Volume 4: The League of Dionia, Chapter 17: Winning Over

“Er… it’s definitely going to be very popular!” Andria shyly covered her mouth with her hand, swallowed the savory lamb, and gave her heartfelt praise, while also offering her opinion: “But to prepare this dish, someone needs to keep adding firewood, and heating it up is rather troublesome.”

“Andria, you’re right. That’s why a meal like this hot pot of beef and mutton requires a dedicated attendant to serve on the side, and our price will be a bit higher. Besides, it’s not just for beef and mutton—you can cook other things too,” Cheiristoya explained, gesturing to the slaves standing nearby.

The slaves immediately brought over sliced tripe, sheep’s blood vessels, seaweed, and other items. After everyone cooked and tasted them, they all agreed they were delicious.

At that moment, Davos said to Vespa and Bacule, “You see, after slaughtering a sheep, the hide can be made into clothes to keep warm, the bones can be used for broth, the meat can be eaten, the intestines can be made into sausages or used for other purposes, and the other innards can become delicious dishes… Almost every part of a cow or sheep can be sold for money. With our full promotion, the Greeks will gradually come to enjoy eating beef and mutton (the Greeks, like the Romans, subsist mainly on grains), and since the Lucanians are most skilled at herding, Lucanian cattle and sheep are famous throughout Magna Graecia. In the future, when Lucanian livestock is welcomed by the citizens of the Thua Alliance, the lives of the Lucanians will improve…”

Vespa and Bacule hadn’t expected Davos to extend the discussion from this meal to the livelihood of the Lucanians. That a magistrate of a Greek city-state would consider how to make the Lucanians’ lives better struck them as both strange and moving. For a moment, they didn’t know what to say.

Then Davos raised his glass: “Come, let’s keep drinking!”

…

Eating novel delicacies and drinking novel beer, with two beauties livening up the atmosphere, Vespa and his companions naturally found this banquet quite enjoyable.

After they had eaten and drunk their fill, only the three men remained in the hall.

Emboldened by the wine, Vespa asked directly: “Magistrate, what did you mean earlier when you said I could still be the leader of my tribe?”

“Once you’ve completed your labor service and become citizens of the Thua Alliance, I will invite you to become a member of the Senate, to offer advice on behalf of the Lucanians living in the Thua Alliance and to safeguard their interests. Doesn’t that amount to being a tribal chief?” Davos explained.

After hearing this, Vespa felt tempted. In the nearly half-year he had spent as a captive in Amendolara, he had come to understand: Davos genuinely wanted to keep the Lucanians around; otherwise, he wouldn’t have gone out of his way to reduce their labor terms. And most of the tribe’s young men also wanted to become citizens of the Thua Alliance, to enjoy the prosperous life they couldn’t even dream of in the mountains. But as the tribal leader, he had his reservations. Now Davos had given him a promise.

So, continuing to speak with the boldness of drink, Vespa dropped his restraint: “If my people are to become your citizens, according to your rules, that’s probably four or five years from now—too long!” Vespa said with some dissatisfaction. After all, he wasn’t young; every year counted.

“According to the Thua Alliance Immigration Law, that’s indeed the case. After you complete your labor service, apply to become preparatory citizens, and then convert to full citizens, it does take four or five years. However, there is now a special mission. If your tribe can take part, then once the matter is accomplished, I will petition the Senate to have all the adult males of your tribe converted directly to full citizens of Thurii. Not only can you become a senator, but I also want to recommend Bacule as a senator!” Davos’s words were startling.

At this, Bacule’s expression turned excited as well.

Vespa was certainly excited too, but he was more seasoned than Bacule. That Davos could offer such favorable terms meant this mission was no simple task. “What mission?” he asked, somewhat cautiously.

Davos looked at the two of them and said deliberately, “Chief Avinogis of Laüs has allied with the Thua Alliance and is prepared to help us retake Nerulum.”

At these words, both were stunned. Then they fell into silence: The Thua Alliance was preparing to declare war on the Lucanians! Asking Vespa and Bacule to help the Thua Alliance fight Greeks—that was no problem. But asking them to take up arms against their own kind—that was emotionally hard to accept, even though Lucanian tribes often fought one another and massacres and exterminations were not rare.

Seeing that they only remained silent and didn’t object, Davos guessed their reservations and pressed further: “In the future, the Lucanians under Thua Alliance rule will enjoy the same rights and obligations as Greek citizens of the Alliance. Moreover, you may preserve your own cultural traditions and customs. The Alliance will not only refrain from interfering but will also protect them!”

Hearing this, Vespa was moved and quickly asked: “Can we continue to worship the gods we revere?”

“Not only can you continue to worship, but you may also build altars and temples for your gods. I’ve heard that you Lucanians have an important festival—what’s it called… ah… the Bull Festival?”

“The Bull-Fighting Festival (a celebration where two bulls fight each other, used to celebrate and bless the prosperity of livestock),” Bacule interjected.

“After joining the Thua Alliance, you can certainly continue to hold it! Make it even grander, and let us Greeks participate!” Davos said with keen interest.

“Magistrate, is what you say all true?” Vespa was visibly moved.

“I can swear by Hades!” Davos said solemnly, spreading his hands palms upward.

Vespa and Bacule were finally convinced by Davos’s magnanimity. Since the Lucanians’ culture, customs, and religion would not be changed, it was essentially as if the Great Chief ruling the Lucanian tribes had been replaced by the Thua Alliance Senate and Davos. Moreover, if Lucania could be unified, it would reduce conflicts and slaughter and bring peace to the Lucanians!

Vespa found a righteous justification for his compromise. After briefly consulting with Bacule, he immediately declared: They were willing to join the Thua Alliance army and take part in the military operation to capture Nerulum.

The next day, the Thua Alliance convened an emergency meeting of the Senate again.

Since the Senate chamber in Thurii had not yet been repaired, the meeting was held in the same location as before—this time moved to Amendolara for secrecy. So early in the morning, charioteers like Soricus pulled the esteemed senators to the city of Amendolara.

There were two agenda items for this meeting: First, Asiastes had brought back the treaty personally signed by Avinogis. The war against Lucania was about to begin, which excited all the senators. The second agenda item primarily concerned the collective grant of Thua Alliance citizenship to Vespa’s tribe.

Although, according to the Immigration Law, many foreigners had become full or preparatory citizens before—the most typical example being Mariji, who was sitting in the hall—granting citizenship to such a large number of Lucanians, who had inflicted great harm on both Thurii and Amendolara, was unacceptable to many senators (especially those from Thurii).

Many voiced opposition, with Polyxides speaking the harshest. He protested loudly: “The magistrate’s action severely hurts the feelings of us Amendolara people and Thurii people! He wants to turn a civilized Greek city into a barbaric, filthy Lucanian mountain stronghold, and reduce the people who barely survived the Lucanian war back into their slaves!”

Even Scombrus and Strombopoli, who had gradually come to accept and support Davos, joined the opposition.

Antonios, Capus, Alexis, and others stood up one after another to support Davos’s decision, arguing that the Lucanians loved life and were civilized and polite, just like the Greeks. They had even built the great road and helped the Thua Alliance defeat the Crotonians. They genuinely wanted to serve the Alliance!

Polyxides immediately retorted: “This is nothing but a cunning Lucanian expedient to gain freedom! In short, you outsiders cannot understand our pain!”

Polyxides’s words angered the senators from the former mercenary camp. The debate in the hall grew heated, even descending into mutual insults.

The rotating chairman, Raphias, struck the bronze bell several times to stop the arguments, but no one paid attention.

Davos had to stand up and shout: “Quiet, please! Otherwise, leave the hall!”

The hall quickly fell silent. Polyxides wanted to say something more, but saw Davos’s sharp eyes cut into him like knives, and he hurriedly lowered his head.

Davos looked around at the assembly and spoke loudly: “Since you all agree that allying with Avinogis and capturing Nerulum is hugely beneficial for stabilizing the Alliance’s western flank and preventing Lucanian invasion, then let us set aside emotions and other reasons for a moment, and seriously consider this question: After we capture Nerulum, how do we govern it?”

Davos paused, not waiting for others to answer, and continued: “According to your views just now, to stabilize Nerulum, we would have to kill all the Lucanians in the city, or turn them all into slaves, move them to Thurii, and then migrate our own people there—correct?”

This was the traditional practice from the era of Greek colonization, and the senators who had opposed it raised no objections.

“First of all, Nerulum is a mountain city, located in a mountainous region with little arable land, relying only on herding. How many Greeks who love the sea would be willing to move to a mountain city surrounded by hills with poor yields? I can’t be sure, but I trust you can give me an accurate answer.”

Kynogoratas, Cornelius, and other wise senators remained on the sidelines, and no one else stepped forward to answer.