Thurii

Davos stared intently as a middle-aged man walked into the tent. He was of average build with a kind and amiable face.

The middle-aged man was also sizing up Davos. Although he had heard some rumors about this mercenary leader before, he was still surprised by his youth upon meeting him. However, the Davos of now was somewhat different from the one who had fought the great battle at the River Kentrites half a year ago. Not only was there a circle of stubble on his chin and a scar on his face, but the hardships and bloody slaughter along the way had added a layer of world-weariness and killing intent to him, making his gaze even more sharp and piercing.

“Bourkos, a citizen of Thurii, sends his greetings to Leader Davos!” The middle-aged man stepped forward and bowed to Davos.

“Thurii?” Davos was a bit confused. Having not been a history major in his previous life, he knew nothing about this city-state, and the uneducated remnants of memory from his current body were of no help whatsoever.

Just then, Cheiristoya noticed his confusion and explained softly, “The city of Thurii is located west of the Gulf of Tarentum in Magna Graecia, and it is the youngest Greek colonial city in southern Italy. After Sybaris was destroyed twice by Croton, the Sybarites who had lost their homeland sought help from Athens. At that time, Pericles was serving as Athens’ leading general. He responded to the Sybarites’ request and decided to build a pan-Hellenic city-state on the site of old Sybaris. So he issued a call to the Greek city-states, and even people from Miletus migrated there. That is the origin of Thurii…”

“Madam, you are absolutely correct. I pay my respects to your vast knowledge!” Bourkos was surprised to see a woman present at such an important meeting, but he still behaved with courtesy.

“Sybaris… Sybaris…” Davos felt the name was familiar. He muttered it to himself a few times and suddenly remembered: “Oh, isn’t that the one where the citizens lived so luxuriously that they even trained their war horses to dance, and were defeated by Croton with music?”

“Yes.” Bourkos looked at Davos’s excited expression and couldn’t help but doubt whether his abilities really were as miraculous as the rumors claimed.

The reason Davos remembered this story was that the tale of Sybaris’s downfall due to its luxurious lifestyle had become a fable in the West in his previous life, and it was also connected to the famous ancient Greek mathematician Pythagoras. Italy! … Davos thought briefly, then suddenly became much more interested: “What business do you have with me?”

Bourkos tensed up. At first, he had been full of confidence, but after being rejected by several leaders in a row, he had grown anxious and uncertain. Davos was his last hope. “Thurii is being invaded by the natives, and we want to hire you and your soldiers to help us drive them back.”

Davos exchanged a glance with Cheiristoya.

Bourkos continued, “Of course, we will pay you handsomely!”

“How much can you pay?” Davos leaned forward and asked with interest.

Feeling a glimmer of hope, Bourkos immediately perked up: “One daric per soldier per month!”

Davos said nothing but instead leaned back.

“Oh, I must have misremembered. It should be one and a half… ah, no! No! It should be two, two darics!…” Seeing that Davos remained expressionless, Bourkos’s voice began to tremble.

“What major trouble has Thurii run into that has you so desperate?” Davos suddenly revealed a faint smile.

Bourkos realized: Damn, I underestimated this young man. And in my eagerness to secure the hiring, I let something slip under his calm provocation.

“Bourkos, if you want me to cooperate with Thurii, you’d better tell me the truth!” Davos’s words carried an undeniable tone.

Bourkos, however, heard a hint of possibility in that. So he composed himself and said solemnly, “The Italian natives, the Lucanians, have launched a major invasion into Thurii’s territory. After discussion, the Thurian citizen assembly unanimously decided to send out an army to drive back the Lucanians. So we dispatched ten thousand hoplites and one thousand cavalry, but we suffered a crushing defeat… The brutal Lucanians slaughtered our soldiers wantonly, cut their bodies into pieces, and piled them outside the city… Fewer than three hundred citizens managed to flee back into the city… When I set out, the natives hadn’t yet attacked the city, but they had already captured the town of Amendolara to the north of Thurii, causing considerable panic among the citizens… Now all their hopes rest on me! So… so…” As he spoke, Bourkos began to weep.

Having witnessed too many horrors in the past year, Davos had grown hardened. He was unmoved by Bourkos’s grief, instead asking in surprise, “So many soldiers—were they all Thurian citizens?”

“Yes, Thurii is one of the most prosperous city-states in Magna Graecia!” Bourkos wiped his tears and said with a hint of pride.

“Eleven thousand troops, and they still lost. Are the Lucanians very strong?” Davos continued inquiring curiously.

“No, actually, the Lucanians seemed to have only about eight thousand.” Fearing he might scare Davos off, Bourkos had to admit, “It’s just… just that internally at Thurii… well… well, mainly there was no good commander. They advanced too rashly and fell into an ambush…”

“Oh, I see.” Davos stroked the stubble on his chin and asked further, “Why didn’t you ask other city-states for help?”

“We southern Italian Greek city-states do have a defense alliance, but in recent years, for some reason, the natives have begun large-scale invasions of our territories. Tarentum, Locri… and Croton all have no spare strength to support us. Syracuse, meanwhile, is facing attacks from the Carthaginians… I also sought help from the Spartans, but Sparta seems to be having a falling out with Persia. They turned down my request, though they agreed to facilitate my hiring of soldiers in Greece…” Bourkos said helplessly.

“Right now, Greece is not short of soldiers. Why come to us?” Davos pressed.

Bourkos immediately flattered him: “I had already recruited some soldiers in Ephesus, but then I heard about you! I thought that if you could safely retreat from deep inside Persian territory, your bravery and strength are proven beyond doubt. If I could hire experienced fighters like you, then driving back the Lucanians would certainly be no problem! So as soon as I heard from merchant ships anchored at Ephesus that they had seen you in Chrysopolis, I rushed over immediately. I didn’t expect you to have already reached Byzantium.”

Bourkos’s flattery did not affect Davos’s thinking. He nodded and continued questioning, “Are the Lucanians powerful? What types of troops do they have? What kind of equipment do they use? What are their combat characteristics?…”

Question after question struck Bourkos’s mind like iron nails. At first, Bourkos could handle them easily, but later it became very difficult, because Davos had started asking complex questions: How large is Lucanian territory? How many cities do they have? What is their main livelihood? What is their political system like? How are their foreign relations? …

As Bourkos racked his brains to answer Davos’s questions, he was simultaneously amazed that a mercenary leader could ask such profound questions. Sensing that Davos was different from others, his confidence also grew, because only someone who intended to go would bother to learn the details.

“I have a general understanding of the situation now.” After Davos said this, Bourkos let out a long breath. This was several times harder than answering citizens’ interrogations at the citizen assembly!

“Timasion, Xanthiparis, and Cleanho all turned you down, didn’t they?” Davos remarked.

Bourkos looked at him in astonishment again.

“My camp is at the very back. To reach me, you had to pass them first. As far as I know, Timasion wants to return to Ionia—his homeland. Xanthiparis and Cleanho have been invited by Seuthes, a Thracian tribal chief, to serve him with a high salary. And Xenophon is currently with Anaxibius. I am your only chance, am I not?”

Davos’s shrewdness had made Bourkos unwilling to hide anything further. He said frankly, “Yes, Leader Davos, you are my only chance. So, will you refuse or agree?”