Volume 4: The League of Dionia, Chapter 5: Peace Agreement and the Tula Alliance

“No way, Captain, you’re just taking the chance to get back at me,” Xenotimas moaned.

Olivus chuckled, “Come on, brothers. Back to patrolling the city, and then we’ll teach those freemen who fight over women a lesson.”

“Yes, Captain!” The squad of soldiers marched off toward Thurii, laughing and joking.

…

Inside the main tent stood a long wooden table, across which sat several men. In the center was a young man. Lysias had heard that the Magistrate of Amendolara, Davos, was very young, and clearly this was him. Beside him sat a man with a heavy beard, whom Lysias recognized as Kynogoratas, the former chief general of Thurii. The third man did not look Greek.

Kynogoratas also recognized Lysias and whispered an introduction to Davos. As he listened, Davos studied Lysias: this middle-aged man from Croton was slender, handsome, with a well-trimmed beard that gave him a refined air. But from what Kynogoratas had said, as the leader of Croton’s conservative faction—a faction that had long been in decline—Lysias had still managed to be elected general by the people for ten consecutive years. He was no easy opponent.

“I am Lysias, here on behalf of Croton to negotiate with the Thuri… the Thua Alliance!” Lysias stepped forward and declared.

“Welcome, General Lysias.” Davos gestured with his right hand for the man to sit across the wooden table, then watched him calmly and said, “We’ve been busy rebuilding the city of Thurii and receiving envoys from various city-states. Time is tight, so please state your demands directly.”

Lysias hadn’t expected Davos to be so direct. He coughed a few times to mask his surprise, then spoke in a deep, loud voice: “Very well, I’ll state Croton’s demands directly. We hope the Thua Alliance will release all prisoners from Croton and its allied cities. In return, Croton will cease hostilities with the Thua Alliance and achieve peace!”

“Hahaha…” Davos threw his head back and laughed, mocking him. “The men of Croton kill our citizens, destroy our city, plunder our goods, and now you spout a mere ‘cease hostilities’ as if nothing happened—and you expect us to unconditionally release the very instigators of this disaster? Are the people of Croton simply naive, or utterly shameless?!”

Lysias’s face darkened. “Lord Davos, don’t forget—this war was not started by Croton.”

“Enough. I don’t want to argue who’s right and who’s wrong any longer. Please leave!” Davos waved his hand dismissively.

Lysias was taken aback: two sentences and the negotiation was over. Davos’s unorthodox approach to diplomacy also stirred his temper. “Lord Magistrate, aren’t you afraid of another war with Croton? We can muster twenty or thirty thousand men again at any time, and we won’t repeat our previous mistakes!”

Hearing Lysias’s threat, Davos raised an eyebrow and said firmly, “If you speak of war, I truly fear nothing! The Alliance will never repeat the mistakes Thurii made before! We will first slaughter all those prisoners, use their blood to sacrifice to the gods, and then rely on our walls to defend stubbornly, making every step forward cost you men’s lives! Our citizens of the Thua Alliance do not fear death and will never surrender! If the young die, the old take their place; if the old die, the women take theirs! If Thurii falls, we retreat to Amendolara! If Amendolara falls, we go to Heraclea! As long as the enemy tramples our land, we will fight them to the death!”

Davos’s words stirred even Kynogoratas, who normally detested war, to boiling blood. He blurted out, “That’s right! That is the principle of the Thua Alliance in the face of invasion!”

Lysias was shaken by their fighting spirit. He clearly sensed that this newly formed alliance not only lacked Thurii’s former weakness but was also rather belligerent. Breaking off relations and starting a war with the Thua Alliance was not a good choice!

He was about to say something to ease the tension when Davos declared loudly, “Kynogoratas, go call back the envoy of Locri who just left. We need to renegotiate the alliance terms he proposed earlier!”

The envoy of Locri! Lysias’s heart pounded. He suddenly remembered: that familiar-looking man was Metrophanes of Locri, who had come to Croton twice for negotiations. He couldn’t believe he hadn’t recognized him.

“Lord Magistrate, state your demands, please.” Lysias had no choice but to concede first.

Davos stopped Kynogoratas, who had just risen, and said, “Wait a moment.”

Mariji straightened himself and announced clearly, “The demands of the Thua Alliance are as follows:

First, since Croton burned Thurii to the ground, leaving its citizens homeless, in compensation for their losses and to rebuild the city, Croton must pay the Thua Alliance two thousand talents.

Second, Croton may redeem its soldiers. The ransom for each prisoner is five hundred drachmas. Moreover, as the instigators of the burning, these captured soldiers must perform one year of forced labor in Thurii to atone for their crimes.

Third, Croton must permit Crimissa and Castron to become allies of the Thua Alliance.

Fourth, the peace treaty between the Thua Alliance and Croton shall last five years, during which both sides shall not invade each other…”

After hearing this, Lysias shook his head repeatedly. “Your demands are too high. Croton cannot accept them.”

Thus began a long, drawn-out negotiation.

Davos handed this difficult task over to Mariji and went to another tent nearby.

There, Davos met with Amykles from the city of Castron.

As the chief general of Castron, Amykles’s personal visit to Thurii itself indicated an attitude. Upon seeing Davos, he flattered, “I’ve long heard that the Magistrate of Amendolara is a hero favored by the god of the underworld. Now I see you, and indeed you are quite different from ordinary men!”

Davos smiled slightly and said, “General Amykles, is there an important matter for your visit to Thurii?”

Amykles didn’t answer directly. Instead, he said with emotion, “Lord Davos, if we trace it back, the three cities of Thurii, Amendolara, and Castron have deep ties. We are all daughter-states of Sybaris (when Thurii was founded, some of its people were also descendants of the Sybarites, so it barely qualifies). We all come from the same place! In the days of Sybaris’s power, Castron and Amendolara had much contact. How peaceful and tranquil it was back then! But after Sybaris was destroyed, Castron was forced into Croton’s alliance and suffered much bullying. Fortunately, the founding of Thurii allowed Castron to become independent, enjoying nearly forty years of peaceful life. When Croton’s army attacked Thurii, Castron, being small and weak, was compelled to join Croton’s forces. We—”

“It’s very hard for Castron to remain neutral, sandwiched between the Thua Alliance and Croton!” Davos interrupted him, speaking seriously. “Since Castron has such deep ties with Thurii and Amendolara, why not rejoin our side! Croton is currently negotiating with us. If an agreement is reached, Croton will not interfere with Castron’s voluntary choice. As long as Castron becomes an ally of the Thua Alliance, we will unconditionally release Castron’s prisoners. Moreover, as an ally of the Thua Alliance, we will not interfere in Castron’s internal affairs, nor will we require tribute payments. We only ask you to agree to two conditions.”

“What two conditions?” Amykles asked eagerly, clearly tempted.

A hint of a smile appeared on Davos’s lips: “First, after forming an alliance, Castron must not sign any form of agreement or treaty with any other city-state or power. Second, when the Thua Alliance goes to war abroad, Castron must send troops to participate. Generals of the Thua Alliance will have command over the entire army. After victory, the spoils of war will be distributed according to the proportion of troops contributed by each side.”

Amykles pondered these two conditions and the benefits of joining the alliance. Gradually, his eyes lit up…

After more than a day of negotiations, the ceasefire agreement between Croton and the Thua Alliance was finally established:

First, Croton would pay the Thua Alliance a one-time indemnity of thirty talents (far from Mariji’s initial demand, but there was no other way; Croton had suffered only a slight setback, and the recent wars—this one and the earlier war with the Bruttians—had severely depleted Croton’s treasury. A higher demand would have prevented an agreement).

Second, each prisoner’s ransom was set at two hundred drachmas, and they would perform half a year of forced labor on Thua Alliance territory. The Thua Alliance guaranteed the life and health of each prisoner and allowed family visits. (Counting prisoners from Asperustum and Scylletium, the Thua Alliance held about six thousand prisoners from Croton and its allies. Each prisoner was valued at roughly the price of four oxen—neither too high nor too low. If all were redeemed, this single item would bring the Thua Alliance an income of two hundred talents. Moreover, the Thua Alliance would only provide basic food and lodging. To keep the prisoners well-fed and clothed, Croton and its allies would have to find their own solutions. In fact, later the prisoners’ food was provided by their families, and the Thua Alliance effectively gained six months of free labor from six thousand men. The soldiers’ families also brought additional income from food and lodging to the city of Thurii.

Regarding the forced labor, Lysias strongly objected, but Mariji was equally adamant, even bluntly stating, “We fear that if these prisoners return, Croton will immediately rearm them and attack Thurii again.” In the end, both sides compromised. To be safe, Lysias added a special clause to the agreement: “The prisoners shall not be sent to mine ore!”)