Volume 4: The League of Dionia, Chapter 3: Lysias, the Messenger of Croton

The news of the great defeat of the Croton army reached the city of Croton, and the entire city was stunned.

In an emergency convocation at the town hall, fierce debates raged.

Myron, the chief general, while bitterly cursing the treachery of Amendolara (referring to the sneak attack) and the incompetence of Melanthius, proposed raising another army to punish Amendolara and restore Croton's prestige.

Lysias, on the other hand, attacked Myron, arguing that his order to burn Thurii had alarmed the surrounding city-states, turning them hostile toward Croton. Now that Croton had suffered a major defeat, it should not resort to arms again, lest it invite an assault from Locri, Tarentum, Amendolara, and other cities.

Both sides had their supporters, and the dispute raged on without resolution.

Half a day later, another deliberately spread message from the Amendolara-Thurii Alliance (hereafter referred to as the A-T Alliance) arrived: The A-T Alliance had captured over five thousand Crotoniates, about a thousand prisoners from Asperustum and Scylletium, twelve hundred from Crimissa and Castron, and over a thousand freemen and slaves...

The grieving citizens of Croton heard this news and saw hope. They gathered and marched to the town hall to pressure the Council, demanding the ransom of their loved ones.

Just then, further news arrived: The A-T Alliance had formed an offensive-defensive alliance with Tarentum.

Myron finally stopped insisting on his own views. After discussion, the Council decided to send Lysias as an envoy to Thurii to negotiate the ransom of the Crotoniate captives held by the A-T Alliance, and if necessary, to sign a truce and peace agreement.

Lysias led the envoy delegation by ship, heading north. They caught a favorable wind and arrived at the mouth of the Crati River in less than half a day. There, he witnessed an astonishing sight: countless merchant ships were densely lined up at the river mouth like wooden walls. Between these walls, ships occasionally sailed out, while others continuously gathered from all directions...

Hadn't Thurii been burned down? How could there still be so many merchant ships coming to trade? Lysias was puzzled.

Soon, his confusion was resolved. A crude fishing boat approached them. "Hey, are you here to buy and sell goods, or to discuss business?" a man at the bow shouted loudly.

Following Lysias's instructions, an attendant asked back, "What's your business here?"

"See the pattern painted on the sail?" the man said smugly, pointing upward. On the sail, black hair twisted like flames around a gleaming weapon in the center—the bident, symbol of Hades. "Don't you know? Our magistrate, Lord Davos, is a descendant of Hades! My name is Seclian. I'm now the navigator appointed by Lord Mariji, the commercial officer, responsible for keeping the waterway clear. You must tell me what you're here for, or I'll have to ask you to leave, so you don't block the route for the ships behind."

Lysias hesitated, then made up his mind and shouted back, "We are envoys from Croton, here specifically to negotiate with the A-T Alliance!"

Without any anger, insults, or other abnormal emotions, Seclian remained calm, nodded, and said, "You Crotoniates sure took your time. The envoys from Castron, Crimissa, and Scylletium arrived long ago!"

Lysias's heart stirred, and an attendant asked curiously, "Aren't you angry?!"

"Why should I be angry, just because you're Crotoniates?" Seclian shrugged. "You burned Thurii, but I'm not a citizen of Thurii—I'm just a freeman. On the contrary, I'm actually grateful to you Crotoniates."

Seclian gave a mysterious smile, then said, "Enough talk for now. Follow my boat upstream quickly, and don't block the channel."

Seclian's fishing boat led Lysias's vessel into the Crati River, sailing upstream.

Lysias gazed at the north bank of the river mouth. He could faintly see a few simple wooden docks set up along the shore. Goods were continuously unloaded from merchant ships and transported by oxcarts to an earthen enclosure not far from the docks. Its location seemed to be the old site of Sybaris.

Lysias frowned. Back then, when Croton sent envoys to question Thurii about violating the agreement, all members of the Council had agreed. But he had opposed sending troops to attack Thurii to avenge the envoys, arguing that accepting Thurii's apology and obtaining further compensation had already achieved Croton's goals. There was no need to send out an army—it would waste resources and risk unforeseen consequences. Now, after Croton's disastrous defeat, Thurii, no longer having to care about Croton's stance, was once again making use of the old site of Sybaris.

"You haven't said why you're grateful to us Crotoniates," someone from the envoy delegation shouted curiously from the bow.

Seclian shouted back from the fishing boat, "Isn't it obvious? If you Crotoniates hadn't burned Thurii, there wouldn't have been the alliance between Amendolara and Thurii, and Davos wouldn't have become our magistrate. He is a descendant of Hades, of such noble lineage, yet he cares deeply for the people. He shows no discrimination toward us freemen or even slaves, and treats us with great friendliness, just like citizens! Have you heard of the Immigration Law of Amendolara proposed and enacted by Lord Davos? Oh no, it should now be called the A-T Alliance Immigration Law."

The Crotoniates shook their heads.

With an expression that said "How ignorant you are," Seclian loudly outlined the main points of the Immigration Law, then said excitedly, "Lord Davos said that once Thurii is initially rebuilt, this law will go into effect. All freemen who wish to become citizens of Thurii and have behaved well can go to the Registrar to apply for registration. I heard that once you become a preparatory citizen, you can join the army and receive an allotment of land! Right now, my comrades are all working like mad, wishing we could finish rebuilding Thurii tomorrow. Maybe next time you come, I'll already be a full citizen!"

Seeing Seclian's blissful expression, someone couldn't help retorting, "No city-state has ever been so easy about granting citizenship to outsiders. This so-called Immigration Law is probably a lie, made up to make you work your ass off for them!"

"Shut your mouth! Don't talk nonsense!" Seclian roared in anger. "How could the law that Lord Davos proclaimed before all of us freemen and slaves possibly be a lie?! Who are Lord Davos and Hetushu?! Back when Thurii threatened us, they would rather break off relations than take money they had promised to give freedom to runaway slaves! When your Crotoniate army was pressing at our gates, they preferred to fight you rather than abandon the occupied Thurii! Lord Davos has proven with facts that he is a man who keeps his promises, so I believe what he says, and we all believe him! If you weren't an envoy here for negotiations, I'd throw you into the river to feed the fish right now!!"

The Crotoniate flushed red and was about to shout insults back, but Lysias restrained his attendant's impulse.

Seclian watched the movements on the boat behind him coldly. Seeing that the situation quickly calmed down, he was actually a bit disappointed. He deliberately spat loudly onto the river surface to the side and rear, then ignored them.

Lysias fell into deep thought: As far as he knew, Thurii's current citizen population probably numbered no more than three thousand, and Amendolara's citizens at most only four thousand. Croton alone had over thirty thousand citizens in the city itself, plus its subordinate Asperustum, and allied cities Scylletium, Caulonia, and others—the difference in strength was like heaven and earth. But if the A-T Alliance could bring the tens of thousands of freemen and slaves here under its control, then it would indeed deserve attention. However, hastily granting citizenship to foreigners from various places, each with their own loyalties—could their loyalty to the city-state compare to that of natives who had been citizens for generations?

Lysias was deeply skeptical.

He stared at the river surface, watching many fishing boats with bident patterns on their sails scurrying back and forth in unusual activity...

When the towering city walls appeared on the riverbank ahead, Lysias knew Thurii was near. His gaze fell on the towers overlooking the river on the walls. Previously, an iron chain stretched between these two towers that stood across from each other, creating a spectacular sight. When enemy ships approached, the chain would be lowered to block them from entering Thurii by water. But this time, Melanthius, using traitors, directly attacked the southern city, rendering the chain useless. Now it was gone, presumably cut by Melanthius... Thinking of Melanthius, although Lysias did not have a good relationship with him and their political ideals were completely opposite, hearing of his tragic end—beaten to death by the people of Thurii, his flesh torn and unrecognizable—still filled him with sorrow.

Seclian's fishing boat docked at Thurii's wharf. He got off first and ran to report the situation to a squad of soldiers stationed there.

Under the squad leader's command, the soldiers soon approached.

The Crotoniates noticed that even within the city, these soldiers maintained perfect formation.

"General, we should disembark," an attendant reminded Lysias, who was lost in thought.

Coming back to himself, Lysias looked around. He had visited Thurii several times before. In those days, the port of Thurii had over a dozen docks—stone and wooden—with hundreds of ships moored. The port district was crowded with warehouses, inns, and dwellings, bustling and chaotic. Now, only a few lonely stone docks remained, everything blackened by fire—all the work of the Crotoniates, of course!

Lysias stepped off the boat with a calm expression. The squad of soldiers, equally calm, finished inspecting them and confirmed they were Croton's envoy delegation. Immediately, one soldier rode off on horseback to report to the Senate, while the envoy delegation was told to wait where they were.

Seclian returned to his fishing boat and stared at the imposing Patrol Captain on the shore, momentarily dazed—until a companion came over to remind him, "Seclian, it's time to leave the dock!"