Volume 3: The First Crotone War, Chapter 4: The First Senate Meeting (4)

"But... but... war means death... Amendolara has already lost... too many people!" Cornelius stammered.

"Following Lord Davos, we will only win battles. Don't you want revenge?! To attack the Lucanians?!" Amyntas looked at Cornelius with slight contempt.

Before Cornelius could reply, Protesilaus and Tritodemos behind him shouted, "Of course we want revenge! We must make those accursed barbarians taste Amendolara's might!..."

Amendolara had been weak for too long; the people's hearts were yearning for change. Davos was pleased to see this shift, and he said at once, "Though we aim to conquer the native tribes, we won't start a war blindly. First, we must strengthen Amendolara's power, then wait for the right moment. So, do you all agree to submit this proposal to the Assembly for a vote: 'Any outsider who wishes to join Amendolara and become its citizen, provided he is willing to abide by Amendolara's laws and meets certain conditions, will be accepted as a citizen by Amendolara's Senate.' As for the specific conditions to be met, we will discuss and decide later."

"Agreed!" everyone shouted in unison.

Cornelius sighed and closed his eyes slightly. He understood that from now on, Amendolara would no longer be the traditional, conservative town that had barely changed for decades. Given the current composition of Amendolara's citizens—with new citizens in the vast majority—and the mood in this room, the law was sure to pass in the Assembly.

(A few days later, Davos's proposal was indeed passed by a large majority in the Assembly. This law was what later historians in this world would grandly record in European history as the "Davos Immigration Law." Its enactment changed the traditions of the Magna Graecia city-states, transformed the political landscape of the entire Greek world, and ultimately reshaped Mediterranean history. But that is a story for later.)

"That being the case, I propose that Mariji be appointed as Commercial Officer, making him the first beneficiary of this new law and setting a good example for those who follow!"

"Agreed!"

"We have no objections!" The new citizens, especially the platoon leaders, expressed their assent. This was precisely why Davos had insisted on their attendance—with their support, the few old citizens, even if displeased, could only keep silent.

Now the atmosphere in the meeting was vastly different from before. With a new goal, the enthusiasm of the new citizens had clearly risen. Davos decided to strike while the iron was hot: "Does Amendolara have the office of Public Works Officer?"

"Public Works Officer?" Cornelius had never heard of it. "You mean someone in charge of building public structures, right? Amendolara has no fixed position for that. If the Senate decides to build public facilities, it appoints a temporary supervisor."

"The duties of a Public Works Officer are not limited to constructing a particular public facility. He oversees and builds all kinds of structures in the city, performs regular maintenance, supervises the cleanliness, hygiene, and safety of the roads, and looks after the city's recreational facilities. His responsibilities range from the daily life of citizens to the image of the city-state—from building wells and roads to temples and arenas. It is a very important position!" Davos said solemnly.

"Which city-state has such an office?" Cornelius asked in surprise.

Davos smiled and did not answer. The city-state with this office in his previous life was Rome, which had led the world in architectural technology—though he had no idea whether Rome had already established such a post at this time.

"Since we have set the conquest of the native tribes as Amendolara's development goal, the office of Public Works Officer becomes very important. We need to build sturdy, wide, and level roads and bridges to facilitate our march and transport, and to connect and govern the lands we will conquer. We also need to construct grand and magnificent buildings to display our superior culture to the natives and speed their submission to us." After emphasizing this, Davos asked, "Who would like to nominate themselves?"

"Wouldn't that require experience in construction?" someone said, and the enthusiasm that Davos had stirred in everyone wavered.

Alexis stood up decisively.

Davos asked with a smile, "Alexis, have you worked as a mason before?"

"Magistrate, if I am the only one to nominate myself, does that mean I have already assumed this office?" Alexis countered instead of answering.

"I have no objections. What about the rest of you?" Davos looked at the others.

"There's no one else besides him. Let it be him!"

"But can he handle it well?"

Everyone chimed in.

"Go ahead, tell us how you plan to be a good Public Works Officer," Davos said.

"I don't know how to build, but I can learn. I can also hire experts in construction as my subordinates. If there are none within Amendolara, I can search among the freemen of nearby city-states. According to the law and the Hetushu case you just proposed, Lord Davos, I will apply for them to be granted citizenship..." Alexis said confidently.

The others suddenly understood: so that's how you could handle being a city official.

Many began to consider whether they should also nominate themselves for a position.

"It seems you have already thought about how to do the job of a Public Works Officer well!" Davos praised. "I hope you and your subordinates will study construction techniques thoroughly, so that Amendolara's building technology can surpass that of other Greek city-states!"

"I will do my best!" Alexis said solemnly.

"Amendolara's treasury is not well-off. If we launch large-scale construction..." Cornelius reminded them.

"Of course we won't start building now. We'll just set up the office first and take action when we are wealthier," Davos reassured Cornelius, then continued, "Next, I propose establishing the office of Military Affairs Officer, responsible for the city's defense, citizens' military training, research and maintenance of weapons and equipment, pre-war preparations, and post-war statistics... and so on."

"Agreed!" For the warlike new citizens, this position was the most important, and they all looked excited.

But when Davos asked, "Who do you think is best suited for this office?" the new citizens fell silent.

The most respected person in the army was undoubtedly Davos himself, but he was already the lifelong magistrate and the supreme commander of the city's military. Apart from him, Hieronymus seemed a possible candidate, as he had been a mercenary leader, but he was a newcomer to Davos's force. As for others—Capus, Amyntas, Epithenis—these company commanders had all achieved merit and had their own strengths, but none stood out as exceptional.

Finally, everyone's eyes fell on Philistos. This former adjutant of the mercenaries was usually low-key and easy to overlook. In truth, he had been a mercenary for nearly twenty years, had rich military experience, and was well-versed in military affairs. Since Davos had become the leader, Philistos had been diligently assisting him, and Davos's victories were inseparable from his quiet support. Setting up camp, training, pre-war preparations, post-war statistics—wasn't that exactly the work of a Military Affairs Officer now?! So that was the position Lord Davos had created for him! Realizing this, everyone calmed down.

Thus Philistos was elected smoothly.

"Previously, our mercenary band had a military code, but it was rather rudimentary. I hope that after you take office, you will gather everyone in a few days—I will also attend—to discuss and formulate a more comprehensive military code, so that it can help us train citizens and guide combat," Davos said seriously.

"Understood." Philistos nodded.

Matonis and others in the back row groaned when they heard there would be an even stricter military code.

Davos heard them and said sternly, "Before, we were mercenaries. For survival, we followed the orders of our employers, attacked others indiscriminately, and killed and plundered as we pleased. But starting now, you are citizens of Amendolara. Amendolara's interests are your interests. When you go out to fight, your conduct represents Amendolara's image. Unnecessary killing and plundering will only bring more enemies to Amendolara and earn the hatred of the people of Magna Graecia. Moreover, now that we have this grand new goal, without strict training and a complete military code, how can we build a disciplined and effective citizen army of Amendolara? How can we, with our small Amendolara, defeat the numerous natives and dominate Magna Graecia?"