"Young man, don't be so hot-tempered." Ansitanoos sat still, gently comforting his student. He pointed to a pottery jar on a table beside him: "Come, try some mare's milk and honey water from Carthage to quench your thirst. This water tastes good, both sour and sweet, very special. I just had a follower buy it at the Syracuse market."
"I won't drink it!" Hynipolis huffed and sat down heavily on the wooden chair, which groaned painfully.
"Heni." Ansitanoos knew his student's temper and didn't mind. Instead, he coaxed him like a child: "You are going to be the Archon of Laos in the future, so you can't do things impulsively. If we return without even seeing Dionysius, not only will we fail our mission, but we will also be blamed. Moreover, the Syracuseans will laugh at our lack of etiquette—"
"It's Dionysius who doesn't understand etiquette, not receiving us in a timely manner. Why should we be blamed instead!" Hynipolis interrupted Ansitanoos loudly, disagreeing.
"They can say, 'Because he is busy negotiating with the Carthaginians, he can't spare the time to meet with us…' After all, for the Syracuseans, Carthage is much more important than our Daonia." Ansitanoos said calmly.
Hynipolis snorted and looked at Ansitanoos: "Teacher, is Dionysius actually trying to snub us and make Daonia look bad?!"
"If Dionysius were such a narrow-minded person, he wouldn't be able to sit in the position of Tyrant of Syracuse. This is probably just a difference in the importance he attaches to different matters." Ansitanoos stroked his graying beard, his eyes flashing with wisdom: "So we don't need to rush at all, just wait slowly… It's a good opportunity to see just how much weight the Daonian League carries in Dionysius's mind."
Although Hynipolis was young and vigorous, he was not a fool. On the contrary, his talent was the reason why Ansitanoos was willing to have this student accompany him on his mission to Syracuse: "Alright then, let's compete with Dionysius in patience and see who gives in first! This afternoon, I'll go to the theater in the city to watch a play. To be honest, although Syracuse is bigger than Thurii and has more people, it doesn't have the vibrant vitality of Thurii. There are no ball games to watch here, no delicious food to eat, so I can only go and see a play." Hynipolis said jokingly, picked up the pottery jar on the table, took a big gulp, and then spat it all out on the ground with a "Pfft": "This stuff is sour and fishy, it's too hard to drink, much worse than beer!"
"Young people don't know how to appreciate it." Ansitanoos quickly took the pottery jar, fearing that he would spit out all the liquid inside: "You should know that this water is learned by the Carthaginians from the Numidians, and has been slightly improved to make the taste more suitable for sailors at sea. In Numidia, this stuff is not just for quenching thirst, it is part of the food…"
"What does Numidia have to do with us? Listening to your tone, it seems like you want to study the history of this race again." Hynipolis said dismissively, believing that he knew his teacher well.
"It's not me, it's the owner of the house where you usually stay who is very interested in this and has asked me about Numidia many times." Ansitanoos took a sip of the water and said.
"Are you talking about Lord Davos?!" Hynipolis immediately became interested: "What is he asking about Numidia for?! You should know that the Daonian League and Numidia are separated by the ocean, Sicily, and Carthage, so there can't be any direct contact."
Ansitanoos pointed to his chest and said slowly: "There are always one or two people in this world who stand at a height that others cannot reach to think about problems, because their minds are infinitely broad."
"Lord Davos is indeed a very remarkable person!" Hynipolis said sincerely. Suddenly, he remembered something and said:
"Teacher, now that the Carthaginians have chosen to cease hostilities, I'm afraid it will be detrimental to our meeting with Dionysius, and even more detrimental to Daonia!"
Ansitanoos looked at his student with appreciation and asked: "Why?"
Hynipolis knew that his teacher was testing him again, so he carefully sorted out his thoughts before saying: "In the Western Mediterranean, Syracuse has always been the most powerful Greek city-state, but it has always been confined to the island of Sicily. The biggest reason is the Carthaginians. The powerful forces of the Carthaginians on the island of Sicily not only kept the Syracuseans on guard, but also threatened its survival many times. Syracuse was already very difficult to deal with Carthage, so where would it have the energy to care about matters outside the island of Sicily?
But in fact, the Syracuseans have always been very interested in our Magna Graecia. I remember that decades ago, the Syracusan tyrant Hiero had even taken the initiative to send troops into Magna Graecia. But in recent years, the situation in Sicily is very different from the past. The two large-scale military operations of Carthage have suffered Failure. I heard that this time, more than 20,000 people were killed or injured, so they had to propose a ceasefire. I am afraid that it no longer has much power to pose a threat to Syracuse."
Ansitanos nodded, expressing approval of his student's insights, but he did not believe that Syracuse would launch military actions against Magna Graecia, so he said: "Carthage's defeat lies in the fact that it seemed to be at war with the Syracusans, but in reality, it was fighting against the strength of the entire Greek city-state. How could the Peloponnesian League, led by Sparta, and the city-states of Campania, such as Naples, allow foreigners to completely occupy Sicily, thereby cutting off the trade routes of the eastern and western Mediterranean, and even threatening their rear (referring to Sparta)? I believe that after these two disastrous defeats, the Carthaginians will become wiser and will not easily provoke wars in Sicily again. With its strong power in Africa, it will still be Syracuse's greatest threat."
"You are right, teacher! However, at least for now, Syracuse's power is much stronger than Carthage's. After this peace talk with Carthage, I am afraid that the Carthaginians will greatly retreat to western Sicily. Syracuse's unification of Sicily is something that anyone can see is a likely event in the near future," Hynepolis said worriedly.
"Yes, this is a problem that our alliance will continue to pay attention to," Ansitanos said thoughtfully.
"It's not enough to just pay attention. I think Dionysius will not be satisfied with dominating Sicily. Dionysius is a greedy person. These two wars with Carthage were initiated by him to expand his territory. If Sicily is stabilized, he will probably set his sights on Magna Graecia."
Although Ansitanos did not agree with Hynepolis exaggerating Syracuse's war threat, as a scholar, he liked to debate with his students, which helped to inspire his thoughts. So he frowned and asked, "Why must it be Magna Graecia?"
"Because south of Sicily is Carthage. Dionysius would not dare to run wild in Carthage's real territory, no matter how arrogant he is; and to the east is Sparta's sphere of influence; to the west is the Iberian Peninsula, which is not only a long voyage, but also, I heard that there are many Carthaginian colonies established there. Dionysius would never launch a long expedition unless he was out of his mind, repeating Athens' mistake. Therefore, it can only be Magna Graecia to the north, which is only separated from Sicily by a narrow Strait of Messina. Dionysius can send 100,000 troops to the land of Magna Graecia in half a day.
Moreover, I believe that Dionysius has long coveted Magna Graecia, otherwise he would not have married a Locrian woman and allied with Locri. Now, while fighting Carthage, he still does not forget to send spies to disrupt Daunia. His ambition for Magna Graecia is already very obvious!"
"Hyni, you must understand that having ambition is one thing, and being able to launch a war is another. Dionysius may have coveted Magna Graecia, but Magna Graecia now has our Daunian League." As Ansitanos spoke, a strange thought suddenly arose in his mind: If Thurii was still the Thurii of the past, the prospects for these large and small city-states of Magna Graecia facing the behemoth that was Syracuse would really be unimaginable. Thank Hades for sending Davos, who established the Daunian League, which almost integrated the power of Magna Graecia, making Dionysius have to treat it with caution!
"And Syracuse has been at war for years. I heard that the national treasury is already in deficit, and the people are very dissatisfied. I believe you have felt this while wandering around the city these days. In such a bad situation, can Syracuse launch a large-scale war like the one against Carthage before? I think it is impossible. Moreover, this time we came to Syracuse to let Dionysius know the determination of our Daunian League and completely dispel his unrealistic ambitions!" Ansitanos said confidently.
Hynepolis was infected by him and nodded solemnly.
At this time, a servant walked into the guest room and said, "Lord Ansitanos, someone is looking for you outside, saying that they were sent by Philistus."
Philistus, a prominent minister of Dionysius? Ansitanos and his student exchanged glances...
............
Ansitanos was invited to attend a banquet hosted by Philistus tonight.
Just at dusk, the carriage sent by Philistus had already arrived at the hotel, and Ansitanos took Hynepolis into the carriage.
The place where Ansitanos's delegation resided was the city center of Syracuse. The first colony of the Syracusans was the island of Ortygia. It was not until a few decades ago that Dion became the tyrant of Syracuse. He led a large number of immigrants to expand inland. This expanded area is now the city center of Syracuse, where most of the temples, theaters, markets, etc. are concentrated. But this area, which was already not small, only accounted for a very small part of the urban area that Syracuse later expanded.
In the decades after the tyrant Dion was in power, the Syracusans extended the urban area to the northeast, incorporating an area near the coast three times larger than the central area into the city of Syracuse, calling it "Acradina". This coastal area also includes a quarry with abundant reserves.
After Dionysius came to power, in order to resist Carthage, he deeply realized the strategic importance of the Epipolae plateau adjacent to the city for the city's defense (during the Peloponnesian War, the Athenian expeditionary force to Sicily occupied this area and engaged in a long wall battle with the Syracusans). Therefore, he mobilized more than 6,000 free men. Under the stimulus of promising them citizenship, they built a city wall about 15 miles long in a very short period of time, encircling the Epipolae plateau, which was six times the area of the central area, into Syracuse.
Since then, Syracuse has become the largest city in all of Greece. It is bounded by the sea to the east, with cliffs and steep walls; the west and north sides are backed by mountains, and the roads are dangerous and difficult to climb; only the southwest side is close to the Great Harbor, but there are also swamps and rivers hindering the march. When the Carthaginian commander Himilco led a large army to Syracuse, he could do nothing about this giant city and eventually failed due to an outbreak of plague.
Ansitanos' carriage was heading towards the southeast corner of Syracuse, with its destination being Ortygia Island. Although it is called an island, it is actually connected to the mainland. It was the earliest colony of the Syracusans and later became the site of the Syracuse acropolis. The acropolis of most Greek city-states is almost in the center of the city, but the acropolis of Syracuse is isolated overseas, which is quite strange.
Dionysius happened to be interested in the geographical location of Ortygia Island and built his palace on the island. Based on the lessons learned from being almost overthrown by the Syracuse citizens' riots twice, he surrounded the entire island with city walls and garrisoned troops, allowing only his friends and supporters to live on the island. Philistos' residence was naturally located on the island as well.
The carriage galloped all the way and stopped at the isthmus connecting Ortygia Island with the mainland. In front of the carriage was a tall city wall, completely cutting off the road to the island. There was also a small but solid castle on the front side of the city wall. It is conceivable that if an enemy attacked from here, they would be jointly strangled by the castle and the soldiers on the city wall from the front and back.
Ansitanos was deeply moved by such an arrangement. He returned to the carriage and whispered to Hynepolis: "How can a city-state leader who is so defensive against its citizens be loved by the citizens!"
"The citizens of Syracuse almost killed him. It's not easy to be a tyrant!" Hynepolis had been wandering around Syracuse these past two days and learned some things. He also expressed his understanding of Dionysius' actions: "In comparison, Lord Davos is much more relaxed and comfortable in Thurii."
"Lord Davos is not a tyrant. You must remember this!" Ansitanos noticed that Hynepolis had a tendency to compare Davos' position in Thurii with Dionysius and immediately reminded him seriously: "Lord Davos doesn't even have the idea of becoming a tyrant, otherwise he wouldn't have created the peculiar public office of 'Tribune' to limit the power of those in power!"
Ansitanos' eyes were full of admiration, and Hynepolis nodded thoughtfully. After a while, he hesitated and asked: "Teacher, do you think my father is a tyrant?"
… … … … … … … … … … …
After the carriage passed the city guards' inspection, it passed through three city gates in a row and entered Ortygia Island.
Philistos' residence was quite luxurious, especially the reception hall, which was tall and spacious. The floor was completely paved with marble with colored patterns and polished to be as smooth as a mirror; delicately carved gold-inlaid lamps were arranged in a row on both sides, shining with golden light; each lamp post had five arm-thick candles illuminating the hall as bright as day; there were more than a dozen beautiful female slaves of different skin colors attending to each dining table.
Philistos, Dionysius' important minister who controlled Syracuse's civil affairs, was somewhat thin, and his rather handsome appearance revealed a scholarly air. At this moment, the smile on his face was as amiable as a spring breeze, and he began to introduce the other guests at the banquet to Ansitanos.
"This is Leptines, the younger brother of General Dionysius, and the commander of Syracuse's navy!"
"I've heard a lot about you!"
Both sides were busy saluting and greeting each other.
Ansitanos curiously looked at the other party. The Syracuse tyrant's own brother had a simple and honest appearance.
"This is General Dionysius' minister, my close friend Herolys!" The middle-aged man Philistos was talking about had sharp and compelling eyes. He took the initiative to step forward and said, "Ansitanos of Thurii, I have heard of your great name for a long time. Welcome! A few years ago, I went to Amendolara once and met your Archon Davos. Oh, at that time he was not yet the Archon of Daonia, but he left a very deep impression on me!"
Ansitanos hurriedly saluted to express his gratitude.
Philistos then introduced him to the next person: "This is the Syracuse General Massias!"
Massias, the leader of the former Campanian mercenaries with a rough appearance, simply greeted Ansitanos.
Philistos led Ansitanos to the last guest: "This is also my close friend, the most famous musical poet in all of Sicily—Philonous!"
The man named Philonous said: "Lord Philistos, you are too flattering me. I am just an ordinary person who likes music and poetry. I don't hold any position in Syracuse and can't compare with them." He pointed to the few people in front: "If I hadn't heard that you were from Thurii and also a scholar, I wouldn't have come."
Philonous' straightforward words made Philistos' expression a little awkward, but Hynepolis behind Ansitanos asked in surprise: "Are you Philonous?! That's great! The bards of Thurii often chant your poems, such as 'The autumn wind is rustling, my heart is sad, where is my former lover now...' It's really well written!…"
Philonous did not expect to meet an admirer from Thurii at the banquet and was quite surprised: "Who are you?"
"Hynepolis, Ansitanos' student." The young man hurriedly replied.
"He is also the only son of Archon Avinogis of Laos!" Massias said.
Ansitanos' heart sank. Looking at the faces of the other people, they were all normal. Obviously, the Syracusans had already conducted a detailed investigation of their mission.
"Student? What are you studying with him?" Philonous, who did not know Ansitanos, asked in surprise.
"Studying Mediterranean history, while training in writing articles and participating in the compilation of the teacher's books," Hynepolis replied.
Philonous looked at Ansitanos in surprise and asked bluntly: "What book are you writing?"
Ansitanos said modestly: "I want to write a book about the history of Southern Italy. It's just the beginning, and I'm collecting information everywhere…"
"Okay, everyone, let's go back to the banquet and chat while eating." Under Philistos' urging, everyone took their seats.
Soon, the servants brought up plates of dishes.
"I know that the cuisine of Thurii is very famous, but unfortunately I don't have a chef who can cook Thurii cuisine. I hope these foods will satisfy you," Philistos said to Ansitanos.
Ansitanos opened his arms and pointed to the food on his table, pretending to be surprised and said: "This is simply too rich!"
Philistos laughed and was about to speak.
Leptines on the opposite side said loudly: "I heard that most of the delicacies of Daonia were invented by your Archon Davos. Is this true?"
"You should know that those delicacies initially came from Davos' wife, Christoia's restaurant. Almost all Daonian citizens believe that Davos invented them, and of course, that includes me," Ansitanos replied tactfully.
"I heard that the rugby and soccer games popular in Magna Graecia were also invented by him, and even your Daonian doctors call him teacher. As an archon, the Daonian League is also a powerful force, and there must be a lot of affairs. How could he still have so much energy to waste on these trivial matters?" Massias' words revealed a suspicious tone.
"You have to admit that some people are favored by the gods and are born with more talent and more energy than others. Such examples are rare, but not non-existent, such as the former tyrant Periander of Corinth… What's more, our archon is also deeply favored by Hades!" Ansitanos replied calmly.
"How can your archon be compared with Periander, who created the glory of Corinth hundreds of years ago?" Philonous interjected.
Hynepolis looked indignant, and Ansitanos hurriedly stopped him with his eyes. Through the contact just now, Ansitanos felt that this Syracuse poet was a straightforward person, so he said with a solemn expression: "But in the hearts of Daonian citizens, Archon Davos is far more important than Periander! Because he has repeatedly led troops to defeat powerful enemies, rebuilt the burnt Thurii, conquered the barbarians in the mountains; built roads to facilitate the people and prosper trade; established hospitals to reduce people's injuries and diseases; funded the establishment of academies and schools to improve the quality of the people and encouraged scholars to explore knowledge; invented ball games and delicacies to entertain the public; and established fair laws to give citizens more rights… He single-handedly created the Daonian city-state alliance, which has kept Magna Graecia, which used to be constantly at war, in peace for the past few years, with no more wars. Therefore, some Daonian citizens even call him 'Father' at gatherings. He is undoubtedly the father of the Daonian League!"
After listening, Philonous praised loudly: "If it is really as you said, then I will take back what I just said. Your archon has done so much for Daonia in just a few years. He is indeed a great archon, in some aspects… even better than Dionysius!"
As soon as these words came out, the expressions of several people present changed. In Syracuse, only Philistus dared to praise the ruling official of another city-state as being more capable than their own tyrant in a public setting.
"It's a pity that I heard Davos of Daonia came from humble beginnings, previously a shepherd." (Referring to Davos herding sheep and horses in Thessaly before becoming a mercenary.)" Massias hurriedly interjected.
Hellenopolis finally couldn't help but retort, "Wasn't Dionysius himself born into nobility?! I heard that before he became general with full powers, he was just an ordinary clerk in Syracuse. Lord Davos once said to me, 'True heroes don't care about their origins, because they rely on their own abilities, not the gifts of their family.'"
"Well said! That's what I admire most about Lord Dionysius!" Philistus exclaimed loudly, to cover up Massias's indiscretion, "Everyone here has also achieved their esteemed positions today through their own efforts."
"Yes! Yes!" Massias echoed repeatedly, to mask his embarrassment.
"Gentlemen," Philistus quickly picked up his wine glass, stood up, looked around, and said loudly, "Because I've been accompanying Lord Dionysius in negotiations with the Carthaginians these past few days, I've been so busy that I couldn't spare the time, which has led to neglecting the distinguished guests from Daonia! Here, with my friends as company, I'll punish myself with a cup to express my apologies!"
"Good!" Heroleides raised his glass, and Leptines, Massias, and Philoxenus also raised their glasses.
Ancitanus didn't stand up to dissuade him, because he knew that Philistus was speaking on behalf of Dionysius, and the wine naturally contained Dionysius's apology as well.
After Philistus and the others finished their wine in one gulp, Ancitanus led Hellenopolis to stand up, raised his glass, and said, "I am very grateful for Lord Philistus's kind invitation, and I also congratulate Lord Dionysius on repeatedly defeating the powerful Carthaginians with the assistance of all of you. This is a great victory for Syracuse, and the most exciting news that the entire Magna Graecia has heard! Because Carthage, the greatest enemy of the Greek city-states in the western Mediterranean, has been severely damaged, the people of Sicily and Magna Graecia will enjoy long-term peace!" After speaking, the two of them also drank their wine in one gulp.
"Well said!" Philistus raised his glass again and shouted, "To Lord Dionysius! Victory to Syracuse!"
While the others raised their glasses to congratulate, Ancitanus noticed that Heroleides's expression wasn't as serious and enthusiastic as the two beside him, and Philoxenus didn't follow suit, but instead shouted, "For the peace of Sicily!"
Then Philistus gestured, and musicians and dancers entered the hall, and the banquet officially began.
Amidst the beautiful melody and the graceful swaying of the dancers, the crowd toasted and feasted…
When the music stopped and the dancers withdrew, Hellenopolis, under the tender whispers of the beautiful female slaves, had unknowingly nearly filled his stomach. He saw that Massias across from him was already kissing and embracing a female slave, behaving extremely indecently; Leptines was also flirting with a female slave; only Heroleides was still elegantly eating slowly; Philoxenus even dismissed the female slaves on both sides of him; he then turned to look at his teacher, Ancitanus, beside him, who was eating very little and always watching the singing and dancing with a smile… Hellenopolis was immediately ashamed of his lack of self-control.
At this time, Philistus, who was in the main seat, coughed twice, attracting everyone's attention to him, and then said, "Lord Ancitanus, since the establishment of the Daonian League, there has been basically no formal diplomatic exchange between our two sides. Is Daonia sending you to Syracuse this time for friendship?"
Here it comes! Ancitanus had been preparing for this moment for a long time, and he immediately said with a smile, "Of course, it is for friendship. Syracuse is a great city-state in Sicily, and Daonia is also a powerful league in Magna Graecia. Previously, one side was busy dealing with Carthage, and the other was fully engaged in repelling the natives in the mountains,
various reasons have prevented the two major Greek powers, which are so close to each other, from establishing friendly relations and communication, which has led to regrettable things—" Ancitanus deliberately paused.
The people of Syracuse did not speak, but Philoxenus asked curiously, "What regrettable things?"
Ancitanus seized the opportunity to take over the topic: "Several senators of the Daonian Senate were accused by the people of crimes such as corruption and bribery. When collecting evidence of their illegal activities, a large number of 'four-drachma silver coins' from Syracuse were found in their residences, as well as some letters. These letters—" Ancitanus looked at Philistus.
Philistus looked like he was listening attentively.
"The main content is an exchange with Polychares, a convicted senator of Daonia, discussing things like 'how to disrupt the order of the Daonian League, incite riots among the people, and bring down Archon Davos...' The letters are signed by—Philistus." Ancytanos looked at the host of the banquet again: "The letters also mention that 'he is under the orders of Lord Dionysius.' Polychares himself also admitted that 'he dared to carry out these actions betraying the alliance because he received support from Syracuse.'"
"Is that so?!" Philistus looked astonished: "I have never written to anyone named Pol... Polychares. This is really... Lord Ancytanos, can you bring the letters you mentioned?"
"I brought them." Ancytanos was prepared and took out a letter from the baggage he carried with him, handing it to the female slave beside him.
Philistus eagerly took the letter, unfolded it, and then showed a relieved smile: "Lord Ancytanos, if the handwriting and signature of every letter in your hand are the same, I can tell you with certainty that these letters were not written by me!"
"Oh?!" Ancytanos put on a surprised look.
"Go and bring a few letters with my signature from my study." Philistus immediately ordered his personal slave.
"Let me see this letter." Herolis spoke. Philistus handed him the letter.
Just as the slave went to get the letters and the banquet temporarily fell silent, Herolis, holding the letter, said: "...Well, Lord Ancytanos, I am very shocked to hear the news you just said. But I want to try to stand from an outside perspective and talk about my own judgment. Philistus is a literati who values his status and is relatively aloof. He disdains doing such despicable things that only despicable people would do, and it is impossible for him to communicate with that greedy and sordid Daonian senator Pol... Pol..."
"Polychares," Leptines reminded him from the side.
"Yes, Polychares. It's impossible for Philistus to write letters to him. And Lord Dionysius, as the plenipotentiary general, is happy to see that Daonia has an archon with a similar status to him, which makes him feel that he is not alone in this vast western Mediterranean, so how could he do things to undermine Lord Davos's rule!"
"Yes, my brother would never do such a thing!" Leptines emphasized loudly.
"I wonder if it could be like this—" Philistus pondered for a while and analyzed seriously: "Lord Dionysius single-handedly created the powerful Syracuse of today, uniting the Greek city-states of Sicily, but he has also been envied by many people. I think you all know that a few years ago, when the Carthaginian army approached the city of Syracuse, some people in the city incited the people to riot, wanting to bring Lord Dionysius down. Although the situation was eventually calmed down, rumors have been circulating in Syracuse all these years, and even minor riots and assassinations have emerged endlessly. Otherwise, the plenipotentiary general would not live on this island with such strict defenses.
These people are like poisonous snakes, hiding in caves, ignoring the peace and stability of Sicily, and seizing any possible opportunity to attack Lord Dionysius and those of us who support him. The Carthaginians were defeated, but in Magna Graecia there is a Daonian League with similar strength to Syracuse. If Syracuse and Daonia go to war, then they can have the opportunity to come out of the shadows again and create turmoil in Syracuse to achieve their goals..."
"Are you saying that this matter was done by Lord Dionysius's opponents, and then they framed Lord Philistus?" Ancytanos asked with a smile that was not a smile.
"That's very possible," Philistus replied seriously.
"Then, how do you explain that we also captured a Syracusan citizen named Hermes in Thurii, who has fully admitted that he was assigned by Lord Dionysius to Thurii to buy off Polychares and others to engage in destructive activities against Daonia?" Ancytanos's mouth revealed a hint of sarcasm.
"Hermes?" Philistus was a little confused and asked the others: "Do we have such a citizen in Syracuse?"
Henipolis couldn't help but say loudly again: "Stop pretending, we have investigated in detail. Hermes is a citizen of Syracuse, living in the commercial district next to the Temple of Apollo in the city center, with two sons. He is also the secretary of this Lord Herolis, I'm not wrong, am I?"
"Is this true?!" Philistus was shocked. Herolis's expression was even more surprised. He turned his head to look at Philistus. After their eyes met, he hesitated and said: "...I do have a secretary named Hermes under my command, but... a year ago, I went on a mission to Cyrenaica, and when I came back, I heard that he had been punished for corruption and lost his job... If the one Thurii caught is the same person, I really didn't expect him to run to Thurii. If you don't believe me, you can check the court records. His criminal record is half a year ago..."
"This is troublesome!" Philistus suddenly said loudly, his expression becoming extremely serious.
"What's wrong?" Leptines asked in confusion.
"If the Hermes that Lord Ancytanos mentioned is the same person as Lord Herolis's former secretary, it means that those opponents may have begun to consciously lurk and become civil servants of the Syracusan city-state!" Philistus said with a solemn expression.
"This… what should we do?" Leptines began to worry.
Philistos was about to speak when he saw a slave approaching with a letter. He quickly opened the two letters and, along with the one Ansitanos had given him earlier, had the slave take them over: "Lord Ansitanos, could you see if the handwriting is the same?"
Hennipolis also moved closer to his teacher, picking up the letters to compare them.
"Indeed, the handwriting is quite different." Ansitanos nodded in agreement, and Hennipolis had nothing to add.
Philistos then passed the letters around for the others to examine.
"This is clearly not written by Lord Philistos! I know that Lord Philistos likes to put a hook on the tail of the letter 'i' in his signature, while this person writes it as a straight line!" Massias said loudly.
Herrolis took a deep look at Philistos, simply uttering one word: "No."
Then he handed the letter to Ferrosanus beside him.
Ferrosanus carefully examined it and, raising the letter, said directly to Ansitanos: "This is definitely not Philistos' handwriting!"
"Alright, things are finally coming into focus." Philistos rubbed his hands together, a relieved expression on his face. Immediately, he said with a serious expression: "It seems someone is deliberately impersonating me to contact Polychisis and the others, as Lord Ansitanos said. It seems to be disrupting the order of the Daonian League, but in reality, they want to provoke a conflict between Syracuse and Daonia, attempting to incite war. As for the matter of Hermes, it is even more related to the security of Syracuse, and we must investigate it thoroughly!
But regardless, the source of Daonia's troubles comes from Syracuse. As the administrative officer of Syracuse, I have an undeniable responsibility! Here, I would like to offer my sincerest apologies to Lord Ansitanos and the Daonian League!" Saying that, he stood up and bowed to Ansitanos.
Ansitanos sat upright, accepting his bow.
"At the same time, Syracuse is willing to compensate for the losses caused to Daonia, to show our willingness to be close and friendly with Daonia!" Philistos continued to express his hope.
"This is also another important mission of my visit to Syracuse, as ordered by the Senate." Ansitanos said solemnly: "The Daonian League is willing to sign an alliance agreement with Syracuse, not only to have friendly diplomatic relations and mutual prosperity in trade, but also in military security.
In the northern mountainous region of Daonia, there are powerful barbarians who have repeatedly threatened our borders; Syracuse's powerful enemy, Carthage, although repeatedly defeated, still possesses vast territory and immense wealth in its home city in Africa, and could make a comeback at any time. Therefore, Daonia is willing to join forces with Syracuse militarily to jointly safeguard the security of the Greek city-states in the western Mediterranean!…"
As soon as Ansitanos said this, the banquet suddenly became quiet.
Anyone with a bit of political acumen could hear the hidden meaning in Ansitanos' words: First, Ansitanos was subtly reminding everyone present that Carthage was still a strong enemy of Syracuse, and they should no longer be enemies with Daonia; Second, Daonia wanted to stand on an equal footing with Syracuse, and it should be known that at this time, Syracuse was the leader of the Greek city-states in the western Mediterranean.
"Our powerful Syracuse is not afraid of any enemy now! What is Carthage! If it dares to come once, we will defeat it once!" Massias loudly expressed his disdain for Carthage.
Philistos then applauded and said: "A very good proposal! Lord Ansitanos, rest assured, I will report this matter to Lord Dionysius and let him make the decision."
"Thank you very much!" Ansitanos also expressed his gratitude.
"Alright! Alright! Now that the misunderstanding has been cleared up, let us continue drinking and talking freely!" Leptines shouted, raising his glass.
"Lord Leptines is right, we should all put aside those annoying political affairs. Originally, I wanted to talk with Lord Ansitanos tonight about how to write history books."
Philistos took over the conversation, saying with emotion: "Lord Ansitanos, I also once had the idea of writing a book about the history of Sicily, but due to busy political affairs, I couldn't find the time, so I especially envy you for being able to have the time and energy to do what you want to do."
"Actually, I didn't dare to start writing before, thanks to the encouragement and help of Lord Davos…" Ansitanos became much more enthusiastic when talking about historical writing: "However, although I have now written a part, I have decided to throw it away and rewrite it."
"Why is that?" Philistos asked curiously.
"Do you know the person Thucydides?" Ansitanos asked.
Everyone shook their heads, indicating they did not know.
"I didn't know either at first, but after Lord Davos' introduction, I learned about this person. Although he was previously unknown in the Mediterranean, I believe that in a few years, his name will spread throughout Greece! I even think he is greater than Herodotus!" Ansitanos said with an admiring look.
"He wrote a history book?" Ansitanos was, after all, a scholar of some renown in Magna Graecia, and his praise naturally moved Philistos.
"Yes. Thucydides was an Athenian, served as one of the 'Ten Generals', and participated in the Peloponnesian War. Later, he was exiled by the Assembly of Citizens and lived in seclusion in Thrace, spending more than 20 years writing about the history of the Peloponnesian War… After the war ended, he returned to Athens. When Lord Davos sent people to visit him, he was already seriously ill, lying in bed, unable to hold a pen. Lord Davos spent a large sum of money to copy the original manuscript from his nephews and brought it back to Thurii, preparing to store it in the soon-to-be-built library.
I carefully read this book. Although it was not completely finished, it is definitely a great historical masterpiece! Thucydides abandoned some of Herodotus' methods, not including any rumors about oracles or prophecies in the book, but rather truthfully describing every major event that occurred in the Peloponnesian War in chronological order. Just as he wrote at the beginning, 'Some of what I have recorded is based on my own personal experience, and some is based on the materials provided to me by other eyewitnesses. I have examined it as strictly and carefully as possible…'.
Moreover, although he was an Athenian, he did not favor Athens in the book, but rather recorded Athens, Sparta, and other city-states involved in the war with a completely neutral attitude. Although he said, 'This historical work of mine, without anecdotes or curiosities, may be difficult to be captivating', whenever I think of this book, the scenes of the Peloponnesian War vividly appear in my mind.
I think that even if decades or centuries pass, people will still be willing to read it again and again to understand the truth of this war. And we scholars who are willing to write history should also learn from him, using his historical work as a template to write new histories, which is why I want to rewrite it!"
After Ansitanos finished speaking very seriously, Philistos could no longer sit still and asked eagerly: "What is the name of the historical book written by Thucydides? Has it been published yet?"
"'The History of the Peloponnesian War', I think it should not have been published yet, but it will be soon." Ansitanos said: "If Lord Philistos is eager to see it, I can copy another copy for you and send it to you after I return."
"That would be greatly appreciated!" Philistos thanked him repeatedly.
"It's nothing, I am very happy to see that there is another fellow traveler on the road of exploring historiography!" Ansitanos said sincerely.
"Well said, I also hope to be able to consult with Lord Ansitanos in the future and exchange ideas on writing history. Come, let's drink to our friendship!" After speaking, Philistos raised his glass to Ansitanos from afar.
The two drank it all in one gulp.
Everyone also happily raised their glasses in agreement, and the atmosphere became lively.
Philistos put down his glass, wiped the wine stains from the corner of his mouth, and said spiritedly: "At this moment, how wonderful it would be if the scholar Thucydides you mentioned was also at the banquet!"
"I think that's already impossible." Ansitanos said in a deep voice: "The Athenian Thucydides… passed away not long ago…"
Philistos' smile froze on his face, and he exclaimed: "What?! He's dead?!"
"Yes, this is the definite news from Athens. I originally wanted to take the time to visit him in Athens, but…" Ansitanos looked regretful and sorrowful.
"What's there to be sad about! From what you said, this Athenian left behind a great work, so even if he goes to the underworld, there is nothing to regret." Ferrosanus opened his slightly drunk eyes and shouted loudly: "Bring the lyre, I want to sing a song for him!"
"It's rare to hear Ferrosanus sing a song!" Herrolis also began to get excited.
At Philistos' signal, the slaves brought the lyre.
The somewhat drunk Ferrosanus carefully took it, tried a few notes, and then praised: "Good lyre!"
Saying that, he leaped lightly, actually sitting diagonally on the dining table, completely disregarding the oil stains on his clothes.
The female slaves next to him quickly moved the food away from the table, and he had already begun to pluck the strings. Melodious music flowed from his sliding right hand, and he was completely immersed in the music, then improvising and singing loudly: "In the lonely sky,
Searching for that star that shines even brighter than the sun,
What kind of joy in the world can compare to walking in the long river of history,
Talking to heroes,
Singing with warriors,
The Muse offers you a crown made of olive,
Apollo drives a golden chariot,
With you riding on it,
…"
Everyone softly echoed, sending their sincere mourning and blessings to that Athenian they had never met.
That night, the host and guests all enjoyed themselves.