Although Davos and Archytas did not participate, Thurii’s victory celebration still went ahead. The entire city momentarily set aside its grief and rejoiced in this hard-won victory.
The generals' banquet in particular lasted late into the night. Antistanos, having consumed who knows how many jugs of wine, slept until the sun was high in the sky. By the time he left the city, it was nearly noon. When he arrived at Davos’s completely empty camp, he was stunned. Fortunately, they saw the Tarentine reinforcements still encamped at the mercenaries’ site and learned that all the mercenaries had gone to Amendolara.
The mercenaries had taken the city of Amendolara! This startling news shocked Antistanos and Bourkos once again.
They immediately quickened their pace northward, eager to see Davos. Halfway there, Antistanos suddenly halted the group. “We’re going back right now.”
“Why, General?” Bourkos asked, puzzled.
Having calmed down, Antistanos sighed. “The mercenaries were in such a hurry to take Amendolara last night, and today they’ve already moved their slaves and baggage into the city. What does that tell you?”
Bourkos let out an “ah” in surprise and shouted, “Could it be… could they intend to occupy Amendolara?!”
Antistanos nodded, then said with some gloom, “More importantly—Archytas also went to Amendolara. What does that tell you?”
Prompted by Antistanos, Bourkos immediately understood and cried out in even greater shock, “Are you saying Tarentum supports the mercenaries occupying Amendolara?!”
“Perhaps it’s just Archytas’s personal wish…” Antistanos was trying to comfort both Bourkos and himself. He smiled bitterly and said, “If Tarentum truly supports the mercenaries, can we in Thurii refuse? Both Tarentum and the mercenaries are heroes who saved Thurii…” He sighed again, his face troubled. “Alas… from now on, Tarentum’s influence will have crossed Heraclea and pressed right up against the Sybaris Plain!”
“Then… what do we do now?!” Bourkos asked anxiously.
“Go back, discuss our strategy, and then come again…” Antistanos said as he spoke, but his helpless expression made it clear he didn’t think Thurii had any good solution to the mercenaries forcibly occupying Amendolara.
On the way back to the city, he kept muttering to himself in dejection: “Alas… in just half a year, Thurii has fallen to such a state… My teacher was right: ‘War is the fastest way to change a city-state’s rise and fall.’ What Thurii lacks now are military talents like Davos and Archytas!…”
Hearing this, Bourkos remembered that he hadn’t yet had a chance to invite Davos to join Thurii. Now it seemed that even if he had made the offer, Davos wouldn’t have agreed. He also recalled how his trusted slave Morras had led Davos on the risky reconnaissance of Amendolara. Probably even then, Davos had already set his sights on that mountain town! Before the situation was even clear, he had begun planning for Amendolara and ultimately achieved it. Was that luck? No! Both victories in these battles were won by him leading the mercenaries, step by step through his own efforts!
Although the mercenaries’ forcible seizure of Amendolara harmed Thurii’s interests, Bourkos couldn’t tell whether he felt more anger or awe in his heart…
…
Davos was accompanying Archytas on a tour of Amendolara.
While listening to Davos recount the details of last night’s capture of the mountain town, Archytas examined the mercenaries’ assault route and enthusiastically tried using the rope hooks himself.
From the moment they entered the city gate, besides the trail of blood, what Archytas saw most were the mercenary soldiers posted every few paces. Their faces shone with the same excitement and pride as Davos’s. After some hesitation, he decided to offer a suggestion: “Davos… I think if your mercenaries want to settle smoothly into Amendolara, you’d best gain the consent of its citizens.”
“Of course! Of course!” Davos responded.
Archytas could tell he was being perfunctory. After a moment’s thought, he tried to persuade him further: “For a city-state to maintain good order, it not only needs clear laws but also must consistently abide by them. Over time, laws become good traditions of the city-state, forming the natural foundation of order, bringing stability to the people and development to the state. If you break that from the start…” He stopped, pointing to a pine tree growing crookedly on the hillside, and said meaningfully: “It’s like this tree. If it grows crooked from the beginning, no matter how hard it tries later, it can never become a towering tree.”
Davos understood the metaphor in Archytas’s words and fell into deep thought: In Chinese historical tradition, the result is emphasized. No matter what means are used, if you succeed in the end, everything done before is forgiven and ultimately recognized. That’s why sayings like “The victor is king, the loser a bandit” and “In urgent matters, bend the rules” are deeply ingrained. But Davos, a graduate of a law and political science university in his previous life, knew that in the Roman Republic—known as the “son of law”—centuries of tradition and law restrained later rulers’ extreme actions. Even repeated upheavals didn’t cause major instability in the state. For example: Caesar crossed the Rubicon but did not lead his army into Rome itself, because that was tradition. Antony doted on Cleopatra but refused her request to annex Judea into Egypt, because it was every Roman citizen’s duty not to harm Rome’s interests—that was tradition. Octavian, wielding great power, did not immediately turn the Roman Republic into an empire, because the Senate and Popular Assembly as the centers of power were deeply rooted traditions; he could only slowly alter the Roman power structure bit by bit over decades… But when the Praetorian Prefect, acting out of public duty, assassinated the erratic Emperor Caligula whom he had guarded since childhood, it established the bad tradition of Praetorian prefects frequently assassinating Roman emperors…
If Davos were merely a leader who cared only about immediate gains and short-term pleasure, it wouldn’t matter. But his ambition was not limited to a small Amendolara. Archytas’s advice struck him like a blow to the head: The mercenaries’ actions must consider not only the feelings of Amendolara’s people for future governance but also how surrounding city-states in Magna Graecia would perceive these outsiders. Forcible seizures were clearly unwelcome and would easily lead to isolation.
Davos decided to change his previously opportunistic approach. This deep reflection would also alter his subsequent behavior, making him begin to think from the perspective of a true Greek.
“Archytas, thank you for the reminder!” Out of gratitude, Davos decided to put one of his ideas into action immediately: “I’ve heard the Pythagorean school is not faring well in Magna Graecia.”
Upon hearing this, Archytas’s expression darkened slightly, and he said with mixed feelings, “Yes. In many city-states of Magna Graecia, the people reject our school’s philosophy and use various means to suppress its members, forcing most disciples to leave for Phlius in mainland Greece. Only Tarentum now remains tolerant of the school.”
“I actually agree with your school’s concept that ‘all things are numbers.’ I think if a city-state were governed by numbers, it would be more precise and efficient. I also strongly approve of your school’s encouragement of self-control, temperance, purity, and obedience. Moreover, your breaking of convention by allowing women to study is truly an innovation!” Davos said sincerely. “If the mercenaries become masters of Amendolara, I will certainly invite members of the Pythagorean school to come here, foster students, and establish an academy, with the city-state providing funding.”
Archytas had only been so open about the Pythagorean school’s current situation because its plight was well-known throughout Magna Graecia, and Davos had previously expressed goodwill toward the school. Yet he never imagined Davos’s goodwill went this far. For a moment, he could hardly believe it. “Do you mean it?”
“Should I swear to the gods?”
“On behalf of the school, I thank you for your support! I will convey your proposal to the school’s members as soon as possible!” Archytas said excitedly.
Davos's Thoughts