While Mikres and his people were grateful to Davos, they also analyzed why Davos would offer assistance: besides demonstrating that the king treated all the people of Daonia equally and had no intention of deliberately excluding the original Thurii citizens, it might also be related to the fact that Regium was only a free city of Daonia. Even though Alcibiades' sister Agne was the Queen of Daonia, Regium had not fully integrated into the Kingdom of Daonia. The shrewd King Davos would not make such a mistake, allowing the Regium people to completely occupy most of the shipbuilding industry of the Kingdom of Daonia, even monopolizing the construction of warships for the Kingdom's coastal defense. Because even the orders for weapons and armor needed by the legions were not given to Teos alone by the Department of Military Affairs, but also to several weapon manufacturers.
After understanding these things, Mikres actively cooperated with the Department of Military Affairs to improve the warships they built. The fast trireme warships used by the navy now were first manufactured by their shipyard.
But now Regium has also been completely incorporated into Daonia… Thinking of this, Mikres felt a headache. But he quickly cheered up, because according to his observations over the years, King Davos was relatively fair in his actions and did not unduly favor Alcibiades just because he was his relative. In addition, with his good cooperative relationship with the Department of Military Affairs over the years, he believed that he would also receive fair treatment from King Davos in the Latinium region.
At worst, it would just be fair competition! Mikres was not afraid of this. Relying on his advantage as a citizen of Daonia and a native of Thurii, he had a lot of cooperation with the Daonia Academy. He often provided inspired scholars with experimental sites and conditions. Some of their inventions also helped him improve shipbuilding technology and efficiency, and also created some special new ships, such as the previous fast trireme warships, and the ironclad ships currently being tested…
At this time, the servant came in and reported to Sostratus: "Master, Agums has arrived."
"Quickly, invite him in!" Sostratus said quickly.
Everyone also turned their attention to the outside of the hall.
"Everyone, I'm sorry, I'm late!" Accompanied by this rough and slightly stiff Greek accent, a tall and strong middle-aged man strode into the hall.
Agums, originally named Agum, a Bruttian. He initially engaged in the medicinal materials industry. It was because after Bruttium merged into the Daonia League, his tribe, in order to survive better, entrusted him to take the herbs excavated from the Cosentza Plateau to the Thurii market for sale, in exchange for the grains and daily necessities urgently needed by the tribe. And through his own integrity and mind, as well as close cooperation with the Daonia Medical Academy, and through tireless efforts to continuously develop business channels, he has now settled in Thurii and become the largest medicinal materials merchant in the Kingdom of Daonia. Moreover, he also changed his name to Agums to show that he had completely integrated into the kingdom's main culture.
"No need to apologize, Agums. When you didn't arrive on time today, we were thinking that you must have important things that you couldn't get away from for a while."
"That's right!" The others also took the initiative to excuse him, after all, Agums had always arrived early at previous gatherings.
"No matter what the reason, being late is being late. Tonight's banquet will be hosted by me to apologize to everyone!" Agums said straightforwardly.
"Agums, no one is competing with you. You have to pay for tonight's banquet!" Cebennus said loudly, and everyone laughed.
As a foreigner, Agums was able to integrate into the Thurii Merchants Association circle because of his generosity and willingness to help others. If the merchants present themselves or their relatives were sick, as long as he knew about it, he could always quickly send good and fresh medicinal materials according to the prescriptions issued by the doctors, so he was very popular.
"I have been looking forward to hosting a banquet for everyone again." Agums said with a smile, "The reason why I was late is because Lord Alpones of the Department of Military Affairs came to me, hoping that I could provide a sufficient supply of medicinal materials for the army going north on the expedition. I think today's gathering is probably about His Majesty Davos allowing our Thurii merchants to accompany the army on the expedition."
"Since you already know, it saves me the trouble of repeating it again." Sostratus said with a smile.
"Agums, it's great to be in the medicinal materials business! With the level of medical skills in our kingdom, no other medicinal materials merchants can compete with you when your medicinal materials arrive in Regium!" Cebennus said enviously.
"There is no competition, but no one buys it either." Agums shrugged and said seriously: "If you want the people there to accept the treatment of Daonia doctors and take the medicine they prescribe, it will probably take time to develop…"
As everyone was talking, the servant came in again and whispered a few words in Sostratus' ear. Sostratus frowned and said: "Everyone, Iniades is here!"
"Iniades is always late. I don't know how he became a famous stone merchant in Thurii?!" Cebennus said dissatisfied.
"Isn't that because his family has been engaged in stone mining and carving for a long time, and has many experienced stonemasons and highly skilled sculptors, and also took advantage of the favorable opportunity of the kingdom's rapid expansion and the vigorous construction of public works in various cities to easily accumulate a lot of wealth, otherwise, just relying on him…" Someone said disdainfully.
As the president, Sostratus was not good at arbitrarily judging other members of the Chamber of Commerce. He changed the subject and said in a heavier tone: "Accompanying Iniades is Leocrates!"
"Why is he here?!" Dicos polis looked surprised.
"I'm afraid it's for the matter of us accompanying His Majesty on the expedition." Teos replied uncertainly.
"This is the reward that His Majesty Davos has given to our Thurii merchants. The Croton merchants have not made any contribution to the kingdom, but they want to get benefits. It's simply wishful thinking!" Fulacias said angrily.
His words also aroused the anger of other merchants.
Mikres asked suspiciously: "This matter should be relatively secretive, how did he know?"
"It must be Iniades who told him!" Cebennus accused.
"Iniades wouldn't know what matters are being discussed today." Charmander defended the stone merchant, because they were all old Thurii people.
"Secret? Then how did Agums know?!" Cebennus retorted.
"In any case, today is an important meeting of our Chamber of Commerce here, and it is not suitable for an outsider to participate." Dicos polis looked at Sostratus and seriously suggested.
Sostratus nodded.
… … … … … … … … … … … … … … …
"I'm really sorry! My master said that he is currently discussing very important matters with guests and does not have extra time to meet with you today." Outside Sostratus' residence, his servant said politely, but with an aloof expression on his face.
Upon hearing this, Iniades immediately shrugged and said helplessly: "It seems that they don't want to see you at this time, and there's nothing I can do."
Leocrates didn't show much frustration. He said calmly: "Regarding your desire to supply stone and statues for the Croton Grand Arena built with donations from our Chamber of Commerce, my promise is still valid."
Iniades' face lit up with joy.
Leocrates suppressed the unwillingness in his heart and turned to leave.
As the president of the Croton Chamber of Commerce, Leocrates knew very well that King Davos's permission for merchants to follow the army on the expedition to the Latinium region would provide huge business opportunities, but obviously the Thurii merchants were unwilling to share with others. However… since the Thurii merchants could obtain such opportunities by donating food, the Croton Chamber of Commerce could also do the same…
Thinking of this, Leocrates stopped. He looked back at Sostratus's residence, and thought of another key issue: The overall financial resources of the Croton merchants who had suffered a city destruction crisis were far from comparable to the Thurii Chamber of Commerce located in the center of the kingdom, and they might not be able to donate such a large amount of food to the kingdom. Perhaps… perhaps they should contact the Sybaris Chamber of Commerce and the Terina Chamber of Commerce… to jointly raise funds to donate a larger amount of food than the Thurii Chamber of Commerce to obtain permission to go to the Latinium region! However, this must be acted upon immediately, because the day of the army's expedition is probably not far away! …
Thinking of these things, Leocrates became anxious and even started running…
… … … … … … … … … … … … … …
As Davos's adjutant and intelligence chief, Aristides was truly a confidant of Davos, so much so that many high-ranking veterans did not dare to underestimate him. However, he usually lived a low-key life, and the residence he lived in was not large, no different from ordinary citizens' houses: a square courtyard, with a pool and garden in the center, the main building facing north, a flat house for slaves to live in on one side, and Aristides' study and living room on the other side, and the courtyard gate on the south… Very simple.
The only commendable thing is that this courtyard is located at the southern foot of King's Hill, which not only allows him to reach the palace or the king's residence in a very short time, and report important information to Davos in a timely manner, but also has palace guards patrolling this area non-stop all day long, and the safety is greatly guaranteed.
However, Aristides' younger brother, Antropolis, obviously didn't think so: "Brother, the place you live in is too simple. When others see it, they can't believe that this is the place where an important minister of the kingdom lives. You don't need to wrong yourself like this at all!"
"I'm just a palace adjutant, not an important minister of the kingdom. What's the point of being so extravagant? Besides, if I get tired of living here, I can go to the villa for a while." Aristides said nonchalantly.
Owning a villa has become a fashion in the Kingdom of Daonia in recent years. It originated with Davos, who built a villa on a hill not far from the Thurii hot spring bath. During the hottest part of the summer, he would take his family to the northern mountains to escape the heat, relax, and soak in the hot springs, which his children loved.
After holding a few banquets, the senators and ministers discovered the benefits of living in a villa. The once sparsely populated, barren, and difficult-to-access hills in the northern mountains quickly became sought-after properties. Wealthy and influential citizens of Thurii lined up to buy them from the Department of Agriculture. Later, the Thurii local council had to pass a law restricting the excessive sale of hills within Thurii's territory. The law also strictly regulated the area of villas that could be built on the sold hills, and prohibited the random felling of trees in other areas.
Citizens of Thurii had to turn their attention to Amendolara, Bisignia, and Castrum, within the core area of Thurii, which soon forced the local councils of these three towns to successively restrict the sale of hills... Eventually, this trend swept across the entire kingdom, leading the Senate to specifically formulate an article in the "Daonian Kingdom Law" for "Hill Sales and Villa Construction."
Antipolis was simply expressing his concern in this way. He knew that his brother had a firm character and was not easily persuaded. It was like when he had once advised Aristilas to suggest to His Majesty Davos that he "no longer serve as the Director of Intelligence, but instead develop into an administrative official." He believed that with his brother's talent, he could have a more brilliant future, but Aristilas sternly refused and warned him not to mention the matter again.
Antipolis stopped talking, but Aristilas asked, "What brings you here today?"
"Brother, can't I just come and see you?!" Antipolis said with dissatisfaction.
"Bolis is here!" A woman came out of the main building with a kind shout.
"Sister-in-law!" Antipolis respectfully called out.
The person who came was Aristilas' wife, Asuna.
"You haven't been to our house for a long time," Asuna said with a reproachful smile.
"Sister-in-law, it's not that I don't come, but I've been serving in public office in other places all these years. I just returned from Hibernia last month, and I've been busy with various handover procedures... As soon as I finished, I rushed over," Antipolis quickly explained.
"Since you've come all this way, why not stay for dinner tonight! I've already asked the servants to prepare it. Call your sister-in-law, Corias, and Lilia (Asuna's daughter) also misses her brother, Andoacus. Let's have a good family gathering tonight!"
Asuna said with a warm expression.
Antipolis looked at his brother. He knew that Aristilas rarely held gatherings at home.
But at this moment, Aristilas quickly said, "Since your sister-in-law has spoken, quickly send a servant home to call your sister-in-law and children."
Asuna looked at her husband, smiled charmingly, and then said, "Princess Christoia has something urgent for me to do, I'll rush back in the afternoon, you two can chat slowly at home."
"Okay, Sister-in-law, go ahead and be busy," Antipolis said with a smile on his face, watching Asuna leave the mansion with two female slaves.
As a Senator of the Senate, his respect for Asuna was not entirely because she was his sister-in-law, but also because she was once Christoia's personal slave, and is still a capable assistant to this princess in business, deeply trusted by the Davos family. In addition, Aristilas is Davos' confidant, so Antipolis was not wrong to say that his brother was an important minister of the kingdom. Many senators and city administrators seem to have prominent positions, but in the heart of King Davos, whose power is growing day by day, they are not as important as a word from this couple.
However, Aristilas and his wife usually act in a low-key manner and rarely interact with others. Aristilas, who always has a cold face to everyone, seems gentle when facing his wife. Asuna always makes the decisions on family matters. It is rumored that Asuna took the initiative to pursue him, and with Princess Christoia as a matchmaker, the two came together. Antipolis thinks this rumor is very credible, otherwise, with his brother's indifferent personality, he would probably still be single.
Antipolis pretended not to see the smile on Aristilas' lips as he watched Asuna leave. He said seriously, "Brother, I have something important to discuss with you this time, please help me make a decision."
Aristilas immediately became serious: "Let's talk in my study."
"Brother, I want to respond to His Majesty Davos' call and follow the army to the Latinum region..." In the study, Antipolis said seriously.
It turned out that Davos not only provided opportunities for merchants who donated food to the kingdom, but also issued a call to the Senators of the Senate who temporarily did not have suitable positions and could only serve in idle positions, as well as the kingdom's officials, hoping that they would voluntarily follow the army to the Latinum region, and in the future, serve in various public offices in the occupied areas, so as to better stabilize the occupied areas...
Aristilas didn't seem surprised, and didn't show a trace of surprise on his face, just gently asked: "Why choose to go to Latinum?"
"Brother, as you know, after my term as the Hibernian Administrative Governor expired, I returned to Thurii. The Royal Officials Management Committee originally had a good evaluation of my administrative performance in Hibernia, but I lost to Bagules in the election for the Cosenza Administrative Governor position. Now, the administrative governors and other senior positions in various cities of the kingdom are filled. I don't know how long I'll have to wait to be reappointed. I was thinking... why not follow His Majesty Davos to Latium..." Antra Polis expressed his true thoughts.
"Isn't the position of Administrative Governor of Castrum still vacant?" Aristilas suggested.
"Is the Administrative Governor of Castrum even called an Administrative Governor! I don't want Lysias telling me what to do!" Antra Polis shook his head.
In previous years, in order to consolidate resources and highlight Thurii's central position in the kingdom, Davos established the Thurii Greater Region. Bithynia, Castrum, and Amendolara were incorporated into this region, and their administrative governors were all under the jurisdiction of the Thurii Administrative Governor. Lysias has served as the Thurii Administrative Governor for many years and enjoys a high reputation. Most of these administrative governors do not dare to disobey his orders.
"Actually, after His Majesty proposed this plan in the Senate, I wanted to suggest that you go to Latium. I didn't expect you to make a decision so quickly." A look of relief appeared on Aristilas's face. Although he rarely contacted Antra Polis, he had been paying attention to his younger brother's performance in politics.
"You also support me going?!" Antra Polis felt more determined after hearing this, but still said worriedly, "What I'm worried about now is that Latium is too far from the center of the kingdom, and its location is remote. Serving in that place won't get much attention, and staying there for too long will make me miss other good opportunities. Besides, that area is full of foreign races and is not even adjacent to the kingdom. I'm afraid it won't be easy to govern, and what if a riot breaks out..."
Aristilas listened carefully to his younger brother's words and said slowly, "You don't have to worry about not getting attention while serving there. As far as I know, His Majesty's attention to Rome far exceeds your imagination. He had me establish channels for news about Rome before the South Italian War. After the South Italian War, he increased investment in intelligence gathering on Rome and asked me to report on the situation in Latium every month. In the second half of last year, His Majesty even demanded, 'As soon as there is a new situation in Rome, report it to him immediately'... Do you know about the map of Italy and Sicily made of clay in the military conference room of the palace?"
"I know, I heard it was made very exquisitely!" Antra Polis nodded in response.
"Among all the models of other city-states, the model of Rome is the largest and the only one made of red clay, which is very eye-catching. This shows that His Majesty's attention to Rome even exceeds that of Carthage. That's why he brought you administrative officials on this expedition, which has never happened before. I'm afraid what he wants is to turn Rome and the Latin allies into territories of the Daonian Kingdom. Therefore, you don't have to worry about not getting the kingdom's attention when you get there..."
Aristilas said here, and Antra Polis was completely relieved. He understood that as long as he had the attention of King Davos, the kingdom's resources might be heavily tilted towards the Latium region, and security would naturally be guaranteed.
"Polis!" Aristilas said with a serious expression, "Since you have chosen to take risks instead of being mediocre, then when you get to Latium, don't be afraid of difficulties! You must deeply understand the life customs of the various races in that area, and strive to explore how to govern that area well and establish your reputation there... When the Latium region is fully incorporated into the kingdom, you must become the Senate Elder who knows the most about that place! In this way, once there are any important positions vacant or important problems occur in Latium, His Majesty will first think of you, just like Bagules of Lucania and Sedorum of Bruttii. You already missed a great opportunity in Catanae more than ten years ago, don't miss it again this time!"
Antra Polis understood what his brother meant by "missing an opportunity": Back then, Daonia had just occupied the southeast of Sicily. Born and raised in Catanae, he successfully led a major riot against Syracuse and became a Senate Elder as a result, serving as the Administrative Governor of Catanae. He should have gradually developed on this basis and become Sicily's spokesperson in the kingdom and an important figure in the Senate, but his lack of administrative experience ultimately ruined it himself.
Now, Aristilas's expectations made him feel both pressured and invigorated. He said in a deep voice, "Brother, don't worry, I won't easily miss it again this time!"
… … … … … … … … … … … … … … …
February in Thurii has entered the rainy season. The continuous drizzle has been nourishing the entire city for almost a whole day, allowing people who have been busy all day and are preparing to go home at dusk to maintain a pleasant mood. Last year's drought, which swept across Magna Graecia, increased their appreciation and love for rainwater.
Prika, returning from the port court to the city, seemed preoccupied. Usually, he would have stopped by the port market along the way. The market at dusk always had a carnival atmosphere. Acrobatics, dances, magic tricks, and slapstick performances attracted tourists to watch, while vendors displayed exquisite and unique handicrafts and fragrant foods, vying for customers… The port market from dusk to evening was the domain of street performers and vendors, and a favorite place for the people of Thurii to take a leisurely stroll after dinner.
In the past, Prika would stop here, listen to the bards' songs, taste the olive oil-fried sea fish, and buy some herbal porridge with mint or thyme… But today, he didn't stop, and barely managed to squeeze through the market.
Ahead of him were magnificent temple complexes, from the earliest Temple of Hera, to the Temple of Heracles, the Temple of Apollo, and even Amara, the snow mountain goddess of Bruttium, and Asin, the patron god of Lucania… This area was known to the people of Thurii as the "Land of the Gods." Even during the day, the temple fires burned brightly and there were many worshippers (though not as many as the Temple of Hades). By dusk, most of the worshippers had dispersed, and the temples once again appeared majestic and empty.
The chanting of the priests of the gods in the great hall echoed from the thick stone walls and towering colonnades, lingering around Prika's ears, calming him slightly, but he did not slow down. Only when passing the Temple of Hera did he stop, because he saw the pure white carriage and fully armed palace guards parked in front of the temple. He knew that the queen of Daonia, the chief priest of the Temple of Hera—Agnes, was about to return home.
To show respect, he stood still. Many people, like him, watched as the beautiful and kind queen smiled and waved to them before getting into the carriage and leaving.
Further north was the outer city of Thurii. A foreign merchant who had come to Thurii once said: "The inner and outer cities of Thurii are like nobles and commoners. One embodies elegance and order, while the other displays liveliness and vitality. Yet, the two are so harmonious, without any conflict or contradiction…"
What this foreign merchant didn't understand was that the formation of Thurii's inner and outer cities was not due to differences in status, but due to the different times when the residents of the inner and outer cities joined the kingdom.
The residents of the inner city had joined the Daonian League before the establishment of the kingdom, while the residents of the outer city mainly joined after the establishment of the kingdom. Because the residents of the inner city joined during the early stages of the league, they had more opportunities to participate in the governance of the league, gain military merits, and win rewards. Therefore, most of the citizens of the inner city were either elders, officials of the kingdom, or officers of the army. Of course, they also made huge sacrifices for the survival and development of Daonia. To this day, 1/6 of the inner city citizens have died in battle or been disabled.
There were also many elders among the citizens of the outer city, most of whom joined after the establishment of the kingdom.
They came from southern Magna Graecia, eastern Sicily, and the Apulia region. There were also many citizens who, through their own efforts, became high-ranking officials and senior military officers of the kingdom. Prika was one of them, which made many citizens, pre-citizens, and free people who had just settled in the outer city not jealous of those big shots, but instead hoped to become them through their own efforts.
In fact, the outer city was not chaotic. With the constraints of Daonian law and the strict management of the patrol department, people who wanted to develop in the kingdom generally would not violate the law and create obstacles for their future. Therefore, the order in the outer city was better than in many Greek city-states. However, there were too many residents in the outer city, and the members were complex. In addition to citizens of the kingdom, free people, and Greeks from other city-states, there were also other races from various places, so it was more difficult to manage. It was inevitable that some contradictions and conflicts would arise, which was also a headache for judges in Thurii, as the affairs were too complicated and trivial.
Usually, when Prika walked on the streets of the outer city, he liked to observe the people chatting in groups on both sides of the road, judging which ones were Daonian citizens and which ones were foreigners, what occupations they had, where they came from, and what their personality traits were… This was perhaps an occupational hazard of a judge.
Through long-term observation, he had already summarized some experience in recognizing people, but when Daonian citizens and foreigners were together, there was no need to think carefully, and they could be distinguished at a glance.
Because Daonian citizens were strong and walked with a vigorous stride, this was because they often ate meat and had undergone military training for many years. Moreover, they always dressed neatly when they went out, and always wore leather sandals on their feet. On the one hand, they were listening to the doctor's warning to prevent unnecessary injuries and colds (many Greek city-state citizens were barefoot); on the other hand, the Bolton they wore could be adorned with various medals, which became an important asset for them to attract respect and show off. In addition, they spoke loudly, laughed heartily, and were naturally optimistic. It seemed that no difficulty could stump them. This was perhaps the demeanor of a citizen of a great power. Of course, their Greek language, which integrated the cultures of multiple races in the country, also made it a bit difficult for tourists from other Greek city-states to understand…
Prika's home was next to the Persephone Arena. It was almost March, and the kingdom's football games had begun. The carnival season for fans had arrived, but the people living near the arena inevitably suffered from noise during the day, so the residential area near the arena was not favored, and the price was very low. But for Prika, who had not been a Daonian citizen for long, he had no more choice.
When he got near his home, he had to stop again and again to return greetings to the neighbors who took the initiative to greet him. Only at this time did he put aside the worries in his heart and savor the respect his neighbors gave him: Yes, although his background was very low, a house slave, he had worked hard from the bottom and had become a trainee judge of the kingdom. In the Daonian kingdom, which ruled the country by law, judges were undoubtedly one of the kingdom's public offices respected by ordinary people.
When passing through the alley, he heard several neighbors who had been incorporated into the legion reserve team talking excitedly about the "army is about to go north to attack Latium", which accelerated his pace home.
"You're back!" His wife greeted him and took Prika's satchel.
Prika "hmm"ed and walked into the courtyard.
"Master!" A male and a female slave greeted him respectfully.
Prika nodded solemnly and walked towards the main house. The reason why the place where he lived was not built into a two-story building was because he didn't have enough money when he got married. Later, he finally saved some money and was preparing to rebuild it, but he happened to meet his wife pregnant. Busy with affairs, he had to buy a female slave to take care of her, and then at the beginning of last year, he saved money to buy a male slave, thinking of letting him be responsible for managing his share of land. He didn't expect the drought to delay him for more than half a year, and he was hardly used.
"Where's the child?" Prika asked with concern as he walked.
"Amira took him out to play for an afternoon, and he was sleepy when he came back. He drank some rice porridge and is sleeping soundly now." His wife said, and then asked: "Oh, dinner is ready, should we eat it while it's hot?"
Prika nodded.
His wife, Kusnia, hurriedly directed the female slave to bring the dinner to the table.
Prika looked down and saw that dinner was pumpkin, pea, and oat porridge, and a large pot had been stewed. His brows furrowed immediately. It wasn't that he was picky, but he had been eating this stuff for a month in a row, and he was really tired of it.
Seeing that her husband was a little dissatisfied, Kusnia hurriedly said: "There is still some goat milk and cheese at home, should I bring it up?"
Prika knew that the goat milk and cheese were reserved for the child, so he waved his hand.
"Or should I go to the market tomorrow to buy some wheat, grind it into flour, and make bread?" Kusnia said again.
"The war is about to start again, and the price of wheat in the market is not cheap now. There is no need to spend that money. There are still so many beans and pumpkins in the cellar that have not been eaten. If you don't eat them quickly, they will all spoil." Prika said, sighing in his heart: The drought for more than half a year had almost exhausted his savings. If it weren't for the vegetables harvested after replanting his own fields, he would probably have to borrow money from the bank to buy food. Now that there is something to eat, it is already very good…
Thinking of this, he scooped up a large spoonful of sticky porridge and stuffed it into his mouth.
"Tell you good news, we have planted all the wheat in the field today!" Kusnia said loudly to make her husband happy.
As a Daonian citizen, Prika owned five acres of land. Compared with many old citizens, his land was too small, but it was by no means an easy task to manage these few acres of land well. Obviously, the male slave he bought played a big role, which strengthened the decision in his heart.
"Kusnia, there is something I want to tell you." Prika looked up at his wife and said solemnly: "I have decided to follow His Majesty's army to Latium!"
"You are just a reserve soldier, not even in the legion reserve team. Will they let you go?!" Kusnia thought her husband wanted to participate in the battle. She was not alarmed, but a little puzzled.
"I am not going to fight against foreigners, but His Majesty is calling on us idle public officials to voluntarily follow the army to Latium and participate in the governance of the occupied areas. I have decided to sign up."
"Go to Latium to be a judge?!" Kusheniya was stunned, feeling inexplicably flustered: "Latium is so far away from us, and there's a war going on. It's too dangerous for you to go there as a judge! And... and the child is so young, and I'm here alone taking care of him..."
"Niya, I know that if I go to Latium, it will be hard on you being alone!" Prica said solemnly: "But this is a good opportunity for me! I've been a trainee judge for half a year, and I'm still working as an assistant in the court. It will probably take two or three years to become a formal judge. And to be the presiding judge of a town, to hear and handle cases independently, depends on whether there are any vacancies... I was born as a captured kingdom slave. I don't have a wealthy family to rely on, nor a high-ranking former master to help me. I can only rely on myself! I can only do things that others are unwilling to risk doing! Although going to Latium is dangerous, I might be directly in charge of a town's court. If I perform well, I might even get the attention of His Majesty Davos, who is fighting in Latium... Maybe one day, I can be like Lord Tritolemus, wearing a white robe with black trim of Bouton (referring to becoming a senator)!"
Kusheniya stared blankly at her husband. She knew that her husband had been working very hard, but she never knew that her slightly dark and thin Libyan husband had such great ambitions...
...
In the leader's residence of Abellinum, Gairni had just seen off the Daonian envoy Callias. His confidant Maioni entered the living room and saw Gairni leaning heavily on a wooden chair, lost in thought. He quickly asked, "Leader, did the Daonian envoy come this time to ask us to launch an attack on Lesguk?"
To be honest, since the Samnites declared war on the Kingdom of Daonia, the Abellinums in the middle were the most uncomfortable.
The high priest of the Samnite tribal alliance even came to Abellinum in person and reiterated the ancient and sacred traditions of the Samnites to Gairni. Seeing Gairni make a solemn oath in the name of Savoni, he left with peace of mind. Therefore, the Abellinums were very worried that the Daonians would ask them to launch an attack on their own people, which would force them to violate the ancient traditions and would inevitably be spurned by all Samnites.
Gairni shook his head: "The Daonians did not ask me to launch an attack on Lesguk, nor did they ask us for passage."
While Maioni breathed a sigh of relief, he asked in confusion: "Since the Daonians are so understanding of us, what are you worried about, leader?"
Gairni sighed: "The Daonians believe that Lesguk has always been unfriendly to Daonia and is also the initiator of this war. He has not only brought harm to Daonia, but also brought disaster to the Hirpini. They hope... that I can drive Lesguk off the stage and become the great leader of the Hirpini, so that the Hirpini and Daonia can restore peace..."
Maioni's eyes lit up.
He said loudly: "Leader, this is a good thing! With the support of Daonia, you can easily regain the position of great leader of the Hirpini that should have belonged to you!"
Gairni smiled bitterly: "Maioni, doing so is against tradition! What's more, Lesguk has the full support of the other tribal leaders and the high priest. His position as great leader is very stable!"
"Tradition?!" Maioni snorted angrily: "Didn't Lesguk insist on moving the tribe to our Abellinum territory and directly arranging them to be leaders, isn't that against tradition! He Lesguk can do this, why can't we! It is precisely because he has the support of the other leaders and the high priest that he has repeatedly wanted to drive you away, leader. If it weren't for the help of the Daonians, Abellinum would have been occupied by the Beneventums long ago! This time, he took advantage of the war between Daonia and Carthage to incite the tribes to start a war with Daoria. If the Daonians are defeated... leader, I'm afraid we can only take our people and flee to Daonia!"
Hearing this, a fierce look appeared on Gairni's face, but he hesitated and said: "I also want to drive Lesguk down from the position of great leader of the Hirpini! But how to do it? Do we really have to take advantage of the current emptiness of Beneventum's defenses and launch a surprise attack on it?!"
"Leader, doing so will only increase the rejection and hatred of the Hirpini tribes and other tribes towards us." Maioni stepped forward and suggested to him: "Lesguk incited the tribes to launch a war against Daonia, but so far he has not gained any benefits, but has lost many warriors. Don't these tribes have any complaints against him?! Especially our Hirpini, I heard that thousands of people have been captured... Now that the Daonians support you, leader, to become the great leader of the Hirpini, I think they should hand over these thousands of people to you for disposal."
Gairni was shocked when he heard this, and pondered for a while, then said cautiously: "We need to discuss this matter carefully... In addition, go and tell the Daonian envoy to stay in Abellinum for two more days, and I will have important matters to discuss with him then."
At the same time that Callias was sent to Abellinum, Tapirus also came to Nacoia in the Campania region, and also expressed to Quinduk, the leader of the Cautini, who was friendly to Daonia: Daonia is willing to support him to become the great leader of the Cautini.
Although Quinduk had been at odds with Segovani and had repeatedly declared to the outside world that Segovani had used tricks to take away the position of great leader that should have belonged to him, when Tapirus faced him, he clearly expressed his refusal and claimed that Nacoia was unwilling to declare war on its friendly ally Daonia, nor was it willing to violate tradition and point its swords at its own people. Nacoia would remain neutral in this war.
...
Davos got up just as dawn broke.
Agnes also woke up immediately.
"It's still early, sleep a little longer." Davos considerately covered her with the quilt she had lifted.
"You're leaving soon, how can I sleep!" Agnes complained, then shouted outside.
The female slave who had been waiting in the outer room immediately brought clean water and a washcloth.
The two began to wash and dress.
Agnes sat in front of the dressing table and simply combed her hair and tied her hair bun. Davos stepped forward to help her tie the hair band.
"Your Majesty, little Croto is going to the battlefield for the first time, you have to take good care of him!" Agnes reminded with some worry.
"He's by my side, how can there be any danger? Don't worry." Davos comforted her with a smile.
"Your Majesty, you must also be careful!" Agnes turned her head and stared at him with concern.
Davos nodded, bent down, and gave her a deep kiss on her pretty and smooth cheek.
The couple tiptoed downstairs and came to the dining room, where they saw Christoia and Croto Catakes already waiting there.
"Croto, did you sleep well last night?" Davos asked with a smile.
"Father, I couldn't sleep at all at first, but later I was too sleepy and fell asleep in a daze. Mother woke me up in the morning..." Croto Catakes said truthfully, a little embarrassed.
"You're much stronger than when I first went into battle. I didn't sleep all night at that time..." Davos encouraged him with self-deprecation.
"Croto, you're following your father on this expedition, what's there to be nervous about?" Christoia interjected.
"Mother, I'm not nervous, I'm excited! Because I can finally go to the real battlefield!..." Croto Catakes blushed and defended.
"What's the difference between nervous and excited..." Christoia couldn't help but retort.
"Let's have breakfast first, the porridge is getting cold!" Agnes quickly interjected.
"Hurry up and eat, Martius and Henipolis are still waiting for us at the foot of the mountain." After Davos finished speaking, the dining room returned to silence.
Croto Catakes quickly drank a bowl of wheat porridge, a bowl of goat's milk, chewed a honey bread, and gnawed a fried sea fish...
Agnes couldn't help but persuade: "Croto, don't rush, eat slowly!..."
Croto Catakes finished breakfast in one breath, walked out of the dining room, took his armor from the hands of the chief steward Ribazzo, and began to put it on.
In the dining room, Davos was still comforting his two wives, reassuring them that he would take care of his son.
Soon, Davos also put on his armor. He handed the helmet with long black feathers on the top to his son, then hugged and kissed his two wives goodbye.
"When Eunice, Apox, Briantes, and Avia wake up, tell them that I will bring them many gifts when I come back from Latium..." Davos said with a smile, then jumped on his horse.
"Mother! Mother Agnes! I'm leaving, don't worry, I will come back safely!" Croto Catakes also stepped forward to hug them and said goodbye obediently, then followed closely on his horse.
Under the escort of ten palace guards, the group galloped down the mountain.
Christoia and Agnes watched the backs of the father and son leaving, unwilling to return to the house for a long time...
At this time, the sky was gray, the full moon was still hanging in the air, and a few faint stars could still be seen.
The cold air of dawn drove away the drowsiness on people's bodies, making Croto Catakes energetic. He couldn't help but ask: "Father, when we get to Latium, will I have a chance to go into battle and kill the enemy?"
Davos had obviously considered this question, and he replied without hesitation: "Yes!"
Croto Catakes could see that Davos was not perfunctory, so he felt even more excited. He took the lead and rushed to the front, and soon reached the foot of the mountain.
"Your Majesty!" The three confidants directly under King Dionysius of Daonia: the chief of the Palace Guards, Martius, the scribe Hynepolis, and the herald Aristilas, were already respectfully standing in front of the sentry post waiting.
"I've kept you waiting." Davos jumped off his warhorse, looked at Martius, and asked, "During my absence, have the guards of the palace and the residence been properly arranged?"
"According to my last report to you, half of the soldiers (i.e., 250 men) have been left behind, under the command of Xenophanes, to ensure the safety of the palace, King's Hill, and the Queen and Princes," Martius replied.
Davos nodded and walked towards Xenophanes, who was standing behind the three, and said sincerely, "I will have to rely on you for the safety of my family!"
"Your Majesty, please rest assured, I will successfully complete the task you have entrusted to me!" Xenophanes gave a confident and forceful military salute.
Davos unconsciously glanced at his left hand.
Xenophanes used his left hand to give the military salute. He was originally a member of the Persian Expeditionary Force, a senior officer of the First Legion, and a good friend of Tigetinos, the current commander of the Ninth Legion. More than a decade ago, during the fierce battle between the First Legion's landing in Sicily and the Syracuse allied forces, his right hand was severely injured and became disabled after ineffective treatment. Under such circumstances, he should have retired from the army, but he himself strongly expressed his desire to continue staying in the army. After several twists and turns, Davos finally selected him into the Palace Guard to serve as an officer. After all, the Palace Guard had a very small chance of going into battle and killing enemies, and he was not required to personally kill enemies, but he was required to bring his rich combat experience and strict legion discipline to the Palace Guard. So far, he has performed very well, which is why Davos agreed to Martius entrusting the authority of staying behind to him.
Davos patted him forcefully on the shoulder to express his expectations, then turned and walked towards Aristilas.
Although Davos looked at him without speaking, Aristilas understood the king's expectations of him: during his personal expedition, he was to closely monitor the entire kingdom, cooperate closely with the Palace Guard and the Patrol Department, ensure the stability of the kingship and the safety of the family, and report any abnormalities to him in Latium immediately.
Aristilas once again solemnly saluted Davos, everything was understood without words.
Davos finally looked at Hynepolis and asked softly, "Hyni, are you ready to write a wonderful 'Latium War Chronicle'?"
"Your Majesty, I have prepared enough papyrus and pens," Hynepolis replied cleverly, making Davos laugh.
"Let's go," he said in a deep voice.
Martius led 250 palace guards,
escorting Davos. Behind Davos were Croto Catakes and Hynepolis, under the saluting gaze of Aristilas, Xenophanes, and the remaining palace guards, they rode towards the north gate.
"Salute!" the garrison officer of the north gate shouted excitedly.
The sentries hurriedly turned the capstan to open the city gate, and then stood upright on both sides.
"Good work, Timias!" Davos accurately called out the name of the garrison officer and gave a formal military salute on horseback, which made the garrison officer and the sentries extremely excited.
The reason why Davos set off so early was because during this time period, some Thurii residents had just woken up, and there were very few pedestrians on the streets of the outer city, so it was almost unobstructed.
The "rumbling" of horses' hooves broke the silence of the outer city. By the time curious residents came out to check, the cavalry had already gone far.
"It's the Palace Guard!" The people made an accurate judgment based on the soldiers' attire: "His Majesty Davos must be inside!"
"His Majesty Davos has gone to the military camp so early, let's not dawdle, hurry up and finish breakfast, and rush to the military camp to see off the army!"
… … … … … … … … … … … … … …
This time, because there were too many soldiers on the expedition, it had exceeded the capacity of Victory Square in Thurii, so the final assembly and departure point for the army was set at the Thurii military camp.
Just as dawn broke, Davos arrived at the Thurii military camp. At the commander's residence, he summoned several ministers of the Department of Military Affairs, as well as the commander of the Second Legion, Matonis, the commander of the Fourth Legion, Olivos, the commander of the Fifth Legion, Georghis, the commander of the Sixth Legion, Trolas, and the commander of the Mountain Reconnaissance Brigade, Izam, to learn about the conscription of each unit, the morale of the soldiers, the weapons and equipment they carried, whether they carried five days of rations, whether the support personnel of each legion were fully staffed, the maintenance of siege and defense equipment, and whether the equipped pack teams were sufficient… …
While Davos was discussing the expedition with the generals, Croto Catakes, led by Tolmid, also met with the staff team assigned to Davos by the Department of Military Affairs. They were basically company officers who had performed well in various legions, and then transferred to the staff office of the Department of Military Affairs for a year or two of study, so their ages were basically around twenty-five or six years old. Croto Catakes had been in the Department of Military Affairs for more than a year, and most of them knew each other. Although he was a prince, he was approachable, and soon he was talking and laughing with them.
Everyone excitedly talked about their expectations for this war. In such a lively atmosphere, Croto Catakes completely forgot that he had originally planned to visit his elder brother Adoris at the Second Legion's garrison before setting off.
But in fact, even if he went, he would not be able to talk to Adoris, because at this time, the soldiers in the military camp had long been awakened by the sound of the bugle. After quickly finishing breakfast, they skillfully packed their armor and rations into a package, tied it to a special wooden staff, carried it on their shoulders, and wore only short-sleeved linings, with a short sword hanging around their waists. The long shield, spear, and javelin were all handed over to the legion's logistics battalion for transportation, so that they could save more effort and cross the mountainous area more quickly in the subsequent march.
At dawn, most of the elders of the Kingdom's Senate also arrived at the military camp. Among them, some elders, led by the five rotating chairmen of the Senate, Cornelius, Setorum, Vesba, Lysias, and Antaoris, came to see off King Davos and the army, and also to express to him that during his expedition, they would do their best to ensure the smooth operation of the Kingdom's government affairs.
And another small group of elders, such as Asistestes, Antrapolis, Nicomachus, Trifeas, etc., were preparing to lead many Kingdom officials who volunteered to go to Latium with the expeditionary army. In fact, they could have taken the large number of grain transport ships that departed from the port yesterday and headed south, bypassed the Strait of Messina, and went to Volsci, but even King Davos, the most distinguished in status, had to march with the army, and of course they could not show fear of hardship and difficulty, leaving a bad impression on this Kingdom ruler, so they would follow the lagging logistics team and go north together.
At dawn, Davos held a pre-expedition oath-taking ceremony for nearly 40,000 soldiers in the large parade ground of the Thurii military camp. Croto Catakes, who was experiencing such a grand and solemn occasion for the first time, was also excited after listening to his father's speech, and together with the high-spirited soldiers, he raised his arms and shouted: "Long live King Davos!!! Long live the Daonian Kingdom!!!… …"
And when the army began to leave the camp, the people of the Kingdom, especially the people of Thurii, had already been waiting on both sides of the road, as in the past, cheering their relatives to the battlefield with kind shouts and devout blessings, to win glorious victories for the Kingdom and to win them glory and generous rewards. The farewell procession extended all the way to the mountain town, with constant cheers all the way, and even with petals sprinkled on the ground, as if they had already returned in triumph.
"This is why the Kingdom is so powerful!" Davos said softly to his son, who was riding beside him in the center of the procession.
Croto Catakes looked at the cheering people on both sides of the road and nodded with deep emotion.
Early March of the 14th year of the Daonian Kingdom (i.e., 379 BC), King Davos personally led the Second Legion, the Fourth Legion, the Fifth Legion, the Sixth Legion, part of the First Cavalry Legion, and the Mountain Reconnaissance Brigade, a total of 40,000 people, marched west, passed through the mountains, reached Laos, and then took ships in batches to the Latium region. In fact, this team also included about 200 elders and low- and mid-level officials of the Kingdom, a team of about 600 people composed of engineers, craftsmen, blacksmiths, etc. drawn from Thurii, as well as a logistics transport team and pack team mainly composed of countless reserve citizens as laborers, so the entire team appeared large and bloated.
In addition, merchants from Thurii and Ligium, riding their own fleets, fully loaded with military rations, passed through the Strait of Messina, detoured to the west coast of Italy, and prepared to meet with King Davos's army in Latium.
… … … … … … … … … … … … … …
While Davos's army was marching towards Latium, the Spartans in mainland Greece were recruiting troops, planning to regain control of Thebes. At the same time, the Council of Elders also learned that Athenians had directly participated in the Theban riots this time, which made them feel surprised and worried. After all, if these two powerful states in central Greece reunited, the Spartans' plan to re-dominate Greece would be greatly hindered.
Therefore, the two Spartan inspectors immediately rushed to Athens, aggressively questioning the Athenians: whether they were prepared to tear up the King's Peace Treaty and go to war with Sparta.
Although the Athenians were dissatisfied with Sparta and secretly helped the people of Thebes to resist, in the past ten years, Sparta, with the support of the Persians, had not only recovered its strength, but also stopped the war in Asia Minor and devoted all its strength to the struggle for hegemony in mainland Greece. All the Greek city-states felt great pressure. The Peloponnese Peninsula had been completely controlled by it, and even Corinth and Argos obediently dared not make any abnormal moves. The northern Greek city-states had become its allies, and central Greece had been thrown into chaos by it.
Under such circumstances, the Athenians did not believe that they and Thebes alone could stand against the mighty Sparta. After urgent consultations between the General Executive Committee and the Council, Athens chose to compromise and concede in the face of the aggressive Spartan inspectors.
They immediately recalled the two Athenian generals who were fighting in Thebes and convened a public assembly to try them. The charges were: "They held important public office in Athens, but without the permission of the Athenian government, they rashly entered Thebes and fought against the Spartans, placing Athens in a dangerous position... This is dereliction of duty and treason."
Although the vast majority of Athenian citizens supported the actions of the two generals in their hearts, they really did not want to go to war with the powerful Sparta at this time. Therefore, they voted in favor against their will, imposing the most severe punishment on the two—execution—to appease the Spartans' anger.
The Spartan inspectors returned satisfied. When the Council of Elders learned of Athens' actions, they were also relieved. Now they only needed to concentrate on dealing with their sole enemy—Thebes.
… … … … … … … … … … … … … … …
The news of "the Carthaginian army's crushing defeat and the Iberian navy's failure" shocked the Carthaginian people. What grieved the Carthaginian high command, however, was the heavy loss of the Sacred Band. While each family mourned the deaths and injuries of their elite sons, they also felt extreme anger at the incompetence of the army's commander, Monte Adrano. They clamored for Monte Adrano to be removed from his post and sent back to Carthage to be judged by the Tribunal of One Hundred and subjected to the cruel "Cross of Punishment" to assuage their hatred (that is, to nail the hands and feet of the criminal to a wooden cross with iron nails and leave them exposed to the sun until they bleed to death).
Faced with the overwhelming public anger, Hanno did not defend Monte Adrano, allowing the Senate to pass the resolution.
After passing this motion, the Carthaginian Senate began to fiercely debate how to deal with the Daunian army, which was advancing westward victoriously on Sicily.
The new Suffete, Okriton, mustered his courage and softly proposed: "Gentlemen, it seems now that... Daonia's army and navy are strong. Carthage did not make sufficient preparations before rashly engaging in war with Daonia, which was a mistake. Now, could we consider... temporarily making peace with Daonia to rescue the captured Carthaginian citizens and prevent the Daunians from completely occupying western Sicily, which is short of troops..."
As soon as Okriton said this, there was an uproar in the Senate. Pretakuba immediately stood up and retorted loudly: "The war has only been going on for a month, and we Carthaginians are already surrendering?! I can't believe that this ridiculous proposal came from the mouth of our elected, esteemed Suffete! We Carthaginians are not a small state; we are the leader of all Phoenician city-states in the western Mediterranean! We control vast territories such as Sardinia, Corsica, Numidia, and southern Iberia, and monopolize the precious metal trade throughout the western Mediterranean!
We are the most powerful and wealthiest country in the western Mediterranean!
But you actually want us to surrender to Daonia, which has been established for less than 20 years! What will the people in the regions we control, our dependent city-states, and our allies think! They will think that Carthage is no longer strong! They will leave us and even sound the horn of war against us, like the Numidians! Therefore, since the war with Daonia has already begun, we must fight on until we finally achieve victory!"
Pretakuba's thought-provoking words touched many senators.
At this moment, Taipanlaco stood up and said solemnly: "I believe that Lord Okriton and every senator here wants Carthage to defeat Daonia, but the current situation is—Daonia's army is strong! They are using fewer troops than us, but they are able to inflict crushing defeats on our army! Their navy also has the upper hand!... We must admit that Daonia is indeed stronger than us militarily now. We were not prepared and should not have rashly gone to war with Daonia at this time, but because some people incited the people for their own interests, Carthage has been plunged into this difficult situation today! I believe that we must first investigate those who created the war and try them in order to ensure that the Senate will not fall into chaos when formulating laws in the future!..."
As soon as Taipanlaco finished speaking, Pretakuba immediately retorted: "Gentlemen, is it really that our Carthaginian soldiers are not brave enough, our army is not strong enough, and our navy is not good enough?! No! It's because our generals are not good enough! They were both fighting on Sicily, so why could Hasdrubal lead the Iberian army to conquer Serodierum, while Monte Adrano, with heavy troops in hand, suffered a crushing defeat at the city of Minoia! I heard that after Monte Adrano arrived in Lilybaeum, he enjoyed wine every day and searched for beauties everywhere. He never went to the military camp to understand his troops and soldiers. When attacking the city of Minoia, he never personally supervised the battle, even hiding in his tent to drink and enjoy himself. How could such an incompetent commander inspire the morale of the soldiers! How could he formulate a correct battle plan to defeat the Daunians!..."
"Therefore, sentencing Monte Adrano to the Cross of Punishment is absolutely correct! Monte Adrano deserves to die!" one senator shouted angrily.
Immediately following, many elders also voiced their agreement, expressing their resentment towards him. Even Hanno felt extreme dissatisfaction with Monte Adorno in his heart, deeply regretting his misjudgment, which led to a political situation unfavorable to himself.
Amidst the clamor, someone loudly asked, "Praetacus, since you say that Carthage was defeated by Dionysius because of the commander's incompetence, then who do you think is capable of leading the Carthaginian army and defeating the Dionysians?!"
Hanno immediately turned around, discovering that the speaker was an elder from the Magonid faction, and couldn't help but curse inwardly: Shameless!
Then he heard Praetacus immediately say loudly, "Honorable elders, I think you have all heard of the Lusitanians in the western Iberian Peninsula and the Celts in the northern mountains—"
Although most Carthaginian elders had not been to Iberia, in the past decade or so, with Mago's conquest of southern Iberia, they had learned a lot about the situation on the Iberian Peninsula. It was said that these two races were closely related to the southern Iberians, but they were more barbaric and fierce, living by killing and considering death in battle as an honor.
Seeing that many elders' attention had been drawn to him, Praetacus then said solemnly, "These two Iberian natives have launched several large-scale invasions into the southern Iberian territory governed by Governor Mago, but they were all repelled by him leading the army. You should know that the Carthaginian army in Iberia not only has mercenaries, but also many Carthaginian citizen soldiers and Phoenician allies. Even such a mixed army can defeat such fierce enemies and conquer such a large area of land for Carthage. Why is it that the Carthaginian army, which possesses a more elite Sacred Band and more soldiers, suffered a crushing defeat against the Dionysian army, which is smaller than us?!"
Praetacus looked around at everyone and said forcefully, "That's because—only a lion-like commander can lead a brave army like lions; and a commander as weak as a lamb, even if given the most elite soldiers, cannot bring out their bravery! Gentlemen, the matter is very clear. Now, the only person in Carthage who can lead the army like a lion to win the war against Dionysius is Governor Mago of Iberia!"
Although many people knew that Praetacus would eventually say the name "Mago," when he said it, no one refuted it for a moment. Even his opponents had to admit that no one could compare with Mago in terms of military talent and achievements.
For the past ten years, the Carthaginians had not always been living in peace and tranquility. They had been actively conquering the Numidian inland areas south of Carthage. After the conquest, they had to constantly suppress the Numidian rebellions. However, for hundreds of years, the various Numidian tribes had been subject to Carthaginian economic control, cultural infiltration, division, and bribery, and they were simply unable to organize a unified alliance to jointly resist the Carthaginian offensive. Therefore, the intensity of the war was always small, far from being comparable to the difficulties encountered by Mago alone in leading his army to conquer the relatively unfamiliar southern Iberia. This is why Monte Adorno, who performed well on the Numidian battlefield, was defeated by the Dionysians as soon as he arrived in Sicily.
"Unfortunately, most of the soldiers led by Mago are not Carthaginians or Phoenicians..." Okriton said quietly, which was exactly the problem that many elders had been worried about before.
At this time, Praetacus sneered, "Doesn't Lord Mago want to have more Carthaginian citizen soldiers?! No! It's because we simply cannot provide enough citizens to conquer the natives of Iberia! What's more, now we are facing the kingdom of Dionysius, which can organize an army of more than 100,000 citizen soldiers at one time. Can we Carthaginians do that?! We can't! We even feel grief-stricken when we lose a few thousand Sacred Band soldiers, so what do we have to contend with Dionysius? We can only rely on mercenaries and foreign troops!
Everyone knows that Sparta has few citizens and has relied on allied soldiers and foreign troops to fight for hundreds of years, becoming the overlord of Greece. They have never worried that the foreign troops under their command will rebel! And Persia, in every battle, the foreign troops they lead outnumber their own soldiers. But precisely because of this, Persia has established a powerful and prosperous kingdom! What's more, more than ten years ago, when Lord Himilco led his army to attack Syracuse, there were also a considerable number of Numidians and Celts in the army! Why are we now worried about these foreign troops who are helping us fight and maintain Carthage's prestige in the western Mediterranean?! Is it because our hearts have become fragile and unable to adapt to the strength of Carthage?!"
Hanno scoffed at Praetacus's final rhetorical question. Of course, he was not afraid because the Iberian army was mostly composed of mercenaries and foreign troops, but because the salaries of these troops were not provided by the institutions under the Carthaginian Senate, but were directly paid by the Magonid family with the wealth they earned on the Iberian Peninsula. In this sense, the Iberian army was the Magonid family's private army, which was what Hanno was worried about!