Volume 4: The League of Dionia, Chapter 12: The Tua Union Through the Eyes of Outsiders (Part 2)

Theos also contacted four Thurii ship owners through the administration office (since he had only brought one ship). With the administrator's guarantee—who assured him the ship owners would diligently transport his goods because they were all preparatory citizens of the Thua Alliance, and if they failed to fulfill the agreement, the Alliance would consider them untrustworthy and immediately revoke their citizenship—Theos felt confident enough to negotiate the rental price with the ship owners and sign the charter contracts. Only then did he relax and have time to browse the market.

Although the Thurii market was somewhat rustic, it was well-managed, orderly, and reasonably clean—at least free of odors, which was rare.

The market was filled with a dazzling array of goods, a wide variety of items.

In the crowded market, Theos unexpectedly noticed a large open area with only a sizable building standing there. Patrols from the market security could be seen occasionally inspecting the surrounding alleyways. Curious, he walked over and saw a sign outside the building: "Cheiristoya Bank."

In many Greek city-states where commerce thrived, banks were nothing new, but a bank with such a long line of customers—all looking excited—was rare. Usually, banks handled currency exchange and loans, and loan interest rates were often twenty to thirty percent. Under normal circumstances, merchants only borrowed from a bank if they were in urgent need of money or had no other choice; otherwise, they would stay far away. Moreover, borrowers naturally felt burdened by the thought of repaying such high interest, so seeing people here so happy was truly unusual.

Thus, Theos stepped forward and politely asked, learning that the loan interest at this bank was only five percent!

Theos thought he had misheard. In the Mediterranean, with thriving trade, a single voyage could easily yield over ten percent profit—provided there were no mishaps like pirates or storms. So a loan at five percent was practically the bank giving away money! No wonder customers were queuing up!

Theos was also tempted, wondering if he should borrow a large sum to buy several more shiploads of wheat.

But when he went to the counter, he learned that this bank only offered loans to citizens of the Thua Alliance.

This left him disappointed.

On his way out of the market, he mentally calculated what he would earn from his five shiploads of wheat. Thanks to the low tariffs and relatively low wheat prices, by the time he reached Corinth and sold the grain back to the city-state, he could make nearly one talent in profit. So, despite feeling slightly disheartened after hearing about the Thua Alliance's "Public Office Law" and learning about the benefits Cheiristoya Bank offered to the new Alliance citizens, he quickly cheered up. After a long day of running around, he was tired and hungry, so he decided to follow Nicobulus's suggestion and stay at Amendolara for the night.

Just as he exited the market, someone stopped him and asked, "Are you going to Amendolara? Would you like to take a carriage?"

"A carriage?" Theos saw five two-horse chariots parked on the grass not far from the market. In most parts of mainland Greece, the roads were rugged and uneven, unsuitable for carriages. Moreover, keeping horses and maintaining carriages was extremely expensive, so they were merely toys for wealthy merchants and nobles—like chariot racing at the Olympian Games, only to be watched by ordinary spectators. Though Theos had some means, he had never actually ridden in a carriage in his entire life. So he asked curiously, "Can I go to Amendolara by carriage?"

"Of course! Just try it—it's fast and comfortable. In just one hour, you'll easily reach the city of Amendolara," the older driver strongly recommended.

"How much does it cost?" Theos was tempted.

"Just two obols." The driver, seeing a glimmer of hope for business, smiled.

Two obols was indeed cheap. Theos decided to experience what it felt like to ride in a carriage. He sat down on the seat, which was lined with wheat straw and covered with fur—very soft.

The driver, Solikos, flicked the reins and guided the carriage forward slowly.

The other drivers called out enviously, "Sori, you've got a customer again!"

Solikos laughed. "Haha, be patient—your turn will come soon." As he spoke, the carriage had already turned onto the main road.

Solikos lightly cracked his whip, and the two horses began to trot. The wheels picked up speed…

Soon, the carriage was racing along.

"How does it feel?!" Solikos called out as he handled the reins.

"Great! Absolutely wonderful—" As soon as Theos opened his mouth, the rushing wind blasted straight down his throat. An invisible force pushed him firmly into the backrest, and the scenery on both sides blurred past. He loved this exhilarating sense of speed. Theos had ridden horses before, but riding was too bumpy; after a while, his buttocks and inner thighs became unbearably sore, unlike this comfort.

Of course, he knew this was mainly thanks to the road beneath them—so flat and solid, and wide enough to accommodate six horses abreast. He also noticed drainage ditches and trees planted parallel to the road on both sides. After a moment's thought, he understood the builder's intention and couldn't help shouting in praise, "You have built wonderful roads!"

"Of course! This is the best road in all of Greece!" Solikos's words left Theos with no objection. Indeed, among all the city-states he had visited, he had never seen such a fine road.

"I heard this road was personally designed by our magistrate, Lord Davos! Truly a descendant of Hades, all-powerful!" Solikos said proudly.

Theos had only first heard the name Davos after arriving in Thurii, but in just half a day, his ears were filled with stories about the man: how Davos led mercenaries and repeatedly repelled Persian forces; how Davos defeated the Lucanian coalition with a smaller force and captured the army of Croton; how Davos drafted and proposed the Immigration Act, and so on.

As for the rumor that Davos was a descendant of Hades, Theos dismissed it: the Spartans claimed to be descendants of Heracles the mighty hero; Athens claimed the city had always been under the protection of Athena; even Corinth boasted a close relationship with Poseidon, even founding the Isthmian Games in his honor… Many Greek city-states and rulers claimed some kind of intimate connection with the gods.

What truly amazed Theos were the deeds attributed to Davos. If all these achievements were indeed the work of this one magistrate, then it was no wonder that the people of the Thua Alliance spoke of him with such reverence. And he was said to be very young—truly an extraordinary man! Could he be the Thua Alliance's Periander or Pheidon? (Periander was one of the Seven Sages of Greece, the ruler of Corinth in the seventh century BC, who made Corinth the wealthiest city-state in all of Greece. Pheidon was the king of Argos in the seventh century BC, the sworn enemy of Sparta, who once dominated the Peloponnese and made even the Spartans tremble in fear under his might.)

"Not only does Lord Davos often care for us common people, but his wife is also a wonderful person!" Solikos continued loudly. "It was she who proposed that citizens skilled in driving carriages could operate passenger services on this road, and she even provided us with loans. Otherwise, someone like me, whose property was all burned up in the fire set by the Crotoniates, would never have been able to afford such an expensive carriage!"

"What is her name?!" Theos shouted against the wind, sensing a possibility.

"Is it proper to casually ask for the magistrate's wife's name?!" Solikos feigned anger, then laughed. "But our lord doesn't care about those old-fashioned city-state traditions. He even allows his wife to appear in public and has opened a bank that provides low-interest loans to citizens. Her name is the name of the bank—"

"Cheiristoya Bank!" Theos blurted out.

"Right! Anyone who has been to the bank has seen her—she's the most beautiful woman in our Thua Alliance!" Solikos praised sincerely. "I heard she is pregnant recently, so she hasn't appeared in the market for a while. They are both good people. I hope she gives birth to a healthy boy, who will one day become an excellent magistrate!"

"Do you mean to make their son hereditary? Wouldn't that turn the Thua Alliance's government into a monarchy?" Theos's question stunned Solikos for a moment, then he burst out laughing. "I was just talking casually—why take it so seriously?"

He raised his hand and cracked the whip in the air, scaring the horses that had veered toward the center of the road back to their proper path.

Solikos drove for a while, then said seriously, "You know, before, the generals in the Thurii town hall and the members of the Council spent their days arguing and debating, never getting anything done. The roads for transporting ore were terrible—they debated for days, and the town hall never took any action to change things. But with our lifelong magistrate Davos, he gives an order, and in just over three months, a fine road like this is built. More importantly, when war broke out, it wasn't just the generals and the Council—even the assembly of citizens only knew how to fight for their own interests, vent their hatred, and reject any proposal that didn't suit them. In the end, nothing was accomplished while the enemy's army was already at the city gates…"

Solikos sighed heavily and shook his head vigorously, as if trying to shake off the painful memories of the past. "The old democracy was very free, but we Thurii people have already tasted enough of the bitterness of cities destroyed and families ruined. City governance should not be interfered with by people who know nothing. It should be left to those with real ability to exercise their power and govern the city-state according to their plans, without obstruction…"