Camillus said: "… Fortunately, the people in the city did not surrender. The senators led them to the Capitoline Hill, holding onto our temples. Many people who fled Rome are camping in the wilderness not far ahead. They can endure hardship and have not surrendered because they believe in you—the warriors of Rome and its allies—who can drive away the enemy and reclaim Rome! But if you cannot unite, cannot strictly enforce military discipline, disobey commands, and act recklessly like a heap of loose sand, we cannot defeat the powerful enemy of Daonia! At that time, Rome will not be able to be reclaimed, loved ones will become slaves, and you will never be able to see each other again. And you will either die in battle or become homeless stray dogs, slaves to be captured at will by foreigners. Are you willing to accept that?!"
"No! !" The generals and centurions shouted first, raising their arms.
The soldiers were also shocked by the tragic prospects described by Camillus and followed suit, shouting.
As the shouts gradually converged into a torrent of sound, Camillus knelt on the city wall, raised his hands high, looked up to the sky, and shouted devoutly: "Jupiter, we will surely defeat the Daunians just as we defeated the Celts, and will never let foreigners defile your temple, so please bless us!"
He had just finished shouting when he heard a loud "rumbling" sound from the cliffs behind the city of Signia. A huge rock, accompanied by gravel, rolled down the hillside and finally smashed onto the open space on the side of the city of Signia with a "boom".
The generals were the first to shout excitedly: "It's a divine omen! Jupiter has responded! !"
Immediately, the soldiers also reacted, and joy swept away the haze on their faces. They hurriedly lowered their heads and prayed to the heavenly god Jupiter.
Jupiter's miracle shook the Roman soldiers present, and it also quickly unified the understanding of them, who were confused and at a loss, and they began to shout the slogan "Repel the enemy and retake Rome!" So Camillus led them to march quickly towards Præneste in a posture of grief and determination.
At dusk, after the army arrived in Præneste, the situation became a little chaotic: the generals were busy arranging the camp and arranging for the soldiers to rest; the Roman people who had been displaced here flocked over, and the soldiers also flocked over, both sides eagerly searching for their relatives in the crowd. Those who saw their relatives were very fortunate and thanked Jupiter for his blessing; those who did not see their relatives were secretly saddened… But the plight of the exiled people made the soldiers more eager to retake Rome.
The dictator Camillus first met with the leaders of Præneste to thank them for their great help to Rome.
Then, he quickly summoned Megius, Quintus, and Furius to learn more about the Daunian army's capture of the city.
… … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …
While Davos was welcoming the arrival of the kingdom's administrative staff, he also received war reports and proposals from the Senate and the Department of Military Affairs regarding Sicily.
He never expected that the huge Sicilian fleet would be destroyed by a storm, leaving very little. This made Daonia's maritime advantage in Sicily no longer so strong, and it also meant that the war between Daonia and Carthage might undergo some changes. For this reason, Davos first urgently convened a military meeting.
The participants in the meeting were Tolmides of the General Staff, Printols, and Midolades, commander of the Third Fleet.
Davos stared at the three people with a serious expression, and then said: "You have all read the war report, what are your opinions?"
Tolmides coughed and said: "Your Majesty, this storm has destroyed more than half of the kingdom's warships, but it has also destroyed almost all of Carthage's warships. From the results, it is not too bad. We still occupy the maritime advantage. Moreover, the Department of Military Affairs proposes to transfer the Fourth Fleet from Brundisium to Sicily, plus the dozens of warships originally remaining in the Sicilian fleet. In this way, our maritime advantage in Sicily is even greater than before, and it will be even more difficult for Carthage to transport reinforcements and supplies to Sicily.
Our victory in Sicily will become even more stable!"
Davos tapped the table lightly with his finger and said in a deep voice: "Will transferring the Fourth Fleet from the east coast of Magna Graecia give Sparta and those remnants of the former Peucetians and Messapians who fled to mainland Greece a chance to take advantage of the situation?"
"According to intelligence, after Thebes revolted and broke away from Sparta's control, a war will inevitably break out again in central Greece. How many city-states will join this war and how long will it last? We cannot make an accurate judgment now, but Sparta obviously cannot get away from this war in a short time, and they have no energy to plot against the kingdom. As for those enemies who fled to mainland Greece, they are too few in number, and the political situation in the Apulia region is stable, so they are unlikely to cause any major trouble," Tolmides said confidently.
Davos nodded thoughtfully.
Midolades interjected: "Although Lord Tolmides is right, transferring the Fourth Fleet will still bring hidden dangers to the Apulia region. What's more, Commander Alexios is leading all the troops in Apulia to defend against the Samnite invasion. If there are any problems in the rear at this time, it will be more troublesome. Why not transfer some of the warships from our Third Fleet to Sicily?"
Davos looked at him, and after a moment said seriously: "In this military plan to attack Rome and the Latinium region, your Third Fleet is very important and must cooperate with the main army and must not be easily dismantled! Although the Third Fleet is currently only serving as a guard, it may play a greater role next! Miltiades, don't be distracted! However, if you personally want to go to the Sicilian Fleet, I can approve it at my discretion."
Davos's words made Miltiades break out in a cold sweat, and he hurriedly stated: "Your Majesty, I will lead the Third Fleet to fully ensure the maritime safety of the army, please rest assured!"
Davos's expression softened slightly, and he turned to Tolmid and said, "Agree with the opinion of the Ministry of Military Affairs and transfer the Fourth Fleet to Sicily. However, remind Alexis to strengthen the defense of the east coast of Apulia to prevent other enemies from taking advantage of the situation."
Speaking of this, he said with a heavy expression: "In addition... notify Prossos to increase the search for Sekelian and Flarios, we must see people alive and corpses dead! Even if they really died in battle, we must never let the remains of the two senior generals and heroes of the kingdom be thrown into the wilderness, their final destination can only be the Hall of Valor and the Temple of Death! As for the commander candidates of the newly integrated Sicilian Fleet... Sekelian is still the first choice, if he... is gone, then it will be Flarios. If Flarios is also gone, then let Miltiades of the Fourth Fleet take the post."
"Yes, Your Majesty," Tolmid replied, while recording with a pen on the wooden board he carried with him.
Davos sighed a long sigh: "What pains me most about this maritime disaster is not the battleships, but the deaths of the crew... How many people died in this naval battle?"
Tolmid immediately replied: "According to preliminary statistics, the number of crew members who died has exceeded 10,000."
Davos's expression became even heavier after hearing this: "More than 10,000 people! They are all familiar with Daonian naval tactics and sailors with rich naval experience. A storm wiped them all out, and tens of thousands of families lost their loved ones... The Ministry of Military Affairs must send people to the Taranto Military Port, Castellon Military Port, and Catania Military Port to express condolences to the relatives of these deceased sailors, appease their sad emotions, and the post-war compensation for them must also be discussed now!"
"Understood, Your Majesty. I will write to the Ministry of Military Affairs immediately and then find you to sign it," Tolmid replied.
Davos remembered something and asked again: "What is the name of the naval general who led the battleships in time, broke into the port of Selinunte, and finally helped Prossos win the city?"
"Stephacas."
"Stephacas..." Davos muttered the name, and said with approval: "Being able to preserve the fleet in such a critical moment and still gain military merit, it seems that he is a decisive and flexible general!"
The few people present immediately felt envious of Stephacas: being named and remembered by Davos, his future will definitely be bright!
Davos turned his gaze to Printols, who had not yet spoken, and asked, "What do you think of the war in Sicily?"
"Your Majesty," Printols reminded: "Although our navy now has an advantage in the Sicilian waters, Carthage has been a maritime power in the western Mediterranean for a hundred years, and their shipbuilding capabilities are stronger than those of the kingdom. According to intelligence, there are four large shipyards in the port of Carthage, and the dozens of Phoenician coastal city-states attached to it also have strong shipbuilding capabilities. Once they are allowed to build battleships with all their strength, I am afraid that they will be able to have a fleet with a number of battleships no less than ours in a few months!"
"You are right!" Davos nodded and said seriously: "This is indeed a problem that we should pay attention to! We must also speed up the progress and vigorously build new battleships to restore and strengthen our naval fleet in order to cope with Carthage's continued maritime challenges and completely gain maritime hegemony in the western Mediterranean! I will immediately write to the Senate and ask them to organize and mobilize the coastal cities of southern Italy to start building battleships!
But you don't have to worry too much. Perhaps Carthage has more accumulation in shipbuilding technology and the number of shipbuilders than us, but it has two fatal shortcomings that determine that it cannot defeat the kingdom's navy!"
Davos's words attracted the attention of the three, and he stretched out two fingers and said slowly: "The first is wood. There are no tall trees on the land of Africa. The source of shipbuilding wood they can obtain is the Iberian Peninsula, but its developed shipbuilding industry is concentrated in Carthage and the surrounding Phoenician city-states, which determines that they must first transport the wood from Iberia to Carthage before they can start shipbuilding, which is both time-consuming and prone to being cut off the route and falling into trouble.
And in our territory, there are continuous mountains with abundant wood resources, and they are right next to the coastal cities of southern Italy. This time, I will ask the Senate to temporarily lift the ban on logging trees and provide enough ship timber for free to each shipyard."
Davos paused for a moment, then continued, "Second is the sailors. A three-tiered warship requires nearly 200 sailors. If a fleet has 100 three-tiered warships, it needs nearly 20,000 sailors. The navy is a military force that requires a large population to support it. However, the Phoenicians and Carthaginians are not a populous race. Even if they use Numidians as sailors, the Numidians are not a seafaring people, and they are naturally more undisciplined, which will inevitably reduce the combat capability of the Carthaginian navy. But we—"
Davos smiled. "Not to mention the formal citizens and reserve citizens, once the navy starts recruiting new sailors, those free men will clamor to join, hoping to become citizens of the kingdom as soon as possible."
At this point, Tolmid and Midolades smiled, Davos's words completely dispelling their concerns. Only Printols didn't smile, seemingly preoccupied.
Davos noticed this, so he asked, "Printols, do you have any other suggestions? Speak them out."
Printols deliberated for a while, then said softly, "Your Majesty, although from the current battle situation, we hold an advantage in Sicily, the Carthaginians' defeat in the battle, followed by the fleet's loss in naval battles and storms, this series of failures will inevitably make the Carthaginians feel panicked. If they don't consider seeking peace, then they must do everything possible to win the upcoming battles. In that case, the Sicilian forces led by Protosus are likely to face a Carthaginian army with more soldiers, stronger morale, and commanded by a general who is definitely not mediocre—"
"Wait!" Tolmid interjected, "Our fleet has already seized maritime dominance off the coast of Sicily and can completely cut off Carthage's troop transport routes to Sicily. Even if Carthage rebuilds a large army, it will be difficult to land in Sicily."
"It is relatively difficult for the Carthaginian army to land in Sicily, but it is not impossible. Although our fleet has the advantage, it is not enough to completely cut off the connection between Sicily and Carthage," Printols said calmly. "Sailors need food, water, and rest. Warships are also best towed into the military port at night for maintenance to maintain their good combat condition… In Sicily, apart from the Catania military port, only Messina to the north and our allied states of Agrigentum and Gela to the south have well-equipped military ports for our fleet to stay in well. Therefore, if our Sicilian fleet departs from Messina or Agrigentum in the morning, it will probably be afternoon when it patrols to the westernmost end of Sicily, and they will have to rush back…"
"Moreover, the current number of the Sicilian fleet has been greatly reduced, making it impossible to divide it into two or three sub-fleets with strong combat capabilities for patrol in shifts. The Carthaginians still have time to transport supplies and reinforcements to Sicily."
"The Sicilian fleet can send fast ships to monitor the western waters of Sicily in shifts—" Tolmid's argument was only halfway through when he suddenly realized something was wrong: even if the fast ships detected the enemy, they would still need to return to the military port to report. By the time the fleet arrived, the Carthaginian fleet would probably have already entered the harbor.
So, he changed his words and said, "Selinus and Minoa are not incapable of stationing some warships, are they? Midolades, what do you say?"
Faced with Tolmid's gaze, Midolades, as the naval commander, did not dare to speak rashly in front of Davos. He thought carefully for a moment and said, "According to the battle reports, Selinus does not have a military port. Warships can indeed be stationed in ordinary ports for a short period of time, but not for a long time, which will damage the warship's lifespan and affect its combat effectiveness. Of course, the Sicilian army can also build a simple military port in Selinus, but that will take time."
Midolades's statement that "warships staying in ordinary ports for too long will damage the warship's lifespan" was actually also addressed to Davos, so he deliberately emphasized his tone, but he immediately shifted the topic: "As far as I know, the best military port at the western end of Sicily is in Lilybaeum."
Tolmid immediately shook his head: "Lilybaeum is an important Carthaginian military town in Sicily,
just like Motya was in the beginning. It is difficult for Protosus to capture it with his existing forces."
At this time, Printols continued the topic and said, "Although Protosus has been winning battles, the enemy has concentrated and holed up in the two towns of Lilybaeum and Panormus. Tolmid has already made it very clear that although Protosus can decide the victory in Sicily by capturing Lilybaeum, given that we cannot increase the number of troops for the Sicilian army, the Eighth Legion cannot do it alone. And attacking other towns is not only meaningless but will also disperse our forces, so it should be said that the Sicilian army has no more targets to attack."
Speaking of this, Printols earnestly said, "Your Majesty, it is time for the Sicilian army to change its strategy!"
Tolmid and Midolades were shocked, but Davos remained unchanged, sitting in place, silent for a long time. He knew in his heart that Printols was subtly reminding him that the previous instructions to Protosus were wrong.
At the beginning of the war with Carthage, because he wanted to focus the attack on Rome, Davos maintained a cautious attitude towards the situation in Sicily. Therefore, at the very beginning, he ordered Protosus to steadily defend the kingdom's territory in Sicily. However, the Eighth Legion's great victory over the Carthaginian army in the Battle of Minoa, and the navy's victory in the Battle of Cerodia, made him realize that the Carthaginians were outwardly strong but inwardly weak. So, he changed his strategy: to let the Sicilian army and navy launch a full-scale attack, attempting to take advantage of the enemy's defeat to pursue and weaken Carthage's power in Sicily as much as possible, in order to gain more chances of winning the decisive battle with Carthage in the next step.
Even deep down, Davos hoped that Protosus could create another miracle and completely drive out the Carthaginian forces in Sicily.
As the battle progressed to the present, except for that storm, the Sicilian army's offensive was relatively smooth, in line with his expectations… But was he becoming too optimistic because of the continuous victories? After all, that was Carthage! Davos looked at the staff officer he admired very much. He understood the meaning of Printols's words: he was obviously reminding himself that the Sicilian army led by Protosus did not have the ability to conquer the western end of Sicily in one fell swoop. Instead, due to the isolated advance and insufficient forces, it might fall into a dangerous situation.
Printols's reminder made Davos think of the Iberian army that had not suffered any losses so far, and of the possibility that the Magonid family might regain control of Carthage after Carthage's successive defeats. They were not like Hanno; they were more aggressive, valued Sicily more, and had more war experience. This could be seen from the Iberian army's ability to capture Cerodia.
However, according to Davos's understanding of Carthage over the years, it would take time for Carthage to rebuild a large army. The infighting among the elders of the Carthaginian Senate would continue to delay this time. Even if that Mago could eventually land the army in Sicily, it would be at least one or two months later. It would be a pity if Protosus only retreated to defend during such a long time! With the ability of this young commander, he could completely stir up the situation at the western end of Sicily, so that even if the Carthaginian army landed, they would need to spend more energy and time to stabilize the situation, winning more time for the kingdom…
After thinking about it, Davos couldn't make up his mind, so he said, "Tell Protosus our concerns, and let him be vigilant. Whether to continue the attack or retreat to defend is up to him to decide. After all, he is the commander of the Sicilian battlefield!" Protosus had repeatedly created miracles and won victories, which made Davos choose to trust his abilities.
"Yes, Your Majesty." Tolmid said, but his gaze glanced at Printols next to him, feeling a bit of envy and jealousy in his heart. As far as he knew, Davos rarely made changes to military decisions based on the persuasion of others, but this time he made a compromise…
As Tolmid was thinking, Davos looked at Printols and said in a serious tone, "In the future, suggestions like this should be made directly, instead of waiting for me to ask! War is related to the life and death of the country. Humility and courtesy may cause hundreds of thousands of soldiers to lose their lives, understand?!"
Printols's expression tightened, and he bowed in shame and said, "Understood, Your Majesty, I will pay attention next time!"
Tolmid cast an envious glance at him again.
… … … … … … … … … … … … …
After the military meeting, Davos summoned the newly promoted elder of the kingdom—his brother-in-law, Alcibiades—and Micris, a shipbuilding tycoon from Thurii.
Both of them were well-known merchants in the shipbuilding industry of the Daonian Kingdom. Davos called them here, of course, hoping that they could take the lead and cooperate with the kingdom to speed up the construction of warships. Also, due to the tight treasury, he hoped that they could agree to the kingdom's temporary debt of their shipbuilding costs. Of course, the kingdom would also give them corresponding compensation after the war, such as: relaxing the ban on logging trees for them…
Regarding Micris, Davos also focused on Enaniluth, who had been released after serving his sentence and had been staying at home. He emphasized that Enaniluth's mistakes had been sufficiently punished, and now that the kingdom was expanding, there was always a shortage of officials at all levels. Enaniluth had been an elder and had also served as the commander of the navy. He had rich administrative experience and could come out to serve the kingdom again.
After listening to Davos's words, Micris was extremely excited and immediately said that after he went back, he would do his best to persuade Enaniluth to come out and work.
For Miccreus, he didn't really care what official position En Arnilus would hold in the kingdom after his comeback, but as long as he appeared in the kingdom's officialdom, it would show the people of the kingdom that the king had forgiven the Miccreus family, and there would be no more obstacles to the future development of the family's members in business and politics.
Therefore, the atmosphere of the entire meeting became more relaxed, and they also talked about how the Daonian merchants were busy transferring materials at the port of Ostia these two days, while starting to stake out land, build commercial houses, and look for business opportunities.
Finally, Miccreus left the Roman Senate with a smile, but Alcibiades stayed behind because Davos was going to hold an administrative meeting here next.
… … … … … … … … … … … … … …
The main participants in this meeting were elders such as Asiststes, Nicomachus, and Antrapolis, as well as some mid-level officials from important departments.
"Everyone, the place you are sitting now is the Roman Senate," Davos said simply, seeing the officials who came in were curiously looking around.
"It's much smaller than our Great Assembly Hall," Asiststes said.
"But the city of Rome is much larger than the inner city of Thurii," Nicomachus complimented, "Judging from the density of its houses, its population is also very large. It's hard to imagine that Your Majesty conquered such a magnificent city in just one day!"
"Nicomachus, your words are a compliment to the legion soldiers who participated in this siege!" Davos said with a smile.
"Therefore, I am proud of the amazing achievements made by the soldiers!" Nicomachus quickly responded.
"The soldiers have captured this big city, but next, we still have to rely on your hard work to govern it and completely turn this big city into a city belonging to Daonia," Davos said, making the officials straighten their chests.
Then, Davos began to get to the point. Facing everyone, he said solemnly: "Before you voluntarily came to Latium, you should have had some understanding of this area. You have learned more in Ostia, but you may not be very clear about the situation we are in now, so you must now have a comprehensive understanding of the battle situation in Latium."
As Davos said this, he gestured to Hynepolis.
Hynepolis immediately had two guards lift up the wooden board depicting the map of Rome and surrounding city-states and came to Davos's side.
"Everyone sit forward so you can see more clearly."
As soon as Davos spoke,
the officials, regardless of their status, squeezed to the first and second rows of the venue, raising their heads and staring at the map intently.
"Rome is indeed the largest city-state in central Italy," Davos said in detail, pointing to the map, "The area of land it and its surroundings possess is no less than our Thurii's Sybaris Plain, and may even be much larger. Although we have captured Rome, to the south of Rome are all its Latin allies and colonial cities; to the north of Rome are also all its Etruscan allies and colonial cities; plus, the Roman army of about 70,000 people who previously Conquest of the Hernicians is rapidly returning… We are now like a lion surrounded by countless wolves, and the situation is very serious! Fortunately—"
Davos's finger pointed at Rome and slid down the Tiber River, stopping at Ostia: "The Tiber River is under our control, allowing us to transfer materials and personnel to the outside world by water, but if we cannot break this situation of being isolated and surrounded, the waterway will also be cut off over time, and Rome will be completely surrounded. The victory we have gained at a huge cost before will also be in vain, so I require you to immediately start working, take over the city of Rome, not only to restore its stability as soon as possible, but also to enable it to provide assistance for our next battle!"
Davos's words made the elders and administrative officials present feel the pressure. Their faces staring at the map were serious, but their eyes also flashed with excitement. After all, most of these Daonian officials who voluntarily chose to come to Latium were citizens who refused mediocrity, were tired of an overly stable environment, and had enterprising or adventurous spirits.
Davos's eyes swept over them, feeling the strong spirit they conveyed, and he smiled slightly in his heart, saying: "Next, I will announce the appointments of administrative positions in Rome during wartime."
The reason why Davos emphasized the word "wartime" was to indicate that this was a temporary appointment. After the war ended, the arrangement of administrative personnel in the occupied area would still need to be re-examined by Davos, the Senate, and the Kingdom Officials Management Committee.
The officials mostly sat up straight subconsciously.
"Roman Administrative Chief—" Davos looked at his former messenger and said loudly: "Appointed Elder Asiststes!"
Before leaving Thurii, Asiststes had been summoned by Davos and knew his arrangements, so his expression was calm.
Nicomachus, Antrapolis… and several other elders were obviously not comparable to Asiststes in terms of qualifications, but they were unable to become the highest administrators of such a large city, which was considered one of the best in the kingdom, and they still had more or less disappointment in their hearts.
Davos saw it and continued: "Niu Tum, Knapetia, Mesa Nie, Enona… For more than ten years since the establishment of Daonia, Asiststes has been serving as the administrative chief of the newly conquered alien regions. He has outstanding political achievements and rich experience in governing aliens. This is why I chose him to be the Roman administrative chief…"
After explaining a few words, he said again: "Nicomachus, Antrapolis… you will temporarily serve as Roman administrative adjutants and govern Rome together with Asiststes. There is also an administrative adjutant who is a Roman whom I have just appointed. I hope you can get along with him friendly and give full play to his role."
Several elders showed surprise, but they quickly understood Davos's intention with their strong political experience, and immediately regained their composure and expressed their views.
Next, Davos appointed several important mid-level officials in Rome, all of whom were recommended by ministers from various departments.
"…Flaccus will serve as the Roman Commercial Officer."
As soon as Davos finished speaking, a Daonian official stood up in the venue and said loudly: "Thank you for Your Majesty's trust!"
Davos looked at him and said solemnly: "Because of the continuation of the war, the city of Rome will not be able to trade with the surrounding forces in a short time, but there are many merchants from the kingdom. While they bring us materials and wealth, they will also cause some chaos… Mariji praised you as the best trade management official under him. I hope you can manage them well and make them a help to this war, not a trouble!"
"Please rest assured, Your Majesty!" Flaccus replied confidently.
"The Thurii Chamber of Commerce, the Ligium Chamber of Commerce, and a small number of merchants from Croton and Taranto… they have all donated huge amounts of military food and materials for this war, so while strengthening management, you must also allow them to obtain benefits. We cannot treat these merchants who have contributed to the kingdom badly, so you must grasp this scale well!"
While exhorting him, Davos said comfortingly: "You don't need to worry too much, I have found you a good superior."
Saying that, his gaze turned to the Daonian elder who had been silent on the side of the venue and had just taken office not long ago: "Alcibiades, I appoint you as the Roman administrative adjutant, specializing in commercial affairs."
"Me?!" Alcibiades was a little dazed. Davos had asked him to stay for the meeting. As a newcomer to the kingdom's political arena, he was prepared to listen attentively.
"You heard me right, it's you!" Davos said jokingly: "Kingdom officials who come here have to work. We don't support idlers now that food is tight."
Smiles appeared on the faces of Asiststes and the others, but no one laughed out loud. Those who could sit in this venue were all middle and senior officials of the Daonian Kingdom, and they were all relatively well-informed. Of course, they knew what Alcibiades's identity was.
"I am not giving you this appointment because you are my relative, but because you are both a kingdom elder and the head of the Ligium Chamber of Commerce, which can better coordinate and communicate with the Daonian merchants who come here. Of course, as a kingdom official, you must stand in a neutral position and treat every merchant equally, instead of only taking care of the Ligium merchants," Davos reminded.
Alcibiades was a little tempted. He remembered what his father had once said to him: "…That's fine, since you have decided to incorporate Ligium into Daonia, I won't stop you… But you must understand that there are many powerful and capable people in Daonia. You can't do whatever you want like you used to in Ligium! Although Davos is your brother-in-law, with his character, he will never give you more care. And as a relative of the royal family, you will become the focus of many people's attention. If you don't want to become the object of others' ridicule, then work hard… Gain a foothold in the Daonian Senate, so that you can give your sister more support…"
Recalling the past, Alcibiades pretended to hesitate and said: "Your Majesty, I really want to do things for the kingdom, but I am not very familiar with the kingdom's laws and systems…"
"Lord Alcibiades," Flaccus said busily: "You don't need to worry, I will fully assist you!"
Davos gave an approving look to the newly appointed commercial officer and said: "Don't hesitate, Alcibiades! With Flaccus's full assistance, what else do you have to worry about!"
Alcibiades immediately expressed his position: "Your Majesty, since you trust me so much, I am willing to accept this position."
Davos nodded at Alcibiades with satisfaction.
Assistant Thersites smiled and said loudly, "Great, we have another good helper!"
Everyone echoed in agreement, and Alcibiades hurriedly bowed modestly in response.
Davos then said, "I have a suggestion to build a large market specifically in Rome, where merchants can bring goods from the country to sell, the army's supply camp can also purchase here, and the people of Rome can also buy some living supplies… Originally, the markets in Rome had been converted into campsites by the legions. I think this new market can be built on the embankment at the southern bridgehead of the Roman Sublicius Bridge. This will not only facilitate the transportation of goods from the port, but also make it easier for customers to purchase… Of course, this is just my suggestion, and your commercial officials still need to carefully inspect the entire city and make decisions that are more conducive to the development of commerce based on the actual situation."
Flaccus immediately stated, "Your Majesty, after the meeting, I will immediately start working on this matter."
"Roman Treasurer… Alcibiades!" Davos then announced the appointment.
Another person stood up in the venue.
"The entire tax agency of Rome needs you to build it up as soon as possible! Although Rome has just been captured and the land tax is impossible to implement, the commercial tax should be collected as soon as possible!…"
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"Also… the army has repeatedly defeated the Romans and captured Ostia and Rome, reaping a large number of spoils. If we transport them back to Thurii, it will be time-consuming and labor-intensive. It just so happens that the kingdom's merchants are gathered in Rome. You should discuss a plan with Lord Alcibiades to select those spoils that are not urgently needed by the army and auction them off to them, and then transport the earned gold and silver back to Thurii to make up for the emptiness of the national treasury."
"Yes, Your Majesty!" Alcibiades' response was quite forceful this time, and his eyes gleamed.
"Agricultural Officer… Tibullus," Davos continued, "I have previously announced to the Romans that all previous land will be taken back and redistributed! Therefore, you must find out the amount of land owned by Rome as soon as possible. Although it is currently impossible to cultivate due to the war, the distribution can still be carried out. We must let the newly joined Daonians know that we keep our promises! Moreover, we must allocate the best and most fertile land to them, so that they can feel the benefits of joining Daonia and attract those Romans who are still hesitant to join us as soon as possible!"
"I understand, Your Majesty," Tibullus replied.
"Then how should this land tax be collected?!" Alcibiades asked anxiously.
Although they were different in size,
the attitude and expression of this treasurer and his immediate superior, Mersis, when talking about money and taxes were very similar, which made Davos feel a little amused. He suppressed his smile and said, "As in the past when dealing with newly conquered areas, there is a three-year tax exemption starting from the cultivation of the land, and after three years, it will be levied according to the land tax rate for formal citizens."
Alcibiades sat back in his seat with slight disappointment.
"Roman Registrar Porotax… Roman Judge Diostes…" Davos announced the appointments one by one. In fact, Davos had rarely met these newly appointed middle-level officials before, but he spent a lot of time memorizing the names and appearance characteristics, and accurately matched them with the real people. He used this method to show his importance to the appointees, and now it seems that the effect is quite good.
"I have already announced the appointments of the main middle and high-level officials of Rome. The remaining personnel who have not been appointed will be discussed by the Roman Administrative Officer Thersites and several administrative deputies to determine your positions. Regardless of whether the public office is high or low, I hope that you will all go all out to fulfill your responsibilities! I will keep abreast of your performance, not because I don't trust your abilities, but because of what?"
Davos patted the map lightly with his hand, emphasized his tone, and encouraged them, "Because we not only want to occupy Rome and Ostia, but also these Latin allies and Roman colonies… They are all the kingdom's goals! There are several large cities here that are not weaker than Rome! In the future, when appointing administrative officers and senior officials to manage these towns, those of you who have experience in political affairs in Rome, know more about the customs and habits of the Latins, and understand the situation in the Latium region will be the priority targets considered by me and the Kingdom's Council of Officials!"
As soon as these words came out, not only were these middle-level officials excited, but even Nicomachus, Antrapolis… and these elders showed smiles.
At this time, the newly appointed Roman Administrative Officer Thersites said, "We have just seen many Romans queuing up in the square to apply to become Daonian citizens. According to the speech you gave to them earlier, Your Majesty, I am afraid that many of these people also want to become Daonian public officials. We will try our best to absorb some Romans who can speak Greek to take positions in various departments. This will not only facilitate our good communication with the Romans, but also help us better understand the customs and habits of the Romans, which is conducive to our governance.
However, since they are all from commoner backgrounds, I am afraid that many people neither understand Greek nor are literate, and they do not fully understand our Daonian system and laws. Therefore, most of them can only serve as patrol members. Then, do we need them to serve as patrol members? If so, should we equip these patrol members with weapons? Are there any restrictions?"
"You have raised a very good question," Davos looked at Thersites with appreciation. Obviously, after leaving Rome and talking with Thersites once, he had probably been thinking about how to manage Rome well.
Davos replied without hesitation, "Since they have already applied to become Daonian citizens, don't treat them as outsiders. Of course, they can serve as patrol members, and they should wear the same attire as Daonian patrol members. However, the patrol captains of each group should temporarily be our officials, and there should also be a certain number of old citizens in the team. This will allow them to better understand our laws and systems in mutual contact, and know what they can and cannot do when performing tasks, to avoid being punished for making mistakes, which would instead create discord…"
"Your Majesty, but we don't have that many people to serve as patrol captains!" the newly appointed Roman Patrol Officer interjected.
"We can let those legion soldiers who are injured and temporarily unable to fight serve as patrol captains and members," Nicomachus suggested.
"Look, everyone, once you discuss it, there will be a solution," Davos said with a smile, obviously agreeing with Nicomachus' suggestion.
"Your Majesty, the measures you announced in the square today are all aimed at Roman civilians and slaves. How should we deal with the Roman nobles?" Thersites then raised an important question.
In fact, Davos had already told Thersites about some measures he might take after occupying Rome when he was in Thurii. Therefore, Davos believed that Thersites raised this question to let the officials present clearly understand some of his ideas on how to completely conquer Rome. So he said very seriously, "The Roman nobles are different from the Greek nobles or alien leaders we encountered when conquering other regions before. Due to various reasons, their strength is quite strong and they have deep connections with other Latin city-states in this region. Even if they surrender, because the measures we will implement next will seriously damage their interests, they will inevitably rise up to resist our rule. The riots they launch with their abilities will definitely surpass the previous Udi rebellion!
Once Rome is in chaos, other regions here will inevitably also be in chaos. However, Thurii is far from Rome, so it is impossible to conveniently send large armies back and forth like suppressing Udi. In the end, the land we obtained by sacrificing countless citizens and spending countless gold and silver may cost us even more… This is from a long-term perspective.
From the current point of view, we need to quickly stabilize Rome and fully deal with the surrounding enemies.
Therefore, I choose to absorb Roman civilians, who are more easily attracted by our measures, more easily integrated into Daonia, and have great conflicts with the nobles, to become Daonian citizens, rather than Roman nobles, who have great potential for trouble. After defeating the upcoming Roman army, I have decided to turn the captured Roman nobles into slaves and send them to Thurii for resale."
Davos' cold tone and such a resolute decision surprised the officials in the venue. It should be known that even when conquering the Peucetians, Messapians, and Daunians, he forcibly demanded that their tribes be dissolved and suppressed the rioters with an iron fist. But initially, Daonia allowed them to surrender, but this time, it did not give the Roman nobles any chance at all. This was completely unlike King Davos' previous administrative style!
"Your Majesty, if we do this, the Roman nobles will have no chance to surrender. I am afraid they will fight us to the death. Our soldiers will not only suffer more casualties, but also increase our difficulty in conquering this region!" Nicomachus was the first to stand up and offer his advice.
"Therefore, the handling of the Roman nobles should be announced after defeating their army. Now, we just need to temporarily detain them," Davos simply explained, and then sat upright without saying anything.
"Your Majesty… The nobles and their families in these cities are now seeing our different treatment of them and the Roman civilians, and I am afraid they are already feeling uneasy. Moreover, as Lord Nicomachus said, the way we ultimately deal with the Roman nobles will also make the nobles of the surrounding Latin city-states feel chilled, which is not conducive to conquering them in the future!"
Looking at the expressionless Davos, Asiststes hesitated slightly, but finally spoke his mind: "Why not also allow surrendered Roman nobles to apply to become citizens of Daonia, but their families must be broken up and dispersed to other regions of the kingdom to be re-allocated land..."
Davos listened without saying a word, looking at Asiststes, understanding in his heart: obviously Asiststes had not been idle these past few days, and had been thinking about ways to deal with the Roman nobles...
Davos looked around at the others, their faces showing more or less confusion: could it really be the influence of my past life that gives me a kind of inexplicable fear of the Romans?
Davos also felt a hint of confusion in his heart. He pondered for a moment and slowly said to Asiststes: "You can try to recruit Roman nobles, but it must be after the Roman army is defeated."
"Thank you, Your Majesty!" Asiststes' brow relaxed.
But Davos thought his chances of success were not high. After all, depriving the Roman nobles of their wealth and digging up their roots, while still wanting them to submit, would probably be very difficult!
At this time, Nicomachus said, "Your Majesty, I have a question."
Davos looked at him.
Nicomachus patted his seat and asked curiously: "Why is this seat so different from the ones behind? It is not only made of ivory, but also has cowhide padding, making it very comfortable to sit on."
"This is a characteristic of the Roman Senate. The seats you are sitting on are located in the front row in the center of the venue. Only the most prestigious and noble senators of Rome can sit here, so they must be distinguished from other seats," Davos explained simply.
Nicomachus looked as if he suddenly understood: "I didn't expect the Roman senators to be quite good at enjoying themselves."
He also turned to the others and said, "You should come and sit here later and experience the feeling of being the most distinguished senator in Rome."
Everyone laughed, and the atmosphere in the venue suddenly relaxed a lot.
Davos looked at the humorous Nicomachus with a smile. It was interesting that a naturally humorous political figure had emerged from the Locri people who had lived under strict laws.
In the relaxed atmosphere, the meeting came to an end. Finally, Davos encouraged everyone: "Everyone, whether we can gain a foothold in Latium depends on your governance of Rome!"
...................
At dusk,
Roman Administrative Deputy Valx hurriedly took the new Roman Registrar Poltax to see Davos and reported to him: "...A total of 531 people have applied to become citizens of Daoria, including 367 Roman public slaves and 164 Roman civilians, and many Roman civilians are still waiting and watching..."
"Well done, Valx! Keep up the good work, you will become an excellent kingdom official!" Davos did not hesitate to praise him.
Valx grinned, wanting to laugh happily but not daring to laugh out loud, looking a little funny.
Davos didn't care and continued, "Tomorrow morning, you will gather these Romans who want to become citizens of Daonia and allocate residences to them..."
"Poltax."
"Your Majesty!"
"Go back and tell Asiststes that after these Romans have been allocated residences, immediately start preparing to allocate land to them, and at the same time arrange positions for those Romans who are willing to serve in public office. Make a big splash!"
"Understood, Your Majesty. I will go back and tell Lord Asiststes."
Davos looked at Valx again and said kindly: "Valx, the new Roman Administrative Officer Asiststes has just taken office. He is your superior, just like the former Roman consuls. In the future, you need to discuss anything with him first, and he will also arrange some new tasks for you. He is a very good person, I believe you can work well together and govern Rome well!"
Valx roughly understood what Davos said. Although he felt a little lost in his heart, he still respectfully said yes repeatedly.
After seeing them off, Davos leaned back on the wooden chair and closed his eyes to rest. Henipolis came in to report to him: "Your Majesty, Aemilius is requesting an audience."
Davos opened his eyes slightly: "Let him in."
Aemilius was originally a Latin slave. Ten years ago, he was bought by the Daoria intelligence department. After several years of special training, he was sent to the Latium region to collect intelligence about this region and create the Latium intelligence team. Most of the information about Rome that Davos had seen in the past came from him.
After Davos led his army to attack Latium, he ordered him to lead his subordinates to cooperate with the army in its actions.
This intelligence chief was actually only in his 30s, but he looked older than his actual age. Moreover, because he had been a slave since he was a child, he often went hungry, so he was thin and small. However, Davos did not look down on him because of his appearance, but said to him kindly: "Aemilius, what surprise have you brought me again?!"
You must know that after the Roman army invaded Hernici, the detailed intelligence of the emptiness of the city of Rome was sent to Thurii in a timely manner by this unremarkable fellow, and ultimately led Davos to make the decision - to attack Rome first. And the map of the city of Ostia was also drawn by him and sent to the palace in time, allowing Davos to find the key to quickly capture this port town.
Aemilius stood in front of Davos, bowed respectfully, and said eagerly: "Your Majesty! My men have infiltrated the Roman civilians. Today they heard an amazing piece of news that some Roman civilians want to harm you!"
"Oh?" Davos was not surprised by this, and he had encountered several attacks over the years, so he was used to it. He signaled Aemilius to continue.
"Your Majesty, when you were giving a speech in the square, I noticed that some civilians looked dissatisfied, but they did not loudly express their opposition. After your speech ended, several of them neither applied to become our citizens nor listened to the soldiers' orders to return to their residences, but quietly went to a residence on Mount Caelian and stayed there for a while, then returned to the square and talked quietly with some of the previous civilians... My men quietly approached them and vaguely heard them talking about 'Camillus, Roman army' and other words, and even mentioned your name... Then five or six of the Roman civilians began to queue up, preparing to apply to become Daonian citizens..."
Davos listened and thought: "It seems that these Romans are preparing to attack me when the Roman army attacks..."
"Your Majesty, that's what I thought too, so I hurried to report to you," Aemilius said, as if asking for credit.
"Who lives in that residence on Mount Caelian?" Davos asked a crucial question.
Aemilius was prepared for this and immediately replied: "I have already sent someone to inquire. The owner of that residence is called Gaius Licinius Stolo."
This name gave Davos a slight sense of familiarity, but he had never understood or contacted this Roman before, which made him feel strange: could he be a historical figure?
"...Although he is a Roman civilian, he is very influential among the civilians because his father was the military tribune last year, and his newly married wife is the daughter of a famous Roman senator named... named Fabius... Ambustus—"
Davos' heart moved, and he waved his hand to interrupt him and asked, "Are you saying that as a civilian, he married into the great noble Fabius family?!"
It's no wonder Davos was surprised. According to his understanding of Rome, the reason why it was difficult for Roman civilians to cross the threshold of the nobility was because the Roman nobles had imposed strict restrictions on them. Even the law that "nobles and civilians shall not marry" was clearly inscribed on the Twelve Tables.
"Yes, Your Majesty. Precisely because he is the first civilian to marry the daughter of a great noble, many Roman civilians regard him as the pride and example of the civilians," Aemilius said affirmatively. "Moreover, this person himself is also quite outstanding. Although he is only 21 years old, he has participated in several battles and has won a civic crown for his outstanding military achievements. Previously, he was injured in the battle with our First Legion in Volsci and has been recuperating at home, so he did not follow Camillus's army to Hernici..."
Davos pondered: In recent years, Rome has suffered from the invasion of the Celts and several large-scale escapes of Roman civilians, which has made the Roman nobles feel a crisis and have begun to gradually concede to the civilians. The fact that military tribunes can be held by Roman civilians is a good example. This person's father served as a Roman military tribune, and he also had a senator of the Fabius clan marry his daughter without being punished by Roman law. It can be seen that the Roman nobles have begun to deliberately win over talented and charismatic civilians... Fortunately, our attack came in time. If we wait until Rome's Lex Licinia is promulgated and the conflict between nobles and civilians is eased, it will be much more difficult for Daonia to disintegrate Rome using the current methods... Wait! Lex Licinia?!
At this time, Aemilius remembered something again and continued: "Oh, yes, this Licinius, despite his young age, is proficient in Roman law and often helps civilians write lawsuits for free, so he is deeply loved by Roman civilians..."
"Gaius Licinius Stolo..." Davos whispered the name, and a thought suddenly jumped into his mind: Could this person be the Roman tribune from Rome's history in his previous life who insisted on fighting for many years and finally got the Senate to pass the Lex Licinia, which gave Roman civilians relatively equal rights?!
Unfortunately, Davos's major in his previous life was not history. He only briefly learned about the Lex Licinia, which greatly influenced the course of Roman history, in the Western Legal History class. He neither remembered the names of the people who formulated this law nor remembered the era, so he was not very sure.
Davos stroked his chin, thought for a moment, and said, "Monitor them secretly first, don't alarm them, and report to me immediately if there's any situation."
"Yes!"
"Aemilius, the intelligence you've gathered during this time has helped the army win consecutive victories. After this war is over, the kingdom will reward you and your subordinates!" Davos praised generously.
"Thank you, Your Majesty!" Aemilius looked excited, his eyes narrowed into slits.
Davos looked at him, smiled, and said, "You've been busy all day, you must be hungry. I'm about to have dinner, eat with me."
"Ah?! This… This! Yes! Yes!…" Aemilius was so excited that he was almost incoherent.
… … … … … … … … … … … … … …
At this time, in the Roman army's temporary camp outside the city of Prinias, the Roman dictator Camillus was discussing the next battle plan with his generals.
"Dictator, you want us to not attack Rome first, but to attack Ostia?!" Minucius looked at Camillus in surprise.
Except for Titus, who seemed thoughtful, the other generals were equally surprised.
Camillus saw this and said in a deep voice, "To be precise, we should pretend to attack Rome, but first send troops to seize Ostia!"
Before the generals could ask, he continued to explain, "We all know that attacking a city by force is very difficult. Before, we used 70,000 people to besiege the city of Frentium, which was composed of routed soldiers and had less than 10,000 defenders, and it took us more than ten days, and we also suffered considerable casualties. But there are at least 50,000 Daunian troops in Rome, and we all know that their combat effectiveness is very strong, and the walls of Rome are so high and thick. Relying solely on our army, which is only slightly larger than the enemy, to attack Rome, it would be difficult to recapture Rome…very difficult!"—"
"Lord Camillus!" Minucius interrupted him loudly, calling him by name, and sternly rebuked, "As the dictator of Rome, you hold the only powerful force capable of saving Rome. The citizens are looking forward to you retaking our homeland. You are already afraid before you have even fought the enemy. Are you still the hero who saved Rome?! Where has your courage gone?! Are you still worthy of being the commander of this army?!…" Perhaps it was because of deep love and earnest expectations that Minucius completely lost control of his temper, looking angry.
"Minucius, how can you speak to the dictator in such a tone!" Aulus, a relative of the same clan, immediately criticized the young man.
Camillus was not angry,
Instead, he patiently explained, "Precisely because this army we command is the last hope for saving Rome, we need to be more cautious. Otherwise, once we fail, it will become even more difficult to recapture Rome—"
"The Daunians were able to… occupy our Rome in one day, why can't we?!" Minucius said angrily.
Lucius finally couldn't help but retort, "When the Daunians attacked Rome, they mostly faced old people and children, as well as freemen and slaves. But if we attack the city, we will face well-trained Daunian troops! Moreover, according to the situation reflected by the routed soldiers, the Daunians have created many powerful siege weapons, including many crossbow cannons. But our most powerful siege weapon now—the crossbow cannon—was given to us by the Carthaginians!"
Minucius was stunned, and then retorted, "Didn't the routed soldiers say that there are two breaches in the southern city wall! And our citizens are still holding out on Capitoline Hill. As long as we attack the city with all our strength, they can attack the Daunians from within the city, and then recapture Rome from the inside out!"
"Young man, siege warfare is not as simple as you think. Why don't you sit down and listen to the dictator finish speaking?!" Titus earnestly advised with a serious expression. Although he was a relatively young senator, his prestige in the army was not low. He was previously one of the main generals in the attack on southern Etruria, and played an important role in several key victories.
Camillus didn't mind. He looked at Minucius with a slightly worried expression, and then looked at the generals, and said solemnly, "According to previous intelligence, this Daunian army is led by their king, Davos, who is known as the 'Invincible General' by the Greeks. They have just occupied Rome, and their morale is high. Moreover, since they are good at siege warfare, I am afraid that their ability to defend the city is also not weak. Perhaps they are hoping that we will attack the city, so as to frustrate the morale of our soldiers. Therefore, we must be cautious! However, this Daunian army that occupied our Rome still has its weaknesses. Its weakness lies in—Ostia!"
Camillus said loudly, pointing his finger at the small port city on the map: "The reason why the Daunian king dares to go deep alone and attack Rome is because it has the advantage of water. Daunian warships can send soldiers and supplies to Rome through the Tiber River at any time. They are not afraid of being besieged by us. But if we capture Ostia—"
"Even if we occupy Ostia, the mouth of the Tiber River is so wide, and the Daunian fleet is so strong, we can't possibly block the entire river!" Minucius retorted.
"Of course it can be done! Because cargo ships have to go against the current of the Tiber River to reach Rome. Unless they encounter a strong east wind, they can only rely on trackers. Occupying Ostia will cut off the source of trackers. If our ally Caesarea on the north bank of the Tiber River also takes action, we can basically cut off Daunian ships' support to Rome, putting the Daunian army in Rome in a real encirclement!" Titus obviously understood Camillus's intention to attack Ostia.
At this time, Minucius had approved Camillus's proposal, but he was still stubbornly looking for loopholes in the plan: "But… since Ostia is so important, I am afraid that it will strengthen its defenses, and the Daunian army in Rome will also send reinforcements…"
Titus smiled: "Ostia is a small city, and the city walls are only more than three meters high. No matter how much the Daunians strengthen their defenses, it is impossible to turn it into a dozen meters high like the walls of Rome in a short period of time. Attacking it is much easier than attacking Rome. And if the Daunians want to send reinforcements, it will be good to weaken their strength in Rome."
Titus's explanation not only dispelled Minucius's anger, but also dispelled some of the other generals' doubts.
Camillus cast an approving look at Titus, and then said: "In order to prevent the Daunians in Rome from discovering our true intentions in a short period of time, it is best to recapture Ostia as soon as possible with fewer casualties. So I have drawn up such a plan—"
Camillus looked around at everyone, seeing that they were all listening attentively, and then said: "Tomorrow, when our army arrives outside Rome, starts building camps, and blocks the enemy's access and occupies the river port outside Rome, Titus, you will lead 25,000 troops composed of soldiers from our colonial cities and allied citizens to secretly and quickly march westward and attack Ostia!"
"Yes, Lord Dictator!" Titus knew why Camillus emphasized that he should lead the troops from the colonial cities and allied states, because if it were the Roman army, they would be eager to retake their homeland, so they might resist orders, or even if they obeyed, their morale would not be high.
The other generals also understood this. Licinius said with some concern: "Lord Dictator, the Daunians may notice the obvious difference in our numbers and make preparations early."
"The Daunians are blocked in the city, they can't see clearly. We can disguise the people who are stranded here and arrange them behind the army to confuse their eyes…" Camillus said calmly.
"I think this plan can be implemented." Titus immediately expressed his approval.
"I agree too!" The other generals also expressed their opinions one after another.
"What if the Daunians discover the problem and come out of the city to fight us?" The quick-thinking Milucius discovered a loophole and reminded him.
"That's exactly what we hope for! Even if the 40,000 Roman soldiers are fewer in number than the enemy, their belief in retaking their homeland will make up for this difference. What's more, there are still our troops holding out on Capitoline Hill, and the troops led by Titus will also return in time. The Daunians will inevitably be defeated, and we can easily recapture Rome!" Licinius said confidently.
Minucius was finally speechless.
At this time, Camillus looked at him and said, "While marching towards Rome tomorrow, we must also send envoys across the Tiber River to contact the colonial cities and Etruscan allies on the north bank and ask them to cooperate with our actions. This task will be given to you, Minucius."
"Me?!" Minucius was a little surprised that Camillus still entrusted him with important tasks after he had contradicted Camillus several times.
"You are the best candidate!" Camillus said sincerely, without any resentment because Milucius scolded him: "I believe you can urge them to send troops to control the north bank of the Tiber River!"
"I will definitely complete the task!" Minucius replied with an excited expression and a firm tone. After all, as a young citizen who had only served in the military for a few years, it was impossible for him to lead tens of thousands of troops in the upcoming battle, but he wanted to make a greater contribution to saving Rome, and this task was the most suitable for him.
"Now that everyone agrees to this plan, then next…" Camillus began to make more detailed arrangements for the generals for tomorrow's action.
"Camillus is finally here!" After entering the city of Rome and resting for a night, the pressure from his past life's history had completely dissipated from Davos. At this moment, he was calm and unhurried as he issued orders to Tolmidius: "Notify the legion commanders to prepare for defense." After saying this, he continued to eat his breakfast quietly.
Just as he finished breakfast, a guard came to report: "Priest Caldius requests an audience."
"Caldius... Let him in." Davos said, stroking his chin. He was quite interested in this Hades priest, who had been strongly recommended by Praexinas and had followed the army to Rome, because his experiences were quite legendary.
According to Greek tradition, the identity of a temple priest was usually inherent, either born into a priestly family or designated by a dying priest. Other people simply couldn't hope to assume this sacred profession. Of course, the situation was different in the Kingdom of Daonia. Because Davos wanted to vigorously promote the development of the Temple of Hades within his territory, he selected many attendants from the common people who were willing to serve the temple. However, for them to eventually become priests, they had to go through a sacred ceremony personally presided over by Davos. This was not only because Davos also held the position of High Priest of the kingdom, but also because he was a descendant of Hades. The priests he personally appointed naturally possessed the spirituality to communicate with the god.
Caldius was a Cirinian, but not from a traditional Greek priestly family. He was an ordinary citizen who, after receiving the grace of the Temple of Hades, resolved to come to Thurii as a temple attendant. Later, the massacre of Cirinius by the Syracusans made him study even harder at the temple. Within a few years, because of his proficiency in the divine scriptures and his ability to communicate well, he gained the trust of the believers and was eventually promoted to priest.
Afterward, he actively applied to preside over the Temple of Hades in Catania. During his tenure, the number of Hades believers in Catania greatly increased, and he even spread the worship of Hades to Syracuse. Of course, he was also accused of 'using money donated by believers to hire people to buy slaves who were originally from Cirinius in the city of Syracuse, and then granting them freedom'. Therefore, several years later, he was transferred back to Thurii, but he was still promoted to supervising priest because of his outstanding performance.
This time, before the army set out, Praexinas was selecting Hades priests to establish temples in Latium. Despite the risks, there were many applicants, because those who could be promoted to supervising priest were all devout believers who wanted to preach for the temple. The reason why Caldius was chosen was because, more than a year ago, Davos, in his capacity as High Priest, had mentioned, intentionally or unintentionally, during the annual routine gathering of Hades priests that the Latium region in central Italy and Rome might be the next targets for the Kingdom of Daonia's expansion. After this, Caldius actually went to great lengths to buy a Latin slave, and the slave's main job was to teach him to speak Latin. Therefore, he became the only Hades priest proficient in Latin and was ultimately chosen, because relying on translators to develop Hades believers among foreigners would undoubtedly make it more difficult.
After Caldius arrived in Rome, he ignored the dissuasion of others and insisted on going deep into the Roman people to communicate. Davos had even worried about his safety, but he didn't expect him to come to him so quickly.
Davos reversed his approach from the previous day when dealing with officials and generals.
He immediately stood up and strode outside.
Caldius, nearly 50 years old, had already hurriedly entered the Roman Senate, bowing and holding his hands flat, palms up, respectfully giving Davos the priestly salute: "Good morning, High Priest!" (Since the establishment of the kingdom, the priests of the Temple of Hades have addressed Davos not by his administrative title 'Your Majesty', but by his supreme position in the kingdom's religion, High Priest. Initially, this was only a strict rule of the Temple of Hades, but later other temples in the kingdom also began to implement this practice).
"Good morning, Priest Caldius." Davos returned the priestly salute with equal solemnity and said with a smile: "You've come to see me so early, is there something you've discovered?"
"High Priest, I've come to offer you a suggestion." Caldius said directly.
"What suggestion?" Davos asked curiously.
"Yesterday, you gave a speech in the square about 'hoping that the Roman commoners would become Daonian citizens', but in my conversations with them yesterday, I discovered that they are feeling uneasy about the possibility that we will destroy their temples and sacrifices."
"Oh?!" Caldius reminded Davos that yesterday he had indeed only announced some of the benefits of Roman commoners becoming Daonian citizens, intending to tell them about the Kingdom of Daonia's religious tolerance after they became citizens. This was what had been done during the conquest of the Messapians, Peucetians, and Daunians in the Apulia region, so the same approach was being continued in Rome. But obviously, the situation in Rome was much more tense and dangerous than in Apulia back then, which further increased the unease of the Roman commoners.
Therefore, Davos hurriedly asked: "Caldius, what is your suggestion?"
"High Priest, in my contact with the Roman commoners, I discovered that they greatly worship the Roman goddess of the hunt, Diana, the goddess of the hearth, Vesta, and the deities exclusive to the Roman commoners, Ceres, Liber, and Libera—"
"The Roman commoners also have their own exclusive deities?!" Davos was somewhat surprised. It was the first time he had heard of this.
"Yes, although the Romans also worship many gods, they worship more deities than we Greeks, and the Roman nobles and commoners each have some exclusive deities they worship. These deities are just the ones they most revere." Caldius said earnestly: "Moreover, Diana, Vesta, Ceres, Liber, and Libera all have temples on the Aventine Hill in the city, especially the Temple of Diana, which I hear is also worshiped by the commoners of the entire Latium region..."
Aventine... That's the main residential area of the Roman commoners... Davos fell into thought: In the past, he had paid more attention to the collection of intelligence on Rome's politics, economy, and military affairs, and not so much to religion, also because there were too many and too mixed gods in Rome. Every river, every road, every forest, every crossroads, every door, every house had its own god. Even the Roman priests couldn't figure out how many deities there were in Rome. Moreover, the Romans' worship of gods was far less devout than that of the Greeks. They were more practical and utilitarian, so he had neglected in-depth research in this area, and he didn't even know that the Roman commoners had their own exclusive deities!
But this seemed to be a good thing! As the ruler of the kingdom, Davos immediately understood the importance of this matter. He asked: "Do you mean to let me go and worship these deities to show Daonia's respect for the Roman commoners' own beliefs?"
"Yes, High Priest." Caldius replied affirmatively. As the supervising priest of Hades, it seemed somewhat absurd that he would want his High Priest to go and worship the deities of foreigners.
But in fact, in the Kingdom of Daonia, King Davos was not only the High Priest of Hades, but also in charge of the worship of all the temples in the kingdom. And Davos had also established the dominant position of the Temple of Hades in the kingdom's religion in the 'Daonian Law', granting them the power to supervise other temples in the kingdom. Moreover, a kingdom priestly assembly was held every year in the main Temple of Hades in Thurii, presided over by the High Priest Davos, with the scepter priests of all the temples in the country attending to jointly discuss and solve some of the problems encountered.
If Rome was conquered, these deities of Rome might be incorporated into the people's beliefs of the kingdom. As the Hades priest who was the leader of the kingdom's religion, Caldius certainly had to understand them clearly, and in the future, while developing Hades believers here, he also had to try to ensure that the supervision and relationship with these temples were more harmonious.
"Then I will go to the Aventine Hill to worship the temples of these Roman deities worshiped by the Roman commoners, and I will go today!" Davos made a decisive decision and asked: "Do you know the sacrificial rituals of these temples?"
"I have already learned them clearly." Caldius replied.
You're very well prepared! Davos gave him an approving look and said, turning his head: "Heni, immediately send someone to the Aventine Hill to notify the priests of these temples, and arrange for people to proclaim throughout the city that 'I am going to worship the Roman deities'."
"Yes, Your Majesty." Henipolis stood up, understanding.
Davos thought of another matter and continued: "Also... immediately go and call Aemilius to me."
Davos suddenly realized that this time, going deep into the Roman city to worship might be a good opportunity to lure the enemy out.
… … … … … … … … … … … … … …
The Roman commoners who had just joined Daonia and become patrolmen, holding shields and spears, walked through the streets and alleys of Rome under the leadership of legion soldiers, while shouting loudly.
On the gentle slopes of the Caelian Hill, in a residence that looked a little larger than the surrounding buildings and had more ornate decorations on its exterior walls, a young Roman man was lying in the master bedroom. His young wife was changing the bandages on his wound, and there was a very long, newly healed scar on his left thigh.
He vaguely heard shouting outside, and listened intently, but couldn't hear very clearly, so he said: "Conia, go and see what's happening outside?"
His wife immediately left the bedroom and quickly returned, with a strange expression on her face, and said: "Those lowly people who have defected to the enemy are saying that 'that damned Daonian king is going to worship their deities'."