At the sacrifice in front of the Temple of Hades, Davos no longer engaged in the theatrical displays he had when the temple was first completed. Instead, he followed traditional rituals, slaughtering lambs, offering blood sacrifices, and reciting hymns. This time, the Hymn to Hades was not the old one but was written by Lysias. Davos had read it before and felt it was very well written, signifying the development of Daonian culture.
Because all mortals are equal before the gods, the people participating in the sacrifice were arranged in order of arrival, with those who arrived first standing at the front.
Megacles had positioned himself on the periphery of the square, close to the temple, so when the crowd surged towards the temple, he was at the forefront. Ahead of him were citizen-soldiers maintaining order, forming a large defensive circle around the entire Temple of Hades. Several squads of guards patrolled within the circle to maintain order and prevent accidents.
Davos was about 20 meters ahead of Megacles, chanting the hymn loudly, with a group of priests chanting behind him.
Megacles subconsciously swallowed a few times, lowered his right hand, and touched the hard object pressed tightly against the outside of his thigh.
Davos finally finished chanting the hymn.
"Dong!…" The bronze bell rang.
Then, Davos shouted loudly with high emotion: "Now let us pray to the great Hades!"
After speaking, he lowered his head and closed his eyes. The people also lowered their heads to pray silently, some even kneeling on the ground. Even the soldiers began to murmur in their hearts.
Megacles saw a squad of guards just pass in front of him from the inner circle.
Now is the moment! He opened his eyes wide, his right leg forcefully pushing off the ground, and his whole body, like a cheetah, ducked low and slipped through the gap between the citizen-soldiers' linked hands, flashed past the guards' rear, reached into his breeches, and pulled out a gleaming dagger.
Among the Campanian mercenaries, he was known for his speed. A distance of 20 meters was only a moment for him. At this moment, excitement and tension surged through his body, the sound of wind whistling in his ears, but his eyes remained fixed on Davos in front of him.
Closer! So close!!
Then he saw Davos raise his head, without tension or fear, just a slight smile towards him.
Megacles' heart skipped a beat.
Behind Davos, two of the priests, who had been with their heads lowered, instantly rushed out, each holding a small leather shield, and swung the shields forcefully at Megacles.
Already sprinting at full speed, he couldn't dodge due to inertia. He felt as if his right hand had been hit by a boulder, his bones aching, and the dagger flew out of his hand.
Then another shield struck him, right on the head. Megacles' head buzzed, and he immediately fainted.
"Is he dead?" Davos asked.
"Lord, he has fainted," Martius, disguised as a priest, replied.
"Very good." As soon as Davos uttered these two words, someone in the crowd shouted: "An assassin! An assassin! Trying to assassinate Lord Davos!"
"Murder! An assassin is trying to kill us!"
…
Only then did the people, who were just reacting, see the assassin lying in front of Davos, and hearing someone constantly shouting: "Murder! An assassin!…" the crowd immediately began to riot.
Not good, someone is causing trouble! Davos immediately felt alert: this sacrificial ritual had tens of thousands of people, and if panic occurred, leading to a stampede, the consequences would be unimaginable, just like Mithridates' army back then!
In desperation, he walked forward a bit, came to the rear of the soldiers, and shouted loudly: "Citizens of Daonia, soldiers of the legion, I order you to remain calm! Maintain order! Protect the people!"
Martius and the soldiers, closely following behind, also shouted together.
The citizens of Daonia began to respond to the orders of the supreme commander, consciously standing out to stabilize the emotions of the people around them, and the chaos gradually subsided…
At this moment, a woman screamed because of the pushing and shoving, and fell forward into the defensive circle.
Davos looked concerned and prepared to go forward to help.
The citizen-soldier next to her immediately took over.
Just as he helped her up, he saw a distorted and ferocious face. She forcefully pushed away the unprepared soldier and quickly pulled out a dagger hidden on her body, viciously stabbing towards Davos.
Davos, who was very close to her, could hardly dodge at that moment, and looked in astonishment as the blue-glowing dagger stabbed towards his chest. In that split second, Martius behind him suddenly pushed Davos away with his left hand, while his right hand quickly met the attack, the dagger piercing through his palm.
He roared, and his left fist struck the woman's face fiercely.
The woman screamed, was knocked back several steps, fell to the ground, convulsing and spitting blood.
"High Priest, are you alright?!"
"Lord Davos! Lord!…"
Praxinas and the priests, as well as the people at the scene, all exclaimed, and rushed towards Davos with concern.
"Everyone stay where you are!" Davos quickly stood up and roared: "Maintain order, I'm fine!"
As he was speaking, the guards rushed over and protected him in the center.
"Go and see your captain!" Davos pushed aside the soldiers' encirclement and strode towards Martius.
"Lord, I'm fine," Martius said in a low voice, having already torn off his sacrificial robe and wrapped his right hand.
Davos looked at his right hand, which had stained the white linen red, with deep emotion patted him on the shoulder, saying nothing. This life-saving grace was etched in his heart.
Then, he continued forward and walked to the woman's side.
The woman's facial bones were shattered, and her appearance at this moment was extremely terrifying.
Davos stared blankly at her, his fingers trembling slightly: Having been in this world for so long, it was the first time he truly felt that death was so close to him!
Damn it! Damn it… Just as he felt he could no longer control the rapidly growing brutality in his heart, a soldier's urgent call came from behind: "Captain, what's wrong with you?!"
He quickly turned his head and saw Martius fall weakly to the ground.
The dagger was poisoned! A thought immediately flashed through Davos's mind.
More than a decade later, Anysitas wrote in his 'History of Magna Graecia': This celebration of Hades, which should have been a lively celebration for the Daonian people, was interrupted by this assassination attempt. Davos's captain of the guard fell unconscious due to injury, and hundreds of Daonian people were injured due to the panic during the assassination, with more than a dozen deaths. But more importantly, the assassination attempt against Davos, the governor of Daonia, although unsuccessful, shocked the entire Daonian League and the city-states of southern Italy. At the same time, it also had a profound impact on the political situation of Daonia, southern Italy, and even the entire western Mediterranean. This was something the mastermind behind the scenes did not foresee…
The historian's pen can easily laugh and talk about the historical situation afterwards. But on that day, after the assassination attempt, Thurii immediately sealed off the entire city and imposed a curfew. Many of the people living in their homes and hotels were uneasy, because there were rumors that: "Davos has been killed by the assassin." How could the Daonian people, who had always regarded Davos as the greatest reliance for the safety of the League, not be terrified.
The governor, whom the people had been worried about, had now returned home. Facing the concern and condolences from Christoia, Agnes, and the children, he reluctantly dealt with them before immediately calling Aristilas. Davos, who had always treated him well, now had a face full of anger: "You and your subordinates are simply idiots! You actually allowed an assassin to boldly lurk by my side without noticing! If Martius doesn't wake up this time, many of your subordinates will have to pay the price for this!"
Aristilas did not argue. Indeed, this time he was deceived by the enemy. He didn't expect that Megacles was just a decoy, and the real killer was a frail woman. Fortunately… Davos was not injured! Thinking of this, his back was covered in cold sweat.
After Davos vented his anger, his emotions eased slightly. He said sternly: "Aristilas, I don't care what methods you use, you must dig out these 'nails' hidden in Daonia's territory who hate Daonia in the shortest possible time. I will have Matonis's patrol team cooperate with you!"
Aristilas clenched his fists and said angrily: "Lord, rest assured, I will never let you down again!"
"I don't want to see any more Daonian elders or generals, League officials assassinated or have accidents, especially when Daonia is about to take action in the future!"
Davos's warning did not make Aristilas feel more pressure. On the contrary, he became excited: The League is going to take action?! Against whom?!
As soon as Aristilas left, Cunnogolata and Matonis came together. You should know that Cunnogolata had a strange habit since his defeat in the Battle of Thurii against the Lucanian tribal alliance—he was unwilling to be alone with people born as soldiers, but this time the situation was obviously urgent.
Matonis walked into the reception hall and saw that Davos was indeed safe and sound as others had said, and was immediately relieved. So he said loudly: "Lord, that assassin has already confessed."
"So fast?!" Davos was a little surprised.
Matonis grinned, but had to restrain himself when he remembered that the atmosphere was not right: "After that assassin woke up, he confessed on his own initiative before we used torture. He only made one request, hoping to eat a few meals of Christoia's restaurant's delicacies before he died."
This request was indeed a bit funny, but Davos was not in the mood to laugh at him. He asked with a serious expression: "What did he confess?"
Matonis's face showed anger: "He said he was a Campanian mercenary who had been fighting for Syracuse for the past few years. This time, the Syracusan general Massias sent him to assassinate you…"
Masias?! Davos remembered Ansitanos telling him, 'Masias is the leader of the Campanian mercenaries, and later became an important general under Dionysius.'
"Do you have any evidence?" Davos asked further.
"No, he came to Thurii empty-handed. The hotel he stayed in and the dagger were prepared by a man named Orolas, but he only knows the name and doesn't know what Orolas looks like or what he does…" Matonis said seriously: "Now I am sending people to the hotel he stayed in, hoping to get some information about Orolas."
After listening, Davos asked again: "What about the woman?"
"No one at the patrol station recognizes her yet…" Matonis said with some frustration.
"Matonis, it hasn't been long since the assassination, and you have already made great progress!" Davos comforted him, with a sharp glint in his eyes: "Whether she is from Thurii or from other cities, since she was able to participate in the celebration, there must be clues to follow. Moreover, the dagger she held is very similar in style to the one the man had, and they were both poisoned. She can't be separated from Syracuse!"
Davos sneered and ordered him: "Matonis, you go to Aristilas immediately. He will help you find out the truth as soon as possible."
"Yes, sir." Matonis turned and left.
At this time, Cunogolata said worriedly and tentatively: "Lord Davos, are you preparing to declare war on Syracuse? Although the assassin said that Syracuse instructed him to do it, it has not been confirmed, and—"
Davos, who had always respected him, rudely interrupted the old man: "I ask you, Lord Cunogolata, what would happen to Daonia if they had really succeeded in assassinating me this time?"
Cunogolata was stunned for a moment, thought for a while, and had to say truthfully: "There will… there will be turmoil…" More than just turmoil, I am afraid that civil war will break out soon. The three major races within the Greek, Lucanian, and Bruttian alliances will inevitably clash; the qualifications and prestige of the major legion commanders are comparable, and no one can subdue all the legions. However, the Senate is dominated by civil officials, and if this continues… Cunogolata became more and more frightened as he thought about it.
"Then what will happen to our South Italian League?" Davos stared at his face and continued to guide him to think further: The South Italian League is a league of Greater Greek city-states led by Daonia. Daonia, with its strength far surpassing other city-states, has become the mainstay of maintaining this alliance. Once the Daonian alliance is in turmoil and its strength is weakened, Croton and Legium are likely to jump out to compete for power. If the strengths of both sides are similar, the result may be that no one will obey anyone, leading to the South Italian League becoming a mere formality. What's more, Croton is likely to retaliate against Siris and Terina, who betrayed it in the first place, and Croton may even declare war on Daonia to avenge its hatred. At this point, the South Italian League will completely disintegrate…
"We all know that Syracuse has signed a peace agreement with Carthage, but Syracuse has not yet disbanded its mercenary forces, but has instead purchased grains and built ships on a large scale… What is this for? Is it to help Sparta defeat the Theban League?"
Davos's questioning was probing Cunogolata's heart: Indeed, Dionysius has long harbored ambitions for Magna Graecia. If the Daonian alliance is in turmoil and the South Italian League becomes fragmented, Syracuse, with its strength far surpassing all the city-states and alliances of Magna Graecia, can easily achieve its goals…
Davos stared at the old man in front of him. Tiny beads of sweat quietly oozed from under his graying temples. As a Daonian elder who had served three consecutive terms as the administrative officer of Thurii,
Cunogolata's contribution to Thurii's prosperity today cannot be denied, but his biggest shortcoming is his fear of war.
"Lord Cunogolata, you should understand me. I will not rashly start a war against Syracuse without sufficient preparation, but it is time for us to take action, otherwise, letting Syracuse, this vicious wolf, lurk around Daonia, coveting our land and disrupting our alliance order at any time, is a terrible thing!"
After listening to Davos's sincere words, Cunogolata pondered for a long time and finally changed his mind, saying: "Lord Davos, what do you need me to do?"
Davos showed a happy expression: "At the upcoming emergency Senate meeting, I hope you can support my proposal to 'mobilize Daonian citizens to prepare for war with Syracuse!'"
Just "prepare"? Cunogolata couldn't believe his ears. Seeing Davos's aggressive appearance just now, he thought he was going to immediately start a war with Syracuse.
"Of course, there's more to it than that. We also need to support Legium in building a colony on the island of Sicily…" Davos looked at Cunogolata and said, word by word: "I also need you to tell the other elders at the meeting the 'truth' that was investigated in the assassin incident—that the assassin was a Locrian, sent at the request of Syracuse!"
Cunogolata's eyes widened, and he looked surprised: "Lord Davos, are you going to—"
"That's right, I'm going to aim the attack at Locri!" Davos said with a slightly ferocious expression and firm words: "Dionysius allied with Locri just to make Locri a springboard for Syracuse to invade Magna Graecia, and the existence of Locri prevents us from completely forming a whole in Magna Graecia. This is a great opportunity to declare war on Locri. If Syracuse comes to rescue, on the land of Magna Graecia, facing the army of our South Italian League, I think our chances of winning will be very high! If it doesn't come, we can just conquer this city-state that betrayed Magna Graecia!"
Although he had already agreed in his heart that the war between Daonia and Syracuse was inevitable, Cunogolata was more willing to deal with Locri first than to face the powerful Syracuse. When the Daonian city-state alliance was first established, Locri was a strong power in their hearts and in Magna Graecia, but in the eyes of the Daonians at this time, it was no longer worth mentioning. Moreover, Davos was able to think of such a strategy, which shows that he was not blinded by anger, so Cunogolata began to actively offer suggestions: "It just so happens that at this celebration, the generals and senators of the city-states of the South Italian League have been invited, such as Lord Atilicrus of Legium, Lord Lysias of Croton, Lord Sipros of Terina, Lord Pretinis of Siris, Lord Friniris of Caulonia… etc. are all in Thurii, they must have heard about today's shocking event, we can just hold the South Italian League meeting that should have been held in Siris in Thurii, I believe it will be easy to reach an agreement!"
"I believe they are waiting for the Senate to send someone to contact them, so our Senate meeting must end as soon as possible," Davos reminded.
"I understand." Cunogolata nodded. When he left Davos's mansion, his steps were a little heavy, because he knew that after today, the Daonian alliance, which had been at peace for more than three years, might open the door to war again.
… … … … … … … … … … …
At the Daonian Senate meeting, the senators were more concerned about Davos's safety, especially the former mercenary senators, the Lucanian senators, the Amendolara senators, and some Bruttian senators expressed their concern.
Therefore, when Cunogolata told everyone the "truth", the senators were outraged, and Davos's proposal to "declare war on Locri" was easily passed.
Although the warmongers like Amintas were disappointed that Davos did not directly declare war on the culprit—Syracuse. And people like Cornelius and Ansitanos, although surprised why Syracuse did not come forward, but instead pushed Locri to the front, were temporarily relieved.
The Senate finally decided to send envoys to Locri with harsh demands to question them.
… … … … … … … … … … …
Davos, who had returned home, had no time to rest. He immediately had someone quickly invite his father-in-law—Atilicrus.
"I can finally rest assured that you are okay!" Atilicrus said happily when he saw him, which made Davos feel a little warm in his heart.
Then, Atilicrus shouted loudly: "Syracuse! It must have been Syracuse who sent someone to do it, right! I've said it before—"
Davos interrupted him and said decisively: "The Daonian Senate has decided to fully support Legium in building a colony on the island of Sicily, but I also hope that you can abide by your previous words and hand over Legium's fleet to Daonia for unified command!"
"This is really good news. However, if we hand over the fleet to you, can Daonia guarantee the safety of Legium's coast and trade routes?" Atilicrus became reluctant at this moment.
"I don't think the Syracusans will have time to bully Legium anymore, because Daonia will send envoys to question Locri, 'Why did you send assassins to assassinate me?'" Davos said surprisingly.
Atilicrus looked shocked: "How… how could it be Locri?"
"Because Daonia and the South Italian League need to wage war on Locri!" Davos said decisively.
Atilicrus was still shocked, but he had already understood Davos's intention. He trembled, supported the armrest of the wooden chair, and slowly sat down: "You… you want to… No! You want to lure the Syracusans to Magna Graecia…"
"Yes, concentrating the armies of our South Italian city-states on the land of Magna Graecia to fight the Syracusans, I think we have a better chance of winning! Father, I need Legium's full support to persuade the other city-states at the South Italian League meeting." Davos rarely said the word "Father," which shows how high his expectations are for this plan.
After a long silence, Artilikrus finally raised his head, gazed at Davos, and said, "I agree. Ligym will hand over the fleet to your Daonian command, and will fully support Daonia's proposal at the South Italian League meeting. Of course, you must understand that this is not because you are my son-in-law, but because severely damaging Syracuse is what the Ligym people have always wanted to do!"
After seeing Artilikrus off, Davos invited an old friend of Daonia, Xipolos, who had now been elected as the chief general of Trina.
When Davos sought support from Xipolos, he readily agreed. This was not only because Trina and the Daonian alliance were now very close, with frequent trade with the nearby city of Knapeteia and the Brutian region, but also because of Trina's own security needs. Xipolos said to him, "Lord Davos, you don't actually need to come and get Trina's support in advance. Your proposal will easily gain the support of the various city-states of the South Italian League, because Croton, Sybaris, Caulonia, and our Trina have been mortal enemies with the Locri alliance for decades, and this has become the biggest problem plaguing our several city-states for many years. If we can solve it in one fell swoop this time, we will be overjoyed, so how could we object?"
Sure enough, just as Xipolos said, at a temporary emergency meeting of the South Italian League held in the hotel next to the Senate, which was specially used to receive envoys and dignitaries from other city-states, the other city-states unanimously agreed that when Daonia went to war with Locri, the South Italian League would jointly form a large army to crusade against them, and at the same time, they would all prepare for war with Syracuse.
The meeting ended late at night. The generals of the city-states sent Davos away and were about to return to the hotel when they suddenly heard Lysias shout, "Look at the sky!"
In the southwestern night sky, streaks of silver light streaked across, exceptionally dazzling against the dark curtain of the sky.
General Pretinis of Sybaris widened his eyes and looked carefully, saying dismissively, "Such night scenes happen many times every year, there is nothing special about it."
"But that all happens in July and August, and it is rare to see such a situation in September," Lysias said.
"It is indeed rare at this time of year," General Friniris of Caulonia said with a solemn expression.
"This is an auspicious sign!" Xipolos exclaimed excitedly, "Perseus is the hero who killed the vicious Medusa. Now that we have finally made up our minds to declare war on the tyrannical Dionysius, in order to eliminate this tyrant who has threatened the safety of the Greek city-states and people of Magna Graecia for more than ten years, is this not what the hero Perseus hopes for!"
"Xipolos is right. As long as our South Italian League is united, its strength will exceed that of Syracuse. We can severely damage Syracuse like Perseus slaying Medusa, and restore the independence and freedom of the Sicilian Greek city-states!" Artilikrus encouraged.
Some of the other city-state generals were thoughtful, and some nodded repeatedly, as if this would reduce the tension of a possible war with Locri and the Syracuse behind it…
… … … … … … … … … …
Davos returned home, already very tired, but upon hearing of Aristilas' arrival, he still mustered his spirits and received him in the study.
"Lord, we have found out who booked the room for Megaris. It is a merchant from Locri who often comes to Thurii to buy wine, so the hotel owner and waiters are very familiar with him. However, unfortunately, he left Thurii nine days ago and returned to Locri," Aristilas reported.
"A Locri merchant… Hmph, it really wasn't a false accusation." Davos sneered. In fact, thinking about it, it was clear that Locri was highly suspicious. Because since the Poluxis case, the people of Thurii, and even the entire Daonian population, had become more vigilant about Syracusans entering their territory. On the contrary, the attitude towards the Locrians, Syracuse's allies, was still good.
"Is there any progress in the investigation of that woman?" Davos asked again.
"The investigation is clear. She is a concubine of a former noble from Crimisa who was sentenced in the Poluxis case not long ago. Several family members of those sentenced in the last case came to Thurii with her. Lord Matonis has already sent people to find them and arrest them."
Again, Crimisa! Davos felt that he should write a letter to Protesilaus, the chief administrator of Crimisa, to ask him to strengthen the management and rectification of the original residents of Crimisa.
At the same time, he was thinking: should he propose to the Senate to set up an inspection department to lead and coordinate the patrol teams of various cities, increase the maintenance of city order, and the arrest of criminals… That is to say, to improve the status of the patrol team, make it more professional, rather than always letting citizen soldiers take turns.
Pondering this matter repeatedly in his mind, Davos unknowingly came to Christoia's bedroom. When he realized it, he quickly gestured to Asuna in the outer room, preparing to tiptoe out.
At this moment, Christoia's voice came from the inner room: "Is that Davos?"
"Why aren't you asleep so late? It's not good for you and the baby in your belly," Davos whispered reproachfully.
"With what happened today, how could I possibly sleep if you didn't come back!" Christoia's delicate tone revealed deep concern: "Tonight, I want you to sleep with me."
"Okay! Okay!…" Davos walked into the inner room and sat down by the bed: "Look at me, I'm perfectly fine."
Asuna hurried to light the candle and then busied herself heating water for Davos to wash his face and feet.
Christoia carefully shifted her round belly, leaned against Davos, and tightly embraced him: "Hearing about you being… attacked by assassins, Agnes and I were truly terrified! Thank goodness for Hades' protection!"
"Yes, and thanks to Martius too! He's still lying in the hospital, unconscious!" Davos sighed and said with resentment, "So this time, the Senate has decided to retaliate against Locri and Syracuse!"
"That means… there will be another war, and with Syracuse…" Christoia shuddered upon hearing this, and said with some worry, hugging Davos even tighter.
Davos gently stroked her back, comforting her: "Don't you understand me! When have I ever lost a war!… But with this, I'm afraid I won't be able to be by your side when you give birth."
The look of disappointment on Christoia's face disappeared in a flash, and she softly comforted Davos instead: "You don't have to worry about me. With Asuna and Agnes taking care of me, and your students (referring to Herpus and the others) coming regularly for check-ups, I will have a smooth delivery, just like last time. It's you who needs to protect yourself. If something were to happen to you… what would happen to me, Agnes, little Klos, Cynthia, Adoris, and the baby in my belly, all the people who love you and depend on you?!" Her voice choked with emotion as she spoke.
Davos could only hold her and softly comfort her: "Don't worry, I have Hades' protection, there won't be any danger! Moreover, this time the Senate has added another hundred guards for my safety, and the security will be even tighter. It's just that, in this case, our family won't be able to easily stroll through the Thurii market anymore. Do you remember the last time we…"
Christoia's light snores began to sound. She had fallen asleep without even realizing it. Davos gently laid her flat, gently covered her with the blanket, and gazed at her slightly furrowed pretty face. An idea suppressed in his heart was now rapidly expanding…
… … … … … … … … … … …
The next day was the day of the Daonian American football final. Thurii did not stop the event because of yesterday's incident, and it was held on time as usual. The people had already filled the arena early in the morning.
As the clamor and noise began to fill this huge arena, the people saw the Archon they had been worried about all night appear in the VIP seats, waving to the surroundings with a smile, and all the rumors were self-defeating.
The people let out deafening cheers, and the entire arena began to boil.
… … … … … … … … … … …
While the Daonian people of Thurii were cheering for the opening of the American football final, the envoy Phlaukleon, sent by the Senate, had already set sail for Locri.
At this time, Phlaukleon was already an intermediate judge of Daoria. He had just resigned from his position in Amendolara and was waiting for a new job assignment in Thurii. The Senate appointed him as an envoy to Locri because they valued his eloquence and reasoning, which were no weaker than Aristokrates', and at the same time, he was more sophisticated and experienced in handling affairs than Aristokrates. After all, he had served as a Daonian public official for a longer time than Aristokrates.
Phlaukleon gladly accepted the order, not because he didn't know the danger of this trip, but because it was a great opportunity to show himself, attract the attention of the senators, especially the Archon Davos. An intermediate judge was already the highest position that a League citizen who was not a member of the Senate could hold in the League judiciary. Senior judges could only be held by members of the Senate, while the higher-level * * officer was concurrently held by Archon Davos. Next, he would either continue to serve as an intermediate judge in other cities, or transfer to other positions. Only after five years would he be eligible to enter the ranks of prospective senators to be elected. He must increase his chances of becoming a senator through his outstanding performance.
Locri is located in the southernmost part of southern Italy, close to the "toe". It neither occupies the fertile plains like Sybaris and Croton, nor does it have the excellent geographical location of Ligium, but it uses its relatively advantageous position close to the main trade route of the Strait of Messina, and has successively established the two colonial cities of Medma and Hipponion on the west coast of the Italian toe, which happen to be on the trade route leading to the most prosperous trade center in the Tyrrhenian Sea region—central Italy. Locri opened up an ancient road, connecting the east and west coasts, and through decades of dedicated management, it finally made itself a well-known maritime trade city in the western Mediterranean, thus becoming a strong state in Magna Graecia.
In fact, there were some cultural connections between Daonia and Locri. When Thurii was first established, the Athenian sage Protagoras formulated its laws. He did not simply adopt Athenian law, but considering that Thurii was a city-state with many immigrants and complex origins, he chose the laws formulated for Locri by the famous Locrian legislator Zaleucus as the basis for Thurii's laws. The Daonian League was built on the ruins of the original city of Thurii and absorbed the essence of the original Thurian laws.
Zaleucus was known for his harsh laws. He once stipulated: "Anyone who wants to change any of the existing laws must first put a rope around his neck. If his proposal is not passed, he will be strangled to death." Zaleucus was fair and selfless in enforcing the law throughout his life. When his son committed a crime, according to the law, he was to have both eyes gouged out, and he executed the sentence without hesitation. However, out of paternal love, he gouged out one of his own eyes in place of his son.
With such a figure as an example and such laws to govern the Locrians, they were known in Magna Graecia for their adherence to rules and regulations, unlike the enthusiasm and impulsiveness of ordinary Greek city-state citizens (of course, later there was also the Daonians). At the same time, it also made them more obedient to orders, which allowed them to resist Croton, which was stronger than them.
Perhaps it was precisely because of the strictness of the laws that Locri's patron gods were not like those of other city-states, which mostly chose powerful deities such as Zeus, Poseidon, Apollo, and Athena, but rather two gentle goddesses: Aphrodite, the goddess of love and beauty, and Persephone, the queen of the underworld and goddess of fertility. They also built magnificent temples for the two goddesses. Therefore, when Daonia held the Hades Festival every year on September 9th, a few Locrians would also go to participate, not only because of Thurii's unique rituals and lively scenes, but also because the Daonians, while worshiping Hades, would also celebrate his queen Persephone.
At the same time, precisely because the city-state's patron gods were two goddesses, the social status of Locrian women was higher than that of women in other city-states. They were allowed to wear veils and appear in public, and they also had some property inheritance rights. This was somewhat similar to Daonia.
But the two Greek powers, with similar cultures and customs, were unfortunately about to become enemies.
Before Flaucleon arrived in Locri, the Locrian Council had already learned of the assassination of the Daonian Consul. Although Thurii had sealed off the entire city shortly after the incident, Daonia, as the overlord of Southern Italy, had spies stationed or hidden in Thurii and its port, not only from Locri, but also from other city-states in the Southern Italian League, as well as Tarentum, to understand Daonia's movements at any time so that the city-states could take corresponding countermeasures in a timely manner. Therefore, such a large riot would naturally be observed by those who were interested, and after quickly finding out the situation, they rushed to their own city-states either by boat or on horseback.
Flaucleon set off the next day, but fell behind. His boat entered the port of Locri, and the port officials quickly passed the news to the Council in the city. The Locrian councilors were surprised as to why the Daonian envoy would appear here at this time.
Some of Locri's generals and councilors knew a little about the real inside story of this assassination, such as General Demodocus, the brother of Dionysius's Locrian wife Doris. He wishfully thought that Daonia was probably going to protest to Syracuse again, but he did not expect the Daonian envoy to appear here.
Despite the surprise, out of courtesy and respect for Daonia, the overlord of Southern Italy, Flaucleon was invited into the council hall.
Like other democratic city-states, the Citizens' Assembly was the highest authority in Locri. In addition to discussing and deciding on important city-state affairs, the daily political affairs were handled by the Generals' Executive Committee and the Council.
The Council, simply put, was a smaller version of the Citizens' Assembly. It divided all the citizens participating in the Citizens' Assembly into many groups,
usually ten groups, which took turns participating in city-state affairs through the Council. Therefore, there were eight generals and hundreds of Council members in the council hall at this time, which was already a considerable lineup, several times more than the number of Daonian senators.
Flaucleon made some preparations, and at the invitation of the Chairman of the Council, walked to the center of the venue.
"Councilors of Locri, I, Flaucleon, as the envoy of the Daonian League, have come here to question Locri on behalf of all the citizens of Daonia!" Flaucleon stated his purpose directly.
His words caused a burst of astonishment and commotion among the surrounding councilors. He did not stop speaking, but raised his voice: "I think you should all know about the terrible event of the assassination of Daonia's great Consul, the commander who was sincerely loved by the citizens—Daifos! It has aroused the anger of all the citizens of Daonia! Now, an assassin has been caught on the spot. After interrogation, he revealed the truth, admitting that he was hired and helped by a Locrian merchant named Orolas in order to successfully infiltrate Thurii and attack Consul Daifos—"
"This is slander! This is a frame-up!" Locri's Chief General Demodocus immediately interrupted Phraocles' words, retorting loudly, "Locri would not provoke Daonia for no reason! The Locrians aren't that stupid!…"
"But the truth is the truth! Thurii has conducted a detailed investigation, and everything is based on solid evidence! The Daonian Senate has repeatedly confirmed that the mastermind behind this assassination was you, Locri!" Phraocles righteously pointed at the crowd below, shouting angrily.
The council chamber immediately erupted: "Is the Daonian Senate full of fools?! What does this have to do with our Locri? Why don't you go and question Syracuse?!"
"This is clearly a common trick used by that lord; he has assassinated his political enemies in other city-states in Sicily many times!"
"What solid evidence? It must all be fabricated! Daonia only dares to blame Locri because you don't have the guts to provoke Syracuse! Even if that merchant named… Aurolas is a Locrian, he might have been bought off by another city-state! Did you, Daonia, interrogate him? And you so easily conclude that Locri was behind it!"
…
Phraocles ignored their arguments and abuse and continued, "Therefore, the Daonian Senate and all citizens are extremely angry at Locri's despicable behavior and demand that you accept punishment. First, repent to Hades for your mistake and send an envoy to Thurii to make a public apology to the Senate; second, compensate the Daonian citizens who were injured and killed in this incident; and finally—"
Phraocles faced the indignant assembly, completely fearless, his voice firm and loud: "Sever the alliance with Syracuse! If so, Daonia will forgive Locri for what it has done before and accept you into—"
Phraocles was interrupted by angry roars before he could finish speaking: "Locri has done nothing wrong at all, why should we accept these unreasonable demands from Daonia?!"
"This is humiliation! Humiliation for Locri!!"
"This is Daonia's conspiracy! They want to break up the alliance between Locri and Syracuse!"
…
The council members were not only cursing, but a few people even ignored the dissuasion of others and rushed to the center of the chamber.
The one running in front was Diophantus, one of the generals. This hot-tempered general rushed up and punched Phraocles directly, knocking him to the ground.
Just as he was about to kick him again, another general, Metrophines, grabbed him, shouting anxiously, "Don't violate the sacred tradition that 'city-state envoys are inviolable'! Don't violate Locri's laws!"
Hearing the word "law," all the Locrians who had just rushed up to surround Phraocles froze.
Metrophines took the opportunity to shout, "Lord Demodocus, if you don't stop them, they will be severely punished for violating the law!"
Demodocus, who had been watching the excitement from the sidelines, was mentioned by name by Metrophines. As the chief general, he had no choice but to stand up, first explaining, "Humiliating Locri is the same as being Locri's enemy. How can everyone's defense of the city-state's honor be considered a violation of the law?!"
"Lord, you're right!" Someone immediately echoed.
"Alright, everyone, step back. The council chamber is a sacred place. Our Locri is a civilized city-state, not like Thurii. We can't do things that humiliate envoys…" Demodocus said as he walked forward, and the council members obediently returned to their seats.
Demodocus had served as Locri's chief general for nine consecutive years, mainly because of his in-laws, Dionysius. Originally, Locri allied with Syracuse to use Syracuse's power to defeat its long-time enemy, Croton, but unexpectedly, Croton was weakened, and a stronger Daonian League emerged. Especially after the establishment of the South Italian League, Locri became even more isolated in Magna Graecia. Therefore, it relied more on Syracuse, making the Demodocus family's position even more prominent. In addition, Dionysius intentionally supported his brother-in-law, and Demodocus's influence in Locri was now unprecedented.
Diophantus snorted unwillingly and also retreated.
Phraocles staggered to his feet, still unwilling to admit defeat, "The old city of Thurii was burned down because it humiliated envoys…"
"Daonians, if you want to be tough, you have to look at the place. This is not one of those city-states in the so-called South Italian League that try to please you, Daonia. This is Locri!" Demodocus sneered, proudly shouting, "Locri has neither done nor deigns to do such a thing as assassinating your magistrate. Therefore, we reject any unreasonable demands from Daonia. Get out of here!"
Rejection! Although this answer was expected, Phraocles was still delighted. He calmly wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth with his fingers, held his hand in front of Demodocus, rubbed it, and then spread it open, revealing a smear of blood red on his palm. His expression was solemn as he said, word by word, "Then that means war!"
As soon as this shocking statement was made, the council hall erupted in chaos, and Demodocus's expression also changed drastically. He subconsciously shouted, "Is Daonia not afraid of attracting the Syracusan army?!"
Phraortes laughed. Through Demodocus's blustering shouts, he saw the fear hidden in the heart of this Locrian chief general. This discovery filled him with pride: "From its establishment to the present, Daonia has always faced strong enemies, and each time it has turned weakness into strength, creating the powerful Daionian League of today! We are not afraid of Syracuse, but what about you Locrians? Can you also not fear the army formed by Daonia and the South Italian League?!"
Demodocus and the others' faces suddenly turned pale...
...
"Lord Phraortes, look at those ships, they could rush over and capsize us at any moment. What exactly did you do to the Locrians to make them so angry?!" The captain of the passenger ship that brought Phraortes to Locri said, half-jokingly and half-complainingly.
"You'll know in a few days." Phraortes stood at the bow of the ship, surveying the Locrian warships guarding his vessel in the center, and laughed heartily: "Don't worry, the Locrian generals won't let us die here. If something unexpected really happens and we die here, there will definitely be statues of you and me in the Hall of Heroes in the Temple of Hades in Thurii!"
...
"Has that damned Daionian envoy left yet?"
"Lord, the Daionian ship has successfully left the port."
Demodocus breathed a sigh of relief, temporarily putting aside a worry.
Diophantos beside him roared, "It's infuriating! The Daonians come to Locri to show off and threaten us, and we still have to protect their safety! ..."
"Diophantos, you must understand," Demodocus immediately put on a serious expression and said in a slightly reprimanding tone, "Whether we go to war with Daonia in the future or resolve this conflict through negotiation, as long as their envoy is safe, there will be room for reconciliation in the future. You must know that the combined strength of Daonia and the South Italian League is not weaker than Syracuse!"
"The citizens of Locri are not afraid of battle!" Diophantos retorted sullenly, but his voice sounded somewhat weak.
Demodocus was too lazy to pay attention to him and turned to Metrophines and said, "You quickly go to Syracuse and tell General-in-Chief Dionysius that Daonia has falsely accused Locri of sending someone to assassinate their Archon and declared war on Locri, hoping that he will send troops to reinforce us, otherwise Locri will not be able to resist the army of Daonia and the South Italian League alone!"
...
In Laos, Alobomas returned to his mansion with a gloomy face. His wife saw him and couldn't help but ask with concern, "Has your nephew given you trouble again?!"
Hearing his wife say this, Alobomas became even more annoyed and snorted coldly, "Nephew?! He doesn't treat me as his uncle. Do you know what new trick he's pulled today? He wants to build a school!"
"A school?! What's that?" This wife, who came from Lucania, apparently rarely bothered to understand Daonia.
"Oh, you don't understand, it's not a good thing anyway! He even wants to let the children of those poor people go to school to study, he's simply crazy!" Alobomas pounded the wooden table with his fist in frustration, to vent the pent-up frustration in his heart.
"Not long ago, his teacher came from Thurii and didn't he warn him not to mess around! He also told him to listen to you..." his wife reminded him.
"Listen to me?!" Alobomas chuckled: "You don't know your nephew, he's been stubborn since he was a child. Now that his father is dead, he's the Archon, and no one can control him anymore! ..."
Alobomas became more and more agitated as he spoke: "Go! Go! Pour me some sour water, I'm terribly thirsty now!"
After his wife left, Alobomas slumped on the couch.
Thinking of this morning when he went to discuss politics with Hieron, and he proposed building a school, after being opposed by him, this nephew, who had drunk some wine, blurted out in a fit of anger: "This won't do! That won't do! If you can't do anything, what do we need you ministers for! Look at our allies, the Daonians have governed Thurii so well, I think it would be better to let them manage Laos! ..."
The more Alobomas thought about it, the more alarmed he became: Hieron spoke the truth after drinking! This child lived in Thurii for six or seven years, and it is said that he has been living in Davos's house, and has been too heavily influenced by Daonia! He actually wants to give away this family business that his father and I worked so hard to earn to outsiders for nothing! Could it be... that this was originally a conspiracy of that Daionian Archon..."
As soon as the image of Davos appeared in his mind, Alobomas felt his scalp tingle. Just as he was worried, his trusted slave came in: "Master, there is a person outside who requests to see you, he says he is from Syracuse."
"Don't see him! Don't see him!" Alobomas shouted subconsciously, then suddenly he remembered something: "Wait, you said he's from Syracuse?"
"That's what he said."
Syracuse... Alobomas pondered, his expression uncertain. Finally, he said in a deep voice: "Take him to the reception room."
When Alobomas met this guest, the first sentence of this guest startled him: "Lord Alobomas, I am here to see you on the order of General-in-Chief of Syracuse — Dionysius..."
...
"Lord, do you think that minister of Laos... will Alobomas agree to our request?" Philistos asked.
"Alobomas has been in a high position for a long time, and his desires have probably grown greatly. How could he watch his power being taken away by a young man who has never contributed to Laos? According to intelligence analysis, although they are relatives, they are fundamentally at odds and have had many quarrels... In the past, Hieron, the son of Avinogis, had the support of Daonia, so he didn't dare to say anything. Now that we support him, do you think he will have other ideas?" Dionysius said with considerable confidence.
"Only barbarians like Alobomas would be blinded by power. People with good cultivation can maintain peace of mind no matter where they are," Philistos replied, subtly expressing his innocence.
Dionysius laughed: "Phil, are you talking about me? Compared to you, my knowledge is far inferior."
"Who said that? In Syracuse, apart from Philosanus, you are the best poet!" Philistos sincerely praised: "Besides, you have already reached the highest point, and you don't need more desires."
"Phil, it's not easy to sit in this seat!" Dionysius patted his seat, pointed to the top of his head, and said with emotion: "It's like a sharp sword is always hanging over your head, and it could fall at any time..."
"That's why this position is not something that ordinary people can sit on!" Philistos complimented.
"Yes!" Dionysius took over the conversation: "I wonder if that Davos of Daonia also feels the same way..." Dionysius sighed, and his eyes became sharp again: "Phil, you just said something wrong, it's not that I don't have desires now, but that my desires are very great!"
"Are you talking about Magna Graecia?" Philistos asked knowingly.
"It's a pity that young man of Daonia escaped the assassination... He's learned his lesson this time and didn't send anyone to Syracuse. Instead, he declared war on Locri. He thinks I'll obediently go to rescue Locri. He underestimates me too much!" Dionysius's cold words revealed murderous intent.
"Lord, news has come back from the north of South Italy that they have agreed to send troops soon!" Philistos said with some excitement: "Also, the northeast of Daonia has not expressed opposition to our proposal."
"Everything is going smoothly. We have paid a great price, of course we must get a greater return!" Dionysius's sinister gaze stared at the void of the hall, as if overlooking Daonia in the north: "After you return, immediately start arranging the preparations for the expedition. Once the flames of war ignite in the north, we will immediately set out!"
...
After the news that "Daonia declared war on Locri" spread in Magna Graecia, the various city-states of the South Italian League also declared war on Locri one after another.
For most Daionian citizens, hearing this news made them more excited: It's been several years since we've had a war!
Although war has been declared on Locri, there is no tense atmosphere of impending war in Daionian territory. The Thurii Olive Ball Finals are still in full swing. The legion soldiers among the players of the participating teams from various cities have not been transferred back to the legion to prepare for war. The Daionian Senate declared to the outside world: "Even war cannot affect the Daonians' celebration of Hades, just as war must temporarily step aside when the Olympic Games are held." This is to highlight the importance of Hades to Daonia.
But in Davos's heart, the main reason he slowed down military mobilization was to lure the enemy out of their lairs. Otherwise, if he used too much force and easily crushed Locri, and the Syracusan reinforcements had not yet set foot on the land of Magna Graecia, he would not be able to achieve the true strategic goal of annihilating the Syracusans in Magna Graecia.
Fortunately, the news coming from Sicily during this period showed that Dionysius had already begun to gather his army, preparing a large number of ships and supplies...
Davos believed that even without military mobilization, the citizens of Daonia would wash and polish the weapons and equipment treasured in their homes and prepare to go to battle and kill the enemy...
But as the initiator of this war, Daonia also needed to set an example for the South Italian League, so Davos still had the Senate issue a summons to the Fifth and Fourth Legions stationed in the Bruttian region and the Croton Plain.
In the early morning, at the military compound of the legion commander in Aspurustum, the adjutant knocked on the door of Legion Commander Epithenius's bedroom. Opening the door was a young man without a stitch of clothing on.
The adjutant was used to it. He called into the room, "Legion Commander, a urgent letter from the Senate!"
"I know," a lazy voice came from inside.
After a while, Epithenius walked out of the bedroom naked, taking the letter from the adjutant's hand.
The young man leaned over to look, Epithenius gently patted his face with his hand, and said affectionately, "You go back first, I'll find you later."
The young man sensibly returned to the bedroom to put on his clothes, not forgetting to kiss Epithenius on the cheek before leaving.
"This young man is not bad, right? A Tarantinian, of noble birth, very well-mannered, it's a pity his family is in decline," Epithenius said to the adjutant with some pride, watching the man leave.
The adjutant didn't say anything, he didn't want to comment on his commander's preferences.
"Oh, right, let's look at the letter first." Under the adjutant's urging gaze, Epithenius opened the letter. After reading it, he whistled, "Davos demands that our Fourth Legion arrive in Sybaris before October to join up with the armies of the South Italian League, and then prepare to launch an attack on Locri."
"That's great!" The adjutant said excitedly, "We will immediately notify the administrative officers of Aspurustum and Crimisa to issue administrative orders, informing the legion soldiers of the two cities to gather and report at the Crimisa square tomorrow (the Aspurustum square is too small to accommodate 8,000 legion soldiers)."
"We don't need to be too anxious. The letter clearly states that we just need to arrive in Sybaris before October. This shows that Lord Davos has no intention of urgently starting a war with Locri. Going too early and using up the rations means we'll have to eat into the reserve military rations, which is a waste. We still have a dozen days to prepare. I can discuss the transportation of military rations and other preparations with the two administrative officers, and also wait for the soldiers participating in the rugby game to return to the team."
Epithenius's words made sense. The adjutant said helplessly, "Alright, you are the legion commander, you have the final say. But I'm afraid Drakos will lead the Fifth Legion too early, and he'll be cursing us if he can't wait for us."
"That stubborn mule, to be honest, I'm also afraid of him getting angry." Epithenius shrugged helplessly, and both of them laughed.
… … … … … … … … … … … …
Outside the city of Cosenza, in the Fifth Legion's military camp, Drakos was supervising the soldiers' training.
He was originally supposed to be transferred back to the legion by Davos two years ago, but he refused to comply with several transfer orders, on the grounds that he was only good at fighting and couldn't do paperwork, even with more training. Davos couldn't do anything about him. According to military regulations, a legion commander cannot serve in a legion for too long (mainly because Davos was afraid that over time, the soldiers would become too dependent on the legion commander, weakening his prestige in the soldiers' hearts), so he had no choice but to send him to Cosenza to serve as the commander of the newly formed Fifth Legion. Drakos did not fail Davos's trust. In just a few years, through rigorous training, he transformed the undisciplined Bruttians into qualified legion soldiers.
"Legion Commander, an urgent letter from the Senate transferred from Cosenza!" A guard rushed over.
Drakos unfolded the letter and read it. He immediately showed joy and shouted, "Orderly! Orderly!"
"I'm here, Legion Commander."
"You immediately have your men take this urgent letter to Vibo, Klempetia, and Ambalaria, informing the soldiers of the Fifth Legion to report to the square in Cosenza tomorrow. Those who are late will be punished with 30 lashes!"
"Yes!"
"Legion Commander, is it going to be war?!" The adjutant asked excitedly.
"We've been at war with Locri for so long, and only now has the mobilization order arrived. What's there to be happy about!" Drakos said with some dissatisfaction, then instructed the adjutant, "You stay here and supervise them to train well. I need to go to Cosenza immediately to discuss the military deployment with the administrative officer, Philius."
The adjutant remembered something and reminded Drakos, "Legion Commander, we still have some soldiers participating in the rugby game in Thurii, what do you think—"
"I almost forgot if you didn't mention it." Drakos thought for a moment and said, "Find reserve soldiers to replace their positions first, and at the same time send people to Thurii to urge them to come back quickly, otherwise don't blame me if they miss the battle."
… … … … … … … … … …
Agesilaus lay in the tent, his expression solemn. Currently, the Spartan allied forces and the anti-Spartan alliance have formed a stalemate on the Isthmus of Corinth. The enemy, relying on the solid fortifications of Corinth, has repeatedly repelled Spartan attacks, leaving him at a loss.
It wasn't that Agesilaus didn't want to open a second front, but the Spartan fleet had already been severely damaged, and that damned Athenian, Conon, had led a large fleet built by Persia directly into Piraeus, handing the entire fleet over to Athens, putting Sparta in the same predicament it faced decades ago—they had lost the sea.
Damn Persians, they must be behind this! Agesilaus cursed inwardly, but he had clearly forgotten that it was his actions in Asia Minor that led to today's consequences.
At this moment, someone lifted the tent flap: "King Agesilaus, I'm here."
"Phebidas." Agesilaus was about to sit up.
Phebidas stepped forward, pressed him down, and said with concern, "I heard you haven't been feeling well these past few days, and you even fainted yesterday, so don't stand up."
Phebidas said, sitting cross-legged on the ground.
Agesilaus didn't stand on ceremony and remained half-lying on the couch, saying, "It's an old problem, I'll be fine after a few days of rest (in fact, it's a sequela of his childhood polio). I called you here because the Council of Elders sent an urgent letter."
Agesilaus's expression became serious: "Syracuse is about to attack Magna Graecia, so they are asking us for help, requesting that we send a general who is proficient in military affairs to help them defeat Dionysius."
"What?! Dionysius wants to launch the Magna Graecia war at this time? What about the aid he promised us?!" Phebidas was shocked.
"Naturally, it's gone…" Agesilaus sighed helplessly: "According to Syracuse, Daonia declared war on Locri first, forcing them to join the battle to protect their allies… But you and I both know about the assassination of the Daonian Archon a dozen days ago. Although Daonia claims that the Locrians did it, the truth is probably not that simple."
"Damn Dionysius! That untrustworthy bastard!" Phebidas cursed angrily: "If it weren't for our Spartan support, how could he have secured his position as the tyrant of Syracuse!…"
"Although Dionysius is infuriating, Daonia and Athens have strengthened their ties recently. You should know that the former Thurii was built by Athens and has always been an Athenian ally…" Agesilaus looked at Phebidas and said solemnly: "Therefore, since this Magna Graecia war is inevitable, we must not let Daonia win! So I recommended you to the Council of Elders. I know your abilities, but I hope you can put aside your resentment towards Dionysius and, for the sake of Sparta, fully assist him in winning this war!"
After listening, Phebidas nodded heavily and said, "King Agesilaus, don't worry, I will help Dionysius defeat Daonia as soon as possible, and then have him send troops to aid Sparta as soon as possible!"
Agesilaus cautiously reminded him: "You must not be careless, and don't underestimate that young Archon of Daonia, Davos! You must know that he has never failed in a battle, otherwise the Daonian League would not have risen so quickly, exceeding our Spartan expectations! Dionysius is asking for our help because he feels this pressure! In the past, when he was at war with Carthage, he didn't actively seek our help before the war like this time, and he even said that he would be willing to let a Spartan general command the army when a battle occurred with Daonia and the South Italian League."
"Dionysius is indeed not good at battles, and Davos—" After careful consideration, Phebidas said excitedly: "Although I don't like this person, I have to admit that he is indeed a very good opponent, but I am confident that I can defeat him!"
Agesilaus looked at him for a while before nodding and saying, "Good, we Spartans must be fearless. You go back to the team now, make the handover, and go to Syracuse immediately."
"Yes!"
Watching Phebidas leave, Agesilaus still had a trace of worry in his heart. That young Archon of Daonia, whom he had never met but had always been victorious, not only put pressure on Dionysius, but also put invisible pressure on the Spartan king who had been paying attention to Daonia…
… … … … … … … … … …
At the same time, in a residence in Athens, the chief Athenian general, Thrasybulus, was talking with Isocrates.
The usually aloof Isocrates was quite respectful when facing Thrasybulus, because in his heart, Thrasybulus was a person worthy of his respect.
During the reign of the Thirty Tyrants, a large number of Athenian citizens were persecuted and fled elsewhere. Thrasybulus, a democrat, did not flee, but led a group of Athenian citizens to establish a resistance base at the border between Attica and Boeotia (at that time, Thebes, although a long-time enemy of Athens, funded this team that resisted Spartan-controlled Athens), attempting to overthrow the tyrannical rule of the tyrants and restore independence and democracy to Athens. Under the leadership of Thrasybulus, this small team fought more with less, suffered repeated defeats, but actually defeated the powerful army of the tyrants.