Volume 4: The League of Dionia, Chapter 18: Heated Debate in the Senate

Kynogoratas, Cornelius, and the other wise senators stood by with folded arms, and no one else stepped forward to answer.

Davos continued: "Now look to the north of Nerulum—all Lucanian territory, with several large towns: Grumentum, Pixis, Potentia, Garagusus. They say the total population is over a hundred thousand, several times our own. Even though they're still fighting among themselves, if the Greeks occupy their traditional lands and threaten their safety, won't they unite against us? And even if we defeat them, they only need to slip into the mountains, and we'd have no way to deal with them. That would only make the Lucanians hate us more. They know every mountain and every river there; they'll change their tactics, quietly ambushing our citizens as they farm or herd, raiding our supplies and caravans. Nerulum's output cannot support a large population. We'll be few there, the Lucanians many. We can't conquer them; they'll devour us. What should we do?"

Davos saw someone about to speak but holding back, and he sneered: "Someone might say, 'But what about Laüs? They'll help us!' Yes, Laüs is our ally. But when we, the leading power, repeatedly ask them for military support and material aid—maybe the first few times it's fine—but after a while, do you think Laüs will not look down on our strength and start having second thoughts?! Don't forget, Avinogis is not a pure Greek and has never cooperated with Greeks before. We cannot pin our hopes on him keeping the alliance forever!"

Davos paused for a moment to let everyone think, then continued: "Therefore, we would have to keep shipping grain from Thurii and Amendolara to Nerulum and keep sending soldiers there, not to mention the difficulty of the mountain roads and the enormous costs of war. Do you all think it's worthwhile to keep pouring our precious manpower and resources from the Thua Alliance into a city that yields no profit?! And what about Croton, that powerful city right beside us, ready to take its revenge at any moment!"

"So why are we even attacking Nerulum in the first place, stirring up the Lucanians?" Bourkos, hearing Davos's words, began to hesitate.

"Everyone here should remember well: the Lucanians have invaded Thurii many times. True, this time they suffered a defeat, but they still have a huge population. If we don't attack them and weaken them, once they recover their strength, they'll surely invade us again. Of course, we'd rather keep them out of the alliance's territory than let the war burn our own land and destroy our hard-tilled farms and homes!" Alexis stood up to answer.

"Can using the Lucanians help us stabilize Nerulum and solve the difficulties the Magistrate has described?" Scombrus then stood up to ask.

A faint, barely noticeable smile flickered at the corner of Davos's mouth. "First, Vespa and his people are Lucanians. After we defeat Nerulum, they can help us calm the townspeople's emotions. Among the Lucanians there are also rich and poor. We will arrest the stubborn rich and the warriors, make them slaves, distribute the captured cattle and sheep to the poor, and let a mixed team of Greeks and Lucanians be responsible for governing the whole city. At the same time, among the Lucanian tribal confederation, there are strong tribes and weak tribes. Some tribes, like Vespa's, don't want to join the city-states but wander everywhere because of the war, finding it hard to survive. We can open a market on the border of Nerulum, using our pottery, iron tools, and other goods to attract those poor small tribes to trade their cattle, sheep, furs, game, and so on. When necessary, we can even give them appropriate help. Over time, they will be happy to get close to us. In this way, we not only promote our trade and solve the food problem for the garrison, but also weaken the Lucanians' strength.

"You must be asking me, why would the Lucanians trust us Greeks and be willing to get close to us?" Davos said loudly. "Because Vespa, Bacule, and the others are there—they participate in the management of every matter. In the eyes of the Lucanians, Bacule and his people still worship Lucanian gods, maintain Lucanian customs, and are still true Lucanians! But they are citizens of the Thua Alliance, wearing fine clothes, drinking good wine, living in comfortable houses... Their way of life will surely make the Lucanians envious, and eventually lead other Lucanians to be willing to join our alliance!"

"But if we send Bacule and those Lucanians—who have only been in the alliance for half a year—back to the land they know so well, what if they betray us?" Stronboulos asked.

"If we grant them citizenship, grant Vespa and Bacule the rank of senators, treat them as our own people, and let them live in a civilization far beyond anything the Lucanians can reach—a splendid and brilliant culture created by our ancestors through generations of hard work and wisdom—I firmly believe they will be assimilated by us, not that we will be assimilated by their ignorance and backwardness! Of course, there is a tiny chance of betrayal, but I think the risk is worth taking! Because if we fail, we only lose a thousand or so slaves and delay our plan to attack Lucania; but if we succeed, what we gain will be the vast lands of Lucania and a population of over a hundred thousand Lucanians. With these, will we still worry about Croton?! No, Croton will just be a small stone on the path of our alliance—we can easily kick it away, and what awaits us is an even wider world!"

Davos's passionate speech made the senators' hearts surge with excitement, and they began to whisper eagerly among themselves.

Davos took the opportunity to announce a temporary recess.

Then he went to find the two city administrators, Kynogoratas and Cornelius, hoping they would take the lead in supporting his proposal.

"After listening carefully to your plan to stabilize Nerulum with the participation of Vespa, Bacule, and those Lucanians, I think it's worth a try," Cornelius set aside personal feelings and agreed.

"Lord Davos, without the help of Vespa and his Lucanians, would the dangers and difficulties you described earlier really be that serious and troublesome?" Kynogoratas asked with a hint of doubt.

"Hope for the best, prepare for the worst," Davos replied.

Kynogoratas thought it over, then nodded in agreement.

When the meeting resumed, led by Kynogoratas and Cornelius, the majority of senators expressed approval, and Davos's proposal was passed: Bacule would lead nearly a thousand Lucanian soldiers to join the army. After capturing Nerulum, they would all receive full citizenship in the alliance, and Vespa and Bacule would enter the Senate.

Although a few senators, led by Polyxides, lamented that this was an unprecedented disgrace for a Greek city-state—that the sacred council chamber would be defiled by the foul breath of natives—most senators ignored their mutterings and continued to dream of the enormous gains about to be obtained from Lucania.

...

As soon as Philistos stepped through the door, he heard the courtyard was very lively.

The courtyard originally assigned to Philistos had been intended by his wife Delia for planting some apple and fig trees. Philistos had no objection, but his stepson Melysander opposed it: he wanted to convert the courtyard into a training ground so he could exercise and practice fighting skills anytime. In the end, his wife, who doted on her son, agreed.

At the sound, Philistos knew Melysander was sparring with someone again.

Passing Hetushu, he followed the colonnade forward. When he got closer, he saw that Melysander's opponent was his friend Alcinus. This young man from Amendolara being here was obviously about the expedition tomorrow.

Philistos recalled the appointment Davos had given him today, and a wave of nervousness surged through him again. He never expected Davos would make him the commander of this distant expedition to Nerulum. After all, in all his years as a mercenary, he had rarely commanded a battle alone, and under Davos's brilliant halo, he felt even more pressure.

Leaning against a column, he was lost in thought, his gaze drifting over the two young men fighting in the yard.

"You're back!" came his wife Delia's gentle voice from behind. "This is a fruit drink I just made today. I added some dates—it should be a bit sweeter. Quench your thirst first."

Philistos held the warm fruit drink in his hand (since it was almost early winter), and Delia said with a smiling face: "For dinner tonight I made the grilled cod you love, stewed some lamb, boiled barley porridge, and bread... Since Alcinus will be staying overnight, dinner is a bit more sumptuous than usual."

Philistos took a sip of the drink and said, "We rarely have a guest. It's nice to have some liveliness."

Delia then hurried to the kitchen to prepare dinner while directing the female slaves to set the table. Philistos watched her busy back and thought to himself that his choice had been right: Delia, though a bit older, was a hardworking, virtuous Greek woman who kept the household running smoothly.

The training in the yard finally ended. Melysander, not willing to admit defeat, said, "Alcinus, you only beat me because you're two years older and stronger. Once I'm grown, I won't lose to you again!"

"By the time you're grown, I don't know how many real battles I'll have fought!" Alcinus retorted without backing down. Turning around, he saw Philistos outside the courtyard and quickly called out respectfully: "Lord Philistos!"