Signing the Agreement

“Do you know what you are in the eyes of Timasion and Cleanho? If I left you and your wife and daughter here, think about what would happen!” Davos said with a cold laugh.

“You said you’d send me to Asia Minor!” Mariji replied, both aggrieved and angry.

“There’s going to be war in Asia Minor—didn’t you just hear that?”

“I… can go live in some remote mountainous area of Asia Minor, keep a low profile, and disappear!” Mariji remained stubborn.

“What a waste of your talents, Mariji. I’ve always thought that Cyrus the Younger only using you as his personal merchant was an underuse of your abilities! Of course, in Persia your birth held you back from rising high. But with me, you’ll face no such restrictions. I’ll give you a vast stage to display your skills!” Davos made him a promise.

“With you? Go fight and kill natives again, then play king in some ‘little village’?” Mariji curled his lip.

“Mariji, there’s an Eastern saying: ‘Thirty years on the east side of the river, thirty years on the west.’ Your Persia’s founding king, Cyrus, was originally nothing more than the chief of a small Persian tribe, constantly bullied by Media. Who would have thought that a few decades later he would build a mighty empire! Today I’m just a leader of mercenaries, but in a few decades who’s to say I won’t have a glorious day?!” Davos spoke with full confidence and grandeur.

“You… how can you compare yourself to Cyrus the Great!” Mariji said disdainfully, but his voice had dropped considerably. The burning gaze in Davos’s eyes made him dare not meet them. After hesitating for a long time, he mumbled, “Do I have a choice?”

Davos smiled. “What do you think?”

“If… if you actually succeed, what would you have me do?” Mariji raised his head, his eyes meeting Davos’s.

Davos thought for a moment, raised two fingers, and said seriously, “Two choices. One: serve as Foreign Minister, handling all diplomatic affairs with the city-states. Two: establish a new post of Commerce Minister, responsible for all trade and business dealings.”

Mariji hesitated again and again, then finally made up his mind. “Last time, negotiating with the Cossocan tribe was already terrifying enough for me. I choose the second!”

“Good. I’ll keep it open for you!” Davos gave his promise.

…

The next day, Bourkos was extremely excited when he learned that all the officers of Davos’s camp would go to Thurii. Davos had Mariji negotiate the terms of the employment contract with Bourkos, while he himself stepped aside to focus on persuading the soldiers to accept Thurii’s hiring.

In truth, most of the mercenaries were utterly destitute, with nothing to tie them down, which was why they chose this life on the razor’s edge. Long years of warfare had made them unable to adapt to a peaceful existence. Moreover, the stark contrast between their longing for home while in Persia and the treatment they received upon returning to Greek city-states had driven most of them, under Davos’s charismatic leadership and the lure of Thurii’s generous pay, to choose to stay. Only a little over three hundred men decided to remain; the rest were willing to follow Davos to Magna Graecia. At the same time, the officers’ lobbying in other camps bore fruit. Since they were about to return home, the commanders had neither the inclination nor the energy to restrain their troops, leading to a steady trickle of soldiers from other camps joining up. By evening, the total strength of Davos’s army stood at over two thousand men, among them even the officer Hieronymus.

The heated negotiations also came to an end. The final employment contract included the following main terms:

1. Thurii hires the troops led by Commander Davos, totaling 2,133 men. Pay: two darics per soldier per month, to be paid in full at the end of each month. Free accommodation and a daily ration of one catty of wheat flour per person are also provided. If payment is delayed or overdue, the next month’s pay and rations will be doubled. (This was a lesson learned from Cyrus the Younger: because of his premature death, the mercenaries not only received no wages but also had to risk their lives spending a year returning from Persia. So Davos had wised up: if the mercenaries drove back the Lucanians early, and Thurii no longer needed them, wouldn’t that cause trouble? Therefore he set a fixed term: regardless of whether the mission was completed or not, pay must be made according to the contract within that term.)

2. The mercenaries are only responsible for defending Thurii and repelling Lucanian attacks on Thurii’s directly governed territory. Any other requests will be negotiated separately. (This was because Davos feared the Thurians might impose additional difficult tasks, such as attacking Lucanian territory, which would greatly deplete his forces.)

3. Once the mercenaries arrive in Thurii, they must not violate the laws of Thurii. If they do, they will be punished according to Thurian law.

4. Without Thurii’s permission, the mercenaries may not enter the city of Thurii.

5. During combat, any spoils taken by the mercenaries belong to them.

The contract was signed to take effect on the first day of April in the second year of the ninety-fifth Olympian Games (i.e., 399 BC) and to end on the first day of April of the third year. Upon expiration, renewal would be decided by mutual agreement.

In the name of the Thurian council, Bourkos swore an oath before the gods together with Davos, and then each signed their name on two copies of the contract written on parchment. (Under Cheiristoya’s instruction, Davos had gained a basic grasp of Greek writing.)

Bourkos tucked the parchment into his chest and asked casually, “Commander Davos, there’s something I don’t quite understand. Those slaves and women—you’re taking all of them to Thurii. You’ll have to pay for their food out of your own pocket and protect them from being plundered by the Lucanians. They’re obviously a burden. Why not just sell them here? Why must you bring them along?”

Those slaves and women numbered nearly five hundred. To keep Bourkos from becoming suspicious, Davos naturally had to give a serious answer: “Most of the mercenaries are single men. They don’t have money at home to buy slaves to help with work, nor to marry. So they regard the slaves and women they plundered from Persia as their precious property. If I didn’t bring them along, the soldiers probably wouldn’t follow me to Thurii either!”

“Not really necessary. In a year, they’ll all be rich men anyway,” Bourkos said jokingly. He was in a good mood now that the contract was signed.

“But they have to live long enough to enjoy that wealth!” Davos retorted.

“Alright.” Bourkos shrugged helplessly. “I’m just worried they’ll hinder your fighting. Now that the contract is signed, we set sail next year. I’ve already arranged for the ships. Now I need to rush to the city to prepare grain and water according to the number of men in your force.”

“Cleander has allowed us into the city?”

“Oh, I almost forgot!” Bourkos slapped his forehead. “Cleander permits you to enter the city, but only if you go in empty-handed.”

“Empty-handed?” Davos’s heart tightened.

“That is, leave behind your hoplon shields, spears, and swords.” Bourkos tried to reassure him. “But it’s no problem. Once you reach Thurii, we’ll equip you with new weapons and armor.”

“No. This is a problem—a very serious problem!” Davos said sternly, emphasizing each word. “We will not give up our weapons!” Not to mention what happened when Clearchus and his men were tricked back then; on the return march, locals had smiled and welcomed them only to turn and attack many times. If this was Cleander’s plot, and the mercenaries entered the city unarmed, they would be sticking their necks out to be chopped! Davos would never allow his life to be in someone else’s hands! His weapons were his safeguard.

“But if you don’t give up your weapons, Cleander won’t let you in the city, and then we can’t set sail!” Bourkos said anxiously.

Davos thought it over and made a concession. “I can have the soldiers wrap cloth around the spearheads and sheath their swords, but we will not give up our weapons!” he reiterated.

Seeing Davos’s firm stance, Bourkos had to compromise. “Fine. I’ll go negotiate with Cleander again.”

Note: The ancient Greek method of dating years was primarily by counting the number of Olympic Games held, since the ancient Olympics were also held every four years.