Volume 4: The League of Dionia, Chapter 22: Slaughter and Appeasement (Part 1)

Sestas himself agreed and expressed gratitude for Davos's recommendation. The other senators had no objections either. The only one who might have objected was Anticlis in Amendolara, but he had no choice but to continue serving the people in his position as Fire Captain.

At the same time, Davos appointed Asiastes as Sestas's secretary to assist Sestas in managing the affairs of Nerulum, big and small, and to carry out policies against the Lucanians. He also appointed Bacule as Special Ephor of Nerulum to handle disputes and conflicts in the city and to coordinate relations between the Lucanians and the Greeks, and so on.

After capturing Nerulum, the first thing Sestas did was to screen the prisoners: he locked up the true Nerulum people who had originally held power—along with their dependents and families—while persuading the smaller tribes that had been forced to join Nerulum to submit. He assigned this task to Bacule.

The second thing he did was to free the slaves. Nerulum had many slaves, from two main sources. The first were Greeks—mostly Thurians—who had been captured by the Lucanians, since Nerulum, being close to Thurii, raided eastward every year. Especially after last year's major defeat of Thurii's army, the Lucanian League had advanced deep into the Sybaris Plain and captured many Thurian citizens. The second were Lucanians—mostly from tribes that had been defeated by the alliance led by Grumentum and had refused to submit to Nerulum. These Lucanian slaves were handed over to Bacule and Asiastes to deal with.

The Greek slaves were gathered outside the city gate by Sestas. Seeing these Greeks—once well-fed and well-clothed, now gaunt and skeletal, with even the women barely covered by rags, all with vacant expressions—Sestas was deeply moved. He said emotionally, "Greeks, you have suffered hardship. Today, Hades has sent our Thua Alliance to rescue you and avenge you!"

As he finished, most of the slaves burst into loud weeping.

Sestas gave an order, and soldiers forced in nearly seven hundred naked prisoners, including Ram and others. Then he handed spears and knives to the Greek slaves and shouted loudly, "Anyone who has wronged you—take your revenge!"

Asiastes saw what was about to happen and quickly blocked Sestas, saying, "Sir, you cannot do this. This violates the orders of the Senate!"

"So what!" Sestas pointed at the Greek slaves and said angrily, "Look at them! Any Greek who sees this would choose to do as I do! The Magistrate Davos earlier slaughtered the Croton general in Thurii, making it known to Magna Graecia that the Thua Alliance is not to be trifled with! Today, I will make the Lucanians know that Greeks are not to be trifled with!"

As he spoke, a Greek male slave, unable to contain his hatred, howled, gripped his spear with both hands, charged forward, and stabbed one of the prisoners down.

With this example set, the other slaves also surged forward to stab the prisoners. The captives screamed in terror, knowing their doom was near, and began to try to resist. The soldiers surrounding them knocked them down with their round shields, crushing any attempt at defiance, and then let the slaves continue the slaughter…

The killing continued until it could go no further because the remaining prisoners were being fiercely protected by female Greek slaves…

Sestas was puzzled. Asiastes quickly went to inquire and returned with a heavy expression, telling Sestas, "These women either have children fathered by these prisoners or are still pregnant… Poor Greek women! …It is because Greek men are useless and could not protect them that they ended up in such a miserable state! …Sir, will you keep killing?"

"Damned Lucanians!" Sestas cursed viciously, then raised his hand and said coldly, "Stop!"

After the order was given, some slaves still reluctantly brandished their spears, threatening the female slaves blocking their way to the Lucanians, but the soldiers immediately moved in to disarm them.

Sestas stepped forward, planted one foot on a corpse, and shouted to the Greek slaves, "Listen up! The Thua Alliance has passed a new decree: 'Anyone who was formerly a citizen of Thurii or Amendolara, or a slave of a Thurian or Amendolaran (because in Greek city-states, women of the city cannot be citizens, but they still belong to that city's people), will automatically become a citizen and a member of the Thua Alliance! Slaves who are not of Thurian or Amendolaran identity, if they wish to remain in the Thua Alliance, may apply to become preparatory citizens of the Thua Alliance after living here for two years. Then, after another three years, if they meet the requirements, they can become full citizens!' Do you want to stay in Nerulum, or return to Thurii?"

Most of the male slaves said they wanted to return to Thurii, but most of the women hesitated. In this era, Greek city-states had very strict requirements regarding female chastity—not only before marriage but especially after. Wives were confined to the house, not allowed to go out in public, and had to manage the household diligently like bees. Even house designs considered preventing adultery: traditional Greek couples' bedrooms were on the second floor, with the only staircase opening into the living room so that the husband and slaves could see when the wife came and went. To prevent husbands from tiring of their wives and spending too much time at brothels, causing resentment in wives left lonely, some city-states even regulated how often citizens should have sex. For example, Solon of Athens, in his laws, stipulated: "Three times a month is sufficient care for a virtuous citizen wife."

Now, a large number of Greek women who had long been slaves of foreign tribes—some with children, some heavily pregnant—if they returned to Thurii, what kind of treatment would they face from their families and society? None of the female slaves dared to think about it or face it… and Hetushu… Just then, Asiastes stepped forward and said clearly, "By the proposal of the lifelong magistrate of the Thua Alliance—Lord Davos—and passed by the Senate, a law has been enacted: 'Any Lucanian who marries a woman of the Thua Alliance will automatically become a preparatory citizen of the Thua Alliance, and after two years will become a full citizen, with the right to receive an allotment of land from the Alliance and two years of tax exemption. Any Greek man who marries a Lucanian woman in the Thua Alliance and wishes to become a citizen of the Thua Alliance will automatically obtain preparatory citizenship status, and after two years become a full citizen, also with the right to receive an allotment of land and two years of tax exemption.'"

"…Is that true?" The female slaves could not believe their ears. Someone ventured to ask.

"Of course it's true! Couples who marry according to this rule can immediately register at the city hall of Nerulum… no, the Great Chief's mansion!" Sestas confirmed loudly.

These Greek female slaves, like parched land receiving rain at last, wept with joy. They knew that as long as this law existed, and as long as Nerulum remained in the hands of the Thua Alliance, they could hold their heads high and live on this land! Lord Magistrate Davos was truly a great benefactor who thought of them!

The Greek male slaves who were not originally Thurian citizens hesitated for a while, then made their decision: compared to the long process of becoming a full citizen in Thurii, marrying a Lucanian woman and immediately enjoying many benefits seemed more attractive!

Asiastes could guess that this law would soon be announced in Thurii and Amendolara as well. By then, countless freemen would rush to Nerulum, scrambling over each other to marry a Lucanian woman!

He looked at the execution ground, piled with bodies like a small hill and rivers of blood, and thought: at least the many widows in Nerulum would now have someone to care for them.

…

The bloody spectacle Sestas had created outside the city gate terrorized all the Lucanians inside the city. Families who had lost loved ones wept softly in fear.

Even in the evening, when Bacule feasted Kesima, Ulaza, and other familiar Lucanians, they were still trembling with fear.

"Sit! All of you, sit! We are old friends. Sit down! …" Bacule unconsciously imitated the expression and tone Davos had used when entertaining him earlier, but the guests did not seem at ease.

"Kesima, I haven't seen Abinu around. Where is he?" Bacule scanned the group and asked.

"Abinu… he once quarreled with Damaru, the son of Uder, and was beaten to death by them!" Kesima said gloomily.

"Damn Uder! Damn those big tribes that oppressed us! Where is this Damaru now?!" Bacule roared angrily.

"He's dead! On the last expedition to Thurii, he died at the hands of the Greeks, just like his father Uder!" Ulaza glanced at Asiastes beside Bacule and said with schadenfreude.

"Ah, it's a pity I couldn't take revenge for him myself! But still, this is fine—Abinu can go serve the mountain god in peace!" Bacule sighed and calmed down.

Just then, one of the guests said, "Uder, Ram, and the others oppressed us, but won't the Greeks oppress us too?! Won't they slaughter us like they slaughtered Ram and the others today?!"

"That's right! That's right! Today the Greeks killed more than five hundred surrendered Lucanians outside the city all at once!"

"Soon they'll slaughter us like cattle and sheep too!"

The guests stirred, loudly expressing their discontent with the Greeks.

Only then did Asiastes realize the impact the massacre outside the city had on people's hearts. He had to stand up and say, "The Thua Alliance will never oppress you! We—"

"How can a Greek who speaks Lucanian attend a Lucanian gathering?!" A voice from among the guests interrupted Asiastes.

"Of course he can!" At this point, before the guests could stir again, Bacule immediately cut in, "He is the son-in-law of the Lucanians, my brother-in-law, Tina's husband!"