lightly parted her lips, and a soft yet incredibly penetrating voice, unimaginable to be coming from her seemingly delicate body, captivated the people.
Led by her, the priests chanted a hymn to Hera. The song was filled with love for children, care for women, admonitions about marriage, and protection for the family… Therefore, the song was neither high-pitched nor sorrowful, but like an elder, slowly and calmly narrating…
When the hymn ended, the square inside and out remained silent, the people seemingly still immersed in its teachings.
At that moment, the flames in the brazier suddenly flared up noticeably.
"Hera has manifested! She is watching us!" The people immediately clamored, believing it was a good omen.
Priestess Agnes smiled slightly, and that smile was like sunshine spilling into the hearts of the people: "The great goddess Hera blesses you!"
As soon as she finished speaking, the people finally cheered, and melodious music began to play.
Pairs of couples were let in by the patrol and entered the square one after another, and the entire square quickly became crowded.
They began to dance clumsily to the music. The Greeks were a people skilled in athletics but not in dancing. However, Davos had made simple adaptations to ballroom dancing from his previous life and had specially trained couples perform it at last year's Marriage Festival celebration, which immediately won the public's admiration and eagerness to learn.
And this time, everyone mustered their courage to enter the arena and show off their family's style. The couples moved to the beat in the narrow space, stepping simple steps, looking at each other, spinning, changing hand gestures… Although the movements were simple and repetitive, the people danced more and more happily, and even those outside the square began to sing and dance.
In the dance, the wife felt that her husband had become more attractive, and the husband felt that his wife had become more beautiful. Everyone was intoxicated by it, which was precisely Davos's intention in designing this segment: the family is the cornerstone of the city-state, and when the family is strong, the state is stable.
Even the high priestess on the platform couldn't help but sway her delicate body and hum the music softly.
At this moment, a lively priestess boldly asked Agnes in a low voice: "High Priestess, this dance was created by the Archon. Do you usually dance with the Archon at home?"
The priestess's words made the corners of Agnes's rosy lips curl into a smile. She was a relatively traditional Greek woman. Back then, the people of Rhegium rejected Dionysius's marriage proposal, causing no one to dare to marry her. She had no complaints and silently entered the Temple of Artemis to serve as a priestess. After several years, she originally thought that she would live a plain life like this and grow old alone. Who knew that Artemis would have pity on this beautiful girl. The strong threat of Syracuse to Rhegium's survival caused Agnes to bear the hopes of the entire city and be sent to the unfamiliar Thurii. She originally thought that the rumored famous general, the enlightened Archon of Daonia, would be a tyrannical and domineering person, but Davos gave her a surprise with tenderness and consideration that surpassed this era.
But at this moment, she put on a stern face and scolded: "Now is the celebration. Hera is watching, we must devote ourselves wholeheartedly!"
The priestesses all knew that although Agnes was the chief priestess of the Temple of Hera, she was gentle and kind to her subordinates and would not really get angry, but they obediently stopped talking and stood up straight again.
.........…
Aipialtes in the Temple of Iris, the goddess of the rainbow, was now a mixture of excitement and nervousness, and time seemed to pass slowly. He looked around and found that most of the men and women were like this, except for one young man who attracted his attention. He was sitting upright on the ground with his eyes closed, as if he were asleep.
Aipialtes curiously looked at him carefully and found that he did not recognize this person. He did not know that this man's identity was extraordinary. The former Spartan prince—Leotychides was his name.
After living in Thurii for a few years, Leotychides was now a Daonian citizen and a squad leader in the First Legion. Urged by his old servant, he also found a partner. However, the Spartan aesthetic was different from that of ordinary Greeks. They liked women who were strong, individualistic, and even tough, like his mother. When Leotychides went to the battlefield for the first time, she personally gave him a newly made bronze shield and then told him, 'Either fight with it, or be carried back on it.' Therefore, Leotychides was engaged to a Bruttian girl from Bichenia who had a strong personality.
"Everyone, please line up in order as soon as possible. The blessing ceremony is about to begin! As soon as the music starts, you will follow me into the square in pairs, understand?!" The priest in charge of guiding the new couples reminded them again.
Aipialtes's spirits were lifted: It was finally about to begin!
A soothing, gentle, yet solemn piece of music entered the temple. The priestesses holding flower baskets took the lead in walking out of the temple. Aipialtes's fiancée took his arm and followed him forward…
The moment they walked into the square, the two were stunned: It was already an ocean of flowers! Colorful petals were scattered from the hands of the people on the sidelines, from the hands of the cute children shuttling through the square… falling one after another, turning into a carpet of flowers, for them to step on as they moved forward…
Outside the arena, thousands of people waved colored cloths and cheered loudly for them, and some acquaintances and friends even shouted their names, offering them blessings.
In this lively scene watched by thousands of people, every couple was excited and thrilled, as if they had become the happiest couple in the world.
When the music ended, they were already standing at the bottom of the steps in front of the Temple of Hera.
After the noise outside the arena subsided, Agnes said loudly: "Young men and women, Cupid shot you with his arrow of love, and under the guidance of Aphrodite, you fell in love and came here under the gaze of Hera.
Hera asked me to ask the men in the arena, are you willing to become the husband of this beautiful woman beside you? Are you willing to respect her until old age, to work hard for the new home you are about to build, not to violate the law, and to do your best to become an excellent citizen of the city-state, building and defending your homeland?!"
"I do!" Every man answered loudly without hesitation, because the priest's question was precisely their goal.
"Women in the arena, Hera asked me to ask you, are you willing to become the wife of this strong man beside you? Are you willing to love him, respect him, take care of him until old age, and manage the household, manage slaves, and raise children for him, so that they grow up to become excellent citizens of the city-state?!"
The delicate women answered with incomparable determination at this moment: "I do!"
Agnes looked outside the arena: "Does anyone object to any couple in the arena becoming husband and wife? If so, please say so now!"
No one objected.
Agnes breathed a sigh of relief, opened her arms, and announced loudly: "Now I declare that you have become husband and wife under the witness of Hera. I hope you will love each other forever! If anyone destroys your marriage and family, then no matter who it is, he will bear Hera's wrath and the just judgment of the Daonian League! Now, every husband in the arena can kiss his beautiful wife."
As soon as Agnes finished speaking, the flames in the brazier flared up again, flashing with sparks.
"Hera! Hera!" The people and the newlyweds exclaimed.
At this moment, the music started. Compared to the solemn and sacred melody when entering the arena, this piece of music had a beautiful, enthusiastic, sweet, and happy melody.
Aipialtes's wife blushed and closed her eyes. When her lips met his, she only had one thought in her mind: Aipialtes was right to insist on participating in the Thurii Marriage Festival. This life has no regrets!…
And Leotychides's wife opened her eyes and couldn't help but be surprised when she saw tears faintly flashing in her husband's eyes as he kissed her: Her always tough husband would actually cry?!
She did not know that in the midst of the blessings of thousands of people, Leotychides was thinking of his mother who had committed suicide after being humiliated. At this important moment, he still lacked the blessings of his closest relatives!…
At this time, it was already afternoon. The people who had rushed to the temple early in the morning and the newlyweds in the square were all tired and hungry, but no one turned around to go home. Instead, everyone was eager to try, because the last celebration program of the Marriage Festival was about to begin.
As soon as Agnes uttered the word "water splashing," all the people immediately picked up the pottery pots filled with clear water on the ground and splashed them on the people nearby. And the children who were responsible for scattering flowers before now drilled into the arena and splashed water on the pairs of newlyweds, causing the brides to scream and the grooms to stand up to protect them. Among the playful children were Cynthia, her younger brother Adoris, and classmates from school…
For a time, the inside and outside of the arena were in turmoil, and water splashed everywhere.
And the people who had finished splashing water rushed to the Crati River next to the temple, scooped up water, and continued to fight. This was also one of the reasons why the Temple of Hera was built by the river.
The clear water soaked the chitons they were wearing, and the men simply took off their upper bodies, only tying the chitons around their waists, revealing their strong bodies. The Greeks admired physical beauty, and the Daonians were no exception. Moreover, the population of this newly established city-state alliance was mainly composed of immigrants, and most of the immigrants were young. In addition to labor and life, they received far more military training than ordinary Greek city-states. They were stronger, more agile, and more willing to show off the results of these trainings.
And the women's outer garments were all wet, revealing their curves, but they didn't care too much, because everyone was like that.
The openness and boldness of Daonian women often amaze foreigners who arrive in Daonia for the first time, while the more conservative ones secretly mock them as "barbaric."
But in fact, the formation of this open atmosphere is due, on the one hand, to the influence of the Lucanians and Brutii people's "barbaric ways" in the alliance's population composition, and on the other hand, it is also the result of deliberate indulgence by the alliance's higher-ups, mainly Davos.
Just imagine, even the chief priest of the Hera Temple allows newlyweds to kiss in public and regards it as sacred, so what does it matter if women show their faces and reveal their figures?
The Daonians are accustomed to this, and this open atmosphere has also aroused the yearning of young men and women in the neighboring Daonian allied city-states.
Kastron is a given, and even unmarried men and women from Heraclea and Metapontum come to participate in the Marriage Festival.
Davos is happy to see this, as it signifies that these "customs" of the emerging Daonian alliance are leading the fashion and deepening their influence on Magna Graecia.
At this time, the masses were caught up in a water-splashing carnival, and the patrolling soldiers among them became awkward existences.
A patrolman, while dodging the splashed water, suggested to Rodom: "Captain, no one will cause trouble here at all.
Why don't we join the water-splashing carnival too?!"
Rodom is no longer the Brutti youth who knew nothing about Daonia a few years ago.
Years of training have made him different from what he used to be, and of course he knows that if a Daonian citizen commits a crime or evades taxes, once there is a blemish, it will be extremely difficult to join the army or take public office.
Unless they are crazy, Daonians generally will not allow themselves to make such a mistake.
But he still reprimanded: "We must not be complacent.
If something really happens and you and I are not on duty, we will not escape punishment!"
The patrolman stopped talking, and Rodom comforted his clansman: "There is a Marriage Festival every year.
If you really want to participate, marry a Greek woman next year, and I will give you a vacation!"
"Greek women are not so easy to marry," the patrolman muttered.
According to Daonian law, there are many encouraging policies for foreigners marrying Greek women, but after the Brutti region and part of the Lucania region (i.e., Pyxous) were incorporated into the Daonian alliance, a large number of foreigners became Daonian citizens or probationary citizens, making Greek women extremely popular.
Due to Daonia's development in recent years, land distribution has been approaching saturation.
Seeing that there was no hope of land distribution in the short term, the number of free people staying in Daonia's territory began to decrease, causing many foreign citizens to turn their attention to the women of neighboring countries.
However, most non-Daonian Greek women and their families cannot accept the marriage proposals of foreigners who were originally regarded as "barbarians," even if he is a Daonian citizen.
"Don't be discouraged.
If it really doesn't work, you can ask Lord Bagerippus to come forward." Rodom's suggestion made the patrolman's eyes light up.
Chief Bagerippus is now a member of the Daonian Senate.
As Daonia's national strength becomes stronger and stronger, the city-states of Magna Graecia become more and more in awe of it, and the senators of the Daonian Senate are naturally respected by these city-states.
With Bagerippus's endorsement, the hope of a successful marriage proposal naturally increases.
While the Daonian people were reveling wantonly, there were also foreigners participating in this ceremony, but most of them were just watching the excitement and did not participate, including Hermias of Syracuse.
He looked at the scene in surprise.
Although the absurdity of the marriage celebration is not as good as the Bacchanalia of Dionysus, its joy and excitement surpass it.
According to his observations during his time in Thurii, the Daonians are rigorous, rigid, law-abiding, and even a little cautious.
When traveling and doing things, they are a little restrained when they encounter the patrol team, far less unrestrained and free than the Greek citizens of other city-states.
But combining everything in front of him with the intense and fiery football match he had seen before, he had to admit that the Daonians were also very crazy in their bones.
Compared with the current Syracusans, even though both are tyrannical city-states (he believes that Davos is a tyrant), the Daonians are more joyful and do not feel any repression.
Syracuse may be because Dionysius was almost driven off the stage by the people before (that is, the time when Himilco led the Carthaginian army to approach the city of Syracuse).
After that, he implemented a high-pressure rule in the city of Syracuse, frantically searching for democrats, greatly increasing the number of patrol teams, patrolling the city all day, and investigating suspicious personnel.
These were all carried out by mercenaries.
He built several military camps not far outside the city, with nearly 5,000 mercenaries stationed there.
He also granted a large number of mercenaries citizenship (mainly Campanians) and distributed land near Syracuse to them, allowing them to establish villages and towns, thereby consolidating his rule.
At the same time, for his own safety, Dionysius forcibly moved the people living on Ortygia Island, only allowing himself, his family, and his courtiers loyal to him to live there.
He also continuously strengthened the city walls around Ortygia Island and built fortresses, guarded by 2,000 mercenaries he trusted, completely guarding against the Syracusan people as enemies.
Hermias shook his head and suppressed these dangerous thoughts in his mind.
In any case, he is now appreciated by Dionysius, not only is the salary generous, but also the promotion speed is fast.
He doesn't want to be suspected by this suspicious tyrant one day because of an inappropriate word.
Seeing that the sky was getting late, Hermias judged that Polyxis should be back, and he left the laughter behind him without hesitation.
Judging from Polyxis's situation in the Senate these days, the situation is gradually becoming favorable to Polyxis.
Davos's seemingly solid power has begun to waver. It's ridiculous to say that Dionysius's dictatorial and high-pressure rule makes his throne as stable as Mount Tai, and the people are trembling and no one dares to oppose him!
On the other hand, Daonia's young consul is friendly to the people and uses gentle methods, which makes him timid and allows himself and Polyxis to take advantage of this defect and let go.
Of course, Hermias will not regret Davos.
In fact, once this matter is successful, he will be greatly promoted by Dionysius, and it is not impossible to sit side by side with the important minister Philistus!
Thinking of this, his heart was burning, and he strode towards Polyxis's mansion.
Agnes walked on the corridor of the mansion, and the slaves bowed and greeted her.
The slaves treated the two beautiful mistresses differently: Christoia was shrewd and capable, and held the power of the family, so everyone was more in awe of her; while Agnes was a priestess of Artemis and Hera, and although she had a cold personality, she had a gentle temper, and everyone respected her.
Arriving at the half-closed wooden door in the backyard, she gently pushed it open and heard a loud shout: "Happy Marriage Festival!"
Then, a white mass flew towards her, and she couldn't help but scream as clear water splashed on her, soaking her whole body.
"Successful sneak attack, yeah!" Davos celebrated with the excited Adoris like a child, while Cynthia secretly laughed beside him.
Seeing this scene, Agnes also laughed.
As the chief priest, standing high on the platform, no one would splash water on her.
Seeing the people in the square having so much fun, she would sometimes envy and think: How great would it be if I could splash water too!
Now, her wish has come true.
"Mommy Agnes, hug me! Mommy Agnes, hug me!" Little Kro shouted and ran over.
I don't know why, but since Agnes married in, this child has liked this new mother very much.
Agnes bent down, wanting to pick him up, but suddenly remembered that her clothes were wet, and quickly stopped him.
Little Kro cried out in dissatisfaction.
"Don't make trouble, child!" Christoia's words made Little Kro quiet down immediately: "Sister, go take a bath and change your clothes first, Asuna has prepared everything for you."
"Thank you, sister!" Agnes responded with a smile.
She went upstairs, and there was a large wooden barrel in the bedroom, surrounded by mist.
She reached out and touched it, and the water temperature was just right.
She quickly took off her priestess's white robe and lining and stepped into the barrel.
Standing in front of the temple for a day, it was impossible not to be tired.
The suitable water temperature nourished her skin, giving her a drowsy and comfortable feeling.
At this time, a pair of strong arms wrapped around her from behind.
She was startled at first, but then relaxed again.
Who else could it be but her husband!
"Agnes, you've worked hard!" Davos said gently, his warm breath lightly spraying on her earlobe, making her feel a slight tingling sensation.
"Come, let me see!" Davos's gentle voice carried a sense of urgency.
He supported her arms with both hands and easily pulled her up.
Agnes subconsciously crossed her left hand in front of her chest and covered the lower part with her right hand.
Davos gently pushed away her hands, and his eyes gradually burned with flames, scorching every inch of her skin, making her tremble involuntarily.
"Agnes, my wife, you are as beautiful as Hera!" Davos exclaimed excitedly.
Agnes suddenly smiled slyly and poured the water from the barrel onto Davos: "Happy Marriage Festival!"
Looking at Davos's deliberately embarrassed appearance, she couldn't help but laugh, and her trembling delicate body added to her allure.
"Okay, I'm going to punish you properly!" Davos said "fiercely," picked her up in one swoop, and gently placed her on the bed.
In Agnes's nervous and expectant eyes, Davos tore off the Bolton on his body and leaned down towards her.
"My Hera!" he whispered, kissing her delicate lips.
If Nykstratos had some doubts about the rumors of Daonia's superb medical skills before, after a day of medical forum exchanges, he was already convinced.
Although termed an exchange, it was primarily the Daunian doctors who were doing the lecturing.
The first day was dedicated to exploring medical theories. The various novel medical terms spouted by the young Daunian doctors were not only unheard of by him, but the unprecedented and unique medical theories and discoveries completely subverted his previous knowledge and experience. Yet, they also plunged him into deep thought, as if a window had been opened for him, allowing him to see a new and broader world of medicine. How could he not be extremely excited!
Nicostratus barely touched his dinner, spending the entire evening pondering the knowledge he had absorbed during the day. He only lamented his poor memory, unable to record it all. Even lying in bed, he was still recalling what he had heard during the day, resulting in a sleepless night. But early the next morning, he perked up again and headed to the medical academy with Stasicrates.
Upon arriving at the gate of the Daunian Academy, hundreds of doctors were already waiting there. Of course, they weren't waiting for these two Crotonian doctors, but eagerly anticipating the arrival of Davos, the Archon of Daunia.
By this time, Nicostratus was no longer as radical as he had been before coming to Thurii. Through the previous day's learning and conversations with other doctors, he deeply understood Davos's lofty position among the Daunian doctors. Even foreign doctors who had heard him speak mentioned him with respect. This made Nicostratus full of curiosity about Davos, and he waited quietly like the other doctors.
Before long, Davos arrived, accompanied by Herippus, the Dean of the Medical Academy, and followed by more than a dozen guards.
The doctors stirred, eager to greet him.
The guards immediately tried to stop them, but Davos waved them back. Smiling, he took the initiative to meet them, and Stasicrates immediately asked the doctors to consciously maintain order.
Davos could mostly call out the names of the foreign doctors who had attended the forum last year, and happily exchanged a few words with them. Newcomers were introduced by Herippus and Stasicrates respectively, and Davos welcomed their arrival with a smile.
"Clausus, I remember you as a famous doctor from Metapontium. What wonderful lecture have you brought this time?" Davos said with a smile to the doctor in front of him.
"Lord Davos, please don't jest. How dare I call myself a famous doctor in your presence!" Clausus said humbly.
"In this sacred place, there are no lords, only doctors who heal the wounded and rescue the dying, and scholars engaged in medicine," Davos corrected with a smile. "Just call me Davos."
"Dav… Davos," Clausus respectfully bowed, then said, "Corio Pompilius of Tarentum is unable to attend this forum due to certain reasons. He asked me to convey his apologies and express his regret for not being able to hear your wonderful lecture!"
Davos's expression became somewhat helpless.
He sighed, "Although Daunia and Tarentum have had some minor misunderstandings and conflicts in the past two years, this should not become an obstacle to academic exchange."
After Tarentum and the Messapians reached a peace agreement, their strength gradually recovered. They began to feel annoyed by Heraclea and Metapontium's secession from the Tarentine alliance, and of course, they also hated Daunia, which had once rescued them. However, the now powerful Daunian League could only make them swallow their anger. Daomylas, the representative of the radicals who had been ambushed by the Messapian-Metapontine allied forces due to rash advances and almost annihilated, was originally accused by the citizens' assembly and almost expelled from the city-state. However, in the past two years, he cunningly catered to the people's aspirations and repeatedly publicly criticized Daunia, condemning the council for being too weak towards Daunia, and regained the support of the disappointed people, and was even re-elected as Archon at the end of last autumn.
As a result, minor frictions between Tarentum and Daunia began to become frequent. Tarentines repeatedly entered the territory of Metapontium for no reason; when Tarentine and Daunian fishing boats met at sea, quarrels and fights occasionally occurred; goods piled up by Daunian merchant ships in the port of Tarentum were often lost, and occasionally even detained, and so on. Daunian diplomatic envoys went to Tarentum many times to protest and negotiate, jokingly saying, 'The time I have spent traveling to foreign countries in my life is not as much as the time I have spent in Tarentum.'
But overall, both sides maintained restraint, after all, they were still allies. Tarentum was still facing pressure from the Messapians and Peucetians, and still needed Daunia's support. It was just that the newly elected general was playing some clever tricks and small tricks to vent the people's depression and respond to the people's expectations. Daunia, out of guilt for digging away Heraclea and Metapontium, turned a blind eye and tried to appease the situation.
While feeling emotional, Davos greeted the doctors and then the crowd crowded him into the gate.
Just as they walked a short distance, someone rushed out from the front. Martius was shocked and was about to rush forward to stop him.
Then he heard the man excitedly shout: "Davos, it's done! We did it! The model design for the Saracenus River stone bridge, we have completed it! After testing, there are no problems!"
It turned out to be Maticoris. Martius slowed down, but this also gave him a reminder, and he immediately ordered the guards to patrol around and stop any reckless intruders.
At this time, Davos also looked delighted: "That's really great! You hand over the stone bridge model and data to Little Heraclides, and when I'm done with things here, I'll go see your great achievements!"
"There's also good news! We've designed a new pulley system that allows the lifting arm to rotate 360 degrees on the spot. You must come and see it too, and give us some suggestions for improvement," Maticoris continued.
Davos was even more delighted and immediately made a promise.
The current Maticoris is no longer as ignorant of the world as he was when he first arrived in Amendolara. While doing research at the Academy of Mathematics, he also undertakes some management tasks. He repeatedly exhorted a few words, and then hurried away.
"Who is that person?" Nicostratus was curious about the tone of the person who spoke to Davos.
"Maticoris, the vice president of the Academy of Mathematics, a crazy mathematical genius!" A Daunian doctor said.
"Daunia is finally going to start building stone bridges, that's really great!" A Heraclean doctor said happily. There are many rivers in Heraclea. In the rainy season, the river water rises sharply, almost becoming a swamp. Although Daunia had previously helped them build several wooden bridges, in the rainy season, most of the bridge bodies were submerged in the water. The people of Heraclea were very worried about the repeated and long-term immersion of the wooden bridges in the river water and the durability of the wood. With stone bridges, they would be much more at ease.
Connecting the fact that the vice president of the Academy of Mathematics also asked this young Archon for advice, Nicostratus, who had a slight favorable impression of him because of Davos's cordial greetings just now, was even more looking forward to his lecture.
Davos stood still on the podium, below were the doctors sitting upright.
In their expectant gaze, Davos cleared his throat and said calmly: "Since we have already greeted each other at the entrance of the academy just now, I will not do the same thing here again."
The doctors let out a burst of chuckles. Every doctor who came on stage to exchange ideas had to introduce themselves and greet their colleagues, which had gradually become a routine of the medical forum.
Davos smiled, stretched out his right hand, and made a fist in the air: "What do you say I'm holding in my hand?"
There's nothing there! Some people immediately had this idea.
Before they could answer, Davos said: "Air, it is the ubiquitous air, this is the name I gave it. Although it looks like there is nothing, everyone of us, every animal cannot live without it. If you don't believe it, you can use linen to forcefully cover your mouth and nose, isolating yourself from the air, and you will soon suffocate and die.
Everyone is very clear about this, but why is air, which seems to be nothing, so important to us humans? What is the relationship between it and our human body? Today, I will talk about this aspect of the problem, hoping to arouse your thinking."
As soon as Davos finished speaking, the doctors widened their eyes and pricked up their ears. Even Herippus and Stasicrates in the front row leaned forward, looking excited.
"For air to be related to the human body, it must first enter the human body. The entrance, everyone knows very well, is our mouth and nose. Where is the exit?" Davos glanced at everyone: "Some people will say it's * * , because there are farts."
There was another burst of laughter below.
"Of course not, it can even be said that the air entering our mouth has little to do with the farts that are expelled." As Davos spoke, he turned sideways to face a wooden human body model that was about the size of a person: "Thanks to the unremitting research of the doctors at the Medical Academy on human anatomy, and the exquisite skills of the Thurii craftsmen, they have created the most realistic and ingenious human structure model in the world. Below, I will use this model to explain to you."
In the Greek city-states of this era, desecrating the body was illegal, and could even face accusations of capital crimes. However, the pursuit of truth prompted a few doctors to risk their lives to secretly dissect corpses in order to solve the problems in their hearts. Hippocrates was the most famous of them. However, in Daunia, because doctors had a high status, Herippus was a member of the Senate, Daunia also established a Ministry of Health last year, and more importantly, with the support of Archon Davos, the Senate specially legislated for "dissecting corpses":
The Medical Academy can use unclaimed slave corpses or corpses of enemies on the battlefield that no one recognizes for medical research, but each corpse must be registered with the Ministry of Health, and must not be dissected in public places, and must be buried in the designated place in time after use to avoid causing plagues, etc.
Based on this alone, Daonia is a desirable place for Greek doctors.
Davos pried open the outer layer of the model's jaw and neck, revealing the passage inside: "Everyone, please look, the passages of the mouth and nose merge here, and then split into two passages—"
He pointed to a hose made of tanned leather: "We all know that the nose is for breathing air, but the mouth not only breathes air, but also eats and drinks. Air and food each take their own passage, and after long-term observation by the doctors of the medical school, they believe that this pipe carries air, and they call it the trachea. And the other passage behind it carries food and water, and we call it the esophagus. Everyone, touch the lower part of your neck, the harder, uneven part under the skin is the trachea."
The foreign doctors below the podium really touched their necks to feel the trachea that Davos was talking about.
"Some people may ask, since the openings of the esophagus and trachea are connected together, wouldn't food and water easily enter the trachea?" Davos said, seeing many people nodding, so he smiled and said: "In fact, this is almost impossible. There is a very soft bone at the opening of the trachea. When we swallow, it will automatically cover the opening of the trachea, preventing food and water from entering the trachea. If you are interested, you can come and take a look after the meeting. The human body model made by Daonia's craftsmen under the guidance of doctors is quite accurate. However, don't break it, this model is the treasure of the medical school, and no amount of money can buy it! Am I right, Herpus?"
"Yes, Teacher Davos. We only use it for teaching, and we usually don't let people touch it," Herpus said with a smile.
After Davos and Herpus said this, the foreign doctors were all eager to see it. They stood up and looked at the human body model next to Davos, and the scene was a little chaotic.
Davos then continued to ask: "I heard that the young doctor Kritos of the medical school discovered this cartilage. For this reason, he also specially dissected living pigs and sheep, carefully observed the movement and mechanism of this cartilage, right?"
"Yes," Herpus nodded.
"Is he here today?" Davos asked with a smile.
"Yes."
"Then, please Dr. Kritos stand up and let everyone get to know him," Davos said with a smile, loudly.
Kritos stood up shyly under the pushing of his colleagues.
"Let us thank Kritos with warm applause for this important discovery!" Davos took the lead in applauding, and then the whole audience burst into warm applause, and his classmates even excitedly whistled.
Kritos was both nervous and excited.
Lykasos looked enviously at Kritos standing in front: This doctor, who looked about the same age as himself, was shyly accepting the applause of the audience. When would he be able to make a name for himself in Magna Graecia like him, instead of always being an apprentice like a servant?
"Kritos, I expect you to make more discoveries in medicine and make greater achievements!" Davos encouraged him enthusiastically.
It seemed a little ridiculous for a young man to encourage another young man in the tone of an elder, but most of the doctors present did not think so. And Kritos was even more excited, his chest rising and falling sharply: "Okay... okay, Teacher Davos!"
After Kritos sat down, Davos continued: "If you don't eat carefully sometimes, you will suddenly cough. This is actually because the cartilage does not cover the trachea in time, causing food to enter the trachea; if a mother brings a baby to you for medical treatment and tells you, 'The child keeps coughing when drinking milk', it may also be because of this reason..."
Davos's words were memorized by the foreign doctors, confirming similar cases they had seen before.
"Air enters an organ through the trachea. After many dissections, the Daonia Medical School calls this trachea the lung." Davos said, prying open the chest of the human body model and disassembling the wooden left lung to show everyone.
"The dissection results of the medical school found that there is a lung on both the left and right sides of our body. It is like a pig bladder that children play with. When inhaling, air enters and the lung expands; when exhaling, air is discharged and the lung shrinks. You may find it strange that air enters the lungs from the mouth and nose, and then exhales from the lungs through the mouth, turning around and returning to the origin. It seems meaningless. But I tell you, our body is the most precious treasure given to the world by the gods. It is very wonderful and never does meaningless things!"
Davos looked around at the doctors below the stage, seeing that they were all listening attentively, and said seriously: "After many dissections of corpses, the medical school found that after the trachea enters the lung, it continuously divides into thinner tubes, just like the branches of a large tree, how big is the trachea we can finally see?"
Davos pulled out a hair from his head and said: "It's this big! And what is the end of such a small trachea? Who can tell me?!"
At this time, a young Daionian doctor stood up: "It's blood vessels! We found in the dissection that there are many equally small blood vessels intertwined with these tracheas. These small blood vessels are formed by the continuous differentiation of two large blood vessels from the heart..."
"Then, what is the use of these two large blood vessels from the heart?" Davos continued to ask.
"They come from different positions of the heart, one is responsible for pumping blood to the lungs, and the other is responsible for collecting blood from the lungs."
"What other obvious differences are there?"
"Um... one blood vessel pumps blood out, and two blood vessels collect blood back..." the young doctor hesitated and replied.
"There is a difference, is there anything else?"
"Uh..." the young doctor blushed and couldn't answer.
"Thank you for your answer, what's your name?"
"Strobus from the Daonia Medical School."
"Thank you for your wonderful answer, you said it very well!"
Strobus, who was originally a little frustrated, smiled again when he heard Davos's praise.
"Everyone, air turns around in the lungs and then goes out, blood turns around in the lungs and then returns to the heart. If nothing happens, then our body is too boring, so idle that it is doing such meaningless things all the time, is this possible?!" Davos asked, causing everyone to think, and at the same time, he resolutely answered: "Of course this is impossible! Air and blood must have some kind of wonderful reaction in the lungs, it's just that our naked eyes can't see it, just like we can't see what makes our wounds infected. So what is this reaction? How important is it to our body?"
Hearing this, the doctors all showed great interest. While thinking, they also pricked up their ears to listen to Davos's next speech.
Davos smiled: "Although I don't know what reaction occurs between blood and air, we can discover the existence of this reaction through certain phenomena. Herpus, have you carefully observed the blood in the human or animal body? Have you found any differences in the blood?"
"Blood?" Herpus fell into thought. To be honest, Davos did not inform him of the theme of today's speech in advance. Like everyone else, he was accustomed to transparent air and had not deeply considered this issue. In addition, in the past two years, he has been the director of the Ministry of Health, and also served as the dean of the Turi Hospital and the dean of the Daonia Medical School. Administrative affairs have increased, and he has lacked time to do medical research.
Stacy Cordas next to him also fell into thought.
"Oh!" Someone suddenly remembered something and exclaimed: "It's the color! The color of blood!"
Davos fixed his eyes and saw that the speaker was Kritos. He looked appreciatively at this young doctor who was good at thinking and creative, and then quickly withdrew his gaze: "That's right, it's the color of blood! Doctors of the medical school, as long as you have done animal vivisection in this area, you will find that the originally dim blood enters the lungs, and when it is brought back to the heart by another blood vessel, the blood has turned bright red. Only air and blood are flowing in the lungs, so there must be something in the air that has entered the blood, which is why the color of the blood has changed! And this thing... what is the role of this invisible thing entering the blood?"
Herpus, Stacy Cordas, Kritos... all the doctors, including Lykasos, were staring at Davos at this moment, holding their breath, for fear of missing a single word.
Davos's expression also became serious: "We noticed that the blood that returns to the heart is pumped by the heart to all parts of the body, and the bright red blood is reflected in our body. Our lips are red, our fingers are red, and our face turns red after exercise... But when we see a person with these characteristics, based on our years of medical experience, we can easily judge that this person is healthy and energetic. And sometimes we encounter such patients, their lips are purplish, the ends of their hands and feet are black, their complexion is cyan, and they walk tremblingly...
We can also easily judge that this person is sick, and the disease is very serious. Isn't this the change presented in the body when these two kinds of blood are mixed and not mixed with this thing from the air?! Can we think that this thing is as indispensable to the human body as food, it makes us healthy and energetic?! Can we also make such an inference for this type of patient with purplish lips and black fingertips, that there is a problem with their trachea, or lungs, or the blood vessels entering the lungs, or the blood vessels returning to the heart, so that this thing in the air ultimately fails to reach the whole body through the blood?!…"
After Davos finished his speech, all the doctors in the audience stood up and bowed to him in unison, then began to applaud, applauding enthusiastically and continuously.
The words "wonderful" and "insightful" could not adequately describe Davos's speech. He had pushed the medical theories of this era to a deeper and broader realm. If the doctors of the past were groping forward in the dark, then each of Davos's speeches was like a beam of light, allowing them to advance along its brightness.
The doctors' shock and gratitude were beyond words, and they could only express their emotions in this way. This included Nicostratus, although he was not very clear about human anatomy, he was finally certain that the true mystery of medicine lay here, in the Daonian Medical College, and in Davos himself!
Davos bowed repeatedly in return.
The applause continued...
............
The three-day medical exchange forum finally came to an end. Some foreign doctors left, while others applied to stay and continue to visit and learn, including Nicostratus and Stasippus.
For several days in a row, they worked as assistants in the Thurii Hospital, learning how Daonian doctors diagnosed and treated diseases, and occasionally observing their surgeries.
As for systematic study of medical theories, human anatomy, etc., the Daonian Medical College had very strict requirements. Students had to be Daonian citizens, prospective citizens, or freedmen who had left their motherland and applied for Daonian citizenship, and had to pass the Medical College's rigorous examination before being admitted.
The eccentric Nicostratus had one characteristic: once he agreed with something, he would invest much more enthusiasm than ordinary people. He was conquered by Daonian medicine and had the idea of staying here, but for a citizen of Croton like him, with a family, it was not an easy matter and he had to go back and discuss it.
Nicostratus's attitude even influenced Stasippus, who also began to consider staying to study.
One day, the two decided to go to the pharmacy in Thurii to take a look. After visiting the pharmacies in the city, they heard that there was an even larger, more complete, and more diverse medicinal herb market in the port, so they decided to go and see it.
The current port of Thurii is different from what it was a few years ago. Although it does not have the excellent deep-water harbor of Croton, the natural storm resistance of the port of Tarentum, or the superior geographical location of the port of Rhegium, it has become the largest port in Magna Graecia.
The reason is simple: the Daonian city-state alliance has undoubtedly become the overlord of Southern Italy, with strength far surpassing other city-states. As the center of the alliance, Thurii has the powerful advantage of political status. How many freedmen want to flock to Thurii and become Daonian citizens; how many envoys and senators from the city-states of Magna Graecia come to Thurii to visit, seek help, and consult with the Senate; how many merchants and tourists come here to experience the unique city-state customs of Daonia, appreciate the unique ball games and celebrations, and even enjoy the gourmet entertainment; not to mention the people within the Daonian alliance flowing to Thurii from nine to five... The huge flow of people naturally creates huge demand, and this demand cannot be completely solved by Thurii itself, so merchants who are good at capturing business opportunities come from all directions with cargo-laden merchant ships.
The port and market of Thurii have been expanded again and again, and now it has expanded northward from the original mouth of the Crati River to the vicinity of the Temple of Hera.
After Nicostratus and his group passed the Temple of Hera and entered the area of the port market, they quickly felt the difficulty of walking. Although Thurii had built several roads between the main city and the port market, and stipulated that vehicles and pedestrians should take different routes, the huge flow of people still made traffic very congested. Walking in it, people rubbed shoulders, and although it was only a warm spring, Nicostratus and the other two were already sweating.
At this time, a patrol team passed by.
The quick-witted Lycasus hurriedly led the two of them to follow behind. With the patrol team clearing the way in front,
they were a little more relaxed.
The port of Thurii has actually developed into a large town. It is divided into two parts: one part is the port, and the other part is the market, separated by a stone wall guarded by soldiers. After cargo ships enter the harbor, dock at the pier, and unload their cargo, the cargo is transported directly to the market, or placed in warehouses, or put on sale in shops.
The market is strictly planned by the Daonian commercial officer Marigi into straight streets, with shops, warehouses, and workshops lined up on both sides... Moreover, the same type of goods or commodities are placed in one or several streets as much as possible for sale, which is convenient for management and also convenient for people to trade. There are several famous commercial streets or small markets (and several streets forming the same commodity sales area) in the port market of Thurii that are famous in Magna Graecia, and even the entire Southern Italy.
For example: the stone market. For the Daonian alliance, which is keen on building roads and repairing temples, and also owns several stone mines in its territory, this industry is very prosperous and developed, not only has a variety of quality marble, but also has a lot of labor engaged in this industry, and the price is also relatively cheap.
Matching this is Sculpture Street. Statues for temples, commemorative columns for squares, steles on both sides of avenues... attract and foster a large number of carving craftsmen engaged in this industry, but because there has not yet been a sculpture that can shock the entire Greece, there has not yet been a sculpture master, and more are producing low-to-medium-end sculptures.
The weapons market is also extremely famous. It should be known that the Daonians conquered Magna Graecia by force, and of course attach great importance to the production and sale of weapons, and the people are also willing to invest money in this area in order to obtain military exploits, so it has led to the port market gathering hundreds of large and small weapons workshops and shops, half of which come from other Greek city-states outside the alliance, the most famous of which are two, one is the legion weapons shop under the Disabled Soldiers Committee of the Ministry of Military Affairs, and the other is the Theos Weapons Workshop.
There is also a market that is very famous—the livestock market. Since the Lucanian and Bruttian mountain tribes, which are mainly engaged in animal husbandry, have joined the Daonian alliance, Daonia also has the Lucanian and Bruttian highlands and mountains with abundant pasture resources. In addition, Christoia's restaurants are spread throughout the cities of the Daonian alliance, and a large part of their recipes are made of cattle, sheep and other livestock into various delicacies, which has spawned a great demand for meat among the Daonians, and while gradually changing their eating habits, it has also prompted the Lucanian and Bruttian regions to raise a large number of livestock such as cattle and sheep.
Livestock produced in these two regions are not only numerous, but also have delicious meat, which is deeply loved by the Greek people of Southern Italy who have tasted the delicacies of Christoia's restaurants. In fact, long before, Lucanian cattle were famous in the Western Mediterranean for their docile temperament, great strength, and good endurance, and became the first choice for pack cattle in this region. At the same time, Bruttian horses, although not good at running, are good at climbing mountains and are hardworking and durable, and are also quite marketable in Magna Graecia. In recent years, under the policy guidance of the Senate, the Bruttian region has begun to raise horses in large numbers. It should be known that most of the horses used in Daonian carriages come from the Bruttians' livestock market in the port of Thurii...
There is also a unique street in Daonia and quite famous in Southern Italy—the ball sports goods market. Rugby and football were first played in Daonian military camps, and later became popular throughout the Daonian League and allies, and city-wide competitions are held every year. However, the people are no longer satisfied with only one game a year, so at Davos's suggestion, the Senate issued a new law last year allowing citizens of each city (please note that it can only be citizens) to organize their own rugby or football teams, after registering with the city hall, the city executive organizes rugby or football matches in each city, about one rugby or football match every ten days, single round-robin, three points for one win, zero points for one loss, one point for a draw, the team with the highest points becomes the city champion and will be sent to Thurii to participate in the Southern Italy Finals, The Rugby Finals will be held after the Hades celebration ceremony on September 9th every year, and the Football Finals will be held on November 1st every year to celebrate the establishment of the Alliance, and the overall champion of rugby or football for this year will be determined. The participating teams also include some city-state teams of the allies, but some city-states are invited, but have never participated, such as Tarentum and Croton.
As a result, most Daonian citizens are both participants and spectators, and the audience in the arena is often packed for each game, and the people's enthusiasm for this type of game is greater than watching dramas, and it has become their main form of entertainment. As the saying goes, the investment of the whole people naturally promotes the popularity of this industry, from the short flutes in the referees' mouths to the goals used in the game, as long as it involves equipment and supplies for rugby and football games, they are sold on this street. It also includes some equipment for other sports. What is most surprising is that many shops selling famous players' products have appeared on this street. The popularity of the ball market will naturally give birth to some players with superb skills. Some of them shine in the games of various cities, and some even dominate the Daonian Finals. Naturally, people will pursue them and regard them as idols, so this kind of shop has emerged. Statues and dolls of famous players of various materials and sizes, as well as sportswear with their names and numbers, etc., are available... It can be seen that the commerce on this street is prosperous.
Another street unique to the port market of Thurii and famous throughout Southern Italy is the medicinal herb market that Nicostratus and his group are going to visit at this moment.